Strictly Confidential

by Lynda Aicher

  “You are an amazing woman.” Awe coated his words and matched the love radiating from him. The love she finally accepted without hesitation or fear. “I hope you know that.”

  “Maybe.” She shrugged slightly but tempered it with a smirk as she wrapped her legs around his hips. “But I can be better—we all can,” she added when he started to object. “And—don’t let this go to your head—but I think you’re helping me with that.”

  His small laugh eased some of the tension from his shoulders and loosened the ball of worry knotted in her stomach. He dropped a kiss to her lips, lingering to slide his tongue in before he rested his forehead on hers.

  “I love you, Kennedy.” His declaration pinged at the amazement and fear that vibrated within her, but she wasn’t afraid to hear it now. He’d filled the empty spaces without her knowing, and in doing so, had given her more than she’d thought possible. “Your strength drives me to be better, every damn day.”

  She kept her eyes closed, relishing the glow that built from some place so deep within her she couldn’t define it. But it spread on the growing acceptance of what she’d long denied.

  She wanted to be loved. She wanted the security he offered. She wanted to rely on him as he did her. She wanted a home instead of a house and the complications that came with it. And a part of her even needed him and all he offered.

  Because there were times when she just wanted to be, and he gave her that when no one else ever had.

  “I love you, Matt.” She bit her lip to stop it from trembling. The leap was scary and exhilarating. Her pulse raced, yet her heart was at peace. “So damn much.” She added the last in an attempt to lighten the mood, but she meant it. “You give me things I was afraid to want. It’s you who makes me stronger.”

  His kiss stole her breath and lifted her so high she hoped she never came down. His love poured into her on every swipe of his tongue and mumbled endearment. She took it and gave back all she had.

  This right here, this undefinable connection, had started from the moment they’d met. His first touch. That first command. Her first leap into taking what she’d been afraid to expose. His tenderness after. The way he touched and held her.

  And she wanted more of all of it.

  Heat rose to chase away the last of her chill. The table bit into her tailbone as she leaned back, drawing him with her, his coat providing a barrier from the cold surface.

  “Love me, Matt,” she whispered between kisses. “Just love me.”

  “I do.” He followed his declaration with another long, bone-melting kiss that backed up his words and left her breathless. “I don’t want to stop.” He kissed down her chest, taking a nipple into his mouth. He needled the tip, tugging and pulling until she hovered between too much and more.

  “Don’t stop,” she told him, digging her fingers into his hair. “Don’t ever stop.” She was his, totally his, and she could be that while still being herself. That was the key she’d sought and thought she’d never find.

  “I won’t.” He followed through on that promise with every touch and kiss he rained down on her. The nip on her hip. The hot swipe of his tongue through her pussy. “I won’t.” The gentle brush of his hand down her leg. The bold thrust of his fingers into her.

  “Yes.” Her cry was a confirmation of everything he’d given her. She’d never once, in all the times she’d laid on a boardroom table, felt as alive as this. As complete and whole. She wanted to shout it from the rooftops while holding it close at the same time. “I love you.” She couldn’t stop saying it now that it was free.

  He slid into her on a long sigh that confirmed everything she’d already known. Matt was hers. She’d given herself to him and in return, she’d gotten him back.

  The exchange was one of dreams, yet the reality was even better than any she could’ve imagined. Matt had given her the love she’d craved, but more than that, he’d given her the strength to see in herself what she’d been afraid to accept.

  “I love you,” he whispered, his lips grazing hers. She didn’t doubt him, not anymore, not when she’d finally stopped doubting herself. “You’re mine, Kennedy.”

  She was. In every way, she was his. “And you’re mine,” she told him.

  “I am,” he agreed. “I’m all yours.”

  And she wasn’t letting him go.

  Epilogue

  Matt glanced over his small family room, taking in the haphazard piles of open gifts and discarded wrapping paper. The Christmas tree twinkled in the corner, and a football game played on the TV even though his kids were focused on their phones. His mother sat in a chair, contentedly reading amid the chaos.

  And within all of that was Kennedy, curled into the corner of the couch, a glass of wine in her hand, watching him.

  His heart swelled when he would’ve sworn it couldn’t get any bigger. Her hair was pulled into a messy bun that Dawn had studied when she’d thought no one was watching. Her nod to their PJ day tradition was yoga pants and a sweatshirt. His mother never fully complied either, and he’d upgraded his flannel bottoms to track pants. The kids, however, still embraced the habit that’d started before their mother had left.

  He stepped over a toppled pile of new clothes and took a seat beside Kennedy. “Hey,” he said, leaning into her, grateful she’d agreed to spend the day with them even if she hadn’t spent last night with him. The morning was for his family, she’d told him. He agreed, and he had every intention of her being a part of that family next year.

  “Hey,” she said back, her cheeks flushed, a quiet contentment flowing from her. He wrapped his arm around her, tucking her into his side. Her head found that spot on his shoulder, her sigh spreading into him. She tilted her face up until her lips were by his ear. “You’re sure everyone is okay with this?”

  He made a quick check of the three people who’d been his world before Kennedy. Ben and Dawn smiled at each other in the secret communication he’d translated years ago, not that they knew that. They were happy for him. His mother appeared to be lost in her book, but her smirk told him she was very aware of what was going on around her.

  He turned to Kennedy and whispered, “Yes. How about you?” Even there, on his couch in his home with his family around them, their bond comforted him.

  She glanced around the room before looking back to him. “Yes.” Her smile was soft, the love shining beside her happiness.

  There were days that he still questioned how she’d come into his life, but he wasn’t second-guessing it. Not any of it. “We’re not very excit—”

  “It’s perfect,” she cut him off before he could finish. “Truly.” She rested her head against his shoulder, cuddling in a little more. “My parents still think I’m in the tropics.”

  “Have they tried to contact you?” She’d told him about the fallout with her father and her impromptu vacation. His anger still bubbled when he thought of Ray’s behavior. He’d signed the contract with Keller Pallet after he’d ensured Ray had a clear understanding of his feelings regarding his daughter and Ray’s treatment of her.

  Of all the things that’d happened in that meeting that day, that was the regret that still lingered. He should’ve stood up for her right then. She was so much more than her father saw, and he intended to show her that every chance he had.

  “Sort of,” she answered him. “My mom sent a text this morning. We’re fine.” The lack of emotion in her voice said more than her words.

  He held a kiss to her temple. “I’m glad you’re here.”

  “Me too.”

  Contentment mellowed every worry and concern that tried to thread their way into his thoughts. They still had things to navigate, but Kennedy was a part of their lives now. They’d brought her into their fold. He wasn’t sure if she understood how special that was, but she didn’t need to know for it to be true.

  “I have something for you,” he said a while later. He set her empty glass on the side table with his, stretching his back as he did.

  Her smi
rk held every dirty thought flowing in her head. “I thought you already gave me your gift.” Her words were low and meant just for him, but his kids both snorted their amusement. She ducked her head, her freckles fading behind the blush that crept over them.

  “Hush.” He shot his kids a glare, but his grin dismissed the reprimand. “I have another.” One appropriate for everyone to share in. He’d give her another bite mark tonight, if she let him. He still treaded with caution when it came to their dominant play, wary of going too far. However, he trusted Kennedy to tell him if he did.

  He’d never be able to curb the part that drove him to give her what she needed. He didn’t need to command her, but he would be there to support her.

  He reached under the couch to extract the gift he’d stashed there. “Here.”

  Her smile lit up the room, her blush fading. “What’s this?”

  “Open it and find out.”

  She set the gift down, reaching into her bag beside the couch. She handed him a gift, laughter in her eyes. “Since we’re doing this now.” She stood, pulling three more gifts from her bag until they each had one. He shouldn’t be touched, yet he was. He wasn’t surprised that she’d remembered his family, but he hadn’t expected it either.

  “Oh.” Dawn perked up. “You didn’t have to.”

  “I know.” Kennedy flashed her a smile. “I wanted to.”

  Dawn would appreciate Kennedy’s spunk, and the fact that she wasn’t trying to kiss up as much as be nice.

  “Cool.” Ben flipped his around in a quick external inspection. “Thanks.”

  “You guys go first,” Kennedy said.

  His mother frowned, setting her book aside. “How about we all go at once?”

  Kennedy sat beside him, her relaxed movements the best gift he could’ve received. “Deal.” She shot him a wink before she tore into her gift.

  Her action sparked a flurry of ripping paper and laughter as the others scrambled to uncover the secrets beneath the wrapping. Dawn’s exclamation overshadowed Ben’s steady grin, complete with a head bob.

  “Wow.” Dawn held up the noise-cancelling headphones. “Thank you!”

  “These rock,” Ben said, as he ripped the headphone box open. “You are way cooler than Dad.”

  “Hey!” Matt objected, returning his son’s grin.

  “These look good, Kennedy.” His mother was busy reading the backs of the books she received. “Thank you.”

  “Matt.” The vulnerable tenderness in Kennedy’s voice pulled his attention to her. She was staring at the sign he’d had made. She ran her fingers over the words engraved into the stained wood, her lip tucked between her teeth. Be Bold. Be Brave. Be Strong.

  She looked up, blinking rapidly. “It’s perfect.”

  “It’s everything you already are,” he said, meaning it. She was all those and so much more. “This is just a reminder.”

  She squeezed his hand, swallowing hard. “Thank you.”

  He leaned in to kiss her, unable to hold back. “I love you,” he whispered over her lips. If his family didn’t know that by now, then they were all blind.

  “I love you too.” She kissed him again, before pulling back. She swiped under her eyes, chuckling. “You haven’t opened yours.”

  His heart was so damn full when he slid his finger beneath the tape on his package, teasing her with his diligent removal of the wrapping paper. She didn’t say a word, though, only watched him with anxious eyes.

  He flipped the picture frame around, his heart skipping a beat when he saw the front. The scripted black frame was small, but the single word set in white on a black piece of clay was huge: be. That was it. Just the word be.

  Emotions swelled in his chest and crowded his throat in their quest for freedom. He ran his fingers over the two letters, letting their meaning sink in.

  “I can do that,” he told her, remembering their late-night conversation not long ago. Just be with me.

  She leaned into him, her head coming to rest on his shoulder. “Me too,” she whispered, linking her fingers with his.

  He let the moment settle around him, at peace in ways he’d never allowed himself to contemplate. Kennedy had brought so much to his life when he’d already thought it was full. He planned on being with her for a very long time, but right then, he was more than happy to just be.

  *

  No limits. No refusals. No out. She’d be his—for one night.

  Read on for an excerpt from Signed Over, a Boardroom Memo from Lynda Aicher

  Chapter One

  “Are you sure about this?”

  Jacob Anders studied Bailey with an intense scrutiny she was used to—and so damn tired of. She bit back the sigh that threatened to heave out and returned his appraisal with a steady one of her own.

  “Yes,” she stated, her voice firm. “I’m sure.” About as sure as she could be given the details laid out in the contract before her.

  His lips pressed into a thin line, doubt narrowing his eyes before he released his own deep sigh. He shook his head and shoved a hand through his hair, his shoulders dropping.

  “You.” He pointed a finger at her. “Are going to drive me mad.”

  Victory danced a jig in her chest, but she withheld her joy to an impish smile. “I have no idea why.”

  Yet she did. Her happiness soured beneath the weight of that reality. She held her front, though. Held it strong and solid against the jitters and admonishments slamming around in her head. Admonishments she’d heard from everyone from her parents to her last boyfriend.

  You’re never satisfied. When is it enough? Stop manipulating. Why can’t you just be happy?

  “Yeah, right,” Jacob scoffed, but his scowl lacked bite, just like the tone of his voice. He snatched a pen from his suit pocket and held it poised over the contract.

  Hope swelled to shove the air from Bailey’s lungs. This was it. The next leap in her never-ending cycle of risks was almost a reality. He just had to sign the damn agreement. Her signature was already scrawled and dated on the bottom of the page. She’d skimmed through it the night before to find the key points she’d asked for.

  No limits. No refusals. No out.

  She’d be his, and he could do any sexual thing he wanted to her.

  Anything—for one night.

  Her skin stretched tight with that too-familiar mix of need and fear. Of want and self-ridicule.

  Why did she do this? Push for what others didn’t understand? Shove when most would be happy with what they had? Cajole and manipulate until she got her way—or simply took it?

  Her leg bounced beneath the bar, that insatiable crush of energy escaping in the only available way. Would Jacob notice? Did he really understand what was at stake for her?

  He turned his head, his gaze penetrating her before she had a chance to deflect. She swallowed, anxiety creeping in to twist her stomach. Strength built on that unrelenting quest for more kept her from looking away.

  She straightened in her seat, spine locking into place against the speculation in his eyes. Blue with flashes of gold that lightened and darkened with his moods, Jacob’s eyes were as unique as the man. His classic good looks were enhanced by his easy manner and kindness that appeared open-ended.

  “Why me?”

  His clipped words shot out to nail her with another rush of doubts. He didn’t blink, and she didn’t dare flinch. But what did he want to hear? What would get him to sign the contract?

  She swept her tongue over her lip in a slow pass, the dry texture tugging slightly before she rolled her bottom lip between her teeth. His gaze never lowered, not even a little, through her attempt to distract him. Her heart did a quick flutter as desire flashed hot and fast.

  That right there, that was why him.

  “Because you’ll give me what I want,” she finally answered, her words heavy with the need simmering beneath her skin. His brows hitched up. “And we’re good together,” she tacked on, her smile knowing.

  Their sexual
chemistry had been tested and confirmed in multiple Boardroom scenes in the year since she’d joined the exclusive group. The open, hedonistic sex, conducted in boardrooms, between some of the Bay Area’s most elite men and women, had fed the crazy need that churned within her, but it was back now, pushing for more.

  Something new, daring. Something that would test her.

  Jacob was known for his willingness to grant member requests. Yes, others did—they all did when it meshed with their own desires. But Jacob liked to fulfill the unique ones, and he had a reputation for doing so with compassion and tact.

  Not that she was asking for either of those.

  His lips compressed yet again, sending off another wave of desperation within Bailey. Please. Don’t bail on me. Don’t…give up on me.

  She laid a hand on his arm, her plea silent but unrestrained. In a leap of faith, she let it all show. Every aching need and fear that bombarded her until she couldn’t think, couldn’t…be.

  “I want—No.” She shook her head. “I need this.”

  “Have you done it before?” He tapped his finger on the contract without looking away from her.

  “No.”

  “Then how do you know this is what you need.”

  “I just do.” Could he understand that when few did?

  A silent curse formed on his lips, his nostrils flaring with his quick inhalation. “The risks are—”

  “I trust you,” she implored, cutting him off. “I do.” She squeezed his arm for emphasis, or maybe that was the fear sneaking out once again. “I wouldn’t have asked you if I didn’t. Don’t you see that? I wouldn’t do this with someone I didn’t trust completely.” The truth of that resonated on a clear signal from her head to her heart.

  Jacob would take care of her.

  Her heart contracted around that nugget of security. He was too kind, too conscientious, too good to be horrible to her. Yet he’d push, right? At least she hoped he would. Why would he go through the effort of getting a special contract created and then approved if he wasn’t going to sign it?