Tempted

by Anthony, Alexandra

  His low, throaty growls told me that he liked what I was doing. A lot. His hips pinned me against the wall, his cock twitching in anticipation through his tight jeans. I could feel his restrained strength as he carefully held me in his arms. I had a feeling if he wanted to, he could do so much more and I wasn't sure I was against it happening.

  Before I fully understood what had happened, he'd pulled away from me. He resumed his slouched pose against the wall as if he'd never moved. His eyes were boring holes through me, as if they were staring into my very soul. They wanted more than I was willing to offer.

  Confused, I absently rubbed my fingers over my cheek. I could taste him on my lips; feel the sharp scrape of his stubbled face against my skin.

  Or could I? My mind struggled to clear itself out of the fog that had surrounded it. I was opening my mouth to speak as Ian appeared at Nick's side. He'd still said nothing, but his look alone made me understand Nick was leaving.

  He walked to me again, towering over me like a dark angel. This time his fingers combed through my long blond hair. "Be safe, Savannah. Until tomorrow."

  Had I imagined the whole thing? Had my muddled mind conjured up this strange fantasy? I watched him saunter away and forced myself to rejoin Siobhan at the table. She was paging through her phone, switching screens and typing away furiously.

  She barely glanced up as I sat down. "I was getting ready to send out a search party. If you haven’t figured it out yet, Nick Hart has it bad for you. He looks at you like he'd like to eat you alive."

  "Let's not go there. It's impossible..."

  She cut me off without looking up from her phone. "You're like the cherry on his sundae. Lucky bitch."

  I said nothing and hoped like hell she wouldn’t press me on this. After a moment, I steered the conversation back to her. "You and Malcolm seemed to hit it off. Spill."

  "Oh, I'll be seeing him again. He's exactly my type. Tall, dark and adorably geeky." Siobhan sounded almost giddy as she placed her phone down on the table and pushed a bottle of water towards me. "You need to get rid of Kevin. Like yesterday’s trash."

  She spat his name like it was a plague of some sort. I snorted humorlessly as I toyed with the bottle. My fingers restlessly picked at the label. “That’s the second time today I’ve been told to officially dump Kevin.”

  “I take it Dad has been talking to you again?”

  I nodded and caught my bottom lip between my teeth. “Yeah. I think he called Kevin a twerp.”

  Siobhan giggled and rested her chin in the palm of her hand. “Seriously Savannah, you need to think about moving on and quit stringing him along. He’s nothing but a pain in the ass. You could have your pick of anyone and you chose him? It makes no sense.”

  I kept my eyes fixed on the table as an image of Kevin flooded my mind. He was good looking with his carefully styled dark blond hair and green eyes. If I was going for complete honesty, I didn’t feel much more for him except extreme fondness. “It doesn’t have to make sense. There’s no real commitment with Kevin. You know this, Von. He’s around when I need him to be. I don’t have time to date. This is what works for me.”

  She was quiet for a few moments, which was very atypical of my friend. Her silence caused me to glance up to meet her knowing stare. “At some point, you’re going to have to stop settling for someone that ‘works’ for someone that you can actually have a relationship with. What you’re doing isn’t healthy. You know it. I know it. As much as it pains me to say this, even my Dad knows it.”

  Raising an eyebrow, I huffed loudly. I focused on drinking my water and thought over her words. I’d grown accustomed to my situation with Kevin. It was easy. We had no real dates, only a series of random parties we’d attend together and random dinners out. It was a friend with benefits situation…and for now, it was working.

  “Fine. You don’t have to agree or disagree with me,” she snapped irritably. I watched as she began shoving her phone in her purse. “My ride is here. Are you going to be okay?”

  “Did you call a cab?” I questioned. How long had I been lost in my thoughts?

  Her face brightened as a wide grin graced her lips. Her feline-like face grew smug as she leaned to hug me goodbye. “Even better. Malcolm is taking me home.”

  Glancing around, I was surprised to see the tall, lanky man at the edge of the bar. He was sitting on one of the stools, a smirk on his expressive face. He smiled broadly and wiggled two fingers at me in greeting.

  Grabbing her arm, I pulled her close. “I want details tomorrow. Be careful, Von.”

  Her laugh was like wind chimes, pealing over the din of the bar. “Careful is boring. I’ll text you tomorrow. Good luck with Nick.”

  I gave her a playful shove towards Malcolm. “Yeah, yeah.”

  She smoothed her red hair over her shoulder and he rose from his seat at the bar to meet her. I felt a pang of jealousy as they left together, his hand resting gently on the small of her back.

  Don’t get me wrong. I was happy for Siobhan. However, a small part of me was envious of her willingness to throw caution to the wind and put herself out there. I just wished I possessed half of her bravado.

  I could sit here all night and dissect my little anxieties and flaws. It wouldn’t change a thing. I exhaled a deep breath and began digging through my purse for my cell phone. After a minute or two of futile searching, I gave up and assumed I’d left it in my car. Feeling considerably more sober, I grabbed my purse and headed out into the Los Angeles night. It was unseasonably cool for LA, almost chilly by California standards. Wrapping my arms around myself, I hurried to my car. I was fumbling with the key fob when a familiar voice startled me.

  “I hope you weren’t planning on driving home after your little celebration in there.”

  Whirling around, I almost collided with the broad expanse of Nick Hart’s chest. Sneaking a glance up at him through my eyelashes, I gasped at the harshness of his handsome face in the streetlight above. The angular lines of his face were more pronounced, the curve of his jaw sharp. His lips were pressed into a thin line as his brown eyes bored holes through me.

  My hand pressed against my chest, willing my heart to slow to a normal pace. “You scared the shit out of me. I didn’t even hear you walk up behind me. Do you have some kind of super stealth skills?”

  His mouth quirked and he extended his hand out to me, his palm facing up. “Keys.”

  My eyebrows furrowed at his demand. “What?”

  “I want your keys. Hand them over. You aren’t driving anywhere like this. Give them to me, Savannah.”

  Suddenly feeling like a child being reprimanded, I flushed bright red and slapped the keys in his hand. “I wasn’t going to drive, Nick. I left my cell phone in the car. I was going to call…”

  Nick had already unlocked the door and had slid behind the driver’s seat while I chattered away. He seemed unimpressed with my ramblings and reached across to effortlessly open the passenger door for me. “Get in.”

  I fell into the passenger seat and struggled with the seat belt. Nick revved the engine a few times and swiftly backed the car out of the parking space and squealed out of the lot into traffic. My eyes darted from the windshield to the man beside of me. His finely sculpted face was illuminated by the lights from the dashboard, his black hair shining in the dimness of the car. His pale skin was almost glowing, radiant in the darkness.

  He was absolutely breath taking.

  If someone had told me two days ago I’d be in a car with Nick Hart, I would have told them that they were crazy. Life has a funny way of making the unimaginable possible.

  We drove in silence for at least 10 minutes before I realized that Nick had no idea where I lived and we weren’t heading in the direction of my house. We were speeding down the Pacific Coast Highway towards Malibu.

  “I need to go home. We’re going the wrong way.” My voice came out more like a whine. Had the confident Savannah Wood gone into hiding? I needed her since this nervous, meek versi
on wasn’t cutting it.

  Nick stared ahead at the road, lightly gripping the steering wheel. He glanced over at me and raised a black eyebrow in thinly disguised enjoyment at my observation. “We’re going to my house.”

  Fidgeting in my seat, I anxiously ran my fingers through my thick, blond hair. What was he expecting? While I was attracted to him, I was hoping he wasn’t assuming that I was going to sleep with him.

  As if he’d read my thoughts, his right hand came to lightly rest on my knee. The electricity from his touch traveled over my skin, making me second-guess my former reservations. “Savannah, I don’t expect anything from you. I have plenty of room at my house. You can stay there and we can get started early tomorrow. You were supposed to be there early anyway. I’m just making it easier on us both.”

  My heart lurched at his seemingly innocent words. I had to remind myself that I was the one that wanted to keep this a professional working relationship. Licking my dry lips, my eyes were drawn to his hand that still rested on my knee. It slowly drifted until his finger rubbed small circles on the top of my thigh. “Are you sure? I don’t want to make things weird between us.”

  He laughed softly, the musical sound filling the car. His face relaxed for the briefest of moments, his megawatt smile lighting up his handsome face. “Weird, huh? Savannah, you have no idea. It’s fine. After we get into the swing of things, you’ll be able to drive home tomorrow. This just made more sense. End of story.”

  Nodding mutely, I put my head back against the headrest of the car seat. Nick began humming softly, his fingers strumming against my leg. Relaxing into the seat, I closed my eyes and struggled to stay awake. The last thing I remembered was feeling the car accelerate before I lost my battle and slipped into sleep.

  ***

  Still groggy and half-asleep, I barely registered the car stopping. I heard my car door open and didn’t struggle as I felt myself being lifted into strong arms. Instinctively, I snuggled into the hard wall of a broad chest, wrapping my arms around his neck.

  It wasn’t until I felt the softness of a bed underneath me that I jolted awake. I was alone in a bedroom, stretched across a large four-poster bed. Struggling to sit up, I was surprised to see Nick hesitating in the doorway.

  “You’re awake. I thought I’d bring you something to sleep in.” He sauntered over to the edge of the bed and placed a folded t-shirt and pajama pants beside of me on the bed. “Leave your clothes outside your room. I’ll have Julia launder them for you.”

  Rubbing my fingers over the folded clothing, I bit my lip anxiously. It was all I could do to meet his gaze. “I’m sorry to put you in this situation, Nick. This isn’t the sort of impression I wanted to make. You must think I’m an idiot.”

  He flashed me a gentle smile, his dimples making his face look young and playful. He leaned over me, bracing an arm on both sides of my legs. His face was mere inches from mine and his breath was cool against my face. “Savannah, it’s no bother. I don’t make it a habit to rescue damsels in distress. You’re the first woman I’ve ever brought back to this house. Get some rest and I’ll see you in the morning.”

  He paused for the briefest of moments, his lips slightly parting as he stared down at me. Part of me was waiting expectantly for him to kiss me. The other part of me was ready to pounce on him, my earlier reservations be damned.

  Nick stood to his full six-foot-two height and the back of his fingers brushed over the curve of my cheek in the softest of caresses. “I need to leave before I do something I’ll live to regret. Good night, Savannah.”

  “Night.” I watched his broad shoulders disappear into the hallway and caught a glimpse of his face as he closed the door behind him. His expression was pained, his eyebrows furrowed as he vanished out of sight.

  Stripping out if my jeans and blouse, I reached for the t-shirt and passed on the pajama pants. His shirt hung loosely on me, covering me like a minidress. The alluring smell of Nick clung to the shirt, flooding my nose with his scent. He smelled mysterious and cloying, a combination of expensive leather and spicy, musky cologne. The scent alone sent my libido into overdrive.

  I could tell I wouldn't be sleeping much tonight.

  Folding my clothes in a neat pile, I cracked open the door and laid them on the small table for the mysterious ‘Julia’ Nick had spoken of earlier.

  I quietly closed the door, walking into the small bathroom. It was modern and edgy, done in black and white with chrome. I made short work of washing my face and was surprised to see a toothbrush and toothpaste sitting on the marble sink. He said he didn't bring women home. This was...odd. Was he just a good host?

  Enough! I needed to get a grip. I was paranoid about a toothbrush?! Brushing my teeth and washing my face, I flipped off the bathroom lights and wandered towards the bed, noting that the entire bedroom was decorated sparsely. Brushing my fingers over the dresser, the large bed was the centerpiece of the room. It was all black, grays and whites. Nothing looked old. Everything was sleek, with clean lines and a monochrome color scheme. I climbed into the large bed, pulling the heavy duvet cover around me. Reaching over, I turned off the lamp on the bedside table and curled into a ball in the middle of the big bed.

  It seemed much too big for just me. I knew exactly the person that could fill up the bed…

  Dammit, Savannah! I had to stop this way of thinking. My mind was racing with fantasies of Nick and all of the things he could do to me in this very bed. I tossed and turned, both frustrated and aroused. Nick was obviously attracted to me, but he was holding himself back. In fact, he made a comment about 'doing something he'd live to regret'.

  I'd expected this job to be easy. Sam Stricker was an alcoholic and an all around asshole in the end, but I never had to deal with physical attraction. I'd never in my wildest dreams considered that I'd be infatuated with my new boss. In fact, I'd never been infatuated with a man. Period.

  This situation proved there was a first time for everything.

  After a considerable amount of time, my eyes started to grow heavy. It was then I heard the soothing sounds of an acoustic guitar, strumming through a soft melody. As the sound lulled me into sleep, I wondered if Nick Hart had the same reservations about me.

  Did he feel just as lost?

  Chapter 3

  Strange Days Indeed

  As my eyes cracked open, I realized I was not in my own bed. In a rush, I remembered exactly whose bed I was in. It was like a bucket of cold water hitting me, better than any caffeine rush.

  Springing up, I groaned loudly. My head pounded. I’d been an idiot last night, drinking way more than I should have. My knight in shining armor had been Nick Hart. He’d driven me to his house and had been the perfect gentleman. I couldn’t help but be a little upset that he’d been so distant. Honestly, I’d expected more of a challenge from him. Maybe his public image wasn’t too far from the truth after all.

  A rap at the door brought me out of my musings. “Come in.”

  A trim, attractive woman stuck her head in the door. Her auburn hair was long and pulled back in a ponytail. There was something familiar about her that I couldn’t put my finger on.

  “Good morning, Miss Wood. I’m Julia, Mr. Nick’s housekeeper. He said he had a guest and he said you’d need this.”

  Julia handed me a glass of water and two Tylenol. She placed a neatly folded armful of clothes on the end of the bed. “Your clothes are freshly washed, dear. Take your time getting dressed. He’s down stairs in his library waiting for you. Stop by the kitchen and I’ll show you around. Just head down the stairs and make a right. You can’t miss it.”

  “Thank you,” I managed to mutter. I swallowed the pills and drained the glass of water. By the time I looked up, she’d already left the room.

  Shaking my head, I pushed back the covers and stretched. I glanced at the clock on the bedside table and realized it was already nearly 10 o’clock. I was off to a roaring start on my first day of work, nursing a hangover and oversleeping to boot.
Add in a strange housekeeper...could this day be more bizarre?

  I had my answer a half an hour later. I’d taken a quick shower and dressed quickly. Skipping my heels, I padded downstairs barefoot and headed towards what I hoped was the kitchen. Julia was at my side almost instantly with a bright smile on her face. She wordlessly pushed a steaming mug of coffee in my hands and proceeded to take me on a tour of the house, from the dining room, past a massive bathroom and laundry room. We finally came to a stop outside of a room with a heavy wooden door.

  “There are two things you need to know. Mr. Nick gets a delivery from a medical company every Monday. No one is to touch the delivery except me. There is no exception. Second, this is Mr. Nick’s personal library. Always knock if the door is closed. No ifs, and or buts, Ms. Wood. He’s very private,” Julia warned, her voice barely audible. “I figured it was better for me to tell you now that for you to find out the hard way.”

  The hard way? Biting my tongue, I simply nodded and took a sip of my coffee. I felt like Alice that had fallen down a rabbit hole. I’d woken up in a strange bed, encountered a peculiar housekeeper and now I was being warned about ‘Mr. Nick’s’ privacy? What the hell had I gotten myself into?

  Julia knocked twice. I heard Nick’s muffled voice through the door. “Come in.”

  She pushed the door open, a cheery grin splashed across her face. Nick looked genuinely happy to see her as he stood and kissed her on the cheek affectionately. “I see you’ve met Julia. She’s been with me for quite some time. I’d be lost without her.”

  “Yes, she was nice enough to give me the grand tour this morning,” I answered. And managed to give me the creeps in the process.

  Julia patted Nick on the cheek and flitted out of the room. Nick watched her leave before he focused back on me. His fond smile morphed into a sexier version, arching a black eyebrow as he took in my appearance.