“I know you will win over my family because you like a challenge, and pulling this off is a big one. I believe in you, Jillian.”
She sighed, frowning. “You said we should stick as close to the truth as possible.”
“Yes. We met a few days ago and I”—a boyish grin curled his lips—“swept you off your feet.”
She laughed. “You’re not that charming.”
“Ouch. I admit I’m a bit rusty. It’s been a year since I’ve taken a woman out, but—”
“A year?” she asked.
“Business is a selfish mistress, but I’m cutting back. Slowly.”
Her eyes were wide as she studied him, and he couldn’t help wondering if she was thinking what he was thinking—a year without dating meant a year with no sex. She fidgeted in her seat, and a tinge of pink touched her cheeks. That their thoughts might be in sync sent unbridled hunger, sharp and unfamiliar, through him. He had a lot of making up to do, and he planned to do it with her.
“I don’t believe you. You are rich and good-looking,” she said with a naughty gleam in her eyes.
“Two things that have nothing to do with my choices. Just because women choose to chase me doesn’t mean I have to accept their overtures.” He grinned and leaned toward her, letting her scent wrap around his senses. “I’ll let you in on a secret,” he whispered.
Her pupils dilated slightly, and she swallowed. Her “yes” came out breathless.
“I’m very picky about the women I sleep with.” His eyes dropped to her lips. When she bit her lower lip, he smothered a groan and met her gaze. She wanted him as much he wanted her.
He reached out and touched the corner of her mouth. When she let go of her lower lip with a soft gasp, Lex wanted to taste the moisture she’d left behind.
He wasn’t sure whether she was ready for him. He was relentless and unstoppable when he wanted something, and he wanted Jillian Finnegan with an urgency that surprised him. But he knew if he tasted her, he wouldn’t stop himself. He’d want to make her his. Not just once. No, when he made love to Jillian, it was going to be an “all-night and into the next day” fest.
It was time to put some space between them.
“Are you ready to sign the contract?” he asked, standing.
For one brief second, she just stared at him in utter disappointment, the kind that could shrivel a man’s balls. Instead, it made his blood boil with need.
Soon, sweetheart. Soon.
She nodded, uncertainty entering her eyes. He wasn’t sure whether the cause was the agreement they were about to enter or the fact that he could have kissed her and had chosen not to. Either way, he needed to give her space to get used to the idea of the two of them as a couple.
“I’m going to be gone most of next week, but I should be back in town by Friday.” Lex walked to his desk. Instead of just retrieving the folder with the contract and the duffel bag with the money, he sat behind the desk and indicated the chair across from his.
Jillian stood, and he took a moment to study her as she walked toward him. She had a sense of style and looked good in whatever she wore, but he couldn’t wait to drape her in the latest fashion from the finest designers. His family didn’t care about such things, but his friends and business associates were a different breed of people. Wives and girlfriends could be catty. He didn’t want Jillian subjected to ridicule.
“We should have dinner on Friday,” he suggested, handing her the contract and a pen.
She glanced at it then him and frowned. “We might be in Vancouver filming.”
“Then I’ll fly in.”
Without hesitation, she scribbled her signature. He liked that she wasn’t reneging on their deal despite her doubts. It made him respect her even more.
“I have various phone numbers you could use to reach me, starting with my private cell phone number.” He pulled out a card and scribbled his private cell number, which only his family had, the direct line to his office, the penthouse, and the mansion. The last number was Douglas’. He handed the card to her. “Mrs. Sandoval, the housekeeper, is always here to answer the phone. My assistant, Paula, is in charge at the office, but she’ll always patch you in to me. And Douglas is at your disposal whenever you need him, starting now.”
She studied the card, removed a cell phone from her clutch, and punched the numbers in. “Where do you live?”
“I divide my time between the penthouse at Dublin Building and here.” She was biting her lower lip again, an action he now realized was a sign of nervousness. The need to connect with her and reassure her had him standing and walking around the desk. He lifted her chin and studied her face. “What is it?”
“I thought I was prepared for this.”
He stroked her cheek. “Me too, but now that it’s a done deal, it’s a bit surreal.”
She peered at him. “You’re nervous, too?”
Not in the least. He was looking forward to knowing her. Not just who she was, but intimately. When he exchanged vows with her, they would be real. When he made love to her, he would do it with one intention, to brand her so when she left his bed she would never want another man again.
“Would it make you feel less uncertain?” he asked.
She sighed and rolled her eyes. “Will you ever give me a straight answer?”
He chuckled. “Always. No, sweetheart. I’m not nervous. I’m looking forward to our association. I’m also confident that once you think of all the benefits of this arrangement, you’ll be happy with your decision. Then there’s the money. You’ll be a rich woman by the end of the year.”
Her stoic expression said the money wasn’t a big deal for her. He reached down and plucked the duffel bag from the floor.
“And there’s this. As per your request”—he unzipped the bag and poured the bundled, crisp bills on the desk—“three hundred and fifty thousand upon signing the contract.”
Jillian’s eyes widened. She looked at the money, at him, and then the money again. She didn’t seem eager to count every bill and confirm it was all there. In fact, she cringed, which didn’t make sense. She’d asked for the money.
“You… I, uh, can’t take that,” she said, her hands nervously smoothing her dress. She glanced at him and must have seen his confusion because she added, “I mean, I can’t lug around that amount of money or keep it in my house.” She laughed nervously. “I’d never sleep.”
Lex frowned. “But you asked for it.”
“I know. I just can’t have it with me.”
He hadn’t wanted to ask, but he’d been curious. If she’d asked for a check, he would have just assumed she planned to pay off her mortgage or something. But cash could mean she was into different things, none of them good. “What is it for?”
Jillian shook her head, confidence sipping back into her and straightening her spine. Her chin went up. “It’s personal. Can you keep it until I need it?”
“Of course. When you’re ready, just call Douglas and he’ll drop it off at your place.”
Relief flashed in her eyes. “That would be nice.”
“You sure you don’t want to count it?” he teased.
She winced again. “No. I trust you. Can you put it away now?”
Again, her reaction was bizarre. Maybe she felt guilty about asking for it. He picked up several bundles when muffled sounds came from the hallway behind the door. The next second, the knob turned and his mother’s voice reached them.
“The last time I saw it was in here.”
Lex looked at Jillian, and they both dove for the money, shoving it into the bag. Jillian just grabbed the last several wads when his mother stepped inside the room. Lex went with his instinct and pulled Jillian into his arms, her back to the door. Her hands, still clutching the money, were wedged between them.
“Fuck… fuck… fuck…” Jillian cursed softly under her lips.
Lex blinked and stared down at her. The cursing was unexpected. She chose the moment to look up, saw his expression, and cringe
d.
“Sorry,” she mouthed.
Okay, so his future wife had colorful language. Interesting. Not exactly a deal-breaker. But from her expression, she was mortified she’d whispered those words. His arms tightened protectively around her as he glanced toward the door. His mother watched them with a grin.
“Mother?” Lex asked. “Can I help you with something?”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude,” she said, not sounding sorry in the least. “I seem to have misplaced my diamond bracelet, the one your father gave me. You don’t happen to have seen it, have you?”
The bracelet had a faulty clasp, but he’d personally taken it to a jeweler to have it fixed. His nosy mother was using it as an excuse to check on him and Jillian. He was thirty-nine for pity’s sakes.
“I thought I saw it in the basement,” Lex said. “You know, in the room with reinforced steel.” The panic room was also used as a vault for family valuables.
His mother didn’t even have the decency to look embarrassed. “Really? I must be losing my mind. I’ll leave you two alone. Jillian, I’m happy you’re still around.”
The look Douglas shot Lex as he closed the door was apologetic, but Lex didn’t react. He didn’t blame his chauffer for being dragged into one of his mother’s schemes. No one could refuse Estelle Fitzgerald anything once she set her mind on it. From the looks of things, she was determined to stick her nose in his business.
Jillian’s shoulder trembled, and Lex’s arm tightened. She was shaking. Probably the aftershock of almost getting busted by the one person they were supposed to convince that their relationship was normal. If his mother had seen the money…
“Sorry about that. My mother—”
Jillian looked up. Instead of panic, her eyes twinkled and her lips were pressed tight as though she was trying hard not to laugh. That she found the situation amusing was both cute and disconcerting.
“You thought that was funny?” he growled.
“You should have seen your face.” She tried to block the sounds with the back of her hand, but couldn’t contain the laughter. It burst from her lips.
Lex watched her as she stumbled back and dropped on the chair behind her. She was a total contradiction. Lady-like, charming, and polite, but she also had a dirty mouth. The mouth he wanted to capture and mold to his will. He swept the money from her arms and pulled her into his.
“Swear again,” he whispered.
Her eyes widened, not with fear, not from the smile that tilted her lips. Somehow she knew what he was asking. “You liked that?”
“I don’t know,” he said. Most of the women he’d slept with were so straight-laced. So bland. Jillian was… different. “It makes me want to do things to you. Naughty things.”
Her eyes grew wider, and Lex wondered if he’d gone too far. He had wanted to take it slow, but that had gone through the window the moment she had pressed her lush body against him and cursed under her breath. “So it’s okay to occasionally forget I’m, uh…”
“A lady?” he supplied.
“No, Lex. Cultured. Modest. I’d never claim to be a lady.”
He didn’t want her to. “Say it again.”
Her smile broadened, turquoise eyes gleaming with mischief. “Say what?”
“Fuck, Jillian. Add ‘me’ to make things interesting.”
She lowered her eyelids and whispered in a sultry voice, “Fuck me, Lex.”
He crushed her lips with his before the words completely left her lips. The taste of her was like a punch in the gut, twisting and tightening until he was ready to explode.
CHAPTER 7
Lex was ruthless in his possession of her lips, her senses, and her will. His erection pushed against her stomach, begging her to touch him, pleasure him, and satisfy her own desires. Jillian went from teasing him to wanting to rip off his clothes.
She had been kissed countless times. During foreplay. While in the throes of passion. Even after a hot bout between the sheets, but never like this. Her nipples ached, and wetness pooled in her panties. She’d never wanted a man this badly. She rubbed against him, her hands bunching his shirt as she sought more skin contact.
It was too much, yet not enough.
She ripped her mouth from his and tried to stop, but all she could focus on were his lips. Those beautiful, sculptured, merciless lips. She wanted them all over her body, making her come again and again.
God, she was so screwed.
Lex growled and reclaimed her lips, the kiss morphing into something bigger than themselves. He brought in the cavalry and laid siege on her senses, using his hands, mouth, tongue, and teeth. He cupped her breast and stroked her nipples. Bit her lower lip and bore down hard.
Jillian gasped at the sting, but then he soothed it with his tongue and made it better, fingers forking through her hair to hold her head in place. With a different guy, she would have become the aggressor and taken control eons ago. With Lex, she was more than happy to let him take charge—wipe her mind clean of whatever she knew about foreplay and replace them with new memories.
He scooped her up and headed for… She didn’t know where. Didn’t care. A moan escaped her as he buried his mouth in her neck, taking nips that were sure to leave marks. She bruised easily.
“Open the door,” he growled.
The door? To where? Sanity returned. Jillian removed her hands from around his shoulders, cupped his face, and created a wedge between them, forcing him to stop marking her.
“Lex, stop,” she said. It came out as a croak.
He looked into her eyes, and Jillian almost gave in to the need burning in their depth. “But you said ‘fuck me.’”
“Because you asked me to,” she said.
“You said it again. Like you meant it.”
It must have slipped out. Jillian wiggled, until he let her slide to the floor, but he didn’t let her go. His arm stayed around her waist, their bodies pressed together. His erection pressed invitingly against her. He really didn’t play fair.
“That was my way of saying holy crap.”
His eyes narrowed.
Not sure what he was thinking, she became defensive. “I know I have a potty mouth, a habit I picked up from my brothers, but I promise to moderate my language around you, your family, and your friends.”
He gave her a self-deprecating smile, reached up, and ran a finger across her lips. “I love your mouth. Talk dirty to me all you want. I like details, whether you want it hard or gentle. Fast or slow.”
He had a freaky streak in him. Nice. No, not nice. He was supposed to be boring and conventional. Stuffy and stiff upper-lipped. Not hot and tempting. The kind of man she’d always wanted and could never find. He lifted her chin with his finger and stared down at her, his expression determined.
“We will have sex, Jillian,” he added, voice firm and sure, eyes challenging her to deny it.
Mouth dry, Jillian stepped away from him before she could yell “yes!” The man had a way of having her consent to things before her self-preservation kicked in. Run, her mind screamed. Put distance between Lex and you before you jump straight back into his arms.
“Sex isn’t included in our contract, Lex,” she tossed over her shoulder and reached for her clutch.
“And when we do,” he said from behind her, gripping her hips and pulling her up against him. It didn’t help matters that she’d bent over to pick up the clutch from the chair by his desk and their position was suggestive. “The multiple orgasms won’t have anything to do with the contract either.”
Jillian straightened and threw him a censuring look, but she didn’t move away. She couldn’t. Her knees had gone weak, and her body seemed to melt into his as if she’d become an extension of him.
“This kind of intimacy will complicate matters, Lex. Blur the line between what’s fake and what’s real.”
“Then we’ll adapt.” One large hand moved across her stomach to hold her in place while the other captured her chin and held her head in place
to make sure she didn’t move.
She braced herself for another invasion of her senses. The perverse side of her needed it, so she could reduce what she was feeling to pure lust. Lust she understood. It burned hot and fizzled out fast. Lust she could walk away from. Nothing was special about lust.
Instead of capturing her mouth in another pillaging kiss, Lex brushed his lips across hers slowly as though memorizing the shape and texture. The effect was like nothing Jillian had ever felt. Sensual. Soothing yet stimulating. Torture in its purest form. When he stopped, she wanted to protest. He let her chin go and dropped a kiss on her neck. Jillian shivered.
“May I use your bathroom?”
“It’s right across the hall,” he whispered in her ear, his breath warm against her nape. “I’ll be here when you’re done.”
Jillian wasn’t sure how she managed to walk, but she did, paused by the door, and glanced back at Lex. He watched her with hooded eyes, hands thrust in his pockets, his arousal evident even from where she stood. She looked up from studying it and caught his naughty grin. He was shameless. She rolled her eyes and yanked open the door.
The hallway was empty, thank goodness, or someone would have seen her mad dash into the bathroom. Jillian closed the door and leaned against it. Only then did she exhale.
What had she gotten herself into?
Her reflection in the wide bathroom mirror had no answers for her. Instead, she saw evidence of a woman who’d been thrown off her game. Her lips were puffy, and her eyes were wild with confusion. Worse, he had her on the run. Next time, she would have him eating from the palm of her hand She’d…
Jillian cursed. “No, there won’t be a next time, missy.”
Why did he have to be so unpredictable? Why couldn’t he be like the guys she’d dated? Beautiful to look at, but lacking in so many areas. She would have used him during their year together and walked away without a backward glance.
But no, he had to pull all kinds of crap on her. Every move designed to screw with a woman’s head. The chemistry between them was strong, but the feelings he evoked in her were so raw she doubted she’d ever survive sleeping with him. Not that what they’d do could ever be called sleeping. He would expose her deepest desires, rip her heart apart, and leave it bleeding before the year was over. Then where would she be afterward? Nursing a broken heart?
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