So what’s the problem? Is it really fair to fault a man because he has more money than Midas?
She sighed. That was the eternal question. And one she’d yet to come up with an honest answer to.
The man was amazing, truly he was. He’d been pressing her about going with him to the auto show. In fact, he still continued to ask her for her opinion on which vehicles to take. As it was, she hadn’t said one way or the other.
She shook her head at her actions as she stepped across the tile floor, her slight heels making noise with each footfall. At the front desk she waited until the woman looked up from where she sat busy, typing on the computer. Her fingers had been flying across the keys, the clacking a testament to her skill as a typist. Blonde hair sat coiled up on her head in an elegant yet professional twist.
“Welcome to Taylor Bytes,” she said with a friendly smile. “How may I help you today?”
“I’m here to see Mr Taylor. I don’t an appointment but I was hoping he could make some time to see me.”
The woman never batted so much as an eyelash at that statement. “Of course, Ms Wright. Take the elevator to your right to the top floor. His personal assistant will let you know when he can see you.”
“Thank you.” She gave a slight smile that was returned before the blonde’s attention moved back to her task at hand. Okay, she didn’t even ask my name but she knew it, not only that but she is sending me up to his office floor. She wasn’t entirely sure what to make of it.
Heading off to the right, she moved slowly, taking in the décor of Taylor Bytes. It screamed professional. The decorations were nice but given she’d had insight on the man beneath the multi-billionaire, it didn’t seem to fit him. This was…sterile, almost clinical.
She had pressed the button for the elevator when two men walked from around the corner. Her gaze ran over them both. Power suits and nothing but business. Their brows were furrowed and they were deep in discussion, one that it wouldn’t take a genius to see they weren’t happy about. Still they were very handsome. On their heels were a few more men. All of those in that group looked at her.
“I don’t care,” one man snapped from the first group that hadn’t even looked in her direction. “Get it done or there will be hell to pay.” His voice was low and dangerous.
All the men mumbled a response only to fall silent again while the man continued on. His deep voice carried the bark of authority.
Under their assessing gazes, she felt herself begin to wonder what the hell she was doing there. Maybe it wasn’t the best thing for me to stop by. The doors to the elevator slid open in peaceful silence and she stepped in, grateful for them shielding her from the stares.
The ride to the top floor was swift and she took a fortifying breath before exiting the car. This floor was much more hospitable. Plush burgundy carpet blended seamlessly with the wall accents. Plants sat by large windows, enjoying the New Mexican sun.
A shorter older lady approached from behind a large desk. “Ms Wright, please come and sit down. Mr Taylor will be ready to see you in a few minutes. Can I get you anything? Coffee? Tea? Water?”
She smiled. “No, thank you, I’m fine.”
“Very well. Have a seat, dear. If you change your mind, let me know.”
“Yes, ma’am. Thank you.”
The woman went back to her desk and she sought out the cream leather couch. The time passed as she worked on a few things she’d brought with her.
“Sherry, get the lawyers on the phone. I want Zach personally. Patch him through when you get him. Tell him I don’t want to wait either.”
The voice, deep and sharp, penetrated her zone. She jerked her head up to see the man from before, one of the two who hadn’t looked at her, striding across the burgundy carpet. His dark suit fit him like a dream. She stared, uncertain of what she looked at. Then it hit her. It was Warwick. She’d not even recognised him before. The suit, the attitude, all of it made her not pick up on who he was.
“Right away, sir. Ms Wright is here to see you.”
His head snapped towards her and his entire countenance softened. It was like watching a magic trick—the arrogant powerful man melted away, leaving her faced with the Warwick who had done things to her body that no man had ever done before. His indigo eyes heated as he adjusted course and headed directly for her.
“Katiya,” he said on a decadent rumble.
“I’m sorry for just—”
“Don’t apologise for coming to see me. Come in to the office.” He offered his arm like a gentleman all the while his eyes had stripped and laid her bare.
Belly tense, she took his arm and moved with him. His coiled and roped muscles moved effortlessly beneath her hand. That was familiar, even if the suit wasn’t. The second the door had closed behind them, she was in his arms, his mouth slanted over hers, tongue sweeping through hers. She curled as close as possible to his hard body.
Just when she thought she couldn’t stand anymore, he ended the kiss. Now his eyes burned with fervour and intense hunger. He brushed a knuckle along one cheek. “What do I owe this delightful and most pleasurable distraction?”
She blushed even as she stepped away from him. He was so different while in these walls that she’d not even recognised him. How was that possible? Her first impression of the men had been they were less than pleased with whatever they had been discussing. There had been nothing, nothing, about the tall man in the dark suit to indicate it was Warwick. There definitely hadn’t been any easy-going attitude or carefree and frequent smiles.
“Katiya?” he asked, capturing her chin in his hand and angling her head so he could see into her eyes.
Blinking rapidly, she cleared her throat. “Sorry. I…umm…” She trailed off, not really knowing how to tell him she’d just wanted to see him where he worked.
It was as if he knew. His expression softened and he drew her in close. “I wanted to see you too. I’ve missed you these past few days.”
Hooking her arms around his back, she nodded against the material of his suit coat. It wasn’t black as she’d first thought, instead a dark blue and made of wool. A beautiful fabric, rich in a navy hue, it had a bold cognac stripe that only added to the lean musculature of his body. Under the single breasted, two-button suit coat he wore a white shirt with a tie the same colour as the stripes on the shirt.
Bottom line—the man was a walking ad for sex.
He smelt even better than he looked. They’d barely seen one another recently. He no longer came to The Oasis to volunteer but some of his men still did. Calix was one who appeared there more often than not, but honestly, she wondered if it wasn’t to harass Rhia. She didn’t know what had transpired, or was transpiring, between them but there sure were sparks.
“Missed you too.” She pulled back and stared up at him from under lowered lids. “How come the woman at the front knew who I was before I even said anything?”
That heart-stopping smile he had showcasing his sexy dimples appeared. “I told them if you ever stopped by you were to be sent up straight away to my office.”
That gesture warmed her more than she cared to admit. “Everything okay?”
He wasn’t quick enough to shutter his gaze. “Fine,” he finally said.
The fact he had lied to her didn’t sit well with her even though it truly was none of her business. She arched an eyebrow and sniffed. “Oh, okay. Didn’t seem that way when I saw you walking across the lobby earlier.”
Surprise filtered into his amazing indigo eyes. “You saw me downstairs?”
Extracting herself from his hold, she walked around the burgundy, walnut, and sable hued office. Unlike the outer room where his assistant worked, this place had more of a personal touch to it, a few plants and even a few framed photos on the walls.
She paused before the walnut leather sofa with the accent pillows to match the rest of the colour scheme and sank down upon it. Plucking at the leg of her pants, she took a sharp breath and looked at him.
&
nbsp; “Yes. I have to be honest, though, Warwick. I didn’t even recognise it was you until you walked into your office up here.”
He shrugged out of his suit coat and hung it on a hook before striding over to where she sat, loosening his tie as he approached. Her mouth dried up faster than water in the desert. The man just looked too damn good. Edible even. His hair was drawn back in a tight queue.
Warwick lowered his large frame down on the leather beside her and immediately breathing became more difficult. “Do I look that much different in a suit, beautiful?” he asked, stretching an arm along the back and slowly removing the hand-carved ox bone hair sticks with agates that held up her hair in its bun.
All she could feel was the thudding of her heart and the insistent beat of her pussy. Swallowing hard, she shuddered when her hair fell free and he began playing with it.
“Ye…yes. You’re like a different person.”
“Explain,” he ordered in a low tone, never easing the torture he proceeded to give her scalp.
She worried her lower lip before taking a deep breath and jumping in. “I’ve never seen you at work, so I guess it’s just…just that I’m used to seeing smiles on your face as opposed to the scowl.”
It was easy to see him mull over her words. Finally he lifted his shoulders laconically and tugged on her hair. “Business can be ugly at times.” That was how he put it—succinctly. She knew he was done discussing it.
“Well, I don’t want to take up any more of your time than necessary, but I came to invite you to supper.”
He trailed his other hand up her bare arm, her resting upon his shoulder as he stared at her. “You, Katiya Wright, are an incredibly sexy woman.”
She flushed. “Focus, Warwick. Are you available for supper?”
“Yes. What can I bring?”
Condoms.
Her heart sank and heat rushed up her face when his expression turned arrogant and she realised she’d said that out loud.
Crap, crap, crap! Damn my inability to keep my mouth shut.
“I’ve got that covered. What about anything for the meal?” He winked. “Unless you’re on the menu.”
Mustering up as much haughtiness as she could, she sniffed indignantly. “Nope. I’m leaving in the morning and wanted to see you before I left.”
All humour fled faster that a roadrunner flying across the desert. His indigo eyes hardened and narrowed. “Where are you going?”
The sentence dripped with possession and she bristled. “It’s work related.”
His fingers tightened in her hair. “Katiya…”
“You don’t own me, Warwick. I’m heading out of town on a business trip. I know your show is this weekend and I have plans to be back for that.”
His muttered response couldn’t be deciphered but she got the gist of it. Licking her lips, she crawled the rest of the distance separating them and settled herself across his lap. With slow and deliberate movements, she began to pull out his shirt and loosen his belt.
His darkly intense eyes held hers as she lowered the zipper on his slacks. He lifted, pressing closer to her core, which hovered over his ever-present erection. She dragged the zipper farther down and soon had his cock freed. Her light touch trailed up and down the rigid shaft. She couldn’t help it. He was magnificent.
“Don’t tease me, beautiful.”
She scooted back so she knelt on the floor before him and took him in her mouth. He added a second hand to her hair and she let him set the pace he wanted. This was not about her, even though she craved him deep within her. She wanted to do this for him.
“Shit!” he hissed, thrusting harder and faster.
Closing her eyes, she relaxed her throat and took him all the way in, not stopping until he unloaded his release into her mouth.
* * * *
Katiya disembarked from the plane, wincing at the soreness in her leg. Flights were never easy for her. But they were important. She’d not officially told the truth to her family about her trip. It hadn’t been entirely about business. While some had been, she had spent most of her time in Minnesota with a doctor—a friend of her sister, Arissa—who specialised in muscular issues due to trauma. She had been having more pain in her leg than she’d had in a long time and had wanted to get it looked at.
The only problem with being in a town in which all your family lived was that they all would have known before she even got out of the appointment. She had done some digging to locate Arissa’s friend, Sarah. She had finally found her and had given her a call
The woman was an absolute peach. Had told her to come on in and she’d clear a day to spend with her. She knew her secret was safe and until she had answers to give to her family, she didn’t want them to worry.
Or pester me.
The warm weather was a welcome from the frigid temperatures she’d experienced in Minnesota. They’d had a late spring snow and, needless to say, she was more than pleased to be back home.
She grinned at the sight of her brother, Jonathan, waiting for her beside his Benz. He took her luggage and threw it in the trunk while she got settled in the passenger seat.
“How did it go?” he asked, starting the powerful engine.
For a moment she wondered if he knew about the doctor, but there was no lingering concern, just honest curiosity.
“Good, good. Melken Products has agreed to send us some of their self-defence dummies along with bags and other items.”
“You’re awesome, sis,” he complimented her as he drove.
“Thanks.”
“Almost done?”
“I think so. I hope it will slow a bit once all the programs are outfitted and I can just call for donations and stuff instead of taking trips.”
“You know there are martial arts places here in town, right?”
She laughed. “Yes I know that. But I prefer to go direct to the manufacturer. Face to face is a bit more personal than someone calling and asking. Now that we have a rapport, it can be handled over the phone in the future.”
“I know.”
They finished the ride chatting about this and that. When Jonathan pulled into her driveway she smiled. It was always nice to come home.
He carried her bags to the door, gave her a perfunctory kiss on the cheek and headed off. She shook her head. Knowing him, he had a case that needed his attention.
She showered and changed into khakis and a white T-shirt. Once her hair was up and her makeup on, she headed to her car and drove out to the address Warwick had given her for the show. It was about an hour away and she spent the time thinking about how much she’d missed him even though she’d been gone for only four days.
“Just goes to show how much of an impact he’s had on my life,” she said as she continued up the road.
When she started seeing signs for the show her belly began to flip. In her head, she counted down to the time she’d be able to see him again. Her body responded, letting her know it was totally unimpressed with how she’d handled bringing herself release as opposed to Warwick’s magical touch.
She parked in a crowded lot then got out, locking her car before following the stream of people. Young, old, woman, or man—it didn’t matter. They had all turned out for the event.
She paid for a catalogue and checked the map of where people were located. Once she’d found his name, she made a beeline for him. Walking behind an elderly couple, as soon as she was close enough to him, her skin began to burn as it did around him. His laughter filled the air. The couple seemed to vanish and just like that she was face to face with the man in her dreams.
Warwick Taylor.
He stood talking to some other folks but when his gaze landed on her, his mouth snapped shut like a steel trap. His eyes flared hot and passionate as they moved up and down her body. He muttered a word to the group standing there and crossed to where she stood, immobile.
This was the man she’d missed. Jeans and a T-shirt. All she cared about was him being back within her reach. He reached
out with one hand and cupped her cheek. She couldn’t have stopped the burrow into his palm any more than she could have stopped her heart that second.
“Hello, beautiful,” he murmured so only she could hear.
“Hi.”
The desire to kiss her overflowed his indigo gaze but all he did was give her another private little smile and drop his hand. She missed his touch immediately.
“I’m glad you’re here. How was your trip?” His voice normal and could be heard by everyone now.
“It was good, thank you.”
While she understood why he didn’t kiss her, part of her wished he would have, damn the consequences. Okay, more than just a part of me wishes he would have. She gave herself a sharp mental reprimand—this was neither the time nor the place to dwell on that. She truly was excited to see the show and discover which of his impressive collection he’d brought.
Warwick turned and waved her closer. “Come see my vehicles, Katiya.”
She moved to his side, wondering if she would be cast by the papers as his girlfriend, paramour, or just a friend. His smile remained relaxed and at the ready. There was nothing that denoted there was something serious—heck, anything at all other than friendship—between them. Swallowing her uncertain feelings, she shoved her hands in her pockets and said, “Show me what you brought.”
Chapter Six
It took everything in Warwick not to ravish Katiya as he wanted to. Only the idea of bringing too much attention to her stopped him. He kept his personal life very private. There was a reason he was able to keep his face out of the media. He gave them nothing sensational to report about him. He glanced at Katiya as she walked beside him. The white shirt hugged her ample breasts while the khaki shorts she wore stopped just above her knees leaving the expanse of her legs visible. It all created an edible view he wanted to eat up.
Warwick put his hands into the pocket of his jeans. If he touched her again he’d give the media more than scandal. He stood back as Katiya circled the trucks he had brought to the show. She moved with a sensuous grace around the side of the truck out of view.
All the Wright Moves Page 8