Three Rich Men: House of Midnight Fantasies / Forced to the Altar / The Millionaire's Pregnant Mistress

“Richard’s a damn fool.”

He wouldn’t get any argument from Selene on that point, but he did manage to extract a slight shudder when he stroked his knuckles above the rise of her breasts, back and forth in a sultry rhythm. She closed her eyes and absorbed the sensations, leaving her mind open for his thoughts, his fantasies. Yet she saw nothing other than white light, heard nothing but the lyrical cadence of his voice as he continued to speak to her in a steady, stimulating tone.

“We all have the capacity to reach incredible heights during sex.” He slid one strap off her shoulder and brushed his warm lips down the bend of her neck before bringing his mouth back to her ear. “You only have to be open to the possibilities.”

He lowered his palm to her breast and softly, slowly circled his fingertip around her nipple through the thin knit. Only then did she choose to open her eyes, to watch what he was doing, and she wasn’t at all sorry. “This is only one erogenous zone, Selene,” he said. “There are a lot more all over your body. Even so, just this little bit of fondling has you hot, doesn’t it?”

Selene could do no more than nod her affirmation. Speaking seemed completely out of the question, especially when Adrien slid his palm down to the waistband on her shorts. “Right here, right now, you want me to touch you everywhere.” He toyed with the button on her fly, twisting it slightly, torturing her with anticipation. “You want me to take these off you and find out how hot you really are.”

Yes, she wanted it. Wanted it more than anything she’d wanted in a long time, even her hard-won freedom. So much so she thought she might actually beg him to do it. But instead of answering her silent plea, Adrien turned her around and readjusted her straps. When she gave him a look of confusion, he simply said, “Not here. At least not now. Tonight.”

Selene hugged her arms close to her middle to fend off the unexpected chill. “I’m not sure that’s what I want.”

He inclined his head and surveyed her face. “You want it as badly as I do, and you know it.” He reached over and tucked a random strand of hair behind her ear. “But I’ll give you time to think about it between now and then. Think about what it’s going to be like with us.”

He did no more than draw another line with his fingertip down her throat to her cleavage and back up again along her jaw. But it was enough to make Selene lose all sense of reason. Enough to cause her to wrap one hand around his nape and bring his mouth to hers. He let her take the lead, let her explore, cajole, taste and tempt him. He kept his hands loosely about her waist for a time but as the kiss grew deeper, he moved closer until their bodies meshed together. Until every curve and crevice fitted perfectly against the other, practically interlocked like a human puzzle.

When he pressed one hand on her bottom, bringing her in maximum contact with his erection, and ground his hips against her, she ran her hands up his back beneath his shirt just so she could feel his bare flesh. And she did feel it, every amazing inch of corded muscle, his smooth skin hot and damp beneath her palms. She wanted his shirt gone. She wanted all his clothes gone, and hers, too. She wanted him to lay her down on that ancient cot and thrust inside her, as he had in his fantasy. As the mysterious Z. had taken his lover all those years before. She wanted to know if the reality would be as remarkable, even though she instinctively knew it would.

Without any warning, Adrien broke the kiss and wrested out of her arms. He ran both hands through his hair and then laced his fingers behind his neck. “We need to go now. Before I change my mind and take you right where you stand.”

Selene tugged at the hem of her top. “That’s probably a good idea.”

He sent her a half smile. “Taking you where you stand?”

Oh, yes. Definitely. “Going back to the house before we both do something we regret.”

“I promise you, Selene, you won’t have any regrets after I’m done with you.”

With that, he headed toward the door and Selene followed him outside, her mind whirling with all the possibilities. This time he didn’t carry her, but in a welcome display of chivalry, he did take her hand as he navigated the path, kicking aside any rogue limbs and thorns that might reach out and grab her.

Once they made it to the back door, he tugged her back against him, formed one hand to her jaw, and kissed her again, but only briefly. “I want an hour of your time, Selene. Tonight. After it’s over, you’ll know your own body like you’ve never known it before. You’ll also know the lack of passion in your marriage wasn’t your fault.”

Then he disappeared into the house, leaving Selene alone to ponder exactly what she was falling into, aside from Adrien’s sensual snare. Vigilance came calling, along with a voice that implored her not to be too hasty. Not to listen to her carnal needs. Not to throw out all her caution.

But her sister’s voice telling her not to be so cautious drowned out all the warnings. Tonight, she would give Adrien an hour and hope that she came away with all that he’d promised, and more. Why wouldn’t she? After all, he was a master of seduction.

“You summoned me, oh master of the household?”

Adrien spun his chair around from his computer to find Ella standing before the desk. “Yeah. I just spoke with your brother. He’s expecting you tonight.”

Confusion showed in her expression and resonated in her tone when she asked, “Since when?”

“Since I told him you were coming to visit for a few days. I’ve arranged for a driver to take you to the airport and the plane will be waiting. You can leave immediately after dinner.”

“But—”

“No buts, Ella. You haven’t seen him in almost two years.”

Ella narrowed her eyes. “What are you up to, Adrien?”

He leaned back in his chair and stacked his hands behind his head. “I’m not up to anything. I’m giving you some time off to be with your family. I know you wouldn’t go before now because you had this crazy idea I shouldn’t be alone. Now you can go without having to worry about me.”

She tapped a finger against her chin. “I see. Since Selene’s here, you won’t be alone.”

“That’s correct.”

The suspicion didn’t subside from her face. “Then I take it you two are getting along well.”

Damn well, and he planned to get to know her better later this evening. “I’m getting used to her being here.”

She propped both hands on her hips and took on her motherly stance. “I know what you’re up to. I see it in your face. You’re going to use that charm of yours to seduce her.”

If he lied, she would know. Glossing over his intentions seemed the best alternative. “What I do is my business. You don’t have to concern yourself.”

“I am concerned, Adrien. She’s a nice woman. You need to be careful, otherwise she’ll be just another one of your casualties.”

Adrien could see that she regretted the comment the moment it left her mouth. “I’m not going to force her to do anything she doesn’t want to do,” he said.

“You don’t have to force her. All you have to do is look at her a certain way and she’ll follow you anywhere you want her to go. She’s vulnerable.”

“She’s tougher than you think.” Tougher than Adrien had first assumed, and he liked that about her. “Now go pack a bag.”

“Anything else?” she asked in an overly sweet voice. “Perhaps draw you a bubble bath, light a few candles after I prepare your dinner?”

“That’s not necessary. We’re only having dinner together.” And that’s all Ella needed to know right now. He did have a few more plans, but he didn’t require candles or warm baths to execute those. He only needed Selene’s trust, and he planned to have it tonight.

Ella released a long-suffering sigh. “Okay. I admit it, I’m looking forward to seeing my brother and my nephews.” She pointed a finger at him. “But I’m only going to stay the weekend.”

“Stay a week, Ella. Or two. You deserve it.”

“But—”

“That’s an order.”

She held up her hands in surrender. “Fine.” She left out the door, letting loose a string of Cajun oaths directed at him.

Now that the plan was in motion, Adrien only had to set the stage, beginning with dinner. And after dinner, he intended to keep Selene occupied for at least an hour, if not longer.

Five

Selene was surprised to find the evening meal set out in the formal dining room, not at the small dinette in the kitchen. But she was even more shocked to see Adrien seated at one end of the rectangular table, wearing a crisp white shirt that matched the tablecloth, his dark hair framing his shadowed jaw in soft waves. His very first appearance at dinner.

When she noticed only one other place setting aside from his, she asked, “Is Ella not joining us?”

“She’s already had her dinner.” He picked up a knife and ran his fingertips along the blunt end of the silver blade. “She’s about to leave.”

Another surprise among several, and one Selene wasn’t certain she welcomed. “Where is she going?”

“Why don’t you ask her?”

“I will.”

Once in the kitchen, Selene found Ella sliding two plastic containers inside the refrigerator, a lone paisley bag set out on the floor not far way. “Going somewhere?”

Ella straightened, closed the door and faced Selene with a smile. “To visit my brother and nephews in Shreveport. I’m about to leave as soon as I finish up here. A car’s waiting to take me to the airport.”

“When did you decide to do this?” Selene heard uneasiness in her voice and tried to temper it when she added, “I don’t remember you mentioning a trip.”

Ella grabbed a dish towel, wiped her hands and then tossed it aside. “That’s because I only decided to go this afternoon.”

“Not a family emergency, I hope.”

“No, dear, just a visit that’s long past coming. I’ll only be gone a week, maybe two.”

A week or two? Selene resisted wringing her hands from a nervousness she couldn’t control. In a matter of moments, she would be in the house with Adrien, completely alone. That created some more cause for concern, although admittedly the thought excited her. “When you return, we need to discuss some of the particulars on the restoration. I have a few ideas I would like to run past you.”

“I look forward to it.” She picked up the bag and gestured toward the refrigerator. “I’ve prepared several meals for you to heat up. Just make sure he eats on occasion. He’s lost too much weight as it is. He’s too thin.”

Granted, Adrien was lean, but Selene wouldn’t exactly describe him as thin. Not in the least. “I’ll try, but I don’t know if I’ll make much headway.”

“All I ask is that you try. The rest is up to him.” Ella patted Selene’s cheek. “Now see me to the door, then you can eat before it gets cold.”

Silently they walked past the dining room where Adrien was still seated, then through the angel rotunda and into the vestibule. At the front door, Ella turned to Selene, concern calling out from her eyes. “Remember what I’ve told you. Stand your ground with Adrien. Don’t let him talk you into anything.”

Selene clasped the hem of her blouse and held it tightly. “You don’t have to worry. I’m not one to do anything I don’t want to do.” Not in this lifetime. Not any longer.

“And you don’t have to worry about Adrien doing you any harm.”

“That’s good to know.” When Ella’s gaze drifted away, Selene’s worry increased. “What is it you’re not telling me, Ella?”

“He is a very persuasive man, skâ. Many a woman could attest to that. But no one knows the real man behind that steel exterior. Take care to protect your heart.”

Selene released a humorless laugh. “Believe me, Ella, falling in love is the last thing on my mind. Let’s just say I’m rather jaded when it comes to that sort of thing.”

“Falling in love isn’t always a terrible thing.” Ella studied Selene a moment longer, looking thoughtful. “But now that I think about it, you could be the one.”

“The one?”

“The one who saves him from his isolation. Saves him from himself, in a manner of speaking. It will take a strong woman, but you could be that woman.”

After a brief hug, Ella walked out the door, leaving Selene to analyze her assertions. She’d never seen herself as being all that tough, at least not in recent years. Yet it had taken a good deal of strength to walk away from the only home she’d known and set out on her own. But was she strong enough to prevent her emotions from overtaking good sense if she did become further involved with Adrien?

He is a very persuasive man…. Many a woman could attest to that ….

All along, Selene had acknowledged she would be only another conquest. Another woman among heaven only knew how many more. But then, if she viewed it logically, he could be her conquest, too. Her ticket to the adventure of a lifetime. For that reason, she intended to explore all the possibilities with him, beginning tonight. She could play it safe and always wonder what she might be missing, or she could gain firsthand knowledge of his skill as a lover. She wanted that firsthand knowledge. She wanted to know what it would be like to have a man pay complete attention to her needs, as she knew he would.

Driven by anticipation and adrenaline, Selene made her way back through the house at a fast clip. She only paused to take a brief look at Grace’s portrait, questioning again if the young woman had been, in fact, the journal’s author. If so, Selene could definitely relate to how Grace had felt when she’d met her mysterious lover—excited, winded and somewhat wicked. Which would make Selene a “wanton,” she supposed. Well, not yet anyway, but possibly before the night was over, if all went as planned.

When she reached the dining room, Selene discovered Adrien had waited to begin eating. She took her designated place at the opposite end of the table and draped the napkin in her lap.

“Looks great,” she said as she inspected the food—blackened fish, a vegetable medley and rice. Unfortunately, she wasn’t at all hungry, even though she probably should be.

“Did you and Ella have a nice chat?”

Selene looked up from the plate to find Adrien staring at her. “We didn’t really have a chat. I told her to have a nice time and she told me to make you eat.” She picked up her fork and gestured toward his plate. “So eat, otherwise I might be out of a job if she comes back and finds you’ve totally wasted away.”

“I won’t be wasting away. In fact, I’ve had an increase in my appetites in the past few days.”

Selene concentrated on eating while considering he’d said “appetites,” meaning those not only having to do with sustenance. Needless to say, hers had improved as well, but not when it came to this particular meal. The fish was a bit too spicy for her taste and, although the vegetables were good, the rice seemed to stick in her parched throat. For the most part, she pushed the food around on her plate while the silence continued.

“I’m finished,” Adrien said after a time, drawing her attention to find his plate absent of any food.

Selene nudged her plate away and dabbed at her mouth with the napkin before setting it aside. “I’m finished, too.”

He leaned forward and studied her half-full dish. “You didn’t eat much at all.”

“It’s the hot weather,” she said. “I’m never that hungry in the summer.”

Without saying a word, he pushed back from the table, stood and strolled toward her, his gaze fastened firmly on hers.

Selene braced for what he might do next until he picked up her plate and said, “I’ll be back in a minute. Don’t go anywhere.”

She wasn’t sure she could move even if she’d wanted to.

Adrien grabbed his own plate, headed for the kitchen, then returned a few moments later with an open bottle of red wine. He came back to her, filled the glasses he’d brought with him and set one before her.

She waved it away. “No thanks.”

He nudged the wine closer. “Take it. You look like you could use a drink.”

Selene decided not to argue since a little libation might not be such a bad idea. Maybe it might even untangle the nervous knots in her belly. “Okay, I guess I could have a glass.” Or two or three should she decide she needed to find courage in a bottle. Ridiculous. She didn’t have to get drunk to enjoy Adrien’s attention. He was already intoxicating enough, particularly the way he filled out his slacks, something she couldn’t help but notice when he turned away to reclaim his place at the opposite end of the table.

After he settled back into his seat, he took a long drink of the port before he asked, “What were you like as a child?”

She wasn’t expecting that at all. “Serious, I guess you could say. An above-average student. I was fairly reserved.” And different, something she’d recognized at a very young age, thanks to the “gift.”

He rubbed a hand along his jaw. “Interesting. I had you pegged as a social butterfly.”

She’d never quite left her cocoon, the one she’d weaved for self-protection. “Not really. Now my baby sister, on the other hand, was quite the hellion. Someone had to keep her in line.”

That seemed to pique his interest. “Are you and your sister still close?”

“Yes. Very close. She’s back in Georgia and about to have her first baby. Do you have any siblings?”

He drank the last of his wine and set the glass down hard. “No.”

Selene sensed that was somewhat of a sorry subject from the somber look on his face. “What were you like growing up?”

He flashed a wry grin. “Trouble.”

She couldn’t help but return his smile. “Why does this not surprise me?”

He rimmed a slow finger along the edge of his glass, drawing her attention. “Unlike you, I wasn’t a great student. You could label me the classic underachiever, at least during high school. I did manage to obtain an MBA from Notre Dame.”

Selene didn’t consider that an underachievement at all. “I went to the University of Georgia for my undergraduate studies. No master’s although I did consider going back at one time. But then I made that fatal mistake of getting married instead.”

“To Richard the fool.”

Selene wrapped both her hands around her glass and stared into the burgundy liquid. “Yes, to Richard the fool.”

She heard the scrape of his chair but failed to look up, her pulse accelerating with the sound of his approaching footsteps. She finally did give him her attention when he pulled her chair from the table, turned it to one side, then positioned another chair to face her and dropped down into it.

He rested his hands on her thighs. “I like what you’re wearing tonight,” he said in his chill-inducing voice.

“Thank you.” She’d actually chosen the sleeveless red silk blouse and black mid-thigh skirt for him, as absurd as that seemed.

He inched his hands higher, just beneath the hem. “Have you thought about what I proposed earlier?”

She sighed. “That’s all I’ve been thinking about.”

“And?”

“I need to think a little more.” As if she could really think at all with his hands on her. “I’ll do that while I’m washing the dishes.”

“The dishes can wait.”

“I need something to do while I think.”

He hinted at a smile, as if he might have a suggestion on what she could do. “Leave your veranda doors open in your bedroom. I’ll come to you.” He leaned over and brushed a soft kiss on her lips, then stood.

“I guess I’ll see you in a while, then.” She’d agreed without hesitation, but then she’d known all along she would. Known that buying more time would only delay the inevitable, and he knew it, too.

He turned away briefly before facing her again. “Don’t get undressed. Wear what you’re wearing now.”

“Anything else?” she asked.

“That’s it. For now.”

Then he was gone, leaving behind his sandalwood scent and leaving Selene with a heightened sense of excitement and impatience.

Whatever he had in store for her, Selene doubted she would easily forget it—and she hoped she didn’t regret it.

Twenty minutes later, Selene walked into the darkened bedroom, fumbled for the lamp on the dresser and switched it on. After slipping off her sandals, she crossed the room, the floorboards creaking beneath her bare feet, her knees practically knocking from nervousness. She knew what she was about to do would be deemed risky, the reason why she hesitated when she clasped the brass handles. As soon as she opened the doors, she would be opening herself up to several possibilities that could be very good, or very bad, at least in the long term. The long term didn’t matter. Being with Adrien tonight did. A risk she planned to take.

Selene opened the doors wide, letting in a draft of warm, humid air. The moon had returned, fuller this time, washing the veranda in a blue glow. She backed away, uncertain what to do next or where to go. Should she lie back on the bed? Or would that make her seem too eager? After deliberating a few moments, she turned off the light, took the wing-back chair across the room and waited. And waited …

Just when she decided Adrien had changed his mind, he appeared at the open doors, causing Selene to startle even though she’d been staring at the spot for several minutes. He moved into the room like some ethereal being. A dark, imposing presence.

Surprisingly, he strode to the dresser and clicked on the same lamp Selene had turned off. Obviously he didn’t prefer darkness in every instance. He still had on his slacks, but he’d removed his shirt, and his wavy hair looked as untamed as his eyes. He touched the gold medallion hanging against his bronzed chest then ran a slow palm down from his sternum to his belly. For a minute she thought he might remove his pants but instead, he stalked toward her.

With great effort, Selene maintained a relaxed posture despite the rapid beat of her heart. “I thought you weren’t coming.”

Adrien braced both hands on the arms of the chair and leaned toward her. “I had every intention of coming, and soon you will, too.”

He topped off the suggestive comment with the hint of a smile that did little to ease Selene’s urge to twitch in the chair. She clasped his offered hands and allowed him to pull her up into his arms, against his solid body that radiated heat. When she pressed her palms against his chest, intending to explore, he caught her wrists and held her arms at her sides.

“I’ll do all the touching,” he told her, his voice impossibly deep.

“Does this mean you expect me to be submissive?”

“Yes.”

Nothing new there. She’d played the submissive to Richard, but then she hadn’t really cared enough to actively participate. Their married life had involved little more than occasional, perfunctory sex. Although she’d avoided too much analysis during their time together, she realized now that any true passion had been lacking from the beginning. During lovemaking—if she could really call it that—she’d always been detached. At times, even uncomfortable. Yet she sensed that with Adrien, detachment or discomfort wouldn’t be an issue.

He glanced behind him toward the bed before bringing his gaze back to hers. “Normally I prefer the unconventional, but I might have to make a few concessions tonight.”

She was more than curious and a tiny bit nervous over the possibilities. “What do you consider unconventional?”

He brushed her hair away from her shoulders. “Anywhere other than a bed. But after I get started, you might be too weak to stand.”

Weak? She was already feeling weak only imagining the potential in his promise. And in order to see this through, Selene would have to give him her trust. She honestly believed he didn’t intend to hold her down and torture her, or at least not any way that would put her in serious jeopardy.

Adrien kept his eyes leveled on Selene while he turned her palms up and kissed each wrist. “You don’t have to worry,” he said, as if he sensed her concerns. “It’s up to you to tell me when to stop or to go.” He lifted one of her hands and rubbed her knuckles along his jaw. “Although you’ll be saying go more than stop. Yes more than no.”