An Impossible Attraction Read online

  Zoe grimaced. Damn it, they couldn’t talk about anything without mentioning the bloody Cavallos. “When we had to sit through a lunch with the Cavallos at their mother’s restaurant. We all had to be nice to them because Caitlin liked the oldest one.”

  “Don’t remind me,” Hannah growled. “If Caitlin decides to keep Don, we’ll probably be forced to do that often.”

  They talked for a few more minutes before Caitlin said good-bye. Frowning, Zoe put down the phone. She had to try and get away for a while. Hannah was right—between their mother and Rosa, the Cavallos’ mother, hardly a week went by without a get-together of the two families. And if she wanted to get Dale Cavallo out of her mind, she had to find a reason not to see him.

  All her instincts were warning her not to get involved with him in any way. The one time in her life she’d ignored these voices, she’d been hurt. Well, okay, her pride had probably been more hurt than anything else, but still.

  She’d met George in college. He was captain of the varsity rugby team, handsome, and paid her just enough compliments to turn her head to mush.

  When she’d decided to pay him a surprise visit and found him in bed with another woman, it had finally dawned on her—if her own father hadn’t even stayed with her, why would any other man find something in her to make him stay? So, after that disaster, she never dated a man for too long and she made sure she sent him on his way before he found a reason to leave her.

  And normally, she’d forget the guy quickly. But something was telling her Dale Cavallo would not be so easy to put out of her mind. She hadn’t been able to stop thinking about him ever since she’d met him.

  Fed up with herself and her thoughts, she grabbed her coffee and walked back to her room. Why was she still thinking about the damn man?

  *

  Susan walked into her office just as Zoe was putting the phone down. She wanted to jump up and down. What wonderful news on this beautiful morning.

  Dramatically, Susan shaded her eyes. “Wow, what a brilliant smile! I haven’t seen you smiling like that in ages. Have you won the lottery?”

  Zoe laughed. “Even better!” She pointed to the phone. “I just had a call from the spokesperson of a newly renovated hotel on the outskirts of London. He’s offered us the job to do the interior decorating for the whole hotel.”

  “But that’s wonderful news, Zoe. Especially because you turned down the Cavallo’s offer to work on their hotels.” There was a hint of reproach in Susan’s voice.

  Zoe ignored her. Susan had been stunned when Zoe had told her they would not be doing the Cavallo job. But fortunately, because it was her business, she didn’t have to explain her decisions.

  “How did they know about us? One would think there are more than enough interior decorators in London.”

  “I haven’t even asked, I was so happy with the offer,” Zoe said. “But you remember the smaller job we did there last year? They probably heard about us from them.”

  “When do they want us to start? And who will you send?”

  “I’ll be going myself,” Zoe said immediately. “They want us to start in the beginning of March next year.”

  Zoe couldn’t stop smiling. She’d been looking for a chance to get away, and this was a great opportunity for her firm and also a lovely excuse not to have to do the Sutherland-Cavallo thing for a while. It couldn’t have come at a better time.

  Chapter Two

  Two months later

  It was a magical evening. Zoe swallowed against the lump in her throat. Her sister was now married to Don Cavallo. She still couldn’t quite get her head around the idea that one of her sisters was a married woman. But there was no doubt Caitlin was ecstatically happy—she hadn’t seen her without that huge smile all day.

  The wedding reception was being held in the Cavallo’s luxurious boutique hotel on Mahé, one of the beautiful islands of the Seychelles. As far as settings went, one could hardly find a more romantic, fairy-tale venue for Caitlin and Don’s wedding.

  The bridal couple were dancing. The music changed, the lights dimmed. Don pulled her sister closer to him, smiled down at Caitlin, and she simply beamed. Her sister made such a beautiful bride.

  Hannah leaned across to Zoe. “Our sister looks so happy.” She sighed. “Though I still can’t believe she decided to marry the guy. Christmas morning we were all still footloose and fancy-free and by the next morning, we had a sister who was engaged to be married!”

  “And two months later, we’re at their wedding!” Zoe giggled.

  “But will it last?” Hannah said, her eyes on the couple. “What do you think?”

  Zoe shook her head. “I wish I knew. How realistic is it to think you can love only one person for the rest of your life? Some animals mate for life, but from what I’ve seen, humans struggle with the concept.”

  Hannah sighed. “Yep, sad but true.”

  Male laughter reached them and Zoe’s heart lurched; her hands became clammy. Next to her, Hannah stiffened. That meant Dale Cavallo and his two other brothers were back at the table.

  She and Hannah stared at the wedding couple for a few minutes. Don pulled their sister even closer and kissed her forehead before he cuddled her close.

  “Caitlin believes true love is possible,” Hannah said. “She has apparently even conquered her trust issues and believes Don would never be unfaithful.”

  “I know, and I hope she’s right.”

  Dana, Caitlin’s best friend, who was the other bridesmaid, pulled her chair up and moved her head slightly in the direction of the three Cavallo brothers. “We’ve probably danced with every man at the wedding. Every man except them, that is. And they, in turn, have danced with every woman out there, except with us. Strange, don’t you think?” she asked.

  “This is probably the last dance, the evening is drawing to a close, so hopefully we won’t have to dance with them at all.” Hannah just about snarled.

  Zoe looked at her watch. She was very glad the evening was nearly over; she was tired of trying not to look in Dale Cavallo’s direction.

  The last time she’d seen him was on Christmas Day, and he’d actually been quite civil. Probably because his mother had been around. But today, he’d been glaring at her ever since she and her sisters walked down the aisle earlier.

  The groom and his three groomsmen waiting for the bride had been a sight to behold. All four of them were tall, dark, and sexy, and she could swear the testosterone levels around them rose by the minute in the small chapel.

  That was when she’d noticed Dale’s eyes on her. And realized he’d been scowling. What had she done? Yes, she’d turned down his request, but that had been months ago, and this was a wedding, for goodness’ sake.

  And damn it, why her hormones jumped to attention every time she saw him, she had no idea. Her body’s reaction to the man was downright embarrassing. Good heavens, it was not as if he was the first attractive man she’d ever seen. But even just a glimpse of the man was sufficient stimulation for her hormones to produce so much saliva she worried every time that she’d start drooling over him.

  *

  “So, Dale, you’re the second oldest, when are you getting married?” David grinned.

  Irritated, Dale looked at his brother. He swore and grabbed his glass of wine. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

  “Well, you’ve been staring at Zoe all night long, I was just wondering.” David sniggered.

  He glared at David. “I’m not staring.” When his eyes returned to Zoe’s back immediately, he realized how ridiculous he sounded. But then, ever since Zoe Sutherland had walked into his life, he’d been doing ridiculous things.

  “I don’t know how you think that, David,” Darryn, their other brother, said. “You’ve been staring at Dana all night.”

  David’s grin widened. “What’s not to stare at? They’re all beautiful.”

  “I don’t know about Dana, but Dale, I’ll tell you what I told Don—stay away from the Sutherland women. They’re
trouble.” Darryn had the usual scowl when the Sutherland sisters were mentioned.

  “So that’s why you can’t keep your eyes off Hannah?” Dale was glad he could shift attention away from him. “Because you’re trying to stay away from her?”

  Darryn glowered at him. “Don’t be an idiot,” he said in a clipped voice.

  Feminine giggles floated over to them, and Dale turned to stare at the three bridesmaids sitting on the other side of the table. They watched the dancing. Dana was beautiful, David was right. And so was Hannah. But it was Zoe to whom his eyes kept returning, no matter how many times he tried to look away.

  “Oh, look. Caitlin’s mom is on her way over. I’ve never seen anyone her age with so much energy.” David waved at the smiling older woman walking in their direction.

  Her face lit up when she saw them and she rushed closer.

  *

  Hannah looked over Zoe’s shoulder. She cussed under her breath and grabbed her bag.

  “Oh, hell, Mom is on her way. I’m going to the ladies’ room…” But Hannah was too late. Their mother swooped down on them and waved to the three brothers behind them.

  “Why aren’t you young people dancing?” She laughed. “It’s a wonderful night, you’re young, all gorgeous, come on!” She motioned for the three men to get up.

  She bent down and whispered to them, “Bridesmaids are supposed to dance with the groomsmen at least once, you know. Especially if they look like those three! Come on, girls, bat those eyelashes.” Her eyes twinkled. “Haven’t I taught you anything?” She ended on a loud whisper.

  Zoe closed her eyes and wished the floor would swallow her up. She loved her romance-writing mother dearly but, at times like this, Zoe could cheerfully throttle her. She was forever trying to find husbands for her daughters. Zoe hoped now that Caitlin was married, her mother would back off, but obviously she had no such plans.

  Smiling, her mother waved at them and moved away. The music changed again, and the next minute Dale stood in front of her, holding out his hand for a dance. Zoe glanced towards Hannah and Dana, but the other two Cavallos held out their hands towards her sister and their friend as well.

  There was no way she could refuse this dance—her mother would never forgive her. Okay, she’d do this and then nobody could accuse her of not behaving properly.

  This was such a bad idea, but short of causing a scene, she couldn’t say no. She took a deep breath and, without looking at Dale, put her hand in his—her last rational act.

  The next minute Dale had her on her feet and spun her around. Then he pulled her in and kept her close to his body as he danced around the floor with her. Her feet followed his as if she’d done this a million times before, as if they’d always been dancing together. His movements were flawless, graceful, intoxicating.

  This close to him, his scent filled her nostrils, seeped through her skin into her bloodstream from where it filled every cell in her body. His powerful muscles flexed under her hands, his breath caressed her check, and his big, warm hand stroked her sensuously up and down her bare back, leaving every centimetre of her flesh craving more. Their bodies were fused together. She closed her eyes and let the music and the man take over.

  This would end in a few minutes; she would probably not see Dale again very soon, if ever, but for the moment she was tired of denying herself this sensation.

  Desperately, she tried to get her sluggish brain cells to work, tried to rationalize what she was feeling. If she thought about it, her reaction was normal. She was young and unattached; he was a sought-after, rich tycoon—what girl wouldn’t swoon a little bit? And anyway, this was probably the way he always danced with any woman. She’d read enough about him to know he seldom had the same girl on his arm. So this was just for tonight.

  Slowly, she became aware that the music was farther away, that they’d moved on to the wide terrace overlooking the sea. He steered her around a pillar. And for the first time, she looked up at him.

  His eyes were dark with an expression she’d never seen before. What was it? Desire? But that was impossible; it had been obvious from the start he could hardly stand the sight of her. Surely he wasn’t interested in her in that way, was he?

  “Zoe, this is exactly the reason why I’ve stayed away from you, why I haven’t danced with you tonight. This is so not what I want, but I can’t seem to help myself around you…”

  Before she could ask what he was talking about, he kissed her.

  His lips were warm and demanding and with a sigh she surrendered. It never even occurred to her to deny him this. To deny herself this pleasure.

  Because that was what it was. Pure, unadulterated pleasure.

  With a shaky exhale, she pulled him closer and thrust her fingers into his hair. He groaned while his hands restlessly explored her body. Don’t stop, please don’t stop. For a split second she worried she’d said the words out loud, but quickly remembered her mouth was otherwise engaged. As far as she was concerned, it could stay that way forever.

  His lips moved from her mouth and he kissed a trail down her face, her neck, until he reached her cleavage. Breathing became impossible. His one hand cupped her curves and his tongue flicked out, following the line of her pushed-up breasts. His other hand found her bare leg under the short dress. Restlessly, his fingers caressed her leg until all her nerve endings screamed from an overload of impulses.

  Her legs wobbled, and without lifting his head, he pushed her against the pillar so she’d have support. Heat spread from her belly throughout her whole body; she was going to burst into flames at any minute.

  “Dale!” someone called.

  “Zoe?” She heard her sister Hannah’s voice from far away.

  “Dale, where are you?” The voice was much closer now.

  Dale’s head jerked up, and breathing heavily, he pushed himself away from her.

  He rushed forward towards the voice that had called him. Embarrassed, Zoe pulled at her dress. What was she thinking? Making out with Dale Cavallo of all people, where anyone, her mother included, could see her. She wasn’t thinking, that was the problem. Her brain cells had ceased to function when in his arms.

  She’d never kissed someone she barely knew before; she couldn’t believe she’d behaved so… so sluttishly. There was no other word for it. She’d nearly had sex with a man she hardly knew and this out in the open where anyone could have seen them.

  “Oh, there you are. Don and Caitlin are leaving, come on, let’s go see them off,” one of his brothers said.

  “In a minute,” Dale said.

  “Where’s Zoe?” Hannah asked.

  “She… um… bathroom, I think,” Dale managed.

  And then it was quiet again. Dale walked back to her.

  “We have to go,” he said. “Look, I’m sorry, this—”

  “Shouldn’t have happened. I cannot agree more,” Zoe said as briskly as she could and stepped around him.

  He grabbed her hand. “That’s not what I was going to say—”

  “Well, that’s what I’m saying. Besides, you did say you didn’t want this. It was a mistake, a huge one.” She walked away as quickly as she could.

  Dale called out her name, but she slipped past several people and took the stairs two at a time, praying he wouldn’t follow her. Her head spun, and she frantically tried to think of a way to get away without seeing Dale again. She couldn’t stay there for another minute.

  London. She had to be there in a week’s time. Zoe quickened her steps. This was a great reason not to travel to Cape Town tomorrow with everyone else. She’d planned to fly to London from Cape Town in a week’s time anyway but leaving directly from here made more sense. Her mother wouldn’t find it so strange. Susan was going to be in charge of the business for the duration of Zoe’s stay in London anyway, and an extra week wouldn’t be a problem for her.

  All that was important now was to put as much distance between herself and Dale as possible, because she was afraid if she didn’t leave quic
kly she might just do something extremely foolish. Like knocking on Dale’s door so they could continue what they’d started minutes ago.

  Her breathing was still labored. The feelings he had unleashed tonight frightened her. She had never experienced desire that strong and it was freaking her out completely. And this from a man who was so out of her league it was hysterical. What the hell was she thinking?

  Dale had a very public reputation of not staying in a relationship for long. In other words, he was exactly the type of man her father was, the reason why she never let herself become too close to any man again.

  *

  Dazed, bewildered, and still reeling from the passion that had nearly consumed him minutes ago, Dale stared after Zoe. His body urged him to follow her to her room, lock the door behind them, and finish what they’d started. But the fog of his lust-induced state finally began to clear, and he was able to listen to his more rational side.

  What the hell happened? He’d managed to stay away from her all night, although, as his brother had teased, his eyes had probably never left her. Not for a minute. And it would have stayed that way if her mother hadn’t insisted they dance with her daughters. The minute her small hand had touched his, all the reasons he’d told himself to stay away from the woman simply vanished.

  And, damn it, he’d been doing so well. But then, this afternoon, she walked down the aisle with her sisters and friend and stole away his breath, his reason, his soul. They all looked stunning, but Zoe was exquisite.

  She’d done something with her hair; a long fringe, or whatever it was called, covered her forehead, and the rest was plaited and knotted into a complicated twist just behind one of her ears. The short pearl-grey dresses the bridesmaids wore were made of some or other soft material. His eyes had zoomed in to where Zoe’s dress ended in a wide flare just above her knees, leaving the rest of her long legs bare.

  He’d found it difficult to breathe throughout the short ceremony. But he managed to stay away from her by dancing with every other woman there. He’d nearly succeeded in leaving the wedding with his good intentions intact.