London Calling: BWWM New Adult Romance (Chase Brothers Book 2) (8 page)

O
f all the
ideas she’d ever had in her life, this was probably not one of Imani's best ones. She was playing a part. She just had to remember that. None of this was real. Smoke and mirrors. Then why was she letting him touch her?
Because you're pretending to be his girlfriend, idiot.
Touching is part of the deal
.

She really had to start thinking through her plans better. It had seemed like such a good idea to slip her hand into his before coming down for cocktails. A fantastic idea, really. It was innocuous enough but was something real couples did. Or so she remembered from her old life when she had relationships. But then as soon as the doors had opened, there had been people in the hallway.

Xander had probably taken his cue from her, but the kiss he'd planted on her shoulder didn't feel like an act. It felt…real. At least the shivers it gave her were real. The stubble on his cheek had tickled her skin as his lips had slowly glided over her. Xander Chase was walking sin. And he very well knew it. It was in the confidence of the way he walked. The tilt in his head as he talked to women. He was aware of how good-looking he was and used it to full advantage.

As he introduced her around, he was mildly flirtatious, but never overboard, always deferring to her like a boyfriend would. Always keeping her within two feet of touching distance. As they traversed the white marble from the foyer he gently guided her with a hand on her lower back. But every single touch, caress, and glide brought the lick of heat with it. It was making her half mad with lust. When she slanted him a glance, he blinked at her innocently.

Damn him, he knew he was driving her crazy. And this was why she hadn't wanted to do this. Because of this feeling. Every time he touched her, she was transported right back to that flat in Notting Hill. Where a total stranger had touched her and for once made her feel something.

It didn’t help things that he was smart. He floated easily from conversations about politics, to art, to current events. And of course he spoke flawless French, along with Italian and what sounded like some German. He was officially a Venus Flytrap. Everything about him was meant to entice, to entwine, to ensnare.

After an hour or so of mingling, Imani started chatting with a girl who worked in the marketing department. It took Xander less than twenty seconds to come looking for her. He stalked toward her like a man who knew what he wanted. Like she was his target. His prey. “Sorry to interrupt, beautiful.” This time, he kissed her on the neck, lingering long enough to nuzzle. Imani’s head spun and she flushed.

The poor girl she’d been talking to shifted on her feet and tried to look anywhere but at them. “I thought this weekend wasn't about sex,” Imani muttered, keeping her voice low.

“I’m pretty sure I told you I’d still have a go, right?”

“Not going to happen.”

“If you say so.” His voice was low when he spoke. "Sorry to interrupt, darling. But there's someone I want you to meet. He’s the man who made all of this possible."

Ah, code words. She needed to go play nice with the douchebag who was blocking him from his job. Excusing herself from the conversation with her new friend, she let Xander lead her away.

All it took was one look and Imani hated Alistair McMahon on sight. It could have been his pale, gaunt looks, or what little she already knew about him. Or maybe it was the mask of disdain he wore when he saw Xander. He looked every bit the picture of refinement, but his eyes were cold and his thin lips looked as if he never smiled. All in all, a miserable-looking man, despite his fancy suit and overall polish.

"You must be the young lady that's captured Xander's attention. I can see why he's taken with you."

Imani plastered her smile on. "Thank you for having me. It's a treat to come to Paris."

Alistair’s shrewd gaze narrowed. "Why Xander, I would have thought you'd taken her to your
pied a terre
by now."

Imani squeezed Xander's hand to stop him from answering. She wasn’t a fan of this Alistair douchebag. "Well, we were just talking about how we might have stayed at his flat instead, but we thought the chateau suited better. As least for a few days, then we'll switch venues, explore the city."

Alistair narrowed his gaze imperceptibly at her. "So, almost little brother, where have you been storing this American…gem?" Somehow the man made the word “gem” sound remarkably like “rodent.”

Little brother?
Wait, what the fuck? She frowned and Alistair tsked. "Xander didn't you tell her that we were practically family? If I were you, my darling, I'd wonder about what else he wasn’t telling you."

Xander tugged her in close to his side and kissed her on the temple. "It was unimportant, so why bring it up?" Turning to her, he said, "Alistair’s father almost married my mother when I was a child."

Maybe that was the reason for the too-thick tension. "What a small world. And now you two are going to be working together."

Alistair’s gaze turned frostier. "Time will tell."

Xander clapped him on the shoulder. "Relax, Alistair. This is all supposed to be a fun weekend, remember? I'm having fun. Aren’t you?"

When Alistair slunk away, Imani turned her gaze to him. "Is that all part of the stuff I'm not supposed to worry about?"

"Don’t worry about him. He’s inconsequential. But this guy is not." He inclined his head toward the approaching behemoth of a man. "Jean. It's a pleasure to see you again. May I introduce to you to my girlfriend, Imani Brooks."

The larger man took Imani’s proffered hand and completely engulfed it in his. She could only pray she’d get it back one day. "
Enchanté
. I heard we were finally going to meet the beautiful woman we've been hearing so much about."

She'd add that one to the pile of questions she needed Xander to answer. "
Enchanté de te rencontrer
. This is a great party and the grounds are beautiful. Thank you for including me in the fun."

"Of course my dear. My mother is British, but my father was French. This chateau has been in our family for centuries.” His smile broadened. “You know, until last week, I was unaware that Xander had such a serious relationship." He leaned forward conspiratorially. "I’m sure you’re aware of his former reputation."

Imani locked her smile into place. "I’ve always believed love can change a person."

Xander trailed a hand down the small of her back, leaving a trail of fire in his wake. "Everything changed for me after I met Imani."

She met his silvery gaze and there was a hint of sincerity in them she couldn’t deny.
No. He's acting. Don’t believe the hype
.

LeClerc smiled down at them from his towering height. "Sometimes love happens like that. It's enough to change you as a man."

"Tell me about it,” Xander said. "My whole outlook on life has changed since meeting this creature."

"You know, my Charlotte did that for me twenty years ago. How did the two of you meet?"

Imani gave the story that they'd discussed. She embellished with sweeping emotions, but it worked great. LeClerc's wife, Charlotte, sidled up to them with a broad grin. "You two are a beautiful couple. I'm so glad Xander has learned how to keep his personal life out of the papers for once. There was a time that you couldn’t open an
OK Magazine
without seeing his face and some emaciated model."

Xander took a sip of his champagne. "I'm a changed man."

Charlotte nodded. "I can see that." The older woman slid a sly glance up at her husband. Then back at the pair of them. "Now that I've met Imani, I can see what Alistair means."

Xander cocked his head. "Oh? What is it Alistair had to say?"

Charlotte smiled sheepishly. "Sorry for the gossip. He was just wondering why you haven’t snapped up this gorgeous creature and made her officially yours yet.”

Imani flushed. She had to school her expression and bite back the wince when Xander's grip tightened on her hand. She wasn’t sure if it was out of fear or if he was trying to keep her from running. Great, just what she needed—a pair of matchmakers. Xander had mentioned improv, but this was a little ridiculous. “I guess it’s a matter of timing. Nine months really isn’t that long. And we want to take our time, not rush into anything.” She clasped Xander’s hand and beamed him a smile. “All that will come one day. There’s no rush. When you know, you know.”

Charlotte LeClerc scoffed. "Sometimes young love has to win out," she said.

Her husband nodded. "The two of you are clearly in love. And if I’m honest with you, Charlotte and I eloped when we were young. We didn’t wait."

Imani slid a glance at Xander, begging for help. How was she supposed to wiggle out of this one? There was no script.
Say something, dumbass
.
Anything
.

His gaze flickered to hers and she watched as his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down. His attention went back to the LeClercs and back again. "Wow, put on the spot, actually. But I've been carrying this thing about with me for ages and I was hoping to do this in Paris this week, but you're right. When it's right, why wait?"

Letting go of her hand, he reached up to his neck and took off the chain and ring he wore around his neck. In the light, the rose gold shone and the stones around it gleamed. He slipped the ring off the chain and dropped to one knee.

Oh God. Oh shit. No. No!
This was not part of the deal.

"Imani Brooks. My life changed when I first saw you. I'd never met any woman who makes me feel the way that you do. You astonish me with your wit and your smile and I cannot get you out of my head." He licked his lips and his voice trembled when he spoke again. "I love you. Will you marry me?"

No, hell no.
But with all those eyes on her and Xander holding her hand tight, his gaze imploring her to trust him, the word that tumbled out of her mouth was, "Yes."

She. Could. Not. Breathe. It was like an out-of-body experience watching Xander slide the ring made of rose gold and emeralds onto her finger. The lighting in the ballroom hit them just so, making them shimmer.

This was supposed to be a simple one-time thing. Go to this weekend away. Pose as Xander's girlfriend. Get paid five thousand pounds. This was not supposed to happen. But no matter how she steeled herself, she was completely unprepared for what he did next.

Rising to his feet, Xander pulled her close. When he slid his hand into her hair and cupped her face, she fought the urge to flee.
What are you doing?
she mouthed.

Kissing my fiancée
, he mouthed back.

Imani froze in an attempt to brace herself. After the other night, she’d told herself she wasn’t going to go back to that feeling. While the free-fall was awesome, the landing was too hard to survive. But still, here she was, about to walk off a cliff. With him…again.

He angled his head and halted just before his lips touched hers. Pressed so close against him, she could feel his heart. Hammering, matching the thundering beat of hers. Their kiss in his flat had been a shocking frenzy of need. He had caught her off guard, but even more so by the raw emotion that coursed through her the moment his lips touched hers. This time was different.

Xander’s lips melted over hers slowly, as if he had all the time in the world. As if they were the only two people in the room and no one was watching. His tongue took command of hers in a sensual dance, choreographed to tease. Every slow stroke of his tongue over hers was followed by a teasing retreat. She didn't know much about this man, but she was certain of one thing. He was an expert at this. Kissing could well be a full-time job for him. It didn't matter how much she steeled herself for this. There was no preparing for Xander Chase.

When he pulled back, her body swayed toward him. Desperate for more of the bliss he promised her. Slowly the sound blocked out by his kiss began to filter in again. There was applause.
Lots
of applause. And when she looked around, several women were fanning themselves.

He released her and the room spun. The chiffon and satin of dresses swirled together. She needed air. Space. Distance from Xander. “If you'll excuse me for just a minute. I'm just going to get some fresh air..." On unsteady feet, she wove her way through the throngs of guests at the party. The vibrant colors of their dresses and their ties clashing together making her head throb. The crowd finally thinned and she stumbled onto the balcony, greedily gulping in deep breaths of fresh air. The temperature was in the mid-sixties, so not exactly warm but the bite of the chill helped the panic recede.

The shadow of fear evaporated in the night air and she could breathe easier again. There was no way she could let that happen again. She wasn’t afraid of him. He might be a total stranger, but he’d had prime opportunity to hurt her and he hadn’t. What she was afraid of was her response to him and what she felt after he touched her. Out of control of her body. Needy, and desperate for something she couldn’t quite name.

She’d gotten herself into this mess. Trying to do everything for everyone. What she should have done was taken Fe up on his offer. Instead, her stupid pride got her in trouble. Even as the thought filtered in, she frowned. No. She couldn’t have done that, knowing the pain that money caused him. She was a big girl; she could get out of her own mess. All she had to do was tell Xander she was leaving. Leaning against the thick stone armament, she tried to quell her queasy stomach. She'd never backed down from a challenge before, but maybe there was a first time for everything.

"Imani?"

Xander's voice brought her upright and she met his steel-gray gaze. "I can’t do this." She half expected him to try to convince her otherwise or talk her into it, but he just took her hand and nodded.

His voice was soft. "I’m sorry. This is my fault; I didn’t see it coming. I anticipated a dozen other outcomes. Just nothing like this, so I improvised.”

Bleary-eyed, she studied her ring. “Where did you get this?”

“It belonged to someone I knew.”

Great, recycled love
. “We can’t get married. You have to un-improvise. Something. I can’t marry you."