by Jan Moran
“I just want you to be happy,” he said with determination. Guilt still plagued him about Lily getting pregnant earlier than planned. He’d meant what he’d said in New York, he’d been prepared to wait for her. “You had all these plans before having children and you haven’t yet achieved them.”
She touched his hand to reassure him. “Darling, it’s okay. I’m going back to my studies and I can do it part time. I’m so happy.” A smile of excitement tugged at her lips. “I have more exciting news. Remember that guy I met when I first started studying? Michael. He emailed me and we had a long chat today. He’s got this great collaborative idea and he wants to work with me.”
She could barely contain the excitement of sharing her news. “He’s composed music and songs for babies, toddlers, and children, and wants me to do the singing. He wants to promote it as a gift pack for new parents where they get three CDs of music appropriate for different stages of their children’s lives.”
“It sounds great,” he said with conviction, because as a father, he loved any gift, toy or activity that would benefit his son.
He ran his fingers through her hair, touching its softness. “I was thinking today about you performing up on stage.”
“Ha, the last time I did that, I was heavily pregnant with Joaquin. Remember?” Her brow crinkled with reflection. “I must have looked like a whale in my dress.”
“You looked amazing.” His thoughts drifted back a few months when he couldn’t stop staring at her belly, totally enamoured by the growing life they’d created through love.
He pressed a soft kiss to her brow. “I was thinking we could have you sing on a regular basis at the club, like what you did before Joaquin? What do you think?”
“I love to, but to be honest, I don’t want to perform every night. I want to be with you and Joaquin.” She paused. “Can I perform every fortnight?
“You can perform once a week, once a month, or once a year. Whatever you want I’ll organise it for you.” He kissed her mouth. “I can’t wait to see you up on stage again, you’ve got such a beautiful voice.”
“Thank you, Diego, for giving me everything.” She looked at him, her gaze filled with love.
He brushed his lips across hers. “I just want you happy.”
“I am happy,” she said, kissing him back. “What will make me happier is putting him to bed so I can show you how happy I really am,” she added with a cheeky wink.
His breath quickened in anticipation of him showing her how much he loved her. Dinner, for them, could wait. Making love to his beautiful wife couldn’t.
He gently took their baby, holding him close as he carried him to his cot. “Buenas noches hijo mio. Your parents love you so much.” He pressed light kisses across the baby’s forehead.
He looked back at his beautiful wife still seated and said, “I love you, Lily. You’ve made my life complete.”
“No more children?” She pretended to pout.
“Let’s wait a bit for the next one, besides” —he paused for dramatic effect— “we can practise.” He waggled his eyebrows.
She smiled before rolling her eyes. “I think we know what we’re doing.”
“Practise makes perfect.” He chuckled. “Back in a minute,” he said before giving her a searing look. He loved her with every depth of his being, and had every intention of making sure she knew, every day.
Lily had blessed him with a healthy child and was a loving wife whose smile brightened his day. In saying yes and marrying him, she’d made his life complete.
He’d bid on love and won.
Dear Reader
I hope you enjoyed Bidding on Love as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you did, I’d appreciate an honest review on Amazon or Goodreads. Thanks.
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Kindest Regards, Joanne
Liquid Lust
K.N. Lee
Copyright © 2016 by:
K.N. Lee
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.
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Chapter 1
“What is it this time?” Sohana overheard her boss ask as she got off the elevator to the twelfth floor.
Dressed in all pink, and with even pinker lips, Ashley, Gavin’s secretary, held a finger up for Sohana to wait.
Sohana stepped to her desk that stood in the center of the lobby of Pruitt and Associates law firm. She tossed her wavy black hair out of her way, wishing that she’d worn it in a ponytail instead of down. Leaning over Ashley’s desktop, she lowered her voice to a whisper.
“What’s going on?”
“Who could he be accused of murdering now? The mayor?”
Their eyes met at hearing Gavin’s question coming from behind his closed office door.
Sohana cringed. “Tommy?”
“Here we go again,” Ashley said under her breath.
Holding a stack of files to her chest, Sohana sighed and looked toward Gavin’s office. She could only guess that he was referring to Tommy Mancini, one of their top paying clients.
Tommy would always be known as the Wife Killer. Lucky for him, her boss had gotten the charges dropped, and Tommy was back on the golden streets of the most expensive neighborhood in Karim, Texas.
Good lord, she thought. She hoped they didn’t have to bring that man to the office again. Just being around him creeped her out. There was something in his dark, beady eyes that made her want to hide whenever he looked at her.
“Come on in, Sohana,” Gavin said.
Inside waited Kelly James and Gavin Pruitt, the name partner at the firm. With dark eyes, Kelly looked her up and down and turned her back to her.
“Just give me a moment,” he said. He nodded to the sofa at the back of the office. “Wait over there.”
With a nod, Sohana crossed his large office that was sectioned off into three spaces: one for his desk, another for hosting clients in the sitting area, and one for practicing his golf. All of the sections were full of too much clutter to actually move around with ease. So, Sohana stepped over his gym bag and sat on the leather sofa.
“I just need to know if you will handle his bail hearing, or if I need to get Paul to go. It was an escort,” Kelly said lowering her voice. Sohana could hear the disgust in her voice. “It’s not going to be easy.”
Gavin shook his head. “It never is.” He sighed and looked at his watch. “I’ll be there, just leave a note with the details on Sohana’s desk and she’ll remind me.”
Kelly glanced back at Sohana with a grimace on her face. “Fine. Don’t be late.”
Sohana looked down at her freshly manicured nails. She didn’t mind the looks. She didn’t like Kelly either.
Once Kelly left, Gavin leaned against the back of his desk and looked over at Sohana.
“The jerk just won’t lay low,” he said, shaking his head.
Sohana shrugged. “There was nothing you could do to make him change his ways.” It was unsaid between everyone, but they all had a feeling that despite representing Tommy, that he was guilty.
“You’re right.” He checked his watch again and stood to his full height. “Well, we have a potential client arriving in about half an hour.”
“I know,” she said. “The British businessman. I was the one who reminded you.”
He cracked a smile. “Right. You did.”
“Do you think he’ll sign on as a client? I’ve done my research on Sir Arthur Koenig and his sister, Elisa. They are a team, and it looks like you will have to win them both over. And her flight from Vienna was delayed, wh
ich means she won’t arrive until this evening. So…” Sohana’s voice trailed.
“So, this meeting is probably pointless if they make decisions together,” Gavin said. “Good work. He sounds like a cocky bastard.”
“I think you should still go through with it. It’s too late to cancel, and you can still make a good first impression.”
The phone on Gavin’s desk rang. He pressed a button. “Yes, Ashley?”
“Mr.—I mean, Sir Arthur Koenig has arrived.”
“Thank you, Ashley,” he said and hung up. He nodded to Sohana. “Why don’t you let him in? First impressions, right?”
Sohana tried to keep a calm face. Perhaps she’d done too much research on the British businessman. Just imagining coming face to face with a man who looked like he could be a magazine cover model made her face flush. There wasn’t time to be shy, she stood and walked over to the door, opening it.
Once the door opened, she swallowed.
There he was.
Arthur Koenig, the man she’d been researching for months now.
Dressed in a gray suit that looked as if it cost more than her car, Arthur stood from his seat in the lobby area before Ashley’s wraparound desk.
He was tall, about six-five, with dirty blond hair, kept long on the top and tapered along the back and sides. Very David Beckham-ish. What made her almost forget where she was…were his eyes.
Enchanting green was the only way to describe them. Their eyes met as he approached her.
For a moment, he just looked down at her. Then, he cracked a smile and held out a hand. “Arthur Koenig,” he said. He leaned forward and lowered his voice. “The Sir bit isn’t really necessary.”
Oh my, she thought. His British accent made her thoughts scramble and left her voice useless. She shook his hand instead and stepped aside so that he could enter Gavin’s office.
“Lovely,” he said. “I suppose I’ll get your name another time.”
“Sohana,” she said a little too loudly. She couldn’t miss her chance to introduce herself.
He nodded and turned to walk inside.
Sohana’s eyes widened as she looked over her shoulder at Ashley. “Oh my God,” she mouthed. Ashley grinned and nodded, pretending to fan herself. He was even hotter in person.
Sohana followed Arthur inside, discreetly closing the door behind them, and took a seat again on the sofa at the back of Gavin’s office.
Inside, Gavin and Arthur shook hands. “You’ve met my assistant, Miss Shah.”
“Indeed.” Arthur nodded, his eyes raising to meet Sohana’s.
Gavin extended an arm toward the seating area. “Let’s have a seat and discuss your needs. Here at Pruitt and Associates, we like to make sure our clients are well taken care of.”
Arthur sat down in the leather armchair near the sofa. With his back to the large open windows facing the lake, the sun spilled into the room and seemed to shine only on him.
Just as Gavin sat across from him, the conversation took a sudden turn.
“I think you misunderstood the reason I came by today,” Arthur said. He took out a folded white paper from his jacket’s inner pocket.
Gavin glanced at Sohana, giving her an icy look. “And what is the reason?”
Sohana gulped. Apparently her research had been useless. She was in for an intense scolding.
“I came to buy your firm,” he said.
Gavin raised a brow and sat forward in his seat. His face paled. “What?”
“Yes. Since relocating to this beautiful city, my sister and I have decided to expand the Koenig Empire. Therefore, she would like to take over the firm. She is fully capable of practicing law in the states, and being that this is one of the top law firms in Texas, she wants it. We will keep the staff of course…but we don’t really need you.” Arthur folded his hands, the corners of his mouth lifting into an earnest smile. “Just your clients.”
“Empire?” Gavin let out a chuckle. “That’s absurd.”
“We are prepared to pay you handsomely for the firm.”
Sohana’s jaw dropped. He spoke as if he were buying a new watch, not a multi-million dollar business.
“You’re insane,” Gavin said.
Arthur shrugged. “Perhaps, but my sanity is none of your concern.” He stood and handed Gavin the paper.
Gavin didn’t even look at it, he simply stared up at Arthur in disbelief.
“That’s our offer. There will be no negotiations. You’ll see that we have been more than fair,” Arthur said. He looked back at Sohana and their eyes met again.
It was as if something mystical passed between them whenever she was brave enough to look him straight on. He held the gaze and seemed to think of something that took his attention away. Without a word, he walked over to Gavin’s desk and took a pen from the jar and picked up a notepad. He jotted something down and ripped the sheet of paper from the pad.
Gavin and Sohana watched in silence, awestruck. She was surprised that Gavin was keeping quiet. She’d expected him to tell Arthur to get out of his office, just as he had told her many times throughout her career at the firm.
“Pardon my abrupt exit, but today is a busy day, and I have another appointment. One with your competitor actually. So, it’s entirely up to you, Mr. Pruitt, if you’d like to retire early and take your wife on a lavish vacation somewhere exotic”— he rubbed his jaw—“or, you can let the Bernstein brothers have this opportunity. I’d rather save myself a trip. So you have an hour to give me your answer.”
Gavin opened the folded paper. His brows rose, and his eyes widened at what he saw.
Arthur’s dimples deepened, and his smile seemed to reflect a secret held in his eyes. Such a smile made Sohana forget how to think properly, as he handed her the slip of paper he had just taken from Gavin’s desk.
Their fingers brushed as she accepted it.
Confused, she read it.
Eighty thousand per year.
Her head snapped up. “What is this?”
“Your offer to be my personal assistant.” Arthur looked back at Gavin. “I’ll send over a contract and all of the legal paperwork in the morning.”
To Sohana’s surprise, Gavin nodded. Judging by how much he was willing to pay Sohana to be his assistant, she couldn’t imagine what astronomical amount he offered her boss. Arthur Koenig, the man she had been studying for the past week, had just doubled her current salary...and she knew he had the money to do it.
“Miss Shah, I will call you tomorrow as well. We have a lot of work to do, you and I.”
Sohana shook her head. “You cannot be serious. You can’t just buy me.”
What was she saying? He absolutely could, and in her mind, he already did. But she felt like it was necessary to put up a little fight.
“I just did.” He winked and was out the door.
Silence passed between Gavin and Sohana as they tried to comprehend exactly what had just happened.
Still in awe, Sohana looked at the paper again. Her hands were shaking. “You’re right,” she said. “He is one cocky bastard.”
Chapter 2
“Tell me everything,” Elisa said as she slid into the passenger seat of Arthur’s black Ferrari.
Arthur shrugged, and let the top down. “I can’t imagine how it could have been any more perfect. I gave the proposal, and I’m sure Pruitt and Associates will accept. I told them I was going to make the offer to Bernstein and Associates as well.”
Elisa lifted a brow. “And did you?”
“Of course not. I went to play tennis with Tom.”
“Well done.” As they left the airport, Elisa reclined the seat and stretched her feet onto the dashboard. “You’re a good little brother,” she said as she let the soft breeze fly through her shoulder-length blond hair.
“Little? We’re twins.”
She smirked. “But I was born first.”
“Ah, yes,” he said nodding. They’d had this exact conversation at least a hundred times in their li
ves, and it never got old.
“But you are the best brother. How many girls can say their brother bought them a law firm? Aren’t I lucky?”
“You are indeed.” He turned toward downtown Karim, where his high-rise condo awaited them. In and out of traffic he weaved like a professional driver. “I have a little surprise for you.”
Elisa sat up with a grin on her pale face. Her green eyes lit up like a little girls on Christmas morning. “Do you really?” She folded her hands before her face. “Is she pretty?” She poked his arm, teasingly. “She’d better be.”
Arthur raised a brow. “You make it sound like I’d just go out and buy you a supermodel. We both know how much you like the chase.”
“True.”
“Let’s just say you can have your choice of girl tonight. We have a VIP table reserved at The Club.”
“Ah,” Elisa said, melting back into her seat. “You really do spoil me.”
“I did treat myself today as well,” he said, giving her a sidelong glance.
“You deserve it,” she said while rubbing her neck muscles. “I need to treat myself to a decent massage. I’ll be happy not to get on another plane for at least a year.” She sighed and lolled her head to the side to watch him drive. “Go on. Tell me.”
“She’s Indian. Fairly short, but absolutely stunning. Gray eyes, bronze skin, and wavy black hair. Can you envision her?”
Elisa chuckled. “Good work.”
“She’ll be my new assistant.”
“Boring!”
“Now that was harsh,” he said with a grin.
“Talk about not buying someone, Arthur. How much did you offer her?”