Chapter4
Deciding that distance was best, she stayed away from him as much as she could the rest of the week, working in her room or in the sunroom next to her room, and working in the library only when she knew he wasn’t home. The rest of the time she spent with her mother, talking and visiting or going shopping, or running errands for the wedding preparations.
She was enormously angry with herself for falling for his flirtatiousness again, for not standing up to him when it happened the second time and instead losing herself to it and finding so much pleasure in him being so close. She hated that he had such a powerful effect on her and that she had almost no control over it. She should have control over herself, she reasoned, especially around someone like him.
Natalie had never tried so hard to focus on her work more than she did that week. She saw him at meals with the family, and he didn’t make conversation with her there, unless it was unavoidable. Mostly, he spoke with his father or his brother, and as soon as he could leave, he did. She didn’t mind as much that he didn’t speak to her then, as she was doing her best to keep away from him and sort out her problems with her strange feelings for him. She was grateful that the only meal the family was required to attend was dinner. She could be free to get breakfast and lunch on her own and manage to miss seeing him in the kitchen.
On Friday just after lunch, she was standing in her room, wearing the dress that he had asked her to wear, only because she wasn’t sure what the dress code would be, and she wanted to blend in with the other guests. She didn’t want to be over or underdressed, and as he had given her no clear indication of what the party would be like, she relented and wore the outfit that he had suggested she wear, though she was enormously unhappy about it.
He knocked on her door a short while later, and she opened it with the same stoic expression that he had used around her so often. His light eyes met her dark ones for a moment, and then his gaze traveled down the length of her body, taking in the view of her in the white dress. His eyes stopped at her breasts for a long moment, and then he looked back at her again.
“It looks even better on you than I imagined it would, except you should unbutton a few of those buttons, as I told you to.” He gave her a little smile, and she saw a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Would you like to ride with me to the yacht?”
She shook her head. She had to have some kind of control, and she had very little, standing there melting under the gaze he had given her whole body. “No thank you, I’ll take my car and follow you.”
“Suit yourself.” He shrugged and walked away. “Time to go.”
She grabbed her purse, keys, and day bag, and followed him out to the foyer. Standing in the middle of the foyer was a gorgeous blonde in a thin, silky dress that fell to the middle of her thighs. She had designer sandals on that strapped partway up her calves, and a silver necklace around her slender neck. She grinned at Cameron and reached for his arm.
Without even so much as an introduction, Cameron walked out of the front door with the blonde woman’s arm tucked in his, and he took her to his glossy red sports car and tucked her into the passenger’s side. With a look over his shoulder to Natalie, he waved at her to follow him, and then he got into his car and drove off, and Natalie did her best to keep up with him all the way from the house to the dock.
It felt like he was playing cat and mouse with her in traffic, as if he was seeing how well she could do to keep up with him and not be lost in the sea of other cars. It wasn’t easy for her, but she had gotten very good at driving in Asia, and in many places in Asia, the key focus was not to die in oncoming traffic, so following another car on paved roads where there were traffic lights and traffic laws created to promote safety awareness was not a difficult task for her.
She parked near him when they got to the dock, and she was surprised when he waited for her, though she was walking behind him and his blonde guest. Natalie tried not to think about them, and she was fiercely irritated with herself that she felt any jealousy over the woman who was accompanying him, though she knew full well that she shouldn’t and that it was ridiculous. He was her stepbrother, and she should not be jealous at all of any partner he was with.
They reached the yacht, and Natalie was astounded by what she saw. The boat was enormous. She hadn’t ever seen one so big in person before. She had seen images and videos and yachts in movies, but never any personal yachts the size of what floated on the sea before her.
Blinking behind her sunglasses, she swallowed as she realized that she was becoming part of the family that owned the yacht and that her being on it would happen much more than once. It felt surreal to her.
She followed Cameron and the blonde up the gangplank, and when they reached the deck of the ship, she kissed his cheek and then strolled off to go open a deck chair and sun herself. Cameron began speaking to the staff and giving them directions about what was not yet done and what he wanted the rest of the day.
There was a good-sized staff on the boat, and all of them were walking around in their various uniforms, smiling and serving the guests, setting up tables with champagne and foods of several kinds. There was a mini bar set up on the deck under a canopy and another bar at the far end of the boat as well.
Natalie was amazed to find a swimming pool and hot tub built into the deck, and she saw when she entered the yacht on the upper deck level that it was far more luxurious than she had imagined.
She got a drink and settled into a chair in a shady spot and watched as people began to pour onto the boat, almost in a steady stream. Most of them seemed to know one another, and those who didn’t know each other were soon introduced by the biggest social butterfly Natalie had ever seen: Cameron. He moved from one group of people to the next, talking with them and laughing, greeting them all and looking as if he was the perfect host. She remembered what Adam had said at dinner about Cameron representing the family well, and she smiled to herself thinking that Adam might well be pleased to see just how well his brother was living up to the request.
Natalie was uncertain about being there to begin with, but the people who came to the party were friendly and inviting, and before long she found herself making friends. It didn’t take long before she was one of the stars of the party; everyone was interested in the daughter of the woman who was marrying Wilson Brookes and who was also an internationally renowned photojournalist traveling the world and telling stories about all of the places she had gone and the things that she had seen.
It felt good to her to be accepted among his friends, especially when he hadn’t exactly made her feel accepted in his home and in his life. She was just finished talking with a couple of women when a tall, blonde-haired man came up to her with a drink in his hand, offering it to her.
“There you are; I’ve been trying to get you alone all day, and it just hasn’t happened. You’re the belle of the ball!” He winked at her and grinned. “I’m Neil. I’m one of Cameron’s college mates.”
Natalie smiled and nodded at him. “It’s nice to meet you, Neil. I’m Natalie Davidson.” He looked confident and self-assured, almost too much.
“I saw that you were drinking champagne, and it looks like your glass is a little low. I brought you a fresh one.” He handed her a filled glass of golden bubbles, and she took it with a little laugh.
“Actually, I wasn’t going to finish the one that I have because I’m feeling a little lightheaded,” she admitted, knowing that she wasn’t obligated to drink the beverage he had brought for her, but feeling just enough guilt and duty that she ought to that she tipped it back and sipped some of it.
“If you’re feeling lightheaded, then this glass will fix it in a flash!” Neil assured her. “Drink all of that quickly, and you will feel fine in no time.” He leaned in a little closer to her and lowered his voice some. “I’d love to see for myself if you feel fine.”
She was stunned that he had hit on her so strongly so fast. “Wow, you don’t waste any time, do you!” She half laughed at him and half wondered what kind of guy he was.
His expression grew more serious. “Not when I see something I really want.” His brown eyes were steady on hers, and a little alarm went off in the back of her head. There was something about him that seemed just a little dangerous.
“Neil, I’m glad you could make it to the party. I see you’ve met one of the newest members of my family. Please keep that in mind while you’re carousing around.” Cameron had suddenly appeared at Natalie’s side, almost out of nowhere, and she jumped from being startled by his unexpected presence.
“Cameron!” Natalie turned and looked at him with wide eyes. She couldn’t believe she was thinking it, but she was glad that he had shown up when he had, as a good brother should, and more than that, she was glad that he had defended her against his college buddy, who was clearly after some heated time with her right away.
“Natalie, I’m going to steal you away. I want to give you the full tour of the boat,” he said, not looking at her but keeping his eyes on his friend. “Neil, the Delaney sisters just arrived. Maybe you could take them home tonight.”
Neil’s eyebrows shot up, and Cameron took Natalie’s hand in his and walked away with her in tow. She was so surprised that she didn’t stop or protest; she just followed him. He walked her into the main cabin and then down a spiral staircase to a lower deck, where there was a theatre lounge and sitting room, another bar, and a small kitchen. Beyond the kitchen, there was a hallway, and he led her through it and past four doors, two on each side of her, before they reached a set of double doors at the end of the hallway.
It was only then that he let go of her hand so that he could slide both of the doors open. He closed his hand around hers again and drew her into the room with him before letting her go and closing the doors behind them.
She looked around, feeling more than a little dizzy. All the champagne she had drunk had gone to her head. Looking around, she saw that they were in an exquisitely designed stateroom; the master bedroom on the boat, she guessed. It was all done in dark woods with navy blue bedding and curtains on the windows, with white accents to add some lightness to the room. All of the fixtures were gold, and all of it was designed in a sea style.
Natalie turned slowly, looking at the room, and then turned far enough that she was facing Cameron. She drew in a sharp breath as she realized that he was watching her. He stepped closer to her, and the familiar warmth began to spread through her, though she tried to reason it away.
“I’m so glad that you wore the dress I chose,” he began in his husky voice, his eyes locked on hers. “It looks even better on you than it did when I held it up to you in the mirror.”
She tried to step backward, but before she could get more than half a step from him, his hand was around the back of her waist, flattened against the small of her back, and he drew her close to him.
A riot of heat and electricity and desire began to sweep through her, and she felt distant pangs of helplessness somewhere inside of her. He was so close to her; his arm around her body and his hand on her back felt so strong, and his scent teased at her nose, making her want to breathe him in more. She resisted at least on the inside, as much as she could.
He stared into her eyes. “Did you bring the swimsuit that I told you to bring?” he asked, unmoving for the moment.
Her heart was racing inside of her chest. “Yes,” she admitted. She had done just what he had requested of her, though she wished somewhere inside of her that she hadn’t.
“Good, because I don’t know which one I like you in better: the dress or the swimsuit,” he said in a low voice. “I just... can’t seem to take my eyes off of you or stay as far away from you as I want to. You’re irresistible.”
She heard the words, and as they sifted through her lightheaded mind, she tried her best to understand what it was that he was telling her, but all that she could focus on was the last thing that he had said to her. She was irresistible. It was like a drug to her, that word when he said it, the way that he said it, and in that moment, he became irresistible to her.
Cameron leaned close to her, hesitating a long moment, and then he kissed her cheek softly. She closed her eyes and drew in a long shallow breath. He moved closer to her mouth and kissed her cheek again, and her lips parted as she gasped, bringing her hands up to his chest and then his neck. It was like a dream, like a beautiful, sweet dream that was unfolding around her.
A long moment later, she felt his other arm close around her body and his hand press against the middle of her back, pulling her snugly against him, just as his mouth brushed against hers and the soft fire of his lips burned at her, making her need more.
A quiet sigh escaped her, and as it sounded, it was quieted by his mouth closing over hers; his lips moved slowly as if he was savoring everything about her, and she let him, wanting to savor him too.
The kiss was long and sweet, slow and sensual, and with every passing heartbeat, her arms grew just a little tighter around him. Parting her lips, she slid her tongue over his, and he responded, just as hungry for her as she was becoming for him. They kissed deep and long, and finally he lifted his mouth from hers and looked into her eyes, staring at her as if he might have never seen her before in his life, as if he was confused and certain all at once.
From somewhere in the back of her mind, Natalie’s mind pinched her, and a thought surfaced to the front, and she frowned slightly. “What about your girlfriend?” she asked with painful regret. She had to ask. She couldn’t stand there in the stateroom locked in his arms, kissing him, when his girlfriend was around somewhere on the boat.
He blinked and shook his head. “I don’t have a girlfriend.”
It was her turn then to shake her head. “What about the blonde that was at the house this morning? The one who came with us and went out to the sundeck?”
It only took a moment, and then Cameron chuckled softly and looked all over her face as if he was drinking her in with his eyes. “She’s a friend. Her father came to see Wilson this morning for a business meeting, and she came with him and asked if she could ride along with me to come to the party.”
Natalie suddenly saw everything that morning fall into place. She felt foolish and relieved all at once, but then another question, a much darker and more important question, came to her mind. “Why are you so cold to me?” she demanded, wanting to know what was going on with him.
He pressed his finger to her mouth. “No more questions. I need to kiss you.” He finished his sentence by taking over her mouth again, moving his lips passionately against hers and tasting her once more.
She got lost in his kiss, in his embrace, and kissed him in return, letting go of all the questions in her mind. There was nothing that she needed to know, nothing but the feel of him against her and the feel of his lips on hers.
As fire began to ignite and grow between them, their kisses grew hotter and more insistent. His hands left her back and slid up the front of her, closing over her breasts and massaging them for a long minute as she moaned softly, before he brought his fingertips to the buttons on her dress.
“I thought I told you to unbutton these for me,” he murmured against her mouth as he deftly separated the buttons from their holes and trailed his ravenous mouth down her neck to the soft swell of her breasts nestled into her lacy bra.
He had her locked in his arms and was about to devour her breasts when there was a loud voice in the hallway just on the other side of the door.
“Cameron! Cam, are you down here? Cameron! You have to come upstairs now! Randy just fell over the side of the yacht into the water, and three of the guys had to haul him out, plus there are people looking for you. Where are you?” The voice belonged to a man.
Cameron jerked away from Natalie’s body, staring at her as if he had woken from a dream and he couldn’t believe where he was standing. He stared at her and then called out. “I’m in the master, I’ll be out in a minute. I was just using the head. I’ll be right up.”
Natalie stared at him, and he suddenly reached out for her, grabbing her and pulling her close against him, crushing her mouth with his insatiable kiss. She moaned in need of him, and he groaned then himself, pressing his hips against her body. She could feel his solid erection hard on her, and she wished that he hadn’t been called away, that he hadn’t answered, and that he had stayed and filled her aching body with himself, but he gave her one last long, hungry kiss, and then let her go and turned to the door, opening it and letting himself out.
He looked back at her and spoke quietly. “Button up and wait five minutes before you come out of here. Don’t say anything to anyone about what happened here.” Then, he closed the doors, and she was alone.
Shock and worry washed over her; dread and guilt weighed down on her just as heavily as the anchor far below the yacht. With trembling fingers, she buttoned up her dress and wished with tightly shut eyes that she had never gone into the room with him.
She chastised herself, wondering what she had been thinking and what she was doing, because whatever it was, it certainly wasn’t going to help her. There was no room in her life to have an affair with a man who was supposed to be her stepbrother. She sat on the edge of the bed and buried her face in her hands, telling herself that she never should have done it. There was no way that anything good could come of what she had done in that room with Cameron Brookes. No way in the world.
As he had requested, she left the room five minutes later and slowly made her way back up the stairs to the main deck, swearing to herself that she wasn’t going to let herself get close to him that same way again. It didn’t matter what it felt like, how hot it was, or how much he had made her want him, need him desperately, no. It only mattered that they were supposed to be family, not lovers.
She walked out on the deck then and stopped where she was. Cameron was on the other side of the deck with a girl under each arm: a brunette under one arm and a redhead under the other. The redhead reached up and closed her hands around his face, turning it suddenly to her and planting a long kiss on his mouth.
Natalie’s stomach tightened and turned, and for a terrible moment, she thought she was going to vomit right where she stood. She could not believe what she was looking at, but then again, she could absolutely believe it. He was a playboy, and his father and his brother had told her that he was a playboy. There was no reason for her to think he was anything other than that.
She turned and walked down the side of the deck and went to the other end of the yacht, not stopping until she found a waiter with a tray of drinks.
“I need coffee please, right away. A lot of it,” she asked in near desperation. She had to clear her head and get off of the boat. She didn’t want to be at his party anymore, and she didn’t want to see him flirting with other women and being kissed by them. All she wanted to do was clear her head enough to be able to drive and then get the hell out of there.
Half an hour later, she had walked surreptitiously off of the yacht and made it back to her car. She sat in her car for another half an hour before she put it in gear and pulled out of the parking lot, feeling like she was sober enough to drive, and then she took herself home, fuming at her own stupidity all the way.
There was no way that she was going to let Cameron Brookes sweet talk her into bed. She wasn’t going to be just another pretty face in his ever-revolving life. She wasn’t about to be just another notch on his bedpost. She told herself that she was a fool. He had no real interest in her. He just saw that he had a powerful effect on her, and he decided to take advantage of it and of her and get her into his bed.
She reminded herself that Cameron had a long list of gorgeous women at his beck and call, and she would be nothing more than another number to him. As she pulled into her parking spot in the garage at the house, she promised herself that she would never get close to him again.