Too Charming (13 page)

Chapter Thirteen

Megan couldn’t believe she was walking along Brighton promenade next to a man wearing a bright pink shirt. For some reason she’d always laughed at the thought of men wearing pink. Maybe it was because all the men she’d ever known were determinedly macho. She remembered once buying Luke a pink T-shirt, more as a joke than anything else. He’d thrown it back at her and told her to keep it: only girls wore pink.

Under her eyelashes she shot another surreptitious glance in Scott’s direction. Clearly it wasn’t only girls that could wear pink. Tall, dark-haired, ridiculously attractive men could wear it, too. On Scott, the pink shirt managed to emphasise his potent masculinity rather than detract from it. The colour might say
girl
, but there was nothing remotely feminine about the man who was wearing it. Of course it helped that he wore faded, low-slung jeans that hugged the hard contours of his muscular thighs. And his bum. She’d certainly noticed that.

‘Mum, look at the waves.’ Sally tugged at her hand, bursting into her lustful thoughts. Thank God. She might have decided that she wanted to make love to this man.
Perhaps tonight. But first she had a whole day to get through. Time to take her mind off Scott’s undeniably hot backside and on to her clearly excited daughter.

‘Do you want a paddle?’ she asked, looking down at Sally’s animated face. Though it wasn’t warm enough for swimming, Megan figured her daughter could probably get away with dipping her toes in.

‘Can I?’ Sally glanced up at her, her expressive eyes like those of a puppy, desperate for a walk.

Before she had a chance to reply, Scott was picking Sally up and throwing her over his shoulder. ‘I’m not sure about a paddle,’ he shouted, jogging across the pebbles towards the sea. ‘Why don’t we just drop you straight in and be done with it?’

Sally shrieked. Megan was pretty certain it was with delight, but she ran up alongside her anyway, just in case Scott decided to go through with his boast. There was an unpredictable edge to him, one that added to his attraction, but definitely made her nervous when it involved her daughter and the cold sea.

She needn’t have worried. Having swung Sally over the water a couple of times he relented and dropped her gently on
to the beach next to him. ‘Last one in is a smelly armpit.’

Giggling happily, Sally immediately
plonked herself down on the pebbles and began to tug off her trainers.

Unzipping his boots, Scott stared up at Megan. ‘What are you doing standing there? It includes you as well.’

Megan shook her head. ‘I’m quite happy being a smelly armpit. At least my feet will be warm.’

She stood by and watched as they finished taking off their shoes and began to roll up their trousers. Megan was about to crouch down and help Sally, but
realised that Scott was already there, methodically hitching her white jeans over her knees before going to work on his own. She didn’t even pretend not to watch as his well-defined calves appeared, dusted with dark, wiry hair. Perhaps, if she ever did get to see him naked, she’d find a part of him that wasn’t damn near perfect. She hadn’t seen one so far.

As he plunged his feet into the water, Scott sucked in a deep breath. ‘
Sh—sugar,’ he yelled, altering the exclamation just in time. There were lots of things he had to get used to when in the company of a child. Making certain he didn’t swear was one of them. There was also the fact that, although he’d been wanting to do so for hours, ever since she’d opened the door to him that morning, he couldn’t yank Megan against him. Couldn’t cover her mouth with his and kiss her until her head swam. His had been swimming all day – paddling his feet in the cold sea was a flipping good idea.

As Sally came to join him he lifted her by the arms and pulled her up high over the waves. She seemed to enjoy it. At least the smiles wreathed across her face indicated as much. It was odd. He’d never thought kids could be so much fun. To him
they’d always been a nuisance. Little people who got under his feet when he was trying to dash somewhere in a hurry. Screaming terrors on an aeroplane that ruined an otherwise pleasant flight. A flight that they and their parents had no doubt boarded ahead of other, full-fare paying, adult passengers. Boy did that cheese him off. Then he looked over at Sally. Clearly there was another side to children. Or maybe it was just that Sally was special.

‘Are you ready for the pier?’ he asked a little while later as he attempted to dry off their feet with the tissue that Megan had provided from her handbag. ‘I see your mother was too scared to venture into the water. Maybe she’ll manage one of the rides instead?’

‘Mum’s not scared of anything,’ Sally pronounced as she stood up. ‘Are you, Mum?’

Megan shook her head. ‘Life’s too short to spend time being scared.’ He arched her a look and she blushed, clearly recalling, like him, her earlier admission that he made her nervous.

‘So you won’t leap into my arms when we go in the haunted house?’

‘Unlikely.’

‘Not even if I make a really loud noise just when the ghost pops out?’ he probed, enjoying teasing her.

Again she shook her head. ‘Nope, not even then.’

‘What about if I kiss you?’

He heard Sally chuckling as Megan swallowed, hard, then darted him a loaded look. ‘Is that your technique for scaring off unsuitable suitors? Threatening to kiss them?’

He laughed, the wind blowing his hair across his brow. ‘No, that’s how I attract the women I want to make out with,’ he countered effortlessly.

‘Smug bastard,’ she breathed under her breath, quiet enough so that Sally couldn’t hear.

It only made him laugh even harder.

They walked amicably along to the end of the pier, Sally enchanted by the seagulls swooping overhead. At least she was, until
her attention was caught by the stalls. ‘Mum, look, a shooting range. You’ve got to win me something.’

Scott eyed his small companion. ‘As the only male, isn’t that my duty?’

‘Nah, Mum should do it. She used to be an AOF.’

‘She means AFO.
Authorised Firearms Officer,’ Megan interrupted.

Sally nodded vigorously. ‘She’s really good.’

‘Well, that puts me firmly in my place,’ he countered dryly.

Megan turned and smiled at him. ‘Hey, don’t feel too bad. It isn’t often you come out with the area champion marksman.’

He raised an eyebrow. ‘Pretty hotshot, eh?’

‘Yep,’ she replied cockily. ‘But don’t just take my word for it.’

Megan reached into her bag for her purse but Scott was already there, thrusting a note under the stall keeper’s nose. ‘Allow me. At least that way I can say I contributed to the prize.’

She raised the shotgun, eyed her targets and, using the three cork bullets supplied, knocked down each target in turn. No fuss. No fiddling around lining up the shots. Just bang, bang, bang.

As Sally beamed with delight at the giant furry dog thrust into her hands, Megan looked coolly over at Scott. ‘Want a go?’

He shook his head. He knew when he was licked.
And damned if he wasn’t totally in awe of her style. It wasn’t just the fact that she could shoot like a champion; it was the manner in which she’d done it. Clinically. He realised she would be the same in a real-life situation, if faced with a real gun. Cool, calm, unflappable. He hadn’t considered that side of her before. The side that sometimes came across danger. That dealt with hardened criminals. Men who wouldn’t hesitate to intimidate. To shoot first, ask questions later. She’d never seemed more strong and tough to him than she did at that moment. Or more downright sexy.

In a bid to reassert his masculinity, Scott had a go at the basketball stall. The cuddly dinosaur he won might have been smaller and altogether less impressive than the stuffed dog Sally was proudly carrying, but he tucked it smugly under his arm nonetheless. When Megan smirked and gave him a knowing stare, he merely shrugged. ‘I was in the university basketball team.’

Her eyes laughed at him. ‘I played county netball at school.’

He stared at her, trying to work out if she was bluffing, then decided it wasn’t worth the risk. If he insisted on her having a go and she beat him at that, too, the day would be over for him. So, potentially, would the evening. He wasn’t totally sure whether she’d decided to sleep with him yet, but he had a horrible feeling he might struggle to perform if she took away much more of his manhood. ‘Lunch, I think,’ he pronounced.

After lunch they tackled the rides, both of them taking it in turns to sit with Sally. No attraction was left out, irrespective of how big or small, timid or downright terrifying. Sally happily carried the furry dog around all afternoon, with Scott left feeling like a total
plonker clutching the purple dinosaur. When he once again caught Megan slyly grinning at him, he shoved it further under his arm.

‘At least it doesn’t clash with your shirt,’ she said.

‘Ha ha.’ He winced at his lack of a decent comeback, but right now his mind wasn’t focused on quick repartee. It was too full of thoughts of what a really perfect day it had been. One in which he’d felt like part of a family. Shit … he felt his heart literally still in his chest and wondered where on earth
that
had
come from? His days of playing happy families were well and truly over, had been since he’d turned seven. He had no plans to resurrect them again with a family of his own. He simply wasn’t the settling down type. And yet, whilst he could dismiss the notion of family life, he couldn’t dismiss the warm feeling around his heart as he thought of the day he’d spent with this woman and her child. He wanted more days like today, even though the thought of how much he wanted that was scaring him half to death. Far more so than any of the rides he’d just been on.

Walking slowly back towards the car, Scott noticed that Sally was dragging her feet a little. Not surprising, poor girl. Only two days ago she’d been in hospital. Maybe spending so long out today hadn’t been a great idea, after all.

‘Fancy a ride on my shoulders?’ he asked, gently mussing her hair.

She didn’t need to reply. The relief and pleasure shining from her eyes was enough.

Thrusting the purple creation at Megan, quickly followed by the ridiculously large dog, he swung Sally up and on to his shoulders. ‘How’s the view from up there?’

She giggled. ‘Cool. I can almost touch the sky.’

Left holding two embarrassing toys now, Megan supposed she should have felt miffed. Instead, she was touched by Scott’s sensitivity. That he’d noticed Sally was tiring was one thing. That he’d solved it so quickly and simply was another. ‘You’re a nice man, Scott Armstrong,’ she murmured.

His eyes darted quickly to hers. ‘Nice?’ He appeared to mull the word over in his mind. ‘It’s not bad, but can’t you think of a description that’s a little more …’ He scratched at his jaw. ‘Rugged? Manly? Definite even?’

‘You should be pleased with nice, buster,’ she replied archly, though her lips were twitching, a sure sign that if she wasn’t careful she’d soon be giggling like her daughter. ‘It’s a big improvement on how I might have described you a couple of weeks ago.’

He screwed up his face, as if in pain. ‘Yeah, okay, I’m not sure we want to go there again.’

‘What description were you hoping for?’ she asked after a moment.

‘Gorgeous? Incredible? Hunky?’

He might have a sensitive side, but it didn’t mean he wasn’t insufferable sometimes. ‘Do you want me to lie?’

With an exaggerated sigh he gave in. ‘Okay, let’s stick with nice for the time being. I’ll try and like it.’ Then he shot her a sideways glance, winked and lowered his voice to a husky murmur. ‘You never know, by the end of the day you might be thinking of some better descriptions.’

Distracted, Megan almost tripped and had to grab on to his arm to stop herself from falling.

By the time they arrived back at her house, Sally was fast asleep in the back of the car, clutching at both the furry prizes. It was a sight to soften the hardest of hearts.

Scott turned off the engine and looked over at Megan, his expression unreadable.

‘Are you coming in or going straight home?’ she asked.

‘That depends.’

‘On what?’

‘On whether you’re going to come back with me,’ he replied softly.

Suddenly there was no doubting the expression on his face, or the sentiment behind the words. She might have known Scott wasn’t the type to beat around the bush. He knew what he wanted and he went straight after it. Now it was up to her to decide whether she was prepared to be as bold. She, too, knew what she wanted.

‘Yes,’ she replied quietly, her heart racing. ‘I’ll come back with you.’

His mouth curved into a huge grin. ‘In that case, I’ll come in while you settle Sally and then I’ll go home. With you.’

Chapter Fourteen

Scott would never know how he got through the hour of polite conversation with Megan’s parents while she was off getting Sally ready for bed. All he kept thinking about was the order in which he was going to strip off Megan’s clothes. And whether he would, actually, be able to wait until he stripped her naked before he made love to her. Right now, the bedroom seemed an awfully long way away. He might have to take her in the hallway, first. Yeah, that could work. Get all this pent up sexual frustration out of their systems in one quick hit, so he could then concentrate on really making love to her. Slowly, sensuously.

Steadfastly getting in the way of his delicious thoughts were Megan’s parents, who insisted on wanting to know about the day. Where they’d gone. What they’d eaten. To say it was her
parents
who were interested was stretching it a bit: it was her mother who kept firing off the questions. Stanley remained silent, though Scott knew he was listening to every word. Adding the pieces of information to those he’d already gleaned. Putting together a picture of the man he knew damn well was probably going to have his wicked way with his daughter tonight. No wonder he was looking so stern.

At last Megan came back down the stairs. She looked from her parents to Scott and smiled slightly. Knowingly.

‘Right, I’m off to have dinner at Scott’s. I, um … might be back late.’

‘Don’t worry, darling, you both have a good evening. We won’t wait up for you.’

It was a none too subtle signal of her mother’s approval. Perhaps even encouragement.

Stanley stood up to give his daughter a kiss and Scott a hard glare. One that said
you look after my daughter, or else
. He might have accepted the situation, but it was grudgingly.

When they were finally in the car, Scott let out the breath he’d been holding. ‘Jesus, I bet your father was a great cop. With a look like that, he’d terrify the hardiest of criminals into submission.’

‘Sorry, that was a tad awkward, wasn’t it?’ She shifted in her seat. ‘This hasn’t happened for a long time. Dad’s not sure how to handle it.’

He glanced at her as he drove. ‘What hasn’t happened for a long time?’

‘Me going back to a man’s house, with the obvious intention of doing more than have dinner.’

There was a slight pause, during which Megan died a thousand deaths. Then he nodded. ‘Good.’

‘Is that all you have to say? Good?’ Now she’d taken the leap and admitted her sexual desert, she was a bit miffed at his nonplussed reaction.

‘It might be one word, but it covers a lot of bases.’ He was concentrating on the
road, eyes fixed ahead, so all she could see was his striking profile. ‘I mean it’s good that there aren’t a lot of other men sniffing around. I want you to myself. And it’s good that you haven’t made love for a while, so you won’t be able to make too many uncomplimentary comparisons.’ Briefly his eyes drifted over to hers. ‘Most of all, it’s good that we’re on the same wavelength. That you realise exactly what I have in mind as soon as we open the front door.’

Jeez, speaking of good, he was damned good at this.
At turning her on with his words. She clasped her hands together on her lap, all too aware of the squirming sensation that was taking place beneath them. ‘Will I get dinner?’

He grinned. ‘Eventually, when we find ourselves needing more sustenance.’

The house he pulled up outside of was totally different to what she’d expected. Far from a bachelor flat, it was an elegant, substantial family house. Before she’d had a chance to take it in though, he’d opened her car door, grabbed her arm and rushed her towards the front door.

In no time at all he was turning the key in the lock, bundling her inside, slamming the door shut behind them and bringing his mouth fiercely down on hers. ‘You can get a tour later,’ he murmured, in between trailing hot kisses over her face and down her neck. ‘For now the only thing you need to be concentrating on is me.’

That was incredibly easy to do when he was kissing her like he was, she thought. His mouth felt so soft, yet he felt so hard, so very male. She had to get rid of his clothes. Get her hands on that firm, hot flesh. She was starting to tackle his buttons, and getting frustrated by her inability to slide them open easily, when his phone sprang into life, crashing into the intimacy.

‘I’ll let it ring,’ Scott muttered, his own hands making much better progress at undoing her blouse. ‘Nothing’s more important than this.’

The answer machine clicked in, Scott’s deep voice asking the caller to leave a message.

‘Scott …’ There was a quiet sob.

Immediately she felt Scott stiffen. He pulled away, gave her a quick look of apology and dashed to pick up the phone. ‘Mum? Are you there?’

Megan heard the sound of a click as the person on the other end of the phone ended the call.

‘Christ.’ He slumped on
to the sofa, looking down at the phone, and swore.

‘Was that your mother?’ she asked quietly, noticing how pale he’d become and how grim his expression.

Rubbing his hands over his face, he sighed. ‘Yeah. I think so.’ Clattering the phone back on its stand he swore again.

She could see he was distressed. It was more than plain worry she could read in his eyes. ‘Do you want to go and see her?’

He laughed, but unlike the richness of his usual laughter, this had a hollow sound. ‘Chance would be a fine thing.’ Then he surprised her by hanging his head. ‘I don’t know where she is, Megan,’ he muttered when he finally looked up again. ‘So there isn’t a damn thing I can do.’

His eyes looked full of pain and her heart went out to him. He was hurting and helpless, two things she would never normally have associated with him. ‘I think I’d better go.’ With a mixture of intense disappointment and aching sympathy, she bent to pick up her bag.

‘No.’ He stood up quickly, walking over to her, laying a hand on her arm. ‘Please stay.’

‘I can see you’re worried, Scott. I don’t mind making my own way home. We can do this another time.’

At last a little of the grimness faded from his face. ‘I finally get you into my house and you think I’ll let you go?’ He shook his head. ‘Not a chance. Another day you might come to your senses and realise I am the arrogant git you thought I was all along. I’m not taking that risk.’

She sighed and, with the instincts of a nurturer, put her arms around him and pulled him to her. ‘I promise I won’t.’

They stood there for a while, holding each other tight, their bodies firmly pressed against each other. It wasn’t long before it became very obvious that Scott was no longer thinking about his mother. Gently he pulled away but not before placing his hands on either side of her face, turning her head up to look at his. ‘It hasn’t been the ideal start to the evening, but I think you could say I’m back on track with my original intentions. Would you come upstairs with me? Please?’

She’d been planning on going up as soon as she’d felt him harden against her. The fact that he’d asked rather than demanded, and had even added the word
please
, hadn’t made a damned bit of difference to the outcome. But it had done funny things to her heart.

His bedroom was a man’s room. Dark wood, navy curtains, sleek sound system, enormous bed. She wasn’t going to think about all the women who’d slept in it before her. Slept? Who was she kidding? She doubted any of them had done much of that.

‘Second thoughts?’ He drew her against him, circling her waist with his arms, pressing her against the throbbing length of him.

‘No.’

‘What then?’

His eyes were searching hers, concerned. It left her slightly unnerved. She didn’t want his kindness. Not when she was feeling so vulnerable. ‘I’m just wondering if I’ll remember what to do.’ She tried to laugh. ‘Three years is a long time.’

She felt his surprise. ‘Three? What not since …’

‘Sally’s father.
No.’

Suddenly Scott was aware of the enormity of the step Megan was taking. Whereas before he’d felt rather slighted at the thought of being used to get her back into the dating game, now he felt unbelievably
honoured. She wouldn’t have been without offers during those intervening years. He knew that. Yet his had been the only one she’d accepted.

Gently he lowered his lips to hers and nuzzled. ‘It’s like riding a bike.’

‘I can see that. I mean the part about having something hard between my legs.’

It surprised a laugh out of him. ‘And here’s me trying to create an intimate atmosphere.’

‘Scott.’ She rested her head against his chest. ‘I’m worried that after all this chasing, I’m going to be a crashing disappointment.’

He quirked an eyebrow in astonishment.
Outwardly she was all ballsy and strong. Inside she was much softer. Much more vulnerable. What a woman. One it wouldn’t take much of a nudge for him to fall head over heels for.

Tenderly he smoothed down her hair. ‘Megan, if what happens between us is disappointing, it’ll be my fault.’ Then he forced her to look at him and met her worried eyes with his trademark grin. ‘But don’t you remember me telling you about the two things I’m really good at?’

Finally the anxious look in her eyes began to recede. ‘Umm, law and making love. Based on feedback, if I remember. Not just the crowing of an arrogant man.’

‘I know I sit on the wrong side, but would you say they’re right about the law part?’

She cocked her head to one side, taking her time to consider the answer. Although he’d intended the question as a joke, he found himself holding his breath as he waited for her reply. ‘Yes,’ she conceded finally.

Ridiculously pleased, he took her hands and raised them to his lips, kissing each of her knuckles in turn. ‘Well then, we should be in for a night to remember, shouldn’t we?’

Her shoulders went down a notch, her mouth softened into a smile and Scott knew she was finally his for the taking.

While his lips found hers, and his tongue began an intimate exploration of the inside of her mouth, he made short work of undressing them both. There would be time for the
tantalising, slow reveal another night. He’d make certain of it. Right now he wanted her naked, in his bed, before she changed her mind. Or he received another phone call.

Having unwrapped the exquisite package in front of him, Scott picked Megan up and lay her down on the bed. She was so unlike the brash, voluptuous women he’d taken to bed in the past.
And far, far sexier. Right now she was watching him shyly, her small pert breasts sitting up, beckoning him to take them in his mouth. He ran a hand over her arms, noticing the toned, smooth feel of them. He was used to soft. Now he wanted firm, strong. Moving so that he sat astride her, he bent to suckle at a rosebud pink nipple, rejoicing when it tightened and she started to moan.

He wanted more. He snaked his tongue down over her taut, flat stomach. He knew she was as obsessive as he was at working out. It paid off.
At least as far as he was concerned. He delved lower, delighted as she began to writhe beneath him.

‘Scott, God, please …’

Smiling he brought his head back up. Her eyes were clouded with passion. He doubted even she knew what she was asking for. ‘Please what?’

She made a thrusting motion with her hips under his, telling him quite clearly what she wanted.

Scott found he was in no mood to tease. He’d wanted to get inside her the moment he’d seen her. He wasn’t about to deny himself any longer. He quickly covered himself with a condom and set about settling between her legs, relishing the feel of her hardened nipples against his chest as he lowered himself on to her. His body needed no help in guiding its way deep into the very heart of her. One slow, hard thrust and he was in. Oh, God. He sucked in a deep breath when he realised how tight she was. How hot and moist. He had to stop moving. After all his boasts, the last thing he needed now was to explode the minute he’d entered her. But boy, was he in danger of doing just that.

‘You feel incredible,’ he told her after a moment, pushing back the hair from her face, staring deeply into his eyes.

It made her smile. ‘You feel pretty good, too.’

‘It’s almost too good,’ he murmured, softly kissing the lips that stared up at him so invitingly. ‘Do you mind if we just …’ He closed his eyes, trying to think of something other than how much he wanted to thrust hard inside her and just come in one massive explosion. ‘Talk algebra to me,’ he demanded thickly.

Surprise, puzzlement, amusement. He watched them all flit through her beautiful eyes. ‘Really? Algebra turns you on? Two
x
plus three
y
equals ten
z
?’

Scott laughed, shaking his head, pretty sure he was now
back in control. ‘Nope. You turn me on, Megan. Just you.’ To prove his point he started moving inside her, in and out, setting up an easy rhythm.

Megan lay beneath his magnificent body as it rocked into hers and knew finally why risks were taken and hearts broken over sex. It wasn’t for the lukewarm feeling she’d thought sex to be, but for this. There simply weren’t words to describe how he was making her feel. Sure it had been a long time, and her memory might not be what it was, but if sex had ever felt like this before, she’d have damn well remembered. And she wouldn’t have waited so long to do it again. She gazed up at the man who was leaning over her, his eyes burning into hers, his strong, handsome face reflecting his focus and concentration. And the desire that he never tried to hide. Was this actually about sex, or was it about him? The way he made her feel.