Carly Phillips - Brazen

Her thudding heart made that statement a lie.

Reaching out, he toyed with the lace strap of her bra, his fingers idly playing with the material while his calloused hands whispered along her skin. She trembled beneath his touch, but his hands felt as cold as his voice had sounded.

"I thought maybe the sexy lingerie, the underwear that doesn't cover a thing, the tousled hair falling over your shoulders… was in preparation."

"For?"

"A seduction. You're good at that." His darkened eyes told her he remembered, too. But he played with her and she didn't appreciate the game.

"Of whom?" she snapped.

"That's what I'd like to know." Releasing her bra strap, he walked toward the window that overlooked the patio of greenery she'd admired earlier in the day.

As she watched him go, she looked around her for the first time. Multicolored bouquets with flowers she couldn't name decorated the room along with matching balloons in reds, pinks, whites and a variety of other shades. Her heart kicked into high gear, and hope blossomed like the flowers surrounding her.

She felt light-headed and dizzy. On the edge of a precipice, on the verge of getting all she wanted. Maybe. Was he upset she hadn't noticed his romantic efforts? Embarrassed he'd gone to the trouble? Maybe this was his way of apologizing for misleading her, and if so, she'd forgive readily. Once she leveled with him, perhaps they could start over.

She hoped with all her heart they could begin anew.

Ignoring her near-naked state-she'd stopped being embarrassed around him sometime after the first couple of incidents-she walked to where he stood and touched the rigid line of his back. "Mac."

He stiffened further.

"I'm sorry I didn't notice sooner. I had a lot on my mind, but… it's so beautiful. And you did all this for me?"

"Yes."

"Thank you." She wrapped her arms around his waist, feeling the ripple of muscles against her skin for a brief second before he jerked away.

"Don't," he muttered.

"I don't understand." Fear slowly replaced hope.

"No, I don't suppose you would. I bought this for you, too." Turning, he opened a small jeweler's box.

A large diamond ring glistened brightly against the black velvet lining. "Mac, it's beautiful…"

"And even larger than this." He pulled her hand roughly out in front of her. Her silver-and-turquoise ring hovered between them.

She met his gaze. Confusion sparked his eyes, then dark anger followed.

Not understanding his reaction, she glanced down at his ring. She'd put it back on as soon as she'd left the bar. She'd wanted something of the Mac she'd known, even if he had turned out to be someone different than the man she'd believed him to be. "I love this ring," she said. "I thought you did, too." She lifted her gaze back to his.

"You're good, Sammy Jo. Better than I even imagined." He snapped the box closed and shoved it into his front pants pocket. "Tell me something. Would you have said yes?"

"Of course, but…"

"Of course. One question, then. What would you have done with fiancé number one?"

Her legs went weak, and Sam lowered herself into the nearest chair. She twisted her fingers together as she started to speak. "I wanted to tell you. I was planning on telling you tonight, after…" Needing to gather her thoughts, she let her voice trail off.

"After…?" he prompted.

"After I ended things with Tom, and I did. Just now in the lounge. It's over, not that it ever was anything to begin with, but it was… necessary."

"And now it's not."

"No."

Mac stormed over to where she sat, bracing his arms on either side of the chair. A vein throbbed in his temple, and she noticed the tight clench of his jaw. Sam had never seen him this angry, not even when the guy in the bar had attempted to maul her in public. She swallowed hard, afraid that by waiting this long, she'd passed the point of no return. That he wouldn't listen to her explanation.

But he'd omitted things, too, so he should understand. "I should have told you, but Tom… the engagement is no longer necessary because…"

"I'm rich, too," he spat. "And with me, you not only get the money, but you get someone close to your own age and fantastic sex as well. Well, good for you, Sammy Jo. You nearly pulled it off." He slowly clapped his hands in applause.

Sam stared in shock and dismay. Each word hit her like an arrow to her heart. The pain was raw and acute. Then as the ugly reality of his words sunk in, furious anger followed. How could he think so little of her when she'd given more of herself to him than anyone on this earth? Especially when he'd been less than honest himself.

She met his gaze, expecting the steely anger she'd seen earlier. It wasn't there. In his dark eyes, Sam saw a pain that mirrored her own. Gut-wrenching, real pain, and she grabbed onto it like a lifeline, because if he hurt, he still cared.

She reached for him, but he yanked his hand away. She tried hard to mask how that one gesture hurt. "You honestly think I knew you owned this place? From the beginning?"

He nodded. "Or close to it."

"You think I'm capable of that kind of deceit?" He pinned her with a cutting glare. Point for him, Sam thought. She had deceived him from day one. He'd done the same but seemed to have forgotten that fact.

"I'm sure Zee or one of the boys meant well when they told you," he said.

She folded her arms over her chest. "Loyalty doesn't mean anything to you, does it, Mac? Zee treats you like a son, but you think he'd betray you. And after what we shared…" She poked him in the chest hard. "You think I'd do the same. Guess we didn't share anything so great."

She forced the words past her lips, even as the pain shot straight to her heart. "We couldn't have, considering both of us were lying the whole time."

She broke into a cold sweat. Suddenly afraid she would faint and humiliate herself in front of him, she headed for the closet. She needed something to cover herself so she didn't feel so raw and exposed. Something to stop the chills that had taken hold would help too.

His words followed her into the other room. "I overestimated your business ability, Samantha. You should never have walked away from one offer until the other was on the table."

Without waiting to grab the robe, she ran for the other room. "You arrogant, obnoxious, self-righteous…"

"Good choice of words, but if I were you, I'd spend my time trying to catch your first choice before he finds a replacement."

"Maybe I…" The rest of her words were lost as the suite door slammed shut behind him. "Will," she muttered, knowing she'd do no such thing.

Sam didn't wait. With the slamming sound of the door still ringing in her ears, she darted for the bathroom, then the closet, and began tossing the few things she'd unpacked into her suitcase. She couldn't stay here. Not when the man she loved thought she'd… she'd… Sell herself to the richest bidder.

Oh, God, that's exactly what she'd been about to do. Until she'd come to her senses. Until Mac had taught her… What? About love?

She laughed until real tears began streaming down her face. She wondered if they'd ever stop. She might have fallen in love with him, but he'd had nothing more than fantastic sex with her. That much he'd admitted aloud.

The zipper got stuck on her garment bag and she tugged until it shut tight. Without pause, she yanked the carry-on off the bed and headed for the door. She flung it open wide, then slammed it closed again.

Where did she think she was going stark naked except for her underwear? She sank to the floor in a heap, luggage at her feet.

Stop and think, Sammy Jo. "And stop using that ridiculous name," she muttered aloud. She had to get away from Mac and out of his hotel.