Her Unexpected Admirer (11 page)

“I’ll fix it,” she said, clutching her hands in fists in front of her.  “Just give me the shirt later and I’ll fix it for you.”  She actually had no idea how to sew but she’d figure it out.  She’d torn it, she would fix it.  That’s what a professional person would do when they made a mistake, right? 

Davis looked down at her and realized she was truly upset by what she’d done.  He almost laughed, but thought that might just push her horror over to anger and that was the last emotion he wanted from her. 

So instead, he provoked her in a different way.  There were a couple more buttons that hadn’t pulled apart and he slowly undid them, his fingers moving carefully while she watched his movements.  He saw the way her breath hitched. In fact, she stopped breathing completely as he pulled the shirt off of his shoulders. 

Kate was no longer watching his fingers – no longer fascinated by their movement. Her eyes were transfixed by his naked chest.  She couldn’t look away and had to restrain herself from reaching out and touching that magnificent chest.  All those muscles!  And the heat was radiating off of him in waves.  Not to mention, the man smelled incredibly delicious! 

“Feel free to touch anything you like,” he commented, moving closer as he held the shirt in his hand. 

Kate licked her lips and finally filled her lungs with air.  “Touch?” she whispered, desperate to touch and just as desperate to avoid touching him.  Her father’s angry visage kept popping into her mind, telling her that this was wrong.  That she should avoid any sort of personal relationship with Davis.  Keep it professional, she told herself. 

Clutching his shirt close to her chest, she licked her lips once more, then dragged her eyes away from that chest.  Oh goodness, she thought as she forced her feet to carry her away from Davis and into the relative safety of her bedroom. 

Sitting on her bed, she closed her eyes and went through the scene one more time, trying to find a point when she could have pulled away, a moment when she could have said no.  But until she’d heard that material tear, she couldn’t think of any point when she would have been able to stop.  Which was the big problem with this situation.  Davis was her kryptonite.  She wanted him so desperately.  As soon as that thought occurred to her, her father’s face popped into her mind, his angry eyes almost shouting at her to be professional. 

She leaned back against the mountain of pillows, staring up at the ceiling.  She was in big trouble, she thought.  This was not good.  She wasn’t very disciplined at the best of times but putting her in a suite with Davis – the one man who sent her pulse spiraling out of control – and she was a gonner. 

No, she thought.  I am in control!  I can be that woman.  She just needed a few supplies to help her get through this…this…thing!  This overwhelming attraction she had for a client.  A very important client.

She pulled her suit off, trashing her pantyhose because she hated them so intensely, and pulled on a pair of well-worn jeans and a sweatshirt.  Feeling better, able to move more easily, she grabbed the torn shirt and her purse.  Almost running out the door, she didn’t even see Davis as he walked out of his bedroom on the opposite side of the suite.  But he saw her.  His eyes hungrily followed her slender figure in the soft looking jeans that hugged her adorable bottom perfectly.  Well, almost perfectly, he thought as the door slammed behind her.  They should be tighter.  Or even better, they should be on the floor beside his bed with her naked and underneath him on the bed.

“Damn!” he grumbled and headed right back into his bedroom for yet another cold shower.  They weren’t helping very much, but he suspected that nothing was going to help except convincing that woman that it was okay to release herself to their attraction.

Kate lugged her supplies back to the hotel, feeling like the steel band around her chest was slowly loosening.  With each step, she felt better and better.  With her purchases in her hands, she stepped into the luxurious hotel, smiling and shaking her head at the bell hop who jumped to assist her. “Thanks, but I’m fine,” she told him gently.  First of all, she wanted to carry these supplies.  They weren’t heavy, just bulky.  But also, she didn’t have any cash for a tip.  She’d seen the huge tip Davis had given the guy on their first day and she actually considered becoming a bell hop.  They made good money if that tip was any indication. 

Riding up the elevator, she prayed that Davis wasn’t still in the suite.  Surely he had some important meeting with other crazy rich people, didn’t he?  She’d always assumed that rich people stayed rich by socializing and getting other ideas during rich-people parties.  But who knows?  Davis was certainly intelligent enough to get by without all of the socializing. 

But when she stepped into the suite, he was standing there, still shirtless but now in a pair of jeans and his hair was wet, making it obvious that he’d just taken a shower. She stopped in her tracks, staring at him and taking in his amazing physique.  There wasn’t an ounce of fat on his incredible, tall body. She wanted to follow the line of dark hair that moved from his chest, down his stomach, then disappeared into those jeans.  Good grief, she wanted to explore the ridges of his abdomen, taste that skin and unbutton his jeans. 

She felt her heart race as she remembered what was hidden beneath those jeans.  How incredible his body felt as it moved inside of her, the way he took her higher and higher, controlling her movements and, only when he thought she was ready, sending her spiraling out of control.  Her voice had hurt the morning after their one night and she wanted to scream like that again. 

Kate suddenly realized what she was doing and gasped.  “Sorry,” she whispered and hurried into her bedroom.  Closing the door, she leaned against the wood, closing her eyes and trying to get the image of him standing there, so available and yet, so unavailable
to her
. 

“Remember the job,” she told herself and started unpacking her supplies. 

Davis watched her as she scrambled into her room and closed the door.  With a muttered curse, he slammed back into his bedroom and stripped off his jeans.  He was hard and aching for that woman again!  How could she do this to him with just a look?  And from across the room!  Damn her!  What the hell was holding her back?

The cold shower cooled his body but did nothing for his raging libido.  He dried off and pulled his jeans back on.  Stomping out of the bedroom, he poured himself a stiff glass of bourbon, hissing as the liquid burned down his throat and glaring at the closed door.  He heard movements inside, but had no idea what she might be doing.  The sounds weren’t even steady, like she was exercising or something.  They were sporadic.  A thump one moment, odd sounds next and a swishing sound.  What the hell? 

He thought about going to her door and knocking, or even storming inside uninvited.  His curiosity was driving him nuts.  But he was trying very hard to respect her privacy.  He knew that he needed to understand her, to get to know her. Otherwise, he wouldn’t ever be able to figure out what was holding her back from acting on the obvious feelings they had for each other. 

So he sat in the chair directly across from her room and proceeded to get drunk.  Unfortunately, it didn’t work very well.  Probably the heat from his aching body was burning off the alcohol faster than he could imbibe the stuff. 

When his cell phone rang, he considered ignoring it.  But he looked at the number and almost smiled.  It was Ella, his niece who was only thirteen years old and in her freshman year of high school.  She was the most gregarious little lady he’d ever met.  “Aren’t you supposed to be in bed by now?” he growled in answer.

Ella knew him well enough not to take offense at his grumbling and all he heard was her giggling.  “I know you won’t tell on me, Uncle D,” she replied back with her saucy attitude coming through the phone lines.  “What has you in such a grouchy mood?”

Davis looked at the still-closed door and sighed.  “Just some idiots at work,” he replied, thinking of those men back in the restaurant he wanted to trounce for daring to look at his Kate.  “How is high school treating you lately?”

There was an excited intake of breath and Davis braced himself for the next whirlwind of words.  “Uncle D, you just have to come to my play.  I tried out for one of the parts and I think I did a really good job.  So will you come?”

He was so surprised that she’d stopped speaking that it took him a moment to react.  “Absolutely,” he promised.  He didn’t know when the play was, but he would be there no matter what.  “Send Jenny the details and tell her to rearrange anything I have planned.  You know I’ll be there.  Tell me what the play is about.” 

He sat back and talked with Ella, laughing at her most recent high school horrors and teasing her about the three boys that she was interested in.  He thought about asking her advice with Kate, but stopped himself.  Kate was his own puzzle and he might not like his present situation, but he was definitely enjoying the chase. 

“So where are you off to tomorrow?” Ella asked, breaking into his concentration of Kate. 

“Umm…” he thought about it for a long moment.  “I believe I’m off to Seattle but I might have a bit more to do here in Denver.”

“What are you going to do in Seattle?  Are you going to that restaurant down by the Fish Market that we loved the last time we went?”

He laughed, thinking of Ella and the way she’d scrunched up her nose when a plate of calamari was put in front of her.   But she’d bravely tried the squid and learned that she liked them, gobbling down the tentacles. 

He thought about taking Kate to that restaurant and immediately agreed.  “Yep.  I think I’ll manage to swing by there.  Want me to send you a picture, just so you know what you’re not getting?”

She laughed.  “You’re cruel, Uncle D.  Just for that, you’re no longer my favorite uncle.”

He chuckled as well.  “I’m not afraid.  I know exactly how to get back into your good graces.”  He thought about the chocolate shop they’d found after dinner.  His sister, Ella’s mother, hadn’t allowed any other treats that night, but Davis had snuck her some and they’d feasted on chocolate truffles late that night in secret which was one of the main reasons he’d been elevated to “Favorite Uncle”.  That title had only lasted for a few months and he suspected that his other brothers had probably stolen that title away from him with similar tactics. 

He heard her gasp of excitement.  “You mean…?”

He laughed again.  “Only if you get an A on that Geometry test you have tomorrow.  And I’m not taking your word for it,” he told her with a warning tone.  “You’ll have to send me a picture of the A and then you’ll get your chocolates.”

“Deal!” she enthusiastically agreed. 

“Mom!” Davis heard in the background.  “Ella’s on the phone with her boyfriend!”

Davis sat up suddenly. “Ella, do you have a boyfriend?  You only told me that you liked a few boys.  You didn’t say…”

“Relax, Uncle D,” she interrupted.  “That’s just my always-annoying baby brother poking his nose into my business,” she said those last six words louder so that her brother, Zane, could hear.  Davis could picture her glaring at her ten year old brother over her shoulder before coming back to the phone.  “I guess I’d better go.  Mom will be up here soon.  Love you, Uncle D!”

“Love you too, honey.  Show me the test and get some sleep.”

Davis smiled to himself as the line went dead.  He was just about to pour himself more bourbon when the phone rang again.  Looking at the caller ID, he cringed inwardly as Ella’s mom, Davis’ older sister Adriana, called him.  Pressing the answer button, he immediately said, “I’m not corrupting her.”

Adriana laughed.  “Of course you are.  You always do.  All four of you spoil both of them horribly.  But I’m not calling about that.”

Davis leaned back again, glancing at the door when another loud thump came through.  He was intensely curious, but he’d have to get Adriana off of the phone before he could investigate.  “What’s up?” he asked, standing up and walking closer, trying to hear what was going on.

“You’re not paying attention to me,” Adriana accused with a teasing voice.

Davis glared at the phone but turned away from the door.  “Of course I am.  But you’re not saying anything I need to hear.”

Adriana laughed, delighted to get a rise out of him.  “Your phone call to Ella reminded me that you promised to attend this year’s opera fundraiser.”

“The hell I did!” he came right back. 

“Yep.  Remember last year after you missed mom’s Humane Society event?  You promised that you would be there for the next big social function.” 

Davis stood still, his mind sifting through various conversations.  When it hit him, he groaned.  “Not the opera, Adriana.  Please, anything but the opera.”

She laughed again.  “Oh no, big brother.  You’re coming.”

“I’ll send a check,” he promised as a way to get out of going to anything having to do with the opera. 

“You did that to all of the other events.  And although your vast sums of money are very much appreciated, your presence is required at this one.”

He stood still, trying to figure a way out.  “Why?” he demanded. 

“Because you’re one of those gorgeous, studly men that bring in the press.  You can donate all the money you want, but we want people to read about the event the next day.  Therefore, you must be there.”  She paused for a moment, waiting for his next argument.  When there was just silence, she said, “I’ll have Jenny make sure your tuxedo is ready and will give her all the details so you will be sure to arrive on time.”

Davis closed his eyes as the thought of sitting through the opera hit him full force.  “Adriana, please, you know how I feel about…”

His sister was in perfect form, interrupting him before he could formulate a valid excuse.  “It doesn’t matter.  You promised, besides, everyone is going to be there.  I’m even making Ella go this year so you can be her date.”

Davis’ eyes shot to the closed door and a plan started to form.  “Actually, I have a date already.  So Ella will just have to go with Zane.”

Adriana groaned.  “No way.  Ella and her brother were fighting all day today.  I have no idea what has gotten into them, but they are fighting like wild horses.”

Only in his family would that reference make any sense.  Their mother, Jemma Alfieri, was one of the finest horsewomen in the world.  She raised the prettiest and strongest horses, selling them for ridiculous amounts of money.  She could get that kind of sale only because she had a special sense about horses.  She knew which horses to breed together to get the best speed and power.  Several of her horses had gone on to win some of the biggest competitions in horse racing. 

His father, an intimidating man that was completely devoted to their mother, was Damien Alfieri, a retired business man who had rocked the financial markets when he’d announced his retirement a few years ago.  Most men in his position would continue to rule the financial world well into their seventies or eighties but Damien had backed out of that world, preferring to spend more time with his wife, kids and grandkids.  Oh, he still made obscene amounts of money in the market, but it was only a part time hobby now. 

“So dunk them into the pool like we used to do to your boyfriends.  That will cool them off pretty quickly.”

Adriana groaned.  “Don’t remind me.”  He heard her laugh and knew that her husband, Mitch Powell, had probably just come up and kissed her neck.  He did that a lot.  If Mitch weren’t such a good guy, Davis might have to hate him.  As it was, Mitch was one of the best.  Davis fully approved of Adriana’s choice in men.  All her other boyfriends had backed down when confronted with four big brothers but Mitch wasn’t intimidated.  In fact, he was one of the crowd now, more than willing to join in teasing his wife right along with her brothers.  He also protected her too often in Davis’ opinion. And they disappeared from family functions at a disgusting rate.  Davis wasn’t going to think about his sister and what she might be doing with her husband.  They were married now with two kids.  He’d forgive Mitch a lot because of those two kids. 

“You’re coming to Julia’s birthday party, right?”  Julia was the three year old daughter of their older brother Dylan.  Dylan married the gentlest southern belle from New Orleans several years ago and they’ve been deliriously happy ever since.  Sometimes it got nauseating watching his older siblings with their spouses.  If it weren’t for the fact that they gave him nieces and nephews, he would harass them about it.  But he had to admit that he’d never thought being an uncle could be so much fun.  All three of them had him pretty much wrapped him around their little fingers.  He could be the meanest, toughest guy when it came to business, but when Julia, Zane or Ella called him, he stopped what he was doing, too eager to help any of them. 

“Yep,” he said, still hearing Mitch grumbling something in the background.  “Next month.  I’ll be there.  And now I’m going to hang up because your husband is doing things to you that I won’t approve of so goodbye.”  And he hung up before Adriana could protest or agree.  He just didn’t want to know.  Especially since that damn door was still closed and there were still strange sounds coming from inside.