Burned by Passion (5 page)

Blake had to smile. “No; definitely not married,” he said, and sure enough he didn’t miss Brittany’s relieved sigh which closely matched his father’s. He was looking at his father as he added, “But I have been dating someone; she’s French and her name is Eve Durand. We’ve been together almost a year now. So you could say I’m…attached.”

“Well, are you thinking of marrying this…Eve woman?” his father asked, speaking directly to him for the first time since they’d settled down to dine.

At that question Blake noticed that the whole table went quiet and he could also tell that the guests at the other table were listening in too.

Just the kind of attention he’d been avoiding, Blake thought as he hid his deepening irritation. Choosing his words carefully, he replied, “We’ve spoken about marriage, yes.”

Blake’s relationship with Eve was one he’d felt comfortable with enough to consider taking things further just before his mother lost her battle with cancer. Once his mother was gone Blake began to notice a strain in his relationship with Eve which he knew came all from him. He’d been filled with a lot of anger and a sense of injustice against the world from losing his mother who’d been the sweetest woman in the world and the one thing that had really mattered to him.

As things stood with Eve, their love affair had been put on hold at least. But they were still officially together. Eve was a great girl; a beautiful, vivacious brunette who worked as a successful fashion stylist. They’d met at a bar in London and the attraction had been mutual. They had a lot of things in common and though Blake wasn’t sure about the labels when it came to love and relationships, he knew she’d have made a perfect wife. He didn’t know yet why he was still holding back.

His father’s next words snapped him out of his musings. “Well, maybe it’s for the best that you both never got past just speaking about marriage. Best forget it all together because I don’t think she’s right for you,” Bretton said shortly, reaching for his glass of wine and taking a brief sip.

His dismissive tone angered Blake. “How would you know? You haven’t even met her.”

Blake was aware of his father now and no one else. In a lot of ways, his father rubbed him up the wrong way for different reasons. But a lot probably had to do with the past and how it had all played out. His lonely, heartbroken mother never really wanted to find love again and was content to raise her only son while trying to rebuild their lives. There’d been her extended family to provide the needed support but nothing beat a husband and a real home; a real family. His father had robbed them of that with his dedication to his business. Blake felt his father was the last person to be giving him any kind of opinion on his relationships or love life.

“Besides, what right do you have to dictate my personal life? If I do decide to marry Eve or any other woman, whether you want it or not will not matter to me in the slightest.” Blake’s tone was cold and he caught the way his father winced at his detached words.

Blake had the urge to lash out as cruelly as possible against this man across from him who felt good about playing ‘father’ only when it suited him. Blake could almost feel the sympathy wafting from the guests for their host Bretton Carter but Blake could care less.

Where had Bretton Carter been all those years when it had actually mattered? To hell with what anyone else might think. No one in that room knew what it was like to be a ten-year-old boy who didn’t matter to his father. To be simply tossed away and forgotten for years.

“You’re right,” Bretton finally said into the silence at their table. His voice was calm over the subdued sounds from the surrounding guests dining at the tables placed around the room. “What right do I have to intrude in any part of your life? After all it’s been decades since we had any kind of contact. But I’m still your father and there are certain wishes I’d like respected.”

“Even though they work against mine?” Blake asked with a disbelieving huff. Was this conversation really happening, right here and now? He realized he finally had enough of this impossible situation. Had enough of everything. He was done with this charade. It was a mistake to come back. Even if it was something his mother wanted. He’d tried and that’s all he could do.

“It’s obvious you still think of me as that ten-year-old who left with his mother all those years ago. Well sorry to break the news to you,
Dad
, but I didn’t come all the way back so you could control my life. In case you haven’t noticed I’m more than old enough to make my own decisions. And you know what; I’ve decided I’ve had enough for one evening. Goodnight everyone.”

Ignoring Brittany’s dramatic, shocked gasp, Blake rose to his feet and stalked out of the hushed room.

***

Kira sat rooted to her chair, shocked by Blake’s words and finally, his exit. His conversation with his father had carried quite easily to her as it must have to half the room. Even with the music and the light chatter, anyone could see that something had gone terribly wrong.

She still couldn’t believe it; couldn’t believe how disrespectful Blake had been and she felt such shock and anger at her boss being treated so shabbily. It was obvious Blake didn’t give a damn about his father’s – or anyone else’s – feelings. And it was that anger that had her shooting to her feet.

Terrence, who’d been thoroughly enjoying the spectacle, looked up in surprise when Kira rose rapidly. “Where the hell do you think you’re going?” he muttered sharply, but she ignored him as she followed in the wake of Blake Carter, intent on giving him a piece of her mind.

As she disappeared from the crowded dining hall, Terrence smashed his fist in his palm in a burst of anger and frustration.

Chapter Five

“Blake Carter! Wait up; I want a word with you!”

From behind him, Blake heard Kira call angrily to him but he walked on, crossing the wide foyer and headed for the study wing of the ground floor. He’d just about reached the right turn leading to his destination when he felt her hand grab his shoulder. He let her jerk him forcefully round to face her even as he suppressed his temper.

“I said, I want to speak to you,” Kira gritted out, glaring up at him with those gorgeous brown eyes surrounded by thick, spiky lashes. He was getting used to seeing the gleam of anger blazing back at him.

He quenched a smile. “I heard you, lady. I just can’t stand to listen to another lecture right now.”

“Well, you’d better. Because I’m not backing down until I let you know what an unfeeling, disrespectful brute you are.”

Blake’s lips tightened in anger at that. “Why? Because I let him know he couldn’t push me around?”

“No. Because you displayed to the world how little respect you have for your father. Those are his most important friends and associates in there. And after he took all the trouble to put together such a nice welcome party for you. How could you be such a-”

“Jerk?” Blake put in before she could find the word to finish. “I wonder why it’s just my father’s feelings you seem so worried about. What about mine, hmm? Do you have any idea how it feels when every time I try to act civil he lets me see how much he enjoys controlling other people’s lives - and without a care for what they really want? I don’t think you understand what’s going on here, Kira,” he said dismissively.

His words seemed to calm her a little as she said with far less venom, “Oh yes I do. I don’t think you realize how much he loves you. Yes, he does try to stick his nose in sometimes. That’s how he is. You don’t know how lucky you are to have a father even remotely concerned about your welfare. Why, if I had someone like him for a father, I…” She stopped abruptly, her voice choking as tears stung her eyes.

“Oh please,” Blake said cuttingly. “Do you really think I’ll believe that all he is to you is some “father figure”? You must take me for a fool to think I can’t see that you’re his pretty little plaything on top of everything else.”

Kira’s eyes blazed with fury and she lashed out to slap him but he easily grabbed her wrist. So she raised the other one and he caught that too.

“Don’t even think about it,” Blake warned, jaw clenched. “Or you’ll realize what a jerk I really am.”

Her big, brown eyes suddenly brimmed with tears, surprising him. Her voice was filled with hurt when she finally choked out words. “How dare you!  You really don’t think much of him – much less know him, if you think he’s capable of what you’re suggesting.”

Blake was staring fixedly down at her, at the tears streaming down her beautiful face. Her gaze held anger and a look of injustice. Damn; he hadn’t meant to be mean to her or make her cry. But she should have known better than try to get in the middle of this. His family had issues no one could even begin to understand. And that only made him madder.

“Oh, and you know what he’s capable of? Trust me you have no clue what it is to have a father like him,” he scorned though not harshly. “Just because you’ve known him for a few years you think that gives you the right to interfere – to judge me? Whatever’s going on between my father and I need not concern you, Ms. Taylor.” As he said this he pointedly dropped her hands.

It was either that or making a grab for her. She had no idea the thoughts raging through his mind with her this close. She had him semi-hard each time she was near; and each time he caught a whiff of that maddening perfume of hers that was a mix of sex and woman. Hell, sex was all he could think about since he’d set eyes on her. And it didn’t help matters that she looked even hotter when she was mad, like now. When her eyes were shooting daggers at him as she tried not to rub at her wrists.

“You’re wrong, Blake,” she said firmly. “When you care about someone enough, everything about them becomes your business. Try and remember that!” And she turned angrily to march away.

“Oh I will,” Blake murmured. He wasn’t ready to have her walking away from him just yet. He took her arm in a firm grasp and twisted her back to face him again. She struggled in his grip but he was too strong for her as he stared deeply into her stormy face. “And I’ll also remember how you look with your mascara streaking down your cheeks, like some beautifully tragic heroine.”

His lips slanted in a half-taunting, half-humorous smile and he could see her confusion. Could tell she seemed distracted by his sudden change of mood, and so was totally unprepared for what happened next.

“Hmm. Now that’s got me also wondering what you’ll look like with your lipstick smudged,” Blake murmured thoughtfully, right before he grabbed her shoulders, slammed her against him and seized her lips roughly in a hard, moist kiss.

***

Time warped for a few moments as Kira tried to process what was happening. Blake…kissing her…in his father’s study. With a force and passion that stole her breath. Nothing had prepared her for the blast of heat that was like a force of nature ripping into her the moment their lips met.

She’d been
so
mad at him; like she’d never been at anyone, ever. Despite her put-together persona anyone who really knew her would see that it was just a front. Kira had never been the outspoken type, especially growing up with an abusive, seldom sober father putting her down about how she looked or acted. Too fat, too dumb, too everything. But now that she was grown, she’d found a way to believe in herself and reach for her goals after she’d been raised to feel she’d never amount to much. She had so many achievements to show for it, blossoming into a strong black female who understood her worth and wasn’t afraid to speak up for what she believed was right.

Blake had made her see red with the things he’d said about her and his father. But even worse was the way she felt around Blake and how she loved to hate him; how she’d been so sure she liked nothing about him beyond his looks when they’d finally met. All of that flew out the window once he pulled her to his rock-solid frame and clamped his mouth over hers.

Kira was almost too shocked to react, the unexpected intimacy like a bolt of electricity in her system. Alarm gave way to amazement as Blake’s expert lips molded to hers and struck a hidden chord right inside her being.

She knew this wasn’t supposed to be happening. Apart from the fact her face must look like a horror show with all her makeup running, the last thing she’d ever foreseen was being kissed by Blake.

She ought to do something to stop him, she told herself frantically. So her hands came up to push against his formidable chest in protest. But his kiss grew all the more persistent and gentle, and ravenous, and sweet. Kira’s eyes fluttered closed and she made the biggest mistake yet; she parted her lips for his probing tongue.

She must be crazy, thought Kira. He obviously wanted to demean her in some way for talking to him so brashly. The last thing she should be doing was responding and her knees wobbled, thinking how easily she’d weakened beneath the manly crush of his lips. His burning passion.

Temptation.

Only one word for what Blake was doing to her and Kira shuddered as she willingly took her very first taste of forbidden fruit…

***

Blake groaned in harsh triumph and crushed Kira even harder against him. Her lips felt as soft and juicy as he’d imagined. His heart pounded with suppressed excitement as she helplessly opened to his ravenous onslaught.

She had a flavor like no woman he’d ever kissed before. It drove him over the edge, had him so hard and thick he throbbed where his groin was nestled against her soft, quivering belly.

She must have felt his monstrous erection because she gasped and broke from the kiss. Her eyes were glazed and confused, her sensuous mouth even more swollen and enticing. Her hands pushed against his chest and there was a delicious quiver in her voice as she protested, “Let me go.”

“Not yet,” Blake rasped, “Maybe when you sound like you really mean it.”

He leaned forward to kiss her again but she turned her face away from his descending lips. Blake merely chuckled and pressed the kiss to her neck instead, attaching his mouth to her soft neck. Damn he loved how she smelled and tasted. Loved the sweet heat of her smooth, dusky flesh. Kira shuddered harder than ever and he smiled, because he knew he’d found her weak spot. He traced his lips over the sweetly scented skin and then nibbled wickedly.