Taking His Woman (2 page)

“Not that it’s any of your business, but we’ve
been dating for the last year.”
 
Well,
not exactly a year. They’d been hanging out with friends, and then that had
turned into dating. Now Ben wanted to turn that into marriage. He’d asked her
to marry him even though they hadn’t slept together, and she knew he wasn’t
attracted to her in any way. Ben was hiding who he really was behind her. She
didn’t like it, but wasn’t she trying to hide behind Ben as well? The whole
thing seemed surreal to her.

She shook her head to push her doubts from her.
Then a thought entered her mind. “You haven’t been checking up on me, have
you?” The idea was ludicrous, but Chris had never been a conventional man. The
rumours of his being a matchmaker had been rife, which made her feel broken
inside. He’d used her and thrown her away like rubbish while everyone adored
him for his ability to bring couples together.

He looked away from her, his fingers combing
through his hair. She loved his dark locks. The memory of her grip in his hair
as he drove into her filled her head making her ache in ways she’d kept long
buried.

How could she agree to marry one man when her
mind was filled with another?

“I wanted to make sure you were safe,” he said.

Tears filled her eyes. She hated this side of
him because it made the meaner part of him so hard to bear. Once she knew how
loving and caring he could be, the rest was too hard to accept with Chris. This
was the Chris she’d fallen in love with. The Chris very few people got a chance
to see. When they’d been together, she’d seen the tenderness inside him. Their
time together had been special until they had gotten back to reality, and he had
discarded her.
 

“That isn’t your right anymore. You gave that
right up,” she said. Erica glanced back and saw Ben on his way towards her.

“If he comes over here pawing at you, I won’t
be able to control my actions, Erica.” It sounded like a warning. She looked at
him and saw the small amount of control he held.

“Why are you behaving like this?” she asked.
His quick mood changes were startling to her. The control he usually held was
slipping.

“Because I fucked up.
Watching
Blaze with Cassie has shown me the mistakes I made. You were my biggest
mistake.”

“I know. You regret being with me at all—”

“No. I regret letting you go and being a
callous ass. I’ve paid for it dearly. Do you think I like being this way with
you? I can be nice with everyone else, but the moment I’m near you I turn into
this monster, and I hate it.” He cut her off, moving closer to her. He grabbed
her shoulders, staring intently into her eyes. She saw the conflicting emotions
inside him.

“What are you trying to say?”

“I want another chance. I want to show you what
it could mean to be with me. I’m asking you to take a chance on me.”

There wasn’t enough time to answer. Ben would
be there, and Erica couldn’t stop the pounding in her heart or the hope that
flared inside her. “You can’t do this,” she said.

“Can’t I? I’ve witnessed a woman be in love
with a man for twenty-five years only to be second-best to a woman who’d passed
away. I’ve already wasted three years. Please don’t let me waste any more
time.”

This wasn’t fair. Chris had pushed her aside,
and she’d left the company to be away from him. Ben wrapped his arms around her
waist, his warmth doing nothing to soothe her.

She saw Chris fist his hand. The violence
inside him was so clear to her.

“Hey, baby. We were missing you.” Ben kissed
her neck, and Chris took a step towards her.

“Ben, I want to introduce you to an old friend.
This is Chris Sinclair. He’s my old boss. Chris, this is Ben Williamson.” She
didn’t know how else to introduce her friend. Ben shook Chris’s hand. She
stared at their joined hands and witnessed the pressure Chris was exerting.

“You must have been one lucky man to have such
a fine woman working for you,” Ben said.

“Yes. I was just going to ask her out to dinner
tomorrow night. What do you say, Erica? Would you have dinner with an old
friend?” he asked.

Chris was a sly bastard. If she refused Ben
would start to ask questions. He’d put her on the spot in front of the man
she’d claimed was her boyfriend. Turning away from him, she glanced up at Ben.
He was smiling down at her.

“Yes. I would love to,” she said. The words
were out of her mouth before she could stop herself.

“I’ll pick you up.” He nodded at Ben, smiled at
her and then walked away. She watched him go with a mixture of anxiety and
excitement. After three years, Chris still had the power to undo her.

“Wow, that guy is intense.”

She smiled and followed Ben back to the
campfire. He cooked some marshmallows for her, which she took gratefully.

“So, have you thought about what I asked?” Ben
said when most of their friends were skinny-dipping in the ocean. The beach was
clear of everyone. A few drinks and all inhibitions had been left behind.

“No. I haven’t.”

“Do you at least have any thoughts?”

Erica watched her friends while thinking about
his words. She hadn’t been able to think of much else. No other man had asked
her to marry him. The one man she’d given herself to pushed her away. For the
last three years she hadn’t given her heart—or her body—to anyone. Her heart
and body
were
her own to do with as she saw fit.

“I’m not ready for this, Ben. I care about you,
but I think you’re moving too fast for me. We need to have some space.” She
patted his head before getting up to leave, grabbing her sandals in the
process. They were staying in a beach house owned by Ben’s parents. She entered
through the back porch, which went straight through to the kitchen. Erica put
her shoes down then headed for the fridge. Food was in order.

She selected several items in order to make a
sandwich. Talking with Chris in the past had always made her nervous,
especially as she knew what had passed between them. She spread some butter
over a slice of bread before adding a slice of ham and a piece of cut cheese.
It had been over three years since the situation with Chris.

Why was he determined to see her again?

Taking a bite of her sandwich, she packed the
ingredients away in the fridge,
then
made her way
upstairs to her room.

Did he get a kick out of throwing her off
balance? Whatever his reason for taking her to dinner, Erica couldn’t deny the
thrill the invitation had sent through her body. The moisture between her legs
made it more than clear to her the power Chris Sinclair still had over her.

She sat down near her window, munching on her
food, staring out at the moon.

Chapter Two

He stood at the mirror in his room gazing at
his reflection. This was the first date in his mind. He wanted to wipe the past
hurts away. If he could get through this and show her he was a changed man,
then there was a possible chance of a future for them. Chris ignored the stares
from his family as he walked downstairs in his finely pressed suit. Blaze and
Cassie were curled up on the sofa with Blaze Jr. snuggled with them. They
looked like a happy family already. Molly was in the kitchen with his father
trying to talk to her. Chris knew he needed to do something about their
relationship soon. They were either fighting or ignoring each other most of the
time. Considering it was supposed to be a lovely family vacation together
everything had turned to shit around him.
First with Cassie
and Blaze, then with his father and step-mother.
The only saving grace
was the fact his other brothers seemed perfectly content with their own lives.

Chris wanted to try for his own happy ending.
Spending his life denying the fact Erica was his woman would be plain stupid.
He loved her. His feelings were plain and simple to him.

“You look good,”
Trent
said, coming out of the kitchen
munching on a bowl of cereal.

“Thanks.”

“Who’s the hot date?”

“Erica.” The sound of her name rolling off his
tongue sounded so right. He wanted to do nothing more than burst out laughing.
He was too nervous to do anything but give a lift of the lips in
acknowledgement of his name. Would he be this nervous if it hadn’t been for
their shared past? Chris didn’t know the answer. He hoped to never cause her
any kind of pain again.

“You’re going on a hot date with Erica Black?
The woman who hates your guts?”
Cassie came out of the
sitting room. Whiskers brushed past her feet, rubbing his back along Chris’s
legs. He adored that large cat.

“I asked her, and she agreed to go out with me.
I’m taking her to dinner. Nothing is going to happen,” he said. Cassie looked
unconvinced.

“I’m surprised she agreed to go out with you.
Last time she and I spoke, you were on the unwanted list of topics.”

“Thank you for the vote of confidence, Cassie.
I always know I can depend on you to give it to me straight.” Chris rubbed his
palms down his pant leg. The more time he spent with his family, the more he
felt like he’d made a mistake with trying a second time at love.

“Someone has to keep you in line, Chris. No one
has a clue what you’d do otherwise.”

Blaze came out with his son in tow. “Uncle
Chris.”

He smiled down at his nephew before glaring at
the adults. They all looked at him as if he was going to fuck this up. He’d
fucked up in the past. This wasn’t like that. He wasn’t wowed by models, or the
high life, or money. Over the years without Erica, he’d mellowed out. The
playboy was not the bloody matchmaker. His reputation was mocked everywhere.
Instead of wanting to change back from the man he’d become, he relished the
change inside him. Chris had anticipated seeing Erica again. He’d hoped to be
the better man. But with the way he reacted the day before, all of his effort
was a waste. The moment they were together he acted like a total asshole.

“I think it is a good thing you’re giving love
a second chance. I blew it the first time, and Cassie forgave me. Maybe Erica
can forgive you,” Blaze said. Chris watched his brother hug Cassie to him. The
love between his brother and friend was so clearly visible to everyone who
looked. He envied them. He knew if given the chance he and Erica could have the
same. Chris wanted the same.

“Leave your brother alone,” Molly said as she
came out of the kitchen. She brushed his brothers aside, smoothed out his tie,
and tapped him on the chest. “Go and show her what a great man you’ve become.”

“
Thanks,
mum,” he
said. Her eyes widened, and he saw the unmistakable sign of tears. He laughed,
looking past her shoulder to see his father staring at her with longing. Chris
knew he needed to fix his parents’ problems. But first, he needed to fix his
own problems.

“Right, I don’t want any of you staying up. I’m
going to take Erica out, and I don’t want any of you up when I get back.”

They all muttered. He shut the door behind him.
Getting into his car, he drove the short distance to the beach house where she
was staying. A few of her friends were scattered out the front. He noticed Ben
swigging beer. Chris felt an instant dislike to the guy who was trying to keep
Erica for his own.

Erica was his woman, even if he had fucked up
years ago. Did she allow this man to make love to her until the early hours of
the morning? Had she opened up her heart and soul to him as he was deep inside
her body?

So many questions swirled around his head,
threatening to unleash the ugly, jealous beast inside him. Chris got out of his
car and waited. Her friends stared at him a few minutes before Erica walked
out. Ben grabbed her arm, twirling her around to face him. Fisting his hand at
his side, Chris watched the other man talk to her. He wished he could hear what
the other guy was saying.

Folding his arms over his chest he observed
them. She nodded her head but ducked away when he went to kiss her. Chris
couldn’t contain the smirk that came from him.

Fuck you.
Erica is mine.

She walked over to him with her head bowed
down. He opened the door, helping her inside.

“Can we leave, please?” she said. He shut the
door, going round to his own side. The desire to give Ben the finger was
strong, but he kept the desire down.

“Doesn’t your boyfriend like you going on a
dinner date?” he asked.

“He’s not my boyfriend.” She stared out of the
window.

“That was fast. In the space of a day he’s gone
from being your boyfriend to not being.” Happiness sprang up inside him.

“I lied. I didn’t want you thinking I was pining
after you. You’ve already got the world’s biggest ego. I’m not going to add to
it.”

Chris had nothing to say in response. He
probably would have felt she hadn’t gotten over him.

She looked sensational with her blonde hair
curled around her shoulders. The length was something he always enjoyed gazing
at. She wore a plain white summer dress that emphasised her large breasts and
full hips. Her waist looked small but evenly proportioned with the rest of her
body. His grip tightened on the steering wheel as the urge to touch her grew
inside him.