Her Gentle Capture (8 page)

Dylan watched her for a long moment. Crossing his arms over his chest, he shook his head
and frowned. “You’re falling for the guy, aren’t you?”

Both Antonio and Davis stared at her hard. “You had better not fall for him, Adriana,” Davis said with urgency. “Remember, marriage is forever. We are forever. You marry a guy who treats you badly, and we torment him forever.” A smile appeared on his handsome features before he said, “or until we drive him nuts and he runs for the hills.”

Antonio stepped in “And then we’ll find you a guy that’s worthwhile. You are too good, Adriana. Don’t settle for anything less than a great guy.”

Adriana felt her heart swell with love for these three men. Marcus was just the same, filled with love and affection. They might show it in an odd way, with all of their gruff, sweet attempts to protect her, but she knew they meant well.

After ordering
several pizzas, knowing that one pizza would never be enough for the four of them, she ended the call and smiled up at her three brothers. “Okay, why don’t we all sit down, have a beer and you guys can tell me what’s been going on in your life? Because there’s no way I’m telling you anything more. You guys will go crazy trying to…” she made air quotes with her hands “...make things better, and I’m
not going to allow that.”

The four of them sprawled out in her living room, her brothers drinking beer while she sipped a glass of red wine. The pizza came and the three of them devoured the pizza, while she looked on and smiled. She truly was blessed by these guys. She wished Marcus was here. He was just as big, but he was a sweet guy. At least in her opinion. Some of the women he dated in the
past probably wouldn’t think so. Then again, all of her brothers were filled with charm and an ability to sweet talk just about any woman that crossed their path. So she guessed that all of the women who spent time with one of her brothers probably smiled with fond memories.

They talked and chatted and ate, Davis and Dylan occasionally asking her sly questions to find out what was going on. Marcus
was an easier read, but he was only sixteen years old. So when he asked a question, he was a bit more direct than the older guys. By the time they left, she was still smiling and feeling honored to have such a loving family.

As she lay in bed that night staring up at the ceiling, she wondered what Mitch had done tonight. She wondered if he had missed her. And as she fell into a restless sleep,
she hoped that he had had thought of her at least once during the night.

Unfortunately, she kept waking up during the night, her limbs tangled in the sheets because of the dreams forcing their way through her brain. By the time her alarm went off the next day, she felt like she’d barely slept at all. Her mind simply refused to shut down. Her dreams kept going over the things she wanted him
to do to her, the way he’d kissed her the previous night and she almost wept when it was time to go into work.

The day was miserable because she was so tired. But when the others on the floor started leaving, she didn’t grab her purse and walk out with them. Her phone buzzed and she started trembling as she reached for it, knowing the text was from Mitch. “Are you waiting for me? Or have
you snuck out again?”

It took her several tries to respond because her fingers were shaking so badly, but she finally typed out, “I’m still here. But I don’t know if I can do all you want from me yet.”

She waited several moments for a response but instead, she looked up and found him standing there, looking tall and big and extraordinary. “The ‘yet’ is all I need for now.”

“You’re here,” she
whispered.

He closed her door and leaned against it, crossing his arms over his chest. “So are you.”

She nodded and stood up, wanting him to take her into his arms. “Now what?” she asked.

“Did you sleep well last night?” he asked softly, his eyes moving over her figure in the elegant black suit.

“No. I don’t think I slept at all.”

He pushed away from the door and came to stand over her.
“Good,” he told her. “Neither did I.” He leaned forward, pushing her backwards so she was leaning against her desk. “Here’s how I understand you want to move,” he said softly. “You want to take this step by step, moving closer to the ultimate goal of making love. Is that it?” he asked her. “You want to test each step, see how it feels and try it on for size.”

She thought that sounded absolutely
wonderful. “I suppose that would work.”

“Then open your shirt for me.” He looked down at her, his eyes heating up with his dare. When she just stared back at him for several pregnant moments, he smiled slightly. “Can’t do it, can you?” he jibed.

Adriana laughed softly, enjoying the way he was teasing her and daring her at the same time. “Think you can handle it?” she asked, her fingers
toying with the buttons on her silk blouse.

He bent lower. “Oh, I can handle it, little lady. Just bring it on and I’ll prove it to you.”

She couldn’t help her laughter now. Nor could she stop when her fingers unbuttoned her shirt. On the last button, she looked up into his eyes, her heart almost stopping when she saw the way his eyes were looking at her.

“All of it,” he commanded, still
leaning over her, one hand on either side of her on the desk.

She felt brave and powerful now. Pushing the silk aside, she let it flutter at her sides. Her fingers then teased the front clasp of her bra, just touching the closure while she watched his face tighten. “You sure you can handle this?” she asked. Not worried but not sure what she was feeling. And wasn’t that a good question for
herself too?

His eyes moved up to hers and she gasped at the heat in those blue depths. “Can yon?” he challenged.

With a flick of her fingers, the clasp released. But she wasn’t brave enough to push the lace away. She held it closed, her fingers, her whole body trembling. No man had ever seen her breasts before and she was suddenly painfully shy.

“Let me see,” he told her firmly, his
voice barely above a rasp.

The words, the tone and his look, his heavy anticipation gave her the courage to continue. With the slightest movement, she pushed the lace of her bra away. Mitch’s blue eyes continued to hold her brown gaze and she held her breath, waiting for him to look. It was pure torture, waiting for that moment. Slowly, as if he had all the time in the world, Mitch’s gaze
lowered.

The moment his eyes latched onto her breasts, she felt a feminine power unlike anything she’d ever experienced. He wanted her. She’d never been in any doubt of that before, but the tension in his body, the heat emanating from him, was almost more than she could bear. “Maybe I should…” she started to close her shirt but his eyes slashed up to hers.

“Don’t,” he commanded roughly.
His eyes reinforced his order and she dropped her hands again, giving in and letting him look his fill.

“I’m going to touch you,” he told her softly but with a harsh edge as if he were holding onto his control by a thread. He didn’t take his eyes off of her breasts. Her nipples were hard and pert, calling out to him and he couldn’t resist the temptation.

“Don’t move,” he said when she started
to close her shirt again.

She dropped her hands and Mitch continued to gaze upon perfection. His hand moved up, cupping the lovely globes. His thumb rubbed against her nipple, taking in the shudder and relishing her reaction. But that was all he allowed himself. Taking her bra, he closed it once again, his expert hands easily able to close the clasp. Then he buttoned up her shirt.

“You’re
beautiful,” he told her and pulled her into his arms. His mouth was ravenous this time, almost punishing as he kissed her. Adriana didn’t care. She loved the way he kissed her. And she felt safe and secure in his embrace knowing that he had the kind of self-control that could stop when she needed him to stop.

He pulled away, holding her shoulders as she swayed back to him. “We need to get
out of here or I’m going to forget my promise.”

She nodded her head, then carefully, as if she were in pain, bent to pick up her purse. They walked out of the office quietly, neither one saying a word.

Dinner that night was tense and Adriana regretted what she’d done. It was almost like she’d ruined their night by going too far. By letting him see her breasts, she’d turned a corner. A corner
she wasn’t sure should have been crossed.

But when he dropped her off at her apartment that night, he wouldn’t let her get away with just an innocent kiss. He pinned her against the wall, kissing her as if his very life depended on it. And she kissed him back, feeling like that just might be the case.

“Invite me inside.” Mitch bent lower and kissed her neck, nibbling on her ear. “Let me
come in and make love to you properly.”

Adriana shivered, wishing she could do that. “I have to work through some issues first,” she told him, thinking of how she needed to get on birth control before they finally had sex. How long did birth control take before it was effective? She had no idea, never having had a need for it before.

“Work through the issues tomorrow. Just let me make love
to you tonight.”

She closed her eyes and a tear slipped out. “I can’t. I can’t do this to you or to me,” she told him. “It wouldn’t be fair.” She was thinking of her mother and the lack of birth control which had resulted in her older brother’s conception. She’d heard the story over and over again, her mother drilling into her the need for birth control before she let her passion out-run her
common sense. “Just let me fix something, and then I’m all yours.”

“I’ll fix it. Just tell me what is holding you back.”

She smiled slightly. “You know exactly what it is.”

Mitch closed his eyes, thinking of the previous night and her words for him to take things at her pace. If the idea of contraception had come into his mind, he would have assured her that he could handle that side of their
sex life. But he was too caught up in the moment to think straight at this point. “Fine. But make it fast.”

He walked away then, his shoulders tense and his body rigid. She fumbled with her keys and slipped into her apartment, leaning against the doorway as she tried to get herself back under control.

Saturday. Adriana opened her eyes and looked out the window of her bedroom. How pathetic had her life become when Saturdays, a day when she could relax and sleep in, were now a point of gloom in her life?

Rolling over, she stared up at the boring, white ceiling. Exactly how her day was going to be today.

She was so used to the mental, physical and intellectual stimulation that
came with being around Mitch that she felt like her world was a blank, white stretch of boredom until Monday morning came around again.

Saturdays used to be a glorious time! She’d read, clean her apartment and go shopping. Good grief! She sat up in bed and looked around. It was Saturday and she didn’t have to work! Why wasn’t she hopping on the train to visit her parents? Why was she just
lolling in bed?

Because she wanted to see Mitch. Because every day without him now felt horrible. She hadn’t made plans to go home, even though she hadn’t seen her family in more than three months, because she’d been hoping that Mitch would ask her to do something this weekend. But he’d been out of the office yesterday in meetings up in Boston. He’d told her he was flying up early yesterday
morning and wouldn’t be able to talk with her until this weekend, so she’d kept her schedule clear.

But nothing! The man had been incommunicado all day yesterday and she was now alone on her first free weekend in so long, she couldn’t even remember what to do with free time.

She should clean her apartment, she thought. It had been a while since she’d really cleaned anything but…looking around
now, she suddenly realized that her apartment was immaculate. How…?

She smiled and flopped back against her pillows, grabbing her cell phone which was by her bed. Dialing her parents’ house, she felt that warm sensation of being loved. “Hi Mom,” she said as soon as her mother picked up the phone.

“Adriana?” her mother replied, surprise in her voice. “Are you okay, honey?”

“I’m fine. I just
woke up and realized that I should be home with you guys this weekend. It’s my first free weekend in a long time.”

Her mother laughed softly. “Don’t worry about us. Just relax and enjoy your free time. Go have a cup of coffee at that small little shop around the corner from your apartment and read the newspaper.”

Adriana laughed as well, thinking that was an excellent idea. It would have
been nicer if she were home and could sip that cup of coffee on the patio, stealing her father’s newspaper. But she’d take whatever small comforts she could get.

They talked for a while, just catching up and Adriana laughed at all the antics of the horses her mother raised as well as what her brothers were up to lately. Her family had always been close, but Adriana could hear the longing in
her mother’s voice for her family to be back together again. Her older brother Dylan was out in the world, making his own place for himself and doing an amazing job. Davis, the middle out of all five of them, was at college and breaking hearts left and right, already thinking of several ways to make his mark in the world.

Marcus would be graduating high school this year and heading off to college.
Adriana made a point of remembering his graduation date so she could be home for it. Just a few more months, she thought. And then Antonio would be alone. She’d have to get back more often because that guy, the youngest, would have a hard time dealing with being an only child.

Goodness she missed her family! She spoke with her father as well, laughing at how he continued to give her business
advice. She took it too. The man was a brilliant businessman. Almost as smart as Mitch, she thought and then felt guilty. She’d always considered her father to be the ultimate at everything. When had that changed? When had Mitch supplanted her father’s position as the ultimate male in her life?

Hanging up, she almost cried at how confusing her life had become. She couldn’t handle relaxing,
she wanted to be with her family but she’d stayed away in the hopes of being with a man who hadn’t taken the time to let her know what was going on.

And that wasn’t very fair of him! They’d seen each other every day and he’d taken her out to dinner almost every night over the past week. Ever since their conversation about slowing things down, he’d been the ultimate boyfriend.

Boyfriend?

No, there was no way she could use that term to what she had with Mitch. It was too tame. Too boring. Too ordinary. What she had with Mitch was white hot heat. Every time they touched, their bodies were on fire. Some days, it was all they could do not to explode. But one of them always pulled back and more often than not, it was Mitch. There had been only one day this past week when she’d
said she couldn’t go out to dinner with him and that had only been because she wouldn’t have been able to handle him touching her again. She hadn’t had sufficient time to recover from their previous night’s touching to do it again. He hadn’t been happy about her going home alone that night, but he’d accepted it.

She pulled herself out of bed and looked around. Her mother had sent a cleaning
crew to clean everything this previous week. She’d admitted it, but only when Adriana had threatened to call the police and report a break-in. Her mother had laughed when Adriana threatened to call the police about a clean freak haunting New York City but she’d relented and ‘fessed up.

So here she was, standing in her flowered, flannel pajamas, the bottoms riding low on her hips and her hair
a mess while she padded through her apartment, desperate to get a cup of coffee. She’d just taken the coffee grounds out of the cabinet when the doorbell rang. She stared at the door, wondering who could be standing at her door at, glancing at the clock, ten o’clock in the morning.

But she knew. Deep down inside, she knew exactly who was there. And her whole body started shivering in anticipation.

Opening the door, she looked at Mitch. He looked so tall. So powerful. And she wanted him.

“Good morning,” she said, unaware that she was hugging the container of coffee grounds against her stomach.

“Good morning. Nice pajamas,” he said, his eyes flicking down to the flowered flannel.

Adriana looked down and gasped, horrified that he’d seen in her in such an outfit. “Good grief,” she
said and disappeared into her bedroom, tossing the package of coffee to him before disappearing. “Make some coffee,” she called out through the closed door.

She jumped into the shower, shampooing and conditioning faster than she ever had in her life. When she was finished and dried off, she moved into her bedroom and pulled on a pair of well-worn jeans and her favorite sweater. She was just
about to pull the towel out of her hair when her bedroom door opened. Mitch walked in with a cup of coffee and handed it to her.

“Darn,” he muttered. “Too late.” With a kiss, he walked back out, closing the door behind him.

She finished dressing and drying her hair, astonished that he would want to kiss her when she didn’t have any makeup on. She looked pale and washed out!

When she
was once more presentable, she walked out of her bedroom to find him reading one of the books she had on her bookshelf.

“Ready to go?’ he asked her, looking at her slender legs encased in the jeans as well as the soft, fluffy sweater.

“Ready for what?” she asked, rubbing the palms of her hands down her jeans. “What’s going on? You haven’t told me what you’re doing here.

“We’re going to play
chess,” he told her.

Adriana stared at him. “Chess?” she asked.

“Yes. I’m going to teach you to play chess.”

She laughed and shook her head. She already knew how to play chess. Her father had started teaching her the fine art of chess when she was about six years old and she’d been playing ever since. She’d never been able to beat him, but she’d become more of a challenge over the years.
“Why chess?” she asked.

“Because it is an ancient game and unique in its ability to develop strategy and patience.”

“And why do you think you could teach me?”

He looked down into her laughing brown eyes. “Because you’re smart and beautiful.”

She grinned at his complement. “I didn’t know that being attractive had anything to do with chess.”

He leaned down and kissed her gently. “It does
if you’re trying to distract one’s opponent.

She laughed, delighted with his come backs. Adriana was equally surprised when he took her to the public chess park where the gentleman from their first lunch came up to greet Mitch. “Ready to lose again?” the man asked.

Mitch laughed and shook the man’s hand. “Jimmy, this is Adriana. I’m going to show her how to play chess today. And then she’s
going to buy us all lunch.”

Adriana kept a straight face as she shook hands with Jimmy. “He’s just messing with us Jimmy. We know that he’s going to lose, right?”

Jimmy laughed and the two men sat down to play. Adriana watched with interest as Mitch worked the board. Jimmy was good, but Adriana knew chess well enough that she could see that Mitch was letting Jimmy win. Probably because the
homeless man needed the win. There was twenty bucks on the game! She noticed the exact moment that Mitch shifted strategies and allowed Jimmy to put him into a bad position on the board. Sure enough, five moves later, Jimmy had Mitch in checkmate.

Jimmy rubbed his hands together as he grabbed the twenty dollar bill sitting beside the clock. “Who’s next?” Jimmy asked, standing up and making
room for the next “victim”.

Mitch played three more games of chess, losing each time to the men. “Okay, enough!” he laughed as the last guy picked up his twenty dollars and shuffled off. “Now I’m going to play with a beautiful woman and she’s not going to trounce me.”

Adriana sat down across from him, looking back at him with a knowing look.

“What?” he asked, setting up the pieces.

“You
have hidden depths,” she came back, understanding and respect in her eyes. “They won’t take your money, will they?”

He shrugged and set the timer, making his first move. “They’re good men. Just having a hard time.”

“You’re a good man too.”

“I thought you didn’t like me,” he replied, sitting back with a secret smile on his face.

She laughed and moved her pawn. “I think we’ve pretty much
established that you’ve obliterated that impression.”

“How is that?” he asked. He knew the answer, but wanted to hear her say it. He’d had too many cold showers and sleepless nights not to find some refuge in her words.

“Every time you touch me, I go more than a little crazy,” she admitted and moved her rook into place.

He countered by shifting his bishop over. “I like that.”

She countered
with her own bishop. “You like that you drive me crazy?”

“I like that you’re just as affected as I am.” He shifted his queen. “Check.”

Adriana was shocked. “How…?” Looking down, she realized that she truly was in check. He was distracting her. “No more conversation.”

He chuckled. “And here I thought I was going to have to teach you how to play chess.”

“Not likely,” she snorted.

“Who
taught you?” he asked. They were both moving their pieces in turn, slowly shifting the game.

“My father. I’ve never beaten him yet, but I’m not a bad player.”

“Not a great one either.”

“Says the man who just lost three games in a row.”

He laughed again. “All part of a larger strategy.”

“All part of your plan to try and convince me that you’re a good guy.” She moved again. “I’m not believing
it anymore.”

“You’re already convinced.”

She stumbled again and had to blink to refocus on her planned moves. “Stop talking to me.”

“What are you doing tonight?” he asked, ignoring her command to stop speaking.

“I’m shampooing my hair,” she told him, using the old fashioned excuse to get out of a date.

“You did that this morning.”

“How do you know I didn’t just shower?” she asked, moving again.
“Check.”

He laughed and moved his bishop again, countering her check. “Because I smelled your shampoo. I like it by the way. Strawberries. It suits you.”

“Regardless, I can’t…”

“You will. Dress is formal, by the way. Do you have an appropriate dress or do I get to take you shopping?”

“I have several good dresses. But I’m not going with you tonight.”

“Check,” he said again. The power
struggle was back and forth, both of them too distracted to truly control the game. “And I’ll pick you up at seven.”

She shifted her pieces again, leaning over the board to concentrate. “I’ll meet you wherever you tell me to if you’ll stop talking.”

“Fine.” He leaned back and enjoyed the view of her soft, blond curls curving like a waterfall over her delicate features. He had five more moves
and she’d be in check mate but he wasn’t going to tell her that. Hell, she probably already knew that, which was why she was carefully studying the board now instead of moving more daringly as she’d been doing up until now.

Adriana focused all of her energy on trying to figure out a strategy. She saw his moves, knew what he was going to do next but hadn’t come up with a counter strategy yet.
She was a better player than this! She had been coming close to beating her father for the past several years. How could she have let Mitch get her into this kind of predicament so easily?

She shifted her pawn, putting her plan into place. Six moves, she thought. Just three and she’d be out of check-danger and another three, perhaps four, and he’d be in check.

Silence reigned for the
next ten minutes. She would make a move then he would quickly counter. She’d spend several minutes contemplating her move, then he would move his piece, almost without thought. It irritated her that he didn’t have to think about what he would do next while she was flustered and struggling.

“Checkmate,” he said softly, triumphantly. “And now it is time for lunch.”

Adriana stared down at the
board with her mouth hanging open. Sure enough, she had lost!