by Cat Schield
Because she couldn’t tell if he was poking fun at her or not, Violet refrained from commenting on her chances of winning her grandfather’s contest. “I never imagined that I would end up supporting you,” she replied. “Perhaps we should get an annulment—”
“While we still can?” JT interrupted, his silky voice spreading shivers along her skin.
“Stop kidding around.” She tried for lightness, but a hint of anxiety crept into her tone. “Just because we’re married and alone in this house on our wedding night...” Violet trailed off. What point was she trying to make?
“Doesn’t mean that we’ll fall prey to our basic urges,” JT finished.
“Exactly.”
“Even if those urges are fueled by champagne and curiosity?”
Violet set her glass down and dismay sparked when she realized it was empty. “I think it’s time you show me the bedroom. My bedroom,” she corrected, feeling her cheeks heat. “Where I’m going to sleep. Alone.”
JT picked up her bag and gestured back the way they’d come. “It’s upstairs.”
Violet attributed her lightheadedness to the champagne, refusing to believe that she was overwhelmed by the thought of spending the night alone with JT in his house. Was his room way down the hall from hers or a convenient few steps away?
Get a grip. You’re not a virgin at your first frat party. You’re a successful businesswoman and this man is a colleague. Keep your head and everything will be fine.
“Here you are.” JT opened a door and gestured her inside. The large room contained a queen-size bed with matching cherry nightstands, a triple dresser, and a small seating area in front of a gas fireplace. He set her overnight bag on the bed and returned to where she stood just inside the bedroom door.
“This is nice. Thank you.”
“I’m the one who should be thanking you. If this wild idea of yours works, I’ll be able to save my family’s company. And that’s a debt I can’t repay.” JT leaned down and kissed her gently on the cheek. “Good night, Violet. I’ll make sure I have green tea ready for you in the morning.”
He knew that she didn’t drink coffee? She vaguely recalled having a tea versus coffee discussion with him long ago. And he’d remembered.
“That’s nice of you. And one more thing.” Before she considered the wisdom of her actions, Violet lifted on tiptoe and coasted her palms along JT’s massive shoulders. Shoving aside rational thought, she tunneled her fingers into his hair and murmured, “You didn’t give me a proper kiss at our wedding.”
“Then let me rectify that right now.” He lowered his lips to hers.
Her breath stopped. Every nerve in her body screamed to life. Newly sensitized, her skin prickled at the slide of his cotton shirt against her bare arm as he cupped the side of her head to hold her in place. His lips were firm, but softer than she’d expected. The friction of his mouth on hers dragged a moan from her chest.
The sound spurred him to intensify the pressure of his kiss, but he retreated before she could act on her rising passion. His teeth caught at her tender flesh and gently tugged. She arched her back, seeking closer contact. This was so much better than she’d ever imagined.
He flattened his palm against her back, locking her in place before treating her to the first delicious lick of his tongue. A slow thrust followed. Warm. Wet. Skilled. He claimed her mouth as if he’d done it a thousand times. Taking his time, he explored every corner of her mouth, tantalizing her with his leashed passion. What happened if his control snapped? Violet was fast losing her wits. Much longer and her stance on a sexless marriage would topple.
Anticipation built as his hands coasted over her ribs, thumbs whisking provocatively over the outside curves of her breasts. She pulsed with need, craving his possession, and shifted restlessly against him to ease the ache.
JT tore his lips from hers and gulped air into his lungs. “Better?”
Better? Glorious was more like it.
Chest heaving, knees like pudding, she blinked to clear her vision and was startled to see they hadn’t moved from the doorway. How was that possible when he’d turned her entire world upside down?
“Now I feel married,” she said.
“You’d feel even more so after a proper wedding night,” he murmured, letting his lips graze temptingly close to hers once more.
Unsure whether he was serious or merely taunting her, Violet clutched at his strong shoulders and leaned back in order to survey his expression. With eyes that glittered, JT probed her gaze. His compelling curiosity alarmed her. What was he looking for? Proof that his kisses rendered her insensible?
He swept his hands down her spine, fanned his fingers against the small of her back. Ever so slowly he pressed her hips forward, easing her against the hard length of him. Violet’s legs trembled. She wanted nothing more than to be filled by him. To lose herself in his evocative touch.
Damn. She never should have asked for that kiss. If she’d just ignored the tension building between them, her body wouldn’t be throbbing with unfulfilled longing nor would she be fighting temptation at the idea of one night with him. One incredible, mind-blowing night.
“JT, I...”
Before she figured out what she intended to say, shutters dropped over his gaze and she was left staring at an insurmountable wall. The speed with which he’d shut her out acted like a bucket of ice water on her overheated hormones.
“You don’t need to explain.” He relaxed his hold on her and stepped away. A sardonic smile tugged at his lips. “I know our marriage is only for show.”
And she’d been seconds away from forgetting that fact. Humiliation chased away any lingering traces of desire. No question, she’d just dodged a bullet. So why was she so miserable about it?
“It’s not that,” she began and then frowned. “Well, it’s mostly that, but the truth is, I don’t know you very well and I’m not in the habit of falling into bed with a man this quickly.”
“You know more about me than most of the women I date.”
Really? Did that somehow elevate her above the numerous women that passed through his life? She bit her lip, disturbed by the yearning to be more than just another of his conquests. That was a dangerous road to travel. Better that they keep things all business between them.
“It’ll just be easier if we keep everything strictly hands off.” Who was she trying to convince, herself or him?
“Then I suggest you refrain from asking me to kiss you in the future.” His icy tone was meant as a reproach, but Violet had tasted more than passion in his kiss. Or was she merely hoping that was the case?
“It was one kiss.” She heard the defensive ring of her voice and dug her nails into her palms. “What’s the big deal?”
“The big deal—” a muscle jumped in his jaw “—is that when I start something like what just happened between us, I like to finish it.”
Why was he so exasperated? Not because she’d turned him down. Surely women had said no before. Hadn’t they? “Haven’t you ever kissed a woman without expecting to sleep with her?”
“Not since high school.”
If he was trying to annoy her with his self-satisfied smirk, he was doing a fine job. “So, are you saying you don’t bother to kiss a woman unless you’re going to have sex with her?”
“I’m saying after I kiss a woman, she rarely says no to having sex with me.”
This was so obviously a declaration of JT’s reality that Violet crossed her arms over her chest and scowled. “Then I’m thrilled to be included in that minority of your female acquaintances.”
“You forget that you are not one of my acquaintances. You are my wife.”
* * *
JT took possession of her left hand and lifted it to eye level. His grandmother’s ring caught the overhead light and sparkled. He couldn
’t explain why he was so angry with her at this moment. Could it be the unrelenting desire rumbling through him? Going to bed alone and horny was not how he’d expected to spend his wedding night—or it wouldn’t have been if he’d ever considered getting married before now.
But the odd hollowness in his gut had begun the instant she’d dismissed the earth-moving kiss as no big deal. When he’d pulled her into his arms, he’d expected the urgent need to get her clothes off and have his way with her. It was the other sensation he’d experienced, the one not tied to anything corporeal, that would require privacy and time to sort out.
“I’m your business partner,” she retorted, snatching her hand back.
Damn. She was beautiful with her brown eyes shooting sparks and outrage painting her high cheekbones with rosy patches. As quickly as it had flared, his temper dissipated. She wasn’t someone he could afford to alienate even if it would make keeping his distance that much easier.
“And you’re doing me a huge favor.” He inclined his head. “I’m starting to understand why you took sex off the table. Things between us are a little too volatile, aren’t they?’
Violet nodded in obvious relief. “I think we will be fine as long as we stick to the plan.”
“A plan we can start to flesh out after a good night’s sleep.”
“I’ll see you in the morning.”
JT walked out the door and heard the click of the latch behind him. He strode down the hall to the master bedroom and without turning on a light, crossed the room to the double French doors that led out onto the terrace. Throwing them open, he stepped into the night. His nerves were a tangle, too raw to allow him to enjoy the desert air or the crescent moon that hung low in the clear sky.
Did Violet have any idea how close she’d come to being ravished tonight? First she’d shown up for their wedding in that romantic lace dress. Then she’d flirted with him over a glass of champagne. The final straw was complaining that he hadn’t given her a proper kiss at their wedding. Was she trying to drive him mad or did she honestly not have a clue what she did to him?
It was the latter, JT suspected, gripping the terrace railing hard. And where she was concerned, he was his own worst enemy. When she’d stared at him with her big soulful eyes all soft and earnest, the consequent firing of all his nerve endings had short-circuited his self-preservation.
So now what was he supposed to do with all this pent-up hunger for her?
It had been one thing when he sat in her bar night after night, driving himself crazy with lurid fantasies he’d never act on. He could enjoy tangling with her verbally, knowing that her open, sunny nature would eventually grow tired of his talent for closing himself off. She’d said it herself. She knew nothing about him. He hadn’t let her in. He never let anyone in.
And yet, she knew things about his past few others did. His uncle had told her about his mother’s addiction so Violet had some idea how miserable his childhood had been. She would want to talk about all the things that had happened when he was young. He would resent her questions. Withdraw even further. When it came to intimacy and love, he lacked the skills to find happiness.
She wouldn’t want to be with him until she’d solved all his problems. Made him see the silver lining in everything that had happened in his past. She’d expect him to come around to her positive way of thinking and would grow frustrated when he didn’t.
A splash from the pool below drew his attention. Violet swam through the turquoise water, her stroke powerful and elegant. JT watched her as she came up for air at the far end of the pool. Once again she dove under. She used her feet and legs to push away from the wall with great power. When she surfaced, she headed for the opposite wall in a strong freestyle.
He watched her lap the pool for fifteen minutes. Her focus and determination amazed him. It was how she approached everything, he decided. Once she set her mind to something, she wasn’t going to be deterred.
At long last her energy seemed to burn itself out. She lazed in the middle of the pool and her stillness roused JT to the uncomfortable realization that she was naked. Cursing, he pushed away from the railing and headed for the stairs that led down from his terrace to the pool house and lounge area.
He enjoyed throwing parties and often his guests forgot to bring a suit along so he kept a stock of bathing suits in the pool house for their use. By the time he found a bikini he thought might fit Violet, she had gotten out of the pool and had wrapped herself in a towel. She looked up in surprise as he approached.
“Next time you decide to go swimming,” he began, holding up the bikini he’d selected, “I’d appreciate it if you didn’t skinny-dip.”
“I’m sorry,” she murmured, taking the bathing suit from him. Water streamed from her long dark hair, dampening the towel. “I didn’t realize you’d still be up.”
It eased his irritation a little that she looked so utterly mortified to have been caught. “Like you, I’m often still working at this hour.”
“Thanks for the suit. I won’t bother you any further tonight.”
Was she kidding? He’d never get to sleep with the tantalizing glimpses he’d had of her naked body parading through his thoughts. JT ground his teeth as she retreated toward the house. Only when her towel-clad form had disappeared from view did he return to the master suite.
At least one positive thing about this marriage in name only was that they didn’t have to live under the same roof. After less than an hour alone in his house with her, he was a finger snap away from tossing her over his shoulder and spiriting her off to his bed.
Thank goodness he wasn’t going to share his living space with her day and night. His control would snap like a dry twig if he had to put up with her sassy humor and artless sensuality. Before she could remind him of their agreement, he’d have her in his bed, her beautiful body writhing in pleasure.
Making love to her would only be the beginning. Soon she’d be ferreting out all his ugly childhood secrets and he’d be living in fear that something she discovered would be so awful she’d cut him out of her life.
And then he’d be alone again, turned inside out, his raw emotions exposed for all the world to see. No. That was something that could never happen. And if he kept her at arms’ length, it wouldn’t.
Four
At eight the next morning, Violet found JT in the room he’d dubbed his playroom. She paused just outside the door, needing a second to collect her wits before approaching him.
Clad in worn jeans and a black cotton button-down shirt, he was bent over what looked to be an antique pool table. With his left hand, he rolled the eight ball toward the far bumper and caught it as it returned, all the while studying the papers scattered over the table’s beige felt. The briefcase she’d filled with Tiberius’s files sat empty on the floor beside his bare feet.
Being confronted by so much casual masculinity first thing in the morning wasn’t fair. Especially not after she’d lain awake staring at the ceiling until the sun starting lightening the horizon, regretting that she’d kissed him, wishing she’d dropped her towel when he confronted her on the pool deck. Her conflicting desires were tearing her apart. She’d have to choose one path and commit to it.
“Did you get some tea?” he asked without glancing her way.
His question made her realize she’d been silently staring at him for far too long. “Your housekeeper made me a cup. It’s delicious.” She didn’t need to ask why his kitchen was stocked with four different blends of green tea. She already suspected the house saw a lot of guests. While in Miami, JT had been known for his parties. She doubted much had changed in the last six years. “Find anything that might help us?”
“My uncle accumulated copious amounts of information and enjoyed making detailed notes on all his business dealings. Every share he bought is documented. What I’m missing is the informati
on on the family members who turned him down.”
She drew close enough to the table to see that he’d created two lists of names. From past experience she knew how much Tiberius loved to collect information. The files from his home office overflowed with details—some of them helpful, most of them too trivial to waste time on.
“Let me help. Maybe I can speed things up.”
She waited for him to acknowledge her offer, but he remained lost in thought. Had he not heard her, or did he want to handle everything himself? If it was the latter, too bad. She’d come up with this plan and intended to be involved at every stage. Running her gaze down JT’s list of relatives who still owned their stock, she saw he’d notated which ones were definitely in Preston’s pocket.
“You should know Paul and Tiberius had a huge argument three years ago,” she said, indicating his mother’s cousin. “Something about a rare comic book that Tiberius and Paul supposedly bought together using Tiberius’s money when they were eight. Paul kept the comic book, but never paid Tiberius for his half and now it’s worth like ten grand.”
She shook her head. No matter what the comic’s worth, it was silly to still be feuding about it all these years later, but Tiberius wasn’t one to forgive a slight. She glanced at JT’s strong profile. It was a characteristic Tiberius shared with his nephew.
“Thanks.” JT made a note next to Paul’s name and returned to the file he’d been reading.
“You’ve gotten a lot done.” She assessed how he’d organized the files, and then pulled five out to make a third pile. As she finished, she noticed JT’s glare. “What?”
“I had a system.”
“And now it’s better.” She flipped open the top file and pointed to a gossip article about his third cousin. “Casey is in the middle of a nasty divorce. He has a mistress with very expensive taste tucked away and I believe she sees herself as the next Mrs. Casey Stone. Then there’s the problems he’s been having with his investment firm. He’d probably be receptive to an influx of cash.”