Her hand slid down his arm before trailing away. “I’m sorry for making this awkward.” She took a step back. She pulled the corner of her full lower lip between her teeth and glanced down.
That damn move. Why did she have to do that? The sight of her biting her lower lip, the sweet but sexy look in her eye, the softness of her voice. That shit got him every time.
Russell put down his coffee, took a step forward, and placed his hand on her waist. The movement was automatic. Something he’d done so many times when they’d dated. He realized he’d reacted to her two seconds before he also realized he shouldn’t have made a move.
Her lashes lifted. Her eyes filled with wary hope. “Did I...make it awkward?”
There was a glint in her eye. She hadn’t tried to bait him before, but his response was just enough to awaken her instincts. She knew how to pull him. Frustration warred with his desire. Frustration that an ounce of vulnerability on her part could get him to react so easily. His hand tightened on her waist. “You know exactly what you’re doing.”
Ashiya pressed forward. Her breasts brushed his chest. “What am I doing?”
“Ashiya,” he said in a low, warning voice. Step back. Let her go. His brain screamed common sense at him. His body ignored all good sense.
Her hand slid up his arm and clutched his shoulder. Her soft breasts pressed further into his chest. “Russell?”
Let her go. Let her go. Right now! Step away before you do something stupid!
His grip on her waist loosened. Ashiya’s eyes widened, then narrowed. She lifted onto her toes and pressed her lips against his. Fuck, her lips were so luscious. Her taste, so sweet, decadent and familiar was like morphine in his veins. Dulling his senses and taking him to a state of euphoria he hadn’t felt in way too long. She let out a soft whimper. Desire surged hotter than the sun. Just like that, he was lost.
* * *
ASHIYA HADN’T MEANT to kiss him. Even though he’d retreated after the party, her plan was to be more subtle. to let him feel comfortable with her. But wasn’t there some saying about the best-laid plans not going the way they should? Because the moment he’d mentioned leaving, she’d realized her time was finite. If he went back to Jackson Falls, they’d be over. The idea of not having him this close, of losing his support again, made her feel as if she were falling.
Russell’s strong arm wrapped around her waist as he pulled her completely into his embrace. Ashiya relaxed and let Russell take over. His head slanted, and his tongue slid across her lower lip. Ashiya opened and let him deepen the kiss.
Russell’s hands roamed over her body. One glided down her back, over her hip, and cupped her ass in a demanding squeeze. His other arm wrapped around her upper back, where his hand pressed against her spine and pressed her hard against his body. He hugged her close while his lips and tongue made her light-headed with his kisses.
Ashiya wrapped her arms around his neck and held him tight. She couldn’t believe she was here in his arms again. She didn’t want to let him go. And with each sensual tug on her lips, need burned through her. Her nipples hardened into tight peaks; wetness pooled in the swelling folds of her sex. She’d always loved his kisses. The way he thoroughly kissed her was only a precursor to the way he savored other parts of her body. Memories of his mouth on her neck, breasts and clit drew a long, deep moan from her.
Russell’s body shivered. He broke away, and Ashiya whimpered, but he didn’t pull back. Instead he turned her until her back pressed against the wall. His hands gripped her ass and he trailed kissed across her cheek, over her ear, and down to her neck. When he bit, then sucked hard, she arched her back. The pleasure and pain she’d missed so much, both exquisite and raw.
She wrapped one leg around his. Her dress slid up her legs, and he jerked it the rest of the way up to gather around her waist. The thin material of her wet satin panties slid across the front of his slacks. His hips shifted forward. The heavy weight of his hard dick pressed into the heat of her clit. Pleasure exploded like stardust over her nerve endings. Ashiya gasped, and her head fell back.
Russell let out a deep, rumbling groan. “Mmm-hmm.”
His hips twisted again, this time more firmly against her sex. Ashiya shifted her hips to meet his. They moved in tandem. Him pressing forward into her, and her meeting each one of his thrusts. Pleasure built like steam in a cauldron. Ashiya had lost control. She chased the feeling, knew that she’d longed for this, dreamed of this for so long that she was close to exploding with pleasure. She didn’t care. Not when the person taking her over the edge was Russell.
“Russell... I...” she gasped as he thrust forward again.
He bit her neck. Just hard enough to make her breasts ache even more. “You what?” His voice was low, decadent, cocky. He knew how to make her his.
“Fuck, I need you,” she gasped. “Please, Russell.” She was begging and didn’t care. Not when her panties were soaked and she was on the brink of climaxing.
She reached for his belt buckle. He squeezed her breast with one hand, his thumb making quick circles across her hard nipple. His other hand wrapped around her wrist. She sucked in a breath. If he pushed her away, she might cry. He brushed her hand aside only to loosen his belt.
Yes! Thank God! This is really happening!
A sharp gasp came from the door followed by the sound of something loud hitting the floor. Ashiya and Russell froze. Both of their heads whipped around at the sound. Brianna watched them with wide eyes. A silver mug spilled coffee onto the floor. They all stood still and stared for several tense seconds before Brianna placed her hands over her eyes.
“Sorry! My bad! I didn’t mean to...intrude.” She spun on her heel and ran from the room.
Ashiya’s head fell back against the wall. Russell stared down into her eyes, his expression unreadable. She waited for the passion in his eyes to cool. For shock, frustration, or worse disgust, to cloud his gaze. Instead, he closed his eyes, took a long breath, and slowly pulled away from her. Ashiya longed to pull him back, but the moment was gone.
Russell cleared his throat and fastened his belt. His eyes didn’t meet hers. “Um... I’ll... I’ve got to get something before we go.” With those dismissive words, he turned and left the kitchen.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
THANK GOD FOR BRIANNA. During the car ride to the office, without her keeping up a nonstop discussion on the board’s agenda about their current status in the beauty care market, Ashiya wasn’t sure if she and Russell would have made it. The tension between them was thick as molasses and just as sticky.
She couldn’t believe he’d kissed her. Not just kissed her, but damn near ravished her. Yes, ravish felt like the right word.
If she couldn’t believe it, then she knew he had to be flabbergasted. He wouldn’t look at her and directed all his comments related to the company and upcoming board meeting directly to Brianna. As if she couldn’t already guess he regretted kissing her, the way he ignored her proved it.
Ashiya was immensely thankful for the board meeting. No matter how much the thought of being picked apart by the board members made her feel as if she were facing a firing squad, the idea of listening to Russell lay out all of the reasons kissing her was wrong would hurt worse than anything the board members could dish out.
They arrived at the Legacy Group offices, which were located in the main building of an office park in Bluffton instead of on the island. The company owned all four floors, and many of their subsidiaries were in spaces around the park. Russell opened the door for her and Brianna.
Brianna smiled and nodded. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” Russell replied with his own warm smile. His gaze darted to Ashiya. Then he quickly looked away.
Ashiya’s smile felt brittle and forced, but she kept it there. “Thanks.”
All she got in return was a stiff nod. Suppressing a sigh, Ashiya follo
wed Brianna into the spacious lobby. She’d come up with her counterarguments for all the reasons the kiss between her and Russell was wrong later. Right now, she had to ignore the unsatisfied ache between her legs, face the firing squad and convince them to spare her.
You’re the chairwoman, Ashiya! They can’t get rid of you. You run this.
She gave herself the mental reminder, squared her shoulders, and tried to emulate the cool confidence she’d seen so many times in her cousin Elaina.
Brianna led her and Russell to the front reception desk. A man in his early twenties had just hung up the phone. He smiled up at Brianna. Then his eyes widened, and he jumped up from his chair.
“Ms. Winters! You’re here,” he said, his voice cracking.
Brianna’s head tilted to the side. “I am. I’m giving the new chairwoman a tour of the offices before the nine-thirty board meeting.” Brianna motioned to Ashiya, who’d come up on her left. “This is Ashiya Waters. Ms. Waters, this is Anthony Sims.”
“Nice to meet you, Anthony.” Ashiya held out her hand.
Anthony swallowed hard before taking her hand in a weak shake. “Same here. Uh...” He quickly pulled his hand back and gave Brianna a worried look. “I was just about to call you. The board meeting was moved up an hour. The rest of the board just arrived and went up.”
Ashiya’s jaw dropped. “What?”
Brianna’s mouth pressed into a thin line. “Who moved the meeting?”
“Levi did, didn’t he,” Ashiya said, disappointed. She’d hoped that after she and her cousin agreed to work together at the party, he would stop being petty in other areas, too. Moving the board meeting was a direct move to make her look bad.
Anthony waved his hands and his head. “No. It wasn’t him. It was Brian Hill.”
Brianna closed her eyes and let out an annoyed breath. “Brian,” she said in a frustrated whisper.
Ashiya frowned and mentally went through the names of all the board members. Brian Hill was one of the longest-standing members of the board. He worked at one of the subsidiaries and had been an early investor in her grandmother’s company. From what she’d learned, he was one of the members most against her taking over the company.
“You know what,” Ashiya said with a confidence she didn’t feel. “We’ll just tour the offices later. Let’s go up and join the meeting.”
Brianna ran a hand over her hair and nodded. “You’re right. Let’s go.”
She turned in the direction of the elevators. Russell placed a hand on Ashiya’s arm right as she started to follow. His touch was like lighter fluid to the simmering embers of her desire. Maybe he felt it too, because he snatched his hand back quickly after.
“Brian may be trying to play a power move, but remember you still have the upper hand. You’re the chairwoman and majority stakeholder. What you say goes. No matter how much they may not like it. You’ve got this.”
The confidence and support in his gaze almost brought tears to her eyes. Her throat clogged up, and gratitude surged in her chest. She wanted to lift onto her toes and press a kiss to his lips again.
Nope. No time for that. Right now it was time to focus on the board meeting.
She nodded and straightened her shoulders. “I know, and I’m ready. Despite what they think about me, I know who I am. They’ve decided to mess with the wrong one today.”
Russell’s smile was like the sun in her sky. He nodded and placed a hand on the small of her back. She grinned with exhilaration and confidence as they followed Brianna to the elevator.
* * *
ASHIYA’S CONFIDENCE ONLY lasted through the introductions. Had she compared the board to a firing squad? That was her first mistake. They were much worse. Instead she seriously related to the monsters in the movies chased by villagers with torches and pitchforks. There were two or three moderately friendly faces, Levi being one of them, on the eleven-member board of directors, but the rest were like an angry mob. And Brian Hill was their leader.
“No disrespect, Ms. Waters, but you have to understand our discomfort,” Brian said in a tone that implied all disrespect.
Brian Hill was thirty years older than Ashiya, with a receding hairline and an untrustworthy gleam in his eye. He reminded her of a rat, and right now she was the item he wanted to chew apart.
“Despite your discomfort,” Ashiya returned in a calm voice that belied her inner quaking, “I want the same things as you and the rest of the board. I want the Legacy Group to succeed. My grandmother and her sisters worked hard to build what started as a small soap company into a major corporation with multiple beauty products in various markets. The last thing I want to happen is to watch that disappear.”
Brian sneered. “If you were so proud of your grandmother’s company, then you would have worked here from the start the way Levi did. I trust his judgment.”
“Which is why I’m keeping Levi on staff. I also trust my cousin’s judgment and his experience with Legacy. I’m not here to shake things up.”
“But you’re already talking about things you want to change.” Brian flicked the list of Ashiya’s suggestions. Some of the other board members grumbled and nodded.
“I’ve brought suggestions that I’d like the board to consider,” she said calmly. With every prick of his poisoned tongue, she wanted to yell back her frustration and tell him to go fuck himself. If lashing wasn’t exactly what he wanted her to do she’d go off. But, she was here to prove she could run the company, not buckle under pressure.
“That’s why I also brought in Russell Gilchrist as a consultant. He’s worked closely with my family’s company, Robidoux Holdings, and is very aware of the inner workings of a corporation larger than this. I’m not coming in blind or unprepared.”
Brian snorted. “I don’t care who you brought. It doesn’t change the fact that your grandmother decided to leave control of our futures with a thrift store owner. Just do us all a favor and go back to your little shop where you belong. We don’t want or need you here.”
Stay strong. Be the bigger person. Don’t let your feelings show.
Ashiya tried the internal pep talk to soothe the burn of his insult. The low murmurs of agreement from the other board members were like coarse salt in the wound. Why had she agreed to do this? Even if she could do the job, was she really cut out for this world? Maybe she did need to pack up her stuff and go.
“That’s enough, Brian,” Levi’s voice snapped through the room.
Brian jumped and blinked in Levi’s direction. Ashiya and Russell also froze before staring across the table.
“Levi,” Brian said with an incredulous laugh. “You know just as well as I—”
“I said that was enough,” Levi said. “Despite what you may think, I trust my Aunt Gloria’s judgment. I also believe in Ashiya’s abilities. I’ve looked at her proposals, and they aren’t bad. Besides, everyone here also knows you like to yell and intimidate but don’t contribute anything else. Keep your mouth shut and let Ashiya go over her proposals.”
Brian’s lips pressed into a thin line. Levi looked at Ashiya and nodded. Ashiya took a deep breath. She didn’t know why Levi stood up for her, but she was eternally grateful.
“Thank you, Levi,” she said. “If everyone will please turn to page three.”
For the next hour, Ashiya went over her suggestions on ways they could improve marketing and product positioning. There were more questions, many of them skeptical, but she was able to answer them all. In areas where she struggled, Russell backed her up with his experience. She wouldn’t say she’d won them all over, but by the end of the meeting, the board had at least put down their pitchforks and let the fire on their torches die out.
After the meeting, she, Levi, Brianna and Russell remained in the board room. Ashiya turned to her cousin. “Thank you for standing up for me earlier.”
Levi waved off her thanks as i
f the idea of receiving gratitude from her made him itch. “Brian deserved it.”
“But you’ve said the same thing.” She remembered that vividly.
Levi shrugged before sliding a hand into the pocket of his tailored gray suit pants. “I may have, but you’re family. If my mom and The Dragons have taught me anything, it’s that we can talk about family, but no one else is allowed to.”
There was a very similar saying on her Robidoux side. No matter how much they might fight each other, they would drop everything and fight whoever came for their family member. She wouldn’t say she and Levi were going to be close, but she had hope that their tenuous agreement to work together might be successful.
She crossed her arms and grinned at Levi. “So, I’m family now.”
Levi’s lips twisted in a disapproving frown. “Biologically we’re family. Don’t get sentimental about it.”
Ashiya didn’t care. She continued to grin. Brianna bumped Ashiya’s elbow. “I told you he wasn’t so bad.”
Levi looked ready to argue, but a knock on the door stopped him. The four of them turned to the door. A petite blonde woman in a white silk shirt and a tan pencil skirt stood there.
“Excuse me, Mr. Galliard, but it’s time for your next meeting,” she said.
Russell sucked in a breath. Ashiya glanced over at him. His body had stiffened. His eyes narrowed. Ashiya looked from him back to the woman. What was that about?
“Thank you, Melissa,” Levi said. “Before you go, come in and meet our new chairwoman and her business partner.”
Melissa came into the room. When her gaze landed on Russell, her smile faltered for a second. “It’s nice to meet you both.”
“I’ve already met her,” Russell said.
Ashiya swung around toward Russell. “How?”
Since they’d cleared up where he’d gone that first day, she’d let go of the idea of him seeing another woman in the area. Had she been too quick to relax her judgment? How could he kiss her if there was someone else?
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