True Love Page 7

  Shayla nervously gnawed on her bottom lip. She immediately stopped when she noticed Nicholas’s gaze fasten on her mouth. “I guess not.” She then held her hand out to him. “Thanks again for a nice evening.”

  Nicholas looked down at the hand she was offering him. A part of him knew he should take it and remove himself from her company immediately. Another part, though, wanted to do something he’d been dying to do since first meeting her. He glanced up from her hand to her face. “I don’t think it’s proper for an engaged couple to shake hands, Shayla. What happens if we’re placed in a position where we’ll have to kiss?”

  A knot formed in Shayla’s throat and heat settled in the pit of her stomach at the very thought of that possibility. The lump in her throat tightened, and the heat in her stomach grew more intense when she saw Nicholas’s gaze had again fastened on her mouth. “I doubt that’ll be necessary. The Chinese aren’t big on public displays of affection.”

  “That may be the case, but Americans are, and a number of them will be there. I think we should get in a couple of practice sessions,” he said, leaning toward her.

  When Shayla realized his intent, she went still. How on earth would she be able to survive his kiss? Before her mind could provide an answer and before she could catch her next breath, Nicholas’s lips captured hers. He tasted of the wine they’d had at dinner and the heat of desire. The mixture was intoxicating. On a sigh, her mouth opened under his, inviting the invasion of his tongue.

  His kiss was possessive and urgent as it began mating rhythmically with hers. Automatically, instinctively, her tongue began moving with his as her emotions whirled and skidded out of control. Something in the back of her mind told her that she desperately needed this—the deep urgent mating of his tongue with hers, the release of the emotional turmoil within her, and the fierce heat that was totally consuming her.

  From somewhere else, the voice of reason flashed through her delirious mind and tried convincing her that she did not need this. But when Nicholas’s kiss deepened, becoming even more demanding, and his arms tightened around her, bringing her even closer to the muscled breadth of his chest, she thought that even if she didn’t need this, she wanted it, anyway. She eradicated all thought from her mind, languidly content to be in his arms, savoring the heady taste of him.

  The sound of a door opening and closing startled Shayla from the sensuous insanity possessing her. Since they were on a private floor with only three suites, the person who opened the door had to have been Paul. No doubt he had been a witness to their torrid kiss. Although her body was still somewhat out of whack, she forced her mind back on track, broke from Nicholas’s kiss, and took a step back.

  “Nicholas,” she said breathlessly, “that was enough practice. I think we’ll get it right if the time comes.”

  As Shayla’s gaze settled on Nicholas’s features, she saw that his lips were moist and glistening. His eyes had a glazed look that made the pupils appear a fiery gold. She also noted that they were both breathing hard.

  “Yeah, I think you’re right,” he responded softly in a deep husky whisper. His gaze glued to her lips, he was ready to practice some more if she let him.

  “Good night, Nicholas.” Shayla opened her door and hurried inside, quickly closing it behind her.

  Chapter 8

  Later that night Nicholas discovered that no amount of physical exertion could remove the fierce desire be felt for Shayla. After she’d entered her room, he had gone to his own, changed into a jogging outfit, and left for the health club. Luckily for him, the facility stayed open all night.

  After an hour of nonstop running around the inside jogging track, he returned to his room, took a shower, then crawled into bed completely exhausted, only to remain awake with his mind filled with thoughts of Shayla and the kiss they had shared. He had regretted kissing her the moment he had done so, but the softness of her lips and the sweetness of her taste had made him keep right on kissing her. She had felt so good, so right, so perfect in his arms. And now that he had savored her taste he wanted more.

  She had returned his kiss with equal abandonment. Her tongue had mated furiously and urgently with his, withholding nothing. Shayla Kirkland was a passionate and sensuous woman. Even when she had abruptly brought the kiss to an end, a look of total surprise and wonder had flushed her features. Neither of them could deny the heat that had surged between them.

  Seeing that he could not sleep, he got up and tried watching television. When he couldn’t find anything that held his interest on the English channel, he tried one of the international stations. It only took a few minutes to discover that solution wouldn’t work, either.

  Nicholas turned off the television set. Since it was apparent that going to sleep was impossible for him, he decided he might as well get some work done. Earlier that day his marketing department had faxed him a report that needed his attention.

  Less than thirty minutes later, when he’d failed to concentrate on what he was reading, he pushed the papers aside. No woman had ever gotten to him to the point that he could not focus on work. For the three years following his father’s death, Chenault Electronics had been the main interest in his life.

  He snorted, gave a choked laugh, and leaned back in his chair. Amazing. He had been involved with Olivia for over a year, and thoughts of her had never intruded on his work time. His yearnings had never been this strong and fierce. Ever since he had returned from dinner he had been filled with thoughts of Shayla.

  Common sense was warning him to back off and to erase her from his mind, but that was easier said than done. He felt bewitched, even besotted. He tapped his fingers against the desk, feeling irritated and frustrated. He rolled his shoulders in an effort to ease the tension lodged there.

  Nicholas stood, groaning as he rose and stretched his body. He might have overdone things at the health club. Having decided that soaking in a warm tub wasn’t a bad idea, he’d begun walking toward the bathroom when the phone rang. He picked it up immediately.

  “Yes?”

  “Nick, this is Paul. I figured you wouldn’t be getting much sleep tonight.”

  “How’d you figure that?”

  “After seeing you and Ms. Kirkland wrapped up pretty tight in each other’s arms earlier, I figured sleep would be the last thing on your mind.”

  Nicholas was determined to remain cool and unruffled by Paul’s comment. “You surprise me, Paul. I never thought I’d see the day you’d resort to being a Peeping Tom.”

  The older man’s chuckle made Nicholas scowl. “And I never thought I’d see the day that you’d make a public spectacle of yourself.”

  Nicholas rubbed the top of his head in annoyance. He did not need Paul reminding him of his unorthodox behavior around Shayla that night. “Was there a reason for this call, Paul?”

  “Yes, I thought you’d want to know what I discovered today while I was out and about.”

  Nicholas frowned. “What?”

  “Thomas Jordache is in Hong Kong.”

  Nicholas’s frown deepened. “What’s he doing here?”

  “Your guess is as good as mine. We’ll just have to wait and see what sort of game he’s playing this time.”

  Shayla rubbed sleep from her eyes and blinked against the bright sunlight flowing into the window. She switched positions in bed, letting her eyes adjust to daylight before looking over at the clock on the nightstand. It was eight o’clock Hong Kong time. Her body was still trying to operate on Chicago time.

  She closed her eyes when she remembered the kiss she and Nicholas had shared. There was tightness in her stomach and an ache in her breasts just thinking about it. It had been a long time since she’d been kissed, and never like that. Sheesh, the man was an excellent kisser. He had made her head spin, and her body tremble. He had tortured her mouth with his tongue, and she had responded by pressing her body closer to him, coming alive and uncontrolled in his arms. The sensuous emotions that had surged through her had robbed her of any conscio
us thought. She had acted wantonly, behaved recklessly. How on earth would she face him today? Their kiss had been a mistake. Pretended engagement or not, she would not let it happen again. How had she allowed it to happen in the first place? While kissing him she had lost all sense of time and purpose. And to make matters worse, she had totally forgotten about her plan.

  Tossing the covers back, she pulled herself out of bed and went into the bathroom. After taking a shower, brushing her teeth, applying light makeup, and combing her hair, she began getting dressed to go downstairs to grab something to eat.

  She remembered Nicholas mentioning at dinner last night that he had planned to leave the hotel early and do some sightseeing. She hoped he had not changed his plans, because he was the last person she wanted to run into. Tonight was the night of Mr. Ming’s dinner party, and she would see Nicholas soon enough for that. He was becoming more of a challenge than she had anticipated. Whenever he talked about Chenault Electronics, he was always serious, focused, intense. And when he had kissed her last night, he had been just as serious, focused, and intense. The hands that had held her body snugly against his while the heat of his tongue had devoured hers had scorched her through the material of her clothing, and they had promised a higher degree of pleasure if given the chance to touch her bare skin.

  Shayla shook her head to clear her lustful thoughts. She would not, and could not, go there. Doing so would be a mistake. A very big mistake.

  Nicholas was determined to avoid Shayla for most of the day. He had cancelled his plans to go sightseeing. Instead he had ordered room service and remained in his room, reading the report he had been unable to read last night and checking on how things were going at the Jacksonville and Chicago offices.

  Thomas Jordache’s presence in Hong Kong had not been good news. In his line of business there was nothing wrong with a generous dose of healthy competition, but when someone made it an all-out war, things could get pretty nasty. And basically that was what Thomas Jordache was doing, and had been doing for years—declaring war on Chenault Electronics. The man was determined to destroy the company.

  Nicholas knew Jordache’s drive to destroy Chenault stemmed from a breach of trust between his father and the man years ago, when both of their companies were first formed. But now that Alan Chenault was no longer living, Nicholas could not understand what still motivated Jordache to indulge in unsavory business tactics against Chenault Electronics. All Nicholas knew was that when it came to Thomas Jordache he had learned to always be on his guard and to watch his back. The man would use anything and everything against him, if given the chance.

  Nicholas placed the ink pen he’d been using down. Earlier he had placed a call to his mother and a call to Sterling’s home in the North Carolina mountains to see how they were doing. His mother was doing fine, and his sister-in-law, Colby, had told him that Sterling had gone out of town unexpectedly and would be returning in a few days. Nicholas had inquired about his niece, and was glad to know she was doing well. He wasn’t used to being around children, but with his niece, Chandler, he was getting the hang of things. He always enjoyed the time he spent with her. She was such a beautiful and happy baby.

  He glanced down at his watch. It was two o’clock already. He, Shayla, and Paul were to arrive at Ming’s residence around six. He stood. He had time to take a quick nap to make up for the sleep he’d lost last night when thoughts of Shayla had consumed him. Not that she was no longer consuming him, but today he felt more in control. If he could make it through the next few days, he would be okay when he returned to the States.

  His problem, he had concluded, was that he had gone a long time without a woman. It had nothing to do with Shayla Kirkland. He would probably feel just as hot and bothered around any beautiful woman. Unfortunately, it was Shayla he was constantly around lately, so logically his body and mind were reacting to her. Once he began dating again, things would be fine. He was certain of it.

  Walking into the bedroom, he flopped down on the bed, knowing he was just fooling himself. He had dated other women since Olivia, but none of them had managed to rejuvenate his sexual desires with just their scent, and none had made him ache in places he had forgotten existed with just their glance.

  Nicholas stifled a groan and squeezed his eyes tightly shut, willing his mind and body to return to his complete control. Now was not the time to behave like a teenager discovering sex for the first time and hungry for the taste of it.

  He opened his eyes and realized that what he was feeling went beyond mere hunger. For the first time in over a year, he was showing some really serious interest in a woman.

  Shayla glanced at her profile in the full-length mirror. The black satin dress emphasized every curve of her body and provided a smooth and sleek fit, and the diamond necklace and diamond stud earrings accented her attire without overdoing it. It was important to her that she look her best tonight, especially if everyone assumed she was Nicholas’s fiancée. The dress, another purchase from her aunt’s shop, was perfect. Luckily, Aunt Callie had talked her into bringing it along just in case she needed a really classy outfit. As far as she was concerned, this one was certainly appropriate. She wondered what Nicholas’s reaction would be when he saw her in it.

  After taking a full turn in the mirror she took a deep breath and walked out of the room. Anxiety had plagued her most of the day. She had not heard from Nicholas, and the thought that in less than five minutes he would be knocking on her door had her stomach tied in knots.

  Moments later, when she heard the knock, she took a deep breath to maintain her composure and walked over to the door. After taking a brief moment to swallow deeply, she opened it. She wished she could let out a sigh of relief when she saw that Paul was with Nicholas. But then she remembered that Paul had been a witness to their torrid embrace. That only made her more uncomfortable around Paul than usual.

  “Nicholas. Paul. I’m ready. I just need to grab my purse.”

  “No hurry, we have plenty of time,” Paul said, entering her room and leaving Nicholas standing outside her door. Nicholas had not said anything. He just stood there leaning against the doorjamb, looking at her. Shayla found his stare unnerving. She walked over to the table and picked up her purse, feeling his gaze on her every step.

  When Shayla turned back around and saw that Nicholas was still standing in the same spot staring at her, she couldn’t stand it any longer. Even at a distance, with Paul in the room with them, she could feel his heat, and it was touching her. “Is something wrong, Nicholas?” She ignored the chuckle Paul tried smothering by placing his hand over his mouth in a fake cough.

  Nicholas shook his head and straightened his stance. He knew it wasn’t polite to stare, but he couldn’t help it. When she’d walked to the desk, he studied the sweeping line of her spine, which extended from her neck all the way down to her curvaceous bottom. The sight of it had almost challenged his sanity.

  Eyebrows slightly raised, his gaze still locked on hers, he said, “No, there’s nothing wrong.” He came into the room and walked over to stand in front of her. “You look beautiful tonight, Shayla.”

  “Thank you, Nicholas.” His compliment floated over Shayla, lifting her spirits and at the same time rallying her fears. How was she going to spend an entire evening in his company pretending to be his fiancée? Especially with all the sexual tension flowing between them.

  “And I ditto that,” Paul piped in. His words intruded into Shayla’s thoughts and reminded her that she and Nicholas were not alone.

  “Thanks, Paul,” she said, glancing over at him. The smile he gave her was one of kindness, but the one she returned was plastered on. She still felt wary of him.

  A few minutes later they were in the elevator riding down to the lobby, where, according to Paul, a limo was waiting. When the elevator stopped, Nicholas’s hand moved to the center of Shayla’s back and touched her bare skin.

  “This way,” he said softly as he led her off the elevator and down the same s
tairs they had taken last night while on their way out to dinner. Just before he opened the door for her to get into the limo, she felt his thumb gently stroke the part of her back left bare by the cut of her dress. Her breath caught in her throat at the sensations his touch evoked.

  She slid into the backseat of the limo, and he got in after her. Paul, she noted, got up front with the driver. She scooted over to the far corner of the car. When she did, Nicholas reached out and gently pulled her back to the center of the seat toward him. “I don’t bite,” he whispered silkily. He was sitting so close to her that his breath caressed her face.

  “I—I know you don’t,” she managed to say. She tried staring straight ahead and not concentrating on the man sitting so close beside her.

  “I meant what I said earlier, Shayla. You look beautiful.”

  She turned and looked at him and stared straight into his gold eyes. “Thank you, and you look nice tonight, too.” That, she thought, was an understatement. If not for Paul’s presence, she probably would have stood in the doorway and stared at him just as long as he had stared at her. Dressed in a black tux, a crisp white shirt, and cummerbund, he was the epitome of sexiness. The only thing sexier would be him without any clothes on.

  That thought made heat settle in the center of her body. She shifted positions in the seat and looked out the window, tightening her thighs together.

  “Hong Kong is beautiful at night, isn’t it?” Nicholas said. He shifted his position. If they sat any closer they would be in each other’s laps. She turned to face him, and immediately wished she hadn’t. His face was right there, directly in front of hers, so close she could see the darkening of his gold eyes, so close that if she moved another millimeter their lips would brush. She tried to will her body to stop throbbing, but it wasn’t paying any attention to her shaky command. She couldn’t utter a response to his question. She could only nod.

  “This is a different route than the one the limo took last night. I thought you’d appreciate seeing this part of Hong Kong,” he added.