His to Possess

by Opal Carew

  “We should be going.” He opened the door and gestured for her to precede him out.

  * * *

  Jessica’s heartbeat matched the blinking of the floors as the elevator carried her and Rafe up to the executive offices. The elevator doors opened and Rafe stepped out ahead of her.

  “Rafe. Good morning.” Melanie’s eyes lit up at the sight of him.

  “Good morning, Melanie. When Mr. Genese gets here, tell him to come right in.”

  “Of course.” Then Melanie saw her. “Jessica.” Her smile faded and her eyes lost their light.

  Arriving at the same time had been a really stupid idea. Had Rafe thought of that when he’d suggested she come in a little later? No one would have thought anything of that given she’d just returned from Chicago.

  Rafe had glanced at them before entering his office and noticed her expression. He smiled. “Don’t worry, Jess. Melanie knows all about us. I told her our history.”

  Her gaze shot to Melanie and she didn’t know if she imagined the accusation in her eyes or not. Her fingers found the worry stone in her pocket and stroked the smooth surface.

  She wanted to take Melanie aside so she could talk to her. She didn’t want to lose her friendship. She had to make this right somehow.

  “Jess, since Dane is still out of town, why don’t you join me in the meeting. You can take notes and update him when he gets back.”

  “Of course, Mr. Ranier.”

  He grinned. “You are not going to call me Mr. Ranier. Melanie calls me by my first name. You should, too.”

  “Yes … Rafe.” It didn’t even occur to her to call him Storm, since that’s not who this man was.

  But the name Rafe did not roll off her tongue and it must have sounded awkward to him. He glanced at her sharply and his gaze locked on her. Then he frowned.

  She quickly strode to her office and put away her things, then grabbed her notepad and pen. She glanced up to see Melanie standing at her door.

  “Here’s the file for the meeting.” Her expression was cool and her voice emotionless.

  “Thanks, Melanie.” She stepped across the room and took the file. “Look, I—”

  “You should get in there. He’s waiting for you.”

  Jessica pursed her lips and nodded.

  * * *

  Rafe’s style at the meeting was different than Dane’s. He was warmer, a little friendlier, and asked more questions, as opposed to Dane’s no-nonsense, move-it-along style but, like his brother, he was exceedingly confident and very much in control.

  After the meeting, he told her she’d done a great job, even though all she’d done was stay out of the way and take notes. After that, she’d left his office to leave him to his work.

  She went back to her own office and dropped off her notebook, then walked to Melanie’s desk.

  “Melanie, here’s the folder back.”

  Melanie was Rafe’s secretary and would file it for him. Melanie just nodded and continued typing.

  Jessica drew in a deep breath. “Can we get coffee together? I’d really like to talk.”

  Melanie’s fingers stopped moving and her gaze turned to Jessica. Sparks of anger danced in her eyes.

  “Melanie, you’re my friend and I want it to stay that way. Please, can we talk about this?”

  Melanie shrugged, then nodded. “I guess I could use a cup of coffee.” She grabbed the phone and called for someone to take over answering her incoming calls, then she retrieved her purse from her desk drawer and stood up.

  As they got on the elevator, Melanie said, “It’s a nice day. Why don’t we go down to the courtyard?”

  A few minutes later, they stepped out the lobby door into the warm morning air and picked up a coffee at the coffee shop on the corner, then went down the steps to the courtyard next to the building and sat on one of the benches overlooking the large pots of brightly colored flowers.

  Jessica turned to Melanie. “I’m really sorry things turned out like this. What did Rafe tell you about us?”

  Melanie shrugged. “That he met you in Bakersfield. So I know he’s your ex.” She caught Jessica’s gaze. “He’s the man who broke your heart.”

  “That’s true. And now he’s back.”

  “And you slept with him last night.” At Jessica’s guilty expression, Melanie continued. “I made the arrangements for your trip home and I knew Rafe decided to pick you up. Then you didn’t come back to the apartment last night and you both show up here together.”

  “Melanie, I know you have feelings for him. I would never have gotten involved with him in the first place if—”

  “I know.” Melanie stared at the coffee cup in her hand. “You were involved with him long before you met me. I get it. I’m sorry, it’s just hard, that’s all. You’re one of my best friends and you’re sleeping with the man I’ve wanted for such a long time. It just doesn’t seem fair.” She tipped her head sideways. “You do remember the part about him breaking your heart, right?”

  Jessica’s lips compressed. “How could I forget?”

  Then, to her surprise, Melanie smiled.

  “You know what’s really not fair?”

  “What?” Jessica asked.

  “That you have not only one, but two Ranier men who want you. I’d kill for just Rafe. So what about Mr. Ranier? I mean Dane?”

  Jessica sighed. “It’s pretty clear he wants it to end between us. He doesn’t want to do anything to ruin his relationship with his brother.”

  Melanie nodded. “He has missed Rafe. He’s changing the business in ways that Rafe had suggested in the past.” She toyed with the lid on her coffee cup. “So are you going back to Rafe?”

  Jessica sucked in a breath, debating whether she should tell Melanie about yesterday. Then she decided secrets would only be a threat to their friendship.

  “Actually, Rafe proposed to me.”

  Melanie’s fingers tightened on her cup. “Oh. I see.” She glanced at Jessica’s left hand. “Are you holding off on wearing the ring until you have a chance to talk to Dane?”

  Jessica shook her head. “I didn’t accept.”

  Her friend’s eyes widened. “What? Are you crazy? How could you possibly turn down Rafe? He’s handsome, kind, sexy, rich, and … did I mention sexy?”

  Jessica grinned. “So now you’re trying to talk me into marrying him? I thought you wanted him for yourself.”

  “Yeah, that would be nice. But let’s face it, he’s my boss and it’s obvious he just doesn’t see me that way. I’m not going to cross the line and embarrass myself and risk my job for a guy who doesn’t even notice me. It’s different for you. You met him before you started working for this company. Same with Mr. Ranier. Although I admit I don’t really get what you’re doing with Mr. Ranier. The just physical thing, I mean. But you lived with Rafe. You’re in love with him.”

  “Yeah, I’m in love with him,” Jessica echoed.

  “You don’t sound very convincing.”

  “I know. I’m just … confused. Rafe is not the same as Storm. Storm was a free-spirited guy who played guitar for a local rock band. Rafe is a suave, rich business tycoon.”

  “But he’s still the same guy.”

  Jessica sipped her coffee. “I’m not sure that’s true. Even if it is, I’ll have to get used to the differences. Get to know him all over again.”

  Melanie covered Jessica’s hand with hers. “Whatever those differences are, it’s worth getting past them. Rafe is a wonderful guy. Don’t let him slip away.”

  Jessica shook her head. “How do you do that? Here I am, with the man you want, but you’re taking it all in stride and actually trying to talk me into marrying him.”

  Melanie bit her lip. “I’d be lying if I told you I wasn’t jealous. But it’s clear that he doesn’t want me, and,”—she gazed at Jessica—“when Rafe told me about the two of you … when he looked at me with those gorgeous blue eyes of his while he talked about what the two of you had … I could see he’s in love
with you.” She sighed, her green eyes turning misty. “I just want to see him happy.” She patted Jessica’s hand. “You, too.”

  Jessica squeezed Melanie’s fingers. “You’re a good friend, Melanie. To me, and to Rafe. Thank you.”

  Melanie nodded. “Sure. Now, tell me about the ring. Was it gorgeous?”

  Jessica smiled. “I have to admit, it was stunning. It was the shape of a moth outlined in diamonds.”

  “Oh, my God, that man is so romantic.”

  * * *

  That evening, Jessica turned Rafe down when he asked her to join him for dinner, telling him she needed a little space. She needed him not to rush her. Even when Melanie invited her to go out with friends, she declined. A quiet Friday night at home was just what she needed.

  As she sat relaxing on the couch, watching an old sitcom on TV, the phone rang and she picked it up.

  “Jessica, it’s Dane. Can you meet me for a drink?”

  Her heart thumped loudly. She knew he’d had meetings all day today in Chicago. He must have just returned from the airport.

  She didn’t want to deal with this right now, but how could she turn down her boss?

  “Um … It’s getting late. By the time I get a cab and—”

  “I’m downstairs in the limo.”

  Damn.

  “I’m not really dressed to go out.”

  “I’m sure you look fine. Jessica, I really need to talk to you.”

  She sighed. “Fine.”

  But it just didn’t seem appropriate meeting a man who was in an expensive suit and riding in a limo while she was wearing jeans and a T-shirt. He might call the shots in the office, but this was her decision.

  “But if I’m meeting you, then I’m changing first.”

  “Fine. Whatever you want. I’ll wait.”

  She hung up the phone and headed to her bedroom, marveling that a powerful man like Mr. Dane Ranier had acquiesced to her demand, however small.

  A few moments later, she rode the elevator downstairs, wearing a simple black dress with high heels and a gold locket around her neck. She’d pulled on a light black sweater for warmth, since the spring evenings were still cool.

  As she walked out onto the street, the first thing she saw was the long black limousine parked in front of her building. Dane stood beside it, looking devastatingly handsome in his usual tailored suit, this one a light gray.

  “Jessica. There you are.” He opened the door and she climbed into the car. He settled in beside her.

  The warmth of his body next to hers, and his strong, dominating presence, threw her off balance. Even though she’d slept with his brother less than twenty-four hours before, she could easily fall into Dane’s arms and have hot, sweaty sex with him right now. Her attraction to the man was just that strong.

  “How was your flight from Chicago?” she asked, hoping mundane conversation would keep her urges at bay.

  “Fine,” he said curtly.

  She frowned, wondering if he was angry at her.

  A dismal thought occurred to her. Could he be taking her out to fire her?

  Certainly having her in the office under the current circumstances would make things awkward, but … she really didn’t want to lose this job.

  She could understand why he’d want to be rid of her, though. Her being around was putting a strain on his relationship with his brother. And after the last night she and Dane had spent together, things would be awkward between them, too.

  “Are you going to fire me?” she asked, her fingers stroking the smooth stone in her sweater pocket.

  His eyebrows rose. “Of course not. Why would you think that?”

  She pursed her lips. “Well, you don’t seem very happy with me. You sent me home in the middle of the business trip. And having me around now that your brother’s back isn’t really conducive to a comfortable work environment.” Not only for Dane, but for Rafe, and Melanie, too. “And,”—she stared at her hands—“you seemed pretty uncomfortable around me after what happened between us in Chicago.”

  “And what do you believe happened in Chicago?”

  Her gaze darted to his. “You tell me.”

  She believed he’d shown real feelings for her, and she definitely felt something deeper for him. Maybe even … love. But she’d be damned if she’d admit that first.

  But his stony gaze told her nothing.

  The limo pulled up to the entrance of the Ritz-Carlton and stopped in front of the door.

  “Shall I leave the luggage with the concierge, Mr. Ranier?” asked the driver, “or send it up now?”

  “The concierge. I’ll call for it later.”

  A doorman hurried forward and opened the car door for her. She stepped out of the vehicle, followed by Dane.

  “Good evening, Mr. Ranier,” the doorman said.

  “Good evening, Andre.”

  Andre opened the door for them and she stepped into a large lobby of glass and marble with a large red carpet over a dark tile floor, tall plants and a sitting area with off-white leather furniture. Dane led her to an elevator and they stepped inside.

  “Why are you having your luggage sent in?” she asked. “Aren’t you going home?”

  “This is home. The Ritz-Carlton offers private residences as well as hotel rooms. I find it convenient.”

  “I guess you don’t have to worry about hiring staff to cook and clean.”

  “True,” he said as the elevator doors opened.

  They walked down a hallway and he stopped at the first wooden door, then unlocked it. She stepped into a large apartment, easily bigger than Rafe’s generously sized place. She could see the lights of the city beyond the large, wall-to-wall windows.

  “This way.” He gestured toward a couch and chairs overlooking the view.

  She sat down in an easy chair, facing the couch.

  “I called ahead to have a pitcher of white wine sangria sent up. If there’s something else you’d rather have, I can call down for it.”

  “No, that will be fine, thanks.”

  He walked to a table along the wall where a frosty pitcher and two tall stemmed glasses stood. He filled them both, then handed her one and sat down on the couch.

  “We were talking about what happened in Chicago.” He sipped his drink then set it on the oval glass coffee table in front of them.

  “Yes, we were.” She sat, tight-lipped, waiting for his next move.

  “Jessica, I’m sorry I sent you home early. As soon as I did it, I regretted it.”

  Her eyebrows arched. “Why?”

  “Because I missed you. Because I wanted you with me.” He sighed and locked gazes with her. “Because something special did happen that night, and it scared the hell out of me. Even if I hadn’t found out Rafe was the man you’d fallen in love with, it would have been difficult. You’ve said all along that all you wanted was a physical relationship. And I agreed to that. But with Rafe in the picture…” He shrugged. “I didn’t want a woman to come between us again. So I sent you back, knowing I was sending you back to Rafe.”

  She gripped her glass tightly. She’d already figured all this out and she was sure this wasn’t the only reason Dane had called her tonight, so where was this going? Did he simply want to make it official that they would no longer be lovers?

  “But after you left,” he continued, “I realized that as much as I value my brother’s happiness…” He gazed at her, his expression solemn. “Mine is important, too.”

  Her chest tightened.

  “So I need to ask you a question.”

  She stared at him, breath held.

  “Are you in love with Rafe?”

  She put down her drink and stood up, then paced across the room. “That’s not an easy question to answer.”

  “It should be.”

  She glanced toward him. “I loved Storm.”

  “Storm and Rafe are the same person.”

  “That’s not exactly true. As Storm, he was this free-and-easy guitar player with tat
toos and a motorcycle, but now he wears a business suit and helps run a major corporation. I feel like the man I was in love with didn’t actually exist, and I’m still struggling to make sense of this new version of him and trying to make it fit with everything I thought I knew.”

  “I’m sure you’ll adjust to the change. He can still play the guitar, and I’m sure his tattoos haven’t gone anywhere.” He stood up and stepped toward her. “You know, you’re just kidding yourself if you think the difference in lifestyle makes him a different person. Rafe has always been free and easy. At least, as much as our father would allow. That’s why he broke away from all this.” He glanced around the room. “In his heart, I’m certain that he’s the exact same person you came to know as Storm. In fact, you probably got to know the real Rafe better than anyone ever has because with you he was being who he truly wanted to be.”

  “So you’re saying that if I don’t love him as Rafe, I never really loved him as Storm.”

  He shrugged. “I can’t know that. Maybe you do love him, but you’re still running scared. He walked out on you once, maybe he’ll do it again. You don’t want to be hurt. That’s why you insisted things be only physical between us. I understood that.”

  Oh, God. She didn’t know how she felt about Rafe, but if she told Dane that, he might pursue her. A part of her was over the moon about that, but another part was scared stiff. She didn’t know what she felt. For either man.

  “Rafe proposed,” she blurted.

  His gaze darted to her left hand. “Did you accept?”

  She folded her hands together, conscious of her naked ring finger. “No.” At his smile, she added quickly, “He sprang it on me too fast. I need time to get used to the idea. I need time to—”

  But he had closed the distance between them and pulled her into his arms. Her words were stopped by his tongue sliding into her mouth. Then his arms tightened around her and his lips moved on hers with passionate persuasion until she melted against him.

  At the sound of the door opening and closing, she jerked back, her gaze darting to the intruder.

  “Rafe, what the hell are you doing here?” Dane demanded.

  Frowning, Rafe stepped toward them, his gaze shifting from her heated cheeks to Dane’s intense gaze.