They remained silent for the entire three-hour ride back to our rooms. I found myself oddly humming a satisfied tune when we pulled in front of the house. I felt at ease and almost a little giddy to see Miss Beverly.
I shook my head. What in holy hell was wrong with me? I huffed as I climbed out of the car and stomped up the steps. When the door opened this time it was an alien little body with pigtails and a familiar smile spread across her face.
She never said a word, just stood to the side and watched me like a hawk as I immediately started up the stairs. Once I was in my room, door closed, I just leaned back and enjoyed the solitude. Suddenly realizing that I hadn’t eaten since yesterday and had damn near an entire decanter of whiskey. No bueno I told me self and walked over to the bedside table picking up the antique receiver.
“Yes, hello, Miss Beverly. Ah, yes it was a good day. No, the weather stayed lovely. Mm hmm. Right.” I sighed because she wasn’t letting me get a word in. Finally there was a brief silence and I struck. “I was wondering if someone could bring up my dinner tonight? I have a lot to do and I need to get started.”
That was a lie of sorts. I had a lot to do but it had absolutely nothing to do with work. It had to do with the clusterfuck currently residing in my brain.
Within ten minutes there was a series of gentle taps on my door. I crossed the room and smiled when I took in the delicious looking spread on the familiar silver tray. There was a hearty pot roast with potatoes and crisp green beans with a heavenly looking piece of chocolate cake that had me wiping drool.
We were smiling at each other when I lifted the tray and she turned for the stairs. Once I had everything set up at the office table I basically annihilated the entire plate all but licking it clean.
After my bath I lay against the pillows and stared up at the intricate carvings in the wooden canopy. My thoughts basically revving through my brain. Why does he have such an affect on me? Its like I shut down and all that matters to me at that moment is his presence, his skin, the way he seems to see through my pretenses. And those eyes—those eyes pierce me and do funny things to the organ inside my chest.
I pressed the heels of my hands hard over my eyes willing the images of his face to disappear. The remainder of the night included lots of twisting and turning, even a few fairly lengthy strings of profanity.
When I heard the familiar rapts at the door signaling the start to my day I moaned. I not only hadn’t slept a wink but I was still just as fucked up as I had been last night.
I slung my legs over the bed and stomped to the door. Miss Beverly greeted me with the usual smile and magic drink in a cup. I gave a curt smile while I took the tray and eased the door shut.
Today called for drastic measures. I basically mismatch every article of clothing. Mission critical—turn him away. I opted for a blank face today, not even mascara and grabbed my jacket.
Pamela and Charles were waiting in the foyer when I reached the platform at the bottom. “Are we at the same location today?” I asked, irritated.
Charles matched my scowl. “Yes and we are prepared, you?”
I narrowed my eyes and he realized his misstep immediately and began eating his own tongue.
My teeth were clenched because I was too angry to relax my jaw when I hissed, “DO NOT fuck with me today.”
He nodded severely and stepped aside to let me lead.
The ride was just as long as the previous day but my irritation afforded me the gift of paying no attention whatsoever to the drive. When we finally finished our hike and came into the clearing the scene still took my breath away. Today the lighting was more of a brassy gold giving everything an amber tinge. It was stunning.
It took absolutely one minute for Cailen to spear me with his eyes across the field. It was like a fucking magnet or something—alarming how aware I was of his presence and it seemed equally heightened to him.
We stood staring at one another for several moments. Long enough for Pamela to clear her throat and have me turning to meet the smirk on her face.
With narrowed eyes I asked, “Don’t you have something to be doing?”
She theatrically shook her head and sauntered off toward the tent whispering to Charles as she sidestepped several cables.
By the time I took my irritated gaze off their retreating figures I turned to notice that Cailen had closed the distance between us and was now within feet of me wearing that sexy fucking grin and displaying that tattoo that I found utterly fascinating.
His confident swagger had me humming between my thighs. He came to a stop just inches from my face and I could feel his breath, which smelled like butterscotch and coffee.
I wanted to lick his lips.
He stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jeans and I couldn’t help but notice the massive bulge he was sporting, which pulled a grin to my lips.
Those mesmerizing eyes were causing butterflies to flutter my stomach.
“Good morning, gorgeous.” He said with that wickedly deep Scottish accent. “You are going to give the models complexes. It’s not right for you to show them up so epically.”
His voice literally had my thighs shaking.
I was imagining these thighs wrapped around those muscular hips and grinding, using my years of Pilates and gymnastics to absolutely bake his mind.
I heard a small chuckle and looked up to realize I had been playing out that entire fantasy staring right at his crotch. I was mortified and he was beaming.
I turned to just walk away and he gently wrapped his massive hands around my forearm. It was like a jolt of electricity. I felt like one of those fiber optic trees—every one of the hairs on my body lit up.
“Do you have plans for dinner?” He asked with the softest expression on his face.
Instinctually I answered immediately, “No, no plans yet.”
His responding smile was very toothy and absolutely endearing. “Pick you up at eight.” It wasn’t a question just a statement before he turned and walked away.
I stood there a good minute willing my brain to communicate what had just happened. I aimed myself toward the tent and just began walking all the while smiling like an idiot.
The rest of the day was a complete blur. I watched Cailen work and realized how extraordinary he really was. His hand eye coordination was precise and the shots coming over the preview screen in my tent were breathtaking. He was telling a story right in front of my eyes in photos.
I managed to actually get a little work done approving many of the prints and sending Pamela off with a satisfied look. When the shadows signaled another end to the day I felt the butterflies gathering in my stomach.
I was nervous.
And that was such a foreign feeling for me. I’d never been nervous about anything. Not even my first day at Vogue when I had come over from a huge British publication in London. It just wasn’t my nature but for some reason this man made me stupid.
Pamela and Charles exchanged several looks and nudged one another a few times during the ride home prompting me to finally say, “What?” My tone more pleasing than I had intended, took me off guard.
Pamela smiled wide. “You look… rather, happy.”
I realized that I had a perma-grim affixed to my face and immediately tried to smooth it out with no luck. I was happy and that was unsettling.
When we reached the house the familiar ease came over me and I found myself, once again, looking for Miss Beverly’s smiling face. When she opened the door smiling I returned it with a genuine response. I made my way up the steps to my room and closed the door taking a moment to breathe deeply and try to settle my nerves.
I opted for a shower to try and loosen my tense shoulders. The water peppered my back in a steady stream and I could feel the tension slowly subsiding. Once I was out I pulled the towel from my body and wiped condensation from the antique mirror. The face staring back at me was alien. She looked happy and carefree—two things of which I am not.
I reached for my bag and
began dusting a little makeup on and rimming my eyes with liner. A few coats of mascara and a rose blush I was ready. I put a few waves of curls in my light auburn hair and let it sweep across my lower back.
I then thumbed through my hanging clothes and realized I had no idea how to dress for this. Was he taking me to a rustic lodge that called for casual? Or was he taking me to a nice dining venue where I would need to be more upscale. Fuck, I thought. I hate being unprepared. Then I tried to think of the last date I’d actually been on. That had me popping my mouth open in shock. I’d been years. This is just silly, I thought. What the fuck am I doing? Emberly Landon doesn’t date and she sure hell isn’t exclusive.
I shook my head and contemplated canceling only to realize it was nearly eight o’clock and I had no idea how to get in touch with him.
I could barricade myself in the room, I thought. Or maybe even hide under the bed…it’s big enough, I thought as I analyzed looking at its size.
Then I realized how ridiculous I was being.
I just grabbed a semi-casual pair of gray wool slacks and a cobalt blue silk shirt. I pulled the ivory buttons and picked up the matching jacket and ended with a pair of snakeskin pumps.
I reached for my clutch and closed the door. When I hit the first step I saw him and I nearly did a dive down the remaining stairs. He was shut the fuck up gorgeous. His tailored navy suit was cut perfectly in all the right places showing of his tall hard muscles. The crisp white shirt was tieless and left open just enough for me to catch the tip of that tattoo which ended right on the side of his collarbone and chest.
I gulped, audibly.
My shaky legs must have looked like Jell-O coming down the steps because they sure as hell felt like it. When I reached the bottom step he reached for my hand lifting me to the floor and brushed an open mouth kiss across my knuckles that had me practically salivating.
“You look absolutely stunning.” He said letting his eyes devour my body.
I’d never been so hot in my life. He had me melting from the inside out. I felt an odd blush come across my cheeks as I replied, “You look rather handsome yourself.” I could practically feel my stupid eyelashes batting themselves.
Good grief, Em.
He had never let go of my hand. “Shall we?” He asked with that husky voice.
I just nodded because apparently my ability to form rational sentences had imploded over that exchange.
We walked down the steps and I could feel his gaze on my face as we made our way to the car. He pulled the handle and supported my arm as I climbed in. It’s been years since a man had done that for me and it felt strangely gratifying.
The drive was short. We chatted easily about the shoot on the way. I realized that his accent was extremely thick, which had me thinking where he actually lived. Still in Scotland, I wondered? That is a long way from New York and I hadn’t been since dad passed, I thought. Then I realized I was already fucking planning a future date or something with him.
This is bad.
He lifted me from the back and placed his hand on the small of my back leading me inside and keeping me very close to his side. The sheer heat from his body was overwhelming. It felt like someone had just branded me where he touched.
We were led to a corner table in the back. He pulled my chair and pushed it in slightly. He slid into his chair never taking his eyes off my face. I felt extremely vulnerable and exposed. I shakily reached for my water glass and took a sip needing to look away from his eyes. He had me straight up buggin’.
“So, Emberly, how is it a woman like you isn’t attached to a man like me?”
His utter confidence in that one question had my brain turned to butter. I’d never been so stunned. No one had ever asked such a directly personal question to me. I felt my blood pressure shoot up and the heat flame up under my skin. It must have been a sight, too, because he raised an eyebrow and sported a wicked grin.
I had no answer to that. Nothing. I just sat staring at him knowing I looked like a complete buffoon.
He shifted in his chair and leaned in slightly licking his lips before adding, “Perhaps its just because you’ve been waiting for me.” He reached his hand across the table and touched my folded fingers.
My breath actually caught on his touch and I followed the progress of his fingers as they lightly skimmed my hand and rested on my forearm slightly tracing slow strokes across my skin.
Fucking A, I was going to turn to a ball of flames right here in the chair.
I realized we’d been sitting there for nearly ten minutes and he had addressed me several times and I had yet to utter a word.
I was toast.
Thankfully the waiter arrived and asked for our drink orders.
I nearly yelled. “Glenlivet, double, neat, please.” My voice was shaky and hoarse.
Cailen chuckled. “I’ll have the same, please. Thank you.” Still his eyes never left mine.
He was still tracing patterns on my arm when he asked, “Are you going to say anything tonight, or shall I provide all the riveting conversation.” Those wicked eyes danced with mischievousness.
That actually had me smiling. “Well, it depends if you are capable of riveting conversation. I have yet to see.”
He tilted his head back and gave a throaty laugh. “Touché, my Gemma.”
I was feeling a little less anxious and began settling into a more familiar version of myself.
The waiter returned with our drinks and I all but raced the glass to my lips.
He stopped me mid-flight. “To us, Emberly. I think this is going to be one hell of a journey, love.”
I didn’t waste anytime chugging a fair amount of my glass. He smirked and winked as he touched the glass to his very beautiful lips. I lingered on said lips watching them move over one another and plump when he would pucker ever so slightly.
When I made it back to those hypnotic eyes he was absolutely undressing me. His gaze would fall to my lips then back to my eyes. I watched as those artic blue irises turned a dark shade of sapphire when he rolled over my chest. I looked down and realized I was breathing heavily, the pearl buttons were protesting the fabric pulling it tight and exposing my nice hard nipples.
Oh my God.
I suddenly wanted to cover up and that was extremely out of character for me. Usually I was a beast in the sexuality department. Nothing had me flustered.
Except this one man sitting in front of me.
I drained the remaining contents of my glass, signaling for another as the waiter passed by.
Cailen was staring sexual daggers through my eyes and I felt the room begin to spin.
I needed to move. “I’m going to go to the ladies room.”
He caught my arm. “Want some company?” His voice was thick and hoarse.
I nearly sprinted down the hallway. I leaned against the door of the restroom trying to catch my breath. What in fucking hell was I going to do about this? I have completely lost my mind. I walked over to the sink and patted a damp cloth over my face. I noticed I had red blotches covering my chest and neck.
I stood there just staring at this pathetic excuse for a woman. Then I heard the door open and the click of a lock. Panic spread through my veins and I watched as he stalked across the room staring at me in the mirror with pure burning desire in his eyes.
I couldn’t move; I was frozen in place. He walked up behind me pressing his entire body against me. I could feel hard cock against my back. He leaned into my ear trailing his tongue up and down my neck. My eyes rolled back and I was breathing so fast and heavily it was fogging up the mirror.
He reached his hands around my waist and straight down to my clit.
I nearly dropped right there.
He was growling deep in his throat as he made a trail up my stomach to my breasts. I opened my eyes and looked into the mirror to find him staring at me intently. He opened the first several buttons of my blouse and began caressing each breast, thoroughly. I laid my head back on his shoulder
and moaned as he ran his thumbs over my nipples.
He never left my eyes in the mirror as he licked and caresses me. I could feel his cock pressing harder against my back as he was getting off on my reaction to his foreplay.
Then the touch of my bra wasn’t enough and he slid his hand inside and growled when he found my nipple ring. That was something very few men ever got to see much less touch. It’s an extremely erotic and sensual part of me and I only share it with someone I connect with.
He teased and gently pulled at the ring, which had me gasping between my teeth. I grabbed the sink for something to hold on to because I was dangerously close to an all out orgasm. That had him reaching one hand between my legs and moving purposefully over my pleasure spot. Within seconds I could feel my-self coming apart in his hand. I lay my head against his neck moaning and shaking with the tremors from my orgasm.
Pretty Bitches Page 4