His to Possess
Page 22
No, the man in the mirror was Rafe Ranier, an executive who helped run a huge corporation. A man who went to the office everyday, who attended meetings and made important decisions.
He frowned, not liking what he saw. He just wanted to be true to who he was deep inside, instead of being something his father had molded him into. He wanted to like who he was.
Jessica had loved Storm. She was the first person who had loved him exactly as he was. She’d even seen past the rock-star persona, seeing him more clearly than the fans, than his family. Even than himself.
He wanted that. He longed for a woman who knew him and wanted him.
He turned and strode to the door. Ten minutes later he got into the limo that was waiting for him outside the entrance of his apartment building. He checked his e-mail as the limo negotiated the city streets. Finally, it pulled up in front of the office building, and he went inside and headed across the lobby.
“Good morning, Mr. Ranier.” Betty from Accounting smiled at him as he stepped into the elevator.
“Good morning, Betty.”
Several other people stepped inside before the doors closed, then the elevator glided upward. The way people in the company acted around him, respectful and a little nervous, made him uncomfortable.
The doors opened on the executive floor and Rafe stepped out. A stranger sat at Melanie’s desk. She was a lovely young woman with upswept, sandy brown hair and wide, hazel eyes. She smiled pleasantly as he walked by, and bid him a good morning, but he instantly resented her.
He knew he was being unreasonable, but she was sitting at Melanie’s desk. He wanted Melanie to be sitting there. This woman reminded him that Melanie was gone. That she had left because of him. And, damn it, no one would tell him why.
As he walked into his office, his cell buzzed. He sat at his desk and pulled the phone from his pocket and glanced at it.
HEY, STRANGER. STILL IN PHILLY?
DOING A GIG THERE. INTERESTED?
It was from Travis, Jessica’s brother and lead singer of Savage Kiss.
Storm smiled. He would love to play with the band again. He looked up Travis in his contacts list, then called him.
Travis’s familiar voice answered. “Hey, man. What took you so long?”
Storm chuckled as he leaned back in his leather chair. “You texted me all of two seconds ago.”
“So, you made up with my sister yet?”
Fuck. Storm gripped the phone tightly, leaning forward. Even though Travis had tried to play it cool, Storm knew Travis had been upset about Storm walking out on Jess. Storm had never revealed his alter ego to Travis, so he couldn’t tell him he’d done it to avoid hurting her. Of course, he got a big fail on that one.
“No. It turns out she hooked up with another guy.”
He knew Travis would find out eventually that Storm was really Rafe Ranier, a wealthy businessman, but he didn’t want that to happen yet. Travis was his friend—Storm’s friend—and Storm didn’t want things to change between them.
“Too bad. Mom and Dad liked you, though I can’t figure out why,” Travis said.
“Gee, thanks.”
“So what about the gig? You in?”
Storm asked details about where and when, and finally agreed and then disconnected the call. Of course, he’d known all along he would. He practically salivated at the thought of getting back up on stage, even if just for a few days.
“Hi, do you have a minute?”
He glanced up to see Jessica standing in the doorway.
“Sure.”
She came in and sat down. “A lot has happened over the last few days and I just wanted to make sure everything is okay between us. I mean, I know we discussed it, but now that Dane and I are together … I don’t want things to be awkward between us.”
“It’ll be fine.”
“Are you sure? Because Dane and I discussed it, and Dane said he could find a position for me somewhere else in the company, so you and I wouldn’t have to see each other every day.”
He frowned. “Are you having problems being around me?”
He’d already driven Melanie away. Would he be the cause of Jessica leaving her job, too?
She smiled, but sadness haunted her eyes. “No, of course not.”
“Jess, I don’t want you to quit your job. We’ve already lost Melanie.”
She frowned. “Rafe, don’t beat yourself up about that. I told you, it was just time for her to move on.”
“If that was true, Dane wouldn’t have tried to make me think she’d been fired. She wouldn’t have avoided telling me why she wanted to leave.”
Jessica’s lips compressed. “She was just afraid you’d try and talk her into staying.”
“In other words, she didn’t trust that I’d want the best for her.”
She leaned forward and placed her hand on his. “Please, Rafe. Just let it go. She’s found another job and she seems to like it.”
“Where?”
Jessica released his hand and toyed with a pen lying on his desk. “At Verve.”
His eyebrow arched. “She’s working at a coffee shop? Did she get a management position?”
Jessica’s hesitation told him everything.
Why the hell would someone with Melanie’s skill and experience take a minimum-wage job serving coffee?
“Which location is she at?”
Jessica shifted in her chair. “Look, I need to get back to work. Dane needs a report for his three o’clock meeting.”
He pursed his lips. “Okay, but before you go, I just wanted to let you know I heard from Travis. He’s coming to town.”
She smiled brightly. “Yes, he called me last night. The band will be playing here for a few days, then he’s going to visit for a couple of weeks before they continue their tour.”
“You didn’t tell him you and Dane are engaged?”
“No, I didn’t want to tell him on the phone. I thought I’d wait until he gets here and meets Dane, then tell him.”
Storm smiled at the thought of the laid-back Travis meeting no-nonsense Dane. The two were as different as night and day.
“Travis asked me to play with the band.”
She gazed at him, her eyes wide. “What did you say?”
“I said yes.”
“Oh.”
The anxiety in her wide green eyes tore at his heart.
“You don’t think I should play with them?” he asked.
“No, it’s just … does this mean you’re leaving?”
“No, nothing like that. I’m just joining them for the concert in Philadelphia.”
“Oh, good. Dane is so happy to have you back, and I know it would hurt him to lose you again.”
He shook his head. “I already left once. I won’t do that to him again.”
She smiled. “I think your playing with the band again will be good for you. And I’d love for Dane to see how talented you are.”
He wondered what Dane would think, watching his younger brother strutting across the stage, whipping the audience into an exhilarated, screaming frenzy.
“Did I hear someone mention my name?” Dane said as he strode into the office.
“No, sir. We wouldn’t dare talk about you when you aren’t here.” She winked at Rafe as she stood up.
“I didn’t mean to interrupt your talk.” He stepped to her side and kissed her cheek, though Rafe could tell his brother wanted to do far more than that. He could see the desire in his brother’s eyes—not just lust but a deep need. He’d never seen his brother so demonstrative with a woman. So totally captivated.
He clearly loved her.
“I just wanted to let you know I’ll need you to join me in my two o’clock meeting.”
“Yes, sir.” Jessica fell into the role of obedient assistant, showing no hint of the closeness they’d just shared. He watched her follow Dane from the office.
He knew she loved this role and she played it well. Being controlled by Dane turned her on immensely, a
nd just thinking about it made him remember the domination scenario they’d played out the last time they were together. His groin tightened at the memory.
It made him wish he could call Melanie in here, close the door, and then play the role of aggressive boss to submissive secretary. The images playing through his mind, of Melanie stripping off her suit at his command, of her unfastening her bra and revealing her naked breasts, shocked him. He’d never thought of Melanie that way before. Melanie was his secretary and his friend.
He shook away the idea. It was probably just that Jessica and Dane were sending off pheromones.
Or was it more that it was starting to sink in that Melanie was really gone.
And the realization that since she no longer worked here, he would never see her again.
A deep emptiness gnawed at the pit of his stomach. She had been more than a secretary. He had been able to talk to her.
He missed that.
He leaned back in his chair. And damn it, the thought of Melanie working at some minimum-wage job disturbed him.
He didn’t know why she’d left, and Jessica kept telling him to leave it alone, but he didn’t want to.
Maybe he couldn’t figure out his own problems, but somehow he would find a way to put things right. He’d talk to Melanie and see if he could convince her to come back to Ranier Industries where she belonged.
Rafe and Melanie’s story continues in …
HIS TO CLAIM
Coming soon from St. Martin’s Press
Visit www.opalcarew.com for the latest news
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ACCLAIM FOR THE NOVELS OF OPAL CAREW
“Opal Carew is a genius at spinning the most erotic stories by tapping into forbidden fantasies and visiting emotions that literally bring the characters to their knees. A steamy-hot read!”
—Fresh Fiction on Pleasure Bound
“Carew’s book reminds me of a really good box of chocolates that you want to savor, but can’t help eating all up in one sitting because it’s so decadent and yummy. Feast on this one today!”
—Night Owl Romance on Bliss
“This romance is emotional, highly erotic, and most definitely a guaranteed keeper—in other words, it was written by Opal Carew!”
—Reader to Reader on Bliss
“A blazing-hot erotic romp … a must-read for lovers of erotic romance. A fabulously fun and stupendously steamy read for a cold winter’s night. This one’s so hot, you might need to wear oven mitts while you’re reading it!”
—Romance Junkies
“Fresh, exciting, and extremely sexual, with characters you’ll fall in love with. Absolutely fantastic!”
—Fresh Fiction
“Carew pulls off another scorcher.… She knows how to write a love scene that takes her reader to dizzying heights of pleasure.”
—My Romance Story
“Opal Carew brings erotic romance to a whole new level.… She writes a compelling romance and sets your senses on fire with her love scenes!”
—Reader to Reader
About the Author
Opal Carew is the New York Times bestselling author of thirteen previous erotic romances for St. Martin’s Press. To learn more, visit her on the Web at www.opalcarew.com.
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
HIS TO POSSESS. Copyright © 2014 by Opal Carew. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
The following chapters in this book were previously published as individual e-books.
His to Possess #1: The Seduction. Copyright © 2013 by Opal Carew.
His to Possess #2: The Morning After. Copyright © 2013 by Opal Carew.
His to Possess #3: Perfect Storm. Copyright © 2013 by Opal Carew.
His to Possess #4: True Lies. Copyright © 2014 by Opal Carew.
His to Possess #5: Entangled. Copyright © 2014 by Opal Carew.
His to Possess #6: Forever. Copyright © 2014 by Opal Carew.
www.stmartins.com
Cover photograph by Mayer George/Shutterstock.com
The Library of Congress has catalogued the print edition as follows:
Carew, Opal.
His to Possess / Opal Carew. — First edition.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-0-312-67464-9 (trade paperback)
ISBN 978-1-4668-4102-4 (e-book)
1. Erotic fiction. I. Title.
PR9199.4.C367H64 2014
813'.6—dc23
2013048536
e-ISBN 9781466841024
First Edition: March 2014