The Billionaire's Forbidden Desire (3 page)

She shrugged. “It’s not like I need to watch my weight anymore.”

He gave her a bemused look, then disappeared into the kitchen, muttering under his breath. “There’s some shrimp in the fridge,” he called out.

“That works.” She turned to Dane. “There’s a guest bathroom at the end of the hall there if you want to freshen up. It should have everything you need. You can leave your scotch on the coffee table…unless you want to drink it in the shower.”

“You sure he can cook?”

“He’s a great cook.” Who’d often despaired that she would eat only the most boring food. She couldn’t remember ever having had fried shrimp, but found she was looking forward to it.

She went to the master suite and showered, washing away the sand and sweat and grime of airline travel off her body. Hot water sluiced down her soapy skin, and she closed her eyes.

This was it for her. She felt like she was at a crossroads and should just accept that her dream was dead, no matter how much it hurt.

Time to start a new chapter in my life
. She should just cling to the thought and move on, for her own sake. It would be terrible to end up bitter and angry, like some of the competitors who’d never reached the pinnacle they’d wanted.

She stepped out of the shower, put her hair up in a messy bun and pulled out a fitted magenta tank top and loose gray cotton pants, her favorite outfit when she just wanted to relax and unwind.

On the other hand
…

She hesitated, thinking about the magnetic man she’d picked up at the beach.

Dane
.

It was a strong name, simple and blunt. It rolled smoothly off her tongue like a cool marble.

What did it matter? It wasn’t like she wanted to impress anybody…did she?

She suddenly stopped in the middle of putting on a pink lipstick. It wasn’t like her to fuss over the way she looked. The only time she cared about that was before press conferences or competitions.

What the heck was she doing? Trying to look pretty for Dane? It wasn’t like they were going to have a date.

Then…what was it?

She finished running the tube over her lips. She was just lonely and wanted to have a meal with somebody, that was all. Besides, it seemed like he was hurting for some reason. People didn’t usually drink scotch straight from the bottle during the day.

What was wrong with two unhappy people sharing a nice, companionable dinner?

Chad was standing in the hall on the way to the dining area. He had his arms crossed, which meant he was about to say something she didn’t want to hear.

Sure enough, he didn’t disappoint her. “I don’t like him, Sophia.”

“Why not?”

“He’s got that look.”

“What look?”

“That asshole look. The type of person who doesn’t give a damn about anybody but himself.”

Sophia tilted her head. “That’s pretty cynical.”

“Hard not to be when you’ve had so many creeps. I’ve lost faith in my gender.”

“Well, he’s not a creep. I can tell. Besides, we’re not getting married here, Chad. It’s just dinner.”

“Uh-huh. You’re too sweet for your own good, you know that?”

She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, right. Look, I don’t want to argue. I just want to relax and forget about…things.” She forced a small smile. “It’ll be nice to be able to eat with somebody who doesn’t know who I am.”

He grimaced. “I set the table for two. Enjoy. Holler if you need anything or if he does something you don’t like.”

“Don’t worry.”

She wouldn’t even have to scream before Chad would show up. Her heart-shaped garnet necklace came with a panic button. It had been Chad’s idea, since he couldn’t keep an eye on her all the time, especially during competitions when things were hectic.

She went to the dining room. Dane was already seated at the round glass-top table. A bit of his torso showed through the V of the white robe he wore. He’d also shaved, revealing an incredible jaw line. His profile was so perfect she couldn’t believe he was actually a living, breathing person rather than a sculpture. Then, as though he’d sensed her, he turned, regarding her with eyes so blue and direct it felt like a lance through the center of her chest.

Suddenly she couldn’t move, transfixed by that gaze. Her heart pounded like a captured bird’s as heat spread through her body.

He rose and pulled out a chair for her, the gesture surprisingly gallant and elegant. She walked slowly over, feeling like she was dreaming. Men were generally nice to her—she was young and pretty and had a bit of fame. But none of them…
intensified
her like Dane did. The blood in her veins seemed thicker and hotter, her pulse louder and more pronounced.

Why now? Why this man?

“Your nanny isn’t joining us?” Dane asked, returning to his seat.

She choked back a laugh. “His name is Chad. He doesn’t eat after flying. It upsets his stomach.”

A corner of Dane’s mouth curled. “How unexpectedly delicate.”

Her voice warm, she said, “Chad is special.” He had never complained about having to travel with her, and they’d had to travel often, at least four or five times a year when she was competing.

“Hang onto him, then. Special people are rare.” Dane reached for his scotch, ignoring the baskets of bread and fried shrimp and sauces and fresh salad on the table.

“You should eat first.”

He cocked an eyebrow. “Certainly, mother.”

Her cheeks heated. Looking away, she reached for a dinner roll. The scent of fresh yeast and flour made her mouth water. She sighed softly at the texture and buttery flavor. She hadn’t touched bread in… She couldn’t even remember. Before she knew it, the roll was gone and she was reaching for another.

Dane bit into a shrimp. “When was the last time you ate?” he asked, his eyes on her. There was something dark and primitive lurking in their depths.

She licked her suddenly parched lips. “I don’t know. A few hours ago?”

“You sure? You eat like it’s been ages.”

“Oh.” She stared at the second, already decimated bread roll. Had she really eaten all that? “Well, um… I was dieting.” She laughed at how absurd her effort had been. “Been dieting since forever.”

He frowned slightly. “Whatever for? You can’t weigh more than a hundred pounds soaking wet.”

“That was the point. To maintain the most optimal weight.” Light and strong. That had been the goal. “It doesn’t matter now.”

She bit into a shrimp and almost moaned at the crisp texture of the spiced breading. Jeez. Why hadn’t she had any before? Why had she denied herself every little pleasure in life when it was going to end up like this anyway?

She shoved an empty glass his way and gestured at the scotch. “Pour me some of that?”

Quirking an eyebrow, Dane put half an inch into the glass. She sipped it carefully. The liquor still burned, but it was more manageable now.

“Is this supposed to be a good brand?”

“The very best. I don’t touch bad stuff—or even mediocre stuff. Ruins the palette.”

“I’m such a pleb, I can’t tell.” She gestured at the bottle. “Have much have you had?”

“This is my third bottle.”

“And you aren’t even tipsy.”

“I don’t get drunk easily.”

“Must be nice.”

“What it is is expensive.” His mouth twisted into a sardonic smile. “Can you hold your liquor?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never tried.” The scotch seemed kind of nice with her seafood. She pushed the glass toward him again. “Can I have some more?”

“I don’t want you getting drunk.”

“I’m fine.” She smiled at him. “Besides, you had two full bottles to yourself. I think you can share a third.”

He gave her a bit more.

“Come on,” she said, crooking her fingers. “A full glass. Don’t be stingy.”

He stared at her. Grinning, she drank the scotch slowly. It would be embarrassing to start slurring words after only two tiny glasses.

“What are you doing in Mexico?” he asked.

She considered.
I’m running away from my troubles
,
trying to scrub them from my head
seemed a little melodramatic. In the end, she simply said, “Vacation. You?”

“The same.”

“Do you come here a lot?”

“No. I rarely vacation,” he said. “No time.”

“Me either,” she said. “Although I think that’s about to change.”

“You like it here that much?”

She shrugged. “Not just here. There are lots of places I haven’t been yet.” Cities she’d visited for competitions didn’t count, since she’d never had the time or mental energy to enjoy them. “Maybe I’ll tour them all. I’ve got nothing but time now.” And broken dreams.

Dane regarded his dinner companion. How did a woman go from not having any time to having too much of it? Or from dieting to maintain the “perfect weight” to eating whatever she wanted?

The cynical side of him said she was trying to snag herself a sugar daddy. If so, Chad was doing a pretty shitty job of protecting his territory. Or maybe he was too pussy-whipped to assert himself. After all, he hadn’t even joined them for dinner, letting his woman share a meal with a strange man she’d picked up from the beach.

Dane should’ve left already. Picking up random women wasn’t why he was in Mexico. But maybe he was more like his father than he wanted to believe. How mistaken Shirley had been to say he was different.

A fresh wave of pain rolled over him, and he pushed it away. He didn’t want to dwell on it, especially not in front of others who didn’t give a damn. Pain and regrets were only indulged in private.

“Is your boyfriend okay with your plan?” he asked.

“Huh? My boyfriend?”

“Chad.”

She choked on her bread. He pushed a glass of water over, but she didn’t touch it. “He’s not my boyfriend.” She laughed, her slender shoulders shaking. “Oh my gosh. I think you’re the first person who thought that.”

“Really?” Dane poured himself some scotch. The tension around his neck and the base of his skull was beginning to ease.
The alcohol must be finally working
.

“He’s actually somebody my parents hired.”

“Bodyguard?”

“Well…sort of. He’s more like a chaperone…and everything else my parents couldn’t be for me.”

Dane understood that part. His parents had dumped him on nannies as soon as they realized he wasn’t going to play the role they’d assigned for him. But her parents’ choice was a bit odd. Most of the people he knew chose young, fresh-faced women as caretakers for their children.

But then her parents might be the type who just didn’t give a damn so long as they thought they’d thrown enough money at a problem. And to such parents, a child who needed time and attention was a
problem
.

“Aren’t you a bit old for a nanny?” he asked.

“Yes, but I couldn’t let him go.” She bit into her chicken.

“So he tagged along with you, on campus and everywhere else too?”

She shook her head. “I didn’t go to college. Actually, I didn’t really go to school at all.”

He cocked an eyebrow. “Why not?” Not even
his
parents thought it was okay for their children to skip education. Certain appearances had to be maintained.

“I just…had other things I had to do. I generally had tutors to help me, and college wasn’t something I was thinking about going to for a while, and then…” She shrugged, her eyes dark now. She pressed her lips together, then shook her head. “It just…happened that way.” Shrugging, she looked away with an awkward smile.

Her obvious embarrassment bugged him. “Private tutoring is better than most schools, and college is nothing but an overpriced four year-long vacation.” His mouth twisted. “My biggest regret is that I didn’t choose better.”

“What was wrong with your college?”

“Too damn cold. Should’ve picked somewhere with a beach.”

Her lips twitched then slowly curved into a big, glorious smile. It was the first real smile he’d seen from her. Her green eyes glittered until they looked like immaculately cut emeralds, and a hot shade of pink crept into her cheeks.

His mouth dried, and he found himself staring at her lips, wondering what they would feel li—

What the hell? He didn’t… He didn’t want her, did he?

She was entirely too young—twenty-three by her own admission although she looked quite a bit younger—and she wasn’t his usual type. Even putting aside his requirement about the dumber the better, she was too skinny. He liked his women with tits and ass. Although Sophia’s ass was quite gorgeous—firm and round—she had virtually no tits and she certainly didn’t have the kind of worldly, easy sex vibe going for her that he was usually attracted to. On the other hand, that thick golden hair was just begging to be wrapped around his hand.

He drank more scotch. Shirley’s death must’ve affected him more than he’d thought.

“When I decide on a school, I’ll take that into consideration,” she said softly, then finished her scotch. “Would you like anything else? Dessert?”

You
.

The thought came to him unbidden, and he pushed it away forcibly. “Got any cake or pie?”

“Ha. Not likely. We have fruit though.”

Dane didn’t like fruit that much. He should just decline and go back to his hotel. So long as he waved some money, any cab driver would take him there. But for some reason he couldn’t get up. So he nodded instead. “Sure. I love fruit.”

* * *

Sophia watched him under her lashes as he picked at his dessert. The fresh-cut pineapples and mangos were so sweet and ripe that they melted in her mouth, but Dane didn’t seem too interested.

Either he didn’t care for fruit or he’d already eaten more than he’d realized. He had an incredible appetite. She knew guys could put it away, but it still amazed her sometimes. Dane had polished off five times as much food as she had, and she was eating a lot more than her usual.

As he pierced another chunk of mango, he watched her, his gaze dark and unreadable. Maybe he was worried she’d get drunk and make a mess. She knew what happened to people who couldn’t hold their liquor…and it
was
her first time.

But her gut told her he wasn’t that worried about her passing out or puking. Something about the way he looked at her made her skin so hot she wanted to take her glass of ice water and press it against her cheek.