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Ian was swamped with regret that he’d agreed to her father’s demands. He wanted Jada now more than ever. Need settled in and chewed away at his good intentions. She didn’t understand.
He moved forward, taking her by surprise and pushed her firmly, but gently up against the wall. He took her wrists and pulled her arms over her head, effectively pinning her in place, and he pressed his body against hers, all the while capturing her startled gaze in his determined one.
Her chest heaved, making it difficult to stay on task.
“You’re right,” he said, his voice low and gruff. “We don’t have the right to make decisions for you. And I damned sure don’t want you thinking it was easy for me to agree to what he wanted.”
She licked her lips, a quick darting of the tip of her tongue that sent a lance into his belly. “Seemed pretty easy,” she said, half-breathless.
He made a slow perusal of her body. He shifted both her small wrists into one of his hands, and used his other hand to trail fingertips down the side of her face and neck, and around the side of her rounded breast. She shivered and her eyes shuttered, anger morphing into desire.
“You don’t believe that,” he said. “You know exactly what you do to me. And I know what I do to you. I’ve been wanting to rip your clothes off since I first saw you. And what about you?”
“The same.”
Ian’s heart thumped powerfully. “And I had every intention of finally getting what I wanted tonight.”
“You can still get it.”
“Nope.” He nuzzled her neck until she shivered and sighed in pleasure. “I only get the tease. And that’s okay. You want to know why?”
Glassy-eyed, she exhaled. “Not really. Do that again. My neck’s tingling.”
Oh hell, Ian thought. He needed to get away or he was going to break his word to her father. And yet, he couldn’t release her.
“We’re going to wait,” he said, “until everything is sorted out before we take the next step and I finally get my way with you. And we’re doing that because tonight, for the first time in my life, I was spoken to as if I weren’t a billionaire, as if I were just like any other man trying to seduce a father’s daughter.”
She blinked, coming out of her reverie. “I don’t understand.”
“What your father did was wonderful. You can’t imagine what it’s like. Fathers don’t deny me their daughters; they throw them at me. As do mothers and aunts and meddling friends. When you’ve got money, in my experience, everything is for sale, and I do mean everything.”
“Oh. That’s ... so ... I don’t know. Wrong, I guess, and sad,” Jada said.
“Yes, and frustrating for me. You’re a lucky woman, Jada. Your father loves your right to make a clear-headed decision more than he loves the idea of you snaring a wealthy man with your considerable charms.”
“Maybe,” she mumbled. “Or maybe he’s just a pushy old—”
“I was so pleased with him that there was no way I wouldn’t agree to what he wanted. I’m flattered that he treated me like he’d treat anyone else. And he accepted my word when I gave it. It felt good.”
“As good as this?” Jada wriggled her hips against his. “You know, I didn’t agree not to seduce you.”
Ian moaned. “Stop that. You’re killing me.”
“You’re the one who’s holding me against the wall.” She wriggled again. “And you promised you wouldn’t seduce me, not that you wouldn’t be seduced.”
Ian hadn’t thought it possible to get harder, but there it was all the same. “I have to honor the spirit of the agreement. My grandfather taught me a man’s word is his bond. Besides, your father’s right. We should hold off until things are settled, when the stress is off and everything returns to normal.”
She looked like she was going to argue, then her chest deflated from a lengthy exhalation. “Maybe you’re right. I can’t be sure of anything with you all over me like this. Let me go before I embarrass myself and actually try to seduce you.”
He leaned forward and kissed her earlobe. “Trust me, Jada. You don’t have to try. You’ve already got me—tomorrow.”
She trembled and when she kissed his jaw, he released her wrists and jerked backward. There was no way he could withstand her kisses. Tomorrow, he told himself. He wouldn’t have to deny himself tomorrow.
She scanned the room. “I don’t think I can take more romance tonight, not if you’re going to be such a mean tease.”
He was pleased to see her sense of humor returning.
“So,” she said with a shrug, “how about we check out the bowling? I’m pretty good at it.”
“Are you? I’m not too bad. My grandfather loved it and taught me everything he knew.”
“Is there all that much to know about bowling?” she asked wryly.
“To hear him talk about it there was.”
“Come on, then. I’ll text that traitor Elly to start looking for Ms. Kitty.”
He unlocked the door, held it open and met Jada’s gaze. “Poor girl and lucky cat.”
As he followed her into the hall, he was proud of himself for the decisions he’d made that night. Virtuous even. A spring entered his step, and he thought that he ought to start calling it the Jada spring, he experienced it so often around her.
He truly was the lucky one after all.
Chapter Eight
IT WAS ONLY NINE THIRTY the next morning when Elly rushed into the breakfast room and delivered the message that Ian had big news. He wanted all the guests to assemble in one of the larger sitting rooms. Jada’s heart had been pounding ever since.
She sat on the edge of the rustic chair and glanced around at the eager faces gathered in the sitting room. No one was missing, except Ian, who was still holed up in his office as far as she knew. Anticipation had her tapping her fingers on the armrest. The atmosphere was charged to crackling.
It had been a long night, and Jada hadn’t slept very well. Her brain wouldn’t shut up long enough for her to drift off, the main preoccupation being what had happened in the ballroom.
She couldn’t believe how easily she’d capitulated to Ian’s and her father’s stone age agreement. Something about Ian had Jada tying up and gagging her inner feminist, tossing her into a dusty broom closet at the back of Jada’s brain, never to be heard from again.
It was inexplicable, and yet ... it happened over and over again. Because of Ian. It was his fault. Jada couldn’t help but feel that anyone who thought she shouldn’t like how Ian acted, had never been with such a powerful man. His presence overwhelmed her, his sexuality, his strength of will. He made her want to submit.
She shuddered at the idea of submitting to a man. Any man. Not good. Not good at all. She’d never done such a thing before, and she shouldn’t be doing it now. It made no sense.
And so she’d spent much of the night hashing and rehashing the situation, raking herself over the coals for constantly giving in to Ian’s wishes with hardly a peep of protest.
She also spent some of the night recalling what it was like to be swept around the dance floor in the arms of a confident, handsome suitor, who waltzed like a pro and smelled good enough to lick like a lollipop.
She relived the moment when Ian pushed her against that wall. The look in his eyes. The greedy hunger that blazed out of those gorgeous eyes. The sensation of need and being at his mercy was delicious torture—
She shook herself out of the memory. She was in public, and waiting on what would likely be the news that would free her and Ian to give in to all those base instincts she’d worried over during her sleepless night.
The door swung open and Ian strolled into the room, a satisfied smile stretching his sexy lips. Jada’s heart leapt. Everyone leaned forward in their seats. This was it. Finally.
“Well?” Agatha asked in her most demanding, nasal voice. “Why has the lord and master beckoned we gather at his pleasure?”
“Gawd, Agatha,” Sasha said, her eyes rolling so quickly it was a wonder
she didn’t get dizzy. “Obviously the man has something important to tell us.”
“Like what? Has the lake been infested with sea monsters?”
Marina leaned over and whispered to Jada. “Where does she come up with this stuff?”
Jada shrugged. Better yet, why did Agatha come up with this stuff?
Ian stood in front of the fireplace and silenced everyone with a look, including the annoying publicist. “Thank you all for coming. I have news I’m sure you’ll want to hear.”
Jada’s breathing quickened.
“The case of the fake marriage license is officially solved,” Ian announced proudly. “CGTV did it.”
Marina gasped, Agatha scowled, Sasha’s brows shot upward, Sullivan nodded sagely and Trey looked unsurprised. Jada wanted to applaud first, then go find someone in charge at CGTV and tell them off.
“What’s this about, Ian?” Agatha asked. “I haven’t heard anything about CGTV being involved.”
“Me either,” Marina joined in. “But you don’t look surprised, Jada. Why is that?”
“I haven’t had a chance to tell you who Ian thought did it.”
“I can explain everything,” Ian said. “I suspected all along that CGTV had invented the story for ratings and the usual reasons gossip shows do what they do. When they wouldn’t turn over a copy of the marriage license no matter how my legal team threatened them, my suspicions became near certainty.”
“This morning,” he continued, “I sent someone to the Springers Glen Courthouse to request a search for the original license that says I married Jada. I just heard back from them.”
“And?” Marina asked.
