He found Diana in one of the store windows creating the frame of a huge space ship, a small conveyer belt curling through its center with toys that seemed to have come alive to play.
“Diana, I need your help.”
Her eyes widened, huge aquamarine pools in her tiny face. “I can tell from your face something important has happened.” She rose slowly, the top of her moonbeam hair barely reaching his shoulder. “You know I’ll do whatever I can to help you.”
“Will you be my date for the Black and White Party Friday night?”
For the first time he saw surprise flicker across her face. “You’re not into the old boy network and you’re not a player in that sense so…” She smiled. “There’s only one person I’ve ever seen who can get beneath your cool facade. It’s all about Venus, isn’t it?”
“Isn’t it always about Venus?” Such a feeling of euphoria rushed through him that he laughed. “She’s attending the party with Brad. Which we both know is a mistake.”
“Ah, I see.” Diana sighed. “Do you know what you want?”
The demanding stare she leveled on him would have driven some men to their knees. Not him. Not about Venus. Not now. Not ever.
“Yes. I know I could invite any number of women. However, I don’t want to make Venus jealous. All I want is her.”
Tears glistened like diamonds in Diana’s luminous eyes. “Thank goodness you’ve accepted the truth. My sister will fight it. Until you convince her beyond even her capacity for denial.”
Diana straightened her delicate shoulders and blinked up at him. “The Black and White Party this year is in the ballroom at the end of Navy Pier. I’ll meet you there at seven.”
On Friday, eager to begin convincing Venus beyond her capacity for denial, Connor arrived early at Navy Pier.
Waiting for Diana, he paced in front of the entrance to the ballroom. The cessation of all conversation from the milling crowd and an odd tension in the air caused him to glance up.
For an instant he thought it was Venus shimmering in a black gown and diamonds at the end of the hall.
A heartbeat later he realized it wasn’t Venus but Diana.
He caught the stunned looks of both men and women and smiled. Forsaking her usual virginal white, Diana had become a creature of tantalizing desire. Her hair, a cascade of silver, fell across her breasts, draped low in black silk. Her full lips reddened as never before and aquamarine eyes shadowed in such a way they teased were irresistible.
“Hell, Diana, you could corrupt a saint tonight.” Not at all tempted, Connor smiled down at her as she tucked her dainty hand into the curve of his arm. “I wish Grey and Ric could see you. They’d realize you were all grown up.”
“I wish they could see me, too,” she purred, her dark tinted lashes hiding her eyes. “Shall we go in and conquer?”
Venus had tried to conquer her misery over Connor and her aching regret that she’d ever agreed to this date by decking herself out in her favorite white sequin Versace dress. She’d had this same fake smile plastered on her face from the moment Brad arrived for what would definitely be their last date.
I at least owe him this much.
Halfway across the vast, round ballroom, Brad bolted off into a laughing group of men.
Well, maybe not. She eyed him with boredom.
“I’m on my way out. Take this.” Cathy Post handed her a glass of champagne and motioned to Brad. “I did the PR for the Black and White Party in New York and saw him there. This is his milieu. The pounding music, the powerful men, the yearly influx of beautiful women ready to have a good time fit him like a glove. It gives me a headache. Have a drink. It might help.” With a wave, Cathy escaped.
Dutifully, Venus took a deep gulp of icy cold champagne. It didn’t help. She still felt miserable and empty.
A stir at the door caused her to look up.
Connor stood in the entrance with a diminutive slinky siren on his arm.
A rush of jealousy made Venus see shots of red around them. She blinked, the beauty’s face coming into sharp focus.
Shock tingled along her hot skin. “Diana,” she gasped.
As if her sister had heard her, Diana glanced up, waved, and led Connor across the room.
Too stunned to speak, Venus stared at her baby sister in disbelief.
“Don’t forget, I’m a Gemini. I’m showing my other side for a change.” Diana’s delicate laughter was like a siren call drawing every male within hearing distance closer.
As Brad wandered back to Venus’s side, Diana placed her hand in the crook of his arm. “There are some people across the room I want you to meet. I think they could be valuable clients.”
He raised his eyebrow. “Great. Let’s go.”
Over her shoulder Diana glanced between Venus and Connor, her meaning unmistakable.
“Diana is sacrificing herself for us.” Connor handed the champagne glass to a passing waiter and took Venus into his arms so suddenly she couldn’t resist. “Besides, they’re playing our song.”
Pressed against his hard-muscled chest, their thighs moving together to the music, she buried her hot face against his shoulder, desperate to keep her feelings hidden.
“Yes, Patsy Cline’s ‘Crazy’ fits us to a T. This whole thing has been crazy from the beginning,” she murmured, at last fully understanding what her plan had done to both of them.
“I’m crazy about you,” Connor whispered into her ear, moving lower to brush his lips at her throat.
Sexual pleasure weakened her knees, but from somewhere she found the strength to pull away slightly to look up into his eyes. “Have you been drinking? This isn’t like you.”
His arm tightened her back to his body. “I’ve let go, Venus. Isn’t this what you wanted?”
Her heart aching, she turned her face away and pressed her palms against his chest. “You know what I want, Connor. This is…”
Gently, he turned her head and kissed her. The pressure of his hand at the nape of her neck under her hair and his warm, dry, searching lips were irresistible. Their mouths clung together, burning, broke apart and met again.
A tremor of passion shook her, and, shocked by it here surrounded by noise and curious onlookers, she turned her face to bury it again in his neck.
“Oh, my God, what are we doing? We must stop.”
“I’m not stopping. Let’s get out of here.”
“I can’t…” Venus peeked over Connor’s shoulder and caught Brad’s angry glare. Then she glanced up to see Connor answer it with a rigid jaw and narrowed eyes. The memory of their fistfight years ago flashed through her head.
“Oh, no, you don’t. Behave,” she gasped as Brad danced over with Diana.
“Time to change partners,” he demanded.
“No thanks,” Connor bit out and twirled her away, leaving Brad standing alone, as a tall, handsome state senator had whisked Diana off in his arms.
The music stopped yet still Connor held her, one hand at the nape of her neck and the other low on her back where her hips swelled.
“Let’s get out of here,” he urged again.
She saw Brad weaving through the crowd toward them. “My parents taught me to always leave the party with the date I came with no matter what temptations presented themselves. I chose to do this tonight. I need to finish it.” She wiggled free but Connor caught her hand, twining their fingers together.
With a sour look, Brad glanced at their clasped hands. “Venus, this is our dance.”
Ignoring him, Connor slowly smiled and lifted her fingers to his lips. “I’ll be waiting,” he murmured.
Venus felt his eyes following her as she let Brad lead her onto the dance floor.
“What kind of game is Connor playing?” Brad glared back at where Connor stood with one shoulder propped against a pillar. “Everyone knows you hate the guy.”
“I don’t hate him,” she said through the hot, tight ache at the back of her throat.
Brad lifted an eyebrow. “Since wh
en?”
She tried to clear her voice. “Situations change.”
“Has something changed between the Clayworths and your father? Have they vindicated him? Given him back his job and restored his reputation?”
Miserable, she shook her head.
“Then nothing has changed except Connor drooling all over you. I can’t stand the guy but I don’t blame him. You and Diana are even more gorgeous than usual tonight. I think we should make an early evening of it.” He ran his palm down her bare back.
Not wanting to be rude, she stopped herself from shuddering in discomfort. “Fabulous idea.” She brightened, wanting to be home to lick her wounds. “Now?”
“I’m flattered.” He chuckled. “But I need to circulate another half hour or so.”
Brad kept her by his side, a proprietary arm around her shoulder. She knew his attentiveness, the way he kept rubbing her back with his palm, was nothing more than spite against Connor.
She watched Diana extricate herself from three guys who looked crushed with disappointment as she glided over to where Connor stood against the pillar. He’d never taken his eyes off Venus all evening.
Ready to collapse from the stress of pretending not to notice, she nevertheless made an effort to pay attention to Brad’s business conversation with a polo player and two money managers.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw Connor and Diana leave. Nearly at the same moment, Brad squeezed her shoulder.
“Ready to go, gorgeous?”
“Absolutely.” She couldn’t wait to be at home where she could figure out Connor’s cryptic, “I’ll be waiting.”
The minute she settled into the front seat of Brad’s leased Bentley and he slid into the driver’s seat with a self-satisfied smile, she knew she should have handled this differently. Should have handled it differently so many times after she realized they were totally wrong for one another. She was as guilty as Brad of becoming too comfortable to make a move.
Trying to figure out the kindest way to end nearly a four-year “on but mostly off” relationship, she searched for the right approach.
Halfway home, she took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, Brad. I should have taken a cab so you could stay at the party. I know these black-tie affairs are good business opportunities for you.”
Still smiling, he reached over to rub her bare arm. “I made the contacts I needed to tonight. Now I’m looking forward to spending quality time with you.”
Perfect opening.
“Brad, that is not going to happen tonight. Or any other night.” She tried to be as kind as possible. “I believe we both deserve better than to be in a relationship of convenience.”
He slid her a long look. “How do you know I’m not ready for more commitment?”
His crinkly-eyed smile left her cold and had for quite some time. “Because I know you so well. Plus I’m not willing.”
“Don’t I at least deserve the opportunity to convince you otherwise?” He pulled up in front of her town house and slid out to open her door in record time.
Determined to do this as cleanly as possible, she stepped out and shook her head. “Brad, we need to say good-bye here.”
“After all these years. That’s it? A brush-off on the sidewalk?”
Purposefully, she moved toward her front door. “We haven’t seen each other in several months. It’s been over for a long time. You know it as well as I do.”
“But I’m in Chicago now…”
“And I’m convenient,” she finished for him. She was on the front porch with her key in her hand. “I wish you the very best. I really do. Good-bye.”
“I refuse to take good-bye for an answer.” He chuckled. “I know you don’t mean it.”
“I do. I really do,” she said gently and put her key in the lock.
The door swept open to reveal Connor with his tux shirt hanging open and his feet bare.
She glanced at her mailbox hiding place and back to him.
The look on his face made it hard for her to breathe.
Beside her, Brad stiffened. “What are you doing here, Connor?”
“Making sure you brought Venus safely home,” he replied serenely, opening the door wider for her to enter.
Unable to resist the never-before-seen playfulness in his eyes, she stepped inside and instantly regretted it when Brad followed.
“What’s going on here, Venus?” he demanded, spreading his legs, snarling at Connor.
The tension between the two men gave her the oddest impulse to giggle at the absurdity of the male psyche.
I’m no man’s trophy.
“Okay, both of you stop acting like teenagers in testosterone overload.” She sent her sternest look between them. “You are both leaving,” she ordered, feeling deep, painful regret at throwing out Connor.
“Thanks for spoiling my evening with Venus. I owe you one for the last time you felt the need to protect her from me.”
Brad swung back his fist and struck Connor on the jaw. He swayed but didn’t stagger under the blow.
Stunned, it took her half a heartbeat to scream and step between them.
“What are you doing?” she cried to Brad.
White as a ghost, he shook his hand. “I think I broke my fingers.”
“You deserve it for acting like a Neanderthal. Out.” She pushed him through the open door. “You’d better go to the ER to get your hand X-rayed,” she urged before she slammed the door in his face.
Leaning against the wood to gather her strength, she glared at Connor. “Go sit on that sofa. Your jaw is already beginning to swell. I’m getting ice.”
When she hurried back from the kitchen with a plastic bag full of ice, wrapped in a red-and-white dish towel, he lay prostrate on her deep velvet sofa. She slid to her knees on the floor beside him.
The slight curl of his beautiful mouth and the heated look in his eyes were not going to get him off the hook.
“So tell me about the last time you felt the need to protect me from Brad.”
Chapter 19
Connor’s eyes picked out every detail as Venus leaned over him, pressing the cloth-covered ice bag to his aching jaw—the tumbled apricot hair over her shoulders, the full breasts covered by shimmering sequins moving with her breaths, the rosy flush on her cheeks and the determination in the startling aquamarine eyes.
“My face doesn’t hurt much. I’m lying here so you’ll be my nurse,” he murmured, loving her attention.
“Don’t try to change the subject. Tell me what Brad meant.”
“There’s nothing to tell.” Blood pounded through his veins with his lie.
From the sharp intake of her breath he knew she didn’t believe him. She pressed the ice bag harder into his cheek, and he winced before he could stop himself.
“Sorry. Really. I didn’t mean to hurt you.” She sat back on her heels. “Brad hit you because you broke his nose back in college. Please tell me if that fistfight had anything to do with me.”
Slowly, Connor brought his hand up and with the back of his fingers brushed tears from her pink cheeks. “Please don’t cry, Venus. We’re two asinine guys acting like jerks. Not worth your tears.”
She stared into his eyes. “You won’t tell me the truth about my dad. Will you ever tell me the truth about anything?”
Seeing and hearing her pain, he felt as if he were inhaling fire.
“Come here.” His hands on her shoulders, he urged her up onto the soft navy sofa. They fit together perfectly, side by side on the plush velvet, the ice bag forgotten on the floor.
Laying his forehead against hers, he massaged the tears from her hot cheeks. “The truth is you are the only woman I’ve ever known who looks beautiful when she cries.”
“You’re changing the subject again,” she said in a husky voice. “Although I appreciate the compliment.” She tilted back her head and, blinking, watched him. “If you don’t tell me, I’ll think the worst. Really I will.”
Wanting to distract her, he dre
w a slow line down her throat with a fingertip. “It’s not worth talking about. Especially now.” He smoothed his thumb over her full lower lip, wet from her tears. “Let’s kiss instead.”
“Tempting. But you asked for it. So here goes.” She sat half up on one elbow, her jaw clenched in the determination he knew all too well. “I confess I’ve always had a queasy feeling about your infamous locker-room brawl with Brad, because it happened the day after a rather monumental event in my life. That day I asked Brad if I had anything to do with it and he said no, you were a jerk.” She took a deep breath, a beautiful flush coloring her cheeks. “I think he told you what happened between us the night before and you socked him in the nose. Although I’m not sure why you’d hit him. Don’t men usually fight over women because they’re jealous? But you didn’t even like me then…”
Connor felt his ears burn.
“You’re blushing!” she gasped, sitting straight up. “Oh, my God, it’s true.”
He had no choice but to follow her. “Venus, I promise you it’s not true.”
“Which part? The jealousy?” she guessed.
Heat coursed through him, spreading in a hot flush down his neck. “Hell, Venus, this isn’t a game of Twenty Questions.”
“I don’t need twenty. You’re as red as a pepper. If it wasn’t jealousy then…” Her eyes widened. “Oh, my God, I know! Brad was the one being a jerk. He was going to tell the entire swimming team I’d given up my precious virginity to him the night before and I was horrible at it.”
“Quite the contrary,” Connor said, resigned. “He said virgin or not, you were the best he’d ever had.”
If he’d been dazzled before by Venus’s smile, it paled beside the blistering heat of this brilliant gleam in her eyes and the lush, deep curve of her lips.
“You stopped him before my reputation could be ruined or enhanced, depending on your point of view.” She threw herself against his chest. “Oh, Connor, that is so romantic… so chivalrous, so…” She pressed a gentle kiss on his throbbing jaw. “So loving.”
In that instant, he felt the strain of a lifetime of constant caution and iron control release with a long grateful sigh.
All I Want Is You Page 19