Beyond Temptation

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Avery ran out of the stable and across the wet, slick lawn to the front of the house. A small, sleek BMW two door sat beside the silver Bentley sedan she had ridden in the evening before. It began to rain again as she peered in the windows. The BMW’s keys hung in the ignition. Evidently the very rich didn’t concern themselves about theft.

As she opened the door and slid behind the wheel, she began to shiver uncontrollably. The engine turned over in a smooth, low rumble.

A rapping on the window made her gasp and jump. “Miss Fitz Gerald?” The majordomo, Taylor stood beside the door, a big black umbrella protecting him from the increasing downpour. “Let me escort you inside.”

“I’m leaving,” she told him, teeth chattering. “You want to have me arrested for car theft, do it. Just send my bag and purse along with the cops!”

She shoved in the clutch, yanked the stick into reverse and turned the nose of the car toward the drive. Her wet hand slipped off the gearshift as she shoved it into first. Swiping her palm on her equally soaked shirt, she changed gears again, and sped down toward the gate.

To her surprise, it stood open.

Her mind raced as quickly as her heartbeat. What the hell had she seen? Maybe the light played tricks.

“No,” she argued out loud, fumbling to locate the wipers and lights. Avery pulled out onto the road, fishtailing as the powerful car responded to her reckless use of the gas. She caught herself leaning forward, strangling the steering wheel in a death grip. Trying to relax, she felt very proud of her mastery of her emotion.

Until she rounded a hedge-lined curve, came almost grill to grill with a delivery truck and realized she drove on the wrong side of the road.

Avery squealed and swerved into the appropriately British lane. Heart throbbing in her throat, she swallowed hard.

Reality as she’d known it had ended.

When staff cleared dinner they would have found something extra on the docket. Unexpected cattiness emerged. She thought that finding semen on the floor might not even surprise them.

“What a job interview. Do you do windows?” Avery heard the snipe in her tone. “Clean up after sexual encounters?”

In retrospect, it amazed her he had allowed her to retire without further pressing. But, he had escorted her upstairs with an almost courtly aura.

“I am so confused,” she admitted to no one.

At the inn, she parked, locked the sedan and ran through the rain up to the front. In an eerie recreation of that first night, she all but spilled into the common room. Mrs. Mims came rushing from some station with her maternal concern.

“Child, it seems yer forever coming in here drowned.”

Avery swiped hair out of her eyes, blinking. She held out the keys to the BMW. “Someone will come looking for these. Could you hold them at the desk, please?”

Mrs. Mims took them. “Let me get you tea.”

“I appreciate the offer,” Avery replied. Her trembling had lessened. “What I intend, is a quick shower, change and a good old-fashioned bolt.”

She rushed upstairs, passed Brom’s door holding her breath.

Success!

Inside her room she gave thanks she had packed her travel size toiletries for the overnight venture, rather than the real deals. Rushing, she grabbed what she needed and dry clothes. Her shower went as fast as her still accelerated pulse. She did the girly thing and dressed in a heavy blue tunic sweater, jeans and her boots. After drying her unruly hair, she knotted it at her nape.

She grabbed forty pounds from her emergency stash, her notebook in its case, the keys to her tiny smelly, rental and departed.

Avery drove to a nearby town with linked history to Prayer Park. At a lovely pub and B&B called the Rook and Rooster, she ordered food. A very kind lady took her order for eggs and toast. A slow sigh emerged from her as she shed her coat. She had read about this establishment in her initial research. Now she could use the history to add to her work.

The deep booth boasted aged burgundy leather. Avery glanced at her laptop case.

“He has no real trail.” Brom’s voice caused her to startle yet again as he slid into the booth opposite

Avery swiped a stray curl from her face. “Okay, why are you following me?”

Brom, his manner cool and professional, responded, “I checked him. His social was completely clean. No credit cards, no real credit rating. It’s like he doesn’t exist. Even using his name, hits fall mostly in historical references.”

She didn’t like the uneasy feeling his words conjured. “Your work makes you suspicious.”

He replied, “That doesn’t change the fact your Lord de Beauchamp is for the most part a ghost.”

Avery rearranged her flatware upon the folded cloth napkin. “It probably just means he pays cash.”

Brom leaned forward. “Sometimes people with the kind of capital he has, create umbrella corporations to keep their name unaffiliated with personal purchases or business transactions.”

That brightened her a bit. She dared to look him in the eye. “There you go.”

Brom regarded her very closely. “I checked into that, too. Nothing.”

The server who had taken her order returned and addressed him. “Will you be ordering, sir?”

She watched the woman’s body language change, her eyes all but eating him. So much for kindness. A weird pang of something shot through Avery. Answering for him, she said, “Yes, but cancel my order. I’ve changed my mind.”

Gathering her things, she slid from the booth and marched to the door. The rain had stopped temporarily. Although, it seemed the temperature had dropped further. With her coat under her arm, she shivered and rushed to the rental. Before her hand could fish the keys from her jean pocket, she squealed. Strong male arms swept up from the ground. Brom’s scent and heat made her less combative than she would like to have reacted.

He carried her to the passenger side of that SUV. Placing her there, he collected her bags and jacket. “Sit, darlin’.”

The door closed, then the back door opened. He put her bags and coat into the seat, and then rounded to get behind the wheel. Door closing, he started the vehicle, shifted to neutral, set the emergency break, then turned to her.

“I want you so much,” he growled without shame.

In that moment, Avery saw her island of safety return. She went to him, straddling his narrow hips, and wrapped her arms around his strong neck. “Touch me.”

He rumbled and his hands went up under her shirt and bra, cupping her breasts, touching her hard nipples. “Avery, you’re my lust.”

She kissed him as he unzipped her jeans. The rain resumed, curtaining them. He hit the lock button. Avery savored the taste of his mouth. He represented safety.

She cried out as he played with her nipples. “Brom.”

He gave a very Scottish sound. “Aye, darlin’.”

She reached down to open his jeans. His very formidable erection pushed over his boxer briefs. The smooth skin of him caused her to moan in appreciation. “You feel so silky.”

He groaned; velvet over gravel. “Baby girl.”

Avery ran one hand over him in complete appreciation. “I love the way you feel.”

He hauled her torso to his. “Say my name again.”

“Brom,” she breathed, playing with his lovely erection. Her body seemed to dissolve.

He moved her hand. “I want you behind a locked door.’”

Brom closed his denims, then climbed from the SUV. Avery returned to the passenger seat, bereft and excited. Rain slithered down the glass of the vehicle. Moments slid past as she rode the swell of arousal.

Her pirate climbed back in, wet and big. “I bribed a lad to drive your car back to the inn.”

Avery replied, “He isn’t covered in my rental insurance.”

Brom pulled the SUV backward to then turn. “Do you always worry that much?”

She smiled, enticed and amused. “Yes.”

“Then the stretch’ll do you good.”

Malec rose and knew at once his lover had departed.

His suite included specialized blackout shades and tinted windows to allow his rest to remain uninterrupted.

No peace came from this feeling.

Malec strode out into his house. So long as he kept to inner windowless rooms, he would come to no harm.

Taylor came walking to meet him. “My lord, short of tying up Miss Fitz Gerald, I could do nothing.”