Billionaire's Island Bride (The BAD BOY BILLIONAIRES Series) (13 page)

Finally, Dare
released her but only long enough to push her pajama top and robe off her
shoulders and pull her onto his lap.  If she’d had any doubts about the state
of his arousal they were dismissed immediately. The hardness that pressed up
through the cotton fabric of her pajama bottom was testament to the depth of
his desire.

Now totally bare
from the waist up, Erin felt a wave of embarrassment wash over her and she
turned to bury her face in Dare’s neck.  She turned her body toward him,
clinging to his shirt, trying to hide herself from his gaze.

Her body had
changed and her heart faltered as she wondered how he would react.  Her breasts
had grown fuller, riper and so much more sensitive.  The slightest touch sent
thrills coursing through her body.  But her waist had thickened and she could
no longer close the button on her jeans.  How would he see her now?

Her face still
hidden, Erin could feel Dare’s hands roaming over her body.  She was not
seeing, just feeling - the warmth of his body against hers, his big hands
cupping her breasts, his fingers teasing her nipples - and the sensations were
so intense that she moaned.

“You’re so
beautiful.”

Dare’s hoarse
whisper was like a song to her heart and she sighed and relaxed in his arms.  

“Come,” he said
then lifted her into his arms and stood.  “It’s time I had a real taste of my
lovely wife.”

At his words Erin’s
eyes widened and she laid a hand on his chest.  “Dare, no.  You promised.”

He was heading out
of the kitchen now, carrying her as if she were nothing but a small child. 
“Promised what?”

“This marriage. 
It’s in name only,” she said as she began to wriggle in his arms.  She wanted
him to put her down.  How firm and businesslike could she be when he was
holding her so close she could hear his heart beating in her ear?  No, she
needed to be on solid footing to have this conversation.

“In name only.” 
He gave a harsh laugh.  “You’ve got to be kidding.”  He kept on walking,
totally ignoring her struggle to get down.

“Put me down.”  Erin
spoke through clenched teeth and gave him a punch on the arm.  He didn’t even
flinch.  “I’m not going anywhere with you.”

That brought
another laugh from Dare.  “You seem to be coming along quite nicely.”

“Dare, if you
don’t put me down this instant I’m going to scream and you’re not going to like
it.”

“Go ahead.  Scream
all you want.  Francine is all the way in the far wing of the house and she
sleeps like a log.”

By this time they
were in a part of the house to which Erin had never ventured.  They were
approaching Dare’s suite.  She had to do everything in her power to stay out of
his room.  Once inside, she would be lost.  She had to make him stop.

“Dare DeSouza if
you don’t put me down I’m going to scream bloody murder.”  She was determined
that she would not cross his threshold.  He’d rejected her once.  She would
never, ever give him the opportunity to do it again.  She drew for the one
thing she knew was guaranteed to make him stop.  “Are you so desperate you’re
resorting to rape?”

If she’d shot him
in the chest with a bullet it could not have halted him faster.  Dare came to a
sudden stop and, his face black as midnight, he stared down at her.  “What the
hell did you just say?”

Erin dropped her
eyes and bit her lower lip.  She didn’t need to repeat herself.  He’d heard her
loud and clear.  And her plan had worked.

Dare slid his arm
from beneath her legs and lowered her to the ground.  Once he’d set her on her
feet he stepped back and his look was dark with displeasure.

“I want you, Erin. 
Make no mistake about that.  But I’ll be damned if I’ll be accused of rape.” 
He folded his arms across his chest.  “I may want you but I will never force
myself on you.”  His gray eyes turned cold.  “Next time, you’ll have to  be the
one to make the first move.  I won’t lay a finger on you unless you come to
me.  Begging.”

With that, he
turned on his heels and walked away, leaving her standing there, her arms still
wrapped around her chest.

She’d made her
point and he’d gotten the message.  Mission accomplished.  So why did she feel
like her life had just ended?

Slowly she turned
and walked back to the kitchen.  As she dressed an unexpected tear slid down
her cheek.

With a sniff she
wiped it away with the back of her hand, disgusted with herself for this
display of weakness.  If she was going to survive under Dare DeSouza’s roof
she’d better develop a backbone.

And if she was
going to survive a week with Robyn she’d better return to all she’d learned
about suppressing her emotions.

Between Dare and Robyn
she was going to have a heck of a time controlling those emotions.  Under no
circumstances could she afford to crumble in front of either one of them.  She
would have to call on all her reserves to survive the week.  God help her.

CHAPTER EIGHT

After a near
sleepless night Dare headed out early the next morning.  He’d scheduled a
meeting with a private investigator and he was anxious to get an update on the findings.

When the man was
ushered into his office at eight thirty that morning he was standing by the
desk, ready for the news.  He practically paced a trail into the carpet,
waiting for him.

They shook hands
then he offered Paul Ogilvie a seat.  The big man’s frame swallowed up the
chair.

He began without preamble. 
“I’m afraid it’s not good news, Mr. Desouza.”

Dare’s lips
tightened but he nodded.  He’d been hoping for the best, that he’d find some
way to redeem his long-time friend and absolve him from any wrongdoing, but it
was not to be.

“Bart Reynolds had
a serious conflict of interest in this deal.”  The blond giant leaned over and
dropped a large brown envelope in the center of Dare’s desk.  “It’s all there. 
He was a primary shareholder in that property with full knowledge of its
dilapidated state.  You did him a favor in taking it off his hands.”

The news almost
floored Dare.  So that was why Bart had pushed him so hard on this deal, giving
him all kinds of assurances.  The bastard.

Then he thought of
something.  “Wait a minute.  You said the buildings were dilapidated but I
didn’t see any evidence of that.”

“Bart took you on
that tour of the property, right?”

Dare nodded.

“Just as I
thought.” Ogilvie’s face was grim.  “He deliberately took you to the sections
that had been spruced up for your visit.  Half of those structures are hollow
shells, eaten out by wood termites.  He wouldn’t have taken you to those.”

Dare puffed out
his cheeks and blew out his breath.  So that was it.  He’d put all his trust in
Bart and had been taken for a hell of a ride.  If he couldn’t trust a friend of
over ten years who in the world could he trust?  “So where is he now?”

“Last information
we got he’d left the island for the south of France with a former model on his
arm.  He set himself up for a pretty sweet life.”

“And this is?”
Dare jerked his head toward the envelope.

“Photos, bank
records, papers showing his connection to the property.”  The P.I. shrugged.  “Nothing
I haven’t already told you.  They're just for your records.”

There was nothing
more to be said.  Nothing more to be done.  He probably didn’t even have the
option of suing.  He’d signed in good faith and now he was paying a high price
for his trust.

“Thank you for
your help.”

As Dare held out
his hand Paul Ogilvie stood and shook it.  “Any time, Mr. DeSouza.  If you need
any more checks done you know where to find me.”

Dare nodded and
gave a grunt of acknowledgement.  That was as much as he could manage.

Right now his mind
was consumed with the issue at hand - how in the blazes to recoup two hundred
and fifty million dollars.

***

Erin tapped her
rolled-up magazine against her leg as she waited for Robyn to exit the customs
and immigration department.  The days had flown by much too fast and Sunday had
arrived, bold and bright, the day her nemesis would appear.  When the flight
arrived crowds of people came through the doors, people waving to family
members who had come to pick them up and professionals decked out in business
wear.  This went on for almost an hour and still there was no sign of Robyn. 
And there was no answer from her cell phone.

Finally, when Erin
had paced the airport lobby for the umpteenth time, she heard a squeal.

“Darling.  There
you are.”

She turned to see
a bundle of red rushing through the double doors followed by a porter pushing a
trolley with bags that looked like they had enough clothes for a year-long
stay.

Within seconds Robyn
was upon her, kissing her on both cheeks.  “You’re looking so good,” the redhead
said with a laugh.  “And you’ve put on weight.  Married life agrees with you.”

Erin stepped back
and adjusted her loose jacket so that it fell away from her body.  Robyn didn’t
know she was pregnant but she would, soon enough.  But now was not the time. 
She’d let the girl gloat, thinking she’d simply grown plump from lack of
exercise.  She pasted a smile on her lips and looked Robyn up and down, from
the red beret on her head to her red suit and matching shoes.  She looked
almost European in her elegant pencil skirt.  She must be going through one of
her European phases.  At times she considered things European to be en vogue
and so she dressed the part and even adopted their accents and expressions.

“You look
beautiful, as usual,” she told Robyn and watched her face light up even more. 
She never tired of receiving compliments.

“Thank you,” she
said and looked around.  “So where’s that husband of yours?”

“Aah, he’s very
busy at the moment.  Our chauffeur will take us home.”  As she spoke she dug into
her purse for her cell phone.  She’d have to call for the car to come around.

Robyn’s mouth set
in a pout she probably thought was cute.  “Aaw, I was looking forward to
meeting him.”

“You will,” Erin
said.  “Soon.”  That was what she told Robyn but, in truth, she wished to delay
that meeting as long as possible.  Robyn was a notorious man stealer and the
fact that this was a married man was little consolation.  Everyone was fair
game on her playing field.

Within minutes the
chauffeur was loading the bags, five in all, into the trunk and then they were
off, the serpent and the little mouse eyeing each other.  Erin almost laughed
as the image flashed through her mind.  Would there ever come a day when she
didn’t feel intimidated by Robyn? 

That night, and
much to Erin’s relief, Dare did not make an appearance before bedtime.  Robyn’s
disappointment was palpable.  The girl’s true colors began to show through her
façade when she snapped at Francine during the evening meal.

“Why does she keep
hovering around?" she complained as Francine came in to check on them for
the third time.  “It’s so annoying.”

“Francine’s a
lovely woman,” Erin said in defense.  "She’s just a little overprotective,
that’s all.  She’s the motherly type.”

“Well, she’d
better not try to bother me.  She’s only the hired help, after all.”  This was
followed by a toss of her head.

Erin didn’t think Robyn
had to worry about more mothering.  Francine had been just about to enter the
room when she was stopped by Robyn’s outburst.  The older woman's face fell and
she disappeared back down the hallway.  Erin could only hope she didn’t think
she shared Robyn’s opinion.

When she finally
bid Robyn goodnight and closed the door to the guest quarters she could only
sigh in exhaustion and relief.  One night down, five more to go.

Another day passed
without incident, with Erin taking Robyn shopping at the boutiques scattered
around the town’s center, and having her walking from store to store until she
was beat.  By the time they got home Robyn crashed, totally exhausted.

By the third day,
though, the visitor was determined that her trip to the island would not be in
vain.  At least that was how it seemed to Erin.  Robyn got up with the rising
of the sun and knocked on her door.  Not waiting for an answer, she popped her
head around the door.

“Wake up, sleepy
head,” she said, her smile falsely bright and cheerful.  “Let’s have an early
breakfast.”

Erin looked at her
through eyes still blurry from sleep.  “Francine isn’t up yet,” she said in an
attempt to protest.

“Who needs
Francine?  We’ll make our own breakfast.”

Erin was not
fooled.  Robyn hadn’t suddenly developed a love for the fresh early morning
air.  No, her goal was to meet Dare.  This time there would be no way to keep
them apart.

As per Robyn’s
plan, both women were sitting at the breakfast table when Dare walked in
looking breathtakingly handsome in dark business suit and maroon-colored tie.