by Exley Avis
“But I’m not.”
“It might help if you did.” She looked at him pleadingly. “Move somewhere close by and, when we need to talk, I’ll sneak out of the staff entrance.” When Aiden hesitated, Erika pushed her point home. “It’ll throw Marty off the scent and give me the freedom to meet you in secret. He’s watching my every move today and we won’t have chance to see each other again after this.”
She could have added that it would also make her life a great deal less complicated if she didn’t need to worry about bumping into Aiden at every turn. Five years ago he’d had the power to occupy her every waking thought, filling her head with wonderfully wicked daydreams so that, whenever they were reunited, she’d felt ready to tear off his clothes with her teeth and play out her fantasies across his body.
Even wrapped in thick sweaters, in the freezing cold yesterday, she’d been agonisingly conscious of the strength and power of his body. Now, confronted with a semi-naked Aiden, she laboured to think of anything other than exposing the remembered heaven lying south of that tan line.
Forcing herself to concentrate on something far less x-rated, she therefore told Aiden she needed to see the papers again. “Yesterday I was too shocked to take anything in. I’d like to go through them one more time.”
“They’re in my suite. We can go there now if you like.”
Being alone with Aiden on a cold hill top and fully dressed was one thing but locked in his suite, with him sitting too close and nowhere to run, was a less tempting prospect. Erika panicked. “Can’t you email them to me?”
“What happens if someone opens the message, or if Marty sees what you’re up to?”
“But how will I take advice without any paperwork?”
“I’ll arrange the lawyers and send everything direct. That way, Marty will never know what’s hit him.”
Aiden had dropped his voice and moved in closer to cut down the risk of being overheard but his nearness made Erika flustered again and she swam to the side to put some distance between them. Predictably, Aiden did the same, pulling himself out of the pool to sit beside her on the lounger, his body even more temptingly touchable on the poolside than it had been in the water.
On the pretext of speaking quietly to her, he sat shoulder to shoulder with her, his leg resting lightly against Erika’s, the hair on his calf deliciously rough against her smooth skin. Unable to resist looking sideways at her, Aiden’s gaze travelled over Erika’s body like inquisitive fingers; gently trailing up her thighs, across her belly and between her full breasts, around which her wet swimsuit now clung almost indecently.
Responding to his clear desire and all the memories it evoked, Erika’s nipples hardened and she cursed her body’s betrayal, crossing her arms over her breasts in humiliation and praying Aiden wouldn’t comment. Thankfully, he had the grace to look away.
“Why don’t you finish your swim while I take a shower?” he suggested, his voice strangely tight. “We can go through the papers afterwards.”
In a surprise reversal, Erika now found herself the voyeur as Aiden grabbed a towel and turned his back on her when he wrapped it around his waist, blatantly advertising that he was hiding his own arousal. He walked quickly around the edge of the pool toward the showers and Erika never took her eyes off him, reacquainting herself with every tantalising outline of his upper body and the adorable shadow of a birthmark across one shoulder she’d kissed so often she’d once believed she might wear it away.
And, the more she looked, the easier it became to recognise the tensed muscles and heightened responses of a man who was so turned on, he’d have agreed to anything for the chance to satisfy those desires by taking her to bed.
With this sudden knowledge, came power. Until that moment, Erika had been unsettled by the sensual memories Aiden’s reappearance had awoken and the knowledge that he was still attracted to her.
But now, she realised they could provide the key to getting exactly what she wanted.
Aiden Thirstan, a man who had once had an insatiable appetite for sex, and who took every opportunity to indulge those desires, had never been able to resist temptation when it took the form of a beautiful woman.
Five months in Aiden’s bed had taught Erika exactly how to please him with touches, kisses and raw, explicit language, keeping him enslaved by lust and constantly aroused. Perhaps it was time to use that knowledge and that power to her own advantage, by teasing him with the promise of sex and making him believe that she’d be willing to go to bed with him after he’d helped her escape from Marty.
After all, Marty had created an erotic image to promote her music. Magazines the world over exploited her photograph to sell copies. The entire celebrity industry seemed intent upon manipulating her beauty to make their fortunes. So why shouldn’t she use her own body to captivate Aiden Thirstan and seduce him into doing exactly what she wanted?
He might genuinely hope to make amends, or go some way toward fixing her broken heart, but she’d learned to her cost that the only way to keep a man like Aiden interested was to appeal to the part of him that lay below his tan line.
Therefore, when he reappeared twenty minutes later Erika very deliberately adopted enough of her stage persona to give her the confidence to carry out her plan, without going as far as becoming the overtly sexual, and instantly recognisable, Erika Fenn.
Imagining she were playing to a camera, she swam to the steps and climbed out, crossing the tiles toward Aiden, her hips swaying and her body held taut to accentuate its elegant lines. She raised her arms to undo the band holding her hair, pushing her generous breasts forward and drawing attention to the heavy fall of damp, brunette curls.
Aiden had always adored Erika’s long, dark hair. He’d tangled his fingers and buried his face in it during lovemaking; had gasped his pleasure as she’d trailed it across his skin and had been turned on beyond reason by the sight of it splayed out across his lap as she’d licked and sucked him to hardness. She now shook her hair loose and let it fall across her naked shoulders, the end of one long curl falling forward and disappearing invitingly into her deep cleavage.
Aiden never took his eyes off her, knowing the entire performance had been for his benefit, and enjoying every close-up detail of the body that had once driven him crazy. He picked up Erika’s robe from the lounger and held it out for her, lifting her hair free as she pulled it up over her shoulders, unable to resist wrapping it around his fingers for a moment and tugging her head back slightly as if to kiss the tender underside of her throat. She yielded, leaning back against him for a second or two before pulling away.
“We should go.” She faced him, but stood deliberately too close. “Marty will be up and shouting for me in an hour. Take me back to your suite and show me the papers.”
Once there, Erika stripped off her swimsuit and roughly blow dried her hair in Aiden’s bathroom, letting the heavy curls fall down her back in glossy waves. The previous morning, she’d scraped back her hair into a rough knot, careless over her appearance and never dreaming she’d meet Aiden. Now she used it as a weapon of seduction.
When she emerged she found he’d ordered coffee, fruit and toast, and her stomach rumbled. “I’m ravenous,” she said, picking up a dark red strawberry and popping it into her mouth. She offered a second to Aiden who ate it out of her fingers and laughed.
“Since I met you again, all you’ve done is eat. Marty must have been starving you to death.”
“Spending every waking minute with Marty means I go short of a lot of things.” She counted them off on her fingers, “Intelligent conversation, laughter, relaxation, male company. Food’s the least of my problems.”
“Well hopefully, we can fix that.”
Aiden sat down on the sofa, opened his laptop on the low coffee table and pulled up the first of the documents. Erika settled herself beside him and leaned in toward the screen, glad of the excuse to sit so close. When she crossed her legs, her bare toes brushed the back of his calf and her robe fel
l open to reveal one knee and a tantalising glimpse of thigh.
She intended Aiden to notice and he didn’t disappoint, even though his glances were quick and furtive. He was interested – seriously interested – and she guessed he wouldn’t have needed much encouragement to run his hand up her leg and inside her robe. The realisation sent shockwaves of anticipation into every nerve ending and Erika drew in breath sharply.
Maybe I’m missing a trick, she told herself.
Leaving aside the fact that Aiden’s a serial womaniser, he has the sexiest body I’ve ever seen – one that’s designed to spend every waking minute naked.
Not forgetting that he’s also spectacularly creative in bed and once knew a hundred different ways to make me come.
Rather than hold out the promise of sex, she decided it could be a great deal more satisfying to see whether they could take that score up to a hundred and one.
“Do you understand this?” Aiden asked, breaking into her fantasies. “Can you see how Marty’s diverting money through fake companies and into his own accounts?”
“Of course.” Erika found it almost impossible to concentrate with her mind blurred by impure thoughts but everything Aiden had told her became perfectly clear the second time around. “Marty’s swindling me out of every available dollar and if it goes on much longer, there’ll be nothing left.”
“That about sums it up.” Again the glance sideways at her bare leg. “We need to stop him before he bankrupts you.”
“Is it that bad?”
Aiden hesitated for the first time. “I can’t say for sure.”
“Come on. I’d rather know.” The sense of panic Erika had felt in the pub returned, forcing her to focus.
“Honestly, I can’t say.”
“Why not? I thought your people had found out everything.”
Aiden took a deep breath and thought hard before speaking. “Even with the vast sums of money we’ve already found, the greatest asset by far is your music. The copyright on your back catalogue is worth millions of dollars every year.”
“I know. Marty employs someone whose sole job is to track down unpaid royalties.”
“So it’s essential we find out who owns the copyright to your songs,” Aiden explained, “but it’s the one thing we’ve been unable to establish.”
“Well, I own it.” Erika knew this beyond doubt. “I wrote them so they’re mine. That’s how copyright law works.”
“Not necessarily.” Aiden spoke gently, preparing her for the worst. “Your contract could have signed the rights over to someone else.”
“Never. It’d be like selling my soul.”
Aiden grimaced. “If Marty’s devious enough to swindle you out of forty million dollars, acquiring the copyright to your music would be relatively easy.”
All thoughts of seducing Aiden flew out of Erika’s head as the pit of her stomach froze. Compared with losing her music – into which she’d poured her broken heart and soul – forty million dollars was nothing.
“What can we do?” she asked.
“We need to see your contract – the one piece of paperwork I can’t get hold of. Where’s your copy?”
“I don’t have one.” She felt pathetic admitting it. “The lawyers dealt with everything.”
“Which firm?”
“I can’t even remember that. Some people Marty knew in New York.”
“You didn’t take independent advice?” He looked appalled. “You have no idea what you signed?”
“I was twenty-three years old and being offered a fantasy life. I didn’t stop to think.” Erika grew angry – as much with herself as with Aiden – but then felt guilty when he was doing so much to help her. “I’m sorry. This is all such a shock.”
“Don’t worry. But weren’t you suspicious before now?”
“Not really.” Erika thought hard. “Although it might explain why Marty never lets me near any paperwork. He pretends he doesn’t want it to get in the way of the creative side of making music. I suppose I was stupid to trust him.”
“It’s not your fault. You always think the best and people are quick to abuse that.” Realising what he’d said, Aiden looked away awkwardly and began making notes before Erika could comment on his own spectacular breach of trust. “We need to run through a few dates and details to see if we can pick up anything helpful. The more we know, the better our chances of fighting him.”
Erika answered his questions as best she could, wondering whether she’d be foolish to trust Aiden for the second time. For all she knew, he could have his own reasons for separating her from Marty and she could wind up in an even worse situation.
Although it was difficult to picture any other deal that would leave her so physically exhausted and so financially ruined.
“How do my chances stand?” she asked. “And if Marty has taken my copyright, can I get it back?”
“I won’t know until we take advice. We need to get you to London. I’ve already sounded out a top entertainment lawyer, and her partner’s an expert on fraud. If you agree, we could slip away tonight when Marty goes to bed.”
It felt too soon – too reckless – and Erika still needed time to think.
“No.” She left no room for negotiation. “If Marty suspects anything, he’ll start moving money around and we’ll never trace it. I can’t just disappear.”
Aiden agreed this made sense and cursed himself for not having thought of it. “So what do you suggest?”
Erika took a deep breath and closed her eyes as the beginnings of a plan began to emerge. “Marty hates it here and will jump at any excuse to leave for London, but he’ll be suspicious if I suddenly want to go too. It’s taken me two years to drag him to Yorkshire. If I turn round a day later and ask to leave, he’ll know something’s wrong, particularly if he thinks you’re involved.”
“You have an appointment with a throat specialist,” Aiden reminded her. “Bring it forward.”
It could provide the perfect solution but Erika still hesitated. “Once I’m in London I’ll be a virtual prisoner. Paparazzi haunt the big hotels and there’s no way I could visit lawyers without being seen. Marty won’t leave me alone for a minute.”
“Don’t you have friends you can stay with?”
Erika laughed cynically. “This is why Ben Ridley and I get on so well. You have absolutely no idea what it’s like to be watched every single moment. Wherever I go, there’ll be a pack of photographers on the doorstep.”
“You could stay with me. The security in my building is watertight.”
“Thanks, but can you honestly see Marty agreeing to his prize asset moving in with the man who’d slammed him up against a car?” She waited for Aiden to concede she had a point.
He leaned forward, elbows on his knees and scrambled to come up with a solution. His robe gaped slightly, revealing a provocative glimpse of his pecs and Erika’s breath quickened. A sudden desire to trace the outline of his chest with one long fingernail ambushed her, quickly followed by the urgent need to trail her tongue along the edge of every sculpted muscle, from the nape of his neck, down the ridges of his spine and around his taut bum.
Stop it, a voice inside her head screamed, cutting through the erotic images. This is moving too fast. Let Aiden overwhelm you and he’ll take control.
Urgently needing to distance herself, Erika went over to the table by the window, pretending to help herself to more coffee, but her hand shook so much she could hardly pour. Aiden followed her and rested his hand on her back, rubbing up and down her spine, thinking to reassure her, but his touch confused her even more.
“Don’t worry. We’ll sort this out,” he promised, misinterpreting her hesitation. “We’ll find a way to get your money back.”
“I know.”
Erika smiled weakly, thinking that chasing up forty million dollars was the least of her problems at that moment. Far more pressing was the urgent need to tear off Aiden’s robe and play out a dozen indecent fantasies across his body.
Five years without a man in her bed had been far too long for a woman as sensual as Erika and standing within touching distance of someone as sexy Aiden left her ready to explode with unsatisfied desires.
Without giving herself time to hesitate, she slid her hand around the back of Aiden’s neck and pulled his mouth down onto hers. Startled, he jumped.
Her lips barely brushed his – all the while teasing, inviting, tempting him to return her kiss – but he pulled back, frowning in indecision as he tried to work out how far she intended to go.
To answer his silent question, Erika took his head between her hands and ran the tip of her tongue across his lips. She tasted coffee and fresh strawberries when his unshaven mouth parted, allowing her tongue to penetrate its sweet depths.
“We can’t,” he breathed, although his body was screaming the opposite. “There’s too much at stake. It’s too complicated.”
Erika simplified it for him and undid his robe. She eased it aside and slid her hands across his chest, finally able to satisfy her fingertips that had longed to explore its moulded crests and indentations since she’d watched him at the pool. They thrilled at the roughness of his chest hair and tingled as they caressed the smooth skin down his sides, following the taut lines of his body all the way down to his hips.
“Don’t. Please.”
Ignoring him, Erika’s greedy mouth left his and bit along the side of his neck and shoulders. His skin tasted of swimming pools and the long remembered, masculine tang of his powerful body. Unable to help himself, Aiden moaned and buried his face in her hair, fighting to retain control as a shudder of desire ran through him. But Erika pushed him away roughly.
“Let me look at you,” she demanded, stripping off his robe and throwing it aside, hungry for him and wanting every inch of him all at once.
Every muscle in Aiden’s body tensed as Erika’s fingernail scraped from the hollow in his throat, across his heaving chest and down to his navel. His skin twitched beneath the raw, red line left behind and Erika’s fascinated eyes followed her hand down to the mat of dark hair below his tan line.