Heidi Betts – How To Seduce An Heiress: The Reluctant Heiress / Pride After Her Fall / Project: Runaway Heiress (страница 14)
“You’re special, Sophia. I mean what I say. I never expected to feel the way I do toward you. From the first moment, knowing you hasn’t been at all what I expected. So quickly, you’ve become important to me,” he added with a solemn expression.
“So you had expectations about meeting me? That’s interesting.” In some ways, she wanted to cover her ears and stop hearing his words because she was falling in love with him and it scared her. But Garrett’s words wrapped around her heart. He, too, looked as if he were wrestling with something, so their attraction was taking an emotional toll on him, too. “You’ve become important to me, too, Garrett,” she whispered. She stepped close, going on tiptoe to kiss him.
Instantly his arms banded her waist and he leaned over her, kissing her hard.
As if unable to control her own actions, she twisted free his buttons swiftly, her fingers shaking, while she still kissed him.
He tossed off clothes and peeled away hers and in seconds, he lifted her while he kissed her.
“Protection, Garrett?”
“I have it,” he said. When he picked her up again, she locked her long legs around him as he lowered her on his thick rod to make love to her.
Crying out, she climaxed, going over an edge while colors exploded behind her closed eyelids.
He shuddered with his release. “Sophia, love,” he said in a gruff, husky voice. The endearment made her heart miss a beat.
She moved with him until they both began to catch their breath. He gave her light kisses and finally set her on her feet.
“Now I do need to be directed to a bathroom somewhere in this house.”
“There’s one in the guest bedroom at the back of the hall, across from my studio. Clean towels will be out.”
He leaned down to kiss her again, then gathered his clothes. She picked up hers, pausing to watch him walk away. He was muscled and fit. He looked strong, masculine, sexy. Her gaze ran down his smooth back, over hard buttocks and then down his muscled legs. He was hard, solid and breathtaking.
She gathered her things and headed to her own bathroom off her studio.
In a short time she returned to the front hall to find him waiting by the door. When she reached him, he pulled her close to kiss her tenderly.
“I don’t suppose I’m going to be invited to stay the rest of the night.”
“As adorable as you are, no invitation is forthcoming.”
“Let me take you to breakfast again. I’ll want to see you in the morning.”
She laughed. “Garrett, that’s crazy. And I can’t go. I have appointments.”
“I want to be with you.”
“Again, Garrett, this has been a special weekend I’ll never forget.”
He kissed her again. When they moved apart, he opened the door and stepped outside. “Thanks for going with me.”
After he left, she locked up and went upstairs to her bedroom.
Had she just done the most foolish thing of her life by making love with him? She hoped not. There was no denying he was becoming more significant to her all the time. In her room she spun around just as she had outside the restaurant in the falling snow in Colorado. Exuberance, excitement, memories dazzled her. Shoving aside worries, she thought about their loving, remembering Garrett in moments of passion, his magnificent body, his tenderness, his heat and sexiness. His kisses held promises and temptation. It had been one of the most wonderful weekends in her life.
She sang as she hurried to shower, moving as if by rote while she replayed the weekend in her mind.
Was this love? Was she already wildly in love with him?
A car was parked at the gate of Garrett’s estate. As his lights shone on it, the door opened and Edgar stepped out, patiently waiting.
Garrett’s heart dropped. He knew why Edgar was waiting for him.
He put the car in Park and stepped out to walk to Edgar. His mind raced. Had Edgar already told Sophia? Was he here at Sophia’s request or because of his own anger over Garrett’s duplicity?
The gatekeeper stood in the doorway of the gatehouse. “I tried to reach you on your cell,” he said.
“It’s all right,” Garrett said. “I know Mr. Hollingworth.” He turned to shake hands with Edgar, relieved slightly to see Edgar offer his hand.
“Sorry, Garrett,” Edgar said. “I know this is a late hour, but I want to talk to you in person. This isn’t something to deal with over the phone.”
“That’s fine. Come up to the house and we’ll talk. You can follow me in.”
“Thanks.”
Garrett returned to his car to drive through the gates. Edgar turned in behind him. At least he had been civil, which was a hopeful sign. More than he expected from Sophia when she discovered the truth about his connections.
At the house, he led Edgar into the library where a decanter of brandy and small crystal glasses sat on a mahogany table.
“Would you care for brandy?”
“Yes, thank you.”
Shedding his jacket, Garrett poured two brandies although he had no interest in drinking. He handed a glass to Edgar.
“You’re more than CEO of a Houston property management firm,” Edgar said. “You’re CFO of Delaney Enterprises in Dallas. I assume the property management business here is a sideline of yours.”
“It actually was started by my dad,” Garrett said. He looked at Edgar, waiting for the rest. When Edgar didn’t continue, Garrett asked, “Have you told Sophia yet?”
“No.”
“I’ll tell you what I’m doing here and why I haven’t told her about my connection,” Garrett said, proceeding to run through his history with the Delaneys and his purpose in meeting Sophia.
“I intended to get to know her so she would at least let someone talk to her about meeting with Will Delaney. So far, she won’t even talk to their lawyer, much less to any of them. Edgar, I don’t know what details she’s told you, but she stands to lose an enormous inheritance and cost the Delaney brothers theirs. They are as innocent in this as she is.”
“I know,” Edgar said, swirling his brandy in the snifter and then looking up to meet Garrett’s gaze. “She’s told me. That’s why I’m here. First, I don’t want her hurt.”
“I don’t want to hurt her either. I hate keeping this secret from her. I’ve come to care very much about Sophia. To be honest, I’ve thought about resigning, but I have deep obligations to the Delaney family.”
“Don’t resign. I want you to succeed. I want Sophia to get her inheritance. It’s absurd for her to toss aside that kind of money. I came to see you to learn what you intend and to make certain you’re not going to hurt her. I feel like a father to her.”
“I will try in every way I can to avoid hurting her.”
“Sophia is very cautious with men. Therefore, she’s rather naive. As far as the Delaneys go—I hope to heaven you succeed in making her listen.”
“They want to know her and want her in their family. But they didn’t even know she existed until the reading of Argus’s will.”
“Why am I not surprised. That man was arrogant.”
“There’s one grandchild, Caroline Delaney, who is five years old. This will hurt her, too,” he said, pulling out his phone and touching it. He crossed the room to show a photo to Edgar.
“Great heavens!” Edgar exclaimed, taking the phone to stare at the picture. “Except for the curly hair, she looks like Sophia. Actually, Sophia and this half brother bear a strong resemblance.”
“Yes, they do.”
“Does Sophia know about the child?”
“She has to because Caroline is in the will. There’s a trust for her. Caroline’s mother walked out when Caroline was a baby and the oldest brother, Adam, was her father. When he was killed in a plane crash, Will became Caroline’s guardian. Caroline has lost enough in this life.” Garrett put away the phone, retrieved his brandy and sat again.
Edgar sipped his brandy. “I’ll do what I can, but I can’t keep her from looking you up. I’m amazed she hasn’t already. She must like you and take you at your word.”
“I think she’s been reassured because Jason Trent knows me. She knows I have a business here and you had already met me. I’ve had her to my house and now we’ve spent a weekend together.”
“Believe me, that’s unlike her. She’s very cautious and I’m sure she’s already told you why.”
“Argus again and his treatment of her mother. I’m not Argus or even close, and not one drop of his blood runs in my veins.”
“True. I hope you can talk some sense into her for her own sake. It’s absurd for her to toss aside that fabulous inheritance. She doesn’t have the kind of money to be so blasé about it.”
“Thanks for letting me try to work this out. I just want her to talk to Will and to think about what she’s doing to them and herself.”
“If I can help in any manner, let me know.” Edgar took another long sip of brandy and set down his glass. “I’ll go now. I’m relieved to hear your purpose and I hope you succeed. I’ll stay out of this until I’m asked to do otherwise.”
He offered his hand and they shook again. “Thanks, Edgar. I appreciate it. I intend to tell her soon and I hope that doesn’t end her speaking to me.”