The Billionaire’s Kisses by Julie Farrell
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Copyright © 2015 by Julie Farrell
Billionaire Tycoons, billionaire brothers, billionaire bachelors…
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Chapter One
Amy was late. With panic pumping around her body, she dragged her wheeled suitcase towards the elevator of the plush lobby, cursing her pencil-skirt and heels for hindering her haste. So much for arriving in New York early and spending the morning preparing her presentation for the Quinlan brothers. Her flight from London had been delayed last night, and now she was exhausted, anxious, and emotionally fraught. She’d split up with her asshole of a boyfriend two weeks ago – after finding him in a compromising position with his assistant at work. She was still reeling from the shock, and James didn’t seem to want to accept that it was over – he’d been full of heartfelt apologies ever since. But it was too late.
New York buzzed like a panic attack. Right now, all Amy wanted to do was to curl up in bed with a big bar of chocolate, and wallow in reruns of Sex and the City. But instead, she was in the Big Apple feeling lost and alone. The frantic high-speed bustle of Manhattan made her feel insignificant. Apparently this skyscraper had thirty storeys – and that was relatively small.
She halted at the lavish elevator and caught her breath, rehearsing her opening lines for the Quinlan brothers – which would need to begin with an apology for keeping them waiting. The elevator doors swooshed open, and Amy dodged the onslaught of smartly-dressed New Yorkers as they swarmed out like a tsunami of Armani. She stepped to the side, but then dread struck: a man deep in conversation on his phone was pelting towards her – and impact was imminent! Amy jolted and tried to swerve, but her suitcase wheels jammed fast. Shit!
“Watch out!” she called as the man strode on, Terminator-like.
He veered at the last second, but accidentally clipped Amy on the shoulder, which threw her off balance in her spindly heels. She thrust out her arms, desperate to prevent herself from crashing to the marble floor, but thankfully salvation came in the form of a man behind, who caught her in his strong embrace, breaking her fall and saving her pride.
“Whoa there!” said a smooth masculine voice in her ear.
The man wrapped his strong arms around Amy as her mind washed with embarrassed relief. She sunk snuggly against his firm chest, inhaling his masculine scent, and feeling her tension unravel…
“Are you able to stand up, babe?” the man asked.
“Oh, yes. Sorry.”
She pulled out of his arms, feeling her heart pound furiously and her legs tremble from the adrenaline. She composed herself and swept her blonde bangs out of her eyes.
“Thanks for…”
Reality skidded away as Amy caught sight of the most handsome man she’d ever seen. His dark hair framed his masculine face perfectly, emphasising his chiselled cheekbones, strong jawline, and kissable lips. His broad shoulders and toned chest were in perfect proportion with his six-foot athletic physique, making him look like a god in his designer suit. He oozed cocky masculinity, like a young Clint Eastwood. This man was one-hundred percent perfection – from his cool demeanour right down to the sexy dimple in his chin.
He grinned, making his gorgeous face even more commanding. “You alright?”
“Oh, er, yes.”
He inspected Amy with assessing green eyes. She blushed, feeling lust rush through her, replacing her irritated mood with nervous tension. The man opened his mouth to speak, but Amy suddenly remembered why she was here. This wasn’t the time for standing around swooning over men – no matter how incredible. The Quinlan brothers were waiting, and she was already running ridiculously late.
“Thank you for helping me,” she said. “I really must go.”
“Wait… what’s your name?”
Okay, maybe she could spare a few seconds to get his number. She smiled sweetly. “Amy Carter.”
“Oh, you’re Amy?”
Terror gripped her knees. “What?”
His sultry grin shot crackling heat through her body. “Great to meet you, Ms Carter. How was your flight?”
“I’m sorry… You’re not…? Are you one of the Quinlan brothers?”
“I sure am. Adam Quinlan — it’s a pleasure.”
The steely shutter around Amy’s heart clattered down – this man was her enemy. When Quinlan Brothers had first shown interest in buying Grafton Techs a month ago, her boss – Frank Grafton – had refused to sell, so Quinlan Brothers had retorted by threatening a ‘hostile takeover’. The Quinlans had informed Frank that they intended to cripple Grafton Techs by head-hunting their best employees and seducing away their major clients, thus pushing them into bankruptcy. Frank had relented, realising he had no option other than to sell up – and he was due to make a tantalising profit from the takeover. But there was a tense atmosphere between the two companies, and Amy’s job over the next few days was to ensure that this hostile takeover remained as friendly as possible. Up until now, she hadn’t met either of the Quinlan brothers in person, but she already had a good idea of what kind of businessmen they were. Bullying assholes.
“Nice to meet you properly, Ms Carter. Thank you for throwing yourself into my arms, but I guess we’d better behave for now. We don’t want people gossiping, do we?”
He winked suggestively, inciting an aching desire between Amy’s thighs. She tried to stifle the blush that wanted to creep onto her cheeks, knowing she shouldn’t show any weakness. Adam offered his hand for her to shake. His grip was firm and powerful.
“I can assure you, Mr Quinlan, there will be no reason for anyone to be gossiping.”
He folded his strong arms across the front of his tailor-made suit, as if he owned the world and everyone in it. “Well, let’s just wait and see, shall we?”
Amy drew herself to her full height of five-five. “I don’t know what kind of person you think you’re dealing with, Mr Quinlan, but I can assure you, I’m here for one reason only, and that is to do my job. The purpose of my visit is to ensure that you and your brother aren’t planning on screwing my company. And let me be clear; you will certainly not be screwing me as part of the negotiations.”
He laughed kindly. “I’m not sure I believe you – I saw the lustful gaze you swiped over me just now. And that cute little blush. But, okay, we’ll let it go for now… maybe we can renegotiate later.”
“You really are an arrogant asshole, aren’t you?”
Adam shrugged. “I know what I want, and I usually get it. By the way, I got a message saying Frank was in a crash. Is he okay?”
Amy pushed aside her anger at Adam and sighed. Her boss had been involved in a car crash on his way to the London airport last night and he’d been rushed to hospital. He should be fine, but it meant the pressure of this crucially important meeting with Quinlan Brothers was crushing down on her shoulders alone.
“He will be. I’m sorry he couldn’t be here. Obviously you need his signature on the contracts ultimately, but I’ll do all I can.”
Adam waved his hand dismissively. “No problem – I’ve asked my PA to send him our best wishes. As you say, we can discuss the finer details with you over the next few days, then get Frank to sign when he’s out of hospital. But we’re ke
en to acquire Grafton Techs as soon as we can.” Adam glanced towards the elevator. “Let’s go up. I’ll introduce you to my brother, and you can show us what you’ve got.”
He squeezed Amy’s shoulder which stirred her weary body with fizzy excitement. Her heart thumped with a desire to snuggle into those strong arms again, but she stifled it and shook him away. She was here to do a job and was determined to keep her distance. How dare he assume she was going to sleep with him? The man oozed arrogance – he wasn’t her type at all… So why was it that every time he smiled she craved to feel his hands all over her body? It was like her mind hated him, but her body yearned for him to possess her entirely.
But her body would have to do without. He was the enemy and she was here to defend Grafton Techs, not become another notch on the probably already crowded bedpost of Adam Quinlan.
She smiled tightly. “Yes, let’s go up. I’m here to demand answers from you and your brother – and I won’t leave until I’m completely satisfied.”
Chapter Two
From the moment Amy had fallen into his arms, Adam had wanted to fuck her – to get that tight little body of hers wrapped around his cock. She stirred something primal inside him. She was beautiful, intelligent, and charming… and that delightful English accent made him go hard each time she spoke. He was desperate to bend her over and grip his fingers around her blonde ponytail, while biting her neck and pounding her hard from behind…
But it wasn’t just her wonderful curvy body that had seized Adam’s attention. There was something else about her, too. She seemed… interesting. There was obviously much more going on behind those beautiful blue eyes than she wanted people to see. She enchanted him, like an enigma to be cracked. And Adam was determined to unravel the puzzle.
She clearly wasn’t just going to drop to her knees and suck him off, though. There was a brick wall around her, making her unattainable – and for Adam, this made her the perfect challenge. He loved the chase – but there wasn’t usually much of one these days. He was happy to give those wealthy socialites a good time, to buy them expensive gifts, and fuck them into such a frenzy that they couldn’t remember their own name… it was what they wanted, too. But there was never any substance. It was fun, but unfulfilling.
Amy was different to any woman he’d met before; she was steadfast and cool. But he would have her. He was determined to erode her razor-wire defences. He couldn’t wait to see that uptight little minx lose control as he fucked her senseless; his goal was to get her screaming his name with an orgasm so intense, all others to come after it would pale in comparison.
Thrusting her into ecstasy would be his prize. And hers.
He pulled himself out of his fantasy and back to the huge boardroom, which overlooked the stunning Manhattan skyline. His older brother Dylan was sitting opposite him at the huge walnut table. Both men were facing front, as the beautiful Amy clicked the remote to begin her PowerPoint slideshow.
She threw them a professional smile. “Grafton Techs are the global experts in ‘top-down’ data analytics. We take corrupted data or unfamiliar hardware and use our expertise and cutting-edge tools to unlock the…”
Dylan interrupted her. “We know this, Ms Carter. That’s why we want to buy you.”
Amy pressed the button on the remote and skipped through the next few slides. “Alright, I’ll leave the niceties and get down to business. The purpose of my visit, gentlemen, is to determine your intentions for our company.”
“Only noble, we assure you,” Adam said.
She didn’t smile. “We need a guarantee, Mr Quinlan, that there will be minimal disruption. Frank Grafton has taken seventeen years to make our company a success in its niche. We’re a family at Grafton Techs. There are only twenty-five of us, and we couldn’t bear to lose any of our family members. Not one.”
Adam suppressed the haunting memory of his dead brother. “We appreciate that, Ms Carter – we’re also family men. And we guarantee that all Grafton Techs personnel will be retained in the buyout.”
“I hope we can trust your word, sir. The last email I read of yours was pushy and threatening. Perhaps it’s the way business is done in New York. But it isn’t what we’re used to in London.”
She leaned over to pick up a brochure from the table, and Adam caught a whiff of her floral perfume, which made him want to bury his face in her thighs and lick her pussy into ecstasy. Then she could wrap those red lips around his cock…
He glanced at Dylan, who was now asking her about their current employment quotas. Adam noticed that she didn’t seem particularly charmed by Dylan’s good looks, brown curls, or big brown eyes as most women were. Even though Adam and Dylan were easily able to assert themselves around men – taking control as powerful leaders – it was often easier to do business with women. The brothers weren’t arrogant, but they knew they were attractive and charming. They’d been buying software companies for five years now, ever since Adam had graduated from MIT with a degree in digital engineering. Dylan was only a year older and they’d vowed to go into business together since childhood – and what an empire they’d built. Adam was only twenty-seven, and he was already wealthy beyond his wildest dreams.
“And how does that sound to you, Mr Quinlan?” Amy asked.
Adam snapped himself out of it. “Oh, er?” He glanced over at his brother, who nodded discretely.
Adam grinned. “Sounds great.”
“Good,” she said. “I need to know that you won’t change anything. Your previous bullying techniques have shown us –”
“Hey, we never bullied anyone.”
“You threatened to bankrupt us by stealing our clients as well as our technical staff.”
Dylan winced. “We really just want to acquire your company. No harm intended.”
And we always get what we want, Adam thought.
Amy threw a hand to her curvy waist. She had the figure of a 1950s bombshell, as well as a doll-like face and piercing eyes that made Adam glad he was already sitting down.
“I assume your solicitor has looked over the contract we sent last week?” she asked.
Adam shrugged. “Yep. Our solicitor says it looks fine and we’re ready to sign.”
This seemed to derail Amy. She was obviously here for a fight and was confused that Adam and Dylan just wanted to get on with it. They had their reasons, of course, but Amy didn’t need to know them. Not yet.
As much as Adam was tempted to draw this meeting out all afternoon and admire Amy’s fantastic body, he knew he’d better wrap up. His inbox was overspilling with urgent emails, vying for his attention.
“Ms Carter,” he said. “I hope we’ve answered all your questions?”
Amy raised an eyebrow. “So that’s it?”
“For today. But I hope you’re beginning to see the benefits of a merger between us?”
Adam winked at her, aware of how flirty his last sentence had sounded.
Amy cleared her throat and stood tall, not allowing her expression to flicker. The more she resisted, the more he wanted her. She would relent, and he would triumph by fucking that gorgeous body into absolute pleasure.
“Do you have any questions?” she asked.
Dylan leaned forward. “No, I think you’ve covered everything at this stage. We’ve got a meeting scheduled tomorrow with our finance director. I hope you’ll join us for that.”
“Yes, absolutely,” Amy said. “I’m in New York for three days, so I will definitely be here for that meeting. In the meantime, please don’t hesitate to ask me anything.”
Adam pushed back his chair and swaggered around to perch on the walnut table. He folded his arms across his chest and inspected her. “I have a question, Ms Carter.”
“Yes, Mr Quinlan?”
“Will you have dinner with me tonight?”
Amy froze. Adam could almost hear the thoughts rushing through her brain – is he asking me this as a client or a date?
She opened her rosebud lips. “To discuss the imp
ending deal?”
“No. I think we should get to know each other on a more personal level. Just me and you? Let our hair down a bit – what do you say?”
Amy stared deeply into Adam’s eyes. Her blue eyes flashed with a passionate anger that he was desperate to tame.
She spoke coolly. “Answer me this, Mr Quinlan… if my boss – my fifty-year-old male, married boss – were here, would you be speaking to him as if he were a sexual bauble?”
Adam laughed kindly. “Depends if his ass looks as good in a skirt as yours, Ms Carter.”
She set her face to fury and started to pack away her laptop. “Well, next time you visit London, maybe you can ask him to wear one for you!”
Adam smirked and held up his hands, knowing she’d won this battle. But he was happy to give her this minor triumph – knowing he’d ultimately win the war. Strategy was required, and he realised he needed to back off, put out some bait, then gently reel her in. But he’d need to be quick, because he only had three days.
Amy zipped up her laptop case with a flourish, then grabbed her suitcase and strode past him. “I’ll see you both tomorrow. Thank you very much for your time today.”
Adam hopped off the table. “Wait, Ms Carter, where are you staying – in case we need to contact you?”
She swivelled to face him. “I’ll be on my cell at all hours. I won’t turn it off.”
“Which hotel are you at?” Dylan asked.
“Hilton,” she said. “Midtown.”
Dylan opened his mouth to reply, but his phone rang, so he took it. “Dylan Quinlan speaking?”
Adam grinned. “Thank you for your time, Amy. It’s been a pleasure. Now please let me accompany you back to the elevator. For round two.”
Chapter Three
Amy was secretly impressed with the extravagance of the Quinlan Brothers office suite. The layout was modern and vibrant, with laminate flooring and an open plan section. But it managed to retain a traditional professionalism – there was a grand reception desk that led to the elevator, via an art-lined corridor, where Amy was now dragging her suitcase back behind her.
The Billionaire's Kisses: Billionaire Brothers Page 1