“It doesn’t matter.”
Suddenly it did. Braden came to his feet and padded over to join her on the narrow chaise. Easing a knee up on to the cushion, he turned sideways.
“Were you abused?” he asked, almost afraid of the answer. “Is that why you had such a strong connection with your grandmother?”
“Oh, no.” Zara shook her head. “I wasn’t abused. There were and are kids who have worse lives. I guess I’ve just always felt sorry for myself because of all the things I think I missed out on. But, they gave me a nice house, toys, camps in the summer.”
“Family vacations?” he asked.
“Um...no. They went on trips and cruises while I was away at camp. When they traveled during the school year, I would stay with my grandmother.” A sad smile spread across her face. “To be honest, those were the best times of my childhood. I loved spending time here. Gram would make up a scavenger hunt, and I’d spend hours exploring all these old rooms and hideout areas.”
“Hideouts?” he asked. Damn, he felt like a jerk for listening to her, caring what she was actually saying and now turning it around to benefit his plan. Still, the end result would be the same. He would find those scrolls, and Zara was going to have to inadvertently help. “I know my house is old and has secret areas. I assume this one does, too?”
Zara smiled and tipped her head to meet his gaze. “Yeah. There’s a hidden door beneath the stairs. It actually takes you into the den at the back of the house. In the basement there’s a couple of hidden rooms, but they’re so narrow, they’re more like closets.”
He wanted to check those areas out right this second, but he had to remain motionless and let her continue. Once she was asleep he’d be able to continue his quest. Those secret rooms she’d mentioned weren’t on the blueprints he’d seen, and his father had never mentioned them, so he had to assume no one had checked there, either.
“My grandmother always told me how much she loved me,” Zara went on, her voice almost a whisper as if she were talking to herself. “She always told me how I was her biggest treasure. I didn’t get that until recently. I look at all the antiques in this old house, pieces I know are worth a lot of money. But to know she valued me even more...”
Braden continued to watch her battle her emotions, trying to remain strong and hold back. He admired her strength, her dignity and pride.
Slowly, Braden was sinking into her world—a world he never intended to be a part of. If he could somehow get away with taking back the scrolls, maybe they could see where this attraction led.
Damn it. All this secret snooping was supposed to be Ryker’s area. Braden and Mac were more the powerhouse guys who ran everything smoothly and kept a few cops and federal agents on their payroll to keep their reputation clean.
“I’m sorry.” Zara let out a soft laugh. “I didn’t mean to get all nostalgic and sentimental on you.”
Braden reached out, placing a hand on her knee. Her body stilled beneath his as her eyes widened. “Don’t apologize for talking to me. We’re more than employee/employer at this point.”
Zara’s actions betrayed her as her gaze darted to his mouth, then back up. She may have been stiff beneath his touch, but she couldn’t hold back her emotions. Those striking eyes gave everything away.
She pulled in a deep breath. “What happened last night—”
“Wasn’t nearly enough,” he finished. “The pace we set is up to you, but the end result is inevitable.”
Zara shifted her knee and turned to face him, mirroring him. His hand fell away, but he stretched his arm along the back of the chaise as he waited for her to offer up some excuse as to why they shouldn’t explore this chemistry.
“I need this job.”
He smiled. “And you were the best candidate, that’s why I hired you.” Well, one of the reasons. “Your job has nothing to do with what’s going on between us.”
“Nothing is going on,” she all but yelled, throwing her arms wide. “Nothing can go on. Not while I’m working for you.”
Braden shrugged. “Fine. You’re fired.”
Zara tipped her head, glaring at him from beneath heavy lids. “That’s ridiculous.”
“I always get what I want, Zara.”
“And you’re that desperate for a bedmate?”
Leaning forward, his fingertips found the side of her face, stroking down to her neck where she trembled. “No. Just you.”
“Why?” she whispered.
“Why not?” he retorted.
The pulse beneath his hand jumped as he leaned in a bit closer. Her warm breath tickled him, the flare in her eyes motivated him and her parted lips begged him.
His other hand came up to cup the side of her face. His thumb stroked over her full bottom lip. Never once did she take her eyes off his, and while the power appeared to be completely his right now, this woman, who had him in unexpected knots, could flip that role at any moment and bring him to his knees. And the fact that she had no clue about her control over him made her even sexier.
He continued to stroke her lip as his other hand slid around to cup the back of her head. His fingers threaded through her hair, massaging as he went. A soft sigh escaped her, and Braden’s entire body tightened in response.
“You’re not thinking work right now, are you?” he whispered against her lips. “You’re concentrating on my touch, on how you want more.”
“What are you doing to me?” she asked as her lids lowered.
“Proving a point.”
Her tongue darted out to lick her lips, brushing against his thumb, instantly flipping that control. His completely snapped with that simple move.
Braden captured her mouth beneath his, not caring for finesse or gentleness. There was only so much a man could handle. Zara’s hands came up and fisted the front of his shirt as she moaned...music to his ears.
Tipping his head slightly, Braden changed the angle of the kiss. When Zara leaned into him, he wanted to drag her into his lap and speed this process along. So he did.
Gripping her around the waist, without breaking the kiss, Braden shifted to sit forward as he placed her over his lap. Instantly her legs straddled his thighs, and her hands slid up over his shoulders as the heated kiss continued. Braden hadn’t wanted a woman this bad in a long time...maybe never. Zara was sexy, yes, but there was more to her than anything superficial, and he wanted more. He wanted all she would give.
His hands slid beneath the hem of her sweatshirt. That smooth skin beneath his palms could make any man beg. He was near that point. Who knew he’d actually find a weakness in his life? He prided himself on being strong, being in control.
Just as his thumbs brushed the silk on her bra, Zara jerked back, pushing against his shoulders.
“Wait,” she gasped. “We—we can’t do this.”
Scrambling off his lap, she held her fingers to her lips and closed her eyes. Was she trying to keep that sensation a while longer? Was she still tasting him? Braden waited. She was seriously battling with herself.
“Kissing me like that...” Zara sighed, dropped her arms and looked him in the eyes. “I can’t want this, Braden. Don’t you understand?”
Relaxed against the back cushion, Braden eyed her, letting her stand above him, giving her the upper hand here. A smart businessman knew when to pull back on the reins in order to get ahead.
“Why are you denying yourself?” he asked. “If the job wasn’t a factor, what other excuse would you use?”
He’d hit a mark. Her chin when up a notch, her eyes narrowed. “I’m not making excuses. Nothing would’ve happened between us at all had you not been stuck here. The next time I would’ve seen you would’ve been at the party you’re throwing in five weeks for all of your employees.”
Braden laughed, shaking his head.
“N
ow you’re laughing at me?” she asked, crossing her arms.
Slowly coming to his feet, Braden crossed to her, not a bit surprised when she didn’t back up, but tipped her head back to continue to glare.
“I’m laughing at the fact you think we wouldn’t have seen each other.” He tucked a portion of her hair behind her ear, purposely trailing his fingertips down her cheek. “Zara, I would’ve found reasons to see you. The fact I’m stuck here only provided me the opportunity I needed to seduce you properly.”
Silence settled between them seconds before Zara moaned and threw her arms out to her sides as she spun toward the logs and went to stand before them. “Your ego is something I hadn’t taken into account. Maybe you’ve forgotten I just ended a relationship with a man who thought he could control me, thought he was in charge.”
Braden stared at her back, deciding to let that jab about Shane roll off him. He knew he wasn’t anything like that bastard. She knew it, too.
“I didn’t say I wanted a relationship,” he corrected. “And I know you well enough after hearing about your childhood to say you don’t, either.”
Zara whirled around, her dark hair flying about her shoulders. “You think you know me? Because I gave you a small portion of my life?”
“So you do want a relationship?”
“Stop twisting my words.”
Why was he purposely getting under her skin? This wasn’t part of his plan, but seeing Zara worked up and verbally sparring with her was more of a turn-on than he’d thought. He needed to steer things back to where she felt in control, where she felt as if he was less of a threat. He knew she wanted him, she knew it, too, stubborn woman. But for now he’d let this moment pass. The ultimate goal was still pressing, and he had work to do.
“Why don’t you show me those secret rooms?” he asked, pleased when her eyes widened.
“What?”
“Those rooms. They sound cool, and I’d like to see them.”
Her eyes darted to the kitten, still sleeping on the bed. “What about him?”
Braden walked over, scooped the kitten into his arm and motioned toward the door. “All set.”
“It’s cold in the rest of the house.”
He quirked a brow. “You want to stay in here and keep dancing around the sexual tension?”
She moved to the door so fast, Braden couldn’t stop laughing. Finally he was getting somewhere. He may not be getting her into his bed, but he was seeing these illusive rooms and perhaps he’d find something, anything, to hint at the scrolls. When all was said and done, and this freak blizzard was over, he’d have all his wishes fulfilled.
Seven
Zara gripped the neck of her sweatshirt as she came down the wide staircase. Trying to hold it up just a bit more to ward off the chill helped.
Eerie quiet settled throughout the house. Who knew darkness had a tone? She could hear Braden’s breathing, his every step, every brush of his clothing. Every single thing he did made her even more aware of his presence.
What the hell had she been thinking kissing him back like that? Straddling his lap and practically crawling all over his body? Part of her was mortified she’d acted like that, but on the other hand, he’d been right there with her. He’d been the one to instigate every heated occurrence. But no more. If he touched her, she’d have to walk away. Even if she had to step out into the cold hall or bundle up and sleep in a chilly spare bedroom, she couldn’t let him kiss her again.
Because she feared the next kiss would lead to clothes falling off and them tumbling into bed.
With the mid-morning sun shining in the windows, enough light filtered through to make this encounter not seem so intimate.
She led him to the den and eased the door open. “This room was never used by my grandmother. She usually just put books in here. I think I’m the only one who ever came in here, and that was just because I wanted to get to the secret passageway. As a kid, that was the coolest thing in the world to me.”
“Did you ever have friends over?” he asked as he stepped into the room with her. “This house would’ve made the greatest backdrop for hide-and-seek.”
“I had a few friends sleep over,” she admitted. “Looking back now, I only brought friends here. My parents wouldn’t have gone for me inviting them to our house. They were always going to some party, throwing a party or worried about their next travel venture.”
Braden loathed her parents. Why bring a child into this world if you didn’t intend on caring for said child? He admitted he wanted kids, when the time was right. Having them now would be ridiculous because he didn’t have the time to devote to them. And children needed structure, needed family and a bond that provided security.
Zara was a strong woman, but he could see the vulnerability, the brokenness of her childhood still affecting her today.
Stepping around him, she pulled the flashlight from beneath her arm. “Follow me.”
One of the built-in bookcases had a small latch. Zara jerked once, twice, and finally the hinges creaked open. As she flicked on the light and angled the beam into the darkness, Braden’s heart kicked up. He desperately wanted to find what he came for, though realistically he figured things wouldn’t be that easy.
The kitten purred against Braden’s chest. He’d never owned a cat, but he loved animals. His sister would be so happy to take in another stray. She was the proverbial cat lady, though she’d never own up to the term. Laney would take this kitten in with a squeal of delight. He could already envision her snuggling the thing.
Braden stepped into the narrow hallway behind Zara. “Don’t worry if that door closes behind you. We can’t get trapped in here. I guess whoever owned this before my grandmother had a latch installed on both ends of the tunnel. My guess is someone got locked in, so they learned their lesson.”
Locked in a dark place with Zara...not too far off the mark of how they’d spent last night. And not a bad predicament to be in.
The kitten perked up at Zara’s voice and leaped out of Braden’s arms. The little thing moved so fast, Braden worried he’d hurt himself, but when the kitten slid against Zara’s ankles, he figured the animal was just fine.
Zara’s flashlight held steady on the stray. “What is he doing?”
With a laugh, Braden continued to watch the cat seeking affection. “Looks like he wants to be friends.”
“I have enough friends,” she muttered and tried to take a step. When she tripped over the kitten, Braden held out a hand to steady her. “Will she stop trying to be an ankle bracelet anytime soon?”
“If you pick her up,” Braden stated. “Cats have a tendency to cling to one person. You may be the chosen one.”
With the light casting enough of a glow, Braden saw her eyes widen. “You’re kidding.”
“Nope.”
Reluctantly, Zara plucked up the kitten, held her in a bit of an awkward way, but the little fur ball didn’t seem to mind. Braden felt it best not to mention the obvious that the cat seemed to love Zara. Best move on to the point of this tour.
“Is this just a hallway?” he asked, trying to look on the walls for any compartments or doors...hell, anything that would be a clue as to where he could search.
“It opens up into a little room before letting you out into the kitchen.”
Zara let out a grunt, the flashlight bobbed and Braden used his free arm to reach out as she tumbled forward. His arm banded around her waist, his hand connected with her breast as he supported her from falling. Thankfully the kitten was snuggled tight, and Zara had a good grip on the oblivious little thing.
When Zara fell back against him, he didn’t relinquish his hold. How could he when she felt too perfect with her body flush against his?
“Thanks,” she whispered. “I forgot there’s a bit of a dip in the floor right there.�
��
“Are you all right?” he asked.
She nodded, her hair tickling the side of his face. “Um...you can let me go.”
Her body arched, betraying her words. He couldn’t stop himself. His thumb slid back and forth across her breast before he reluctantly released her. He wanted her aching for him, for his touch. If he kept pushing, she’d completely close off, and he’d look like more of a jerk that what he was. But keeping her body on high alert, having her wonder about what would happen next between them would inevitably have her in his bed. Well, technically her bed.
She said nothing as she continued on, slower this time. Finally they came to the room she’d mentioned, which wasn’t more than a walk-in closet in size. Her light darted around, and she gasped. His eyes followed the beam and landed on a little yellow chair; a book lay open, cover up to hold the page. Zara turned and handed him the kitten.
“I used to sneak in here to read.” She moved forward and picked up the book, flipping it over in her hand. With a laugh, she laid it back down. “This was one of my favorites.”
Braden crossed the space and glanced down to the book. He couldn’t see the title, but the embracing couple on the cover told him all he needed to know.
“You read romance as a kid?”
“I was a teenager and curious,” she said. Even in the dim light he could see her chin pop up a notch. “Maybe I wanted to know what all that love stuff was about, because when I was sixteen I thought I’d found love. Turns out I found a guy who’d made a bet with his buddies on who would take my virginity.”
That entire statement told him more about her than she’d ever willingly reveal. She was bitter, she’d been used. She was raised by parents who were never affectionate, and other than her grandmother, she didn’t have anyone she could depend on in her life.
Coming from a large Irish family, Braden had no clue what that felt like. Granted he’d never fallen in love, but he believed it existed. He’d witnessed it firsthand from his parents. While he’d had so many levels of love, Zara had emptiness.
Trapped with the Tycoon Page 7