Nothing But Trouble
Chapter 7

Brent saved his breath, knowing if he called out it would fall on deaf ears. He could hear Sophie’s frantic gasps as she turned the locks one by one, deciding to pick up speed before she escaped into the

hallway.

Tom was supposed to check the apartment out and make sure all the necessary steps were taken to prevent something like this from happening. He caught up to her just as she turned the door-knob and opened the door, slamming it shut again just as fast. She spun around with a muffled cry of alarm.

Brent leaned in close, sucking in a harsh breath. “You lied to me, lady,” he accused. Whether her hands fell to his bare chest automatically or on purpose he wasn’t taking any chances. Knowing what those lethal nails were capable of, he pulled her hands down to her sides, holding them firmly against the door.

“I promised I wouldn’t make any noise,” she defended herself in a breathless little voice. “And I don’t lie.”

“Purposely omitting the truth is the same thing,” he grated with irritation. She made a half-hearted effort to break away and Brent let his body relax fully against her, ignoring her sharp gasp of protest.

“Just where did you think you were going?”

“For a walk,” she said without missing a beat. “Sometimes it helps me sleep.”

Even in the gloom Brent could make out the defiant glitter in her eyes. “Cute,” he said with disgust, trying not to notice how soft she was, or how sweet she smelled. “You get an A for being resourceful.” He yawned loudly, giving his head a rough shake to clear the cobwebs.

“Get off me!” she snapped, not bothering to keep her voice down. “You won’t get a penny from my father or Jonathan if you, if you touch me.”

Her unexpected remark caught Brent by surprise. “Somehow I doubt that.” There was a trace of laughter in his voice. “But if it was a stipulation, it just might be worth the forfeit of all those millions.”

What the devil am I saying? Her nearness was affecting him and he took a step back.

Tom finally entered the room in a clumsy stumble, drawing to a halt when he saw them at the front door. His sigh of relief was unmistakable. “I’m sorry, Brent, it didn’t occur to me to check the connecting bathroom door.”

Brent didn’t budge, never taking his eyes off Sophie. “Forget it, Tom, go back to bed. I have the situation under control.” His stare captured and held the vulnerability he saw reflected in Sophie’s eyes.

He made an attempt to read what he saw but he’d never been any good at figuring women out.

“You know, I get the impression you’re not the defenseless little senator’s daughter you’d like everyone to believe. She would never have attempted to escape while two men were holding her captive.”

“Then you’re wrong,” Sophie replied, injecting strength into her tone as though to prove her point. “What person in their right mind wouldn’t try to get away if they were being held against their will?”

She strained against his hands as though testing his strength, arching her body slightly, but that was a mistake when all it did was bring her into bodily contact with him.

She stilled instantly. “Will you please let me go back to my room?”

“You brought this on yourself, princess. All I’m doing is keeping you from leaving this apartment.”

Struggling against a man wearing only boxer shorts, and snug ones at that, wasn’t a very good idea.

Didn’t she have any inkling what she was doing? Brent clenched his teeth against the telltale signs of

arousal racing through his b***d. She was about to replace out real soon. The fact he suspected she didn’t have anything on under his shirt wasn’t helping matters.

“Stop that,” he ordered when she slammed her h**s into his again, chipping away at his control. The next time she did it he sucked in an audible breath, becoming angry at her inability to realize what

she was provoking. He thrust his h**s right back at her.

Well, he’d warned her.

His senses were suddenly wired, turning him harder than stone. Unbidden thoughts of reaching beneath the hem of his shirt and trailing his fingers along the soft skin of her inner thighs clouded his judgment, making him dizzy. He tried to tell himself it was because he was exhausted and needed sleep. He closed his eyes, groaning inwardly, refusing to give in to the hunger of his body. It wouldn’t take much to have her naked and beneath him.

Her helpless whimper penetrated the fog surrounding his head. With a low, frustrated noise he pulled her away from the door, squashing down the l**t riding him. Nothing could happen between them. Yet he couldn’t help wondering what it was about her that made him forget his resolutions about not trusting women. Given a little time, he could probably figure it out, only he was too tired to think about it right now. He pulled her behind him.

“What are you going to do?”

“Something I should have done in the first place,” he grumbled, ignoring the underlining fear he detected in her soft tone. She should have thought about the consequences before breaking her promise. He dragged her through the darkened living room. With a deft flick of his wrist he unlocked her bedroom door, jerking her inside and slamming it behind them.

“No!” When it became clear they were heading straight for the bed she pulled back.

“Yes!” Brent hadn’t had as much as a cat nap in the last thirty hours and he was going to get a good night’s sleep if it killed him, or her! “I’m going to do whatever it takes to keep you in this bed long enough for me to get some shuteye,” he snapped, tossing her on it.

As she bounced upon the bed she reached for the hem of her shirt where it rode up high, but not before Brent got a glimpse of her incredibly long and sexy legs. He thought he saw a flash of black silk before she was able to yank the shirt down, answering his earlier thoughts about whether or not she was wearing anything under her gown.

The soft glow of the bedside lamp filtering through the room cast a sensual warmth that provided just the right mood for lovers, if they’d been lovers. Brent ignored it, turning to the nightstand next to the bed.

If memory served him correctly, he’d placed a pair of handcuffs there for an emergency. As far as he was concerned this definitely qualified. He rummaged around until he found what he was looking for, holding them up with a wicked grin.

“You can’t be serious!” Sophie gasped, her eyes growing round. “I haven’t broken my promise to be quiet!”

His chuckle held little humor. “You can’t be trusted. These are to ensure you keep the other half of your promise, to behave,” he shot back, reaching for her wrist and clamping one end of the cuffs

around it before she could pull free.

She quickly rolled away from him, forgetting he still had the other end of the cuffs. Instead of forcing her back, Brent kneeled on the bed, yanking her wrist up with the cuff around it, fully intending to secure her to the bedpost. He hesitated, his eyes staring with total disbelief before swearing a blue streak a mile long. There was no headboard. Of all the rotten luck.

He looked at Sophie, narrowing his gaze at the ill-placed humor brimming in her eyes. Her expression clearly told him she’d guessed what he’d been about to do. For a moment he forgot about everything except her beautiful face, spellbound like some gawky teenager getting his first look at a woman’s breasts.

The look in her lovely blue eyes asked him what he thought he was going to do next, so he

calmly took the empty handcuff and clamped it around his own wrist, which promptly wiped the smug look off her face.

“You can’t do that,” she said when she was finally able to close her mouth again. Her eyes looked positively wild, the color on her cheeks deepening.

“I just did,” he responded calmly.

“But…”

“Listen, princess, you’re safe tonight. I’m too damn tired to try anything.” Before she could stop him Brent made himself comfortable on the bed next to her. He forced her down beside him with a not-so-gentle tug, fluffing the pillow under his head and releasing a deep sigh of satisfaction. “Get some sleep; tomorrow will be here before you know it.” He closed his eyes, hoping that was the end of further

talk.

It was going to be hell lying next to her all night but it was a temporary solution to having to worry about her escaping. Tomorrow he’d figure out something different but right now all Brent wanted was

some sleep.

Sophie mumbled something under her breath. “What was that?” In spite of being fatigued the humor was evident in his tone. “Did you say something about a goodnight k**s?”

She became rigid with indignation. “No,” she bit out between her teeth.

Brent hoped the silence that followed meant she’d accepted her situation. She moved against him as though seeking a more comfortable position. If he thought he was going to get any sleep with her

lying next to him all night he was crazy. He already felt the heat from their close proximity, and thanked God for the cool air of the fan overhead.

In the end it wasn’t enough. As Brent resigned himself to being hot Sophie moved again, and again. What the hell was she doing? She tried to inch away from him, but their handcuffed wrists prevented

her from getting very far. Once she made an attempt to roll on her side, and then gave up with a low g***n. Brent grinned.

She stilled for a second. He opened one eye to peer at her, just as she reached up and began fluffing her shirt, which gave him a view of the curve of her lovely breasts.

“Will you be still?” he grumbled, more annoyed because of the desire he felt uncoiling inside his gut.

“I’m hot!” she whispered, defending herself.

“Well, if you’d stop wiggling you’d cool down. I’m hot too.” Inside and out.

“I’m trying to get comfortable.” She began squirming again.

Brent released a snort as she continued to twist and turn. Her fingertips inadvertently brushed against his naked thigh, sending fire straight to his loins. He tried to pretend it didn’t happen, but that was like trying to imagine she wasn’t a desirable woman. What he couldn’t ignore was her h*p brushing against his arousal.

“Damn it!” he barked, losing control.

“I’m use to sleeping on my side,” she explained with annoyance.

With a deep sigh of aggravation, Brent rolled to his side, turning Sophie with him so that when they were finally settled she was in the scooped-out hollow provided by his body. He put his arm around her because there was no place else to put it. She gasped at his audacity, and tried to scoot away. Only he yanked her back just as easily. “Now go to sleep!” he snarled against her ear.

She gasped and grew as stiff as a board against him. Brent could just imagine what was going through her mind. Then he was questioning his own sanity. His arousal was nestled against her soft but-tocks; their bare legs were touching from thigh to ankle. His arm was beneath her breasts and his nose was buried against her fragrant hair. Everything at that moment became intensified. He willed his body under control.

Not until her soft, steady breathing indicated that she’d fallen asleep was Brent able to finally relax and give into his own exhaustion. He was still hotter than ever, but at least she wasn’t squirming any-

more. With a sigh of relief he closed his eyes and sank into a welcome slumber.