Naya sighed. She was too relaxed to take offense at the topic. She suspected that had been his plan all along, but the wine, the carbs, and the sugar had generated a relaxed state that she couldn’t fight. “Because you’re too handsome and way too sexy for me. And I don’t do casual affairs, while I suspect that you only do casual.”
She had him there. But then again, he didn’t think there would be anything casual between them. He hadn’t ever felt this strongly about a woman. It was both disconcerting and enlightening. He finally understood what all of his brothers had discovered when they’d met their wives.
Not that he was going to settle down. No way! Marriage just wasn’t in his future. There were too many women out there to enjoy. Settling down with just one was an atrocity, in his mind.
He might linger a bit longer on Naya though. He could see many nights of having her delectable body in his arms, in his bed. His imagination was going into overdrive as those nipples taunted him.
“I might surprise you,” he came back.
She shook her head, smiling despite the nerve-wracking topic. “No. I doubt it.”
Naya patted her pockets, taking out the credit card that she always carried with her for coffee breaks. “I have to go,” she said and waved to the waitress. Handing her the credit card, she felt better when Luke growled at her paying the dinner tab. “You’re not buying dinner, Naya,” he snapped and took her credit card out of the waitress’ hand. Standing up, he tossed several bills down on the table, nodded to the waitress who was still standing there looking dumbstruck, then grabbed Naya’s hand, and pulled her out of the restaurant. “You’re determined to be an annoying woman, aren’t you?” he asked.
But he didn’t give her a chance to answer. Instead, he pulled her over to the side of the building, out of the way of the pedestrian traffic and pinned her against the brick wall. She was just about to protest when his mouth covered hers.
This kiss was just as demanding as the one he’d given her earlier this afternoon, but still different. It was like he was trying to impress his will on her, to show her that they would be together.
Whatever his message, Naya was unable to deny him. Kissing him back was her only response. Her hands moved up to his shoulders, hanging on with everything she had. She couldn’t believe how desperate she became when he kissed her. One moment, she was arguing that they would not be together, the next, her fingers were pulling him in closer, wanting more from the kiss.
And boy, did he deliver! His lips moved over hers in an almost defiant manner, his tongue demanding entry and devouring hers when her mouth opened. While her hands were clutching at his shoulders, his hands were slipping underneath her jacket and shirt, smoothing along her skin and making her whimper with need. His hips were pressed against hers and she felt his body’s reaction, thrilled by it, the pressure making her crazier and needing to deepen the kiss.
“Come back to my place, Naya,” he growled out as his lips moved from hers to her neck, causing havoc and sensations so intense, she shivered and cringed at the same time.
She formed the word no on her lips while she leaned her head back, unwilling to take this activity further, but wanting more.
“You won’t regret it,” he urged as his teeth nipped at her earlobe. “I can make you feel incredible!”
Those words, the impact of his teeth and the way his hand was holding steady right underneath her breast, brought back to mind what he really wanted. Sex.
“I can’t,” she told him, pushing gently at his shoulders. Naya was relieved when he pulled back, but he didn’t take his hands off of her waist. “I can’t do this, Luke,” she told him, staring at his chest, her breathing rapid and her heart pounding against her ribs. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be a tease but…”
Luke immediately understood where this was going and he hated himself for making her feel this way. Okay, so he loved that he could make her all flustered and hot since that was exactly what he was feeling, but he didn’t want her to feel like she had to have sex with him. He wanted her to need to have sex with him. Just as he was feeling right at the moment.
“Stop it,” he commanded, his fingers unconsciously clenching against the softness of her tiny waist. “I pulled you over here. I started kissing you. You’re not a tease, but I’m not accepting your answer either.” He felt her stiffen and kissed the top of her head. “I’m accepting it for now, Naya. But you feel too good in my arms for me to forgo the pleasure in the future.” He took a deep breath and pulled back. “Come on,” he said, taking her hand. “I’ll drive you home.”
Naya instantly shook her head. “I can walk. I walked here. It’s just a….”
“Not happening, Naya. It’s after ten o’clock at night. There’s no way I’m letting you walk home in the dark.” He paused for a moment, his fingers tangling with hers and he shook his head. “Actually, I wouldn’t let you walk home even if it was light outside.” With a sigh that she refused to admit was regret, he tugged her gently down the block and pulled her into a Steele Industries building. It was called something else, but Naya knew that his company had built this condominium complex.
“Is this where you live?” she asked, curious despite her admonitions to not get any other information about this man.
“Yes. All of my brothers lived here at one point but they’ve gotten married and moved out. I’m the lone survivor.”
Naya laughed despite the fact that he’d just confirmed that he wasn’t interested in a long-term relationship. Well, neither was she! Definitely not! No way was she going to enter into anything long-term that would end with a miserable divorce…hatred preceded by agonizing years of anger and resentment.
Trying to feign casualness and not an intense curiosity about any small detail regarding this man, she looked around at the elegant lobby. “It’s a nice building.”
“Have you seen any of the units?”
She shook her head. “No. I’ve online-stalked some of them that have been up for sale when pictures appeared on the real estate sites. But none of my clients were looking for a condo at that point.”
He winked and that wicked grin surfaced once again. “You’ll see mine pretty soon.” Luke opened the passenger door to a black Porsche.
She laughed, ignoring the flutters dancing around in her stomach with that promise. “In your dreams.”
“That too,” he teased as he closed the door and walked around to the driver’s side.
She only lived a few miles down the street so it took a short time to get to her place. When he pulled into her driveway, she almost jumped out of the car. But the warm hand on her arm stopped her. “Naya,” he said calmly. “Invite me inside.”
She stared at him for a long moment, her eyes moving from his green ones to his firm lips, thinking about the two times he’d kissed her today. It took all of her willpower, but eventually, she was able to shake her head. “I don’t think that would be a good idea.”
He leaned closer and Naya’s breath caught in her throat. “What are you going to do?” she asked, her voice whispering and trying to sound more assertive, but the car was filled with his scent and her mind was filled with the memory of the two times he’d kissed her. “We can’t,” she whispered and turned her head to the side so that he couldn’t kiss her lips. But the man was diabolical. Instead of her mouth, his lips zeroed in on her neck and she shivered at the first touch. She knew she should leave, just get out of the car and run into her house. But…oh my, this just felt too good! His lips kissed her neck and she moaned as those crazy sensations swamped her again.
“I think it would be a fantastic idea.”
Naya’s mind swirled, her body arched, and her legs clenched tightly closed. “No. I can’t do it, Luke. I told you, I don’t do casual.”
His lips moved against her ear and she almost moaned with how good that felt. “Then don’t make it casual. Make it something more. I can do more.”
No. He couldn’t do more. And she couldn’t do more. Nor could she do less. Any
kind of a relationship with Luke was not a good idea.
Reminding herself of that gave her the strength to stop. Naya pulled back with a sigh of regret. “No. You’re not that kind of a man.”
Without looking at him again, she stepped out of the car and ran into her house, closing it firmly and leaning back against the solid wood. She gritted her teeth to keep herself from pulling open the door once more and calling him back. Her body wanted what he was offering. Her mind knew it was wrong.
Broccoli was good. Luke was bad. Salads! She had to think about salads and getting to the gym tomorrow morning. She needed to force her mind to think rationally and remember what was good and positive.
She walked over to her fridge and stared at the mostly empty space. Ice cream was in the freezer, she reminded herself.
But she’d already eaten too many calories for the night.
“Go to bed,” she told herself and slammed the freezer door. “Just go to bed and forget the man.”
Well, she’d gotten half of her task accomplished. She went to bed, but sleep eluded her. Her mind kept going over the kisses from earlier today and tonight, her body wanting more, needing to feel his hands on her.
She pounded her pillow several times, wishing she could stop thinking about him. It was pointless! She wasn’t the kind of woman he needed and Luke definitely wasn’t the kind of man she wanted.
But her body called her a liar.
Chapter 2
Naya slid her hands down her hips, feeling slim and sexy tonight. “Okay, you can do this!”
She’d been eating salads and broccoli for the past three days and she’d lost three pounds. It showed, at least in her mind. She’d also hit the gym and was feeling stronger. Stronger and sexier than she had in long, long time!
Well, she was sore, actually. She’d broken down and used the gym’s personal trainers. The cost had seemed exorbitant initially, but after one session with the man, she’d understood how valuable his services were. She could see muscles in her arms! Not cut and defined like…well, like a certain man she wasn’t going to think about. But there was a slight definition.
She liked it! She liked feeling fit and stronger.
Naya just had to remember to be sensible tonight. No appetizers. No wine and no fancy cocktails. She’d stick to spritzed water and a lime wedge. That’s all she needed and all her body wanted.
A half hour later, she smiled as she joined a group of other agents who were gathered around the bar. “Naya!” an older woman called out, signaling to the bartender for another drink. “Come on, honey! We’re way ahead of you!”
Naya immediately felt better as she approached the group of fellow real estate agents. It was hard enough entering a big bash like this alone. Knowing someone at these fancy affairs, having someone to talk to, helped ease the stress of attending as a single person. She hated standing awkwardly alone, but she also refused to attend with anyone. Nope! No dates for her! Not even as a friend. She’d tried that route when she’d first started out but, although Seattle was a big city, it still had a small town feel to it. And in the real estate business, the crowd was even smaller.
There was no way she would have her name attached to another person’s. The industry was just too small. Everyone knew everyone else and they gossiped worse than she would have thought possible.
“Hey Laura,” she greeted, leaning in for the usual air kiss. Can’t mess up the lipstick. Not with so many potential clients wandering around.
This was a charity event for…Actually, Naya couldn’t remember what this one was for. She must have donated last year in order to get an invitation this year, but she had been to so many over the past few weeks, she was losing track.
She donated a good portion of her salary to charities, but only to the ones that she believed in. There were other agents who donated to the charities that they thought would have the best fundraising events. Better client meet-and-greets, they said.
“What’s going on tonight?” she asked Laura, a veteran of the real estate business and a good friend. She had three kids and five grandkids scattered around the country. Laura used to be a big player in the industry. But now she spent most of her time traveling and visiting her grandkids with her husband, who had retired five years ago.
“Nothing,” Laura scoffed. “Although, I’ve heard several rumors about you, my dear. Do tell!”
Naya ignored the jibe, suspecting that her friend was referring to the seminar earlier this week in which a very wealthy, very handsome construction tycoon had given her unwarranted attention. Preferring to misunderstand the question, she kept the conversation on business. “I haven’t had any big deals happen this week. Very frustrating,” she said and ordered a spritzed water with a lime wedge, mentally patting herself on the back. She needed something in her hands, but didn’t want the wine. Wine lowered one’s inhibitions, she reminded herself. All inhibitions needed to be high and strong tonight!
They talked about the various houses that were on the market currently, but Laura eventually got pulled into a conversation with another group.
“Naya Jefferson?” a female voice called out from behind her.
Naya turned, not recognizing the voice initially. But when she spotted the vivacious brunette, her polite smile turned to genuine happiness. “Marcy! It’s great to see you again! How are you doing?”
Marcy attended her gym and they’d started talking this week over cups of herbal tea and had done a good job at lunch the other day, both ladies ordering salads. The lovely, energetic woman was trying to get her figure back after having a baby, but Naya thought she looked fabulous already.
Marcy smoothed a hand down over her stomach and Naya understood the self-conscious gesture, having done it herself many times over the years. “My husband dragged me out tonight. He said I was hibernating and I guess he’s right. All I’ve done is go to the gym and yoga class.”
“And spending time with that adorable little boy?” Naya teased. Marcy had dozens of pictures of her infant son on her phone. And he really was cute, with dark hair and an adorable grin.
The woman’s smile brightened and a yearning look came into her eyes. “Yeah,” she sighed with happiness. “Hey! You should come meet my husband! He’s just over here with his brothers.”
Naya smiled back. “I’d love to meet your husband. I’ve heard so much about him, I’m not sure I can believe all the stories about this god you’re married to.”
Marcy laughed. “Oh, don’t you dare tell him that I brag about him. He’s obnoxious enough as it is.”
They were already walking towards a group of men in tuxedos with a couple of women mixed in as well. As they approached, Naya suddenly had a bad feeling. This wasn’t…no! Impossible! She’d been to dozens of these charity events over the years and she’d never seen…it couldn’t be…Oh please don’t let the man standing there with broad shoulders and black hair be Luke! She’d been ignoring his phone calls and not replying to his text messages. Over the past three days, he’d asked her to dinner and lunch several times, but she hadn’t even responded, not trusting herself to say or type a negative response. Better to just ignore them than risk it.
When she was only two feet from the group, listening to Marcy discuss something that her son had done earlier in the day, Naya knew that she was in trouble. Feeling like a lamb being led to the slaughter, she dragged her feet, unable to explain to her new friend why she was slowing down.
And then he turned! Those green eyes widened slightly in surprise and then narrowed.
The surprise she could handle. The narrowing…oh, he was so dangerous.
“Um… Marcy, I don’t think…”
“I promise he won’t bite,” her friend was saying.
Naya looked into Marcy’s eyes. “He won’t?”
Marcy’s eyes smiled, revealing her amusement. “My brother-in-law. The man I’ve been talking about for the last five minutes?”
Naya’s stomach clenched. “No!” she whispered.
>
Luke immediately understood what was going on, that Naya was about to bolt and he stopped that possibility by simply taking her hand and pulling her mercilessly closer. “Out of the frying pan and into the fire,” he teased.
Marcy looked up at her brother-in-law, then at her friend. “Do you two already know each other?”
Luke pulled her even closer. “Oh yes. We definitely know each other,” he grinned and pulled her even closer, ignoring her resistance.
He handed his drink to one of his brothers. “Let’s dance,” he suggested and ignored the chuckles of his brothers as he pulled Naya along behind him.
Naya glanced at Marcy, begging her to intervene. But the woman was beaming, almost bouncing with excitement at the turn of events. Obviously, Marcy had planned this all along and just hadn’t mentioned anything to her.
“Broccoli, broccoli, broccoli!” she chanted.
“Newest favorite food?” Luke asked as he pulled her onto the crowded dance floor, his arms wrapping around her waist with one strong arm while his other curled around her fingers. They were barely moving since there wasn’t much room. But she still tried to make a bit more space between their bodies.
He wasn’t allowing it.
“Stop wiggling, Naya. You’re turning me on. Just relax,” he commanded and pulled her even closer.
Naya tried to stop wiggling, but it was hard when one was dancing. Especially with him. “What are you doing here?” she asked in an angry tone.
His hand slid down her back, pressing her hips closer. “Probably the same thing you’re doing. Talking to people, networking.”
She grumbled, wishing that wasn’t the case. “We’re going to have to coordinate our schedules. I don’t want to have to worry about bumping into you all the time.”
He laughed softly and spun her around, causing her breasts to press against his chest. “You do that. Send me a list of all of your social engagements to me and I’ll make sure that things are taken care of.” His hand once more slid down her back, resting just above her bottom, making her breath catch. “Why haven’t you answered my calls?”
Defying His Charm Page 3