Ain't Misbehaving (26 page)

“I want you to stay. I meant what I said this morning. I love you. I want to introduce you to my father.” He speared her with his gaze. “Marry me, Charlotte.”

His heart thumped so hard he wasn’t sure his chest would withstand the pressure. He’d asked one other woman to marry him, the engagement over a week later when he’d discovered—painfully—she coveted his money rather than him. He held no reservations with Charlotte, positive she didn’t care about his fortune, yet he had no idea if she’d say yes or no. The pause lengthened, his fears growing until they loomed over him in mythical monster fashion.

“We haven’t known each other for long.”

“My father and mother married after knowing each other for a week.”
Please put me out of my misery.
“I’m sure of my feelings for you.”

Her measuring look made him damn nervous. After another long pause, she shook her head. “Ash, it’s too soon. I like you a lot, but I don’t want to get married.”

Fuck.
When did too soon tip over into the perfect moment? There was an irony here with dozens of women wanting him, and the one he chose didn’t want him in return. Damn, he refused to lose her. A sharp knock on the driver’s window jerked him around. Ash scowled at the man. A photographer—the two cameras hanging around his neck gave away his occupation. He opened the window. “What?”

“I heard a rumor you and Red are engaged. Is it true?” His gaze zeroed in on her hands, clasped in her lap. “She isn’t wearing a ring.”

“No comment,” Charlotte said. “Ash, I need to get to work to relieve Maria. She has an important meeting.”

Ash nodded and shut the window. He backed from the parking space, ignoring the reporter to merge with the traffic. “Your family didn’t waste any time passing on the news.”

“The press has speculated about an engagement since the fashion parade.”

True, but they’d been wrong. He’d wanted Charlotte as his wife for much longer. Hell, there was no point dancing around the subject. “Have I spoiled things between us? What do you want to do now?”

Charlotte reached for his hand and squeezed briefly before releasing it. “Do we need to change anything? Couldn’t we continue just as we are?”

Relief tore through him briefly before his mind started to pick holes in her words. Old fears rose to cuff him before he could parry them. Charlotte was
the
one for him. He hadn’t mucked up totally and he wasn’t about to quit.

Back at the office, he scanned his messages. “Laura, I need to make a phone call. Make sure no one interrupts me for half an hour. After that, I’ll start the internal meetings.”

With his office door shut, he rang his father who lived in Wellington. “Dad,” he said when his father picked up.

“I was going to call you,” his father said. “Who is this Red stirring up the press? Why haven’t you rung me about your engagement?”

“Because she’s not my fiancée.” Determination straightened his shoulders. “Not yet.”

His father paused. “I see.”

Ash heard the understanding in his father’s voice and that was all he needed for his lingering fears to settle.

“When am I going to meet her?”

“Are you free this weekend? We’ll fly down for a visit.”

When he opened the door later that night, he discovered Charlotte in the kitchen. His breath hissed, relief making him lightheaded. Two steps into the room he came to an abrupt halt.

“Why, hello,” she purred.

The long line of her leg, encased in fishnet stockings drew his gaze and pumped up his confusion. When she bent over to retrieve a pot from a drawer, her short black skirt flipped up to reveal smooth, pale skin and a lack of panties. His mind groped to catch up. “Is this a special occasion?”

“Sir,” she said, smoothing her frilly white apron. “You’re looking very tired after your long day of work. Let me help you relax.”

His gaze roved up and down her form. “A sexy maid costume will not lower my blood pressure.”

She shot a sly glance at his groin. “Or other parts of your anatomy.” Taking his hand, she led him to the bedroom. She loosened his tie, and unfastened enough buttons to press her lips to his nipples. A few deliberate scrapes of her teeth and his cock swelled.

Her nimble fingers unfastened his belt and lowered his zipper. He caught his breath, his pulse racing as she scooped his shaft out of his boxer-briefs. After a sassy grin, she kneeled in front of him and took his cock into her mouth. The heat was heaven, the flicker of her tongue across the underside of his shaft like yanking a livewire within him. His legs trembled, and he gasped. A wave of love and desire constricted his chest while her lips and tongue hurtled him toward orgasm so fast he trembled. She took him deeper, sucking, licking. Massaging his taut balls.

“Aw, Charlotte. Yeah, like that,” he murmured, his hands fastening on her shoulders.

She didn’t reply, merely quickening her pace, flinging him into a world of sensation. Unable to remain still, his hips jerked. The tip of his cock hit the back of her throat before he pulled back. Not hesitating she ran her tongue over the tip, licking away pre-come, then she sucked hard and his body slipped his restraint. He exploded into pleasure so hard he saw flashes behind his closed lids.

Her tongue licked lazily across the mushroom head, and when she pulled back, her eyes appeared dark and mysterious, holding secrets he wished he understood. “What do you think of dress-up now? Does it work for you?”

Ash nodded dumbly, lightheadedness making it difficult to think. She didn’t want to marry him, yet hadn’t moved out, and now she’d blindsided him with sex. This wasn’t the way this courtship was meant to run.

Chapter Fourteen

“I love your father,” Charlotte said. “I might marry him.”

Ash let out a loud raspberry, attracting the attention of a hovering stewardess. The seat belt sign went on and a voice on the intercom informed the passengers the plane would land in ten minutes. Ash clasped her left hand, his thumb stroking across her naked ring finger. “Too bad I saw you first, sweetheart.”

She’d been right to refuse his proposal. Eventually Ash would change his mind and move on while she applied herself to a career and travel.

Ms. Feisty lashed out—a pointy boot kick—jerking her thoughts from the past.
This sort of thinking is sabotage,
Ms. Feisty reminded her.
Ash is honest and true and deserves a chance.

Ash curled his fingers around hers and winked at her when she glanced at him. The woman sitting across the aisle stared at him, her greedy thoughts obvious. Ash didn’t even notice, his attention centered on Charlotte.

You don’t deserve his kindness,
Ms. Feisty said. Charlotte bowed her head, admitting her inner dragon spoke the truth.

The trip back to Ash’s house didn’t take long. They rounded the corner onto Ash’s street and the cab slowed. A crowd loitered at the house gate. When they saw the cab approach, they straightened. Cameras obscured faces and lenses pointed in their direction.

Ash sighed. “We knew this was coming, sweetheart. I just wish they weren’t staking out the office as well. One of our prospective clients rang to cancel the other day because of the recent publicity.”

What he was too charitable to mention was that her family had spread the news. She gulped, uncomfortable in the spotlight. To date, she’d managed to ignore ninety-nine percent of the stuff in the newspapers and magazines. “I’m sorry.”

Ash squeezed her fingers, the stroke of his thumb across the back of her hand sending a surge of heat thrumming through her veins. “We can ignore them or we can make a statement telling them the announcement was premature.”

Charlotte searched his gaze and saw he’d do that for her. She could imagine the speculation a denial would generate. More comparisons to Beauty and the Beast and cruel comments about his scars. Stories about how she couldn’t face touching him, let alone jump in bed with him.
Do something,
Ms. Feisty snapped. “Or you could tell them we’re waiting for the resizing of the ring before we make a formal announcement.”

The blaze of hope in his blue eyes, the explosion of joy. The heat. The expressions told her his answer. They stared at each other while her heart beat a rapid tattoo, and she gave him a wobbly smile, hoping she was doing the right thing.

“Done deal,” he whispered. “Don’t worry. The announcement won’t take long. We’ll be inside with the gates locked behind us in less than ten minutes.”

“Promise?”

“Yes.” His certainty eased the stirring of panic in her. Gran had approved of Ash, and Charlotte loved him. She was sure of it, even if she couldn’t say the words out loud.

The gates swung open and the cab drove through. When Ash helped her from the vehicle, nosy questions hit them in a gigantic wave. Once their bags were unloaded and the driver paid, Ash and Charlotte turned to face the hoard together.

Reporters fired questions. Like a precision weapon, the questions went for the kill.

“Where is the engagement ring?”

“Can we see it?”

“Are your families happy about your relationship?”

“When will you get married?”

Ash waited them out and laughingly held up a hand to silence their clamor. When the noise subsided, he started speaking.

“Charlotte and I are engaged. The ring is at the jewelers for resizing. We haven’t set a date for the wedding yet, but our friends and family are thrilled for us. We’ll pose for some quick photos now and then we’d appreciate it if you’d respect our privacy.”

“Do you intend to do any interviews?” a woman called.

“No,” Ash said decisively.

“Charlotte, do you love Ash?” someone else shouted.

“Are you ready for the photos?” Ash brushed the reporter aside. He drew her against his side, his warm strength helping her to face the yappy press. He whispered a bit of nonsense about the nearest photographer’s big ears, and she smiled up at him. Camera shutters clicked nonstop with shouted requests for them to shift positions.

“Thank you. We’re going now.” Ash ignored requests for more photos, ushering Charlotte up to the house. The gates slid closed, leaving them in privacy.

“Wow.” Charlotte moved on trembling legs, away from the mass of hovering people. “I don’t know how you stand the kafuffle.”

“They’ll lose interest once we’re married.” He reached for her hand. “I have a bottle of Champagne in the fridge. Let’s celebrate.”

She forced a bright grin to hide the uneasy emotions bouncing around inside her. Ash was a good man, and she was very lucky. “I hope someone else claims their attention.” But in her heart she realized their engagement was new, and the press wouldn’t give up any time soon.

* * * * *

Ash left the house later than normal, and Charlotte settled into her normal morning routine. Feeling conscious of the sapphire-and-diamond engagement ring weighing down her finger, she caught a cab to Maria’s boutique, doing her best to ignore the members of the press loitering outside the gate. When she arrived at the boutique, she had to force her way past the crowd at the front door. They lobbed questions, one after another, making her feel as if she were facing a determined tennis opponent without a racket to defend herself.

“What do you think of the latest developments?” one fired at Charlotte.

A blonde woman shoved a microphone in her direction. “Are you going to meet your father?”

“Will this affect your engagement with Ashley Marlborough?” a man shouted from the rear of the group.

“What does Ashley think of your father?” a woman asked. “Any conflict there?”

Her father? Charlotte gaped at them, taking two half-steps back as they pressed toward her. Luckily Maria waded in to the fray, evicting the men and women from her shop entrance with threats of the police. She slammed the door after them, firmly turning the lock.

“I don’t understand. My father is dead.”

Maria stood in front of her, indecision written plainly on her face. Finally, she shooed Charlotte to the back of the store. “You’d better take a seat.”

“Why? What’s going on?” Tendrils of apprehension rippled along her spine, leaving a rash of goose bumps. She fell onto a wooden straight-backed chair in the kitchenette, not taking her gaze off Maria.

“I take it you haven’t read the paper this morning,” Maria said.

“No, after I started dating Ash, I try not to read newspapers. I loathe the speculation and innuendo, and I hate them calling Ash
The Beast
. Ash is the nicest, most decent man I know,” she said hotly. “People who can’t see past his scars need glasses.”

Maria’s smile was wide and encouraging. “I can see you love him. He’s a lucky man.” She sobered, turning to pick up a newspaper. “You’d better read this. I’ll go and see if it’s safe to open the doors yet.”

Charlotte unfolded the paper, stared at the headline. She read the lead paragraph under the headline, her hands gripping the edges of the newsprint pages, her pulse roaring inside her head. She scanned the rest of the article, an interview with Elizabeth and Jenny.

“They’re still out there,” Maria said with a trace of disgust. “I told them if they don’t move along, I intend to take action. It’s not right when they encroach this way.”

“Do you think it’s true?” Charlotte stared at the black-and-white photograph accompanying the story. “Do you think Elizabeth is telling the truth?” The words sounded far away, as if someone else were saying them. The roaring in her head escalated, and she squinted at the grainy features of the man, trying to see her nose and eyes in his face.

“I don’t know, dear.” Sympathy laced Maria’s words, her hand gentle as she squeezed Charlotte’s shoulder.

Charlotte stared at the words until the letters blurred.

Richard Dixon wasn’t her father.

No, it couldn’t be true. She bounded to her feet. “I have to go out. I’m sorry. I don’t know when I’ll be back.”

Maria grasped her arm, tugging her to a stop. “Why don’t you ring Ash?”

Before she did anything stupid
, Maria meant. “I…I need to think. I’ll ring him later.”

Maria didn’t look happy, but she nodded. “All right. Leave via the back and walk along the alley.”