Sweet Talk Boxed Set (Ten NEW Contemporary Romances by Bestselling Authors to Benefit Diabetes Research plus BONUS Novel) (8 page)

He closed the book and put it back down. It wouldn’t do him any good to read about sex in some cheesy paperback right before spending time alone with this compelling woman. He already wanted Whitney far too much, even though he knew the situation was impossible.

He couldn’t be with a woman like her, not for long, at least. She was too naïve, too innocent, not to mention the aunt of the children that he and his father had decided were much better off being raised by someone other than her. With them the kids would have unlimited opportunities for advancement. For him to even consider a fling with a woman of her sort was ridiculous. And yet he still found himself wanting her with a passion that bordered on obsession.

He flicked the book away and, after striding purposefully over to the bar, poured himself a shot of scotch. That was better. The burning liquid traveled down his throat and helped to ease the tension in his stomach. At least it softened the longing until Whitney came back into the room.

“Sorry I took so long. I had a hard time finding my boots,” Whitney said as she came to stand beside him.

“You took hardly any time at all,” he told her. If she’d taken any longer, he might have gotten his libido under control, dammit.

“So what is this all about? Is it about the children?” she asked as they stepped through the doors, into the cool afternoon air. A few snow flurries were falling around them, but not enough to keep them inside.

He didn’t answer. He’d never felt so bad before about doing what he knew to be right. The best for everyone concerned, of course. So why in the world would he be feeling any guilt at all right now? It wasn’t as if this woman could make him think he might be a better person.

No. That was ridiculous. He was powerful, determined, and successful in all he attempted. Should he change who he was or what he was about? Absurd. Absurd in the extreme.

Whitney seemed to stiffen as she walked beside him. Perhaps she knew what was to come. But instead of pressing him, she backed away and changed the subject. “It’s so beautiful today. Every time I look out the windows here or step through the front doors I’m reminded of a ‘Winter Wonderland.’ We get snow in Oregon, but it’s nothing like this, not this pure beauty or this refreshing cool air.”

“Being with you and the children is an entirely new experience for my father and me. I hate to say it, but we rarely notice the beauty around us anymore."

She smiled up at him, light shining in her eyes, and he couldn’t help but touch her. He placed her arm through his and took her on a path that led them to a cave, one he’d always enjoyed playing in as a child. Well, to be honest, a cave he’d enjoyed playing in until he’d realized that playtime was unproductive.

The two of them walked in silence while he thought about his life, thought about what was to come. There was so much he needed to say to this woman, and yet he was reluctant to do anything right then except hold on to her arm and attempt to see things through her eyes.

When Whitney gasped a few minutes later as a herd of deer passed by, his cold heart leapt a bit in his chest.

“Surely you see deer in Oregon,” he said with a laugh.

“Oh, yes, of course I do. But these bucks are huge and so close.” And she also laughed as the deer looked at them fearlessly.

“There’s no hunting allowed in this area,” Liam told her. “The animals aren’t afraid of humans.”

“I’m not against hunting, but I just couldn’t be the one to pull the trigger,” Whitney said with a smile. “Deer are just too majestic, and then, of course, there’s Bambi.”

“We should have brought some hay in our pockets. They most likely would have wandered over and taken it from you,” Liam told her.

“Wow. That would have been amazing.”

“Next time we’ll remember.”

“I don’t know if there will be a next time. I’m leaving soon,” she said, and gave a sad sigh.

Those words didn’t make Liam happy at all, but why should he care?

With a bit more force than necessary, Liam tugged on her arm. He wanted to show her the cave now more than ever before.

“I’m taking you to a place that has very special meaning to me,” he said as they reached the end of the trail.

“Oh, Liam, this is spectacular,” she said as she gazed at what seemed like a giant cavern.

“Beware,” he said.

“Why?”

“My great-great-grandfather blocked this off at one time. The cave is rumored to have magical powers and was always a favorite place for all the Felton children to hide out or play in.”

“Magical powers?”

“I’m just telling you the story. I don’t in any way believe in magic,” he made sure to inform her.

And yet he was finding it difficult not to believe in magic. A break in the clouds let the sun shine directly down upon her, causing her hair to glow and her eyes to light up even more.

“I’m relieved to hear you say that. The order of the world might change if superbusinessman Liam Felton believed in something so silly as magic.”

Though she was joking with him, her words stung just a bit. No, he didn’t believe in things that weren’t there, but her words made him want to examine himself. No. He couldn’t do that. So he decided to carry on with his story.

“Here’s the family tragedy. My great-great-grandfather’s oldest son came out here the night before his eighteenth birthday. He was to be made a partner in the company the next day. But he was never seen again.”

“How do you know he didn’t just run away?”

“About half a mile inside the cave, blood was found, along with his jacket and the satchel he carried his art supplies in. He loved painting more than anything else, or so I’ve been told.”

“Maybe that was all a setup. Maybe he just didn’t know how to tell his father what he really wanted out of life and he went on to be an artist.”

“No. That’s ridiculous. It couldn’t have happened that way,” he told her, though his mind was reeling.

“I think the story is far more romantic that way.”

“This is the way we know the story. He was taken into another world but his spirit still resides here, to protect future generations of children from dying as tragically as he did.”

“That makes quite a romantic ending to the story too, but I like my version better,” she told him as she stepped inside the cave.

Liam felt mesmerized by this woman and her odd perspective on things. What if she were right and his great-uncle had decided to run away and start over? Was there any way to find out? Suddenly his words poured out.

“Vince and I never wanted this life. We never wanted to work seven days a week and turn into the man our father used to be. We would come to this cave and plan on running away, living on the land, maybe even becoming cowboys. Anything seemed better than this.”

“I’m so sorry, Liam, for all the responsibility placed on your shoulders,” Whitney told him.

“I don’t need sympathy. That was just a foolish thought from when we were younger.”

“It obviously matters to you if you’re telling me this now.”

“Just learning of my brother’s death is probably playing with the way I see things. I’m sure I’ll be back to my normal self in no time,” he told her.

“I kind of like this guy who’s not so normal.”

She shivered.

“I’m sorry for keeping you out here for so long in this weather.”

“I’m okay, really. I want to enjoy this peace and quiet for a few more moments,” she told him.

He looked down at her red nose and open expression, and he couldn’t help himself. He had to taste her lips again.

So he wrapped his arms around her waist and watched as awareness flashed through her eyes. He bent forward and finally their lips connected. He’d meant it to be short and sweet, just a simple touch, just something to ease the ache. But as soon as his mouth met hers, he lost control.

Her tongue was soft and wet against his lips. She darted it out, more like a question than a demand. He answered her in the only way he knew how, and oh how he enjoyed the contours of her mouth. He wished these thick layers of clothing weren’t between them because he wanted to feel and taste her skin, all of it. She clung to his shoulders as he cupped her backside and drew her against him.

He deepened the kiss, sliding farther inside the warm recesses of her mouth and moving his fingers desperately through the silky strands of her hair. He’d only wanted one simple taste of her, to prove he was in control. He was being proven wrong.

She seemed to pull herself together much more quickly than he could have, and started resisting. He didn’t get the message at first, as their mouths remained locked together. But Whitney finally pulled free.

“Let go of me,” she said breathlessly.

He looked into her flushed face, and he groaned. Her eyes were dilated in passion and she was breathing heavily. It would be so easy to seduce her into continuing, but he wasn’t about to force her. Still, he had to say something in his frustration.

“I don’t know why we keep stopping.”

“Because this can’t go anywhere. That shouldn’t have happened again,” she told him. She turned and once again ran away from him.

He wanted to chase her, but she was right. This couldn’t possibly go anywhere. It was best if he forgot about her, forgot about this feeling inside of him, and simply carried out his plans.

Chapter Thirteen

Liam put his head in his hands, and a deep sigh escaped.

“Is everything all right, son?” Frederick asked as he walked into the room.

“Yes. I just…” Liam trailed off. What could he say? Nothing. There was no rational solution. “It’s nothing. Too much work,” he lied.

Three days had passed since he and Whitney had shared that kiss in the cave. And for three days since then she’d avoided him since, three days he had burned with need for her. The need extended beyond mere lust, though, the hope for simple pleasure. The need that burned inside him was to talk to her, share with her, learn about her.

And those pathetic needs weren’t getting met.

“I see,” his father said in a knowing voice, one that immediately ground on Liam’s nerves.

It was time to change the subject. “Did you want me for something?” His words were sharper than they should have been, but he didn’t want his father intruding into his personal life.

“No, not really. I was just checking in with you. Whitney has a caller in the main hall,” Frederick said offhandedly.

“A caller? What do you mean by that?”

“A gentleman caller. A man has come to call upon her.”

It took a few moments for the meaning of his father’s words to penetrate.

“I wasn’t aware she knew anyone here.” Liam was trying to seem casual, but feeling anything but that.

“She apparently met someone at the market,” Frederick said.

“Oh. I suppose it would be rude if I didn’t say hello, then,” Liam said, when his father didn’t elaborate.

Without another word, he rose and walked from the room, not waiting to see whether his father was following him. He made his way quickly down the hall and the first thing he heard was Whitney’s laughter, which tightened his gut.

“I’m so delighted you’ve agreed to come with me,” a man’s voice said, making Liam tense up even more.

As he stepped in the room and saw the guy, he became even angrier. This worthless stranger was obviously trying to sweep her off her feet, and it looked as if it was working.

“I’m thrilled you thought of me,” Whitney said, and laughed again.

Liam coughed to make his presence known. “I see you have a visitor, Whitney.”

“Oh, Liam, this is Sam. I don’t know if you’ve met before.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Liam,” Sam said, holding out his hand.

Liam ignored the gesture. Yes, he knew he was being rude, but he didn’t care.

“So, what are your plans this evening?” he asked crisply.

“I’m going to take this beautiful lady to dinner and a show,” Sam said. The man looked a bit uneasy as he started picking up on the tension.

Liam stared at him a moment longer, and then turned his attention back to Whitney.

“I thought you were taking the children to the play this evening,” he said, with clear disapproval in his tone.

Whitney gaped at him for a few seconds. “The play I took the kids to was last night, Liam.”

“My mistake. I hope you have a pleasant evening,” he told them, then quickly spun on his heel and began walking away.

Still, he heard Sam tell her that he’d be back in a couple of hours to pick her up for the show. Since dinner would be afterward, it would evidently be a long night.

He meant to go toward his father’s office and then to leave the house altogether. He in no way needed to talk to Whitney about her date. But somehow he found himself moving toward her bedroom.

What in the hell was he thinking?

Chapter Fourteen

“How did you meet Sam?” Liam asked just as she reached her door.

Whitney hadn’t been expecting to see him again, and the sound of his voice, clipped and formal in the extreme, nearly made her jump a foot into the air. Her heart was racing as she whirled around to face him.

“You scared me to death, Liam.”

His arms were crossed over his chest as he waited for her to answer his question.

“I met him at the market when I took the kids to town. I was surprised that he called on me.”

“That was quick, don’t you think?”

“Are you angry about something?” Whitney wasn’t going to stand there and play games.

“No. Why would I be?” he asked with a shrug.

“I don’t know. You tell me.”

He was wearing the same expressionless look like a mask, and she couldn’t read him at all. She didn’t understand any of this. They’d only shared a couple of kisses and he’d expressed his desire to bed her, like a typical man who didn’t respect women of a lower class. But he now seemed to be acting…jealous. That made no sense at all.

“I thought you’d told me that any relationship here would be pointless,” he finally said.

“I’m not planning on entering a relationship. I just met a man at the grocery store, and he offered to take me to the theater. I thought it would be fun — maybe expand my horizons, as someone like you might say. But I don’t know why I’m explaining myself to you.”