Marco took her by the hand and pulled her up out of the chair, and dropped a light kiss on the tips of her fingers. Her legs wobbled.
"You look beautiful."
A new knock on her door broke the moment, and Elaine wrenched her hand from his. "I a.s.sume you know who that is too?"
He nodded, and walked to the door and opened it, taking a garment bag and tipping whoever it was that had made the delivery. "Your dress for dinner."
He placed the hanger in her hand, and she stared at it. He was changing everything about her, from her hair to her wardrobe, in order to make her look like his type. Either that or he was just trying to drive her insane.
She opened her mouth to offer up a sour comment, but the frosty look in his deep chocolate eyes stopped her cold. This was her end of the bargain-the part she had to keep in order to get what she wanted. She swallowed the comeback and went to her room, making her footsteps heavier than necessary, and unzipped the garment bag, revealing a filmy golden-brown dress with beaded spaghetti straps.
It fit her perfectly. Too perfectly. The gown clung to her curves like a second skin, showcasing her small waist and full bust, and revealing a little too much cleavage for her comfort.
Marco hadn"t even asked her size. He"d guessed. If there was a more potent reminder of just how much of a womanizer he was, she couldn"t think of it. And what was even worse was that she had a sneaking suspicion that the boiling feeling she got in her tummy when she thought about him with other women just might be jealousy. Which was a completely futile road to walk down. Men like Marco De Luca could have, and did have, any woman they wanted. And women like her were not exactly the women that men like him wanted.
She exited her bedroom, fighting the desperate urge to cover up her exposed figure. There had been a time when she might have liked the dress, might have felt beautiful. Not anymore. Now she just felt exposed. And the heated look Marco was giving her did not help. He evaluated her slowly, his chocolate eyes slowly caressing her curves. Heat flared in the depths of his eyes and it made her insides tighten. It felt as though someone had reached inside her and stolen the air from her lungs.
"Almost perfect," he said, reaching into his jacket pocket and pulling out a slender velvet case. "I went back to Tiffany"s today." He opened the case and revealed the most beautiful necklace she"d ever seen.
The chain was made up of gossamer strands of white gold gathered together by delicate round-cut diamonds. The center pendant was a showcase of delicate craftsmanship, with intricate winding vines of platinum, and a large, perfectly cut emerald at the center.
He moved behind her and swept her hair to the side, his warm fingertips brushing her nape, sending a shimmer of sparks through her. "You"re a beautiful woman, Elaine. Truly beautiful." She sucked in a breath when the cold jewelry touched her skin, the pendant settling between her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. "Your power is in your beauty. You should use it. Not hide it."
Heat curled through her. Pleasure, she realized. She liked having him say she was beautiful. She liked feeling beautiful. And she wasn"t sure how she felt about discovering that weakness.
He put his hands on her bare shoulders and turned her to face him. "Now you look like my fiancee."
It was one of Manhattan"s trendiest nightspots. A Latin-fusion restaurant decorated with old-world South American art, mingled with the clean, sleek lines of modern design. The hostess led them to his personal table, which was situated by the wall of slanted windows, overlooking the brightly lit city streets. But tonight he didn"t fully appreciate his surroundings.
His thoughts were completely occupied with the woman walking next to him. He had thought the makeover would be helpful, but he"d had no idea that she would be transformed into a supermodel. No, not a supermodel. There was nothing angular or androgynous about her. She was all soft, curvy woman. Her looks weren"t cookie cutter, or trendy. She was cla.s.sic. Her perfect bone structure gave her the kind of beauty that not even age would diminish.
He"d thought she had a beautiful face when it wasn"t enhanced with make-up, but with the subtle colors playing up her eyes and making them sparkle, making her lips look fuller and more inviting, she was stunning. One of the most beautiful women he"d ever seen.
Her hair, which he"d only ever seen in that schoolmarm bun or hanging wet down her back, was styled into soft blond waves that fell down past her shoulders and ended right above the swell of her lush b.r.e.a.s.t.s. And that necklace fitted right in the dip of her cleavage, touching her where he wanted to touch her.
This was the woman he had heard about. The one who could drive a man to do something stupid and reckless and condemn the consequences to h.e.l.l.
And she didn"t want to consummate their marriage.
He ran his hand down the length of her arm and moved it to the small of her back; he saw her pulse jump at the base of her neck. He fought the smug smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth. So she wasn"t as unaffected by him as she wanted him to believe.
He pulled her chair out for her, and for once she simply accepted his offer.
She sat ramrod-straight, a strained look written across her delicate features. He reached across the table and took her hand, rubbing his thumb across the pulse of her wrist. "Do you ever relax?"
"No. Do you?" Her heart fluttered rapidly in her chest and a knot of excitement coiled in her stomach.
He leaned his head in so that his nose was nearly touching hers, and her fluttering heart stopped for a moment. "Only when I"m with a beautiful woman."
The intimacy of the moment was shattered by a flashbulb that momentarily blinded her. She looked and saw a photographer sitting at the bar, trying to look nonchalant as he sat and drank his beer. "Is it always like this for you?"
He gave the photographer a sideways glance. "Not always, but being spotted together two days in a row is bound to have the paparazzi descending in droves. The prospect of me settling down has them chomping at the bit to get the scoop."
"I guess it"s a good thing." Another flashbulb went off. Elaine"s head whipped in the direction of the light. "We do want the word to get out."
She tried to feign indifference at the constant flashes punctuating their conversation, but it was almost impossible when she felt as if she was an actor in a play. Being on show was getting tedious, and it had only just begun.
By the time dessert arrived they had engaged only in small talk, and made no mention at all about the impending nuptials. It was starting to make her nervous. She knew he hadn"t brought her here to discuss how well the Knicks were playing this season. Marco De Luca didn"t do anything without a purpose. She didn"t like feeling like this: unprepared, out of the loop. She had intended on retaining control of the deal, but he was wresting it away from her inch by inch.
Before she could take a bite of her tamarind white chocolate mousse, Marco stood and grasped her hand, then pulled her up so she was standing beside him. She had been afraid he was going to do something like this.
"Can I have everyone"s attention?"
Elaine"s heart rate kicked into overdrive. Oh, he was not doing what she thought he was doing.
"I have something I would like to ask this beautiful lady."
Yes, he was.
The press started snapping pictures like mad. It was the reminder she needed to try and look happy. She didn"t need to try and look surprised.
"Elaine Chapman." He turned and looked her in the eyes, covering both of her hands with his. "Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"
He pulled out a small velvet box, and even though she knew exactly what was in it everything in her tightened up. She couldn"t breathe properly. He opened the box and held the ring out to her. She stood frozen, unable to get a word out around the lump of emotion that was blocking her throat. She could only nod. He gave her a smile that stopped her heart; he looked like a man who had just proposed to the love of his life.
He slipped the brilliant ring onto her finger, and in that moment she could almost believe that he wanted her-almost believe that all of this was real. She felt tears sting the backs of her eyes, because she knew this moment would never be real. Not for her.
The people in the restaurant started to clap. Her knees started to buckle. Marco put his arms around her and pulled her up against him, bringing her flush against his hard body, and then he lowered his head and covered her mouth with his.
She stood completely still for a moment, so shocked she couldn"t respond. Then he changed the angle of his head and teased her lips open with his tongue. She whimpered and wrapped her arms around his neck. His lips were soft and firm and she didn"t care that the moment was being caught on film by a hundred cameras. She didn"t care that they were in the middle of the restaurant. The only thing that mattered was this.
It had been so long since she"d been kissed. Years. But she couldn"t think clearly enough to figure out how many. And she"d never been kissed like this.
He ran his fingertips down the length of her spine and she tangled her fingers in his thick black hair. She felt as if she was going to melt into a puddle at his feet. His tongue swept across her bottom lip and she abandoned all her reason to revel in the moment.
She thrust her tongue into his mouth and felt his body jolt. He anch.o.r.ed his hands on her hips. Her b.r.e.a.s.t.s felt heavy and an unfamiliar ache started to throb between her thighs.
Then he released her, and she wanted to grab his head and pull him back to her regardless of the fact that they had an audience.
He smiled at her and leaned in to whisper in her ear, "I think that looked pretty convincing, don"t you?"
The high she"d felt when his lips had touched hers crashed. It was all for show.
And as the flashes continued to go off, and people continued to clap, she stood with a smile fixed on her face and all she wanted to do was go home, crawl into her bed, and cry.
Chapter Four.
"I CAME over so we could discuss the terms and conditions." Marco swept past Elaine and entered her tiny apartment without waiting for an invite.
"I told you I would have my lawyer contact you." She didn"t want Marco and his disturbing presence in her apartment. It was her sanctuary, her refuge from the frenetic pace of her life. Bringing him into it seemed wrong somehow. She hadn"t seen him since their faux engagement had gone into effect. Hadn"t seen him since that kiss.
"I a.s.sume you"ve had contracts drawn up?" he asked.
She glanced at her briefcase. "Yes." She"d had them drafted as soon as she"d found the loophole in her father"s contracts.
He smiled sardonically. "It"s necessary that we discuss precisely what each of us expects from this union before anyone signs anything."
"All right," she said slowly. She studied the layout of her s...o...b..x apartment. Papers covered most surfaces. It was a very orderly mess; everything was stacked neatly and organized. The kitchen and living area served as her office, and since visitors were rare she usually left everything out rather than sticking it back into neat little folders. "We can work at the coffee table." She gestured to the low table in the middle of the living room.
She bent and picked up a stack of doc.u.ments and moved them to the large metal filing cabinet in the corner. When she turned, Marco was leafing through one of the binders she"d left on the table.
He looked up at her, his dark eyes keen. "Your business plan?" She nodded and watched, feeling tense for some reason, as he skimmed the pages. "You have some very good ideas," he said finally, setting the black book back in its spot.
A flush of pleasure crept through her traitorous body. "Yes. I think I can double the profits inside of two years just by implementing basic technologies. There haven"t been a lot of advances at Chapman"s in the past few years. My father isn"t the most modern of men."
Marco gave her a wry smile. "So I gathered."
She rushed on as if he hadn"t said anything, the fire and excitement burning in her now. "I want to set up a website with online ordering. I also think the way the warehouses and call centers are run could be streamlined for greater efficiency and lower operating costs."
Her heart was beating a little faster, as it always did when she talked about the company. The man sitting on her couch had nothing to do with it.
"Very good." To his credit he didn"t sound surprised, but still it made her feel defensive.
"Thank you. I"m actually pretty smart, you know." She couldn"t resist adding, "I graduated from high school two years early, and I was at the top of my cla.s.s at Harvard."
"And look at all you have to show for it."
She narrowed her eyes. "Is that an insult?"
"Only if you"re unhappy with what you have to show for it." And, judging by his critical expression, he thought she should be.
"Hey! He tells jokes," she said balefully.
"I"d do a song and dance but...I know where my talents are best served."
"And, as you know, sticking to what you"re good at is the key to success."
He nodded, his hard features serious. "That and perseverance."
She would be shocked if Marco De Luca had ever had to practice much perseverance. He seemed like the kind of man who"d had everything handed to him in life-mostly because she couldn"t imagine that very many people were brave enough to deny him anything. And even if they were brave enough, he was a very charismatic man. He drew people to him. She was sure he was very good at getting what he wanted, using honey or vinegar.
"So, what is it that you hope to get from our arrangement?" Marco asked.
"I want exactly what I said upfront. I want my father"s company. Nothing more or less."
"You"re an ambitious woman, Elaine. I find it hard to believe that you would be content with just your father"s company when you could try and obtain so much more."
"Why? You think because I"m a woman that my highest end goal is to just marry some rich guy and spend my days lunching and shopping? I respect myself far too much to have my happiness be determined by a husband or anyone else."
Her own mother had been pathetic that way. Chasing after men in an attempt to gain the attention of an indifferent husband, searching for some sort of acceptance and validation at the hands of others. Elaine was making her own way, her own success. She certainly wasn"t going to become the kind of simpering female her mother had been.
She"d worked so hard to distance herself from that sort of behavior. Ironic that one small rumor about her and her direct supervisor at Stanley Winthrop had undone every ounce of her work. Marco had been right about reputations: they were difficult to build up but so very easy to tear down.
A snide comment made from a co-worker she"d dated briefly, who"d taken offense at the fact that she hadn"t jumped at the chance to sleep with him, had spread amongst other jealous interns until it had somehow blossomed into its own ent.i.ty. She"d been sick when it had finally reached her. The story was that she"d been having illicit s.e.x with her very nice, very married boss. And the man who had relayed it to her had gleefully given her all the graphic details that he"d heard.
It had been indescribably painful, knowing that someone she"d cared about, someone she"d kissed, had said such awful things about her, had set out to ruin her because she wouldn"t hop into bed with him. She"d avoided men since then. No dates. And she honestly hadn"t had many before that. Which was why, at the ripe old age of twenty-four, she was still a virgin. Which was fine with her. Hormonal awakenings had kind of pa.s.sed her over. Until recently.
Marco settled on the couch, his dark eyes trained on her. "Just as well that you feel that way, as I have no intention of being tied down by a wife. Not permanently, at least."
"At least we agree on that point." She had a feeling it might be their last agreement of the evening.
"And we need to agree on another one. You cannot get pregnant. If you do, you forfeit the company, and you can forget any sort of financial allowance from me. I don"t want a wife, and I definitely don"t want diaper duty."
She blinked, shocked by the words that had just come out of his mouth. "I thought we"d already established that I wasn"t going anywhere near your bedroom during the course of this...this marriage. And, seeing as you and I both know it isn"t the stork that brings babies, I think fatherhood is the last thing you have to worry about." She wrinkled her nose. "Well, the last thing you have to worry about with me. I can"t comment on behalf of your other lady-friends."
"I always practice safe s.e.x."
It was the absolute truth. Marco had no intention of becoming some woman"s meal ticket for eighteen years, and he was totally scrupulous in his s.e.xual practices for both the sake of his health and his checkbook. But that didn"t mean that some of his mistresses hadn"t tried to find a way around the precautions. He"d caught one woman with an open box of condoms and a needle, and he"d watched as she"d put a tiny puncture in each plastic packet before putting them neatly back into the box.
Then there had been the woman who"d tried to pa.s.s another man"s baby off as his. Never mind that she"d been eight weeks along and he"d only known her for two.
He was well familiar with the female mind and how it worked. Financial security and wealth was the highest goal for the vast majority of the fairer s.e.x. His own mother had prized it above everything, even her two children.
"Well, you won"t be practicing any sort of s.e.x with me," she said, twin spots of color high on her cheekbones.
Her prim exterior amused him-especially knowing what he did about her. She made for a very intriguing challenge.
"What exactly are your other terms and conditions?" she said tartly, as if reading the tenor of his thoughts.
"Simple. I"m only agreeing to this for the benefit of my company. I need to be sure that I"ll be gaining much more than I would lose by forfeiting Chapman Electronics. That means I need you on call twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week."
Elaine didn"t like the sound of that, although the odd fluttering in her stomach seemed to indicate otherwise. "What am I on call for?"
"Business functions, personal dinners. Whatever I might need my wife for."
"What about my job...my life?"
"I thought the company was the most important thing in your life."
Desire burned in her chest. Desire to prove herself to her father, to everyone. "It is."