Heart Matters

by tani shane

  “Are you all right?” The question was spoken softly but her eyes flew open with immediate recognition. When she looked up hastily, she wasn’t surprised to stare into the blue depths that had made her speechless once too often before. Now as she felt her mouth go dry, she wondered if they still had the same power over her or was it because of the no speech rule of the party.

  Steven gave her one of his devastating smiles making her suddenly go weak in her knees. She steadied herself averting his eyes and looked down pretending to check the edge of her gown. Sensing her predicament, he abruptly went down on one knee to examine the gown for her. The action startled her for a moment and then embarrassed her as she saw the amused looks on the faces of people around them.

  She stared at his dark golden head indignantly before coloring with further embarrassment when she realized he was dressed as a Spanish bullfighter. The classic combination of black and red matched her gown making it look as though they had deliberately chosen similar costumes. A few friendly boos from the crowd made her wish the earth would open up and swallow her.

  Steven looked at her suddenly, freezing her with a debonair grin. “No damage done, seniorita,” he said taking her hands and drawing them to his lips. The intimate brush of his lips on her skin electrified Jessica allowing her initial awe of him to engulf her. It took great courage on her part not to run away then but she doubted she could have done it while those blue eyes were looking at her. A deep, red blush spread up her face hidden by the veil and she tried to pull away.

  His grip tightened while his eyes searched her face boldly; his sardonic, self-assured smile jarring her nerves badly. She cursed herself for her schoolgirl attraction to this man. From the hoots people were giving them, she was sure it was written all over her face. She should have asked Niki for a thicker veil!

  Steven held her, still down on one knee giving no indication of having noticed her discomfort. “Since I am down here, seniorita, I might as well stick to tradition, don’t you agree?”

  Jessica’s lips parted in astonishment. He was crazy! What did he think he was doing with all these people around?

  “My love,” he began loudly, tugging firmly at her hands so that she was leaning dangerously towards him with her face close to his. “Please do not torment me any longer. On this day, in front of all these witnesses, I beg you to accept me, cara. Will you marry me, my princess and be mine forever? I promise we will live happily ever after in my castle in Barcelona.”

  Jessica choked, the deep scarlet of her blush spreading down to her neck as the crowd began roaring with laughter. She sent a silent prayer of thanks for her disguise. At least no one knew who she was. When the party was over she was going to kill Niki for her crazy ideas. If she had not been in this silly costume, Steven Hart would never have proposed to her in this ridiculous manner!

  Proposed! Niki! A sickening thought formed in her mind. Was this all happening for Niki? Was Steven the man who was going to propose to her? The man close to her heart…Hart? Steven Hart? Oh, good lord! She almost fainted. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time! Niki had to be here! Poor Niki. She was missing out on one of the most important moments of her life. If she were here she would probably be in his arms kissing him…

  “Answer me, darling; answer me now, for I will not ask again.”

  “Yeah, answer him,” someone hooted from the crowd. “But no words, remember the rules.”

  Jessica panicked. This isn’t happening! He can’t be serious! She looked into his earnest eyes. Maybe he was. Niki had said he was a bit crazy but somehow Jessica couldn’t really sum up Steven Hart as crazy. But he was waiting for a reply. He tightened his grip on her hands and forced her closer toward his handsome face. “Answer me. I need to know,” he growled menacingly, alarming her with the intensity in his voice.

  This was terrible. If she said nothing he was going to be pretty annoyed with her. Not her, but with poor Niki. Things could get very sour between them and they might even split up. Especially when he came to know he had proposed to the wrong person. He would surely blame Niki for his bruised ego. The best thing to do was to keep shut, nod and later let Niki take over. With her mind made up, she tentatively nodded.

  “Yes?” he shouted, amazing her with his reaction. She had always seen him so composed that he now looked like a little boy who had just got his favorite toy. She nodded again and he rose from his kneeling position so swiftly that she had to step back to avoid their faces from colliding. She thought that was the end of the matter but it was only the beginning. He caught her by the waist and swung her around a number of times before setting her down on her shaky legs. “I knew you would say yes! This calls for a celebration! Come on.”

  Jessica had no choice but to follow the powerful man as he dragged her to the dance floor. Sheesh! She had heard of going wild with joy but this guy was positively berserk! He was showing her a side of his nature she hadn’t known existed. No wonder Niki had fallen for him. They were more alike than she could ever have imagined!

  Unfortunately for her they were playing a slow number and on the crowded floor, Steven turned her in his arms, holding her close. Jessica went rigid. Pretending to be Niki was one thing but dancing so intimately with a man who actually thought it was she, was another. She tried to widen the distance between them but he only crushed her closer, bending his head to place his cool lips on her exposed nape.

  Goose bumps shot up her arms as her mouth went dry. His mere touch was playing havoc with her senses. She could feel his hands caressing her near naked back making her unconsciously sag towards him. His teeth nipped her neck in response and she gasped, abruptly coming back to reality. This shouldn’t be happening! She had no right to fool him even though she was physically attracted to him. The admission made her shudder and he raised his head to stare at her. “What’s wrong?”

  “I…” she began and then realized her voice had gone hoarse with all the excitement.

  “Ssh,” He placed a finger on her lips. “You can’t break the rules.” He drew her back in his arms but she could bear it no longer.

  “No!” she breathed, breaking away from him and escaping through the crowd to find the nearest possible exit.

  The heavily draped doors that loomed ahead led to a sprawling terrace beyond. She went through them, shutting the doors behind and drowning all the noise from the party. One glance around told her she was alone. She headed for a dark, shadowed corner that was sheltered by a dense growth of vines that hung above. The terrace overlooked a kidney shaped pool that sparkled under the moonlight and made a beautiful sight.

  Jessica folded her arms around her chest, rubbing her bare shoulders lightly. Although there was a cool breeze blowing about, she was sure she shivering from her encounter with Steven. Her reaction to him scared her. No man had ever made her feel like this before. Maybe just Ty but certainly not Adam.

  “Are you all right?” Steven spoke so softly behind her that she spun around to face him as she had done once before in his office. Then, he had been the epitome of a civilized man and now he looked like a hunter stalking a game. He looked even more handsome in the moonlight and an undecipherable emotion tugged her heart. Annoyance at herself turned into irrational anger towards him. She stared at him wondering if he was crazy. What was he doing chasing her around like a psychopath? She set her mouth in a firm, determined line. He had to know the truth now.

  Steven yanked her towards him before she could utter a word, cupping her chin with one hand while the other spread across the small of her back. He gazed into her eyes shadowed by the mask while his hand released her chin to tug lightly at the veil that covered her face. It fell away easily and her breath constricted. Now he would know she wasn’t Niki, she thought a bit regretfully.

  But Steven said nothing making her wonder if the overhead vines had made it difficult for him to see her clearly. In fact, his eyes gazed her as though he had never seen her before. “You are the most bewitching woman I’ve ever met,” he
whispered, huskily, “God, how I want you!”

  She watched in fascination as his sexy mouth came towards her own quivering lips. It stopped just a fraction away as he smiled mockingly at her. She tensed painfully. His warm breath was on her lips and yet he was tantalizing her by not consummating the kiss. She couldn’t bear it anymore. Her lips parted and moved towards his. He needed no further invitation to claim her mouth in a burning kiss. She went rigid with shock, the blood turning molten in her veins. A tight ball of desire slammed her into the hard wall of his chest even as he drew her closer. His lips moved expertly across hers, his teeth nipping her lower lip to draw them apart. Jessica moaned losing the battle and he invaded her mouth intimately. Their tongues locked, tormenting and ravaging each other with equal abandon. Her palms that had spread across his chest now crept up to wrap themselves about his neck where her fingers sank into his soft hair.

  He kissed her endlessly with a display of passion that mocked her own existing notion of it. It evoked a response from her to match its intensity and completely lose her self-control. After what seemed a lifetime his kiss became gentler making her lips cling to his. When he lifted his mouth from hers she heard his ragged breath against the silence of the night. Her head dropped in defeat on his chest where she could hear the wild beat of his heart. So; he was as affected by their encounter as she was. Her eyes that had closed, opened and she found him staring down at her with such fervent desire that she felt he was stripping her naked.

  The thought caught her unawares as she remembered Adam. A wave of shame enveloped her. Steven wasn’t feeling his desire for her. He didn’t know it was she in his arms. He thought she was Niki.

  Her hand came across her mouth, uncertain tears welling in her eyes. Oh, god, how could she have behaved in such a lustful manner? “Steven, I…” she whispered but he silenced her as before with a finger on her lips.

  “Ssh, darling. Don’t say it.”

  She watched enthralled as his mouth descended on hers again. “But…” The word was lost in his kiss and somehow she felt it was all that mattered.

  The kiss was gentler than before drugging her with its sensuality. His mouth left hers to trace her delicate jaw line, then her sensitive neck. His hand had come up to caress the delicate edge of her bodice and when his fingers curled holding onto the edge just above her raised breasts, she almost fainted with a deep yearning. She whimpered like a small animal both loving and hating the sensation. He was driving her over the edge of sanity, turning her into a sex-starved maniac. He pressed his hips against hers making her aware of the strength of his desire for her. “I want you, Jessica! I want you now!” The words were a husky erotic admission but they were enough to land her back on earth with a nasty thud.

  “Steven!” she gasped trying to pull away, “You knew it was me!”

  He stilled and raised his dangerously handsome face to smile his sardonic smile into her eyes. He lay one last kiss on her outraged lips and released her, aware that the magical moment had passed. He leaned back on the low wall of the terrace smiling at her lazily. “Of course I knew it was you. Who else could it be but you?”

  Jessica’s cheeks turned a crimson red albeit hidden by the silver tones of the moon. “You saw through my disguise and yet you…you…”

  “Kissed you,” he ended her sentence with a chuckle.

  Slow anger replaced her embarrassment. “Why are you laughing at me?” she hissed tightly.

  He didn’t answer immediately but leaned towards her to tug at her eye mask and flick it aside. “There, that’s better. You were looking pretty silly with that on.”

  She gritted her teeth. “Why did you…do it?”

  He eyed her innocently. “I told you it made you look silly.” Her livid eyes glared at him and she opened her mouth to speak but he was already reaching towards the wig on her head. He tugged at it and it dropped away leaving her heavy tresses to come tumbling down. The sardonic look left his eyes and he stared at her looking amazed. It was the first time he had seen her without her hair tied up and she made a breathtaking sight. “I had no idea you had such beautiful hair,” he said, reaching out to touch the delicate tendrils that hung about her face.

  “Stop it!” she cried out enraged. “Why did you do it?”

  The cynical look returned on his face along with his arrogant smile. “I did it because I find you irresistible. And why did you do it, Jessica? Do you find me irresistible too?”

  She almost choked. “I most certainly do not! I tried to tell you!”

  “Really?” he drawled with such disbelief that she nearly screamed in frustration.

  “Yes, really! And what do you think Niki will feel when she finds out you proposed to me despite knowing it wasn’t her?”

  “I think she will be very pleased,” he replied smoothly, leaving her completely disconcerted.

  “What are you saying?”

  “I’m just being honest.”

  “Honest? Honest?” she scoffed, “I don’t think being unfaithful amounts to honesty.”

  “Neither would Warring, I’m sure. But why drag him in what could be one big happy family? I think Niki would be very pleased to have her cousin as her sister-in-law.”

  “Sister-in-law?” she repeated beginning to feel very dumb.

  “Yes, Jessica, sister-in-law. Before this party’s over my brother is going to be a very happy man as is your cousin.”

  Jessica’s mouth fell open. “Y…your brother? Not you?” she asked weakly.

  “Nope, not me. Sean has been seeing Niki for precisely four months now and they are convinced they are made for each other.”

  Everything suddenly fell in place. Niki and Steven had been waiting for Sean that evening in the restaurant. And she had misunderstood the entire situation. She blanched quite visibly. “I…I...thought…I had no idea…”

  “It’s all right, don’t apologize. Everyone makes a mistake.”

  Common sense accompanied with wild rage hit Jessica. “Apologize?! Why should I apologize especially after the way you behaved? How could you make fun of me like that?”

  “I wasn’t making fun of you,” he answered sincerely.

  “Of course you weren’t! You simply have a habit of proposing to every woman you meet, don’t you?”

  He shrugged apologetically. “I was jesting.”

  She glared at him stonily. “You were making fun of me.”

  “I wouldn’t say that, Jessica. I wouldn’t mind proposing to you.”

  Jessica nearly throttled him. “I am not asking you to propose to me!”

  “Then why are you angry?”

  She was dumbfounded for a moment. The man was incorrigible. She drew a deep breath and counted to ten before saying very patiently, “I am angry because I thought that you mistook me for Niki. I am angry because you made a fool of me. You…you kissed me and I let you because I was under the impression that you thought I was Niki.” She knew she was rambling but she hoped she could make him see the truth.

  “You are such a liar, Jessica Cantrell,” he said so intensely that her eyes flew guiltily to his face. “But I am serious. I find you very attractive, Jessica, I want you.”

  Her breath caught in her throat. “You’re insane! You hardly know me.”

  “I know you find me attractive too,” he went on maddeningly, “Why don’t we really get married, Jessica? We could spend a lifetime making love to each other.”

  She simply stared at him amazed at his audacity. “You’re crazy! You don’t even know me!” she repeated.

  His shrug was noncommittal. “I know you enough to know it will be a great success.”

  “Marriage does not thrive on lust! It does not feature in marriages.”

  “No?” he challenged her, “I thought the principle behind the institution was to satiate lust with a single partner.”

  Her cheeks colored. “The principle behind the institution is love not lust! People marry for love not lust.”

  “And love runs out of a
marriage within the first year. It’s the want that keeps it alive.”

  “I don’t believe you can say such things! But why are we arguing pointlessly? I happen to be engaged to a man I love very much.”

  She saw the statement found its mark for his cynical smile dropped. But he pressed on. “And does he love you?”

  “Adam loves me very much,” she replied, lifting her chin defiantly.

  “And do you sleep with him?”

  Her eyes widened with shock at his insolence. “That is none of your business!”

  “Oh,” he said with such a straight face that she would have readily scratched his eyes out, “I thought you might be interested in furthering our discussion on lust and love.”

  She eyed him coldly. “I can assure you Adam doesn’t lust after me. He loves me both emotionally and physically.”

  “Ah, then he probably lusts after someone else.”

  Her hand moved to slap him but it was caught swiftly in a firm grip. He caught both her arms and pinned them on both sides of her head. The moonlight bounced off his sharp features as he bent his head to let his lips seek her slender neck. “Tsk, tsk, such temper does not become you, Jessica.” His voice was warm against her cool skin making it erupt into goose bumps.

  She struggled against him trying to kick him but was hindered by her heavy gown. “Let me go!”

  “Stop it you little wildcat, you’re getting me excited!”

  That statement stopped her all right but she raised a pleading face to him. “Steven, please, this is no way to behave.”

  He released her arms but brought his own around her waist and held her close to him. He moved lazy fingers across her near bare back, playing absently with the strings of her bodice. “Tell me about your feelings for Adam, Jessica. Tell me how long do you think your love for him will last? Just a while ago you were in my arms giving in to pure desire. Face it Jessica, your love was not strong enough to make you resist me.”