The Seductive One Read online

  He waited for the “but” part of the sentence.

  She sighed. “But I’m terrified. Silly, huh?”

  “Understandable.”

  “Do you mind if I pace?”

  He waved his arm. “Feel free.”

  “Thanks.”

  She kicked off her sandals, then, barefoot, walked the length of the living room. “I’m a grown-up. I’m a capable person. My parents are going to be fine with this. We’re going to have a good time.”

  “Who are you trying to convince?”

  She looked at him. “You don’t look the least bit worried, so I guess just myself.”

  He watched her resume her pacing. She crossed and uncrossed her arms, then paused by a window and stared out at the night. Her apprehension didn’t surprise him, but his reaction to it did. He would have thought he would be pleased by her discomfort, that this night would be a victory for him. Instead he felt badly for putting her in this position and he wanted to do something to make her feel better.

  “Brenna, I don’t have to go,” he said before he could stop himself.

  She turned to face him. “Oh, yes, you do. I’m prepared to bring you onto Marcelli land and have it out with my grandfather. I have no idea what’s going to happen with my parents, but my sisters are all waiting to watch the show. I have a bunch of crap in my hair just so I can look nice, and I’m wearing shoes that are going to cripple me. I didn’t do all that just so you can back out at the last minute. You’re going to the party if I have to drag you there by your ears.”

  He chuckled. “All right, then. A gracious invitation like that is difficult to refuse.”

  Her gaze narrowed. “You think this is all pretty funny.”

  “I don’t think it ranks up there with war and pestilence.” He set down his wineglass. “You need to relax.”

  “I can’t.” She held up a hand and watched as it trembled. “I’m shaking.”

  He crossed to stand next to her and took her hand in his. After rubbing her fingers, he bent down and kissed the inside of her wrist. He could feel her rapid pulse fluttering against his lips.

  “Maybe we should give you something else to think about,” he said.

  Her eyes widened. “Nic, I—”

  He waited, but she didn’t continue.

  Truthfully, he hadn’t planned this. He’d been more focused on the party and seeing the Marcelli family close up than on spending the evening with Brenna. Now that she was here, he found himself mesmerized by the sweet scent of her body and the way her breasts rose and fell with each breath. She’d always been attractive, but tonight she was beautiful. Soft, vulnerable, all woman, and sexy as hell.

  He could hate her, he could ignore her, he could even do his best to forget about her, but he’d been unable to stop wanting her. Just being close was enough to get him hard. As blood pooled in his groin, he moved in closer. She didn’t back away, not even when he lowered his head and kissed her.

  Nic tasted of wine and temptation, Brenna thought when his mouth brushed against hers. It was a heady combination, one she didn’t think she could resist.

  As their lips pressed together, she pulled her hand free of his and wrapped her arms around his neck. Okay, this probably wasn’t the smartest thing she could be doing right now, but leaning against him, kissing him, wanting him just felt too good.

  She parted her lips and he swept into her mouth. The second his tongue brushed against hers, she felt her good sense sizzle into smoke and drift away. She lost herself in the heat that exploded between them. He’d always had the ability to make her body respond on the most primal level, and tonight was no exception.

  She clung to him, wanting their bodies to touch as much as possible. At the same time she needed to explore, to remember, to feel all those magical things that had only happened with Nic. As he deepened the kiss, she moved her hands down his shoulders to his back. His was broader than she remembered. Stronger. Yet his muscles still clenched and released as she touched him. She traced his narrow waist and hips, then circled back to cup his rear. When she squeezed, he thrust his hips forward and she felt his erection.

  He was hard and thick and the things he’d been able to do to her filled her mind. Her memory flashed pictures of them making love while her body remembered the pleasure. Every part of her ached as liquid desire pooled low in her belly. Her panties were already wet, her breasts swollen, and both she and Nic were wearing way too many clothes.

  He cupped her face and broke their kiss. Before she could complain, he pressed his lips to her cheeks, her eyelids, then her jaw. After nibbling his way to her neck, he licked the sensitive skin behind her ear. Shivers danced across her skin.

  He kissed his way down to her throat, where he paid homage to the hollow before kissing her chest, just above the neckline of her dress.

  When she felt the slow slide of her zipper being eased down, she reached for the buttons on his shirt. She got three of them undone before she had to drop her arms to her sides so he could pull her dress off her arms and let it settle at her waist. The silky fabric barely paused before slipping to the floor, leaving her wearing nothing but panties and a bra.

  Nic returned his attention to her mouth. He kissed her thoroughly, exploring her with a devastatingly erotic dance that left her boneless. Had she been in the mood to protest her undressed state, she was too occupied to speak a word. Not that she wanted to complain. Not when she felt his warm hands move from her waist to her breasts. Not when he cupped her curves through the lace of her black bra and brushed his thumbs against her already tight nipples.

  Need spiraled through her. Her breath caught as she waited for the next sweep of his fingers, then the next. Had anything ever felt this good? Even as his touch eased the pressure in her breasts, need continued to build between her legs. She reached for the bra clasp and fumbled with the hooks. When she managed to unfasten them, she pulled off her bra, then grabbed Nic’s hands and placed them back on her body.

  The flesh on flesh made her moan. He held her breasts in his palms and squeezed them gently. Long fingers explored her sensitive skin, then teased her nipples. He seemed to know exactly how she liked to be touched, how fast, how hard, how…everything.

  This time when he broke the kiss, she caught her breath in anticipation. He bent his head and pressed his open mouth to her breast.

  Wet heat surrounded her. He circled her with his tongue, then sucked her deeply into his mouth. Brenna held on to his head, holding him close, barely breathing as she concentrated on the pleasure spiraling through her body. He moved to her other breast and continued the dance. She felt him tug off his shirt.

  When he pulled back and straightened, she opened her eyes. He was bare to the waist. His hair was mussed, his eyes were heavy-lidded with passion. As his hands reached for his belt buckle, she slipped off her panties. He unfastened his slacks, then took her hand and pulled her to the couch.

  When he was seated, he shoved down his trousers and briefs, allowing his erection to spring free. Brenna sucked in a breath as she stared at him. At one time she’d known his body as intimately as she’d known her own. She knew what he liked to do, what he fantasized about, and how to make him come in less than fifteen seconds. Of course he knew the same things about her.

  She liked being on top, she liked him playing with her breasts while he was inside of her, and most of the time she liked it slightly less than civilized. Had he remembered or was this just dumb luck on her part?

  He reached for her hand and drew it to his mouth. But instead of kissing her fingers or her wrist, he bit down on the thick pad by her thumb. A silly thing that had always driven her wild. Shivers rippled through her. Damn him. He remembered everything.

  Still watching her, he released her hand and grabbed her by the waist. She knelt on the sofa, straddling him. With their eyes locked and a part of her unable to believe this was really happening, she lowered herself onto him.

  She was hot, slick, and more than ready. He was hard a
s a rock. He filled her completely, making her stretch to accommodate him, and before they’d even begun to move, she felt the first quivering promise of her release. So much for self-control. The only saving grace was the way his eyes dilated and his mouth stretched into a straight line. She wasn’t the only one barely hanging on.

  Still watching him watch her, she shifted so that she could raise and lower herself. He cupped her breasts and rubbed her nipples. The combination was pure paradise.

  Tension built from the inside out. She rested her hands on muscled shoulders that were as hard as the rest of him. As she moved up and down, she found herself falling into a rhythm that felt familiar and incredible. He pulsed his hips in time with her movements. When the pitch of her need increased, she tried to look away but couldn’t. Not even when the first deep contractions pulled at her.

  She told herself to hold on, to make it last, to—

  The shudder of her release made her cry out. She moved faster as her body convulsed around him, pulling him in deeper. More. There was so much more. He dropped his hands to her hips and urged her to keep moving, his body matching her pace, taking her through every ounce of her release.

  It was only when the last muscle relaxed that he tightened his hold on her and groaned. She felt him push in as far as he could. He shook violently and closed his eyes, then was still.

  Brenna tried to catch her breath. Aftershocks rippled through her as she lost herself in the sense of well-being that flooded her. Strong arms pulled her close. She nestled against Nic’s bare chest. His heat and familiar scent surrounded her. He stroked her back, slowly moving along the length of her spine. She smiled. Talk about amazing. Talk about—

  Oh. My. God.

  She sat up and stared at him. He had the contented expression of a well-pleasured man. One corner of his mouth turned up.

  “Unexpected, but very nice,” he said.

  Nice? Nice! What on earth had she been thinking? She and Nic had just had sex. Sex!

  She closed her eyes and shifted so she could slide off him. When she was free, she curled up on the sofa, her bare butt against his hip and covered her face with her hands.

  “Just shoot me now,” she muttered, wondering how things had gotten so out of hand so fast.

  Nic placed his hand on her hip. “Look at the bright side,” he told her. “At least you’re not still worried about what your family is going to think when you show up with me.”

  He had a point. Great. Not sure if she should cry or burst into hysterical laughter, Brenna stayed where she was. Maybe she could disappear into the fabric and never be heard from again. She didn’t plan to ever move again…right up until Nic leaned close and whispered, “It’s ten to seven. Want to get dressed and go to the engagement party, or stay here and do it again?”

  • • •

  For reasons that still didn’t make sense, she’d chosen the party. Brenna sat in the passenger seat of Nic’s Jag, smoothing her hands over her dress and trying not to think about how mussed she must look.

  Five minutes in the downstairs bathroom had allowed her to repair her makeup and smooth her hair. Her dress wasn’t even wrinkled. She should have looked exactly as she had when she’d left the hacienda an hour before, but something was different. Maybe it was the sated, slightly stunned expression in her eyes, or the shape of her mouth—now swollen from Nic’s kisses. Or maybe it was the aura of guilt and stupidity surrounding her.

  If the dashboard hadn’t been covered in such a lovely, soft leather, she would have banged her head against it in an attempt to knock some sense into herself. Sex with Nic? Could she have been more impulsive? She was no longer a starry-eyed teenager who still believed in happily ever after. She was a mature woman with a plan for her life. A plan that didn’t include screwing up an important business relationship.

  She drew in a slow, steady breath. Time to be calm. Time to be one with the universe. Time to ignore the fact that her panties were soaked and that the trembling in her body no longer had anything to do with nerves.

  Was anyone going to be able to figure out what they’d just done?

  “You okay?” Nic asked.

  “Fine.”

  “Really?”

  “No.”

  She glanced at him. He looked calm and in control. How like a man.

  “Want to talk about it?” he asked.

  She shook her head. What was there to say? That she was sorry she’d lost control and given into the desire that seemed to always be on the fringes of their up close and personal encounters? Of course she was sorry…almost.

  Just then he turned from the road onto the long driveway that led to the hacienda. Brenna stiffened. Sex or no sex, she’d just brought the enemy onto Marcelli land.

  • • •

  Nic pulled in behind a silver BMW. There were several dozen cars parked along the wide road. White lights hung from trees and illuminated the walkway up to the three-story hacienda.

  He’d grown up only a few miles from this house, but his world couldn’t have been more different. How many times had he crept out in the early evening and made his way to the Marcelli home? How many nights had he hidden in the bushes and watched through the brightly lit windows, hungry for the family he’d seen living inside? They’d belonged to each other, and to a boy who had belonged to no one, their lives had been perfect.

  When he and Brenna had met and fallen in love, he’d actually thought he might one day be a part of this. A part of them. Welcomed into the family as one of their own. He’d wanted that nearly as much as he’d wanted her. In the end he’d lost both.

  He shook off the memories. He wasn’t that kid anymore. He was a successful adult who had a shot at owning all this. Not the house—he no longer cared about that—but the land and the name.

  “For the first time in my life, I’m wishing for a few minutes with Grandma Tessa’s rosary,” Brenna murmured. She turned to him. “Ready?”

  He nodded and stepped out of the car.

  From where he stood, he could see the large tent filling the backyard. The sides had been rolled up, allowing the evening breeze to drift across the set tables. More lights crisscrossed through the trees. People stood in groups, talking, laughing, holding wineglasses, no doubt toasting the happy couples with the best Lorenzo Marcelli had to offer.

  “This is all going to be okay,” Brenna said when he moved next to her. She glanced at him and gave a faint smile. “I’ll give you a tour later, if you’d like.”

  “Will it include your bedroom?”

  “Very funny.” She drew in a deep breath. “Let’s do this.”

  He followed her toward the party-goers. The sound of music drifted to them, and as they neared the house, he spotted a dance floor set up in a garden. Two couples stood out in the swaying crowd. He recognized Brenna’s sisters—Katie and Francesca.

  A uniformed young woman approached with a tray of drinks. Brenna took a glass of champagne, handed it to Nic, then snatched another for herself.

  “If this is a small get-together for family and friends,” he said, “what does a big party look like?”

  She gulped half her glass of wine. “I know. My mother doesn’t do things by halves, so that’s a problem. This time it was compounded by the fact that Katie is a professional organizer who specializes in giving parties for the rich and famous. It’s not a good combination if you’re going for small and intimate. I should warn you that dinner has about seventy-five courses.”

  “Then I won’t fill up on hors d’oeuvres.”

  She finished her champagne and set the empty glass on the edge of a garden planter. Nic took his first sip. Rather than admit he might be a little nervous at the prospect of meeting the Marcelli clan, he concentrated on the light scent and blend of bubbles and flavors in the sparkling wine. It was good. He tasted it again and decided that when he was in charge, he would expand production.

  Brenna scanned the crowd. “Over there,” she said and linked her arm with his. “We’ll
start easy and work our way up from there.”

  He followed her gaze and saw her mother talking with an older couple he didn’t recognize. As they approached, Colleen Marcelli glanced over at her daughter, smiled, looked at him, and froze.

  Her eyes widened, her mouth dropped open, and she nearly spilled her glass of wine. But as quickly as it had come, the shock faded. Colleen excused herself from the older couple and approached them.

  “Oh, God, oh, God,” Brenna muttered. Her fingers tightened around his arm. “Stay calm. Just stay calm.”

  He wasn’t sure if the instruction was for her or for himself. Either way it was good advice.

  “Brenna,” Colleen said as she approached. “You look lovely.”

  Brenna cleared her throat. “Thanks. Um, Mom, this is—”

  “I believe I already know your friend.”

  Nic braced himself for the attack. Colleen handed her glass to her daughter, took his free hand in hers, and studied his face. “I see a lot of your grandfather in you,” she said. “And your father. Do you go by Nicholas or Nic?”

  He hadn’t expected the question. “Nic.”

  “Well, Nic, this night has been far too long in coming.” She smiled. “We’re delighted to have you here.”

  Then she leaned forward and raised herself on tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “Welcome.”

  Her graciousness surprised him. “Thank you, Mrs. Marcelli. I want you to know I’m here as Brenna’s guest. Not to make trouble.”

  “Colleen,” she said. “Trouble was the furthest thing from my mind.” Her expression turned wry. “I’ve always thought the feud between our families was pretty silly, although my father-in-law would disagree. Now that you’re here, I can’t help thinking this meeting is years too late. I’m sorry about that.”

  “Not a problem.”

  He spoke the words easily. She sounded sincere. As if she were sorry. Brenna had always said her mother was a warm and caring person. Until now, Nic had never believed her.

  Colleen glanced through the crowd. “Now, where is my husband?”

  As she turned to look at the people standing by the tent, Brenna finished her mother’s champagne.