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Brandi did look slightly intrigued by the idea, but then she shook her head. “I don’t know….”
“Take your time and think about it.” He added with a nod at the reporters, “But until we’re out of here, it’s important that you play along. At least pretend to be an excited, willing participant.”
Brandi hesitated again, but she did give in. “Fine. I’ll…think about it. But let’s get this part of it over with, please. I’d like to get home.”
Shay gave her an apologetic smile. “You can’t leave any time soon. The photographers want pictures of the two of you together. There’s hors d’oeuvres, drinks. Dancing.”
Brandi stiffened up again. For whatever reason, she was determined to resist the attraction between them.
He was just as determined not to let her.
BRANDI CONTEMPLATED muzzling her sister. She was in fine form tonight, at her most autocratic. “We’ll do a few pictures, Shay. But you can forget the dancing and drinks.”
Shay looked annoyed, but Sebastian accepted her edict. “Fair enough. Are you ready?” He held out his hand to Brandi.
Ready? Good God, no, she wasn’t ready. But at this point, Shay had left her little choice.
She really didn’t want to touch him again. That one brief handshake had been enough to give her goose-flesh. Just looking at him made her heart beat faster. But she took his hand anyway. It was so large, it swallowed her smaller one. She noticed again that his palm was callused, his skin warm and dry. She actually liked touching him this way. Somehow, the gesture felt right. But she knew getting close enough to that big body to dance—to let him hold her—would be a mistake. She’d probably make a fool of herself and she couldn’t bear that. Not with him.
Better to discourage him now; it would save them both a lot of aggravation.
Shay had disappeared after the first picture—she was probably hiding. She’d dumped a volatile situation in Brandi’s lap with no warning, and though Brandi knew Shay meant well, Brandi was now in the unenviable position of turning down a sinfully gorgeous, sexy man.
“Mr. Sinclair…”
“Sebastian.”
She faltered just a moment, then nodded. “Uh, right. Sebastian.” She looked around the room, avoiding his direct gaze. “I can understand the need to protect Shay’s reputation by going through with a few harmless photos. But there’s no point in carrying this farce any further than that. The idea of a trip together is absurd.”
“No, it isn’t.”
She frowned at his firm disagreement, but he didn’t give her a chance to argue. He towered over her, his expression mild, his tone calm.
“Your sister has made me your gift. By now, everyone here knows it. If we tried to avoid the trip, someone would surely find out and the auction would lose its credibility.” He tilted his head at her. “Why are you so set against going?”
Since she couldn’t very well tell him the truth, she mustered up her most sarcastic tone. “Gee, let’s see. I’ve just met a total stranger and now I’m supposed to go off on a private trip with him.”
He only grinned at her, amused by her forced acerbity. Brandi sighed. Well, so much for insulting him. “Mr…. Sebastian. I don’t know you. I don’t know anything about you.”
“Funny, but with the way you stared earlier, I assumed you’d be pleased to have my company.”
She drew herself up, which was pathetic given the fact she stood at least a foot shorter than him. “You put yourself on a stage for just that purpose! Besides, I wasn’t the only one watching you.”
“But you are about the only one who’d cause such a fuss over a free vacation package! I think just about any other woman here tonight would be happy to go.”
“Maybe I should just give one of them my gift then, and you can both be deliriously happy.”
He stood glaring down at her for a moment, then his expression cleared and he chuckled. He had a nice chuckle…for a mountain. “Damn, I can’t believe I’m standing here debating this with you. Talk about a blow to the old masculine ego.” He took her arm and, without asking, led her toward a quieter corner. “I suppose if I must be abused, I ought to at least find some privacy so I can salvage a little pride.”
Now Brandi felt totally flustered. Abused? She certainly hadn’t meant to abuse him. But she also didn’t want privacy. She wanted to go home to her quiet apartment and pretend none of this had happened. But looking around, she realized they were drawing notice, so she allowed him to drag her away.
When they stopped in the corner Sebastian motioned for her to seat herself at a wooden bench there. She did, and then he sprawled beside her, taking up too much room, letting his thigh touch hers. Brandi stiffened. “Mr…. Sebastian. I’m sorry if I’ve insulted you in any way. Really. That was never my intent. It’s just that I don’t like being forced into a corner.”
He stared at her for a moment before he seemed to come to some sort of decision. “I have to tell you, Brandi. Your attitude really surprises me.”
“Oh?” She didn’t want him delving too deeply into her attitude, so she said, “You’re used to strange women jumping at the chance to go off alone with you?”
“I wouldn’t exactly call you strange. A little different, maybe. But then again… No, don’t storm off in a huff.” He caught her arm and eased her back into her seat. “I was only teasing.”
His smile was so catching, she almost smiled, too.
“You know I’m your sister’s friend. I assume you trust her?”
“Of course I do. She’s my sister.”
“Then you know I can’t be a totally reprehensible character or Shay, who has no tolerance for unkindness in any form, wouldn’t have bought me for you. Correct?”
Exasperation overrode her annoyance. “Good grief. You aren’t exactly a packaged present, for heaven’s sake. It’s a donation is all. You make yourself sound like a toy to play with.”
He chuckled and Brandi felt her face turn hot as she realized what she’d said. He reached out and touched her cheek with his knuckles, softly, just brushing her skin. Brandi almost shot off her seat.
“I don’t know how much playing I’m up to, Brandi, but I’ll try not to aggravate you too much.”
His mere presence aggravated her, but not the way he assumed. She cleared her throat. “I didn’t mean to insinuate…”
“I know.” He took his taunting knuckles away. “Now, back to dissecting my character. Shay told you I own a personal protection agency. People, the majority being politicians or those with high-profile positions, hire me as a bodyguard, or to keep watch over various functions where they might expect trouble. But I also take on other, more personal cases, with endangered women or children. It never ceases to amaze me how men can so easily brutalize someone smaller than themselves.”
Brandi shivered. There was a savagery in his eyes as he spoke that unnerved her. She had no doubt of the contempt he felt for bullies; but then, she shared that contempt.
He seemed drawn into his own thoughts for a moment, then he continued. “I was trained by the military. Spent eight years with Uncle Sam on special assignments that included keeping guard over some big government officials. Then I bailed out, worked for a firm for two years, and now I own my own business. I don’t like people who hurt or frighten other people. So I’ve made it my job to stop people who do.”
“How?”
“Excuse me?”
She had to ask. She had to know. “How do you stop them?”
His teeth closed over his upper lip and he pinned her with his gaze, refusing to let her look away. “However I have to. Without violence whenever possible. With extreme violence when necessary.”
She shuddered, but otherwise hid her reaction. For some reason, having him give her the unvarnished truth lessened the impact of his ruthless words. Brandi glanced at him, then muttered, “At least you’re honest.”
“Always.”
The drop in his voice nearly did her in. It was almost as if he suffered the same confusing mix of emotions that she did. Of course that was impossible. Her situation was unique to women; a man wouldn’t understand.
“I’ll always be honest with you, Brandi. As you get to know me—”
“I don’t want to get to know you.”
“—you’ll learn that I never lie.”
She wanted to growl in frustration. No man had ever so diligently pursued her. She’d given him options, offered to let him out of the absurd situation. Yet he remained insistent. “What do you get out of this, Sebastian?”
“Other than your sterling company?”
There was that touch of mockery again. She lifted her chin. “Yes. Why would you allow yourself to be sold in the first place? You seemed…disgusted by it all.”
“I was, a little.” Then he smiled. “Actually, a lot. I’m not one for rich crowds. Especially since my job usually keeps me in the shadows. And throwing money away—”
“On a very good cause.”
“I agree. But the battered women’s shelter wasn’t the motivation for most of the bids. Even without the cause, those people would have been comfortable tossing away thousands of dollars. To them it was no more than a lark, and the waste of it sickens me.”
“So, why would you do it if you hated it so much?”
“Because the money is desperately needed. Because the number of battered women and abused children rises every day. I see it in my job, I live with it. And I knew, with Shay in charge, the auction would be a success. She refused my check because she needed bodies to fill the stage. And when Shay sets her mind on something, she can be pretty damn persuasive.”
Brandi drew a sigh, then shook her head. He was a likable man, whether she wanted to like him or not. He was mostly polite, even with his arrogance, and his motivations certainly weren’t suspect. If anything, she had to admire his sense of obligation. “Shay has always been a bully. I swear, when she wants something, there’s no stopping her.”
“She’s pushy, but she’s also a shrewd business-woman.”
“You know my sister well?”
“I thought I did. But that bit about adoption threw me. She never let on.”
“Shay doesn’t think about it all that much, none of us do. She’s my older sister. My parents’ first child. Besides, it’s not something you’d bring up in idle conversation.”
“I suppose.”
“How did the two of you meet?” Even as she asked it, Brandi knew she was putting her nose where it had no business being. The notion that Shay and Sebastian might have once had a relationship was irrelevant to her. Or at least it should be.
But she didn’t retract the question.
“Shay and I’ve been friends a little over a year now. I had a case where a man threatened his wife. He’d beaten her before, and the hospital had records of the times she’d been in. But she had two kids, no money and no place else to go. Shay had just started work at the shelter. I got the mother and children settled there, then I worked with a few friends on the police force to get the guy locked up. I would have preferred a more personal vengeance, but that wouldn’t have solved the problem long-term. As it turned out, we discovered he was dealing drugs, too, so he’s out of the picture for a good long while. Anyway, Shay was great, making the family comfortable. We’ve had joint interests ever since.”
Brandi’s heart thudded against her ribs. He’d just given her incredible insight into his character, showing her his morals and his priorities. It was amazing, but she suddenly trusted him. This man was a protector, a man of honor.
And he’d offered to let her be the boss. It was such an intriguing notion—one that worked nicely with her plan to take charge of her life and move forward. She knew now, without a single doubt, he’d abide by her rules.
She hadn’t figured out exactly what her rules would be yet, but she had time to worry about that. With a burst of unusual confidence, she decided to take the chance. She thrust her hand toward him and waited.
He looked at her, then at her hand. One glossy black eyebrow lifted, and there was amusement in his green eyes. He took her hand. “What are we shaking on?”
“I’ll go to the resort with you.”
“Ah.” His grin was wide, putting deep dimples into his lean cheeks. “It was the lulling sound of my voice that brought you around, wasn’t it? The practiced way I repeat a story? No? Then you were convinced by the way I sprawl so elegantly in a seat?”
She gave him her own grin, feeling somewhat smug. “Actually, Mr. Sinclair, I understand now that you can be trusted to stick to your word. You said I’d be the boss, and that for all intents and purposes, I own you for the next five days. I realized I couldn’t possibly pass up such an opportunity. But I won’t let you forget, I’m the one in charge.”
His dark lashes lowered until she couldn’t see his eyes, but his grin was still in place. “Believe me, honey. I won’t be able to forget.”
CHAPTER THREE
THINGS WERE MOVING too quickly. The plane wasn’t at all crowded, especially in first class where Shay had put them, but the emptiness only added to Brandi’s growing anxiety. Looking out the window, Brandi could see a light rain falling. She hated flying at night. She hated flying, period, but at least this was a rational fear shared by millions.
Which offered her not one bit of comfort.
Flexing her shoulders, she tried to relieve some of the tension, but that only caused her to bump into Sebastian. The man took up too much space with his large frame and even larger masculinity. When he was there, he was…there, and it simply wasn’t possible to ignore his presence.
Shay hadn’t given them much time to prepare for the trip, presumably because she thought Brandi might chicken out. Not that she would have. She was determined to see things through. But Shay wasn’t taking any chances. She’d seen to every single detail—and she’d gone overboard in the luxury department.
She’d sent a retainer back to Brandi’s house to pack her bags and bring them to the hotel where the auction had been held. The flight had been scheduled only a few hours after Brandi agreed to go. A limo had taken them to the airport, and a limo would await them when they landed, to whisk them off to the resort. There would be a rental car at their disposal.
Sebastian had planned on leaving the auction with a woman, so he’d brought his luggage with him. Before they’d left, he’d changed into a pair of khaki slacks and a black polo shirt. Brandi had been too flustered at the rush to pay much attention to his new attire at first. But now, with nothing to distract her from the impending flight, she looked him over.
His biceps were massive, stretching the short sleeves of the shirt. The dark color caused his green eyes to look even greener and the fit emphasized his broad muscled chest. The pants, stretched taut by his sprawl, emphasized…
Brandi jerked her gaze upward. A black-banded watch circled his thick wrist, and the shadow of his beard was now more pronounced. She jumped when he said her name.
“What?”
He opened his hand palm up on the elbow rest. “Nervous?”
She didn’t accept his gesture. She couldn’t. To do so would have been admitting to a weakness. And she’d gotten too good at denying her fears to admit to one of them now—not even a small one. “About what?”
“I don’t know.” His voice was quiet, calming, his expression very intent. She had the feeling he knew exactly how to soothe a person; his movements were too practiced and perfect. “Everything—me, the trip, the flight.”
Twisting in her seat she looked at him more fully. Many of the other passengers were napping and had turned out their lights. His face was shadowed, exaggerating the sharp cut of his jaw, the high bridge of his straight nose. The deep awareness in his green eyes.
There was absolutely no chance of Brandi falling asleep.
She frowned in suspicion. “Shay told you how I feel about flying, didn’t she?”
“Yeah.” He stared down at her. “It’s no big deal. I have my own store of phobias. Maybe some day I’ll tell you about them.”
This hulking mass of muscle was admitting to fears? The mountain had phobias? Brandi couldn’t quite believe it. “You’re kidding, right?”
“Nope.” He wiggled his fingers. “Now give me your hand. It helps, I swear.”
The plane began taxiing toward the runway and Brandi hastily slipped her hand into his. His skin felt incredibly hot against her chilled fingers. She looked down in surprise.
Sebastian smiled. “Your fingers are like ice.”
“It’s cold in here.” Dumb, to sound so defensive about such a ridiculous thing. But his heat was seeping into her, making her tingle, making her breathless. She tried to moderate herself and take a more reasonable tone. “I can’t believe you’re so…hot.”
Oh, great going, Brandi. Now she’d amused him. She could tell by his slight smile and the teasing glint in his eyes. Still, he didn’t provoke her. When he spoke, his words were soft and even. “Most men naturally have a higher body temperature than women. Probably has something to do with muscle density.” He flexed his hand, turning it over so that his was on top. “I’ve always loved a woman’s hands. They’re small and delicate, but usually pretty damn strong.” He squeezed her hand gently. “Yours is nice.”
Brandi stared at him. That low rough voice of his could be lethal, and she suspected he knew it. He examined her hand as if he’d never seen one before. All that attention was making her stomach jumpy again, although now, the feeling was somewhat pleasant. “What are you up to?”
