The Earl's Outrageous Lover (17 page)

Authors: Elizabeth Lennox

BOOK: The Earl's Outrageous Lover

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Jessica sat back down in her chair and smiled admiringly at James. “James does some weird things with real estate. Aren’t you looking at some new property in London now? I thought I remember you mentioning that while we were in Switzerland recently.”

Edward almost rolled his eyes. “James is one of the preeminent real estate developers in the world, tackling projects that others think are too risky or even impossible. I wouldn’t describe what he does as ‘weird’, Jessica.”

Julianna grasped onto that news as a way to put the man in his place. “I guess that makes your fortunes rise and fall precipitously,” Julianna stated, hoping that it was true.

Jessica laughed, her curls dancing once again right along with those gold earrings that made her eyes sparkle even more brightly. “James is the only one I know of that can take a risky project and consistently make it profitable. Investors beg for the opportunity to do business with him even though many of them don’t understand the complexities of the project themselves. They just know about his track record and don’t care about the risks. James can overcome just about any challenge.” She took a sip of her wine, winking at his embarrassment.

“Tell me how many hearts you’ve broken since last we met,” he said as he took a sip of his own drink.

Jessica glanced over at Edward nervously before returning her eyes to James. “Alas, I’ve been a very good girl since we last met.”

James lifted an eyebrow in her direction. “Why do I find that hard to believe?”

She grinned right back at him, refusing to admit she’d done anything inappropriate. “Perhaps because you have a very suspicious mind?”

He threw back his head and laughed, then shook his head. “That’s true enough, but I also witnessed you in action. Those men in Belgium were fawning over you left and right and you didn’t even notice.”

Julianna was astounded that he took every insult with amusement. Jessica definitely had a special relationship with this man and once again, Julianna tamped down the jealousy she felt at the other woman. Just a friend, she reminded herself.

Jessica waved that aside. “You’re being ridiculous, James. No one fawned over anyone.”

He looked at her with concern. “You really don’t know how many men were in love with you, do you?”

She blushed and rolled her eyes. “You’re exaggerating. Tell me about the house you’re building in Aruba. Last time we were talking you said that you were having problems with the pool. Have you been able to resolve that issue?”

Julianna let the conversation whirl around her. Even Edward laughed and talked about various problems he’d had during a recent renovation, but Julianna wasn’t able to participate as much as a polite guest should. She kept trying to move away from the man, feeling too closed in and overheated. But it seemed as if he moved right along with her each time she inched away. She didn’t see him move, but the air was continuously filled with his spicy male scent and she couldn’t even turn her head away to break that intoxicating scent from filling her lungs.

Beth stepped into the room to announce that dinner was ready and Jessica smiled her thanks.

“I’d like a word with you, Jessica,” Edward said to Jessica, putting a hand out to stop her from moving out of the room.

James stood up quickly and looked down at Julianna. “I would be honored to escort you into dinner,” he said as he looked down at Julianna’s startled expression. He took her hand in his, lifting her up and almost pulling her into his arms. She thought he was going to wrap his arm around her waist, but he simply tucked her hand into his arm and escorted her out of the room.

“I know the way, sir,” she said stiffly as he led her out of the room on his arm.

When they were out of the living room and alone in the hallway, she tried to pull her hand out of his grasp, but he held her firmly, looking down at her curiously. “Do I make you nervous, Julianna?” he asked softly so the housekeeper wouldn’t overhear.

“Absolutely not!” she gasped and tried to put some space between them but he held her too closely. And the fact was, he didn’t just make her nervous. He terrified her. These feelings coursing through her body were scary, different and unnamed. She didn’t like feeling like this. She preferred the organized, scheduled life she had with Edward while James made her feel completely off balance and chaotic.

“What if I told you that you make me nervous?” he countered. “In fact, I think I’m completely terrified of you.”

She turned her head away, embarrassed that he could see what she was feeling so easily. “I’d say that you are a liar, but since you’re not nervous, and you can’t say that about me, I won’t be so rude as to say something like that to a stranger.”

He smiled, not insulted at all by her words. “But we’re not strangers. We’ve been sitting next to each other for the past hour.”

Her chin went up defensively and she glared at him. “You were sitting too close, by the way.”

He laughed down at her mutinous expression. “Ah, but your lovely perfume was just too much of an allure to hold back.” He leaned down and winked at her. “If you don’t want a man to notice you, then why did you put so much effort into looking beautiful?”

She took a step back, as far as his hand would allow since he was still holding her hand captive on his arm. “I wasn’t trying to entice you! I didn’t even know you would be here.”

His eyes moved over her pale, lovely features slowly at that point. “I know you weren’t trying to entice Edward. So I guess I have to assume you’re just naturally beautiful.”

She looked up at him, her mouth slightly open with surprise as he looked down at her. They stopped in the middle of the hallway and Julianna tried to think of something to say, but no words would come to her. She should argue that she had been trying to impress Edward, but that wouldn’t be honest at all. She’d barely thought about Edward as she’d dressed for the night, had in fact been resentful that he’d disrupted her plans for the evening with his phone call. But how does one respond to such a sweet compliment from a man like James Cavanaugh?

He didn’t wait for her reaction but continued with that disconcerting, introspective gaze. “Actually, I think you’re one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever met in my life,” he admitted, his free hand coming up to touch her skin.

James looked down at the blond woman and was surprised at how strongly he needed to touch her. He wanted to see if she was real, if she might disappear if he touched her. Giving in to the need, he reached up and ran a finger down her soft, porcelain skin and was shocked at how soft she was under his rough fingertips. And when she blushed once again, he wanted to reach down at kiss her. Never had he been so instantly attracted to a woman before. Women threw themselves at him just because of his size. But when they found out who he was, their pursuit could be embarrassingly aggressive.

And yet this cool cucumber pretended that she wasn’t interested even while she blushed at his touch and tried to pull away. Her laughter enticed him and her reserve challenged him as no other woman ever had. He wanted to break through that reserved façade and see what she was like when she wasn’t so controlled. His body reacted as he pictured her naked, those small, perfect breasts in his hands and her body writhing whenever he touched her. He wanted to make her scream out as she climaxed from his touch and he wanted to hold her in his arms afterwards, letting the shivers subside.

Damn, but she was gorgeous, he thought.

“This is a completely inappropriate conversation,” she said, looking away and wishing that her voice was more assertive. “Please release me,” she ordered.

“Or you’ll what?” he asked, actually moving closer to her, enjoying the way her nipples peaked underneath the ice blue dress she was wearing. His fingers ached to hold those breasts and his mouth wanted to take those peaks into his mouth. He wondered if he could make her climax from that kind of stimulation and he almost groaned from the image that formed in his mind. “Come home with me tonight,” he growled. “Let me show you what we can share with each other.”

Julianna gasped and shook her head. Had the man actually propositioned her? Come home with him? They might have sat next to each other for the past hour but they’d barely spoken. How could he think that she would welcome such an invitation?

Goodness, what was happening with her body? Her breathing was ragged and she felt dizzy with the desire his soft touch of his finger on her arm generated inside of her as he let his long finger trail down from her shoulder to her elbow. She couldn’t believe she was actually considering saying yes! But just his soft touch and that voice were hypnotizing her, making her want things that were wicked and….inappropriate.

“Leave me alone,” she gasped and stepped away, relieved when he gave her the space. But she should have known better. He followed her retreat, backing her up against the wall and shaking his head.

“I don’t think I will,” he said, referring to her command. “I think we’re going to make each other very uncomfortable for a while.”

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