Dangerous Attraction Romantic Suspense Boxed Set (9 Novels from Bestselling Authors, plus Bonus Christmas Novella from NY Times Bestselling Author Rebecca York)
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“I just want to make sure that David here does not get us into the same mess that he went through when he ran Emperial.”
“With all due respect—” Muller began.
“Calm down, David,” Finnegan’s voice boomed. “Kevan, I know you’re worried, but that whole Emperial / Bostoff Securities mess happened before I knew David, and trust me, I’ve made sure that those snoops over at the Treasury have been muzzled. Nobody is going to mess in David’s affairs now.”
“Very well. The instructions are in this envelope,” said Magee. “David, please review them once you get home.”
“Give it to me,” Finnegan snapped with irritation. “Really, Kevan, what do you think this is, some crazy thriller movie?” There was the sound of paper being torn. “Ah, so we have our winners. Rover Enterprises is to acquire Valley Metals. David, I think you know what to do next. The acquisition decision will be announced Tuesday at noon, so be sure to act before then.”
“You can be sure of that, Cornelius. The payment will be delivered to the accounts that I have previously indicated. Same goes for you, Kevan.”
“Thank you, David,” Magee droned. “I suppose this concludes our meeting.”
“Not before we drink to our success,” said Finnegan.
There was a sound of clinking glasses, and the next thing Janet knew, Dennis’s face was only a few inches away from hers, and then he was kissing her with the same deep passion she remembered from a few hours ago.
“Shouldn’t we listen until it’s over?” she murmured.
“It is over. Besides, it’s all being recorded,” Dennis whispered as his lips travelled up Janet’s neck. “Finnegan should have listened to his friend Magee.” Dennis nibbled Janet’s earlobe. “Now we’ve got them all by their balls.”
“Yes.” Janet barely contained a groan. “We should tell Laskin to run market watch reports on Rover and Valley Metals.”
“I’m already on top of that.” Dennis began to undo the buttons of Janet’s shirt. “We’ll call him tomorrow morning.”
This was hardly erotic talk, but Janet felt a jolt of ecstasy rushing through her. Dennis Walker was in her apartment, about to make love to her, and he was going to stay until the morning. She had wanted this for so long that she thought it would never happen, and now that it was happening she could scarcely believe it was true. There was no need for false modesty. She wanted him right there and now. She had waited long enough, and she was not going to wait a moment longer.
She ran her hands through his hair, traced her fingers across his face and his neck, reaching for the taut, strong muscles of his chest and arms. She tugged at his shirt, helping him pull it over his head and toss it onto the floor. His lips were kissing her lips, her face, and her neck while his hands were caressing her breasts and her hips. He pulled her blouse off and did the same with her pants, leaving her in nothing but her lacey underwear. A smile spread on her lips as she thought of her decision to wear pretty underwear for his arrival. One never knew. Indeed, one never did. The heat in his eyes showed that he appreciated the gesture. He began to kiss her shoulder, tugging at the strap of her bra with his teeth. She arched her back so that he could undo the hook closure on her back. He pulled off her bra, and she gasped as his lips closed over her nipple. His lips switched to her other breast and then followed the outline of her ribs, as he alternated kisses with gentle nibs. Then he moved down to her stomach, and his hands reached for her lacey thong, pulling it off. Her lips parted with anticipation. She wanted him so much it hurt, but he was taking his time, caressing and teasing, his touch growing from tender to passionate and vice versa.
And then he was inside her, making her groan with a pleasure she did not know existed. She wrapped her legs around his waist, clinging to him, heeding the rhythm of his movement.
“My turn to be on top,” she whispered, biting his ear.
“Your wish is my command, my lady.” His strong hands held on to her as their bodies turned in unison.
He was on his back looking up at her, and she was on top of him. She gasped with the intense sensation of the new angle, feeling him pressing against her. She began to rock, slowly at first, eager to savor the pleasure he was bringing her. She caught his glance, wild with ecstasy, torn between the desire to prolong the pleasure or taste the climax. Now it was her turn to tease as she alternated her movements from slow and gentle to fast and intense. As she began to rock faster and harder, his grip on her tightened, and their ecstasy rose even higher and finally cascaded into culmination. She collapsed on top of him, their bodies linked in blissful pleasure.
“Miss Maple, I always knew that you are one tough investigator, but I had no idea that you are such an ace in the sack,” Dennis whispered.
“You’re not so bad yourself,” Janet replied.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“And do you still think that my investigative techniques are unethical?”
Janet bit her tongue. She had been so hard on Dennis, but he had turned out to be right in the end. Thanks to him they now had the evidence they needed to nail Muller, Finnegan and their cronies. Not that case evidence was on her mind at this very moment; in fact, it was the last thing she wanted to talk about at the moment. “Shut up, Walker. Just make love to me instead.”
“Yes, ma’am. With pleasure.”
She was still savoring the pleasure of her last orgasm and had been half-kidding, but he surprised her by being ready again.
This is going to be a very long night, Janet thought. And the best part was that she was not afraid of it ending because there was the morning to look forward to.
Chapter Twenty-six
The first thing Janet thought of when she woke up the next morning was that she had had sex with Dennis Walker. And not just any sex, but hot, wild, steamy, passionate sex. It was almost too good to be true, but Dennis’s face on the pillow next to hers proved that it was true.
She watched him through her lowered eyelashes, not wanting him to wake up. What was going to happen now? Did last night mean as much to Dennis as it did to her, or was he going to just stroll out of her apartment with nothing more than a casual peck on the lips? She did not know, and she was afraid to find out. Instead, she wanted to relish last night’s memory for as long as she could. At least while he was asleep in her bed she could pretend that Dennis Walker was her man.
She noticed Dennis’s eyelashes moving and promptly closed her eyes. “Good morning,” she heard Dennis’s voice.
“You’re awake?”
“I felt you watching me.”
“Did you?” It was useless to pretend. Janet sensed her blush giving her away.
“Yes.” Dennis placed his arm around her. “Last night was wonderful.”
Janet’s heart quickened with delight. “Yes, it was.”
“And you know what the best part is?” Dennis asked.
“What?”
“We’ve got the whole Sunday to repeat it.”
Janet was too happy to speak.
“Unless you have other plans, of course.”
“Your plan suits me just fine.” Janet ran her hand across Dennis’s chiseled chest. “Now, where did we leave off?”
“I think I remember.” Dennis wrapped his arms around her and rolled on top of her. “Yes, I think this was it.” He traced the outline of her neck with his lips.
“Yes, that’s right,” Janet whispered, as Dennis’s hands caressed her, making her body sing with the ecstasy of last night.
An hour later, freshly showered, Janet was rummaging through her kitchen in search of breakfast ingredients. Luckily, she had stopped by the supermarket a few days ago, and there was a carton of eggs and a pack of bacon in the fridge.
Baxter sat on the floor, eyeing her reproachfully. Janet had cut their morning walk short, and apparently Baxter was still mad at her for that. At first he had been too busy gobbling up his breakfast, but now that he was finished he was back to making her feel guilty.
She could hear the sound of water in the shower, and an image of Dennis lathering up his hot, lean, muscular body materialized in her mind. The memory of all the things they did last night and this morning flashed before her eyes, making her hot. “Concentrate,” she told herself, as she placed the bacon into the frying pan. The sound of the water stopped, and she heard footsteps approaching the kitchen.
Dennis had a towel tied around his waist, and his wet hair was slicked back. “I’m starving.” Dennis wrapped his arms around her.
“You’re in luck. I’m going to make an omelet.”
“Mmm, smells delicious. How about some pancakes?”
“Pancakes?”
“Yes, pancakes. I make killer pancakes, and I’d love to make some for you.”
“I love pancakes,” Janet stalled, remembering seeing a carton of pancake mix somewhere in the back of her kitchen cupboards. “Can you watch the bacon?” Janet rummaged through the cupboards, finally locating a worn-looking, but unopened carton. “Here we are!”
Dennis eyed the carton suspiciously. “I think you might want to check the expiration date.”
Janet’s eyebrows furrowed as she searched for the date. “It’s perfectly edible for another two months,” she announced triumphantly.
“Excellent. Now I need milk and butter and we’ll be in business.”
“Milk? I’ve always made pancakes with water.”
Dennis cocked an eyebrow. “By the looks of this carton, it’s been a while since you’ve made any pancakes, with water or milk.”
The playful look in Dennis’s eyes was the only thing that stopped Janet from snapping at him. He was only kidding, and she knew it. Besides, the best revenge would be to see Dennis actually making those darn pancakes he was harping about. Janet flung open the fridge door, hoping to find a carton of milk that was less than a month old. She was in luck.
“Here you are,” she announced, placing the milk carton on the counter. “The expiration date is tomorrow.”
“Excellent.” Dennis grinned. “I got it from here.”
Janet used the opportunity to sneak into the bathroom and check her makeup. Dennis Walker was in her kitchen, making her breakfast. She was so happy, she could float on air.
When Janet returned to the kitchen, she found that Dennis was an ace at manning the stove. Already the first batch of pancakes was ready, and Dennis was expertly pouring the batter for the next round. Just as the batter began to sizzle on the pan, Dennis turned his attention to the omelet. “Breakfast is almost ready,” he announced.
“I’ll make coffee,” Janet offered.
A few minutes later they were seated behind the table. Baxter curled up by Janet’s feet, his nose curiously inhaling the tantalizing breakfast fumes.
Janet ate a forkful of eggs and bacon. “It’s delicious.” Normally, she limited her breakfast fare to toast, oatmeal or yogurt, but she figured that she had burned more than enough calories last night and this morning to justify the splurge.
“Good. You’d better eat up if we are going to have an encore of this morning.”
Janet’s face grew warm with pleasure. An encore of this morning meant that he wanted to see her again, which meant …
“I love it when you blush,” Dennis teased her.
“I bet you do. You love making me uncomfortable.”
“From what I recall, you were pretty comfortable with me this morning. More than comfortable, actually.”
“See what I mean?” Janet felt the blush creeping up her face. “You’re doing it again.”
“Okay, I’ll stop.”
“I don’t believe you.”
Dennis put a forkful of pancakes into his mouth. “You’re safe for now. I’m too hungry to embarrass you.”
“Good.” Janet dug her fork into her food.
Baxter peaked from under the table and placed his head on Dennis’s lap.
“He’s just had his breakfast,” Janet said reproachfully.
“Come on.” Dennis made eyes at her. “How can you resist the little fella?”
“Human food is bad for him.”
“Most human food is bad for humans too, but we eat it anyway.”
“I’m looking out for Baxter’s wellbeing. If he gets an upset stomach, I’ll be the one dealing with the mess, thank you very much.”
Dennis made a face. “Sometimes you can be such a worrywart, but I love that about you too.” Dennis blew an air kiss to Janet with one hand, while his other hand disappeared under the table.
“I saw that.”
“What?”
“You slipped Baxter a piece of bacon. I can hear him chewing it.”
“Guilty as charged. We men have got to stick together.”
“What have I gotten myself into?”
“I hope you’ll stick around to find out.”
This time Janet did not blush. “I intend to.”
Finished with his meal, Dennis took a long swallow of coffee. “How about we go for a walk around the city and play Joe tourist?”
“Sounds like a great idea. I’m just going to call my neighbor and ask her to take Baxter for the day.”
Baxter was the only one who seemed to disapprove of the plan, as he growled and looked at Janet reproachfully.
Dennis scratched Baxter’s back. “We can take Baxter with us. He looks like he’s dying to come along.”
“Are you sure you don’t mind? I can leave him with my neighbor. She is retired and she is always glad to take Baxter for a few hours.”
“Me, mind Baxter? We’ve become best buddies.” Dennis began scratching Baxter’s belly, and Baxter rolled on his back in pure delight.
“You’re going to spoil him.” Janet folded her arms on her chest. Not that she was jealous, but …
As if to reassure her, Baxter got to his feet and started licking her legs. “Yes, I love you too.” Janet smiled.
A few minutes later they were exiting the lobby of Janet’s building. “That breakfast hit the spot.” Dennis rubbed his washboard stomach, which miraculously stayed just as flat as it had been prior to their meal.
“Yes, it did.” Janet agreed, conscious of the snugger fit of her jeans.
“How about a walk in Central Park? We could cut across town here.”
“Sounds like a great idea. I need to walk off all that greasy food we just ate,” Janet replied.
Dennis gave her a once over. “I don’t see the need to walk off anything.” He pulled her toward him and held her in a long, sweet kiss. “Believe me, I’ll make sure that you get plenty of exercise.”
“Dennis! We’re in the middle of the street.”
“So what? Can’t a man kiss his girlfriend?”
Girlfriend? Janet’s heart jumped like a schoolgirl’s. She was Dennis Walker’s girlfriend. “You don’t mind me calling you my girlfriend, do you, Janet?”
“Not in the least,” she murmured.
“Good. In that case, your boyfriend would like to know if you’ll grant him another kiss.”
“With pleasure.”
They spent the day enjoying Central Park, eating hot dogs and ice cream. Baxter was happy to tag along, and Dennis had managed to sneak him bits of food while Janet pretended to be oblivious to Dennis’s tricks. Afterwards, Dennis suggested that they go to SoHo, and they took the bus downtown. They stopped by SoHo’s many galleries and enjoyed the neighborhood’s artistic flair. Baxter received endless compliments as he was welcomed by all the gallery attendants and visitors.
“I’ve to get going soon,” Janet said. “We both have a big day tomorrow.” It was close to five o’clock.
“Yes, we could do that, but why waste another wonderful night?” asked Dennis.
“What do you have in mind?”
“My place is just a few blocks away from here.”
“Ah, I see you had a
plan in mind.”
“Maybe. Do you like it? You could stay over.”
“I’d love to, but I don’t have a change of clothes for the office.”
“Ah, I didn’t think of that, but I could grab a change of clothes and stay at your place instead.”
“That sounds like an excellent idea.”
Chapter Twenty-seven
Usually Janet woke up to the sound of the alarm clock, but the next morning she awoke from a sensation of kisses on her neck.
“Rise and shine, sleepyhead.”
She smiled at the sound of Dennis’s voice. The details of the previous day came back to her. She had spent two magical nights and one wonderful day with Dennis Walker, and now he was in her apartment, making her breakfast. He was in her apartment! Janet burrowed her head under the pillow, only imagining how she must have looked with her hair a mess and her eyes bleary from the lack of sleep last night. “What time is it?” she mumbled.
“Time to go to work,” Dennis whispered. “I’ll be in the kitchen.”
Twenty minutes later, Janet was ready for work. Her hair was pulled in a French twist. She was dressed in a black suit and black pumps—her usual work attire. The only difference from her typical appearance was the flush in her cheeks and the plumpness in her lips that still tingled from Dennis’s kisses.
“Wow, now that’s what I call a transformation.” Dennis gave her a once over. “Although I liked you warm and sleepy under the covers.”
“We’ve got to go work in a few minutes. Don’t get me all excited.”
Dennis looked at his watch. “You’ve got a point there. But you owe me a rain check.”
“You can claim it any time after work.”
“That’s a deal.”
“Should we get going?” Janet asked.
“Don’t you want to have breakfast first?”
“I usually have breakfast at work.”
“But you don’t usually have breakfast with me. Don’t tell me that you’re going to make my cooking go to waste.” Dennis motioned at the kitchen table that was set with coffee and toasted bagels.
“Oh, I didn’t even notice. Thank you.” This was a nice surprise indeed. How hard was it to make coffee and toast bagels? Not very, but none of her previous boyfriends had ever made her breakfast.