Private Scandal (22 page)

“Not another word,” Brandon said through clenched teeth. He fired up the computer and then lifted the keyboard, pulling off a key that had been taped there. He jammed the key into the lock, turned it and jerked the drawer open so fast the pens and pencils inside shook. He plucked out two small robin-egg blue boxes and slammed them onto the desktop before banging the drawer shut.

If she hadn’t been holding her breath, she would have gasped at the sight. Instead, she made a choking sound and closed the mouth she hadn’t realized had dropped open. Brandon cocked his hip against the desk and cut his gaze between her and the computer monitor and back again. The whir of the machine and the drumming of his fingers on the desktop sounded as loud to her ears as an airplane preparing for takeoff.

Her picture lit up the screen as the desktop loaded. It wasn’t anything spectacular, just a snapshot of her eyes peeking out from behind the duvet of his bed. The day they’d had a little too much fun with the camera flashed in her mind and heat flickered throughout her body.

The confusion of the moment, of her life lately, crashed around her mind. Her fingernails dug into the arms of the chair, trying to find some way to center herself in the real world.

“You said you deleted those pictures. I watched you do it.” Her pulse pounded in her ears, fear warring with excitement. They’d played with the camera, but it was never meant to be more than that, never supposed to be something either of them would look at later.

“Oh, for God’s sake Megan.” He grabbed the camera she’d taken from the closet off the desk and turned it on. Icons popped up on the computer, freckling her photo but not blocking it completely.

He held out the camera to her and she pulled back involuntarily. She didn’t need pictures to remember what they’d done.

“Look for yourself. They’re all gone except that one. Not everyone would recognize you with most of your face covered, so I saved it. I get to be reminded of us and you get to keep your privacy.”

She didn’t take the camera. “Other people have seen it?”

He shrugged and set the camera down. “Probably not. I rarely hold meetings up here. Still, sometimes it’s called for and you never know who might walk behind you when you’re working, so I figured it was safer than these.” He leaned towards the computer and worked the mouse until a file popped up, displaying dozens of pictures of her.

Megan closed her eyes, not wanting to see her former life in thumbnail shots. Her mind spun faster than a tilt-a-whirl and she was struggling to tell reality from illusion. She wasn’t strong enough to suffer another blow like she had on her birthday.

With her entire soul, she wanted to believe he wasn’t playing her for a fool, but the risk of being wrong would shatter her. It might not technically be a fatal wound, but with as tenuous as her grip on her old self was, it would kill the girl she used to be.

“There you go.” The keyboard clicked under Brandon’s fingers and she opened her eyes to see him staring down at her. He pursed his lips together and pushed a long breath through his nose. “If you don’t want it, don’t want me, you should go. You can take whatever you want, but do it quickly. I won’t follow you. I’m all in, Meg. I don’t have another hand to play.”

He turned on his heel and bounded down the stairs, leaving her alone with two ring boxes and a computer folder with her name on it. She leaned closer to the monitor, reading the names of the files until they ricocheted around in her head.

Pictures.

Gift ideas.

Proposal.

Wedding.

Honeymoon
.

Chapter Thirteen

Brandon braced his hands on the slick marble tile and hung his head, letting the spray of the showerheads pound his body. His throat ached, his eyes throbbed behind closed lids, and his chest was tight with anxiety.

He’d lied to her. Again.

He’d been so exposed, instinct had him trying to protect himself. He wouldn’t want to follow her if she fled, but he wouldn’t be able to let her go. He’d probably chase her for the rest of his miserable life. Nothing would ever be able to stop him, not even the embarrassing awareness that she knew exactly how much he wanted her, how much time and effort he’d spent planning a life with her. But of course, most of that had been done while he was oblivious to what an asshole he’d been to her for the last seven years.

Until a few hours ago, he’d always thought he was good to her. Now he saw that he was good to himself, never thinking Megan might need more than fidelity and generosity to be happy. He’d taken her at her word that she wanted a fun, private affair, and in so doing he’d taken advantage of her. If he really knew her as well as he thought, if he truly loved her unselfishly, he should have seen that she needed more a long time ago.

And now she wouldn’t even let him make it up to her. He’d hurt her so badly, so deeply that everything he did seemed to reopen the wound. He couldn’t see a way out of the mess that he’d made of both their lives unless she was able to forgive him. It was the only way he’d ever be able to forgive himself.

The glass shower door clicked and adrenaline shot through his veins. He lifted his head to see Megan holding the door open, as bare to him as he was to her. Relief washed over him with the warm water and his heart went all hot and gooey like one of those molten chocolate cakes she liked so much.

He held her gaze for a long moment, time slowing as his world tilted back into place. Uncertainty twined with lust haunted the blue depths of her eyes. He took a step forward, reached for her and lifted her off her feet as he pulled her beneath the spray with him. She fit perfectly within his embrace, her arms wrapped around his waist, her head nestled against his heart.

“Brandon?” He barely heard her whisper over the sound of the shower. “I can’t be wrong about this.”

He threaded his fingers through her damp hair, tilting her head up to look at him. “You’ll always be right by me.”

Closing the distance between them, he brought his lips to hers and brushed a quiet seduction against her mouth. Her lips parted on a long, passionate sigh, welcoming him back home. He’d wanted the kiss to be tender and sweet, but before he could help himself he was sliding his tongue into her mouth and teasing her to join in the play.

He checked himself, pulling away slowly and smoothing his hands over her shoulders and down her arms. He twined her fingers in his and moved their hands between them. He brought her hand to his lips and pressed a quick kiss before he noticed her bare fingers. His stomach sank as he sought her gaze.

She must have recognized his searching expression because she gave him a weak smile. “I didn’t open anything. It looked like you had a plan and I didn’t want to ruin that too.”

His brows knit together. “You didn’t even look at the ring?”

She shook her head. “I think I’d rather have the proposal.”

His cheeks lifted in the biggest smile he’d had in months. “That’s because you didn’t see the ring.”

“I haven’t been waiting for something you picked out at a store. I only wanted to hear you say that you love me.” Her breath caught and her eyes flooded, but she didn’t look away, allowing him a glimpse at the depths of her vulnerability.

Megan, who hid so much from everyone, was letting him in. Just as he’d been the only one to ever share the beauty of her body, she was giving him entry to her soul as well. As amazed as he had been by the gift of her virginity all those years ago, he knew that this was far more intimate, far more delicate, and the only time she’d ever give anyone a chance.

He wanted to argue that he’d told her he loved her before, but he figured she’d call him on a technicality the way she had about asking her to marry him. They made love every chance they could, and so it would no longer surprise him if that were the only times she’d heard it.

“I love you, Megan.” He framed her face in his hands and pressed his lips to hers.

About the Author

Jenna Bayley-Burke finds writing bio blurbs strange. Should she mention the blueberry-eyed kids or the high-school-sweetheart husband or the eight romance stories or the obsession with wine and chocolate? Should she brag on the workshops she gives for writers groups or mention her fondness for starting a new novel (both reading and writing)? She’s never sure when to stop, so best to leave it at that. If ever you’re curious about Jenna, check out
www.jennabayleyburke.com
.

Look for these titles by Jenna Bayley-Burke

Now Available:

Her Cinderella Complex

Par For The Course

Compromising Positions

Pride & Passion

Coming Soon:

For Kicks

He’ll let her have control…until he’s ready to make his move.

Pride and Passion

© 2010 Jenna Bayley-Burke

The only things Lily Harris inherits after her father’s untimely death are debt, scandal and loneliness. She doesn’t protest when her father’s business partner, Jake Tolliver, steps up to help with the mess she finds herself in—until Jake reveals the last promise he made to her father.

Jake may be as compelling to look at as a marble statue—and stir a frighteningly powerful desire within her—but no way will Lily agree to be his socially acceptable bride while he continues to bed his string of beautiful women—not without getting him to agree to a deal of her own first.

With a well-earned reputation as a feral hunter who goes after what he wants, Jake has his sights set on Lily, and her lack of options puts her right where he’s wanted her from the first moment he laid eyes on her.

Jake’s not above making Lily think she’s having it her way if that’s what it’ll take to have his way in the end. But once he grows tired of playing beast to her beauty, he’s not above changing the rules of the game until they’re both playing for the same prize.

Warning: This title contains a hero used to getting what he wants, a heroine determined not to give in to him, some indecent proposals, a fair amount of pride, and enough passion to burn up everyone’s control.

Enjoy the following excerpt for
Pride and Passion:

He made his way through the dark house without turning on any lights. The full moon provided just enough illumination to keep from bumping into things on his way to the kitchen. He pushed open the door and reached for the light switch, flicking it on.

Lily stood in front of the refrigerator, a carton of milk in her hand, at least until she spied him and dropped it with a gasp. His eyes widened at the sight of Lily in a pale pink nightie, her golden hair loose about her shoulders. The light material dipped low between her full breasts, delicately revealed the curve of her hips, and gave an alluring view of her bare thighs.

She wasn’t so mesmerized. She cursed, then reached for a towel on the counter and bent low to clean up the spill. Jake pulled his libido back in check and moved to help her. He took the towel from her and she stood. He had to bite back a groan at how the hem of her nightie came right into his line of sight.

“I’m sorry,” Lily said, walking around him and returning with another towel. “I didn’t expect anyone.”

“Obviously.” He finished the task and stood, enjoying the way her chest hitched with each breath as he looked down at her. “What are you doing down here?”

“Having a glass of milk, or trying to anyway. That’s what I do when I can’t sleep.” She kept her gaze locked on his, except for fleeting moments when it dropped to his bare chest.

He grinned, glad he wasn’t the only one hyper-aware after midnight. “That’s because you sleep alone.”

Her cheeks pinked, but she recovered quickly, narrowing her eyes. “You know, I think you may be right. It’s time I find someone willing to marry the penniless virgin and cure her insomnia.”

She tried to walk past him, but he caught her arm, turned her around and pulled her flush against him. “Try it, and you’ll find my patience exhausted quickly.”

“While you expect me to live a life in perpetual understanding of your need to go through mistresses faster than socks.” She tried to shake off his hold, but he pulled her closer.

“I’ve never claimed to be a saint. But I’m not going to spend my life feeding into your insecurity. I want you, only you, and have from the moment I saw you.

“I watched you, this golden angel gliding across a room, and I wanted you to be looking for me, not one of those worthless idiots you dated. We hadn’t even met, and I couldn’t get you out of my mind. Maybe I did use your father to get closer to you. It seemed kismet that we were in the same industry. Will became my friend, but he became my partner because of you. I had no other choice. I had to protect you somehow, and you never would have looked twice at me had I not thrown myself in your way at every opportunity.”

“You’ve been watching me?” Her haughty tone cut him to the quick. He was never going to be enough for her, never going to measure up to the vapid boys always trailing after her simply because he hadn’t lived their life.

“And you’ve been watching me, wondering what it would be like if you were only brave enough to step outside your perfect world for a minute and indulge in all I can offer you.” He took a step forward, moving them both until she was backed up against the kitchen table.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Her eyes flashed with an emotion he hadn’t seen in her yet. True fear, or excitement?

“What you’ve wanted me to do since you first started watching me. You think there’s something beneath what the world sees. Maybe it’s time I show you what that is.”

Accept no substitute…for love.

Take a Chance on Me

© 2010 Kate Davies

The Lady Doth Protest Too Much

Jessica Martin is determined to earn a permanent teaching position at Summit High School. That means hard work, dedication, and even volunteering extra time to direct the school’s Shakespeare play. Which leaves no room for romance—especially with a co-worker. She didn't factor in the school's sexy security officer and the delicious fantasies he inspires.