Filthy Rich (12 page)

Well, he wasn't the only one who enjoyed a challenge.

And sometimes, it was a case of now or never.

***

He had things to do.

Lots of important matters that would increase his profit margin. But Nartan found himself waiting for his cell phone to buzz.

More to the point, he was waiting for it to buzz with a message from Celeste. The little piece of technology lit up and buzzed, but he sent the incoming calls to his voice mail. He was only interested in hearing from one person.

He hit the interstate at seventy-five, but the wind in his face wasn't strong enough to carry away the delicate scent of her skin. His cock twitched, hardening as he recalled just how green her eyes were.

He'd wanted to know if a week would make a difference, and he had that answer now. It had made a difference.

She was worming her way even deeper beneath his skin.

It was both a balm and an irritant, leaving him poised on the edge. He didn't want to admit how infatuated he was with her.

He took the cutoff toward the ocean. The air became thick with the scent of water and salt. In the distance, he could see the glitter of the sunlight on the water. Inside his pocket, his phone vibrated and he dug it out in defiance of the law. A surge of primal enjoyment went through him when he found a text message from her.

Touché. I have been hiding. What time do you want to connect?

I'll drive myself.

Celeste waited for a reply. It didn't take long.

Making sure you have an escape plan?

She glared at the screen of her smartphone but didn't hesitate when she punched in
yes
. If he didn't like her terms, too bad.

One step at a time
, she added.

Wear jeans
, was his response.

Nartan's Italian restaurant was located on the Southern California coastline, overlooking a stretch of the beach. It was definitely not the place for jeans. She felt odd getting into her car wearing denim, even if she'd dug out her best pair of jeans.

Caspian had demanded designer dresses at all times.

Fuck
Caspian.

That made her smile, so she mouthed the words a second time as she smoothed a hand over her thigh.

Denim was perfect.

She headed toward Malibu. The freeway became crowded and expensive cars were more common as she neared the coastline. Drivers talked on their cell phones in spite of the hands-free law, watching the road through designer shades. Angelino's boasted a clientele that enjoyed the best. Sunset was still an hour away when she pulled up in front of the posh establishment. A valet jogged around the hood of her Corvette and pulled open the door for her. She gave him a five and a sweet smile.

“No scratches.”

“Yes, ma'am,” he answered before sliding behind the wheel with a grin.

“Somehow, I never pictured you driving a cherry-red Corvette.”

Nartan appeared from one of the elegantly landscaped areas off to the right of the main entrance. He wasn't wearing the suit she normally associated with his five-star establishment. Instead, he had on a pair of jeans and a button-down, brushed-denim shirt. He was shaking his head.

“I'm divorced, not dead.”

His lips split into a grin as his gaze swept her from top to bottom. “Nice choice.”

“You said jeans.” Hers were forest green, and she had on a flowing, goddess-type tunic in a soft ivory that complemented her fair skin. She hadn't realized how turn-of-the-century it looked until she was facing Nartan. With his long hair and bronzed skin, it was hard to remember just what year it was.

“We tried the dinner-table thing, so I thought we might try something a little less private to begin with.”

He offered her his hand. Reaching for him took more effort than she anticipated. But the moment her fingers connected with his, he pulled her against him, slipping his arm around her back and clasping her hip. The grip sent a ripple of excitement through her pelvis.

Damn. Hard and primal and instantaneous.

“Less private?” Her voice had turned husky, her heart hammering away inside her chest. Every inch of him was enticing. She flattened her hands against his chest, unable to resist the temptation to touch what had been filling her dreams.

His breath teased her jawline before he pressed a soft kiss over the same spot. “Trust me, half a dozen of my employees are peeking out the windows at us.”

“What?” She arched back, but he held her at the waist.

“One kiss,” he demanded, one of his hands beginning a smooth slide up her back to press her more tightly against him.

“Is that a ransom demand?”

He'd reached the center of her back and pressed her forward so that her breasts yielded to the hard planes of his chest.

“Yes,” he breathed through his teeth. “I think it is.”

He was forceful and demanding, which pressed a button inside her that sent her core into meltdown. Nothing mattered except the surge of anticipation lifting her up toward his kiss. The phantom memory that had kept her company in her dreams wasn't enough anymore.

But she pressed one finger against his lips to stop him from taking what he wanted.

“If it's a demand, then you have to wait for me to give it to you.”

There was something about teasing him, making him wait on her whim, that sent a charge through her. His eyes darkened, dilating as she stood her ground and refused to bend. He bit her finger gently and she pulled it back.

“I'm waiting…”

She tapped the center of his chest. “That's half the fun.”

He didn't agree. His expression tightened as she sent him a challenging look and pushed against his chest. It was both triumph and torment when his arms opened, because moving away from him left a dull ache between her thighs.

But the surge of control was enough to make her smile.

“Bitch,” he accused softly.

“Arrogant,” she countered.

He laughed and offered her his hand again. “Only because you make me crazy.”

“Right. Like I believe you don't enjoy all the benefits of being rich.”

“Financially solvent,” he corrected briskly. “A rich man has a loving family who stays with him no matter how few possessions he owns. I'm not rich.”

His words surprised her. He was dead serious, and for just a moment, she felt like she had gotten a glimpse at his unguarded personal feelings. He covered the opening quickly, closing his hand around hers and leading her along the side of the restaurant. It was already filling up, the staff uncorking expensive bottles of wine as people prepared to enjoy Saturday night with a view of the sunset over the ocean.

A soft nicker reached her ears. They turned around the edge of the building and stepped onto a perfectly manicured lawn. A pair of Appaloosa horses stood there with two grooms holding their bridles. One swished its tail and tossed its head when it spied Nartan.

“Ever been on a horse?” he asked as he released her hand and stroked the horse's neck. The animal nuzzled him, earning a chuckle from Nartan.

“Sure. Caspian—” She shut her mouth. “Yes, I see why you told me no dress tonight.”

Nartan's eyes narrowed just a touch before he gestured her forward. “I grew up with horses. My grandfather bred these two and the two he brought up to Alaska for the wedding.”

“It must cost you a fortune to keep them here.” But the animals were majestic. White with brown spots and light-colored manes. They watched her with large, dark eyes.

He shrugged, enjoyment clear in his eyes. “What's the point of being financially solvent if I can't have the lifestyle I enjoy?”

“That's very true,” she muttered as a memory rose up from her past. She tried to cover her lapse by running her hand over the horse's mane.

“Your ex had a taste for expensive art.” Nartan refused to let her shut him out.

She set her teeth into her lip and considered avoiding the topic. Oh well, might as well air some of the dirty laundry. Maybe she could finally put it behind her.

“He enjoyed possessions he could arrange into collections for his friends to view and be impressed by,” she answered. “I was just another one of those.”

She shot him a hard look. Nartan stared back at her for a long minute before he pointed at the stirrup. She lifted her foot and slipped it in before gripping the saddle. Nartan helped boost her up and she swung her leg over the back of the animal. It snorted softly as it adjusted to her weight.

Nartan took the opportunity to stroke her from hip to knee before withdrawing his hand with a naughty grin.

He mounted the second horse, and the groom tossed the reins up to him. He turned the animal around with a confidence that was undeniable. She had to think about how to keep her knees pressed in and her weight slightly forward, but Nartan did it with a natural ease that spoke of a long history with riding.

He started down a path that wove through the scrub brush on its way to the shoreline. Angelino's was above them, but they soon left it behind and the sound of the surf drowned out everything else. Nartan didn't stop until they reached the sand. He looked back at her before easing his command on the reins. His horse flung its head back and raced into the water.

Her horse snorted and let out a shrill sound as she pawed at the sand. Nartan turned around and watched to see what Celeste would do. She surrendered to the look of mischief in his eyes, and a moment later she was wet from ankle to hip.

But she laughed. The horses began running through the breakers, Celeste's horse following Nartan's. The frothy water splashed up in her hair and her face.

She didn't care. It was pure fun, and by the time they reached a point where the coastline curved around a rocky point, she was sure she looked like a drowned rat.

“You should have said to bring a change of clothes,” she admonished her host when she managed to pull up beside him. She reached down, scooped up a handful of water, and threw it at him.

He leaned away, proving how powerful his legs were. The wave rushed out and then another one rolled in to cover them to the bottom of the horses' bellies. Nartan scooped up a handful and returned fire.

Celeste turned her horse around and leaned down over its neck as she charged back the way they'd come. Nartan let out a savage cry behind her. She looked back and squealed as she caught sight of him bearing down on her. His horse was bigger, with a wider leg span, and closed the distance as she urged her mount faster. He let out a yell before slapping her butt as he surged past her.

She ended up choking on her laughter. Nartan tossed his hair back from his face and turned around to gauge her reaction.

He led her back the way they'd come as the sun began to kiss the horizon. The grooms had come down to the water's edge, waiting as Nartan rode up to them and dismounted. He caught the bridle of her horse and spoke a few words in Apache to the animal as he rubbed her muzzle, his fingers sliding over her soft hair.

Memory rippled through Celeste, her skin recalling exactly how good Nartan's touch felt.

“We're going to miss the sunset if you stay up there.”

He reached up for her and she was sorry to slide off the horse. Celeste reached back up and patted the animal before one of the grooms led her away, then turned to a golf cart fitted with huge tires to travel over the sand.

“We're not missing it,” she said as she gestured to the expanse of private beach. The city was all around them, but the stretch of sand and breakers was completely secluded by the curve of the coastline. The grooms had already disappeared with the horses, the landscaping hiding them.

“I know a better viewing location.”

Nartan jumped behind the wheel of the cart and waited while she slid in. The evening breeze was whipping across her wet clothing, chilling her as Nartan headed for a dock at the opposite end of the beach.

“Do you own all this land?”

He nodded, satisfaction glittering in his eyes. “The only reason I own a restaurant named Angelino's is because of the property it sits on.” He cut her a sidelong glance full of arrogant satisfaction. “I rent the beach out for weddings, but every now and again, I get to have some fun on it too.”

He drove off the sand and right up onto the dock. She hooked her hand into the rail as the cart rocked. The coast thrust out into the ocean in a rocky point. On the other side, the water was calmer, the breakers kept back by a natural breakwater rock formation. A silver and black yacht bobbed on the surface of the water, its mirrored windows reflecting the setting sunlight. It was a sleek, modern vessel with at least three decks. Small outdoor lights were strung from the bow and over the bridge to the back, where the light strings branched out into a fan. Nartan put the cart in park and swung out.

“And what beach wedding is complete without a sunset cruise?” she asked as she joined him.

“Exactly.” He offered her a hand as two uniformed crew members stood by to fold up the ramp that connected the yacht to the dock.

They entered on the back deck of the vessel, where the cheery little lights made the deck feel festive. There was comfortable seating all around the exterior of the craft and a bar open to the deck, with another deck above it. Nartan pulled her inside the vessel.

“There's a shower and dry clothes in there for you. Meet you up on the promenade deck in fifteen.”

“Is this your way of ensuring I can't make an escape?” she teased.

He grinned and shrugged, turning to lean over her in the tight companionway. “You got that right. I'm also making sure I can't be called away.”

The engine revved up as the captain began to push away from the dock. Nartan pulled his cell phone from his pocket. “They don't work well at sea.”

He tucked it back in his shirt pocket and eyed her as he braced himself against the motion of the ship. “I'm all yours, Celeste.”

Oh…hell yes.

She could feel her insides twisting, her body melting as anticipation began to mount inside her. The logical side of her brain was quickly abandoning its post, and she could feel the need to press up against him chipping away at everything she thought.

What she wanted, desperately, was to respond to his nearness, his appeal, his sheer animal magnetism. He wasn't like any man she'd ever encountered, and it was about time, too.

She was heating up, her breasts feeling tender and heavy. He leaned down, curving over her as he propped his arm against the wood paneling of the hallway.

“Are you ready to give me that kiss?” His breath brushed her lips.

She reached up and toyed with some of his hair. She couldn't recall ever seeing such truly black hair before. It suited his bronzed complexion. He was darker than Tarak and she realized it was because he spent more time outdoors.

“We'll get distracted,” she decided.

His eyebrows lowered. “I hope so.”

He pressed a kiss against her lips, licking and sucking on them as she reached up to slide her hand along his neck. For a moment, she let the pleasure boil up inside her and pull her nipples tight behind the wet fabric of her blouse. She slid her hand into his hair and tightened her fist.

He offered her a little groan as she pulled his head away from hers. She indulged in a long look at his eyes. They were flickering with need and promise.