One Sizzling Touch

by Tina Folsom

  “I would never let that happen.” And if it did happen, he would make sure that she’d want for nothing. He owed her that much. He had enough contacts; besides, a woman as intelligent as Rochelle would find a new position in no time. Not that he’d let things get so far that she’d lose her job. He didn’t want to be the reason her career took a nose dive. He’d prevent it with everything he had.

  She shook her head. “That’s not your decision. My boss can’t wait to find a reason to fire me anyway. He wouldn’t hesitate, if he heard any rumors. And what’s gonna happen to my brother then?”

  He furrowed his brow. “Your brother? What’s your brother got to do with your job?”

  “Nothing! Everything!” She sniffled.

  Tenderly, he stroked his knuckles over her cheek. “Please tell me what’s going on. Talk to me. Please.” It hurt to see her like this, so confused and desperate at the same time. As if she didn’t see a way out of her situation.

  Rochelle lifted her lids and looked at him for a long time, before she sighed. “Steve. He’s in trouble, and I have to help him.”

  “What kind of trouble?”

  She shrugged and started walking again. He took her hand and walked alongside her.

  “One of his brilliant business ideas wasn’t quite as brilliant as he thought. Now he owes this loan shark a lot of money.”

  “How much?”

  “Fifty thousand. Which he doesn’t have. It’s all gone. And if he doesn’t pay back the money by the end of this week, they’ll hurt him. I think he borrowed money from the wrong people. “ She hesitated.

  Zach didn’t like at all what he was hearing. “What do you mean by the wrong people?”

  “People without scruples. I can’t say for sure, but I wouldn’t be surprised if that loan shark is involved with the Mafia.” She took a deep breath of air. “I already had to raid my savings account and my retirement fund, but it’s still not enough. And if I lose my job, I won’t be able to get a loan from the bank.” She met his gaze. “Do you understand now why I can’t take that risk? My boss is already breathing down my neck and wants to see results.”

  Slowly Zach nodded. Everything made more sense now. He understood why she didn’t want to be with him—why she couldn’t. At least that was what she believed. But there was another solution. He had to help her, because only once Rochelle’s problems disappeared into thin air, would she find the courage to follow her heart. “You love your brother very much.”

  For a moment she closed her eyes. “Despite everything, yes. He’s my flesh and blood. I can’t just turn my back on him.” She smiled sadly. “And you and I; we don’t even know whether it’ll lead to anything. We’re from different worlds, and there are so many obstacles between us.”

  “Is that why you’re throwing in the towel?” He sighed. “Rochelle, I understand why you can’t risk getting involved with me at the moment, and I can accept that. But what about later?”

  “Later?”

  “Yes, once the investigation is closed. At least tell me that you’ll consider it then. Will you give us a chance after that? Please tell me you’re not indifferent to me.”

  “What if I find something during my investigation?”

  He smiled. “There’s nothing to find.” He stopped at the corner they’d just reached and she did the same, turning toward him.

  “Even then, there’ll always be a lingering suspicion. We could never be seen out in public together. As long as I work for the SEC there’s always the danger that they’ll reopen the case if word gets out that we’re dating.”

  Zach combed his hand through her hair and brought his face close to hers. “That’s something neither you nor I can control. There’ll always be somebody who will suspect me or you of wrongdoing. But do you really want to pass on this chance for happiness because of that?”

  “Happiness? Do you really believe that we have a chance? We barely know each other.”

  He grinned. “Rochelle, I know you better than I’ve ever known any woman. And I’m not just talking about your body.” He winked. “Though I do know that particularly well.” He brushed his lips over her cheek. “And love it.”

  “Zach… you’re making it very hard for me to think rationally.”

  “Then don’t think. Feel.” He pulled her into his arms and held her to his chest, while he caressed her back and inhaled the scent of her hair. “Come, I’ll take you home. Sleep over it. Alone.”

  He didn’t want to rush her into a decision she might regret the next day, as much as he wanted to spend the night in her arms.

  18

  The bookstore was only two blocks from Zach’s office building. It was humming inside. Zach headed for the thriller section, where Wade was already waiting for him.

  “Hey.”

  Wade turned around and put the book in his hand back onto the shelf. “Hi, Zach.” He grinned. “I feel like a secret agent in a suspense novel.”

  “It had to be this way. I don’t want anybody in the office seeing you and possibly overhearing us.” Zach looked over his shoulder and scanned the customers who stood around browsing the shelves, or sat in the comfortable armchairs reading. Nobody seemed to give him or Wade a second look. “What have you found out?”

  Wade kept his voice low when he replied, “Quite a lot. Appears that Leech is up to his eyeballs in debt.”

  “Leech? That’s not possible. He’s such a cheapskate and never takes any risks. How could he possibly have gotten into debt?”

  Wade lifted one shoulder. “Apparently he has an affair that’s costing him.”

  Zach shook his head. “No affair can cost that much.”

  “In his case it does. Turns out he’s got something with a man. And somebody found out.”

  “His wife found out he’s seeing a man and cut him off?”

  Wade shook his head. “His wife has no idea, and it’s going to stay that way as long as he pays his blackmailer.”

  Surprised, Zach rocked back on his heels. “He’s being blackmailed?”

  His friend swept his gaze around the store, while motioning him to be quiet. “Not so loud. Not everybody in Manhattan needs to know. But, yeah, the stingy and risk-averse Leech is fucking a guy. And he can’t afford for his wife to find out. From what I know, most of the money they have is from her family. She brought it into the marriage.”

  “But what would Leech gain from forcing me out of the board?”

  Wade shrugged. “No idea. Unless he’s fabricated some sort of evidence against you and is trying to blackmail you with it.”

  Zach shook his head, not wanting to believe that. “As much as I can’t stand Leech, I can’t imagine him doing that. He’s not as unscrupulous as that.”

  “Well, I just wanted to tell you. You said to check up on all of them.”

  “Thanks. And the others? Did you find anything?”

  “Not much. Davenport’s businesses are doing well. No disagreements with his family. No strange incidences. Oh, but Hunter reported that he heard from somebody sitting on the board of the opera that Emily Grover is apparently going to get married again. No idea if that’s important.”

  Zach furrowed his forehead. Had he interpreted Emily’s behavior wrongly the last time they’d met? Had she not come on to him after all? “Who’s the lucky guy?”

  Wade made a face. “He didn’t know.”

  “Anything else?”

  “One thing from one of my contacts at the stock exchange: apparently two weeks ago a large trade in Ivers International stock went down.”

  “Who made the trade?”

  Wade scratched the back of his head. “Well, if only we knew. But the transaction went through several broker accounts and then landed at the Inter Commerce and Trade Bank.”

  “That’s a private bank here in New York.”

  “Correct. And before you ask me who the account belongs to, I don’t know.”

  “Damn. Guess we can’t just walk into the bank and ask, can we?”


  “Nope. Did you need anything else?”

  Zach was about to shake his head when he remembered something. “About the guy I asked you to check up on for me. Have you done that already?”

  Wade grinned and patted his jacket pocket, then pulled a piece of paper from it. “Nothing easier than that. Here’s the address. Do you need anything else?”

  Zach took the piece of paper. “That’s all. Thanks again, Wade.”

  “No problem.” For a moment, he seemed to hesitate, then he came out with it. “The guys wanted to know whether you’re really trying to seduce the SEC agent.”

  “Do you really think I’m that stupid?” The denial rolled off his lips as smoothly as water.

  Slowly Wade nodded. “Well, that’s good then.”

  Before Wade could discover his lie, Zach turned around to leave. “Gotta go. See ya.”

  Then he rushed outside. He hated having to lie to his friends, but they wouldn’t understand him when it came to Rochelle. They couldn’t know how she got under his skin and how it was impossible to resist her. They would call him an idiot and rightly so, but that didn’t change the fact that he was falling for Rochelle, falling hard and fast.

  ~ ~ ~

  Two days had passed since his walk with Rochelle in the East Village and she still hadn’t given him an answer. Zach hadn’t imagined that waiting would be this torturous, but with each hour that passed, he grew more impatient.

  Frustrated Zach marched through the entrance hall of his office building and headed for the elevators. Several employees squeezed into the already full elevator. He stepped back.

  “I’ll wait for the next one.”

  A young woman he knew from the accounting department rolled her eyes. “You’re gonna have to wait a while, Mr. Ivers. All the other elevators are out of order.” She motioned to him encouragingly. “There’s still space for one more.”

  He nodded and squeezed inside. “Thank you.” It was tight, but at the next stop, several people exited. Two more stops, and the elevator was practically empty.

  Zach turned around to see who else was riding farther up.

  Rochelle stood in the corner. Their eyes met. When the elevator doors closed a moment later, they were alone.

  “I didn’t see you there,” he started.

  Her embarrassed smile confirmed that she’d hoped that it would remain that way. Clearly, she wasn’t prepared to talk to him.

  “Hi, Zach.”

  Her soft voice made him approach. “I missed you.”

  Her tongue swept over her lips, moistening them. “You shouldn’t say that.”

  “But it’s the truth.” He braced himself against the wall, one hand next to her head. “Don’t you have anything to say to me?”

  Her eyes darted to the doors, as if she was expecting somebody to enter. “Zach, it’s not that easy.”

  Slowly, he moved his head from side to side. “You have feelings for me. You can’t deny that.”

  “It’s more complicated than you make it sound. You can’t imagine. My job, my brother—”

  He leaned in. “We’ll be careful. We won’t be seen in public. My penthouse will grant us the privacy we need. The doorman is discretion personified. Nobody is ever going to find out that we’re in a relationship.”

  “A relationship?” she croaked, visibly surprised.

  “Yes, a relationship. Did you really think I only wanted sex?” He shook his head and roamed his eyes over her tempting body. “Not that I’m objecting to sex with you at all.”

  Her chest rose on a deep breath. “People will notice.”

  “If you come to my place tonight after work, I promise you I’ll treat you so cold and indifferent in public that everybody will think I can’t stand you.”

  “I can’t just come to your place and—”

  “Do you really want me to behave like a lovesick puppy in the office?”

  “That’s not fair.”

  “Rochelle, life isn’t fair. To deny each other what we really want isn’t fair.” He shoved a hand through his hair. “Come to me tonight. I want to hold you in my arms. I want to feel you. It’s going to be just you and I. Nobody will see you. Nobody will ever find out.” He brought his mouth close to her ear. “I want to make love to you. I want to feel you shudder in my arms.”

  “Zach…”

  “Say yes.” He pulled her earlobe between his lips and sucked on it.

  A moan issued from her mouth. “Yes.”

  19

  She was probably in the process of making the biggest mistake in her life, but she couldn’t change that now. In front of her the elevator doors opened on the top floor, where Zach’s penthouse was located. It was already nine o’clock in the evening. She had hesitated for a long time, contemplating her decision, but in the end she’d called a taxi and headed for Zach’s place.

  One thing had helped her make up her mind: during a long meeting with her colleagues, they’d come to the conclusion that they didn’t have any evidence supporting the allegation that Zach had committed insider trading. Therefore, they had no choice but to close the case. Continuing this futile undertaking would be a waste of time. Antonio had been the one who’d first made the suggestion, and he was normally somebody who didn’t give up easily. But even he had to admit that there was nothing to find. This had strengthened her resolve in believing Zach’s assertion that he was innocent. Closing the case now was only a formality.

  Her boss wouldn’t be pleased, that was certain. She was already bracing herself for the consequences. But if her career was going down the drain, then didn’t she at least deserve something pleasant waiting for her on the horizon? At least that was how she’d justified her decision to come to see Zach tonight.

  She took a deep breath of air and exited the elevator, stepping into the luxurious foyer. The door to the only apartment on this floor was already opening.

  Zach appeared, a welcoming smile on his lips. “You came.” As if he couldn’t believe it, he ran his eyes over her.

  The sound of her high heels echoed on the marble floor when she approached him. He reached for her, taking her hands and pulling her to him.

  “You really came.”

  His eyes beamed like beacons, and she knew then that she’d made the right decision.

  “I want you,” she admitted.

  “I want you, too.”

  He took a few steps back into the apartment and she followed. The door closed behind her. She didn’t even get a chance to look around when Zach pulled her into his arms and put his mouth to hers.

  His kiss was hungry as if he couldn’t wait another second. Infected by his impetuous behavior she threw her arms around him and molded herself to him. Through the thin fabric of her summer dress she felt his muscular body pressed against her. Just as fast as he’d kissed her, he pulled his head back, releasing her lips.

  He breathed hard and grinned. “Maybe I should ask you in first and not maul you right here in the hallway. Where are my manners?”

  Rochelle had to smile. “Are you planning on playing hard to get now?”

  He winked at her. “No woman has ever accused me of that.”

  He took her hand and led her around the corner, stepping into a large living area. The sight nearly robbed her of her breath. Floor-to-ceiling windows offering a stunning view of the Manhattan skyline surrounded the elegant living space with a massive dark leather sectional. The sun was about to set and reflected off the windows of the skyscrapers in gold and red tones.

  She felt Zach behind her. He slid one arm around her waist and pulled her back against his chest, while he pushed her hair to the side and off her neck. His hot breath caressed her nape and his warm lips touched her heated skin.

  “I’ve ordered dinner in.” His hand, which lay on her waist, slid lower and sent a bolt of lust through her body.

  “Dinner?” She rubbed her backside against his groin, feeling the hard outline of his erection there. “Are you sure you’ll last through dinner?”r />
  He laughed softly. “Probably not.” Gently he stroked down over her belly until his hand cupped her sex. Despite the dress she wore, she felt his touch as intensely as if his fingers were touching her naked skin.

  “Then maybe we should eat later.”

  “Good idea.” He turned her to him and took her hand. “I’m a really bad host. Why don’t I give you a tour of my place first?” He led her to another hallway. “Let’s start with the bedroom.”

  She felt her knees wobble, while they were walking to the end of the corridor, where he opened a door and ushered her inside. The blinds in Zach’s bedroom were drawn halfway, though she could still see the city beyond. But it wasn’t darker here than in his living room, because dozens of candles lit the room and bathed it in a soft glow.

  “Zach…” She turned to him. Had he done this for her?

  He brushed his knuckles over her cheek. “I want you to feel at home here tonight.”

  Rochelle put her arms around his neck and pressed herself to him. “Don’t tell me you’re a romantic.”

  “I? Of course not.” His hands were suddenly on her behind and he drew her to him possessively. “But I’d do anything tonight to get you in the right mood. Because if you’re not in my arms soon, naked and panting, I’m going to go mad.”

  “Well, we don’t want that to happen, do we?” She pulled free from his embrace and turned her back to him, because like him, she couldn’t wait any longer. “Will you help me undress?”

  With skillful fingers he opened her zipper and freed her of her dress. When she turned, wearing only her panties and bra, the heated look in his eyes didn’t escape her. She was about to step out of her high heels when he stopped her.

  “Leave them on.”

  She smiled and went to work on his shirt. He helped her, and moments later she pushed the garment over his shoulders and exposed his tanned chest. Then she opened the button of his black pants and pulled the zipper down. She immediately saw that he was going commando. Her gaze lifted to his face.