Naked: Chapter 2

Someone smelled very good as they touched me. I could smell the spice and feel the weight of a hand on my shoulder. But the fear rose up anyway. The blast of terror that brought me screaming into consciousness arrived right on schedule. I knew what it was, but still the panic ruled me. I should know. The feeling had been with me for years now.

“Brynne, wake up.”

That voice. Who was it? I opened my eyes and faced into the blue intensity of Ethan Blackstone not more than six inches away. I pushed back into the seat to make more distance between me and that gorgeous face. I remembered now. He bought my picture tonight. And took me home.

“Shit! I’m sorry I—I fell asleep?” I fiddled for the door handle, but I didn’t know this car. I scrambled blindly to get out—to get away.

Ethan’s hand shot over and covered mine, stilling it with a firm touch. “Easy. You’re safe, everything’s fine. You just drifted off is all.”

“Okay . . . sorry.” I panted some deep breaths, looked out the window, and then back to him still watching my every move.

“Why do you keep apologizing?”

“I don’t know,” I whispered. I did know, but couldn’t think about it at the moment.

“Are you okay?” He smiled slowly with a tilt of his head. I swear he liked the fact that he rattled me. I wasn’t sure if I didn’t. I so needed to get away from this situation right now, before I agreed to all manner of things. Something along the lines of: Take off your clothes and stretch out in the big backseat of my Range Rover, Brynne. This man had a way with control that severely unnerved me.

“Thank you for the ride. And the water. And the other stu—”

“You take care of yourself, Brynne Bennett.” He pressed a button and the lock clicked. “You have your key ready? I’ll wait until you’re inside. What floor is it?”

I dug my key out of my purse and replaced it with my phone, which was still on my lap. “I live in the top studio loft, fifth floor.”

“Roommate?”

“Well, yes, but she’s probably not in.” Again, wondering what loosed my tongue in sharing personal information with a virtual stranger.

“I’ll look for the light to come on then.” Ethan’s face was unreadable. I had no idea what he was thinking.

I pushed the door open and got out. “Goodnight, Ethan Blackstone.” I left his car at the curb and headed up the steps of my building, feeling the stare of his eyes as I walked. Sticking the key in the door, I looked back over my shoulder at the Rover. The windows were so dark I couldn’t see inside, but he was in there waiting for me to get in my building so he could leave.

I opened the foyer door to five flights of stairs ahead of me. I slipped off the heels and did it barefoot. The second I entered my flat I hit the lights and locked up. I literally collapsed against the wooden door for support. My heels dumped on the floor in a clatter, and I exhaled a huge sigh. What the hell just happened?

It took a minute to heave myself away from the damn door and head over to the window. I pulled back the drape with a finger to find his car gone. Ethan Blackstone was gone.

• • •

A five-mile run was just the ticket to help clear my head of the fog from last night’s— Alice in Wonderland down a friggin’ rabbit hole—trip. I seriously felt like I’d done the whole “Eat Me” and “Drink Me” thing too. Jesus, had the champagne been drugged? I’d acted like it. Allowing an unknown man to drive me in his car, drop me at my home and take over control of my food? Well it was stupid, and I told myself to forget about it and him. Life was complicated enough without borrowing trouble.

That’s what Aunt Marie always said. Picturing her reaction to my modeling made me smile. I knew for a fact that my great-aunt was less concerned about the nude pictures than my own mother was. Aunt Marie was no prude. I set my iPod to shuffle and took off.

Pretty soon the awkward encounter from last night had been pounded onto the London pavement of Waterloo Bridge. It felt good to push myself physically and just run. Must be all the endorphins. Cursing inwardly for another sex reference, I wondered if that was my problem, and the reason I allowed Ethan so much leeway last night. Maybe I needed an orgasm. You’re so screwed. Yeah, and I could just imagine the literal and figurative versions of that statement.

I forged ahead and crossed over onto the Thames path that followed the great river. My iPod helped too. Music had a way of resetting the brain. With Eminem and Rihanna battling out lying for the sake of love in my ears, I kept a steady pace and admired the architecture I passed on my route. The history in such an ancient city as London was vast, yet it contrasted with the bustling, modern world player in a perfect balance. Duality. I loved living here.

• • •

Modeling wasn’t my only job. All students enrolled in the graduate program for art conservancy at the University of London were required to do practicum duties at the Rothvale Gallery in Winchester House. The Duke of Winchester’s seventeenth-century mansion had housed U of L’s Department of Art for about fifty years, and in my opinion, a more beautiful location to study certainly did not exist anywhere else.

Heading in through the employee entrance, I flashed my badge for security, then again for the conservation studios.

“Miss Brynne, good day to you.” Rory. So proper and formal. The back room guard greeted me the exact same way every time I came in. I kept hoping that one time he would say something different. Shag any millionaire control freaks last night, Miss Brynne?

“Hey, Rory.” I gave him my best smile as he let me through.

I stayed focused and sharp during my work. The painting was a stunner, one of Mallerton’s early works, entitled simply Lady Percival. An absolutely compelling woman with nearly black hair, a blue dress to match her eyes, a book in her hand and the most magnificent figure a female could ever hope to have took up most of the canvas. She wasn’t so much a beauty as expressive. I very much wished I knew her story. The painting had suffered some heat damage during a fire in the sixties and never been touched since. Lady Percival needed a dose of tender loving care, and I would be the lucky one to give it to her.

I was just about to go for a break when my phone went off. Unknown caller? It struck me odd. I didn’t give my number out, and the Lorenzo Agency who represented my modeling had strict disclosure rules.

“Hello?”

“Brynne Bennett.” The sexy cadence of a British voice washed over me.

It was him. Ethan Blackstone. How, I have no earthly idea. Or why for that matter, but it was him, sexy accent live and well on the other end of my phone. I would know that commanding voice anywhere.

“How did you get this number?”

“You gave it to me last night.” His voice burned into my ear and I knew he was lying.

“No,” I said slowly, trying to put the brakes on my escalating heartbeat, “I did not give you my number last night.” Why was he calling?

“I may have borrowed your phone by accident while you were dozing . . . and called my mobile with it. You distracted me by being dehydrated and starved.” I heard muffled voices in the background, like he could be in an office. “It’s very easy to pick up the wrong mobile phone when they all look alike.”

“So you went into my phone and dialed yours so you could get my number off the history of calls received. That’s kinda creepy, Mr. Blackstone.” I was starting to get rather pissed at Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome with the Gorgeous Blue Eyes for his utter lack of personal boundaries.

“Please call me Ethan, Brynne. I want you to call me Ethan.”

“And I want you to respect my privacy, Ethan.”

“Do you, Brynne? I think you’re really grateful for the ride home last night.” He said in a softer voice, “And you seemed to like your dinner too.” He paused for a moment. “You thanked me.” More silence. “In your condition you would’ve never made it home safely.”

Seriously? His words returned me straight back to the overwhelming emotion I’d felt last night when he’d brought me the water and the Advil. And as much as I hated to admit it, he was right.

“Okay . . . look, Ethan, I owe you for the ride last night. It was a good call on your part and I do thank you for the help, but—”

“Then have dinner with me. A proper dinner, preferably not something enclosed in plastic or foil, and definitely not in my car.”

“Oh, no. Sorry, but I don’t think that’s a good ide—”

“You just said, ‘Ethan, I owe you for the ride,’ and that’s what I want—for you to have dinner with me. Tonight.”

My heart pounded harder. I can’t do this. He affected me so strangely. I knew myself well enough to realize that Ethan Blackstone was dangerous territory for a girl like me—Great White Shark is hungry for lone swimmer in cove territory.

“I have plans tonight,” I blurted into my phone. A total lie.

“Then tomorrow night.”

“I—I can’t then. I’ll be working late afternoon and photo shoots always exhaust me—”

“Perfect. I’ll pick you up from your shoot, feed you, and take you home for an early night.”

“You keep interrupting me every time I speak! I can’t think straight when you start barking orders, Ethan. Are you like this with everyone, or am I just special?” I did not like how the conversation turned so fast in his favor. It was maddening. And whatever he meant in the way of an early night left me imagining all kinds of forbidden.

“Yes . . . and yes, Brynne, you are.” I could feel the sex dripping off his voice through my phone, and it scared the shit out of me. And I am a stupid idiot for wording the question like that. Way to go, Brynne, Ethan says you’re special.

“I have to get back to work now.” My voice sounded thready. I knew it did. He just disarmed me so damn easily. I tried again. “Thanks for the offer, Ethan, but I can’t—”

“Say no to me,” he interrupted, “and that’s why I’ll pick you up from the shoot tomorrow for dinner. You admitted that you owe me a favor, and I am calling it in. It’s what I want, Brynne.”

Fucker did it again! I sighed into the phone loudly and let that sit in silence for a moment. I was not going to give in to him so easily.

“Still there, Brynne?”

“So you want me to talk now? You sure change your mind quickly. Every time I speak you interrupt me. Didn’t your mother teach you any manners, Ethan?”

“She couldn’t. My mother died when I was four.”

Fuck. “Ahhh, well that explains it then. I’m very sorry—look, Ethan, I really have to get back to my work. You take care.” I took the chicken way out and ended the call.

I set my cheek on the worktable and just rested for a minute, or five. Ethan wore me out. I don’t know how he managed it, but he did. Eventually I got up from my chair and headed for the break room. I got the biggest mug I could find, filled it with a shitload of half-and-half and sugar, and a moderate amount of coffee. Maybe a caffeine and carb buzz would help me, or put me into a coma.

Looking over at my workspace I saw the captivating Lady Percival prepped and waiting for me, elegant and calm as she had been for more than a century. Coffee in hand, I returned to her and attended to cleaning the grime from the book she so lovingly held to her breast.