Chapter Four
Four
“Nonsense,” Blake answered easily. “My father has billions. I won’t hurt him, because he has other endeavors and a fortune that I can’t possibly diminish significantly. Nor do I want to.”
“Then what’s the purpose? Why would you spend millions, your time and your energy in pursuit of something destructive that can’t possibly help you or him?” They viewed the world so differently. She realized again that she would never understand Blake.
“I want him to know that he has a son who exists, who is a good businessman and who can do a better job at some things than he can. Hotels are only one part of his fortune. My chain isn’t a big deal to him, though they are good business for me.”
“That makes it seem even more futile and a waste of your time.”
“No. My hotels are making a tidy sum for me. My hotels will pay your salary.”
“I’m glad there’s something besides revenge as a motivation,” she said, still shocked to discover his purpose.
Her gaze swept over his thick black hair, straight nose, penetrating eyes, firm jaw and wide mouth. Her heart skipped a beat as she recalled their kisses last night. He was so handsome, so appealing, yet so very wrong in seeking revenge.
She knew that no matter what was happening between them, after this job, she would tell him goodbye, go back to her routine and never see him again. They had no common ground, no part of their lives they could share. Sexy appeal and hot kisses were not the foundation of solid relationships.
Though her body might try to convince her differently, this was a man she did not want in her life.
As she studied him, he leaned closer, moving his chair until their arms touched.
Blake brushed her cheek lightly with his warm fingers.
She shivered, momentarily forgetting their differences, responding to the feathery contact.
“See what I can do,” he said softly. He placed his fingers lightly on her throat and raised his eyebrows. “This between us goes beyond our differences. When we touch, the world and our differences don’t even matter.”
“Yes, they do. Maybe for a short time we can forget them, but they’re real and stronger than thrills from kissing.” She took a deep breath, trying to recall why she needed to pull back from him. “I thought you said you’re close to your half brothers. You’ll hurt them if you hurt your father.”
Blake smiled at her. “No, I won’t. They know what I’m doing and they know I will never do any real damage to my father.
It’s a point of pride. And, frankly, my hotels are making money for me.
Our father has ignored all his sons to some degree.
They all know what I’m doing, and they don’t care.
He’s hurt them, maybe more than he’s hurt me, because he gave them more hope that he would be in their lives. ”
“Is he close with their mother?”
“They’re friendly. They speak. My mom and dad are definitely not friendly. He cut her out of his life abruptly when he cut me out. She hasn’t spoken to him since I was three or four years old,” he said, taking a pin out of Sierra’s hair.
“He has remained in Cade’s life, and in the lives of his other sons and sees them once or twice a year, but he was never much of a father. Financially, he provided for them, but they all went to boarding schools and got little of his attention or time.”
“That’s entirely different from my family or how I grew up,” she said, catching his hand where it was wrapped in her hair. “You probably shouldn’t do that,” she whispered, aware of his fingers and the slight tugs on her scalp, of his dark gaze on her.
“Be thankful you didn’t grow up the way we did,” Blake said in a cynical tone.
“All his sons—all of us—are wealthy in our own right, and my half brothers will inherit more wealth from him. I’m not taking any of that away from them.
What I’m doing is like a flea bite on a dog—annoying, yet meaningless to my father. It only means something to me.”
“Perhaps, but you’re aiming all your energy at revenge,” she said, horrified by the current goal in his life, and how readily he admitted it.
“We’re total opposites,” she said, thinking about what he was telling her while at the same time aware of his fingers moving in her hair, taking it down, letting her locks tumble over her shoulders.
“I suppose we are, and I guess that’s why it’s so difficult for me to understand why you gave up your interior design career.
You have a master’s degree. How can you toss that aside?
That took you years, and a lot of work, to achieve.
You could make a fortune, make a name for yourself—why throw that away? ”
“Because what I’m doing now is more important to me. There are people in the world who just need a little help. There are animals that are abandoned and hurt. That’s what’s important to me.”
“I think you’ll have regrets.”
She shook her head. “I don’t think so. I’m just amazed at the choices you’ve made. Maybe someday you’ll rethink what you’re doing.”
He leaned close. “Maybe I will, or perhaps you can convince me to do so,” he said in a sexy, coaxing voice that made her think about hot kisses and forget all about careers and revenge. “Want to take a shot at reforming me?” he whispered, brushing his lips over her ear, fanning her desire.
“I can’t convince you to do anything,” she whispered.
“You’d be surprised how easily you can convince me to do some things,” he whispered back, leaning a fraction closer while his gaze dropped to her mouth. She could barely get her breath.
“Blake, stick to business.” Could he tell her heart was pounding? She should move away from him, but she was immobile, held by light kisses and feathery caresses. “Blake...”
His mouth covered hers, and his fingers combed into her hair, pulling her closer as he kissed her—a hot, passionate kiss that drove everything from her thoughts except desire.
She wound her arms around his neck, forgot her resolutions to keep her distance, no longer cared if he sought revenge on the father who abandoned him.
For the moment, heat poured into her and she wanted his arms holding her tightly against him.
Blake picked her up, placing her in his lap. He leaned over her, shifting to cradle her against his shoulder while he continued to kiss her senseless.
Her fingers played over him, running across his broad shoulders, down his thick biceps, across his broad chest. How could he turn her world topsy-turvy, making her forget reason and toss aside caution, causing her to risk her heart when he could so easily break it to pieces?
She knew she should stop him. But it was long past the time to say no.
Instead, she held him tightly, kissing him wildly, pouring herself into kisses and caresses while she trembled with the need that he built as he caressed her in turn.
As he tugged at her buttons, she wriggled away and stood, gasping for breath. He came to his feet. His shirt was undone, open to reveal his sculpted chest.
“We should say good-night, Blake.”
“I’ll go with you to your room,” he said.
“No. I have some reading to do, and I want to get my notes in order.”
He leaned close to whisper in her ear. “You’re scared to stay down here with me for another hour tonight. You won’t work on your notes.”
She laughed softly. “You might be right. You’re a physically appealing man, Blake Callahan—something I didn’t consider when I took this job.”
“Physically appealing,” he repeated. “That may keep me up all night, as well as the thought of more kisses.”
“It’s been an interesting day and evening, and the dinner was grand. Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. I’m enjoying having you here.”
“I’m enjoying being here. You have a beautiful home.”
“It’s going to be even more in line with what I want when this wing is finished. I’m ready for a change.”
“Have you thought about a change that might go deeper than rooms and furniture? Perhaps turning your energy and focus in another direction?”
“I do believe you are trying to reform me,” he said, looking amused as he ran his fingers lightly over her shoulder and smiled.
She couldn’t resist, and smiled back. “Doesn’t hurt to try. Have you ever thought about just calling your father and trying to make peace? You’re a grown man now. He might be happy to meet you and talk to you. Have you spoken to him since you became an adult?”
Blake tugged a lock of her long hair gently and then curled it in his fingers.
“You’re trying to reconcile me and my dad.
That won’t happen at this point in my life.
I’ve tried to talk to him only once. I was three or four, and he had to talk to my mother.
A limo waited, and when he came out, I tried to get his attention.
My mother stepped out, carried me back into the house and closed the door.
He never said a word to me that I remember. ”
“Blake, that’s dreadful. He missed out on so much that he can never get back.”
“That isn’t how he saw it, I’m sure. The court left my mother financially well off, so I had a good education, but my father was never any part of my life.
What’s worse, he was only a small part of his other sons’ lives, even though he definitely played dad to them.
I told you, I knew where I stood. They didn’t.
They kept hoping for more from him. By the time I was five, I knew better than to expect even a hello. ”
“That’s sad,” she said, thinking again about her father and how much a part of his children’s lives he had always been, and now how good he was with his grandchildren. “Your father cut so much joy out of his life.”
Blake smiled at her. “You live in a rosy world, Sierra.”
“No, I don’t. I see people every day who are hurting and have needs—health, income, relationships—their situation isn’t rosy. Children adapt, so all of you accepted not seeing him as part of your lives, but he cut himself off from love from all of you.”