Читать книгу Pregnant By The Rival Ceo - Karen Booth, Karen Booth - Страница 10

Four

In the years since he’d graduated from Harvard Business School, the only time Jacob had mixed business and pleasure was right now—taking Anna away for the weekend. Time alone in the car with her had quickly illustrated that being with her made things muddy, messy. Nothing was clear-cut and that made him nervous. Considering the game he was playing with LangTel stock, getting close to Anna was dangerous. It wasn’t just playing with fire. It was tantamount to walking a tightrope over an active volcano.

But the fire was so tempting—her sweet smell, the way she pulled out her ponytail and redid it when she was thinking about something. He’d struggled to keep his eyes on the road. The deep blue turtleneck she wore was maddening. His brain wouldn’t stop fixating on trying to remember the exact arrangement of freckles on her chest. And then there were the jeans. Sure, he’d held the car door to be a gentleman, but he’d committed every curve to memory, frame by frame, as she’d climbed inside his car.

Finally at their destination, he turned from the main road and stopped between the pair of towering stone pillars flanking the entrance to his estate. Cool autumn air rushed in when he rolled down the window to punch in the security code. Silently, the wrought iron gate rolled aside, granting entry into his retreat, a world that intentionally bore no resemblance to the one they’d left behind in Manhattan. The fall leaves blazed with a riot of brilliant orange and rust and gold. The trees rustled with a stiff breeze, leaves breaking free from their branches, some landing on the hood and windshield, the rest drifting until they came to rest on the white crushed-stone driveway.

The massive house stood sentry at the head of a circular parking area.

“Wow,” she muttered, leaning to the side and peering out her window as he parked the car. “It’s so gorgeous, Jacob. And huge.”

Surely Anna had been to impressive estates, but she seemed quite taken with what he had to offer her for the weekend—pristine grounds, crisp, white clapboards wrapping the spires at each corner of the house, a wide sweep of stone stairs leading to the front door, flanked by hand-leaded windows. His pride swelled. He couldn’t help it. He’d impressed her and he was glad that he had.

“The house was built in the twenties. I had it completely remodeled when I bought it three years ago.” As much as he loved his job, it was a pressure cooker, and being in Manhattan only exacerbated it. “I figured it was a good investment and I wanted a getaway that would always be here. Something I could depend on. Something comfortable.”

Jacob snatched up the keys in his hand and climbed out of the car. He didn’t make it around in time to open Anna’s door for her, but he was able to grab her overnight bag before she had the chance to do so. He wanted to at least do some things for her. In fact, he’d purposely called the house’s caretaker and asked him to give them a wide berth this weekend. There would already be his cook and housekeeper around.

“Seems like a lot of space for one person,” Anna said, as they made their way to the front door. “How often do your parents come to visit?”

Family was such an integral part of Anna’s life. It was probably impossible for her to fathom an existence that didn’t revolve around it. “You’d be surprised.” He opened the door and ushered her inside, placing their bags on a bench in the spacious foyer.

“A lot, then?”

He shook his head. “No. Not much at all. Especially not my dad. My mom will come for a weekend once a year, but she’s antsy the whole time she’s here. I think she probably learned that from my dad.” As hard as Jacob liked to work, he had seen his dad take it too far. He made a point of relaxing when he came up here, but that almost exclusively involved getting his hands dirty. Very dirty. He’d have to show Anna his collection after he’d shown her the house.

Anna turned and frowned. “Don’t you get lonely up here?”

Jacob was so accustomed to being alone that it didn’t faze him at all, but he was smart enough to know that most people didn’t live that way. Especially not a Langford. “I won’t be lonely this weekend. That’s all that matters right now.” He chided himself the instant the words were out of his mouth. Why couldn’t he answer, “no”? Why was flirtation and leading answers his inclination? He wasn’t the guy who had trouble turning off this aspect of his personality. He was usually far more in control.

Anna flushed with the most gorgeous shade of pink. “That’s a great way of thinking.”

The urge to cup the side of her face and sweep his thumb across the swell of her cheek bubbled up inside him. Stuffing his hands in his pockets was the only way to stop himself. He wasn’t about to cross that line. He needed to get a grip and wrap his head around everything he was fighting in his mind. When he’d been irate with Adam, it was easy to imagine getting back at him by seducing his sister. But then he’d picked her up at her apartment and he was quickly reminded of two things—Adam’s sister was a woman he cared about, and a path that led to intimacy was not to be taken lightly. A smart man would insist that the risk was not worth the reward, even if the reward did look stunning in her blue sweater.

As in all business, detachment was the most proven tack. For the moment, it meant focusing on his head and ignoring his body. There was a very clear answer to the question of what his body wanted—Anna. He couldn’t even fathom what might happen if he made a move. Would she cast away her brown eyes in shyness or would she have the courage to meet his gaze and tell him what she wanted? If he could have anything right then and there, he would’ve loved to know what she was thinking. Why was she here? What was driving her? Was it really as simple as wanting to broker a big deal? Or was there something else?

He cleared his throat. “Allow me to give you the tour.”

Anna nodded and he led the way.

* * *

Anna had grown up amidst wealth and splendor, but Jacob’s house was truly remarkable—beautifully refinished wood floors, a refined mix of modern furnishings and antiques, every surface impeccable and of the finest quality. Even her mother would’ve been a bit envious, and Evelyn Langford devoted an awful lot of time and resources to feathering her nest.

They returned to the front door, and Anna assumed they were going to go upstairs to see the bedrooms. Instead, Jacob handed over her coat. “I have something I want to show you in the garage.”

The garage? He was aware she knew what a lawn mower looked like, wasn’t he? “Okay. Sure.”

They walked along a wide flagstone walkway, past the swimming pool and tennis courts. Beyond was an enormous outbuilding. Practically a warehouse, with a keypad entry and a security system Jacob had to disarm once they were inside. He flipped a succession of switches and the lights flickered on, one by one, across the massive room. Anna gasped.

It was an homage to motorized travel—seven or eight very expensive-looking cars, all black, and at least two dozen motorcycles. The entire room was spotless— polished concrete floors, not a speck of dust or dirt anywhere. Chrome gleamed. The aroma of motor oil and tooled leather swirled around her, a smell she’d never anticipated could be so appealing. She’d had men show off collections before—art, autographed baseballs. One guy owned what she’d thought was a dizzying array of antique chess sets. Talk about dizzying—Jacob’s display of testosterone-fueled fascination was enough to make her head swim.

“Jacob, wow. I can’t even...” Anna paced ahead slowly, Jacob right behind her. She was mesmerized, but afraid to touch the wrong thing. “They’re incredible.”

They stood before a bike with a worn but polished brown leather seat. “This is my hobby. Everything is vintage. Nothing built after 1958. Some of them I’ve bought from other collectors, but quite a few were falling apart when I got them. They were a lot of work, but I love it.”

She folded her hands. Jacob loomed behind her, so close. She could feel the measured rhythm of his breaths even when she couldn’t see him. “You do the actual repairs?”

“Is that hard to believe?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m just surprised you know how to do it, that’s all.”

He let out a breathy laugh. “At first, it was the challenge of teaching myself how to do it. I was very motivated to learn. Now it’s simply that I don’t trust anyone with these. They’re prized possessions and that means I keep them all to myself.”

“Well, they’re just incredible. Truly beautiful. I’m very impressed.”

He stepped over to a bike in the center of the front row, swung his long leg over the seat and straddled it. “This one is my favorite. A Vincent Black Shadow. Very collectible.” The motorcycle popped back off its kickstand, bounced in place a few times under his weight. His hands—good God, his hands—gripped the handles in a way that said he didn’t merely know how to care for the machinery. He knew how to ride.

“Take me out,” she blurted.

He smirked, his eyes crinkling at the corner. “It’s cold out there. You’ll freeze.”

“I’ll live.”

“Have you even been on a motorcycle?” His voice rumbled, low and gravelly.

She had most certainly not been on a motorcycle. She’d lived her entire life in Manhattan. Riding on a motorcycle was the sort of thing her parents never, ever would have allowed her to do. As an adult, she’d never had the chance. Nor had she put much thought into how all-out sexy the idea might be until confronted with it.

“No. I haven’t. And that’s why I want you to take me out.” She shook her head slowly, their eyes connecting. His dark stare was like a tractor beam—he could have drawn her across the room with a single thought, not needing to utter a word or even curl a finger. He made her so damn nervous when he looked at her like that, as if he knew how easily he could mold her every vulnerability into something of his own. She didn’t have a lot of weaknesses, but there were a few. Did he know that he was one? That look on his face made her think that he did.

“You know what they say about this particular motorcycle?” he asked.

“No clue.”

“That if you ride on it fast, for long enough, you’re bound to die.”

Anna gnawed on her lower lip. What was it about being with Jacob, the man she wasn’t supposed to be with, that emboldened her? Because there was no denying that it did. He could’ve been about to push her over the edge of a cliff and she would’ve jumped off herself and figured out what to do on the way down. “I’m not scared.”

“You realize that if any part of you gets hurt, your brother will have my head.”

Anna wasn’t much for pain, but she wouldn’t mind Jacob wearing her out a little. Or a lot. “So now you’re going to use Adam as your excuse?”

He sat back, tall and straight, brushing the side of the bike’s body with his hand. He granted her the smallest fraction of a smile and it made her knees buckle. “When you put it that way, I don’t think I have a choice.” He pushed the kickstand back into place and climbed off the bike, heading for a tall cabinet in the corner. “Let’s find you a helmet and a jacket.”

Her mind was at war with itself. What are you doing? You came up here for a meeting. Shut up shut up shut up. Forget work. Forget the meeting. Who turns down a motorcycle ride with an insanely hot guy?

“We just need to be back in time for our meeting,” she said, as if it would make this sensible if she brought up work.

“That’s two hours from now. Plenty of time.”

“Okay.” Anna trailed over to him, wishing she’d had something smart or sexy or at least sane to say. She felt so overmatched, much as she had when Jacob had come to stay with her family that Christmas. As if he was guiding her, pulling her in, making her his. Except that it had never materialized that time. Was it all in her head? Would it actually happen now? If not, it would be fantastic to know now so she could preserve her dignity by dodging another brush-off.

He turned, holding out a black leather jacket. “Allow me.”

She made a one-eighty, her back to him, steeling herself to his touch, sliding her arms into the heavy garment, which weighed down her shoulders.

He patted her back gently. “A little big, but it’ll work.”

The sleeves were stiff, and she had to work at bending her arms to zip up the jacket. Boxy and clumsy for her frame, it made her feel like a child in a winter coat a size too big. She faced him and her brain sputtered, fixated on the image of him as he put on his own jacket. Dammit. It fit like he’d been born in it, adding a dangerous veneer to his admirable physique. Where did he get that thing? The Absurdly Tall and Broad-Shouldered Men’s Warehouse?

He grabbed a shiny silver helmet, but instead of handing it to her, he curled his hand around her head and reached for her ponytail, gently tugging on it as he pulled out the hair tie. She was so shocked, it was as if he’d pulled her breath out of her lungs at the same time. Her tresses collapsed around her shoulders. He was close enough to kiss. His mouth was right there—lips as tempting as could be, the moment resembling the one that preceded her ill-fated attempt at seduction. They’d been standing in nearly the same posture and stance. Why couldn’t he have taken her hair in his hands that night? Why couldn’t he have decided that she was more important than Adam?

“One of my old girlfriends always complained that it hurt to wear a ponytail that high with a helmet.”

Talk about ruining the moment. He would have to bring up other women, wouldn’t he? Of course he’d gone on with his life, including his romantic one, after they parted ways years ago. He was smart. He hadn’t wasted untold amounts of time wishing for someone he couldn’t have.

She nodded. “I never would’ve thought to take down my hair.”

He zipped up his motorcycle jacket, which was the sexiest meeting of metal teeth in the history of apparel fasteners. “If you want to know the truth, it’s just that I find that moment when a woman shakes out her hair after riding on the back of my bike particularly sexy.”

Was that his way of throwing down the gauntlet? Issuing a dare? Because she sure as heck could whip around her hair. She might not be the purely confident seductress, but that much she could handle. The raw anticipation of the ride ahead returned to her veins, pumping blood from head to toe.

“Ready?” he asked, climbing onto the Black Shadow.

He pressed a button on a key fob and one of the wide garage bay doors began to open. The crisp air rolled inside, but she appreciated the cooling effect on her ragged nerves. Jacob put on his helmet, then his sunglasses. Lastly, he pulled on a pair of black leather gloves.

“Yep,” she answered, sidling up to the bike. She realized then that it wasn’t the idea of the ride making her nervous. It was the idea of touching him. Then again, this gave her the perfect excuse, and if this was as close as they got all weekend, she’d find a way to live with it and later weave it into a super hot fantasy. She pulled on her helmet, adjusted the chin strap, and grasped his shoulders as she straddled the bike behind him.

He started the engine. The bike rumbled beneath them. “Hold on tight,” he yelled back to her.

She wrapped her hands around his waist tentatively. She didn’t want to be so hopelessly obvious. Better to wait until their speed warranted a stronger grip. The next thing she knew, they were moving, albeit slowly, as he turned to close the garage door. Then he sped up, rounding the outbuildings, chugging down the gravel driveway to the road, opening the gate ahead of them with another click of the fob.

He came to a dead stop at the road, balancing them with his foot on the blacktop as the gate closed behind them.

“You can go a little faster, you know,” she yelled.

“That was gravel,” he called back. “You want fast?”

Anna gulped. “Yes.”

“I’ll show you fast.”

He revved the gas, still keeping them in place. The power of the engine had her body trembling. The bike lurched and they hurtled ahead like a rocket. They flew down the narrow state road, picking up speed, much faster than they’d gone in his car. Maybe it only seemed that way because she no longer had the protection of a steel cage around her. The momentum of the bike pulled her away from him, and she tightened her grip around his waist, clamped her thighs to his hips. Her shoulders tensed, but at the same time, she felt freed. It was the oddest sensation. Laughter and elation bubbled out of her. The wind whipped at her jeans, but the jacket kept her warm. As did Jacob. Very warm.

The engine popped and roared whenever he changed gears. Masterfully, he handled the bike, leading them through a curve. She grabbed him even tighter as he leaned them into the turn, defying the laws of gravity. The way his shoulders shifted, maneuvering the bike through the treacherous bend, was unspeakably hot. She loved seeing him so in control. One wrong move and they’d both be gone. In that moment, she couldn’t imagine wrong. He was infallible. Invincible.