The Seduction of Arabella Quinn

by Caryn Carter

  She'd stay until the three of them had discussed the doctor's decision, then she'd leave. And she'd leave without guilt. It had been a long time since she'd done something just for herself.

  * * * *

  At eight fifteen, Bella and Franny left the hospital together, then went their separate ways when they reached the parking area. As soon as she was inside her car, Bella dug in her purse for the card with Nick's number and her cell phone, and with shaky fingers dialed his number.

  Nick picked up on the second ring and immediately gave her his location. He was less than ten minutes away.

  "I've just placed an order for a drink and a soup appetizer. They'll be waiting when you get here. I'll place the order for the entrées as soon as we hang up. I hope you don't mind."

  Mind? She was thrilled at his thoughtfulness. "I'm looking forward to it."

  But not nearly as much as she was looking forward to seeing him again, she thought, as she set the car in motion.

  By nature a cautious driver, Bella found herself at war with her newly discovered reckless side. She was tempted more than once to throw caution to the wind and drive as fast as she could, speed limit be damned. Fortunately, her rational side won out and she arrived at the restaurant with her clean driving record intact.

  Breathless at the thought of seeing Nick again, Bella rushed as fast as she could to the front door of the restaurant. She spotted him as soon as she stepped inside. He'd changed clothes since she'd last seen him, exchanging his conservative striped shirt and navy blazer for a black knit turtleneck and a black silk jacket that emphasized his dark hair and eyes.

  By the time she reached him she was weak in the knees and sank with gratitude onto the chair he pulled out for her. If she'd been forced to stand one second longer she would have collapsed in a heap right there in front of him and embarrassed them both.

  She opened her mouth to thank him for the courtesy but was denied the opportunity when a glass of wine and a cup of steaming vegetable soup miraculously appeared on the table in front of her.

  Nick gave her a self-satisfied smile. "I thought it would be a good idea to put a little something in your stomach before the wine hit it."

  He'd thought of everything. He was treating her like a princess in a fairy tale. Still wary of his motives, Bella questioned such ardent attention, but unwilling to mar the beauty of the moment, she ignored the uneasy feeling the same way she had every other anxiety she'd suffered since his introduction at the bar.

  After convincing herself to wait for a better time to question his attention, as well as his motive, she took his advice and tasted the soup. It was just what she needed. He knew her better than she knew herself. Until she'd put the first spoonful of soup in her mouth she hadn't even realized she was hungry.

  She pressed the linen napkin to her lips and felt Nick watching her with the same intensity he'd watched her that afternoon as she'd moved around her little lunchroom.

  When she lifted the glass of wine, he touched the rim of hers with his own. "To us," he toasted, meeting her gaze over the rim of his glass.

  "To us," she answered, not sure at all of the implication the words carried. But then she hadn't been sure of very much since they'd met, except that the chemistry between them was so powerful it took her breath away.

  She finished the last of the soup and had no sooner set the bowl aside, when it was quickly removed, and as miraculously as it had appeared, a bacon-wrapped filet mignon, au gratin potatoes, and a small garden salad took its place. The same order was set before Nick, except his steak was a huge T-bone. Next, their empty wine glasses were refilled.

  "I like my salad with my meal," Nick said. "I took the liberty of having yours held until the main course as well. I hope you don't mind."

  Overwhelmed, she looked across the table at him and shook her head in dismay. "No, I don't mind at all. This is the..."

  He cut her off with a finger on his lips and a low shushing sound. "I hope you're not going to say 'sweet' again."

  She flushed and barely suppressed a giggle. The wine was getting to her. "No. I was going to say this is the most thoughtful thing anyone has ever done for me."

  "Thoughtful, I can accept." He took her hand in his and stroked the back of hers. "Even though it's still not the most accurate word."

  "And what is the most accurate word?"

  "Self-serving."

  "Hmm, a hyphenated word no less."

  "You're not taking me seriously."

  He didn't think she was taking him seriously? Oh, but she was. She was taking him very seriously. She had to set that record straight right now. She turned her hand palm up under his and laced their fingers together. "I'm taking everything you do seriously, Nick Fuller."

  "Then you're not upset that I took complete charge and ordered everything without consulting you?"

  "Ask me that same question in about fifteen minutes or so," she said, picking up her knife and fork and cutting into the filet.

  She was amazed to find that she was still hungry after the bowl of soup and decided there was no sense pretending otherwise, so she immediately began working her way from the steak to the potatoes to the salad and back again to the steak. She was one of those people who had to taste a little of everything on her plate and she was pleased that he had made it possible for her to do so tonight.

  Nick, on the other hand, kept at his steak until the only thing left on his plate was a clean bone before he finished his salad and then started in on the potatoes.

  With very little of anything remaining, Bella leaned back from the table and folded her hands in her lap. Nick did a cursory inspection of her plate and looked at his wristwatch.

  "Twenty minutes. Not bad. Not bad at all."

  "Everything was wonderful, Nick. Thank you."

  "I left the dessert open. Your choice."

  She didn't have a forkful of room left. "No dessert for me. I'm really full. But I'd love some coffee."

  He signaled for their waiter and while they waited for him she thought it would be a good time to ask about the security system.

  "You haven't mentioned anything more about that problem you encountered today at my house. Did you finally get it resolved?"

  The waiter appeared just then and Nick ordered two coffees. He turned back to her after the table had been cleared and they were alone.

  "The problem has less to do with the actual installation and more to do with the timing of it and how it would affect you."

  Nick crossed his arms on the table and leaned toward her.

  "Actually, I was sort of hoping we could leave the discussion about that until we were out of here."

  Anticipation made her stomach flutter. If not here, where? In one of their automobiles? Or was he planning on following her home? She thought it best to ask him directly.

  "Where were you planning on talking about it then?"

  "Actually, I was thinking about taking you out to my boat."

  She swallowed hard. "Your boat?"

  "I'd like you to see it."

  The fluttering in her stomach increased. He'd said he wouldn't move too fast and this seemed much too fast for her if he had in mind what she suspected.

  "Nick," she protested, "please don't think I'm ungrateful, but I hadn't planned on doing anything after dinner. It's been a long¾"

  He covered her hand again with his and squeezed it lightly. "I promise it won't take long. An extra half hour, forty minutes at the most. The Yacht Club isn't too far from here." He squeezed her hand a little harder. "Please?"

  "I'd love to see your boat, Nick. But can't it wait? It seems like it would be better seen in daylight anyway."

  "It's not the outside I'd like you to see." He broke out in a quick smile. "It's not what you think, Bella. I'm not trying to get you in a compromising position. I'd just rather lay my plan out there, instead of here."

  She was beginning to feel ungrateful in spite of what she'd told him. Maybe she should reconsider. Another thirty mi
nutes, even an hour, wouldn't really make that much difference. "If I go, do you promise not to urge me to stay longer?"

  "Absolutely. And I promise you'll be home long before your car turns into a pumpkin."

  Their coffee arrived. While they added cream and sugar he asked about her mother and it took until the check was paid for her to bring him up to date on everything. A few minutes later, he walked her to her car and saw her safely inside. She waited until he pulled up in front of her and signaled for her to follow him.

  Traffic was light and fifteen minutes later they arrived at the Yacht Club harbor. Nick was at her side the moment she stepped from her car and they walked in silence to one of the piers, guided by the overhead lights twinkling on the water like a thousand stars.

  "Well, there she is," Nick said proudly when they stopped before one of the boats. "It's not the biggest boat around, but as of last month it's all mine." He slipped an arm around her waist. "Well, it will be in the year two thousand and ten."

  Impulsively she lowered her head to his shoulder. "Now are you going to tell me how this ties in with my problem?"

  He tugged her a little closer to him.

  "I want you to make this your home for a day or two while we install the security system in your house."

  Chapter Seven

  Nick had prepared himself for a steely resistance from Bella when he told her of his plan for her to stay on the boat, but he was totally unprepared for the intensity of her reaction. She wrenched away from him and started running along the pier toward her car before he could explain what he had in mind.

  He caught up with her midway on the dock and managed to cage her in his arms, stopping her cold. She made no attempt to free herself, but she refused to look at him, so he gentled his hold on her and decided to wait for both of them to calm down before he tried to reason with her.

  When they were both breathing a little easier, Nick turned Bella around to face him, his goal to convince her that his motives were pure and at the same time bring a little levity to the situation. "It's not what you think, if you're thinking what I think you're thinking," he said with a smile in his voice. Laughter burst from her like a shooting star that he'd just seen sailing over her shoulder and he relaxed a bit more.

  When he slackened his hold on her even more, she stepped back and with a forced grin, replied, "Now that's a tongue twister if ever I heard one. But it still won't get me to accept your proposition." She spun around, would have raced off again had he not been prepared for it this time and snagged her by her sleeve.

  "Wait a minute. I told you, it's not what you're probably thinking. Won't you at least give me a chance to explain? Then, if you're still determined to leave, I won't stop you."

  Her body stilled while she considered his request. When she let out a long sigh and he felt some of the tension leave her body, some of his own anxiety dissipated.

  She squared her shoulders. "Okay. What's your story?"

  He shoved his hands in his jacket pocket, not so much to appear nonchalant as to keep from grabbing her and kissing her breathless. The more she resisted him the hotter it made him. He was already hot as hell. But if there was one time since they'd met that he needed his mind off sex, this was it.

  "Some of the electrical wiring in your house will have to be replaced to accommodate the system I have in mind for you. It could mean being without electricity for a day or two while we work things out."

  Her head snapped up, her stance signaling she was ready to challenge his claim. "What's wrong with the wiring? I've only lived in the house a few years. Everything checked out fine during the pre-sale inspection."

  "There's nothing wrong with your wiring as it stands for your current needs. But as I told you, my systems are cutting edge technology. Even some of the more modern homes we secure need an adjustment. Your house is older so it's not a matter of deficiency as much as it is making it compatible with the system."

  She hiked her purse higher on her shoulder. "Okay. So I'll be without electricity until you finish. A couple of days, you said? No problem. I'll stay at my mother's."

  He moved in and put his hands on her shoulders, waited to gauge her reaction, and when she didn't pull back, moved in a little closer. He looked down at her. "Bella, I'm thinking about you. About your safety."

  She tensed up again so he stroked her shoulders lightly, waited until he felt some of the tension that had returned slide away before he continued. "How long has your mother been living in her home?"

  "Thirty years or so. But what does that have to do with anything?"

  "I'm not trying to frighten you more, but don't you think it's possible that whoever is watching you might give your mother's house a thought when they realize you're not staying at home?"

  He suddenly felt like a heel. He was really grasping at straws, painting an outlandish scenario in order to achieve his end, but with each passing day he was reminded more keenly that time was of the essence.

  Her body stiffened, and even in the shadowy darkness he saw fear in her eyes.

  "You don't think my family is in any kind of danger, do you?" Her voice was thin, filled with alarm.

  Shit. He should have known that thought would hit her. He rushed to assure her otherwise. "No, not as long as you're not there. That's why I think the boat would be a perfect solution. No one but my office staff even knows I bought it. It would be perfectly safe. It would only be for a couple of days."

  She looked down. "And where will you be?"

  Ah. Now they'd come to what was really bothering her. "I'll be home, of course. Where else?"

  "I thought maybe..." She cut herself short and looked up at him. "If you really think it's necessary, I guess I have no choice."

  Relief flooded through him. "Of course we haven't discussed price yet."

  "If I'm going to trust you with my life, so to speak, I guess I can trust you with my money." She tilted her head back to see him better. "You're sure it'll only be a couple of days?"

  "No more than that, unless we run into another problem, which I seriously doubt."

  She turned away and looked out over the water where the stars still shone in glittering pools of light. Squaring her shoulders, she let out a deep sigh of resignation. "Then I guess I should take a look at my temporary quarters so I'll know what I'm up against."

  Slipping his arm around her waist, he touched her forehead with his lips in a quick non-sexual kiss then guided her toward the boat.

  "Cindy Marie", Bella said, almost under her breath. "Someone you know?"

  Nick stepped onto the deck of the boat then put his hand out to help her aboard.

  "No, the name was given to her by her former owner. I'm going to have my own private christening party when I've decided what to call her."

  The boat was a fifty-footer, small as yachts go, but it had two staterooms. He showed her the main stateroom where she would stay, then he took her to the galley--his pride and joy. It had more than adequate move-around space and custom built, highly polished oak cabinets.

  "I'm impressed," Bella said, running her fingers along the satiny sheen of an overhead cabinet. "If I didn't know better, I'd think I was in the kitchen of a modern condo." She looked over at him. "Do you take her out often?"

  "I've been out a few times since I've had her, but I'm hoping to get her out in the water more often real soon. There are a few things I need to take care of first." Like making certain your boyfriend lands behind bars again in record time and you get your day in court if you helped him.

  Nick caught himself. When did his without-a-doubt-she's-guilty certitude go just a little soft?

  Bella started toward the door that led to the companionway and he followed.

  "Do you think you could tough it out here for a couple of days starting tomorrow? It's not the Hilton, but it's not exactly camping out, either."

  "Oh, I think I could manage a couple of days," she answered, a trace of wit in her voice. She'd stopped just short of the doorway and he ca
ught up to her as she turned toward him. Without planning, he found her in his arms, the two of them crowded in the narrow opening.

  She felt warm and wonderfully alive against his body. In such close quarters, the intimacy of the moment was intensified and his cock, which had behaved pretty well during dinner, strained against his fly in protest.

  She wasn't helping matters either by making no attempt to free herself from his embrace. It was inevitable that he brought his lips down firmly on hers, but she didn't have to respond so eagerly, damn it all.

  He was lost now, with his harder than ever hard-on pressed against her belly and her moving none too subtly against it. One of them groaned, he couldn't be sure which. And he didn't care, not with her mouth clinging hungrily to his and her hands circling his waist and pulling him so close he was afraid he might drill a hole straight through her.

  Another groan. This time he knew the sound came from him, from deep in his throat. He managed somehow to get a hand between them, his palm against her soft, sexy belly and he forced a little breathing room between them.

  Bracing his forehead against hers, the back of her head resting against the doorframe, he struggled to talk and breathe at the same time. "You're going to make me break my promise to take things slow and then I'll be upset with myself. In spite of what it may look like to you now, I am a man of honor." He tried to infuse his words with enough humor to put some levity in the situation, and at the same time let her know that he really was fighting hard to keep his word. And most of all, his control.

  She reached up for his mouth again, but he was quick to pull back and the kiss never made it to his lips.

  "Suppose I told you I changed my mind?" She sounded dead serious--and he got dead scared. He could easily have her naked in under thirty seconds if he chose to. And Christ, he wanted to. He would have liked nothing better than to strip her and slip inside her right where she stood, her back against the jamb, his hands braced on the frame above her head. His cock throbbed painfully. He swung his hips to one side as far as he could to break the contact of their bodies.