Give Me All Of You (5 page)

Hermile let go of a labored breath a
nd he looked straight into her eyes, “with you,” he said quietly.

She cried out, her hand covering her mouth with dawning horror. Her father was many things, cold-hearted bastard being the least of them, but even he wouldn’t
try to sell his only child to a stranger.

Shock paralyzed her and she
stared speechlessly at him.

He returned her blazing scrutiny with one of his ow
n, “I know arranged marriages is outdated and looked down upon in our sexually lax culture but I’ve checked him out. He’s healthy … honest …” Hermile’s face quivered before his innate stubbornness replaced his disquiet, “he’ll be a good husband to you and he has the skill and talent to get this hotel finished and restore Bronswort’s prosperity all around the world.”

She turned like a maniac on the man who would dare think he could buy her! He’d been waiting and instead of remaining in the corner he
had somehow come up behind her.

S
he almost collided against his chest which was so damn broad it took up two of her.

He reached for he and she skittered back
, almost falling backwards onto Hermile’s desk.

He dropped his hand but those blue eyes had stayed pinned on her. “This will sound crude but I … I want you. I’ve never been married before and I’ve no children. If you give me a chance, I’d like to have both of those with you,” he finished quietly.

She gagged, bile burning her throat. He wanted to have kids with her? She hadn’t even thought of having children much less doing the act to conceive them. With a supreme effort she pushed herself away from her father’s desk, noting with bitterness that Hermile had gone completely silent.

She
straightened her shoulders which trembled with the effort at holding her upright, then turned to Hunter.

S
omehow she managed to hold his eyes, there was compassion in his gaze, but he wasn’t the one being traded! “I … I don’t know what my father and you have decided and I don’t care. We don’t know each other-”

“We can,” he interrupted, his words firm.

She shook her head, wanting to run away but knowing she had to see this through. “Mr. Roades-”

“Hunter,” he interrupted.

“Hunter … I won’t marry you.”

“Yes, you will!” Hermile shouted from behind
her. She clutched the chance to turn her back on the frightening resolution in Hunter’s eyes.

Hermi
le was waiting and there was a shred of remorse on his weathered face. “Please Mina, you can get to know Hunter and when the time is right marry him. This business,
our
business will go under and everything your forefathers and I have worked for will be lost, if you don’t try.”

And now after several months of keeping Hunter at bay, she’d been so stupid to let him get close enough to kiss her, or attempt to. She squeezed her eyes tight until they throbbed in their sockets.

The worst part
was that she didn’t feel repulsed, as she’d been telling herself she would. Instead an image of his harsh face and dark eyes shining with rising lust made her squirm as if needles were on her bed. She groaned in defeat.

Then got
angry. She couldn’t, wouldn’t marry a stranger. So why then did she feel as if she was no longer the only sane person in this frightening threesome? Why had she wanted, for just a split second, for him to pick her up and take her on her desk?

She n
eeded help. Someone to talk too.  But there was no one.

Two weeks passed and she’d barely caught sight of Hunter, even when she visited the work site.

He was avoiding her. Good.

But her smile was fleeting and slipped into grimness. She continued to stare through the floor to ceiling glass walls of the gigantic greenhouse which attached to the back of her home.

The people bustling beyond its transpar
ent walls rivaled the riot of flowers and plants which crowded around her body.

Her company’s
annual picnic was in full swing, though they couldn’t afford it.

She shrugged
carelessly and took another hearty sip of zinfandel.

Please God, keep Hunter
away.

She’d had to invite him. Hermile
had given her no choice.

He railed at her. “
Just think of the tongues wagging if it got out that you’ve barred our architect
from the company picnic.”

She
clutched the stem of the delicate crystal glass. The last thing she wanted was a run-in with her callous would-be-husband.

She needed some
release. Wine would do. She took another swallow. Closed her eyes and savored the pungent aromas of cherries and peaches mingling on her tongue.

A shoulder brushe
d past, her eyes flew open. A waiter bearing a tray of empty plates disappeared through the adjoining door back into the main house.

Reluctantly, s
he drained her glass and set it on the wrought iron table.

Time to make an appearance
.

Her sandals sunk into the softened grass, moist from last night’s rain.

Her gaze raked the gathering. Light sun dresses much like her own, and designer shorts provided a dazzling contrast to the green lawn and trees which fragranced the air around them.

She soug
ht Hermile and found him conversing with the Vincents’, an older couple.

Politely she exchanged greetings with the couple
. Mindless chit chat followed. At the right moment, she excused herself and worked her way deeper into the throng. Minutes of chatter passed, she smiled through it all.

Finally she reached the tail-end of the crowd, loo
ked around. Only a few stragglers, seeking privacy rather than conversation, were this far back.

She snickered.
Hors d’oeuvres
and abundant liquor wasn’t the only thing on the menu. Her lawn which broadened and grew into towering trees and a huge vegetable garden at the back went on for nearly a mile.

More than enough room for privacy.

At least some people were enjoying themselves. Disappearing might not be a bad idea. She shot a look over her shoulder. Hermile was lost among the crowd. He’d never know she’d slipped off for a little while.

Minutes later, s
he was safely enclosed behind a wall of plants. Pausing she breathed deeply of the rich earth.

A troupe
of ants marched at her feet, she wished she’d carried a piece of food for them.

She stopped after a few yards. She really should get back. Hermile would notice her missing by now.

Doing a
360
she contemplated the several routes which led back to Bronswort mansion. Choosing the closest one she lengthened her strides.

A hug
e mahogany tree loomed up ahead. The flutter of a yellow hem caught her eye.

She
stopped short. A couple was tucked behind the tree and the narrow, grass rimmed path went past them.

She searched
for an alternate route back. Tangles of impenetrable shrub stared menacingly back at her.

Perhaps if she tiptoed
past they wouldn’t notice. With light steps she drew alongside, face carefully averted.

Something
strange, a sharp contraction in the pit of her stomach drew a startled breath from her.

She turned, resenting herself, but unable to fight the urge.

Mina froze. Hunter stared back at her. His dark eyes impenetrable.

He didn’t mov
e from his position beside the tree.

On the ground
in front of him was a delicately beautiful blond. The hem of her short yellow dress tucked demurely around shapely legs.

Her tiny rosebud mouth formed an
o
as she caught sight of Mina suspended on the path.

S
he giggled like a naughty little girl, and swung gracefully to her feet.

A sharp stab of hurt sliced Mina
from nowhere, she blinked. Fought against the overwhelming instinct to turn away from the approaching, smiling girl … and Hunter.

The girl looked up at her,
held out a pale, almost translucent looking hand, an impish grin highlighted perfect teeth. “Hi Miss Bronswort, I’m Desiree Thurnbull.”

The accent was upper crust English, polished and effortless.

Mina dropped her gaze to the offered hand, grasped it, praying her knees didn’t buckle and drag goldilocks down with her.

Desiree’s
hand was excruciatingly delicate just like the rest of her. Unreasonably stung, Mina released it.

“Hunter has been telling
me all about you,” Desiree gushed, bright eyes trusting.

With an
effort, Mina gathered her wandering wits, refused to glance at Hunter who remained silent in the background. “Has he?” she asked pleasantly.

“Yes. It’s so empowering, isn’t it
, to do what you want without anyone being able to stop you?” Desiree’s soft brown eyes emitted hero worship.

Mina nodded weakly, her mouth dry with th
e sense of her own failure.

Since she’
d taken over Bronswort despite all she’d tried, cutting workers hours, streamlining their customer process, nothing had worked. Bronswort was slowing slipping even further downhill.

“
That’s one way to look at it,” She managed.

Desiree batted her arm playfully, Mina tried not to flinch at the
unexpected contact. “Don’t be modest, controlling the men in your life must be such a thrill,” she breathed.

Confused, Mina
forced an empty smile to her lips. She looked away and took a small, noticeable step back. “I’ll leave you two alone.”

“Mina!” Hunter’s voice shook the leaves on the trees.

Desiree jerked and shivered, her small mouth forming into an irresistible curve … of excitement?

Mina couldn’t spare the fuel to figure that out. She glared beyond Desiree at
Hunter. “What is it Mr. Roades?” She asked pointedly.

He
sauntered forward, his strides sure.  He didn’t answer instead he tore his eyes away from her and looked at Desiree. “I’d love to join your dinner party. Give me a call tomorrow.”

Desire
e twittered like a bird. She turned back to Mina. “I’ll be off now. It was nice meeting you Miss Bronswort.”

Mina watched her go, the pert small body enticingly outline
d by the butter yellow sundress, the hem barely covered her bottom.

She forcibly ignored Hunter looming like a great oak beside her.
Drawing in a shaky breath she set off behind Desiree.

“Not so fast.” In a blink Hunter was standing in front of her, blocking the path.

The irrational urge to forcibly and painfully remove him from her sight and her life choked her.

She gave in to the
icy fury pouring through her. Tipping her head back, she planted frigid eyes on him. She squeaked as a hand swept under her bottom and she was swept off her feet.

She opened her mouth to scream and immediately thought be
tter of it. It would do no good.

She folded her arm
s angrily across her chest.

And waited.

He stopped beside that same damned mahogany tree, apparently his favorite love nest.

“P
ut me down,” she ordered, her gaze straight ahead.

“Not until you look at me,” Hunter returned reasonably.

That brought her head snapping around, and she became trapped in the smoldering intensity swirling in his dark blue gaze.

He exuded languid charm and absolute
possessiveness.

Mina gulped brokenly,
moistened suddenly dry lips. His eyes swept down, when he looked up they were twinkling with irreverent amusement.

Anger flamed her cheeks, s
he would rather swallow a slimy toad than allow this arrogant, chauvinistic lout to kiss her again. “Are you insane or just plain arrogant?”

Hunter shrug
ged. “A little from column A, a lot from column B.”

Her eyes narrowed scathingly
. “I said put me down,” she ordered, “go after your little girlfriend. You may have fooled my father with your lies but I’m not buying any of it.”

Hunter chuckled, causing his chest to rumble up
and down, taking her with it.

Mina gasped
as she collided several times with the stone hard muscles which knotted his broad chest. He was treating her like a toy!