Money Man's Fiancée Negotiation

by Michelle Celmer

  He’d never kissed her this way before, so tender and sweet. She didn’t dive in with gusto, in what he had to admit sometimes felt more like an oral assault than a kiss. Not that it wasn’t hot as hell, but this was nice, too. In fact, he liked this a lot.

  It was so different, so not Melody. Even though he’d sworn to himself that he’d take this slow, he let himself be drawn in. Let her drag him down into something warm and sexy and satisfying.

  He realized something else was different, too. Melody always wore perfume or body spray. The same musky, sensual fragrance that at times could be a touch cloying. Now the only detectable scent was a hint of soap and shampoo intermingled with the natural essence of her skin and her hair. Honestly, it was sexier and more arousing than anything she could find in a bottle.

  And he was aroused, he realized. He was erect to the point of discomfort and aching for release. If her labored breathing and soft whimpers were any indication, he wouldn’t have to wait long.

  He deepened the kiss and her tongue tangled with his, and she tasted so delicious, felt so good melting against him, he was the one who wanted to ravish her. He had promised himself that he would make her wait a little longer, draw out the anticipation for another day or two, until he really had her crawling out of her skin, but at that precise moment, he didn’t give a damn what he’d promised himself. He wanted her now.

  Just as he was ready to make the next move, take it to the next level, he felt Mel’s hands on his chest applying gentle but steady pressure, and he realized that she was pushing him away.

  He broke the kiss and reluctantly backed off. “What’s wrong?”

  Melody’s cheeks were deep red and he could see her pulse fluttering wildly at the base of her neck. She smiled up at him and said, a little breathlessly, “That was amazing. But I think it’s all I can handle right now.”

  All she could handle? Was she kidding? Once Mel got started she was unstoppable. Now she was actually stopping him?

  Ash was so stunned by her sudden change of heart that he wasn’t sure how to act or what to say to her. She had never told him no. In fact, since he met her, he couldn’t recall a time when he’d even had to ask for sex. She was usually the aggressor, and she had an insatiable appetite. There were even times when he wished they could take a day or two off.

  Now, for the first time in three years, he wanted something that he couldn’t have.

  It was a sobering realization.

  “I’m sorry,” she said, and he realized she was gazing up at him, looking apologetic. “I just don’t want to rush things. I want to take it slow, just like you said.”

  For a second he had to wonder if this was some sort of twisted game. Get him all hot and bothered then say no. But the thought was fleeting because the Melody gazing up at him wasn’t capable of that kind of behavior. He was the one who had all but scolded her for touching him in the hotel room, the one who kept saying that they should take it slowly.

  If anyone was playing games, he was, and he was getting exactly what he deserved.

  “Are you okay?” she asked, her mouth pulled into a frown. “Are you upset with me?”

  He desperately wished she was the old Melody again, so he could use this opportunity to hurt her. But in his mind they had inexplicably split into two separate and distinct people. The good Mel, and the evil Mel. And he knew that he couldn’t hurt this Melody.

  Jesus, he was whipped. He’d gone and let her get under his skin. The one thing he swore he wouldn’t do.

  “No,” he said, pulling her into his arms and holding her. “I’m not upset. Not at all.”

  May as well enjoy it while it lasted, he thought, as she snuggled against him, burying her face in the crook of his neck. He knew, with her memory slowly returning, it was only a matter of time before the evil Mel was back and the good Mel was lost forever.

  It was inevitable, but damn, was he going to miss her.

  Leaving Mel and going in to work had been tough, but not as tough as it would have been staying with her. Sex had been the furthest thing from his mind the past couple weeks, but now, after one damned kiss, it seemed it was all he could think about. As a result, he was having one hell of a time concentrating on work.

  He took an early lunch, early being noon instead of two or three, and though he didn’t normally drink during work hours, he made an exception and ordered a scotch on the rocks. It helped a little.

  On his way back to his office he ran into Brock Maddox.

  “I was just going to call you,” Brock said. “Can I have a quick word?”

  “Of course.”

  He gestured Ash to his office, and when they were inside he closed the door and said, “Flynn told me what happened with Melody. I wanted you to know how sorry I am.”

  “Thanks. But she’s actually doing really well. She had an appointment with her neurologist today and everything looks good.”

  “I’m relieved to hear it.”

  “Was that all?” Ash asked, moving toward the door.

  “There’s one more thing. As you’ve probably heard, we didn’t get the Brady account.”

  “I heard.” Brady Enterprises was a fairly large account, and the fact that they didn’t get it was unfortunate, but Ash wasn’t sure if it warranted the grim look Brock was wearing. As CFO, Ash knew they were financially sound with or without Brady.

  “They hired Golden Gate Promotions,” Brock told him.

  “I heard that, too.” It was never fun to lose, especially to a direct competitor, especially one as cocky and arrogant as Athos Koteas, but obviously Golden Gate pitched them an idea, and a budget, they couldn’t refuse.

  “Did you hear that they low-balled us out of the deal?” Brock asked, and when Ash opened his mouth to respond, he added, “Using a pitch that was almost identical to ours.” “What?”

  “That’s more the reaction I was hoping for.”

  “Where did you hear this?”

  “I have an acquaintance over at Brady and she clued me in. She said it was even suggested that Maddox was stealing pitch ideas.”

  “Are we?”

  The question seemed to surprise Brock. “Hell, no! That was our idea.”

  “So, how did Golden Gate manage to pitch the same thing? Coincidence?”

  “Highly unlikely. The only explanation is that someone here leaked it.”

  If that was true, they had a serious problem. “What does Flynn think of this?”

  “I didn’t tell him yet.”

  As vice president, Flynn should have been told about this immediately. “You don’t think he needs to know?”

  “I wanted to talk to you first.”

  “Why? As CFO, this really isn’t my area of expertise.”

  “Look, Ash, I’m not sure how to say this, so I’m just going to say it. You know that I’ve always liked Melody, but is it possible that she could have had anything to do with this?”

  The question was so jarring, so out-of-the-blue unexpected, it actually knocked Ash back a step or two. “Melody? What would she have to do with this?”

  “It just seems coincidental that right around the time we started laying out the framework for the pitch, meetings you were in on, she disappeared. I would understand completely if maybe you went home and mentioned things to her, never suspecting that she would leak it to our competitor. Maybe they made her an offer she couldn’t refuse.”

  Ash’s hands curled into fists at his sides, and had he been standing within arm’s reach, he might have actually slugged Brock. “The idea that you would accuse Melody of all people of corporate espionage is the most ridiculous, not to mention insulting, thing I’ve ever heard.”

  “Considering the way she took off, it just seemed a plausible scenario.”

  “Yeah, well, you are way off base,” Ash said, taking a step toward him, all but daring him to disagree.

  Brock put his hands up in a defensive posture and said, “Whoa, take it easy, Ash. I apologize for offending you, but put yourself
in my position for a minute. Like I said, I had to ask. There’s a rumor that she didn’t leave on the best of terms, so I figured—”

  “So we’re listening to rumors now? So should I assume that you’re screwing your assistant?”

  Brock’s brow dipped in anger and Ash had the distinct feeling he’d taken this argument a step too far, then Brock’s attention shifted to the door.

  “Mother, would it really be too much for you to knock before you enter a room?”

  Ash turned to see Carol Maddox standing in the now-open doorway. Small and emaciated but a force to be reckoned with nonetheless. And oh, man, she didn’t look pleased. Of course, as long as Ash had known her, disappointment and contempt were the only two expressions that had ever made it through the Botox. In fact, he couldn’t recall a single incidence when he’d seen her smile. She was probably one of the unhappiest, nastiest people he’d ever met, and seemed hell-bent on taking everyone else down with her.

  “I need to have a word with you, dear,” she said through gritted teeth, or maybe the Botox had frozen her jaw. Either way, she looked royally pissed off and Ash was in no mood to get caught in the crosshairs.

  “I take it we’re finished here,” he said, and Brock nodded curtly.

  As Ash sidestepped around Mrs. Maddox to get to the door, he almost felt guilty. The remark about Brock sleeping with Elle didn’t seem to go over well with good ol’ mom. But that was what he got for accusing Melody of all people of leaking company secrets.

  Even if Ash had told her about the campaign—which he definitely hadn’t—she was not the type to go selling the information to Maddox’s rival. And somewhere deep down he would always resent Brock for even suggesting that she would.

  Wait a minute…

  He gave himself a mental shake. Wasn’t he being a touch hypocritical? Why was he so dead set on defending the honor of a woman he planned to use, then viciously dump? This was the evil Mel they were talking about, right?

  Because, although she may have betrayed Ash’s trust, it would be against everything he believed to castigate someone for something they didn’t do. And for this, she was completely innocent.

  When he reached his office Rachel greeted him anxiously. “Oh, there you are. I’ve been calling you. Miss Trent called.”

  “Sorry, I forgot my cell in my desk. What did she want?”

  “She said she needed to talk to you and she sounded frantic. Completely unlike herself. She asked to have you call her immediately on her cell phone.” Melody wasn’t the frantic type, and that alone alarmed him. “Did she say why?”

  “No. But I’m worried. She acted as if she’d never spoken to me before.”

  That was because, as far as she knew, she never had. “I’ll call her right away.”

  He stepped into his office, shut the door and dialed her cell. She answered before it even had time to ring on his end, and the stark fear in her voice made his heart drop. “Ash?”

  “It’s me. What’s wrong?”

  “I need you to come get me,” she said, her voice quivering so hard he could barely understand her. His first thought was that maybe something had happened and she needed to be taken to the hospital.

  “Are you hurt? Did you hit your head?”

  “No, I just need a ride,” she said, then he heard the sound of traffic in the background and realized that she must not be at home. She’d said something about taking a walk when he left for work. Had she maybe walked too far and couldn’t make it back on her own?

  “Mel, where are you?”

  “The Hyde Street Pier.”

  The Hyde Street Pier? That was way the hell across town from their condo. There was no way she could have walked that far. “How did you get over there?”

  “Can you just come?” she asked, sounding desperate.

  “Of course. I’m leaving right now. I’m ten minutes away.”

  “I’ll be in front of the Maritime store right on the corner.”

  Ash hung up the phone, grabbed his keys from his desk drawer, and as he passed Rachel’s desk he said, “I have to run out for a while. I’ll try to make it back this afternoon.”

  “Is everything okay?” she asked, looking concerned.

  “I’m not sure.” But he was about to find out.

  Ten

  Melody didn’t have to remember her past to know that she had never felt so stupid or humiliated in her entire life.

  She sat in the passenger seat of Ash’s car, wringing her hands in her lap, wishing she could make herself invisible. At least she’d stopped trembling, and now that her heart rate had slowed her head had stopped hurting, and she wasn’t dizzy anymore either. That didn’t stop her from feeling like a total idiot.

  “Are you ready to tell me what happened?” Ash asked gently, looking away from the road for a second to slide her a sideways glance.

  “You’re going to think I’m stupid,” she said.

  “I won’t think you’re stupid.” He reached over and pried one hand free and curled it under his. “I’m just glad you’re okay. You scared me.”

  She bit her lip.

  “Come on, Mel.”

  “I got lost,” she said quickly, immediately wishing she could take it back. But he didn’t chastise or make fun of her, not that she thought he would. It didn’t make her feel any less like a dope though. And to his credit, he sat there silently waiting for her to elaborate, not pushing at all.

  “Remember I said I was going to take a walk?”

  He nodded.

  “Well, I felt so good, so full of energy, I guess I overestimated my endurance a bit. I got about a mile and a half from home—”

  “A mile and a half?” His eyes went wide. “Mel!”

  “I know, but it felt so good to be in the fresh air, and it was mostly downhill. But then I started to get really tired, and the way back was all uphill. I knew I wouldn’t be able to make it back, so I got on a bus.”

  “You knew which bus to take?”

  “I thought I did. Unfortunately it was the wrong bus. It took me in the opposite direction of home, and by the time I figured it out I was really far. So I got off at the next stop and got on a different bus, but that one was going the wrong direction, too. It was such a strange sensation, like I knew deep down that I should know which bus to take, but I kept picking the wrong one.”

  “Why didn’t you ask someone for help?”

  “I was too embarrassed. Besides, I felt like I needed to do it on my own.”

  “And they say men never ask for directions,” he said, rolling his eyes, and she couldn’t help but crack a smile.

  “I rode around for a couple of hours,” she continued, “and finally got off at the pier. I had absolutely no idea where I was. I could have been in China for all I knew. Nothing looked familiar. And I guess…I guess I just freaked out. My heart was racing and I had this tightness in my chest, like I was having a heart attack. Then my hands started going numb and I felt like I was going to pass out and that really scared me. That’s when I called you.”

  “It sounds like you had a panic attack. I used to get the same thing when I was a kid, when I went in for my treatments.”

  “Treatments?” she asked.

  He paused for a second, then said, “Radiation.”

  She frowned. “Radiation? What for?”

  “Osteosarcoma,” he said, then glanced over and added, “Bone cancer.”

  He had cancer? She’d had no idea. Well, she probably did, she just didn’t remember. “I know I’ve probably asked you this before, but when?”

  “I was twelve.”

  “Where was it?”

  “My femur.”

  “How long were you—”

  “Not long. Eight months, give or take. They caught it early at my annual physical. A round of radiation and chemo and I was fine.”

  She was pretty sure it hadn’t been as simple as he made it sound. Especially if he had been having panic attacks. “Do you worry…I mean, could it…come bac
k?”

  “If it was going to come back it would have a long time ago.” He glanced over at her. “If you’re worried I’m going to get sick and die on you, I’m probably more likely to be hit by a bus.”

  “I didn’t mean that. I just…I don’t know what I meant. The question just popped out. I’m sorry.”

  He squeezed her hand. “It’s okay.”

  She could see that it was a touchy subject and she didn’t want to push it. She just hoped he didn’t think that it would ever stop her from marrying him. She was in this for the long haul, until death do them part and all that. And speaking of marriage…

  “I was wondering,” she said. “Is there a reason you wouldn’t tell people at work that we’re engaged?”

  His shot a glance her way. “Why do you ask?”

  “Well, when I called your office, and your secretary asked who it was, I said Ash’s fiancée, and she sounded really confused.”

  “What did she say?”

  “She said, Ash’s what? and I said, Ash’s fiancée, Melody. I got the distinct impression that she had no idea we were engaged.”

  “We just haven’t officially announced it,” he said. “I asked right before you left on your trip, then you didn’t come back….” He shrugged.

  “So you didn’t say anything to anyone.”

  “It was the last thing on my mind.”

  “Well, I guess that explains the pictures and the videos.”

  “What about them?”

  “I noticed that I wasn’t wearing my engagement ring in a single one. So now I know why.”

  Melody looked over at him and Ash had a strange look on his face, as if he felt sick to his stomach or something.

  “Is it okay that I said something to her? I mean, we have no reason not to announce it now. Right?”

  “I’ve just been so swamped since we’ve been back, with everything at work, and the doctor’s office. The truth is, it completely slipped my mind.”

  “But it is okay.”

  He smiled and squeezed her hand again. “Of course.”

  “Oh, good,” she said, feeling relieved. “Since I kind of already did. To your secretary anyway. Do you think we should plan some sort of engagement party? Or at least call the wedding planner?”