How To Seduce An Heiress: The Reluctant Heiress / Pride After Her Fall / Project: Runaway Heiress

“And what about the women in your life? You can’t convince me there are none.”

“There isn’t anyone special, or even anyone really ‘in’ my life at this point. I’m free as a bird, as they say.”

“Workaholic?”

“I’m not arguing that one.”

When her phone chimed again with a text that the gallery was cleaned and closed, she noticed the late hour. “I didn’t know the time. I should go home.”

As they walked back to the gallery, Garrett stopped her. “Why don’t I take you home? I’ll pick you up for breakfast and bring you back to the gallery to get your car.”

“That seems a lot of trouble for you.”

“No trouble at all,” he said, unlocking the door of a black sports car.

After a moment, she climbed in, gave Garrett her address and watched him drive, studying his hands with neatly trimmed nails. A gold cuff link glinted in the reflection of the dash lights.

They drove through a gated area and up the front drive of her sprawling house. He parked and came around to open the door for her. They crossed the porch and she unlocked the door before turning to face him.

“You have a nice home.”

“Thanks. As you said, it’s comfortable. It’s too late to invite you in but I had a great time tonight.”

“It’s too early to exchange goodbyes,” he said, slipping his arm around her waist to draw her close.

Sophia’s heart raced as she looked up at him. His lower lip was full, sensual. She leaned slightly closer, pressing against him and closing her eyes as his mouth covered hers lightly, then firmly, his tongue thrusting into her mouth. A wave of longing rippled, tearing at her while she felt as if she were in free fall. Her breathing altered, heat pooled low in her. His kiss was demanding, enticing and she returned it. She moaned softly, the sound taken by his mouth on hers.

Her heart pounded so violently she was certain he could feel it. When she pressed against his lean, hard length, his arm tightened around her. Leaning over her, holding her tightly, he didn’t let up. She was lost, consumed in kisses that were magical, that set her on fire.

One hand slipped down her back, a light caress, and the other was warm on the nape of her neck. His kisses were earth-shattering, rocking her world. She had never been kissed this way. She wanted to stay in his arms for hours.

Finally she leaned away to look at him. “Garrett, slow down,” she whispered, caution and wisdom fighting to gain control over desire. All she wanted was to kiss him endlessly.

As he gazed at her intently, she realized that his ragged breathing matched her own.

“Sophia,” he said, her name a hoarse whisper. “I want you.” The words—stark, honest and direct—set her pulse galloping.

“We have to say good-night,” she declared. She had just met him and barely knew him. She should not fall into his arms instantly and lose all control.

Locks of his dark, unruly hair had tumbled on his forehead, escaping the neatly combed style he’d worn when she first saw him. She ached to run her hands through them.

Instead, she took a deep breath and stepped back. “We have to say good-night,” she repeated. “I had a wonderful time.”

“It was world-changing for me,” he whispered, his voice still only a rasp. He framed her face with his hands. “I mean it. Tonight was a special night that I never, ever expected. I’d hoped to meet you but I never once thought I’d have an evening like this.” As he spoke, his fingers combed lightly through her hair. His words carried a sincerity that made her heartbeat quicken again, his smoky, intense gaze consuming her.

“I didn’t expect anything like this either,” she whispered, wanting him with an urgency that shook her.

“When I walked into your gallery, I wanted to meet you for one reason. After meeting you, I want to be with you for an entirely different reason,” he said.

He leaned down to kiss her again, passionately. When he released her, he stepped away, but his hand stayed on her shoulder as if he didn’t want to break the physical contact with her.

“I’ll see you in the morning. How’s seven?”

She nodded, and he turned and strode away. She stared at him—broad shoulders, narrow waist, long legs, thick brown hair, handsome. The man took her breath and set her heart pounding.

“Good night, Garrett,” she said softly. She closed the door and switched on lights while her lips tingled. Desire was a scorching flame. Garrett Cantrell. She would be with him again in just hours and yet she couldn’t wait.

Her cell phone’s tune signaled a call. She looked at the number with curiosity as she answered. Her heart missed a beat when she heard Garrett’s deep voice.

She laughed. “You do know that we just parted?”

“We did. It now seems like a serious mistake. Tell me more about growing up, your dreams, your day tomorrow.”

Smiling, she sat in a rocker in her bedroom, gazing at her shelves of familiar books and pictures. “I grew up in Houston. I’ve always dreamed of painting and having my own gallery. Tomorrow—”

“Wait a minute. Back up. You grew up in Houston. House? Apartment? Best friends through your school years or did you move a lot? Tell me about your life, Sophia.”

When he said her name in his deep drawl, her pulse beat faster. “It can’t possibly be that fascinating. I grew up in one house, went to neighborhood elementary schools and then private schools later. I had the same close friends through elementary and then new friends in the private school. See? All very routine and ordinary.”

“There is absolutely nothing ordinary about you,” he said, stirring another thrilling physical reaction in her that threw her completely off base. She wasn’t used to feeling like this because of a man.

“What about you? You said you had it easy growing up?” she asked.

“I always went to private schools. I’ve had the same best friend all my life since I was too young to remember. Our fathers were best friends. I’ve had the same family home my whole life. I’m an only child.”

“We’re so much alike, I’m surprised we can stand each other, Garrett.” When he laughed, she felt her stomach drop, like she was in free fall. He was turning her inside out with just the sound of his voice.

“You’re already living your dream. Do you feel fulfilled, complete?” he asked.

“I think people always want more and keep striving. I am very happy with my life, though, and what I do.”

“Surely there’s something else you want.”

“Another successful gallery in Taos. I’d like to live in Santa Fe. But I already have a home and studio, and I have a cabin in the mountains near Questa, where I go for solitude to paint.”

“The Questa cabin sounds isolated.”

“No cell phone reception whatsoever, which is a plus. I have a caretaker. He and his family have a cabin close to mine, so there are people nearby. He has four dogs. Two take up with me when I’m there, so that’s a bit of company. It’s a good place to work with no interference—a good place to improve my skills as a painter.”

“I’d say you can settle for how well you paint right now.”

“No, I can definitely improve. So tell me about you, Garrett. Do you really dream of building furniture someday?”

“It’s pushed to a burner so far back, it will take years to get to it.”

As they talked, she moved to the window, switching off a lamp and gazing outside at the full moon. By the time she glanced at the clock, she was shocked to see it was half past three.

“Garrett, we have to get off the phone. It’s after three a.m., and you’re picking me up at seven.”

“All right. Sophia, you’re a remarkable woman,” he said in a solemn tone. She suddenly had a funny feeling that he had expected something different from her.

“And you are a remarkable man,” she replied softly. “Good night, Garrett. I will see you soon—very soon.”

“Night, Sophia,” he said, and was gone.

She turned off her phone and crawled into bed, Garrett dominating her thoughts completely. “Garrett,” she whispered, enjoying saying his name while she thought about his magical kisses. She had never expected to meet someone like him tonight. This wasn’t a time in her career to be distracted, yet he made her feel things she had never felt before. Morning couldn’t come quickly enough. She was already anxious to be with him again.

Two

Setting aside his phone to strip to his briefs, Garrett replayed the night, thinking of the first moment he had seen Sophia at the gallery. In high heels, she had to be six feet tall. Her midnight hair was straight and fell freely over her shoulders in a black cascade.

A dramatic black-and-white dress left one tan shoulder bare. The slit in the straight skirt revealed long, shapely legs with each step. Her mother’s Native American blood had given her smooth, olive skin, beautiful raven hair and her prominent cheekbones, yet she bore a striking resemblance to Will and reminded Garrett of Zach in her forthright, practical manner.

From the first moment she had captivated him. Dancing with her had fanned his desire until he ached to kiss her.

He shook his head to clear his thoughts.

While he hadn’t lied to her, he had still deceived her by not mentioning his ties to the Delaneys and his mission in Houston. At the moment she could be at her computer, looking him up and discovering he was an executive with Delaney Enterprises. A chill slithered through Garrett, turning him to ice. By breakfast time, she might already know the truth.

He didn’t want her to find out that way. He wanted to tell her about his relationship with the Delaneys himself. But if he did, he wouldn’t see her again, and neither the Delaneys nor she would get their inheritances.

His thoughts drifted to her soft, lush curves, her silky, midnight hair and her large, dark brown eyes …

After twenty more minutes of tossing and turning, he went to his indoor pool and swam laps, trying to stop thinking about Sophia yet wanting morning to come so he could see her again.

What if he did tell her about the Delaneys at breakfast? Maybe they already had enough of a connection that she’d agree to meet them.

Who was he kidding? Anyone who felt strongly enough to turn down billions wouldn’t change her mind because of a few kisses and one exciting night.

Glumly, he executed a flip-turn and mulled it over as he swam another lap. Three billion dollars—no one could turn down money like that, yet she had. Why? Was her anger at Argus Delaney that deep?

From what the P.I. had unearthed, Argus had continued seeing her mother until she died. At the end of her life, he had done everything to keep her comfortable, taking care of her medical bills and seeing that she had the best care possible. Why was Sophia so bitter? She didn’t seem a bitter, grudge-holding type. Sophisticated, intelligent, an inner core of steel, obviously hardworking, optimistic—all were qualities that he would use to describe her. It seemed difficult to imagine that she would have enough anger and hate to give up a three-billion-dollar inheritance.

He had to confess or risk Sophia discovering on her own the deception that grew larger with every passing hour.

Yet if he told her now, it was the end of what they’d only just started. And the termination of hope for the Delaneys.

Trying to shut off his nagging thoughts, he swore and swam harder.

It was another half hour before he was dry, sitting in his bedroom and staring out the window. Sleep eluded him. Worse, he was no closer to a decision about what he would do in a few hours when he saw her. Either way—tell her or wait—their relationship was doomed.

In spite of his disturbed sleep, the next morning he was eager to see Sophia again. His uncustomary inability to reach a decision about her added to his restlessness. Before he left to pick her up, Garrett phoned Will and gave him an update.

“Fantastic. So she can be civil and you like her,” Will said. “That’s promising.”

“Will, for her to cut all of you off and lose her inheritance, her anger must run really deep. I can’t imagine being able to persuade her to change her mind.”

“We’re counting on you to work a miracle. You’re already getting close to her.”

“Not that close,” Garrett snapped and then curbed his impatience. “I wanted you to know that I’ll be with her tonight so don’t call.”

“I’ll wait until you call me. You’re doing great—I knew you would.”

“Will, stop being the ultimate optimist. She doesn’t have a clue yet about my connections. Everything will change when she learns the truth.”

“Maybe. Maybe not. Thank heavens women can’t resist you.”

Garrett had to laugh. “Oh, hell. Goodbye, Will. I’ll call when I can.”

Garrett ended the call and tried to get Will out of his thoughts and stop worrying about him. As he headed to his car, he focused on Sophia, his thoughts heating him to a torrid level.

When Sophia opened the door, her heart missed beats. Dressed in a charcoal suit and matching tie, Garrett looked as handsome as he had the night before.

His warm gaze roamed over her and he smiled. “You look gorgeous,” he said.

“Thank you,” she replied, thinking about all the different outfits she had tried on before settling on a plain red linen suit. Her hair was tied behind her head with a matching red scarf and he gave it a faint tug.

“Very pretty, but if we were going out for the evening, I would untie that scarf and let your hair free, which is the way I like it.”

“But I won’t,” she replied lightly, locking up and walking to his car with him. “I have to go to the gallery and it needs to be tied and out of my way.”

As he held the car door, she noticed he watched her legs when she climbed in. He closed the door and went around to slide behind the wheel. “So how did you sleep?” he asked.

“Great.”

“I must be slipping if my kisses didn’t keep you awake a little.”

“You think I would tell you if I had stayed awake all night?”

As they both smiled, she felt the sparks between them, that electrifying current that had sizzled the whole time they were together last night. She hoped he never realized what a strong impact he had on her. She had a busy life and a time-consuming career. Garrett had come into her life at a time when she was trying to make a name in the art world. She didn’t want him to realize how he affected her. She didn’t want to lose control of her emotions.

At the restaurant, they were seated on an outdoor patio—the breezes were cool, the sun bright. As soon as they had ordered and were alone, Garrett smiled. “So when will my painting be delivered?”

“This afternoon.”

“Excellent. Let me pick you up, we’ll go to my house to hang the painting and then I’ll take you out.”

Her heartbeat quickened yet again. “You really don’t waste time, do you,” she replied.

“I’ll pick you up around seven. So how much time do you spend in New Mexico?” he asked.

“Most of the summer. It’s cool at night and I enjoy being there part of the year. Do you have a home anywhere else?”

“My home is in Dallas and I have a condo in Colorado because I like to ski. I also have a place in Switzerland.”

“Nice.”

“Painting is a reclusive occupation. Do you get out much in Santa Fe?”

“Sure, when I want to. But I enjoy the quiet and solitude. Chalk that up to being an only child.” As Sophia talked, she couldn’t help but study Garrett. His brown hair had been neatly combed, but the breeze soon shifted the locks and they tumbled over his forehead. His rough handsomeness—his hawk nose and firm jaw—and his spellbinding gray eyes fascinated her. When he began to speak, her gaze lowered to his mouth and she recalled his kisses, not hearing what he was saying as heat suffused her and the temperature of the cool morning changed.

He touched her chin with his fingers. “I don’t believe you’re hearing a word I’m saying. What could you possibly be thinking about?” he asked in a husky voice as if he guessed exactly why she hadn’t heard a word he had said.

“My mind drifted, sorry,” she said, embarrassed, looking into his knowing gaze. She felt the heat flush her cheeks and couldn’t do anything to stop it.

“So, Sophia, where did it drift? What were you thinking?”

She gave up because he knew full well what she had been thinking about.

“I don’t think you need me to tell you that, do you, Garrett?” He gave her a slight smile as she changed the subject. “Do you travel much with your job?”

To her relief he moved on with the conversation and the moment passed. But she suspected it had not been forgotten.

After breakfast Garrett took her to the gallery and parked beside her car. As he walked her to the door, he said, “We’re early. May I come inside with you in case your building is empty?”

“Actually, people should start arriving in about ten minutes, and there is a guard outside.”

“I’d rather stay until someone does arrive.”

“Garrett, it’s safe, and I’ll lock the door once I’m inside.” She turned to unlock the door and reached inside to switch off the alarm. When it became clear that he had no intention of leaving, she headed down the hall and said over her shoulder, “I’ll show you my office.”

She stepped into her office and he followed, taking in the beige room with bright splashes of color from her paintings. He studied the paintings for a moment, and then turned to her, making her pulse skip. “I expect people any minute now.”

“I’ll wait and be certain. Why don’t you give me the key and I’ll unlock the front and switch on lights.”

She handed him the key and he caught her wrist, drawing her to him. Her “no” died on her lips before she ever uttered a sound. His arm banded her waist and he looked down at her. “I didn’t sleep well and I suspect you didn’t either. This is what I’ve wanted since I woke up this morning.” His mouth covered hers, his lips warm and firm as he kissed her.

Her heart thudded while heat made the room a furnace. Wrapping her arm around his neck, she combed her fingers through his thick hair while their kiss turned to fire. Forgetting her surroundings, she held him tightly.

She never heard the car but Garrett raised his head and stepped away. “I hear one of your employees.”

Garrett’s erratic breathing matched hers. She felt disoriented, trying to ignore her desire and get her focus off Garrett and back to the real world.

He left to unlock the front for her just as she heard a car door slam. One of her male employees came in the back door, and Sophia introduced him to Garrett when he returned to the office.

“I’ll pick you up at home tonight. How’s six? Too early?” he asked.

“It’s fine,” she said, still slightly dazed, thinking six o’clock sounded eons away. “Thanks again for breakfast.” He gave her an incredible smile, said goodbye and closed the door behind him. Sophia felt like she was in a daze until her phone rang.

“You were out late last night,” Edgar said.

“Hello to you, too, Edgar,” she said, amused. “I can’t recall having a curfew. I don’t think this is what Mom had in mind when she asked you to look out for me.”

“I think it’s exactly what she had in mind. You didn’t answer the text I sent you this morning.”

“Sorry, Edgar. I went out for breakfast.”

“Uh-huh. With the Cantrell fellow?”

She laughed. “Yes, with the Cantrell fellow—Garrett, to be exact.”

“Oh, dear,” Edgar said, sighing audibly. “I suppose I will have to remember his name. So you’re seeing him again?”

“Correct. Am I going to have to check in, Mom 2?”

He chuckled. “No. I’ll keep tabs. Just answer your text messages.”

“Yes, Edgar.”

“Last night seemed a huge success.”

“I’ll hear shortly when everyone arrives at work.”

“I’m certain I’m right. Have lunch with me and we’ll celebrate your success.”

“Thanks. That’ll be nice.” She made arrangements with him and a minute later, her assistant appeared to show her the receipts from the gallery.

Last night had indeed been a success—in more ways than one.

Sophia pulled on a blue wool-and-crepe sweater with a deep V-neck, a straight, short skirt and matching pumps. She put her hair up in a French twist. She was nervous, anxious, excited.

Get a grip, she silently lectured herself.

It wasn’t easy. Garrett captivated her more than any other man she had known. He was exciting, handsome, interested in her life. If she let herself think of kissing him, she could get lost in memories of the previous night. But she didn’t want that to happen. She needed to stay in control.

When she was ready, she studied herself thoroughly to make certain she was at her best for the evening.

When she opened the door to face him, her heart raced, despite all her commands to the contrary. In a navy suit, he looked breathtakingly handsome and commanding. His smile warmed her as his gaze drifted slowly over her.

“You’re gorgeous,” he said in a husky voice that was like a caress. She smiled, glad for the effort she had taken to get ready. “You have a nice home,” he said.

“Sometime you’ll get a tour, but right now, we’re headed for your house.”

“I’ll hold you to that. Shall we go?”

Nodding, she closed the door behind her, hearing the lock click in place. Garrett took her arm to escort her to a waiting limo where the driver held the door while she climbed inside. She was surprised Garrett wasn’t driving. Did he always travel in limos? Was she seeing another facet of his life? Garrett sat facing her.

“How were the gallery showings?”

“Very good. I’m gratified. I’ll paint whether people buy my work or not, but when my paintings sell, I feel good about it. I keep the ones I don’t want to sell. Some are just for me and they’re not going to a gallery.” As she talked, she was intensely aware of Garrett’s smoky gaze on her. His fascinating gray eyes and knowledge of what his kisses could do kept her tingling with anticipation.

“If it suits you, we’ll go out to my house to hang the painting. When we’re through, we’ll have dinner.”

“Sounds like a great evening.”

In a short time they drove through an exclusive residential area with acres of tall pines and estates set back out of sight. Black wrought-iron gates swung open to allow them entrance.

She was curious about his home, interested in finding out more about him. When the trees cleared, she saw the sprawling, three-story stone mansion.

“Garrett, your home is beautiful.” A long narrow pool was centered in the formal gardens in the front yard. Various fountains held splashing water and sunlight spilled an orange glow over the house. Tall, symmetrical Italian pines stood at opposite ends of the wide porch that led to massive double doors.

The limo halted and the driver held the door as they exited. The door opened before they reached it and Garrett introduced her. “Sophia, meet Terrence, who is my right-hand man. He’s butler and house manager and keeps things running smoothly here. Terrence, this is Ms. Rivers.”

“Welcome, Ms. Rivers,” Terrence said, stepping back and holding the door wide.

Garrett took her arm as they entered.

“Somehow this surprises me. I imagined you in a different type of home,” she said, realizing Garrett had far more wealth than she had thought.

“Maybe I better not ask what kind.”

“Something less formal, maybe more Western. Although this mansion has enough rooms to have all types of decor.”

“I’ll show you my shop and then we’ll find the perfect spot for your painting.”

He led her down the wide, elegant hall with potted palms and oils in ornate frames hanging on the walls. They entered another wing of the mansion and finally turned into a large paneled room that smelled of sawdust. The terrazzo floor was rust-colored with dark brown stones. Beautiful pieces of furniture in various stages were scattered throughout the room. The framework for an ornate credenza stood on a worktable, above which tools hung. One wall held handcrafted cabinets containing more tools.