Worth the Scandal (5 page)

“You saw me partially undressed,” she said softly, her gaze still on her lap.

He certainly didn’t need the reminder. The image of her scantily clad in the delicate, overtly feminine scrap of lingerie was burned upon his brain for all eternity. “I hardly noticed,” he drawled, filled with regret the moment the words left him.

Damn. What was wrong with him? The wounded look she shot him before she hastily turned her attention to the window once again said more than a million words could ever express. He’d hurt her feelings, and he was an inconsiderate ass.

Desperate for a distraction, he pulled the table out between them once more, then grabbed his briefcase and set it on top. Opening it, he pulled out the itinerary Tessa created for him, along with the most recent report created in regards to the London acquisition. He snapped the briefcase shut and leaned back in his chair, scanning the itinerary for what felt like the thousandth time before he shoved it to the back of the pile and looked over the first page of the report.

“Do you need any help?”

“No.” He barely offered her a glance. “Thank you. Relax and enjoy your flight, Tessa.” It was an issued command more than anything else, but he didn’t care.

He needed to focus. The trip—and the woman sitting across from him—were sidetracking him from his most important goal. They’d been working on the negotiations for months, and he was this close to locking in the London location for their new, lower-priced store. It would be a store to appeal to the younger set, for those with not much cash in their wallets but who wanted to wear something by Worth.

It was an experiment, just like the launching of the limited edition women’s line. Worth planned on branching out even more in the next five years. Alex and his brothers not only wanted everyone to know and recognize the Worth brand but he also wanted everyone able to afford at least something by Worth.

He didn’t want to cheapen the brand but make it global—and there was a fine line that the company needed to walk in order to achieve that goal. Hunter kept him on track. The entire marketing department was on the ball, constantly researching, looking at ways to both protect the brand and grow it.

He didn’t know what he’d do without Hunter. Rhett on the other hand…

Scowling, he stared unseeingly at the report. His baby brother was a royal pain in the ass. Eight years divided them, and it felt like an eternity. At the age of twenty-seven, Rhett behaved like an eighteen-year-old set loose on the city, wild and free. Drinking, hanging out in clubs, fucking an endless array of women and spending as much money as he could in a short period of time. Like he was in some sort of carnal marathon, indulging in as many sinful activities as possible before the plug was pulled.

Alex was getting increasingly closer to pulling that particular plug. Rhett wouldn’t know what to do with himself when it happened.

And it was definitely going to happen. Soon.

“We’ve reached flight altitude.” Lora appeared with a tray of fresh fruit and an array of delectable pastries and set it on the table. “Would either of you care for something to drink?”

“More coffee.” His clipped tone made Lora’s overly made up eyes harden and Tessa sent him a chastising look.

“I’ll take a glass of water, please,” she said to Lora.

“Right away.” Offering Tessa a strained smile, Lora buzzed toward the back of the plane.

“There’s no need to be so rude,” Tessa murmured when the flight attendant was out of earshot.

“She treated you terribly. She’ll be lucky to have her job by the time we land.”

Tessa’s eyes widened. “You wouldn’t fire her over what happened earlier, would you?” She sounded aghast which in turn made him feel guilty.

Only a bit though. “Why not? I can’t have someone like that working for me.”

“Times are tough. You wouldn’t want to be the cause for her losing her job.”

Disbelief coursed through him. “You’d rather forget her horrible treatment of you?”

“Maybe she’s having a bad morning. We all have them sometimes.” Tessa shrugged.

She was far too kind for her own good. Perhaps naïve would be the better description. The only reason Lora had treated Tessa so abominably was jealousy. The flight attendant flirted with him every time he flew and she was the staff on board. In the past, he’d responded, albeit lightly and never with any serious intent. Looks-wise, she was his typical preference. Blonde, blue eyed, fair skinned, thin. But he’d never been tempted to take it any further, not like with Tessa…

“You’re too nice,” he muttered just as Lora approached, setting Alex’s new coffee in front of him after she offered Tessa her glass of water. “Thank you,” he said to Lora.

She beamed. “A hint of cream and one lump of sugar, just the way you like it.”

“Indeed.” He sipped from the cup, surprisingly pleased with the results. “I’m impressed you remember how I take my coffee.”

“Everything about you is hard to forget. At least to me.” Offering him a coquettish smile, Lora turned on her heel and sauntered away, her hips swaying, head held high.

If she really believed she was in his good graces again, she was mistaken.

“She flirts with you,” Tessa observed when Lora was out of earshot.

“You don’t say.” Alex again sipped from his coffee, surprised by Tessa’s comment.

Her cheeks flushed a pretty pink. “It’s rather obvious.”

“
She
is rather obvious.”

Tessa laughed and the sound of it vibrated through him. It was a lovely sound, a bright tinkling of happiness. A sound he wanted to hear again, soon. “Have you two ever…” Her cheeks grew pinker, and she waved a hand about.

“Ever what?” He knew what she meant. He just wanted to watch her squirm.

Funny how the word squirm caused his rather vivid imaginations to roar to life, filling his head with illicit images all involving Tessa. And him. Naked. Together.

“You know.” Her voice dropped to a sultry whisper. “Dated?”

He chuckled and shook his head. “No, we’ve certainly never dated.”

She furrowed her delicate brows. “Something else then?”

Undoing his seatbelt, he leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees. “Are you interested in my dating history, Tessa?”

“Oh, I’m really not, I swear.” She waved a careless hand, wiping her words away with a flick of her fingers. “I was just trying to—make conversation.”

“Interesting conversation you’re trying to start.” He arched a brow.

Her face fell, her mouth curving into a frown. “I’m being inappropriate aren’t I? Gosh, I’m such an idiot. I’m so sor—”

“Don’t say it,” he interrupted, his voice lethal. The very last thing he wanted to hear was another damn apology from her. “You apologize too much.”

“Habit I guess.” She shrugged.

“You need to learn how to break it.”

Her gaze met hi,s but she didn’t say anything for a long moment and neither did he. They merely watched each other, the gentle hum of the plane’s engine growing distant, the interior of the jet growing narrower until all he could focus on was her. Her beautiful, expressive face, the soulful, deep brown eyes...

“Perhaps you could teach me.” She spoke so softly he wasn’t sure he heard her correctly.

But once he realized what she said and the assumed connotations beneath her words, he very nearly launched himself out of his seat so he could grab her. Toss her over his shoulder and carry her to the bedroom where he could teach her a thing or two.

Jesus.
Alex frowned. Spending nearly two weeks with her day in and day out was going to kill him.

Chapter Four

The hotel was amazing. Tessa got a crick in her neck from staring up at the ceiling for too long, her breath lodged in her throat as she drank in the beauty of the intricately painted murals, the chandeliers that shone and sparkled like diamonds. Floors made of smooth white Italian marble, the surface so shiny she could see their reflection as they walked, Alex striding forward, Tessa falling behind. They were greeted warmly by their own personal concierge, the woman a tall, exotic beauty who spoke English with a light Italian accent.

When Alex spoke fluent Italian answering the concierge’s inquiries, Tessa wanted to swoon. The man had so many hidden talents. He reminded her of an onion—constructed of infinite layers. With every intriguing layer she peeled back, she wanted to learn more.

She wanted to learn all of them.

The concierge checked them in personally and then whisked them over to an exclusive elevator that led only to the penthouse. Tessa remained quiet as the gorgeous woman and Alex spoke to each other in Italian, curious by what they said. Were they flirting? The woman’s eyes sparkled with interest and she kept tossing her long, dark blonde hair over her shoulder. She had the prettiest blue eyes Tessa had ever seen, and she was dressed impeccably in a sleek black suit that accentuated her slender curves. It wouldn’t surprise her in the least if Alex was interested.

Tessa wanted to smack herself. She was silly worrying over who Alex might be interested in. It was futile. She couldn’t compete with any of the women he encountered on a daily basis, not even the rude flight attendant. It didn’t help that she felt so klutzy and foolish around him. Saying the dumbest things, tripping over her feet, spilling hot coffee all over herself, he turned her into a jittery mess, especially when they were alone.

Heaving a big sigh, she cocked her head, waiting for the elevator to come to a stop. Alex glanced in her direction, perhaps hearing her sigh and the corner of his mouth kicked up in the slightest smile.

A smile that lightened her heart, made her stomach flutter.

The concierge led them out of the elevator once the doors slid open and revealed the most beautiful hotel suite Tessa had ever seen in her life. Not that she’d stayed in many hotels. It was large, bigger than her entire apartment and she walked around the living area as if in a daze, drinking in her surroundings.

It was too much to take in. Arrangements of fresh flowers sat on every available table space and glittery chandeliers on a smaller scale than the ones in the lobby hung from the ceiling, casting a warm, golden glow in the room. The rug beneath her feet was plush, the design intricate and fanciful. Everything about the suite screamed the best money could buy.

“And your room is here, Miss Crawford,” the concierge said, indicating the door with her hand.

Tessa glanced toward the room, then turned to look at Alex. “I thought I had my own room.” Had he changed the arrangements?

“You do.” He kept his expression schooled, not revealing even a hint of emotion. “The suite has two bedrooms, Tessa, each with connecting bathrooms. It should be more than enough privacy.”

Privacy yes, but she wouldn’t be able to get away from him at all. She would be in his constant presence and knowing he was sleeping in the room next to her for two nights? Absolute torture.

Would it be like this at every hotel they stayed in?

“Please, Miss Crawford.” The concierge smiled and tilted her head toward the bedroom. “If the room isn’t up to your standards, perhaps we can find other accommodations for you?”

“This will be fine, Bianca. Thank you,” Alex interjected, his voice smooth and gracious.

Tessa walked into her room, her eyes widening at what she saw. Whereas the living area was designed with beautiful neutrality, her room was a feminine study in various shades of cream. A sheer canopy draped over the grand bed which was covered in a sumptuous cream and gold coverlet. Gorgeous lights hung from the ceiling on either side of the bed, tassels dangling from them and a dainty white desk sat close to the bed. A bright and cheery arrangement of cream-colored flowers sat atop a table in the center of the room and Tessa went to it, bending close so she could breathe deep the heady scent.

“Do you like it?”

The sound of his deep voice made her whirl around. He stood just inside the room, the concierge nowhere to be found.

They were completely alone. Nerves jittered within her, and she clasped her hands behind her back. “It’s beautiful.”

“The entire hotel is like this. No surprise my brother chose it. He has expensive taste,” Alex said wryly.

“It’s close to the Milan shopping district,” Tessa pointed out. The Milan Worth Luxury flagship store was in the center of the
Via della Spiga
, Milan’s renowned fashion street. “I’m sure your brother chose the hotel for its convenience.”

“I’m sure Hunter did.” Amusement laced his tone.

She went to the window, pulling back the heavy drapes so she could peer outside. It was dark, well past nine o’clock and the city streets below were filled with traffic. “We need to be at the store tomorrow by nine at the latest to prepare for the opening.”

“And the store opens at ten.”

“Correct.” Letting the drape fall back into place, she turned to face him. “It’s late. We should probably—turn in.”

He studied her, his dark brows furrowing. Even after waking exceedingly early, hours of travel and a drastic time difference, he appeared unfazed. His suit had nary a crease or wrinkle and the stark white of his shirt against his tanned skin sped up her heart rate.

“Aren’t you hungry?”

“Not really.” Her stomach chose to growl at the precise moment she gave her bogus answer. She was starved but after being around first the skinny flight attendant and then the model thin Bianca, Tessa thought it best she retire without a meal for once in her life.

“You’re lying.”

She shrugged, and her cheeks heated with embarrassment. Why did she always look her worst in front of him? “I’m sure I can go one night without dinner. I’m tired.” That was a lie too. She was wide-awake. It was only around three-thirty New York time and she was too excited being in a foreign city for the first time to consider going to bed yet.

“So you’d deny yourself authentic Italian cuisine because you’re tired?” He literally scoffed. “I don’t think so. Why don’t you freshen up and I’ll take you to dinner.”

She gaped at him. What in the world? “You don’t have to do that.”

“I
want
to do it. Be ready in twenty minutes.” He exited the room and shut the door behind him, leaving Tessa still standing in the center of her room, irritated at the bossy way he commanded her about.