The Billionaire's Contract Bride. Carol Marinelli

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СКАЧАТЬ her senses into overdrive: the exotic heady scent of him, the expensive cut of his suit beneath her fingers, the quiet strength of the arms holding her, the scratch of his cheek against hers. She gave up fighting it then. Nestling against his chest, she swayed slowly against him, relaxed under his skilful touch. Closing her eyes she inhaled deeply, every sense in her body attuned to the perfection of the moment.

      It wasn’t only a dance.

      To describe it as such was a travesty.

      CHAPTER THREE

      ‘LET’S get you upstairs.’ Aiden was slumped over the table but still managing to cling on to his half-empty glass. Shaking him on the shoulder, Tabitha whispered loudly in his ear. ‘Come on, Aiden. People are starting to look—you really ought to be in bed.’

      ‘Having trouble?’ She could hear the derisive tone in Zavier’s voice as he took in the situation.

      ‘We’re fine,’ Tabitha said through gritted teeth, unable to meet his eyes after the dance they had shared, confused at the response he had so easily evoked in her and determined not to let him see.

      ‘You don’t look it,’ he said knowingly.

      ‘Well, we are. Aiden and I are just about to head off upstairs to bed.’

      ‘Have you already called for a forklift or did you want me to ring for you?’ His biting sarcasm only inflamed her taut nerves.

      ‘He’s just tired.’ Tabitha said defensively, but she knew she wasn’t fooling anyone—least of all Zavier.

      ‘Ah, that’s right; he’s had a busy week at the studio. And there I was assuming that, as per usual, Aiden’s the worse for wear. God, I’m such a cynic sometimes.’

      People were really staring now; she could see Jeremy Chambers starting to make his way across the room, a questioning look on his face. A drunken showdown with his father was the last thing Aiden needed—her too, come to that.

      Swallowing her pride, Tabitha bit back a smart reply. Jeremy was nearly upon them now, and she had no choice but to accept Zavier’s help if she wanted to avoid a scene.

      ‘I could use a hand,’ she admitted reluctantly.

      ‘A “please” would be nice.’

      She wasn’t that desperate! ‘Look, are you going to help or not?’

      He smiled then—a real smile, that for a fleeting moment lit up his face. ‘Okay, come on, let’s get him upstairs.’

      Which was easier said than done. They managed to get him out of the function room in a reasonably dignified fashion, but once they got to the lift Aiden slumped on his brother and proceeded to snore loudly.

      Tabitha willed the lift to move faster; Zavier’s close proximity in this confined space was not having the most calming effect on her. Still, it was just as well Zavier was there, Tabitha conceded, or she’d never have managed otherwise.

      Aiden steadfastly refused to wake up, let alone walk, and in the end Zavier had to resort to giving him a fireman’s lift—something he managed amazingly well, considering Aiden stood well over six feet. Tabitha retrieved the swipe card from Aiden’s top pocket, holding the door open as Zavier made his way in and deposited his younger brother unceremoniously on the bed.

      ‘Be sure to tell him how badly he behaved in the morning.’

      ‘Oh, I’ll tell him all right,’ Tabitha said, her annoyance with Aiden apparent in her voice. ‘And thanks for all your help getting him upstairs,’ she added grudgingly.

      ‘Don’t mention it. I’m just glad he had the foresight to book a room here or we’d be stuck in the back of a taxi now. As you probably gathered, it’s not the first time I’ve had to come to my hapless brother’s rescue. I’m sure it won’t be the last.’ He stared at her then, openly stared, until Tabitha was blushing to the tips of her painted toenails. ‘I would have thought he’d have toned things down a bit by now, though—the love of a good woman and all that.’

      ‘But I’m not good…’ The words slipped seductively from her mouth before she could stop them, and she saw the start in his eyes at her provocative statement. Stunned, confused at her own behaviour, Tabitha attempted to retrieve herself. ‘I mean from what you said to me at the reception…’

      ‘Oh, I’m sure you have your good points.’

      Despite the fact they were occupying one of the Windsor’s most opulent suites, suddenly the room seemed incredibly small. There was something big going on here—more than just a gentle flirting. Everything about Zavier screamed danger. Every nerve in her tense body seemed to be on high alert, the fight or flight response triggered by his proximity overwhelming her, but there was nowhere to run and, even more disturbing, Tabitha wasn’t sure that she wanted to.

      She wanted badly to dazzle him with some witty response, to show she was completely in control, not remotely fazed by his imposing presence, but she wasn’t in control here—far from it. Zavier Chambers seemed to trigger a major physiological reaction in her just being in the same room.

      Void of any reply, Tabitha busied herself removing Aiden’s shoes. Pulling a thick blanket from the wardrobe, she covered his limp body.

      She was confident Zavier would go now, which would enable her to at least catch her breath again. After all, he had delivered Aiden safely—had done his brotherly duty. There was no reason for him to stay now—no logical one anyway.

      ‘I ought to put him on his side, in case he’s sick,’ Tabitha said, more to herself than in an attempt at small talk. Pushing her arms under Aiden, she knelt on the bed, pulling his back towards her.

      ‘Careful—you might hurt yourself.’ In an instant Zavier leant over to help her, his hand catching her arm as he attempted to render assistance. But the contact was too much for Tabitha’s already shot nerves and she pulled her arm back swiftly.

      His coolness only exacerbated her nervousness. She felt his eyes flicker over her exposed cleavage, and as if in response her nipples stiffened, protruding against the flimsy fabric. Even as she swallowed nervously she felt as if he was registering the tiny movement in her throat.

      ‘Tabitha…’ Aiden, slurring his words, struggled to sit up. ‘Sorry.’

      ‘Don’t worry about it now,’ Tabitha said gently. ‘Just try and sleep.’

      Aiden’s squinting eyes locked on her. ‘I mean it, Tab, I’m really sorry. I’ve been thinking,’ he slurred, resting back on the pillow, ‘I should just marry you. You know that? It would solve everything.’

      She felt more than saw Zavier stiffen, heard the tiniest hiss come from his lips, and knew that Zavier thought this was a proposal she had somehow engineered. Her own shock at Aiden’s suggestion for a moment put on hold, she attempted to quiet her friend. But it was too late. The words had escaped, seeping through the air like a vile vapour, compounding every last one of Zavier’s suspicions.

      ‘Don’t be silly.’ Tabitha attempted a light scold, a nervous giggle escaping her lips. ‘Why would you say such a thing?’

      All Aiden could manage was a small shrug СКАЧАТЬ