Sweet Seduction (The BAD BOY BILLIONAIRES Series) (3 page)

As she reached up to ring the doorbell Sam couldn’t
help smiling.  Meg would be proud of her.  Of course, she hadn’t come to the
house with any plan to seduce the man.  Not at all.  She was here on business,
after all. But there was no rule saying a girl couldn’t look appealing while
doing her job.

As the doorbell chimed she smoothed her hair back,
took a deep breath and waited.  Within a few seconds she heard footsteps and as
the door opened a smile automatically stole across her lips.  “Good morning,”
she said brightly then the words died on her tongue as she got a good look at
his face.  Gone was the somber but pleasant man of the day before.  In his
place was a man whose face could only be described as sour.

“Morning.”  It was more a grunt than a greeting.  He
stepped aside and held the door wide open so she could pass.

Sam raised an eyebrow and went in but she didn’t say
another word.  He was certainly in a rotten mood today.  He was the one who had
invited her to come to see him but instead of a warm greeting all she’d got was
a scowl.  What was that all about?

She stopped and waited in the hallway as he closed the
door then she followed him to a large room with a desk on top of which were
piled books, files and a stack of papers.  His office, apparently. When he
waved her over to a chair she sat silent, waiting for him to make the next
move.  She knew enough about men to know when to hold her tongue. He obviously
had something on his mind and now was not a good time to be ‘Little Miss
Perky’.

Jake didn’t bother to sit.  Instead, he shoved his
hands deep into his pockets and looked down at her.  “Thanks for coming and for
your offer to help me with the basement.”  He shrugged.  “I guess they told you
there’s no need to worry about that.  I got some people to do it.”

“Yes.”  She nodded.  “Meg told me.”

“I’d like to take advantage of your expertise in
decorating.  As you can see,” he gave her a reluctant smile, “I need help.”

For a moment Sam just stared back at him, not sure she
wanted to answer with a smile.  She’d been in a good mood coming in but he’d
gone and changed all that with his grumpy greeting, and two could play that game.

“Just tell me what you need,” she said, her tone cool
and her face expressionless.

“I’m…not sure.”  He seemed lost, out of his depth.  He
looked around the room.  “I guess we could start here.  What would you
suggest?”

He looked so bewildered that Sam could not remain
aloof.  It was just not in her nature.  Relenting, she granted him a tiny
smile.  “Why don’t we start with a tour of the house?”

A look of relief passed over his face and it softened
in a smile.  “Thank you,” he said humbly.  “I’ll lead the way.”

First Jake took her back to the living room which was
almost bare except for a few old pieces that did nothing for the room.  Its
only saving grace was a beautiful fireplace adorned with an elaborately carved
mantelpiece. That, she would save.  Pretty much everything else would have to
go.

The dining room had a long, soulless table that just
sat there in the middle of the space with its six equally uninteresting
chairs.  When Sam raised an eyebrow Jake gave her a rueful smile and admitted
that he’d inherited it with the house – among other things.

“I didn’t care what the house looked like,” he said, a
slightly bitter tone creeping into his voice.  “I just wanted to get away and
this place was available, old furniture and all.”

Sam looked back at him, full of curiosity.  He’d
wanted to get away.  From what, exactly?  Where had he come from?  She opened
her mouth to ask then clamped it shut.  He’d already started off glum.  Now was
not the time to try to dig into his past or his private life.  Instead she
said, “Well, I’m here to help so don’t worry.  Let’s see the rest of the
house.”  She held up the tiny notepad she’d pulled from her pocket.  “I’m
taking notes as we go along.”

The tension in his face eased and he nodded then led
the way upstairs to the bedroom.  After that he headed back downstairs with Sam
in tow.

“So,” she said, speaking to his back as he descended
the stairs, “why did you decide to redecorate now?

He shrugged but kept on walking.  “I guess this was
just the right time.”  At the bottom of the stairs he turned to help her down
then said, “You already know what the basement looks like so I just have one
more room to show you.” 

They headed down the hallway toward a room Sam hadn’t
even noticed.  “I don’t come here often,” he said and his voice cracked.  He
cleared his throat.  “Let’s just have a look.”  He pushed the door open and
switched on the light then beckoned for her to enter.   

Sam stepped in and her eyes widened as she surveyed
the space.  Of all the rooms she’d seen so far this was the most beautiful. 
Spacious and airy with a high ceiling, it had the look and feel of a grand
ballroom.  Huge windows looked out onto a country garden where flowers, shrubs
and stately trees cohabited in a harmony of nature.

And then her eyes focused on the one thing in that
room that made her heart flutter – a shiny black baby grand piano.  Even with
its thin layer of dust it gleamed in the sunlight streaming through the
window.  Outside of the piano and its stool there was nothing else in the room
which made that beautiful instrument stand out even more, impressive in its
solitude.

Sam stepped forward then turned back to look at Jake
who still stood in the shadow of the door.  “Did you get this with the house?” 
she asked.

He shook his head.  “No,” he said quietly, “I brought
her with me.”

Sam nodded as she looked at him.  He’d said ‘she’ and
she knew what that meant.  This piano was special to him.

She pulled her gaze from him and turned back toward
the piano.  Slowly, almost reverently, she approached it and when she got close
she reached out to rest a hand on its smooth ebony surface.  As a child she’d
loved playing the piano.  It was one of the few luxuries she’d had growing up –
her own piano at home and private lessons from the age of four.  At one point
she'd dreamed of being a concert pianist but, as much as she loved music, it
was not to be.  She’d put in the hours of practice and she developed her skill
to a high level but still there was something missing.  That thing was inborn
talent.

Of course, with her years of practice she could
perform competently.  But that was not enough.

On an impulse she turned to Jake who had approached
and was watching her intently.  “Play something for me,” she asked eagerly. 
“I’d love to hear music fill this room.”

To her dismay Jake’s face which had been serious
before now turned dark with obvious anger.  “No,” he said, his voice flat, his
tone as cold as an arctic glacier.  Then, as if that weren’t bad enough he
marched over to the wide window to stare out into the yard, his back rigid,
both hands shoved into his pockets.

What in the world?  Sam stared at him in
consternation.  What had she done to deserve his cold rejection?  All she’d
done was ask him to play.  A simple request, in her opinion.  But for some
strange reason that request had ignited the flame of fury in this unfathomable
man.

She sucked in a breath then let it out slowly.  “Do
you want me to leave?”  she asked, her voice quiet but clear in the stillness
of the room.

“No.”  His answer was quick and he turned suddenly,
away from the window and toward her.  And on his face was a look that she could
not read.  “No,” he said again, more gently this time.  “Please stay.”  He drew
in a deep breath before he spoke again.  “I will play something for you.”

Jake bit his bottom lip then walked toward the piano. 
Sam stepped back as he approached and he slid onto the bench and positioned his
fingers on the ivory keys.

And then he began to play.  His fingers moved
tentatively at first, as if trying to remember a once familiar piece, and then
he began to caress the keys, his fingers moving expertly and effortlessly as he
played.

As the music filled the room Sam could only stand by,
staring in awe as Jake played with a skill she could only dream of.

As she moved closer, standing just behind him, he played
Mozart’s 'Night Music' then flowed into her favorite, Beethoven’s ‘Fur Elise’. 
She closed her eyes, letting the music wash over her, filling her with the
delight of such sweet melodies.  Then, as she basked in the glow of the music,
Jake began to play some contemporary pieces then a love song so sweet and so
true but so poignant that it brought tears to her eyes.  ‘Always and Forever’
by Heatwave had been their song, hers and Garrick’s.  They’d selected it for the
wedding.  And then he’d gone and played that song…when he got married to
someone else.

It had been four years since that disaster, four years
of pain, but she’d thought her heart was finally immune to any kind of hurt. 
But not so.  Although she’d put Garrick’s betrayal behind her and although her
love for him had grown cold she knew now that when it came to the healing of
the heart, it was not that easy.

She sniffed, fighting to hold back the tears and the
music stopped in that same breath.

Jake turned, a look of concern on his face.  “Are you
alright?”

Unable to speak, she bit her lip and nodded, praying
he would just turn back to the piano and play. 
Oh God, please don’t let me
cry
.  She would die of embarrassment if she broke down in front of Jake.  But
the more she pleaded, the more the tears welled up until they spilled over onto
one cheek and then the other.

“What the devil?”  Jake hopped up off the stool and in
one stride he was standing in front of her.  He pulled out a handkerchief and
in a surprising show of gentleness, he reached out to dab at her damp cheeks.

Sam looked up at him in misty-eyed wonder.  Was this
the same man who’d been so cold just moments before?  Trembling, she reached up
to still his hand then she slipped the hanky from his fingers and dabbed at her
eyes.  “Thank you,” she said, her voice a mere whisper.  “I…don’t know what
came over me.”

“Come,” he said and put an arm on her shoulder.  “Have
a seat.”

He directed her to the piano bench where he sat down
and pulled her down beside him.  Then with a sigh he pulled her close until her
head was resting on his shoulder.  As they sat he stroked her arm, not saying a
word, but somehow giving her a comfort that made words unnecessary.  Somehow,
he understood her pain.  She could feel it.  It was as if, like her, he was
dealing with pain of his own.

After a moment Sam felt Jake move.  He shifted on the
stool and his arms tightened around her.  She could feel it coming.  He was
going to kiss her.

And she welcomed it.  She held her breath and closed
her eyes in anticipation.

But nothing happened.

Confused, she peeped out and saw that Jake was
frowning.  He was staring straight ahead and the somber look was back.

Without warning he released her, got up and walked
across the room.  It was as if he wanted to put as much distance as possible
between them.  He cleared his throat then turned to face her.  “Well, you’ve
seen all the rooms so I guess that’s it.  I expect you’ll start working on a preliminary
budget.”

Sam felt her heart sink.  He was dismissing her, just
like that.  Dazed, she stood up and clasped her hands in front of her.  Then
she nodded.  “I…I’ll get back to you.”  Then she added, “Thank you.”  And she
walked out of the room, leaving him standing there watching her in stony-faced
silence.

Sam left Jake’s house that day confused and
humiliated.  And she wasn’t quite sure if she ever wanted to see him again.

******

Damn idiot.  Jake slapped his palm against his
forehead and turned back to the window.  He’d watched Sam walk out of the room,
knowing he’d upset her, and still he’d let her leave.  But what else could he
have done?

The darned woman had totally upset his plan.  He’d
cooked up this grand scheme to get her to come back to his house, inviting her
this time as an interior decorator.  Of course he needed the help but the truth
was, that hadn’t been his primary reason for engaging her services. He’d just
wanted an excuse to see her again.  And again.

But then he’d had a change of heart.  After all, what
right did he have to be happy?  He’d decided three years ago that he would
never be happy again.  Not without Jessica.

When he met Sam he'd had a momentary lapse, forgetting
that vow he’d made.  Even in her work clothes he’d been captivated by her. 
He’d accepted her offer to come back and help him clean simply because he
wanted to see her again.  But then he realized he had an even better excuse –
she could help him decorate the house.

But that morning as he waited for her to arrive he recognized
what he had done.  He’d been bewitched by a beautiful woman but now he had to
resist her.  It hadn’t helped that she showed up on his doorstep looking fresh
and feminine in a blouse that showed off her creamy shoulders and a skirt that
accentuated her narrow waist.  And this time she’d exposed those dainty feet in
sandals with straps that drew attention to her slim calves.  The dark, waist-length
hair he’d admired the day before fell in soft waves around her face and down
her back.  At the sight of her he knew he was in trouble.  If he wasn’t careful
he’d succumb to her spell and then he would be lost.