Trapped with the Tycoon (9 page)

Nine

B
raden didn’t know what changed, but the look of determination and stubbornness was wiped clean. Now Zara stared back at him with passion blazing in those striking eyes. She didn’t step forward to meet him, but she no longer looked as if she wanted to flee the room.

As he stood within touching distance, Braden took in the rapid pulse at the base of her throat, her shallow breathing and wide eyes. She wasn’t thinking how angry she was now.

“You’re not running,” he muttered, delighting in the fact she tipped her head up to look at him instead of backing up. Braden reached out, tucking her hair behind her ear and sliding his fingertip along her jawline. “Why is that, Zara?”

“Because this is my house, and I’m not afraid of you.”

For such a petite woman, he was impressed. He intimidated men twice her size, yet this woman wasn’t backing down. He admired her—more than he should, because all he wanted from her on a personal level was right here and right now. The scroll business had no place in this bedroom.

“Or maybe you’re finally giving in,” he stated, raking his finger over her bottom lip. “Maybe you see that we’re both adults, we’re stuck here together and this attraction isn’t going away.”

Her chin tipped up a notch. “Maybe I am.”

Braden smiled at her bold statement. How could he not find her charming and sexy and confident all rolled into one perfect package?

Wait. Perfect? No. Nobody was perfect, but she was perfect for him right at this moment.

In all of his thirty-five years, Braden had been taught to take chances to get what he wanted. There was no greater time to test that theory than right now.

Braden dropped the comforter and the towel. Both fell to his feet without a sound. The light coming through the plantation shutters gave enough for her to see that he was completely ready for her.

“You have all the control now,” he told her. “Whatever you want to do from this point on is your call. You can humiliate me and reject me, you can quit your job and claim I’m just like the jerks you dated, or you can start stripping out of those clothes and join me by the fire so I can show you exactly how much I want you.”

He didn’t wait on her response. Braden stepped out of the mess of comforter and tugged the blanket toward the fireplace. As he spread it out, he thought for sure he heard her shifting behind him. She wouldn’t deny him or herself. That longing look in her eyes, the way she was speechless and flushed were all telling signs of what she was afraid to admit aloud.

He stilled when her hand settled on his shoulder blade. Slowly, as if to drive him completely out of his mind, she started trailing her fingers over his bare skin. She was tracing his ink, and he wasn’t about to turn around and stop her no matter how much he wanted to see her, touch her. He meant it when he’d told her she was in control.

Even though he only wanted something physical from Zara, he still wasn’t about to prove to her that he was like the other men she wasted time with. He would put her needs first, let her know she mattered here and what was about to happen didn’t have to be ugly.

“Why did you get this?” she asked as she continued to trace the pattern. “I always wonder why people choose certain images to mark their skin for life.”

On this he could at least tell her the truth. “It’s a symbol that has deep meaning to my family. It dates back to the sixteenth century.”

“It’s beautiful,” she whispered.

He couldn’t wait another second. Braden turned, causing her hand to fall away, but the loss of her touch was made up for with the sight of her standing before him completely bare, completely giving and completely trusting.

“We need to set some rules,” she told him.

Braden snaked an arm out around her waist and pulled her flush against his body. From chest to knee they touched, and there was no way in hell he was going to start in on some ridiculous conversation now.

“To hell with the rules.”

He crushed her mouth beneath his. Zara stiffened for a second. Then, as if she couldn’t deny herself anymore, she wrapped her arms around him and returned the kiss. Her passion came alive, bursting on to the scene in ways he hadn’t experienced before.

She matched his desire, raising the bar to a level all her own, and Braden was the one who was nearly brought to his knees. He allowed his hands to roam over her, wanting to memorize the feel of her body, wanting her to get used to his touch because he planned on doing a whole lot more.

Braden eased back from the kiss, ignoring her protested groan which turned into a moan when his mouth traveled down the column of her throat and continued lower.

She gripped his hair as he palmed her breasts. Arching her back, she silently offered herself up to him. Braden’s lips covered her breast as he lowered her to the floor. He couldn’t get enough of her, not her gasps, not her kisses, not her touch. He wanted it all, and willpower and trying to hold back were going to be a struggle.

“Do you have protection?” she asked.

Braden froze. Considering he’d only come here in his party attire, he hadn’t planned on getting lucky that night. Damn it.

A smile spread across her face. “Go to my nightstand.”

Thankful she was prepared, Braden made a mad dash to the drawer and found what he needed. Also thankfully, the cat stayed out of sight.

By the time he’d stepped back to the comforter, Zara was practically on display. Her arms on either side of her head, hair fanning out all around her. But it was those eyes that watched him so cautiously that made something twist in his gut. She may be trusting him with her body, but she was still not letting him in.

That fact should have given him a sense of relief, considering he was technically using her, but it didn’t. He didn’t want to just be some prick who proved to her that all guys were jerks.

But when she reached her arms out to him in a silent invitation to join her, there was no way in hell he could deny her or himself. Consequences be damned. Yes, this started with the scrolls, but the moment she’d walked into his office he’d wanted her, and he refused to feel guilty now. Allowing feelings to override what he was literally aching for would just leave a void that only Zara could fill.

Braden reached for her hand and settled down beside her, propping himself up on one elbow. While he wanted to devour her all at once, he also wanted to take his time, because this was a one-time thing and he wanted to savor every single second.

Trailing his hand up and down her abdomen, watching her muscles contract beneath his touch and hearing her swift intake of breath, had him appreciating the fact he was practicing that self-control now. He had a limited supply of it and was using it all up on her, on this moment.

Braden watched her, studied her. He wanted to know what she liked, what she responded to. The moment his hand started trailing down her stomach, her lids fluttered closed, her legs shifted in response and he was damn near crawling out of his skin.

As his fingers found her most intimate spot, he captured her lips, swallowing her moan. Zara’s arms wrapped around his neck, her hands sliding up into his hair, holding him still...as if he would be anywhere else.

Braden eased back, enough to get protection in place, before he settled between her legs.

“Don’t look away,” he commanded. “Your eyes are only for me.”

Why the hell did he want her to be so focused on him? Why did he have that overwhelming primal feeling to keep her all to himself?

Because he was selfish. Plain and simple and for right now, Zara was his. He wanted to leave an imprint in her mind of this moment and have her compare every single man to him. He wanted to ruin her for others...and if he thought too much about that, he would scare the hell out of himself.

Braden pushed all other thoughts aside as he joined their bodies. When her eyes closed, he shifted to his elbows, using his hands to frame her face as his lips hovered over hers.

“Only me, Zara.”

When he started to move, she held on to his shoulders, keeping her gaze on his. “Braden,” she whispered.

Hearing his name on her lips as he filled her only exacerbated this unwanted emotional ache.

The second her body started pumping against his, her face flushed, and Braden slid his mouth over hers, pushing her even further. Her fingertips dug into his shoulders as her body tensed. Braden lifted his head, wanting to watch her as she peaked. With Zara’s head thrown back, a sheen of sweat covering her face and neck, Braden couldn’t resist gliding his lips over her heated skin as she came undone around him. As he gripped her hips and tasted the saltiness of her skin, his own body started to rise.

Her trembling slowed, and Braden rested his forehead against hers. “Zara,” he whispered, wanting her name to be the one he cried out, needing her to know he was fully aware of the woman he was with, that she mattered.

Before he could delve into that too much, his control broke. Braden covered her lips with his, wanting to join them in all possible ways. Her tongue met his as he shattered. Wave after wave washed over him, leaving only one thought, one thing that mattered at that moment...and it wasn’t his family or the scrolls.

It was Zara.

* * *

Zara didn’t do regrets, and there was no way she was going to start now. How could she when her body had lit up and was still tingling? Was tingle even the proper verb? She couldn’t pinpoint what her body was doing, but the thrill that kept pulsing through her had everything to do with the man whose body still covered hers. Those long, lean legs rubbed against hers, the coarseness of his hair tickling her, sending new sensations throughout.

Part of her wanted to get out from under him, to get dressed and go on like nothing happened. He was her boss, for crying out loud, and she’d been so clichéd as to sleep with him.

But the other part, the part of her that was still lit up with passion, wanted to lie just like this wearing nothing but the weight of a powerful man.

“I can hear you thinking.” Braden’s warm breath tickled her ear. He eased up, propping himself on his elbows on either side of her face. “Maybe you need a replay so you can relax.”

There was no way she could replay anything that just happened because then she’d want more. She’d want him. Sex was one thing, but wants were an entirely different matter she couldn’t afford right now...and not with this man.

Zara pushed on his shoulders and slid out from under him. “No replays,” she told him as she gathered her clothes. She tried like hell to not think about the fact she was walking around naked in front of her boss, but after what they’d just done...

“Already running, Zara?”

She risked a glance over and wished she hadn’t. With a wrist dangling over one bent knee and his other hand holding is body upright, Braden’s intense gaze pinned her in place. She clutched her sweats to her chest as if she could use them as some sort of defense against feelings. Damn emotional womanly feelings. Why did this have to be the man to stir something within her?

“I’m not running,” she said. “I’m getting dressed and checking on the cat that’s probably peed all over my floor.”

“The cat is fine, and there’s no rush to get dressed.” He came to his feet and crossed the space between them. Just like he had before they’d gotten intimate. Only this time, Zara backed up.

“Braden.” She held up a hand, thankful when he stopped. “I don’t regret what just happened, it was amazing, but we can’t do that again.”

“If you’re going to pull the whole boss/employer card, we’re past that.” His kissable mouth quirked.

“Yes, we are,” she agreed. “But we’re done. Nothing more can come of this.”

There. She’d had a fling, she wasn’t having regrets and now they could move on.

Crossing his arms over his broad chest as if he hadn’t a care in the world, Braden shrugged. “I’d had the same thought, but then I decided that wasn’t right. Why should we deny ourselves what brings us pleasure?”

Zara listened to him, processed the justification, but in the end, she knew she’d get hurt because Braden was the type of man she could fall for...if she would ever let herself fall. One and done was the only way she could justify this encounter.

“It’s best if we stop here and try to live with each other until you are able to leave.”

The muscle ticked in his jaw, and Zara wanted to take back her words, ignore all the warning bells going off in her head and wrap her arms around him and have him give her that replay he’d suggested.

“I’ll do what you want, Zara.” He stepped closer, so close she could see the flecks of black in his deep brown eyes. “I’ll honor your wishes, but that doesn’t mean I’ll stop trying to convince you that we were good together, and now that we know all about each other’s bodies, we could be even better.”

Those promising words delivered by a low, sexy tone did not help her cause. She clutched her clothes and watched as he wrapped up in that damn comforter again. He picked his cell up from the accent table and threw her a smile.

“I’m going to call the sheriff’s department and see when travel is expected to resume.”

And he walked out the door. Now the cat darted from beneath the bed and slid across the hardwood, bumping into her feet, but Zara remained frozen in place, still naked, still holding on to her clothes.

Still wanting him just as much, if not more than she had before they were intimate.

What had she gotten herself into? Because now she had a sense of what it meant to belong, just an inkling of how powerful a bond with someone else could be.

Ten

“Y
ou’ve got to be missing something,” Mac stated.

Yeah, common sense.

“I’ve searched the hidden areas,” Braden explained for the third time. But Mac was understandably frustrated, as was Braden.

He felt utterly foolish with this damn comforter as he stood at the base of the steps. He watched the landing for any sign of Zara, but she was most likely still up in her room replaying everything that had just happened between them.

“I’m telling you, if they’re here, they’re well hidden.”

Mac’s sigh carried through the phone. “Maybe her grandmother sold some things before she died. Hell, I don’t know. Put more pressure on Zara. We need this, Braden.”

Yeah, like he wasn’t aware of that. “I’m doing what I can. Pressuring Zara will only make red flags go up.”

“Is she suspicious of you?”

“No.”

How could she be? He’d snooped either in plain sight of her or when she’d been sleeping. And the fact that he still needed to do more searching and his time was running out only irritated him even more because, while he wanted to find the scrolls, he wanted to go back upstairs and talk Zara into spending the entire day in bed.

“Damn,” Mac muttered. “Tell me you’re not actually falling for this woman.”

Braden gripped the wad of comforter and sank down on to the bottom step. “I’m not.”

“You don’t sound convincing.”

Braden gritted his teeth. “I’m not trying to convince you, so drop it.”

“Keep me posted when you can,” Mac said. “I changed my flight to next week. Obviously with the weather I’m not getting back to Miami anytime soon. And Ryker is stuck in London. He had a slight run-in with the cops.”

Braden rubbed his forehead and cracked his neck. “Define a slight run-in.”

“No charges were filed and the art is now in our possession. The rest of the details can wait.”

“There will be no backlash on us?”

“It’s taken care of,” Mac promised.

At least one thing was going their way for now, but Braden wasn’t giving up on his hunt for the scrolls. And he wasn’t giving up on this need that only Zara could fill. He’d thought for sure she would be out of his system, but she was in deeper than ever.

“I’ll text you if I find out anything,” he told Mac. “Hopefully I’ll be home by tomorrow.”

“Don’t come back without the scrolls.”

Braden disconnected the call just as he heard Zara behind him. Jerking to his feet, he replayed the conversation he’d just had with Mac and was positive he hadn’t said anything to give himself away.

She descended the stairs and barely threw him a glance. “I’m just grabbing a notebook from the office. Do you want me to take any food back up?”

She continued by him without even stopping. So she wanted to put this awkward wedge between them? He could work with that. He could handle anything she wanted to throw his way.

“I’m fine. I’m going to head up and check on my clothes.”

He didn’t wait for her to turn around or reply. Shuffling back upstairs, Braden was eager to get out of this makeshift skirt because he was going to have to revoke his man card if he didn’t get back into pants soon.

Once he was dressed, they needed to talk. Zara was closing back in on herself, and there was no way he was going to let that happen. He may not be the man in her life, but he wasn’t about to let her think that her feelings, her emotions meant nothing. Whatever pricks had taken her to bed in the past had let her think less of herself. Most likely they’d been selfish, too, and Braden refused to be lumped with those guys.

Regardless of what happened after he left this house, he wanted Zara to know her self-worth.

Braden placed the comforter back on the bed, smoothing out the edges, and pulled on his boxer briefs. They were damp but better than nothing. His pants were still wet, so he turned them and placed them even closer to the fire.

He’d called one of his contacts at the sheriff’s department before calling his brother. Apparently the road crews were working around the clock, but with the layer of ice beneath the snow, there wasn’t much chance of getting out within the next two days because the temperatures were still hovering below zero.

Perfect opportunity for him to keep up his search and prove to Zara that they were good together in bed. He wasn’t asking for her hand in marriage; he just wanted to enjoy her company while he was here, and who knew, maybe after he left.

He chuckled at the fact he was strutting around her room in his underwear. She may not find the matter funny at all, but it was. Braden was snooping like Ryker and seducing like Mac...a position he never thought he’d find himself in as head of the family.

As he took a seat on the bed and sent off a quick text to Ryker, the cat rubbed against Braden’s ankle. Reaching down, Braden lifted the fur ball on to the bed and started stroking his back.

The kitten let out a soft purr and flopped over on to his back. Braden continued to show affection, and his mind started drifting. He had no clue what he expected from Zara. Somewhere along the way he’d gone from wanting to use her, to wanting the hell out of her, to wondering more about her and wanting to uncover those complex layers she kept so guarded.

But he couldn’t let himself get too involved. He wasn’t ready to start looking for “the one.” What he felt for Zara had nothing to do with forever and everything to do with right now. When she’d actually let go, let him close, he’d seen a woman with pent-up passion. All of that desire she kept locked away was a shame. She deserved to be...

What? Used? Because that’s where he was right at this point. He was using her and justifying it by saying they had a physical connection. But damn it, he’d never denied himself anything before and he wasn’t about to start now. He still wanted Zara, but she deserved more than a man who wanted her in bed and to technically steal from her.

The bedroom door swung open, and Zara came in juggling an oversize box. Braden leaped off the bed and crossed the room, taking the box from her hold.

“Let me have it,” he said when she hesitated to let go. “You carried this up the steps when I could’ve done it.” Once he set the box down at the end of the bed, he turned back to Zara. “You should’ve asked for help.”

Her eyes took in his body, and he couldn’t help the instant male reaction. “Zara—”

Those heavy-lidded eyes snapped up to his. “You have got to put clothes on.”

“If I thought you really wanted me to, if you weren’t just looking at me like you wanted me again, I would throw on those damp things and put you at ease.”

She stared for a moment before a bubble of laughter escaped her. “At ease? That’s the last thing you’re trying to do here.”

When she tried to step around him, Braden moved to block her. His hands gripped her shoulders, and he tipped his head down to look her in the eye.

“You’re even more withdrawn than you were before we slept together. Care to tell me what’s going through your mind?”

Those bright eyes darted to his, then to the bed where the kitten lay stretched out. “I’m just trying to keep this from getting too awkward. Okay? We need to go back to boss/employee.”

Braden released her, took a step back and nodded. “That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t have helped you with the box.”

For now he let the subject drop, but he wasn’t leaving anytime soon, and no doubt they’d revisit their status again. Whether he had clothes on or not, she was strung so damn tight no matter how he looked. And now that he’d had her in every way, he wanted her again. So much for getting her out of his system.

“What’s in the box? I thought you were going down for a notebook.”

She maneuvered around him and pulled on the folded flaps until they sprang open with a puff of dust. Coughing and waving her hand in front of her face, Zara turned to face him. “I’ve been putting off going through some of my grandmother’s things. They’ve been boxed up for a while. Long before her death, she wanted to downsize, so she started packing things away and putting them in a storage unit. I only had them brought back so I didn’t have to keep paying the unit fee. This house is more than big enough to hold all her things. I have no clue what all she’s put away and I’ve been too busy to look through them. I figure now would be a good time since I’m stuck here. Maybe after I go through her stuff, I will start unpacking my own.”

Braden heard every word, but he focused on the fact her grandmother had boxes packed away, and now they were back in the house. These boxes wouldn’t have been in here during the search Ryker did. Did he dare hope he could uncover the scrolls that were somewhere so simple as packed away in a box?

Braden leaned forward, glancing into the box. “I can get the other boxes and bring them up here for you.”

Zara knelt down on her knees and started sorting through the newspaper-wrapped goods. “They’re actually down in the basement. And let me just say, if you think the first floor is cold, that basement is frigid.”

Braden laughed, more out of his own anxiety and nerves over the potential in the basement, but Zara relaxed at his actions. “Tell you what, I’ll go down and bring up more. You start going through this box.”

She crossed her arms and rubbed them, most likely trying to get rid of the chill from being downstairs. “I hate to have you do that. I can get them later.”

No way in hell was he backing down on this, not when everything his family had wanted could be right within his reach. “Which boxes am I looking for? Are they all needing to come up?”

“Now who’s stubborn?” she asked, lifting her brows and smiling. “Fine, you can get them. They’re on the far wall. I believe there’s about five more. All the others are mine, but they’re under the steps.”

Braden nodded and barely resisted the urge to rush out the door. Then he remembered he was wearing only his underwear.

Zara glanced up at him; her gaze roaming over his body only heated him even more, making him want to put those boxes on hold and give into that look of desire staring back at him.

“You’re going to freeze your important parts off if you don’t put something on.”

His inflated ego took control as Braden propped his hands on his hips and grinned down at her. “Worried about my parts?”

“You’ll be needing them again.”

He continued to stare until her face flushed.

“With someone else, I mean. Not with me,” she quickly added. “I just meant... Wipe that smug look off your face and put your damn pants on.”

Laughing, Braden went over to check, and sure enough his pants were nearly dry except for the damp waistband. He could handle that. After dressing, he glanced at the items she was pulling out of the current box. So far just a few old pieces of pottery. Not the scrolls.

Maybe they were hidden in the basement. Maybe they were in the boxes he was about to bring up...not before he searched through them, though.

And if that was the case, if he did indeed find the centuries old treasures, he could finally give back to his family what they’d been searching for.

He could also pursue Zara with his full concentration, because the way she’d been looking at him moments ago—yeah, she wasn’t over whatever they’d started, and he’d barely scratched the surface of all he wanted to do with her.

* * *

As soon as Braden was out the door, Zara blew out a breath. Mercy, but that man strutting around in his black boxer briefs was a sight to behold. He could easily put models to shame with that broad chest, those lean hips and those muscles...she’d felt every single one of them, and if she were totally honest, she wanted to again.

No matter what she told herself, no matter the common sense that normally kept her grounded, all she could think of was how amazing Braden would be if they actually took advantage of this situation and stayed in bed exploring each other.

But what would happen once the roads cleared and Braden went home? She’d work his party in a few weeks, and they’d be professional...sure. How could she watch him from across the room, knowing full well what an attentive lover he was while she should be focusing on the hors d’oeuvres and making sure the Riesling fountain kept flowing?

Zara closed her eyes and willed herself to gain some sort of control over her emotions before he came back. She needed to concentrate on sorting through these boxes. Who knew, with all of the antiques and treasures her grandmother hung on to, maybe Braden would be interested in some pieces for the auction house.

There. When he came back, they would focus on work and not the fact they were going to spend another night together. Granted, it didn’t matter whether it was night or not—they’d had sex in the middle of the day.

Day sex. That was new for Zara. Not that she had some big grand arsenal of partners and experiences, but she’d always been a night, dark room, vanilla type. Maybe that’s why she wanted to explore more with Braden. He’d awakened something in her, and she wasn’t sure she could ignore it now. What else could he show her? Braden O’Shea was a full-body experience, that was for sure.

Zara shook her head, hoping to clear some of these crazy thoughts. She reached into the box and pulled out another paper-covered object. As she unwrapped the oblong container, she wondered what could be in this tube she’d never seen before.

Zara set the paper to the side and concentrated on the silver caps on each end. She pulled on one, then the other. Either they didn’t open or they were seriously stuck. Whatever was in there was extremely light. She shook the tube, but nothing rattled.

“I forgot a flash—”

Zara turned toward the door just as Braden’s eyes zeroed in on the container she held.

“Don’t touch that.” One second he was by the door, the next he was kneeling at her side, taking the tube from her hands. “Did you look inside?”

Stunned at his reaction, Zara stared at him and shook her head. “The caps are stuck.”

He ran his hands over the outer shell as if he was dealing with the most precious of gems. She’d never seen this side of him. She could sit here completely naked, and he’d not even notice she was in the room. For a man who was hell-bent on seduction and succeeding rather well at it, he was completely focused on this container.