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Bachelor Undone
Brenda Jackson
He tried to push the thought from his mind that while he’d been sitting on the sofa, whether she knew it or not, he had been fighting desire; desire for her that had all but seeped into his bones.
Why on earth would he be attracted to her of all women?
Before he’d gotten up to her room tonight he’d been approached by a couple of women who’d all but invited him to their hotel room. One had brazenly offered to give him a blow job right there in the elevator. He hadn’t wanted any of them. But he did want this one. This haughty-looking female, who had his blood firing through his veins, who was staring him down and standing in front of him looking as sexy as any woman had a right to look in a bathrobe.
He glared down at her when the room got too quiet for his taste. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“I won’t. Now, goodbye, York.”
At that moment, something inside of him snapped. She was glaring at him, yet earlier tonight she’d been smiling at someone else. Not only had she been smiling, but she’d also flirted with the man. “You like pushing my buttons, don’t you, Darcy.”
“Yes,” she said smiling. “Gives me great pleasure.”
“No, this is pleasure.” And then he reached out, pulled her to him and captured her mouth with his.
Dear Reader,
Please envision six men who, for various reasons, are members of the Bachelor in Demand Club, and are determined to stay single for as long as they can. With each book I write in this series, I am having fun making each man open their hearts to love when the right woman comes along.
Bachelor Undone is York Ellis’s story, and his leading lady is Darcy Owens. Both York and Darcy are strong-willed individuals who think they know what they want, and who stubbornly refuse to admit their true heart’s desire is to want each other. York has his own agenda and Darcy has hers, but they soon discover that what the mind sometimes refuses to accept, the heart ultimately will.
I hope all of you enjoy reading York and Darcy’s story.
Happy reading!
Brenda Jackson
About the Author
BRENDA JACKSON is a die “heart” romantic who married her childhood sweetheart and still proudly wears the “going steady” ring he gave her when she was fifteen. Because she’s always believed in the power of love, Brenda’s stories always have happy endings. In her real-life love story, Brenda and Gerald, her husband of thirty-nine years, live in Jacksonville, Florida, and have two sons.
A New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of more than eighty-five romance titles, Brenda is a retiree from a major insurance company and now divides her time between family, writing and traveling with Gerald. You may write to Brenda at PO Box 28267, Jacksonville, Florida 32226, USA; e-mail her at AuthorBrendaJackson@gmail.com or visit her website, www.brendajackson.net.
Bachelor Undone
Brenda Jackson
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
To the love of my life, Gerald Jackson, Sr.
To all the family, friends and dedicated readers.
This one is for you.
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear;
but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
—II Timothy 1:7
Prologue
Spending her vacation in New York during the month of December was not on Darcelle Owens’s list of things to do, which was why she was in a cab headed for JFK International Airport. She loved living in the Big Apple, but when forecasters had predicted the city’s coldest winter ever, she was glad she had plans to get the hell out of Dodge.
Jamaica, here I come, she thought relaxing back in her seat. While her coworkers would be battling the snow, she planned to be lying half-naked on the beach under the heat of the Jamaican sun. And then at night, she’d become a sophisticated hooch and let her hair down, party and even do a little man-hunting. She deserved it after working her tail off the past two years.
She had the whole month of December off and would have loved to spend the entire time in Jamaica. But her parents expected her to come home for Christmas, as usual. She got a chill in her bones just thinking of returning to Minneapolis for even a little while.
She’d always hated cold weather and would have headed south to attend college if her parents hadn’t convinced her of how much money they could save not having to pay out-of-state tuition. When she talked to her mother just that morning, it was twenty below zero. Brrrr.
And then her best friend Ellie Lassiter expected her to spend a few days with her at her lake house in North Carolina before Ellie and her husband Uriel’s New Year’s Eve bash.
Darcy planned to keep her family and Ellie happy, but first she intended to relax in the warm weather for at least three weeks.
Darcy cringed when she heard the chime of a text message on her cell phone. How dare her younger brother Prescott teach their mother how to text! Darcy bet between her, Prescott and her older brother Jonas that their mother, Joan Owens, sent out over one hundred text messages a day. Okay, maybe she was exaggerating a tad bit, but it would seem about that number.
Checking her phone, Darcy smiled when she saw the message hadn’t come from her mother after all. It was from Ellie.
Behave yourself in J. Have fun. E
Darcy chuckled and quickly texted back. Can’t behave myself and have fun, too. LOL.
Got Bruce with you? the responding text asked.
Darcy’s smile widened. Bruce was the name she’d given her little sex toy. Nope. Left Bruce behind this time. I hope to get lucky and find someone who’s looking to have some fun. Looking forward to relaxing, reading and replacing Bruce with the real thing.
She wasn’t surprised when within seconds of sending that message her cell phone rang. Of course it was Ellie. “Yes, El?”
“And just what do you mean by that?” her best friend asked.
Darcy threw her head back and laughed. “Just what I said. It’s time Bruce goes into retirement. He’s earned it.”
“Girl, you’re awful.”
“No, I’m not. If I was awful, I wouldn’t have gone without being in a relationship for two years. If it hadn’t been for Bruce and my romance novels, I don’t know what I would have done to keep sane.”
And that was so true. She had moved from Minneapolis after taking a job as a city planner for New York City. Over the past two years, she had been working day and night trying to prove the city hadn’t made a mistake by hiring an outsider.
She had worked hard and hadn’t taken any time off other than the recognized holidays, which was why she had accumulated so much vacation time. And now she intended to enjoy it. It was the end of the year, and her boss had warned her to “use it or lose it.” The only thing she planned to lose was two years of abstinence.
“Chill, El,” she said when there was silence on the other end. “I’m taking plenty of condoms with me if that makes you happy.”
She glanced up and saw the elderly cabdriver looking at her looking in the rearview mirror. Oops. She couldn’t do anything but smile. She lowered her head and whispered into the phone. “Look, you’re going to get me in trouble, El. The cabbie heard my remark about condoms and is looking at me funny. Like he thinks I’m a loose woman or something.”
“Nobody’s fault but your own for saying what you did.”
“It’s the truth.”
“Whatever. Go and have your fun, but be careful, stay safe and you better have a lot to tell me when you get back.”
Darcy felt giddy all the way to her toes. “Trust me, I will. I intend to become one of the heroines in those romance novels I enjoy reading so much. And I got this hot pink bikini with the word seduction written all over it.”
Darcy then clicked off the phone and glanced out the cab’s window. It had started snowing. She drew in a deep breath thinking she couldn’t get to Jamaica fast enough.
York Ellis, former NYPD officer and present-day security expert, felt adrenaline flow through his veins. It was always that way at the start of a new case, and from the sound of things, this one would be a challenge. As far as he was concerned, anything would top the last case he had protecting the horse who’d won the Kentucky Derby when rumors of a horse-napping had begun circulating.
He glanced across his desk at Malcolm Overstreet, renowned director and screenwriter. Malcolm was there to represent a group of New York filmmakers whose movies were getting put on the black market before they got the chance to be released to theaters. This was causing the filmmakers enormous loss of profits and almost forcing them into bankruptcy. In this case, the actual movie footage was being sold while the production was still in process. Certain scenes were even appearing on the internet.
On top of that, idle threats had been made against the making of a controversial movie. Malcolm wanted York’s firm to find out who was behind the bootlegging as well as handle the security for the movie.
York had enough people working for him to do the latter, and as far as finding out who was involved in advance footage being released to the public, he figured with the right plan in place that should be easy enough.
“Have you ever considered the possibility this might be an inside job?” he asked Malcolm. He could tell from the man’s expression that he hadn’t.
“We have good people working for our production company,” Malcolm said. “If we lose money, they lose money.”
Not necessarily, York thought. “When does the movie continue shooting?” he asked.
“Next week in Jamaica,” Malcolm responded.
York nodded as he jotted down a few notes. He knew the film was a controversial biography on the life of Marcus Garvey, the black civil rights activist from Jamaica. And he knew it would depict a side of Garvey that some didn’t want told—which was the reason for the heightened security while they were on the island. “Has any current cast or crew member worked on your last couple of movies?”
“Yes, we usually hire the same crew for all our productions. Some of them have been with us for years, and it’s hard to imagine them being a part of anything illegal.”
“What about your cast?”
“Johnny Rush is my leading man as Garvey, and Danielle Simone is my leading lady as his love interest. But you can scratch them off the list,” Malcolm said confidently.
York lifted a brow. “Why are you so sure?”
“Their egos. Both are too vain to want their work anywhere other than the big screen, trust me. They think having their work out on the black market is an insult to their talent. In fact, the only way they would agree to work with Spirit Head Productions again is if we assured them their work will not be undermined and hit the streets before a premier date.”
“What about Damien Felder?” York asked, glancing down at the papers on his desk. “I’ve noticed his name has shown up on probably every production you’ve done.”
Malcolm nodded. “You can mark Damien’s name off the list as well. He’s my line producer, and a cut in our profits slashes into his bank account as well. He has nothing to gain from our movies appearing on the black market. If another one of our movies gets bootlegged, we’ll be filing for bankruptcy.”
Malcolm then leaned forward. “I believe whoever is behind things will try and get the footage sometime while my cast and crew are shooting the final scenes in Jamaica. And I want you to make sure that doesn’t happen, York. My partners and I are sick and tired of losing money that way. It’s not fair not only to us but to every person who has a stake in the production.”
The man paused and then added, “And then there’s this threat on Rush. Some think he fabricated things for publicity, but we can’t take any chances.”
York closed his notepad. Malcolm and his group were heavy hitters who could open the doors to even more business for York’s security firm. But more importantly, it was the principle of the thing. Someone was breaking the law and cutting into the profits—actually outright stealing them—and they were profits they didn’t deserve.
He knew one of the main reasons Malcolm had come to him was because Malcolm was a friend of his father’s. Malcolm had also attended Morehouse College as a young man along with York’s father and five godfathers before getting a graduate degree from Columbia University Film School. “I understand, and I intend to fly to Jamaica immediately and find out who is behind things.”
Malcolm lifted a brow. “Will it be that easy?”
York met the man’s gaze with an intense look. “No, but once I establish my cover, I’ll be a regular on set and I can keep an eye on what’s going on. And the six men and three women working for me are the best of the best. Rest assured, whoever is behind this has messed with one of your productions for the last time.”
Chapter 1
Darcy stood on the balcony and glanced out at the beach. It was hard to believe this was her third day in Jamaica and she was just getting out of her hotel room today for the first time. She, who rarely got sick, had gotten a stomach virus her first day and had stayed in her hotel room in bed. What a bummer of a way to start off her vacation.
The good thing was that today she was feeling like her old self again, and she intended to spend as much time outside as she possibly could. She had lost two valuable days, but from here on out it was full steam ahead.
When she had checked in, the hotel clerk had given her a list of the hotel’s activities for the week, and tonight they would be hosting a classy beach party. Her health had improved just in time. A party was the last thing she wanted to miss.
She turned away from the window and crossed the room to glance at herself in the full-length mirror. She had purchased the wide-brimmed straw hat from a gift shop at the airport, and the sundress she was wearing had caught her eye the moment she’d seen it at Macy’s over the summer. At the time, a trip to Jamaica had been just a fancy, and in a way, it was hard to believe she was actually here.
Instead of donning a bikini and lying on the beach today, she thought she would take a tour of the island and get some sightseeing in. She had purchased a new digital camera and intended to put it to good use. And she definitely intended to do some shopping. When she had visited Jamaica a few years ago—a college graduation present from her parents—she had purchased several pieces of jewelry that had been handcrafted by an island woman. Darcy intended to see if the small shop near the pier was still there. There were several more pieces she would love to add to her collection.
She glanced around the room. Since she would be here for three weeks she’d decided to get one of the residential suites, and she loved it. It was huge and spacious, and although it was costing her a pretty penny, it was worth it. Besides, she deserved it.
The furniture in the sitting area was elegant and the decor colors of cream, yellow, mint green and plum perfectly reflected an island theme. Floor-to-ceiling windows lined one wall and provided a balcony view of the water.
French doors led from the sitting room directly into the bedroom, which had its own balcony. There was nothing like waking up to the beauty of the Caribbean Sea. But it was the bathroom that she’d found simply breathtaking. It had a dressing room area and a closet large enough to camp out in if the need arose. Then there was the humongous Jacuzzi tub that could hold several couples if you were inclined to get that kinky … which she wasn’t. She wasn’t into sharing of any kind when it came to relationships.
Grabbing her purse off the table, she headed for the door. It was a beautiful day, and she planned to spend as much of it as she could outside. Then she would return and take a shower and a nap before getting ready for the party tonight.
York walked along the pier. It hadn’t taken any time to get his game plan in place and head toward the island. Jamaica was beautiful, but unlike all the other times he came to the island, he was here for business.
Regardless of what Malcolm thought, every member of the cast and crew was a suspect. His team had divided the list, and every single person was being checked out. He was hoping it wouldn’t take long to expose the culprit since he planned to spend the holidays back in the States. His parents had moved to Seattle a few years ago and luckily didn’t expect everyone to show up on their doorsteps for the holidays. In fact, as long as he could remember, once he and his siblings began having lives of their own, his parents would spend the holidays in Toronto, visiting friends they had there. Usually York would spend a quiet Christmas at home, and those times he wanted company, he had five sets of godparents he could visit.
Most people knew the story as to how six guys who’d met and become best friends while attending Morehouse had on graduation day made a pact to stay in touch by becoming godfathers to each of their children and that the firstborn sons’ names would carry the letters of the alphabet from U to Z. And that was how Uriel Lassiter, Virgil Bougard, Winston Coltrane, Xavier Kane, York Ellis and Zion Blackstone had come into existence. He was close to his godparents and godbrothers and couldn’t imagine them not being a part of his life.
He checked his watch. A couple of his men had checked in already with their reports, and it was obvious Malcolm didn’t know some of his people as well as he thought he did. However, there was nothing to indicate any of them could be suspected of anything other than engaging in a number of illicit affairs.
York glanced around and saw he was the object of several women’s attention. He didn’t mind, and if he’d had the time, he would even indulge their fantasies. He was well aware that a number of women came to the island alone to get their groove on. They were man-hunters who were only looking for a good time.
He kept walking. He was on assignment, and there wasn’t a woman he’d met yet who could make him take his mind off work.
Darcy squinted against the brightness of the sun while moving from shop to shop in Montego Bay. Reggae music seemed to be playing just about everywhere. Pausing, she pulled out her sunglasses to shield her eyes from the sun. It was hard to believe how bright it shone here when, according to weather reports, it was still snowing in New York.
She stopped at a fruit stand, admiring the basket of strawberries, all plump and ripe, when something out of the corner of her eye caught her attention.
A man.
And boy, what a man he was. She could only see his profile, but even from almost fifteen feet away she could tell he was a fine specimen of the opposite sex. He was in a squatting position, going through a rack of T-shirts that some peddler was trying to sell him.
Darcy tilted the sunglasses a little off her eyes to get a better view, deciding she didn’t want to miss anything—especially the way the denim of his jeans managed to stretch tight across his thighs. And the way his shoulders filled the shirt he was wearing.
He stood up a little and his tush—OMG, it was definitely the kind a woman would drool over. She bet they were perfect masculine cheeks, firm and fine.
Her mind began working, and she immediately began seeing him as a hero from one of the romance novels she read. But which one? she asked herself, thumping her finger against her chin.
She immediately thought of Jansen Trumble, the bad boy from the spicy novel Mine Until Morning. That had been one hot book, and even after reading it at least four or five times, she would give just about anything to have a rumble with Trumble. She settled her sunglasses back on her eyes thinking if she couldn’t have the fictional Trumble then a look-alike would have to suffice.
“Miss, would you like to try some of my strawberries? I just rinsed this batch off. I bet you’d like them.”
Her attention was pulled momentarily away from the gorgeous hunk when an island woman offered her a tray of fresh strawberries, sill wet from a recent rinsing. “Thanks, I’d love to try one.”
She popped a strawberry in her mouth, immediately enjoying the taste when the sweet flavor burst on her tongue. It was wet, juicy and so delicious. That made her glance back over at the man. Now he was standing to his full height as he continued to consider the T-shirts. He was tall, and she could see just how well built he was.
She tilted her head, thinking there was something about him that was oddly familiar, although she had yet to see his features. Like her, he was wearing sunglasses. His were aviators. And even from a distance she could tell he was an American. He had chocolate colored skin, and his dark hair was cut close to his head.
“Delicious, miss?”
She glanced back at the woman and smiled, remembering they were talking about the strawberries and not the man. “Yes, definitely delicious.”
“Would you like another?”
Darcy chuckled. She hadn’t intended on being greedy but since the woman asked … “Yes, I’d love another.”
She put another strawberry into her mouth, and when she glanced back over at the man, she saw he was staring over at her. Facing him, she immediately recognized him and almost choked on the strawberry in her mouth.
York Ellis!
Even wearing sunglasses she would know him anywhere. The shape of his mouth and his chiseled jaw would give him away each time. What the heck was he doing here?
She felt irritation invade her entire body. Staring into his handsome face did nothing to calm her rising anger. Her best friend was married to one of his godbrothers, so they were usually invited to the same family functions.
She and York always managed to rub each other the wrong way whenever they would run into each other. Things had been that way between them since the time they’d met at Ellie and Uriel’s wedding two years ago. During that time, her ex-husband Harold had tried threatening her to take him back. York had tried coming on to her at the reception. She had been in a bad mood at the time and had rebuffed his advances. Evidently he hadn’t taken rejection well.
He removed his sunglasses and stood staring across the way at her, evidently as surprised to see her as she was to see him. She felt her body get hot under his intense stare but forced her emotions to stay in check. She certainly couldn’t be that hard up for a man that she would be attracted to him.
And this wasn’t just any man. It was York Ellis. He was arrogant. Cocky. Too damn sure of himself at times to suit her. So why was she having such a hard time dragging her gaze from him? Why instead was she allowing her eyes to roam all over him, taking in how well he fit his jeans, his shirt? And then, there was his looks …
So, okay he had a nice looking mouth, one that was shaped just for kissing and those other scandalous things mouths could do. And his eyes were dark, so compelling and so magnetic. And at the moment, those dark eyes were intent on staring her down.
His half smile told her he knew she was checking him out and evidently found it amusing, considering their history. Anyone who’d ever hung around them knew they had one. He rubbed her the wrong way, and it seemed she always managed to rub him the wrong way as well.
He continued to smile, and she tried to ignore the fact that doing so made the angular plane of his face more pronounced, made dimples slash deep in his cheeks. This was the first time she ever noticed them. But then this was the first time he’d smiled at her.
But she quickly reminded herself he wasn’t smiling at her now. He was smirking at having caught her sizing him up. Good grief! With his arrogance, he’d probably assumed she was interested in him sexually—not on her life and not even if he was the last man on this earth.
But then she couldn’t help noticing that he was checking her out as well. His gaze was scanning up and down her body, and in response she could feel the nipples of her breasts press hard against the material of her sundress. She broke eye contact to reach for another strawberry. She needed it.
“All the others are for sale, Miss,” the woman told her gently.
Darcy couldn’t help but chuckle at the woman’s game and conceded it had worked. The woman had offered her two free strawberries to taste, knowing she would like them enough to buy the rest. And she was right.
“All right then, I want the entire basket. They are delicious.”
The woman’s face beamed. “Thank you. Would you like to try any other fruit?”
Darcy figured she might as well—anything to get her mind off the man across the street. Ellie liked York and couldn’t figure out why her best friend and one of her husband’s godbrothers could not get along. She had constantly told Ellie not to lose any sleep over it. Life wasn’t intended for every single person to live together in harmony.
She glanced back at York and saw he was still staring over at her. Data rushed through her brain as to how much she knew about him. He was thirty-four, had gotten a criminology degree from a university in Florida and had been a cop with the NYPD for a few years before going into business for himself as a security expert. Both of his parents were living, and he had a younger sister and brother.
She also knew that he and his six godbrothers had formed the Bachelors in Demand club, with each one vowing to remain single. Now it was down to only four since two had married. Uriel Lassiter had married Ellie and Xavier Kane had married a woman by the name of Farrah earlier in the year.
“Here are your purchases,” the woman said, handing her a huge brown paper bag containing the strawberries, mangoes and guineps. Darcy figured her next destination would be the hotel. Seeing York had practically ruined her day. She needed to revamp and get prepared for her night on the beach.
“Here, let me help you with that.”
Darcy turned her head at the deep, husky male voice who’d spoken close to her ear at the same time her bag was smoothly taken from her hand. She frowned when she glanced up at a face that was too handsome for his own good. “York, what are you doing here in Jamaica?” She all but snapped the question out at him.
He smiled, and she had to force her gaze from the curve of his mouth when he said, “Funny, I was about to ask you the same thing. Are you sure New York can handle things without you?”
“It will be a struggle, but they’ll manage,” she responded smartly. They both lived in New York but made it a point not to have their paths cross, which had always been fine with her—definitely preferable. “What about with you? Is the security of the city being tested with you gone?”
“Not at all,” he said smoothly. “And you never answered my question as to what you’re doing here in Jamaica.”
She glared up at him. “Not that it’s any of your business but I’m here vacationing for three weeks. I’ve earned the time off and intend to enjoy myself. And why are you here?”
“Vacationing as well. Funny we picked the same place to unwind and seek out relaxation.”
Darcy didn’t see anything amusing about it. Being on the same island with him was definitely not how she wanted things to be. It was bad enough that they lived in the same city. “Well, enjoy your vacation, and I can carry my own bag, thank you.” She tried tugging her bag from his grip and he held tight.
“Excuse me, but will you let go of my bag?”
Instead of doing so, he asked, “Where are you on your way to?”
She let out a deep, frustrated sigh. “My hotel.”
“Which one?”
“The Ritz-Carlton,” she said, without thinking.
His smile widened. “Now isn’t that a coincidence? So am I.”
He had to be joking, she thought. There was no way he could be staying at her hotel. As if he’d read her thoughts, he chuckled and said, “I guess this isn’t your lucky day, huh?”
She snatched her bag from him. “You’re right, it’s not.”
She turned and thanked the woman for her purchase and moved to walk away. Why wasn’t she surprised when York fell in step beside her? She stopped and turned to him. “And just where do you think you’re going?”
“Back to the hotel. Since we’re headed the same way, I figure we might as well keep each other company.”
“Has it ever occurred to you that I might not want your company?”
His answer was simple. “No, that thought has never occurred to me.”
“Like the time you rushed over to my place thinking I was a helpless female in distress?”
He laughed. “Hey, that was Ellie’s idea, not mine.”
He was right. It had been Ellie’s idea. She and Ellie had been talking on the phone late one night when Darcy had heard a noise downstairs. She put Ellie on hold to investigate, not knowing Ellie had panicked and called York, who lived less than a mile away. Ellie had asked him to go to Darcy’s house to make sure everything was okay.
It turned out there had been a burglar. Some guy had broken into her house, and she had caught him rummaging through her kitchen drawers. By the time York had gotten there, the guy had discovered just how well she could defend herself when she’d demonstrated the karate skills she’d acquired growing up and taking classes with her brothers.
York, who had arrived before the police, had gotten extremely angry with her, saying she had no business taking on the likes of a burglar. Of course, she had disagreed with him.
“Okay, your showing up at my place might have been El’s idea, but you had no right to scold me in front of those police officers.”
“You took your life in your hands when you should have called the police,” he said, and she could tell from the tone of his voice her actions that night last year was still a sore spot with him.
“Had I waited for the police, the man would have gotten away just to break into someone else’s home. I had no intentions of letting him do that.”
York frowned. “Does it matter that you could have gotten killed?” Anger laced his every word.
“Could have but I didn’t. I had sized up the situation and knew it was one I could handle. Not every woman needs a man for protection, York.”
“And evidently you’re one of those kinds.”
She wasn’t sure what he meant by that, but hell yes, she was one of those kinds. She didn’t need a man around to protect her. Her first husband had learned that the hard way when he began showing abusive tendencies. “I guess I am,” she finally said, smiling as if she was proud of that fact.
She began walking again, convinced he would decide he wouldn’t want her company after all. He proved her wrong when he picked up his pace and began walking beside her again. She decided to ignore him. The good thing was that the hotel was less than a block away.
York walked beside Darcy and tried not to keep glancing over at her. She looked cute in her wide-brimmed straw hat and sundress. He had noticed her checking him out, and when she’d removed her sunglasses and he’d seen it was Darcy, he hadn’t known whether to be amused or annoyed. She certainly hadn’t known who he was at first, just like he hadn’t recognized her.
But once she had known it was him, he could immediately see her guard go up. She had intended to put distance between them. At any other time he would let her but not this time. He wasn’t sure why, but all he knew was that was how it would be.
“Would the lady like to look at my bracelets?” a peddler asked.
She stopped and so did York. He observed her when she conversed with the man who had several bangle bracelets for her to see.
York continued to watch as the man ardently pitched his goods and was impressed with the way Darcy handled the anxious merchant by not giving in to his outrageous prices. He inwardly chuckled, thinking she definitely had no intentions of paying an exorbitant amount.
She seemed pretty sharp for a twenty-eight-year-old, and he figured she rarely missed anything. It would be hard, if not next to impossible, for a man to run a game on her.
He could vividly recall the first time he’d seen her rushing into the church for Uriel’s wedding rehearsal. She’d been late since her plane had had mechanical problems.
Like all the other men, he had simply stared at her—the woman with all that dark brown hair flowing around her shoulders, hazel eyes, striking cocoa colored features and a body to die for. The last thing he’d expected when he’d tried coming on to her later was to be told she wasn’t interested. He would admit it had been a blow to his ego. That incident had been almost two years ago, and if the way she’d been sizing him up moments ago was anything to go by, it seemed she was pretty interested now.
He knew he should let go and move on, but so far he hadn’t been able to do that. And whenever he saw her they had a tendency to get on each other’s last nerves. If the truth be told, he had a mind to pay her back for rebuffing his advances that day. He could seduce her, make love to her and then walk away and not look back. Yes, that would serve her right.
“Well, that’s that,” she said, reclaiming his attention. He saw the way her lips quirked in amusement as well as the gleam of triumph shining in her eyes. He gathered she’d made a purchase she was pleased with.
They continued walking again, side by side, and he wondered how long she would continue to ignore him. He decided to stir conversation and asked, “When was the last time you talked to Ellie?” He eased the bag containing her fruit from her hand once again.
Darcy glanced over at York and decided that she would allow him to carry that bag since he seemed hell-bent on doing so anyway. She would keep the bag with the four bracelets she’d purchased from the peddler at a good price. “We’re best friends, so I talk to El practically every day,” she said. “But she hasn’t called since I arrived here. She’s going to be busy this week.”
“Doing what?”
She wondered if he thought everything was his business. “She’s hosting several holiday parties.”
“Oh.”
“It is the holiday season, you know,” she reminded him.
“Yes, I know.”
She didn’t say anything and for a moment regretted bringing up any mention of the holidays. She’d heard from El that a woman York had been dating and had begun caring deeply about, and who’d been a fellow officer when he’d been a cop with the NYPD, had gotten gunned down on Christmas Day while investigating a robbery. That had been over six years ago. After that, he’d sworn never to get seriously involved with a woman again, especially one in a dangerous profession. She knew all about the Bachelors in Demand club, one he formed along with his bachelor godbrothers who were all intent on staying single men forever. She had met all six of the godbrothers and got along with each of them … except for York.
“So how are your parents?” she asked, deciding to change the subject. She had first met the Ellises at Ellie and Uriel’s wedding and had run into them again when another one of Uriel and York’s godbrothers, Xavier Kane, had gotten married earlier in the year.
“They’re doing fine. I visited with them a couple of months ago.” He glanced back over at her. “So what do you plan on doing later?”
She glanced up at him from under the wide-brimmed hat. “I’m resting up for the big beach party the hotel is hosting tonight. I hear it’s a real classy black-tie affair. You are going, aren’t you?”
“Hadn’t planned on it.”
“Oh, well.” She should have felt relieved that he wouldn’t be there, but for some reason she felt a pang of disappointment in her chest. Why was that?
“Behave yourself tonight, Darcy.”
She lifted a brow. If he was being cute, she wasn’t appreciating it. “Let me assure you, Mr. Ellis, that you don’t need to tell me how to behave. And just for the record, I don’t plan on taking your advice. The reason I’m here is to have a good time, and a good time is what I will have—even if it means misbehaving.”
He stopped walking and stared at her, and she could see anger lurking in the dark depths of his eyes. She knew it was probably bothering him that she was standing there, facing him and looking nonplussed. Her two brothers were dominating males, so York’s personality type was not foreign to her. But that didn’t mean she had to tolerate it or him.
She glanced around. They were now standing in the plush lobby of the hotel. “I guess this is where we need to part ways, and hopefully we won’t run into each other again anytime soon. You didn’t say how long you intend to visit here.”
He smiled at her. “No, I didn’t say.”
And when she saw that he had no intention of doing so either, she released a sigh, took her bag from him and said, “Goodbye, York.” She then turned and headed for the bank of elevators.
Darcy drew in a deep breath with every step she took, tempted to glance over her shoulder. But she had a feeling he was still standing there, staring at her, and she didn’t want to give him the impression that she’d given him another thought … although she was doing so.
A few moments later, she stepped on the elevator and turned. She’d been right. He was still standing there. And while others joined her on the elevator their gazes held. At that moment, she felt a pang of regret that the two of them had never gotten along. Too bad. She was too set in her ways to make any changes now. Besides, she didn’t want to make any changes. For some reason, she much preferred that she and York keep their distance. The man was temptation personified. She could deal with temptation but not when it included an extreme amount of arrogance.
The elevator doors swooshed shut, breaking their eye connection. She released a deep breath, only realizing at that moment she’d been holding it. He was staying in another section of the hotel. It was a humongous place, but their paths might cross again and she would be ready and prepared. She had no intentions of letting York Ellis catch her off guard again.
Chapter 2
Damn, the woman was too beautiful for her own good, York thought, watching the elevator door close behind Darcy Owens. Beautiful with a smart mouth, a delectable looking mouth. More than once he’d been tempted to kiss it shut and to demonstrate just what he could do when his tongue connected with hers.
But then he had to remember that Darcy was too brash and outspoken to suit him. He didn’t want a “yes” woman by any means, but he didn’t want a woman who would dissect his every word looking for some hidden meaning. For some reason, she couldn’t take things at face value when it came to him, and he couldn’t understand why.
If he had the time, he would put it at the top of his list to seduce the smart-mouthed Darcy Owens just for the hell of it. If she wanted to misbehave, he could certainly show her what misbehaving was all about. But he had to remember she was the best friend of his godbrother’s wife, and Ellie probably wouldn’t take too kindly if he seduced her best friend just for the hell of paying her back.
He was about to head over to his side of the hotel when his cell phone rang. He pulled it off his belt and saw it was Wesley Carr, one of the retired police officers that he used as part of his investigative team. It had been his father’s idea.
Jerome Ellis had retired a few years ago as a circuit judge. He was a firm believer that retired police officers could better serve as more than just bailiffs at the courthouses. Most had sharp minds and loved the challenge of working on a case. York had taken his father’s advice and hired three such men at his firm and never regretted doing so.
“Yes, Wesley, what you got for me?” York asked.
“First of all, are you taking those vitamin supplements I told you about?” Wesley asked.
York shook his head. One of the pitfalls of hiring the men was that they liked to run his life by making sure he got the proper rest, ate healthy and didn’t overdo it when it came to women. They claimed all three things would eventually take a toll on a man.
“Yes, I’m taking them, so what do you have?”
“I think Damien Felder might be your man,” Wesley said with certainty.
“Why?”
“He has a ton of gambling debts.”
York rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “He’s a gambler?”
“Of the worse kind. Although he’s tried covering his tracks, I was able to trace his ties to the Medina family.”
“Damn.” The Medina family had their hands into anything illegal they could touch. York hadn’t gotten wind of them involved in movie piracy before now, though. Mainly it’d been drugs, prostitution and the transportation of illegal immigrants.
And Roswell Medina’s name had been linked to the homicide investigation involving Rhona, the only woman York had ever considered marrying. Like him she had been a police officer and had gotten struck down by a bullet when she had investigated a robbery. The authorities believed the rash of burglaries in Harlem had been organized by Medina but could never prove it.
“I can see them getting interested, if they had the right person on the inside to help them. It’s evidently a profitable business,” York added.
“Apparently.”
He inhaled a deep sigh. He knew Damien Felder would be the one to watch for a while. “I want all the information you can get me on Felder’s association with any of the Medinas.” He would just love to nail any member of that crime family for something, even if it was for jaywalking.
As he headed back toward his side of the hotel he thought about Darcy and doubted the two of them would be running into each other again any time soon.
Hell, he hoped not.
A twenty-piece orchestra on the beach.
The hotel had thought of everything, Darcy concluded as she stepped outside. Everyone had been told that tonight’s affair was all glitz and glamour, and everyone had dressed to the nines. Men were in tuxes and women were in beautiful gowns. She had decided to wear the short white lace dress and silver sandals she had purchased a few months ago when she had joined Ellie on a shopping spree when she’d visited her best friend in Charlotte.
With a glass of champagne in her hand, Darcy made her way down the white stone steps with towering balustrades on both sides. She could see the beach and see how the water was shimmering beneath the glow of the moon. To her right, tables of food had been set up, and shrimp, lobsters and oysters were being steamed on an open fire.
For those not wanting to get sand in their shoes, a huge wooden deck had been placed on the ground, and several light fixtures provided just the right amount of light to the affair.
She was about to grab another flute of champagne from a passing waiter when she happened to glance across the way and saw a man looking at her. He looked American and she placed his age in his late thirties. And she had to give it to him—he looked like a million bucks in his black tux.
But compared to York there was something lacking. He was handsome, although he wasn’t of the jaw-dropping kind like York Ellis. And she would have to be the first to concede that even with all the stranger’s handsomeness, she couldn’t even conjure up what hero he could represent from those tons of romance novels she had read. She’d had no such problem with York.
She bit down on her lip wondering why she’d just made the comparison. Why had York even crossed her mind? The stranger smiled over at her, and she smiled back before another partier walked up to him and claimed his attention. At least it hadn’t been a woman. As she sipped her champagne, she saw him glance over her way, as if assuring himself she was still there—still unattached, possibly still interested.
Deciding not to appear too interested, she began mingling, enjoying the sights and sounds. Moments later, she was leaning against a balustrade watching a group of the island dancers perform. Their movements were so romantic and breathtaking beneath the stars.
“I can tell you are enjoying yourself,” a deep, husky male voice said.
The first thought that flashed through her mind was that it wasn’t as deep as York’s, and it wasn’t making her skin feel like it was being caressed. Pushing that observation to the back of her mind, she looked up at the stranger she’d seen earlier and asked, “And just how can you tell?”
“You have that look. And whatever the cause of it, do you mind sharing it because I’m simply bored.”
She fought from shaking her head. She had heard that pickup line so many other times, surely the man could have thought of something else. But she could go along with it for now. “Then I guess I need to make sure you enjoy yourself as much as I do.”
He smiled, flashing her perfect white teeth. “I would definitely appreciate it.” He then held his hand out to her. “I’m Damien Felder, by the way.”
She returned his smile. “And I’m Darcy Owens.”
“Please to meet you, Darcy. And is that a Midwestern accent I hear?”
“Yes, it is,” she replied. “And yours is part southern and part western.”
Instead of saying whether her assumption was correct, he took a step closer to her. “Are you staying at this hotel?”
She didn’t have to wonder why he was asking. The man was a fast mover, and she had no problem with that if her vibes had been in sync with his. They weren’t for some reason. “Yes, I’m at this hotel. What about you?”
“No, my hotel is a few miles from here. I was invited tonight by a friend. But an emergency came up, and he had to leave the island. He encouraged me to come anyway. He thought I would enjoy myself. I hadn’t been until I saw you.”
She smiled. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. And why would a beautiful woman travel to this island alone?”
She took a sip of her champagne and smiled as she looked up at him. “What makes you think I’m alone?”
A gleam appeared in the depths of his brown eyes. “Because no man with a lick of sense would let you out of his sight for long.”
Darcy smiled. The man was full of compliments, although she’d heard most of them before. “I needed a little vacation.” And before he could ask her anything else, she decided to ask him a question. “So what brings you to the island?”
“I’m associated with a movie that will be filmed on the island starting tomorrow.”
She lifted a brow. “A movie?”
He chuckled. “Yes, one from Spirit Head Productions.”
She nodded. She had heard of them. In fact, their main headquarters were in New York. “Let me guess,” she said smiling. “You’re the leading man.”
From his expression, she could tell he enjoyed getting compliments as much as he enjoyed giving them. “No, I hold an administrative position. I’m a line producer.”
“Sounds exciting.”
He met her gaze. “It is. How would you like me to give you a tour of the set tomorrow?”
She thought his offer was certainly generous, and she could tell from the way he was looking at her he thought so too and expected her to jump at it. So she did, all but clapping her hands in fake excitement. “Oh, that would be wonderful. I’d love to.”
“Well then, it’s settled. Now how about if I come up to your room tonight so I’ll know where to come get you tomorrow.”
“I prefer that we meet in the lobby.”
She could see the disappointment flash in his eyes. She all but shrugged at the thought. He might eventually share her bed before she left the island, but he would work hard for the privilege. So far she didn’t feel a connection to him but was hoping it was just her and not him. For some reason when she looked at him, visions of York entered her mind. And that wasn’t good.
“Would you like to take a walk on the beach?”
She smiled. “No. In fact, it’s been a tiring day for me. I think I’ll call it an early night and go back up to my room now,” she said.
“Alone?” he asked.
“Yes, alone. I’m recovering from a flu bug and don’t want to overdo it.”
“I understand, and I wouldn’t want you to overdo it either.” He reached into his jacket and pulled out a card. “Here’s my business card. Call me when you get up in the morning. Maybe we can share breakfast.”
“Thanks, and I will give you a call,” she said, taking the card.
“Are you sure you don’t need me to walk you back to your room?”
“Thanks for the offer but I’m positive. Good night. I’ll see you tomorrow, Damien.”
And then she walked off, knowing he was still watching her. She knew he thought he had her within his scope, but he would soon discover that she was the one who had him in hers.
York stood in the shadows, behind the orchestra stand, and sipped his wine. He watched the man he’d identified earlier that day as Damien Felder, hitting on Darcy Owens of all people. And from the way the man was still looking at Darcy as she disappeared among the other partiers, he was definitely interested in her. That York could understand. Not only did she have striking features but the dress she was wearing showed a pair of gorgeous legs and a very curvy body.
“Damn.” He drew in a deep breath. The man’s interest in Darcy was the last thing York needed. Based on the report Wesley had given him earlier, Felder was the last person she should even be talking to. Even Malcolm and his group didn’t know half the stuff Damien Felder was involved in, but York didn’t plan on sharing any of it with them until he had concrete proof to back it up.
But first he needed to make sure Darcy stayed out of the picture. He had seen the moment Felder had slid his business card into the palm of her hand. Since York could read lips—something he taught himself to do after his sister was born deaf—he knew that Felder had invited her on set tomorrow. He wasn’t sure what her response had been since Felder had been the one facing him, while Darcy’s back had been to him.
The man had also tried inviting himself up to Darcy’s room, which she apparently turned down since she had left the party alone. At least York was grateful for that. He felt a deep pull in his stomach and tried convincing himself that the only reason he was grateful was because he was looking out for her. After all, she was Ellie’s best friend, so that was the least he could do. Wanting to keep her out of the picture had nothing to do with the jealousy he’d felt when he’d seen Felder approach her. He assured himself that it hadn’t been jealousy, just concern. Besides, too much was at stake with this case, and the last thing he needed was Darcy screwing things up.
He was about to leave when he noticed Felder giving the nod to another woman at the party. He recognized her immediately—Danielle Simone, the leading lady in the movie they were filming. Malcolm was pretty convinced that Danielle was not in any way a part of the black market ring. Now York wasn’t so sure when he watched as she walked toward the beach with Felder following her, keeping a careful distance.
Interesting. He couldn’t help wonder what that was about. Were the two having a secret affair? His cell phone rang, and he picked it up. It was one of his men who was attending the party undercover. “Yes, Mark, I picked up on the two. Follow them from here, and let me know where they go and what they do.”
He clicked off the phone, satisfied his man was on it and wouldn’t let the couple out of his sight. York then turned toward the part of the hotel where Darcy’s room was located.
Darcy had showered and slipped into the hotel’s complimentary bathrobe when she heard a knock on her hotel room door. She frowned, wondering who it could be. It was way past midnight, although she was sure a number of people were still at the party having a good time.
She crossed the room to look out the peephole in the door, and a frown settled around her mouth. York Ellis. Why on earth would he visit her room, and most importantly, how did he know her room number? She knew for certain that she had not given it to him.
Knowing he was the only person who could answer that question, she tightened the belt around her robe before taking off the lock and snatching open the door. “York, what on earth are you doing here, and how do you know my room number?”
“We need to talk.”
“What?” she asked as she nearly drowned in the dark eyes staring down at her. She’d always thought they were such a gorgeous pair—although she would never admit such a thing to him or anyone else for that matter. She wouldn’t even confess it to Ellie. Nor would she ever mention how heat would course through her body whenever he stood this close to her. She’d noticed it that first time they’d met, which was why she had deliberately avoided him. The last thing she had needed at the time was to be attracted to a man after what she’d gone through with her ex-husband.
“I said we need to talk, Darcy.”
She stiffened her spine and glared at him. “Why? And you haven’t answered my question. How did you get my room number?”
He leaned in the doorway, and her gaze watched his every movement at the same time her nostrils inhaled his manly scent. Her heart skipped a beat when her gaze roamed over him. He looked good in a tux. Had he attended the party when he’d said earlier that day that he wouldn’t be doing so?
“I have ways of finding out anything I want to know, Darcy.”
The deep huskiness of his voice had her gaze returning back to his. Even leaning in the doorway, he was towering over her. For some reason, her gaze shifted to his hands. This wasn’t the first time she had noticed just how large they were. Heat spread throughout her body when she recalled the theory about the size of a man’s hands and feet in comparison to another part of his anatomy. Automatically her gaze shifted to his feet.
“Looking for anything in particular?”
She snatched her gaze up to him. He had caught her checking him out again. “No, I was just thinking.” That wasn’t a total lie. He didn’t have to know what she was thinking about. “And as far as you having ways of finding out whatever you want to know … well, that’s probably true, but you won’t hold a single conversation with me unless you tell me what it’s about.”
He rubbed his hand down his face as if annoyed with her. “It’s about Damien Felder. You were flirting with him at the party tonight.”
They were flirting with each other, but his impression of how things had been meant nothing to her. “I thought you weren’t going to the party.”
“I changed my mind.”
“And you know Damien?”
He shook his head. “No, but I know of Damien, which is what I want to talk to you about.”
There was no denying that York had her curious. “Very well, come in.”
She took a step back, and he entered her hotel room and closed the door behind him. He glanced around the room, and when his gaze returned to her, it seemed the intensity in the depths of his eyes was pinning her in place.
She drew in a deep breath, refusing to get caught like a deer in the headlights where he was concerned. So she tightened the sash of her robe around her even more and broke eye contact with him and beckoned him to the sofa. “Have a seat and let’s talk.”
She watched him move to the sofa while heat spread throughout her body. He looked too darn comfortable for her liking. There was something about the way he was sitting, with his arms spread across the back of the sofa, that made her want to slide down on the sofa with him, ease the tux jacket off his shoulders and run her hands across the broad width of his chest.
Where on earth had those thoughts come from? This was York Ellis, the one man she didn’t get along with, the one man who seemed to enjoy rubbing her the wrong way whenever their paths crossed. “What about Damien?” she spoke up and asked, reminding herself the only reason he was sitting on her sofa was because she was interested in what he had to say.
For some reason, the mention of Damien made him lean closer, cause something akin to anger to flash across his features. “You met him tonight.”
She heard the censure in his tone and wondered the reason for it. “Yes, and why do you care?”
Evidently her question stumped him. The irritation in his face was replaced by a slow smile, one that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Personally, I don’t other than the fact that you’re screwing things up for me and my investigation.”
She bit down on her lips as she struggled to keep a civil tongue. “What investigation?”
As he sat back, York drew in a deep breath, trying to calm the anger that was flowing through him. And it was anger he could not explain. What she did and who she did it with was her business. He shouldn’t care one bit, and he had tried convincing himself that he didn’t. But the truth of the matter was that he did. There was no way he would allow her to blindly walk into a dangerous situation.
“I wasn’t absolutely up front with you earlier today when I gave my reason for being here on the island.”
“You weren’t?”
“No. I’m here on a job. My company was hired by a group of moviemakers for security detail on a movie being filmed, the same one Felder is associated with. And while my outfit is doing that, I’m working behind the scenes to protect their interest. Someone is slipping the movies to the black market before their theatrical release.”
She lifted a brow. “And what does that have to do with Damien Felder?”
It was hard to explain why a part of him wanted to kiss her and strangle her at the same time. What was there about her that could drive him to such extremes? “I have reason to believe Felder might be involved in some way.”
“Do you have any proof?”
“No.”
“Then it’s merely speculation on your part.”
“For now. But he is being watched, and if he is guilty, I would hate for your name to be linked to his.”
She glared at him. “And what if your suspicions are wrong? Do you expect me not to enjoy the company of a man because you think he might be involved in some case you’re investigating?”
“I was hoping that you would. And as far as me suspecting him, I’m almost sure he’s my man. I wouldn’t have come to you if I didn’t.”
Darcy wondered just why he had. They weren’t friends, so his concern about her had nothing to do with it. He must have been truthful earlier when he’d said she had the potential of screwing things up for him.
She stood. “Okay, you’ve warned me. I’ll walk you to the door.”
He remained sitting. “And what the hell does that mean?” he asked.
The anger in his tone made her lift her chin. “It means just what I said, York. You’ve warned me. Now you can leave.”
“But you will take my advice.”
To Darcy, it sounded more like a direct order than a question. “No, I don’t plan to take your advice. Unless you have something more concrete than assumptions, I see no reason not to see Damien again. In fact, we’ve made plans for later today.”
He held her gaze, and she could see the fire in his eyes. He was so angry with her that he was almost baring his teeth. He slowly leaned forward in his seat, and in a tone of voice tinged with a growl, he asked, “Why are you being difficult?”
She curved her lips into a smile only because she knew it would get on his last nerve. “Because I want to.”
She knew she was being childish. Pretty darn petty, in fact, when for whatever his reason, he had come to warn her about Damien. She had no intentions of telling him that the warning was not needed since she wasn’t attracted to Damien and didn’t plan on seeing him again after their date that day. And the only reason she was keeping her date with him was because she’d always wanted to check out a movie set, nothing more. Even with Damien’s handsome looks, he hadn’t done anything for her.
And definitely not in the way the man sitting on her sofa was doing. Even now she was struggling, trying hard to fight the attraction, the magnetic pull, especially since it was an attraction she didn’t want or need. And it was an attraction she didn’t intend to go anywhere.
“You like rattling me, don’t you, Darcy?”
His words pulled her attention back to the present. She figured there was no need to lie. “Yes, I guess I do.”
Darcy didn’t think there could be anything sexy about a man who merely stood up from sitting on a sofa. But with York, watching his body in movement was enough to cause heat to flare in her center and the juncture of her thighs.
And when he slowly walked toward her, advancing on her like he was the hunter and she his prey, she merely stood her ground. She refused to back up or retreat. And it seemed he had no intentions of halting his approach until he came to a stop in front of her.
“I’ve heard of stubborn women before, but you have to be the stubbornest.”
She glared up at him. “I’ll take that as a compliment, York. Now if you don’t mind, it’s late and you need to leave.”
York thought some women had to be born for trouble, and this one standing in front of him was one of them. Against his better judgment, he had come here tonight to give her fair warning and he had done so. If she didn’t want to heed to his warnings, there was nothing he could do about it.
He tried to push the thought from his mind that while he’d been sitting on the sofa, whether she knew it or not, he had been fighting desire for her that had all but seeped into his bones. Why on earth would he be attracted to her of all women?
Before he’d come up to her room tonight, he’d been approached by a couple of women who’d all but invited him to their hotel room. One had brazenly offered to give him a blow job right there on the elevator. But he hadn’t wanted any of them. He wanted this one. This haughty looking female, who had blood firing through his veins, who was staring him down and standing in front of him looking as sexy as any woman had a right to look in a bathrobe.
He glared down at her when the room got too quiet for his taste. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“I won’t. Now goodbye, York.”
At that moment, something inside of him snapped. She was glaring at him, yet earlier tonight she’d been smiling at Damien Felder. Not only had she been smiling but she’d also flirted with the man. “You like pushing my buttons, don’t you, Darcy?”
“Yes,” she said smiling. “Gives me great pleasure.”
“No, this is pleasure.” And then he reached out, pulled her to him and captured her mouth with his.
Chapter 3
He was right, Darcy thought, when York began kissing her with a hunger that surprised her. This was pleasure. And it began overwhelming her as sensations tore through her. When she felt those big hands she’d checked out earlier tighten their hold on her, she became wrapped in his heat with every languorous stroke of his tongue. That was all it took for desire to start coiling deep in her body, thickening the blood rushing through her veins. And when she released a surprised gasp, he slid his tongue deeper inside her mouth.
He shifted, and his body pressed hard against her and she felt him—his aroused thickness. His hardness. It was poking her in the belly. A part of her wanted to push him away. But another part wanted to draw him even closer. She knew what part won when a moan flowed from deep within her throat. Instinctively, she eased up on tiptoes to return the kiss with the same demand and hunger he was putting into it. And when her tongue tried battling his for control, his arms tightened even more around her, almost crushing her body to his. Easing upward shifted his aroused part from her belly right to the juncture of her thighs, and immediately she could feel her panties get wet.
York’s heart was hammering hard in his chest. He didn’t understand why he was kissing Darcy this way, a woman he’d convinced himself that he didn’t even like. Evidently his personal feelings toward her had nothing to do with lust, and he was convinced that was what was filling his mind at that moment. That was what had him eating away at her mouth as if it was the last meal he would have. And she was kissing him back with just as much intensity. It seemed as if a floodgate had burst open, and they didn’t know how to stop the lusty water from rushing through.
They didn’t know or they didn’t want to know?
At that moment, it didn’t matter to him, and he had a feeling it didn’t matter to her either. He wanted her, and from the way she was kissing him back, she wanted him as well. And if she didn’t let up on his tongue he was certain he was going to lose his mind. He hadn’t made love to a woman in a while, and he couldn’t recall one being this passionate, this aggressive, this damn hot. He had initiated the kiss, but there was a big question as to who was being seduced.
Suddenly, he pulled back, reached out and ripped the bathrobe off her body. Just as he thought, she was completely naked underneath.
“What do you think you’re doing?” she asked, inhaling a deep breath of air.
He glanced over at her while tearing off his own clothes, not believing she had to ask. But just in case she had any intentions of suddenly deciding she didn’t want this as much as he did, he stopped short of removing his slacks. Instead he reached out, pulled her to him and captured her mouth once more.
Darcy couldn’t help the moan that eased from deep in her throat. Had it really been two years since she’d felt sensations like this? Sure, there’d been Bruce, but York was showing her that when it came to hot sex between a man and woman, there was nothing like the real thing. A sex toy couldn’t compare.
She felt everything. The hardness of his erection was pressed against her center, the material of his tux was rubbing against her thigh causing all kinds of sensations to erupt within her. And when she felt those large hands of his stroke the soft skin of her backside, molding her cheeks closer to him, she couldn’t do anything but surrender. He had blazed a fire that was consuming them both.
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Brenda Jackson
He tried to push the thought from his mind that while he’d been sitting on the sofa, whether she knew it or not, he had been fighting desire; desire for her that had all but seeped into his bones.
Why on earth would he be attracted to her of all women?
Before he’d gotten up to her room tonight he’d been approached by a couple of women who’d all but invited him to their hotel room. One had brazenly offered to give him a blow job right there in the elevator. He hadn’t wanted any of them. But he did want this one. This haughty-looking female, who had his blood firing through his veins, who was staring him down and standing in front of him looking as sexy as any woman had a right to look in a bathrobe.
He glared down at her when the room got too quiet for his taste. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“I won’t. Now, goodbye, York.”
At that moment, something inside of him snapped. She was glaring at him, yet earlier tonight she’d been smiling at someone else. Not only had she been smiling, but she’d also flirted with the man. “You like pushing my buttons, don’t you, Darcy.”
“Yes,” she said smiling. “Gives me great pleasure.”
“No, this is pleasure.” And then he reached out, pulled her to him and captured her mouth with his.
Dear Reader,
Please envision six men who, for various reasons, are members of the Bachelor in Demand Club, and are determined to stay single for as long as they can. With each book I write in this series, I am having fun making each man open their hearts to love when the right woman comes along.
Bachelor Undone is York Ellis’s story, and his leading lady is Darcy Owens. Both York and Darcy are strong-willed individuals who think they know what they want, and who stubbornly refuse to admit their true heart’s desire is to want each other. York has his own agenda and Darcy has hers, but they soon discover that what the mind sometimes refuses to accept, the heart ultimately will.
I hope all of you enjoy reading York and Darcy’s story.
Happy reading!
Brenda Jackson
About the Author
BRENDA JACKSON is a die “heart” romantic who married her childhood sweetheart and still proudly wears the “going steady” ring he gave her when she was fifteen. Because she’s always believed in the power of love, Brenda’s stories always have happy endings. In her real-life love story, Brenda and Gerald, her husband of thirty-nine years, live in Jacksonville, Florida, and have two sons.
A New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of more than eighty-five romance titles, Brenda is a retiree from a major insurance company and now divides her time between family, writing and traveling with Gerald. You may write to Brenda at PO Box 28267, Jacksonville, Florida 32226, USA; e-mail her at AuthorBrendaJackson@gmail.com or visit her website, www.brendajackson.net.
Bachelor Undone
Brenda Jackson
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
To the love of my life, Gerald Jackson, Sr.
To all the family, friends and dedicated readers.
This one is for you.
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear;
but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
—II Timothy 1:7
Prologue
Spending her vacation in New York during the month of December was not on Darcelle Owens’s list of things to do, which was why she was in a cab headed for JFK International Airport. She loved living in the Big Apple, but when forecasters had predicted the city’s coldest winter ever, she was glad she had plans to get the hell out of Dodge.
Jamaica, here I come, she thought relaxing back in her seat. While her coworkers would be battling the snow, she planned to be lying half-naked on the beach under the heat of the Jamaican sun. And then at night, she’d become a sophisticated hooch and let her hair down, party and even do a little man-hunting. She deserved it after working her tail off the past two years.
She had the whole month of December off and would have loved to spend the entire time in Jamaica. But her parents expected her to come home for Christmas, as usual. She got a chill in her bones just thinking of returning to Minneapolis for even a little while.
She’d always hated cold weather and would have headed south to attend college if her parents hadn’t convinced her of how much money they could save not having to pay out-of-state tuition. When she talked to her mother just that morning, it was twenty below zero. Brrrr.
And then her best friend Ellie Lassiter expected her to spend a few days with her at her lake house in North Carolina before Ellie and her husband Uriel’s New Year’s Eve bash.
Darcy planned to keep her family and Ellie happy, but first she intended to relax in the warm weather for at least three weeks.
Darcy cringed when she heard the chime of a text message on her cell phone. How dare her younger brother Prescott teach their mother how to text! Darcy bet between her, Prescott and her older brother Jonas that their mother, Joan Owens, sent out over one hundred text messages a day. Okay, maybe she was exaggerating a tad bit, but it would seem about that number.
Checking her phone, Darcy smiled when she saw the message hadn’t come from her mother after all. It was from Ellie.
Behave yourself in J. Have fun. E
Darcy chuckled and quickly texted back. Can’t behave myself and have fun, too. LOL.
Got Bruce with you? the responding text asked.
Darcy’s smile widened. Bruce was the name she’d given her little sex toy. Nope. Left Bruce behind this time. I hope to get lucky and find someone who’s looking to have some fun. Looking forward to relaxing, reading and replacing Bruce with the real thing.
She wasn’t surprised when within seconds of sending that message her cell phone rang. Of course it was Ellie. “Yes, El?”
“And just what do you mean by that?” her best friend asked.
Darcy threw her head back and laughed. “Just what I said. It’s time Bruce goes into retirement. He’s earned it.”
“Girl, you’re awful.”
“No, I’m not. If I was awful, I wouldn’t have gone without being in a relationship for two years. If it hadn’t been for Bruce and my romance novels, I don’t know what I would have done to keep sane.”
And that was so true. She had moved from Minneapolis after taking a job as a city planner for New York City. Over the past two years, she had been working day and night trying to prove the city hadn’t made a mistake by hiring an outsider.
She had worked hard and hadn’t taken any time off other than the recognized holidays, which was why she had accumulated so much vacation time. And now she intended to enjoy it. It was the end of the year, and her boss had warned her to “use it or lose it.” The only thing she planned to lose was two years of abstinence.
“Chill, El,” she said when there was silence on the other end. “I’m taking plenty of condoms with me if that makes you happy.”
She glanced up and saw the elderly cabdriver looking at her looking in the rearview mirror. Oops. She couldn’t do anything but smile. She lowered her head and whispered into the phone. “Look, you’re going to get me in trouble, El. The cabbie heard my remark about condoms and is looking at me funny. Like he thinks I’m a loose woman or something.”
“Nobody’s fault but your own for saying what you did.”
“It’s the truth.”
“Whatever. Go and have your fun, but be careful, stay safe and you better have a lot to tell me when you get back.”
Darcy felt giddy all the way to her toes. “Trust me, I will. I intend to become one of the heroines in those romance novels I enjoy reading so much. And I got this hot pink bikini with the word seduction written all over it.”
Darcy then clicked off the phone and glanced out the cab’s window. It had started snowing. She drew in a deep breath thinking she couldn’t get to Jamaica fast enough.
York Ellis, former NYPD officer and present-day security expert, felt adrenaline flow through his veins. It was always that way at the start of a new case, and from the sound of things, this one would be a challenge. As far as he was concerned, anything would top the last case he had protecting the horse who’d won the Kentucky Derby when rumors of a horse-napping had begun circulating.
He glanced across his desk at Malcolm Overstreet, renowned director and screenwriter. Malcolm was there to represent a group of New York filmmakers whose movies were getting put on the black market before they got the chance to be released to theaters. This was causing the filmmakers enormous loss of profits and almost forcing them into bankruptcy. In this case, the actual movie footage was being sold while the production was still in process. Certain scenes were even appearing on the internet.
On top of that, idle threats had been made against the making of a controversial movie. Malcolm wanted York’s firm to find out who was behind the bootlegging as well as handle the security for the movie.
York had enough people working for him to do the latter, and as far as finding out who was involved in advance footage being released to the public, he figured with the right plan in place that should be easy enough.
“Have you ever considered the possibility this might be an inside job?” he asked Malcolm. He could tell from the man’s expression that he hadn’t.
“We have good people working for our production company,” Malcolm said. “If we lose money, they lose money.”
Not necessarily, York thought. “When does the movie continue shooting?” he asked.
“Next week in Jamaica,” Malcolm responded.
York nodded as he jotted down a few notes. He knew the film was a controversial biography on the life of Marcus Garvey, the black civil rights activist from Jamaica. And he knew it would depict a side of Garvey that some didn’t want told—which was the reason for the heightened security while they were on the island. “Has any current cast or crew member worked on your last couple of movies?”
“Yes, we usually hire the same crew for all our productions. Some of them have been with us for years, and it’s hard to imagine them being a part of anything illegal.”
“What about your cast?”
“Johnny Rush is my leading man as Garvey, and Danielle Simone is my leading lady as his love interest. But you can scratch them off the list,” Malcolm said confidently.
York lifted a brow. “Why are you so sure?”
“Their egos. Both are too vain to want their work anywhere other than the big screen, trust me. They think having their work out on the black market is an insult to their talent. In fact, the only way they would agree to work with Spirit Head Productions again is if we assured them their work will not be undermined and hit the streets before a premier date.”
“What about Damien Felder?” York asked, glancing down at the papers on his desk. “I’ve noticed his name has shown up on probably every production you’ve done.”
Malcolm nodded. “You can mark Damien’s name off the list as well. He’s my line producer, and a cut in our profits slashes into his bank account as well. He has nothing to gain from our movies appearing on the black market. If another one of our movies gets bootlegged, we’ll be filing for bankruptcy.”
Malcolm then leaned forward. “I believe whoever is behind things will try and get the footage sometime while my cast and crew are shooting the final scenes in Jamaica. And I want you to make sure that doesn’t happen, York. My partners and I are sick and tired of losing money that way. It’s not fair not only to us but to every person who has a stake in the production.”
The man paused and then added, “And then there’s this threat on Rush. Some think he fabricated things for publicity, but we can’t take any chances.”
York closed his notepad. Malcolm and his group were heavy hitters who could open the doors to even more business for York’s security firm. But more importantly, it was the principle of the thing. Someone was breaking the law and cutting into the profits—actually outright stealing them—and they were profits they didn’t deserve.
He knew one of the main reasons Malcolm had come to him was because Malcolm was a friend of his father’s. Malcolm had also attended Morehouse College as a young man along with York’s father and five godfathers before getting a graduate degree from Columbia University Film School. “I understand, and I intend to fly to Jamaica immediately and find out who is behind things.”
Malcolm lifted a brow. “Will it be that easy?”
York met the man’s gaze with an intense look. “No, but once I establish my cover, I’ll be a regular on set and I can keep an eye on what’s going on. And the six men and three women working for me are the best of the best. Rest assured, whoever is behind this has messed with one of your productions for the last time.”
Chapter 1
Darcy stood on the balcony and glanced out at the beach. It was hard to believe this was her third day in Jamaica and she was just getting out of her hotel room today for the first time. She, who rarely got sick, had gotten a stomach virus her first day and had stayed in her hotel room in bed. What a bummer of a way to start off her vacation.
The good thing was that today she was feeling like her old self again, and she intended to spend as much time outside as she possibly could. She had lost two valuable days, but from here on out it was full steam ahead.
When she had checked in, the hotel clerk had given her a list of the hotel’s activities for the week, and tonight they would be hosting a classy beach party. Her health had improved just in time. A party was the last thing she wanted to miss.
She turned away from the window and crossed the room to glance at herself in the full-length mirror. She had purchased the wide-brimmed straw hat from a gift shop at the airport, and the sundress she was wearing had caught her eye the moment she’d seen it at Macy’s over the summer. At the time, a trip to Jamaica had been just a fancy, and in a way, it was hard to believe she was actually here.
Instead of donning a bikini and lying on the beach today, she thought she would take a tour of the island and get some sightseeing in. She had purchased a new digital camera and intended to put it to good use. And she definitely intended to do some shopping. When she had visited Jamaica a few years ago—a college graduation present from her parents—she had purchased several pieces of jewelry that had been handcrafted by an island woman. Darcy intended to see if the small shop near the pier was still there. There were several more pieces she would love to add to her collection.
She glanced around the room. Since she would be here for three weeks she’d decided to get one of the residential suites, and she loved it. It was huge and spacious, and although it was costing her a pretty penny, it was worth it. Besides, she deserved it.
The furniture in the sitting area was elegant and the decor colors of cream, yellow, mint green and plum perfectly reflected an island theme. Floor-to-ceiling windows lined one wall and provided a balcony view of the water.
French doors led from the sitting room directly into the bedroom, which had its own balcony. There was nothing like waking up to the beauty of the Caribbean Sea. But it was the bathroom that she’d found simply breathtaking. It had a dressing room area and a closet large enough to camp out in if the need arose. Then there was the humongous Jacuzzi tub that could hold several couples if you were inclined to get that kinky … which she wasn’t. She wasn’t into sharing of any kind when it came to relationships.
Grabbing her purse off the table, she headed for the door. It was a beautiful day, and she planned to spend as much of it as she could outside. Then she would return and take a shower and a nap before getting ready for the party tonight.
York walked along the pier. It hadn’t taken any time to get his game plan in place and head toward the island. Jamaica was beautiful, but unlike all the other times he came to the island, he was here for business.
Regardless of what Malcolm thought, every member of the cast and crew was a suspect. His team had divided the list, and every single person was being checked out. He was hoping it wouldn’t take long to expose the culprit since he planned to spend the holidays back in the States. His parents had moved to Seattle a few years ago and luckily didn’t expect everyone to show up on their doorsteps for the holidays. In fact, as long as he could remember, once he and his siblings began having lives of their own, his parents would spend the holidays in Toronto, visiting friends they had there. Usually York would spend a quiet Christmas at home, and those times he wanted company, he had five sets of godparents he could visit.
Most people knew the story as to how six guys who’d met and become best friends while attending Morehouse had on graduation day made a pact to stay in touch by becoming godfathers to each of their children and that the firstborn sons’ names would carry the letters of the alphabet from U to Z. And that was how Uriel Lassiter, Virgil Bougard, Winston Coltrane, Xavier Kane, York Ellis and Zion Blackstone had come into existence. He was close to his godparents and godbrothers and couldn’t imagine them not being a part of his life.
He checked his watch. A couple of his men had checked in already with their reports, and it was obvious Malcolm didn’t know some of his people as well as he thought he did. However, there was nothing to indicate any of them could be suspected of anything other than engaging in a number of illicit affairs.
York glanced around and saw he was the object of several women’s attention. He didn’t mind, and if he’d had the time, he would even indulge their fantasies. He was well aware that a number of women came to the island alone to get their groove on. They were man-hunters who were only looking for a good time.
He kept walking. He was on assignment, and there wasn’t a woman he’d met yet who could make him take his mind off work.
Darcy squinted against the brightness of the sun while moving from shop to shop in Montego Bay. Reggae music seemed to be playing just about everywhere. Pausing, she pulled out her sunglasses to shield her eyes from the sun. It was hard to believe how bright it shone here when, according to weather reports, it was still snowing in New York.
She stopped at a fruit stand, admiring the basket of strawberries, all plump and ripe, when something out of the corner of her eye caught her attention.
A man.
And boy, what a man he was. She could only see his profile, but even from almost fifteen feet away she could tell he was a fine specimen of the opposite sex. He was in a squatting position, going through a rack of T-shirts that some peddler was trying to sell him.
Darcy tilted the sunglasses a little off her eyes to get a better view, deciding she didn’t want to miss anything—especially the way the denim of his jeans managed to stretch tight across his thighs. And the way his shoulders filled the shirt he was wearing.
He stood up a little and his tush—OMG, it was definitely the kind a woman would drool over. She bet they were perfect masculine cheeks, firm and fine.
Her mind began working, and she immediately began seeing him as a hero from one of the romance novels she read. But which one? she asked herself, thumping her finger against her chin.
She immediately thought of Jansen Trumble, the bad boy from the spicy novel Mine Until Morning. That had been one hot book, and even after reading it at least four or five times, she would give just about anything to have a rumble with Trumble. She settled her sunglasses back on her eyes thinking if she couldn’t have the fictional Trumble then a look-alike would have to suffice.
“Miss, would you like to try some of my strawberries? I just rinsed this batch off. I bet you’d like them.”
Her attention was pulled momentarily away from the gorgeous hunk when an island woman offered her a tray of fresh strawberries, sill wet from a recent rinsing. “Thanks, I’d love to try one.”
She popped a strawberry in her mouth, immediately enjoying the taste when the sweet flavor burst on her tongue. It was wet, juicy and so delicious. That made her glance back over at the man. Now he was standing to his full height as he continued to consider the T-shirts. He was tall, and she could see just how well built he was.
She tilted her head, thinking there was something about him that was oddly familiar, although she had yet to see his features. Like her, he was wearing sunglasses. His were aviators. And even from a distance she could tell he was an American. He had chocolate colored skin, and his dark hair was cut close to his head.
“Delicious, miss?”
She glanced back at the woman and smiled, remembering they were talking about the strawberries and not the man. “Yes, definitely delicious.”
“Would you like another?”
Darcy chuckled. She hadn’t intended on being greedy but since the woman asked … “Yes, I’d love another.”
She put another strawberry into her mouth, and when she glanced back over at the man, she saw he was staring over at her. Facing him, she immediately recognized him and almost choked on the strawberry in her mouth.
York Ellis!
Even wearing sunglasses she would know him anywhere. The shape of his mouth and his chiseled jaw would give him away each time. What the heck was he doing here?
She felt irritation invade her entire body. Staring into his handsome face did nothing to calm her rising anger. Her best friend was married to one of his godbrothers, so they were usually invited to the same family functions.
She and York always managed to rub each other the wrong way whenever they would run into each other. Things had been that way between them since the time they’d met at Ellie and Uriel’s wedding two years ago. During that time, her ex-husband Harold had tried threatening her to take him back. York had tried coming on to her at the reception. She had been in a bad mood at the time and had rebuffed his advances. Evidently he hadn’t taken rejection well.
He removed his sunglasses and stood staring across the way at her, evidently as surprised to see her as she was to see him. She felt her body get hot under his intense stare but forced her emotions to stay in check. She certainly couldn’t be that hard up for a man that she would be attracted to him.
And this wasn’t just any man. It was York Ellis. He was arrogant. Cocky. Too damn sure of himself at times to suit her. So why was she having such a hard time dragging her gaze from him? Why instead was she allowing her eyes to roam all over him, taking in how well he fit his jeans, his shirt? And then, there was his looks …
So, okay he had a nice looking mouth, one that was shaped just for kissing and those other scandalous things mouths could do. And his eyes were dark, so compelling and so magnetic. And at the moment, those dark eyes were intent on staring her down.
His half smile told her he knew she was checking him out and evidently found it amusing, considering their history. Anyone who’d ever hung around them knew they had one. He rubbed her the wrong way, and it seemed she always managed to rub him the wrong way as well.
He continued to smile, and she tried to ignore the fact that doing so made the angular plane of his face more pronounced, made dimples slash deep in his cheeks. This was the first time she ever noticed them. But then this was the first time he’d smiled at her.
But she quickly reminded herself he wasn’t smiling at her now. He was smirking at having caught her sizing him up. Good grief! With his arrogance, he’d probably assumed she was interested in him sexually—not on her life and not even if he was the last man on this earth.
But then she couldn’t help noticing that he was checking her out as well. His gaze was scanning up and down her body, and in response she could feel the nipples of her breasts press hard against the material of her sundress. She broke eye contact to reach for another strawberry. She needed it.
“All the others are for sale, Miss,” the woman told her gently.
Darcy couldn’t help but chuckle at the woman’s game and conceded it had worked. The woman had offered her two free strawberries to taste, knowing she would like them enough to buy the rest. And she was right.
“All right then, I want the entire basket. They are delicious.”
The woman’s face beamed. “Thank you. Would you like to try any other fruit?”
Darcy figured she might as well—anything to get her mind off the man across the street. Ellie liked York and couldn’t figure out why her best friend and one of her husband’s godbrothers could not get along. She had constantly told Ellie not to lose any sleep over it. Life wasn’t intended for every single person to live together in harmony.
She glanced back at York and saw he was still staring over at her. Data rushed through her brain as to how much she knew about him. He was thirty-four, had gotten a criminology degree from a university in Florida and had been a cop with the NYPD for a few years before going into business for himself as a security expert. Both of his parents were living, and he had a younger sister and brother.
She also knew that he and his six godbrothers had formed the Bachelors in Demand club, with each one vowing to remain single. Now it was down to only four since two had married. Uriel Lassiter had married Ellie and Xavier Kane had married a woman by the name of Farrah earlier in the year.
“Here are your purchases,” the woman said, handing her a huge brown paper bag containing the strawberries, mangoes and guineps. Darcy figured her next destination would be the hotel. Seeing York had practically ruined her day. She needed to revamp and get prepared for her night on the beach.
“Here, let me help you with that.”
Darcy turned her head at the deep, husky male voice who’d spoken close to her ear at the same time her bag was smoothly taken from her hand. She frowned when she glanced up at a face that was too handsome for his own good. “York, what are you doing here in Jamaica?” She all but snapped the question out at him.
He smiled, and she had to force her gaze from the curve of his mouth when he said, “Funny, I was about to ask you the same thing. Are you sure New York can handle things without you?”
“It will be a struggle, but they’ll manage,” she responded smartly. They both lived in New York but made it a point not to have their paths cross, which had always been fine with her—definitely preferable. “What about with you? Is the security of the city being tested with you gone?”
“Not at all,” he said smoothly. “And you never answered my question as to what you’re doing here in Jamaica.”
She glared up at him. “Not that it’s any of your business but I’m here vacationing for three weeks. I’ve earned the time off and intend to enjoy myself. And why are you here?”
“Vacationing as well. Funny we picked the same place to unwind and seek out relaxation.”
Darcy didn’t see anything amusing about it. Being on the same island with him was definitely not how she wanted things to be. It was bad enough that they lived in the same city. “Well, enjoy your vacation, and I can carry my own bag, thank you.” She tried tugging her bag from his grip and he held tight.
“Excuse me, but will you let go of my bag?”
Instead of doing so, he asked, “Where are you on your way to?”
She let out a deep, frustrated sigh. “My hotel.”
“Which one?”
“The Ritz-Carlton,” she said, without thinking.
His smile widened. “Now isn’t that a coincidence? So am I.”
He had to be joking, she thought. There was no way he could be staying at her hotel. As if he’d read her thoughts, he chuckled and said, “I guess this isn’t your lucky day, huh?”
She snatched her bag from him. “You’re right, it’s not.”
She turned and thanked the woman for her purchase and moved to walk away. Why wasn’t she surprised when York fell in step beside her? She stopped and turned to him. “And just where do you think you’re going?”
“Back to the hotel. Since we’re headed the same way, I figure we might as well keep each other company.”
“Has it ever occurred to you that I might not want your company?”
His answer was simple. “No, that thought has never occurred to me.”
“Like the time you rushed over to my place thinking I was a helpless female in distress?”
He laughed. “Hey, that was Ellie’s idea, not mine.”
He was right. It had been Ellie’s idea. She and Ellie had been talking on the phone late one night when Darcy had heard a noise downstairs. She put Ellie on hold to investigate, not knowing Ellie had panicked and called York, who lived less than a mile away. Ellie had asked him to go to Darcy’s house to make sure everything was okay.
It turned out there had been a burglar. Some guy had broken into her house, and she had caught him rummaging through her kitchen drawers. By the time York had gotten there, the guy had discovered just how well she could defend herself when she’d demonstrated the karate skills she’d acquired growing up and taking classes with her brothers.
York, who had arrived before the police, had gotten extremely angry with her, saying she had no business taking on the likes of a burglar. Of course, she had disagreed with him.
“Okay, your showing up at my place might have been El’s idea, but you had no right to scold me in front of those police officers.”
“You took your life in your hands when you should have called the police,” he said, and she could tell from the tone of his voice her actions that night last year was still a sore spot with him.
“Had I waited for the police, the man would have gotten away just to break into someone else’s home. I had no intentions of letting him do that.”
York frowned. “Does it matter that you could have gotten killed?” Anger laced his every word.
“Could have but I didn’t. I had sized up the situation and knew it was one I could handle. Not every woman needs a man for protection, York.”
“And evidently you’re one of those kinds.”
She wasn’t sure what he meant by that, but hell yes, she was one of those kinds. She didn’t need a man around to protect her. Her first husband had learned that the hard way when he began showing abusive tendencies. “I guess I am,” she finally said, smiling as if she was proud of that fact.
She began walking again, convinced he would decide he wouldn’t want her company after all. He proved her wrong when he picked up his pace and began walking beside her again. She decided to ignore him. The good thing was that the hotel was less than a block away.
York walked beside Darcy and tried not to keep glancing over at her. She looked cute in her wide-brimmed straw hat and sundress. He had noticed her checking him out, and when she’d removed her sunglasses and he’d seen it was Darcy, he hadn’t known whether to be amused or annoyed. She certainly hadn’t known who he was at first, just like he hadn’t recognized her.
But once she had known it was him, he could immediately see her guard go up. She had intended to put distance between them. At any other time he would let her but not this time. He wasn’t sure why, but all he knew was that was how it would be.
“Would the lady like to look at my bracelets?” a peddler asked.
She stopped and so did York. He observed her when she conversed with the man who had several bangle bracelets for her to see.
York continued to watch as the man ardently pitched his goods and was impressed with the way Darcy handled the anxious merchant by not giving in to his outrageous prices. He inwardly chuckled, thinking she definitely had no intentions of paying an exorbitant amount.
She seemed pretty sharp for a twenty-eight-year-old, and he figured she rarely missed anything. It would be hard, if not next to impossible, for a man to run a game on her.
He could vividly recall the first time he’d seen her rushing into the church for Uriel’s wedding rehearsal. She’d been late since her plane had had mechanical problems.
Like all the other men, he had simply stared at her—the woman with all that dark brown hair flowing around her shoulders, hazel eyes, striking cocoa colored features and a body to die for. The last thing he’d expected when he’d tried coming on to her later was to be told she wasn’t interested. He would admit it had been a blow to his ego. That incident had been almost two years ago, and if the way she’d been sizing him up moments ago was anything to go by, it seemed she was pretty interested now.
He knew he should let go and move on, but so far he hadn’t been able to do that. And whenever he saw her they had a tendency to get on each other’s last nerves. If the truth be told, he had a mind to pay her back for rebuffing his advances that day. He could seduce her, make love to her and then walk away and not look back. Yes, that would serve her right.
“Well, that’s that,” she said, reclaiming his attention. He saw the way her lips quirked in amusement as well as the gleam of triumph shining in her eyes. He gathered she’d made a purchase she was pleased with.
They continued walking again, side by side, and he wondered how long she would continue to ignore him. He decided to stir conversation and asked, “When was the last time you talked to Ellie?” He eased the bag containing her fruit from her hand once again.
Darcy glanced over at York and decided that she would allow him to carry that bag since he seemed hell-bent on doing so anyway. She would keep the bag with the four bracelets she’d purchased from the peddler at a good price. “We’re best friends, so I talk to El practically every day,” she said. “But she hasn’t called since I arrived here. She’s going to be busy this week.”
“Doing what?”
She wondered if he thought everything was his business. “She’s hosting several holiday parties.”
“Oh.”
“It is the holiday season, you know,” she reminded him.
“Yes, I know.”
She didn’t say anything and for a moment regretted bringing up any mention of the holidays. She’d heard from El that a woman York had been dating and had begun caring deeply about, and who’d been a fellow officer when he’d been a cop with the NYPD, had gotten gunned down on Christmas Day while investigating a robbery. That had been over six years ago. After that, he’d sworn never to get seriously involved with a woman again, especially one in a dangerous profession. She knew all about the Bachelors in Demand club, one he formed along with his bachelor godbrothers who were all intent on staying single men forever. She had met all six of the godbrothers and got along with each of them … except for York.
“So how are your parents?” she asked, deciding to change the subject. She had first met the Ellises at Ellie and Uriel’s wedding and had run into them again when another one of Uriel and York’s godbrothers, Xavier Kane, had gotten married earlier in the year.
“They’re doing fine. I visited with them a couple of months ago.” He glanced back over at her. “So what do you plan on doing later?”
She glanced up at him from under the wide-brimmed hat. “I’m resting up for the big beach party the hotel is hosting tonight. I hear it’s a real classy black-tie affair. You are going, aren’t you?”
“Hadn’t planned on it.”
“Oh, well.” She should have felt relieved that he wouldn’t be there, but for some reason she felt a pang of disappointment in her chest. Why was that?
“Behave yourself tonight, Darcy.”
She lifted a brow. If he was being cute, she wasn’t appreciating it. “Let me assure you, Mr. Ellis, that you don’t need to tell me how to behave. And just for the record, I don’t plan on taking your advice. The reason I’m here is to have a good time, and a good time is what I will have—even if it means misbehaving.”
He stopped walking and stared at her, and she could see anger lurking in the dark depths of his eyes. She knew it was probably bothering him that she was standing there, facing him and looking nonplussed. Her two brothers were dominating males, so York’s personality type was not foreign to her. But that didn’t mean she had to tolerate it or him.
She glanced around. They were now standing in the plush lobby of the hotel. “I guess this is where we need to part ways, and hopefully we won’t run into each other again anytime soon. You didn’t say how long you intend to visit here.”
He smiled at her. “No, I didn’t say.”
And when she saw that he had no intention of doing so either, she released a sigh, took her bag from him and said, “Goodbye, York.” She then turned and headed for the bank of elevators.
Darcy drew in a deep breath with every step she took, tempted to glance over her shoulder. But she had a feeling he was still standing there, staring at her, and she didn’t want to give him the impression that she’d given him another thought … although she was doing so.
A few moments later, she stepped on the elevator and turned. She’d been right. He was still standing there. And while others joined her on the elevator their gazes held. At that moment, she felt a pang of regret that the two of them had never gotten along. Too bad. She was too set in her ways to make any changes now. Besides, she didn’t want to make any changes. For some reason, she much preferred that she and York keep their distance. The man was temptation personified. She could deal with temptation but not when it included an extreme amount of arrogance.
The elevator doors swooshed shut, breaking their eye connection. She released a deep breath, only realizing at that moment she’d been holding it. He was staying in another section of the hotel. It was a humongous place, but their paths might cross again and she would be ready and prepared. She had no intentions of letting York Ellis catch her off guard again.
Chapter 2
Damn, the woman was too beautiful for her own good, York thought, watching the elevator door close behind Darcy Owens. Beautiful with a smart mouth, a delectable looking mouth. More than once he’d been tempted to kiss it shut and to demonstrate just what he could do when his tongue connected with hers.
But then he had to remember that Darcy was too brash and outspoken to suit him. He didn’t want a “yes” woman by any means, but he didn’t want a woman who would dissect his every word looking for some hidden meaning. For some reason, she couldn’t take things at face value when it came to him, and he couldn’t understand why.
If he had the time, he would put it at the top of his list to seduce the smart-mouthed Darcy Owens just for the hell of it. If she wanted to misbehave, he could certainly show her what misbehaving was all about. But he had to remember she was the best friend of his godbrother’s wife, and Ellie probably wouldn’t take too kindly if he seduced her best friend just for the hell of paying her back.
He was about to head over to his side of the hotel when his cell phone rang. He pulled it off his belt and saw it was Wesley Carr, one of the retired police officers that he used as part of his investigative team. It had been his father’s idea.
Jerome Ellis had retired a few years ago as a circuit judge. He was a firm believer that retired police officers could better serve as more than just bailiffs at the courthouses. Most had sharp minds and loved the challenge of working on a case. York had taken his father’s advice and hired three such men at his firm and never regretted doing so.
“Yes, Wesley, what you got for me?” York asked.
“First of all, are you taking those vitamin supplements I told you about?” Wesley asked.
York shook his head. One of the pitfalls of hiring the men was that they liked to run his life by making sure he got the proper rest, ate healthy and didn’t overdo it when it came to women. They claimed all three things would eventually take a toll on a man.
“Yes, I’m taking them, so what do you have?”
“I think Damien Felder might be your man,” Wesley said with certainty.
“Why?”
“He has a ton of gambling debts.”
York rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “He’s a gambler?”
“Of the worse kind. Although he’s tried covering his tracks, I was able to trace his ties to the Medina family.”
“Damn.” The Medina family had their hands into anything illegal they could touch. York hadn’t gotten wind of them involved in movie piracy before now, though. Mainly it’d been drugs, prostitution and the transportation of illegal immigrants.
And Roswell Medina’s name had been linked to the homicide investigation involving Rhona, the only woman York had ever considered marrying. Like him she had been a police officer and had gotten struck down by a bullet when she had investigated a robbery. The authorities believed the rash of burglaries in Harlem had been organized by Medina but could never prove it.
“I can see them getting interested, if they had the right person on the inside to help them. It’s evidently a profitable business,” York added.
“Apparently.”
He inhaled a deep sigh. He knew Damien Felder would be the one to watch for a while. “I want all the information you can get me on Felder’s association with any of the Medinas.” He would just love to nail any member of that crime family for something, even if it was for jaywalking.
As he headed back toward his side of the hotel he thought about Darcy and doubted the two of them would be running into each other again any time soon.
Hell, he hoped not.
A twenty-piece orchestra on the beach.
The hotel had thought of everything, Darcy concluded as she stepped outside. Everyone had been told that tonight’s affair was all glitz and glamour, and everyone had dressed to the nines. Men were in tuxes and women were in beautiful gowns. She had decided to wear the short white lace dress and silver sandals she had purchased a few months ago when she had joined Ellie on a shopping spree when she’d visited her best friend in Charlotte.
With a glass of champagne in her hand, Darcy made her way down the white stone steps with towering balustrades on both sides. She could see the beach and see how the water was shimmering beneath the glow of the moon. To her right, tables of food had been set up, and shrimp, lobsters and oysters were being steamed on an open fire.
For those not wanting to get sand in their shoes, a huge wooden deck had been placed on the ground, and several light fixtures provided just the right amount of light to the affair.
She was about to grab another flute of champagne from a passing waiter when she happened to glance across the way and saw a man looking at her. He looked American and she placed his age in his late thirties. And she had to give it to him—he looked like a million bucks in his black tux.
But compared to York there was something lacking. He was handsome, although he wasn’t of the jaw-dropping kind like York Ellis. And she would have to be the first to concede that even with all the stranger’s handsomeness, she couldn’t even conjure up what hero he could represent from those tons of romance novels she had read. She’d had no such problem with York.
She bit down on her lip wondering why she’d just made the comparison. Why had York even crossed her mind? The stranger smiled over at her, and she smiled back before another partier walked up to him and claimed his attention. At least it hadn’t been a woman. As she sipped her champagne, she saw him glance over her way, as if assuring himself she was still there—still unattached, possibly still interested.
Deciding not to appear too interested, she began mingling, enjoying the sights and sounds. Moments later, she was leaning against a balustrade watching a group of the island dancers perform. Their movements were so romantic and breathtaking beneath the stars.
“I can tell you are enjoying yourself,” a deep, husky male voice said.
The first thought that flashed through her mind was that it wasn’t as deep as York’s, and it wasn’t making her skin feel like it was being caressed. Pushing that observation to the back of her mind, she looked up at the stranger she’d seen earlier and asked, “And just how can you tell?”
“You have that look. And whatever the cause of it, do you mind sharing it because I’m simply bored.”
She fought from shaking her head. She had heard that pickup line so many other times, surely the man could have thought of something else. But she could go along with it for now. “Then I guess I need to make sure you enjoy yourself as much as I do.”
He smiled, flashing her perfect white teeth. “I would definitely appreciate it.” He then held his hand out to her. “I’m Damien Felder, by the way.”
She returned his smile. “And I’m Darcy Owens.”
“Please to meet you, Darcy. And is that a Midwestern accent I hear?”
“Yes, it is,” she replied. “And yours is part southern and part western.”
Instead of saying whether her assumption was correct, he took a step closer to her. “Are you staying at this hotel?”
She didn’t have to wonder why he was asking. The man was a fast mover, and she had no problem with that if her vibes had been in sync with his. They weren’t for some reason. “Yes, I’m at this hotel. What about you?”
“No, my hotel is a few miles from here. I was invited tonight by a friend. But an emergency came up, and he had to leave the island. He encouraged me to come anyway. He thought I would enjoy myself. I hadn’t been until I saw you.”
She smiled. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. And why would a beautiful woman travel to this island alone?”
She took a sip of her champagne and smiled as she looked up at him. “What makes you think I’m alone?”
A gleam appeared in the depths of his brown eyes. “Because no man with a lick of sense would let you out of his sight for long.”
Darcy smiled. The man was full of compliments, although she’d heard most of them before. “I needed a little vacation.” And before he could ask her anything else, she decided to ask him a question. “So what brings you to the island?”
“I’m associated with a movie that will be filmed on the island starting tomorrow.”
She lifted a brow. “A movie?”
He chuckled. “Yes, one from Spirit Head Productions.”
She nodded. She had heard of them. In fact, their main headquarters were in New York. “Let me guess,” she said smiling. “You’re the leading man.”
From his expression, she could tell he enjoyed getting compliments as much as he enjoyed giving them. “No, I hold an administrative position. I’m a line producer.”
“Sounds exciting.”
He met her gaze. “It is. How would you like me to give you a tour of the set tomorrow?”
She thought his offer was certainly generous, and she could tell from the way he was looking at her he thought so too and expected her to jump at it. So she did, all but clapping her hands in fake excitement. “Oh, that would be wonderful. I’d love to.”
“Well then, it’s settled. Now how about if I come up to your room tonight so I’ll know where to come get you tomorrow.”
“I prefer that we meet in the lobby.”
She could see the disappointment flash in his eyes. She all but shrugged at the thought. He might eventually share her bed before she left the island, but he would work hard for the privilege. So far she didn’t feel a connection to him but was hoping it was just her and not him. For some reason when she looked at him, visions of York entered her mind. And that wasn’t good.
“Would you like to take a walk on the beach?”
She smiled. “No. In fact, it’s been a tiring day for me. I think I’ll call it an early night and go back up to my room now,” she said.
“Alone?” he asked.
“Yes, alone. I’m recovering from a flu bug and don’t want to overdo it.”
“I understand, and I wouldn’t want you to overdo it either.” He reached into his jacket and pulled out a card. “Here’s my business card. Call me when you get up in the morning. Maybe we can share breakfast.”
“Thanks, and I will give you a call,” she said, taking the card.
“Are you sure you don’t need me to walk you back to your room?”
“Thanks for the offer but I’m positive. Good night. I’ll see you tomorrow, Damien.”
And then she walked off, knowing he was still watching her. She knew he thought he had her within his scope, but he would soon discover that she was the one who had him in hers.
York stood in the shadows, behind the orchestra stand, and sipped his wine. He watched the man he’d identified earlier that day as Damien Felder, hitting on Darcy Owens of all people. And from the way the man was still looking at Darcy as she disappeared among the other partiers, he was definitely interested in her. That York could understand. Not only did she have striking features but the dress she was wearing showed a pair of gorgeous legs and a very curvy body.
“Damn.” He drew in a deep breath. The man’s interest in Darcy was the last thing York needed. Based on the report Wesley had given him earlier, Felder was the last person she should even be talking to. Even Malcolm and his group didn’t know half the stuff Damien Felder was involved in, but York didn’t plan on sharing any of it with them until he had concrete proof to back it up.
But first he needed to make sure Darcy stayed out of the picture. He had seen the moment Felder had slid his business card into the palm of her hand. Since York could read lips—something he taught himself to do after his sister was born deaf—he knew that Felder had invited her on set tomorrow. He wasn’t sure what her response had been since Felder had been the one facing him, while Darcy’s back had been to him.
The man had also tried inviting himself up to Darcy’s room, which she apparently turned down since she had left the party alone. At least York was grateful for that. He felt a deep pull in his stomach and tried convincing himself that the only reason he was grateful was because he was looking out for her. After all, she was Ellie’s best friend, so that was the least he could do. Wanting to keep her out of the picture had nothing to do with the jealousy he’d felt when he’d seen Felder approach her. He assured himself that it hadn’t been jealousy, just concern. Besides, too much was at stake with this case, and the last thing he needed was Darcy screwing things up.
He was about to leave when he noticed Felder giving the nod to another woman at the party. He recognized her immediately—Danielle Simone, the leading lady in the movie they were filming. Malcolm was pretty convinced that Danielle was not in any way a part of the black market ring. Now York wasn’t so sure when he watched as she walked toward the beach with Felder following her, keeping a careful distance.
Interesting. He couldn’t help wonder what that was about. Were the two having a secret affair? His cell phone rang, and he picked it up. It was one of his men who was attending the party undercover. “Yes, Mark, I picked up on the two. Follow them from here, and let me know where they go and what they do.”
He clicked off the phone, satisfied his man was on it and wouldn’t let the couple out of his sight. York then turned toward the part of the hotel where Darcy’s room was located.
Darcy had showered and slipped into the hotel’s complimentary bathrobe when she heard a knock on her hotel room door. She frowned, wondering who it could be. It was way past midnight, although she was sure a number of people were still at the party having a good time.
She crossed the room to look out the peephole in the door, and a frown settled around her mouth. York Ellis. Why on earth would he visit her room, and most importantly, how did he know her room number? She knew for certain that she had not given it to him.
Knowing he was the only person who could answer that question, she tightened the belt around her robe before taking off the lock and snatching open the door. “York, what on earth are you doing here, and how do you know my room number?”
“We need to talk.”
“What?” she asked as she nearly drowned in the dark eyes staring down at her. She’d always thought they were such a gorgeous pair—although she would never admit such a thing to him or anyone else for that matter. She wouldn’t even confess it to Ellie. Nor would she ever mention how heat would course through her body whenever he stood this close to her. She’d noticed it that first time they’d met, which was why she had deliberately avoided him. The last thing she had needed at the time was to be attracted to a man after what she’d gone through with her ex-husband.
“I said we need to talk, Darcy.”
She stiffened her spine and glared at him. “Why? And you haven’t answered my question. How did you get my room number?”
He leaned in the doorway, and her gaze watched his every movement at the same time her nostrils inhaled his manly scent. Her heart skipped a beat when her gaze roamed over him. He looked good in a tux. Had he attended the party when he’d said earlier that day that he wouldn’t be doing so?
“I have ways of finding out anything I want to know, Darcy.”
The deep huskiness of his voice had her gaze returning back to his. Even leaning in the doorway, he was towering over her. For some reason, her gaze shifted to his hands. This wasn’t the first time she had noticed just how large they were. Heat spread throughout her body when she recalled the theory about the size of a man’s hands and feet in comparison to another part of his anatomy. Automatically her gaze shifted to his feet.
“Looking for anything in particular?”
She snatched her gaze up to him. He had caught her checking him out again. “No, I was just thinking.” That wasn’t a total lie. He didn’t have to know what she was thinking about. “And as far as you having ways of finding out whatever you want to know … well, that’s probably true, but you won’t hold a single conversation with me unless you tell me what it’s about.”
He rubbed his hand down his face as if annoyed with her. “It’s about Damien Felder. You were flirting with him at the party tonight.”
They were flirting with each other, but his impression of how things had been meant nothing to her. “I thought you weren’t going to the party.”
“I changed my mind.”
“And you know Damien?”
He shook his head. “No, but I know of Damien, which is what I want to talk to you about.”
There was no denying that York had her curious. “Very well, come in.”
She took a step back, and he entered her hotel room and closed the door behind him. He glanced around the room, and when his gaze returned to her, it seemed the intensity in the depths of his eyes was pinning her in place.
She drew in a deep breath, refusing to get caught like a deer in the headlights where he was concerned. So she tightened the sash of her robe around her even more and broke eye contact with him and beckoned him to the sofa. “Have a seat and let’s talk.”
She watched him move to the sofa while heat spread throughout her body. He looked too darn comfortable for her liking. There was something about the way he was sitting, with his arms spread across the back of the sofa, that made her want to slide down on the sofa with him, ease the tux jacket off his shoulders and run her hands across the broad width of his chest.
Where on earth had those thoughts come from? This was York Ellis, the one man she didn’t get along with, the one man who seemed to enjoy rubbing her the wrong way whenever their paths crossed. “What about Damien?” she spoke up and asked, reminding herself the only reason he was sitting on her sofa was because she was interested in what he had to say.
For some reason, the mention of Damien made him lean closer, cause something akin to anger to flash across his features. “You met him tonight.”
She heard the censure in his tone and wondered the reason for it. “Yes, and why do you care?”
Evidently her question stumped him. The irritation in his face was replaced by a slow smile, one that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Personally, I don’t other than the fact that you’re screwing things up for me and my investigation.”
She bit down on her lips as she struggled to keep a civil tongue. “What investigation?”
As he sat back, York drew in a deep breath, trying to calm the anger that was flowing through him. And it was anger he could not explain. What she did and who she did it with was her business. He shouldn’t care one bit, and he had tried convincing himself that he didn’t. But the truth of the matter was that he did. There was no way he would allow her to blindly walk into a dangerous situation.
“I wasn’t absolutely up front with you earlier today when I gave my reason for being here on the island.”
“You weren’t?”
“No. I’m here on a job. My company was hired by a group of moviemakers for security detail on a movie being filmed, the same one Felder is associated with. And while my outfit is doing that, I’m working behind the scenes to protect their interest. Someone is slipping the movies to the black market before their theatrical release.”
She lifted a brow. “And what does that have to do with Damien Felder?”
It was hard to explain why a part of him wanted to kiss her and strangle her at the same time. What was there about her that could drive him to such extremes? “I have reason to believe Felder might be involved in some way.”
“Do you have any proof?”
“No.”
“Then it’s merely speculation on your part.”
“For now. But he is being watched, and if he is guilty, I would hate for your name to be linked to his.”
She glared at him. “And what if your suspicions are wrong? Do you expect me not to enjoy the company of a man because you think he might be involved in some case you’re investigating?”
“I was hoping that you would. And as far as me suspecting him, I’m almost sure he’s my man. I wouldn’t have come to you if I didn’t.”
Darcy wondered just why he had. They weren’t friends, so his concern about her had nothing to do with it. He must have been truthful earlier when he’d said she had the potential of screwing things up for him.
She stood. “Okay, you’ve warned me. I’ll walk you to the door.”
He remained sitting. “And what the hell does that mean?” he asked.
The anger in his tone made her lift her chin. “It means just what I said, York. You’ve warned me. Now you can leave.”
“But you will take my advice.”
To Darcy, it sounded more like a direct order than a question. “No, I don’t plan to take your advice. Unless you have something more concrete than assumptions, I see no reason not to see Damien again. In fact, we’ve made plans for later today.”
He held her gaze, and she could see the fire in his eyes. He was so angry with her that he was almost baring his teeth. He slowly leaned forward in his seat, and in a tone of voice tinged with a growl, he asked, “Why are you being difficult?”
She curved her lips into a smile only because she knew it would get on his last nerve. “Because I want to.”
She knew she was being childish. Pretty darn petty, in fact, when for whatever his reason, he had come to warn her about Damien. She had no intentions of telling him that the warning was not needed since she wasn’t attracted to Damien and didn’t plan on seeing him again after their date that day. And the only reason she was keeping her date with him was because she’d always wanted to check out a movie set, nothing more. Even with Damien’s handsome looks, he hadn’t done anything for her.
And definitely not in the way the man sitting on her sofa was doing. Even now she was struggling, trying hard to fight the attraction, the magnetic pull, especially since it was an attraction she didn’t want or need. And it was an attraction she didn’t intend to go anywhere.
“You like rattling me, don’t you, Darcy?”
His words pulled her attention back to the present. She figured there was no need to lie. “Yes, I guess I do.”
Darcy didn’t think there could be anything sexy about a man who merely stood up from sitting on a sofa. But with York, watching his body in movement was enough to cause heat to flare in her center and the juncture of her thighs.
And when he slowly walked toward her, advancing on her like he was the hunter and she his prey, she merely stood her ground. She refused to back up or retreat. And it seemed he had no intentions of halting his approach until he came to a stop in front of her.
“I’ve heard of stubborn women before, but you have to be the stubbornest.”
She glared up at him. “I’ll take that as a compliment, York. Now if you don’t mind, it’s late and you need to leave.”
York thought some women had to be born for trouble, and this one standing in front of him was one of them. Against his better judgment, he had come here tonight to give her fair warning and he had done so. If she didn’t want to heed to his warnings, there was nothing he could do about it.
He tried to push the thought from his mind that while he’d been sitting on the sofa, whether she knew it or not, he had been fighting desire for her that had all but seeped into his bones. Why on earth would he be attracted to her of all women?
Before he’d come up to her room tonight, he’d been approached by a couple of women who’d all but invited him to their hotel room. One had brazenly offered to give him a blow job right there on the elevator. But he hadn’t wanted any of them. He wanted this one. This haughty looking female, who had blood firing through his veins, who was staring him down and standing in front of him looking as sexy as any woman had a right to look in a bathrobe.
He glared down at her when the room got too quiet for his taste. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“I won’t. Now goodbye, York.”
At that moment, something inside of him snapped. She was glaring at him, yet earlier tonight she’d been smiling at Damien Felder. Not only had she been smiling but she’d also flirted with the man. “You like pushing my buttons, don’t you, Darcy?”
“Yes,” she said smiling. “Gives me great pleasure.”
“No, this is pleasure.” And then he reached out, pulled her to him and captured her mouth with his.
Chapter 3
He was right, Darcy thought, when York began kissing her with a hunger that surprised her. This was pleasure. And it began overwhelming her as sensations tore through her. When she felt those big hands she’d checked out earlier tighten their hold on her, she became wrapped in his heat with every languorous stroke of his tongue. That was all it took for desire to start coiling deep in her body, thickening the blood rushing through her veins. And when she released a surprised gasp, he slid his tongue deeper inside her mouth.
He shifted, and his body pressed hard against her and she felt him—his aroused thickness. His hardness. It was poking her in the belly. A part of her wanted to push him away. But another part wanted to draw him even closer. She knew what part won when a moan flowed from deep within her throat. Instinctively, she eased up on tiptoes to return the kiss with the same demand and hunger he was putting into it. And when her tongue tried battling his for control, his arms tightened even more around her, almost crushing her body to his. Easing upward shifted his aroused part from her belly right to the juncture of her thighs, and immediately she could feel her panties get wet.
York’s heart was hammering hard in his chest. He didn’t understand why he was kissing Darcy this way, a woman he’d convinced himself that he didn’t even like. Evidently his personal feelings toward her had nothing to do with lust, and he was convinced that was what was filling his mind at that moment. That was what had him eating away at her mouth as if it was the last meal he would have. And she was kissing him back with just as much intensity. It seemed as if a floodgate had burst open, and they didn’t know how to stop the lusty water from rushing through.
They didn’t know or they didn’t want to know?
At that moment, it didn’t matter to him, and he had a feeling it didn’t matter to her either. He wanted her, and from the way she was kissing him back, she wanted him as well. And if she didn’t let up on his tongue he was certain he was going to lose his mind. He hadn’t made love to a woman in a while, and he couldn’t recall one being this passionate, this aggressive, this damn hot. He had initiated the kiss, but there was a big question as to who was being seduced.
Suddenly, he pulled back, reached out and ripped the bathrobe off her body. Just as he thought, she was completely naked underneath.
“What do you think you’re doing?” she asked, inhaling a deep breath of air.
He glanced over at her while tearing off his own clothes, not believing she had to ask. But just in case she had any intentions of suddenly deciding she didn’t want this as much as he did, he stopped short of removing his slacks. Instead he reached out, pulled her to him and captured her mouth once more.
Darcy couldn’t help the moan that eased from deep in her throat. Had it really been two years since she’d felt sensations like this? Sure, there’d been Bruce, but York was showing her that when it came to hot sex between a man and woman, there was nothing like the real thing. A sex toy couldn’t compare.
She felt everything. The hardness of his erection was pressed against her center, the material of his tux was rubbing against her thigh causing all kinds of sensations to erupt within her. And when she felt those large hands of his stroke the soft skin of her backside, molding her cheeks closer to him, she couldn’t do anything but surrender. He had blazed a fire that was consuming them both.
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