Miranda Lee -The Blackmailed Bridegroom Page 9

  Paige tried not to look anything but amused. 'You going to drive me home like that, Antonio?'

  His smile was wickedly attractive, and totally disarming. 'Would you like me to?'

  Her face grew hot at the thought. 'Don't be ridiculous!' she snapped.

  He shrugged. 'I guess I'll have to get dressed, then.' And he headed for the living room.

  Paige made the mistake of following him and watching while he discarded the towel right in front of her and began to dress with irritating slowness, starting with his underpants and trousers. Once they were thankfully in place, he actually sat down on the sofa where he'd made love to her-if you could call that torrid encounter making love!-and took his time putting on his shoes and socks.

  Such a sight and setting was not conducive to pure thoughts and brave resolves. Paige stared at Antonio's semi-naked body and started thinking of all the things she'd wanted to do with the man and hadn't. She hadn't even touched him all over. It had been all Antonio directing everything. Antonio doing the kissing and the caressing. Antonio choosing the positions.

  A pity, Paige thought regretfully.

  She'd once had this fantasy of giving a completely nude Antonio a long, sensual massage. She would relax him totally with the skill of her hands first, then slowly arouse him with her mouth till he was in a state of the

  most acute arousal. Only when he begged her would she slide over and down onto his aching flesh, where she-

  Tm ready,' Antonio drawled, and Paige was dragged back to reality, her mouth snapping shut with a nasty little lurch in her stomach.

  For Antonio was watching her closely, and with a slightly smug smile. Panic propelled her madly racing heart into momentary arrest. What had he seen just now? What had he guessed? Had he been aware of her staring at him as he dressed? Had he seen the lust in her glazed eyes?

  Yes, of course he had! He might be an expert at wearing a poker face, but she wasn't quite so skilful over hiding her feelings. He must have felt the hunger in her glued gaze, then recognized the reason behind her faraway expression, her parted lips, her flushed cheeks.

  Somehow, she managed to school her face into a casual expression, but the damage had been done. Still, if she were brutally honest with herself, the damage had been done earlier tonight, when she'd responded to him with such abandon, then begged him for more.

  'Fine,' she said crisply. 'Let's go.'

  She stalked off ahead of him towards the door, then stood at a distance in the corridor while he locked up. But Antonio was not to be so easily denied. The moment they were alone together in the lift his hand found hers, his fingers sliding between hers, then curling them over.

  Her stomach curled over as well.

  The automatic and involuntary response annoyed Paige. But it underlined her vulnerability to the man. Really, this was the last time she could allow herself to be alone with him.

  Meanwhile, she had to let him know that she had his measure.

  Snatching her hand out of his would have seemed melodramatic, and panicky. So she left it there, pasted a wry a little smile on her mouth and threw him a gently mocking glance.

  The predatory gleam in his return gaze reaffirmed what she'd already suspected. Antonio wasn't going to give up easily. He was the one who wanted more now.

  But only for the next fortnight..

  Only a fool would think otherwise. Once his two-week break was over he'd be winging his way back to Europe, without Paige just a pleased smile on his handsome face.

  The thought made her doubly determined not to let him seduce her again. She'd wasted enough of her life pining after this man. It was definitely time to move on.

  The lift doors opened in the basement and she managed to free her fingers without making a fuss. He didn't appear disconcerted by her distancing herself a little as they walked to the car together, but she was sure she detected a slight stiffening of the muscles in his jawline, and in the set of his broad shoulders.

  Antonio's earlier advice, to study his body language, not his face, did not bring Paige any comfort. Somehow, she didn't think her father's right-hand man had reached his present position in the company by being meek and mild, or by turning the other cheek. Although a quiet achiever, he was, nevertheless, an achiever. He would not be overly familiar with experiences such as failure, or rejection. What he wanted, he probably usually got. And that included women.

  Paige had no illusions about Antonio in that regard.

  Which meant she had to be extra careful, didn't she?

  There would be no accepting any invitation from him, no matter how innocent-sounding it was. Or how desperate she was to get away from her father, or Evelyn, or whatever. ' She had to be strong, not weak.

  She had to be firm, not foolish.

  She had to say no!

  CHAPTER NINE

  'WHAT are you doing tomorrow?'

  Paige had been waiting for this, and it came at the first set of lights.

  Today, you mean,' she connected.

  'Don't be pedantic, Paige.'

  I'll be very busy,' she informed him, and he threw her a disbelieving glance.

  'Doing what? You're unemployed at the moment.'

  'Exactly. And I aim to get un-unemployed! Very quickly.'

  'But there's not much you can do on a Tuesday. Any phone-in jobs from Saturday's Herald will have gone. The rest will require a resume" sent in, which can be done any day this week. The closing date is usually ages after the ad.'

  'You've obviously forgotten my telling you, Antonio,' she pointed out firmly, feeling quite proud of herself, 'but I signed up with an agency. They have jobs on their books all the time, especially jobs for temps. If I phone them as soon as they open, I could be at an interview this very afternoon. My only problem is that I don't have any clothes to wear, except what I have on.'

  'You don't have any other clothes at all!

  'Only what I wore home. A pair of blue jeans, a white shirt and a black jacket.'

  'Nothing in your wardrobes at home?'

  A few things left behind from years ago. That's where this outfit came from. But you should see the rest.

  Other than the odd bikini, shorts and T-shirt, the rest are dresses bought during my 'crush-on-Antonio' phase. No doubt you won't remember my coming down to dinner in them, but believe me when I tell you they are not dresses you'd wear to an interview. Not unless it's for a job up at the Cross,' she added, with a rueful laugh.

  Antonio's laugh was just as rueful. 'Actually, I do remember you in a few of those dresses. And I know exactly what you mean. They fuelled a thousand X-rated fantasies for me back then.

  Paige stared helplessly over at him and he laughed again. 'You should see the look on your face. I told you I'd always been attracted to you. Didn't you believe me?'

  'In a word? No!'

  'Believe me, then,' he stated firmly as the lights turned green and the Jag roared off, heading towards the bridge.

  Paige settled into a brooding silence in the passenger seat, angry at being rattled so easily by this declaration. But it had sounded so genuine!

  He had to be just flattering her, surely. If he'd always found her so darned attractive, why hadn't he asked her out during any one of her many visits home? His excuse over her tender age had no longer held water then!

  She felt Antonio's eyes flick her way as they slowed on their approach to the bridge toll, but she kept her own eyes steadfastly on the road ahead.

  'Do you still have that red dress?' he asked. "The one you wore to last year's Christmas party?'

  'What?' Her head whipped round in shock. 'No...no, I don't,' she said sharply.

  The irony of it was she'd thrown it in the gardener's incinerator the following morning, and watched with a perverse satisfaction while it went up in smoke.

  Recalling the incident brought some understanding of what Jed had done. There was something darkly cathartic about burning something which shouted failure at you.

  'That's a shame,' Antonio s
aid, and leant out to plop a coin in the automatic pay basket. ' Her eyes followed, their expression a mixture of curiosity and cynicism. 'Oh? And why's that? It's hardly a suitable outfit for an interview, either.'

  He didn't look at her while the electric window slid back up into place and the car moved off again, his attention returning to the road ahead. 'I was thinking you could wear it when I take you to dinner tonight,' he said casually.

  Paige had to admire his persistence. But not his presumption. Or his arrogance. 'You'll have to be disappointed, then, won't you? I-'

  'No matter,' he broke in, before she could tell him where he could stick his invitation to dinner. 'Wear one of those other little numbers you used to tease the hell out of me with. I distinctly recall a sparkly gold one, which had no back, a microscopic skirt and a halter neckline held together by the most devious, decadent little bow a designer ever created. I used to wonder what would happen if I came up behind you and tugged loose one of those teeny-tiny ties.'

  Astonishment that he should recall any of those dresses, let alone one in such detail, sent Paige into a spin.

  'So what would have happened?' he murmured, and slid those sexy black eyes over to her own startled gaze.

  'Or should I just continue to let such a scene live on in my fantasies?'

  Paige was totally speechless.

  'I've embarrassed you,' he said. 'Sorry. I didn't mean to.'

  'No it's all right,' Paige hastened to assure him. 'I'm just surprised, that's all. To be honest, I'm surprised about a lot of things tonight.'

  You're not the only one, honey, Antonio thought savagely to himself. What had begun as Conrad's blackmailing bargain this morning had somehow developed into a personal challenge. He no longer cared about being blackmailed into marrying Paige. All he cared about was winning!

  Antonio had always been a bit like a dog with a bone whenever someone told him he couldn't do something, or have something. It was a sure way to increase his determination to succeed at whatever project he had in mind, whether it be a business contract or, as in this case, a woman.

  And Conrad's daughter was finally and definitely a woman. Quite an impressive woman, really, Antonio had to concede, with a surprisingly strong mind of her own.

  He had underestimated her. As had her father.

  But he didn't underestimate her any longer. He understood her a lot better now as well. He appreciated the way her mind worked, not to mention her body.

  That was the key to success where Paige was concerned, Antonio believed. That beautiful body of hers, and its uncontrollable cravings.

  He'd seen the way she'd looked at him while he dressed, seen the intensity of her desire smoke up her eyes.

  He didn't know if it was him she wanted so much, or simply sex. All he knew was it was a pretty powerful need which had propelled her into his arms tonight, not once, but twice. He'd always suspected she was a hot little number. He just hadn't realized how hot.

  If only he could get her alone with him again. Not for a night here and there, but for a considerable chunk of time. Several days and nights. Then she wouldn't be fobbing him off as she had that inadequate idiot, Waltham!

  An idea came to Antonio, plus what he hoped was the right approach. At least he didn't have to lie. Or tell her he loved her.

  'I don't know about you, Paige,' he said softly, 'but I thought tonight was pretty incredible. I can honestly say that I've never felt like that with any other woman in my life.'

  Oh, damn, there it was again! That look! That totally vulnerable, frighteningly fearful, sweetly adoring look! Lord, but it tugged at his heartstrings.

  The trouble was, his heartstrings didn't lead to a heart He didn't have a heart. Didn't she know that yet?

  He preferred Paige when she was tough, and just a touch cynical. He also preferred her naked and moaning. He definitely preferred her not doing anything to make him feel like a heel!

  Paige tried not to react to such an outrageous statement, but it was impossible to stop that flood of fresh yet probably futile hope.

  Because he could not mean it, surely. She couldn't have been that special to him, not Antonio, with all his other women.

  Big blue eyes searched his darkly handsome face for any sign of sincerity, but only his mouth was smiling. His beautiful black eyes were, if anything, almost cold.

  Her heart sank at the reality behind his words. He was just trying to con her back into his bed. Her own eyes grew cold and her laugh was dry. 'More special than the woman you were with at last year's Christmas party?' she scorned lightly. 'The one you were practically ravishing on the terrace?'

  She watched his startled expression with a degree of vengeful satisfaction. 'Come now, Antonio,' she flung at him, 'I've heard all those lines before. You'll have to come up with something better than that if you want to go out with me again.'

  Like, I love you, Paige, and I want to marry you!

  'Actually, I've decided I don't want to go out with you again,' he returned coolly, and Paige's heart lurched.

  'I want you to go away with me,' he added, and she stopped breathing altogether.

  'I've rented this houseboat on.the Hawkesbury River for ten days,' he went on, while her head whirled. 'I pick it up at Brooklyn this Wednesday. My plan was to just cruise around, fish, sunbake, read, listen to music. I always need to relax after a few months in that rat-race over in Europe. I was going to go alone...till tonight Now, I suspect my mind won't rest for thinking about you. As for my body...it hasn't got a chance in Hades of resting, let alone relaxing. It will be suffering an agony of eternal frustration...'

  His eyes lanced her with a look which was anything but cold this time. It smouldered and burned its way into every pore in her body, igniting her once more with longing for him.

  'I'm not going to make false promises, Paige, he continued, while she tried not to gape, 'but I too am reaching a stage-and an age-when I'm looking for someone steady hi my life. So if you meant what you said about wanting commitment, if you still feel anything for me at all...then come away with me...

  'Please.'

  Was it that fervent please which swayed her? Or had she been a goner from the moment he'd looked at her as if she was everything he desired in this world?

  Whatever, how could she pass up a chance to make her dreams come true, even if it was only a slim chance? Paige wasn't a complete fool. After her experience with Jed, she knew some men would say and do anything sometimes to get a girl into bed.

  And to keep her there.

  'If I come with you,' she said, 'what will I tell my father?'

  'Is that a yes?'

  She tried to keep her face nonchalant, knowing men responded better to uncertainty, strange, perverse creatures that they were. 'I guess so. As I said earlier tonight, I've always fancied you. I suspect you could make me fall in love with you, if I gave you the chance,' she added with considerable irony. 'But I'm not making any false promises, either, Antonio. I want more from a relationship than just great sex.

  'But of course,' he replied smoothly. 'As for what your father will say, when have you ever cared about what he thought? Still, if you're worried, don't tell him. Just leave with me on Wednesday while he's at work, and leave a note behind, saying you're going away with a friend for a brief holiday. That way, he won't have to know about us, unless something comes of all this.'

  'But what if something does? A relationship with me

  might affect your position in the company. Have you thought of that?'

  Clearly he hadn't, by the shocked look on his face.

  Tm not sure how or why that would be. I

  Paige wished she hadn't brought the subject up now. It might give Antonio second thoughts. But surely he must know how ruthless her father could be sometimes.

  'You saw how he was tonight,' she pointed out unhappily. 'He wasn't too thrilled with our going out together. He also might be very annoyed if he thinks we've

  deceived him. You should know better than anyone t
hat

  my father is not a man who likes to be crossed. He might

  take it into his head to fire you, or something horrible

  like that!' '

  Antonio's frown cleared, and he slanted her a reassuring smile. 'Don't you worry your pretty little head

  about my position in the company. I can guarantee your

  father won't fire me over any relationship I might have

  with you. In fact I think he'd be pleased as punch to see

  you with a man who wants more from you than the

  obvious.' Her stomach contracted. 'Do you really want more from me than that, Antonio?'