There's Something About a Rebel- (5 page)

‘I’m looking for somewhere to invest some money,’ he said carefully. ‘A business, perhaps.’

She went very still. He saw a tiny crease in her brow appear as she absorbed his suggestion. Her eyes took on a different shade. The way light changed when one moved from sandy shallows on some tropical shore to the deepest ocean dive.

‘If you’re thinking what I think you’re thinking, forget it.’ Her tone was cool. Very cool. Then she rose, took a few steps away. Distancing herself. ‘I don’t want or need your charity.’

‘I’m not suggesting a handout,’ he said, mildly. ‘Charity was my mother’s forte. I’m suggesting a partnership. I’ll provide the start-up capital but you’ll be the one slaving your guts out and responsible for the day-to-day running of the business.’

She turned. Her shoulders square, looking taller than her small stature, she hesitated before
saying slowly, ‘You mean you’d be … like a silent partner?’

‘Exactly.’

‘Why?’

‘Because everyone deserves a chance and I like what I’ve seen so far.’

With a scowl, she crossed her arms, drawing his attention to the deep cleavage at the top of her emerald T-shirt. ‘What do you mean—what you’ve seen?’

Uh-oh.
Right word choice, wrong place to look while saying it. He lifted his eyes. ‘I have to admit I flipped through some of your work last night before I brought the rest of your gear over.’

Lissa watched him from across the room, her sudden exuberance quickly dissipating. What would he know about interior design? He’d just eyed off her cleavage, what did that tell her? That he’d finance her business in return for sex?

No. She’d never stoop to that. Not to get herself out of difficulties, not for a chance at success. Not even for the chance of sleeping with Blake Everett. Rubbing her upper arms, she looked away. ‘I’ll find my own business partner, thanks.’

‘It could take a while to find the right person and you don’t have the luxury of time. Meanwhile you’re not bringing in a reliable income and you’re living on that pathetic excuse for a boat.’

He made sense. Damn it, why did he have to make so much sense?

‘So how about taking me on until you find someone else?’ he suggested. ‘That special someone with financial backing
and
a flair for interior design who wants to take a more active role. When you find that suitable person we’ll renegotiate.’

Little bubbles of cautious excitement fluttered as she leaned against the sink and studied the black slate floor. It would solve her immediate problems. She’d be able to afford the boat’s repairs, pay off her debts, and maybe, just maybe, she could give herself a real chance at the career she so desperately wanted—

‘There’s one condition,’ he said slowly.

The Catch, she thought, her heart sinking as she looked up and met his gaze. Wasn’t there always a Catch?

Blake studied the wary eyes, the slight lift of her upper lip, the flared nostrils. Damned if she didn’t expect him to suggest a wild, no-strings affair. And damned if he wasn’t tempted. But this was his money he was putting on the line.

‘I want to see how you work, so I’d like you to redecorate the living room here. It’s been more than ten years and it’s looking tired. I’ll pay you, of course.’

Her posture straightened and a renewed spark lit her eyes. ‘You’d let me have free rein?’

‘Absolutely. And if we’re both happy with how things progress—’

‘But hang on, you said you’re here temporarily.’

‘Not a problem these days with email and the Internet.’

‘So apart from the financial end, you’ll keep out of it?’

‘Unless you ask for my help, which I’m more than happy to give. Ah. One proviso, party girl. The business comes first. No coming home at dawn.’
Unless I’m coming home with you.
The thought popped into his head and he frowned. Where the hell had that come from?

She turned, reciprocated his frown with one of her own. ‘Just because I was the Gold Coast’s number one party fan, doesn’t mean the legend continues here. I’m not eighteen any more, I’ve more important things on my mind. So I go to the occasional party—doesn’t everyone?’ Still watching him, she shook her head. ‘No, I guess they don’t.’

Damn right, they didn’t. ‘Say the word and I can have the money in an account this afternoon.’

She leaned back against the sink, fingers tense on the edge, and nodded slowly. Cautiously. ‘Okay. But I don’t want Jared to know. Not yet, anyway.’

‘So we’ll keep it between the two of us.’ A sudden awareness—or was it wariness?—crept
into her gaze and he knew she was thinking of the way he’d linked the two of them. ‘It’s just a business arrangement, Lissa. A temporary one until you find someone else.’

She nodded, blew out a breath. ‘Okay, we have a deal.’

‘O
H … WOW
!’ Lissa’s whole being seemed to light up.

‘We’ll need it in writing,’ Blake said, sharper than he intended, remembering the boat fiasco, which still needed discussing. After his father’s betrayal, never again would he trust another as easily. No matter who it was. No matter how attracted he was.

‘Of course.’ Linking her fingers above her head, she laughed with surprising abandon, spinning a circle in the middle of the kitchen. ‘I’ll get right on it.’

She all but danced across the kitchen, reached up on tiptoe and flung her arms around his neck. ‘Thank you.’ Her breasts, firm and full and not constrained by a bra, grazed his torso, sending a spurt of lust straight to his groin.

Before he could respond in any way, she came to an abrupt halt. Her eyes widened, her cheeks coloured and she backed away fast. ‘I … I’m
going to go take a look at the room now and write up some ideas before you change your mind.’ Then she turned and hurried from the room.

Lissa clutched her neck with both hands and willed the hot rush of heat to subside as she raced upstairs to her room. She’d got carried away and practically climbed up his chest.
Oh, God.
And he’d looked positively shocked. She went straight to the en-suite, splashed herself with cool water. She did
not
look at her reflection.

Sucking in calming breaths, she sat on her bed and took a few minutes to take stock and absorb the conversation. His generous offer. The offer that was conditional on whether or not he liked her work.

When she could breathe normally again, she walked downstairs to the living room and straight to her supplies stacked against one wall. To her relief, Blake was nowhere around.

She flipped her sketch pad open to a new page and sketched the room’s layout. This was a tropical coastal town, so a beach or watery theme. Elegance. Simplicity. The furniture had to go. She glanced up. The exploding crystal orb of light stayed.

‘Ideas?’

She heard Blake behind her but didn’t turn.
No distractions.
‘Blues. Ocean theme. I’m thinking dull turquoise. It has both warm and
cool undertones so it’s compatible with almost any colour. It works well with charcoal—that slate wall’s ideal. A lift with lime green or even red. Or if we go with a darker version of the turquoise, gold can look very dramatic, which could lend itself well to the honeyed wood …’ She pulled out her big blue paint samples, chose two. She glanced over to him. ‘Can you visualise your walls this shade, or is it too dark for you?’

‘I’m leaving it up to your professional judgement.’

‘But can you live with that colour?’ She walked to the wall and held both samples up high, against the slate.

‘I won’t be here.’

Blake wasn’t looking at the samples. He was looking at the strip of enticing flesh between her jeans and T-shirt. And all he could think of was how she’d felt pressed against him for those few seconds in the kitchen.

All he knew was he wanted that feeling again. He found himself standing behind her, breathing in the fragrance of her hair. His pulse drummed in his ears. ‘The darker one. More full-toned.’

He heard her surprised intake of breath as he studied her neat little fingernails against the colour card. When she didn’t pull away, his hands closed around her waist, his fingers straddling the ridge between her T-shirt and smooth warm skin.

Her hands drifted down the wall; the colour
cards fluttered to the floor. He turned her around slowly, looked down at her. ‘I’m going to kiss you. God knows I shouldn’t. You’re Jared’s little sister.’

Her eyes grew huge and glassy; her pupils seemed to swallow the green. ‘I won’t tell him if you don’t,’ she whispered.

He leaned nearer, felt her breath against his face. Felt the heat of her body against his chest. He pulled her closer. ‘Ah, but I’m not going to lie to him, he’s my mate. It’s a matter of honour. But then I’m not feeling particularly honourable right now.’ He dipped his head.

‘After all this time …’ she murmured against his mouth.

‘After all this time … what?’

‘Never mind.’

The breathless sound spilling from those luscious-looking lips, her fragrance shimmering on her skin, the sensation of two tight nipples pushing against the middle of his chest … No, he agreed silently, never mind … whatever it was.

His erection surged hotly against his jeans. Barely smothering an involuntary groan, he slid one hand to the small of her back and encouraged her body into closer alignment to ease the pressure down there.

It didn’t. It only made him hotter and harder. And a whole lot hornier.

Denim shifted against denim as her legs moved against his. She stilled momentarily as
the front of his jeans came into contact with her belly. Her eyes locked on his. Knowing, but not quite acknowledging. Not yet.

Then her fingertips crept up his chest, her arms slid around his neck. ‘Unbelievable,’ she murmured.

‘Believe it,’ he murmured back.

Lissa looked up into those liquid blue eyes framed with thick dark lashes and wanted to drown there. She slid her fingers into his short military haircut and released a sigh that seemed to come from the depths of her soul.

Then, in a flash like a remnant of lightning from last night’s storm, she hesitated. Did he
know
how she’d always felt about him? Was he about to take full advantage of that knowledge?

His erection butted against her as if in answer and, oh, how long had she wanted that? But, ‘Wait …’ She relinquished her hold and pushed at his chest. Reluctantly but firmly.

His brows lowered, his gaze turned bemused, those perfect,
ready
lips turned down at the corners, but he didn’t quite let her go. His hands still rested on her waist. ‘You okay?’

‘I … yes.’ Of course he didn’t know.

But how well did she really know Blake? Did she believe the old gossip about him? She didn’t know—she’d never had any personal contact with him beyond the casual ‘hi and bye’.

She’d thought she’d known Todd. She’d trusted him with her heart, and with her body,
and he’d abused that trust. In so many ways. The niggle turned to panic and flared bright and urgent within her. She started to pull out of his hold.

‘Hang on, where are you going?’ He tugged her back, his arms slid around her, steel bands holding her prisoner.

She fought down a sudden feeling of claustrophobia. ‘I just remembered I need to. be somewhere.’

‘No.’ He released one arm to lift her chin with a finger so that she was looking up, up into his eyes. ‘No,’ he said again, softer this time, but no less demanding as he gripped her chin and dropped his mouth to hers.

Futile to fight it.
The old thought flashed through her mind and hot panic geysered up her throat but as his lips moved over hers the bad drained away as quickly as it came.

She’d fought Todd when he’d made the same move on her over and over while she’d struggled and died inside, but here, beneath the heat of Blake’s mouth, even within his uncompromising hold there was a whole world of difference.

Because she knew instinctively that she could pull away at any time.

Masculine dominance. Strength. Control. She’d come to fear them, but with Blake, here, now, it faded away like mist beneath a tropical sun. She felt none of that familiar trepidation,
only a willingness to meet him equally, man to woman, and an urgent desire for more.

His stubble grazed her chin. Her legs trembled and she clutched at his T-shirt to keep from sliding to a puddle at his feet. She could feel the hard wall of his chest, leashed power humming just beneath his skin, the heavy thump of his heart against her fists.

This was nothing like a simple meeting of mouths. Nothing like it had been with any other man. Here, as his lips moved over hers, there was fire. The same fire, the same hot desire that burned brightly within her.

Until Todd had left her feeling inadequate as a lover, she’d never been a woman to shrink from her own desires, from taking what she needed from a man and giving in return. Celebrating her sexuality, absorbing her own pleasure, while ensuring she reciprocated in full measure. But she’d never felt the overwhelming emotional connection that suffused her whole being now, with Blake.

Her mouth parted only too willingly as he sought entry, his tongue dancing lightly over hers at first, then deeper, bolder, exploring the inside of her cheeks, her teeth. So easy to let emotion take command of her body as she absorbed the rich dark flavours he brought, the low growl she could hear deep in his throat, the feel of his fingers beneath her chin, against her neck. So simple to forget everything but this urgent,
raw desire sweeping through her and give herself up to it.

Blake had never known that passion could be laced in such delicacy. His hands were unsteady as he tilted her head for better access to more of her sweetness, lifting them so he could glide his fingers through her silky hair and hold her close, where he wanted her. Where he needed her.

With her pale skin and clear translucent eyes she reminded him of a miniature porcelain doll. Easily broken. So he was careful to keep the fire that roared like an inferno through his blood contained.

Something had spooked her a moment ago, but now … now she clung to him, all lithe limbs and soft feminine curves. Her body melted against his, fitted with his as if she’d been made expressly for that purpose.

A rumble rose up his throat as he cruised his hands up over her shoulder blades, taking it slow, testing her response, testing his own. Then down her spine, all the way down so that he could tuck that spectacular bottom even closer against him.

But when his erection ground against her belly and she let out a sexy turned-on moan, all reason, all thought fled except the overwhelming desire to have her. His greedy hands raced up to skim the outer edges of her full round breasts. Taking their weight in his palms, he indulged in her warm, womanly shape.

Hunger. An insatiable hunger that demanded
to be appeased. And need. Hot, acute, devastating need that rushed in with a torpedo’s force to fill the void he’d learned to live with.

Dipping his head, he nuzzled a breast until he found its pebble-hard nipple. Heard her murmur, ‘Oh … yes …’

He drew it into his mouth and suckled her through the soft jersey while his hands slipped beneath the hem of her T-shirt to feel her silky smooth belly against his palms. When he nipped at the erect little peak with his teeth, she gasped and arched against his mouth.

As if from a distance he heard a muffled sob as she cried out his name, sending white-hot shards arrowing straight to his throbbing groin. He shifted his attention to her other breast while he eased the T-shirt up over her ribcage, his thumbs already grazing the undersides of those perfect globes.

Then her hands pushed at his chest and through the roaring in his ears he heard the words, ‘Blake … stop …’

Stop?
It was enough to shake off the sexual fog that enshrouded them. He looked into those wide, passion-drenched eyes and knew she wanted it as bad as he. ‘Okay, we’ll take this somewhere more comfortable,’ he murmured.

But when he ran a finger over the neck of her T-shirt, skirting the swell of her breast, she wrapped a restraining hand around his. ‘No sexual favours …’

He frowned. ‘Is that what you think this is? Repayment for my assistance?’

‘I don’t know, I …’

She thought so little of him? And suddenly he knew why. She believed the gossip. A bitter taste lodged in his throat. ‘This is called sealing the deal with a kiss,’ he muttered harshly, ‘and you were enjoying it as much as me.’

‘It wasn’t
just
a kiss.’

Then his brain caught up with the rest of him. Her wavering, the hesitation. Her incredulous, ‘After all this time.’ Her reluctance to explain. Ah, hell.

She was a virgin.

And here he’d been well on the way to spreading those lovely tanned legs wide and taking her against the slate wall. For God’s sake. She
should
think so little of him.

Gritting his teeth against his throbbing erection, he backed off. Carefully. Her virginal dreams no doubt included love and commitment.
Not
being taken against a damn wall. No way.

Lissa dragged in some much-needed air. Needed because he’d just kissed her as if the world were coming to an end and sucked her oxygen clean away. She felt as if she were waking from a dream just when it was getting to the interesting part.

Her sensitised nipples were begging for more of that attention he’d been paying them. Why had she stopped him? Calling a halt to the most
exciting sexual experience of her life
and
with the man she’d most wanted to experience it with?

Because at this point in time she needed something more.

She didn’t know Blake well enough for this
intensity.
But she knew of his reputation.

‘This is going way too fast,’ she said, still struggling to catch her breath. ‘Right now I’m more interested in an income than. anything else. I can’t risk any distractions getting in the way of that. So priority one: I need to focus on this room makeover. Okay?’

He didn’t return her smile, possibly because she wasn’t even sure she
had
smiled. Her tingling lips felt as if they belonged to someone else.

‘Understood.’ He shoved his hands in his jeans pockets. ‘I’ll organise for the arrangements to be detailed in writing immediately.’ He spoke as though he were chewing on scrap metal and his brows lowered over eyes carefully blanked of all that emotion she’d seen only seconds ago. He backed away as if he couldn’t wait to be gone.

‘Great. The sooner, the better.’ Her hand itched to reach out and touch his morning-stubbled jaw and tell him … what? That she’d changed her mind and wanted him to finish what he’d started and to hell with everything else?

‘I know a solicitor.’ His voice was as stiff as the painful looking bulge in his pants. ‘I’ll
check whether she’s still in the area and give her a call now.’

Chewing on her still-throbbing lips, she looked away quickly down to her hands in front of her. ‘Right. Okay.’