“Welcome home,” came a booming shout from a room or two away. “Welcome, welcome.” A tall, fit man with a head full of silver and black streaked hair came into view. The resemblance between them was obvious, although Randall was broader through the chest and thighs where his father was leaner. James was red faced from a day in the winter sun, but Randall would match that shortly. Together, they were a devastatingly handsome pair.
“Come on in,” James grabbed his son in a bear hug before releasing him and giving Sloane a less rib-breaking squeeze. “You must be Sloane. My, my, you really are a beauty. Randall didn’t do you justice.”
Taking her small carry-on, James led the way with Dana following behind, saving Sloane from the need to respond to his compliment. They dropped the luggage in the master bedroom Keeli had occupied previously.
“Pleased?” Randall whispered.
“Enormously.”
“Hungry? Let’s get a drink and watch the sunset,” James suggested, following them into the room with the last of the bags.
“How long have you been here?” Sloane asked as they all moved to the kitchen, curious when she noticed how much James had made himself at home. He was doing a stellar job acting as their host, putting out a tray of cheeses, a basket of crackers and bread and opening a bottle of wine.
“Let’s see…about a month I guess, maybe a bit longer. I will stay as long as the snow is good,” he explained.
“My father has the luxury of moving around the world to find the best skiing,” Randall offered.
“Which I can do because I left my ultra-capable son in charge back at the office.”
That comment led to about 15 minutes of shoptalk until James finally looked at Sloane with a sheepish grin just like Randall’s. “But we are being rude to Sloane. Please forgive us.” It was obvious where Randall got his smooth-talking ways, too. His father proved to be a charmer.
“So, dinner tonight,” James was saying, “I thought we could just throw steaks on the grill here. I can get Dana to whip up a salad….”
“Oh let me,“ Sloane offered. “I loved cooking in this kitchen the last time I was here. Perhaps one of you will put the steaks on the outdoor grill, and I will handle the rest.”
“I will brave the cold for you.” Randall made it sound like he was offering to slay a dragon and they all laughed and fell into easy conversation, which segued into dinner. The men sat on barstools at the kitchen counter while Sloane made a salad and a rice pilaf and Randall disappeared briefly to grill the steaks perfectly.
“Something about the air here just makes me hungrier,” Sloane said, slightly embarrassed to realize how much food she had consumed as she pushed back from the dinner table later.
“Wait until we get you on the slopes tomorrow, then you can really work up an appetite,” James promised. Randall warned James about augmenting Sloane’s appetite but James was skeptical. He would have to see for himself, he said.
“Oh, believe me, Dad. You will be amazed.”
They made a plan for the next day. Since Sloane had not skied in several years, Randall would trade off between the black diamond runs with his father and time on the less challenging trails with Sloane, until she got the hang of things again. Then they would reassemble in time to go out for dinner in town. It all sounded perfect to Sloane who told the men that she was ‘all in’, reiterating how much she loved being in Tahoe and in this house.
“Randall, you need to bring Sloane here more often. Bring work. Stay longer,” he commanded.
“Oh, I wish you could. I kept imagining myself living here for months at a time, last time I was here. There are those big offices with great work space and great views. I just feel better breathing the air up here. It makes me happy.”
“Well then, we will just come more frequently.” Randall seemed to enjoy indulging her and she told him she would hold him to that promise. “Go ahead. I mean what I say.”
“Okay. Just like that it’s done?” she asked, but he nodded yes.
“I plan you give you the world, Sloane, if I can.”
She was still laughing at the idea when she and Randall said goodnight and headed to their room. As tempting as the fancy bath was, Sloane took a quick shower, her hair piled high on her head, dried off and jumped under the covers while Randall was still fiddling with the gas fireplace, trying to get just the right amount of heat.
“Hurry,” Sloane whined, “it’s cold and lonely in here.”
“Your wish is my command.”
Five minutes later, the two were snuggled close under the thick down comforter, soft light coming from the fireplace. Randall smelled of soap and the outdoors. Sloane ran her hands over the muscles of his biceps repeatedly, as if mesmerized.
“Where’s you head?” Randall asked, pulling a barrette from her hair that she had forgotten to remove earlier.
“Right here, with you. I am so happy. Everything in my life is absolutely perfect. I have a job I love, my mom is settled and if not happy, at least content. My father is surviving, which is all he deserves, frankly. I have new and wonderful friends.” Her eyes softened as her voice grew husky, “I have you, Randall, the love of my life. I could never have predicted we could be this happy.”
“No kidding,” he offered as he dropped small kisses on Sloane’s lips, “we used to fight like cats and dogs and look as us now. Once you understood I was the boss…”
“Oh, you…” Sloane slugged Randall’s arm playfully. “You really are a Neanderthal man.”
“And you, my love, are wonderfully controlling, but it works for us, doesn’t it? Trading power seems to be our modus operandi.”
“Mm hm.” Sloane responded sleepily. “Thank you for bringing me here.”
“Oh no, my girl, you are not falling asleep on me,” Randall slid his hand down from Sloane’s cheek to her clavicle, moving lower until he cupped her breast and the nipple hardened under his hand. “I am just getting started,” he added as he dropped his mouth to her nipple, sucking hard, sending a zing of sensation straight to her core so that she arched off the bed.
She ran her hands over his back, pulling his mouth harder to her, her long legs wrapping around him, kissing the top of his head. He lifted his head and she pulled on his body, encouraging his mouth down to hers for a searing kiss. He was on her and in her in only moments, sinking deep into her moist, waiting body. He pushed in deeper and Sloane sighed with contentment, using her legs to kick off the heavy blanket.
They made love slowly, Randall sliding from her almost all the way, and then slipping back in tiny movements until he could sink no further, an action that built up the intensity for them both. Sloane gripped his ass, trying to speed him up but he set a pace designed to make things last longer, to increase their pleasure. Rising on his elbows he looked into her stunning face, her blue eyes grey in the low lights.
“I want to be like this with you forever.”
“We have to get out of bed once in a while,” she teased.
“Seriously, I want to spend my life with you, Sloane. I want to make slow, tortuous love to you until you scream. I want to have babies with you, solve problems with you, and explore the world with you. I want to grow old with you. I am deeply in love with you, Sloane, and happier than any man deserves to be because you love me too.”
“Randall, do you understand what you are saying? It’s the beauty of these settings, and the sex of course. I am difficult. Oh!” Sloane was interrupted from her words by the feel of Randall’s hand between her legs, reaching and finding that tiny nub of flesh that would drive her insane. She was panting in seconds, unable to talk.
“There, kiss me. Until you can just say yes, this is a much better use of your mouth.” He claimed her mouth hard, running his tongue into its warm depths, sucking her tongue into his mouth. When he came up for air they were both breathing hard. He was holding himself perfectly still, just playing with that small inch between Sloane’s legs. She was writhing under him, her body begging for someth
ing just beyond her reach.
“Marry me, Sloane. Marry me.”
Sloane was hanging on to Randall, hands sinking into his muscled arms, back arched, reaching for release. Randall continued to tease her, playing with the small bud, sliding slowly in and out, then quickly, softly, then with power. Finally, Sloane was wracked by a powerful orgasm. “Oh god, yes!”
“Was that for the orgasm or the proposal?” Randall asked when she was coming down from her high.
“Can you do that again?” Sloane asked slyly. “Cause if you can, it was to the proposal. I want that again, years and years and years of that. Oh, and of course, years and years with you.”
She lifted her head from the pillow seeking his mouth, sealing her promise to him with a searing kiss.
Randall began moving his hips hard and fast, quickly taking them both over the edge to oblivion, binding them body and soul to one another.
“Alright, that will do,” Sloane said several minutes later when their two hearts stopped pounding like freight trains. “You have proven that you can do it again, so I will honor my commitment,” she teased him, nipping at his mouth as he rolled his heavy body and laid beside her, pulling her tight against his side.
“Well, it’s not like I don’t know what I am getting myself into, you demanding wench,” Randall laughed. “I can see that life with you will be a series of difficult negotiations.”
“Is that so? If I marry you, I intend to win these negotiations. You are warned.”
“If? Oh no, Sloane. You said yes. No backing out now.”
“But you didn’t get on one knee…”
“What if I were to sweeten my offer to make up for the no-knee proposal?” Randall probed. He lay perfectly still, poised for her response.
Sloane leaned up on one elbow, watching his face carefully. “It was a already a pretty good offer but I am listening.”
“You, Sloane Huyler, will agree to be my wife. You will set a wedding date no more than six months in the future - the sooner the better.” Randall put his fingers over her lips when Sloane protested that six months wouldn’t be enough. “You will continue to share my bed and my life. We will be a team, a fabulous power couple. We will make each other deliriously happy.”
“Hmmm,” she pretended to consider his ‘contract’. “I see a problem here. Do I tell our grandchildren you proposed while we were having sex? How will that sound?”
“Well, I see your concern. What to do? What to do?” he chuckled. “I see that I have created this problem for you and that we must renegotiate this contract further. So if you like my sweetener, you will overlook this little problem with the grandchildren?”
“What are you offering Mr. Parker? You better make it good.”
“Good, huh?” Randall pretended to think for a long minute, looking about the room for an idea to strike him. “How about the house?”
“The house?”
“Yes, how about if I throw this house into the deal?”
Sloane sat up sharply, elbowing Randall in the process and distracting him with the sight of her body. His hands instinctively reached for her nipples. Sloane swatted them away.
“Seriously, Randall, this is no joke. Can you buy this house? Can you even afford it?”
“No. I doubt it, to be perfectly honest. It isn’t for sale and even if it was, it would be prohibitively expensive, even for me.”
Sloane’s face fell and she idly ran her fingers over Randall’s chest, disappointment evident.
“That was cruel, Randall. You shouldn’t have teased me with the possibility of this house, knowing how much I love it.”
“But…” he dragged out the word, “six years ago it was for sale and I could afford it then.”
“What? What are you saying, Randall Parker? Is this ours?” Sloane was bouncing on the bed until Randall feared she might break it.
“Not ours, Sloane. Mine. But….were you to agree to my contract, I would agree to add this house to the above-mentioned marriage contract. Do we have a deal?”
Sloane reached out as if to shake Randall’s hand. “I guess I can find a story to tell the grandchildren,” she stalled. “I think I just bested you Mr. Parker, but you have yourself a deal.”
Laughing, Randall pulled her back into his arms, correcting her, “No, my love. I believe I just made the best deal of my life. I get you.”
####
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Books don’t write themselves, although I sometimes wish they did. Rather, they take time, hard work, imagination and a lot of research. Many people offered helpful suggestions, but three were critical to the accuracy of the story.
My thanks to Monica Fohrman, who shared her legal training and business acumen to assure I had a valid case against Sloane’s father and that I broke no rules when Maria brokered a deal for HI. My knowledge of high-end fundraising events would not have been complete without the detailed descriptions and juicy gossip provided by Linda Schneider, who also helped with selecting and approving Sloane’s wardrobe. Finally, thank you to Dr. Michael Losoff for explaining the psychology behind overcoming a childhood incident that can lead to addictive behavior.
My sincere gratitude to my intrepid editors for this novel: Monica, Linda, Phyllis, Stephanie, Michael, the other Monica and Sandra, who asked that the villainous Sandra Berensen be named for her! Their suggestions were fantastic, as always, and because of them, you get to read a far better novel.
I cannot give enough thanks to Julie King at Carolina King for my website. I don’t think she understood how demanding I would be when she signed up for this. She has a tech idiot on her hands. Still, she never complains.
Last, but not least, my heartfelt gratitude to Michael for being so gracious in his support of my work and to my sisters, who had my back on this endeavor - every step of the way.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Madison Michael wanted to be a writer from the age of eight when she started acting out the stories and living the pages with neighbors and friends. She always believed that stories were vital, breathing things and she looked forward to creating them. After receiving a BS in Communications from the University of Illinois and an MBA from Loyola University, Madison was sidetracked from her dream. She spent more than 30 years working for Fortune 500 companies in Finance, Marketing, and eventually Software Management.
When she retired in 2014, she dusted off her dreams and began writing romance novels. Her first novel, “Bedazzled” was published in May, 2016. Madison is a member of Romance Writers of America.
Madison lives in Evanston IL with two feline companions and a great view of the Chicago skyline.
Dear Reader,
Thank you for reading “Beholden,” the second in the Beguiling Bachelor Series. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it. I found Randall and Sloane wonderful characters to develop and grow.
Please consider leaving a review on Amazon, Goodreads or the reading site of your choice. Help your fellow readers choose their next book.
Want to see something special or someone special in the last two books of this series or In future novels? I welcome your comments and suggestions.
Happy reading,
Maddy
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.madisonmichael.net
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BOOKS BY MADISON MICHAEL
The Beguiling Bachelor Series:
Bedazzled (2016) – Buy it on Amazon
Beholden (2016) – Buy it on Amazon
Bedeviled (2017) – coming Spring 2017
Besotted (2017) - coming Winter, 2017
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Beholden (The Beguiling Bachelors Book 2) Page 29