Worth the Scandal (Worth It 1)

He’d never appreciated her sexually, but hopefully that was about to change.

Her stomach did a little nervous dance just thinking about it.

“The pink one, it is lovely too. You must try.” The woman waved at the other bra and panty set that hung from the hook next to the mirror.

Tessa eyed it. It was the palest pink, almost cream with a silk rosette in the center made of a darker pink. A simpler, not as frilly construction that was still absurdly beautiful. She drew her index finger around the rosette as she said, “I probably can’t afford any of it.”

“For you, I make special discount.”

When Tessa whirled around in surprise at the woman’s offer, the shopkeeper beamed. “I have your attention now, I see. Try on the pink bra. I have a gown that matches the blue. I’ll go get it.”

She spent the next thirty minutes trying on an endless stream of lingerie, the shopkeeper bringing her so many options Tessa wasn’t sure which item to choose. She’d finally looked at the price tags, wincing when she saw how much everything cost.

No matter how much she wanted to please Alex, she couldn’t spend her life’s savings on a few pairs of underwear and a nightie. It would be ridiculous.

But the woman insisted and Tessa walked out of the store in a daze, clutching a discreet pink and white striped bag with the words Mon Amour etched on the sides. Full of the first two bra and panty sets she tried on along with an elegant, short kimono gown made entirely of white Belgian lace. The discount had been helpful but she still spent too much.

Hopefully Alex’s face when he saw her wearing some of it would make the expense worth it.

Outside it was dark, the sky cloudy and not a star in sight. Cars bustled by on the street, honking their horns impatiently at nothing. Tessa headed back to the hotel, her steps light, her heart buoyant.

She was going to have sex tonight—with Alexander Worth. From the moment she had seen the wounded look in his eyes to finding the lingerie shop on a whim, she knew it would happen. He needed her. He might not know it, but he needed her and she needed him too. So what if she wasn’t experienced and had no idea how to seduce a man. She was going on pure instinct.

And instinct told her there was no way she could screw it up. Especially with the arsenal she was carrying inside her bag.

Alex didn’t have a chance.

His jaw ached from all the talking—and the tension. Alex had been on the phone for the last two hours, calling lawyers, Hunter and finally the New York City Police Department.

Rhett, his baby brother, had really gone and fucked it up. Landing himself in jail for a drunk and disorderly charge and a pending assault charge.

Unable to locate Hunter, Rhett was able to use his one jail phone call again and tried Alex’s cell. Considering it was eleven in the morning New York time when Rhett phoned, Alex was confused as to when it all actually happened.

Rhett had been thrown in the drunk tank where he’d been advised to sleep it off. He’d only awoken an hour ago and finally asked for his phone call. He’d been at a club, he explained to Alex. With some girl he’d only just met. Turned out her boyfriend had shown up and they’d gotten into a verbal argument.

Which had swiftly turned physical.

Exhausted and vastly disappointed in his brother, Alex had finally wrapped up the various calls reassured that Hunter had gone to the precinct and picked Rhett up and taken him home. Upon Alex’s return, they planned on having a brotherly meeting over what they were going to do with Rhett.

And Rhett wasn’t going to have any say in it whatsoever.

He couldn’t understand why Rhett caused so much trouble. At the age of twenty-nine, almost thirty, the man was complete chaos. Couldn’t focus on any one thing, had an endless array of women to chose from, traveled everywhere, spent money like he was made of it and yet rarely worked an honest day in his life.

As the baby of the family, Rhett took advantage of his position constantly. He didn’t have a serious bone in his body, was a constant disappointment to both of his brothers but especially Alex.

His brother’s reckless behavior made Alex wonder where he went wrong. Their mother had died when Rhett was so young, only thirteen and their father died over five years ago. Alex had tried to take over and help guide Rhett as he grew up, but his brother constantly rebelled against him.

Alex was ashamed of his relationship with his brother, ashamed of the way he somehow screwed up in raising him. That’s why he didn’t want Tessa involved, didn’t want her knowing just how awful Rhett was. Just how awful their relationship was, too.

It embarrassed him. It was humiliating. Tessa didn’t need to see that though she’d already heard and knew plenty, what with how close they worked together.

After taking a long, hot shower he found himself striding down the hall toward Tessa’s room, anticipation making his blood hum. Despite the utter exhaustion and irritation that wanted to take over and knock him out, he was keyed up and not about to refuse her. She’d offered, after all.

He desperately needed comfort. And no other woman would do.

They could order room service, he thought as he stopped in front of her room and knocked on the door. He’d realized it was late, far after the normal dining hour. After they ate, if things led them—elsewhere, he wasn’t going to protest. He’d been waiting for this moment for days. Almost had it too, if he hadn’t been such a jackass and screwed it all up.

Thank God she’d given him another chance.

The door cracked open and there she was, her head peeking around the edge of the door, the rest of her hidden. A tremulous smile curved her lips, and he frowned. “Are you all right?”

“You were faster than I thought you would be.” She bit her lower lip.

He waited, but she didn’t open the door any further. “Are you going to let me in?”

“Um, hold the door open but close your eyes.”

“What?”

“Just do it.” She lowered her eyebrows, a little scowl on her face. “And don’t open your eyes or come in until I say so.”

With a not so patient sigh he slapped his hand against the heavy door to keep it partially open and closed his eyes. She took off, her bare feet slapping against the wood floors of the mini-suite, and he heard a door slam. “You can come in now,” she called.

Opening his eyes he pushed the door the rest of the way open and entered her room, figuring she’d gone into the bathroom since the door remained closed. He glanced about the room, noting how neat it was. Everything was in place, not a single piece of clothing strewn about. The only thing he noted out of sorts was a pink and white broad striped shopping bag with the words Mon Amour etched in black script across the side.

Intrigued, he peeked inside the bag but it was empty.

The door opened and he turned to find her standing there clad in a robe made entirely of thin lace. He blinked once, shook his head but she was still there. An absolute vision straight out of his sinful fantasies, she looked nervous. Unsure of herself.

She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever laid eyes on.

“Come here,” he said gruffly. She did as he asked, stopping mere inches before him.

Reaching out, he tested the front of her robe with two fingers, rubbing the delicate lace. “I found this little shop earlier,” she explained, her voice shaky. “Full of beautiful lingerie so I went inside.”

“You bought this tonight?” For his enjoyment? He was pleased, surprised.

Honored.

Slowly she nodded, inhaling sharply when his fingers brushed against her collarbone. “What I have on beneath I bought there too.”

He greedily drank her in, not sure what to look at first, there were so many wondrous things happening. The robe stopped mid-thigh, giving him an uninhibited view of her long, shapely legs. The lace was beautiful, sexy yet demure and he grabbed the ends of the belt, wrapping the thin fabric around his hands once, twice. “You’re like a present. One I can’t wait to unwrap.”

His anger, his frustration about his brother, all of it melted away. That she’d done this, bought lingerie with him in mind, was incredibly arousing.

“You’re taking an awfully long time unwrapping your present,” she said breathlessly.

Smiling, he tugged on the lacy ends of the belt, pulling her in so close she nearly stumbled and fell against him. He held her there, dropping his gaze to his hands covered by the lace. He undid the belt, pulling it from her waist and letting it fall to the floor.

The front of the garment gaped, offering him a glimpse of skin. He caught a flash of pale blue covering her breasts, the same sheer blue wrapped around her hips, and his cock came to full attention at the bounty before him.

“Take off the robe, Tessa,” he murmured.

She shrugged out of the robe and let it fall off her. She was gorgeous. Her skin like cream, dark hair tumbling over her shoulders, the delicate bra she wore barely containing her full breasts. Lifting her chin, she watched him watch her. “I wanted to take your mind off your troubles,” she admitted.

He smiled, lust coursing through him. “It worked.”

She smiled in return but the corners of her mouth trembled. “I’m glad.”

Unable to take it any longer, he yanked her into his arms, a needful shiver moving throughout his entire body when it made contact with hers. Wrapping his hand around the nape of her neck, he thrust his fingers into her hair, pulling lightly so her head tilted back and her eyes met his. They were so dark, so full of secrets and he wanted to discover each and every one of them.