So that was what his kisses had been about. His passionate ministrations…all that part of a ploy to soften her up for this?
Well, Keyonna told herself he wasn’t going to seduce her into marrying him so he could secure his precious fortune.
“Do you think I’m fooling around?” Nick growled, gripped her elbow and spinning her around so she had to look up into his face. “Do you think I’m asking you on a whim?”
Keyonna held his gaze squarely. “Why are you asking me, Nick?”
Keyonna realized she had to hear it from him. Wanted to know if he could be completely straight with her. For some reason, that meant a great deal.
Nick hesitated, his eyes boring darkly into hers. And then he shrugged, releasing her as he let out an angry sigh. “I need a wife. As soon as possible. Because if I don’t get married in five weeks’ time, everything I own; all I’ve ever worked for, will be going up in smoke. My inheritance will end up being given all to charity – I’ll be left with nothing,” he said factually.
Keyonna let out a ragged sigh of relief. He didn’t look pleased having to come clean, but she could tell he felt some kind of relief at finally being able to lay it on the table.
“And you picked me,” she said more than asked, unable to keep the slight sarcasm from her tone.
“No, Keyonna, you picked me,” Nick said, his eyes suddenly flashing with irritation as he spun to face her. “My life was going fine until you decided to pull that kissing stunt at the dinner party. I would easily have settled for Rachel, but you blew it and I think it’s only fair that you should at least attempt to make things right. Don’t you?” His brow lifted in a mocking ‘V’ that made Keyonna bristle.
Shoving her hair back, she let out a ‘whoosh’. “Look. I’m really sorry about everything. But there’s no way I’ll…”
“Trust me, I wouldn’t be asking you to do this if there wasn’t so much at stake,” he said in a cold tone that reminded her of the old Nick; the forbidding, untouchable and ice-cold Nick that made something twist deep within her chest. A shiver of foreboding crossed through her and she hugged her arms to herself.
“You called me a tyrant,” Nick said coolly. “Well, that’s exactly what my father was. Apparently, he intended to teach me a lesson after some long ago imagined slight. He knew I’d do anything to hold on to what’s my birthright. He certainly made me work hard enough all these years to earn it. I was never given any special treatment for being the boss’s only son; in fact I had to prove myself even harder than everyone else to get to the heights I reached.” A thin, mirthless smile crossed his lips. “Do you really think I’d be willing to give that all up?”
Keyonna threw her hands up helplessly. “But what has all that got to do with me? You saw what went on between my ex and I the other night. If I could turn down my one-time boyfriend, whom incidentally I trust and know from way back, why would I say yes to marrying you, a near-perfect stranger?” Keyonna shook her head. “Mark’s marriage proposal was difficult enough to accept but yours is totally impossible.”
“Why impossible?” Nick asked with a thoughtful frown. “Am I that detestable?”
“That’s not the point,” Keyonna said through tight lips. “You and I…we aren’t even friends. And let’s face it, I know there’re tons of females out there who’d gladly fill up the vacant post.”
“But it’s not them I want, is it?” Nick rumbled. He reached out and wrapped his hand snugly around her wrist and tugged her hard against him. Keyonna swallowed with difficulty and strained away as much as his steel hold would allow. As her heart rate increased alarmingly at his closeness, Keyonna wondered if she’d ever be immune to his overwhelming magnetism. She only had to look at him and she desired him – felt weak to resist his physical as well as psychological dominance. But even as he brought out the submissive nature hidden beneath her tough shell, resist him she would…
He cupped her face in his hands, and Keyonna’s lashes fluttered low as he slowly bent down and slanted his lips across hers. Limp with pleasure, Keyonna could only gasp as Nick’s tongue suddenly plunged deep into her parted mouth.
So much for resisting him. He ran his hands down from her throat and slipped them over the curve of her spine to grab handfuls of her jean-clad bottom. Keyonna shivered over and over.
She longed for his kiss and touch; that she couldn’t deny. Hell, she was only human. And Nick effortlessly left her feeling aroused, confused and longing for more. She could hear his breath grow raspy with lust as he deepened the kiss, urging her into a more wanton response. Moaning, she opened wide to his invasion, eager for the lashings of his tongue around hers. He let out a throaty growl of pleasure that vibrated against the stiff nipples she had pressed up against his hard torso.