Her Unexpected Admirer (18 page)

His mother responded with a snort of disbelief.  He really should be insulted – if she weren’t right on target.  “I’ve put her in Adriana’s room, next to yours.  Behave!”

Marcus laughed softly. “I’m your man,” he said.

Juliette glared at him, furious that he was putting her through that kind of inspection.  When he said, “I’m your man,” like that, she wasn’t sure if he was talking to her, or to his mother on the other end of the phone.  She wished she knew what they were saying to each other, but she could only hear his side of the conversation and he definitely wasn’t being the gentleman Jemma had assured her that he was.  He was being a completely uncivilized brute.  Her breast was still tingling where his hand had…groped her!  And she didn’t like that.  Not one little bit!

He laughed softly to whatever was being said and nodded.  “Love you too, Mom.”  And he hung up the phone. 

“So…” he started out, that smooth, sexy voice making more than just her breasts tingle.  She’d thought she was in trouble a moment ago.  Now she knew that she was in real danger.  His big, muscular body was no longer about to tackle her.  But the look in those dark blue eyes was not good.

“So…your parents explained why I am here,” she finally said, wanting to move on, to change that look.  She preferred him angry.  It was safer somehow.

His response was a slow nod of his too-handsome head. 

Her breathing tripped a bit as his eyes seemed to actually darken a bit.  Instincitvley, she was more wary of him.  “And you understand why and for how long?”

Again, he simply nodded slightly, his eyes watching her closely as if he were waiting for her to do something.

“Any issues now?” she asked. 

He shrugged, not saying a word. 

She huffed, irritated with his non answers.  “I’m going to bed,” she stated and almost stomped over to the sink to rinse off her spoon before slipping it into the dishwasher.  “Goodnight.  And I’ll get out of the house in the morning.  I don’t want to be where I’m not wanted.”

Marcus sighed, trying to hide his amusement.  He knew that his mother would be furious with him if he let this cute little woman walk out of the house before she’d finished her thesis.  Besides, if his dad was okay with Juliette, than she must be legit. 

“Hold on, Juliette.  You don’t have to go anywhere.  My father explained why you are here.”

“Yes, but you don’t want me here.  I can just find another horse breeder to help me.  I don’t need charity.  I’d get out of your hair tonight but it’s too late and I doubt I’d be able to find a hotel at this point.  So you’re just stuck with me for a few more hours.”

He laughed when she started to walk by him.  “Hold on, little firebrand,” and he grabbed her by the waist, pulling her back so she was standing in front of him.  He noticed that she stepped backwards to put more space between them but he simply couldn’t help himself when he eliminated that space.  Damn, she was adorable when she glared up at him like that!

“You’re not going anywhere.  Like I said, my dad explained what’s going on and I think it is great that you’re going to work on your thesis here.  My mom apparently loves you, my dad thinks you walk on water, so just stick around, finish up whatever you have to do and I’ll be good.”  His voice lowered as his eyes noticed her breasts once again.  “Very good,” he promised.

Juliette wanted to smack him because of those last two words, but figured his comment was probably innocent.  Of course, he had glanced downwards, but maybe it was just the light.  She sighed, rubbing her forehead in an effort to release the tension that had suddenly built up.  “I don’t want to be in your way.”

“You won’t be in my way at all.  I’m here working out some details on an acquisition and watching the horses while my parents are down in Texas oohing and aahing over their latest grandchild.  So you’re not in my way at all.”

Juliette had to take his word for it.  And she quickly stifled the thought that he was most definitely in her way.  She didn’t think he would care and he was finally being nice to her.  She didn’t want to ruin it by being a prude, especially when he was probably just being kind and considerate. 

Marcus ran his eyes up and down her figure once more, thinking she was definitely the hottest, cutest and sexiest little thing he’d ever seen.  He would say that she wasn’t his type, but his body was telling him differently.  He might normally date tall, athletic women, but there was something about this lady that hit him.  Hard. 

Not that he would act on his body’s desire for her.  He needed to admire someone before he fell into bed with them. 

He snorted mentally.  That was a complete lie, he thought.  He didn’t need to know the women he slept with.  At least not on any deep level.  In fact, the complete opposite was true.  He kept all of his affairs light and easy, simple and uncomplicated. 

So he might not like the lady much, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t enjoy a bit of teasing.  Instead of letting her walk up the stairs alone, which was probably what she wanted, Marcus followed her, enjoying the way her cute butt moved in her jeans.  The round globes shifted with each step she took, and he wondered what that adorable bottom would feel like without the denim.

Juliette looked behind her, startled to see that he was following her.  “I’m not going to steal the family silver,” she snapped.  “I’m just going upstairs to sleep.”

“I know.”  But he continued to follow her. 

Up the stairs and down the hallway, he matched his steps to hers.  It was easy since he was four inches over six feet while she was barely five feet, five inches.  His legs could easily keep up with her shorter stride even when she tried to take longer steps to get away from him. 

But in the upstairs hallway, she turned around and confronted him.  “What are you doing?  Why are you following me?” she demanded, poking him in the chest. 

He bent slightly lower, trying to intimidate her.  He didn’t know why.  “I’m not following you, little lady.  I’m just going to my room.”

Juliette was startled by the ‘little lady’ term.  She definitely didn’t like it at all.  Was he laughing at her?  Teasing her?  She thought of ‘little’ in the same terms as ‘skinny’ and she’d never in her life been skinny.  She was just too curvy to be considered skinny.  No matter how much she dieted, she simply couldn’t lose the curves.  A long time ago, she’d just given up and accepted her body.  That didn’t mean he had to laugh at her though. 

“Don’t mock me, big guy!  Just because you like women who resemble number two pencils, that doesn’t give you the right to make fun of my figure!”  With that, she slammed into the beautiful bedroom Jemma had told her to use and leaned against the door, dragging in ragged breaths and trying very hard to calm her temper.  Goodness, she never let people get to her like she’d done with him.  But that man just got under her skin! 

The Texas Tycoon’s Temptation

The Royal Cordova Trilogy

Escaping a Royal Wedding

The Man’s Outrageous Demands

Mistress to the Prince

The Attracelli Family Series

Never Dare A Tycoon

Falling For The Boss

Risky Negotiations

Proposal To Love

Love's Not Terrifying

Romantic Acquisition

The Billionaire's Terms: Prison Or Passion

The Sheik's Love Child

The Sheik's Unfinished Business

The Greek Tycoon's Lover

The Sheik's Sensuous Trap

The Greek's Baby Bargain

The Italian's Bedroom Deal

The Billionaire's Gamble

The Tycoon's Seduction Plan

The Sheik's Rebellious Mistress

The Sheik's Missing Bride

Blackmailed By The Billionaire

The Billionaire's Runaway Bride

The Billionaire's Elusive Lover

The Intimate, Intricate Rescue

The Sisterhood Trilogy

The Sheik's Virgin Lover

The Billionaire's Impulsive Lover

The Russian's Tender Lover

The Billionaire's Gentle Rescue

The Tycoon's Toddler Surprise

The Tycoon's Tender Triumph

The Sheik's Mysterious Mistress

The Duke's Willful Wife

The Sheik's Secret Twins

The Tycoon's Marriage Exchange

The Russian's Furious Fiancée

The Tycoon's Misunderstood Bride

Love By Accident Series

The Sheik's Pregnant Lover

The Sheik's Furious Bride

The Duke's Runaway Princess

The Russian's Pregnant Mistress

The Lovers Exchange Series

The Earl's Outrageous Lover

The Tycoon's Resistant Lover

The Sheik's Reluctant Lover

The Spanish Tycoon's Temptress

The Berutelli Escape

Resisting The Tycoon's Seduction

The Billionaire’s Secretive Enchantress

The Big Apple Brotherhood

The Billionaire’s Pregnant Lover

The Sheik’s Rediscovered Lover

The Tycoon’s Defiant Southern Belle

The Sheik’s Dangerous Lover (free novella)

The Thorpe Brothers

His Captive Lover

His Unexpected Lover

His Secretive Lover

His Challenging Lover

The Sheik’s Defiant Fiancée (Free Novella)

The Prince’s Resistant Lover (Free Novella)

The Tycoon’s Make-Believe Fiancée (Free Novella)

The Friendship Series

The Billionaire’s Masquerade

The Russian’s Dangerous Game

The Sheik’s Beautiful Intruder

The Love and Danger Series – Romantic Mysteries

Intimate Desires

Intimate Caresses

Intimate Secrets

Intimate Whispers

The Alfieri Saga

The Italian’s Passionate Return (Novella)

Her Gentle Capture

His Reluctant Lover

Her Unexpected Admirer

Her Tender Tyrant (Coming December, 2014)

His Expectant Lover (Coming January, 2015)

The Sheik’s Intimate Proposition