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  Damn him, he knew he was driving me crazy. And this was why I hadn't wanted to do this. Because of this feeling. Every time he touched me I was transported right back to that flat in Notting Hill where a total stranger had touched me and for once made me feel something.

  It didn’t help things that he was smart. He floated easily from conversations about politics, to art, to current events. And of course he spoke flawless French, along with Italian and what sounded like some German. He was officially a Venus flytrap. Everything about him was meant to entice, to entwine, to ensnare.

  After an hour or so of mingling, I started chatting with a girl who worked in the marketing department. It took Xander less than twenty seconds to come looking for me. He stalked toward me like a man who knew what he wanted. Like I was his target. His prey. “Sorry to interrupt, beautiful.” This time, he kissed me on the neck, lingering long enough to nuzzle. My head spun and I flushed.

  The poor girl I’d been talking to shifted on her feet and tried to look anywhere but at us. “I thought this weekend wasn't about sex,” I muttered, keeping my voice low.

  “I’m pretty sure I told you I’d still have a go, right?”

  “Not going to happen.”

  “If you say so.” His voice was low when he spoke. "Sorry to interrupt, darling. But there's someone I want you to meet. He’s the man who made all of this possible."

  Ah, code words. I needed to go play nice with the douchebag who was blocking him from his job. Excusing myself from the conversation with my new friend, I let Xander lead me away.

  All it took was one look and I hated Alistair McMahon on sight. It could have been his pale, gaunt looks, or what little I already knew about him. Or maybe it was the mask of disdain he wore when he saw Xander. He looked every bit the picture of refinement, but his eyes were cold, and his thin lips looked as if he never smiled. All in all, a miserable-looking man, despite his fancy suit and overall polish.

  "You must be the young lady who has captured Xander's attention. I can see why he's taken with you."

  I plastered my smile on. "Thank you for having me. It's a treat to come to Paris."

  Alistair’s shrewd gaze narrowed. "Why Xander, I would have thought you'd taken her to your pied-á-terre by now."

  I squeezed Xander's hand to stop him from answering. I wasn’t a fan of this Alistair douchebag. "Well, we were just talking about how we might have stayed at his flat instead, but we thought the chateau suited better. As least for a few days, then we'll switch venues, explore the city."

  Alistair narrowed his gaze imperceptibly at me. "So, almost little brother, where have you been storing this American… gem?" Somehow the man made the word gem sound remarkably like rodent.

  Little brother? Wait, what the fuck? I frowned, and Alistair tsked. "Xander didn't you tell her that we were practically family? If I were you, my darling, I'd wonder about what else he wasn’t telling you."

  Xander tugged me in close to his side and kissed me on the temple. "It was unimportant, so why bring it up?" Turning to me, he said, "Alistair’s father almost married my mother when I was a child."

  Maybe that was the reason for the too-thick tension. "What a small world. And now you two are going to be working together."

  Alistair’s gaze turned frostier. "Time will tell."

  Xander clapped him on the shoulder. "Relax, Alistair. This is all supposed to be a fun weekend, remember? I'm having fun. Aren’t you?"

  When Alistair slunk away, I turned my gaze to him. "Is that all part of the stuff I'm not supposed to worry about?"

  "Don’t worry about him. He’s inconsequential. But this guy is not." He inclined his head toward the approaching behemoth of a man. "Jean. It's a pleasure to see you again. May I introduce to you to my girlfriend, Imani Brooks."

  The larger man took My proffered hand and completely engulfed it in his. I could only pray I’d get it back one day. "Enchanté. I heard we were finally going to meet the beautiful woman we've been hearing so much about."

  I'd add that one to the pile of questions I needed Xander to answer. "Enchanté de te rencontrer. This is a great party and the grounds are beautiful. Thank you for including me in the fun."

  "Of course, my dear. My mother is British, but my father was French. This chateau has been in our family for centuries.” His smile broadened. “You know, until last week, I was unaware that Xander had such a serious relationship." He leaned forward conspiratorially. "I’m sure you’re aware of his former reputation."

  I locked my smile into place. "I’ve always believed love can change a person."

  Xander trailed a hand down the small of my back, leaving a trail of fire in his wake. "Everything changed for me after I met Imani."

  I met his silvery gaze, and there was a hint of sincerity in his eyes that I couldn’t deny. No. He's acting. Don’t believe the hype.

  LeClerc smiled down at us from his towering height. "Sometimes love happens like that. It's enough to change you as a man."

  "Tell me about it,” Xander said. "My whole outlook on life has changed since meeting this creature."

  "You know, my Charlotte did that for me twenty years ago. How did the two of you meet?"

  I gave the story that we'd discussed. I embellished with sweeping emotions, but it worked great. LeClerc's wife, Charlotte, sidled up to us with a broad grin. "You two are a beautiful couple. I'm so glad Xander has learned how to keep his personal life out of the papers for once. There was a time that you couldn’t open an OK Magazine without seeing his face and some emaciated model."

  Xander took a sip of his champagne. "I'm a changed man."

  Charlotte nodded. "I can see that." The older woman slid a sly glance up at her husband. Then back at the pair of us. "Now that I've met Imani, I can see what Alistair means."

  Xander cocked his head. "Oh? What did Alistair have to say?"

  Charlotte smiled sheepishly. "Sorry for the gossip. He was just wondering why you haven’t snapped up this gorgeous creature and made her officially yours yet.”

  I flushed. I had to school my expression and bite back the wince when Xander's grip tightened on my hand. I wasn’t sure if it was out of fear or if he was trying to keep me from running. Great, just what I needed—a pair of matchmakers. Xander had mentioned improv, but this was a little ridiculous. “I guess it’s a matter of timing. Nine months really isn’t that long. And we want to take our time, not rush into anything.” I clasped Xander’s hand and beamed him a smile. “All that will come one day. There’s no rush. When you know, you know.”

  Charlotte LeClerc scoffed. "Sometimes young love has to win out," she said.

  Her husband nodded. "The two of you are clearly in love. And if I’m honest with you, Charlotte and I eloped when we were young. We didn’t wait."

  I slid a glance at Xander, begging for help. How was I supposed to wiggle out of this one? There was no script. Say something, dumbass. Anything.

  His gaze flickered to mine, and I watched as his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down. His attention went back to the LeClercs and back to me again. "Wow, put on the spot, actually. But I've been carrying this thing about with me for ages, and I was hoping to do this in Paris this week, but you're absolutely correct. When it's right, why wait?"

  Letting go of my hand, he reached up to his neck and took off the chain and ring he wore around his neck. In the light, the rose gold shone and the stones around it gleamed. He slipped the ring off the chain and dropped to one knee.

  Oh God. Oh shit. No. No! This was not part of the deal.

  "Imani Aysem Brooks, my life changed when I first saw you. I'd never met any woman who makes me feel the way that you do. You astonish me with your wit and your smile, and I cannot get you out of my head." He licked his lips and his voice trembled when he spoke again. "I love you. Will you marry me?"

  No, hell no.

  All eyes were on me, and Xander held my hand tight, his gaze imploring me to trust him. I knew without a doubt that was the last thing I should do.
But still, the word that tumbled out of my mouth was, "Yes."

  I. Could. Not. Breathe. It was like an out-of-body experience watching Xander slide the ring made of rose gold and emeralds onto my finger. The lighting in the ballroom hit them just so, making them shimmer.

  This was supposed to be a simple one-time thing. Go to this weekend away. Pose as Xander's girlfriend. Get paid five thousand pounds. This was not supposed to happen. But no matter how I steeled myself, I was completely unprepared for what he did next.

  Rising to his feet, Xander pulled me close. When he slid his hand into my hair and cupped my face, I fought the urge to flee. What are you doing? I mouthed.

  Kissing my fiancée, he mouthed back.

  I froze in an attempt to brace myself. After the other night, I’d told myself I wasn’t going to go back to that feeling. While the free-fall was awesome, the landing was too hard to survive. But still, here I was, about to walk off a cliff with him… again.

  He angled his head and halted just before his lips touched mine. Pressed so close against him, I could feel his heart hammering, matching the thundering beat of my own.

  Our kiss in his flat had been a shocking frenzy of need. He had caught me off guard, but even more so by the raw emotion that coursed through me the moment his lips touched mine. This time was different.

  Xander’s lips melted over mine slowly, as if he had all the time in the world. As if we were the only two people in the room and no one was watching. His tongue took command of mine in a sensual dance, choreographed to tease. Every slow stroke of his tongue was followed by a teasing retreat. I didn't know much about this man, but I was certain of one thing. He was an expert at this. Kissing could well be a full-time job for him. It didn't matter how much I steeled myself; there was no preparing for Xander Chase.

  When he pulled back, my body swayed toward him. Desperate for more of the bliss he promised me. Slowly the sound blocked out by his kiss began to filter in again. There was applause. Lots of applause. And when I looked around, several women were fanning themselves.

  He released me and the room spun. The chiffon and satin of dresses swirled together. I needed air. Space. Distance from Xander. “If you'll excuse me for just a minute. I'm just going to get some fresh air..." On unsteady feet, I weaved my way through the throngs of guests at the party. The vibrant colors of their dresses and their ties clashing together made my head throb. The crowd finally thinned, and I stumbled onto the balcony, greedily gulping in deep breaths of fresh air. The temperature was in the mid-fifties, so not exactly warm, but the bite of the chill helped the panic recede.

  The shadow of fear evaporated in the night air and I could breathe easier again. There was no way I could let that happen again. I wasn’t afraid of him. He might be a total stranger, but he’d had prime opportunity to hurt me and he hadn’t. What I was afraid of was my response to him and what I felt after he touched me. Out of control of my body. Needy, and desperate for something I couldn’t quite name.

  I’d gotten myself into this mess by trying to do everything for everyone. What I should have done was taken Fe up on his offer. Instead, my stupid pride got me in trouble. Even as the thought filtered in, I frowned. No. I couldn’t have done that, knowing the pain that money caused him. I was a big girl; I could get out of my own mess. All I had to do was tell Xander I was leaving. Leaning against the thick stone armament, I tried to quell my queasy stomach. I'd never backed down from a challenge before, but maybe there was a first time for everything.

  "Imani?"

  Xander's voice brought me upright and I met his steel-gray gaze. "I can’t do this." I half expected him to try to convince me otherwise or talk me into it, but he just took my hand and nodded.

  His voice was soft. "I’m sorry. This is my fault; I didn’t see it coming. I anticipated a dozen other outcomes. Just nothing like this, so I improvised.”

  Bleary-eyed, I studied the ring. “Where did you get this?”

  “It belonged to someone I knew.”

  Great, recycled love. “We can’t get married. You have to un-improvise. Something. Anything. I can’t marry you."

  He slid his glance around before lowering his voice. "Of course we’re not getting married. I was just following Charlotte’s lead. Besides, fiancée looks better than girlfriend."

  I touched my still tingling lips. "Xander—"

  "You know, neither one of you looks like a happy married-couple-to-be. Matter of fact, Xan, your new bride looks a little green around the gills." Alistair’s smile was sly, looking more like a smug smirk. "Now is that because you suddenly realized that you're about to tie yourself to a paranoid, lying reprobate or because this isn’t what you bargained for? What did he promise you, a fun weekend away?"

  "Leave her be, Alistair." Xander stepped in front of me, shielding me from Alistair and giving me a clear view of his back. Somewhere during the night, he'd shed his jacket, and I could see his muscles bunch under his dress shirt. He was lean but wiry, and I knew from experience how hard every single one of his muscles were. Not to mention, there was an edge to him. If it came to a fight, Alistair would lose. Which didn’t bother me one bit.

  What did bother me was that Xander might actually kill the smug asshole.

  "Take your little girlfriend and go home, Xander. That kiss might have everyone else fooled, but I know you. You’re not stable enough to maintain a girlfriend. Sooner or later LeClerc is going to see through your lie. You don’t belong at the adults’ table.” He shifted his gaze to me. “Why don’t you crawl back under whatever dingy rock he found you under? You don’t belong here."

  "Shut it, Alistair. Or you will be eating your teeth and the only thing you'll be able to swallow this weekend is the foie gras."

  The tension swirled around them thick and opaque, and I could almost taste it. Something else was going on here. Something I didn't understand. But one thing I did know was that Alistair was an asshole. I'd come to do a job, and I wasn’t leaving until I did. And if this douche waffle got an ass-handing in the process, well, I was totally down for that.

  I squared my shoulders. "Actually Alistair, Xander and I were just talking about when we could have Charlotte and Jean to our place for dinner. I love to cook, and it’s finally our chance to entertain, given our schedules. Besides, I’d like to say thank you to them for inviting me along this weekend.”

  Alistair scowled. “Your place? You expect me to believe you two live together?”

  Xander pulled me close to his side and his spicy aftershave made me want to nuzzle into him. “We’ve been living together for months. Given what happened with my last fiancée, I’ve kept this relationship under wraps.”

  What the hell did he mean by that? I’d ask him about it later. Standing on tiptoe, I kissed his jaw. “I’m afraid Xander has been trying to keep me all to himself. Now, if you’ll excuse us, I need to call home and squeal over the news.” Without giving him another glance, I slipped my hand into Xander's and tugged him toward the main entrance and the stairs leading to our suite, not letting go until we were safe from prying eyes.

  Xander shut the door behind them quietly. "What did you just agree to?"

  Oh boy. Wrapping my arms around my belly, I paced. "Apparently we're living together."

  "Yeah, love, I gathered that much. But you don’t know Alistair. He’ll check. I can have the staff say you live there, but that will only last for so long. He’ll use that as an opportunity to show LeClerc that I’m bullshitting him. It will actually have to be real. At least until I get myself on that board."

  Fuck. I paced along the hardwood floor. "Sorry, he was just such a smug fucker I lost my mind. I don’t know what your beef with him is, but what I do know is that he’s not a nice person, so whatever you have planned for him, bring it on."

  “Looks like you’re moving in then.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Xander

  I clawed at the darkness, desperate to find the light. I didn't dare look back, because if I did,
there would be no coming back. I had to keep moving. Had to keep fighting. Behind me, I could hear Silas’s heavy breathing, panting, thundering footsteps. Icy cold hands clawed at my back as if Silas was trying to reach me from beyond the grave. And then there was the empty silence.

  Somewhere ahead, an angel called for me. “Xander?”

  If I could just follow the sound, I’d be safe. Happy. Warm.

  Slowly the dream lifted even as I tried to make it to the mysterious angel. Slowly I blinked sleep from my eyes, and Imani was standing over me, a hand on my thigh. “Xander. Are you awake?”

  With the adrenaline still coursing through my veins, my heart worked overtime pumping blood to my body. She was so close. She smelled so good. One taste of heaven and I’d wake up. But for now, I clung to the dream, tugging her closer until she was close enough to taste.

  Her lips were so soft. So sweet. Just having her near was enough to banish the darkness from my mind and I needed that. The problem was eventually the warm glow turned white-hot and my tongue licked at the seam of her lips.

  She parted them on a sigh, granting me access, and I took full advantage. With a low groan, I yanked her down to me and rolled our bodies so that I lay half on top of her, blanket tangled around our legs.

  Her fingers dug into my biceps as she clung to me, and my mind spun. Need coursed through my blood and my erection strained against the cotton of my pajama bottoms. She wore only a thin t-shirt and shorts, and I was shirtless; I could feel her nipples pebble where my chest met hers.

  But it wasn’t until her tongue slid against mine, until she kissed me back, that I lost control.

  Roughly, I shifted her until my hips lay between her thighs. And I claimed her mouth, devouring it, wanting to erase any other kiss from her memory.

  Beneath me, her hips rolled into mine, and my cock throbbed. The edges of my consciousness started to gray, and I felt a tingle at the base of my spine. Fuck. I wasn’t coming in my pants again with her.