Scandalous. Donna Hill
she asked, completely exasperated and totally at a loss as to how to deal with this unpredictable, gorgeous man.
“I thought I made myself clear earlier,” he said in a rough whisper. “Obviously, I didn’t do a very good job.” He stepped even closer, allowing only a breath to separate them. “Maybe this will help.”
Vaughn felt hypnotized, immobilized, as his steady gaze held her in place. By degrees he lowered his head until his lips gently touched down on hers. Ever so slowly, Justin’s mouth grazed over her own, commanding her to yield to him.
She felt her head spin, her stomach flutter, her heart race with blinding speed. She felt as if a whirlpool had taken up residence within her. Unwillingly, her body began to unwind as Justin’s hand cupped the back of her head, pulling her deeper into the kiss. Without thought, her fingers reached up and stroked his smooth cheeks. His arms wound down around her, welding them together.
She heard his low groan mix with her sigh as the tip of his tongue flicked across her lips. Then, without warning, the tantalizing sensations that ripped through her ceased. Justin eased back without totally releasing her, once again stunned by the sudden impact of the emotions that heated every fiber of his body.
“How about if I follow you home to make sure you get there safely?” he whispered, drawing in a deep breath to calm himself.
Wordlessly she nodded and stepped back out of his embrace. Like an automaton, she slipped into the driver’s seat of her car, fastened her seatbelt, and put the car in gear. She shook her head to clear her thoughts, wondering if what had just transpired was real, or if she’d just imagined the whole erotic episode. But when she looked up and saw his headlights cut a path through the pitch black night, she knew it was all too real.
Slowly, she pulled out ahead, and as promised, Justin followed her for the full two-hour drive to her townhouse. It took all her concentration to get home in one piece. Her thoughts kept shifting between the road ahead and the man behind the wheel of the midnight blue BMW.
Mercifully, Vaughn parked the car in her driveway, fully expecting Justin to get out of his car. He didn’t, and she found herself acutely disappointed. Instead, he waited for her to put her key in the door, turn on the hall light, and lock the door behind her. On shaky legs, Vaughn momentarily leaned against the locked door. When she heard the sound of his car pull out of the drive, she hurried to the window to see the taillights disappear.
Vaughn let out a shuddering breath, then wearily went upstairs to her bedroom. She walked across the pale peach carpet, mechanically dialed her parents’ home, and told them she’d arrived safely. Numbly she listened to her mother tell her what a success the evening had been and that she was hoping she and Vaughn could get together for lunch during the week. Vaughn only half listened, agreeing to whatever was being said. Her thoughts wouldn’t stay focused. Finally, her mother said goodnight.
Undressing, then cleansing the remnants of makeup from her face, she began to relive every single detail of her encounter with Justin Montgomery from the moment she’d met him. It all seemed like a dream, she thought with wonder. Even as she slipped under the satin sheets, she had the unsettling sensation that at any moment Justin was going to pop out from beneath her bed or step out of her closet. It took all she had not to peek under the floral quilt. As she drifted off to sleep, the beginnings of a smile tugged at her lips. “Looks like we’re gonna do it your way, Mr. Montgomery,” she said softly. “But I’m not going to be so easy next time.”
Chapter 2
All night long, Vaughn tossed and turned, visions of Justin assaulting her from every angle. She relived his touch, savored his kiss, longed to inhale the scent of him once again. But with the start of a new day, her senses seemed to have returned. The previous evening took on a sense of unreality and became more distant as her days were filled with plans for her campaign. It was the nights that were difficult. In the still of the evening she recalled vividly the thrill of being in his arms. She’d dreamed of him again and awakened with a tingling sensation that had left her body feeling totally unsatisfied.
What in the devil did I let happen that night? she wondered, as the steamy shower cascaded over her. Have I been so starved for affection that I let the first aggressive man I meet dominate my thoughts, day and night? No way, she thought, shutting off the water and stepping out of the stall. No way.
He must want something, just like everyone else. She had to admit, though, he ran a good game. She chuckled at her own gullibility. However, determined to put thoughts of Justin Montgomery out of her head, she dressed in her sweatsuit and sneakers and took her morning run around the park. But if she thought she could run him out of her system, she was truly mistaken. With each step she took, she surreptitiously peeked over her shoulder, expecting, even hoping, that Justin would step from behind a tree to kiss her breathless once more. She swore she saw his face in every other man she passed. She imagined she caught a whiff of his cologne as a group of cyclists sped by. This is crazy, she mused, making the turn back onto her street. She wiped the perspiration from her forehead with her wristband and ran smack into Justin as he stepped out of her front gate.
“Well, good morning,” he greeted, steadying her with a strong grip. “This is a great look for you,” he teased, his eyes roving over her.
For the first time since she’d been a child, she was self-conscious about her looks. She knew that her dark skin must be about as shiny as a pair of polished shoes. Perspiration ran in rivulets down her face. This is just great, she thought. The very thought that he could have caught her in this very unflattering light suddenly ticked her off and all of her frustration and longing over the past two weeks overflowed.
She took a step back so that she could look him full in the face. Her eyes narrowed and her neck arched to an arrogant angle. She planted her hands firmly on her flaring hips.
“Let me tell you something…Justin,” she spat out his name with vehemence. “First you come on to me like gangbusters, then you plant yourself in front of my car and scare the hell out of me. Then you kiss me like you’ve known me all your life and follow me home.” And then I don’t hear from you, she wanted to say, but didn’t. “Then you have the audacity to pop up on my doorstep unannounced, and all you have to say is, ‘this is a great look for you’?” She leaned dangerously forward, rising on tiptoe to press home her point. “No, buddy, it doesn’t work like that. Not with me. Maybe this sweet-talking routine of yours has worked in the past, but I’m not buying it,” she concluded in a huff, pointing her finger at him like a dagger.
The corner of his lip inched up in a grin and she instantly felt her resolve begin to waver. “Well, I guess I deserved that,” he said mildly, seemingly unruffled by her tirade. It took all his willpower to keep from staring at the rapid rise and fall of her breasts. “That’s why I stopped by this morning. I wanted to take you to brunch to make up for being such a…” he peered quizzically at her. “What did you call me again?” He placed his forefinger on his lip in contemplation. “Ah, yes, a gangbuster. Yeah, to make up for coming on like a gangbuster.” Mischief danced in his eyes. “I just don’t know what came over me,” he concluded, all innocence and light. “But most of all,” he took a step closer, “I couldn’t seem to get you out of my head.”
Vaughn’s shoulders slumped. She expelled a long-held breath and shook her head, but she refused to give in to the smile that threatened to ruin her tough stance. Vaughn cocked her head to the side. “Mr. Montgomery, I hope your pockets are deep, because I’m starved and you have a lot of making up to do.” She spun away and headed for her door. “Wait in your car,” she instructed over her shoulder. “I’ll be out in twenty minutes.”
“Ooh, I love it when you talk to me like that,” he called out, amusement rippling through his voice.
This time Vaughn did give in to the joy that bubbled within her. She laughed all the way up the stairs to her room and didn’t stop until she’d showered, finished dressing in a pair of designer jeans and matching shirt, put on a pair of Italian loafers, and grabbed a navy wool jacket from the hall closet. Just for today, she pledged, slipping into her jacket, I’ll put my mistrust, my