Worth the Scandal: Worth It, Book 1

by Karen Erickson

“Good.” With a nod he turned on his heel and strode toward the bank of elevators, not even waiting for her to accompany him. Which was just as well. She had a feeling he needed some alone time.

  To fix whatever serious problem had been thrown in his direction.

  Deciding she couldn’t stay in her hotel room twiddling her thumbs and waiting for him to make a reappearance she went back out, intent on perusing the stores that lined the street near the hotel. They were quaint, exclusive little shops, appealing to the wealthy since they were staying at one of the finest hotels in Paris. Most of them selling useless yet beautiful trinkets worth thousands of dollars, though there was a shoe store she browsed, salivating at the sleek, sexy designer heels she wished she could afford but were worth one month’s rent or more.

  She left the shoe store depressed. She was about to turn back and head toward the hotel but something kept her going.

  When she came upon the tiny lingerie shop she almost didn’t go in. But there was something about the window display that lured her. She stood in front of the window, drinking in the delicate lace and silk nightgowns, the gorgeous bra and panty sets. It was expensive, she knew without even seeing a price tag yet it was as if someone else controlled her body.

  She entered the shop in a slight daze, overwhelmed by all it had to offer. So much to look at her head couldn’t handle it all. She went to the rack directly in front of her and picked up the satin hanger, eyeing the black negligee trimmed with jet beads that jangled lightly when she shook them.

  “That is too scandalous for you, no?”

  Tessa turned to find an older woman standing before her, barely topping five feet and dressed from head to toe in black. Her hair was cropped short and a lovely shade of gray. Thick black frame glasses perched low on her nose. “It’s beautiful,” Tessa said when it appeared the woman was waiting for an answer.

  “Oui, it is beautiful but definitely not for you.” The woman took the hanger from Tessa’s hand and put it back on the display rack. “Come, come. I show you what I believe is perfect for a sweet woman like you.”

  Tessa followed, looking around. One wall was constructed of a rough brick, large, empty gilt frames hung haphazardly over the surface. Delicate bits of lingerie dangling from hangers were displayed in the center of the frames. Such beautiful garments she slowed her steps, admiring them.

  “Lovely, no? You like pretty pastels?” The woman noticed Tessa staring.

  “I guess I do.”

  The woman clapped, excitement lighting her scrunched face. “Perfect. That was my intention. Now come over here.” She buzzed away, waving a hand as she did so.

  Shaking her head, Tessa trailed after her until they were in the farthest corner of the shop, close to two dressing room stalls, covered with deep blue velvet curtains. The woman had two bra and panty sets clutched in her hand, where they’d came from Tessa had no clue.

  “Try these on,” the woman urged as she tore back one of the velvet curtains and shoved Tessa inside.

  When Tessa turned to protest, the woman handed her the lingerie. “But I can’t—”

  “No, no. No say I can’t or I won’t. You will. To make your man happy, oui?” The shopkeeper yanked the curtain shut, leaving Tessa standing there, blinking in surprise.

  She had the sudden urge to laugh. It was all just so surreal.

  Deciding to do as the woman said, she took off her sweater and unbuttoned her shirt, then slipped off her bra. She wasn’t about to try on a pair of panties, no way could that be sanitary. Grabbing the bra, she fingered the delicate material. It was a beautiful, pale blue with white lacy, ruffle trim. A white silk ribbon bow sat in the center, a pale blue stone dangling from the button center.

  It was the prettiest bra she’d ever seen. She had such a weakness for beautiful lingerie.

  Carefully she slipped the bra on, turning to the mirror to adjust the cups. Her breath caught in her throat when she caught sight of herself. Somehow, the woman had known and given her the correct size for the bra fit beautifully. The blue material was airy and light, like chiffon, the straps constructed of the same material and trimmed with a bit of lace. She turned to and fro, admiring herself, wondering what Alex might do if he saw her wearing it.

  “You like?” the woman asked from the other side of the curtain.

  “Oh yes, I do.”

  “You try the blue on first?”

  How did she know? “Yes, I did.”

  “Well, come out and show me.”

  Reluctantly Tessa cracked open the curtain and the woman grabbed hold of the thick fabric, pushing it back. “Ah, beautiful! Your man will appreciate you all the more.”

  He’d never appreciated her sexually, but hopefully that was about to change.

  Her stomach did a little nervous dance just thinking about it.

  “The pink one, it is lovely too. You must try.” The woman waved at the other bra and panty set that hung from the hook next to the mirror.

  Tessa eyed it. It was the palest pink, almost cream with a silk rosette in the center made of a darker pink. A simpler, not as frilly construction that was still absurdly beautiful. She drew her index finger around the rosette as she said, “I probably can’t afford any of it.”

  “For you, I make special discount.”

  When Tessa whirled around in surprise at the woman’s offer, the shopkeeper beamed. “I have your attention now, I see. Try on the pink bra. I have a gown that matches the blue. I’ll go get it.”

  She spent the next thirty minutes trying on an endless stream of lingerie, the shopkeeper bringing her so many options Tessa wasn’t sure which item to choose. She’d finally looked at the price tags, wincing when she saw how much everything cost.

  No matter how much she wanted to please Alex, she couldn’t spend her life’s savings on a few pairs of underwear and a nightie. It would be ridiculous.

  But the woman insisted and Tessa walked out of the store in a daze, clutching a discreet pink and white striped bag with the words Mon Amour etched on the sides. Full of the first two bra and panty sets she tried on along with an elegant, short kimono gown made entirely of white Belgian lace. The discount had been helpful but she still spent too much.

  Hopefully Alex’s face when he saw her wearing some of it would make the expense worth it.

  Outside it was dark, the sky cloudy and not a star in sight. Cars bustled by on the street, honking their horns impatiently at nothing. Tessa headed back to the hotel, her steps light, her heart buoyant.

  She was going to have sex tonight—with Alexander Worth. From the moment she had seen the wounded look in his eyes to finding the lingerie shop on a whim, she knew it would happen. He needed her. He might not know it, but he needed her and she needed him too. So what if she wasn’t experienced and had no idea how to seduce a man. She was going on pure instinct.

  And instinct told her there was no way she could screw it up. Especially with the arsenal she was carrying inside her bag.

  Alex didn’t have a chance.

  His jaw ached from all the talking—and the tension. Alex had been on the phone for the last two hours, calling lawyers, Hunter and finally the New York City Police Department.

  Rhett, his baby brother, had really gone and fucked it up. Landing himself in jail for a drunk and disorderly charge and a pending assault charge.

  Unable to locate Hunter, Rhett was able to use his one jail phone call again and tried Alex’s cell. Considering it was eleven in the morning New York time when Rhett phoned, Alex was confused as to when it all actually happened.

  Rhett had been thrown in the drunk tank where he’d been advised to sleep it off. He’d only awoken an hour ago and finally asked for his phone call. He’d been at a club, he explained to Alex. With some girl he’d only just met. Turned out her boyfriend had shown up and they’d gotten into a verbal argument.

  Which had swiftly turned physical.

  Exhausted and vastly disappointed in his brother, Alex had finally wrapped up the various ca
lls reassured that Hunter had gone to the precinct and picked Rhett up and taken him home. Upon Alex’s return, they planned on having a brotherly meeting over what they were going to do with Rhett.

  And Rhett wasn’t going to have any say in it whatsoever.

  He couldn’t understand why Rhett caused so much trouble. At the age of twenty-nine, almost thirty, the man was complete chaos. Couldn’t focus on any one thing, had an endless array of women to chose from, traveled everywhere, spent money like he was made of it and yet rarely worked an honest day in his life.

  As the baby of the family, Rhett took advantage of his position constantly. He didn’t have a serious bone in his body, was a constant disappointment to both of his brothers but especially Alex.

  His brother’s reckless behavior made Alex wonder where he went wrong. Their mother had died when Rhett was so young, only thirteen and their father died over five years ago. Alex had tried to take over and help guide Rhett as he grew up, but his brother constantly rebelled against him.

  Alex was ashamed of his relationship with his brother, ashamed of the way he somehow screwed up in raising him. That’s why he didn’t want Tessa involved, didn’t want her knowing just how awful Rhett was. Just how awful their relationship was, too.

  It embarrassed him. It was humiliating. Tessa didn’t need to see that though she’d already heard and knew plenty, what with how close they worked together.

  After taking a long, hot shower he found himself striding down the hall toward Tessa’s room, anticipation making his blood hum. Despite the utter exhaustion and irritation that wanted to take over and knock him out, he was keyed up and not about to refuse her. She’d offered, after all.

  He desperately needed comfort. And no other woman would do.

  They could order room service, he thought as he stopped in front of her room and knocked on the door. He’d realized it was late, far after the normal dining hour. After they ate, if things led them—elsewhere, he wasn’t going to protest. He’d been waiting for this moment for days. Almost had it too, if he hadn’t been such a jackass and screwed it all up.

  Thank God she’d given him another chance.

  The door cracked open and there she was, her head peeking around the edge of the door, the rest of her hidden. A tremulous smile curved her lips, and he frowned. “Are you all right?”

  “You were faster than I thought you would be.” She bit her lower lip.

  He waited, but she didn’t open the door any further. “Are you going to let me in?”

  “Um, hold the door open but close your eyes.”

  “What?”

  “Just do it.” She lowered her eyebrows, a little scowl on her face. “And don’t open your eyes or come in until I say so.”

  With a not so patient sigh he slapped his hand against the heavy door to keep it partially open and closed his eyes. She took off, her bare feet slapping against the wood floors of the mini-suite, and he heard a door slam. “You can come in now,” she called.

  Opening his eyes he pushed the door the rest of the way open and entered her room, figuring she’d gone into the bathroom since the door remained closed. He glanced about the room, noting how neat it was. Everything was in place, not a single piece of clothing strewn about. The only thing he noted out of sorts was a pink and white broad striped shopping bag with the words Mon Amour etched in black script across the side.

  Intrigued, he peeked inside the bag but it was empty.

  The door opened and he turned to find her standing there clad in a robe made entirely of thin lace. He blinked once, shook his head but she was still there. An absolute vision straight out of his sinful fantasies, she looked nervous. Unsure of herself.

  She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever laid eyes on.

  “Come here,” he said gruffly. She did as he asked, stopping mere inches before him.

  Reaching out, he tested the front of her robe with two fingers, rubbing the delicate lace. “I found this little shop earlier,” she explained, her voice shaky. “Full of beautiful lingerie so I went inside.”

  “You bought this tonight?” For his enjoyment? He was pleased, surprised.

  Honored.

  Slowly she nodded, inhaling sharply when his fingers brushed against her collarbone. “What I have on beneath I bought there too.”

  He greedily drank her in, not sure what to look at first, there were so many wondrous things happening. The robe stopped mid-thigh, giving him an uninhibited view of her long, shapely legs. The lace was beautiful, sexy yet demure and he grabbed the ends of the belt, wrapping the thin fabric around his hands once, twice. “You’re like a present. One I can’t wait to unwrap.”

  His anger, his frustration about his brother, all of it melted away. That she’d done this, bought lingerie with him in mind, was incredibly arousing.

  “You’re taking an awfully long time unwrapping your present,” she said breathlessly.

  Smiling, he tugged on the lacy ends of the belt, pulling her in so close she nearly stumbled and fell against him. He held her there, dropping his gaze to his hands covered by the lace. He undid the belt, pulling it from her waist and letting it fall to the floor.

  The front of the garment gaped, offering him a glimpse of skin. He caught a flash of pale blue covering her breasts, the same sheer blue wrapped around her hips, and his cock came to full attention at the bounty before him.

  “Take off the robe, Tessa,” he murmured.

  She shrugged out of the robe and let it fall off her. She was gorgeous. Her skin like cream, dark hair tumbling over her shoulders, the delicate bra she wore barely containing her full breasts. Lifting her chin, she watched him watch her. “I wanted to take your mind off your troubles,” she admitted.

  He smiled, lust coursing through him. “It worked.”

  She smiled in return but the corners of her mouth trembled. “I’m glad.”

  Unable to take it any longer, he yanked her into his arms, a needful shiver moving throughout his entire body when it made contact with hers. Wrapping his hand around the nape of her neck, he thrust his fingers into her hair, pulling lightly so her head tilted back and her eyes met his. They were so dark, so full of secrets and he wanted to discover each and every one of them.

  Her lips parted, damp and inviting and he moved so his mouth hovered above hers. So close he could feel her warm breath waft across his lips. “So sweet.” He traced the delicate line of her jaw with his index finger, drew across her chin. “So innocent.” Brushing his thumb against her lower lip, he dipped just the tip of it in her mouth, closed his eyes when she wrapped her lips around it and sucked him deep.

  He started to laugh when she nipped at him with her sharp teeth, causing him to withdraw from her. “My kitten has claws.”

  Her eyes darkened even more, if that was possible. “Bianca said that.”

  “Who?” The creamy texture of her skin was a distraction, as was the rest of her. He found if he kept his gaze focused on her face, he could control himself. One more glimpse of her luscious body and he’d probably throw her on the bed, rip the brand new and probably very expensive bra and panties from her and screw her senseless.

  He wouldn’t do that, not tonight. She deserved more. He wanted to take his time. Learn her body. Learn what she liked. Savor every moment with her because he knew deep down inside this wouldn’t last.

  It couldn’t.

  “Your friend Giorgio’s mistress.” She sounded completely exasperated. But how could she blame him for not remembering? He couldn’t focus on anything else but her. “She said those exact words to me the night of the ball, just after she thoroughly insulted me.”

  “How dare she insult you.” He wrapped his other arm around her and splayed his hand across her lower back, his fingers sliding beneath the waistband of her panties.

  “She lashed out at me because she was really upset with Giorgio.” She bit her lip when he slipped his hand further, cupping one plump buttock.

  “A rather forgiving kitten to
o.” He brushed a brief kiss to her proffered lips. “And why are we talking about Giorgio again?”

  He didn’t let her explain, capturing her lush mouth in a longer, more thorough kiss instead. Thrusting his tongue inside the velvet warmth of her mouth, he groaned when her tongue tentatively touched his.

  Her sweet innocence would be the absolute death of him.

  It turned hot fast. She melted against him, her breasts pressed against his chest and she wound her arms around him, her hands sliding up and down his back in a soothing gesture.

  But her touch didn’t soothe. It burned him up, as if little sparks shot from the tips of her fingers. His temperature rose with her every simple caress. She grasped hold of his shoulders, her leg winding around his and he wondered if she was trying to climb on top of him.

  As if she couldn’t get enough of him.

  Regret suddenly hit him, swift and deep. How stupid was he for denying the two of them from being together? He’d had his chance and let her go. Thought he was doing what was best for both of them.

  Clearly, the attraction they felt for each other couldn’t be denied.

  “I’m a damn fool, letting you almost slip out of my fingers,” he whispered against her neck after he broke their kiss. He pressed his lips to the spot where her pulse beat rapidly.

  “Well, you have me now.” She tilted her head back, offering him better access. He kissed a path up her neck, licking at the edge of her ear and she shivered. “So what are you going to do with me?”

  Reaching around, he carefully undid the snap of her bra and the cups loosened. “I’m going to finish what I started.”

  And then some.

  Chapter Nine

  Alex had her undressed and sprawled across the bed in no time, his hands lightning quick as he removed her bra, then pushed her panties off her hips and down her legs. A flash of disappointment lanced through her for a brief moment, mourning the loss at the chance to really flaunt her body in the sexy, expensive lingerie she bought just for him.

  But the disappointment left Tessa in a rush when she felt Alex’s mouth on her breasts for the first time. Soft and hot, he kissed her chest, the valley between her breasts, his hands cupping her flesh, driving her wild. His velvety hot tongue circled one nipple and she nearly shot off the bed. When he drew the nipple into his mouth a second later, she cried out in agony, sliding her fingers into his hair to hold him there.