About the Author

New Zealand born, to Dutch immigrant parents, YVONNE LINDSAY became an avid romance reader at the age of thirteen. Now, married to her “blind date” and with two fabulous children, she remains a firm believer in the power of romance. Yvonne feels privileged to be able to bring to her readers the stories of her heart. In her spare time, when not writing, she can be found with her nose firmly in a book, reliving the power of love in all walks of life. She can be contacted via her website, www.yvonnelindsay.com.

A Forbidden
Affair
Yvonne Lindsay

www.millsandboon.co.uk

One

Nicole’s hands shook uncontrollably as she tried to fit her key into the ignition. Damn, she dropped it again. She swiped the key ring up off the floor of her classic Benz, and gave up driving as a bad joke. If she couldn’t even get the key in the ignition, how on earth did she expect to drive?

She got out of the car, slammed the door hard and swiped her cell phone from her bag. Thank goodness she’d had the presence of mind to grab the designer leather pouch from the hall table after her grand exit from the family dinner to end all family dinners.

Her high heels clipped a staccato beat as she marched down the well-lit driveway of her family home to the street, calling a taxi service as she went. Fine tremors shook her body as she waited for the car to arrive. The chill air of the autumn night made her glad she hadn’t had a chance to change out of her tailored wool suit when she’d arrived home from work earlier.

Her father had requested that she dress up for dinner in honor of a special announcement he’d planned to make, but by the time she’d gotten home, there just hadn’t been enough time. She hadn’t thought her father would mind that she’d chosen to put in the extra time at the office instead of rushing home to get ready. After all, if anyone should understand her drive to devote her time and energy to Wilson Wines then surely it would be Charles Wilson, founder and CEO. Her father had invested most of his life into the business he had built, and she’d always intended to follow in his footsteps.

Until tonight.

Another rush of anger infused her. How dare her father belittle her like that, and in front of a virtual stranger, as well? Who cared if that stranger was her long-lost brother, Judd. Two and a half decades after their parents’ bitter divorce had split their family in half, what right did he have to come back and lay claim to the responsibilities that were supposed to be hers? She clenched her jaw tight and bit back the scream of frustration that threatened to claw its way out of her throat. She couldn’t lose it now. Not when she had just discovered that she was the only person she had left to rely on.

Even her best friend, colleague and life-long confidante, Anna, had shown her true colors when she’d arrived home in New Zealand from Adelaide, Australia, late last week with Judd in tow. Sure, she’d tried to convince Nicole that she’d only been following Charles’s orders to find Judd and bring about a reconciliation, but Nicole knew where Anna’s loyalties lay, and they certainly weren’t with her. If they were, Anna wouldn’t have kept the truth from her about what Charles planned to use as Judd’s incentive.

A painful twist in her chest reminded her to draw in a breath but despite the fact she obeyed her body’s demand to refill her lungs, the pain of betrayal by her best friend—the woman she loved like a sister—still lingered. How could Anna have known what was going to happen and not given her prior warning?

In her bag, her phone began to chirp insistently. Thinking it might be the taxi company calling back to confirm her details, she lifted it to her ear and answered it.

“Nicole, where are you? Are you okay?”

Anna. Who else? It certainly wouldn’t be her father calling to see if she was all right.

“I’m fine,” Nicole answered, her voice clipped.

“You’re not fine, you’re upset. I can hear it in your voice. Look, I’m sorry about tonight—”

“Just tonight, Anna? What about your trip to Adelaide? What about bringing my brother home for the first time in twenty-five years, so he could take everything that was ever mine away from me?” Even Anna’s gasp of pain at Nicole’s accusations didn’t stop Nicole’s tirade or do anything to lessen the hurt of betrayal that rocketed through her veins right now. “I thought we were friends, sisters by choice, remember?”

“I couldn’t tell you what Charles had planned, Nicole. Please believe me. Your dad swore me to secrecy and I owe him so very much. Without his support of me and my mum … you know what he was like … even when she was dying—”

“His support, huh?” Nicole shut her eyes tight and squeezed back the fresh round of tears that fought to escape. “What about your support of me?”

“You always have that, Nic, you know that.”

“Really? Then why didn’t you give me a heads-up? Why didn’t you tell me that he was going to bribe Judd to stay by giving him my home as well as the business?”

“Only half the business,” Anna’s voice came quietly over the line.

“A controlling share, Anna. That’s the whole business as far as I’m concerned.”

The shock of her father’s announcement had been bad enough. Worse was the way he’d justified the decision to give everything to Judd instead of her. Just you wait, he had said, you’ll find some young man who’ll sweep you off your feet and before I know it you will be married and raising a family. Wilson Wines will just be a hobby for you. Years of hard work, of dedication and commitment to the business and to further her father’s plans and dreams dismissed as just a phase, a passing fad. The thought of it made her blood boil.

“Dad made it quite clear where I stand in all this, and by aligning yourself with him, you’ve made it quite clear where you stand, too.”

Nicole paced back and forth on the pavement at the end of the driveway, filled with a nervous energy that desperately needed an outlet. Anna’s voice remained steady in her ear; the sound of her friend’s voice was usually a calming influence but tonight it was anything but.

“He put me in an impossible position, Nic. I begged him to talk to you about this, to at least tell you that Judd would be coming home.”

“Obviously you didn’t beg hard enough. Or, here’s something to consider, maybe you could have just told me, anyway. You could have picked up a phone or fired me an email in warning. It’s not that hard to do. You had to know what this would mean to me, how much it would hurt me. And still you did nothing?”

“I’m so sorry, Nic. If I could do it over I’d do it differently, you have to know that.”

“I don’t know anything anymore, Anna. That’s the trouble. Everything I’ve worked for, everything I’ve lived for, has just been handed to a man I don’t even know. I don’t even know if I have a roof over my head now that Dad’s given the deed of the family house to Judd. How would that make you feel? Have you asked yourself that?”

A sweep of lights coming down the road heralded the taxi she’d summoned, and not a moment too soon. She had enough dander up right now to march back on up the driveway and give her father a piece of her mind all over again—for whatever good it would do.

“Look,” she continued, “I’ve got to go. I need some space right now to think things over.”

“Nicole, come back. Let’s talk this out face-to-face.”

“No,” Nicole answered as the cab pulled up alongside the curb. “I’m done talking. Please don’t call me again.”

She disconnected the call and switched off her phone for good measure before throwing it into the bottom of her bag.

“Viaduct Basin,” she instructed as she got into the taxi and settled in the darkened interior with her equally dark thoughts.

Hopefully the vibrant atmosphere at the array of bars and clubs in downtown Auckland would provide her with the distraction she needed. Nicole repaired her tear-stained makeup as well as she could with the limited cosmetics in her bag. It annoyed the heck out of her that anger, for her, usually resulted in tears, as well. It was an awkward combination that plagued her on the rare occasions she actually lost her temper, and it made it hard for her to be taken seriously.

She willed her hand to be steady as she applied a rich red lip gloss and gave herself a final check in her compact mirror.

Satisfied she’d done her best with her makeup, she sat back against the soft upholstery of the luxury taxi and tried to ignore the echo of her father’s words, the faintly smug paternal tone that seemed to say that she’d soon get over her temper tantrum and realize he was right all along.

“Over my dead body,” she muttered.

“Pardon, miss, what was that you said?” the neatly suited taxi driver asked over his shoulder.

“Nothing, sorry, just talking to myself.”

She shook her head and blinked hard at the fresh tears that pricked in her eyes. In doing what her father had done he’d permanently damaged his relationship with her, fractured the trust between her and Anna, and virtually destroyed any chance of her and Judd building a sibling bond together. She had no family she could rely on anymore—not her father, her brother, her sister and certainly not her mother. Nicole had not seen or heard from her mother since Cynthia Masters-Wilson had taken Judd back to her native Australia when he was six and Nicole only one year old.

Nicole had long since convinced herself she’d never wanted to know her mother growing up. Her father had been everything and everyone she’d ever needed. But even as a child, she’d always been able to tell that she wasn’t enough to make up for the wife and son that her father still missed. It had driven Nicole to work harder, to be a top student and to learn everything she could about the family business, in the hopes of winning her father’s approval, making him proud. Goodness only knew running Wilson Wines was all she’d ever wanted to do from the moment she’d understood just what held the balance of her father’s attention every day.

Now that Judd was back, it was as if she didn’t exist anymore. As if she never had.

Nicole reached up to remove the hair tie that had held her hair in its no-nonsense, businesslike ponytail all day, and shoved her fingers through her hair to tousle it out into party mode. She would not let her father’s actions beat her. Once she’d worked this upset out of her system she’d figure out a way to fix things. Until then, she was going to enjoy herself.

She alighted from the taxi and paid the driver then undid the top button of her suit jacket, exposing a glimpse of the gold-and-black satin-and-lace bra she wore beneath it. There, she thought defiantly, from business woman to party girl in one easy step. Squaring her shoulders, Nicole headed into the first bar on the strip. Oblivion had never looked better.

Nate leaned against the bar and watched the pulsing throng of bodies on the dance floor with disinterest. He’d only agreed to come along tonight for Raoul’s sake. Hosting the guy’s stag party was small recompense for the work Raoul had done holding Jackson Importers together after Nate’s father’s sudden death last year. Knowing the running of the business was in Raoul’s very capable hands until Nate could return to New Zealand to pick up the reins had been a massive relief. Extricating himself from Jackson Importers’ European office and appointing a replacement there had taken time, and he owed the guy big for stepping up to the plate.

His philanthropy didn’t assuage his boredom, however, and Nate was on the verge of saying his goodbyes and making his way home when she caught his eye. The woman moved on the dance floor with a sensuous grace that sent a spiraling swell of primal male interest through his body. She was dressed as if she’d come from the office, although he’d never seen any of his staff look that good in a suit. Her jacket was unbuttoned just enough to give a tantalizing view of creamy feminine swells of flesh supported by sexy black satin and gold lace, and while her skirt wasn’t exactly short, her long legs and spiky heels certainly made it look that way.

He felt a familiar twinge in his groin. All of a sudden, heading out to his home on the ocean side of the Waitakere Ranges wasn’t his top priority anymore—at least not immediately and, hopefully, not alone.

Nate cut through the throng of seething bodies to get nearer. There was something familiar about her but he couldn’t place it immediately. Her long dark hair swung around her face as she moved to the beat of the music and he imagined it swinging in other areas, gliding over his body. Oh, yes, definitely gliding over his body—or even spread across the starkness of his Egyptian cotton sheets while he glided across hers. He clenched and unclenched his jaw as every cell in his body responded to the visual image.

He let the beat of the music infuse him and eased in beside her. “Hi, can I join in?” he asked with a smile.

“Sure,” she replied, before flicking her hair from her face and exposing dark eyes a man could lose himself in, and a delectably red-painted mouth that was made for pure sin.

They danced awhile, their bodies moving in synchronicity—close, but not touching. The air between them was incendiary. Would they move in such unison alone together, too?

Another dancer jostled past, knocking her against his chest. His hands whipped up to steady her and she looked up into his eyes with a smile that started slowly before spreading wide.

“My hero,” she said, with a wicked gleam in her dark eyes.

He found his mouth curving in response. “I can be whatever you want me to be,” he said, bending his head slightly and putting his mouth to the shell of her ear.

She quivered in his arms. “Anything?”

“Anything.”

“Thank you,” she said, so softly he almost couldn’t hear her over the noise around them. “I could do with a dose of anything right now.”

She draped her arms over his shoulders, the fingers of one hand playing with his hair where it sat at the nape of his neck. Her touch did crazy things to him. Things that made him want to do nothing more than take her out of here and transport her to his home, his bed.

Nate wasn’t into one-night stands. Aside from the fact his mother had drilled respect for women into him from an early age, he’d never been that kind of guy. Nate liked to plan, to calculate all the angles—spontaneity wasn’t really his strong suit, especially in his private life. He knew how important it was to be cautious, to keep people at a distance until you were sure of their motives. But there was something about the girl in his arms that made him want to take a chance.

He looked down into her face and recognition began to dawn. Suddenly he knew why she’d seemed familiar. She was Nicole Wilson—none other than Charles Wilson’s daughter, and the second in command at Wilson Wines. Her picture had been in the dossier of information he’d asked Raoul to gather on the competition’s business—and most especially on the man who had once been his father, Thomas’s, closest and oldest friend. Charles Wilson, who had—after an angry row, rife with false accusations—subsequently become Thomas’s bitterest rival.

Once, when he’d been a turbulent teen, Nate had promised his father he’d seek revenge for what Charles Wilson had done. Thomas, ever the peacemaker, had told him he was to do no such thing while Thomas still drew breath. Sadly now, his father was dead—not so sadly, all bets, in relation to Charles Wilson, were off.

Nate wasn’t normally one to deliver on the sins of the father, but tonight’s potential now took on a whole other edge. He’d been biding his time with Charles Wilson. Accumulating information, and planning his strategy carefully. But even if it hadn’t been part of his plans, he wasn’t about to ignore the opportunity that had just dropped into his arms.

A waft of Nicole’s fragrance drifted off her heated body and teased his nose. The scent was rich and spicy, very much, he suspected, like the woman he held—their bodies moving in unison, undulating to the beat of the music that thrummed around them.

Nate didn’t hide the arousal he felt for her. What was the point? If this didn’t work out, then there’d be no foul. His plans would carry on regardless. But if it did, if she was responding to him the same way he reacted to her, his plans for revenge against Charles Wilson would take a very interesting turn indeed.

Nicole knew she’d had too much to drink tonight, and she knew full well that she should call another taxi to take her home. After all, it was only Thursday and she still had work tomorrow. At least, she thought she still had work tomorrow.

Thinking about work made her head hurt and the idea of returning to the house tonight just tied her stomach in knots and reminded her again of her father’s low opinion of her. Earlier, she’d blocked out that reminder with a shot, and then another, egged on by a group of acquaintances she’d barely seen since she’d graduated from university and whom she could hardly call friends. Still, their lively and undemanding company tonight had been just what she sought. No questions, no answers. Just being lost in the moment. And right at this moment she was feeling very lost indeed. Lost in the undeniable attraction between two healthy young people in their prime.

Very little separated her and her dance partner and as her lower body brushed against him again, a classic Mae West line ran through her alcohol-clouded mind. She couldn’t stifle the giggle that bubbled up from inside.

“Care to share the joke?”

She pressed her lips together and shook her head. There was no way she was sharing that little snippet.

“Then you have to pay a forfeit—you know that, don’t you?”

“A forfeit?” she asked, her lips spreading into a smile once more. “Surely you can’t punish a girl for being happy?”

“I wasn’t thinking of a punishment,” he said.

She should be laughing at the line he’d just uttered, she told herself, yet, for some reason, a wicked coil of lust tightened inside her.

“Oh?” she managed through lips that she suddenly felt the urge to moisten with the tip of her tongue. “What were you thinking of?”

“This,” he said.

She didn’t have time to think, or room to move had she even wanted to dodge him, as he lowered his lips to hers. Lips that were unexpectedly cool and firm. Lips that sampled, tasted and teased her own.

The tight sensation inside her spread, tingling through her body like a slow-building charge of electricity, sensitizing her hidden places, draining her mind of any awareness of her surroundings. All she could think of, all she wanted to think of, was the touch of his mouth on hers. Of the delicious pressure of his body as his hands on her hips gathered her closer.

They continued to move to the music—her pelvis rolling against his, her awareness of his arousal becoming a hunger for more than the illicit touch of bodies through clothing. A moan built deep in her throat, a moan she fought to keep inside as he lifted his mouth from hers.

She swallowed and opened her eyes. In this light it was difficult to tell what color his eyes were, but they were definitely unusual and their hooded stare captured her and held her mesmerized. Didn’t certain beasts of prey do the same? Was she about to be devoured? The thought didn’t upset her as much as it should. God, she had to pull herself together.

“So, that’s a forfeit, huh?” she asked, her voice thick with desire.

“It’s just one of many.”

“Intriguing.”

Intriguing wasn’t the word. His kiss had totally fried her synapses. It was all she could do to prevent herself from dragging his face down to hers again and repeating the experience. Once more with feeling, she thought, although she certainly hadn’t been devoid of feeling while he’d been kissing her. For that moment in time she’d forgotten everything. Who she was, why she was here, what she had left to look forward to.

She’d liked that. She’d liked it a whole lot. She wanted to do it again.

“Hey, Nic!”

One of her acquaintances, Amy, appeared at her side and her dance partner released her. She instantly rued the loss of contact.

Her friend shouted to be heard over the music. “We’re off to another club, you coming?”

Nicole’s usual prudence screamed “safety in numbers” at the back of her mind, but tonight she wasn’t in the mood to be prudent at all.

“No, I’m fine. I’ll get a taxi home later.”

“Okay. Hey, it was cool catching up again. Let’s not leave it so long next time.”

And then Amy was gone with the crowd she’d been hanging with.

“Are you sure you didn’t want to go with your friends?” her dance partner asked.

“No, I’m fine. I’m a big girl, I can look after myself,” Nicole answered.

“I’m pleased to hear it. I’m Nate, by the way.”

“Nicole,” she answered shortly, happy to keep their introductions brief as she threw herself back into the thrum and energy of the DJ’s latest sound selection.

She was distracted by the flash of someone’s camera, no doubt someone’s shenanigans would be broadcast on some social networking site tomorrow, but before long her focus was solely on the man in front of her. Boy, but he could move. Some guys just looked as if they were trying too hard on the dance floor but for him, movement came very naturally. And he was so good to look at, too.

His hair was dark, but not as dark as her near-black tresses, and his face was both masculine and had a refined elegance at the same time. And those lips—she was very keen for a repeat of what they had to offer.

“Do I pass muster?” he asked, one corner of his mouth twisting upward.

She smiled in response. “You’ll do.”

He laughed and the sound went straight to her toes, making them curl in delight. Was there anything about him that wasn’t gorgeous?

The crowd around them had begun to thin and Nicole started to become aware that eventually this night would have to end. At about that point she’d be feeling the pain of dancing in high heels for several hours, along with the aftereffects of too much to drink. She hated that reality had to intrude again, especially when she was having such a good time. Nate said something, but over the frenetic pulse of the music she didn’t quite make it out.

“What was that you said?” Nicole asked, leaning closer.

Mmm, he even smelled great—like a cool ocean breeze.

“I said, would you like a drink?”

She’d probably had quite enough for one night but an imp of mischief prompted her to nod her head.

“Here? Or we could head back to my place if you’d rather.”

She felt a frisson of excitement. Was he suggesting what she thought he was suggesting? She’d never done this before—gone back to some random guy’s house for a drink, at least not without a posse of friends with her. But for some reason she felt as if she could trust Nate, and then there was that amazing energy between them. She deserved to find out if those sparks were real, didn’t she? Wouldn’t it be some solace for the night she’d put up with?

“Your place is fine.”

Actually, anywhere but home was fine.

“Great.” He smiled, the action sending a sizzle of anticipation thrilling through her veins.

Sore feet and the prospect of a hangover were the furthest things from her mind as Nate took her hand and led her toward the exit. And if thoughts of “danger” or “risk” occurred to her, she brushed them aside. Tonight was a night for taking chances.

And besides, what was the worst that could happen?

Two

Nate caught Raoul’s eye as he led Nicole away, giving his friend a nod. He briefly saw Raoul’s answering wink before the expression on the other man’s face changed to one of shocked recognition. Nate fought back the smug smile that pulled at his lips.

In all the years he’d spent imagining how he would bring Charles Wilson to his knees, he’d never once imagined this scenario. But then, he’d never imagined taking Charles Wilson’s daughter in his arms and feeling such a searing sense of attraction, either. With such a ripe opportunity before him, he’d be a fool not to make the most of it—in every way possible. Still, he had to be careful. It wouldn’t do to put the cart before the horse. He could just as easily be calling a taxi to take Nicole home after their drink, but something inside him told him that was very unlikely.

He reached in his pocket and pressed the remote to the low-slung silver Maserati that waited for them at the curb.

“Very pretty car,” Nicole commented as he held open the passenger door for her and she folded her delicious long legs into the passenger bay.

“I like to travel in style,” he answered with a smile.

“I like that in a man,” she answered, her lips curving in response.

He just bet she did. She’d never wanted for anything and every part of her life had been to the highest standard. It stood to reason that Nicole Wilson’s demands of her men would be high. It was a gauntlet he relished picking up.

Unlike Nicole, Nate knew what it was like to struggle—his father had been a living example of the concept for most of Nate’s childhood. After Charles Wilson had kicked him out of the business they’d built together, it had taken years for Thomas to reestablish his credibility and build a company of his own. Nate had watched as his father poured his everything into his fledgling business in an attempt to provide something, anything, to the woman he’d accidentally gotten pregnant and the son their liaison had borne. And while Thomas had done his best to shield his only child, the experience had left its mark, resulting in two rules that Nate had lived his life by ever since. Rule one: be very careful who you trust.

Rule two: all’s fair in love and war.

Nate slid into the driver’s seat and started the car, maneuvering it smoothly toward Hobson Street and the entrance to the North Western motorway.

“You’re a Westie?” Nicole asked.

“After a fashion,” he answered. “I have a couple of places. Karekare is where I call home. You still want that drink at my place?”

His challenge hung between them in the dark interior of the car. He shot her a glance and saw her press her lips together and swallow before answering.

“I’m all good. I haven’t been out to Karekare in ages.”

“It’s still pretty much the same. Wild and beautiful.”

“Like you?” she asked, her eyes gleaming as she shot him a glance.

“I was thinking more along the lines of you.”

She laughed, the sound filling the cabin of his car and making his gut tighten in anticipation.

“Oh, you’re good. You know all the right things to say to salve a wounded soul.”

“Wounded?” he probed.

“Just family stuff. Too complicated and too boring to bring up now,” she hedged.

Was all no longer well in the Wilson household? Nate wondered. He’d made it his business to know what happened within Wilson Wines and he’d heard of the return of the prodigal son. Had Judd Wilson’s arrival served to uplift the mantel of golden child off Nicole’s shoulders?

“We have a long drive,” Nate pointed out as they entered the motorway and his car picked up speed. “I’m willing to listen if you want to talk about it.”

“Just the usual,” she said with an attempt at flippancy. An attempt that failed judging by the tone of her voice.

“Sounds serious,” he commented, keeping his eyes looking forward out the windscreen.

She sighed, the sound coming from somewhere deep down inside her. “I had a fight with my dad. At the risk of sounding clichéd, he doesn’t understand me.”

“Isn’t that a parental prerogative?”

She laughed, a short, sharp sound in total contrast to the last time she’d done so. “I suppose so. I just feel so used, you know? I have spent my whole life trying to measure up, to be the best daughter, the best workmate, the best—well, everything. And he thinks I should settle down and have babies! As if. You know, I think he values a paper clip on his desk more highly than he does me. I’ve spent the past five years helping him to keep our family business thriving and he tells me it’s a nice hobby for me.”

“I suppose this argument is what led you to the club tonight?”

“Too right it is. I couldn’t stay under his roof another second. Oh, no, wait. It’s not his roof anymore, nor mine. He’s gone and given it all to my dear long-lost brother.” She expelled an angry huff of air. “I’m sorry, I’m always letting my mouth run away with me. I shouldn’t have said that. Just pretend you didn’t hear that last bit, okay? I think we should change the subject. Talking about my family is just going to spoil my mood.”

“Whatever the lady wants, the lady gets,” Nate replied smoothly, even though his curiosity burned to know more about the Wilson family home situation.

“Now that’s more like it.” Nicole laughed in response. “A girl could get used to that attitude.”

“What, you mean that isn’t always the case?”

Nicole swiveled slightly in her seat and stared at him. “You say that as if you think you know me.”

“You misunderstand me,” he said smoothly. “I just would have thought that a woman like you would have no trouble getting what she wanted.”

She gave an inelegant snort, then change the subject. “Tell me about your home. Are you overlooking the beach?”

He nodded. Partly in concession to her change of subject and partly in answer to her question. “I’m on a slight rise looking out onto Union Bay.”

“I’ve always loved the West Coast. The black sand beaches, the crazy surf. There’s something so, I dunno, untamed, unpredictable about it all.”

“You surf?”

She shook her head. “No, always been too chicken.”

Somehow she didn’t strike him as the type of woman to be afraid of anything, and he said as much.

“Some boundaries I just never pushed. I grew up as an only child with a parent who could be pretty strict. Sometimes my dad took overprotectiveness a little far.”

“Only child? You mentioned a brother?”

“He lived with our mother up until recently. And how on earth did we get back on that awful topic again?”

She pushed a hand through her tangled long hair, exposing the sweep of her high cheekbones and the determined set of her jaw. His fingers itched to trace the fine bone structure, to taste the smooth skin that stretched over it. Nate tightened his grip once more, dragging his eyes back to the road and his mind back to the goal at hand. Yes, he wanted her. And yes, he had every intention of having her. But he couldn’t let himself lose control. He had to keep the endgame in mind.

“What about you?” she asked, turning in her seat to look at him. “What’s your family like?”

“Both my parents are gone. My mother while I was in university, my dad more recently. I never had any brothers or sisters.”

“So you’re all alone? Lucky you.” She gasped as if she realized the potentially pain-filled minefield she’d just trodden into. “I’m sorry, that was insensitive.”

“No, it’s okay. I miss them but I still count myself lucky to have had them both in my life. And my dad was a great role model. He worked his heart out, literally, to provide for us, and I got to repay that once I graduated and started working in the family firm.”

Nate deliberately kept things vague. He wouldn’t, for a moment, begin to elaborate on exactly why his father’s health took such a beating as he strived to build a new business from the ground up. Or who was responsible for that.

“So, surfing?” he asked, very deliberately changing the subject as he took the exit he needed that would eventually lead them out toward the beach.

“What about it?”

“Want to try it over the weekend?”

“This weekend?”

“Sure, why not stay. I have spare boards, spare wetsuits.”

“Spare clothes, underwear?” She gestured to her voluminous bag on the car floor. “It might be a big bag but it’s hardly Doctor Who’s TARDIS, you know.”

Nate laughed. Her sharp wit was refreshing and appealing at the same time.

“Let’s play it by ear then, hmm? Trust me?”

“Sure. If I didn’t think I could trust you, I wouldn’t be here.”

He reached across and took her hand, caressing the soft skin of her inner wrist with his thumb.

“Good.”

He let go and placed his fingers firmly back on the steering wheel. From the corner of his eye he saw that she stroked her wrist with the fingertips of her other hand. He allowed himself a small smile of satisfaction. This night was going perfectly.

So why did she trust him, she wondered as she lapsed into silence and looked idly out the passenger window. It’s not as if she knew him. She’d acted purely on instinct, a fact that—despite her earlier assertion about being a chicken—had gotten her in trouble many a time before.

She gave herself a mental shake. She deserved this night. She had it coming to her after the crap she’d put up with at dinner on top of everything else this week. And everything in her body told her that this was the man to take all her problems away—at least for the night.

Her skin still tingled where he’d touched her, the sensation a delicious buzz of promise hovering just beneath the surface. Did he expect to make love to her tonight? Just the thought of it sent a thrill of longing through her body, making her womb clench tight on a swell of need that all but knocked the air from her lungs. She’d never had this intense a reaction to anyone before. Just sneaking a glance at his hands on the steering wheel, at the way his long fingers curled around the leather, made her want those fingers on her, in her. She pressed her thighs together and felt the swollen heated flesh at her core respond. Just thinking about him touching her was nearly enough to make her go off. What would it be like when he did?

She cleared her throat against the sudden anticipatory lump that lodged there.

“Everything okay?” Nate asked.

“Sure. It’s quite a drive from the city to your place. Do you work in town?”

“Yeah. I keep an apartment there for the nights I’m too tired to make it back out to Karekare, or if I have an early run to the airport or early meetings. I sleep better with the sounds of the sea and the rainforest around me, though.”

“Sounds idyllic.”

“You’ll see soon enough for yourself.”

She fell silent as they entered Scenic Drive, letting her body sway with the roll of the car as they wound on the narrow ribbon of road higher into the ranges, before winding back down again on the other side. She must have dozed off a little because the next thing she knew the Maserati was driving up a steep incline and pulling into a well-lit garage. A glance at her watch said it was almost 2:00 a.m. The drive had taken nearly an hour. She was miles from anyone she knew, miles from home. She should find the fact daunting—she didn’t. In fact, she welcomed it. Knew that with her choice to come home with Nate that she’d thrown her cares to the wind.

“Home sweet home,” Nate said, coming around to her side of the car and opening the door for her.

Nicole accepted his hand as he helped her out the car, her senses purring at his touch. To her surprise he didn’t let go, instead leading her to a doorway which, when opened, revealed a short set of stairs leading down into a massive open-plan living/dining and kitchen area.

The furnishings were comfortable but spoke plainly of their price in the elegantly simple designs and top-quality fabrics. A large, open fireplace, bordered with gray slate, occupied space on one wall. Even the artworks on the walls and small sculptures on the occasional shelving were beautiful and no doubt expensive. What he surrounded himself with said a lot about him and, so far, she liked it.

“Still feel like that drink?” Nate asked, lifting her hand to his lips and pressing a kiss against her knuckles.

“Sure, what are we having?”

“There’s champagne in the fridge, or we could have a liqueur.”

“A liqueur, I think.”

Something potent and heady, just like him, she thought privately. Nate let her hand go and moved toward a built-in sideboard on the other side of the room. She gravitated toward the wall of glass that faced the inky darkness outside. Beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows she could hear the sound of waves rolling heavily into shore.

In the reflection of the glass she saw Nate come to stand behind her, one arm coming around to offer her a small glass of golden liquid.

“A toast, I think,” he said, his breath warm in her hair and making her scalp prickle in awareness.

“To what in particular?” Nicole asked, accepting her glass and raising it toward Nate’s pale facsimile mirrored before her.

“To wounded souls, and the healing of them.”

She nodded and raised her glass to her lips, her taste buds reacting instantly to the smooth, sweet tang of aged malt whiskey. She allowed the liquid to stay on her tongue for a moment before swallowing.

“Now that is pretty fine,” she said, turning to face Nate.

Her breath caught in her chest as she saw the look in his eyes. Eyes that were only a shade darker than the deep gold fluid in their glasses.

“Only the best,” he answered before closing the distance between their faces.

Nicole felt her heart race in her chest. If this kiss was to be anything like the one at the club she couldn’t wait to experience it. Her lips parted expectantly, her gaze focused solely on the shape of his mouth, on the sheen left there by the liqueur. Her eyelids slid closed as she felt the warmth of him, as his lips took hers, as his tongue swept gently across the soft fullness of her lower lip.

He made a sound of appreciation. “Now that’s what I call the best.”

His lips pressed against hers once more and she curved into his body as one arm slid around her back and drew her closer to him. He was already aroused, a fact that triggered an insistent throb in her veins—a throb that went deeper into her center. She pressed her hips against him, feeling his length, his hardness. Feeling her body respond with heat and moisture and need.

She could taste the liqueur on his lips, on his tongue—its fusion of flavors intrinsically blended with his own. When he withdrew she felt herself move with him, toward him. Drawn as if by some magnetic force.

Nate put his liqueur glass on a shelf nearby before also taking hers and doing the same again. He then lifted his hands to her hair, pushing his fingers through the long mass until his fingertips massaged the back of her scalp, gently tilting her face to his once more. This time his kiss held a stronger taste of hunger, a promise of things to come.

Nicole tugged his shirt free of his waistband and shoved her hands underneath, her nails gently scoring his back as she traced the line of his spine, up, then down. Logic tickled at the back of her mind a final time, telling her she shouldn’t be here, shouldn’t be doing this, but need and desire overcame logic with the same inexorable surge and release of the waves that echoed on the darkened shore outside.

He wanted her. She wanted him. It was basic and primal and it was all she needed for now. That, and a whole lot of satisfaction.

Nate’s hand shifted to the buttons on her jacket, swiftly loosening them from their button holes and pushing aside the fabric, exposing her to him. His hands were broad and warm as they swept around the curve of her waist before skimming her rib cage and moving up toward her bra.

He released her lips, bending his head lower, along her jaw line, down the sensitive cord of her neck and across her collarbone. She felt her breasts grow heavy. Her nipples beading tight, almost painfully so, behind her expensive lace-covered satin bra. When the tip of his tongue swept across one creamy swell she shuddered in response, the sensation of the point of his tongue electric as it traced a fine line across the curve of one breast. He awarded the same attention to her other breast, this time sending a sharp spear straight to her core.

His tongue followed the edge of her bra before dipping in the valley between. Her breath came in quick pants, her heart continuing to race in her chest. She felt his hand at her back, felt the freedom of the clasp of her bra being released, the weight of her breasts falling free as he slid her jacket off her shoulders and pushed her bra straps down to follow. With scant regard for the designer labels of both garments, Nate let them drop to the polished timber floor.

Nicole was beyond caring as his mouth captured one extended nipple, pulling it gently between his teeth, laving it with the heat of his tongue. Her legs began to tremble and she clung to him, near mindless with the pleasure his touch brought her. When his hands went to the waistband of her skirt she barely noticed, and then, with a slither of silk lining, her skirt joined her bra and jacket on the floor at her feet.

Dressed only in a scanty pair of black-and-gold panties and her high-heeled, black patent pumps she should have felt vulnerable, but as Nate pulled away, his eyes caressing every inch of her, she felt powerful. Needed. Wanted.

“Tell me what you want,” he demanded, his voice a low demand that vibrated across the space between them.

“I want you to touch me,” she replied softly.

“Show me where.”

She lifted her hands to her bare breasts, her fingers cupping their smooth fullness, lifting them slightly before her fingertips abraded the distended tips, sending another shudder through her.

“Here,” she said, her voice thicker now.

“And?”

One hand crept down, over her flat belly, and to the top band of her panties.

“Here.” Her voice trembled as she felt the heat that pooled between her legs, felt the moisture that awaited his touch, his possession.

“Show me what you like,” he said, his hand sliding over hers.

“This,” she replied, letting their hands push beneath the scrap of fabric.

She led his fingers toward her opening, dipping them in her wetness before sliding them back up toward the budded bundle of nerves that screamed for his touch. She circled the sensitive spot first with her fingers then with his, increasing the pressure then slowing things down before repeating the cycle once more.

“Keep touching yourself,” he commanded, even as he slid his fingers out from beneath her hand, dipping them lower until they played within the soft folds of her flesh.

He hooked his other arm around her, supporting her weight as he stepped in a little closer. She felt the fabric of his trousers against her bare legs—a fleeting awareness only before all concentration went when he stroked one finger inside her body, then another. Her muscles clenched against him as his fingertips glided in and out, caressing with careful and deliberate pressure against her inner walls.

Sensation swirled throughout her body, drenching her with heat and pleasure. The combination of both their touches filled her with an overpowering awareness of him, his strength, his power over her. She’d never felt anything this deep, this intense. Had never been this reckless.

Nate bent slightly, capturing one nipple with his mouth, drawing the sensitive bud into his heat, his wetness, and suckling hard. As he did so, she felt the pressure of his fingers inside her increase and with that subtle change, her body splintered apart on a wave of satisfaction so intense, so immeasurable, that her legs buckled beneath her and tiny pin pricks of light danced behind her eyelids.

Her whole body shook with the intensity of her orgasm as ripple after ripple of pleasure coursed through her. She felt Nate withdraw from inside her, even as her inner muscles continued to pull and tighten against him, heightening the sensations and sending her into another short, sharp paroxysm of bliss. He slid one hand behind her knees and, with his other arm still supporting her back, he swept her into his arms and strode across the open plan area toward a darkened room.

His bedroom, her shattered senses finally recognized as he placed her on the bedcovers. In the fractured blend of moon and starlight that shone through the massive picture window, she watched as he stripped away his clothing. Exposing every inch of his silver-gilded male beauty to her gaze. He reached for her feet, removing the shoes she only just now realized she still wore, then his hands slid up the length of her legs. When he reached her panties he slowly removed them from her before lowering himself to the bed and gently kneeing her legs apart, settling between them.

He leaned across her and ripped open a bedside cabinet drawer and removed a box of condoms. Extracting a packet he made short work of ripping away the wrapper and rolling the protection over his jutting erection. Her hands fluttered to the breadth of his shoulders, his skin burning beneath her touch. Despite his clear and evident arousal, his movements were smooth, controlled and deliberate as he positioned himself at her entrance and looked up to meet her eyes, even now giving her the chance to change her mind, to decide for herself what she wanted. In response, she instinctively tilted her pelvis to welcome his invasion.

Nate lowered his face to hers, his lips a heated seal against her own, his tongue gently probing her mouth even as he eased his length within her. She felt her body stretch to accommodate his size, felt an unmistakable quiver deep inside. Nicole lifted her hands to his head, her fingers lacing through his hair as she held him to her and kissed him back with all she had left in her.

Her body swept to aching life as he began to move, his thrusts powerful and deep, so deep it felt as if he touched her very soul before she plunged into the abyss of sensual gratification once more. In answer, his body stiffened, buried to the hilt, and a nearly stifled cry of release broke from him as he gave over to his own climax, shuddering as her body clenched rhythmically around him. His lips found hers again as he settled his weight on top of her, and she welcomed him. It was real, he was real. His heart thudded in his chest and hers beat a rapid tattoo in answer.

What they’d done together was something unsurpassed in her experience and finally, as she drifted to sleep, the cares and worries of her life wafted away into oblivion.

Three

As Nate woke, he slowly became aware that he’d fallen asleep not just on top of Nicole, but still inside her, as well. He silently castigated himself for his inconsiderate behavior as he carefully supported his weight without waking her.

He ignored the unfamiliar urge to settle closer to her rather than pulling away. After all, certain precautions had to be observed, he reminded himself. He reached between them, feeling for the edge of his condom and cursing when he couldn’t find it. He pulled farther away from her, his body instantly lamenting the lack of contact with her lush warmth. The condom was still inside her. In a moment of panic he wondered if she was on the Pill but that fear was quickly assuaged. A woman like Nicole wasn’t the type to leave things to chance. It was highly unlikely that pregnancy was something either of them needed to worry about just now.

No, now was a time to concentrate on pleasure. They’d had sex once and he couldn’t wait to repeat the experience.

He eased his hand between her splayed legs and found the condom, removing it carefully before disposing of it in his bathroom. As he eased his body back onto the bed beside her he safeguarded them once more by rolling on another sheath and gathered her to him. She curled instinctively against his body, her softness pressing against the hard muscled planes of his chest, her inner heat already beckoning to him.

Her eyes flickered open, a slow smile spreading across her face. He cupped one cheek in his hand. It was one thing to know from Raoul’s report that Nicole Wilson was an attractive woman with an incredibly sharp business mind, but it was quite another to discover that she was also a warm and generous lover. The knowledge skewed his vision of how this would ultimately play out.

Sending Nicole back to her father was no longer an option. With a little luck, her anger against her father and her brother just might be deep enough and strong enough to make her willingly defect to Jackson Importers … and to Nate’s bed. With Nicole at his side he could take Jackson Importers to the ultimate heights of success, while ensuring his nights were equally, if not more, satisfying.

Of course, there was always the possibility that loyalty to her family would win out. Nate would be a fool not to plan for that contingency. If that happened, he’d have to be more … creative in the methods he used to keep Nicole. He didn’t want to hurt her—Charles was his only target—but if upsetting her a little was the price to get his revenge and keep Nicole in the bargain, then that was a price he was willing to pay.

Sooner or later, she’d thank him for it. He’d already known her father hadn’t utilized her intelligence to his best advantage. But Nate would. And she’d know she was appreciated while he did it. Every glorious inch of her.

“You’re so beautiful,” he said, meaning every syllable.

“It’s dark,” she replied, a teasing note in her voice. “Everyone is beautiful in the dark. You can’t see their bad side.”

“You don’t have a bad side,” he said, leaning forward to kiss her.

“Everyone has a bad side, Nate. We just don’t always show it.”

There was a painful truth in her words. A truth he knew related directly to him and his intentions but he didn’t want to think about that right now. More pressing matters were most definitely at hand.

“Sometimes it’s better not to see, then, isn’t it?” he asked before leaning across the short distance between them and kissing her.

Their lips touched in a burst of heat and desire, his every nerve striving to attain the heights of fulfillment he knew he would reach in her arms. This time the fire inside him burned steadily, not threatening to overwhelm him as it had before, but his hunger for her had not lessened despite the change in his appetite. This was to be savored, slowly, completely.

Time faded into obscurity and nothing mattered right now except the giving and receiving of pleasure. Each touch destined to bring a sigh or a moan from its recipient, each kiss a seal of the promise of what was yet to come. And when she positioned herself over his body and lowered herself over his straining flesh he gave himself over totally to her demands.

Their peak was no less intense than that first time together, and this time, when Nicole fell into his arms lost in the aftermath and falling rapidly into sleep, he made certain the same accident with the condom didn’t occur a second time.

The next time he woke, sunlight was filtering through the native bush outside and into his bedroom window. He reached across the bed. Empty. Where was his quarry now, he wondered as he swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood, stretching as he did so.

“Nice view,” a voice said from behind him.

He turned slowly, a smile on his face. A smile that widened when he saw that Nicole had found the camcorder he kept for filming some of the more wild surfing antics on the beach.

“Do you have a license to drive that thing?” he asked.

“I’m the kind of girl who likes to learn as she goes along,” Nicole answered in response.

She was wearing just the shirt he’d worn last night, the fine cotton covering her body but leaving her long legs exposed to his hungry gaze.

“So you’re more of the hands-on kind?” he said, feeling his body stir and his blood pump just a little faster.

“Oh, yes, definitely hands-on,” she said, her voice a little rough around the edges.

“I’ve always thought practical experience to be vastly underrated, haven’t you?” He was fully hard now. Every cell in his body attuned to her, to the camcorder she held, to the idea that now blossomed in his mind.

“Definitely underrated. And the value of visual aids, too.”

Oh, God, he thought. She had just read his mind. “I have a tripod for that thing, you know.”

She laughed, a deep throaty chuckle that made him clench his hands at his sides to stop himself from reaching for her.

“More than one, I’d say,” she said, dropping the lens of the camera down, then slowly back up again to his face.

She was wicked. He liked that in a woman. He liked that a whole lot. “I’ll go get the other one,” he said with a slow wink.

Before she could say another word he brushed past her, dropping a kiss on the curve of her lips as he went by. “Why don’t you get yourself comfortable on the bed? I’ll be back in just a minute.”

It took less than a minute before he was back in the bedroom and setting up the stand diagonal to the bed. She passed him the camera, her cheeks flushed with color, her eyes bright with anticipation. Beneath the fabric of his shirt he could see the sway of her breasts as she moved on the bed, not to mention the sharp peaks of her nipples that told of her excitement. She passed the camera to him and he carefully positioned it on its mount, ensuring the whole bed was square in the frame.

“You’re sure about this?” he asked.

“Oh, very sure. And later, when we review it, we can see where we can improve.”

He didn’t think it was possible to get any harder but at that moment he did. It was one thing to know they were videoing themselves, another to know she wanted to watch it later.

“Where do you suggest we begin?” he asked, fighting to keep a lid on the carnal urge to simply have at her, to let her have at him and to hell with finesse.

“I think I need to get to know you better, don’t you?” She patted the edge of the bed beside her. “Why don’t you sit down?”

He sat and watched her as she slid off the tumbled linens and knelt between his legs on the rug beside the bed, placing her hands on the outside edges of his thighs, scratching lightly with her fingernails.

“It seems to me,” she continued, “that last night was all about me. So this time, it’s going to be all about you.”

A fine tremor ran through his body and he watched as her hands stroked up his thighs and down again, each time working a little closer to the inside.

“Do you like that?” she asked.

He was beyond words and merely nodded.

“How about this?”

His mind nearly exploded as she bent her head and flicked the tip of her tongue over the aching head of his arousal. His penis jumped in response to her touch, a bead of moisture appearing only to be licked away just as quickly. Nicole’s hair brushed against his inner thighs, obscuring her face. He reached down and pushed her hair aside, holding it against the back of her head with each fisted hand. He wanted to see this, all of it. And, just in case, he wanted the camera to see it, too.

Nicole felt an unaccustomed sense of possession as she lightly stroked her tongue along the length of Nate’s erection, painstakingly following the line of each vein from tip to base and back again. Heat rolled off him in waves as she did so and she felt him tremble as he fought to maintain control. But that control shattered the instant she took him fully in her mouth. He groaned, a guttural sound that came from deep in his belly, and she knew the exact moment he was going to climax. She increased the pressure of her mouth, her tongue, increased the rhythm of her movements until he spent himself. She slowed her pace, taking the last drop of his essence as he groaned again, his hands falling to his sides and his body falling back onto the bed behind him.

She pushed herself up onto the bed and lay propped on one elbow alongside him, letting her fingers trail up and down across his belly and chest as he caught his breath once more. His recovery said a whole lot about his fitness and stamina, she thought as he reached one arm up to her and dragged her down to kiss him. Already he was stirring again, and the knowledge gave her a wonderful feeling. It was all because of her.

“Mmm,” she said, her lips bare centimeters from his. “Must be time for breakfast.”

“Not yet,” he said. “I think we should work up a bit more of an appetite first. And I think you should take that shirt off, too.”

He deftly flicked open each button and slid one hand inside, cupping one breast and flicking his thumb across its hardened crest.

“I’m very hungry already,” she purred. “I may take some convincing.”

“You want convincing? I can be convincing,” he said, pushing the shirt off her shoulders and then pressing her onto the bed.

What followed was an education in how someone could deliver a lifetime of hedonistic delight in very short order. Nate applied himself to her with assiduous intent, showing her just how artful he could be with the merest accessories—the tip of a tongue, a feather of breath, the stroke of a fingertip.

She was on the verge of begging, no, screaming for release when he finally sheathed himself with a condom and took them both over the edge of sanity and into a realm where only blithe elation resided.

The camera caught it all.

Their morning set the tone for the next three days. From time to time they would rise, bathe or eat—once taking a long stroll along the beach, Nicole wearing ill-fitting borrowed clothes—before the draw of their fascination with one another would take them back to bed again. By Monday morning Nicole was spent. Physically and emotionally, happy just to curl up against the hard male body beside her and revel in the intimacies they’d shared. Last night Nate had burned a DVD of their video and they’d viewed it while attempting to eat a civilized meal in the main room of the house.

The clothing they’d only recently donned—him in a pair of jeans and T-shirt, her in a sweatshirt of his with the sleeves rolled up and its length skimming the back of her thighs—had soon hit the floor. Their food cooling on their plates as the on-screen activity had incited a new hunger for one another all over again.

Nate still slept beside her and she watched his chest rise and fall on each breath. She was amazed at how natural it felt to be with him, especially considering how little they actually knew about one another. She’d heard the girls at work talk and giggle over their occasional one-night stands—guys they never expected, or in some cases even wanted, to see again—but she’d never believed she’d indulge in something quite so illicit herself. She felt as if the past few days had been a vacation, not just from work and responsibility, but from herself—her own fears and anxieties. On Friday she hadn’t even given a care to the fact she had probably still been expected at the office, nor that over the course of the whole weekend she hadn’t so much as told anyone where she was, nor checked her cell phone for messages.

It wasn’t as if they cared, anyway, a little voice said from deep down inside. Her father didn’t believe she had a valid contribution to make to the company, her best friend had turned on her and her brother? Well, he didn’t even know her, nor she him. So what difference would it make if she walked away from all of them for good?

A whole lot of difference, she realized. She’d been angry on Thursday night. Really angry. And she’d acted completely out of character. Deep down she knew her family, including Anna, loved her and had to be worried about her having been out of touch for so long.

This person in the bed with a stranger, that wasn’t her. Sure, it had been a great time, but all good things had to come to an end sometime, didn’t they? Nothing this good ever lasted for long.

A wave of guilt for her behavior swamped her, driving her from the bed and into the bathroom where she gave in to the sudden well of tears in her eyes. She’d behaved irrationally. Stupidly. She had no idea of who she was really with. Everything that had anchored her these past twenty-six years lay on the other side of town—with her family, in her home. So what if her father had signed the property over to Judd? Her brother wasn’t about to summarily eject her from the only home she’d ever known, surely. Judd was as much a victim of her father’s shenanigans as she. So was Anna, who was far too grateful for all that Charles had done for her and her mother to ever tell him no.

And as for her father … It would be difficult for her to forgive or forget his words on Thursday night. But she couldn’t forget twenty-six years of him sheltering and protecting her, either. For better or for worse, he was still her father. They’d just have to find a way to reach an accord. She was willing to take the first step, and come back home.

Nicole dashed her face with water and dried it before quietly letting herself out of the master bathroom and padding quietly across the bedroom floor. As she closed the door behind her she let go the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. She gave herself a mental shake. For goodness sake, she was an adult. Her decisions were her own, her choices were her own. The weekend had been great, just what she’d needed, there was no need to sneak around like a thief in the night.

She squared her shoulders and made her way to the laundry room where she’d hand washed and hung her underwear to dry during the course of the weekend. Her suit was on a hanger and had been brushed and steamed to get the creases out after being summarily left on the living room floor for several hours after Thursday night. She slid into her underwear and put on her suit. It felt strange to be dressed so formally after a weekend where clothing had been minimal.

She picked up her bag from in the living room and brushed out her hair before heading back to the bedroom to retrieve her shoes. She’d have to call a cab to get herself into work, she thought as she twisted her hair up into a knot and secured it with a clip she’d found in the bottom of her bag.

Nate was awake when she pushed open the door.

“Going somewhere?” he asked, his eyes unreadable as he watched her slide her feet into her shoes.

“Yeah, time to get back to reality.” She sighed. “This weekend has been great. Better than great, thanks.”

“That’s it?”

“What—” she laughed nervously “—you want more?”

“I always want more, especially of what we’ve had.”

“I never said I didn’t want to see you again.”

“But you implied it.”

Nicole shot him a nervous glance. Was he going to get all weird on her now?

“Look, I need to get home and then head into work.”

“No.”

She shot him another look, this time the curl of fear in her stomach unfurled to bigger proportions.

“What do you mean, no?”

“What I mean is, you’re coming to work with me.”

Nate pushed aside the bed sheets and rose to his feet, calmly picking up the jeans he’d discarded last night and sliding them on. Nicole struggled to avert her gaze from the fine arrow of hair that angled down from his belly button to behind the waistband of his pants. She’d followed that path, and more, several times this weekend. A hot flush of color rushed to her cheeks. She couldn’t let herself get distracted by sexual attraction. What on earth did he mean when he said she’d be working with him? She didn’t even know what he did for a living. And he didn’t know anything about her … did he?

“You’ve got it wrong, I have a job. A job I love, with a family I—”

“Don’t tell me you love them, Nicole. Not after what they’ve done to you.”

Instantly she rued the way she’d mouthed off in the car when he’d brought her here, and the truths she’d shared over a bottle of red wine as they’d curled naked beneath a blanket on the couch in front of a burning fire, late on Saturday night.

“They’re still family. At the very least I need to clear the air with them.”

“Oh, I think that’s a bit more than they deserve. Besides, the air will clear soon enough.”

Nicole crossed her arms across her stomach. “What on earth are you talking about?”

“When they learn who you’ve just spent this past weekend with, I very much doubt they’ll be welcoming you home with open arms. I’m pretty much persona non grata with your father.”

Nate’s lips lifted in a half smile, as if he was laughing at a private joke.

“You’re speaking in riddles. Why should they care who I spent the weekend with?” she snapped.

Nate came to stand in front of her. “Because I’m Nate Hunter—Nate Hunter Jackson.”

Nicole’s mind reeled on his words. Nate Hunter? The Nate Hunter? The reclusive billionaire who was the new head of Jackson Importers, her family firm’s arch nemesis? Her father had never had a kind word to say about Thomas Jackson, or his staff.

Hang on a minute. Nicole replayed his words in her mind. Had he said Nate Hunter Jackson?

“I see you’ve made the connection,” Nate said coolly. “And, yes, I am Thomas Jackson’s son. Sweet, isn’t it? All that time your father accused my dad of screwing around with your mother, he was actually with mine.”

Nicole looked at him in horror as his words slowly sank in, leaving her mind reeling. She hadn’t just been sleeping with a stranger over the entire weekend—she’d literally been sleeping with the enemy!

Four

Nate watched the shock and dismay play across Nicole’s features as understanding clouded her beautiful brown eyes.

“So you knew who I was all along? This weekend has all been about you getting some twisted revenge on my family?” she asked. Her voice shook, betraying just how much his words had upset her.

It might have started that way, Nate admitted to himself, but now he’d been with Nicole so intimately he knew that for the better part of their time together, revenge had been the last thing on his mind. At least, revenge on her. Her father, of course, was another matter entirely.

“Did you hunt me out?” she demanded, her voice stronger now.

“Our meeting was by chance,” he said smoothly. “A happy chance from my point of view.” He stepped forward and reached one finger to her cheekbone, tracing the smooth feminine contour to the corner of her lips. “And I don’t regret a second of it, Nicole.”

She jerked her head away. “Of course you don’t,” she said angrily. “Well, your little game is over now. I’m heading back into the city to my family and my job.”

“I don’t think so,” Nate responded smoothly, crossing his arms in front of him.

“You can’t possibly be serious about me working for you.”

“I’m serious, all right.”

“No.” Nicole took a step back from him, putting one hand out as if she could physically prevent his words from holding any truth. “There’s no way in this lifetime that I’d do such a thing, even if my father didn’t want me at Wilson Wines. It would destroy every last vestige of our relationship together. He may not understand me as well as I’d hoped for, but he’s still my father. I won’t do that to him. I just won’t.”

Why couldn’t she have stayed angry at her family? That would have made this so much easier, Nate thought to himself. Was there any way he could stoke that anger again?

“You are talking about the man who said that Wilson Wines was a nice hobby for you, aren’t you?”

She shook her head, more in frustration, he imagined, than to negate what he’d just said. Nate pursued his advantage in the face of her silence.

“And you’re talking about the man who, without a word of discussion with you—his right hand at Wilson Wines—gave away a controlling interest in his business to someone who is essentially a complete and utter stranger to both of you.”

“Stop,” she moaned, wrapping her arms about herself and holding them tight. “I know that’s what he’s done, you don’t need to repeat it. He’s my father. No matter what, he’ll always be my dad. I’ll always be loyal to him.”

“Really? Why? He’s even given away your family home, Nicole. Again, without any prior warning to you, nor any assurance for you that you will have a roof over your head anymore. Haven’t you asked yourself yet what kind of man would do that to his daughter?”

Nate was angry, furiously angry. Not at Nicole, who seemed determined to forgive her father anything, but at the man who was at the root of all Nate’s unhappiness. The man whose brutal rejection of his best friend had crushed Thomas Jackson’s spirit and had forced him into dire financial straits. And the man who had withheld his encouragement and support from his daughter for so long that she’d forgive any insult for the chance to earn his approval.

He pressed on as she stood there silent and pale.

“You deserve more, Nicole. You deserve so much more. You’re a strong, intelligent and incredibly capable woman. You should work somewhere where you’re valued and appreciated. Think about the team we’ll make. We’ll be the best the business has ever seen.”

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