Page 23 of Marcel

Nikki approached himand sold him the idea of becoming part of the Hadley family.

“And that’swhat it boils down to, Darrell,” she told him earnestly. “Weare going to look out for your best interests. You are a basketballstar and only need to concentrate on the game, not wonder if yourmoney is working for you.”

He had been sold, andshe brought him to talk to James Hadley.

Shaking her head, shestared moodily into the wine glass. She could go upstairs and try toseduce him, but she felt that he should make the first move. Shewanted him to fall in love with her. Marcel Hadley was too handsomefor his own good. He was the golden boy of his family—hisfather had said just that. He was spoiled, entitled, and pampered.

“Oh, Mom,”She whispered achingly. “I wish I could talk to you about mysituation. You would tell me what to do and how to do it.”Lifting the glass to her lips, she finished the wine and put thedishes in the sink.

*****

What the hell was shedoing downstairs for so long? He found himself wondering as he pacedthe length of his office. She had looked so appealing, so damnedsexy, while she stood behind that stove and made the meal that he hadfound his heart throbbing inside his chest as he stared at her.

While they werehaving the meal, her unaffected candor, the way she tilted her headto the side when she was eating, was so endearing that it had adistinct effect on him.

He would havesuggested they skip the meal and head straight to bed if it wereunder ordinary circumstances. But this was not ordinary. He had beenordered to marry her and could not get past that.

He had come upstairsto try and get rid of her enticing image out of his mind and try tobury himself under work, but that was not happening.

Simone had called himwhile they were having the meal, but because his phone was muted, hemissed the call. Her message was tearful, and she demanded to see himtomorrow.

He wasn’t surehe would do that. He was a married man, and even though the marriagehad been arranged, they were still legally bound by each other. AndSimone was still married.

In Greece, he hadbeen so aware of the woman next to him on the bed that it had almostbeen impossible for him to fall asleep.

He had pretended tobe absorbed with work so that he would not have to prolong thetorment of being next to her for so many hours each night. He haddistinctly told her that he was not sleeping with her, but he waspunishing himself.

He wanted her, heacknowledged. Even if he closed his eyes, the image of her face—thelarge dark brown eyes, the lush bottom lip, the cute little nose—wasimprinted on his brain as if it were seared there permanently.

He had carefullyturned around one night and tortured himself even more as he watchedher sleep. The covers had slipped low enough for him to notice thethin lace she had donned. He couldn't help but notice how thematerial contrasted against her caramel complexion.

His head jerked upwhen he heard the doors being opened, and feeling wholly foolish andinsecure, he went behind his desk, opened the thick document, andpretended that he was buried in work. But he did not have to bother.

He had not thought toclose the door of his office, and he had caught a glimpse of herwalking into the room, but his vision was obscured when she wentfurther into the room. He could hear her slamming drawers close asshe got ready for bed; even the slight sound was irritating to hisalready overburdened mind.

The bed was big,large enough to hold several people comfortably. But he had no ideahow he was going to be able to be next to her and not want her. Ithad been tough in Greece while they were on their honeymoon, and hefelt it would be doubly hard now that they were back home. She was inhis space, and it felt damned strange.

He had never livedwith a woman before. They would share the same bathroom, and he wasbeginning to realize little things about her. She was very messy andhad the annoying habit of dropping clothing items everywhere. He wasneat, and even though he had grown up with maids and nannies, he wastaught to pick up after himself.

Pushing away thedocument, he rose and went to the cabinet to pour himself a glass ofbrandy. He would wait a little bit before turning in.

Chapter 6

Seeing her steppingout of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her slender frame didsomething to him. He had gotten through the night by staying as faraway from her as possible.

Now, he was payingfor it by suffering from aches and pains and tension in his back andneck from trying so hard not to touch her. She was a roller and arestless sleeper. He would be nudged from his nap to find her curledup perilously close to him.

In the early morninghours, he had quit fighting her and the urge to wrap his arms aroundher. He had also missed his damn alarm and woke up to find the spacenext to him empty.

Thinking she had lefthim, he swung his legs off the bed and took two steps towards thebathroom, stopping as she walked out, wearing the towel.

“Hi.” Hegreeted her inanely.

“Hi.” Herdark brown eyes twinkled as she stared at him. “Bad night?”

“You never stayon your side of the bed,” He muttered without thinking.

“Should Iapologize?” She asked with lifted brows as she headed towardsthe vanity.

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