His Dutchess

chapter 16

There were cameras in her living room, kitchen, and both bedrooms. They knew about the phone line already. According to Blake’s men, her car was clean.

But dammit! Someone had watched her dress, watched her sleep. Samantha revealed to Blake the conversation she’d had with Eliza, the only one that might hold a hint of their deceptive marriage. The cameras were most likely planted by the guys posing as telephone repairmen. Or perhaps someone had snuck in while she’d been out jogging.

After that, the conversations were on her cell phone and usually when she was out. Not that it mattered, they’d only talked about the reception and the people she’d meet. Admittedly, they talked like an old married couple, which was surprising considering they hardly knew each other.

Blake drove the town car with Sam guiding the way to her house.

As the townhome drew closer, the reality of what they were doing spread worry throughout her limbs.

“You’re wringing your hands together,” Blake told her. “What’s wrong?”

“Honest answer?” she asked him, knowing what he’d say.

“Always.”

“Kissing you.”

He snuck a glance behind his glasses and returned his eyes to the road.

“Kissing me is wrong?”

“Yes,” she blurted out. “I mean, no.”

He chuckled. “Which is it?”

“Ugh. What if I choke? What if I don’t look convincing?” What if she screwed up and gave the camera exactly what they wanted and Blake lost his inheritance?

Blake removed one hand from the steering wheel and placed it over her cold ones. “Samantha?”

“Yes.”

“Relax. Let me take charge here.”

She shook her head. “I’m not used to men taking charge in my life.”

“I know that. But you can trust me.”

She wanted to trust him. But her hands shook as they pulled into her driveway. He removed the key from the ignition and shifted in his seat. “Let’s just go inside and start packing.”

“Are you going to kiss me the minute we’re inside?” God, she had to know… so she could prepare herself.

Blake leaned forward and removed his sunglasses. “Come here,” he whispered, staring at her lips.

She inched forward, thinking he wanted to whisper something important.

Instead, he leaned over the seat and placed his lips softly on hers. The heat was instant and sizzled all the way to her toes. Her eyes fluttered shut as she eased into his kiss.

Then he moved away. “Kissing will be the easy part,” he said over her opened lips. “Pulling back will prove much harder.”

Blake brushed his thumb over her lower lip before turning and opening his door.

Samantha stepped on wobbly legs and allowed Blake to hold her arm for support.

He glanced up and down the block with an obviously disapproving glare.

“This neighborhood doesn’t feel safe to me. How long have you lived here?”

“Two years,” she told him as she placed her key in the lock and opened the door.

They stepped inside the foyer and Samantha placed her purse on the table. “I have some boxes in a shed out back.”

“I’ll get the ones from the car.”

As they went in opposite directions, Samantha found her eyes traveling to the

camera she knew was hidden in her bookcase. Walking by it, she headed out

through her kitchen to the shed and came back with several dusty cardboard boxes in various sizes. She dumped them on the coffee table and glanced around

the room.

Blake brought a half dozen boxes still folded up and a roll of packing tape.

“Why don’t we use those for my clothes since they’re clean,” she suggested.

“Okay,” he said glancing up the stairwell.

Samantha led the way to her bedroom and had Blake dump the boxes on her bed. He picked them up one by one and tucked their edges together. After a little tape, the boxes were ready to go.

“Where do you want me to start?” Blake asked.

“In the closet.”

After several minutes of packing, Samantha forgot all about the cameras and found her head deep inside her dresser. She grabbed a simple band and tied her hair back out of the way.

“Should I be worried about all these shoes in here?” Blake asked from her closet.She laughed. “You’re the one who told me to go shopping,” she teased.

“Looks like I’ll be hiring a handyman to build another walk-in just for you.”

There was laughter in his voice.

“Women love clothes.”

“And shoes, apparently. God, I didn’t think anyone needed this many.”

Samantha tucked her panties into a box and reached for more. “I’m short, in case you haven’t noticed. I need heels to see how the rest of you live.”

Blake’s voice moved closer. “You’re not short,” he said.

She turned to see him holding a pair of four-inch pumps.

“Vertically challenged, then.” She stood to prove her point. “See?” Beside him, the top of her head met his chin. “Short!”

His eyes seemed to drag her into his frame. “I wouldn’t change anything about you,” he told her. Blake reached out and tugged the band from her hair.

His fingers brushed over the ends and Samantha forgot to breathe. The closer he

moved into her personal space, the less air was available for her lungs. She tilted her head as he moved in and allowed his mouth to move over hers. Blake’s hand dropped the shoes and wrapped around her waist, holding her close.

Her breasts pushed against the hard plane of his chest as Blake angled his head to deepen their kiss. Only when his tongue licked her lips open did she remember the cameras pointed at them. She stiffened, but Blake didn’t let her go.

Instead, he glided his hand down her back and rounded over her behind.

Her body buzzed and his tongue started a slow dance with hers. His pine scent and heated breath easily distracted her from everything but the feeling of him holding her, touching her.

Liquid started to pool in her belly as desire swept up her spine. She hadn’t been kissed in so long she’d forgotten how good it felt. And had it ever felt this good? She didn’t think so.

Blake moaned, or maybe she did as his lips left hers and started to trail over her jaw, her neck. He might be playing for the camera, but his body didn’t know the rules. The heat of his erection sat against her belly, displaying a need she felt.

“I missed you,” he whispered in her hair.

Samantha reached around his shoulders and clawed at the edges of his shirt.

“I missed you, too.”

His eyes caught hers and a sparkle of mischief there made her smile. When her hand found the bare flesh of his back, his eyes darkened. He kissed her again, this time with more desperation. She felt his hand cup her breast through the fabric of her shirt. She wanted to feel him closer, wanted him to taste her skin where his hands wandered.

“Oh, God,” she whispered. This is dangerous. Their desire was real, or atleast it was for her.

“You know what I want?” he asked when he let her lips go.

“What?” She kissed his jaw and started to undo the buttons on his shirt.

Blake bent down and lifted her into his arms.

She squealed and grasped onto his shoulders to avoid falling.

“I want to have you in the shower.”