Reluctant Desire

by Leah Brooke

Chapter Three

  Beau walked into Lady Desire, the club Charity and Hope owned, closing the new door behind him. Rubbing his hands together against the chill, he couldn’t help but smile when he thought about where he could warm them up in a hurry, and Charity’s reaction to that.

  The thought of her beaded nipples against his palms made his cock stir, but it was the thought of overcoming her struggles to get away and her squeals of laughter and cursing that excited him the most.

  He paused just inside the door to look around, and caught sight of Boone and Chase installing ceiling tiles. As he made his way toward them, he looked around, impressed by the amount of work that had been done, and the women’s understated elegant style.

  It infuriated him that they’d had to redo the place so soon after opening, especially for something so unnecessary, and just plain evil.

  Several weeks earlier, a man, crazed by the fact that he couldn’t have the woman he wanted, a woman now married to his friends Royce and King, threw a Molotov cocktail through the front window in a fit of rage. The subsequent fire and water did just enough damage to make Charity and Hope close the club for repairs, but thankfully, no one had been hurt.

  An attack on the women was just the kind of thing that the men of Desire feared most.

  Walking toward his friends, Beau heard the sound of Charity’s voice raised in anger coming from her office. Fearing that someone was in there with her, and she might be in danger, he started to race in that direction, coming to a halt when Boone called out to him.

  “She’s okay, Beau.” Wiping his hands, Boone strolled toward him, nodding toward Charity’s office. “She’s been on the phone arguing with salesman and suppliers all day.”

  As Beau got closer, he could see into Charity’s office, and blew out a breath of relief when he saw her pacing back and forth in front of her desk.

  Boone slapped his back. “You didn’t really think Chase and I would just be standing here if she was in trouble, do you?”

  Scraping a hand over his face, Beau shook his head, the tension easing. “Hell, I wasn’t even thinking about anything except getting to her.”

  Shaking his head, Boone started back to where his brother stood on a ladder. “I know that feeling well.”

  From the top of the ladder, Chase grinned down at Beau as he reached out a hand for another tile. “Your woman’s got a nice head of steam on her today. She’s been chewing people out for hours and doesn’t seem to be running out of mad. You two have a fight or something?”

  Beau shrugged, looking toward Charity’s office door and watching her pace back and forth as she argued with someone about carpet. “Or something.”

  Looking back at his friends, he watched Chase slide in another tile. “Don’t let her hear you say that she’s my woman. She’s still under the illusion that no one knows.”

  Straightening after retrieving another tile, Boone blinked. “She was born and raised in this town. You’d think she would understand the way things work here.”

  Beau nodded, forcing a smile. “I think it’s a matter of believing what she wants to believe.” Glancing toward Charity’s office, he blinked at her inventive cursing. “I’m gonna have to rip those blinders off of her real soon.”

  Chase finished installing the tile, glancing at Beau as he accepted another one from Boone. “I can’t believe you’ve put up with it for this long.”

  Beau grimaced, his anger at himself, and his frustration with Charity mounting. “Yeah, there’s a lot of that going around.” Looking toward the doorway again, he clenched his jaw, determined that he’d have it out with Charity once and for all.

  “It won’t be much longer.” Beau winced when Charity slammed the phone down and kicked her desk.

  Turning back to his friends, he smiled, wanting to change the subject. “So, how are Rachel and Theresa?”

  As he’d expected, both men grinned, and seemed more than happy to talk about their wife and daughter. Boone handed another tile to his brother. “Rachel’s great, and Theresa has to be the cutest baby that ever lived.”

  Chase laughed. “Theresa says ‘dada’ now. Man, I’ll tell you. I never get enough of it. There’s nothing on earth like being a daddy.”

  The pride and love on their faces and in their voices made Beau more aware of the emptiness inside him.

  He’d totally renovated his house years ago, and loved it, but ever since Charity came into his life, the house seemed cold and empty. He’d built a home for a family, and couldn’t wait to fill it.

  Still grinning, Boone shook his head. “She’s gonna break hearts one day.”

  Chase paused, grimacing. “I can’t say I’m looking forward to that. I want her to be daddies’ girl as long as possible.”

  Beau couldn’t resist ribbing Chase, who used to be somewhat of a playboy. “And then some man, just like you, is going to come along and want her.”

  Chase paled. “Don’t say that. I hear enough of that. Hell, I don’t know what the hell I’m gonna do.”

  Taking pity on his friend, Beau gestured toward Charity’s office. “I wouldn’t worry about it too much. Hope and Charity are still their daddies’ girls.”

  Chase nodded. “Yeah, well I’m sure their fathers are relieved to have men like you and Ace to take care of them. I know I’d feel better if men like you two came along for Theresa.”

  Beau shrugged. “Yeah, well, now I just need to convince Charity.”

  “Stubborn, huh?” Boone broke open another box of tiles. “She’ll come around. She’s always been the type of woman who weighs things carefully. She’ll see that you’re the right man for her.”

  “You son of a bitch! Why the hell didn’t you tell me that before? I just spent an hour on the phone with that asshole salesman and he didn’t say a word. Fine! Yes, I will. I just said I will, didn’t I?” Charity cursed and slammed the phone down, kicking a box in the corner as she turned.

  Beau grimaced as more cursing followed. “I’d better go see if she broke anything.”

  Boone gestured toward the ceiling. “We only have two more tiles to put up and then we’ll get out of here. We have some things to take care of at home before the snow starts. Rachel gave us a grocery list and we have to go buy a sled for Theresa.”

  Beau grinned, anticipation flowing through his veins at the thought of being alone with Charity. “Have fun with that sled.” He headed toward Charity’s office, frustrated that she picked up the phone again. Leaning against the doorway, he watched as she rifled through papers on her usually immaculate desk, taking the time just savor the sight of her.

  Her quick, angry movements irritated him, and made him think of the languorous way she’d moved against him the night before.

  She carried so much stress, stress that he could alleviate in small segments, but it wasn’t enough.

  He tuned out her conversation and just watched her, wondering if she had any idea just how much he loved her. The attraction between them had started the night of the party her parents had thrown shortly after she and Hope came home from college.

  Her long, dark, shiny hair and chocolate brown eyes gave her an exotic look, even more pronounced by her olive skin. Curvy, but with a tiny waist, she had a body that screamed sex.

  Her smile stole his breath, her dimples giving her the appearance of an imp. She had the perseverance and attention to detail, though, of a four-star general.

  She liked everything in order, and lived on lists.

  Even while talking on the phone, she sorted papers into piles. Every pencil had a place in one holder, while pens went into another. Everything had been ruthlessly organized, even the notes she’d stuck to her bulletin board, which had been lined up perfectly.

  She kept every aspect of her life in scrupulous order, and he’d found out right from the start that she didn’t want any complications in her life.

  That included getting involved with him.

  It had taken over a year to get her to go out with him, and she would onl
y see him if he’d agree to keep it a secret. He’d been so in love with her by then that he would have agreed to anything, confident that it wouldn’t remain a secret for long.

  He thought he’d just begun to make headway when tragedy struck, and the club she and her sister had spent their life savings to open was nearly destroyed.

  Since then, he hadn’t wanted to pressure her, especially with the stress already on her, but he’d had enough.

  He wanted to teach her how to have fun—to throw the lists away once in a while and do something spontaneous.

  He wanted the chance to love her the way she deserved to be loved—and that didn’t include hiding their relationship from the rest of the world.

  He heard Boone and Chase leave just as Charity hung up the phone, and he straightened in an effort to seek a more comfortable position, but with his cock pressing against his zipper, it wasn’t easy.

  Meeting Charity’s glare, he grinned and hoped he could tease her out of her bad mood.

  He gestured toward the foot she kept rubbing. “Hey, beautiful. You hurt yourself? Wanna play doctor?”

  * * * *

  Charity shook her head, smiling despite her effort not to. Restacking the papers on her desk, she craned her neck to look past him. “Be quiet. Boone or Chase might hear you.”

  “Boone and Chase left.” Beau wagged his brows, his mischievous smile pebbling her nipples. “So, you wanna play doctor, beautiful? I promise, I’ll look you over real good, and even kiss all your boo-boos.” His smile fell, his expression becoming somber, but his eyes still danced with mischief. “It’s my duty.”

  Sitting back in her chair, Charity let her eyes feast on him, relieved that he didn’t mention their disagreement of the night before. Biting the inside of her cheek, she struggled to keep a straight face. “I have a feeling that if I play doctor with you, you wouldn’t get anywhere near my foot.”

  Beau’s attempt to look insulted might have been more successful if the amusement in his eyes hadn’t given him away. “I resent that. Of course I would look at your foot.” He grinned, his eyes narrowing. “Eventually.”

  Enjoying their banter, Charity narrowed her eyes, mimicking his look. “Let me guess. You’d have to check out my breasts to make sure that they didn’t somehow have something to do with my foot hurting. Then, you’d have to get my pants off because you couldn’t quite see what you need to see with my pants in the way.”

  Beau nodded soberly. “I’d have to be thorough.”

  Another giggle escaped before she could prevent it, and it struck her how quickly Beau had dispelled her bad mood. “Uh-huh. Thorough. Is that what you call it?”

  Watching him, she leaned back, her pulse leaping at his slow smile, and it took every ounce of self-control Charity possessed not to burst into laughter.

  God, she loved him.

  He could make her laugh with just a look, make her happy just by walking through the door.

  He made her feel good.

  She found his playfulness contagious, and made her worries feel small and insignificant. The stress of her day seemed to melt away whenever she was with him.

  But, she didn’t want just a playmate.

  She wanted someone who would be with her through thick and thin. She wanted someone who wouldn’t get bored when dealing with bills and the responsibility of children.

  She wanted a lover who would also be her partner—a man who wouldn’t leave her to deal with all the problems and responsibilities while he played.

  She wanted forever—and she couldn’t imagine forever with anyone but Beau.

  Hope knew how she felt about Beau, and was constantly trying to play matchmaker, no matter how many times Charity explained it to her.

  Her sister had married someone solid. Responsible.

  A man she could lean on, a man like her fathers.

  Inwardly wincing at the twinge of guilt she felt at hiding the fact that she and Beau were lovers from her family, Charity looked away from his smiling face, straightening the pile of receipts on her desk.

  Hope would be furious when—if—she ever found out.

  If her sister knew she was sleeping with Beau, she’d be planning the wedding. Her parents loved Beau and if they knew she and Beau were having an affair, they’d do everything in their power to get her to marry him.

  Opening the drawer to her left, she dropped the receipts she’d already sorted inside to deal with later. Suddenly aware of the lengthy silence, she glanced up at him, unsurprised to find him watching her. Forcing a smile, she shook her head. “It’s hard to believe that you’re older than I am.”

  Beau clicked his tongue. “So young to have forgotten how to play.”

  Charity snorted and sat up, folding her hands in front of her on her desk, mentally rescheduling her day. “You play enough for both of us.”

  Beau straightened and came into the room, circling her desk, and settled himself on the corner, his thigh dangling very close to her own, his nearness making her heart race. Reaching out, he ran the backs of his fingers down her cheek, his touch and the tenderness in his eyes doing strange things to her stomach while awakening every erogenous zone. “I want to come over tonight. I want to seduce you. Slowly.”

  Her pulse tripped, the immediate surge of lust making the inner walls of her pussy clench and tingle with anticipation. “Damn it, Beau. You know I can’t resist when you say things like that.”

  She could already imagine it. She could almost feel the slow slide of his hands and lips moving over her.

  Bending low, he brushed his lips over hers, reaching out to cup her breast as he did, his slow, seductive movements enthralling her. “I know.” He brushed his lips with hers again. “With you, I need every advantage I can get.”

  Charity shivered at the feel of his warm breath on hers, her nipples beading tightly in a demand for attention. “You have too much of an advantage as it is.”

  Beau smiled against her lips, lifting a hand to tease the ends of her hair. “I love playing with you. Teasing you. Tormenting you. I need to keep you coming back for more. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you.”

  Her body tingled with an awareness that had her shifting uncomfortably in her seat. She leaned into him, unable to help herself. Turning her head and lifting it slightly, she brushed her lips against his, breathing in the scent of him like an addict. “You have a way of playing that’s a little hard to resist.”

  “Good. Does that mean you’re going to let me come over to play with you tonight?”

  Charity leaned closer, breathing in the exotic clean scent that was uniquely him. “Hmm. I bought a roast.”

  Nibbling on her bottom lip, Beau ran his finger back and forth over her beaded nipple. “Is that an invitation to dinner?”

  The knowledge that each night she and Beau spent together could be their last made every minute they spent together even more precious.

  This thing between them couldn’t last forever, and she dreaded the moment it ended.

  Dreaded it more every day.

  The tension between them couldn’t be ignored much longer, and knowing that she caused most of it made her feel even worse.

  Charity let her lips slide lower to brush against his jaw, careful to keep her tone playful, while inside her heart ached. “Gotta keep your energy up.”

  Cupping the back of her head, he wordlessly encouraged her, sliding his hand inside her shirt and unhooked the front closure of her cotton bra. “That’s not all you keep up.”

  Giggling, Charity pushed him away, hurriedly fastening her bra again. “Cute. Now go away and let me finish.” She missed his touch already, and the dark gleam in his eyes almost had her giving in to temptation to close the door and let him take her right on top of her desk.

  With a combination of a groan and a chuckle, Beau got to his feet. “Fine. I’ll get out of here so you can finish up. I’ll be over around six.” His narrowed gaze sharpened. “You’d better be there.”

  Charity waved her hand
negligently, knowing that if she didn’t finish in time, he would understand. “Don’t you have to close up the store?”

  Pausing just inside the door, Beau shrugged, his eyes unreadable. “That’s why I hire employees—so I can spend time with you.”

  Shaking her head, Charity blew out a breath, wondering if she’d ever get through to him. “Beau, you can’t just hire people so you can play.”

  “Sure I can.”

  “There’s more to life than play.”

  “I know that. There’s also more to life than work.” Leaning against the doorway, he crossed his arms over his wide chest, his eyes hooded. “When are you going to marry me?”

  Charity groaned, dropping her head on her hand. “Beau, don’t ruin it. You’d hate marriage. Too much responsibility for a man like you.”

  “You can’t keep avoiding the subject.”

  Straightening in her seat, she picked up a pencil and tapped it on the desk, nervous now. “We’ve already covered this subject. Damn it, Beau. I love you. You know that. We’re lovers. Why can’t that be enough for you?” It appeared they’d arrived at a stalemate, and it scared her. Her stomach knotted and churned.

  She didn’t want to lose him, but it would be even worse if they stayed together and he got bored with her or considered her a burden.

  He wanted fun and adventure, and she was willing to go along with that, but if she married him, she’d expect more, something that was bound to drive Beau crazy and have him looking for a way to escape.

  Beau stepped toward her, leaning over her desk. He took the pencil from her hand and tossed it aside. “Because I love you, Charity. Just because I like to have fun, and play, doesn’t mean I don’t know how to take care of you. It doesn’t mean I don’t take care of my responsibilities, something I thought I’d made clear. I run a successful business, don’t I?”

  Charity stiffened, her stomach knotting. “You run a business that’s all about play, a business you started with the money left to you by your grandfather. You don’t know what it’s like to struggle.”

  She jumped to her feet, too nervous to sit still. “I don’t care about the money, Beau, it’s the attitude that drives me crazy. Hard work is all I know. My dads have always been there whenever one of us needed them. Marriage and children are a hell of a responsibility.”