At Odds With the Heiress (9 page)

With a smile he licked around one nipple. “They are so beautiful, I was saving them for later.”

She was half-mad with the anticipation of having his mouth so close but just out of reach. “Not later,” she insisted as his tongue flicked one sensitive button. “Now.”

“Whatever you say.”

She had never imagined that ordering him to do what she wanted would be so thrilling. A moan ripped from her throat as he pulled her nipple into his mouth and sucked. Scarlett sank her fingers into his thick black hair and held on tight as an ocean swell of pleasure pushed her out of her depths.

“More,” she ordered as he switched to her other breast. “I need more.”

He soothed her with a single word. “Soon.”

But her need for him was escalating too fast and they both had too many clothes on. She grabbed ahold of his belt and tugged to get his attention. “This has to go.”

Unable to budge him, she hooked her fingers in the waistband of her own pants and eased them downward, knowing she couldn’t get them off but hoping he’d get the hint and help her.

“Not yet.”

But as he reached down to tug her hand away, she turned the tables on him and pulled his fingers across her mound.

“Yes,” she purred, parting her thighs still farther to encourage him to explore. She was rewarded by the slide of his finger against her moist heat. “Right there.”

Throwing her head back, she closed her eyes and centered every bit of concentration on the swirl of Logan’s tongue around her breast and the drag of his fingers at her core. She could feel tension invade his muscles and knew what he’d hoped to prolong was moving forward at its own speed, gaining momentum as it swept them toward their ultimate destination.

Her own body was tightening pleasurably. A smile curved her lips as she once again felt the downward drift of Logan’s mouth on her body. This time he didn’t linger at her stomach, but continued to move at a torturously slow pace to the place where she burned.

* * *

Logan eased her pants down her thighs. Blood pumped vigorously through his veins, clouding his vision. He blinked, needing desperately to focus on the exquisite body he was slowly baring—the large, full breasts, tiny waist and flat stomach. The jut of her hipbones and those long, toned legs. Absolutely gorgeous. And all his.

Tossing her pants aside, he settled between her thighs and cupped her round butt in his palms. Her eyes flew open as he set his tongue against her and drank in her essence. As demanding as she’d been a moment earlier, she melted like butter beneath his intimate kisses now. Her fingers clutched at his shirt, gripping hard enough to tear the seams.

He opened his eyes and watched her come apart. As she surged toward completion he experienced a rush of gratitude that he was here, giving her this pleasure. Her mouth opened as her entire body stiffened. His name escaped her in a keening cry.

As she drifted back to earth, he sat up and stripped off his clothes. He pulled a condom out of his wallet and sheathed himself. Any hope of taking his time was smashed by her parted thighs and welcoming arms. He lay back down, and angled his hips until the tip of his erection sat at her entrance. Her arms closed about his neck, her fingers playing with his hair.

“I need to feel you inside me,” she murmured, kissing his chin.

He dipped his head and kissed her soft lips, the contact tender and slow. When her tongue stole out to mate with his, he slipped into her in one smooth stroke and groaned. She clasped him in a snug embrace and the sensation was too much for words. But one stood out in his mind.

“Amazing.”

“Absolutely.”

Moving inside her was the single most incredible thing he’d ever experienced. Somehow she knew exactly how to shift her hips to achieve the ideal friction. Making love on the couch wasn’t ideal, but their shared laughter as they jostled for leverage and strained to pleasure each other with lips, hands and movements made the moment completely perfect and totally theirs.

He’d never imagined feeling such a strong connection with any woman, much less the one who’d been a thorn in his side for five years. Maybe she was right. It had been simple sexual frustration. Once they satisfied their itch for each other, they could go politely on their way, never to take jabs at each other again.

Somehow the idea that he might never get another night with Scarlett filled him with anguish. He kissed her hard, grappling with the notion that his desire for her could ever be fully slaked. But if she continued to drive him crazy, what did that mean for the future?

He quickened his pace as control abandoned him. Scarlett matched his intensity, her expression tight with concentration as they drove together toward completion. As she began to peak, her eyes opened and locked on his. The smile that emerged on her passion-bruised lips speared straight into his heart. It wasn’t carnal or greedy in nature. It was heartbreakingly open. She’d offered him a glimpse into her soul and it was brimming with optimism and hope.

Logan buried his face in her neck to escape what he’d seen, but the image haunted him as he felt her body begin to vibrate. The bite of Scarlett’s nails against his back triggered his own orgasm. Muscles quivering, nerves pulsing with frantic energy, he thrust hard into her and let himself go. Together they crested, voices blending in perfect harmony.

Bodies trembling in the aftermath, they clung to each other. Logan’s chest pumped, drawing much-needed air into his lungs. Scarlett’s fingertips moved languidly up and down his spine, her touch soothing.

Damn. What the hell had just happened?

“Give me a second and I’ll move,” he muttered, his voice raw and shaken. He hoped she would credit the workout they’d just had for causing him to sound so unsteady. She couldn’t find out how his feelings for her had deepened until he could sort out what to do about it.

“Take your time.” Scarlett’s voice was maddeningly relaxed and calm. “I’m enjoying the feel of all this brawn.”

While his heart thumped hard enough to break a rib, Logan kissed her cheek and the corner of her mouth. “Why are you smiling?”

“Are you kidding?” She laughed. “When was the last time you tore someone’s clothes off and had sex on a couch?” Her finger dug into his ribs. “And don’t you dare tell me last week.”

“I did not tear your clothes off.”

“No,” she agreed. “You took way too much time removing them.” She framed his face with her hands and forced his gaze to hers. “Are you okay?”

“I’m the guy,” he reminded her, turning his head so he could kiss her palm. “I’m the one who’s supposed to ask that.”

She twitched her shoulders. “So ask.”

“Are you okay?”

“Never better.”

Logan kissed her lips. “You know, we really should get off this couch.”

“Don’t you dare.” Her arm wrapped around his neck, holding him in a tight vise. “I like it right here.”

“At least let me...” He shifted his weight off her and lay on his back, pinning her on her side between him and the back of the couch. “That’s better,” he said, pulling the conveniently placed throw over their naked, cooling bodies.

“It’s nice.”

With her cheek resting on his shoulder and her body a curvy miracle half-draped over him, Logan closed his eyes and wondered when he’d enjoyed such contentment. Usually he was a burn-the-candle-at-both-ends kind of guy. He spent most of his days overseeing his company’s massive operations here in Las Vegas and his evenings dreaming up better technology to keep his clients’ assets safe.

Taking time for a personal life had been a low priority. Sure, he dated. A guy had needs. But he wasn’t one to linger after a nice dinner and some satisfying sex. He never exactly bolted for the door, but he certainly didn’t stick around long enough to snuggle.

This experience with Scarlett was much different. He was at peace. Delighted to hold her in his arms until the sun came up, watching her sleep or talking. Was it crazy that they argued about everything but blended seamlessly the instant they kissed? Would their differing points of view eventually taint their lovemaking?

It was no surprise that Logan was already thinking in terms of endings. Didn’t he enter every relationship with an eye on how and when it would end? Perhaps it wasn’t fair to the women he saw that he perceived their time together as finite, but his perspective was realistic. Even nine-year relationships ended. That his fiancée could choose her career over him had struck a devastating blow. One he wasn’t going to let happen again.

And he needed to be more wary than ever because slipping into sleep beside him was the first woman since Elle who had the potential to catch him off guard.

Seven

H
umming happily, Scarlett dived into the clear, cool water of the private pool located on the same floor as her private suite. She loved to swim, and tried to spend at least thirty minutes in the morning doing laps. If she had a little more time, she floated across the dappled surface and enjoyed the lush vegetation planted around the pool deck.

She ached in all sorts of muscles this morning. Making love on a couch was just the sort of thing she might have expected from Logan. Waking up to his soft kisses and hard erection had been a nice surprise. If she’d been asked to bet how he’d behave in the cold light of a Las Vegas dawn, she would have put her money on him returning to his impatient, bad-tempered self. And she would have lost every cent.

Not only did he wake up aroused. He was playful in the morning. And unexpectedly romantic. For a woman who was used to being treated like some sort of trophy, Logan’s willingness to make her coffee and feed her orange slices had given her hope that she wasn’t simply a conquest.

Her happy glow persisted through the rest of the morning. At noon she headed to her office, where reality intruded. The script Bobby had promised to send sat in the middle of her desk. She tore open the package and scanned the short note he’d included. Even though she’d already decided against auditioning, there was no stopping the excitement that rushed through her. New scripts meant new opportunities and so few had come her way in the past few years.

Although she had no intention of returning to Hollywood and told herself it was foolish to get worked up about the project, she cleared her afternoon schedule and read the entire script twice. The writing was really good. The story fresh and daring. It was the exact thing she’d longed to do, but no one would give her a chance.

Almost as if on cue, as soon as she completed her second pass, her cell rang. It was Bobby. She set the pages aside.

“Well?” He sounded confident and smug as if he already knew what her reaction would be. “Aren’t you perfect?”

“I don’t know if I’m perfect,” she hedged, struggling to keep enthusiasm out of her voice. “But it’s a wonderful script and it’s going to be a great show.”

“Then you’ll come and test?”

Here was where she had to face reality. “I really can’t. I live in Las Vegas now. I’m responsible for this hotel. I can’t just abandon everything and run off to L.A. because of a great part.” Besides, there was no guarantee that she’d get the role, and being rejected for something so perfect for her would be a devastating blow.

“The director’s an old friend of yours.”

“Who’d you get?”

“Chase Reynolds.”

Damn. As fabulous as Chase was in front of the camera, the former actor had proven himself to be even more worthy behind it. “He’ll do a great job.”

“So will you.”

“Bobby...” Her tone had taken on a desperate note.

“Gotta run, Scarlett. I’ll be in touch later this week.”

The call ended before she could protest further. Scarlett’s head fell back. The ceiling became a blank canvas for her thoughts. She wouldn’t be the first actor to live outside of Hollywood and practice her trade. But how many of those had a demanding position as executive manager of a hotel? Not that she was all that hands-on. She’d hired the right people for key jobs and was little more than a figurehead. Wasn’t that how Logan perceived her?

Logan.

Now that they’d taken things to the next level, this was a terrible time for her to be away from him. But she’d never let a man stand in the way of her career before. Of course, she’d never had a man like Logan Wolfe either. And keeping him there was worth a little sacrifice. A little sacrifice, maybe, but this was a fabulous part in a groundbreaking new show. A show that could give her career an enormous boost.

If she still wanted a career as an actress. Did she?

Scarlett surged to her feet and exited her office. In the excitement of getting the script, she’d almost forgotten the other pressing problem facing her. That of telling Violet and Harper that Tiberius had accumulated files on them. And that those files had been stolen. She’d start with Violet. See how that encounter went. Perhaps she’d even pick her half sister’s brain about the best way to approach Harper. As well as how much to tell her.

After letting her assistant know where she’d be, Scarlett headed to the walkway that would take her to Fontaine Chic. She sent Violet a quick text to find out where they could meet up and followed that with a call to Madison.

“I’m sorry to make this so last-minute,” Scarlett said to the young actress wannabe, “but I’m going to have to cancel dinner tonight. In fact, why don’t you take the rest of the night off.”

“Are you sure?”

“Weren’t you telling me something about a party one of your friends was having?”

Concerned that Madison wasn’t spending enough time with kids her own age, Scarlett had arranged for her to meet some college-bound teenagers that Logan couldn’t help but approve of. Sensible kids from good families, they were keen to start at their various schools in the fall, and Madison had caught some of their enthusiasm. Another couple weeks with them and Logan’s niece would be ready to resume an academic path.

“Trent is having a few friends over.”

“Then you should go. You’ve worked hard all week. Time to have a little fun.”

“I’ll tell Uncle Logan that you said that.”

Scarlett winced. As amazing as last night had been, she wasn’t sure Logan would appreciate hearing her make suggestions about his niece’s social life. “Oh, please don’t.”

“Why not? He really likes you.”

“He does?” Scarlett had reached Fontaine Chic and her steps slowed.

“Sure. Just like you have a thing for him.”

Why fight it? “I have a huge thing for your uncle. And we’re just starting to get along. I don’t want to risk annoying him.”

Madison laughed. “After the way he was smiling this morning, I don’t think you have to worry about it. See you tomorrow.”

Left to muse over Logan’s good humor, Scarlett didn’t even notice she’d passed by Violet until her sister grabbed her arm and gave her a shake.

“You were certainly miles away,” Violet said with a curious smile. “Thinking of anyone in particular?”

Scarlett felt the jolt all the way to her toes. Was Violet fishing? There was no way she could know what Scarlett and Logan had been up to the night before. Nevertheless, a guilty flush crept up her chest.

“Nothing like that.”

“Look at your poor jaw.” Violet murmured, abruptly sober. “How bad is it?”

“I’ll survive.” Scarlett brushed off her sister’s concern. “But the incident last night is why I need to talk to you.”

“Sounds serious.”

“Let’s go to your office so we won’t be disturbed.”

“That’s the worst place we could go. How about we head to Lalique?”

The centerpiece of Violet’s hotel was an enormous three-story crystal chandelier that enclosed an elegant two-story bar in dazzling, sparkling ropes. It was three million dollars’ worth of
oh, wow
and set the tone for her decor. Like the sky-blue in Harper’s Fontaine Ciel, crystal was Violet’s signature. Multifaceted and ever-changing, clear crystals sparkled above the gaming tables and from the fixtures that lined the walkways. Pillars sparkled with embedded lights made to resemble crystals and all the waitstaff and dealers wore rhinestone-accented black uniforms.

Settling into a quiet corner table, Violet ordered two glasses of sparkling water with lime and an olive pâté appetizer to share. She then turned to her sister.

“Something is obviously bothering you,” Violet commented.

Scarlett gathered a large breath and began. “I told you how Tiberius had left me his files.”

“Yes. Have you had a chance to dig into any of them?” Violet’s eyes were bright with interest. “What kind of dirt did he have on people?”

“I haven’t had time to look at more than a couple.” This was the part that was tough. “There were files on our father and you, Harper and me.”

Violet didn’t look surprised. “I can only imagine what he dug up about Ross.” Unlike Scarlett, Violet had known from an early age that she was Ross Fontaine’s illegitimate daughter. She’d never had any contact with him, but was pretty sure he knew he was her father. That he’d refused to acknowledge her had been hard on Violet.

“Quite a lot. But none of it was that damning. I mean, we all know he was a philandering jerk, but mostly Tiberius was interested in keeping an eye on his running of Fontaine Hotels and Resorts.”

“So the reason you’re upset has nothing to do with Ross?”

“Not directly.”

“Spill it.”

“The files were stolen last night.”

“That’s what the thief was after?”

“I don’t know for sure. He took other files as well. Ones that had nothing to do with us. Tiberius was keeping an eye on his brother-in-law. Almost half the box was filled with stuff on Stone Properties. Financials. Their employees. I just glanced at it.”

Violet nodded. “Tiberius hated Preston for the way he treated his sister. Blamed him for her death.”

Scarlett’s pulse jerked. “Why is that?”

“Preston’s priority was the company he took over after his father-in-law died. He wasn’t much of a father or a husband. Unfortunately, Fiona Stone adored her husband and couldn’t handle his neglect. She turned to drugs and alcohol to cope and died of an overdose when JT was about twelve.”

JT Stone ran the family’s operations in Las Vegas. A handsome, enigmatic businessman, he didn’t socialize with the Fontaine sisters, but Violet had gotten to know him a little because he was Tiberius’s nephew.

“How awful to lose his mom so young,” Scarlett said, thinking of all the substance abuse she’d seen ruin lives during her years in Hollywood. “Anyway, in addition to those files, the guy grabbed the files Tiberius had on all of us.” Scarlett noticed Violet wasn’t at all surprised. “You knew?”

“I suspected.” She grinned. “Anything interesting?”

Scarlett felt a little of her dread ease. “There was a great deal on my time in L.A. Nothing too shocking there. I kept the paparazzi busy for several years during my dark period. Your file was the thinnest of the bunch.”

Violet sighed. “I’m deadly dull.”

“You should do something to fix that,” Scarlett teased before growing serious once more. “But getting back to the problem. Last night the thief stole all our files. Including one I pulled on Harper’s mother.” She paused, still unsure how much to share what she knew with Violet.

“If there’s nothing much in the files, why would he risk getting caught stealing them?”

“He might have been fishing. I don’t know if he went there looking for other files and just grabbed up whatever he could get or if he came specifically to take our family’s files.”

“But you said there was nothing of interest in them.”

Again Scarlett hesitated. She knew she could trust Violet, but didn’t want to anger Harper by spilling her secret. If it even was a secret. Maybe Harper knew. Maybe Grandfather knew. Maybe Scarlett and Violet were the only two in the dark.

But she didn’t think that scenario was likely. Family meant too much to Henry Fontaine. It’s why he’d given his illegitimate granddaughters the same shot at running Fontaine Hotels and Resorts as he’d given his legitimate one. Scarlett wasn’t sure how he’d react if he found out Harper wasn’t his granddaughter.

“Scarlett,” Violet prompted, her tone tinged with alarm. “What aren’t you telling me?”

“It’s not about you. It’s about Harper.”

Violet laughed. “Harper? If anyone doesn’t have skeletons in their closet it’s her.”

“It actually has to do with her mother. And what I discovered in the files has the potential of turning Harper’s world upside down.”

“If it’s that bad,” Violet said, dismay clouding her expression, “I don’t want to ask what you unearthed.”

Scarlett was relieved that Violet was letting her off the hook. The secret wasn’t hers to share. If she told Harper, and if she in turn wanted Violet to know, that was different.

“Do I tell her?” Scarlett would love it if Violet told her what to do. “Would you want to know?”

Violet took a long time pondering Scarlett’s questions. “I can’t answer for Harper, but I don’t think I’d want to know. Maybe it’s awfully naive of me to think that anything that’s been buried this long should stay hidden.”

“Which is the way I was leaning before the files were stolen. But what happens if the guy figures out the same thing I did and the information gets out? She’ll be blindsided. At least if I tell her, she can prepare.”

“It’s something she needs to prepare for?” Violet frowned. “In that case I don’t think I can tell you what to do. On one hand, she deserves to know the truth.”

So did other people. Like Grandfather. But Scarlett couldn’t bear to be the one who damaged Harper’s relationship with the man she looked up to and adored.

“On the other hand, the truth might ruin everything.”

* * *

Logan entered his house and left his briefcase on the table in the foyer. Tugging at his tie, he strode into the kitchen to fetch a cold beer. He’d spent the better part of the afternoon in a meeting with a new client discussing a proposal that would be worth several million dollars over the next year or so.

Most of the new business Wolfe Security generated was handled by his sales staff. But every now and then a project came along where the client demanded to meet with Logan or Lucas. Considering this was the sort of deal that would strengthen their global-market position, Logan was willing to meet with the guy, no matter how much of a pain in the ass he was.

Beer in hand, he headed toward the master bedroom, intent on grabbing a shower and changing. He was heading back to Tiberius’s storage unit next. Something about last night’s theft had been nagging at him. Maybe another journey through the files would spark inspiration.

A tiny part of him recognized that visiting the storage unit was an excuse to avoid what he really wanted to do—spend time with Scarlett. All day long he’d caught himself reaching for the phone to call her. He’d known making love with her would aggravate his fascination with her. It was the reason that he’d resisted crossing that line for as long as he had.