Pandora's Box (previously Worth the Wait, a Zebra print best seller) (17 page)

“He was so hurt, Damian.”

He stroked a finger along her cheek. “Only because he thinks you are. Once he sees you flash those pearly whites and crack a sarcastic joke, he’ll be fine.”

Charlie smiled faintly. “Do you think so?”

“I know so.” He pulled her down, resting her head in his lap.

She lifted her legs over the arm of the sofa. The long day was beginning to catch up with her and she closed her eyes to rest for a second. Her eyes flew open again when she felt something light land on her stomach. “What’s this?”

She picked up the small, beautifully wrapped present and glanced toward Damian for explanation.

“Just open it. It’s something every upwardly mobile business woman must have.”

“A key to the executive washroom?”

She pulled the white bow off the top of the box and tossed it on the table. The blue-and-white foil paper followed, neatly tucked into his shirt pocket. She took out the contents. “What is it?”

A small swatch of animal fur, a matchbox car, and a tiny watch face were joined together on a key ring. “A mink, a Ferrari, and a Rolex. Welcome to the upper class, Charlie.”

She held it closer for inspection. “What? No diamonds?”

He leaned over her and pointed to the center of the watch. “If you ever get around to ordering your new contacts, you’ll notice a tiny diamond at twelve o’clock.”

“My first diamond from a man and I need a magnifying glass to find it.” She raised herself up and wrapped her arms around his neck. “It’s perfect. Thank you.”

His eyes rested somberly on her smiling face. “I would have given you the real thing, but I knew you wouldn’t accept it from me.”

“I wouldn’t wear fur. I can’t drive a Ferrari. The Rolex? Well, someday, maybe. There’s only one thing missing.”

“What’s that?”

“A kiss?”

He placed a tiny peck on her cheek.

She rose to her feet and crossed her arms across her chest “You call that the real thing? As far as kisses go, I think you gave me polyester. You did better on the main lawn in front of a thousand people.”

Two sexy dimples bracketed his mouth when he grinned. He came to his feet and stood in front of her. “You’ll have to show me what you want.”

Charlie blushed. She understood that he wanted her to set the parameters. He never went one step beyond her limits. Tonight she wanted desperately to expand her limits.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him, parting her lips as their mouths met. Excitement bubbled within her. She closed her eyes and let her senses take over. The musky scent of his cologne tickled her nostrils. His tongue engaged hers in a playful duel. She ran her fingers through the silky smoothness of his hair, holding him to her, not wanting the sensations to end.

Damian slipped his hand under her shirt and stroked the smooth skin along her waist. She bit his lower lip, holding it between her teeth. A deep groan escaped from his throat as he pulled her closer.

She wanted him to touch her. When the words wouldn’t come, she took his hand and moved it up, leaving it to rest on her breast. He ran his fingers over the soft material of her bra, her peaks growing hard through the fabric.

She sighed. As she arched closer, she was achingly aware of every inch of him. It encouraged her to know that she aroused him in the same way he aroused her, but she wanted more. She wanted to feel the warmth of his skin pressing against her. Bunching the fabric of his shirt in her fingers, she pulled it over his head.

Despite his obvious state of arousal, Damian seemed to be holding back. Determined to break his control, she nuzzled against his bare chest. Her lips teased him while her hands roamed freely over his back and shoulders. After a minute she straightened and, throwing her hair back behind her shoulders, she popped the snap buttons down the front of her blouse. She got the response she was looking for.

A deep groan rumbled in his throat. “That is not fair.”

“Yeah, I know.”

He molded his hands over her hips and kissed her hard, the force moving her backward until they bumped into the wall. She let out a gasp.

“Sorry,” he muttered against her ear.

She didn’t answer. She couldn’t speak. Her hands dropped to her sides.

“Charlie?”

A cold numbness had settled over her. Painful memories invaded her consciousness. A kind face that belonged to a vile man. The harder she tried to ignore the image, the clearer it became. He had no right to touch her like that. No right to ask her to touch him.

A wave of nausea washed over her and she swallowed hard. She would not give in. No more, she ordered herself. She couldn’t let the past control her. She forced herself to focus, to clear her mind. Damian was with her and she was safe.

She doubled over and exhaled the breath she’d been holding. “I’m sorry.”

“What happened?”

“The wall,” she said as she straightened.

“What about the wall?”

“I don’t like to have my back against the wall. It makes me nervous.” She probably sounded like a hopeless phobic.

Why did he put up with her? Most men would have given up by now. But Damian wasn’t most men. He was a six-foot enigma who, for some wonderful reason, didn’t let her strange behavior discourage him. She wanted more than anything to move forward with him. And she could .

* * * *

Damian watched an array of conflicting emotions play across her face. He thought he knew what had spooked her. Having her back to the wall had probably made her feel cornered and triggered memories of what her foster father had done to her all those years ago. If he could get her to open up to him, he might be able to assuage some of her fears. “Do you want to talk about it?”

She inhaled deeply and stepped into his arms again. “I’m all right now.”

“You always were,” he said, cradling her in his arms in a purely protective way.

“No, I meant you could continue. I’ll be okay.” Although he was touched, he had to decline. He could take what she offered and they might even end up in bed tonight, but he would lose her by the morning. Despite her physical reactions to his touch, her heart hadn’t made that leap of faith yet. She wanted him, but he needed her to trust him. “We should be heading over to the city now.”

“I can do it ... I want to . . . for you.”

Her words brought a lump to his throat. He snapped her blouse closed. “I don’t want you to do it for me. I want you to do it for yourself, and I can wait until you’re ready.”

She let out a sigh that echoed with disappointment and relief. “I hope that’s not some more of your misguided optimism. It’s damn frustrating waiting for my brain and my body to get their acts together.”

“They will, Charlotte. Sooner than you think.”

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Damian circled the living room, nervously waiting for Charlie to finish dressing. For the first time in his life, he wasn’t sure about what he was doing. He quickly glanced at the slip of paper in his pocket to be sure of the address. Having made the decision, he couldn’t back down.

If he had any doubts, all he had to do was remind himself of the last three nights. He’d known Charlie had nightmares, but he didn’t realize they occurred with such alarming frequency. Although she claimed it was because she wasn’t used to sleeping in a strange house, Damian wasn’t buying into her excuses.

“Is this all right?” Charlie asked, making a quick pirouette to show off the pale blue, sleeveless dress.

“It’s beautiful.”

She lifted the edges of the cotton fabric and curtseyed. “Are you going to tell me now where we’re going today?”

“No.”

She let out a long-suffering sigh. “Why are you being so secretive?”

Damian grabbed his jacket off the back of the chair and put it on without answering. Knowing that he was going to have a fight on his hands, he preferred to wait until they were closer to their destination. He held the front door open. “Let’s go.”

“Should I take a jacket? Will we be out late?” she asked, trying to get him to slip up and give her some tiny hint.

“I don’t think you’ll need it”

Charlie took out her frustration by stomping her sandals on the parquet flooring. She turned her back as they waited for the elevator, holding her chin up in a defiant determination to ignore him.

Her pouting lasted only until they got to the car, where she gave in and decided to be surprised. They drove along the city streets for twenty minutes. Damian wasn’t comfortable with the neighborhood they ended up in, but he’d gotten this far. He parked the car in a security lot and walked down the crowded street with his arm protectively around her until he reached the building on the corner.

“What is this place?” Charlie asked.

“You’ll see in a minute.”

They entered the main door. He pulled her quickly past the directory before she had time to read the company names. He knew the floor and suite he was looking for.

The minute she exited the elevator on the third floor, Damian slid his arm around her waist She smiled up at him and he wondered sadly if she
would smile at him like that when the day was over. He paused outside the door marked Suite 315.

“Where are we?” she asked again.

He sucked in a deep breath. “It’s a woman’s counseling center, Charlie.”

“Why are we here?”

“You know why.”

The smiled faded. In a fraction of a second, her face changed from confusion to betrayal. She pulled frantically at the arm that encircled her waist and pushed with her feet “I’m not going in there.”

“Charlie, please,” he said softly.

Breaking free of his hold, she backed away. Her eyes, wide and shining with tears, reflected her fear. She took in deep gulps of air, as if subconsciously trying to make herself hyperventilate.

He pulled her back, tenderly enfolding her in his arms even while she was trying to shove him away.

“This is about the sex thing, isn’t it?” Her voice broke and she stopped fighting. She put her arms around his neck and brushed her body against him. He had to look away before he backed down. This was too important for her. The sudden change in tactics didn’t mean she had resigned herself to the idea. “I’ll try harder, Damian.”

God, he felt like a heel. If there had been any way to get her there willingly, he would have done it. He cupped her face in his hands and forced her to look at him while he spoke. “This isn’t about sex, Charlie. This isn’t about you and me. It’s about you.”

She yanked his hands down from her face. A silvery tear spilled down her cheek. “You can’t make me go in there.”

“You’re right, I can’t make you. I can’t force you to deal with your past. You have to want to do it for yourself.”

She nodded tersely and pushed him away. “Good. Let’s leave.” She hit the button for the elevator to return.

Damian leaned against the wall. “Charlie?”

“Nothing you can say will change my mind.”

“I’m sorry. It was my mistake. I thought we had something special. Something worth working for.”

She whirled around, furious. “That’s not fair.”

“No, it’s not. Nothing that happened to you was fair. Your foster father betrayed you in the worst possible way and then had you locked up like a criminal for standing up to him. But if you live the rest of your life locked up in your own private hell, then he’s defeated you. Don’t let him defeat you, Charlie.”

“He already has.” She wrapped her arms around her trembling body.

Damian folded his arms around her, easing her away from the wall. “I don’t know how to help you. But maybe someone in there does. Please, just talk to them.”

She turned into his arms, clutching the fabric of his jacket like a lifeline. “You’ll wait for me?”

“I won’t leave without you.”

“You promise?”

He smiled reassuringly. “I promise. Are you going to go in?”

* * * *

Charlie hesitated, then reluctantly nodded her head. But if the spirit was willing, the body was giving her a fight. Despite the air-conditioning, she broke out in a sweat. She couldn’t move.

To get through the door she would have to shut down. Well, she was a master at that, wasn’t she? She stared right through Damian as if he were no longer there.

She raised her chin and breezed past him. Her hand gripped the door handle. She paused and turned back. His face had a curious expression. That wasn’t pain she saw reflected in his green eyes. Someone who cared wouldn’t do this to her.

Bravely indifferent, she looked away. She didn’t care about him either. So why had she made him promise to wait for her? Why did she panic at the thought of his leaving her alone? She paused at the door, unwilling to enter until she was sure he was behind her.

The reception area of the small suite was freshly painted in pale yellow. Informational posters hung on the wall, and trays of pamphlets labeled TAKE ONE were on all the tables.