Nothing but Trouble (16 page)

“Like you’re faithful to Lord?” he threw back at her.

She bristled, glaring up at him with heated emotion. “That’s different.”
How can I explain what I’m feeling? How could I be unfaithful to a man I don’t even love?

“Different?” Brent barked, cutting her off. “Don’t you dare try and say I forced myself on you, lady,” he continued in a harsh voice, his eyes impaling her.

“I wasn’t about to.” Sophie met his abrupt anger head on. “What I meant was…” She hesitated, wondering if she could even put into words what she meant without revealing her situation with Jonathan.

“Yes?” He gave her a little squeeze to regain her attention. “I’m very interested in your explanation.”

She slowly lowered her face, realizing she’d backed herself into a corner and sensing Brent wouldn’t give up. “I simply meant that some men don’t think it’s a big deal two-timing the women they love.”

“And you think men have a monopoly on that?” Brent laughed scornfully. “I have news for you, princess; there are a lot of women out there who enjoy sex with anything they can get their hands on.”

The bitterness reflected in his tone caught her unaware. She raised her gaze in time to see the shadow of deep disappointment on his expression before he had a chance to mask it. In that split second Sophie knew someone had hurt Brent deeply. “I’m sorry if someone hurt you.”

“Don’t feel sorry for me, princess; you’re the one stuck with a cold-hearted bastard without feelings other than those south of his belt.”

“Leave Jonathan out of this!” she spat without thinking. He seemed to know Jonathan so well, making her wonder if her abduction was the result of a personal vendetta rather than for financial gain.

The silence that followed was unnerving, yet Sophie couldn’t look away from the piercing directness of his eyes. They delved deeply into hers, as though searching the secrets of her very soul. She wondered what she’d said or done to cause such a stony expression to settle on his face.

“I was talking about myself,” he finally admitted, watching her closely.

Sophie’s mouth dropped when she realized her mistake. Though by then it was too late, she couldn’t take back what she’d said.

“Is that the kind of man Lord is?”

“That’s none of your business. I think this conversation has gone on long enough.” She felt her face grow warm beneath Brent’s watchful stare. The silence that met her statement was interrupted by the hunger rolling in her belly. She tried to pull away and for a moment their bodies moved against each other intimately. Brushing up against the hard muscles in his thighs reminded her of how powerful he was.

She knew she was fighting a losing battle and it didn’t take much for Brent to subdue her by bringing her arms around her back, pinning them there with his large hands. She bit down on her lip, hoping to hold the tears of frustration at bay. “I’m hungry.” Sophie prayed he thought her trembling was out of fear, and not the renewed desire flowing through her traitorous body. Her watery gaze swung up to his.

The smoldering look in Brent’s eyes brought a whole new meaning to the word hunger. “I’m hungry too.” Sophie sensed it wasn’t for food. He surprised her by releasing her. “I think you’d better remember what the situation is and go back to the bedroom. Making love with me gained you nothing.”

For a moment she thought about ignoring his comment. His gaze remained glued to hers, silently demanding that she do his bidding. If she thought she could win the battle, she’d defy him. Only Sophie knew if she pushed Brent into putting his hands on her again it would lead to a repeat of what they’d shared in the bedroom. And that would be a dangerous road to travel again.

She tossed her hair, sending the thick mane behind her shoulders. At that moment she saw her reflection in Brent’s eyes. Saw how vulnerable she looked, how frightened, yet strong, and determined. Is that what he saw, too?

“I admire your spirit, princess. But now isn’t the time to test me.”

Sophie stood her ground another moment before turning and walking calmly away. Before she revealed how spirited she was and kissed him.

Brent stepped into the doorway to watch Sophie walk down the narrow hallway to the bedroom. It crossed his mind that she really was afraid of the water, but he wasn’t ready to trust her. She’d proven more resourceful than her father led him to believe, and he wasn’t about to take her for granted again. He thought about their conversation. He’d wanted to push her into anger so she’d slip up and reveal something about Lord. Well, she was angry now, and crying too if the sniffling he heard was anything to go on.

His mouth twisted into a tight grimace. He was a bastard, especially for accusing her of sleeping with him for her own gains. Waking and finding her gone had led him to draw his own conclusions. He’d tried to convince himself that she was just another Connie, spoiled, rotten and used to getting what she wanted, no matter whom she hurt along the way. Not averse to using her body to wear a man down.

Connie had done that, after sucking him in so deep that he hadn’t seen the signals until the damage had been done. Her seductive sophistication had clouded his judgment. She’d taken in his family too. It had been tough dumping a woman everyone loved, but that was his fault for not telling them the truth. It had been easier letting them believe he just wasn’t ready to settle down yet.

As Sophie disappeared into the bedroom Brent realized no matter how much he compared them, he knew in his gut she was different. Instincts told him she’d never sink so low as to sleep with a man to get what she wanted from him. Finding her on the phone had angered and disappointed him. He’d been too rough on her, but for a reason. A real kidnapper wouldn’t give a damn whether he hurt his victim or not.

His cellular rang, severing the silence. Brent flipped it open, brought it to his ear, and turned from the doorway. “Yeah?”

“What the hell is going on?”

Recognizing the senator’s aggravated voice caused his mouth to lift with humor. He’d been expecting his call back, and was a little surprised it had taken him this long. Senator Adams didn’t like surprises; he liked things mapped out and to go according to plan. “Everything’s under control.” He didn’t bother to elaborate.

“Is it? I almost had heart failure when I heard Sophie’s voice. How the hell did she get the phone away from you?”

Brent chose to ignore that question. “Don’t worry, she’s alive and kicking. Have any news for me?”

“Not yet. Whatever Lord has he had to dig deep. Sophie let it slip she’s on a boat somewhere. Would that be yours?”

“Yep.” Brent thought about her fear when she first realized where he’d brought her. He was beginning to hate what they were doing to her. She wasn’t exactly terrified of her situation, as she had been in the beginning, and he was very curious as to why.

“Dear God, Brent. It didn’t occur to me that you would ever take her out on your boat. Sophie’s been terrified of the water ever since she was a kid. She witnessed a shark attack on her brother…”

Brent vaguely listened to the senator, his gaze falling to the folder resting on the edge of the small table. It contained a snapshot of her, which the senator had included, in a dossier he’d given him of her scheduled whereabouts for the current week. His lips twitched when he recalled how close she’d been to finding out the truth. He would have been hard pressed explaining how he came to have a personal picture of her and the senator in his possession. He shook his head and forced himself to focus on what the senator was saying.

“I’ll call you again tomorrow. With a little luck I’ll have something concrete so we can put an end to this. I want Sophie home again, where she belongs.”

“Tomorrow, then.” With a quick flick of his wrist, the phone snapped closed and Brent laid it down on the counter next to him.

He took a deep breath, thinking about the lady in question. He was going to hurt Sophie, before she hurt him. After Connie, he’d made a promise to himself not to let another woman get too close. No matter how well packaged she came, or how much he wanted her. Over the years, more than one had taught him to guard his heart and watch his wallet. Hell, maybe he just got involved with the wrong women, but being burned by one he actually had feelings for, had hardened his heart and fortified his decision that other than a good romp in bed, he didn’t need them.

Something about Sophie warned him he was already too involved with her. He must be if he was worrying about her feelings. He couldn’t get the thought of making love to her out of his head, couldn’t get her warm, sensual scent off him. He glanced down, and realized he was wearing the shirt he’d given her back at the apartment. She had mistakenly grabbed the wrong one before leaving the bedroom earlier.

His mouth quirked with wry humor as he poured himself a cup of lukewarm coffee. He sipped at it, and pulled the curtain aside to glance out at the dock. It was quiet for a Saturday morning. The gray clouds gathering in the sky told him why. A storm was brewing. Brent could hear an occasional noise from the combination restaurant/bait shop located next to the pier, but it was the noise he didn’t hear coming from the bedroom that worried him the most.

He wondered what Sophie was up to, deciding he’d better check on her. He found her curled up on the bed, hugging a pillow to her breast as though it were a cherished stuffed toy. His heart constricted at the vulnerability etched on her beautiful face. He examined her appearance, taking in the deep shadows beneath her eyes and the paleness of her skin. Her breathing was shallow, little puffs of air passing through her slightly parted lips, as she rested peacefully.

His shirt was creased badly and stained with coffee. Her hair looked like rats had been nesting in it. Then right before his eyes she reached up and combed her fingers through it, twisting her body as though looking for a more comfortable position, exposing more of her long, shapely legs to his searching eyes. He couldn’t help recalling how silky, and soft they’d felt beneath his caresses. Then her soft mewling sounds caused his gaze to shift to her mouth.

It seemed like a lifetime ago since he’d kissed that defiant mouth. The impact throwing him for a loop he still hadn’t fully recovered from. The visible softness about her belied the fact she was full of spirit. There was nothing innocent about her. Even in sleep, she managed to entice and tease his senses until he wanted to lie down beside her and hold her.

Who am I kidding? I want to make love to her until we’re both so exhausted we can’t move.

A flashback of their intense lovemaking forced him to reach for the blanket and cover her, before he turned to leave the room without a backward glance. As he made his way back toward the galley, the boat rocked wildly, a sign the storm had finally broken through. All at once the rain began pounding down on them like machine gun fire, and Brent realized it was hale. A particular loud boom of thunder was followed by a loud, frightened shriek from the bedroom.

Brent pivoted sharply, and nearly collided with Sophie. “What’s wrong?” Seeing her pale expression and wild eyes, he glanced behind her, expecting to see demons chasing her.

She halted briefly, as though undecided what to do before throwing herself at him. “I’m scared!” The boat slammed against the dock and she lost her balance and her tenuous grip on him. She bounced back and forth between the walls in the narrow passageway, before Brent drew her safely into his arms. “Are we safe here?”

“Safe enough. Come on; let’s get you off your feet. You obviously didn’t bring your sea legs with you,” he teased, guiding her toward the kitchen. Brent didn’t have any trouble with his sea legs. He balanced himself easily against the swaying boat. Only once was he caught unaware, but only because he was trying to keep them both from flying around.

“Would we be safer in bed?”

The boat tipped slightly and Brent slammed back against the wall. Since his arms were around Sophie, she slammed into him. Suddenly they were flush against each other and looking into each other’s eyes. “Is that an invitation?” he asked; his mouth slanting into a grin.
God, she makes me hungry.

In the gloom, he could see the mixture of fright and mild amusement swimming in her eyes. It was obvious she was trying not to give in and smile in return. But the longer they stared at each other, the more it didn’t seem funny anymore. The swaying boat only served to make them roll against each other, heightening their growing awareness of one another. The recently banked fires sprang to life.

Building the desire.

Lust surged through Brent’s blood. The breath hissed from his lungs. He was very much aware of Sophie’s breasts against his chest, swelling like he was against the lower half of her body. The boat sank to one side on a rolling wave and he spread his legs to steady himself against the wall. The action caused Sophie to roll further into the intimate cradle of his hips, against the hardness pushing against his zipper. He wondered if she had any idea how badly he wanted her at that moment.

The boat continued to dance wildly, beating mercilessly against the dock. “Brent, I’m scared!” she whispered, as the storm grew fiercer.

The frightened appeal in her eyes was very real and unnerved Brent. She was beyond scared. Wide-eyed with fright, she was shaking like a wet kitten. Maybe the safest place was in bed. He swore harshly when a violent wave sent him flying to the other side of the hall. His hands braced against the wall just in time to keep from crushing her. Her cry of alarm tore at his heart. When there was a brief lull, he grabbed her and turned her toward the bedroom.