CHASING TROUBLE

Nicholas narrowed his eyes menacingly. “I would advise you not to speculate about things you dont understand, Care”Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.

That angry color drained as quickly from her cheeks as it had appeared. “I prefer to be called Caroline or Miss Anderson,” she bit out stiltedly.

Nicholas eyed her consideringly. Obviously he had hit on a raw nerve of some kind by the shortening of her name. “Okay, so don’t speculate about things you don’t know or understand…Caroline,” he conceded dryly.

What Caroline didn’t understand was why she was responding to this man’s taunts and insinuations at all! As Caroline Anderson, a woman of considerable financial independence, she made a point of avoiding any and all situations that might lead to emotional confrontation of any kind. Especially with a man whose very presence unnerved her!

“Unlike you, I’m not so hot on formality,” Nicholas said. “My friends call me Nick,” he explained, and Caroline gave a confused frown.

Nick…

How fitting a name was that for this dangerously disturbing man!

“How lucky for me, then, that I don’t happen to be one of your friends,” she answered coolly. “I would prefer to use Mr Connelly, or Nicholas if you insist on informality.”

“Oh, I do, Caroline, I most certainly do,” he murmured huskily.

She avoided meeting that warm and mocking dark gaze. “Perhaps we should resume this conversation in the morning, Nicholas? We don’t seem to be achieving very much tonight.”

“Except being rude to each other,” Nicholas pointed out.

“Exactly.” She nodded briskly. “You are obviously tired after your journey-”

She broke off as Nicholas gave a chuckle, a disconcerted frown on her brow as she looked across at him questioningly. And she felt the lurch in her chest, the swelling of her breasts and tightening of her nipples, at the way the amusement in his face made him appear even more dangerous… Appear dangerous? This man was dangerous! And he induced an awareness in Caroline, a physical arousal, that was totally alien to her.

“Nice cop-out, Caroline,” Nicholas jeered, stretching wearily. “But I’m afraid I’m always this outspoken-what’s your excuse?”

It took all of Caroline’s will-power to drag her gaze away from the flexing of those muscles in the broadness of Nicholas’s shoulders. Even so, her nipples actually ached now, and there was an unaccustomed warmth between her thighs… Her mouth firmed and she straightened suddenly. “It’s late, I was terrified out of my wits a short time ago, and I’m tired…”

“Terrified out of your wits?” he echoed incredulously, that dark gaze once again compelling. “I’d hate to see what your response would be if you weren’t so terrified!”

He touched his temple pointedly, a slight redness of the skin showing where Caroline had struck him with her book. A book whose predatory hero was no doubt going to seem very one-dimensional after she had come face to face with the very real-and very disturbing-flesh-and-blood man!

Caroline watched his long fingers as they ran lightly across his bruised flesh before pushing back the long length of his dark hair in a movement that seemed habitual. That hair looked as soft as silk. A silkiness Caroline longed to touch and thread her own fingers into before pulling his head down and-

She gathered herself up. “No doubt you know which bedroom to use?” she bit out sharply.

“No doubt,” Nicholas drawled, those black eyes openly laughing at her.

Caroline had almost reached the kitchen door, almost made her dignified exit, and was congratulating herself on how well she had regrouped after physically attacking Nicholas, when he made his own last mocking comment.

“Don’t forget to get your book from the drawing room…” he said,

She faltered slightly, her eyes closing briefly in embarrassment at this second taunting reminder of the book she had been reading earlier.

“The cover alone would be enough to shock Mrs Cooper senseless, let alone its contents!” he added.

Caroline drew in a deep, controlling breath before she turned to glare across the room at him. “I should put something on that cut on your hand, if I were you. It would be such a pity if it were to become infected. It might even result in lockjaw!” she added with saccharin sweetness.

“I can imagine how much that might bother you.” He gave an appreciative chuckle.

“You have no idea!” Caroline gave him one last scathing glance before sweeping out of the kitchen. Well, sweeping as much as she could when she was wearing a pair of blue cotton pajamas and a striped bathrobe!

She paused long enough in the drawing room to take advantage of Nicholas jeering advice concerning taking her book back upstairs with her.

All the time she was aware that any dreams or erotic fantasies she might have tonight would all be about a dark-haired, dark-eyed, dangerous man dressed completely in black.

A man known to his friends as Nick…

________

“Mrs Cooper seemed to be of the opinion that we would be eating breakfast together, and I didn’t like to disappoint her,” Nicholas said the following morning, as Caroline came to an abrupt halt in the doorway of the breakfast room the moment she saw he was already seated at the small table.

A slightly more officious-looking Caroline Anderson than the night before; she wore a silky cream blouse tucked into black tailored trousers, with flat court shoes. That red hair was as perky and spiky as the previous evening, but she had added mascara to those already dark, sooty lashes, and a deep peach gloss to the fullness of her lips.

Officious, but still beautiful, Nicholas decided approvingly as he stood up to hold a chair for her to sit down after she had reluctantly entered the room. “Just so that you know I do remember some of the manners my mother taught me all those years ago,” he bent to murmur derisively beside her left ear.

“I’m pleased to hear it!” Caroline ignored his close proximity and picked up her napkin. She placed it purposefully across her trouser-clad knees before continuing to ignore him as she looked over the contents of the table. All the time she was completely aware of how devastatingly male Nicholas looked, with that long dark hair still damp from the shower. He was wearing a black T-shirt that clearly defined his muscled chest and arms, with black combat trousers sitting low down on the leanness of his waist and emphasizing the powerful length of his legs…