“Okay. Fine then what’s your ‘thing’?” she asked.
He almost rolled his eyes with frustration, but ended up looking away toward the noisy street.
“Please,” she said, mimicking his non-begging tone.
“If I tell you, will you come to Paris?”
She’d actually go anywhere with him right now—Laundromat, chicken coop, dark alley with serial killer and rats—she just wanted him. But her non-horny bits (i.e. pride and mind) demanded he give her some reason, any reason, to believe he wouldn’t emotionally wreck her. Otherwise, she’d be forced to feel like an idiot for giving in to him.
She crossed her arms and nodded. “Yes.”
“I get garble, garble…” he mumbled, rubbing the prickly hairs over his upper lip.
“What? I didn’t catch that,” she said.
He dropped his hand and pinned her with his eyes.
“Just say it,” she urged him.
“I get panic attacks.”
She stared, trying to understand.
“I’m not following,” she said slowly.
“I become very anxious when I don’t know where people are. People I care about,” he growled.
She pulled back her head. “You mean you have everyone you care about followed?”
“No,” he scoffed. “I’m Bennett Fucking Wade. Do I look like a stalker to you?”
She shook her head no. He looked fucking hot—expensive suit, silky dark hair, swollen sexy lips, and a carnal look in his blue eyes. Don’t forget his woody. So damned hot.
“I just need to know that I can reach them at any time. Just in case there’s an emergency,” he elaborated.
“Really? What happened to—”
“That’s all I’m going to tell you. Now, I held up my part of the deal so get in,” he demanded, puffing out his chest and straightening his spine in that special Bennett Wade kind of way that flaunted to the world that he was not the sort of man to be messed with.
Of course, Taylor knew his trick. Not fooling anyone, Bennett. Wait. He just said he cares about you.
Blinking with shock, she slid into the backseat. She listened to Bennett give some instructions to the driver in Japanese before he climbed in next to her. She didn’t know he spoke Japanese—though she probably should’ve guessed—but apparently the man was as much a mystery as he was domineering. And sexy. The chauffeur closed the door, jarring her from her mental quandary and shutting out the loud city, cocooning them in an awkward silence.
She didn’t know what thoughts might be rolling through his head, but the thoughts inside hers could no longer be contained.
“Why did you kiss me?” she blurted out.
He glanced at her. “You got your one offering of good faith. That’s enough sharing for today.”
She looked at him as he dug out his cellphone.
She gently placed her hand over his, blocking the screen. “No. It’s not. I really need to know.” Because she felt like she was on the brink of jumping. No longer into an ocean of pity, but into Bennett’s body. Of water, that was. And she feared if she went for this swim, she might never be able to turn back. Was it the way he hid who he truly was from the world? Or that he had these strange adorable quirks? Or that he was a big, strong, sexy guy with the power to crush people like the slugs that they were when they deserved it? She didn’t know. Maybe, just maybe, it was all that passion and raw pent-up sexuality he’d given her a taste of.
But the reason didn’t really matter because she felt her heart growing little arms, reaching longingly for him.
God, I so fucking want him. What am I going to do?
He gave her an angry look that she now suspected wasn’t anger at all, but his way of expressing discomfort with something. It was a quick and easy way to deflect.
Yes, I am mastering his ways.
Oh stop, Tay.
“I kissed you because it was the only way to get you in the car,” he replied curtly to her question, and then firmly but nonaggressively removed her hand from his phone.
She almost got angry. Almost. But her B.S. meter had lit up.
She gave a little laugh, crossed her arms, and leaned back in the seat. “If you say so…‘Bennett Fucking Wade,’ ” she playfully mocked his deep tone.
“I say so,” he said coolly and made his call. It was to Robin, confirming the meeting change. As he listened intently, looking away, he slid his hand over to Taylor’s thigh just above the knee. Before she could process, he gave it a squeeze. A hard one meant to tickle.
She yelped, and smacked his hand away. “What the…?”
Still not looking at her, he grinned and carried on the phone conversation. “Oh, good. Thank you, Robin,” he said. “And please reiterate my apologies to Mary once again for the delay.” He listened for a quick moment.
“Yes,” he said. “I’ll call her now.”
Bennett disconnected and dialed another number.
“What was that?” Taylor swatted him across the biceps.
He looked at the phone in his hand and dialed another number, a hint of a playful smile on his lips. “Just showing you who’s boss: me. Bennett Fucking Wade. Now be quiet while I make my calls, or I’ll be forced to spank you.”
Taylor laughed. What! “Pardon me, but—”
“Hi. It’s me,” Bennett then looked at Taylor pointing to his phone as if to say Hey, can’t you see I’m on a call? and then proceeded to make a little spanking motion with his hand. Taylor growled.
He listened for a while, and any playfulness vanished. “Yes. Yes. Okay, but—” He listened some more, seeming concerned. “Why?” Silence. “If it will make you happy, but I assure you I’m fine.” A few moments passed, and then he turned toward Taylor. “She wants to talk to you.”
“Who?”
“My mother,” he replied.
“Why does she want to talk to me?” she asked.
He sighed, cupping his hand over the phone. “She wants to check up on me. Just tell her I’m fine. I hate it when she worries.”
Taylor tried not to smile.
“You find this amusing, Ms. Reed?”
She nodded, biting her cheeks. Of course she did. It was completely adorable that this tall, overbearing, prickly as hell CEO was such a mama’s boy.
He shoved the phone at her. “Tell her,” he hissed.
“What’s it worth to ya?”
He narrowed his eyes and projected evil thoughts her way.
“It was just a joke.” She snatched the phone from his hand. “Mama’s boy,” she whispered teasingly. “Hi, Mom.” She looked right at Bennett when she said it to gauge his reaction and because she felt utterly drunk from that kiss. Totally. Out. Of. Her. Mind.
Bennett’s nostrils flared with contempt.
Yep, he didn’t like that one bit. It was just so damned cute. He didn’t want to share his mommy with anyone.
“Oh, Taylor dear,” Mrs. Wade said cheerfully, “I just wanted to check in with you. Is my Bennett behaving himself?”
Not even a little. “Yep. No problems,” she replied.
“Is he taking care of himself and getting some rest, too?” she asked.
Not even a little. “Well, you know your son.”
Mrs. Wade made a little grumble. “Well, you keep an eye on him for me, would you, Taylor? I worry about what will happen to him when I’m gone. He has the common sense of a pickle when it comes to his health.”
Taylor felt another now-familiar pang of guilt. She’d almost just left Bennett to his own stubborn devices.
Mrs. Wade continued, “Just remember what I told you. The moment he tries to push you away, you put your foot down.”
Taylor glanced at Bennett, who glared with irritation. “Yes, Mom, I certainly will.”
“Good. Because you’re my last chance to see him settled, and I know you’re the one. The cookies never fail. I’ve researched it.”
“Uhh…okay.” She tried to maintain a cheerful expression on her face, but it wasn’t easy. Being
reminded that this woman was dying zapped the playfulness right out of her.
“You call me if you need any help, okay, Taylor? I’m here for you, honey. Anything you need until my last breath. That boy is everything to me. Everything. And someday, when you have children of your own, you’ll understand. There is no possible way for me to repay what you’re doing for him—and for me.”
Oh crap. Now she was going to cry. No, you are crying. Fuck, stop that. Stop. That. She turned away from Bennett, hiding her face, because the drippy little faucet had turned on and she couldn’t stop it.
“Taylor? You still there, dear?” his mother said.
She sniffled involuntarily. “Yeah. I’m here.”
“You’ll come to me if there’s a problem. Won’t you?”
This was the most awkward situation she’d ever been in. This woman was crazy and brash and pushy and endearing. It was impossible to say no to her.
“Ye-yes, Mrs. Wade.”
“I told you, call me Mom. Or Linda. No more of this Mrs. Wade stuff. You’re going to be the mother of my grandchildren.”
“Yes, Mom.” Taylor ended the call, and without turning around to face Bennett, she handed the phone to him over her shoulder.
“What’s with the ‘Mom’ thing, Ms. Reed?” Bennett said.
Taylor shrugged, trying to hold it together. “I don’t know,” she lied. “She just asked me to call her that.”
“Well don’t. It’s not only incredibly inappropriate to take advantage of my mother’s shaky mind, but it makes me feel like you’re trying to be my sister, and I find it distur…” his voice trailed off. “Are you crying?”
Taylor wiped the tears from underneath her eyes. “No.”
He pulled on her shoulder, forcing her to face him.
He blinked at her. “What did my mother say?” he growled.
“Nothing. She’s just really sweet. That’s all.”
“My mother? Sweet?” He didn’t believe Taylor for a minute.
But no way would Taylor tell him the truth, so she said the first thing that popped into her head. “She reminds me of my grandmother.” Taylor sniffled. The truth was that both her grandmothers had died before she was born.
“She was ornery, nagging, and controlling?” Bennett asked.
“Bennett.” She smacked his arm again. His amazingly firm arm. “Don’t talk about our mother like that.”
He laughed, and it was a laugh filled with crisp, pure, in-the-moment joy. It mesmerized her.
When his laughter finally died down, he rubbed his beautiful eyes, one of which was still surrounded by a deep purple bruise. It gave him a rugged, mistreated, and in need of serious lovin’ look. She could practically see his head filling with heavy thoughts. She really wished he’d tell her what was going on.
“I’m sorry about your meeting,” Taylor said.
“I couldn’t leave Tokyo not knowing if you were okay.” He looked out the window away from her.
He gave up a very important meeting because he thought something was wrong with me. The true meaning of that hit hard, and she heard a nonexistent splash inside her head. It was the sound of her jumping into that ocean. An ocean named Bennett Wade.
The only question was, would she sink or swim?
CHAPTER 12
After they arrived at the airport, she and Bennett silently made their way to the private hangar where his plane awaited. Bennett hadn’t said much since those last words in the limo, and neither had she. It seemed, for the moment, that they both had decided to retreat back to their corners. What Bennett truly thought about her and this thing between them, she had no clue. But she felt terrified. It was too late to turn back. After all, one cannot unjump a cliff. At best, you could slowly climb up again, a very difficult and arduous task.
Not that she wanted to climb back up, because every time she thought of that kiss and how he’d grinded against her; or how he’d given up a meeting with Mary Rutherford to come find her; she knew in her gut that Bennett was a passionate man who kept it hidden from the world. Then there were those other undeniably kind gestures: his mother, Candy, the restaurant owner. Really, at this stage she didn’t know much about him, but she knew how she felt. She wanted him.
But how the hell would something like this work?
It won’t, she realized. Bennett didn’t date people he perceived as employees. Even if she wasn’t working for him, he was her client, and she couldn’t argue with that.
Then, it was very clear the man had commitment issues. His own mother had been so desperate to see him settle down that she’d opted for getting him to eat love-cookies—a completely ridiculous idea.
Really, Tay? Because I’m pretty damned sure the seven days aren’t up, and look at you. To be fair, she wasn’t in love with the man; she merely had a thing for him. Oh, look. Now you have a “thing,” too. Match made in…a very, very confusing situation?
She schlepped her way up the portable steel staircase behind Bennett. She was exhausted and frazzled both emotionally and physically.
Candy, who wore a fitted blue Wade Enterprises golf shirt, khaki slacks, and her red hair in a ponytail, greeted her with a warm smile. “Well, good morning, Taylor. How are you on this lovely day?”
“Hi, Candy,” Taylor replied miserably.
“Oh, my. Looks like someone had a rough night.” Candy reached over to give her a quick hug, but then Taylor found she didn’t want to let go. Candy just had a warm, loving, comforting vibe. Taylor could see why Bennett had helped her. She was definitely one of the good ones.
Candy patted her on the back and whispered in her ear. “You okay, darlin’?”
Taylor nodded.
“Just take a deep breath, sugar. Mr. Wade might change his mind and hire you back.”
Taylor pulled away, and from the corner of her eye she saw Bennett staring at her, frowning in a perplexed sort of way.
She looked at Candy, turning away so he wouldn’t see her hobbled expression. “He said he was going to…fire me?” Taylor whispered meekly.
Candy’s mouth pulled down in one corner. Then she made a little nod. “Oh no. Please don’t tell him I told you—I thought he’d already done it.”
Fire me. He is going to fire me. “Fire me for what?” Taylor whispered.
“Ladies,” Bennett barked from the back of the plane. “May we leave now or you two going to chitchat all day?”
Taylor shot him a “thou shall be silent and take your seat now” look. Bennett’s stern expression shifted into something half-docile, half-irritated. Kind of like a kid who has just been told to eat his broccoli or he won’t get dessert.
Being the fiercely loyal and caring person that she was, Candy still felt obligated to make amends. “Yes. My apologies, Mr. Wade. Just telling Taylor here how happy I am to see you found her safe and sound.” Candy looked back at Taylor. “Ms. Reed, if you’ll take your seat?” She gestured to the front row and then leaned in to whisper while Bennett occupied himself with removing his jacket. “I’ve never seen the man so upset. His underpants were in a big ol’ bunch all mornin’, and when he got that alert on his phone that your tracker had gone off. Woo!” She fanned her face.
“He gets alerts when my cellphone signal drops?” Taylor asked.
“It’s his ‘thing,’ ” she replied, using Bennett’s exact word. “And that man’s head nearly exploded right off his big man-shoulders. Said he was going to find you and, I quote, fire. The. Hell out of you.” She made a little shrug. “Guess he decided to wait until after Paris.”
Taylor didn’t know whether to laugh or cry or what. “Are you sure he’s going to fire me?” Taylor asked.
“You broke two of his biggest rules: you made him miss a very important meeting and you turned off your tracking.”
Taylor sighed exasperatedly. “Thanks for the warning.”
Candy gave her a consoling look. “I’ll bring you a mimosa, sugar.”
Sure. Why the hell not. “Make it a double!” she c
alled out.
Taylor grabbed a folded blanket on the seat next to her, covered her tired body, and tilted back her seat. So Bennett had kissed her just to get her into the limo and on to Paris, where he planned to fire her after he got what he wanted. How insane was that? Because as far as he’d been concerned, she’d already quit and had been on her way home.
She looked over her shoulder, contemplating asking him “WTH, Bennett?” but was too exhausted to confront him yet again. And getting Candy into trouble didn’t seem like a great idea. The woman had been through a lot and had been kind enough to warn her.
Taylor looked at her trembling hands and for a moment envisioned wrapping them around Bennett’s neck. Oh, stop, Tay. You know that’s not going to help anything. The worst part was she could no longer afford to buy a ticket to…anywhere, frankly. She’d maxed out her last emergency credit card buying that one-way ticket home.
I can’t believe Bennett is going to can me after he kissed me and insisted I come to Paris.
No. This is so irrational. It has to be some sort of misunderstanding. Or maybe he was just angry when he said it. But then she remembered the one key thing she’d forgotten. Telling a man like Bennett “no,” only revved him up and made him more determined to win.
Was that what his coming to carry her off caveman-style was all about? And then, just for fun, he decided to kiss her in a way that made her panties want to go on an extended vacay? And for good measure, he let her have a little taste of his hard, thick, long cock so she’d salivate and come running like a dog for a…well…bone?
No. I’m not going to play this sick game anymore. She unbuckled her seatbelt and got up to go talk to him. As she made her way down the aisle, she watched Bennett talking on his phone, looking out the window. “You think I care?” he growled at whomever was on the other end. “No. Fuck no. The only thing that matters is this deal. Period. And anyone who gets in my way can go fuck themselves.”
Taylor’s eyes went wide. What?
She was about to turn back when he looked at her and smiled—just as the plane jolted forward unexpectedly. Taylor flew past Bennett into the small galley at the back, landing with a belly flop on the floor and smacking her head right into a cupboard.
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