Her Innocence, His Conquest

by Jules Bennett

  There wasn’t a doubt in his mind she would be just as passionate in a private, intimate setting. A woman with such fire and determination for everything that she came across in life would surely match his own desires.

  Ana may be powerful, controlling and in charge in her business, but he intended to pull all of that from her when he got her into bed. He’d already had a glimpse of how easily Ana gave into her urges.

  One part of him wished he could pinpoint the exact reason he wanted Ana so much; the other part didn’t give a damn about the reason. She was beautiful and unattainable—a challenge tailor-made for him.

  Zach’s cell vibrated in his pocket. He reached in, checked the ID and sighed as he thumbed the green button.

  “Melanie.”

  “Can I come over?”

  Zach felt the immediate tightening in his chest. Here was the woman he’d married, the one he thought he’d love forever. The one who’d left without a backward glance…until now, when she realized her mistake.

  “Mel, you left me. I don’t give second chances.”

  “I made a mistake. Can’t we just talk?”

  As much as Zach wanted to, he couldn’t, wouldn’t give her the opportunity to destroy him again. He wouldn’t give that to any woman.

  “I have to go.”

  Zach disconnected the call and shoved his cell back in his pocket before staring out onto the whitecaps ebbing and flowing along the beach. He couldn’t help but think of his wedding day and the brief months of wedded bliss…followed by the whole nightmarish moment that he’d just as soon forget. And he would, just as soon as Melanie quit calling and texting him.

  Yes, his ex had done something to him that damaged him, but he also took some blame for the disaster. If he hadn’t left himself so vulnerable, so open, he wouldn’t have been so hurt when she left him for one of his so-called friends.

  Cliché, yes. But Zach was moving forward, getting on with his life and making the most of every moment of his freedom and bachelorhood.

  He refused to be analyzed, or to even admit to himself that he’d thrown himself in the path of every single woman he could since his divorce. So what if he wanted to enjoy the company of a woman without the baggage of a relationship?

  And if he wanted to spend the next few months entertaining Ana, then that’s what he would damn well do.

  But if he didn’t curtail his desire for Ana, the entire crew would know. This physical pull he felt toward the forewoman had to remain under wraps…preferably under covers.

  Working with such a juxtaposed woman every day for months wouldn’t be a hardship, but it would be trying on his patience. Patience was certainly not something he’d ever had, but he knew if he wanted to be with Ana, and he did, he’d have to dig deep to find that most elusive quality.

  He also figured he’d have to take this seduction plan slower than he would’ve liked. Ana was hesitant to give into her desires. He couldn’t quite pinpoint why, but whatever secrets she hid in her past were her business. All he wanted was her now, in the present.

  Forget the past, don’t think about the future—his mantra for the past couple years. He’d lived any way he’d wanted, saw whom he pleased. On some insane level he should be happy his ex-wife had left him for another man because he could do whatever the hell he wanted.

  But he found himself wanting Ana on a physical level that was starting to consume each and every thought.

  Would Ana be willing to step around that wall of defense she’d built around herself? If not, was he really willing to risk the possibility of another rejection? For intimate time with Ana, absolutely. Hadn’t he steeled his heart? He could certainly handle an intimate relationship with Ana.

  Relationship? No, he didn’t do those. Flings? Certainly. But he had a gut feeling Miss Ana was not a fling-type girl.

  So he was back to asking himself the relationship question. Would he—?

  Zach cursed as he looked skyward and saw the dark clouds closing in over the full moon. He started his engine back up and headed for home as the first raindrop landed on his forearm.

  He didn’t consider it a coincidence that the rain interrupted his thoughts just as they were about to venture into a territory he wasn’t quite ready for. Fate was telling him something.

  No way was he at a point in his life when he wanted to explore deeper feelings. And honestly, he didn’t know if he’d ever be ready to give any woman, even Ana, something more than his body. And that was just fine with him.

  A week had passed since Zach had made a pass at her in any way. Oh, they’d worked throughout the day at the site, but he was all business, all the time.

  As she stood in front of the bathroom mirror in her condo suite wearing only a fluffy towel and light makeup, Ana felt the nerves flutter in her stomach. Tonight was anything but work.

  Victor Lawson was hosting a party, so of course she was not only invited, she was expected to attend. Zach would be there which made Ana take special care while fixing her dark auburn curls. The South Florida humidity made her hair unruly, so she pulled the large-barreled curling iron through it to smooth the ends under and pulled it back into a low, loopy bun.

  She gave her hair and makeup one final check before she made her way to the closet to choose between the few dresses she’d brought to Miami. She fingered the hangers, eyeing the ice-blue cocktail dress, the short emerald halter-style or maybe the bold, purple strapless.

  The emerald halter won. It was comfortable, light and flirty. Plus the color really accented her eyes which would be great because she didn’t wear that much eye makeup.

  Ana chose her undergarments with care, but not because she planned on anyone else seeing them. Quite the contrary. Having sexy, feminine, lacy lingerie gave her an extra boost of confidence. And she knew attending a high-class party with numerous Alpha male types—Victor, Cole, Zach—she’d need all the confidence she could get.

  Considering she had a meager bust, she decided to forgo the bra and donned a pair of black lace panties cut high on the hip. She slid the dress over her head and tied the chiffon straps around her neck.

  Then she stepped into a pair of gold strappy heels.

  Turning from side to side in front of the closet mirrors, Ana smiled. No way did she look like a construction worker now. If Zach thought he wanted the dirty, plain tank and jeans girl, wait until he caught sight of her inner vixen.

  Make that the virginal vixen. Ana chuckled. Oxymoron, anyone?

  After touching up her lip gloss, she slid the slender tube into her small, gold clutch at the same time a heavy knock sounded at her door.

  She glanced through the peephole, not surprised to see Zach, looking as gorgeous and sexy as ever, on the other side. Of course, she wasn’t going to tell him he looked gorgeous or sexy. Those were details that he already knew about himself. Besides, she had a feeling he’d had enough women to stroke his ego.

  But she would make him just a bit miserable tonight. After all, she’d been miserable since he’d laid that talented mouth on hers.

  She smoothed a shaky hand down the front of her short, flowing dress and opened the door. Zach’s wide eyes raked over her from head to toe, twice, before settling on her glossy lips. The look on his face made her grin and do a little happy dance inside because she’d chosen the right outfit for the impact she wanted.

  “I’m glad I came to give you a ride,” he said in a raspy, sexy voice. “If you walked into that party alone, you’d be eaten alive by every eligible bachelor there. And probably some married men, too.”

  Ana conjured up that inner vixen and cocked a hip to the side as she slid a hand up the door. “What makes you think I want to ride with you? Maybe I wanted to walk into Victor’s party alone.”

  Those chocolate eyes grew darker as he looked at her. “You keep taunting me, sweetheart, you’ll have to face the consequences.”

  A flicker of arousal mixed with fear crept through her, but she kept her stance, refusing to let him get one up on her
just because she was inexperienced. And why was she purposely antagonizing this tiger? Was she finally done being one of the guys? Did she really want to take a chance on letting Zach have his way with her?

  Good Lord, she had come so far. She was actually enjoying this banter with Zach.

  “If you don’t want to be taunted,” she said, smiling, “keep your distance.”

  In one swift step, he closed the gap between them, snaked an arm around her waist and brought his face within an inch of hers. “I’ve tried. Even when you’re not with me, you’re filling my thoughts. What do you suppose we do about that?”

  Suddenly not feeling so confident, Ana placed her hands on the hard planes of his broad chest. “I say we get to the party before Victor wonders why we’re late.”

  Zach’s eyes roamed down the V of her halter. “Once he sees you, he’ll not only know why we were late, he’ll completely understand.”

  Ana gave him a not-so-gentle shove, pushing Zach away. “Simmer down, lover boy. Let me grab my key and purse. I hope you don’t think I’m straddling one of your flashy bikes for this.”

  Zach cocked his head and grinned. “I’m pure class tonight, Anastasia. I brought my new Camaro.”

  “Camaro? I thought all you flashy playboys liked expensive, foreign cars.”

  He shrugged. “We like all kinds of toys and I have my fair share of foreign models, but I always wanted a Camaro when I was in high school and we couldn’t even afford a beat-up car, much less something flashy. The second I laid my eyes on this new model, black of course, with a sharp set of rims, I knew it was mine.”

  Ana studied him. “Are you telling me you didn’t have a car as a teenager?”

  Zach stepped a bit farther into her bedroom as she gathered her things. “No. Cole and I shared the car our mom drove before she and my father passed away, but we didn’t have our own. Poor Kayla, she never had one until she got her first job in college and bought one.”

  Ana wanted to know more about this surprising childhood of Zach’s. How had the three siblings gone from one car and no money to numerous lavish homes and a multimillion-dollar business?

  “I appreciate having a Camaro now, though,” he said with a menacing smile. “I wouldn’t have been man enough to handle all that engine when I was younger.”

  She laughed and stepped toward him in a silent gesture to leave. “And you think you’re man enough now to handle it?”

  His smile slipped and his heavy-lidded eyes held her in place. “I’m man enough to handle anything.”

  Unsure of how to respond, Ana retrieved her clutch and key from the dresser. After sliding the key into her purse, she turned, ready to face the den full of lions. Please God, she prayed, don’t let me be the only woman at this party. Then again, with a man like Victor Lawson, there were probably dozens of women to dangle off his arms.

  “Who’s that?” Zach asked, nodding to the picture on the dresser.

  “My grandfather and my mother.” She didn’t want him to come any farther into her room. Her pictures were personal, just like her life. “Ready?”

  He nodded and extended his elbow out to escort her. Looping her arm around his crisp, black dress shirt, she immediately felt the heat permeating from him. Heaven help her, the night had just begun.

  As they approached the elevator, he straightened his arm and laced their fingers together. The gesture was intimate for her, probably not so much for someone like famous ladies’ man Zach Marcum.

  They rode down in silence and made their way across the marbled floor of the lobby and out into the balmy Miami night. Onlookers wouldn’t think twice about the dressy couple, hand in hand, getting into a flashy car for a date.

  Looks could be deceiving. That was something she knew firsthand.

  Zach opened the passenger-side door of his Camaro and assisted her in before closing the door. As if she needed another one of her senses honing in on him, the masculine, crisp scent from his cologne, which somehow mixed perfectly with the new-car scent, completely enveloped her just as the plush leather seat did. The man himself may as well wrap those big, strong arms around her. The impact of her current surroundings was just as effective.

  Before she could analyze her cozy ride, Zach slid in beside her and brought the engine to life.

  “I was going to bring the ’Vette, but I only keep the top down and I figured you wouldn’t appreciate your hair getting blown everywhere.”

  Ana crossed her legs and laughed. “For something like this, that was a safe assumption. Normally, though, I’d love it. I’m not too worried if my hair is perfect or if my lipstick is always in place. With me, what you see is what you get.”

  Oops, bad choice of words. She knew it even in that split second before Zach’s eyes darted to the side to give her a visual caress.

  “I haven’t got anything yet, have I?”

  His words may have been teasing; his tone was anything but. This man wasn’t known for his somewhat wild lifestyle for nothing. He knew what he wanted and he never let anything get in his way.

  And right now, he had his eye on the prize. She may as well parade around wearing nothing but a shiny red bow.

  Six

  The second they entered Victor Lawson’s lavish Star Island mansion, Zach was more than ready to throw a coat over Ana and usher her back to his car.

  Every eye was on them—and he knew they weren’t looking at him. The men were blatantly staring and the women were shooting invisible daggers. They had every reason to be jealous.

  “Ah, two of my favorite people.” Victor crossed the black marble floor from the back of the house to greet them. “I’m so glad you made it. We have drinks, food, people. All the makings of a fantastic evening.”

  Zach eased a hand to the small of Ana’s back. A petty claim he was staking, but he wanted the oglers to take note. Why he was so damned determined to show others how much he wanted her was beyond him. Hadn’t he told his brother he was only interested in Ana in an intimate setting? He simply didn’t share, that’s all. No reason for him to analyze this situation into anything more than what it was. Ana was the perfect woman to occupy his nights.

  “We were afraid we were going to be late,” Zach stated, earning him a death glare from Ana. “I told her you’d understand.”

  Victor chuckled. “Absolutely.”

  “Your house is absolutely breathtaking, Victor.” Ana offered the billionaire her sweetest, most sincere smile. “Thank you for the invitation.”

  Victor reached for her hand, brought it to his lips. “No thanks necessary, Anastasia. You are aiding in making my next hotel the most glamorous of all. It is I who should be thanking you.”

  Okay, that hand-holding had been going on a bit too long. Zach was ready to go Neanderthal until Victor glanced his way. An unspoken male conversation passed between them and then Victor nodded, grinned and released Ana’s hand.

  “I must go see to my other guests,” Victor said. “If there’s something you want and don’t see it, ask one of the waitstaff to get it for you.”

  The second Victor walked away, Ana turned to Zach. “Don’t you ever do that again.”

  “I didn’t want him getting any ideas,” he defended. “He’s a single man who’s more than popular with the ladies. I just wanted him to know you were off-limits.”

  “I’m off-limits to you as well,” she whispered between gritted teeth before she turned and headed toward the back of the house where all the French doors lining the rear wall were open to the magnificent backyard.

  Zach allowed her a few feet head start then casually followed. No way was he going to make a scene, especially at the home of the man who held a multimillion-dollar deal with his family’s architectural firm.

  Before Zach could step outside with Ana, Victor approached him once again.

  “Is Kayla still out of the country?” he asked.

  “Yes. I believe she’s due back within the week. Did you need to talk to her about the hotel?”

  Vic
tor shook his head. “No, nothing associated with business.”

  Zach didn’t get a chance to reply. Victor had walked away and was already mingling with other guests.

  Interesting. Victor wanted something personal with Kayla? An uneasy feeling formed low in his gut. He didn’t like the thoughts of that billionaire bachelor with Ana and he sure as hell didn’t like the idea of him pawing at his sister.

  But that was something he’d have to get Cole in on. There was no way his sweet, soft-spoken sister was going to have any dealings with Victor other than business.

  Zach walked through the open French doors and out into the garden…if such an extravagant floral garden with waterfalls trickling into small ponds could be called a garden. The simple word seemed much too tame for the amazing scenery.

  Rich, throaty laughter floated through the air, sucker punching him deep in the gut. Ana. He’d know that laugh anywhere, but just how he would know was a mystery. She’d certainly never laughed that sexily around him.

  He spotted her a few feet away standing beside his twin brother, Cole, and Cole’s fiancée, Tamera. The women were smiling and chatting while Cole nursed a longneck. No doubt the women were discussing the upcoming wedding.

  Zach didn’t know if he should stand back and take in the beauty of the smile Ana offered or if he should go save his brother.

  But like the magnetic force that seemed to draw him lately toward the stubborn, sexy woman, Zach found himself closing the gap and standing so close to Ana, his arm brushed hers. Even though she continued smiling, her body tensed, shivered.

  “Glad you could make it,” Cole stated, slapping him on the arm.

  “Me, too,” Zach replied, taking a bottle of imported beer from a passing waiter. “Tamera, you’re looking beautiful as always. You’re almost glowing you look so happy.”

  His soon-to-be sister-in-law beamed, slipping an arm around Cole’s waist and leaning into him. “I have many reasons to be happy and they all revolve around this guy right here.”