“Aren’t you coming?” Her voice was still whisper-soft, encouraging him in the madness she created.
He found himself untying the belt of the robe and quickly removing it, allowing it to drop in unconcern on the damp heated c
ement beneath their feet as he moved to the steamy water.
He stepped in, feeling the rush of the water caress his lower legs as he held his hand to her. A vivid smile crossed her face, and in the soft light of the full moon above he saw the flash of eternal dreams in her eyes.
“You’re beautiful, Courtney,” he whispered as she stepped into the water with him, the snowflakes drifting down to melt on her flushed cheeks, her soft lips.
Pleasure flashed in her eyes as she stared up at him, looking for all the world like one of the fairies in the prints his mother loved before her death.
His own precious fairy.
He touched her cheek, lowered his lips to hers and whispered suggestively, “Now tell me about that wax job?”
Courtney stepped into the front doors of Ian’s mansion just before the sun was setting over the mountains surrounding it the next evening. She was reflective as she closed the door behind her, brooding over the fact that it seemed Melissa Gaines, and something that had happened almost fifteen years before, still had the power to hold Ian’s heart so deeply.
She had thought she was making inroads the night before as they laughed and made love in the hot tub long into the midnight hours. But this morning he had been his usual brooding self, if a little grumpier than usual.
Had he truly loved the woman? Surely not. If he had, then he couldn’t be so certain that love didn’t exist, could he?
Truth was the man was going to make her completely insane. She shared his bed, spent hours upon hours each night in the throes of the most exciting pleasure she could have imagined, but it wasn’t enough. Not for Ian, and not for her either.
She could feel the restlessness building in him, and it only caused hers to intensify.
“Your coat, Miss Mattlaw…”
She jerked in surprise as Jason materialized by her side.
“Stop sneaking up on me. ” She lightened the startled snap with a laugh. “That’s creepy. ”
“You were obviously very deep in thought, ma’am. ”
The robot.
She allowed him to help her with removing the black jacket she had worn with her jeans that afternoon as she stared about the foyer.
“Is Ian in this evening?”
“Mr. Sinclair is away presently,” he informed her. “He asked me to let you know that he would return later this evening. ”
She nodded slowly. “Very well. ” The house was quiet, too damned quiet. And she was sick of being a good girl. Ian kept a very close eye on her when he was home, careful to keep her from The Club at all costs.
A wicked smile curved her lips as the butler moved through the foyer to the back of the house. Removing her cell phone from her small purse, she dialed Khalid’s number and waited as it rang. Once.
“Well, my favorite girl is calling,” he answered, a smile in his voice.
“Hello, Khalid. ” She kept her voice low, in case anyone dared to attempt to listen. “Where are you?” She allowed a vein of teasing wheedling to enter her voice.
A chuckle came over the line.
“Where you aren’t allowed to be. ” His voice was equally as low.
“But I want to be. ” She pouted prettily, watching the doors leading from the foyer suspiciously. “Get me in. We’ll have dinner. A drink. Play some cards…”
“…Make Ian insane. ” He didn’t sound a bit frightened of the prospect. She liked Khalid in that way—he was one of the few men that Ian didn’t intimidate.
She shrugged negligently. “He’s away at present. He may never know. But that bulldog of his, Matthew, is so mean to me, Khalid. Surely you could help me. ” She used her best, most pathetic little voice that normally inspired complete devotion.