Fearless Maverick (26 page)

 
          
He
took her hand and, his eyes on hers, led her to one side of the bed before
deliberately lowering his mouth to the curve of her throat. When his teeth
grazed the skin, she shivered and sighed until all her breath was gone, then
she arched her neck and offered more.

 
          
Their
clothes came off quickly while they were standing, sitting, finally while they
were caressing and writhing amongst the sheets. As he explored her every curve
and valley, she gave herself over to the fantasy, only wishing it would never
end. She thought she’d lost the chance to ever feel this beautiful again, and
as he gently rolled her onto her stomach and traced slow hot kisses down her
back, she had to be glad she’d succumbed one more time. She’d need these
memories when it was time to let that harsh light back in.

 
          
By
the time his mouth joined hers again, sparks were firing through her veins and
that smouldering kernel of need at her core had begun to throb and burn. His
body angled and covered hers, then he was filling her, moving with long
measured strokes that pushed her, inch by inch, higher up that growing wave.
His head dropped into her hair at the same time his hand fanned and gripped her
thigh. He murmured her name and moved against her faster, until the powder
ignited, the kindling went up and she was thrown a thousand leagues into the
air.

 
          
Still
throbbing above her, he dotted kisses over her brow, her cheek. When he
shuddered one last time and exhaled on deep satisfaction, she drew her fingers
around his bristled jaw and, short of breath, tipped up to feel his lips on
hers one last time.

 
          
His
mouth trailed her cheek, around her jaw. He murmured things close to her ear
that almost had her believing that she was and would remain the most important
thing in his life. When he reluctantly shifted to lie beside her, her mind set,
she rolled to her side off the bed. As she reached to collect her bra and
panties off the floor, uncertain of what she was up to, Alex sat slowly up.

 
          
‘Don’t
get dressed,’ he said lightly. ‘If you have appointments this afternoon, just
this once, cancel.’

 
          
‘I
don’t have any appointments,’ she said, fitting the bra’s clasp.

 
          
He
leaned over and warm fingers traced her back. ‘Then lie down. I want to hold
you.’

 
          
Lord,
she was tempted. But it was out of the question. Alex had to know that. After
what they’d shared, she didn’t want to argue. Still she had to say this and say
it now. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she turned and looked him in the eye.

 
          
‘Alex,
this won’t happen again.’

 
          
His
brows knitted, then he sat up straighter and ran a hand through his thick crop
of hair. Finally he shook his head.

 
          
‘What
are you talking about?’

 
          
‘Right
or wrong, I love being with you. You can make me forget …
everything
. It’s almost enough …’ Emotion stuck in her throat and,
wishing this was over, she lowered her gaze.

 
          
‘Enough
for what?’

 
          
‘To
make me forget what you did. How you treated me.’

 
          
How you used me
.

 
          
‘Libby,
for God’s sake. I did what you wanted. I wasn’t sure about my shoulder so I
threw it all in and came back.’ He reached and gripped her hand. ‘I came back
to
you
.’

 
          
Who
was he trying to fool? ‘You shouldn’t have left like that in the first place!’

 
          
‘You
honestly can’t understand what I was going through?’

 
          
‘I
know what it’s like to be on top,’ she said, ‘and then have the rug pulled out
from beneath you. It’s a huge shock. It hurts like hell. I
get
it.’ Of course she did.

 
          
His
gaze pierced hers for a heart-stopping beat, then he flung back the sheet and,
in a temper, leapt out of bed.

 
          
‘Don’t
make it sound like I’m washed up. Like I’m a has-been with nothing to look
forward to.’

 
          
A
surge of indignation ignited her cheeks. Of course he would see her as ‘nothing.’

 
          
Clenching
her jaw so hard her teeth ached, she thrust her feet through her trouser legs.
She didn’t need to stay here to listen to this. To Alex defending his precious
title, even in the bedroom.

 
          
By
the time her shoes were on, he seemed to have contained himself, although his
voice was tellingly tight. ‘I don’t know why you can’t put it behind you.’

 
          
‘Same
way you hope Annabelle’s put it all behind
her
?’

 
          
She
rotated to see his powerful silhouette seeming to grow larger against the
shuttered light. A measure of her bravado slipped when he strode around the bed
and, rigid with anger, loomed over her.

 
          
‘I
apologised, damn it. I’ve
explained
.’
His eyes blazed with outright frustration. ‘What the hell do you
want
from me?’

 
          
She
sized him up. He wasn’t blind. Neither was he stupid. If he couldn’t see what
she wanted—what any woman in her position would want—she sure as hell wouldn’t
tell him.

 
          
Defiant—poised—she
crossed her arms. ‘I don’t want anything from you.’

 
          
A
pulse in his cheek beat erratically at the same time his grey eyes darkened,
like twin thunderstorms about to unleash. But then the breath seemed to leave
his body and, after two long torturous beats, his chin tipped up.

 
          
‘You
want to punish me for what I did. But, Libby, you’re punishing us both.’

 
          
‘Punishing?
Or protecting?’

 
          
A
patronising look on his face, he reached for her but she wound away. His mouth
pressed into a hard line at the same time his jaw shifted. When he reached for
her again, this time he didn’t try for her wrist. Now he demanded her full
attention. As his hands seized her upper arms, his mouth tilted on a sardonic
smile.

 
          
‘Don’t
tell me you’re sorry that today happened. Don’t try to tell me you really want
to go.’

 
          
‘You’re
right.’
Dear God
. ‘I want to stay.’

 
          
But
she couldn’t forget Scott, or Leo. More so, she couldn’t forget how Alex had
dismissed her so heartlessly two weeks ago. Tears building in her eyes, she
tried but couldn’t swallow past the claw opening in her throat.

 
          
‘But
no matter how much I’d like for you to hold me—’
kiss me
‘—I won’t lay myself open to that kind of hurt again.’

 
          
The
world seemed to shrink and press in on her lungs, on her heart, as the hold on
her arms tightened. She wondered what he’d do next. Throw her out? Turn his
back. Before her mind could grasp a third possibility, his mouth came crashing
down, capturing and claiming hers without apology. Without reserve.

 
          
His
caress was like a giant vacuum, devouring all memory other than the sublime
sensory. As she lost herself to sensation, Alex curled over her more, driving
her to surrender. Convincing her that she couldn’t break free. He wouldn’t
allow it.

 
          
When
his lips finally, grudgingly, left hers, their breathing was ragged and the
room was spinning. His palms slid up over her shoulders to rest either side of
her neck, and as his heavy gaze penetrated hers, she recognised the appeased
certainty glowing in his eyes. His chest expanded as his focus dropped to her
parted lips and his thumbs drew coaxing circles beneath her lobes.

 
          
‘Now
did
that
feel as if I want to hurt
you?’

 
          
‘I
never said you wanted to,’ she got out, feeling giddy. Weak. ‘That doesn’t mean
you won’t.’ That you won’t
again
.

 
          
His
gaze hardened. ‘I won’t let you do this. I won’t let you push me away.’

 
          
‘No.
You’d rather keep me hanging around until you’re ready to get back to what’s
really important.’ His only true passion. Racing.

 
          
Growling,
he threw his hands away from her and made to hold his head as if legions of
demons were scratching at his brain.

 
          
‘Damn
it, Elizabeth! Why do you have to be so
difficult
.’

 
          
‘Would
you rather I was more like Annabelle?’ she shot out. He’d never been honest and
open with her and, for whatever reason, his sister had let it slide.

 
          
His
voice lowered to a dangerous pitch. ‘Keep her out of it. You know nothing about
Annabelle.’

 
          
‘What’s
worse is neither do you.’

 
          
‘Do
not change the subject.’

 
          
As
he enunciated each word, emotion filled her throat, stung her eyes, but she
wouldn’t keep quiet. She wasn’t poor Annabelle.

 
          
‘You
use
people, Alex. You’d do anything—use
anyone—to keep in front of the pack. You used Carter White. You use Eli Steele.
You use your fans and your team and your money to put a divider between you and
your past. You set out to use
me
—’

 
          
‘That’s
not
true
!’ His roar echoed through
the room before his resolute gaze wavered and finally dropped away. ‘Not after
I got to know you.’

 
          
Libby
slumped. But why should she feel so disappointed? Hadn’t she known it all
along? Then. Now. She was no more than a tool for Alex to manipulate to get
what he needed.

 
          
When
he sank down to sit on the edge of the bed, suddenly all the fight went out of
her too. What was left was dull, deep acceptance. The realisation this was over
and it needed to be. She stood and, leaving him behind, made her way down the
stairs and out that door one last time.

 
          
She
understood why Alex was happier living behind his safety nets. She was guilty
of it too. It hurt less. But no matter how hard Alex pretended to be together—whole—the
sad lonely truth was he was more damaged than she’d ever been.

 
          
‘THOUGHT
I’d find you here. Which one are you thinking of taking out?’

 
          
At
the sound of Eli’s voice, Alex held off throwing his third dart and turned to
see his friend entering the Rose Bay backyard garage. After this morning’s
emotional roller-coaster ride with Libby Henderson, he could use a little
uncomplicated male company.

 
          
When
Libby had left earlier, Alex had been at a loss. Since he’d received that email
from Annabelle weeks ago his life had been like a dodgem car race, complete
with bang-ups and standstills and mind-spinning turnarounds. He’d done the
right thing in Spain. He felt good about mentoring that boy. As far as pulling
out of the race, given the intermittent pain in his shoulder, he’d had no
choice but to step aside. He hadn’t been so sure in predicting Libby’s reaction
to his invitation to his home. Their meeting had started off fiery. When they’d
moved to the bedroom things had only got hotter. After making love he’d assumed
their differences were all squared away.