Bachelor Undone

by Brenda Jackson

  She was different from the women he usually dated, those who preferred being told what they wanted to hear. And he had no trouble obliging them if he got what he wanted in the end. With Darcy, there was no need to play games or talk in circles. He liked that.

  When he braked the car to a stop at the traffic light, on impulse he reached over and traced his fingertips along her thigh, liking the way her skin felt there—soft and smooth. He couldn't help but remember how it felt riding those same thighs and how those thighs had also ridden him.

  He glanced over at her and saw fire flaring in the depths of her eyes. It was fire he'd generated, fire he intended to stir into a huge flame, fire he intended to extinguish in his own special way. He returned his hand back to the steering wheel when the traffic light changed.

  “What's your sign, York?”

  He chuckled. Now she was going to try and figure him out. He really wasn't a complicated sort of guy. He was just a horny one at the moment, thanks to her. He answered merely to amuse her. “Scorpio.”

  Now it was her turn to chuckle before saying, “I figured as much.”

  He wasn't into that astrology stuff but was curious as to how she'd figured it. “You need to expound on that.”

  “No problem.” And then she said, “Scorpios are very passionate beings. They crave physical contact. In other words, they love sex.”

  He wouldn't go so far as to say he loved sex, but he certainly enjoyed it. “And how would you know that?”

  “Because I'm a Scorpio.”

  If her words were meant to make him get hard, they succeeded. The erection already there got even harder, bigger. The thought that she liked sex made him throb. He should have figured that much from when they'd made love. There had been something else about that night that stayed with him. He could tell that it had been a long time since she'd made love to a man. Her body was tight. And if that hadn't been enough to give something away, he couldn't forget that several times in the course of their lovemaking she'd let it slip that it had been a long time for her, which was why she thought she was being so greedy. If she loved sex so much, why had she gone without?

  He decided to ask her. “Then why did you go without it for a long time?”

  She looked at him as if wondering how he'd known and he said, “That night, you let it slip that it had been a long time for you.”

  How much time passed before she answered he wasn't sure, but he was certain he'd been holding his breath for her response. Finally she said, “I hadn't meant to tell you that, but I guess I sort of got caught up in the moment.”

  He smiled remembering. “You did. So did I,” he said, not ashamed to admit it.

  He could feel the constant thump of his heart in his chest when she said, “Yes, it had been a long time for me.”

  “Why?”

  He thought she would tell him it wasn't any of his business. She certainly had every right to do so. Instead she surprised him by saying, “I decided to take a two-year hiatus. I was starting a new job and needed to stay focused on something other than male body parts. Besides, I had gotten out of one hell of a marriage and refused to even consider getting into a serious relationship.”

  He brought the car to another stop. He'd heard from Uriel that her ex-husband had been a jerk. “If you like sex so much, how did you survive going without it?”

  She shrugged delicate-looking shoulders beneath her

  spaghetti straps. “I had my ways of keeping myself entertained.”

  He quickly caught on to what she'd meant. What a pity. A woman with profound needs should not have had to settle for a substitute.

  “We might as well clear things up about something else while we're in a talkative mood, York.”

  He glanced over at her. “About what?”

  “That day we met at Uriel and Ellie's wedding and you tried coming on to me and I was a smart-ass and all but told you to go screw yourself.”

  He could clearly recall that day, and that's not all she'd said. “Yes? What about it?”

  “I was in a bad mood. I had just received a call from my ex that he intended to make my life miserable by moving to New York just to aggravate the hell out of me.”

  “So you took it out on me?”

  “I would have taken it out on anyone with a penis, and you just happened to be the first man who approached me after that phone call.”

  He remembered she had left the wedding rehearsal for a short while, and when she'd returned he had hightailed it over to her to see if she wanted to go out with him later that night. Her words had set his face on fire, and he'd walked off intending to never have anything to do with her again.

  “I took it out on you, and I apologize.”

  Her apology was two years in coming, but there was no need for either of them to hold a grudge forever. But still … “Why are you apologizing now, Darcy?”

  “Because I think I should. Okay, I admit I should have done so long ago, but every time I ran into you at one of Ellie's functions, you would avoid me like I had a disease or something and it sort of pissed me off.”

  He frowned as he stared over at her. “And after what you said to me, you really expected me not to avoid you? You threatened to all but castrate me if I got in your face again.”

  “Okay, I remember all that, and I'm sorry. Do you accept my apology?”

  He drew in a deep breath. It would be silly if he didn't, especially since he knew for a fact she wouldn't harm that particular body part. She'd held it in her hand, had taken it in her mouth. The memory of her doing both was increasing his arousal. “Yes, I accept your apology. It's in the past, so let's leave it there. We've moved beyond that now, haven't we?”

  “Yes. Ellie will be glad to hear we're no longer enemies. That bothered her,” she said.

  He decided not to say that their less than friendly attitude never bothered Uriel. It had taken a while for Darcy to grow on him, as well. It had something to do with a prank Darcy had gotten Ellie to play on Uriel when the two women were in their teens. It had taken Uriel a long time to get over it.

  “You and Ellie been best friends a long time?” he asked her.

  “Almost forever. She's the sister I never had, and since she was an only child, I got to go a lot of places with her, like to Cavanaugh Lake for the summers.”

  Since he was godbrother to Uriel, whose parents also owned a place at Cavanaugh Lake, he spent a lot of his summers there as well. He could remember Ellie and her annoying little friend but hadn't known until Ellie and Uriel's wedding that Darcy had been that annoying friend. She had grown into a beautiful woman—not that she'd been an ugly kid or anything but just one not all that noticeable. Besides, she'd been five years younger, and he'd never paid her much attention. Now he did.

  “So you're not telling me where we're going?” she asked, glancing over at him.

  He smiled. “Not yet. We'll be there in a minute. Just relax. You have nothing to worry about.”

  Darcy wasn't too sure of that. Just sharing a car with York was pure torture. The man was too virile. When he made such blatant statements as he'd done earlier, he made her remember everything about the night they'd made love.

  Being coy was not a part of her makeup, and it seemed it wasn't a part of his either. She liked that, and she hated to admit it—since they had avoided each other for so long—that she kind of liked him, too. He was a Scorpio; so was she. According to their signs when it came to compatibility, a Scorpio and Scorpio match was rated high, the same when it came to sex between a Scorpio and a Scorpio. So it seemed they had that in the bag. After the other night, she had no reason not to believe it. But the ratings weren't so high when it came to communication between two Scorpios. She wondered why. She enjoyed discussing things with York, at least when they stayed away from controversial subjects like Damien Felder. York had his own opinions about the man, and she had hers.

  She was glad she'd apologized for her behavior two years ago. Ellie had kept telling her that she should
, and like she'd told him, she had tried. But he hadn't given her the opportunity. Even that night when he'd shown up at her place because Ellie had convinced him to come, he had come arguing about it, which set her off again.

  “How do you like your job as a city planner?”

  She looked over at him. “I like it on those days politics aren't involved.” On the days it was, she wanted to quit and do something else. But her job paid her well even with the headaches. And she did enjoy living in New York, especially when the weather was nice. There were so many things to see and do.

  “So, did your ex follow you to New York?” he asked her.

  “Yes, and he tried making my life a living hell for a couple of months. I ended up getting a restraining order on him. That's the reason Ellie had you rush over to my place that night. She was convinced my intruder was Harold.”

  Over the next few minutes she engaged in conversation with him and found herself telling him the reason she had gotten a divorce.

  She also told him about her job and that she hadn't taken a lot of time off for the two years she'd worked as a city planner and that in addition to much needed R & R, she'd also had wanted to escape the cold weather in New York for a while.

  And just the opposite, he told her how much he enjoyed New York winters and that he was missing the snowstorm passing through even now. As they talked, it dawned on her just how laid-back he was once you got to know him. She was enjoying the conversation. He was arrogant, true enough, but there was something about his arrogance that she found as a total turn-on at times.

  And she couldn't dismiss the fact that being with him did something to her, gave her an adrenaline rush like she'd never experienced before. Especially when he was so up front and candid about certain things. She had a feeling how he intended the evening to end. He'd all but spelled it out to her. The thought that he pretty much had sexual ideas that included her didn't bother her in the least. In fact, if truth be told, she was still in awe of their lovemaking the other night. Although at the time she'd figured it was one and done, it still had lingering effects on her.

  She couldn't look at her naked body in the mirror without remembering how he'd licked every single inch of it. And her nipples would strain against her top when she recalled how he had sucked the dark pebbles into his mouth and feasted on them. Even now, the memory of his head between her legs had heat rushing all through her.

  “What are your plans for the holidays, Darcy?”

  She glanced over at him, wondering why he'd want to know and then quickly figured he'd asked for conversational purposes only. “When I leave here, instead of flying back to New York, I'm headed to Minnesota to spend Christmas with my parents and brothers. I've timed it to be with them Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. That's the most I can take of the harsh, cold Minnesota weather. Then on the day after Christmas I'm heading to Cavanaugh Lake to help Ellie with her New Year's Eve bash. She's planning a masquerade party this year.”

  “That should be interesting and a lot of fun.”

  She thought so as well and looked forward to the event.

  As the car continued to move through the streets of Jamaica, she glanced out the window to take in the sights they passed. They were on the grander side of the island, where the wealthy resided, which was evident by the spacious homes they passed. She knew the houses were owned by wealthy Americans and Europeans who wanted to get away to the tropical island whenever they could. Cheyenne Steele Westmoreland and Vanessa Steele Cody, along with their husbands, owned beautiful homes in this part of the island as well. The two women were first cousins to Donovan Steele, a close friend of Uriel's. She had met most of the Steele family through Ellie at family functions and gatherings.

  It had turned dark, and the lights that lined the streets seemed to shimmer across the water. When York turned off the main road and onto a street lined with palm trees on both sides, she studied the homes they passed. Huge, magnificent and beautiful were just a few words she could use to describe them. And when he pulled into the driveway of one such home, she turned and glanced over at him questioningly.

  He smiled. “This is where we'll be spending the evening. I plan to treat you to my own brand of an island feast.”

  She glanced back at the house and then back at him. “And the owner has no problem with you doing that?” she asked, trying to downplay her excitement at the thought that he wanted to prepare a meal for her.

  He chuckled. “Trust me, he won't mind since I know him well.”

  “Do you?”

  “Yes. I own the place. And I want to welcome you, Darcy Owens, to my summer home in Jamaica.”

  Chapter 7

  York leaned back against the closed door and watched as Darcy moved around his living room. It was as if she was fascinated by each and every thing she saw, whether it was the furniture, the paintings on the wall or the large potted plants he had strategically arranged to get the optimum amount of sun. Then there was the sea view from every window.

  He had bought the home when it had been in foreclosure and never regretted doing so. It was his haven, his escape when he'd found himself working too hard and needing playtime. He liked spending time on the water and owned a Jet Ski that he enjoyed taking out every chance he got.

  “This place is beautiful, York, and the view of the ocean is simply breathtaking.”

  “Thanks.” He smiled, pleased with her assessment of his home. He was a man who really never cared what others thought of his possessions, but knowing she liked this place filled him with something he'd never felt before. It was then that he realized he had never brought a woman here. Usually his time spent at this place was what he considered as “me” time—his time alone to unwind and enjoy the beach that was literally in his backyard.

  He studied her as she continued to look out one of his floor-to-ceiling windows and thought she was breathtaking, as well. That short dress had practically undone him the moment he'd seen her in it. She was the only woman that could get him wound up to this point, where he was filled with a simmering need that was hard to keep in check. And it didn't help matters to know he'd already sampled her, already knew her taste and scent. Knew how it felt to ride her.

  She turned and caught him staring but didn't seem surprised. He had a feeling she was aware of every move he made. He wondered if she was privy to his thoughts as well. If she was, then she knew those thoughts were salacious, indecent at best, highly X-rated. Even now he was wondering what was or wasn't under her dress.

  He drew in a long breath when their gazes held, and the silence between them was becoming noticeably long. It wouldn't take much to cross the room, lift that short dress and take her just where she stood.

  It was she who finally broke the silence by asking, “How long have you owned the house?”

  “A few years. I always wanted a place on the island, and when I heard about it I couldn't pass up the chance to get it. It's my escape from reality. I've been a beach bum here a time or two.”

  “Why are you staying at the hotel when you have this place?”

  He moved away from the door. “I'm on the island working, and I need to be in the thick of things.”

  “Oh.”

  He knew his words reminded her of his allegations about Felder. She tilted back her head, stared at him and asked, “Why are you so hell-bent on Damien Felder being guilty?”

  “And why are you so hell-bent that he's innocent?”

  He could feel a confrontation coming on, and he could deal with that. A verbal sparring with her was always refreshing. But what he didn't like was the thought that they would be arguing about another man—a man who when he wasn't with her was sleeping with another woman. And it was a woman who another man wanted or assumed he had. If that wasn't a mixed-up affair, he didn't know what was. He didn't want Darcy to be a part of such foolishness.

  “I like giving people the benefit of the doubt, York.”

  He rolled his shoulders in a shrug. “That's a nice gesture, but peo
ple aren't always what they seem to be.”

  “I know that,” she all but snapped and he had a feeling she wanted to smack him.

  “Did Felder make that much of an impression on you, or do you just want to refute what I say just for the hell of it?” he asked, regarding her intently.

  She smiled, and he thought back to the first time he had seen her smile … although the smile had not been directed at him. It had been at Uriel and Ellie's wedding, and she'd smiled a lot, genuinely happy for her best friend. And her hazel eyes had sparkled a lot that night, too.

  “You shouldn't be so quick to jump to conclusions about people, York,” she said, interrupting his thoughts.

  “And you think that's what I'm doing?” he asked.

  “Don't you?”

  “No. And for you to assume I would consider a man guilty of wrongdoing just because he's shown an interest in you is unfair to me.”

  He knew his comment had given her food for thought when she hung her head to study the grain of the wood on his floor. She lifted her head. “You're right, and I owe you another apology.”

  “Yes, you do.”

  She frowned. “You don't have to rub it in.”

  He began slowly walking toward her, and the frown on her face showed no signs of disappearing. In fact, it deepened, and he thought she looked pretty darn sexy when angry. He came to a stop in front of her and said, “I didn't bring you here to argue with you, Darcy.”

  She tilted her head at an angle to meet his direct gaze. “And why did you bring me here?”

  He smiled. “To feed you, for starters. You can have a seat here in the living room and enjoy a view of the water, or you can join me in the kitchen to see what else I can do beside nab the bad guys.”

  He could tell by the light that lit her eyes that the latter suggestion caught her interest. He was proven right when she said, “I'll join you in the kitchen.”