The Skipper & the Billionaire Playboy

Harold grinned. “I should hope so, since I invited him personally—and so he could meet my charming fut…my grandson’s charming girlfriend.”

She might have asked what he planned to say originally, though she had the sinking feeling he was about to say future granddaughter-in-law. A moment later, the giddiness of being able to interact with a real competitor in the America’s Cup overwhelmed the speculation, and she turned to chat with Timothy.

They soon fell into an easy rhythm, speaking excitedly about sailing. As Nadia conversed with him, she couldn’t help the swell of excitement building inside her. He had the contacts to help her get started, something she could do on her own, but would be far easier if she had an inside person. She could thank Harold a million times over for giving her the opportunity, though she had to make the most of it by impressing him.

They had been speaking quietly in the corner for almost an hour when a hand suddenly fell on her shoulder. She looked up with a frown, surprised to see a heavily scowling Sawyer standing behind her. “Is something wrong?”

“No.” He said the word abruptly, his gaze briefly moving to her before turning back to Timothy. “Nothing’s wrong, but we need to talk.”

She shrugged off his hands. “We can speak later, after the party.”

His scowl deepened, and he glared at her briefly before turning it on Timothy again. “Now, not later.”

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nbsp; The air was thick with tension, and Timothy straightened his shoulders. “It was lovely meeting you, Nadia, but I should mingle with some of the other guests too. Wouldn’t want to be impolite.”

“No, not impolite at all,” said Sawyer with a hint of menace.

Mouth agape, Nadia watched her chance at easier entry into the racing circuit walk away, clearly uncomfortable with the turn of events. Anger surged as she turned back to glare at Sawyer. “Do you know who that was?”

“I don’t care. Come with me.” His hand wrapped around hers, and he pulled her resisting body closer to his. “We need to talk.”

Nadia thought briefly of refusing, but in the end, she followed him quietly from the ballroom where everyone had assembled for the party. It wasn’t an attempt to maintain the couplehood façade, or to be polite and avoid making a scene. She simply wanted the opportunity to express her views about his behavior when they were in private. If that expression turned somewhat loud, bordering on shouting, it would be far better for it to happen somewhere on the other side of the house away from the partygoers.

As soon as they were out of sight of the ballroom, she tried taking her hand from his. “Let go.”

He ignored her, tightening his hold a bit more as he set a rapid pace across the entryway. A moment later, they entered the library, and he thrust her in ahead of him before closing the door with a small slam. The lock sounded sinister when it clicked closed, but she wasn’t frightened. If anything, Sinclair should be frightened of her temper.

“Do you have any idea what you’ve done? Your grandfather went to so much trouble to make it so I could meet him, and you just ruined it all.”

Sawyer leaned against the door, crossing his arms over his chest. “Oh, am I supposed to feel bad about interrupting a little tête-à-tête? Why the hell is my grandfather trying to fix you up with someone anyway when he thinks you belong to me?”

“He knows how much it means to me. He’s trying to help, which is more than you’re doing, you boorish oaf.”

“I don’t like it.”

“I don’t care.” She glared at him with equal intensity, though she was shocked to realize her nipples were hard, and her panties were dampening. As angry as she was, she was equally aroused. It must be a response to the pheromones circulating between them. “And we both know I don’t belong to you.”

“Wrong.”

Suddenly, his arms were no longer across his chest. Instead, his hands gripped her upper arms as he pulled her near him.

Nadia tried to shrug him off, resisting the pull even though she wasn’t completely enthusiastic about doing so. Part of her wanted to sink into him, to let her passions rage. The calm and logical side reminded her she couldn’t let his behavior stand.

“I don’t know what you think you’re doing, or what your goal was when you sabotaged my meeting with Timothy Wynndt, but this is over. Get out of my way so I can get back to the party and maybe still salvage a few minutes with him.”

“No fucking way.” He ignored the way she winced at his crude language. “I don’t like you with other men. We’re together, and I did not like seeing you all over him.”

Of its own accord, Nadia’s hand lifted and slapped him across the face. She gasped at her own actions, even as he grinned.

“I’m sorry,” she said stiffly. “You’re acting like a huge jackass, but that doesn’t excuse me slapping you.”

To her surprise, he chuckled. “It simply means your passions are running deep, my love.”

She flinched at the word. “Don’t say that.”

Sawyer frowned, but he didn’t argue. Instead, he pulled her closer, but in a coaxing fashion.