The Tycoon's Defiant Southern Belle (11 page)

“I won’t,” she told him, unaware that her body was pressing closer to him. 

He smiled slightly and shook his head.  “Maybe I’ll stay away longer then,” he challenged.

Jade bit her lower lip, trying not to show how sad the idea of his departure made
her feel.  “I probably won’t even notice,” she came back.

Angelo laughed, wondering why she continued to deny what they felt for each other. 
“Then maybe I’ll have to give you a reminder of what we will have together when I
get back.” 

Jade knew exactly what he was about to do and she thought about pushing away from
him.  She thought about telling him no.  And the whole time she was trying to figure
out the best way to reject his kiss, she was lifting her head up in trembling anticipation,
desperate for that spark of instant fire that always made her knees weak. 

By the time he lifted his head and stepped back, she was ready to demand that he come
back and finish what he’d just started.  Only self-preservation and a deeply held
belief that it would be wrong kept her from begging him to keep going. 

She watched with genuine sadness as he drove away, watching his car for as long as
possible before she sighed and pulled her eyes back to the present.  Looking around,
she noticed several people coming out of the drugstore with curious expressions on
their faces and she was shocked to realize that she had actually kissed Angelo right
here where anyone, and probably everyone, could see them. 

Goodness the gossips were going to have a field day with this one! 

Had Angelo done that on purpose?  Probably, she thought with a secret smile.  Did
she care?  Not really.  Not anymore.  She wanted to understand him better, but she
couldn’t help but feel more for him than she wanted to.  The man was a powerful force! 

She started walking home and, because of her latest chocolate binge and inadequate
nutrition, she didn’t have the energy right now to worry about Angelo or his extended
departure.  It made her too sad so she shifted her mind to something different.  Something
that made her feel strong and powerful.  For the first time, she let herself really
think about Dave and what he’d done. 

No, she wasn’t hurt.  She was angry more than any other emotion.  What did his actions
say about her?  What did it say about all the years she’d been with him while they’d
dated?  Had he been with other women all the time?  What did that say about who she
was as a person?  As a woman?

She didn’t like the conclusions she was coming to. Was she the kind of woman that
let a man be so….heartless?  Was she the “good girl” that he was going to marry all
the while cheating on her?  Was she destined to be the kind of woman to whom men would
be unfaithful? 

She didn’t want to be that woman.  But she couldn’t be anything other than who she
was.  How did she break herself out of this issue? 

Could she even trust herself to date again? 

Her mind instantly conjured up the image of Angelo but she pushed it aside.  Angelo
wasn’t the long-term kind of guy.  He wasn’t the marrying kind and she was. 

So what was she to do?  She’d never even considered an intimate, physical intimacy
with Dave.  He’d tried several times, but she’d ignored his pleading, finding it more
of a turnoff than anything else. 

She went through the motions for the rest of the day, but the whole time, her mind
was reeling with her revelations about herself as a woman. 

“You’re back early!” Jade gasped when she spotted Angelo stepping out of that sexy,
powerful car.  He was supposed to be gone for another two days.  Why was he here now? 

Angelo watched as her eyes lit up the closer he came.  She could deny it all she wanted,
but her attraction to him was always there in her eyes.  And in the way her body moved,
shifting closer to him, always turning towards him.  “Didn’t my assistant tell you
that I was coming in today?” he asked, stopping when he was less than an inch from
her. 

Jade was completely flustered.  She’d been busy all week, pushing to get more things
finished by the time he came back.  The workers had done a fabulous job and they were
well ahead of schedule, but she’d meant to rush home and clean up before he arrived,
maybe put on a pretty dress and do her hair. 

But here he was, looking fabulous in a gorgeous business suit and sexy tie while she
wore khaki pants and a plain, white shirt.  Her hair was pulled back into a pony tail
and she barely had any makeup on. 

“Yes.  Denise is very helpful,” she said, referring to Angelo’s extremely efficient
administrative assistant.  “I was just hoping…” she floundered, not wanting to sound
silly.  “I just wanted to look more presentable.”

Angelo was touched, but looking at her with her fresh, clean and beautiful face staring
up at him with those pretty, anxious eyes and all he wanted to do was kiss her until
she was clinging to him once again.  Damn, he wanted this woman painfully. 

“I think you look stunning,” he came back, his hands in his pockets to keep himself
from grabbing her and kissing her senseless.  He wasn’t sure if he would be able to
stop if he started.  He had planned to wine and dine her tonight, show her that he
wasn’t such a horrible man.  He probably had to prove it to himself a bit, he thought,
knowing that Jade was everything he wanted in a woman, and everything he wasn’t. 
She was fresh and alive, innocent and sweet, funny and vivacious. 

With his past, he should keep away from her, not sully her with his touch, but no
matter how hard he tried, every part of him wanted her.  He was cutting his business
meetings short, delegating responsibilities to others, ignoring other issues just
so he could be here with her, to bask in her smiles and her laughter. 

Jade smiled wanly at him, looking behind her at the clutter that was better than it
used to be, but still not the scene she’d wanted him to see on his return.  She so
desperately wanted to impress him but he’d arrived earlier than she’d anticipated. 
“I wanted things to be perfect for you when you came back.  We’re so close to being
finished, more than a month ahead of schedule too.” 

“I think you’re incredible,” he said sincerely. 

Jade blushed and wished she could be more sophisticated around this man.  “I should
go clean up,” she said, hoping they were still having dinner together tonight.” 

“You look beautiful.  Will you show me what you’ve done?” he asked gently, loosening
his tie and tossing it onto the sofa she’d placed right in front of the enormous fireplace. 

Angelo watched the soft blush darken and, impossibly, his body hardened even more. 
He’d never experienced sexual need like he had over the last few weeks.  Jade had
gotten under his skin and he knew that he had to have her.  She was like a drug that
he’d quickly become addicted to.  He even enjoyed her company, a definite first in
his mind.  Besides Sydney and Ella, the wives of his best friends, he’d never really
had any inclination to get to know a female besides what she wanted in bed.  But with
Jade, he wanted to know everything, all her secrets and all of her hopes and dreams. 
Not to mention all the things she liked in bed, how to make her scream out with desire
and he wanted to know what she looked like when she splintered apart in his arms. 

“Yes.”  She straightened her shoulders and took a quick step backwards, careful this
time about the construction materials that were still littering the floor in various
places although not nearly as bad as the last time she’d taken him around. 

“Of course,” she said with more confidence.  “Let’s start this way.”  Jade led him
through the long, dark hallway that would one day be filled with light but right now,
looked similar to a walk to the gallows.  She turned left and entered through one
of three archways that had been re-plastered by extremely talented craftsmen.  “The
kitchen is almost finished, and I think it looks incredible!” she said with a huge
smile.  New everything had been installed in the last week including cabinets that
rose all the way to the ceiling in some places, a stainless steel refrigerator, gourmet
gas stove with elaborate hood, double ovens, microwave, deep freezer and gleaming,
black granite countertops.  She’d even gotten the electrician to hurry with the lighting
and there were several recessed lights and pendulum lights as well as under-counter
lights in various places. 

She went on to lead him through the dining room where glossy hardwood floors had been
installed that matched the previous floors although with better quality wood.  An
enormous dining room table large enough to seat fourteen had been placed right in
the center and, just this morning, she’d had someone install the silk curtains that
were a perfect counterbalance to the brocade chairs. 

The library hadn’t yet been touched and there were several other rooms which she needed
to start, but Angelo had asked her to hold off on those areas, focusing more on the
public and more useful rooms like the great room and kitchen.  So more than half of
the bottom floor was still to be worked, but the wine cellar had been installed and
Jade teased him about the enormous number of bottles a man had delivered and stored
away yesterday. 

The stairs had also been fixed with all the warped boards cleared out and new ones
installed then re-stained to match the warm, earthy color that had previously been
in the house.  “As you asked, I’ve ordered the colorful tiles to go against the rise
of each stair.  It’s going to be incredible!” she enthused. 

As they walked through the rest of the enormous house, Jade explained what was going
on with each room.  There were so many workers around but she had everyone’s name
memorized and gave each of them credit for their work along with a bright smile as
she explained their contributions to Angelo. 

“Where did you find so many people to do this?” he asked, duly impressed by her efforts
and amazed at how much she’d accomplished in such a short period of time.  He’d told
her to get things done and had given her a nearly impossible deadline.  And damn if
the woman wasn’t actually going to beat that goal!

Jade’s whole body warmed to his unspoken praise.  She knew things were going well,
but having him look at her with admiration was worth every stressful moment over the
past two weeks.  “I know people who know other people…” she shrugged as if that explained
everything.

Angelo looked down at her, seeing the glow of happiness and accomplishment on her
beautiful face.  It only made her more beautiful.  “And the rest of the house?” he
prompted, knowing that this hallway led to the master bedroom.  And he wanted her
in there very badly. 

Jade’s confidence stumbled.  She’d spent so much time in that room, working with all
the craftsmen and repair people, worrying about every detail and trying hard to make
sure that the room was finished as soon as possible.  She hadn’t known exactly when
he was coming back to town despite talking to his assistant relatively often, but
she’d wanted this room to be perfect.  The other bedrooms were easy to do because
she’d simply repaired the floors and any weather damage, then painted and ordered
furniture.  But the master bedroom had become much more personal. 

Perhaps too personal, she thought with trepidation.  She was nervous about showing
him that room and not sure if it was because she didn’t want to be alone in that room
with him, or if she wanted him to love it as much as she did.  She’d decorated it
with crisp whites and seaside blues, avoiding the darker browns and tans that other
decorators used for only male rooms.  Angelo wasn’t normal, she’d thought as she’d
selected the furniture and linens for this bedroom.  Angelo required something lighter,
more alive and elegant. 

“It’s this way,” she said and led him down the hallway with more than a touch of nervousness. 
This hallway wasn’t as dark as the areas downstairs because she had the doors to the
other bedrooms open which let in the late afternoon sunshine.  At the end of the hallway,
she swung open the ornate double door and waited for him to walk in for his inspection.

She looked down at the floor, that tension coming right back in full force.  “Aren’t
you going to show me around?” Angelo asked softly, waiting for her to look up at him.

Jade shook her head.  “I can wait out here,” she replied softly, painfully aware that
this was the place where he would sleep, where he would….yes, where he would take
a woman and make love to her.  As she’d decorated this room, she’d pictured herself
in that massive bed on so many occasions, wondering what it would be like to lay in
his arms and feel those long fingers caress her.  He would take off those gorgeous
business suits, stripping off all of those refined masks that hid the hard, demanding
man underneath and she would shiver with excitement….

“Come with me,” he said and put a hand to the small of her back, gently pressing her
into the room. 

Jade didn’t want to go inside.  Her blushing cheeks probably revealed exactly what
she’d thought about each time she’d inspected this room and she wanted to stay just
outside the door.  Being in this room with the enormous, four-poster bed she’d discovered
that had matched the style perfectly, just sent her senses swimming with anticipation. 

They were far enough away from the noise now, with the hammering and mechanical noises
only a dim echo. 

Although Jade had excitedly explained the progress in the other rooms, Angelo looked
down at the silent woman beside him as he stepped into the master bedroom.  He looked
around, instantly appreciating the décor.  She hadn’t gone with the heavy, masculine
colors his other designers seemed to think he preferred.  Instead, the large, four
poster bed was placed near the heavy balcony doors that were currently opened to let
the ocean breezes come through.  The walls were a cream color that was both warm and
yet still contrasted with the dark, chocolate color of the trim and the wood of the
bed.  With touches of light blue in places, the room felt clean and fresh but not
overly heavy. 

“This is really nice,” he said out loud, turning to face her.  He was just in time
to catch her face flush with color. 

He knew he should talk to her, give her space and let her know what he wanted from
her.  But she was just so beautiful and he’d thought of her almost constantly over
the past week.  She’d distracted him in meetings when he should have been focusing
and he wanted her. 

What’s more, he could tell from her nervous expression and the pretty pink in her
cheeks that she felt the same way. 

Besides, she was here in his bedroom where he’d pictured her so many times.  She was
too much of a temptation to resist.  So he didn’t. 

He was more of an action man than a talking one anyway. 

Angelo walked closer, his eyes telling her exactly what he was going to do, giving
her ample time to run away or tell him no.  But she stood there, her lips softened,
her eyes widened and her body turned towards him.  There was no way he could turn
down that invitation.  When he reached for her, he heard the ever-present clipboard
hit the smooth, wooden floor but he ignored the sound and pulled her into his arms,
kissing her gently until her trembling lips responded.  It didn’t take long, but when
he felt her lips move under his, he deepened the kiss, bringing her closer to him,
lifting her into his arms. 

Jade couldn’t believe how incredible this man felt.  When he kissed her this way,
she wanted to just climb up his body and revel in the strength he kept carefully controlled,
willing him to release all that power and just devour her.  When she kissed him back,
showing him what she wanted, she just about yelled out with excitement when he gave
it to her.  His strong arms circled her waist, lifting her up against him and she
thought she just might swoon from the excitement of being in his arms. 

She’d never felt this kind of passion before, always thinking she preferred the reserved
kisses of Dave.  But as Angelo kissed her, his hands clenching and unclenching on
her waist, she knew that this was where she was meant to be.  This man, his strong,
heavily muscular body and all of his incredible heat, was hers.  At least for the
moment and she was determined to take advantage of all of that. 

When she felt the mattress at her back, she was afraid he would move away so she wrapped
her legs around his waist, her fingers quickly working the buttons on his shirt, pushing
the material away impatiently.  “Please don’t stop,” she begged, her fingers slipping
underneath the material to finally discover what lay beneath.  What she found was
not disappointing.  All that raw power she’d known was hiding from her was now rippling
underneath her fingers and she delighted in exploring every inch of him. 

When her tee-shirt flew off over her head, she didn’t even question the movement,
intent to get her hands back on his skin, exploring his chest muscles and lower. 
She loved the way he inhaled sharply when her fingers moved over his abdomen, amazed
at the ridges of muscles.  When her fingers encountered his belt, she almost growled
with her frustration.  She fumbled for a moment before Angelo stood up and removed
his belt, pants and boxers for her.  She didn’t have a chance to become nervous by
his size because his hands quickly moved to her own pants, unzipping them and pulling
the khaki material down her legs before tossing her slacks behind him.