In the Market for Love

chapter eleven



Jake saw Bianca strutting towards him.

“What the hell are you doing here?” he asked.

“What does it look like I’m doing?” She arched her neck upward to kiss him on the cheek. He’d have pushed her away except he didn’t want to cause a scene.

“You’re not welcome here.”

“Jake, don’t be so silly. We’ve had this argument already.”

“Too right we have. I told you before. This is a business function, not a ladies’ lunch. And I don’t want you here.”

“But Jake.” Bianca pressed her breasts forward, unconcerned they were already spilling out of her highly revealing outfit. “I have this new Dolce and Gabbana dress and nowhere to wear it. I had to come.”

Did she expect a compliment about her appearance? He wanted to get rid of her as soon as possible and dreaded to think what Rachel would do if she saw her. He had to protect her from being hurt like that again.

“What do you hope to gain from this?” he asked.

“Do you really want to know?” Bianca’s eyes narrowed as she spoke.

Silence.

Her eyes collided with Jake’s. “I came to see her.”

“What are you talking about?” He had to keep a clear head. There was no way Bianca could know about Rachel and if she did, he had to keep them apart.

Bianca glanced around. “I figured she’d be either hanging off your arm or at the opposite end of the room, pretending there’s nothing going on. That’s usually how it works. And she’s not hanging off your arm so…”

The woman was a conniving cow. She was also very astute.

He glared at her. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’ve had enough. You’re out of here.”

His marriage to Bianca was over. There was nothing left of it but he had more self-respect than to discuss it in a public place.

“You should be more careful, you know, Jake. I’m worth more to you than some bimbo. If you lose me, you’ll become a weekend father. You’ll lose the one thing that’s most important to you. Connor.”

He slipped his arm into hers and steered her brusquely towards the door. She didn’t fight him though she seemed to be taking the opportunity to scan the room and check out its occupants.

Bianca pulled her arm away from his when they reached the door. “Don’t think you’re that clever. There are some things a woman just knows. You’ve changed and I know why.”

“Goodnight, Bianca.”

She looked over her shoulder as she stepped out the door. “It’s not over until I say so.”

* * *

Marcus had already spent part of the evening talking to clients and working on the agency’s business connections. He’d done his bit for the agency. Now it was time to enjoy himself. Cocktails, French champagne, masses of imported beer, an elaborate buffet and a room full of women dressed to the nines. What more could a man want?

But he did want more. He wanted Samantha.

Usually his relationships were shallow and brief but he had a horrible feeling she’d be more than a conquest.

He could see himself settling down with her, buying a house, having children together, taking the kids to football practice. It was completely unlike anything he’d imagined. What was she doing to him?

Glancing around the room, his eyes rested on Rachel and Samantha. Rachel looked lovely as always in a slinky black cocktail dress. Meanwhile, Samantha wore a simple ivory silk dress which showed off her honey coloured skin and took his breath away. He’d held off for a while. Tonight was different. Tonight he wouldn’t be able to resist her. First, he had to get those ridiculous thoughts about settling down out of his head.

He greeted Rachel swiftly, then took his time with Samantha. He kissed her hand, his lips lingering. It brought a smile to her face.

“Did you hear about the TV coverage we’ll be getting for the campaign?” she asked.

She was always so exuberant and enthusiastic so he let her explain the news in more detail.

“And Jake didn’t even tell us anything about it,” she said as she finished.

“Don’t take it personally,” he said. “That’s just his way. He often does a lot of work quietly in the background and then waits until it’s all done before he tells us about it. Even then, he usually doesn’t make a big deal out of anything.”

Samantha touched his arm gently. “I didn’t mean to sound like I was miffed about it.”

His gaze slid down the length of her figure. “Miffed. That’s not a word I’d use to describe you.”

At that point Rachel excused herself, saying she was going out for a breath of fresh air.

He said to Samantha, “I’ve had my eye on you all night but you’re such a social butterfly. Every time I looked, you were talking to someone different.”

She lowered her eyelids. “Was I?”

“And now I’m not going to let you out of my sight.”

He stepped closer and swept two fresh glasses of champagne from a passing waiter, handing one to her. As she lifted the glass towards her lips, he slid his own glass through the slender space between them, so their arms were interlocked as they took their first sips of champagne.

“We must make the most of the evening,” he said. “We can’t let all this free champagne go to waste.”

“I don’t know if I should,” Samantha said shyly. “I’ve already had quite a lot to drink. I don’t want to do anything I might regret.”

Leaning closer, he brushed a tendril of pale hair behind her ear, his hand lingering before he swept it across her bare shoulder. Her lower lip quivered as she lifted her gaze.

“I guarantee…” Marcus whispered, forcing her to arch her neck up to hear him. “You won’t regret a thing.”

* * *

Jake surveyed the room, searching for Rachel. He spotted Samantha’s blond hair but didn’t immediately see Rachel so he kept looking until he found her heading towards the rooftop terrace. Even through the crowd, he could spot her thick glossy hair and distinctive womanly walk. It made him smile.

She didn’t see him as he neared her, then he gently reached for her arm. “Where are you off to?”

Her mouth fell open in surprise.

“You can’t keep avoiding me, you know,” he said.

“You think I’m avoiding you? That’s very vain of you. No, I’m…”

Jake smiled at her inability to finish her sentence. “So you think I’m vain?”

She planted her hands on her hips. “Maybe not. Maybe you’re just very nosy.”

He laughed. “I am indeed. So where are you going?”

“To get some fresh air.”

“Follow me.” He nodded in the other direction.

Taking her hand, he led her through the crowd with the quiet confidence of a man who knew he was with the most attractive woman in the room.

Tonight he wouldn’t make the same mistakes he’d made before. He’d told her the truth about himself and orchestrated the cocktail party for her benefit so she could learn more about him. Tonight, he wouldn’t let her go.

He led her through a private dining area onto a small terrace. Inside, several waiters were shifting tables and laying cloths over them. He signalled to a waiter who then brought them two glasses of champagne.

Rachel motioned towards the restaurant interior. “What’s going on in there?”

“They’re setting up for a late supper. A private function. So for now we’ve got our own slice of the terrace. We’ll have to it ourselves for a little while.”

She sipped her champagne, then turned to step closer to the railing, her hips swaying as she moved. She looked amazing from behind.

A woman like that was created to tempt man. There could be no other reason for her looking so damn tasty. Her delicate shoulder jutted out as she turned her head and he could see the outline of her rounded bosom protruding from behind her arm.

A dress like that should be illegal. It swept along the dip of her waist down over the delicious curve of her hips and, damn it, that woman knew how to move her hips.

At the back, her dress swept into a deep V exposing the little bumps of her spine and he realised she couldn’t possibly be wearing a bra under the dress. The thought of her breasts bare against the dress made him instantly hard.

His mouth watered with the tang of desire as Rachel’s fingers slid along the balcony railing.

Jake’s erection shifted uncomfortably in his trousers.

* * *

Rachel could feel Jake’s eyes on her, sweeping the length of her body, lingering as he took a good long look. She felt a strange sense of de ja vous as she recalled how he’d stared at her backside the day they first met. From the beginning, he’d made her feel like a woman.

She sucked in draughts of the thick night air and felt her breasts pressing against her dress. She savoured the thrill of Jake’s obvious appreciation of her body. Circular Quay was in front of her while Jake stood behind. Slowly she turned towards him.

Her mouth suddenly dry, she took a greedy sip of champagne and closed her eyes briefly to enjoy the sensation. The bubbles went to her head immediately and she felt the tightness in her chest lifting and her shoulders relax.

She opened her eyes to meet his gaze. Always so dark and inscrutable, now it seemed there were no mysteries for those deep set eyes to hide. No wife. No secrets. It was all out in the open.

He made her feel warm all over and the champagne only exacerbated the effect. She knew she shouldn’t have any more to drink but just this once, she didn’t care.

She wanted to play the game. For a while at least.

Jake’s gaze dropped to her cleavage. Let him look. His lips curled to a subtle smile, telling her he liked what he saw. Her body was awash with silky warmth.

She wanted to leave Nick and her past behind her. She’d come out here for fresh air but right now the last thing she wanted was a clear head.

“Did you want to talk to me about something?” Her eyes skimmed the length of his masculine physique.

“Who said I wanted to talk?”

“That’s good. Neither do I.”

A bolt of brazen desire burned through her body. She swept the champagne glass from his hand and bent down to place their two glasses at her feet. As she looked up at his massive looming form, her heart pounded.

She stood, sliding her body against his in a deliberately slow, sinful motion until she reached her full height and faced him.

He slid his arms around her waist so his fingertips lay on the bare flesh of her exposed back. Her hands were on his upper arms, their muscular strength obvious beneath her touch. She twisted her arms up around his neck and tilted her head towards his, her lips parted as she waited to taste him.

As he dipped his head towards hers, she savoured the moment. Filled with heady intoxication, the night air closed in around her and she remembered the thrill of the last time he kissed her. She knew exactly what was coming.

He nibbled her lower lip and she let out a little cry at the unexpected delight. His lips brushed against hers, whetting her appetite even more.

Jake held back the full power of his passion, building the kiss up slowly as he pressed his mouth against hers gently at first. Then he ran his tongue along her lips and taunted her by seeking only the soft tip of her tongue, refusing to give himself swiftly.

All at once, his arms curled more tightly around her and their mouths collided as he plunged his tongue inside, burying them both in a deep reverie. Their bodies writhed against each other, both of them desperate to express the longing that surged deep within them.

His hardness pressed against her. She pulled him closer. Everything else in the world disappeared and there was only the two of them, consumed by passion, desire burning through their bodies.

She was no longer marketing manager or colleague or friend. She was all woman.

Jake pushed her against the railing and she flinched, pulling back from him. Her hands gripped his neck tightly as she clung to him.

“I’m afraid of heights,” she said.

Her words didn’t begin to describe her fears. She recalled the giddy heights to which he’d taken her with their first kiss. She was afraid he’d sweep her to an even greater summit and she’d plummet to earth with a crash.

“I know,” he said. “You don’t need to be. I won’t let you fall.”

He spun her around so she was no longer leaning against the railing but against his superior weight. Now she was in a safer position away from the edge of the balcony. Safe for a while anyway.

“You’ve been putting a wall up between us but every now and then the barrier comes down and I get to see the real Rachel,” he said.

“I don’t know what you mean.”

It was too hard to admit the truth to herself let alone anyone else, and she was still coming to terms with it.

“You’re so careful all the time,” he said. “Too careful. I wanted you from the first moment I saw you but you wouldn’t let me in. When you lower your defences I get to see the real Rachel. Like now, the Rachel who kissed me. It’s as though you hide that person because you’re afraid of getting hurt.”

“Isn’t everyone?”

“I’m not going to hurt you. I made one mistake. I’m not going to do that again. I’m not going to let you go.”

He dipped his head towards hers. A current of hot desire shot up her spine. He pressed his mouth against hers and kissed her again.

His hands slipped over her waist, hips, bottom. He made her feel like a woman. Made her want more.

He peppered little kisses onto her throat. She arched her neck. He pulled her closer, his massive form pressing against her. She felt crushed, the air sucked out of her lungs. Breathless, she took in short bursts of the cool night air.

“Jake…” Her gentle whisper rippled through the air.

She felt the exquisite aftertaste of the kiss and his breath, hot and moist near her face.

His arms were still wrapped around her but more loosely than before. She dropped her hands down to his waist, slowly sliding them inside his jacket down the contours of his rugged chest.

“You’re cold,” Jake said, noticing the goose bumps on her arms. “You can have my jacket.”

He released her and took off his jacket.

“No, I’m not. Quite the opposite. I’m hot. That’s the whole problem.” She a small step back. “But I can’t do this right now. I need a bit more time.”

“Time for what, Rachel? Time to build up your defences? Change your mind?”

She looked up at him. “No, I only just found out you’re married, remember? Because you didn’t tell me. It’s a lot to take in. I have to get used to it.”

“Life is short. You of all people should know that.” She flinched at this reference to her departed husband. “Do you want to spend the rest of your life wondering what might have been?”

“Don’t flatter yourself.”

“I’m not. I know you’ve been hurt. Badly.”

“Of course I’ve been hurt. My husband died, remember? And don’t try to tell me I should get over it. It’s my life.”

“That’s not the full story, is it?”

She looked away so he couldn’t see the hot tears stinging at the back of her eyes.

“I don’t know exactly what happened, that much is true.” His voice was gentle and compassionate. “Maybe I can’t understand how hard it was for you or what it’s like to go through what you have. But there’s something else standing in the way. Whatever it is, it’s between us.”

Damn him. He was right. How could he read her better than her friends and family?

“Whatever happened is in the past,” she said. “I’m talking about now. And right now, I’m not…I just…”

“You won’t let yourself get involved.”

His eyes locked into hers with a grip more sure than any physical assault. “I don’t believe that. I think you want this as much as I do. But you’re afraid to give it a chance.”

“I am afraid. You’re right.”

She edged past a waiter setting the tables and past the empty chairs in the private dining room as she headed away from Jake.

In the foyer, she pressed lift button and glanced around anxiously. Turning to see Jake approaching, she pushed her hair behind her ears. Her lips parted as she prepared to speak although she didn’t know what she was going to say. How could she, when she didn’t understand the emotions surging through her body?

He reached for her upper arm. “You’re always running out on me.”

His eyes simmered with emotion. Rage. Desire. Disappointment. She couldn’t read him.

“I’m sorry,” she said.

“That’s not good enough.”

Who was he to tell her she couldn’t take the time she needed? His life wasn’t so perfect that he was in the position to set standards for her to live up to.

She wanted to scald him with her words and her actions. “You don’t know anything about me.” She jerked her arm out of his manly grasp.

“Then tell me. Let me in.”

She wanted him. Her body burned for him. She didn’t want tonight to be the last time he took her into his arms and kissed her, the last time she felt the force of his passion. She couldn’t bear the thought. She wanted more.

He was pulling at her heart. She’d seen a different Jake tonight. Not the highly successful advertising executive. This man was compassionate. Caring. She was drawn to him but she was confused, uncertain as to who was the real Jake Austin.

Her life was safe and he was anything but safe. She had to protect herself from getting hurt. She had to be strong.

His words reverberated in her head. Let me in, he had said. She wanted to so badly that her whole body ached with a desperate yen she had never felt before.

But not tonight. Not so soon.

She wanted to say goodbye but the words stuck in her throat. He released her arm but his powerful gaze still gripped her. She tilted her head upwards, her eyelids lowered. Cupping his rugged jaw in her hands, she drew him closer and pressed her mouth against his in a delicate, fragile kiss and hoped he could feel her emotions and understand her just a little.

He touched her arm gently as she moved towards the lift doors as they opened.

“You have to believe you deserve love,” he said. “My love. This can’t work unless you believe in it.”

Love.

It had been a long time since she’d heard that word.