Defying the Billionaire's Command

by Michelle Conder

  ‘It all looks good.’ She smiled at his mother. ‘Of course, we won’t know the results of the tumour for a couple of days but he’s responding really well to the post-op meds.’

  ‘That’s a relief.’ Dare’s mother gripped his grandfather’s hand in hers.

  Before Carly could say anything more the door opened and his cousin, Beckett, swaggered in unannounced. Dare had never met him before and he remained completely unmoved as the younger man’s eyes briefly narrowed in on him.

  So far Dare had dug up quite a bit on his privileged cousin and he’d found that if stupidity and sleaziness were a crime Beckett would be in jail for life. Perhaps if good looks were a crime he’d be there even longer because even Dare could see that his cousin had been genetically blessed in that department.

  ‘I came as soon as I heard,’ Beckett gushed.

  Dare stared at him. He’d like to know who had told him about Benson’s condition, but kept silent.

  ‘You must be my aunt Rachel,’ Beckett said, as smooth as a snake gliding over sand. ‘It’s a pleasure to meet you at last.’ He took her hand and kissed the back of it before turning to Dare. ‘And you, cousin Dare.’

  Dare folded his arms and tucked his thumbs beneath his armpits. ‘Beckett.’

  Beckett acknowledged the rebuff with a small smile and turned to Carly.

  ‘Carly.’ He said her name on a sigh and Dare’s senses sharpened. ‘It’s good to see you again.’

  ‘Beckett, how are you?’

  ‘Better for knowing that my grandfather has survived his operation.’ He smiled down at her, squeezing her shoulder. ‘And for seeing you again. But I am a little miffed at you—’ he pouted ‘—for not letting on about my grandfather’s condition.’

  ‘It wasn’t my place to mention it,’ Carly said, moving away to replace the clipboard at the end of Benson’s bed. Which was fortunate for his cousin, Dare brooded, because he’d been about to rip his arm from its socket.

  When the clipboard wouldn’t catch Dare stepped between the two of them. ‘Here, let me help you, Red,’ he murmured softly.

  Beckett ignored him, his gaze lingering on Carly a little longer. ‘And how is he?’

  Dare listened while Carly filled his cousin in. Beckett showed genuine concern for his grandfather, but Dare’s hackles were raised. Fortunately his cousin had enough sense to pick up on Dare’s cool regard and didn’t prolong his visit. Which was a good thing. Dare didn’t trust him, and he definitely didn’t like the familiar way he had touched Carly.

  His lover.

  He pushed away from the windowsill. He wanted nothing more than to take Carly away from here and sweep her into his arms again. He wanted to kiss her long and hard and deep and feel her melt against him. Hear her make those breathy little moans he was rapidly becoming addicted to and smell her woman’s smell. Taste her again. And if some small part of his logical side found that a bit disturbing, well, he would deal with that later.

  He slung his arm around his mother’s shoulders and dropped a kiss on her head, asked her how she was. He felt good. Really good. Why deny it?

  Carly watched mother and son converse and she knew she’d lied to herself in the car. Somewhere in amongst the arguing and the accusations, the tenderness and the desire, she had fallen in love with him. Completely and stupidly in love with the arrogant, the self-assured Dare James.

  The feeling was so different from how she had felt about Daniel that she finally recognised that there was some truth to her father’s assessment that she had fallen for Daniel to help her deal with Liv’s diagnosis. She hadn’t wanted to face that because she’d needed a better reason than that as to why she had let him treat her so badly. It made her feel as if she had a terrible weakness inside herself that would allow any man she became involved with to walk all over her if he pleased.

  Like this man.

  Carly’s breathing bottomed out as a slow panic set in like molasses sliding down the tip of a spoon. Before she knew it she was at the door and pulling it open.

  ‘Carly?’

  Schooling her features, she pinned a smile on her face before turning back to the occupants in the room. ‘I’m just heading out.’ And never coming back. ‘Give you all some time together.’

  She pulled the door firmly closed and barely registered the nurses’ station as she strode past.

  ‘Carly!’

  Dare caught up with her just outside the lifts.

  Carly stabbed at the button.

  ‘Where are you going?’

  Carly stared at the lift doors, willing them to open. ‘I need to find a hotel for the night and—’

  ‘What are you talking about?’ he asked gruffly. ‘You’re staying with me.’

  She heard the frown in his voice and made the mistake of glancing up at him. ‘Dare, I—’

  ‘Unless you’re going to say last night was a one-night stand.’

  ‘No, I—’

  ‘That I took advantage of your vulnerable state.’

  ‘I would never say that,’ Carly said hotly.

  ‘Good.’ He looked altogether too satisfied with himself and Carly’s temper spiked. ‘Then we’re decided.’

  ‘You might be,’ Carly snapped, ‘but I’m not. And I’m tired of you pushing your way arou—’

  ‘Carly?’ He said her name softly, a burning intensity entering his blue eyes as he stared down at her. ‘Stay with me.’

  His earnest request was such a shock Carly’s anger dissipated as quickly as it had arisen. Then she shook her head. Staying would be emotional suicide. ‘Why?’

  He frowned. ‘Because something is going on here.’ He placed his hands on her hips and a shiver raced through her. ‘Between us. I know you feel it. Damn, after last night... I’m not ready to let it go.’

  ‘Something?’ she asked, holding her breath.

  He leant his forehead against hers. ‘I don’t have a label for it, but—’ he exhaled ‘—I can’t explain it except to say that I’ve never wanted a woman as much as I want you.’ He leaned back to look down at her. ‘Spend the day with me.’

  Carly searched his gaze and felt that same surge of love she’d felt well up inside her when she’d stared at him before. And something else, besides. Hope? Was it possible he felt the same as she did but didn’t know it yet?

  ‘Don’t you have to work?’

  He smiled down at her. ‘At this rate I’ll have meetings banked up until Christmas but I don’t care.’

  He bent his head and kissed her softly. She moaned against his mouth, rose up onto her toes to kiss him back. The lift door pinged its arrival and they ignored it.

  When a couple of the occupants tried to manoeuvre past, Dare shifted them both to the side without breaking their embrace.

  Carly released a nervous laugh.

  ‘I want you.’ He clasped her face in his hands, his blue eyes intense. ‘All of you. Every bit of you.’

  Every word was tautly spoken, his broad shoulders stiff with tension, as if he were the one standing on the edge of a cliff top wondering whether to go over. But that was only her, wasn’t it?

  She looked up at him and said the only thing that she could. ‘Yes.’

  CHAPTER TEN

  DESPITE THE OVERHANGING grey clouds and constant threat of humid rain they had a glorious day. They walked along the Thames, had lunch in a tiny French bistro, and came across that horrendous art exhibition Dare had attended with Lucy. He had nearly groaned when Carly wanted to take a look inside, having the good sense not to mention that he’d already been.

  ‘It looks like the artist really disliked his last girlfriend,’ she mused. ‘Or boyfriend.’

  Dare laughed and asked her what she thought of the white column thing that still looked like a table to him.

 
; After that they talked about everything from politics to Hollywood movies and which was better, Thor or Iron Man. She waxed lyrical over Chris Hemsworth; he might have mentioned Charlize Theron once or twice.

  ‘Charlize, huh?’

  ‘She’s a fine actress,’ he explained with a straight face. ‘She’s won awards.’

  ‘Yes, but I bet it’s not her awards you picture when you think of her,’ she teased.

  No, he didn’t, but for some reason with Carly standing in front of him with shafts of sunlight striking her hair he couldn’t bring any other woman to mind.

  ‘You think?’ he said.

  She laughed and Dare grabbed her and dragged her up onto her toes in the middle of a busy street, forked his hands in her hair and kissed her.

  After that they headed to his apartment. Made love.

  He couldn’t get enough of her and if he had enough brain cells left in his head he’d probably be worried about that.

  ‘How can you have black coffee when you have this wicked-looking machine that can probably grow the beans, collect them, and roast them at the same time?’ she asked.

  She was wearing one of his T-shirts and he’d bet nothing underneath. He loved it when she did that.

  ‘I like top-shelf stuff,’ he said, thinking of her.

  She perched on the edge of a stool. ‘Because you never had it growing up?’

  They’d talked a bit about his childhood. Nothing too drastic, just where he’d gone to school, how he’d had to work hard to put himself through college, his first car—a 1990 Mazda RX-7 he’d been so proud of at the time. But things he’d never discussed with anyone before.

  ‘Yeah, I suppose so.’ He gave her a quick smile. ‘You might not believe this but I was a scrawny kid when I was younger, always coming from the bottom.’

  ‘Oh, I bet you liked that!’ She laughed.

  He grinned. ‘I might have gotten my head punched in a few times when guys tried to push me around about it.’

  ‘What did your dad say? Did he step in and threaten to do the same to them?’

  Dare’s grin slipped a notch. ‘My father wasn’t around much.’

  ‘Why not?’

  ‘He was a dreamer.’

  ‘A dreamer?’

  Dare nearly laughed. Saying his father was a dreamer was putting it mildly. And part of him wanted to tell her everything. Tell her how he had looked up to his father, believing in him right up until his death, tell her how he had defended his father in the schoolyard, tell her how bitterly disappointed he was to find out that he was just a liar. But the words stuck like a block of cement in his throat.

  And why sully the moment by rehashing the past? Especially when she was looking at him the way she was. All big-eyed and soft-mouthed.

  ‘He’s not worth talking about,’ he said, pouring the coffee.

  ‘Is he still alive?’

  ‘No. He died when I was fifteen. Here,’ he announced with a masculine flourish. ‘One girlie coffee for your tasting pleasure. Tell me that isn’t the best coffee you’ve ever tasted in your life.’

  Carly knew Dare was deliberately changing the subject and she told herself it didn’t mean anything.

  Giving him a quick smile, she forced herself to sip the warm liquid. It really was good. She blinked up at him, wondering if there was anything he couldn’t do well. ‘Mmm...’ She rolled her lips together, savouring the taste. ‘You’re right, it is good. But the best...’ She took another sip. Licked her lips again.

  Dare stared at her mouth. ‘Now you’ve done it,’ he said, coming around to her side of the counter.

  ‘Done what?’ Carly asked innocently.

  ‘Gone and made something hard,’ he growled, lifting her onto the benchtop. ‘And seeing as how you’re a doctor and all, you might like to take a look. Give me your professional opinion.’

  ‘My professional opinion, huh?’ Carly reached down and cupped him in her hand. Dare groaned.

  She frowned at him. ‘Hmm, my professional opinion is that you really should do something about that.’ She tapped her finger to her lips. ‘I’m just not sure what.’

  Dare lifted his shirt to her waist. ‘Here, I have an idea.’

  * * *

  A faint stream of early morning sunlight woke her and once more Carly’s internal muscles cramped pleasurably as she moved. This time, however, instead of waking alone she found Dare still with her, sprawled out on his back, one arm flung over his head, the other curled beneath her neck.

  Carefully, so she didn’t wake him, Carly rose up on her elbow and looked down at him.

  He was magnificent. His dark beard growth making his jaw appear even squarer, his dark lashes creating a thick curve on his cheekbones.

  Last night he had been both passionate and gentle. Powerful and tender. And completely insatiable. She had been completely insatiable. Waking in the early hours of the morning to find his mouth on her as he drew her from sleep in the most delicious way imaginable.

  But it wasn’t just the way he made her feel that mesmerised her. It was the man himself. He was so strong, so sure of himself and, yes, controlling, but that was somehow part of his appeal, much as she never thought she’d ever say such a thing!

  ‘What are you looking at?’ he rumbled without opening his eyes.

  Carly grinned. God, she loved him, and her heart felt as if it were glowing inside her chest.

  ‘You,’ she said, leaning down to gently kiss his jaw.

  The arm beneath her came around her shoulders and he lazily caressed her spine.

  ‘A little less looking and a lot more action would be preferable,’ he advised with drowsy appreciation.

  Carly laughed. ‘You’re insatiable.’

  ‘Hmm.’ He gripped the nape of her neck and encouraged her head to bend to his. ‘I am where you’re concerned.’

  Carly stroked his chest. ‘We should check how Benson is doing.’

  ‘I already did.’

  ‘You did?’

  ‘I woke up earlier and called the hospital. They’re thinking of moving him out of ICU later today.’

  ‘Oh, that’s fantastic news.’ She smiled at him, drawing slow circles on the sprinkling of hair on his chest. ‘That was nice of you to check. I think “the old man” is growing on you,’ she teased.

  Dare grunted and she hid a smile against his shoulder. He came over all cold and tough, but deep down he wasn’t. Deep down he was the man of her dreams.

  ‘Are you accusing me of going soft?’ he murmured suggestively.

  ‘Never!’

  She squealed as he rolled her onto her back and held her hands above her head. ‘Let me up,’ she said breathlessly.

  His eyes drifted over her naked breasts. ‘Make me.’

  Carly reviewed her options and her stomach chose that moment to growl loudly.

  Dare’s eyebrows rose in alarm. ‘Okay, I give up.’

  Carly laughed at his antics. ‘I haven’t eaten for hours,’ she defended.

  ‘Then I’d better feed you.’ He rolled away from her. ‘How does an American omelette sound?’

  ‘Great, but what’s the difference between an American omelette and our omelettes?’

  He dropped a kiss on her mouth. ‘We cook ours.’

  Carly grinned, watching him tug on his jeans, leaving the top button undone, with the casual disregard of a confident male.

  A surge of emotion shook her out of her happy delirium as it struck her that maybe she needed to pull back a little.

  ‘Why don’t you have a shower while I cook?’

  She swallowed heavily and shook off the maudlin thought. Dare wasn’t a mistake. How could he be when it felt so good?

  ‘Sounds like a plan.’ She smiled.

 
‘Oh, I have plans for you, Red. I’m just building your stamina first.’

  ‘Promises, promises.’ Carly laughed and she headed for the shower.

  * * *

  Dare pulled a carton of eggs and a block of cheese from the fridge, a frying pan from the cupboard.

  He was humming, he realised, and grinned. He couldn’t remember a time he’d felt this good. This amped. Maybe when he’d seen his risky stock options turn him from a possible contender on the financial markets to a man everyone respected. And maybe when he was speeding along an open road. But never with a woman before.

  He glanced at the day outside the window. It wasn’t raining so maybe he’d try and get his doc to set aside her reservations and hop on the back of his death trap with him.

  He frowned.

  His doc?

  She wasn’t his anything. She was very definitely her own woman and he could only imagine her temper taking hold if he suggested anything else.

  He cracked eggs, ground pepper and salt into a bowl, and grinned.

  That ex of hers had really done him a favour, he thought, cheating on her. The guy must have been a moron. It was the only explanation Dare could come up with because Carly was magnificent. Everything a man could ever want in a woman.

  He stopped stirring. What was he thinking? That he was going to keep her?

  His heart found its way into his throat. Was that what he wanted?

  He stared into space.

  Yes, the answer came back, yes, he did want her, and that was when he knew that he could no longer avoid the truth. Somehow, some time, he’d fallen in love with the lovely, the beautiful Dr Evans. And he wasn’t even worried about it. The fact was he’d never met a woman like her. So open and honest, so genuine and giving. And, man, was she ever giving. Last night—

  The buzzer sounded on his intercom and almost bemusedly he pressed the button.

  If someone had told him a week ago he’d fall in love with a feisty redhead he would have laughed. Deep down he’d believed love wasn’t something he’d ever want or something he would ever need.