Desire (#2) (3 page)

“Uh, Kate?”

I squirmed in embarrassment. That was Colin’s voice. Crap.

“Benjamin is running late,” Colin said. “He has requested we meet him at the restaurant.”

“Okay,” I squeaked, wishing the floor would swallow me up.

“Are you nearly ready? I’ll book us a black cab.”

“Yes. I’m almost ready. I can be downstairs in five minutes.”

After we arranged to meet in the lobby and rang off, I hugged myself with excitement. I would get to ride in a black cab today after all. I knew it was silly, but I loved the idea. I was growing fond of Colin. He might not approve of Benjamin and me, but I knew he’d arranged the black cab, rather than his usual driver, especially for me.

Colin’s eyes widened as I walked towards him. It was the shoes. I bit my lip and looked down nervously. Were they too much?

Colin quickly regained his composure. “Kate, you look ravishing this evening.”

I thanked him and ducked my head shyly. The rain had started up again, and the concierge held a huge umbrella over us as we made our way to the cab.

I sat on the back seat, and Colin sat beside me. I stretched my legs out.

“There’s so much room,” I said to Colin, smiling like a big kid.

He nodded indulgently at me and then gave the driver a Mayfair address.

The black cab pulled up outside the restaurant, called Delights, and I leaned on Colin’s arm for support as we dashed towards the restaurant’s entrance, trying to avoid the worst of the puddles.

As we entered, I was giggling, and Colin patted the back of my hand. The maître d’ stood in front of us, gazing at us in shock.

I suppose I couldn’t blame him, the restaurant was so quiet, with just the tinkle of piano music and the murmur of voices in the background, and we’d just noisily flung ourselves inside.

“Easton,” Colin said in a cool voice.

“Oh, yes of course, Sir.” The maître d’ recovered himself. “This way please.”

He led us inside a small restaurant, with low lighting.

“You’re in the private room, of course, Mr. Easton,” the maître d’ simpered.

He opened the door for us, and I entered the room first.

Benjamin and two other guests, who I guessed were Lord and Lady Vastor, were already there. I realised something was wrong immediately.

Benjamin’s jaw almost hit the floor.

At least I had managed to penetrate his cool exterior.

Lord Vastor was a short podgy man, with a thick thatch of reddish-brown hair that looked suspiciously like a toupee. His eyes bulged as he stared at my legs and my sexy red shoes.

Lady Vastor was a little more reserved. She didn’t look older than forty, but she wore a high necked dress, with capped sleeves and a line of pearls at her neck. She pressed a hand to her chest.

“Sorry we’re a little late,” Colin said cheerfully and put a hand in the small of my back to nudge me further into the room. I seemed to have become rooted to the floor.

As Colin spoke, Benjamin seemed to gather himself. He stood up and pulled out a chair for me.

“This is the very talented Katherine Taylor,” Benjamin said, looking down at me. There was something in his eyes I couldn’t quite read. “This is Lord and Lady Vastor, Kate.”

After the introductions were made and as Colin entertained Lord and Lady Vastor with a story about his recent trip to Paris, Benjamin leaned close to me. He seemed like he wanted to say something, but he just looked at me as if he was trying to figure something out.

I’d really messed up and misjudged this whole situation. “I’m sorry,” I murmured in a low voice. “If I’ve embarrassed you.”

He frowned. “Why would you think that?”

I looked down at the white table cloth. “The shoes. I thought you’d want me to wear them tonight.”

He chuckled and slid a hand under the table to rest on my thigh. “Oh, I did want you to wear them tonight. I’d just imagined we would be alone.”

“Oh …”

He squeezed my thigh. “It’s going to be torture, sitting through dinner with you wearing those. Are you sure you didn’t do it on purpose?” His eyes darkened. “To tempt me?”

I licked my lips. “I thought you wanted –”

“Miss Taylor.” Lady Vastor's voice interrupted my train of thought. “I am looking forward to having my portrait painted. What style will you use?”

I suppose it said a lot about my state of distraction over the past few hours that I hadn’t given it much thought.

“I like to work in oils, but I can do watercolour if you prefer?” I said trying to ignore the heat from Benjamin’s hand.

Lord Vastor leaned forward. “Oils, eh? Very good. Traditional, I like that.”

“It does take longer, of course,” I said. “But I think the results are worth it.”

“I looked at your portfolio, very impressive,” Lady Vastor said. “I know viewing them on the computer screen isn’t the same as seeing the real thing, but I loved your portrait work.”

Benjamin circled a finger on my leg. His touch was light, and he spoke innocently with Lord Vastor while he did it, but it was driving me crazy.

I stood up, pushing my chair back from the table.

Benjamin’s hand dropped from my lap, and he looked up surprised.

“Excuse me,” I said. “I’m going to find the restroom.”

“I’ll join you,” Lady Vastor said.

I wanted a moment alone, to gather my thoughts, but smiled politely as the men stood up as we left the table.

The restroom was luxuriously fitted out in creams and gold. I washed my hands with the lavender scented soap, which took me back to a memory of my mother. It was funny how little things like smells could trigger such powerful emotions.

I picked up a rolled-up hand towel to dry my hands.

“You’re not his usual type,” Lady Vastor said as she joined me by the wash basins.

“I’m sorry?”

“Benjamin. You’re not the usual type of girl he goes for.”

“Really? Well, what type is that?” I asked, my voice brittle.

Lady Vastor looked at my reflection in the huge gilt mirror in front of us. “Don’t be offended. And you don’t have to be jealous of me.”

“Jealous?”

“It was written all over your face, back there.” She gestured at the door to the restaurant.

I didn’t see how it could have been. The only thing I’d been thinking about was all the things I’d like to do to Benjamin when we got back to the hotel.

“Oh, I’m not jealous,” I said and shrugged, hoping that would be an end to the matter.

“That’s good because there’s really no reason to be. He and I were together centuries ago, darling.”

I locked eyes with her in the mirror. She was still smiling, but the smile didn’t reach her eyes.

So Benjamin used to be in a relationship with this woman. Well, she was right. There was no need to be jealous now that she was married to Lord Vastor, was there? But I couldn’t help thinking she protested too much.

I didn’t like the feelings she was stirring up in me. I wasn’t a jealous person, but now my mind filled with images of the receptionist looking at Benjamin and licking her lips, and I remembered his assistant, Geraldine, scowling at me when I left his office.

I took a deep breath and shrugged. “It’s still early days for Benjamin and I,” I said breezily, then I added as coolly as I could, “We don’t really talk about each other’s pasts. Neither of us consider old lovers to be important.”

At my emphasis on the word old, Lady Vastor’s eyes narrowed.

Crap. I needed her onside, and I wanted the portrait job, but I couldn’t just let her manipulate me.

Lady Vastor, carefully applied her soft, pink lipstick, then turned to me and delivered her killer line. “I take it he bought the shoes. He does enjoy them, doesn’t he?”

She pivoted on her heel. “I’ll see you back at the table, Kate.”

I felt as if all the air had been sucked out of my lungs. The bitch. She’d said that so I’d know he’d bought her shoes too. I wasn’t anything special. He’d done this before.

Everything I felt with him had been new. I’d never experienced anything like it with anyone. But he had, clearly. Perhaps I was just one in a long line. I threw the hand towel in the linen basket.

I stared down at my red shoes. I should end this thing with Benjamin tonight. It wasn’t leading anywhere. I was starting to get too involved, and that wasn’t a good thing. It couldn’t end well.

When I returned to the table, Lady Vastor smiled knowingly. She knew exactly what she was doing. She had planted the seeds of doubt.

Benjamin turned to me, concern flickering across his face. “Are you all right, Kate?”

I put on a bright smile. “I’m fine.”

We ordered and when the food arrived it was artfully arranged on the plate, but I barely tasted it.

Every now and again Benjamin or Colin tried to draw me into the conversation, but I was barely responsive, giving one-word answers. All I could think about was how to stop myself getting hurt. It was crazy. I shouldn’t have been this obsessed with someone after two days.

THE FIVE OF US left in Lord Vastor’s limousine. Benjamin sat next to me with his hand over my leg, possessively.

“Do you fancy a night cap?” Lord Vastor asked as the limousine pulled up beside our hotel.

“No, thank you.” Benjamin practically growled the words.

I turned to look at him surprised.

“I have an early start tomorrow,” he said.

“Fair enough,” Lord Vastor said as Colin, Benjamin and I climbed out of the car.

“I’ll call to arrange our first sitting, Kate,” Lady Vastor said with a sickly sweet smile, her hand reaching up to finger her pearls.

“I’ll look forward to hearing from you,” I said.

Benjamin offered me his arm as we walked up the polished steps to the entrance of the hotel. We took the elevator up as before, Colin getting out on the second floor. Then Benjamin turned to me.

I’ll end it tomorrow, I thought. One more night wouldn’t make any difference. One more night to feel those hands on my body. One more night to look into to those dark, desire-filled eyes.

Unlike earlier, he didn’t immediately grab me when the door closed. Instead he looked down at me, looking like he was struggling to find the words to say something.

“Kate, are you okay? Did Lady Vastor say anything to upset you?”

I swallowed and tilted my chin up. “What do you mean?”

“I thought perhaps you might have the wrong impression.”

“About you?”

“Yes.”

I smiled sadly and shook my head. “Oh no. I think I have the right impression.”

He smiled and looked relieved. “Good,” he said and reached for my hand as we left the elevator.

But it wasn’t good, not really. It wasn’t good that I was starting to feel more than just lust for this gorgeous man holding my hand and leading me to his bed.

Maybe I should take charge. I looked down at my sexy red shoes and smiled.

Tonight I would seduce him.

As soon as we entered the suite, he pulled me in for a deep kiss, his tongue probing my mouth, until I broke away breathless.

I stood in front of him and unzipped my dress. Then I shimmied a little, making the dress pool at my feet. As I moved, his eyes fixed on my jiggling breasts.

“God, you’re beautiful, Kate,” he said.

I unhooked my bra and let it fall forward, the straps slipping down my arms.

I saw his chest move as his breathing sped up.

He reached out and cupped the edge of my breast, then slowly traced his finger in a circle around my nipple. In an instant both, my nipples were like pebbles. He rubbed one between his fingers, making me moan in pleasure. Then he lowered his mouth to my breast, sucking and teasing.

I reached for his belt and fumbled with the buckle. He helped me remove it. Then I sunk to my knees in front of him and reached for his zipper.

I licked my lips and slipped my hand inside his boxers. As my hand closed around his thick shaft, I heard him inhale sharply.

I pulled his erection through the gap in his boxer shorts and moved forward. My lips grazed the tip, then I ran my tongue along its length.

His breath hitched in his throat.

I shaped my lips into an O, and looking up into his dark eyes, I took him into my mouth, slowly moving backwards and forwards.

His hands reached down to the back of my head to pull me closer. He filled my mouth, making it hard to breathe, but I carried on bobbing my head as his breathing grew ragged.

I cupped my hand around his balls, gently stroking and tugging them, and he groaned and flexed his hips, driving himself into my mouth.

It was such a turn-on knowing that my mouth was making him lose control.

I sucked harder, swirling my tongue around the tip of his erection, and he opened his eyes and stared down at me.

“Christ, Kate,” he groaned through clenched teeth.

I took him deeper into my mouth, feeling him at the back of my throat as his fingers fisted in my hair.

“Enough,” he said.

He popped out of my mouth as he pulled me to my feet.

“I’m going to take you now, keep those shoes on,” he hissed.

Oh my. Shoes on, eh? Interesting.

“Lean over the bed,” he ordered.

I set my hands on the bed, grabbing the cool cotton sheets and shivered as a cool breeze ran over my hot skin.

“Very nice,” he said, staring at my ass.

His fingers traced the line of my thong then slid underneath the elastic, pressing deliciously against my wet flesh. I moaned with pleasure. His expert fingers circled my clitoris, and I began to pant.

“I could make you come like this, would you like that?”

Before I could respond his thumb slid between my folds, slipping easily into my wet opening. I groaned and pushed back against him.

The high heels made my ass stick up higher in the air, and my legs trembled to support me as his fingers flicked across my most sensitive spot.

His lips were close to my ear as he whispered, “I’m going to fuck you now.”

I groaned, lost in the pleasurable sensations as his slippery fingers kept up their assault.

Then I felt the tip of his erection nudge my opening. At the same time, his fingers doubled their pace, flickering back and forth over my clitoris. He pushed himself inside me hard, filling me fast. I cried out with shock. He didn’t stop. He flexed his hips and picked up the tempo and I tilted my hips back, grinding into him.