The Rogue's Fortune

And his lips captured hers, robbing her of breath, torching her senses. It was magic.

A wave of longing crashed into her, drowning all thought. Thank goodness his strong arm banded her body to his powerful frame or the weakness that attacked her knees would have left her puddled at his feet. She opened to his questing tongue and groaned at the sexy slide of his free hand over her butt. He kneaded her curves and lifted her against his hungry erection. Where moments earlier there’d been an unsatisfied ache between her thighs, a raging storm of desire shot from her heart to her loins. In the grip of fierce anticipation, she clutched his shoulders as he broke off the kiss.

His smooth lips drew a line of fire down her neck. “Sweetheart, you taste like heaven.”

The intensity of his rough murmur thrilled her. From his playboy reputation she’d expected a masterful display of his seductive powers, not this hungry assault. His raw sensuality seeped beneath her skin, awakening the sort of primitive urges she swore she’d never give in to again.

In a flash all her past romantic disappointments came back to her. Her days of making poor choices were behind her. She had a plan. Career. Motherhood.

Elizabeth’s willpower thrashed against the whirlpool of carnal sensation sucking her downward. With a deep breath she put her hands against Roark’s chest and pressed. “I’ve got an early morning tomorrow. I really should be going.”

And to her amazement, Roark let her go without a single protest. She chastised herself for being disappointed. No more getting involved with boys, especially the naughty ones. And Roark was as naughty as they got.

“Have dinner with me tomorrow,” he said, catching her hand as she turned to go.

With his thumb stroking the erratic pulse in her wrist, she nodded. “Somewhere we can be seen together.”

The suggestion was only half because they were supposed to be taking their engagement public. Now that she’d discovered the powerful chemistry between them, she had limited confidence in her ability to fend off his kisses. Worse, she couldn’t count on her ability to keep her hands off him.

Even now, blood pounded hot and insistent through her veins, persuading her to put down her purse and garment bag and shove him down into the nearby nest of pillows.

“I’ll pick you up at seven.”

With a nod, she fled.

The cool night air did little to reduce the simmering emotions Roark’s kiss had aroused. What was she thinking kissing him like that? This was supposed to be a business arrangement.

Elizabeth stepped to the curb to hail a taxi and caught a movement to her left. The rear door of a limo opened and Sabeen emerged. She caught Elizabeth’s gaze on her and let her coat fall open to reveal her low-cut evening gown.

After a heated exchange with Roark, Darius had dragged his sister away from the party an hour ago. Why had she come back?

“I am surprised that you are leaving so early,” Sabeen called, striding forward. “From the way you looked at Roark all evening, I didn’t think you’d leave his bed before dawn.”

The implication being that Elizabeth must not be able to keep her man happy if he was willing to let her go before midnight.

“I have an early morning.” And now she was making excuses. “Did you forget something at the loft?”

“I didn’t get a chance to thank Roark properly for returning my little brother to me unharmed.”

Elizabeth had no trouble reading the sort of “proper” thank you Sabeen had in mind. At that moment, she felt sorry for the younger woman. No matter how beautiful or how hard she threw herself at Roark, he was never going to see her as anything but the daughter of his former friend and tutor.

“I’m sure he knows how much you appreciate his help, but go on up and thank him now. I know he’ll enjoy seeing you. He told me you and your brother are like family.”

She hadn’t given Sabeen the sort of reaction the younger woman was hoping for. It was hard to be jealous when she was only pretending to be engaged to Roark, and she knew he wouldn’t jeopardize the future of Waverly’s for an indiscretion.

“And I will still be in his life, long after he tires of you.”

Elizabeth didn’t doubt that a bit. “Good evening, Sabeen.”

Four

At three in the afternoon, only seven climbers scaled the rock wall at the Hartz Sports Club. With one of the most challenging climbing walls in the country and the largest in Manhattan, the facility was usually more crowded.

“You’ve been practicing while I’ve been gone,” Roark called across to Vance, splitting his attention between his half brother and the difficult route he’d chosen.

“I wasn’t going to let you embarrass me again,” Vance returned, keeping his eyes on the wall in front of him.

“You should come with me to Pakistan and climb the Trango Towers.”