The Prince Brothers: Satisfaction Guaranteed!

‘And he—’ Nik reached out to grab the camera just as the doors closed, the other man’s cry of protest instantly cut off mid-flow ‘—is her associate!’ He released Jinx to open the back of the camera and take out the film and thrust it into his trouser pocket. ‘Damn, damn, damn!’ he muttered grimly as he closed the camera.

A reporter…

Not just a reporter. Paparazzi!

The scourge of the true reporter, whose aim was to report the real news, these other, less professional members of the press weren’t really looking for truth, but went in search of sensationalism.

Jinx felt slightly sick at the realization that she had been in the presence of just such a reporter the last half an hour or so, that she had been completely wrong in her assumption earlier that the other woman had been looking at Nik because she’d recognized him and found him attractive; this woman was out for a story, and didn’t particularly care how she got it.

Her teeth began to chatter uncontrollably in reaction to what had just happened.

If Nik hadn’t realized—If he hadn’t spotted the photographer—If he hadn’t grabbed the camera in that way—!

‘It’s okay, Jinx.’ Nik spoke soothingly as he moved to stand in front of her, touching her gently as he moved the fringe of hair back from over her horrified eyes. ‘It’s okay,’ he repeated encouragingly.

Of course it wasn’t okay. Nik was a personality, a highly photographic one, and if he hadn’t retrieved that film then Jinx knew she would have appeared beside him in a photograph in one of tomorrow’s newspapers—prob-ably with a speculative comment about who this latest mystery woman was in his life. After that, it would only be a matter of time…!

‘Come on,’ he urged as the lift doors opened.

Jinx followed him out of the lift, only to come to an abrupt halt as she saw they were on one of the upper floors. A floor containing bedrooms, she realized as a maid came out from cleaning one of them.

‘Could you see that this is taken down to Reception and returned to its owner?’ Nik handed the camera over to the rather surprised maid. ‘You can’t miss him—he’s the one who looks as if he just found a cent but lost a dollar,’ he added with grim satisfaction before turning back to Jinx.

A Jinx who stared back at him accusingly. This was all his fault—

‘This isn’t my fault, Jinx.’ His words harshly echoed what she was thinking.

Her eyes widened. ‘Then whose fault is it? Mine?’ she asked scornfully. ‘Reporters and their photographers don’t usually follow me around, I can assure you—’

‘They would if they knew you were J. I. Watson!’ he assured her scathingly before turning to open the door across the corridor, standing back to allow her to enter first.

Jinx hung back reluctantly. Did she really want to compound this situation by going into a hotel bedroom with Nik Prince—?

‘Jinx, it’s my guess it isn’t going to be safe for you to leave here for some time yet,’ Nik informed her dryly as he saw her obvious reluctance. ‘In fact, I may have to have some help in creating a diversion.’

‘I beg your pardon?’ Jinx queried as she marched past him.

Into what turned out not to be the bedroom she had been expecting, but a sitting-room obviously attached to a bedroom. Of course; she should have known that a man like Nik Prince would have a suite, not just a bedroom!

‘Don’t worry about it, Jinx,’ Nik reassured her as he strode across the room to pick up the telephone receiver. ‘I’ll sort this out in just—’

‘Don’t worry about it?’ she repeated with suppressed violence as she threw her shoulder bag down onto one of the sofas. ‘You’ll sort it out? It’s because of you that I’m in this mess in the first place!’ She glared across the room at him, eyes gleaming deeply blue, her cheeks flushed. ‘Did you organize for that reporter to be there? Is this some trick to force me into giving you the film rights to No Ordinary Boy?’

‘Of course not,’ Nik rasped.

‘I don’t believe you!’ Jinx dissolved into floods of tears, her face buried in her hands.

As if by doing so she could shut out Nik Prince altogether, could fool herself into believing none of this were really happening!

‘Jinx, it was me the reporter spoke to, not you,’ he reminded her. ‘It was me she was after, not you.’

‘Are you sure?’ She so much needed to believe him!

His expression softened, and he murmured her name as he took her into his arms. Arms that felt strong and protective as they completely enveloped her, and Jinx reacted instinctively as she clung to him like a rock in a storm. A storm that seemed to be gaining momentum and force with each passing second.

‘Jinx…!’ This time her name was a husky groan, one of Nik’s arms tightening about the slenderness of her waist, the other hand moving to cup her chin as he raised her face to his, his eyes looking deeply into hers as he slowly lowered his head.

There was only time for the briefest moment of doubt, before she gave herself up to the seductive claim of his mouth on hers.

Emotions swirled and grew as she kissed him back with all the pent-up feelings inside her, her lips parting beneath the pressure of his, senses leaping as he began a slow exploration with the tip of his tongue, first along the edge of her bottom lip, then the moist softness within.

His arms tightened as Jinx tasted him with her own tongue, his thighs hard against hers now. Her blouse came loose from the waistband of her trousers as her arms moved up to curve about his neck, his hair soft and silky to the touch as her fingers caressed his sensitive nape.

His hands slipped under her blouse and felt warm against her bare skin as they moved to touch the arch of her back, moving featherlight across her ribcage before tenderly cupping both her breasts.

Jinx’s back arched when Nik’s mouth left hers to travel the length of her neck, lingering in the hollows at its base, nibbling erotically on her ear lobes, before licking the sensitive skin below.

His chest was covered in fine dark hairs, Jinx’s fingers making their way beneath Nik’s shirt and lacing into their silkiness, easily finding the sensitive nubs nestled there. Nik’s sharply indrawn groan of breath was evidence of his own pleasure at her searching touch.

Nik unbuttoned and then pushed aside her silky blouse, his mouth moist against the upper curve of her breasts, his hands still cupping, caressing, unerringly finding the fiery tips as he bent to suckle through the lacy material of her bra that was all that separated him from her nakedness.

Heat. Consuming her. The warmth between her thighs was the hottest moist heat imaginable, dragging at her lower limbs with sweet demand, her hands moving to cling to the broad width of his shoulders as she felt weak with need. A need she knew Nik could satisfy, assuage, as no other man could.

His eyes were smoky grey as he raised his head to look at her searchingly. ‘Is this what you want, Jinx?’ His voice was husky with his own arousal. ‘I hope it is—because I want you very much!’ His lips once again sought hers, his kiss lingering, seeking, persuading.

There was no doubting what Nik was asking. No doubting that he wanted her. Or that she wanted him.

But…

It would be so easy to dismiss that but, to forget it, if only briefly, and yet…

But. And yet.

Both expressions of doubt. A doubt that was growing stronger the longer Nik looked at her so compellingly as he waited for her answer.

Entering into a relationship, any relationship, with Nik Prince would be a mistake, Jinx finally accepted painfully, every inch of her protesting as she forced herself to move out of his arms, to turn away to rebutton her blouse with shaking hands.

That task finally completed, she was almost afraid to turn back and look at Nik. She knew that he hadn’t moved, could feel the heat of his gaze on her back.

She deliberately walked away from him to stand in front of the window looking down into the busy street below, her back stiffening slightly as she finally heard him move.

But it was only to once again pick up the telephone receiver as he punched out the number with suppressed violence.

Really meant for her? Probably, she accepted huskily. What must a man like Nik think of her, a twenty-eight-year-old woman, too afraid of the physical intimacy they had both craved such a short time ago, because she feared the emotional intimacy that would follow?

‘Zak?’ he barked into the receiver as his call was obviously answered.

Zak…? His brother, Zak Prince? The legendary golden film star everyone—but especially women!—raved about?

What on earth was the point of Nik telephoning him now, of all times?

‘No, I think you have the wrong number,’ a distracted voice sounded down the earpiece of the phone.

‘Very funny, Zak,’ Nik snapped in answer to his younger brother’s witty reply, all the time his gaze fixed on Jinx as she stood so aloofly remote in front of the window, the sunshine giving her hair the appearance of living flame. ‘Are you in the hotel?’ he demanded impatiently of Zak, knowing he was unfairly taking out his foul temper on his brother, but too angry with himself—and Jinx—at that moment to do anything else.

‘Uh-oh,’ Zak murmured knowingly, obviously giving Nik all of his attention now. ‘What—or should I say who?—has upset you, big brother?’

‘I’ll tell you later,’ Nik dismissed—knowing he wouldn’t tell Zak any such thing. The fact that he was frustrated as hell, first by Jinx’s accusations, and then by her shying off just now, was not something he intended discussing with his little brother. For one thing, it was simply too personal, and for another—Zak probably wouldn’t stop laughing for a week at the idea of his big brother being turned down in that way! ‘What I need right now is for you to find a beautiful woman—’

‘No problem,’ Zak assured him. ‘Why do you think I’m still in the hotel?’ he added mockingly.

Nik would just bet it wasn’t a problem for his brother to find a beautiful woman; at thirty-six Zak went through women like other men went through socks! ‘Is she single?’ he prompted cautiously.

‘Of course,’ Zak came back slightly indignantly. ‘That only happened the once, Nik—and only then because she forgot to mention she was a married woman.’

‘Okay,’ Nik conceded. ‘In that case, I would like the two of you to go down to Reception, making sure you’re seen. There’s a reporter and photographer waiting down in Reception. I want you to distract them long enough for me to get the hell out of here!’ he explained impatiently as Zak would have interrupted.

‘Hmm,’ Zak mused. ‘And can I ask who’s going to be leaving with you?’

‘No,’ Nik snapped.

‘And you asked me if I’m with a married woman—’

‘Zak!’ he warned.

‘Okay, okay, give me ten minutes. I’ll call you as I’m about to go down. If it rings three times and then stops, that means it’s me—’

‘Zak, you aren’t supposed to be enjoying this!’ Nik growled, knowing his brother was doing exactly that—and that he would want some sort of explanation later on today!

‘Just give me ten minutes,’ Zak told him goodnaturedly.

It was probably going to be the longest ten minutes of his life, Nik realized as he slowly put down his receiver, Jinx still turned away from him. Although she couldn’t have helped but overhear his half of the telephone conversation, at least.

Not that it would have been much help, he acknowledged ruefully; he wasn’t especially known for explaining himself to people, even less so when all he really wanted to do was pull Jinx back into his arms, take her to his bed, and keep her there for a week!

He tensed as she finally turned around, a shutter coming down over his emotions as he took in the paleness of her face, her eyes seeming like huge blue lakes in that paleness. Damn it, she looked like an injured butterfly, all elusive fragility.

‘That was very kind of you.’ She spoke huskily, her gaze not quite meeting his.

His mouth twisted. ‘I’ve never thought of myself as particularly unkind.’

‘I didn’t mean—never mind.’ The hand she had raised in protest dropped back down to entwine awkwardly with the other one, her expression guarded beneath dark lashes. ‘I’m sorry about just now—’

‘About what?’ Nik tried to sound unconcerned. Damn it, it was bad enough that just one word of encouragement from her and he would be back in her arms, without having her apologize for turning him down!

‘It’s a woman’s prerogative to change her mind, isn’t it?’ he drawled.

‘I was referring to my accusations concerning the reporter, not—’ She broke off, sudden warmth colouring her cheeks. ‘Never mind,’ she mumbled.

No, never mind. The fact that every time he met this woman he was left a frustrated mess was his problem, not hers. It was just that she seemed to get under his skin…

If it weren’t for the fact she was J. I. Watson, then he would get the hell away from her—and stay away.

Which, from how she was looking at him, was obviously exactly what she was thinking too!

‘Um.’ She swallowed hard, almost squirming with discomfort. ‘Do you think your brother will be long?’

Of course, she hadn’t heard that part of the conversation. ‘Ten minutes should do it. Seven now,’ he added after a brief glance at his wrist-watch. ‘Can I get you a drink while we’re waiting?’ he offered almost desperately; this was obviously turning out to be the longest ten minutes of his life!

Her tongue moved to moisten her lips, Nik’s pulse leaping along with it, although he was pretty sure that Jinx had no idea how provocative the gesture was. There was no way she would have done it if she had!

‘A cola, or some other soft drink?’ he elaborated as her frown deepened. ‘Don’t worry, Jinx,’ he added scathingly, moving to show her the mini-bar that stood in the corner of the sitting-room, stocked with drinks, nuts and chocolate. ‘I have no intention of trying to get you drunk in the middle of the day in order to have my wicked way with you!’

‘No,’ she confirmed flatly—giving him no idea what she thought of that particular suggestion! ‘Does that happen a lot? The thing with the reporter and photographer,’ she explained quickly, once again not meeting his gaze.

Just in case he should misunderstand and assume she meant her having turned him down flat!

He grimaced. ‘All the time.’ He shrugged. ‘We all came over a couple of weeks ago for our nephew’s christening,’ he explained at her questioning look. ‘And we’ve all been avoiding the media ever since,’ he added dryly, ‘but my little brother Zak, who’s still in town because he’s discussing his next film with the director, makes much more interesting reading than I do. Talk of the devil,’ he said as the telephone began to ring.

Three times before ringing off. As promised.

He really should have a word with his little brother about his knowledge of such subterfuge…

‘Right, let’s get out of here!’ Nik closed the mini-bar, striding over to open the door. ‘Jinx?’ he prompted as she didn’t move; in fact, she seemed rooted to the spot.

She looked at him guardedly. ‘You’re sure this is going to work?’

No, he wasn’t sure this was going to work! Oh, he had no doubts that Zak and his companion would prove a suitable diversion; that wasn’t the problem at all. The problem was that he had really annoyed that photographer earlier by taking his camera, and members of the press, once annoyed, tended to stay that way. He also didn’t underestimate the intelligence of the reporter or the photographer; Zak arriving downstairs in this way could seem just a little too convenient to one or both of them…

‘I’m sure,’ he said with more hope than certainty, although there was no way that the reporter could know that Jinx was J. I. Watson. ‘Now, once we get downstairs, walk straight through the reception area, don’t look left or right, just keep on walking, and then once we’re outside we’ll get into a taxi and—what?’ he rasped as she slowly shook her head, her expression unmistakably sceptical now, the look in her eyes derisive.

‘You’ve done this before, haven’t you?’ she said knowingly.

‘Avoided reporters?’ He frowned. ‘All the time—’

‘No, not that,’ Jinx said slowly, no longer looking either apprehensive or remote; in fact, it was difficult to tell how she looked at this moment! ‘The telephone call to your brother. The easy way he agreed to help out. The fact that you have some sort of message to let you know he was on his way downstairs.’ She indicated the nowsilent telephone. ‘Nik, just how often have you had to sneak a woman out of your hotel room?’

Now he could tell exactly how she looked—disgusted best described it.

And he wasn’t sure whether that emotion was directed at herself or him!

CHAPTER SIX

WHAT a fool she had been!

It was so easy to forget, when Nik held her in his arms, when he kissed her, when he made love to her, exactly what sort of man he was. But the smoothness with which he had dealt with that reporter and photographer earlier, as well as now—with his brother’s help, of course!—had very quickly reminded her. Thank goodness!

‘Jinx—’

‘You have so many things worked out, don’t you, Nik?’ she scorned. ‘The way that you engineered that meeting at Susan and Leo’s last weekend, for example. Just how did you know I was going to be there, Nik?’ She could tell by the impatient discomfort in his expression that he would rather she hadn’t asked that particular question.

‘Jinx, you’re wasting valuable time—’

‘It’s my time to waste.’ She shrugged.

‘And mine—’

‘I don’t give a damn about your time, Nik—and I’m not leaving here until you answer my question!’ Her eyes flashed deeply blue.

He glared at her frustratedly. ‘You have to choose now to ask me that particular question?’

‘Yes!’

He sighed. ‘You’re not going to like the answer.’

‘I didn’t think for a moment that I would,’ she assured him scathingly. ‘I can reason that you were able to write directly to me to organize this morning’s meeting, because you discovered the PO box that was used for corresponding with Stephens Publishing—although I have yet to find out who your source was,’ she added coldly, deciding it was past time she had words with the publisher. ‘But it doesn’t follow that that would tell you I would be at Susan and Leo’s the weekend before last—Wait a minute! You had me followed from the post office earlier that week when I had lunch with Susan, didn’t you?’ she realized slowly as Nik looked decidedly uncomfortable now. ‘Which means, to know about her anniversary party on Saturday, you must also have had Susan checked out…’

There was no other way he could possibly have found out what her own plans were for that weekend. She had realized his being there at all was too much of a coincidence, but she certainly hadn’t realized the lengths to which he had gone—!

‘Didn’t you?’ she breathed incredulously.

‘Jinx—’

‘You did.’ She nodded furiously. ‘And my name is Juliet. Or Dr Nixon, if you prefer. Never Jinx as far as you are concerned,’ she bit out, grabbing her bag from where she had placed it earlier and walking determinedly to the door. She paused there, turning to glare at him. ‘If you—or anyone employed by you,’ she added scornfully, ‘attempt to come near me again, then that harassment charge I threatened you with last week will become a reality!’

She was so angry that at that moment she could cheerfully have hit him—and felt all the better for it. She simply couldn’t believe that anyone could behave in such an underhand way. Or that she could have allowed herself to kiss, and be kissed, by such a man.

He shook his head. ‘You’re being totally unreasonable—’

‘I’m being unreasonable?’ she hissed. ‘Your own behaviour borders on obsessional. Hit a raw nerve, did I?’ she spat out as he seemed to pale slightly.

Good, came her inner—childish?—response. But it was about time he knew what it felt like to be on the receiving end for a change. She felt as if she had only just been managing to keep half a step in front of him for the last week and a half—it seemed only fair that she had now decided to turn and challenge him!

What was the old saying—‘attack is the best form of defence’…?

Well, where Nik Prince was concerned, attack was the only defence left to her.

‘Not at all,’ he dismissed stiffly. ‘As I pointed out to you last week, such a course of action would only bring about exactly what you’re hoping to avoid. Publicity,’ he reminded at her questioning look.

Her eyes widened. ‘Are you threatening me?’

‘Believe it or not, no. No,’ he repeated firmly as she continued to look at him sceptically. ‘But even if that reporter earlier had no idea who you are, I’ve made no secret of the fact that I’m looking for J. I. Watson. And if I could find you, then so can someone else.’

Oh, he was unquestionably right about that. Except they weren’t talking about ‘someone else’ at the moment, they were talking about him!

‘Let’s concentrate on you for the moment, shall we?’ Her voice was saccharine-sweet. ‘Because if you force me into making this into a legal matter, then I can assure you I will never give you the film rights to No Ordinary Boy. In fact,’ she added as he would have spoken, ‘I’ll find out who your biggest rival is and give them to him!’

Nik’s gaze narrowed as he looked at her for several long minutes. ‘You really would do that, wouldn’t you?’ he finally said.

At this moment? Angry with herself. Angry with him. Oh, yes, right now she was more than capable of doing something like that.

Tomorrow might be something else entirely…

Although she had no intention of letting the arrogant Nik Prince see that. ‘If I’m forced to.’ She nodded abruptly.

He drew in a harsh breath. ‘Fine. Let’s get you out of here, then, shall we? And then—’

‘I’m more than capable of getting myself out of here,’ she assured him. ‘After all, as you’ve already pointed out, it’s you the press are after, not me!’

Although just how long that would last was anybody’s guess. Which meant she had some very serious decisions to make during the next couple of days. Decisions she was no nearer making now than she had been a year ago…

‘It’s only a matter of time, Ji—Juliet,’ Nik corrected pointedly as his words echoed her thoughts. ‘It was bad enough the first time around, but the mad clamour to find J. I. Watson will start all over again, more intensely, once the second “Ordinary Boy” book is published…’

‘What do you know about the second “Boy” book?’ she cut in sharply, every inch of her tensing warily as that icy grey gaze suddenly eluded hers.

Nik made an impatient movement. ‘Well, of course there will be a second book—’ ‘There’s no “of course” about it,’ she said slowly, becoming more sure by the minute that he knew she had already submitted the second manuscript. Just as she was sure that only someone at Stephens Publishing could have told him that…

‘Oh, for—’ Nik broke off his angry exclamation as the telephone began to ring.

Three times. Just as before. And then ringing off. Just as before.

‘Your brother seems to be becoming a little—anxious, at the delay,’ Jinx said derisively. ‘I suggest you go down and alleviate that anxiety for him.’

‘And you?’ Nik frowned. ‘Where are you going?’

‘I don’t believe that is any of your business! But I actually intend going out exactly the way I came in—straight out the front door! You’re the one they want a story on, Nik—not me. And as far as I’m concerned, they can have you!’ she declared before letting herself out of the suite and heading for the lift.

She certainly wasn’t going to be part of Nik’s story. Either now or in the future. Although she had come very close to becoming exactly that, Jinx realized heavily as the lift descended. She had been so close—too close!—to giving in to the desire he had aroused in her, to just forgetting everything else.