That Night with the CEO

by Karen Booth

  In the moments when Melanie had been able to see past the obstacles between herself and Adam, their chemistry was more real than anything she’d dreamed possible. The rest of the time, even when they were at odds, she’d been unable to deny his pull on her. She’d only learned to pretend it wasn’t there.

  She couldn’t pretend anymore. She couldn’t let him go. That would mean giving in to circumstances, and she didn’t do that. She fought her way out of everything. She fought to survive after Josh left, but she’d never fought for him. He didn’t deserve that much. But Adam wasn’t Josh. Adam valued her drive and determination. He was caring and thoughtful. He wanted to see her succeed. More than that, he could set her on fire with a single look, and no other man had that effect on her. Adam was worth fighting for, even if he might say that she’d hurt him too many times. She would fight for the man she couldn’t allow to walk away. It was time to start listening to her heart again.

  Melanie tapped out a text to Adam.

  Can we talk before the party? In person. Alone.

  Her pulse thumped wildly in her throat. Everything she wanted to say was bottled up inside her. She merely had to let it out. But was she too late?

  The instant she sent the message, her phone rang, Adam popping up on caller ID. “That was quick,” she muttered to herself. “Hey. I just sent you a text.”

  “It just came through,” he said. “That’s funny.”

  Her heart thundered. “Funny?”

  “The timing. I’m standing outside your building. Can you buzz me up? The intercom isn’t working.”

  Outside my building? But why? Panic coursed through her. Her apartment was a mess and her room looked as if a tornado had leveled a department store—dresses and shoes everywhere. “I’m not even dressed.”

  “Doesn’t matter. I need to talk to you.”

  With no time for straightening up or putting on clothes, much less thinking, she rushed out of her bedroom, pressed the buzzer, unlatched the chain and opened her door.

  She stepped out into the hall and watched as he ascended the stairs. He made it nearly impossible to breathe. He was temptation on two legs, in a perfect-fitting suit and five o’clock shadow. Deliberating over whether the front or the back was his best side had been so stupid. The sum total of Adam was the best. “Is something wrong?”

  “You might say that. I’m sorry I didn’t call. I was worried you might not let me come over.” He stood inches away, still making her feel as if she couldn’t breathe. “I love the dress. Not quite what I pictured, but I appreciate the cleavage.”

  Melanie looked down. Her silk robe gaped in the front. Heat flooded her face, and she quickly covered up, inviting him in. “What’s wrong? Is there a problem with tonight?”

  “I could ask you the same thing. Why did you need to talk to me before the party?”

  Now that she was confronted with him—his endlessly magnetic being—it was difficult to start. She only knew that she had to. “I saw the photo in the paper. I don’t care if Julia spent the night at your apartment. I don’t believe that you want to be with her.”

  He nodded carefully, killing her with every second of silence. “I’m glad you finally believe me. I came over to tell you that she won’t be at the gala tonight.”

  Wait. Her brain sputtered. Was this just about work? “What?”

  “Don’t freak out. I know you’ve worked hard on the party, but I couldn’t pretend anymore. That was the reason for the photos of her outside my apartment. Her publicist is fabricating a breakup, at my request. I had to put an end to it now. Not just for my sake. For your sake, too.”

  Was this him just being fed up with the charade? Or was there more? “I broke my date with the doctor. It wasn’t right to take him.”

  “And why is that exactly?”

  She held her breath, a deluge of thoughts crowding her consciousness. He deserved to know how she felt, the mile-long list of reasons she needed him. “Because I’m in love with you. And I don’t want to be with some other man, even for a minute. I don’t want to watch you walk away tonight.” She erased the physical divide between them with a few steps. Just feeling the rhythm of his breaths calmed her, even when she wasn’t sure how he felt about what she was saying. The expression on his face was one of shock, but was it horror? “You’re my only thought before I go to sleep. You’re the first thing I think about when I wake up. When something happens in my day, good or bad, I have this undeniable urge to call you and tell you about it. The only reason I don’t do it is because of my job. But I need more than my career. I need you.” Their eyes connected and she saw her first sign that he might be on board—he smiled.

  “You do?”

  “I do. And you were right. I let everything that happened with my ex turn me into somebody who doesn’t allow herself to feel. I don’t want to be that person anymore. It’s making me miserable.”

  “I hate the thought of you unhappy.” He nodded, taking her hand and rubbing it with his thumb. “I had to talk to you before the party because I didn’t want you to disappear tonight like Cinderella. I had to see the look on your face when I finally said I love you.” He shook his head in admonishment, but he was fighting a smile. “Of course you had to beat me to it.”

  Melanie’s heart back-flipped, making her pulse kick into hyperdrive. “I’m sorry. It’s just that I’ve hurt you so many times, I thought you deserved the truth, even when I wasn’t sure what you’d say.”

  He cracked his half smile, the one that made her feel as if her heart was an ice-cream cone in the summer sun. He reached for her other hand. “I love you and I want to be with you, but I need to know that you’re in this for real, for the long haul. I can’t handle it if you get skittish and run off again.”

  A single tear rolled down her cheek. The man who’d once had a revolving cast of women wanted to know if she was capable of sticking around. “I only ever ran because I was scared of how badly it would hurt if it didn’t work. I’m not scared anymore.”

  “I mean it, Melanie. The long haul.” He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small, navy blue box. “I want you to be my wife. I want to spend my life with you.”

  Melanie’s hand flew to her mouth. She knew that box—it was from Harry Winston. She gasped when he opened it and revealed a stunning emerald-cut platinum engagement ring. She was almost scared to touch it, worried it might disappear—she’d only dared to fantasize about a moment like this with Adam. She’d never dreamed it might actually be true. “It’s so beautiful.”

  “Do you want to try it on?”

  She nodded eagerly.

  He plucked it from the box and slid it onto her finger. The diamond sparkled like an entire constellation.

  “Oh my God, Adam. I love it. But how’d you get a Harry Winston ring so quickly?”

  “I made it worth their while to tend to my needs. And I believe there’s a bigger question on the table at the moment.”

  She stopped staring at her hand, instead looking into the face she hoped she could wake up to every morning, forever. “You want to get married?”

  “I figured that a signed document was the way to go with you.” He grinned from ear to ear. “I’m hedging my bets here.”

  A breathy laugh escaped her. Was this really happening? Her entire future had done a one-eighty in a matter of minutes. “I never want to let you go. I want nothing more than to be your wife.”

  He tugged her to him possessively. “Come here.” He wrapped one arm firmly around her waist, swept her bangs from her forehead with his free hand. “I can’t believe you said yes to something. No argument or negotiation or anything.”

  She loved it when he took charge, held her in a way that said she was his. “Not just a little something either. A big something.”

  He cupped the side of her face, rubbed her jaw with hi
s thumb, sending goose bumps across her chest, over her shoulders and down her arms. Then he kissed her—soft and heavenly, practically begging for her to lean into him. She threaded her arms inside his jacket, craving his warmth and touch. Every second of holding on to this incredible man washed away the misery of the past year. Adam was hers.

  * * *

  Now that Melanie was his, kissing her, having her in his arms, was so much more satisfying than Adam could’ve imagined. Pulled against his body, her heat radiated into him, spiking his body temperature. The suit wasn’t helping. Her mouth was sweet, her tongue swirling in a deliciously naughty way, every second of it driving him insane. She was at least partially undressed beneath her robe. He’d seen the gorgeous swell of her breasts when he’d arrived at her door.

  He pulled the tie at her waist, unwrapping the most precious gift he’d ever have, pushing the silky fabric from her shoulders to the floor. His hands slid down her back, cupping and squeezing the velvety skin of her bottom. No panties. Perfect.

  Melanie laughed, her lips vibrating against his. It was so damned sexy. “Adam, honey, there’s no time. We’re supposed to be at the party by six thirty.”

  Her arms weren’t merely buried inside his jacket. She’d dipped one of her hands below the waistband of his pants. It only made him that much more determined to have her, body and soul. Now.

  “There’s no way that you say you’ll marry me and I don’t take off your clothes and make you lose all sense of direction.” He nuzzled her neck, taking in her intoxicatingly sweet fragrance.

  “My hair. My makeup.”

  “I’ve seen your bed head. It’s perfect.”

  She scoffed, but the look on her face, the flush of pure pink blanketing her cheeks, said she wanted him as badly as he wanted her. “I still need to figure out what I’m wearing. We have like twenty minutes. Tops.”

  “I’m at my best under pressure.”

  She reached down and palmed the front of his trousers, biting her lip. “So I feel.”

  He growled into her ear, nipped at her lobe. Her touch made him feel as if he might not last twenty seconds if he wasn’t careful. The lower half of his body was buzzing with the prospect of claiming her. “Either we do it in the hall, or you take me back to your bedroom.”

  She grabbed his hand and rushed down the corridor. He loved watching her move like that—feminine curves in hurried motion. Even better, he eyed her beautiful bottom as he removed his jacket, tie and shirt while she gathered a pile of clothes from her bed and tossed them onto a chair. He stepped behind her as she threw back the quilt. She turned. Her bare breasts brushed his chest.

  “Pants. You’re still wearing pants.” Melanie unbuckled his belt, unbuttoned his trousers. “Be careful. There’s no time for ironing.”

  He fished the condom from his pocket, handed it to her and slung his pants over the footboard of her bed. He stepped out of his boxers.

  Melanie raised an eyebrow and perched on the bed as she tore open the foil pouch. “Do you always walk around with a condom?”

  “I brought a ring, Buttermilk. Of course I brought one.”

  He sucked in a sharp breath when she held him in her slender fingers and rolled on the condom. He kissed her, tasting her sweetness, lowering her down onto the bed. He stretched out next to her, pressing his lips to her shoulder, the graceful contour of her clavicle. Her skin tightened when he flicked her nipple with his tongue. He reached between her legs, moved his fingers in a steady circle at her center. She moaned in appreciation. He dipped lower with his hand, finding her more ready than he could have hoped for.

  “Make love to me, Adam,” she muttered. “I need to feel you.”

  It wasn’t just their schedule that had him eager to oblige. The lusty purr of her voice fueled the blood flow between his legs. He’d never felt so primed.

  He settled between her legs, gazing at her wide blue eyes and sexy smile as he eased inside her. She was impossibly warm, her body responding to his with subtle squeezes. He grappled with the wealth of pleasure—her beauty, the way it felt to be inside her, the fact that they’d finally worked through their problems—it would’ve been so easy to surrender to the physical sensations and close his eyes, but he couldn’t stop looking at her. He’d waited too long.

  She locked her legs around him. He wanted to take his time, but there was so little, and he already sensed that she needed more. She arched her back, lifting her hips to meet him. Her head rolled to the side, her eyes closed. Her supple lips went slack, breaths becoming shallow. He kissed her neck, thrusting deeper, wanting her to know every inch of him. He knew her peak was about to rattle them both—she was already gathering around him in strong, steady pulses. She dug her fingers into his back, her breaths short and fast.

  His entire body was as taut as a rubber band stretched to its limit. Her internal muscles continued to squeeze him, faster now. The instant she let go, he gave in to it, too. Swells of bliss crashed over him—again and again, subtly fading into contentment. He collapsed at her side, breathing heavily. She curled into him and peppered his face with sweet, delicate kisses.

  “That was amazing, but I can’t wait until after the gala when we can just do that all night long,” he said.

  “And don’t forget that tomorrow is Sunday. We don’t have to get dressed at all tomorrow if we don’t want to.”

  He clasped a hand behind her neck and kissed the top of her head. “I love your beautiful brain.”

  “And I love you.”

  Better words had never been spoken. “I love you.”

  Melanie popped up onto her elbow, glancing over her shoulder at the clock. “I hate to say this, but we need to bust a move. The car will be here to pick me up in fifteen minutes.” She pecked him quickly on the lips, then hopped off the bed and began rifling through the clothes she’d dumped on the chair.

  He plucked his boxers from the floor, thinking about what she’d said—her car. His limo and driver were still downstairs waiting. Practicality aside, going to the party separately was ridiculous when he’d had his fill of absurdity over the past few weeks. “You taking a separate car makes no sense.”

  Melanie stepped into a silky black dress while he put on his pants and shirt. “Sure it does. We’ll both be single tonight and when you’re ready, we’ll tell your parents. If you want, we can argue at the party. Just to make it realistic.” She held the top of her dress to her chest, turning her back to him. “Can you help me with this?”

  He tied the bow of her open-back dress. Not knowing what she’d say to the proposal, he hadn’t thought out logistics before he’d come to her apartment. Tonight was going to be difficult enough. He couldn’t stomach the thought of more pretending. “No way. We’re going to the party together. As a couple.”

  Melanie whipped around, her eyes ablaze with their usual panic when she didn’t like one of his ideas. “Adam, no. That’s insane. The entire world is expecting you to get out of a limo with Julia tonight. It’s bad enough that she isn’t going to be there. It’ll be ten times more scandalous if I’m on your arm.”

  “I don’t care.” He buttoned his shirt and tucked it in. “I don’t want to wait anymore. I won’t wait. I love you and you love me, and if that’s not good enough for the rest of the world, then too bad.”

  She stepped into a pair of black heels. God he loved her legs. He couldn’t wait for tonight when they could be wrapped around him again.

  “It’s very easy for you to have a cavalier attitude,” she said, putting on earrings. “Your dad isn’t going to rip your head off first. He’ll rip off mine.”

  Adam shook his head. “I won’t let him do anything of the sort. This is all on me. You held up your end of the deal.”

  “That’s sweet, but you didn’t sign a contract. I did.” She hurried over to the mirror above her bureau and checked her hair, th
en began chucking cosmetics into a small black handbag.

  He came up behind her and clutched her shoulders, making eye contact with her in the mirror. This was the first time he’d seen them together, as a couple. It was all he ever needed to see. “Enough pretending and worrying about what everyone else thinks. It all ends tonight.”

  Eighteen

  Melanie had done some daring things in her life, but this might top them all. On what was possibly the biggest night of either of their careers, she and Adam were about to out themselves as a couple in front of the media and his family. Daring or not, love made it seem like a perfectly acceptable risk.

  A hailstorm of camera flashes broke out the instant Adam’s driver opened the limo door, followed by a deluge of shouting voices.

  “Julia. Adam. Over here.”

  Of course, Melanie wasn’t the woman they were expecting. She followed Adam out of the car, embarrassment threatening to envelop her, but she refused to do anything but hold her head high. Adam had been dead serious about it at her apartment. They’d allowed everyone else’s expectations to get in the way of their love, and there would be no more of that. She could do this. She had to do this if she wanted to be with Adam, and she wanted that more than anything.

  An audible gasp rang out from the crowd as Melanie stepped onto the red carpet. Again, an assault of shouts rang out.

  “Adam. Who are you with?”

  “Where’s Julia?”

  Adam firmly squeezed her hand, reminding her that he was there for her to lean on if needed. She half expected him to rush her up the red carpet and past the press, but he didn’t. He led her ahead several steps and stopped, collected as could be. “Calm down, everybody. I’d like to introduce you all to Melanie Costello. She’s in charge of my public relations.”

  “Where’s Julia?”

  That question had played a central role in Melanie’s imagined worst-case scenario. The camera flashes became sporadic. The roar of the crowd dulled.