“May I quote you on that?” she asked.
He chuckled, stood and walked to the buffet table. “Nicely done,” he said, then brought a presentation folder and handed it to her.
She eyed it suspiciously, not knowing what to expect. “What’s this, more legal papers to sign?”
“I thought I’d save you some trouble,” he said, handing her a PR overview of Titan.
She opened the folder and flipped though several pages, articles, photos, charts and PR material. She pulled one sheet out and read it aloud.
Family-owned and operated since 1902, Titan Energy Corporation is a majority privately owned company with minor tradable interests with concerns in natural gas, minerals, and oil production and exploration. The Company has undergone major transitional phases. Named Buchanan Mining Company Limited in 1900, it was originally established as a gold mining and supply company in the early nineteen hundreds.
Recently the Company is engaged in oil exploration and mineral mining. In 1966 the Company name was changed to Titan Energy Corporation. Under the steady leadership of Jacob Buchanan, Titan Energy Corporationhas continuously emerged as a vital contender in the future of international energy.
“Wow,” she said dryly as she looked at him across the table from her. “Very convenient, Mr. Buchanan.”
“I aim to please,” he said, his eyes held hers transfixed.
“This is exactly what I needed, a pre-approved press folder. Gee whiz, wish I hadn’t come all this way. You could have just faxed this to me and saved me the trouble.”
“Sarcasm,” he said amused.
“Ya think?” she mocked, tilting her head with enjoyment.
He smiled tensely then stood and walked to the buffet table again. She was getting under his skin in more ways than one. “Let’s not insult each other’s intelligence, so I suggest we get to the point. What exactly do you want to end this, Ms. Butler?” He picked up the bottle of wine, walked back to the table and stood beside her.
“I want to do my job, do what I was already paid to do.”
“Paid, fine. In that case keep the money and go.”
“I’d rather keep my integrity and just do the job.”
“I’ll give you a very nice bonus. I’m sure your integrity will be fine with a few added zeros.” He filled her wine glass slowly then leaned down, tilted his head to speak directly in her ear. “What do you think?”
She shivered as she felt the heat of his breath against her ear and neck. The conversation had taken a whole different tone. Not realizing he was as close as he was, she turned to face him. They were just inches apart. “I think if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were trying to bribe me.”
“I guess it’s a good thing you know better,” he said softly, moving closer still.
He seemed to dare her to retreat. She didn’t. “Do I?” she whispered boldly as she looked into his eyes. Her heart slammed against her chest. He smiled. Then in an instant his mouth descended and captured hers—literally taking her breath away. The kiss, hesitant at first, quickly became demanding, as he pressed her solidly against the back of the chair. She felt his tongue press to her lips, she opened to him. He tilted his head and delved deep into her mouth and she into his. They tasted each other with probing delight. A rush of sensual excitement raced through her body, turned her inside to molten lava.
Her senses swam, befuddled and bewildered, drinking in the sweet nectar of his mouth. Someone moaned, or perhaps they both did. The surging intertwining dance of tangled tongues increased, as did their burning desire. Her heart raced—pounding like drums against her chest. Her nerves tingled and a place in the pit of her stomach trembled and shook. This wasn’t just a kiss, this was a message. He sent, she received and tried her best to send one of her own.
The kiss ended slowly with their lips barely touching. Breathless, with her heart beating rapidly, she looked at him. She refused to be rattled this time. “The writer in me might wonder why that is?”
He smiled realizing that she had continued their previous conversation before the kiss. He was impressed, she was good and there was nothing he enjoyed more than a challenge. “The writer in you might need an impressive reference. I’m sure a note scribbled on Titan letterhead would look impressive enough for your next client.”
“But I’d still have to face myself in the mirror.”
“You’ll find it’s a lot easier when the mirror is gilded.”
“You’re good,” she said smiling slowly.
“I’m better than you can possibly imagine,” he promised, moving in to kiss her again.
She leaned back. “Thanks, but no thanks,” she said, sliding away on the other side of the chair then standing. She stepped back, putting her empty chair between them. “I think the price is a bit out of my reach.”
“Are you sure?” he asked, moving around the chair and caging her against the table. Breathless, she planted her hand on his chest for distance. She could feel his heart beating, matching her own rapid rhythm. He was obviously just as excited as she was. The simple intimacy seemed to suggest more. He took a step even closer. “Are you sure,” he repeated, smiling a self-assured smirk that she quickly recognized as steeled confidence.
Jo smiled, realizing his ploy. “You’re wasting your time,” she said. “This charismatic charm thing that I assume works on your other conquests won’t work on me. So you can put away your psychology degrees, I don’t want to play your games.”
“I don’t play games.” His tone softened, surrounding her in a sensual whisper. He raised her other hand to his lips and kissed her wrist. He felt her pulse quicken and her hand shake. “You’re shaking.”
“I’m cold,” she lied poorly.
He shook his head, knowing the truth. “No. You see, your eyes tell a different story. Just like at the airport. You were searching for someone.”
“Yes, I was looking for your grandfather.”
“You might have been looking for my grandfather, but you found me.”
She gasped silently. How could he read her so well? He knew exactly what buttons to push. And he was very good at pushing them. He was definitely right about one thing, he was better than she imagined. “You like this sparring tête-à-tête, don’t you? Add a bit of lustful psychoanalyzing and you’re right in your element,” she said, her eyes burning into his with as much intensity as she could summon.
“We were attracted to each another from the start.”
“Attractions can be suppressed.”
“Can they?” he asked.
“Yes,” she said quickly, although not as convincingly as she hoped. His eyes sparked. They both knew she was lying.
“Not this one,” he replied more definitively.
She didn’t answer. She was out of sassy comebacks and quick cutting retorts. She just stood with one hand planted on his chest and the other in his hand. He was right about everything. She did want him then as much as she wanted him now. They stood face-to-face for a moment, neither spoke. The more they gazed into each other’s eyes, the stronger the pull became.
He leaned in, she leaned up. In an instant their mouths connected a second time. Filled with passion and desire, the slow sensuous kiss erupted into lustful hunger. She wrapped her arms around his neck as his hands enveloped her body pulling her close. Now, pinned firmly against the table, the kiss absorbed them both.
Jo opened her mouth, accepting him into her warmth. Their tongues danced passionately, tasting and savoring the sweet fragrance of each other. His arm encircled her, pulling her even closer while his unmistakable erection pressed against her. His hand fell to her breast, gently kneading, caressing and massaging the rounded fullness beneath the cashmere sweater. She moaned in his mouth, he groaned in hers.
Her rational mind shattered. Desire and passion replaced all reasonable thought. Her want was too strong and his seductive pull was too tempting. As the kiss deepened and his sinful hands touched her, she swam in the possibility of her awakening
passion. Yet, she knew this was wrong. But it felt so right. He made her body burn and she loved it. The fiery kiss ended with scorching nibbles down her neck. She closed her eyes, bathed in the radiance of his intensity. She shuddered and gasped when his tongue licked her earlobe then suckled it. Right here, right now, she wanted this, she wanted him.
“Let’s go,” he muttered breathlessly, taking her hand.
She followed for a few steps then stopped. He turned to her. “No, I can’t do this,” she said pulling back. She turned and walked away.
“Are you sure?”
She didn’t turn around. She wasn’t sure if she could pull off another round with him. Leaving was her best bet. “Positive. Good night, Andre. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Chapter 6
If he responded to her last remark she didn’t hear it. She was too busy making a swift retreat—or was it just running away again? Up the stairs and down the hall, she didn’t stop moving until she opened the bedroom door and closed it soundly behind her. She leaned back against the frame and took a few deep breaths. Her heart was beating wildly and her stomach had done so many flops she felt as if she’d just gotten off a corkscrew roller coaster.
Actually that’s exactly what she’d done. Dueling with Andre was precisely that. She licked and touched her swollen lips savoring his lingering taste. “He kissed me. He kissed me,” she whispered, in the empty room. “And I can’t believe I kissed him back.”
She didn’t know what to make of it other than the fact that it was unbelievable. Salacious to the point of mind-blowing, the kiss had her toes curling and her pulse racing. The man definitely excelled in kissing, making it an art form. His touch had raised her inner temperature at least twenty degrees. She pushed away from the door frame and walked over to the bed. Sitting down she released the top few buttons on her cashmere sweater. She was suddenly hot all over her body.
She lay back on the bed looking up at the ceiling and shaking her head from side to side.
She needed to regain control and focus. This wasn’t about Andre, this was about her. She needed to do this. She sat up and grabbed her charging cell phone. She called her friend, Pamela. She answered sleepily. “Hey, it’s me.”
“Hey, are you okay, did Jacob finally show up?”
“I’m fine,” Jo said, “I’m at Jacob’s house now, I met him here.”
“So everything is as you expected?” Pamela asked.
“Not quite, but nothing I can’t handle.”
“What do you mean?” Pamela asked.
Jo took a deep breath and sighed. “Andre Buchanan is here.”
“He’s there at the cabin with you?” Pamela sighed also. “I figured he’d show up, but not this soon. So you met him?”
“Actually we met at the airport, but I didn’t recognize him at the time.”
“How could you have not recognized that man?”
“Easy, I haven’t seen his face in two years and then he wore a beard. I stopped working on Jacob’s bio so there was no need for me to look him up again until now. Besides, I was focused on Louis and Jacob, not Andre. I know he’s in the news all the time, but energy and oil isn’t exactly my interest, so no, I didn’t recognize him.”
“I can believe that.”
“Anyway, apparently he doesn’t like the idea of me being here alone at the cabin with Jacob or even helping him write his memoir. You’ve met him, right? What’s your impression of him?”
“Yes, we met a few years ago and then again recently when we were bailing my mother and his grandfather out of jail. Don’t ask,” she said before Jo could interrupt. “Anyway, he was a lot nicer before his grandmother died and before his two-week marriage a year ago. Now he’s devoted everything to protecting the family. He’s almost obsessive about protecting his family, especially his grandfather. I’m sure it has a lot to do with the interior designer, the waitress and the stripper thing last year with Jacob. Remember, Jacob stayed in the tabloids with those women for weeks.”
“But they were obviously gold diggers. They wanted Jacob for his money. I just want to finish this job as promised.”
“Oh yeah and who can forget the aspiring actress, what’s her name. Seriously, I can totally understand him being suspicious.”
“Yeah, but not every woman who comes to Alaska is after the Buchanan men and their money.”
“But there are enough that are.”
“Well, I was already forewarned that the rest of the family might resist at first. So I guess I should feel honored that they pulled out the big guns for me.”
“Honored isn’t exactly the word I would go for,” Pamela said.
“It doesn’t matter, I can handle whatever he’s got. He can take his best shot,” Jo assured her.
“Do you hear yourself? Girl, you need to be careful, this is serious. He specializes in manipulation. I hear he’s even more lethal to the heart than you are, and now that’s saying something.” She chuckled at her humorous remark.
“Not very funny,” Jo said sarcastically.
“Seriously, if anything, you and he should get along just fine because both of you have emotional attachment issues.”
“I do not.”
“Please, you both have that detached commitment-phobic ‘one date and they’re toast’ thing going on.”
“See, now you’re just exaggerating, I’m not that bad. But getting back to the point, I’m not here to get involved with him or anyone else. I’m here to finish the job I started two years ago and then leave. As for Andre, he could go tonight and it would be fine with me.”
“Then why do you sound troubled?” she asked. “Did something already happen?”
“We kind of already had an altercation.”
“What did he do, offer you money to quit the job?”
“Yes, and other things,” she said.
“What other things?”
“He kissed me,” Jo blurted.
“Did you just say that he kissed you?” Pamela asked.
“Don’t ask. Just trust me, I can handle this. I gave my word and I’m keeping it. As a matter of fact, I think I’m going to get started and work on a few things before I turn in tonight.”
“No way, I want to hear more about this kiss.”
“There’s nothing to tell,” Jo said trying not to think about him or the memory of the feel of his body pressed to hers. “It was no big deal. He just caught me off guard. That’s all.” His lips were soft and firm as his hard body pressed her against the back of the library sofa.
“No big deal, huh,” Pamela said, “I bet you’re thinking about him right now.”
“Then you’d lose,” Jo lied, hoping her friend couldn’t tell. “I’m thinking about jumping rope in the snow.” She blurted out the first thing to pop into her head. It was totally ridiculous, of course.
“Liar,” Pamela said, while laughing. Seconds later, Jo joined her. The truth was too obvious for them to deny.
“Fine, whatever, for real it was a big deal. But don’t worry about me. I can handle this,” Jo affirmed. “I’ll e-mail you tomorrow to keep in touch.”
Pamela yawned. “Sounds good, what time is it?”
“Late. Four hours makes a lot of difference. Go back to sleep. Good night.” Jo closed her cell ending the call. She didn’t exactly lie to her friend as much as omit some of the truth. Everything was all right, to a certain extent, wasn’t it? Andre was just a momentary distraction that she was sure she could handle. Couldn’t she?
She’d read about Andre as she’d done with the other notable members of the Buchanan family. He was very good at his job and his manipulation skills were well-known. When a family member staggered into the limelight, he effectively turned it off. She read about how he had spun his brother’s situation with the sexual harassment case. It was brilliant. Paying for the plaintiff’s mental health care was the perfect public relations solution. He expertly twisted, maneuvered and bent the public’s perception to his will.
The thing wa
s, he was doing the same thing with her. She’d fallen under his spell even before she knew who he was and now knowing him only made her want him more. Her reaction was surprising even to her. He was right. Their attraction wasn’t going to be suppressed as easily as she hoped.
When it came to his job at Titan, as far as the public was concerned they were a small energy company servicing the general public. Few knew that their market value was in the billions and their public offerings were selling modestly. When Jo read that she actually laughed out loud. How could anyone believe that? It was proof of the power of his persuasion.
She could definitely see that. The man had a way of bending people to his will. But she was just as willful and obstinate. Jacob hired her to finish a job and that’s exactly what she intended to do. He wasn’t going to change her mind about being here no matter what happened and how much he tempted her.
So what if it had been a while since she had time to relax and enjoy life in any measure? So what if the year had been stressful and she’d gone from job to job nonstop? She’d been focused and driven. She needed to do that again. Her last biography client had weakened that resolve and she needed to get it back.
Jacob wouldn’t be here tomorrow. Fine, she needed to get started without him. She didn’t need Andre for this. She glanced at the clock on the mantel. It was late, but she didn’t feel particularly tired. She got up, unclasped then slipped her bra through her sleeve. The complete freedom of that simple act always made her feel better.
She looked at the two boxes Jacob mentioned earlier. They were sitting under the desk against the wall. She grabbed her briefcase from beside the bed and sat down at the desk. Pulling out cords, she set up her laptop and waited for the system to boot up. The house had wireless access, so when she clicked on the Internet icon, it popped up instantly.
She typed in “Titan.” Several million hits appeared including those referencing Greek mythology and the moon of Saturn. She refocused her search to Andre Buchanan—Titan Energy Corporation. With that, several hundred thousand hits appeared. Before scanning the most promising, she scrolled the arrow up and clicked on images. A split second later images and still photos of the company and family appeared, including the one she remembered of Andre two years ago. He sported a close shaven beard. No wonder she hadn’t immediately recognized him at the airport. He looked much younger clean shaven. She clicked on image after image after image. Andre’s handsome face smiled back at her each time.
When It Feels So Right Page 6