The Maverick’s Virgin Mistress / Lone Star Seduction: The Maverick’s Virgin Mistress

Pride showed on her beautiful face. “It sold for two million when it was finished, and the owner loves it so much, she lets us give tours as a fundraiser.”

Justin was intrigued. “How did you get interested in architectural history?”

“I always loved to look at beautiful houses.” She glanced up at the steep eaves and shimmering multi-paned windows. “When I was a little girl we lived in a tiny house in the barrio. The roof leaked and the foundation was half-rotted, but my parents didn’t dare ask the landlord to fix anything in case he tried to raise the rent. My parents saved every penny they had because they couldn’t wait to move out of there and buy their own home. The American dream, you know?”

She laughed, but her laughter was tinged with sorrow. “They used to talk so much about that house they dreamed of—the sunny windows it would have with views of a grassy backyard, a big kitchen with rows of shining copper pots. Alex wanted his own bedroom so he could put up shelves for his collection of model airplanes.”

For a second, her eyes filled with tears. “I don’t suppose they ever came close to having enough money for a down payment. My dad was killed in an accident where he worked and after that my mom just struggled to make ends meet. No one talked much about buying a house again. Except Alex.” She smiled. “He always said you have to dream big, no matter what. Even after our mother died, he kept saying that.”

“He’s right.” Emotion rose in Justin’s chest.

How he wished he could turn back time and give Alicia’s family the house of their dreams. The most pressing financial problem his parents ever faced was finding new tax loopholes to exploit.

He slid his arm around her shoulder. “Your parents would be so happy to see you and Alex at El Diablo.”

“Oh, I know.” Her eyes brightened. “My mom used to clean houses all over Somerset and El Diablo was one of them. She took such pleasure in polishing all the lovely quarter-sawn oak trim and buffing the brass doorknobs.” She stared out the window, as if lost in the past. “I know this sounds silly, but when we were there—she used to take me along when school was out because she couldn’t afford a sitter—we’d pretend it was all ours. I used to dance down those corridors and pretend one of those pretty bedrooms with the chintz curtains was mine, and that I had a closet filled with fine clothes.”

“And now you do.”

“Yeah.” A broad grin settled across her face as she turned to him. “Funny, isn’t it?”

“It’s totally awesome,” he said, meaning every word of it. “I guess the American dream is alive and well in Somerset.” He squeezed Alicia and she nuzzled against him.

Something kicked inside his heart. A fierce longing to give Alicia the world—or at least the most beautiful house in it.

Where did that come from?

“So, there are more of these old gems in Somerset?”

“Oh, yes. It developed as a suburb for wealthy Hous-tonians, so nearly all of the buildings are special in some way. Look at this one.”

She pointed to a quasi-gothic stone structure across the street. “The owner fell in love with a medieval abbey in Somerset, England, and had it brought here brick by brick and rebuilt as his home. It even has some of the original stained glass inside. I gave a tour of it last year through the museum.”

“You’re a busy woman.”

“Keeps me out of trouble.” She flashed him a grin.

“Until now.” He grazed her neck with his teeth. Desire flashed through him, and he realized they were still idling on a busy street. “But let’s save that energy for later.”

“Sounds like a plan. Can we stop by Julie’s Gems so I can rave over her work on the necklace you gave me?”

“Sure thing.” He couldn’t hide a pleased grin as he pulled back on to the road, heading for Main Street, the focus of Alicia’s preservation efforts.

He hoped they wouldn’t run into anyone who’d greet him as Justin. On the other hand, if they did, maybe it would be the hand of fate at work.

Alicia showed him a hidden alleyway behind Julie’s Gems where his car barely fit into the single parking space. “You need more parking around here,” he muttered with a raised brow.

Alicia shrugged. “Or more people need to start using public transportation.” She winked. “It’s better for the earth.”

“This is Texas, sweetheart.”

“So? Miracles can happen.” She smiled sweetly and marched ahead of him up the neat alley. Her heels clicked authoritatively over the cobblestones. The way her backside jiggled slightly inside her flimsy white dress almost deprived him of his senses.

Miracles can happen.

With Alicia around, he had a feeling almost anything could happen.

“I can’t wait to thank Julie for the work she did on this topaz.” She opened the door. “I think it’s the loveliest gift I’ve ever had.”

Justin followed her into the store and greeted Julie. “It was a hit.”

“I knew it would be.” The bubbly jeweler hurried from behind the counter and gave Alicia a hug. “But you didn’t tell me it was for one of my favorite people.”

Justin shrugged. “I didn’t know you two knew each other.”

“Alicia knows everyone in Somerset,” said Julie, tossing her red curls. “And we all adore her.”

Alicia flushed sweetly.

Julie stared at the topaz glittering on the delicate chain around her lovely neck. “And that is some very fine craftsmanship, if I do say so myself. Though I do have to give some credit to Rick for bringing me such a perfect stone. I don’t believe for a minute that he dug it up himself.” She shot him a wry glance. “But he certainly has an eye for a fine gem.”

Justin chuckled. “I was with an experienced rock hound. Otherwise I probably would have tossed it back into the soil.”

Julie narrowed her eyes at Alicia. “Do you believe a word of this?”

“I do.” Alicia’s sweet smile and words of affirmation filled Justin’s chest with warmth.

Until he remembered that she had every reason to be wary of him.

Would she believe his story about the stone if she knew he wasn’t Rick Jones? He’d used the fake name here, too, as he often did when he didn’t want the media sniffing after him.

He’d gotten so tired of stories and innuendo—Shipping Heir Commissions Jewels for Mystery Sweetheart—that subterfuge was second nature to him now.

Would Alicia have treated him differently if he’d introduced himself as Justin Dupree?

For all he knew, Alicia had never heard of the Duprees.

She’d figured out by now that he was well-off—a four-bedroom penthouse hotel suite let that cat out of the bag—but she hadn’t asked where the money came from.

She seemed to genuinely enjoy his company and showed no interest in plumbing the depth of his pockets.

Most girls would be fingering the sparkling bracelets—or rings—by now, in the hope that he’d offer to buy her another, but Alicia was far from the velvet-lined cases, chatting enthusiastically with Julie about her plans to restore the downtown area.

“Julie did a lot of the restoration on this storefront herself.”

“I live in the apartment above it, too,” Julie said, gesturing to the patterned tin ceiling. “I love everything about this area. I’m so glad it’s not going to be bulldozed and turned into a parking lot.”

“At least not if Alex and I can keep stalling the developers.” Alicia sighed. “Some people don’t think about anything but money.”

“I wish there were more people like you and your brother, who don’t mind standing up to the powers that be.”

Alicia chuckled. “We’ve been doing it our whole lives, so we’re not going to stop now. And once people start to see what downtown Somerset can be, they’ll all jump on the bandwagon and congratulate themselves for coming up with the idea.”

Julie laughed. “She’s the eternal optimist.”

“Yet another reason why she deserves only the best. And she also needs some lunch, rather urgently. Julie, would you care to join us?”

“Heck no.” Julie crossed her arms. “You two need to be alone. And you need to get out of here before all the chemistry in the air starts turning my gems pink.”

Alicia giggled, which made her full breasts bounce against the white fabric of her dress. Justin tried to ignore the heat rising in his groin.

He shot Julie a grin. “Thanks again, Julie. You’re a gem.”

“Yeah. I hear that all the time.” She crossed her arms over her chest and shot him a knowing smile. “If you dig up any more AAA quality rocks, you know who to call.”

Her wink told him she still didn’t believe his story—which was in fact the gospel truth. As usual, he didn’t care in the least whether she believed him or not. He’d never been one to sweat other people’s opinions—until he met Alicia.

“I thought we’d go to Tea and Sympathy for some lunch,” he said in her ear as they left the shop. The honey scent of her skin made him want to bury his face in her neck, but he managed to restrain himself.

“Perfect.” She flashed a pearly grin. “They make smoked salmon and cucumber sandwiches to die for.”

“I hope no one will have to die.” He couldn’t resist grazing his hand down her waist and over the lush curve of her backside as he ushered her under the striped awning over the tea shop.

“Outside or inside?” He nodded at the wrought-iron tables and chairs that lined the slate sidewalk.

“Definitely inside.” She glanced up and down the street like a fugitive. “I know it’s very unlikely Alex is anywhere near here, but…” She shrugged. “Humor me, please?”

“I’d do anything for you.”

The words rattled around his brain as he followed her into the darkest corner of the café and pulled out her chair.

He couldn’t remember having feelings like this for a woman—ever. Usually all his devotion went into the family business, and his free time was spent blowing off steam.

Right now, steam thickened in the air between him and Alicia. It hovered over the white, cotton tablecloth and wound around the wooden chairs. Wisps licked around their fingers as they both reached for the crystal pitcher of water in the center of the table, and their fingers—almost—touched.

His palms prickled with the urge to run over the silky curves of her body. To strip off her soft white dress and watch her skin bead with perspiration as he drove her to new heights of bliss.

This steam was a delicious torment, and he had no desire to blow it off at all.

“Can you believe this storefront was originally built as a tea shop?”

“I can. Our ancestors were mad about tea. I hear they started a war over it once.”

Alicia smiled. “The Boston Tea Party happened at least a hundred years before this area was developed. Still, it’s reassuring to think that some things have stayed the same. We think we’re so advanced with our laptops and cell phones, but deep down, we enjoy the same things our ancestors did.”

He’d finished pouring water for both of them and she picked up her glass and took a sip. “Has your family always lived in the Houston area?”

An edge to her voice told him she was becoming increasingly curious about him. As well she might.

“Actually they’re not from the Houston area at all. They settled outside New Orleans at the end of the Pleistocene Era and they’re still there today. Well, my mom is. My dad died three years ago.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.” Sorrow filled her big brown eyes.

“It was a merciful release. He’d been sick for a long time. That’s when I took over running the family business.”

“What kind of business is it?” She leaned forward.

“Transportation. Did you see they have crumpets on the menu?”

“Rick! You’re so mysterious. I’m beginning to be quite suspicious of you. What type of transportation?”

“Ferrying goods from place to place. Container shipping. Very unglamorous, I’m afraid.”

He glanced at the printed menu, hoping she’d drop the subject.

Duprees and shipping went together like tea and crumpets. Yes, she had to find out who he was eventually, but he’d prefer to have it happen someplace private, as he expected her reaction might be…dramatic.

“I think it sounds intriguing. So, you import and export goods from all over the world? That’s what Alex does.”

“Other people import and export them—people like Alex—and they pay money to bring their goods on our ships. We just get the goods from A to B. We used to run everything out of New Orleans, but back in the fifties we moved most of our operations to Houston, which is why I work here.”

He tapped his menu. “Hey, they’ve got quails’ eggs. I haven’t eaten those in years. I’m definitely having that. How about you?”

Alicia’s eyes narrowed. Apparently, she was hip to his desire to change the subject. “I’ll have the egg salad. They make it English style with a dash of curry powder.”

“A flash of heat just where you least expect it.”

“Exactly.” Her plump lips slid into an enticing smile. “I know I’m feeling flashes of heat in all kinds of places I never expected.”

Justin leaned forward. “And we’ve only begun to explore your erogenous zones.”

He’d much rather think about Alicia’s erogenous zones than the illustrious Dupree clan.

Her eyes widened and she glanced anxiously around the café.

“Don’t worry. No one can hear us.” He should know. He was used to keeping his affairs private. He’d learned the hard way.

They gave their orders to the friendly waitress, then Alicia leaned in close. “Is your mother lonely now that she’s a widow?” Concern filled her beautiful eyes.

Justin startled at the deeply personal question. “Oh, no. She’s not the lonely type. Always busy with charitable activities, friends, that kind of thing.”

“I’m glad to hear that. I always think it must be so hard to lose your spouse once your children have grown up and left home. Suddenly, you’re all on your own.”

He stared at Alicia for a moment. His mother probably had never been all on her own in her whole life.

There was a staff of five just inside the house, and at least another ten on the estate. Not to mention that his mother was a blur of motion. When he was little, he used to resent that she never invited him to sit on her lap for a story, the way mothers did in books. She was far too busy for that.

Over time, he got used to it. Maybe that’s why he didn’t get all misty-eyed over the idea of family life. He’d never really had any. His father was at work all the time, or off participating in manly sporting pursuits.

Quite possibly having affairs as well.

His parents’ relationship was anything but romantic. He couldn’t imagine how they’d managed to conceive him. Perhaps some aristocratic breeding process involving frozen semen.

“She must wish you lived closer.” Alicia tilted her head with sympathy.

“Oh, I’m not so sure. I’d been away at school almost since I’d learned to read. If she was desperate to clutch me to her bosom, she’d have done it a long time ago.”

“You didn’t grow up at home?”

“Sure, I was there until I turned eight, or so. Then they decided it was time to get serious about my education. I did come home for vacations, though.”

“That’s horrible! I’ve never heard of such a thing.”

“It’s a family tradition. I went to the same school my father attended. The family estate is out in the country so there wasn’t really a school for me to go to there.”

Not unless he’d attended the local public school—over his mother’s dead body. He suppressed a snort. The idea of a Dupree having a normal childhood was quite laughable.

“Would you do that to your child?” Her face was tight with alarm.

“I don’t know. I’ve never thought about it.”

“Never? Do you not want children?” She’d pulled back from the table, almost seeming to put distance between them.

“Sure I do. I think.” He frowned. He truly had never thought about it. “I mean, everyone does, sooner or later.”

Alicia stared at him like he’d grown alien antennae. “You’re thirty years old and you haven’t given a moment’s thought to starting a family?”

“I’m busy with work.” Was that so odd? His crowd didn’t talk much about settling down.

Well, not until lately. Suddenly, it was all the rage.

Alicia must think he was some depraved party animal who never looked beyond that evening’s festivities. He frowned. “You’re right. It is strange. I guess I never met someone who made me think about it.”

Until now.

The words hung in the air between them.

“You’re used to being alone.” She bit her lip. “For all I complain about Alex, I admit I’ve never really wanted to live alone. I’m used to having my family about me, small as it is.”

“I could see how you worried about him being alone even for one day. I think that’s sweet.”

What would it be like to have someone care that much about you?

He’d been expected to fend for himself from a young age. Part of becoming a man. Or becoming a Dupree. It had never occurred to him before that those two things were different, that you could be a man without being a distant, patrician father who wouldn’t kiss his son good-night in case it made him “soft.”

“I think there’s a lot to be envied and admired about the close relationship between you and Alex. Kind of makes me wish I had a sister I could smother.” He shot her a mischievous smile.

“Much as I complain, I know he just does it because he cares. He’s a big softy, really, underneath the gruff exterior. I bet you guys will get along great once you get to know each other.”

“If you ever allow us to meet, that is,” he teased.

The waitress set down their lunch and he watched as Alicia took a bite out of her egg-salad sandwich. She chewed thoughtfully.

“You know what? Maybe it is time for you guys to meet.”

Justin froze.

“I mean, we’ve already been…intimate.” Her lovely complexion darkened a shade. “So, he can’t exactly forbid me to see you.”

“He might just insist we marry before sunset.”

Alicia giggled. “You’re so right. My honor is at stake.” She took a sip of water and flushed even darker. “But don’t worry. I don’t expect you to marry me just because you’ve claimed my virtue.”

She was embarrassed, but turned on at the same time. Her dark eyes glittered and her lips and cheeks were flushed. Alicia Montoya was apparently much more interested in making wild and passionate love than in securing a big rock for her finger.

There was something very reassuring—and totally hot—about that.

She leaned in. “Come to think of it, I pretty much threw my virtue at you.”

“You sure did.” His voice was husky, and his pants uncomfortably tight. “Lucky thing I’m a good catch.”

“I was so upset when you didn’t try anything.”

“It practically killed me not to. I had to take a cold shower that night. But after all you’d been through with the fire and the suspicion of arson, I didn’t want to take advantage of you.” He grinned at her. “I had no idea you were downright desperate to be taken advantage of.”

He raised a quail’s egg to his mouth and flicked his tongue over it for a second before popping it in.

Alicia’s eyes flashed. “I’ve got a lot of lost time to make up for.”

“About ten years, I’d say. We’d better get cracking right after lunch. I’m going to take you to one of my favorite places.”

Chapter Six

Rick turned the car down a gravel drive and under the scrolled-iron arch leading to the Houston Bay Yacht Club.

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