Power and Possession(27)
“I use the house mainly for parties,” he said. “So.”
“I see.”
“What?”
“Nothing.”
But her eyes were cool and he briefly debated his answer. “Look,” he said quietly, “I just met you. I’m not apologizing for my lifestyle, if that’s what you want.”
“Did you have a party last night?” Some lunatic was speaking for her.
“Yeah, the usual warm up for my annual bash offshore. If I’d known you then, you would have been here with me. Okay?”
“Did you get any sleep?” Clearly, her psyche was demented.
“Not much. Do you have a lot more questions?” His gaze had chilled. “Just asking, because yesterday is fucking irrelevant.”
“I have no right. I understand.” Finally, the voice of reason.
“Good.”
She suddenly grinned. “Maybe I’ll make you pay.”
“You already have. Believe me, this is not the kind of foreplay I had in mind.”
“But I’m worth it.”
She was smiling at him, like some beautiful, barely dressed enchantress with the keys to the kingdom. He sighed. “So it seems.”
“I’m not apologizing for shaking up your world,” she said brightly, paraphrasing his earlier comment. “And extended foreplay isn’t my idea of a good time either. So can I help?”
He liked her quixotic moods, although there wasn’t much he didn’t like about her. “Why don’t you check out the drawers in here,” he said quickly, wishing to avoid thoughts about liking any woman so indiscriminately. “I’ll see what I can find in the bathroom and dressing room.” Not that he was overly optimistic after Roddy’s frantic search last night.
Hundreds of drawers and ten bedroom suites later, Rafe walked out of the last dressing room, stopped in the doorway, and looked at Nicole sprawled in a chair near the fireplace. “I’m about out of ideas.”
“Think.” Nicole made a face. “Because I’m seriously frustrated.”
“You’re not the only one. I’ve never worked so hard for a piece of ass in my life.” He smiled. “When I said I wanted to take it slow, I didn’t mean this slow.” Bracing his outstretched hands against the doorjambs, he stared at her. “I don’t suppose you feel like being rash. Or semi-rash. Really, I don’t foresee a problem.”
She met his gaze. “I’m twenty-two years old.”
Suddenly the hair on the back of his neck rose as an issue so rare as to be almost obsolete jostled his consciousness. Did her concern about condoms have something to do with birth control? She was offbeat enough to have her own weird reservations about taking pharmaceuticals. “You’re on the pill, right?”
“What if I said no?”
His adrenaline spiked. “Then I’d say it might be a good idea if you were.”
She smiled. “You didn’t ask.”
“I assumed.”
“Really, with your track record? That’s a dangerous assumption.”
His voice had a brittle edge to it. “Spare me the editorial. A simple yes or no will do.”
“Yes.”
His eyes snapped shut for a second, then he dropped his hands. “Glad that’s cleared up,” he said smoothly, picturing spanking her creamy ass for his near heart attack. “Then we’ll just wait until Simon gets back. Would you like dinner?”
She gave him a raking glance as he stood in the doorway, all hard-muscled, male splendor with an endless supply of sex appeal and enviable urbanity. “Not unless you’re on the menu.” She could do smoothly unruffled too.
He sighed. Then he suddenly grinned as a switch flicked on in his brain. “How easily are you embarrassed?”
“The word has no meaning.”
“Come on then. You can meet my staff.”
Ten minutes later, because the house was gigantic and it took them that long to traverse the numerous hallways and stairways, they walked into the ground-floor kitchen.
“Don’t get up,” Rafe said as several men and women began to rise from their dinners. “I have a request. But first, may I introduce Miss Nicole Parrish. Nicole, meet everyone.”
A round of bonjours were exchanged as if she weren’t barefoot and nude under one of Rafe’s shirts. Then a young, slim, dark-haired man with Slavic eyes came to his feet. “What do you need? I’m sure we can find it.”
“I’m not so sure, Basil. I’ve already gone through every drawer upstairs. Which brings me to a personal question. Does anyone here have condoms?”
As numerous smiles appeared and titters erupted, Basil snapped his fingers and instant quiet ensued. “You heard Mr. Contini. Those who can help, please do so immediately.”