Flirting with Felicity (13 page)

“Yeah, it shows so much of it,” Felicity said dryly.

“That will be to your advantage, my dear.”

“Peter, take us to 1910 Post Alley.”

Felicity startled. “We’re not going back to the hotel? I need
to meet Blake at noon.”

Mary Beth raised a brow. “You have time for this. Besides,
he’s not going anywhere without his driver.”

For the next twenty minutes, she and Mary Beth sat in a
charming teahouse in Seattle’s Pike Place Market enjoying a cup of chamomile
tea served in Sèvres china cups of almost transparent delicacy. The floor-to-ceiling
windows allowed them to watch visitors to the Market while they sat back and
relaxed for a few brief moments. Mary Beth had been right once again. The cup
of tea was the perfect end to their shopping trip.

“Are you ready for what Blake has in store for you over the
next few days?” Mary Beth asked.

Felicity nodded. “I’ve taken care of everything my father
might need while I’m gone. When the hospital releases him, he’ll return to the
assisted living facility. He’ll have a private nurse for the next couple of
weeks. She’ll see to his therapy and make sure he’s okay while I’m gone.”

“Sounds like you’re ready to take Blake on.”

Felicity grimaced. “I don’t think anyone could ever be ready
to do battle with that man.” She sighed. “Even with a private nurse, I’m still
nervous about leaving my father. I’ll be worried about him the whole time.”

“I’ll look in on him for you.”

Felicity gave her friend an appreciative smile. “I hate
adding an extra burden—”

“It’s no burden,” she interrupted. “My brother is more than
happy to help out with the baby. Amelia really likes her uncle, too. I feel so
lucky to have turned my life around.”

“It wasn’t luck that did that. It was your hard work.”

“Do you have a game plan for dealing with Blake on his turf,
other than dressing the part?” Mary Beth asked over a sip of her tea.

A
game plan.
“I’m not sure I have any plan at all other than to try
to persuade him that the Bancroft should stay as it is.”

Mary Beth nodded. “You’ll be fine. Especially now. You’re different
since meeting Blake.”

“How so?” Felicity set down her cup.

Mary Beth wrinkled her nose. “I’m not sure exactly. But I’d
say you’re not so easy to intimidate.”

Felicity laughed. “I don’t know about that. I was
very
intimidated by the salespeople at Luly Lang and Neiman Marcus.”

Mary Beth chuckled. “They’re paid to be intimidating.
Regardless of them, you’re definitely more in control since you’ve met Blake.”

“There is so much more at stake, that’s why.”

“That’s not a bad thing, Felicity.” Mary Beth shrugged. “Who
knows, perhaps you’ll come back from San Francisco and be a force to be
reckoned with. Blake won’t stand a chance against you.”

In that moment, Felicity hoped Mary Beth was right for a
third time that day. Blake was a powerful opponent. She would have to be just
as determined and just as strong if she were going to keep what she so
desperately wanted.

After his run, Blake returned to the hotel and placed a
call to Marcus. “Any news from Jamison about the offer on the Heritage Hotel?”

“The old guy wants to speak with you in person,” Marcus
replied in his usual efficient tone.

Blake frowned impatiently. “That won’t work. I’m heading out
of town. Can we speak over the phone?”

“He’s a traditionalist. He likes to do his business face to face.”

Blake glanced at his watch. He still had an hour before he
had to meet Felicity. “Then set us up for a Skype call. I want to get this
taken care of, and soon.”

“Why the hurry? That’s not like you.”

“I just want it all settled. Take care of it. That’s what I
pay you to do,” Blake said.

There was silence on the other end of the line for a moment. “Can
you give me ten minutes to set up the call?” Marcus asked.

That would give him time for a shower. “Meet you online in
ten.” Blake hung up and headed for the shower. Ten minutes later he greeted
Donald Jamison across the computer screen. “Good morning, Mr. Jamison. I
appreciate you meeting me on such short notice.”

The older man set his lips stubbornly. “You and I both know
that I don’t have a choice about selling my property to you, but I wanted to
talk to you in person about tearing down the hotel.” His voice quavered, and,
for the first time, Blake hesitated when it came to pushing one of his
adversaries into a corner.

He had the old man right where he wanted him. Two days ago,
he would have forged ahead without a moment’s thought. “Why are you so
resistant to me tearing the place down?”

“The truth?” he asked, his features suddenly drawn.

“Yes,” Blake replied.

Jamison met his gaze. “My Jenny died here. If you tear the
place down, then you also take away my last memories of her.”

Blake reacted to the words with guilt and an unusual surge of
compassion. The memory of the pictures Felicity had shown him last night played
across his mind. His lips twisted into a bittersweet smile. “I do understand.”
He paused for a moment, thinking, then sighed. “Would you be open to an
alternative offer?”

“And what might that be?”

“Seventy-two million. You stay as a resident of the hotel to oversee
its management and restoration.”

Jamison’s tired gray eyes brightened with surprise and
perhaps even tears. “You’re not going to tear it down?”

“You make a compelling argument.” Blake released a sigh. “No,
I won’t tear it down.” How could he do so with a clear conscience? “I’ll have
Marcus draft the agreement if we have a deal.”

Jamison nodded. “Please forgive me for saying this, I don’t
mean it to sound condescending, but I’m proud of you, Blake.”

“Thank you, sir,” Blake replied. “I’ll take that as a
compliment.”

“You should, just as you should know that I’m suddenly very
proud to be part of Bancroft Industries.”

After settling a few other necessary details, they signed
off. Blake sat back in his chair still a little baffled at his unusual
behavior. It was the first time he’d ever negotiated a deal that had absolutely
nothing to do with monetary value. It was so unlike him, and he didn’t want to
contemplate why.

An hour later, Blake and Felicity were seated in the
plush lounge area on his private jet, preparing for departure from Boeing
Field.

Felicity’s eyes were wide as she settled into the soft
leather seat and buckled her seat belt. “You own your own plane?”

“What gave it away—the Bancroft Industries logo on the side?”
He rarely saw his world through the eyes of anyone other than business
associates with a similar lifestyle.

A curious mix of excitement and tension radiated from her. “This
isn’t a plane; it’s a flying mansion.”

He shrugged as the plane taxied down the runway. “I like to
work while I travel. The plane gives me an office, a bedroom, a dining area, a
bar, and a bathroom complete with a shower.” Blake covered Felicity’s hand with
his. For a moment he thought she would pull away. Then, slowly, her hand turned
and held tight to his. He mustn’t read anything into it. She seemed
particularly tense since walking onto the plane. He couldn’t blame her. She’d
just left her entire support team behind. The woman was open and vulnerable. An
inexplicable irritation moved through him at the thought. Would he use her
malleability to his advantage? Such tactics wouldn’t have stopped him before.
But with her, his usual business dealings felt wrong.

“Do you fly much?” he asked, giving her hand a squeeze,
whether trying to comfort himself or her, he wasn’t certain.

“Not since Italy, and rarely before then. You might have
noticed I have a hard time relinquishing control. I like things a certain way.”

He raised a brow as the jet became airborne. “You have OCD?”

“No, I have CDO, or at least that’s what it should be if the
letters were arranged alphabetically,” she said, her tone serious, but her body
relaxed.

Blake studied her a moment until he noticed the corner of her
mouth quirk. He responded with a smile. “Very funny.”

She shrugged, her gaze going to the window as they gained
altitude. “I do hate being out of my element. Please promise me there will be
no surprises.”

He couldn’t promise her that. That’s what this trip was all
about—unsettling her, putting her off balance, winning her over to his way of thinking
about the hotel. “We had an agreement. You had two days, now I get mine. I
intend to show you how a hotel can be socially responsible and environmentally
friendly without sacrificing service.”

Her gaze shot back to his. “That’s how I run the restaurant,”
she said, her tone defensive.

“You do a terrific job there. It’s much harder to accomplish
with a hotel unless you do some major revisions.”

“It’s not the remodeling that disturbs me. It’s the effect it
will have on my employees’ lives. They need their jobs to survive.”

An almost desperate passion simmered in her voice whenever
she brought up that point about her employees. Was there some sort of hardship
in her life he had yet to be aware of? As he mulled over the thought, he abstractedly
squeezed her hand once more. “Don’t worry about anything for the next two days.
Just give yourself over to seeing things through different eyes. Will you
promise me that?”

He saw a moment’s hesitation before she nodded and leaned her
head back against the soft leather seat. “I’m sorry. I’m not trying to be
testy. I’m not used to shopping for clothing first thing in the morning.”

“Only fish? They are so much less demanding of your energy.”

His quip brought a smile to her face. “Fish, I understand. Fancy
clothing is a world unknown to me. It’s exhausting.” She sighed. “I don’t know
how you do it.”

“I hire people to do it for me.” At that moment, his
attendant appeared beside them, offering two Waterford flutes filled with
champagne. “Thank you, Kayoko,” Blake said with a smile at the small Japanese
flight attendant who’d been handling all his travel needs for the past five
years.

Felicity took a glass and stared down at the bubbling liquid.
“If I drink this, I’ll probably fall asleep.”

Blake took a sip of his champagne, hoping Felicity would do
the same. “We have a bedroom you may use, if you would like to take a nap.”

After a sip of her champagne, she set the glass down and sent
Blake an apologetic glance. “A two-hour nap sounds fabulous. Would you mind?”

“Not at all.” He released her hand. “Kayoko will show you to
the bedroom. Make yourself comfortable. I have plenty of work to do while you
sleep.” It was the truth. He’d ignored the business for the past few days he’d
been in Felicity’s company—something he couldn’t ever remember doing since he’d
taken over the company from his uncle. “Sleep well. If you need me, I’ll be
right here.”

“I won’t need you.” She straightened and moved briskly down
the hallway after Kayoko.

He tried not to let the comment hurt him as she disappeared
into the lavish bedroom where he usually slept on long flights. He imagined
Felicity lying on the cool, linen sheets, her hair splayed about her head, her
body warm and willing. His groin tightened, and he groaned against the deep-seated
ache that burned through him.

How would he ever get any work done, knowing she slept only a
few feet away? With an effort, he reached for his laptop and turned it on. When
Kayoko returned, she scooped up his champagne glass and set a Scotch down in
its place. He released a sigh. “It shows that much, huh?”

Her eyes filled with understanding. “She seems different than
the women we usually travel with,” the flight attendant said with a sweet
smile.

The fact that Felicity was in his bed by herself set her
apart. Kayoko was right. Something was different, but the difference was with
him, not Felicity. Bit by bit, she was breaking down the barriers he’d erected
around himself. He’d distanced himself from feeling anything but ambition since
his parents had drowned. He preferred to live that way—in a safe cocoon free
from turmoil.

It was so strange that Felicity had succeeded where others
had failed. It annoyed him and fascinated him at the same time.

If he didn’t know any better, he’d think his uncle Vernon had
left the hotel to her so they could meet, have a reason to interact. But that
was something a loving uncle might have done for a beloved nephew. And Blake knew
Vernon was not that, nor was he.

Blake could feel his blood pounding through his veins as he
stared down at his glass of whiskey. He brought the glass to his lips and
tossed back the contents in a single swallow.

Kayoko raised a brow, but silently turned and retrieved the
bottle, pouring him another splash of the amber liquid.

“It’s going to be a long flight,” he said. “You might want to
leave the bottle here.”

She set down the bottle, then left him to himself. He logged
on his computer and pulled up the spreadsheets his accountant had sent him. The
numbers helped him put Felicity from his thoughts.

He had work to do.

Felicity moaned as she felt a warm, strong hand
sliding over her bare stomach to her hip. Instinctively, she turned in to the
caress, her body instantly on fire with need.

Blake rolled her over on to her back and captured her lips
with his. Her senses swam at the contact, and a hot shiver went through her. As
he continued his assault on her lips, his fingers dipped below the coverlet and
moved lazily up her thigh.

Felicity groaned and was tempted to open her eyes, but the
dream was too close to her own longings to want to banish it yet. Instead, she
breathed in his familiar woodsy scent as she tasted the heat of his mouth.

His kiss was fierce and hot, yet strangely tender as his
hands worked between her thighs. He ruffled the curls at the apex of her
womanhood before he dipped his fingers inside the folds. His thumb rotated
gently.

She clenched her teeth as a hot, convulsive shudder tore
through her.

He didn’t release her; instead, his thumb flicked slowly back
and forth. Every muscle in her body clenched as she fought for control, fought
to stave off the tension that coiled tighter and tighter with each movement of
his fingers. She could no longer think coherently as she reached for the source
of her pleasure.

She wanted him inside her.

Her heart pounding so hard she couldn’t get her breath, she
clutched his shoulders and drew him down beside her. She bit her lip
expectantly as he stretched along her body and settled between her thighs. He
moved closer, his rigid manhood pressing against her core. Just when he was
about to slide inside, a hard bump jarred her awake. The world around her
slowed, and she felt herself slide forward on the sheets covering her legs.

Dazed, she glanced around the unfamiliar room. It took her a
full minute to realize she was alone in Blake’s bedroom aboard his private jet.
The plane had landed in San Francisco, and she’d been asleep the entire time.