by Kathryn Ross
He smiled at that. ‘Sorry.’ He reached across and took hold of her hand. ‘So, what do you say?’
‘I say you’ve entirely lost your marbles,’ she said drily. Yet the touch of his skin against hers was doing very strange things to her insides.
‘I’m a very wealthy man, Chloe. I can look after you—’
‘I don’t need anyone to look after me,’ she interrupted sharply.
‘OK, well, maybe I need you more than you need me,’ Steven said quietly. ‘And in return I could give you everything you want…a nice house, a nice lifestyle… I don’t want to lose you at the office, but you’ll be free to pursue your career or not; the choice is yours. All I ask is that you are there for Beth when she needs a mother figure.’
‘You want me to marry you because Beth needs a mother? Don’t you think you need to consider your happiness in all of this?’
‘That will make me happy…’ he said positively.
She shook her head.
‘Don’t give me an answer now. Just think about it… We’ll go ahead and enjoy the rest of the weekend and you can give me an answer when we return to England.’
When she didn’t answer him immediately he reached and put a finger under her chin, tipping her face up firmly so that she was forced to meet his eyes. ‘Have we got a deal?’
The touch of his hand against her face made her remember that whispered, husky promise he had made earlier when he had said he wouldn’t hurt her.
‘You don’t have anything to lose by thinking about this, Chloe,’ he said softly. ‘If you say no there will be no hard feelings.’ He stared into her eyes. ‘We’ll just continue working together as if I’ve never asked you.’
She looked at him with scepticism for a second. Maybe he could forget about it and go back to the way things had been between them, but she didn’t think that would be so easy.
The sound of a car engine made them break apart just as car headlights rounded the corner. The car slowed down and Chloe could see it was Sinead with Mark.
‘Hey, you two, do you want a lift home?’ Mark called cheerily as he leaned out of the window.
‘We certainly do,’ Steven called brightly and, catching hold of Chloe’s hand, he led her towards the waiting vehicle.
There was another couple in the back seat of Mark’s car and Chloe was forced to sit close to Steven. He put an arm around her, drawing her even closer. The scent of his cologne sent prickles of awareness shooting through her. She found herself remembering the way they had made love that evening at her apartment. The wild, outrageously wanton behaviour mocked her as she tried to tell herself that marrying Steven would be a terrible mistake.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
AS MARK pulled the car up outside the house other cars pulled in behind him and it suddenly seemed as if half the pub was descending in the sleepy quietness of the night.
Chloe got separated from Steven and caught up in the crowd that was heading straight for the kitchen, where everyone was congregating and munching on Margaret’s baking.
‘What will you have for a nightcap?’ Sinead asked her as she poured a couple of whiskys for the men. Chloe hadn’t been drinking alcohol all night and she didn’t particularly want to start now.
‘I won’t, thanks, Sinead.’ She glanced around the throng of people, looking for Steven, but couldn’t see him anywhere.
‘Oh, go on, have a drink—have a glass of wine,’ Sinead said earnestly. ‘It’s my last night of freedom, Chloe.’ Even as she was speaking Sinead was pouring the wine.
‘I can’t believe that I’m going to be a married woman tomorrow,’ she said, perching on the arm of a chair. ‘It all feels a bit unreal somehow.’
Her own life felt a bit unreal as well, Chloe thought sardonically as across the room she caught sight of Steven talking to Margaret. He looked quite nonchalantly at ease, as if that bizarre proposal had never happened. As she watched she saw an attractive brunette sidling over to him to engage him in conversation. After a little while they were both laughing easily, the woman coquettishly fluttering her eyelashes.
If she married him that was what she would have to put up with, Chloe thought angrily. She couldn’t live a life with him knowing that he didn’t love her, that what they had was just a business arrangement for the sake of his daughter. Every woman he spoke to she’d wonder if this was the one he would fall in love with, if this was the one he would leave her for.
She frowned suddenly and reached for her wine.
She had never considered her relationship with Nile as a business arrangement until they had finished, and then suddenly she had wondered if that was all it had been—a convenient arrangement for them both. She had felt safe with Nile and he had drifted along with her. But as soon as it had suited him he’d had no hesitation in finishing with her immediately. Maybe Steven would be the same?
Trouble was, what she felt for Steven was a whole lot different from what she had felt for Nile.
She watched Steven laughing. He had a lovely laugh, warm and inviting. In fact, everything about him was warm and wonderful and… And she was in love with him. The stark truth hit her out of nowhere.
‘I’m in love with Steven Cavendish.’
‘Sorry, Sis, what did you say?’ Sinead looked up from her conversation with one of her old school friends.
‘Nothing.’ Chloe took another sip of the wine. ‘Nothing; don’t mind me. All this talk of weddings is mashing my brains.’
Sinead giggled. ‘That’s what love can do to a woman, Chloe, if she’s not very careful.’
Well, not to me, Chloe thought angrily, definitely not to me. She put the glass down. ‘I’m going to turn in, Sinead. I’m really tired.’
‘Yes, and you should as well, Sinead,’ Margaret said as she came over to them. ‘You want to be fresh for your big day. Don’t forget that you and Chloe have a hairdresser and beauty appointment at nine.’
Sinead pulled a face. ‘I’ll be fine, Mum; stop fussing.’
Steven looked across the room; he was desperately trying to get away from the woman who was talking to him, and he’d made several polite attempts, but each time she had detained him with a hand on his arm.
‘So, who did you say you were here with?’ She smiled.
‘Sinead’s sister Chloe.’
‘Oh, right. I’m Mark’s sister, by the way, Anita.’
‘Pleased to meet you.’ Steven saw that Chloe had gone.
‘She’s gone to bed, Steven,’ Margaret said as she passed by and saw him looking around the room.
‘Thanks, Margaret. In that case, I’ll turn in myself.’ He smiled at Anita. ‘See you tomorrow.’
‘Yes, see you tomorrow.’ Anita watched him leave with a flicker of disappointment in her eyes.
As Steven walked down the corridor towards their bedroom he decided to check on Beth before turning in.
The children’s room was in darkness, but the door was ajar. He pushed it open a little wider and saw Chloe sitting on the edge of Beth’s bed.
‘Hi,’ he whispered, and came further into the room. The peaceful sound of the children’s breathing filled the darkness. Sarah and Jane were top-to-toe in one bed, and Beth was on her own in the other.
He noticed that his daughter had the doll that Chloe had bought her for her birthday tucked in beside her, and next to her on the bedside table was her favourite storybook.
‘I wonder how many times Ellie had to read The Elves and the Shoemaker tonight?’ Steven said, looking down at Beth with an indulgent smile.
‘I used to like that story when I was Beth’s age,’ Chloe said. ‘Must be something to do with the idea of going to bed and then when you wake up in the morning all your problems are magically solved.’
The light from the hallway behind him illuminated her as she turned to look up at him.
Steven had always sensed her vulnerability, and he was aware of it now more than ever. He wanted to wrap her up in his arms and protect her, shut out the dark memorie
s, the uncertainty, and just hold her.
‘Was that around the time when your mother remarried?’ he asked softly.
‘How do you know about that?’ Her eyes narrowed.
‘Just something your dad said.’ Steven carefully kept his voice casual. ‘He said you had a bad time with your stepfather.’
‘He was out of order telling you that.’ Although Chloe’s voice was low, it was filled with anger.
She got up from the bed and made to turn away. But Steven caught hold of her arm. ‘Don’t run away from me, Chloe,’ he said quietly.
She looked down at the hand he had placed on her and he immediately let it drop.
‘What else did he tell you?’ she asked, her voice unsteady.
Steven hesitated. ‘Not a lot… Just that your mother had remarried and you didn’t like the guy. I was surprised you hadn’t told me about it.’
‘There’s nothing to tell.’ She walked out of the room and back into her own bedroom.
She had left the bedside lamp on and its soft light played over the feminine surroundings, the inviting softness of the double bed. The tranquillity of the scene did nothing to still Chloe’s racing heart. She felt furious that her father had mentioned Michael to Steven. He knew that she didn’t want to be reminded of that time…how dared he even breathe that man’s name?
Chloe paced around the room, and when the door opened and Steven came in she turned on him angrily. ‘Leave me alone.’
‘I don’t want to leave you alone, Chloe,’ he said gently. ‘I’m sorry if I’ve upset you by mentioning your stepfather.’
She shook her head, her eyes over-bright. ‘That was the worst time of my life, Steven. I just don’t want to be reminded of it.’
‘Sometimes in order to let go of the past you have to face up to it, Chloe.’
‘I’ve tried to…’
He came closer to her and she backed away. ‘You’re not frightened of me, are you?’ For a second Steven looked horrified.
‘No…no, of course not,’ she said emphatically, and watched him visibly relax.
‘But you are angry with me?’
‘I’m not angry with you, I’m…’ She looked into the darkness of his eyes. ‘I’m afraid.’ She admitted the truth huskily. She was scared—scared of the feelings that Steven could conjure up in her with so little effort. Scared of where all this was leading.
‘Afraid of what?’ he asked gently.
‘Marriage and all it entails.’ She shook her head helplessly.
‘But you were going to marry Nile.’
She looked up and met his eyes. She wanted to tell him that Nile had never made her feel like this, had never made her lose control of her emotions so completely. ‘I don’t know if I would have gone through with marrying Nile…’ she whispered. ‘To be honest, I was having doubts before the break-up.’
His eyes narrowed on her. ‘Why?’
‘Just frightened of making a mistake. My mother had such a bad relationship… Do you know what it’s like to live in a house where there is so much shouting that you have to bury your head under the pillows to stop yourself hearing…?’ Chloe’s voice trembled for a second. ‘They said they were in love, but it destroyed them in the end.’
‘All relationships aren’t like that, Chloe.’
She tried very hard to gather herself together. ‘Maybe not…but I…I just wish you hadn’t proposed to me.’
One dark eyebrow rose.
‘Don’t look at me like that, Steven. You shouldn’t have done it. Things were all right the way they were.’ Her tone was forceful.
‘No, they were not.’ Steven smiled.
His cool, composed manner really irritated Chloe. ‘Yes, they were. We could have had a nice, uncomplicated affair. And now you’ve just gone and ruined everything.’ She glared up at him angrily.
‘I disagree.’ He reached out and pulled her closer to him. ‘I’ve just upped the stakes, that’s all. I haven’t ruined anything.’ He tipped her face up so that she was forced to look at him. Then he kissed her. It was such a sweet and tender kiss that it made Chloe’s body ache with a desire, a need that was more than just sexual. She loved this man…loved him with all her heart.
‘I want to make love to you, Chloe.’ He whispered the words against her lips. ‘I want you so much, and I want you to know that this isn’t just a brief interlude of pleasure; I want more than that. I want us to be a happy family together.’
His gentle words stilled the inner turmoil.
She felt his hands burning through the delicate material of her dress as they rested on her waist.
Tentatively she put her hands onto his shoulders. Then she kissed him back, fiercely, her fear melting as if the desert sun had suddenly come out from behind a cloud.
‘I want you too,’ she admitted breathlessly as she moved closer against him, longing to feel his body pressed against hers.
Deftly he slid the zip on her dress down and she didn’t try to stop him; instead she kissed him again with impatience and a fever of need.
She wouldn’t think about anything, she’d just enjoy what they had, she told herself as she wound herself even closer, and suddenly he swept her up off her feet and carried her towards the deep comfort of the double bed.
Then they were undressing each other with frantic, eager need.
Chloe’s dress fell to the ground along with Steven’s shirt. She was wearing an oyster satin bra that cupped the fullness of her breasts and a matching pair of briefs. His eyes moved over her slowly and provocatively for a moment. He leant over her and kissed her again on the lips, his hands stroking up over the curves of her waist and then caressing her breast through the satin of her underwear. The sensation was so sweetly tormenting that Chloe longed for him to remove the flimsy barrier. She wound her arms up and around his neck and kissed him hungrily, her lips parting in complete surrender as his tongue played provocatively with her.
Then her hands trailed over the strong, powerful muscles of his torso and came to rest on the waistband of his trousers.
He pulled away from her and removed the rest of his clothing.
She sat up slightly to watch him. He had the most magnificent, powerful body; she moved her eyes over him, noting the width of his shoulders, the muscles on his arms, the narrowness of his hips and the curve of his buttocks. He turned, caught her watching him, and smiled as she blushed.
He stood next to the bed, staring down at her, his eyes dark and intense.
Then he straddled her and reached to unfasten her bra. Slowly he bent to kiss her breasts, his breath soft and tickling against the sensitised skin.
Gently he kissed her neck, her shoulders, his mouth travelling down over her, kissing every part of her with a thoroughness that made her catch her breath, made her body cry out with the need to feel him inside.
But his movements were leisurely and tender; gently he pulled her panties down, his lips following where his fingers played until she gasped with pleasure.
Gently and with exquisite care he took her to new heights of ecstasy so that she writhed uncontrollably in his arms.
‘Beautiful Chloe.’ He whispered the words as he entered her. ‘Beautiful, delectable, wonderful Chloe.’
When Chloe woke sunshine was flooding over the room; she smiled and stretched lazily. Then she opened her eyes and found Steven lying next to her. He was propped up on one elbow, watching her.
‘Good morning, beautiful,’ he smiled.
She smiled back at him sleepily. ‘How long have you been watching me?’
‘Not long enough.’ His eyes drifted lower and she realised suddenly that she was completely naked—not even the sheets covered her. She reached out instinctively to pull the covers up, but he stopped her.
‘It’s a bit late for modesty where I’m concerned,’ he growled, rolling over to pin her to the bed and kiss her hungrily and thoroughly on the lips. ‘I really enjoyed last night,’ he murmured.
‘So did I,’ she admitted.
‘Yes, I noticed.’ He smiled as she blushed. ‘I love the way I can make you blush,’ he said huskily. ‘Like a virgin on her wedding night.’
‘Don’t be silly.’ She smiled and tried to escape him as he tried to kiss her again. But he wouldn’t allow her to move, his mouth teasing her provocatively, causing her to heat up inside with instant desire.
‘Do you know what I’d like to do when we get home?’ he asked suddenly.
‘No.’ She looked up at him warily.
‘I’d like to make love to you in the office, take you over my desk, kiss you senseless in the middle of the afternoon, ruffle those neat business suits of yours.’
‘Now you really are being silly,’ she said breathlessly.
‘Why?’
‘Well… You know that the middle of the afternoon is our busiest time.’ She smiled up at him teasingly. ‘Late afternoon would be much better.’
He laughed. ‘Did I ever tell you that you are the perfect PA?’ He punctuated the words with kisses.
‘I think you might have mentioned something.’
‘But before I make love to you in the office you are going to have to agree to marry me.’ He whispered the words against her ear. ‘I’ll have to make an honest woman out of you before taking such liberties.’
He felt her stiffen underneath him, felt her mood change. ‘Don’t talk marriage, Steven,’ she pleaded huskily.
‘It’s not an immoral suggestion, sweetheart.’ He found her lips and kissed her again. She kissed him back, but hesitantly now.
The sound of children laughing came from the hallway. Steven raised his head and listened for a moment, then regretfully pulled away from her. ‘I’d better go and see to Beth,’ he murmured.
‘Yes…’ She let her breath out in a sigh of relief.
‘Hey.’ He bent and gave her one last very firm, very sensual kiss. ‘But we’ll continue this discussion later.’
As he got up from the bed Chloe reached for her dressing gown. ‘I’ve got a hairdresser’s appointment at nine,’ she said. ‘And a wedding to go to; let’s stick to your original plan and discuss all that when we get home.’