Sultry Nights: Mistress to the Merciless Millionaire / The Savakis Mistress / Ruthless Tycoon, Inexperienced Mistress. Annie West

her any opportunity to use Rosie as some kind of pawn in an effort to get more money. Which was exactly what she did as soon as she realised that I knew. But thankfully by then Rosie was mine, and Stella knows well that taking on a small child would disrupt her hedonistic lifestyle, so she’s never contested.’

      Kate could see that, despite finding out Rosie wasn’t his daughter, in every sense she obviously meant as much to him, if not more, than if she had been biologically his. It made her feel an ache inside. This wasn’t the Tiarnan she was used to—calculating and ruthless and a little intimidating. This Tiarnan was far more human.

      ‘I only allow Rosie to see Stella because she wishes it. Invariably she returns upset every time, but no matter what happens she always wants to go back.’ Tiarnan shook his head incredulously, clearly not understanding the apparently masochistic instinct of his ten-year-old daughter. ‘Over a year ago I went to Buenos Aires to pick Rosie up from a visit. She overheard Stella and I arguing … she heard every word … unfortunately it was all about the adoption. At first Rosie refused to come home with me, but when Stella told her in no uncertain terms that she wasn’t welcome to stay with her any longer, she had no choice …’

      Horror coursed through Kate that a mother could be so cruel. She put a hand to her mouth. ‘Oh that poor, poor child.’

      Tiarnan looked grim. ‘And yet Rosie still goes back. Still wants to see Stella even though she’s been so unutterably cruel.’

      Kate shook her head. She could feel Rosie’s pain acutely. In some ways it was similar to what she’d endured with her own mother for years.

      Tiarnan looked bleak again. ‘I haven’t even told Sorcha yet because I don’t want to rake up her own painful memories.’

      Kate knew what Tiarnan was referring to. When Sorcha and Tiarnan’s father had died, Sorcha had found out that she’d actually been born to the mistress of her father—his secretary. She’d died in childbirth, and Tiarnan’s Spanish mother had taken Sorcha in as her own. But they’d never really got on, and finding out the truth had sent Sorcha into dark turmoil which could have resulted in a tragedy but thankfully hadn’t. Unfortunately Sorcha and Tiarnan’s mother had had an even more estranged relationship ever since.

      Tiarnan’s voice cut through Kate’s memories. ‘Rosie is punishing me for this …’

      Kate looked at him and answered instinctively. ‘Because she can. She knows deep down that you love her, so she’s lashing out at you when she really wants to lash out at her mother, for rejecting her. She just wants her mother to love her … that’s all.’

      Tiarnan’s mouth thinned. ‘I hope you’re right. I could cope with anything if I knew that for sure. It’s been a tough year.’

      Looking into Kate’s eyes, Tiarnan had a sudden sense of being out of control. He’d only ever revealed the truth of his marriage to one or two people, and that had been out of pure necessity. His own sister didn’t even know about Rosie. And yet here he was, blithely spilling his secrets to a woman whose presence in his life was solely down to the desire he felt for her.

      As if to drive away his disturbing thoughts, and an unwelcome feeling of vulnerability, he reached over and with effortless strength pulled Kate from her seat.

      She landed on his lap, off balance, her hands against his chest. Breathless, she said, ‘Tiarnan, stop—we can’t … not here. What if Rosie—?’

      ‘Rosie could sleep through a bomb going off.’ He quirked a sad smile. ‘I used to think that she got that from me …’

      An unbidden wave of tenderness and compassion came over Kate, taking her by surprise. ‘Well maybe she did in another way. Biological ties can be highly overrated, you know.’

      A dark brow arched. ‘You sound like you speak from experience. Anything you’d like to share? What skeletons are in your closet, Kate?’

      She shook her head and ignored the dart of pain that struck her. Her skeletons were dull and boring. She thought of her stressed-out, harassed father and her vacuous, narcissistic mother. Kate hadn’t seen her flighty mother, currently on rich husband number four, for nearly a year—and that wasn’t unusual. She didn’t want to allow that old familiar pain to rise now. It would make her think of her yearning to create a solid, loving family base. She couldn’t think of that here and now, feeling so raw after what Tiarnan had just shared.

      Kate became very aware of being cradled in Tiarnan’s lap. And very aware of a shockingly hard piece of his anatomy. When he tugged on her hair to pull her face closer she was powerless to resist. She felt as if a layer of skin had been stripped away, leaving her even more vulnerable to him. She touched her open mouth to his, breaths intermingling and weaving together. Their tongue-tips met, retreated. Breathing and heart-rates increased. Kate could feel his other hand drag her body even closer, and in an instant the kiss had changed from tentative and exploratory to full-on passion, mouths fused, tongues dancing an erotic dance.

      After long, heady seconds Kate could feel the whirlpool of pleasure threatening to suck her down. Tiarnan pulled back, his chest still hard against hers. She made a sound of frustration when he broke away. She felt flushed, dizzy, breathless.

      Smoky blue eyes glittered up into hers. ‘You’re probably right. Now is not the time …’

      Sanity returned, and Kate pushed herself away from his chest with trembling hands. ‘No, it’s not.’

      She stood up unsteadily and wobbled back to her own seat, snapping her belt shut across her lap, as if it might afford her some protection from the man she would have allowed to make love to her sitting right there in the seat if not for the fact that he’d stopped. In that moment she knew she had to protect herself—had to make Tiarnan see that this affair was on her terms and had limits.

      She took a deep breath and looked at him, forcing herself not to notice the way his flushed cheeks, tousled hair, the almost feral glitter in his eyes that connected to something deep inside her with visceral intensity.

      ‘Tiarnan, look—’

      ‘That sounds ominous.’

      Kate cursed him. ‘We need to talk about … this.’ She cast a quick look back to the closed cabin door, even though there was no way anyone could hear their softly spoken words. ‘This has to end when we return home.’

      His eyes flashed. Kate knew he probably wasn’t used to his lovers dictating terms. Well, tough. This was the only way she knew would be able to get through this. This would be her great indulgence. She knew better than anybody after those revelations that Tiarnan was not the marrying or settling down kind. Once these ten days were over she would be getting on with the rest of her life. No matter how hard. She had to. She couldn’t contemplate another moment of this lingering pain.

      She forged on. ‘I mean it, Tiarnan. I don’t want to add to Rosie’s woes by causing her more turmoil.’

      Tiarnan’s whole body bristled at that. ‘Neither do I, Kate. I wouldn’t have asked you here in a heartbeat if I thought it might result in upsetting Rosie. She wants you here too, and she won’t see anything to upset her. If she’d expressed the slightest doubt about you coming I wouldn’t have asked you.’

      Kate immediately felt chagrined. ‘Of course not. I know you wouldn’t do anything—But I’d just be afraid of her seeing … something.’ How could she not, Kate wailed inwardly, when all she had to do was look at Tiarnan and feel herself going up in flames …

      Tiarnan finally looked away, after a long, intense moment, and seemed to spot something out of Kate’s window. He came out of his seat to lean over her. Kate squirmed backwards, terrified he’d feel the peaking of her nipples against his arm, the evidence of how easily he could turn her on.

      He pointed at something. ‘Look—there it is.’

      Kate looked down and, sure enough, an idyllic-looking island of forested green rose out of the unbelievably azure water around it. Mountain-tops and peaks