Riding up the elevator, she thought about what she was going to do. Was it a good idea? Should she follow through?
Yes! She had to. Remembering the night he’d sent her the dress and how powerful she’d felt, how pretty and sexy and desirable, that helped spur her on.
“Good evening, Ms. Armstrong. I’m Edith. We’ve spoken on the phone,” an older woman smiled as soon as Lana walked up to the door. “He’s currently on a conference call with some Japanese suppliers but I don’t think he’ll mind if you pop in. I was in there a moment ago and he’s just about finished now.” She finished turning off her computer, then pulled her coat out of the closet behind her. “He wasn’t in the best of moods earlier. I don’t know why.”
Lana glanced at the older woman anxiously. “Uh oh. Is he like that often?”
Edith grinned conspiratorially. “He’s been in a very good mood for the past six weeks.”
Lana smiled back, enormously encouraged. She’d been seeing Victor for the past six weeks. That had to mean something, didn’t it? Something around her heart area fluttered with excitement and the whole evening changed from something scary to something wonderful.
Taking a deep breath to gather her courage, she straightened her shoulders and looked at the door to his office with determination. “Thank you, Edith. I appreciate that. I’ll let him know you left already.”
She waved that aside and picked up her purse. “He’s pushed me out the door already. He told me to get out of here several times already but I think he’s pretty much finished for the night and won’t need me anymore. It’s my grandson’s birthday so I’m told to head out of here immediately. Victor will be thrilled to see you.”
Edith walked out of the office, winking at Lana as she turned the corner to the elevators. Lana gripped the cookies in her hands and squared her shoulders, her mind taking on a completely different attitude after Edith’s comments.
Lana knocked on Victor’s door and waited. There was a long silence and then she heard his voice. She didn’t understand his words in the foreign language but she understood his tone. He was angry for some reason. She was just about to turn around, nervous about arriving at his office unannounced, when the door opened unexpectedly.
Victor’s face when he saw her was initially surprised, then a smile formed on his face. He didn’t say a word but waved her into his office.
He spoke in a language she didn’t understand but he put a hand to the small of her back while he led her into his office, talking all the while.
She looked up at him, her eyes enquiring about whatever was going on. The conversation from his end seemed aggressive and she was wary about interrupting.
His only response was to shake his head and nod towards the phone on his desk. She nodded, understanding what he was silently telling her. Lana walked over to his desk, not wanting to interrupt as she placed the plate on his desk.
Victor said one more statement, then pressed the button on the phone. “What a nice surprise,” he said, pulling her into his arms and kissing her. “What’s the occasion? I thought Jimmy was picking you up in a half hour.”
Lana smiled warily and pushed the plate closer to him. “I don’t want to interrupt you if you have things you still need to work on,” she explained. “I just thought you’d like some cookies. As a kind of thank you.”
Victor smiled and peeled the plastic away. “You made these just for me?” he asked, taking the top cookie off and taking a bite. “I don’t think anyone has ever made me cookies before. That’s very sweet.” He leaned down and kissed her gently.
Lana accepted the kiss happily, relieved that she wasn’t really interrupting him. When he lifted his head, she looked up, seeing the anger behind his calm façade. “Are you okay?” she asked.
Victor looked down at her, seeing the genuine concern and his heart warmed. “Why do you think something is wrong?” he asked. It occurred to him that no other woman he’d dated had been able to see through his expressions so easily. And definitely no man. What was it about this woman that was so different, he asked himself, not for the first time? He looked at her drab, tan, trench coat that still couldn’t hide the tiny waist and voluptuous breasts while soft brown wisps of hair floated around her shoulders. She was incredible, he thought to himself, munching on the chocolate chip cookie. And she even remembered his favorite type of dessert. No woman had bothered to get to know him, the real him. Several intimately knew his net worth and assets, but none had taken the time to find out about what was underneath. He was warmed by her caring.
Lana sighed and shook her head. “I’m sorry. I guess I was just imagining things. You just look like you’ve lost a friend,” she explained.
Victor snatched another cookie and chewed it while taking in her concern. He’d never met anyone so perceptive. Most people thought of him as ice man, never revealing any of his emotions under any circumstances but this sweet woman with all of her gentle caring had understood something deep inside him.
“It’s nothing.”
Lana watched him for a long moment, then sighed wearily. “If you don’t want to talk about it, that’s fine. I’m sorry something isn’t working for you.”
Victor watched, wondering if he should talk to her. She looked defeated and he hated that he’d put that upon her. “Someone tried to attack one of my companies,” he finally explained. “He thought to attack me from behind.”
As he explained the stocks that had been slowly bought up and how Victor had discovered the impact, she was amazed once again at his intelligence, brilliance. Lana listened, amazed that he was revealing something about his business. She still had no idea what he did but it was a start and she latched onto him. She looked up at him, reading that there was significantly more to the story than he was telling her. “It was a friend, wasn’t it?” she asked gently, her hand reaching up to touch his face.
Victor was stunned at her perceptiveness and tried to shrug it off. “Only an acquaintance.”
She knew it was more. “What happened?”
He didn’t say anything for a long moment, then he finally said, “I destroyed him. But he won’t know about it until Monday when the stock exchanges open up.”
There was something hard and yet very vulnerable in the way he said that and her heart ached for him. He’d lost something tonight and it was more than just money. Something told her that he’d probably profited in this situation but he’d lost something more important. And he felt the pain of the situation more than he was willing to admit. “You’re a survivor, aren’t you?” she asked softly, her hands touching his chest gently.
Victor pulled her into his arms, not answering the question. “So are you.”
Lana smiled at his compliment but knew it wasn’t true. “Thank you for saying so but I don’t think I survive quite as easily as you do.”
He shook his head. “I disagree. You survive in a way that is comfortable for you,” he said, leaning down and kissing her neck, breathing in her fresh scent, the orange blossoms blooming in her hair and he felt cleansed. There was something brutal in business and, although he always felt a thrill of the challenge and no matter how much he tried to eliminate the human factor, he hadn’t buried it deep enough for this wonderful woman to feel it. She was perceptive and beautiful and sensitive and everything he wanted in a female but hadn’t realized he needed.
“What made you stop by here? You’ve never ventured into the lion’s den before,” he said, changing the subject, suddenly, inexplicably uncomfortable with her perceptiveness.
He watched the blush form on her porcelain cheeks and was intrigued. “Hmmm…” he mumbled, ready to solve the next mystery of his day. This one was much more interesting. “I think the lady has a secret. What on earth could it be?”
Standing in front of him now, knowing that seconds ago, he had been hurt by someone that he’d considered a friend, Lana felt selfish and somewhat out of place. Not to mention that, seeing where he worked and all of the trappings of his wealth
, she realized that Victor was a much more powerful man than she’d previously thought. “I think I might have made a mistake,” she explained, starting to back up, wanting to run out of his office and start the evening over again.
He smiled, a completely different look than what had been on his face moments before. “Ah, the mystery increases. What would make a lovely, sexy woman become so nervous suddenly?” His eyes looked down at her trench coat, seeing her hands nervously tightening on the belt that kept the sides closed together. “What could possibly be underneath that coat that would make you so nervous?” he asked, his tone still teasing but his hands were holding her, not letting her escape at all.
“I think I made a mistake,” she gasped and tried to step out of the circle of his arms. Unfortunately, he wouldn’t let her retreat so easily.
“What would you consider a mistake?” he asked, brushing her hands aside, growing more and more intrigued. His smile grew as he saw her cheeks redden even more.
“Victor, please, I think I’ll just step out of here and let you finish your work. We can talk later.”
“I’m finished. That last call sold off all the stock in the aggressor company.”
She blinked, startled that he had already done whatever he was going to do to the man who had dared to break into something he considered his. “You’re very possessive, aren’t you?” she asked.
“Very.” He pulled her closer, taking her hands and lifting them away from her belt and placing them out of the way onto his chest, exactly where he wanted them to be. “I protect what’s mine,” he said aggressively, his mouth dropping to cover her mouth, distracting her from retreat. His hands made quick work of the belt.
When Victor’s hands encountered skin instead of a silky dress, his mouth froze. Pulling back, he looked down into Lana’s eyes and saw her shy smile and the pink stealing into her cheeks. He looked lower and inhaled sharply. She wasn’t wearing anything but little pieces of black lace holding up her beautiful breasts. His body, already aching for her, became uncontrollable.
“You’re beautiful,” he groaned, his eyes still taking in her figure. His eyes were now traveling down over her stomach to the garter belt and stockings, his head shaking back and forth as he absorbed all of this. “You didn’t come here just to deliver the cookies,” he said as if to himself.
His eyes traveled back up to her face and he captured her wary expression with his heated gaze. “Lana…” he started to say but he couldn’t form the words. She was so lovely and painfully shy right now as she tried to become the seductress. He wasn’t sure if he was more turned on by her bravery or the outfit but he didn’t care at that moment. All he could think about was sinking into her silky heat. His hands grabbed her by the waist, conscious thought gone now and only instinct and the need for relief from this insanity that had gripped him were the driving force. He settled her onto his desk and leaned forward, his arm holding her up as his mouth covered her breast through the black lace. He heard her cry of pleasure but couldn’t stop himself, couldn’t slow down. He was too turned on.
His fingers tore off the scrap of lace covering her core and his fingers moved her legs apart. When his finger slid inside her, he had to close his eyes in order to regain a measure of control. But her body moving against him, her breath against his neck and her soft, little murmurs of pleasure took him over the edge. Moving quickly, he adjusted his clothing and, within moments, sunk into her, groaning as his body filled her up, her softness taking all of him. He couldn’t stop, couldn’t slow down.
Lana couldn’t believe how incredible Victor felt at that moment. She hadn’t realized how exciting this little adventure could be but seeing the stark look of desire ignite in his eyes, her own body matched his in passion. When he moved against her, she wanted more, faster, harder, her fingers gripping his shoulders, her nails digging into his skin. And when he took her over the edge, she had no awareness of anything except her complete capitulation to his heated hands. He was in control, as if she were a puppet who happily sang whatever song he played and she sang with satisfaction when he followed her, holding him close, her mouth against his neck as they slowly came back to reality.
“I think I’ve fired people for doing this,” he groaned against her mouth, his lips caressing hers softly.
Lana laughed and the sound was absorbed into his lazy kiss. “I doubt your boss will find out,” she murmured. “He’s probably already home with his wife and kids by now.”
He chuckled again. “I hate to break it to you but I’m the boss.”
Lana was startled by that news. “You’re the boss of what?” she asked, the lethargy she’d felt a moment earlier receding. She’d suspected that he was the owner, but she hadn’t wanted him to actually tell her.
“I’m the boss of this company,” he explained, surprised that she didn’t know. The look in her eyes told him that she wasn’t lying. She had no idea who he was, he realized. “Lana, didn’t you know that I’m Victor Davenport?”
She smiled tentatively and pulled out of his arms, straightening her coat and pushing her hair back into place. “Well, of course I know your name,” she laughed. “But you don’t really own this company, do you?” She looked at him as he zipped up his fly. “Goodness! You didn’t even get undressed!” she exclaimed.
He looked at her distraught features and smiled. “You didn’t give me much warning,” he teased.
She tried to smile but Lana was too horrified. “I know but…”
Victor immediately understood and he eliminated the two feet of space she’d put between them. “Lana, it’s okay to have wild, passionate sex once in a while. It doesn’t make you less of a woman.”
She glanced up from underneath her lashes, trying to judge if he was being honest with her. She saw the sincerity in his eyes and was relieved. “Thank you,” she whispered.
He laughed softly and pulled her against him. “Thank you,” he replied with feeling. His hands rubbed up and down her spine. “How about if I take you out somewhere for something terribly decadent for dinner?” he suggested.
Lana smiled up at his handsome face, about to reply when her whole body froze in horror. Her smile disappeared as the realization of what she’d done hit her.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, feeling the sudden tension in her body.
Lana pulled out of his arms and re-tied the coat securely. “I…um…well…Jimmy needs to take me back to my place,” she said carefully.
He could see that something was extremely wrong but was feeling too good. He couldn’t fathom what could possibly be wrong after some of the best sex of his life. He watched in fascination as the blush crept up her porcelain cheekbones and was intrigued. “Care to share the issue with me?” he asked casually, leaning a hip against his desk and pulling her between his legs.
Lana shook her head. “I just need to stop by my apartment for a few minutes, if you don’t mind.”
He considered her suggestion carefully. “Well, I will permit it if you’ll tell me what’s going on.”
She fiddled with the buttons on his shirt and sighed, accepting his no-getting-out-of-this tone of voice. Truth be told, she liked his authoritative tone. It turned her one, not that she was going to tell him that. The man had too much power over her as it was. She didn’t want to give him any other weapons. “Would you be so kind, sir, as to permit me to change into something a little more respectable for dining out?”
Victor had to think about her words and her request for a long moment before he threw back his head and laughed. It took several minutes before his laughter died down and Lana chuckled along with him, enjoying his good humor and knowing she’d helped him achieve it. When the laughter finally subsided, she looked at him from under her lashes and nodded her head. “Yes, I completely forgot to bring along street clothes.”
“So you really did come to me almost naked, didn’t you?”
“Yes, as a matter of fact, I did,” she replied with a flick of her head. “And if you will be
so kind, I would like to become more presentable.”
He groaned and pulled her closer. “I’m not sure I’m going to allow it.”
She laughed. “And what are you going to do to stop me?”
He growled. “I might just pull you into the back of the car, tell Jimmy to drive to my place where I can have my wicked way with you all over again.”
Her eyes flared with his idea, liking it more than her own.
He watched, impressed and intrigued as her mind started floating along with his own mindset. “I can see that you’re just as tempted as I am at the idea. Are you sure you wouldn’t like a nice meal at some glitzy restaurant?” He realized at the last moment that he was testing her but, just as he’d suspected, she passed the test with flying colors. She shook her head and whispered in his ear that she’d thoroughly enjoy spending a quiet evening alone with him.
The Tycoon's Seduction Plan Page 10