In a daze, Lucy teetered across to the sofa and subsided next to him. She badly wanted his arm around her but he sat forward, his hands resting loosely on his thighs, and when he spoke he addressed the ground, so that she had to lean towards him to catch what he was saying.
‘I didn’t expect you to come,’ he threw at her, ‘and I wouldn’t have chased you. Hell, I figured that, with your exit, my life would get back to normal. So you wanted to hunt down your soulmate. Well, good luck to you! But nothing got back to normal, and now here you are….’ He inclined his head to one side so that he was looking at her askance.
‘Except the no-strings-attached relationship I’m offering is no longer on the cards,’ Lucy intoned dully, and he gave her a crooked smile that had her craven pulses racing. ‘I blew it.’
‘Let me explain how I never wanted any kind of committed relationship with a woman. Hadn’t even contemplated such a possibility. But then you happened, and I’m telling you now that a relationship with all the strings you can find attached is the only relationship I’m willing to accept from you.’
‘Sorry?’
‘You want me… Well, you’ll have to get your head round the idea that I’m the guy in your life. I’m the main event. You take me on and your search for Mr Right is down the drain, because I’m going to tie you down for the rest of your life. There won’t be anyone else and there’s no compromise, no deal to be done.’
‘I don’t understand. Why would you want that?’
‘Why do you think?’ He gave a low, dry laugh. ‘I’m in love with you, woman. I should have known as much the second I started thinking about you and houses, picturing you on that four-poster bed, getting stressed over whether you would like the garden, whether it would be big enough for the mutt…. And then keeping my hands off you…trying to prove to you that I could be the one… I didn’t even know at the time just how important it was to me that you realised that, but I was going to give it a damn good go.’
‘You’re in love with me…?’
‘I could have gone out with a hundred different women when you left and the net result would have been the same. They would have bored me to death. I’ve spent the past few weeks thinking about you and telling myself that there was no way I was going to show up on your doorstep and open myself up for being knocked back.’
‘You love me…. You’re in love with me….’ She reached out and laced her fingers into his hair. Her heart melted at the searching, open look he gave her. ‘I fell in love with you ages ago,’ she confessed in a husky undertone, ‘and it scared the living daylights out of me because I knew you weren’t into commitment. When I went to that little house you’d bought I started to think that maybe you felt there was something more between us than just a fling….’
‘And I told you that it was just a house…’
‘And not a marriage proposal…’
‘I still hadn’t come round to the fact that life without you wasn’t worth living. I wanted to stop you from leaving, but I didn’t know how. And then you walked out and I found that I could barely function.’ He straightened, pulled her into him and buried his head in her sweetly scented hair. ‘You’ll be pleased to hear that I’m functioning just fine right now….’
He took her hand and placed it on his zipper. She shivered to feel the telltale impressive bulge of his erection.
‘Remember what I said about the house not being a marriage proposal?’ he murmured as he swept her off her feet and began carrying her up to his bedroom. ‘Would you do me the favour of ignoring that bloody stupid statement?’
He deposited her gently on the bed. It was where she belonged. It sickened him to think of her anywhere else, and it sickened him even more to think what might have happened if she hadn’t shown up on his doorstep.
Would he have sought her out despite what he had said? Where she was concerned his pride was practically non-existent. Hell, he would have. The excuse would have been flimsy, but he wouldn’t have been able to bear her absence.
He began removing his clothes, his dark, lustrous eyes pinned to her expressive face, which was now looking at him questioningly.
When he was fully naked he moved to stand by the bed. His big body shuddered as she propped herself up so that she could take his throbbing erection into her mouth and slowly pay it just the sort of exquisite attention that had him rearing back and groaning as his fingers tightened in her hair.
‘I need you to marry me,’ he told her with the driving urgency that was so much part and parcel of his personality.
He sank onto the bed alongside her and began undressing her with shaking hands. He would never have guessed how good it felt to lose his self-control like this.
‘Yes!’ Lucy was laughing as she wriggled out of her clothes. ‘Yes, yes, yes!’ She captured his beautiful face between her hands and looked at him seriously. ‘You are the most amazing thing that has ever happened in my life. You entered it and changed it and I love you so much it hurts. It was horrible coming to London and doing stuff with you and not having you touch me.’
‘It can’t have been as hard for you as it was for me, but you wanted space and I was so damn scared that if I made a move you’d take to the hills.’
They hadn’t seen each other in weeks and they made love hungrily, greedily, touching each other as though frantic to make up for lost time.
She was ready for him as he thrust powerfully into her, not bothering as he always had in the past with precautions. Lucy didn’t even notice until she was lying pleasurably sated next to him. When, suddenly alarmed, she pointed out his omission, he laughed softly and stroked her hair away from her face.
‘Would you believe last week I caught myself thinking that if I had got you pregnant you wouldn’t have run out on me? So if you do get pregnant…’ He smoothed his hand over her flat stomach. ‘You won’t hear me complaining…. In fact, I’m thinking that it might be an idea to start trying right away….’
‘I see what you mean about those strings tying us down….’ But she was flooded with joyful warmth, as though the sun had begun to shine inside her.
‘And by the way—the engagement ring? You know that tasteless bauble has to hit the bin, don’t you…?’
‘The shop wouldn’t have it back. It’s in one of the kitchen drawers. I might just hang on to it as a souvenir of a very strange affair.’
‘Twists and turns, my darling. Thank God we ended up in the right place. And, while we’re on the subject, I’ll just tell you that I would have hounded you—not that I don’t prefer it this way. There’s nothing a guy likes more than knowing his woman would cross deserts for him…. On a different subject, I know you don’t like accepting gifts from me, but there’s no way you’re wearing anything but the best on your finger.’
He nudged his leg between hers and grinned as she wriggled against him until she was perfectly positioned.
‘You’re going to be engaged in style—although it’s going to be a very short engagement. In fact, you might find me encouraging that trip to the vicar when we go and break the good news to your parents tomorrow.’
He lifted her hair to nuzzle the nape of her neck while his hand strayed to tease the stiffened bud of her nipple. He flipped her onto him and circled her narrow waist with his big hands.
‘Better—much better. I want all my seed in you. Don’t forget that we’re trying for a baby now….’
Lucy laughed and eased him into her with a groan of pure satisfaction.
‘You’re moving fast!’ She feathered kisses on his face, loving the feel of his rock-hard shaft inside her.
‘I’m not one to let the grass grow under my feet,’ Gabriel said roughly. ‘I have you, and I want to get all those strings as fast as I can and tie you up with them. Figuratively, of course. Although I wouldn’t be averse to exploring that concept in the literal sense….’
‘Hmm…ruthless…’ There was a smile in her voice and her heart was singing with joy.
‘You bet.
It’s just one of those adorable character traits you can spend your life finding out about. Now, enough talking…we have a baby to make….’
* * * * *
Ruthless Tycoon, Inexperienced Mistress
Contents
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
EXCERPT
CHAPTER ONE
CESAR WAS NOT in the best of moods as he swung his Bentley down the small street into which his sat nav had guided him. It was a little after nine in the evening and the weather, which had looked promising in London for taking his car out for a run, had become increasingly poor the farther east he had travelled. Flurries of snow had kept his wipers busy for the past forty-five minutes.
When he had arranged a meeting with his brother, this venue was not what he had had in mind. In fact, his club in London had been his preferred choice, but Fernando had insisted on meeting in his God-forsaken stamping ground of Kent, a place which held no interest for Cesar and therefore one which he had never seen the need to visit.
He now cursed under his breath as he pulled up in front of a building that had all the charm of a disused warehouse. For a few seconds after he had killed the engine, he stared at what looked suspiciously like graffiti on the walls and wondered whether his faith in computer technology had been misplaced. Had that disembodied female voice which had guided him away from the city centre got the directions all wrong?
With a sharp, impatient click of his tongue, Cesar swung himself out of his car in search of a door of sorts.
He would personally donate his car to the nearest vagrant if his brother lived in this dump. Fernando was not the sort of guy who did dumps. In fact, Fernando was the sort of guy who specialised in avoiding them at all costs.
Cesar did his best to swallow his anger at having to deal with this massive personal inconvenience. He was here for a specific purpose and, to that end, there was no point in dwelling on the fact that his Friday night had been ruined. Nor was there any point in getting annoyed with his brother. By the end of the night Fernando would have enough to deal with, never mind his lack of foresight in arranging this meeting, in the dead of winter, miles away from civilisation.
The door was cunningly concealed amidst the graffiti and, for a few seconds after he had pushed it open, Cesar took time to adjust to his surroundings.
This wasn’t what he had expected. Disused from the outside the place might well appear to be, but once inside, the picture was vastly different. A few dozen people were milling about what seemed to be a club of sorts. To one side of the semi-darkened room, a cluster of leather chairs and sofas were scattered around low tables. Elsewhere people stood drinking by a long, sleek bar which curved in a U shape to encompass most of the back of the room. To the left there appeared to be a raised podium and yet more chairs.
It didn’t take long to spot his brother, talking in a small group, animated as he usually was and the centre of attention.
Having specifically told Fernando that he wanted to have a one-on-one meeting to discuss the small matter of his trust fund, Cesar was enraged to now discover that he had been conned into attending what looked like a private party. The subdued lighting didn’t give him much of a clue as to the nature of the guests involved, but he didn’t have to exert his brain too much to work out that they would all be his brother’s usual cronies. Blonde bimbos, gambling partners and general wastrels who shared the same ambitions as Fernando to spend the family money as flamboyantly as possible whilst simultaneously dodging anything that smelled remotely like hard work.
Cesar grimly thought that his brother was on the wrong track if he thought he could avoid discussing his financial future by conniving to have a bunch of chaperons around him.
By the time he descended on Freddy, all of the group bar one had departed and Cesar treated his brother to a smile of pure displeasure. He didn’t bother to look at the crop-haired youth standing next to him.
‘Fernando,’ he said through gritted teeth. He held out one hand, his cursory nod to courtesy. ‘This is not what I expected.’ It had been several months since he had laid eyes on his brother. In fact, the last time had been at a family gathering in Madrid, where yet again Cesar’s attempts to interest his brother in the fortunes of the company had met with a resounding lack of interest. It was then that he had told Fernando in no uncertain terms that he would be putting his trust fund under the microscope. It was within his power to defer it until such time as he considered it wise to release it and he wouldn’t hesitate to use his power of attorney. ‘Get your act together,’ he had warned, ‘or kiss sweet goodbye to that lifestyle of yours.’
Of course, Fernando had responded by staying as far away from the company head office as he physically could.
‘I thought…Friday night…’ Freddy’s smile was pure charm. ‘Live a little, big brother! We can talk tomorrow. Actually, I wanted to show you…’ He spread his hands in a gesture to encompass the room and Cesar looked at him in cool silence. ‘But I am being rude.’ He turned to the woman he’d been talking to who had been displaced by Cesar striding in front of her. ‘This is Judith—Jude—meet my brother, Cesar… What can I get you, Cesar?’ He edged away. ‘Whisky? As usual?’
‘And I’ll have another glass of wine, Freddy.’ Jude had to take a few sideways steps until she was standing directly in front of the most intimidating man she had ever set eyes on in her life.
So this was the famous Cesar. No wonder Freddy had been quaking in his proverbial boots at the prospect of having a meeting with him. He was a good four inches taller than his brother and where Freddy was good-
looking in an approachable, flirtatious kind of way, this man was stunning. His face was dark and lean and, with its perfect bone structure, somehow forbidding. This was a face that could chill to the bone.
She did her best to smile. This elaborate set-up had been meticulous in the planning. Freddy had been so desperate to introduce his brother to the place he had bought. It was a converted warehouse which was halfway to becoming the sexy jazz club of his dreams, waiting only for the injection of cash from the trust fund which, he had told her worriedly, was in danger of being wrenched away before he could get his hands on a single penny of it. He had invested heavily in the place but it would get no further without Cesar’s approval.
How better to get his brother’s backing than to entice him into it, show him what it could be, prove to him that he was no longer the layabout playboy kid brother he had always been. He had invited all the right people to help him create the perfect setting, including her. Bankers were there, lawyers, a couple of accountants, everybody who had had any input in his burgeoning venture.
‘Freddy’s told me a lot about you.’ She was wearing her flats and had to crane her neck to look up at him.
‘Well, I have no idea who you are, nor do I know why Fernando has arranged to meet me here.’ He frowned at the girl standing in front of him. He had barely noticed her and he knew why. With her short dark hair, she hardly oozed femininity.
Inherently Spanish, Cesar had a very clear image of what a woman should look like and this wasn’t it.
‘Do you?’ he asked coolly.
‘I think he wanted you to meet…some of his friends…’
‘I’ve met Freddy’s friends in the past. Believe me when I tell you that I have no desire to meet any more.’ That said, he hadn’t met this particular one before and she certainly wasn’t the sort his brother usually went for. In fact, just the opposite. So what was she doing here? He looked at her narrowly, his shrewd brain coming up with possibilities and playing with them. ‘Who are you, anyway? And how do you know Fernando? He’s never mentioned your name to me in the past.’ His brother had a lavish lifestyle and was cavalier with his money. Cesar knew be
cause he had access to all Fernando’s bills. He also knew that his brother was fond of spending money on his women. From the age of eighteen, the boy had been a magnet for gold-
diggers. This one didn’t have the outward appearance of a gold-digger, but Cesar was suddenly keenly interested in finding out what her connection was to his brother. He looked across the room to where the clutch of sofas was being studiously ignored by people who seemed to prefer standing. In a minute Fernando would return with drinks and Cesar was pretty sure a round of boring and pointless introductions would then commence. With his suspicions suddenly roused, he nodded curtly to the sofas.
‘I’ve had a hell of a long trip here. Let’s sit and you can tell me…all about your relationship with my brother.’
Jude wondered how an invitation to converse could sound like a threat. Having disappeared in the direction of the bar, Freddy had obviously been waylaid. This was one of Freddy’s bad habits. He was capable of striking up a conversation and getting lost in it until he was forcibly dragged away.
‘I don’t have a relationship with your brother,’ she said as soon as she was sitting on one of the mega-
expensive sofas artfully arranged at an angle to the wall. The mood lighting here was even more subdued and Cesar’s face was all shadows and angles. She laughed nervously and drained the remainder of her glass. ‘I feel as though I’m being interviewed.’
‘Do you? I have no idea why. I’m just interested in finding out how you know Fernando. Where did you meet?’
‘I’m helping him work…on a project…’ Jude’s brief had been simply to promote Freddy’s new-found gravitas and work with him in convincing his brother that he could make a success of his venture.
‘What project?’ Cesar frowned. As far as he knew, his brother hadn’t been near any projects, at least not since his school days, when they had involved felt-tip pens and maps.
‘He might want to tell you that himself,’ Jude said vaguely, and he sat forward, leaning towards her with his elbows resting lightly on his thighs. Six foot two inches of pure threat.
The Notorious Gabriel DiazRuthless Tycoon, Inexperienced Mistress Page 17