Seduction on the CEO's Terms

by Charlene Sands

“No bother. As you can see, we’re not busy this time of day. We have the whole place to ourselves.”

  “Thanks. But with the baby coming soon and the construction on your house, I didn’t want to give you added drama.”

  Rena chuckled and gestured wide with her arms. “Give me drama. Please, give me drama. My life is so sedate these days that I’m ready to pull my hair out. Tony takes care of the business mostly, and I’m done with picking floor samples and paint colors.” She patted her rotund belly. “Tony tells me to relax now because when the baby comes, I’ll be superbusy, but relaxing isn’t easy. I’ve never been one to sit and let the world go by.”

  “Right now that sounds good to me,” Ali said.

  “So, what’s going on? I presume there are problems with Joe?”

  “Yes, but it’s probably not what you’re thinking.” Ali paused to sigh deeply before sharing with Rena her innermost feelings. “I love him very much. I do, and he’s been wonderful to me. We have a great time together. That’s why I’m so afraid to tell him the truth. I almost did this morning. I almost told him that I’ve been deceiving him and that the woman he asked to go away with him to the Bahamas is a fake. He thinks I’m someone I’m not. But I chickened out when he brought flowers and asked me to take a vacation with him. How could I refuse that? It’s a dream come true.”

  “Oh, Ali. Is it really that bad?”

  “Yeah, it is.” A self-deprecating laugh followed. “Look at me? Look at what I’m wearing.” Ali pulled at her preppy-looking cotton blouse. “This isn’t me. But worse than the clothes, I’m not being true to myself, and I’ve hit a wall. I can’t stand it anymore. I’ve bitten my tongue so many times around Joe that it’s a wonder I can speak at all. I want Joe but not at the expense of fooling him the rest of his life.”

  Rena sipped her tea and listened carefully.

  “Do you think you and Joe…is it serious?”

  “For me, yes. For Joe, I think so. At least I’m hoping so. I know he cares for me.” She smiled when she thought about this past week and how hungry they’d been for each other. The overtures Joe made this week had been so endearing and thrilling that she could only assume that their relationship would move ahead.

  Yet, she had one more confession to make. “Even in the bedroom I’m holding back,” she said bluntly. “I’m not the passive sex partner I’ve portrayed myself to be.” Ali worried that she’d overstepped her bounds sharing that detail, but Rena hadn’t even blinked. “Sorry, but I had to tell someone.”

  “It’s okay, Ali. You can share anything with me. I’ll keep whatever you tell me confidential.”

  “I’m such a fraud.” Ali stared out the little window she sat beside, looking into flourishing vines in the distance. “And I’ve been too cowardly to tell him that I’m not the person he thinks I am. I’ve tried, but I’m afraid of losing him.”

  Rena took her hand and squeezed. “Ali, if you want my advice, I’ll give it to you.”

  “Please.” Ali desperately needed help in sorting this out. “If you have any suggestions, I’m listening.”

  “Don’t tell him.”

  Ali blinked rapidly a few times. “But that means that I’d have to go on pretending.”

  “Show him.” Rena cast her a reassuring smile.

  “Show him?” Puzzled, Ali nibbled on her lower lip and shook her head. “I don’t get how.”

  “Show him who you are. Be yourself, Ali. Dress the way you want. Say what you want, and for goodness’ sake, don’t hold anything back in the bedroom. If Joe cares enough about you, he’ll accept you for you.”

  Ali saw the logic in that. “It makes sense when you say it, but it still scares me.”

  “Ali, if Joe can’t love you for yourself then do you really want him?”

  Ali mulled that over for second or two then nodded in agreement with Rena. “Good point.”

  “I’m sorry I got you into this, Ali. If I’d known it would have given you so much anguish, I would have never suggested your little makeover in reverse.”

  “You have nothing to be sorry about. If anything, at least you’ve given me a chance with Joe.”

  “I hope so.”

  Ali gained newfound strength. “I’m going to do it, Rena. I’m saying goodbye to Fake Ali for good. Next time you see me, you might not recognize me.” Her mood lightened, and tension released from her body. The cloud she’d been under had lifted. “God, I feel so free, just saying it!” She rose and hugged Rena. “Thank you.”

  “Let me know how it goes, hon.”

  “I will. I’m taking a gamble. But that’s what I always do. I just hope I snatch the brass ring this time.”

  “Got a hot date?” Nick sauntered into the living room, just as Joe was pouring himself a drink at the bar.

  “Maybe.”

  “No maybe about it. You don’t dress in a monkey suit unless you want to impress the hell out of a woman.”

  Joe turned to his brother and grinned. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” The whiskey slid down his throat easily. He glanced at his watch, wishing the time would go by quickly. He had thirty minutes to kill before picking Ali up.

  “I am? You mean, you’re admitting it?”

  “Yeah, I won’t deny it.” Joe leaned against the long, polished bar and folded his arms across his middle.

  “And you’re smiling from ear to ear. Be careful, Joey. You might find yourself—”

  “I know all the warnings, Nick. And for once, I don’t care. I think Ali is the right woman for me.”

  Nick walked over to pour himself a drink. He offered Joe another, but he shook his head. “Really? It only took you over a year to figure it out.”

  “I’m slow on the uptake, but I finish with flying colors,” Joe said.

  Nick chuckled and took a swallow of whiskey. “I couldn’t have said it better myself.”

  “I said it for you, so you couldn’t gloat.”

  “Oh, don’t worry. I’m gloating and a bit envious. Ali’s pretty spectacular.”

  “I agree. She’s not like most women.”

  Nick smirked and shook his head, and Joe didn’t know why that look annoyed him so much. “What?”

  “Don’t be naive, Joe. One thing I know is women. They all want the same thing—money, power, status and lucky for us, we’re in the position to give them that.”

  “Cynical, Nick.”

  “Realistic. But hey, I’m glad you’re coming out of the cave Sheila trapped you in. I hope it works out for you.”

  Nick finished his drink, slapped him on the back in a show of real affection and left.

  Twenty minutes later, Joe knocked briskly on Ali’s front door, anticipating the night ahead. He tucked his hands in his pockets and when she opened the door, Joe’s mouth fell open. “Wow.”

  Ali stood before him, and the first thing he noticed was her auburn hair flowing down her shoulders in a mass of curls. Her hair looked untamed and amazingly free. Glancing from her hair to a face that positively beamed, he peered into jade-green eyes that looked twice their size and weren’t hidden behind eyeglasses. Her smile brought his focus to her lips colored to a dark pink hue. Full, lush and so kissable, Joe held his willpower in check, determined to give Ali the romantic night he’d planned.

  But as his gaze dipped lower, Joe’s intake of breath was loud enough to bring on another smile from Ali. Her sexy black dress clung to her body like a second skin—and how that crisscrossing material kept her beautiful cleavage from spilling out could possibly be the eighth wonder of the world.

  Her dress stopped short of her knees. Three-inch black high-heeled sandals supported tanned, gorgeous legs that went on forever.

  “You like?” she asked, whirling around in a slow circle.

  Joe caught a glimpse of her soft shoulders and lower back and all the skin exposed by her dress before she turned to face him.

  “You look beyond beautiful, Ali.”

  “And you look sexy, Joe. I like the tux.” She tugged on his a
rm and enticed him inside.

  “No,” he said, stopping short and grabbing her hand. Immediate heat radiated between them. He’d have her out of that dress in two seconds flat if he gave in to what he was feeling.

  “No?” Ali asked, her lips forming a pout.

  “C’mon, sweetheart. If I come inside, we’ll never make dinner. Go get your things. I’ll wait for you out here.”

  Joe stepped outside and waited, telling himself he’d done the right thing. With the way Ali looked tonight, all glittery and beaming, he wouldn’t have had a chance if he’d strayed inside her condo with the bedroom only steps away.

  Hell, forget the bedroom. He might not have made it that far.

  Joe drew in a steady breath, allowing the crisp Napa air to cool his jets. You promised her a great evening, so stick to the plan, Joe.

  When Ali joined him, holding a small purse and wearing a little black shawl around her shoulders, Joe put his hand to her back and escorted her to the limo.

  “I know,” he said before she could ask. “I debated, but I conserved water today, recycled cans and planted a vegetable garden.”

  “With your bare hands?” she asked, looking at him like he could save the world.

  “No. The gardener did it, but it was my idea.”

  Ali laughed lightly, and the sound of her joy made him grin from ear to ear.

  “Okay, so you get credit for the idea,” she said.

  “Is that cheating?”

  “Not in my book. It’s called clever maneuvering, Joe. To be honest, I’d expect Nick to dream something like that up.”

  “Hey, at least we’ll make up for the limo ride tomorrow when we take our bike ride.”

  “True,” Ali said, and the chauffeur opened the door for them. Ali slipped inside and Joe followed, aware of every movement she made in her dress.

  Heat climbed up his neck, and he grew hard instantly.

  “What’s the matter, Joe?”

  “Nothing that can’t be fixed in a few hours from now. Just keep to the far side of the seat and don’t look at me that way.”

  “Okay,” Ali said with a sweet smile that somehow appeared wickedly sinful.

  Joe groaned and kept his focus out the window the entire way to the restaurant.

  Joe’s blatantly sexy gaze was on Ali as they ate dinner atop a hill in a gorgeous mansion transformed into a topnotch restaurant, called quite simply The Mansion. Ali’s mother and one of her right-then husbands had dragged her to many classy country clubs as a child, but no place she’d ever been to could compare to this.

  Darkly textured stone walls and romantically lit tables were surrounded by old-world elegance in a tall room with sweeping sheer drapes that opened to the magnificence of the valley below. Crystal chandeliers, plush carpets and waiters dressed in tuxedos made an impressive picture. Soft music played by a five-piece orchestra added to the ambience.

  The menu, a leather-bound book of choices, had given her a heart attack as she imagined what each entrée would cost. Joe was a rich man, but this extravagance was totally out of character for him. Yet, he looked good in the surroundings, blending in with the decor and not intimidated at all by the elegance. Thankfully, he’d ordered for both of them and picked a fine wine to go with the meal.

  Joe gave her his full attention during dinner, entertaining her with the history of The Mansion and telling stories of his youth, growing up in Napa.

  After the meal, Joe stood and reached for her hand. “Dance with me.”

  Ali rose, and he led her onto the dance floor.

  “Is this your first-date way to impress a woman?” she asked as they stepped onto the wooden flooring.

  “I don’t know.” He took her into his arms, bringing her up close. “Am I impressing you?”

  “Oh, yeah, Joe. You’re impressing the heck out of me.”

  He chuckled and drew her even closer.

  Ali wound her arms around his neck. “You might even get lucky tonight, boss.” She nibbled on his throat.

  “Ali,” Joe warned in a low tone, his sharp inhalation very telling.

  “What, Joe?”

  “They make a great chocolate soufflé here. I want us to last at least through dessert.”

  “Then maybe you shouldn’t have asked me to dance,” she whispered.

  “I had to,” he said. “In case you hadn’t noticed, you turned a lot of heads when you walked in.”

  How could she have noticed? She only had eyes for Joe. “Oh, so you’re staking your claim?”

  Joe grinned. “Something like that. And you looked so beautiful in candlelight that I had to touch you.”

  Ali rested her head on his chest, and he tightened his hold on her. “You’re saying all the right things.”

  “Am I passing the first-date test?”

  “With flying colors.”

  Joe chuckled, and when she peered up at him in question, he simply shook his head, smiling.

  “Did I say something funny?”

  “Not at all. You just repeated something I’d said to Nick earlier.”

  Ali let that comment go and didn’t question him further. Being held in his arms as the violinist played a sweetly romantic tune was heaven on earth.

  They moved slowly, erotically. Ali’s hips brushed Joe’s, her body flowing into his with intimate little touches—a sort of public foreplay that had her mind whirling.

  Joe kissed her forehead, caressed her back and ran his hands through her hair, his body rock hard.

  Show him who you are. Rena’s advice came through loud and clear, and Ali wouldn’t stop now.

  “You think we could get the soufflé to go?” she asked urgently in a breathless tone that was true to her nature. “I want to feed it to you myself privately.”

  Joe stopped dancing and stared at her. He blinked several times and grinned. With a hot gleam in his eyes, he dragged her off the dance floor. “Let’s go.”

  Twelve

  They made out in the back of the limo, unable to keep their hands off each other. Ali climbed onto his lap, and Joe’s control nearly snapped. He ran his hand underneath her dress and stroked her thigh, skimming the soft flesh. Ali’s moan of pleasure had his erection pulsing.

  Ali seemed different tonight, but Joe wasn’t questioning it. He was as hungry for her as she was for him. They stumbled up to her apartment, Ali tugging at his tie, loosening it. She opened the door, and they fumbled their way in.

  When Joe wanted to take her straight to the bedroom, Ali shook her head and led him to the kitchen. “Dessert, remember?”

  Joe protested with a groan and wished they hadn’t taken the chocolate soufflé to go.

  “I promise you that you won’t be sorry.” She removed his jacket and then his tie and offered him a seat at her kitchen table.

  When he glanced at her puzzled, she gave a little shove. “Sit.”

  Joe sat.

  She came around from the back, her exotic scent invading his senses, and with nimble hands she unbuttoned his shirt. She stroked his chest, running her hands up and down. He loved when she touched him. She rarely took the initiative, which confirmed that something was up with her tonight.

  He pulled her down to kiss her, and when he tried to do more, she backed away. “Hold that thought. I’ll be right back.”

  Joe waited just a minute before Ali shut down the lights in the room. She came back with one vanilla scented pillar candle glowing and the chocolate delicacy on a plate with one fork. She set the candle down on the table along with the plate.

  Next, Ali stood before him and slipped out of her dress. The material pooled at her feet. She stepped out of it, and Joe looked at the most gorgeous woman he’d ever seen. The strain in his pants was now an ache.

  Ali wore a tiny bra that barely contained her ample breasts, the nipples a faint hint through the lacy material. A little black stretch of fabric covered the vee between her legs and enticed him beyond belief. Ali had never undressed before him. She’d never been so bold. �
�If you’re trying to kill me, you’re succeeding.”

  Ali smiled, a sensual curving of her lips. “That comes later, baby. First I’m going to feed you.”

  Ali straddled his legs and took up the dessert plate. She forked into the chocolate concoction and lifted it to his lips. “Open your mouth, Joe.”

  Her breasts were at eye level and so beautiful. “My mouth has better things to—”

  Ali set the fork into his mouth. The chocolate oozed inside and melted into his mouth.

  “How is it?”

  Joe glanced at the picture she made straddling him nearly naked. “Amazing.”

  “Now my turn,” Ali said, forking a piece and opening her mouth wide. She inserted the fork in and Joe’s throat constricted. She chewed briefly then swallowed, licking her lips. “Delicious.”

  Then she leaned over to kiss him, and he didn’t miss the opportunity to drive his tongue into her mouth. She tasted sweet and sexy, and he took his time with her.

  “I think we can do better,” she said. She set the fork down and dipped her fingers into the soufflé. She pressed the cake into his mouth then brushed a soft kiss to his lips. He chewed quickly and lifted her messy fingers to his tongue, licking off the chocolate, one finger at a time. The heady maneuver broke him out in a sweat.

  “Ali,” he groaned. “I can’t take much more of this.”

  She plopped a piece of chocolate cake into her mouth and swallowed. “You have a little on your mouth,” she said. She leaned in and swirled her tongue onto his upper lip until he burned with dire need.

  Joe’s willpower shut down.

  He pulled out the chair and grabbed her around the waist. “Wrap your legs around me,” he ordered. And once she did, Joe bounded up from the chair, Ali’s legs tight around his waist.

  He knew his way to the bedroom and made quick work of lowering her down on her bed.

  But Ali didn’t stay down. She rose up on her knees. “Let me undress you.”

  Joe surrendered immediately. Ali lowered the sleeves of his shirt and pulled it off. Her hands found his chest again, and her touch made his straining erection throb harder.

  She caressed him for a few seconds there before sliding her hands down lower to unfasten his belt. She pulled it free, then brought her tongue to his navel and laved it, moistening his skin thoroughly. Joe kicked off his shoes and slipped his feet out of his socks, waiting. Anticipating. Her next move didn’t disappoint. Ali unzipped his pants, lowered them down along with his briefs and then glanced at his manhood. “Impressive,” she said with a sexy grin.