The Great Baby Caper (7 page)

Long after she would wonder what
demon drove her to her feet, propelled her across the room, forced her itchy
fingers to gently turn the doorknob, until temptation stretched before her.

Mark stood with his back to her at
the open shower door. He’d removed his shirt and the muscles of his tanned back
rippled like smooth steel. He was leaning inward slightly, adjusting the shower
knobs, the fabric of his pants pulling against his beautiful buttocks.

She winced. There was only so much
a woman could take. She crossed the room, wrapped her arms around his waist and
whispered, “Make that hot.”

Obviously taken unawares, Mark
jumped slightly, then turned in her arms and gazed down at her in mingled
delight and surprise. “Courtney, my Lord, you shouldn’t be—”

“Saving you from death by cold
water?” She alleviated the necessity of his protesting further by throwing her
arms around his neck and kissing him hungrily.

He responded with a moan, then
seized her in his embrace and plunged his tongue inside her mouth. His hands
roved her body, boldly stroking, kneading. Then he grasped her hand, almost
roughly, guiding it to the front of his trousers.

Courtney almost collapsed then,
tearing her mouth from his so she could catch her breath. He was very aroused,
and so hard; her fingers felt riveted to the enticing spot. At once her
passion-starved brain conjured a thousand erotic images of him inside her,
devouring her flesh.

She smiled in joy when he pulled
the T-Shirt over her head, standing proudly before him in only her panties.
Reverently he raked his gaze over her, then touched one of her breasts. At once
both her nipples tightened. When he gazed up at her, his eyes were awed and
very intense. She stared at him in the explosive silence, only the sounds of
their ragged breathing filling the void. Then he leaned over and took a taut
nipple in his mouth. She all but screamed with the passion she felt.

“I believe you said hot, my love.”
He turned away to flip on the warm water. Turning back, he hesitated slightly.
“You’re sure, love?”

“Oh, yes.”

Eagerly she went into his arms
again, hugging him tightly. She couldn’t comprehend her own tears, the rush of
emotion burning at her eyes, at the back of her throat. She wanted to belong to
him, to be possessed by him. Their mouths collided, ravenously kissing. Her
hand fumbled for his belt, and she heard his sound of delight. His hands
grasped and kneaded her breasts. Then she was pulling off his trousers, and he
buried his face between her breasts. Sexual heat radiated from his mouth,
sending powerful currents streaking down her body. Air stabbed her lungs, so
fierce was her breathing. When he pulled off her panties and began boldly
stroking her, she thought she would lose her mind.

A moment later Mark pulled her
into the shower with him and closed the door. Warm water pounded her body as
his fervent gaze raked over her. “Courtney. You’re so beautiful.”

“So are you.” Indeed she couldn’t
take her eyes off his glorious naked body, how his tanned flesh gleamed with
moisture, how the short black hairs plastered against his skin lent him an
incredible aura of masculinity. Moisture glistened on his long black eyelashes,
and his eyes were incredibly vivid.

He kissed her face, her mouth, her
throat, then slid to his knees, his mouth touching her in a most intimate spot,
his tongue parting her flesh. She sobbed, coming apart inside, quivering with
the desire she felt. When he slipped a finger inside her, she dug her
fingernails into his shoulders and moaned wantonly.

He rose, sitting down on the
shower seat, then pulled her onto his lap. Smiling, he penetrated her fully.
Courtney cried out in delirious pleasure. He was slick and so hard, warm, and
big. Her insides pulsed and throbbed around him, and she felt a sense of
joining with him that brought new tears to her eyes.

His mouth locked on hers and he began
to move, thrusting upward powerfully while rocking her into his potent strokes.
All the while the hot water beat upon them. Soon she tore her mouth away,
breathing in sharp gulps, then kissing his face, nipping his ears.

He caught her closer and quickened
his pace to the tumultuous strokes preceding climax. As her cries reached a
crescendo, he held her fast and found his heaven inside her. With a wrenching
shudder, Courtney found a pleasure to equal his own . . .

***

Holding her there in the shower,
feeling her sweet flesh quivering about him, Mark couldn’t believe Courtney was
his. For over a year now he had yearned to meet this incredible woman. Tonight
that desperate wish had been granted. But never had he dreamed that, within the
space of a single night, they would become one. That she’d be here, her body
joined with his.

For a long moment they sat with
bodies melded, breaths mingling. With the shower still beating its hot, sensual
tattoo, he listened to her little sobs and whimpers, comforting her with his
mouth. Their bodies were so tightly locked that he wondered if they could ever
be parted again.

At last he slid to his feet,
gently uncoupling them. Courtney appeared slightly dazed, her cheeks
beautifully flushed as he pulled her out of the shower. He kissed her wet,
delicious mouth, her cheeks, as he briskly rubbed her down with a towel. He
gathered her into his arms and lifted her, quickly realizing he was trembling
all over. She gazed up at him with languid green eyes, so large and trusting.
She was so gorgeous, her body smooth, supple, and so very curvaceous. Delicious
breasts just perfect in size, and a rounded bottom he had adored kneading with
his hands as he’d plunged into her. The torrid memory made him pause to kiss
her again, thoroughly, before carrying her to the bed.

He laid her down and joined her,
crushing her soft body with his own. Quickly he spread her thighs and eased
inside her again. Her response fascinated him. She tossed her head and made a
hoarse sound, her fists clenching on the sheets. God in heaven, how he wanted
her. He seized her lips with his own and slipped his hands beneath her, lifting
her hips into his thrusts. He felt her flesh hotly squeezing him, heard her
soft moans. She was so wet and tight, and he had to struggle not to take his
pleasure before he gave her her own.

He leaned over and gently caught
her taut nipple between his teeth. She cried out, and that erotic sound sent
him plunging deeper. Her hips arched upward again to take all he offered, her
arms locked around his neck, and her lips eagerly sought his . . .

Tears welled in his throat at the
sweetness of her surrender. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew she must
be still tender from their first coupling, but he lost all reason in the haze
of desire consuming him.
His, she was his
. He devoured her, their cries
mingling then colliding in a shared sob of joy.

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Courtney jumped awake to feel her
brain pounding against her skull with the force of a shotgun recoil. She winced
at the pain, then gasped as she spied Mark lying beside her. Torrid memories of
their unabashed lovemaking hammered her senses, and looking at him now was even
worse torture. Still sound asleep, he appeared far too sexy with his tousled
hair, the long dark lashes resting against his cheeks, the heavy whiskers along
his jaw. His sexy chest was bare, the sheet tangled about his middle.

She sat up in bed and grimaced as
a new wave of dizziness hit her. She was sore all over from using muscles she
hadn’t given a good workout in ages. How many times had she and Mark made love
anyway? Four? Five? Somewhere around six a.m., she’d lost count.

And she’d come to him! He’d been
all set to tuck her into bed last night, and sleep on the couch downstairs,
then she’d all but jumped his bones.

Heavens, had she lost her mind?
With a moan, she buried her face in her hands. She didn’t understand what had
happened to her. One-night-stands were not her cup of tea at all. Had the shock
of the chairman’s actions, and the loss of her job, pushed her over the edge?
Had it been one too many frozen daiquiris, or the sensual atmosphere of the
French Quarter? Not to mention, meeting the world’s most sinfully handsome and
charming man?

Yes, she found Mark Billingham
very appealing, but the truth was he was still in many ways a stranger to her.
Now that the cold light of day had dawned, she could see that clearly. Usually,
her will and logic managed to overrule her weaker emotions. But not last night.
Why had she succumbed to this man, when becoming intimate with Mark could only
exacerbate her own difficulties? He was the grandson of her sworn enemy, and
she really had no proof that he wasn’t in on his grandfather’s scheme more than
he had admitted.

How could she have lost her
control so quickly, so completely, and what must he think of her now?

As if he sensed her silent
turmoil, Mark blinked open his eyes and grinned up at her, his hand boldly
inspecting the contour of her thigh. “Good morning, love.”

Still reeling, she drew the sheet
up to her neck. “Good—er—would you mind removing your hand from my thigh?”

Frowning slightly, he sat up,
offering her a closer view of his tanned, muscled shoulders and chest. “That’s
not exactly the tune you were singing last night.”

“No, last night it was more like
‘Fools Rush In,’” she confessed ruefully.

Ignoring her irony, he leaned over
and quickly claimed her lips. “How ’bout the standard old ‘Bewitched, Bothered,
and Bewildered’?”

“I’m plenty bewildered, too,” she
admitted shakily.

He frowned. “Darling, what’s
wrong?”

“You don’t know?”

He pulled her resisting body
close. “Come on, tell me.”

Fighting a shudder at his exciting
nearness, she replied, “I’m upset, confused, hung over.”

He chuckled. “But with very
pleasant memories, I’m hoping?”

Remembering her own conduct, she
groaned. “Well, yes and no.”

“What?” he replied, appearing
taken aback. “I thought we got on spectacularly well last night.”

“Sure, it was epic.” She nervously
brushed a strand of hair from her eyes. “But would you mind if we don’t discuss
this in your bed?”

He leaned over to nuzzle kiss her
neck. “I think this a jolly good place to discuss it, love.”

Her voice trembled. “Please,
Mark.”

He sighed. “Very well. Hold on a
moment.”

He hopped out of bed, and Courtney’s
face reddened. With a wince she irresistibly took him in—the gorgeous shoulders
and chest, the flat belly, the strong male thighs that had abraded hers so
effortlessly as she’d absorbed his deep, hard thrusts. He was partially aroused
even now, and the sight of it was torture to her passion-tender body. Then as
he moved past she caught sight of the splendid lines of his back, his taut male
butt, and she wondered which was worse torture.

He strode inside the bathroom,
emerging a moment later wearing a white terry robe, with another one in hand.
He handed it to her. “Here, love.”

“Thanks.” Struggling with the
sheet, Courtney managed to get the robe around her shoulders, then turned her
back to him and shoved her arms into the sleeves. She stood and quickly tied
the belt around her middle. She turned to see Mark regarding her tenderly, and
almost melted on the spot.

He crossed to her side and pulled
her into his arms.

“Come on, darling, it can’t be
that bad.”

Oh, she was so confused and she
needed comfort so badly, even if from a man she’d met only yesterday.
Nonetheless, for a moment she just let him hold her, and inhaled his delicious
scent. “But it is,” she finally admitted in a small voice.

“What are you so upset about?”

“What do you think? Last night.”

Gently he stroked her hair. “But
why? Do you think it wasn’t real, that it was just some rash, spur of the
moment affair?”

She eyed him narrowly. “What do
you
think?”

He hugged her closer and spoke
hoarsely. “I think last night was the most wonderful night of my entire life. I
don’t regret a single moment—and I sincerely hope you don’t, either.”

His words were so sweet, and
conflicted emotion churned inside Courtney. In truth, her sentiments were
similar to his own. But that didn’t change the fact that they had been
reckless, and had gotten the cart way before the horse. Nor did it remove the
incredible stumbling blocks they faced, or change what she knew she must do.

Gently, she slipped out of his
arms. “I’m not saying I regret it, Mark. It’s just that . . . well, now it must
end.”

He blanched. “How can you say
that, Courtney? You came to me, remember?”

She began pacing about. “Yes, I
did, and I take responsibility there. However, in my defense, you’re the one
who maneuvered me here . . . and upstairs to your bed.”

“Courtney, let’s try not to assign
fault here,” he reasoned. “This doesn’t have to end if we don’t want it to.”

“Right,” she muttered ironically.
“We’d have such a great future together. Two continents, your grandfather . .
.”

He flashed her a brave smile. “But
I think we can have a good future, love.” He paused to take a deep breath, then
blurted, “I want you to marry me now.”

“What?” Stunned, she turned to
him. “You want to marry me? But why?”

He gave an incredulous laugh. “You
can ask that after last night? Because we get along so famously, of course.”

Her own laughter was disbelieving.
“Get along famously? You mean in bed?”

“Courtney, don’t say that,” he
chided. “You know as well as I do that we really got to know each other last
night, and something very special happened between us. Something that was much
more than just chemistry. A lot led up to those moments in bed.”

“Yeah, a lot of rum and
seduction,” she muttered.

He appeared crestfallen.
“Courtney, how can you be so cynical about this?”

She waved a hand. “Mark, how can I
not? After everything that has transpired between us in the last twenty-four
hours, how can you even ask that?”

“How can you reduce what happened
between us to just sex?”

“Okay,” she conceded. “Maybe it was
more than just sex. But how can you extrapolate it into—”

“
Extrapolate
it?” he
interrupted. “Now you sound some legalese-spouting corporate guru.”

She began to pace again. “Well,
maybe last night was a lot more corporate than you’re willing to admit. That
is, if—”

“If what?”

Churning with doubt, she turned to
face him, desperately trying to search out his true motives in his face. But
she spotted only tension and suspicion. Well she felt damn suspicious herself!
Last night she had made a leap of faith and trusted Mark, at least a little.
Now his premature proposal of marriage had set her reeling, and made her
question her own hasty acceptance of him and his motives last night. Now with
just a few rash words, everything had changed.

How could Mark Billingham be so
certain he wanted to marry her, so soon? Hadn’t he made it clear last night
that he too felt cautious about marriage? Why the sudden shift? Did he have a
loony streak like his grandfather? Or was he allowing his grandfather’s scheme
to dictate his own choices? Had that been the real game plan all along?

This last question was sobering to
Courtney in the extreme. She found herself wondering if perhaps Mark wasn’t so
innocent in all this, after all. Had he deliberately tried to seduce her? Was
the one-hundred-proof night on the town all part of his and his grandfather’s
game, a more subtle way to bring her around after direct methods had failed?
Had she been a complete dope?

She certainly felt like one now!
She didn’t want to believe this of him, but she was too immersed in turmoil and
confusion not to question everything and do her best to protect herself.

She stared him in the eye and
spoke with all the courage she could summon. “Mark, I can’t possibly marry you
because you’re clearly proposing for all the wrong reasons.”

“Such as?”

She raised her chin. “Isn’t it
obvious?”

Anger hardened his jaw. “No, I
must be dense. Explain it, please.”

“It’s clear you’re proposing
mainly to do your grandfather’s bidding, so he’ll win in his power play to
control me.”

A shocked sound escaped him. “You
actually believe that? That I’d act strictly on his behalf, and not out of
genuine attraction toward you?”

Though wavering, her own
conflicted feelings forced her to ask, “Well, what do you expect me to believe
after all that has happened? First M. Billingham tries to strong-arm me into
marrying you, resulting in both my refusal and my resignation from the company.
Then you come around, all smiles and charm, and claim to be on the side of the
angels in this. In the guise of smoothing things over, you romance and seduce
me, stating that like me, you’re reluctant to marry. Then this morning we’re
strangely back to the same proposition your grandfather tried to force on me
yesterday—that I should marry you, at once. Can you blame me for feeling
maneuvered? But whereas my former boss did his dirty work with a shotgun, you
offer a carrot instead.”

“A carrot.” He was beginning to
appear really angry, a vein popping out in his temple. “Am I supposed to find
the phallic symbolism amusing, love?”

“Perhaps it isn’t. But is it a
lie, Mark? Aren’t you just as much your grandfather’s pawn in this as I am?
Tell me, who dreamed up that grand seduction scene last night—you, or him?”

“Courtney, I can’t believe I’m
hearing this!”

“Can’t you?” she countered, close
to tears. “You and M. Billingham must both think I’m a real chump. Look how
easy it was for both of you to manipulate me.”

Mark shook his head. “How can you
even think such a thing after last night? Wasn’t what we shared much more than
just a one-night stand? Wasn’t it magical? Didn’t I convince you my feelings
were genuine?”

Feeling swayed by his words,
Courtney stepped over to the window and gazed out at the courtyard, now
sun-splashed, with hotel guests already gathered for breakfast. The last time
she had looked at that courtyard, she’d felt so happy. Now, it took every iota
of her strength not to burst into tears and go rushing back into Mark’s arms.
That might feel good for the moment, but could prove disastrous for her future.

Turning back, she flashed him a
sad smile. “Of course it was magical. We were in sensual New Orleans, with
stars in our eyes and too many daiquiris in our blood. But I still can’t trust
your motives in this. It’s way too soon for me even to trust my own feelings.
Besides, any future between us will be doomed anyway due to your grandfather’s
interference.”

He went pale. “So you feel nothing
for me, Courtney?”

She almost lost her resolve then,
he looked so anguished. “I didn’t say that. Even if your motives are more noble
than I suspect, this is just . . . too sudden, too complicated.”

“So you’ll give up on us simply
because we have a few hurdles to overcome?”

“A few hurdles? Even I can’t leap
over Mount Everest in a single bound.”

“No one’s asking you to, love.” He
stepped closer. “I’ll admit you have a point about my grandfather. I can’t
completely blame you for not trusting me under the circumstances. But here’s a
thought: Why don’t we take marriage off the table for now and just date? You
can even go back to work for the company again if you want to. I’m certain I
can bring Grandfather around to such an arrangement.”

For a moment Courtney vacillated;
then she sadly shook her head. “No, this has to be a clean break. I can never
work for your grandfather again, not after the way he betrayed me and demeaned
me as a woman. It’s out of the question.”

Courtney regretted her words the
instant she saw the hurt and anger spring into Mark’s eyes. In a heated voice,
he demanded, “‘Clean break’ meaning you’re done with me, as well? And what
happened between us last night . . . Tell me, did that demean you as well?”

“No,” she replied tightly,
clenching her fists at her sides. “But . . . I’m sorry, Mark. I—I just can’t
deal with your grandfather again, which means, fairly or unfairly, that I can’t
seem to deal with you either. We need to shake hands and move on. Anything
else, I . . . I just can’t take.”

“You really think I want to shake
your hand now, Courtney?” he asked hoarsely.

Perilously close to tears, she acted
before he could protest. She dashed into the bathroom and shut the door . . .