Pursued(29)

Besides, she would have to deal with him some time-he was her baby's  uncle, after all. She might as well hear him out, let him say everything  he wanted to say to her right now, and then maybe they'd be able to  move past it. If she was lucky.                       
       
           



       

"I was just going to get her some water, actually-" Nic started.

"I'd love to dance," she told Marc. Then she stood on her tiptoes to  give Nic a quick kiss on the cheek. "The baby and I are perfectly  hydrated. So stop worrying and dance with Isa."

Then she turned to Marc and let him sweep her onto the dance floor.

He was a surprisingly good dancer. He didn't have Nic's finesse, but  then again, who did? And it wasn't as if he was trying to finesse her  anyway. In fact, when she glanced up at him, it looked more as though he  was trying to figure her out.

It was on their second turn around the floor that she said, "Let's just get it out of the way, okay?"

He glanced down at her, brows lifted in surprise. "I'm beginning to see what Nic likes about you."

"No, you aren't. You don't want your brother anywhere near me."

"Touché." He inclined his head. "Unfortunately, Nic doesn't share my  sentiments. And since you're currently carrying the first heir to  Bijoux, that isn't an option anyway."

"If that's the case, then what do you want?"

"And here I was just about to ask you that question." His eyes were hard.

"I don't want anything-"

"Everybody wants something, Desi. It's the nature of the beast. And I'd  rather know your endgame now than find out about it the hard way, after  you destroy my brother."

"That's not going to happen."

"You're damn right it isn't going to happen, because I'm not going to  let it happen. So tell me what you're after and I'll make sure you get  it, in exchange for-"

"In exchange for what?" Nic asked from where he was suddenly standing  between them. "What do you think you're doing, Marc?" He kept his voice  down and his body language relaxed so as not to draw attention to them,  but his gaze was fierce and furious. So fierce and furious that she  didn't know how his brother even managed to look him in the eye.

Marc did, though, and he was easily as livid as Nic. "I'm the one who  should be asking you that question, shouldn't I? This woman nearly  destroyed us and now you're playing house with her? I get that she's  having your baby, but you're a lot stupider than I gave you credit for  if you can't figure out that even that was a setup. I don't know what  her endgame is yet, but you can't be so blinded by the sex that you  don't know that there is one."

Nic's hands clenched into fists as he gave up any pretense of being  relaxed. "You're going to want to shut up and back off, man."

"Nic, it's fine." She tried to get his attention. "Marc's just trying to protect you."

"Yeah, well, he's doing a lousy job of it," Nic told her as he moved to put his body between her and Marc.

"Or what? You'll punch me in the middle of a charity gala?" Marc  challenged him. "Go ahead. That'd be great PR for Bijoux, huh? Or has a  week with her made you forget everything we've worked so hard for?"

"I think you're the one who's forgotten-"

"Stop it, Nic!" she said, grabbing his arm. She would not be the cause  of them having a fight in the middle of SeaWorld, for God's sake.

"Okay, that's enough, you two." Isa stepped in then, too, grabbing  Marc's arm and pulling him back a few steps. "Tomorrow in the office is  soon enough to talk about this. For now-" she shot Marc a look that told  him she had had more than enough "-you can take me home."

"We're not done here," Nic told her.

"Yes, you are. We all are." The look Isa gave him was as pissed off as it was understanding. "Your brother needs a time-out."

"I'm not five," Marc told her.

"Then stop acting like you are," she answered sweetly as she pulled and prodded him until he gave in.

"We're going to talk tomorrow," he told Nic before turning away.

"Damn straight we are. And it'll be your turn to apologize to Desi."

"That's not necessary, Nic," she said as Marc and Isa walked away.

"It absolutely is. You're my-" Nic broke off, shoving a frustrated hand  through his hair. "He doesn't get to talk to you like that."

There was a part of her that was desperate to know what he'd almost  said, but another part knew it was better if she didn't know. Better if  she didn't make what was between them-a baby-into more than it was, no  matter how she felt about him.                       
       
           



       

"He's just trying to protect you, you know."

"Are we seriously having this conversation right now?" he asked as he  escorted her off the dance floor. "He insulted you. Why are you  defending him?"

"Because he's your brother. And he loves you. Of course he's suspicious of me-why wouldn't he be after the trouble I caused?"

Nic looked at her broodingly. "I'm not suspicious of you."

"Because you're an idiot."

"Hey!"

"Or maybe just the best person on the planet," she continued as if he hadn't interrupted her. "I haven't decided yet."

"Well, after we get back to the house, maybe I can find a way to help  you make up your mind." His voice dropped several notches.

She gave him her best sultry look. "Maybe you can." But as she let him  lead her out to the parking lot-and the limo that was magically sitting  at the curb waiting for them-she couldn't forget Marc's words.

Any more than she could forget the look on his face when Nic had taken her side against his.

She couldn't do that. She couldn't be the one who divided the two of  them. Couldn't be the one who broke up the most important relationship  in Nic's life. She'd been alone. She knew how that felt, knew what it  did to you deep inside. She wouldn't wish that on anyone, let alone Nic.  Wonderful, fun, exciting, beautiful, kind Nic.

But she couldn't say that to him. How could she when he was holding her  and touching her and looking at her as if she'd hung the moon?

There was a part of her that wanted to wallow in it, that wanted to  wrap his affection around herself and snuggle in for as long as it  lasted.

What kind of person would that make her, though? It would end-of course  it would end, because it always ended-and then where would he be? All  alone. She couldn't do that to him. She wouldn't do that to him.

But that didn't mean she had to walk away yet. She could have this  night, could have these last stolen moments with him before she had to  give him up. It wasn't enough-wasn't close to being enough-but it was  what she had. And she would make the best of it.

They didn't talk much during the ride. Instead, they sat close together  in the back of the limo, hands touching, legs brushing. By the time the  driver pulled the limo to a stop at the top of Nic's long driveway,  Desi was practically vibrating with desire. With need. With a  desperation that came as much from Nic himself as from knowing this  would be their last time together.

The moment the front door closed behind them, Nic was on her. He  whirled her around, pressed her back against the wall and then slammed  his mouth down on hers. And then they were kissing, kissing, kissing,  their mouths and tongues and bodies tangling together. She didn't know  where she left off and he began.

It was a powerful thought, a humbling one, and it nearly broke her. How  could it not when she imagined how it could have been between them. How  it should have been.

His hands slid up her legs, fumbled with her underwear. But she knew if  she let him touch her it would be all over. She would be lost in the  maelstrom of pleasure he brought her every time he touched her.

And she wanted that-her body was screaming for it-but she wanted to  pleasure him more. She wanted to take him as high as he took her and  then watch him shatter with the ecstasy coursing through him.

Which was why she pushed him away.

"Desi?" He sounded confused and more than a little pleasure drugged. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

She didn't answer him. Instead she put her hands on his shoulders and  pushed, turning him-turning them-until he was the one with his back  against the wall.

Once she had him where she wanted him, though, she took her time. If  this was all she would have with him, she wanted to go slow, wanted it  to last. Wanted it to be perfect.

She pulled his shirt from his pants, slowly worked the diamond studs  through his buttonholes. Ran her hands over his smooth, hard chest and  reveled in his groans, in the soft, sexy pleas falling from his lips as  she undressed him completely.