Yvonne Lindsay - Seducing The Enemy - The Wayward Son

“Don’t what?” he asked, his voice soft, enticing.

“Don’t kiss me.”

“Afraid of me, Anna?”

“No,” she admitted. “I’m afraid of me.”

“I’ll keep you safe,” he said.

His kiss was short and incredibly sweet. The seal of a promise that offered so very much—perhaps even a chance of a future together that was no longer threatened by the shadows of his family’s past. She was trembling when he released her, her entire body screaming for more than just that brief embrace.

Judd bent to collect her bag and handed it to her, then opened her car door, holding it for her as she slid into the driver’s seat.

“Will you be okay to get back to the office?”

“Sure,” she said, willing her body back under her control.

“I’ll see you there.”

“Judd? How did you know where to find me?”

He gave a small frown before answering. “There was a page missing from the report you gave me. I went to your computer to reprint it and you’d left your email open.”

So for all his apparent mistrust of her, he hadn’t been actively snooping. And, he’d listened to her—really listened. The thought gave her another little thrill of hope. Anna nodded and pulled her door closed before starting the engine and backing out of the car space. Judd stood to one side, watching her leave. She gave him a small wave and drove out of the car park.

Judd went straight into Anna’s office when he arrived back at Wilson Wines.

“About your resignation,” he started, closing her office door behind him.

Anna looked up, surprise on her face. “My resignation?”

“Yeah, back at the restaurant. You quit, remember?”

“Ah, yes, so I did.”

“Just for the record, I don’t accept it.”

“For the record,” she repeated, a tiny smile on her face, before slowly nodding. “Okay. So we’re all good now—I can get back to work?”

“No.”

“No? What’s wrong?”

“I miss you,” he answered simply.

“Miss me? But we see each other every day,” she protested.

“Is that enough for you? Really? Tell me, Anna, how are you sleeping at night, knowing I’m just down the hall from you—wanting you as much as you probably want me?”

He watched the muscles in her throat work as she swallowed.

“What? Lost for words?” He moved across the office and sat in the chair opposite her desk. “Seems to me that we have a pretty good thing between us. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“Physically, yes,” she finally concurred, although he could see how reluctant she was to admit even that.

“Don’t you think we should let that play out? Keep exploring it to its fullest potential?”

To his surprise, sadness seemed to cloud her eyes. Her voice, when she spoke, was flat. “No, I don’t. Tell me, Judd, how do you define potential? ”

Her words surprised him. “Define it? Are you kidding me? You mean you have this level of physical synchronicity with every man you sleep with?”

“And there we have it,” Anna said, throwing her hands in the air. “Just how many men do you think I’ve slept with?”

“Does it matter?”

“No, it doesn’t matter, but you continually imply I have loose morals. First you accuse me of sleeping with your father, then you jump to the ridiculous conclusion that I was sharing company information with Nicole.” She shook her head emphatically. “There’s no way I can even begin to contemplate any kind of relationship with you when you don’t trust me at all—over anything!”

“You’re right,” he admitted, deciding to take another tack on this argument.

He had assumed the worst about her all the way. In the beginning that had partly been her own fault, but he was man enough to admit it had been far easier to remain guarded around her than it was to examine just how much he wanted her, or why. He’d hoped that, as with all his conquests, he’d enjoy the ride while it lasted. After all, he didn’t plan to stay in New Zealand forever.

The moment he thought that, though, everything in his mind rebelled. For some reason this had stopped being a temporary fling. He’d gone at this whole exercise looking upon everything as being temporary—expendable even. But somewhere along the line things had changed, and that change started with Anna.

Her voice pulled his attention back. “Of course I’m right. So you’ll agree that we should forget about there being any kind of relationship between us, except for at work.”

“I can’t do that, Anna.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“I can’t do that. What I can do, if you’ll let me, is learn to trust you. To get to know you better and to show you that I’m worth you giving me that chance. Will you at least try with me?”

He watched as her emotions played across her face.

“You want me to try to let you trust me? You hurt me, Judd—both on a professional level and on a personal one. After we made love down in Nelson and here, in your office—” Her voice hitched and she paused and swallowed before continuing. “Did you honestly think I was so promiscuous as to go from one man’s bed to another, and back again?”

“Since we’re being honest, I have to admit that it made me furious to think that you could do that.”

“But I’m not like that!” Her voice rose in obvious frustration.

“I know that, Anna. I’m learning all the time.”

“Fine. Okay, I will try with you. But on one condition.”

“What’s that?” he asked, knowing the answer before she even verbalized it and hating that, in this at least, he could read her so well.

“I’m not sleeping with you. Not straightaway. We can get to know each other the way normal couples do.”

“We’ve missed a few steps, that’s true.”

“And I want your word of honor that you won’t try to persuade me otherwise. I’m helpless against you. There, I admit it. Show me that I can trust you. Don’t use that knowledge against me.”

Every particle in his body rebelled against the idea, but he found himself nodding in agreement.

“Agreed,” he managed, even though his jaw felt tight and his throat barely allowed the single word past it. “A date tonight, then. That’d be a good start. I’ll meet you downstairs in the lobby at the house at seven.”

What the lady wanted, the lady was definitely going to get. And while it would be a living torment every second until she capitulated to him, he knew that very soon, she’d be his again. And once she was, no matter what his plans for Charles Wilson, he knew she’d stay by his side.

Anna waited in the lobby at the house and paced the black-and-white-tiled entrance nervously. This was going to be their third date in the three days since last Thursday, when they’d agreed to take things slowly and learn to get to know one another. So far it had been an exercise in pure torture. Judd had been nothing but a complete gentleman. It was driving her crazy.

Today he’d apparently planned a picnic and told her to dress accordingly. Without any idea of what one wore to a picnic these days, she’d opted for a pair of flat navy leather shoes with a peep toe and clear-colored beads embroidered on top, and teamed them up with a pair of three-quarter-length jeans with the cuffs rolled up and a fine-knit pale pink sweater.

Charles came through the lobby.

“Heading out again?” he asked.

“A picnic today, apparently.”

He chuckled. “Have to hand it to the boy. He’s not only picked up the business quickly but he hasn’t wasted time with you, either. I knew sending you to get him would be a good idea.”

A frisson of discomfort spread through her at his words. Had he meant all along for her and Judd to become close? She didn’t like the sensation of being manipulated, not even by Charles, who had probably had the greater hand in guiding her life than anyone she knew—even herself. Before she could respond, Judd came down the stairs.