An Unlikely Bride for the Billionaire (14 page)

She couldn't look away. ‘Positive.'

Liar
.

‘I still want to kiss you.'

She should move away, put an end to this insanity.

‘And I think you want that too.'

Her heart beat so loud she thought he must hear it.

‘Would you like me to kiss you, Mia?'

Her pulse thumped. ‘I'll own to some curiosity,' she managed.

‘Is that a yes?'

She met his gaze and nodded. ‘Yes.'

CHAPTER EIGHT

M
IA
REALISED
HER
mistake the moment Dylan's mouth claimed hers.

She'd thought his first touch would be gentle, but it wasn't. It was sure and firm and a complete assault on her senses.

Dylan wanted to overwhelm her with sensation—perhaps in punishment for her ‘my stance on romance hasn't changed' comment. He wanted to thank her for sticking up for him at the dinner table... And somehow both of those impulses cancelled out the underlying threat in the other and dragged Mia under as if she'd been picked up by a giant wave.

She wound her arms around his neck and held on, waiting for the crash to come as the wave barrelled her along... But it didn't slam her down as she'd feared. Dylan's arms cradled her, holding her safe, and in the end all Mia could do was sink into them.

He nibbled her bottom lip, coaxing her to open to him. And she did. She wanted to hesitate, to hold back, but she couldn't. His tongue laved her inner lips and something inside her unfurled. His tongue coaxed hers to dance and something inside her sparked to life, filling her veins with heat and her soul with joy.

Dylan deepened the kiss, kissing her so thoroughly and with such intensity that his name was wrenched from her throat.

He lifted his head for a moment, his eyes glittering, and she suddenly realised that the flirtatious charmer had been stripped away to reveal the warrior beneath. And every potent ruthless sinew of his being was focussed wholly on
her
.

It should have made her afraid.

But she wasn't afraid of him. All she had to do was tell him to stop. And she knew that he would.

One corner of his mouth lifted, as if he'd read that thought in her face. ‘You think I'm going to give you a chance to
think
, Mia?'

Her heart thumped. ‘Dylan, sex won't make a scrap of difference. I—'

The force of his kiss pushed her head back. One of his hands traced the length of her—slowly, lazily—and Mia couldn't help but kiss him back with just as much force, hunger ravaging her body.

She wanted this man.

If she couldn't have him she thought she might die.

And then his hand was beneath the skirt of her dress...and her hands were where they shouldn't be...

And somewhere nearby a door slammed.

Mia stiffened and pulled her hands to her lap. Dylan tugged her skirt down and put his arms around her, holding her close, just as Carla came around the side of the house.

She pulled up short when she saw them. ‘I hope I'm not interrupting anything.'

Dylan laughed, the rumble vibrating through Mia's body in a delicious wave of sensation. ‘Of course you're interrupting something.'

Carla waved that away. ‘I wanted to let you know that Uncle Andrew has left. He's decided to stay at his club in town before heading back to Sydney tomorrow.'

Mia gripped her hands together. ‘I'm sorry. I had no right to cause such a scene—'

‘You were wonderful! I wish...' Carla hauled in a breath. ‘I wish I'd had the gumption to say something like that to him years ago.'

‘Carla,' Dylan began, ‘you—'

‘No.' She fixed him with a glare. ‘You've always stuck up for me. I should've done the same for you.'

She turned to Mia. Mia tried to remove herself from Dylan's lap, but he held her there fast.

‘The thing is,' Carla said, thankfully unaware of Mia's agitation, ‘I've always been so terribly afraid of him. But tonight when you said you pitied him I realised you were right. And...' she shrugged ‘...now I find I'm not as afraid.'

Dylan frowned. Mia had to fight the urge to smooth his brow.

‘I don't want you to be afraid of anyone,' he said.

Mia knew he meant Thierry.

Carla waved that away. ‘I just wanted to make sure the two of you were okay. And to let you know the coast is clear.'

‘We're fine.'

‘And you, Mia?' Carla checked despite her brother's assurance.

‘I'm fine too.'

‘Carmen—' she was the Fairweathers' housekeeper ‘—is making ice cream sundaes.'

‘We'll be along in five minutes.'

‘Don't let him sweet-talk you into anything you're not ready for, Mia.'

‘Cross my heart,' Mia promised, but that reminded her that Carla knew her brother's reputation. It reminded her that Dylan had a lot of experience with women while she had very little experience with men.'

Carla sent them a cheeky grin. ‘But I
will
say the two of you do look cute together.'

Mia had to fight the urge to drop her face to her hands and weep. How could she have let things go this far?

Carla disappeared and Mia tried once again to rise from Dylan's lap, but his arms tightened about her.

‘Do you really mean to ignore that kiss?'

His hand splayed against her hip, as if to urge her to feel what he was feeling.

‘That kiss was amazing...intense.' His face darkened. ‘It was a whole lot more than just a kiss and you know it.'

Her heart thumped. If she let them, his words could weave a spell about her. She couldn't let that happen.

‘Yes,' she said. And then, so he knew what she was referring to, she added, ‘Yes, I
do
mean to ignore that kiss.'

Her words made him flinch. Heat gathered behind her eyes and her throat started to ache.

‘To punish yourself?' The question was scratched out of him—a raw rasp.

‘No.' She refused to let the tears building behind her eyes to fall. ‘To save myself.'

‘I don't understand.'

The throb in his voice had her closing her eyes. ‘And I hope to God you never do.'

This time when she tried to get up he let her.

* * *

Dylan watched Mia walk away and his heart pounded against the walls of his ribs. He wanted her with a savagery that frightened him.

He couldn't recall wanting Caitlin like this.

He couldn't recall wanting any woman with this kind of hunger!

He wanted to shred their ground rules to pieces—tear them up and burn them. He wanted Mia in his bed.

But do you want her in your heart
?

The roaring inside him screeched to a halt. He swallowed.

No
.

But you're prepared to seduce her? To make things harder for her
.

He shot to his feet. He wouldn't make them harder! He'd make sure she enjoyed every moment of their time together. He'd make her laugh and he'd lavish her with gifts. He'd give her anything she wanted.

Except the quiet life she craves
.

He whirled around, hands fisted. She was wrong about that. She should be living life to the full—not hiding herself in the shadows. She should be living her life like the woman in Felipe's photograph—full of joy and laughter. If only he could get her to see that.

If only...

He stilled. If he managed that, then maybe she'd rip up those ground rules herself and welcome some fun—some pleasure—into her life. It was worth a shot.

Thrusting out his jaw, he moved towards the house.

* * *

Mia sat at a picnic table, listlessly feeding a peacock what looked to be part of her usual lunchtime sandwich, and something in Dylan's chest tightened. It was four days since their kiss and she looked pale and tired. She looked the way he felt. It didn't give him the slightest sense of satisfaction or triumph.

He wanted her. His lips tightened. And she wanted him.

She had another think coming if she thought he'd give up. He wanted to know what she'd meant by saving herself, and he had every intention of finding out. Once he knew, he'd be able to develop a game plan for knocking down those walls of hers.

She half turned, as if she'd sensed his presence, dropping her sandwich when their gazes collided. The peacock immediately pounced on it.

Dylan forced his legs forward. ‘It's just as well I brought these or you'd go hungry.' He dropped a couple of chocolate bars to the table before taking the seat opposite. ‘How are you, Mia?'

‘I'm okay.' She reached for one of the chocolate bars but didn't unwrap it, worry lurking in the depths of her eyes. ‘How are
you
?'

He'd meant to tell her that he couldn't sleep at night for thinking of her. Instead he shot her a grin and winked. ‘I'll be a whole lot better once I've eaten this.'

He seized the second chocolate bar and was rewarded when her shoulders unhitched a fraction.

‘I'm glad you dropped by today,' she said.

He stared at her. For a moment he felt like punching the air. He didn't push her, though. He'd let her tell him why in her own time.

‘Carla asked me to give you this.' He pulled a piece of paper from his pocket. ‘It's Thierry's veal scaloppini recipe.'

‘Why didn't she give it to me herself?'

He shrugged, hoping he hadn't given himself away. ‘She said she was busy.' And he'd latched on to any excuse to see Mia. ‘Maybe she thought I'd see you first.'

‘Are you busy? There's something I'd like you to see.'

‘I'm free as a bird.' Even if he hadn't been he'd have cancelled any appointment for her.

‘Good. Come with me.'

She led him along a narrow track through dense native forest. Everything was hushed and serene. He marvelled anew that such a place existed in the middle of the city. Mia didn't talk and he was content to follow behind, admiring the dark lustre of her hair and the innate grace of her hips.

After ten minutes she slowed. Turning to him, she put a finger to her lips and then held down the branch of a Bottlebrush tree, gesturing for him to look.

He glanced at her, wondering what on earth she'd brought him here to see. He turned to survey the view and sucked in a breath. Moving closer, he held the branch for himself while Mia moved off to one side.

She'd brought him via a circuitous route to the far side of the lily pond. Just in front of him—no more than twenty yards away—stretched out on a picnic blanket, were Carla and Thierry. Carla's head was in Thierry's lap and he was idly combing his fingers through her hair. She laughed up at him at something he'd said.

Dylan's heart started to thump. He stared from his sister's face to her fiancé's face and back again. Eventually Mia's fingers wrapped about the top of his arm and she pulled him away. Pressing her finger to her lips again, she led him along a different path until they emerged into a rocky clearing. She sat on a boulder and stared at him with pursed lips.

He fell down onto a neighbouring rock, his mind racing. Finally he glanced across at her. ‘I have
never
seen Carla that happy.'

She nodded, as if the sight of that much happiness had awed her.

‘How did you know they were there?'

‘I accidentally stumbled across them on Monday. I noticed Thierry's car in the car park a little while ago and figured they'd be there again today.'

‘She's totally in love with him...and...and completely
happy
.'

‘Did you notice the way he looked at her?'

He had. An ache stretched behind his eyes. ‘He looked at her as if she were the most precious person on earth.' His shot to his feet and paced up and down for a bit before swinging back to Mia. ‘A man who looks at a woman like that is never going to hurt her. He's going to do everything in his power to protect her, to cherish her...to make her happy.'

Mia nodded.

He started to pace again. Seeing Carla and Thierry together like that, so unguarded, it should put his mind at rest...

He collapsed back on his rock and Mia reached out to clasp his hand briefly. ‘Dylan, you're not losing Carla. You're gaining a brother-in-law.'

‘But he's such an unpleasant man!'

She sat back. ‘I suspect the more you get to know him, the better you'll come to like him.'

Could she be right?

‘I also think...'

He glanced up, suddenly on guard. There was something too tight in her voice, which was at odds with the casual way she ran her fingers along a tall spike of native grass.

‘You also think...?' he prompted.

She rubbed her hand across her throat, not looking at him. ‘I think our dating pretence is no longer necessary.'

She told you kissing her would be a bad idea
.

He hadn't known it would have her bringing their relationship to such an abrupt halt!

There is no relationship
.

But he wanted there to be. Not a relationship,
exactly
, but a relationship of sorts.

He was careful to keep his thoughts hidden. He didn't want to scare her off more than he already had—didn't want her retreating further. He hadn't got where he was today by revealing his hand too soon.

‘You're probably right,' he said instead.

She seemed to tense up and then relax in equal measure. He ducked his head to hide his smile. Mia Maydew was one conflicted lady. If she'd just let him help solve that conflict...

‘Please tell me you're not going to dump Carla as abruptly?'

Her head shot up. ‘Of course I'm not going to dump Carla. Carla and I will be friends for as long as she wants us to be friends.' She folded her arms and glared at him. ‘And, Dylan, I hate to point this out, but I'm not dumping
you
either. We were never going out to begin with. We were only pretending.'

‘I wasn't pretending when I kissed you. And I don't care how good an actress you are, Mia, I don't think you were pretending either.'

She moistened her lips and swallowed. The pulse at the base of her throat fluttered like a caged thing. A ravaging hunger swept through him. If he kissed her now, here in this quiet, private place where they wouldn't be interrupted...