Kitabı oku: «Scandalous», sayfa 3
She sent Tony a cheeky grin and said, “You win all too often, anyway. Losing on occasion is good for your character.”
“But winning’s more fun.” Then he held up a hand. “In this case, though, you didn’t have to bother your lawyer. I already told you I’d give you whatever you wanted.”
“No.”
“Beg your pardon?”
Olivia wanted to make her point perfectly clear. Her conscience was nagging her enough about manipulating him emotionally. She certainly couldn’t do so professionally, too. “I want this latest agreement to stand on its own, Tony. It doesn’t have anything to do with…the other. Look over the agreement, judge it the same way you would any other, then get back to me.”
“And you’ll relent if I don’t approve of your changes?”
“Absolutely not.” She gave him another grin. “But I fully expect to have to work for them if they’re not to your liking.”
He looked amused, his chin propped in his palm, his elbow on the table. Then his gaze dropped to his napkin and he said, “Do you have anything else to discuss with me, Olivia?”
It was more than obvious what he was asking. She set down her salad fork and then pushed her plate to the side. After hefting her briefcase into her lap, she pulled out a slim volume on fertility and flipped the book open to the page she had marked.
Tony merely stared, his slouched position not so slouched now.
“I’ve been reading up on our latest subject, and it seems this weekend will be my most promising time. According to this book, I should be ovulating on Saturday, give or take a day.”
“So you’re due in two weeks? Right at the end of the deadline you set?”
Her two week time limit. Get her pregnant by then, or the deal was off. She almost groaned at her own audacity.
“That’s right. Two weeks exactly.” Actually she’d pulled that ridiculous number out of the air, just as she’d done with the deadline. She wouldn’t conceive, not with only one ovary. And her periods were irregular, often nonexistent, so there was no true time frame. You couldn’t get pregnant if you didn’t ovulate, which was a fact she’d been living with for a very long time.
It was pure coincidence that she’d set up her most fertile time to fall precisely within her deadline. She glanced up and wished she wore reading glasses, just to provide her with a bit of camouflage. But despite her embarrassment, she was determined to follow through. Tony had been more than a little reluctant to agree to her terms, and if this was to be her one big romantic rendezvous, she wanted his wholehearted involvement. She needed his wholehearted involvement. As with any deal, success required planning. And Olivia had formulated her plan well. By the time she was finished with him, Tony would be beyond ready; he’d be anxious.
She braced herself and said, “I think I can get a few days away. How about you?”
“A few days?”
“Well of course.” Olivia frowned at him. “According to the book, an extended amount of time might be necessary. Listen to this. The couple should have intercourse at least twice with an interval of six hours between. You see? There’s no reason to do it if we aren’t going to do it with proper enthusiasm. Things like this can’t be rushed.”
“I, ah…”
“There’s something else, too.”
Tony raised his brows, not deigning and frankly not able to verbalize at this point.
Olivia forged on. “It also mentions you should do without sex until then to allow your sperm count to build to a higher level.” She paused, taking a small sip of her tea, then pinning him with her gaze. She felt horribly deceptive, but determined just the same. This was to be her time, and hers alone. “You should be celibate until we’re together. Will that be a problem?”
“Olivia…”
She hurried to explain, wanting him to understand the supposed reasoning behind her request. It wouldn’t do for him to know her remarks were prompted by a possessive attitude, rather than a legitimate concern. “You don’t want to deplete your sperm, Tony, now do you?”
“No.”
“Good.” Olivia didn’t want to admit to the relief she felt, and she certainly didn’t want Tony to witness it, so she busied herself by smoothing back another page. Tony looked down and his eyes narrowed at the number of lines she’d highlighted. Olivia quickly tried to close the book, but Tony’s finger got in the way.
“What’s this? Other interesting facts you’ve made note of?” His voice sounded deeper than usual, and a little hoarse.
Olivia was very careful not to look at him. “A few.”
“They apply to us?” When she only nodded, he said, “Please, enlighten me.”
“Perhaps it would be better to wait until later—”
“But I’m dying of curiosity.”
His mocking tone brought her head up. “All right.” She held the book before her and made a show of clearing her throat. She’d bluffed her way through more than one difficult situation without losing her poise. “It also says, For further assurance of success the woman should lie still on her back for several minutes, preferably with the man still inside her, with her legs bent at the knee to allow a pool of sperm to remain near the cervix.”
Tony had just taken a sip from his glass as Olivia began her discourse. When he choked, spewing water across the small table, Olivia leaned over and pounded on his back, nearly unseating him. He caught her hand and stared at her, his face turning ruddy, until she finally subsided and pulled away.
Olivia felt satisfied with his reaction. If she could keep him off guard, he wouldn’t stand a chance of dissecting her motivation and discovering her perfidy. “Surely you know all this already? It was your idea after all.”
“No.” He vehemently shook his head. “My idea did not include staying still inside you for several minutes.”
“You find the idea repellent?” She did her best to look affronted, knowing his problem now didn’t stem from distaste, but rather from the intimate level of the conversation—and possibly his response to it. “You would prefer, of course, that I lie on a sterile table while a damn white-coated doctor probed me with a syringe?”
“Olivia…” He reached across the table and took her hand again. “I don’t think you have any idea how all of this is affecting me. I’m only a man, you know, and I’m not accustomed to this sort of conversation.”
His hand felt warm and dry and very large. Olivia closed her eyes, then experienced another wave of guilt. She was twitting him mercilessly for her own benefit, and he was having difficulty surviving it. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t carry on. The truth is,” she added, hoping just a touch of honesty would help smooth over the situation, “I’m a little uncomfortable, too. I’m trying to be as straightforward and open about this as I can, so that we can look at it in a purely businesslike fashion.”
“I know, and I understand.” He hesitated, then released her fingers and leaned back in his chair. His gaze seemed hot, and very intense. “But I don’t think it’s going to work, Olivia.”
CHAPTER THREE
HER HEART SKIPPED A BEAT and a swelling sensation of near panic threatened to suffocate her. Had she pushed him too far? “You want to call it off?”
“No!” He abandoned his casual pose and was again leaning toward her. “No, I just don’t think I’m going to be able to look at this as anything but personal. I’ve thought about it a lot over the past few days and I don’t believe it’s at all possible to sleep with a woman—a woman I know and admire—and pretend that it isn’t the least bit intimate. I do think we can get past that, though, if we both try.”
“I’m not sure I understand.” At least he wasn’t canceling on her, and that was all that really mattered.
“I think we should look at this as something of an adventure. So long as we limit our socializing to the…ah…process, we should be able to keep things in perspective.”
“I see. No friendly visits between appointments.”
“Exactly. We’ll meet when we have to in order to see things through, but the rest of the time our relationship, such as it is, will remain the same.”
“Which is strictly business.”
“Yes.”
Olivia toyed with her fork. For some ridiculous reason she felt insulted. Her tone was a touch acerbic when she remarked, “That serves my purposes just fine. I’ll enjoy you while you employ all your manly skills to impregnate me.” A mental image formed with her words, and she had to catch her breath. “As to the rest, if you’ll recall, I don’t have time for frivolous dating.”
He curled his hand into a fist and searched her face, looking as if he wanted to say more, but then he shook his head, and said, “All right, we’re agreed then. And this weekend is fine for me, also. Should we begin Friday evening?”
“I’ll be at the Southend location that day, but I’ll finish up about six.”
“That’s good for me.” He reached out to straighten his knife and fork, and Olivia saw that his hand was shaking. She shook, too, in impatience. “I’ll make arrangements for us somewhere private, then meet you there. That way, no one will see us together, which I think is important. We need to maintain our social distance.”
It was the physical closeness that interested Olivia, not the social distance, so she nodded. “I’d just as soon no one suspected us of enhancing our relationship, too. I don’t want to start any nasty gossip and end up in a scandal.”
He chuckled. “At least you wouldn’t have to worry about your folks catching wind of it. My entire family lives nearby, and they all think they need to straighten out my life. Anytime the mere hint of a scandal surfaces, I find them all at my door ready and willing to butt right in.”
“And what we’re conspiring to do goes beyond the ‘hint’ stage. It defines the word scandalous.”
“Which means my family would have a field day.”
Olivia was fascinated. She’d often wondered what kind of upbringing Tony had, especially in light of the fact she had no family at all. He was such a good person, she supposed his family had to be pretty good, too. “So they have no idea what you’re planning? I mean, with the baby and all?”
“Hell no. My family is old-fashioned. They definitely believe in doing things in the right order.”
“Marriage first?”
“Yep.” He grinned again, that ready grin that made all the ladies of his acquaintance smile in yearning. “They’ve been very diligent in trying to get me married off. Every damn one of them has produced at least three prospective brides. I can’t make them understand that I’d prefer to do the choosing myself when I decide the time is right.”
Olivia suddenly realized they’d already broken their new set of rules. Learning about Tony’s family definitely went beyond business and was dangerous besides; the more she knew about him, the more fascinating he seemed. It had taken her no time at all to become accustomed to wanting him, to accepting him as a desirable man. Every day, every minute it seemed, her feelings for him grew. She began to wonder if those feelings hadn’t been there all along, waiting to be noticed.
It was a very scary prospect. She couldn’t afford, professionally or emotionally, to get overly involved with him. So she changed the subject, away from his family, and tried to dwell on something less intimate.
Their soup was delivered and throughout the rest of the lunch they discussed Olivia’s new shop and Tony’s proposed agreement. To his credit, Tony argued fiercely, but Olivia wore him down. The meal ended with Tony promising to have his lawyer okay everything and return the finalized papers to her very soon.
They stood on the curb outside the restaurant, the lunch-time crowd flowing around them, and Tony touched her arm. “Friday at six.”
“I’ll be ready.”
He started to move toward his car, then halted and turned back to her. “I hope you know what you’ve gotten yourself into.”
Olivia never wavered. As with all her decisions, she didn’t allow room for regrets. She held his gaze and nodded.
“Good. Because I think we’ll barely make it inside the door before I’ll lose my control. You’ve pushed a lot on this deal, lady, more than any before. You’ve demanded that I give you pleasure, and that I spend a great deal of time doing it.” He reached up and flicked a finger over her cheek, so very briefly. “Friday night, you’re liable to find I have a few demands of my own.”
Olivia watched him stride away, and then as a smile spread over her face, she whispered, “Oh, I do hope so, Tony, I really do.”
DISGUSTED WITH HERSELF, Olivia knew she wasn’t going to get any real work done. She’d spent Friday afternoon having her legs waxed and her nails manicured, then left the shop early to go home and shower and change. She’d meant to get back in time to do some inventory, but she’d lingered over choosing an outfit, trying to find something simple and attractive, while not wanting to display too obviously her wish to be appealing. By the time she returned to the shop, she had only a little time before Tony was due to pick her up.
After saying good-night to her store manager, she settled down to look over the most recent batch of applications for new jobs, thanks to Tony. She’d already decided to promote one woman to manager of the new store, but then she had to fill that woman’s position. Olivia was fortunate in always having found excellent employees. She’d learned from Tony that you got what you paid for, and she’d always been generous with her benefits.
As soon as thoughts of Tony entered her mind, she started daydreaming again. She should have bought a new outfit for today, she thought, looking down at her simple beige wool skirt and matching tunic. The top had a row of pearl buttons that started just above her breasts and ended at the hem. As she imagined Tony undoing those buttons, one by one, she shivered.
She’d tossed aside her normal panty hose in favor of silky stockings with a pale rose satin garter, a big seller for the shops. She had even dabbed on perfume in very naughty places. Her pumps were midheeled and made her legs extra long and shapely. To balance the effect, she’d left her hair loose, parted in the middle, and it fell to rest against the top of her shoulders. She was so nervous, she’d long since chewed off any lipstick she might have applied, and decided against fussing with more.
She’d probably feel more confident, she thought, if she’d worn something daring, something sinful and sexy. Her selection of underclothes often gave her confidence, especially when no one knew she was wearing them.
She walked to a rack and picked up a teddy that fairly screamed enticement with rosette patterns of lace across the breasts and between the legs. She fingered the material, feeling it slide through her hands. She drew in a deep, shuddering breath imagining it sliding through Tony’s hands.
When she heard the bell over the door chime, even though the Closed sign was up, she jerked, then quickly spun around to face the door.
Tony walked in, his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his dress pants, and she could only stare. His gaze connected with hers, and he started forward with a steady, determined stride. He didn’t stop at the counter, but came to the rack where she stood, her lips parted, the teddy still in her hand.
His eyes moved over her, lingering on the teddy, and he asked, “Are we alone here?”
She nodded. “I was just finishing up—”
He laid a finger against her lips. There was no smile on his mouth, no welcome in his eyes. He looked intent and determined and very hungry. He slid his hand into her hair and cupped her head, stepping closer until his pant legs brushed her skirt. And then he kissed her.
ITHAD BEEN WORTH THE WAIT.
He couldn’t remember ever feeling so anxious for a woman. It was the teasing, he was certain, that had brought him low. Olivia, in her usual forceful, decisive way, had seduced him most thoroughly. Odd, but he hadn’t ever thought of her business manner carrying over into something so personal. He knew so damn little about her personal life.
Such as whether or not she really ever wore a garment as sexy as the teddy in her hand.
That was something he could soon find out. Because it was obvious she used the same tack of gaining what she wanted whether it was business or pleasure. And she wanted him.
That thought had plagued him all week, and it had been all he could do to maintain a touch of control over himself. What he needed, he thought, was a long, hot, intimate evening alone with her. And then he’d be able to get her out of his system and put her, and his purpose for being with her, in proper perspective. But damn, she tasted good.
He knew he should pull back, give her time to catch her breath, but she wasn’t fighting him, wasn’t behaving in a particularly shocked manner. She merely stood there and gave him free rein. He slanted his mouth over hers again, then lightly coasted his tongue over her bottom lip. She groaned.
Apart from the one hand he had in her hair and his mouth, Tony didn’t touch her. Olivia’s hands remained at her sides, almost as if she was afraid to move them. He leaned back and stared down at her face. Her dark brown eyes were half closed, the thick lashes seeming to weigh them down. Her lips were still parted, and her cheeks were flushed. He liked that.
“We’re going back to my house.”
She blinked twice, then cleared her throat. “I assumed you’d rent a place…”
“My home is very private. And I don’t want to be running around town. Too many people know me. Besides, today is my birthday. Someone might decide to surprise me with a bottle of champagne or some such nonsense, and once we’re alone, I don’t want to be disturbed.”
Her eyes widened. “Happy birthday. I didn’t realize…You should be celebrating with someone special.”
He started to tell her she was special, almost too special, but he bit back the words. “It’s okay. More than okay.” He bent to kiss her very quickly. She looked disappointed when he pulled away. “I can’t think of a better way to spend the day. You’re giving me the best gift imaginable.”
No sooner did he say it, than he realized she might misunderstand. So he quickly clarified, “A baby, I mean.”
“I knew what you meant.”
But he was lying, to both her and himself. Right now, he wanted her so much, thoughts of conception were taking a backseat to good old-fashioned lust. He still wanted his baby, very much, but he found himself hoping it would take a couple of tries before they found success. He wanted—needed—to expend all his desire for her so he could concentrate on other, more important things.
Olivia looked slightly rattled, which was new for her. She reached behind herself to feel for a hanger, then slipped the teddy onto it and back on the rack. Tony looked around, taking in the ambience of the shop. He’d been in them all, of course, but still, she never ceased to amaze him with her organization and natural ability for merchandising.
She did a remarkable amount of business, and it was easy to see why.
Everything was displayed in a way that bespoke intimacy with a touch of class. Mannequins were shyly posed in every corner, their perfect forms draped in soft pastel shades of silk and satin, musky scents filled the air from the perfume rack and the shelves of sachets. Every inch of space was utilized to the best advantage, so nothing looked crowded or busy.
Olivia cleared her throat, drawing his attention. “I was thinking of ordering more of these,” she said, indicating the teddys. “I knew they’d be a big seller, but this week we went through more than even I had anticipated. They’re just so comfortable.”
“And incredibly sexy?”
She nodded. That Olivia felt the need for small talk proved her nervousness, and Tony didn’t want her nervous. He also couldn’t stop himself from asking the question of the day. “How do you know they’re comfortable, Olivia? Do you wear these things?” He reached over and caught at the lace edging the leg of the teddy, then rubbed his thumb over it.
Straightening her spine, a gesture of defiance he was beginning to recognize, she nodded. “Of course I do. I’ve personally tried everything I sell.”
Tony took another quick survey of the shop, and this time his gaze landed on a midnight black bra and panty set, the bra designed to merely cup the fullness of the breast, leaving the nipples exposed, and the panties with a very convenient open seam. He felt his stomach constrict, and knew he had to get her out of the shop before his libido exploded. “Are you ready to go?”
Appearing as flustered as he felt, she nodded and reached behind the counter for her coat. Tony helped her slip it on, then took her arm to guide her out. She was trembling, and he wanted to reassure her somehow, but as she locked up the shop, he saw that her nipples were peaked against the soft wool of her tunic, and any coherent conversation escaped him. He wanted to touch her breasts, to see if they felt as soft as they looked. He wanted to taste her, all of her, and he wanted to give her the pleasure she’d requested.
At first, it had seemed like a tall order, and a bit intimidating. No woman had ever come right out and told him to give her the level of satisfaction she expected. It was enough to shrivel many a man. But he wasn’t a man to cower under pressure, and the more he’d thought of it—and ways to see the job done—the more excited he’d become by the prospect. Going head-to-head with Olivia during business always exhilarated him. Doing so in bed would be even better. He felt challenged for the first time in a long time, and what red-blooded male could resist a challenge?
Besides, he decided, as they drove from the parking garage, if he didn’t get it right the first time, he’d have plenty of time to keep trying. That thought brought a grin.
“What?”
He glanced at Olivia and realized she was watching him. She looked wary now, and a little self-conscious. “Hey, you’re not having second thoughts, are you?”
“No, but I’ll admit that grin of yours is a little unnerving.”
He heard the slight tremor in her tone and reached over to take her hand from her lap. “I’m just…”
“Eager?”
“That’s a very appropriate word.” He grinned again. “What about you?”
She drew a quavering breath, then whispered, “Yes.”
Tony had to put both hands on the wheel. Never had one simple word affected him so strongly. He wanted to speed, to race to his house, but the streets were congested with holiday shoppers. With Thanksgiving less than two weeks away, it seemed as if everyone had a reason to be out on a Friday evening. Curse them all.
“How far do we have to go?”
“It’s about a twenty-minute drive.” Twenty minutes that would seem like two hours. “Are you hungry?”
“No.”
“Are you sure? I could stop at a drive-through.”
She glared at him. “No. I am not hungry.”
He liked the idea that she was as anxious to get under way as he. They stopped at a traffic light and he said, “Well, then how about scooting over here and giving me another kiss? It’s the truth, I desperately need something to tide me over.”
Her chest rose and fell in several deep breaths, then she scooted. Tony caught her mouth, pressing her back against the seat and this time skipping the teasing. He slid his tongue into her mouth and stroked her deeply. Olivia’s hands came up to rest on his shoulders, and then curled to pull him closer.
The light changed, and at a snail’s pace, traffic moved.
They continued to kiss and cuddle and touch at every opportunity, and Tony knew they were making each other just a bit crazy. But he didn’t call a halt to the touching, and finally, after excruciating frustration, he pulled into his long driveway. It had taken twenty-five minutes, and every minute had been a form of inventive foreplay. Olivia had her eyes closed and appeared to be concentrating on breathing. Her coat laid open, her knees pressed tightly together, and her hands, where they rested on the seat on either side of her, shook.
Tony said very softly, “We’re here.”
She slowly sat forward and surveyed his home through bleary eyes. She was quiet for long seconds, then whispered, “Oh, Tony. It’s beautiful.”
He was pleased with her praise. “I had it built a few years ago. I made certain as many trees were left as possible.”
“It almost seems a part of the landscape.”
That had been his intention. Built of stone and wood and slate, the house blended in with the background, sprawling wide with only one level, and surrounded by oaks and pines and dogwoods. “Now, with the trees bare, you can see the house better. But in the spring and summer, it’s nearly hidden.”
He hit the remote to open the garage door, then drove inside. The four-car garage held only one other car, and was very quiet.
When he opened Olivia’s door for her and she stepped out, he couldn’t help but kiss her again. And this time, since they were assured of privacy, he gave his eager hands the freedom to roam. His palms coasted over her back, feeling her warmth even through the thickness of her coat, then scooped low to cuddle her soft rounded buttocks.
Olivia sucked in a deep breath and moaned when he brought her flush with his body. He knew she could feel his erection, knew she was reacting to it, and with every rapid pulse beat of his body, he thought: this is Olivia, the cool businesswoman, the shark, and she’s pressing against me, trembling and wanting more. It was wonderful and strange and so exciting he almost couldn’t bear it. He felt his body harden even more, felt himself expanding, growing. He felt ready to burst.
He back-stepped her toward the door leading into his house. Now that he was this close, he certainly didn’t want to make love to her in the garage. But when he lifted his head, his eyes were immediately drawn to her heaving breasts, and he saw again her stiff little nipples. Her coat was open down the front, and he pushed it farther aside, then gently cupped her breasts, shaping them, weighing them in his palms. She was soft and warm and her nipples were pressed achingly against the fabric. She tilted her head back against the garage wall and made a small sound of pleasure and need.
Before he could give his mind time to approve his actions, he unbuttoned three small pearl buttons, and peeled aside the soft wool material. Her bra was lace and satin, a pale coffee color, but so sheer he could see the entire outline of her. It nearly sent him over the edge. He brushed his thumb over her nipple, gently, teasing, and watched her tremble. He lost control.
He growled low in his throat, pulled the bra down so it was cupped beneath her pale breast, pushing her up, seeming to offer her to his mouth, and then he brushed his thumb over her again. She panted as he toyed with her, building the suspense, the excitement.
“Tony.”
It was her small, pleading voice that brought him around. He couldn’t wait much longer to taste her, but neither should he be rushing things. He kept his eyes on her beautiful body, on the breast he’d bared, then wrapped his arm around her waist to guide her inside. He reached for the doorknob and turned it, then jerked when he heard a screamed, “Surprise!”
He looked up and saw his entire family, balloons in the background, streamers floating around. It took everyone a second to realize the misfortune of the entire scene, and then little by little, expressions changed. He saw his mother gasp, his grandfather chuckle. His brother was now wearing a wide grin.
His own face must have looked stunned, and he couldn’t find the wherewithal to move. Both he and Olivia seemed frozen to the spot. Then he saw his six-year-old nephew turn his gaze to Olivia, and watched as his sister-in-law rushed over and slapped both hands over her son’s eyes. Tony came reluctantly to his senses. He slammed the door shut, then tried to get his mind to function in some semblance of order so he could figure out what to do.
“Oh my God.”
He glanced down at Olivia, her hands covering her face, her shoulders shaking. She said again, “Oh my God.” Her breast was still uncovered, and more than anything, he wanted to taste that small pink nipple. He wished his family elsewhere, but when he heard the sudden roar of hysterical laughter inside, he knew not a single damn one of them would budge. Meddling bunch of irritants.
“Oh my God.”
Tony frowned, his gaze still on that taunting nipple. He was beginning to feel like Pavlov’s dog. “Are you praying or cursing?”
She peeked at him from between her fingers, her expression as evil as any he’d ever seen. Through gritted teeth, she said, “You promised me privacy, Tony. There must be fifty people in there.”
“No. If everyone’s present, and I suspect by the low roar that they are, there’s ten, maybe twelve total. It only seems like more because a portion of them are kids. Noisy kids.” She dropped her hands and glared at him. She seemed totally oblivious to the fact that her body was bared. Tony, still retaining a death grip on the doorknob in case anyone tried to open it, reached over to cup her with his free hand. She jerked.
“Tony.”
How her voice could change from cold and angry to soft and pleading so quickly, he didn’t know. “One small taste, Olivia, okay? Then I can sort the rest of this out.”
She didn’t appear to understand, which was probably the only reason she didn’t protest.
Tony shook his head, then bent down and slowly drew his tongue around her nipple. She gasped, and he gently sucked her into his mouth, holding her captive with his teeth. Her flesh was hot and sweet and her nipple was so taut it pained him. He licked his tongue over her, flicking, teasing, making her nipple strain even more. When she moaned, he suckled, holding her close to his body.
