“All I did was pick out a ring and enjoy a weekend away from my real life.” She turned to him. “Besides, he hasn’t signed yet. Serena knows the truth about us, and Thomas suspects. What do you think it’ll take to convince him?”
“Just keep playing along,” he said, pulling her into his arms and swaying to the music that spilled across the lawn. They were within sight of the party. Part of him hoped Thomas would see them together and part of him wished he could whisk her off to a private island, away from all the prying eyes. “You’re doing great. Who knew such a skinny, know-it-all pest of a neighbor would turn out to be such a great fake fiancée?”
She smiled. “Who knew a reckless gearhead junior man-whore would grow up enough to pass up sex with a beautiful woman in order to achieve a long-term goal that didn’t involve his penis?”
“I know. Crazy, huh?”
“Insane.” She wet her lips…
He’d regret this in the morning. But right now, she was the ultimate temptation, and he was almost out of willpower.
He touched her cheek and dragged his fingertip along the smooth outline of her jaw. He wanted to kiss her. If she were any other woman, she would already be in his arms, and he’d be asking if she wanted to go to his room or hers.
She pressed against him, wrapping her arms around his neck, a new spark of determination flashing in her blue eyes. “I could use a few minutes away from the crowd. Want to take a walk?”
Danger alarms went off in his head. Whenever he was alone with her, it became a lot harder to take the high road and leave her untouched.
“I don’t know…I should probably get back before Serena comes looking for me.”
“Come on. You’ve been on duty all night. Just for a few minutes.”
Like he could resist her when she asked for anything. Still, he had the feeling she was up to something. She had that ornery look he remembered from when they were kids. The kind that usually ended up with him bailing her and Shana out of some kind of trouble.
“Okay. I know just the place.” He held out his hand to her, his heart beating hard.
She smiled. “Hang on a sec.”
She went back into the tent and came back a moment later with two bottles of champagne. “Okay. Ready.”
He took one of the bottles from her, and her hand, and led her toward the golf course.
She stumbled, her heels sinking into the grass. “Wait,” she said, and slipped the shoes off to walk barefoot. Why the hell was that so sexy?
“Where are we going?”
“Ninth hole. There’s a great view of the lake from there.”
“Lake?”
“Lake Serena,” he said, smiling. “Thomas had it dug and stocks it for fishing.”
“Geez. Money to burn, I guess.”
“Yeah.” He liked the feel of her smaller hand encased in his, so he laced his fingers through hers as they walked across the lawn.
They stopped at the crest of the ninth hole, and the moonlight shimmering off the surface of the lake was exactly as he’d hoped it would be.
“Wow. Lake Serena is almost more beautiful than its namesake.”
“And a lot less scary. Want to sit?”
“I don’t want to get my dress dirty.”
He barely missed a beat setting the champagne bottle in the grass and shucking his coat. He laid it out for her to sit on. “Here you go. Box seating.”
“You’ve been waiting all night to get out of that jacket, haven’t you?” She sat on his jacket and tossed her shoes to the side.
“Oh yeah. I hate these things.” He loosened his tie, too, and shoved it in his pocket before sitting on the grass beside her.
“Won’t it get grass stains?”
“I’ll get another.”
She laughed, and the moonlight glinted off her fake engagement ring.
“So what’s with the champagne?” He held up the bottle.
“To, uh, you know…celebrate your big score.” She removed the foil from the top of one of the bottles, untwisted the wire, and popped the cork. “Come on.” She pointed to the other bottle. “Let’s toast.” She bit her bottom lip and couldn’t quite meet his eyes.
What in the world was she up to?
…
At first, she didn’t think he was going to go along with her plan—getting him away from the crowd and into a more romantic setting, and then plying him with champagne until he was unable to say no to spending the night with her. With a little luck, it would be without the barrier of pillows between them, or anything else, for that matter. Okay, it was kind of sneaky, but she’d bet Derek had used a similar tactic a thousand times when trying to get into a girl’s panties, so turnabout was fair play, right? Besides, she absolutely could not let Serena win. Serena didn’t think Lilly knew how to seduce a man. Just because she’d never done it didn’t mean she couldn’t.
And how much more satisfying would it be to show she could do it to the one man who’d made himself off-limits?
As she waited for him to pop the cork on his bottle, she suddenly got a fit of the nerves. What if he really did see her as just a friend? Hard to imagine after that kiss in the car and the one in the hallway. And the way he’d been staring at her all night when he’d thought she hadn’t noticed. The little blue dress was the perfect bait, and with any luck, the champagne would help spring the catch. She just had to get around his stupid idea that he couldn’t sleep with her because their families were friends.
“Why do I get the feeling you’re up to something?” he asked.
Good thing it was pretty dark or he would no doubt see the blush she could feel blooming in her cheeks.
“I just wanted to toast your imminent victory. What’s so strange about that?”
“Nothing. I guess.” He popped the cork on his bottle.
“Besides, if Serena saw us leave, she’ll think we’re up to some hanky-panky.”
“Good point. Maybe it’ll be safe to sleep in my own bed tonight.” Not if Lilly was successful.
“To nailing down the Thomas Oil deal,” she said, holding her bottle up.
“And avoiding Serena’s bed,” he added before taking a long pull off the bottle.
She brought the bottle to her lips but only pretended to sip. She needed to stay one step ahead of him tonight if her plan was going to work. Besides, she’d already had a shot or two of liquid courage at the party while she was gearing up to execute her plan.
“You know, I don’t mind if you sleep in my bed again tonight…if you think Serena might still be after you.”
He stared at her, and she wanted to squirm. But seductresses didn’t squirm. They exuded confidence and poise while getting their men.
“You don’t mind sharing?”
“Well, the snoring made it kind of hard to sleep.”
“Oh really? Well, you’re no perfect bed buddy, either. You steal the covers.”
“I do not.”
“I damn near froze to death.”
Bickering was not going to get him naked and in her bed. Time to amp up her efforts. “Well, I think I have a bruise where you kicked me in your sleep.”
“I’m calling bullshit on that.”
“I can prove it.” She forced all thoughts out of her mind, other than doing what was necessary to seduce him. She stood up and hiked up her skirt so that her whole leg was bare from ankle to thigh. His sharp intake of breath boosted her confidence. “Right there.” She pointed to a nonexistent bruise on her inner thigh.
“I don’t see anything.” His voice sounded a little strained.
“Look closer.” She stepped closer to him. His face was inches from her bare flesh. “Now do you see it?”
“No.”
Her heart was beating a million miles a minute, but she’d come this far, and she wasn’t turning back now. Given how he’d reacted to her in the car and in the hallway, hopefully all she had to do was get things started. His libido should take care of the rest.
“Right here,”
she said. She took his hand and guided it to her inner thigh.
He froze and looked up at her. His eyes were dark, and there was a slight smile playing at his lips. “Here?” he asked, moving his fingers in a small circle.
His touch set her skin on fire, and she had to bite back a soft moan. “Yes.”
“Or maybe…here?” He moved his fingers up a few inches.
“Yeah, I think that’s the spot.” Her knees quivered slightly.
“Maybe I should kiss it better.” His hand wrapped around both thighs, and he brought her closer to where he still sat on the lawn.
“Maybe you should.”
The first touch of his warm lips on her bare skin turned her knees to water. She bit her lip but was unable to hold in the groan this time as heat raced up all her nerve endings straight to her center.
His hand slid around to the back of her thighs and higher to cup her backside. Her bare backside. He gasped.
“You seem to have forgotten something, Lilly.”
“What?”
“Panties.”
“I did? Wow. Crazy.”
One minute she was on her feet, and the next she was on her knees, straddling his lap.
“I’m beginning to think it was on purpose,” he said against her lips. One hand was tangled in her hair, the other on her ass, stroking. Beneath her, she could feel him getting hard, and she knew the tricky part of the seduction was over. He wanted her, and he knew that she was interested, too. Mission accomplished.
“You’re incredibly perceptive for a gearhead.”
“We shouldn’t do this.” But he brought his lips to hers anyway.
She let her eyes drift closed. She was kissing him, and finally nothing was going to stop her from fulfilling her adolescent fantasy of being the object of his affection, even if it was for just one night. She’d done it—managed to seduce him—and it gave her confidence she didn’t know she had outside the boardroom.
She dug her fingers into his hair and angled her lips to deepen the kiss. She loved the way he kissed with his whole mouth. His tongue danced across hers, teasing her into responding with her own strokes.
But she wanted more. Her fingers dropped to his shirt, and she slid the buttons free one at a time without breaking the kiss. When she’d reached the waistband of his pants, she tugged the shirt free.
He pulled back a fraction, breathing heavily.
“Lilly,” he said. His voice was husky with desire.
She wasn’t sure if he was asking her to stop or begging her to continue. But she couldn’t let him turn back now. She stood up and tugged the dress off over her head. She wore only a lacy bra, and with one flick of the clasp, the bra joined her dress on the ninth green, too.
“I want you, Derek. I’ve always wanted you.”
He stared at her for a moment. She let him. Normally she wouldn’t feel at all comfortable standing bare naked outdoors, let alone bare naked outdoors in front of a man. But this wasn’t normal Lilly. Tonight, she was seductress Lilly, and if the tent in Derek’s trousers was any indication, seductress Lilly was a hit.
“You’re beautiful.” He ran a finger from her ankle all the way up the inside of her leg, stopping just short of where she needed him most. Her eyes drifted closed. She was living the fantasy.
He got to his feet, and she tipped her head back, anticipating his kiss. Would they do it standing up? She liked the idea of that.
“Put your arms up.”
She blinked her eyes open just as he shoved her dress over her head.
“What?”
He forced her arms into the dress and pulled it down over her bare body.
“I can’t, Lilly. This just can’t happen. I’m sorry.”
He grabbed his jacket off the ground and jogged toward the house, buttoning his shirt as he went.
…
“There you are,” Mr. Thomas said when Derek returned to the party. “Where is your lovely lady?”
“Oh, she needed a breather. It’s been quite a weekend.”
Thomas looked at him like he didn’t quite believe him. Did he think he’d drowned Lilly in the lake? Actually an icy cold swim sounded really good right now after how overheated he was.
Just then he spied Lilly on the far side of the pool, looking even more delectable now that she was a little bit mussed. But her face was a little pale and her mouth was set in a way that told Derek he was in serious trouble if he didn’t smooth things over with her. The deal with Thomas would be blown, and Lilly would never speak to him again. Just when it looked like everything was set to fall into place, a giant sinkhole had opened beneath him.
Right now, he had to get that deal signed. Then he could worry about making up with Lilly.
He waved at her, smiling, willing her to not be too pissed off to put on this last act of their performance. He saw her hesitate, then put on a bright smile, smooth her hair, and walk in their direction.
“That girl is a real looker,” Thomas said appreciatively. Something deep inside Derek made him want to punch the older man for looking at her that way. But that would ensure the deal was a bust, as well as all his plans for getting out from under his father’s thumb.
“You have a beautiful home,” she said, reaching the men.
“Thank you, my dear,” Thomas said. “I was just telling Sawyer that he had a beautiful fiancée.”
“Oh, and what did he say?” she asked, arching a brow at Derek. Okay, so she was still pissed that he’d put the brakes on things. But damn, he couldn’t let this go too far. He just couldn’t.
He slid an arm around her waist and drew her into his side. “I said I agreed, of course.”
She opened her mouth to say something, and fearing she was about to blow the whole thing, Derek swooped in to kiss her. Unlike a few moments ago when she was warm and welcoming, this time she was stiff and cold. Clearly his rejection had killed whatever magic had happened a few minutes ago. Damn, he just couldn’t win this thing.
“I’m pretty tired, Derek,” she said. “I think I’m going to call it a night.”
Crap. She was about to bolt on him. “One dance,” he said. “Then I’ll walk you up myself.” He had to talk to her, convince her to stick with him for just a few minutes longer until Thomas was assured they were a real couple.
“All right,” she said, but Derek could see the strain in her eyes. He hated being the person who put it there.
He took her hand, intending to lead her onto the small dance area, but Thomas put a hand on his sleeve. “Do you mind if I take the prettiest girl here for a spin around the dance floor?” he asked.
Shit. He looked from Lilly to Thomas and back again. He had no choice.
“Sure,” he said, moving aside.
“Will you do me the honor?” Thomas asked, holding out his hand to Lilly.
She turned on the charm, flashing the older man a sexy grin. “I’ve been waiting for you to ask all night.”
She threw Derek a look that said he was in big trouble.
Thomas led her through the crowd toward the dance floor as Derek fought down the cold panic that was working its way up from his belly. Surely, no matter how angry she was at him, she wouldn’t…
“Having fun?” Serena said, moving into place by his side.
“A blast,” he said, not taking his eyes off the couple. Lilly was talking to Thomas easily, glancing his way every few seconds. Was she spilling everything?
“I know how we could make it even better,” Serena whispered in his ear. “Meet me right back here in a few hours once everyone is gone and the little woman is tucked into her bed all by herself and we can go for a swim. Bathing suits optional.”
“I’m engaged,” he said, wishing he could read lips. What were Thomas and Lilly talking about? It seemed to be something serious now.
Serena laughed. “Right. That’s why her seduction attempt failed.”
He turned to Serena then. “How did you know she was planning—“
“Girl tal
k,” Serena said, with a dismissive gesture of her hand. “I practically dared her to do it. That she tried and failed proved to me that I was right and this is all some game you’re playing to get daddy’s money.”
Everything Derek had worked for over the past years was crumbling before his eyes. “How do you know she failed?” he asked.
“You look frustrated and she looks, well, crushed.” Serna moved between him and the dance floor, her face only inches from his. “I’m guessing that noble side of you turned her down cold, probably out of some sort of gentlemanly instinct,” she said. “You don’t need to be a gentleman with me. I like a rogue.”
“Derek?” Lilly said.
Serena gave him one last knowing smile and turned to face Lilly and Thomas.
“I was just telling Serena about our plans for the wedding,” Derek said.
“And Lilly here was just telling me about how you two came to be engaged.” His face was dark, his brows drawn together.
Derek swallowed hard. “I—”
“I’m as big a Skynyrd fan as the next Southerner, but for a proposal?” He shook his head. “A woman like this deserves wine and roses on the French Riviera if you expect to win her hand. Not Skynyrd and cheap wine in your trailer at the racetrack.”
“I told him you’d promised to make it up to me with a fabulous honeymoon. A private island, maybe.”
Derek nodded dumbly. She hadn’t ratted him out. Relief washed over him.
“Absolutely,” he said, reaching for her hand with a genuine smile now. “Anything you want.” He tugged her back to his side and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
“I admit, I had some doubts about the two of you,” Thomas said, his gaze sliding to his daughter. “We had doubts. But seeing you two together and hearing how Lilly talks about you? She’s an amazing woman, son. I hope you’re both very happy.” He clapped Derek on the back. “If you’re half the man she seems to think you are, I’d be proud to partner with Stewart-Sawyer Racing. How about we go sign those papers now?”
Derek wanted to kiss Lilly. But he wasn’t about to press his luck. He had a feeling he was going to get an earful later. But right now, he was just grateful she’d saved his bacon. Again.
A Limited Engagement Page 7