Filthy Rich (3 page)

Just maybe, his buddy's wedding would have some fun attached to it after all.

***

Celeste smiled.

Once she'd hiked up to the ridge above Tarak's massive house, she could see the ocean on her right and glaciers to her left. The forest was thick, rising high above her head. Birds were calling to one another as a breeze moved the branches to produce a rustling sound. For a moment, she closed her eyes and let the sounds fill her senses. She drew in a deep breath and smiled at the earthy scent of the air.

Now this was vacation. No sounds of cars, no smell of exhaust fumes, and she didn't need to check her inbox every half hour. Her clothing was designed for practicality instead of the ability to impress her next client. It was the whole “escape from reality” package.

Nartan
Lupan
could
put
the
cherry
on
top
of
it
all
…

She laughed at her own thoughts but realized she was avoiding admitting just how much the guy buzzed her system.

There was nothing tiny about the disruption he was sending through her. In fact, it was really starting to snare her curiosity because it was such a change for her. It wasn't as if she hadn't had opportunities to date in the last month. But having her sexual appetite turn back on so suddenly was actually sort of a triumph, proving that Caspian was losing his grip on her more and more. It was a moment to be celebrated, but all she ended up doing was shivering as the memory of Nartan's hands on that keyboard surfaced.

She noticed details about him. Too many of them. It had to be an unhealthy level of attraction.

Like an addiction.

She went down the other side of the ridge, leaving the house behind.

Okay, the house and Nartan Lupan. Fine, she was a chicken, but the guy oozed sex appeal, as well as arrogance. There was no way she was going to do anything about what she felt for him. The bottom line was that she wasn't going to play with fire.

Chicken
.

Guilty as charged.

But better safe than sorry.

Sabra and Tarak had left early that morning to run errands for the wedding, including fittings on Sabra's bridal gown and Tarak's tuxedo. Celeste was just happy to have some free time. She had no problem being alone, and she loved to move her body and feel her own strength and limberness. Her childhood had been a series of foster homes, which had taught her to enjoy her own company. So had her marriage to Caspian. Today, she aimed her attention at the wonder surrounding her, snapping a couple of pictures with her phone before setting off again.

She walked further along and heard water rushing in the distance. As she got closer, it turned into a roar. Just over another ridge, a massive, bubbling river was being fed by the glaciers high above them. The water was moving at an incredible speed, tumbling huge boulders that clunked together every now and then as she watched. The energy was raw and hypnotizing, drawing her closer to the display of nature's power.

“Be careful, Celeste.”

She jumped, stumbling as she landed on the uneven bank.

“Even shallow rapids can sweep a full-grown man off his feet.”

Nartan was poised halfway down the ridge in a low crouch. She blinked, doing a double take.

“How did you find me?” she blurted out, betraying just how startled she was.

He slowly grinned, the curving of his lips arrogant and full of pride. He pointed at the dirt he was crouched over. “If you want to give me the slip, better learn to cover your tracks, Celeste.”

Something slithered through her gut again, just a little stronger than the first time. This time, there was no way to avoid facing what it was. Sexual hunger gnawed at her insides, refusing to be ignored. She didn't need it complicating her life, but it rose from some dark corner where instinct refused to be ruled by logic, leaving her with one irrefutable fact.

Cravings didn't have rules or respect for her desire to play it safe.

The guy was so damned sexy, drawing her attention to every detail of his person. Logically, he was everything she didn't want anything to do with, but that had no effect on the excitement the sight of him set off inside her.

Every detail about him was mesmerizing. She knew he was full-blooded Apache, but somehow seeing him so confident outdoors drove that home. It struck her deeply. His high cheekbones and sharp features made him more attractive than any man she'd ever seen. He was dredging up an approval rating from some deep, dark part of her mind. It was pure reaction, and it shocked her into stunned silence. He held himself in that half crouch without any effort, proving he had serious strength, and no one got that strong without training.

The clothes had to be throwing her off balance. The first time she'd met him, he'd been in an Armani suit. It was a far cry from the jeans and cotton button-down shirt he had on today.

But that wasn't the reason she was having trouble dismissing him. Even in the suit he'd looked primal. She'd sensed something about him that made her stomach flutter.

Her gaze traced the expanse of his forearms where he had the shirtsleeves rolled up to his elbows. Sharply defined muscles were on display, covered in cinnamon skin. Nartan let his hair grow until it was brushing his collar. It was almost as if he was making sure everyone knew he wasn't tame and had no desire to be.

“I told you to wait.”

She jerked her attention to his face but found his expression unreadable. She expected her temper to flare, but instead she had to fight the urge to prop her hand on her hip. The desire to flirt rose up, recklessly tempting her to engage him. The problem was that she had no doubt he'd rise to the challenge.

“Tarak didn't need to set you to minding me. I'm just fine on my own.” Celeste turned and began hiking along the edge of the river, breathing in the beauty of the scenery, the rushing water, the brisk air. Okay, and doing her best to clear Nartan out of her senses.

But she only felt the charge that came with knowing his gaze was on her.

It was like an advanced game of chicken. The urge to turn her head was driving her insane. She was stubbornly determined to prove that she could and would ignore the riot he was causing inside her.

Which unveiled another problem: she was enjoying the challenge of pitting her will against his.

Celeste headed back toward the top of the ridge. She could feel her heart working harder to fuel her body as she pushed herself. Heat moved through her legs and sweat coated her forehead, but the effort was worth it. The hours confined in an airline seat melted away.

Her sense of triumph was short-lived. Just before she made it to the crest, Nartan came into her peripheral view, his longer legs allowing him to overtake her and reach the ridgeline first. He scanned the area on the other side before nodding and looking back at her. She felt the connection between their gazes, his cobalt-blue eyes stunning her with their brilliance and the unmistakable energy burning there—burning for her, she realized with a sense of shock and even, if she were honest, satisfaction.

Playing
with
fire…

“You can't be full-blooded with those eyes.” She bit her lower lip, trying to get a grip before exposing herself any further. Any curiosity about him was bound to land her in a situation she'd already decided she wouldn't be stepping into. But logical choices weren't sticking. They were just slipping aside as her hormones raged and need tried to rule her.

“According to the books, I am.” He offered her a hand and she hesitated for a second before stepping to her left to avoid joining him.

Avoid
touching
him, you mean…

Guilty
as
charged.

“Blue eyes are recessive,” she said, but found herself wondering why that mattered so much if she wanted nothing to do with him. Actions spoke louder than words, and her curiosity was proving her interest. His lips twitched up, proving he'd noticed her lapse.

“Apaches used to like to take captives,” he countered. “My ancestors enjoyed a challenge and had a taste for the unique.”

A ripple of anticipation moved across her skin. There was a hint of promise in his tone, along with something else that stroked the heat flickering inside her belly.

“You do too,” she remarked, pointing toward the mountains above the test and development center. “Sabra told me you and Tarak stuck it out on a claim up there.” Changing the subject was pathetically chicken of her but no doubt a wise course of action.

“Three long years.” He looked toward the spot Sabra had pointed out to her. “They seemed longer when I was living them.”

“There are times like that.” For a moment, it felt like they had something in common. Conversation felt so natural with him, so very comfortable. “Time has a way of dulling the blunt edges of reality.”

“I'm not sure about that,” he offered with a flash of a smile that gave her a peek at the boy he must have been. “I think…I'm close enough to smell blackened squirrel.” He sniffed the air and shuddered, shaking his body like a large dog after a bath.

She laughed at him. “I hope it isn't on the menu tonight. Dining-out options look limited.”

“I'll give you the un-blackened portion of my squirrel.”

She propped her hands on her hips and planted her feet wide. “I came to the last frontier. I expect my share of hardships.”

He took a moment to sweep the area before returning his attention to her. His smile was gone, a pensive look in his eyes.

“You burned my card the night we met. Care to tell me why?”

“It wasn't personal.” She replied as if her boundaries were being pressed. “Everyone has one or two skeletons. The important part is that the skeleton is dead.”

“But the ghost haunts you,” he stated firmly, with a little too much truth to suit her. “I see it in your eyes.”

Celeste shrugged and didn't care for how forced the action felt. Her confidence was trying to desert her, leaving her feeling exposed. “It's on my to-be-dealt-with list.”

Nartan's eyes narrowed and his lips thinned. She could see the truth of his nature in his eyes. He was used to being in control and getting whatever he wanted. At the moment, that was to unmask her, something she wasn't going to let him do. The truth was, she didn't think she could bear being stripped down to such an unguarded position again.

But that was her failing, not his, and it didn't give her the right to be bitchy.

“It's nothing.” Her tone was even and devoid of emotion, which was a major accomplishment. She felt like she was boiling, the heat twisting through her, increasing with every second he watched her. Peeling away her facade with nothing more than the force of his nature.

“I'm sure you don't need any female issues to deal with.”

The ghost of a smile touched his lips. They were full, sensual lips that looked like they tasted fantastic. There was a restless energy pulsing around her insides that she recognized from a time when she hadn't forbidden herself impulses or playing with fire.

“You think I'm like most men?” he questioned smoothly.

Definitely
not
…

Not that she was going to admit it to him.

He moved closer, the gun making a soft sound as he gripped it. It was a metal-on-metal sound that made her flinch because it fit the hard nature of the man holding it and the uncivilized location. Everything was different here—basic, blunt…savage. And that suited him perfectly.

He stopped next to her and she fought the urge to step back.

“I'm not like any man you've ever known.”

Her mouth went dry.

But her temper came to her rescue at last, flickering to life and burning through the haze of attraction dulling her wits. “I think you're used to being the boss. Understandable. Angelino's is impressive, but I like to keep my private affairs—private. Along with my vacations.”

So maybe it wasn't the flare of temper that was sizzling inside her. Maybe it was pure panic, but she wasn't in a position to quibble over details. She needed her head cleared before she did something…impulsive.

She started down the incline, intent on discovering where the river was flowing from. Intent on anything that wasn't Nartan and her reaction to him. She dug deep, trying to gather enough focus to control herself. The sound of the rushing water filled her ears as she dug her feet into the steep incline and concentrated on her footing.

She felt Nartan behind her, shadowing her…stalking her. He made sure she caught sight of him from time to time. It was an exquisite sort of torment, that moment of having him in sight before he'd fall back and leave her with the knowledge that he was watching her with those intense, cobalt eyes.

Well, she wouldn't be turning around to engage him. She kept moving until she made it to the next high point and paused on the crest to savor the view. The wind blew into her face, chilling the sweat that had formed in her hairline. She smiled, enjoying the proof that she'd pushed her body.

“You enjoy a challenge too.” He inserted himself back into her world. Okay, so she hadn't really been successful in ignoring him but she wasn't ready to admit it.

Nartan stepped up beside her, standing only a pace from her. Sensation rippled across her skin and down her body. She'd never been so aware of a man before. She wanted to be irritated, but all she could do was feel the way he was pressing against her comfort zone. Like some ultra-high-stakes game of chess.

She moved aside, but had her attention on Nartan rather than on her footing. The rough wilderness was unforgiving. The eroding granite shifted beneath her boot, ready to take her down the slope with gravity's help. A startled cry escaped her lips as she felt her body weight dropping, but it turned into a muffled word of profanity when Nartan curled his fingers around her bicep and yanked her back up.