by Lyric James
Rhys watched a myriad of emotions cross Jade’s face and defined each and every one of them. Lucky for him, he had a keen ability to read people. A sense of pure male satisfaction ran through him knowing he still affected her. She’d been so cool and professional when they’d met earlier in his office, as if the night they spent together meant nothing to her. Now, he could tell that being around him still bothered her down to the most basic sensual level. Heat spread throughout his body and it made his cock thicken.
He wondered what she’d do if he crossed the room, gathered her into his arms and drew her pretty little mouth into a kiss. Even now, he still remembered how good she tasted. Her lips, her pussy, everything about her reminded him of what he’d been missing.
The dress she wore accentuated every creamy caramel texture of her skin. She wore little make-up, which pleased him. He hated it when women wore so much they almost looked like clowns, not to mention the mess it made on his clothes. A delicate silver butterfly with a diamond in the center adorned her neck, and she wore a matching pair of earrings. Her hair fell in waves just below her shoulders, and he itched to run his fingers through the silky tresses.
His attention returned to her eyes. They were luminous chocolate brown pools that called to him from the very first moment he saw her. “All finished?”
“Yes.”
He walked out and waited while she locked her door. She held her purse in an almost death grip. Once in the back of the limousine, he was careful not to sit too close to her, but sat on the same side in the small compartment.
She cleared her throat. “So, what is this fundraiser for?”
“The Multiple Sclerosis Society.” His gaze lingered on her exposed leg. It brought back memories of those same legs wrapped around his waist as he plunged his dick into her core.
“Do you think the person who sent you the letters could be at the party tonight?”
“It’s a possibility.”
“What do you think these letters are really about?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, obviously, someone has information you don’t want anyone to know about, but they haven’t asked for money.”
He quirked an eyebrow at her. “Yet.”
“If they wanted money, I believe they would have asked for it right off. Why send the birth certificate and threaten you? It doesn’t make sense. There has to be something else they want; a reason why they’re sending you the letters. Someone wants something from you, and if it’s not money, which I don’t believe it is, then it’s something else.”
When he got the first letter, he did wonder why the person didn’t outright ask for money. He would have paid it in a hot second to keep Maya’s identity from coming out. For years he’d been harboring this secret. But he had no idea it would eventually lead to Maya’s or his life being threatened. Why now though? And the birth certificate. How did they find out about her in the first place? She wasn’t even born in Tennessee.
Rhys stretched his legs out in front of him and crossed them at the ankles. “I really hadn’t thought about it that way.” What did they want from him? He sure hoped Jade found out soon.
“In my line of business,” she said, scooting a little farther away from him. “I’ve learned unless you find out the who, what, when, where and why before the axe falls, you’re liable to end up with a knife in your back, sometimes literally. And it won’t be pretty.”
Even though he realized the damage that could be done to his family if the truth behind Maya’s identity got out, right now, the only thing on his mind was Jade. “You plan to talk about anything else tonight?”
“I thought that was the reason you hired me. The reason you wanted me to join you tonight.”
He relaxed his arm on the seat behind her shoulders, unwilling to let her get too far away. “And you can’t think of any other reason I’d ask you out tonight.”
She visibly swallowed. “No, I can’t.”
“You’re a beautiful woman, Jade. We shared a wonderful night together. Are you sure you can’t think of any reason?”
Her eyes shifted from fear to wonder to apprehension, then the shutters came down on her expression. Silence stretched between them. Just as he opened his mouth to tell her exactly why he asked her to join him, the car came to a stop. She didn’t even wait for the driver to open the door.
Rhys smiled and followed her out of the car, willing to let it go for right now. But soon enough, she’d know exactly why he hired her firm, specifically her, for this job.
Though Jade had no idea where she was, she bolted out of the limousine. She didn’t even stop to see if Rhys was behind her as she stepped inside the hotel. What the hell had just happened in that limo? One moment they were talking about his case, the next he was insinuating he had ulterior motives for inviting her to this fundraiser. She stopped and raised her hands to her heated cheeks, unable to believe it. Could he actually still be interested in her?
“Hey, slow down,” he said, sliding his arm around her waist.
The moment he touched her, an invisible line of heat zinged right to her center. She stilled and looked down at it his hand lingering on her waist.
“Lieutenant Governor,” a male voice called ahead of them. Relief swept through her. Surely, he wouldn’t try to continue the conversation he started in the car. And why hadn’t he removed his arm? He slid his hand to the small of her back and led her forward.
“Senator Franklin,” he said. “How are you?”
They were about twenty feet from a ballroom. Inside people milled about, champagne glasses in their hands. A slow, easy love song filtered out to them, as well as the smell of freshly cut flowers. In the middle of the dance floor she saw a couple twirl around. It was a wedding reception.
The lobby was dimly lit with intimate seating arrangements of two or four chairs littered around the area. Several uniformed people stood at the desk, waiting to be checked in. With his other hand, Rhys reached out and gave the senator a firm handshake. An elevator door dinged in the distance.
“And who’s your beautiful companion tonight?” he asked.
Jade was almost flattered until she noticed the man wasn’t looking in her face. Instead, his gaze swept her from head to toe and back up again, and lingered on her chest. Dirt seeped into her pours and something akin to a snake slithered over her skin.
Rhys didn’t seem to notice her reaction. “This is Jade Conner. She’s going to be my executive assistant while Kathy is on maternity leave.”
Only an ingrained sense of respect for where she was and who she was with made Jade reach out and take his hand. He engulfed hers in both of his, his thumb lingered on her wrist. She resisted the urge to jerk it back. He was definitely going on her suspect list.
“Nice to have you in the office,” he remarked, still not focusing directly on her face but in the area below her chin.
The jerk.
Finally, he released her. “You save me a dance now,” he said and smiled.
Don’t count on it.
“Don’t mind him,” Rhys said. “He flirts with all the ladies in the office.”
“Are you sure that’s all he does?”
Rhys laughed. He made small circles on her back with his hand and the vibration from the chuckle tingled across her skin. Desire curled in her belly. Jade stepped out of his embrace. “I really don’t think it’s appropriate for you touch me.
A flash of irritation crossed his face. “Come on,” he said, nodding his head in the direction of the music.
He led her to a ballroom down the hall to the left. Inside the double doors about a hundred or so people were seated at tables covered in white linens, set up to form a U-shape around a dance floor.
“You didn’t seem to have a problem with me touching you earlier,” he whispered in her ear.
The music she’d heard while in the lobby was completely different from inside this ballroom. This was more classical, boring. A string quartet played from the far corner. S
he didn’t know which earlier he was referring to, but it didn’t matter. “I wasn’t your employee earlier,” she emphasized with a tight smile on her face. “People might think we’re involved if you keep touching me like that.”
The walls were lined with Ficus trees covered in white lights. Small envelopes were tied to some of the branches. Up in front, sat a small raised dais with a podium in the center.
Rhys walked over to the closest tree, pulled two envelopes from a branch and stuck them in his breast pocket. “I think you’re overreacting. You’re acting like I slipped my hand under your dress. Maybe that’s what you really want.”
Jade winced. The reality was, she did enjoy his touch, wanted it much more than she was willing to admit. But wanting him interfered with the job she had to do. She nodded toward his chest. “What are those for?”
“Donation envelopes,” he answered, guiding them to their table. “Each of the envelopes has an amount anywhere from twenty-five dollars to one-hundred. Whatever you pull, you agree to donate that amount to the foundation.”
It almost impressed Jade he took two envelopes before she remembered that he came from money. The most he’d have to give was two hundred dollars. He probably had that in his pocket right now.
They found their table up front, which had a beautiful arrangement of roses, carnations, baby’s-breath and greenery in the center. The table sparkled with china, crystal and silverware. He pulled her chair out for her, and she sat.
“Good evening everyone,” he said to those already seated at the table.
“Good evening, Lieutenant Governor.”
There were four other couples at their table. “This is Jade Conner.” Waving to the couple on his left he said, “Jade, this is Cynthia and Mike Cooper, Phyllis and Anthony Johnson, and Sharon and Erik White.”
She smiled to the group. “Nice to meet you,” she said.
“I love that dress,” Mrs. Johnson commented.”
“Thank you.”
As their salads and then entrées were served, the conversations around the table went from politics, to local events around the community, to gossip. Jade contributed when she had something interesting to say. Rhys solicited her opinion many times, and each time his leg brushed against hers, a tingle zigzagged up her spine. A few minutes after their dinner was served, a man went up to the podium.
He tapped the mic before he began to talk. “I want to thank each and every one of you for coming to our annual Multiple Sclerosis charity dinner.” He paused for a moment as everyone clapped. “I’m not going to bore you with a long-winded speech, but your donations tonight are going to help send a lot of children to our summer camp, help with their medical bills, and the annual marathon. It’s not a requirement, but if you’d like to donate more, please take an envelope from one of the trees, and remember to let the ladies at the back table know which envelope you pulled before you leave tonight. So please, enjoy your dinner and dessert and let’s dance the night away. Thank you.”
Everyone clapped, then continued with their dinner. After they finished, their plates were taken away and several couples began to dance. Rhys stood up and for a moment, she was afraid he was going to ask her to dance.
Instead, he leaned down and whispered, “I’ll be right back.”
A sensuous tickle traveled down her ear cavity, right down to her center. She had to stop this. Things were getting out of control. A knot formed in her throat as she watched him walk away. Jade refused to acknowledge she wished he had asked her. The last time they danced they’d ended up in bed. That was not going to happen again. He went to the table in the back and she tried not to stare at him.
“He is handsome, isn’t he?” Cynthia Cooper leaned over and said. “You two make a cute couple.”
“Oh, we’re not a couple,” she quickly clarified. “I’m filling in for his executive assistant who’s out on maternity leave.”
“Too bad, because I think he’s a little attracted to you.”
Her gaze swiveled to Rhys and then back to Cynthia. “Really?” she asked. “I don’t think so.”
Her eyebrow rose. “I don’t know. He seems pretty smitten to me. You better hold on to that one if you can,” she said and grinned.
Rhys came back to the table but didn’t sit. He leaned down and held out his hand. “Would you like to dance?”
Chapter Five
Common sense and desire played ping-pong in her brain. The ping said yes, the pong said no. But she knew she couldn’t be rude and say no with other people at the table. So, she held out her hand. “Yes.”
Was fate cruel enough to replay their night a few months ago? She sure as hell hoped not. She didn’t know what would happen to her heart if she slept with Rhys again. Jade couldn’t just have sex with someone and not have some sense of connection. She’d never had a one-night stand in her life except the night she’d met Rhys. Why he had the power to make her lose all her inhibitions, she couldn’t explain.
Scooting her chair back, Jade rose and followed him to the dance floor. Memories flooded her brain as his arms circled her waist pulling her close and her hands crept up to his neck. The familiar cologne he wore teased her nose and heated her from the outside in. Jade knew he was looking at her, but she focused her gaze on a tree across the room. Being this close to him played havoc with her already singed libido. Sitting next to him all night was bad enough, but dancing with him was a totally different act altogether.
To her, dancing with a man was always a hint to the type of bed partner he’d be. How a man held a woman. How their bodies melded together. Were his movements smooth and slow, or jumpy and energetic? And she already knew from experience exactly what kind of lover Rhys was. His dancing was slow, deliberate, and sensuous. Each step he made led her and let her know he was in charge. Rhys was a predator and she a cornered rabbit in a field hunted by a fox.
What had she gotten herself into?
“Why won’t you look at me?”
His voice startled her out of her reverie, and her gaze swung up to his.
“I…” What could she say?
I’m not looking at you because if I did, I’d probably be dumb enough to ask you to have sex with me again.
No, she couldn’t—wouldn’t—say that.
“You have beautiful eyes.”
Goosebumps rose on her arms. “They’re brown.” She shrugged her shoulders. “Ordinary.”
“I don’t agree,” he said and shook his head. “When I look in your eyes, they make me think of a warm brownie, smothered in rich…milk…chocolate.” He exaggerated each word and brought her closer, if that were possible, and his chin grazed her head. “Sinful and decadent.”
Oh. My. God.
All the liquid she had in her body pooled south as desire seized in her chest. “That’s not true.”
He reared back, looked at her with a small smile, and leaned down closer to her ear. His breath whispered just below her lobe and warmed her even more than she already was. “It’s what I see,” he said.
She shuddered. “Why are you saying these things to me?”
“Is there a reason I shouldn’t?”
Yes.
No.
God help her, she wanted to hear him say these things. All her life she’d wanted someone to say she was beautiful and desirable and now, the most eligible man in Tennessee actually told her she was. However, this wasn’t what she was here for. She had a job to do, and if she let her attraction to him get in the way, she’d never solve this case and someone could very well die.
“Yes. Because I work for you. I’m here tonight because you told me that I would be able to get to know the people who worked in your office and try to figure out a motive for someone sending you threatening letters.” But had she even done any of that? No. Other than meeting the Senate Pro-tem, she hadn’t thought about the case since she got out of the limo. This alone should tell her that getting involved with him, and wrapped up in this false relationship, was not a good idea.
Rhys’ hand slid down her back. “What about when you’re not working for me anymore? When the case is solved and you find out who’s sending the letters, would you be more receptive to what I have to say?”
“I thought we already agreed about who and what we were to each other several months ago.” She would not be another easy distraction for the night. Next weekend, there would be another woman on his arm, and she’d read about it in the paper the next day. Her self-esteem would drop to a brand new low.
“And you have a problem renegotiating our agreement?”
The music switched from a slow to an upbeat tempo, and he led her off the dance floor back to their table. She almost had to run to keep up with him, and in her high-heeled shoes, that was no easy feat.
“If you’d wanted to see me again, you would have called months ago. But you didn’t. I’m just the flavor of the night right now, Rhys. I’m convenient. I’m sure…” But before she could finish her statement he led her out of the ballroom and past the front desk of the hotel. “Where are you taking me?”
“Right here,” he said, and turned her around into a hidden alcove just off the lobby. All sound, except her breathing and his, evaporated. She was enveloped by his nearness, his musky smell, the sheer depth of him.
Rhys eased her back against the wall and placed his knee between her legs. She was almost positive the wetness coating her panties would leave a wet spot on his dress pants. Her need for something hard stroking her clit became unbearable, but she resisted the urge to grind her pussy against his thigh. “W-what are you doing?”
“Well, you said you were the flavor of the night. I thought it was about time I got a taste.”
When his lips and tongue made contact with her skin, she almost melted to the floor. She gripped his arms and held on as he devoured her shoulder and her neck. But when his teeth bit down on the spot just below her ear, she couldn’t stop the moan that escaped from her throat.