Torrid Love - Caught!

by Lorie O'Clare

  “What are you saying, Ralph?” Jordan switched to the fast lane, and accelerated.

  “Jordan, someone is taking money from your accounts. And you have a secretary out wining and dining with one of our wealthiest clients. Don’t you find it a bit odd that a woman on a secretary’s salary, who has no authorization to be meddling in these accounts, has accessed accounts that now show money missing?”

  He ignored Layette’s comment about Roxanne being on a secretary’s salary. It was no one’s business that she was one of his best-paid accountants, and worth every penny of it. But the old man’s last words got Jordan’s attention.

  “How much money is missing?”

  Jordan listened as Layette did some quick calculations. “We have over $150,000 unaccounted for.”

  * * * * *

  Roxanne stood in the parking lot outside her office building and stared at Roger Uphouse. “I’m sorry you made the trip over here. I won’t be needing a ride.”

  His long, chic, black Rolls idled behind him, and he stared down at her with an amused expression on his face.

  “My dear, I assure you that you are quite safe in my hands.” Roger raised a hand to her face, and brushed a strand of her hair back that the breeze had moved.

  Roxanne took a step backward, crossing her arms over her chest, unwilling to let him think for a minute that his actions appealed to her.

  “I tried to call you to let you know that I could meet you at the restaurant,” Roxanne began. “But the hotel clerk told me I’d just missed you. Since your account isn’t one that I normally handle, I don’t have access to any of your personal phone numbers.”

  “Let me remedy that.” And Roger pulled a card from the inside pocket of his business suit. “Now you have my number. And please, since I’m here, allow me to escort you to the restaurant.”

  Roxanne had wanted to take her own car just in case she needed to get away from him. She believed that Roger Uphouse had found some discrepancies—she had found them herself. But she couldn’t convince herself that he didn’t have some hidden agenda as well. She narrowed her gaze and stared at him.

  “I need your word that this is just a business luncheon,” she said.

  Roger sighed. “I got off on the wrong foot with you the other day, and for that I sincerely apologize. Yes, we have business to discuss. I understand you don’t usually handle my accounts, but I believe I’m right in that you are more than qualified to do so.”

  “Yes, I am,” Roxanne said, wondering if the man simply flattered her, or if he realized she could do the job.

  “Very good.” Roger opened the door to his Rolls, and his chauffeur hopped out from the driver’s side, and hurried around the car to assist. Roger ignored him, and held the door for Roxanne. “Shall we go discuss business?”

  Roxanne relaxed during the ride to the restaurant. The Rolls had a very comfortable ride, with enough room that she didn’t feel crowded by Roger. And lunch proved to be just as enjoyable as her first luncheon had been with him, before he had propositioned her, and turned into a louse. Roxanne had to remind herself a time or two that she had a low opinion of Roger Uphouse, because throughout the meal he proved quite the gallant gentleman.

  “We’re aware of the discrepancies you mentioned.” Roxanne reached down for her briefcase, and pulled it to her lap. “I brought the printout I have from the bank. We’re tracking the matter as we speak.”

  “I knew you would be on top of things.” Roger leaned back, and smiled at her. “I told my secretary just this morning that I had no worries with my money in your hands.”

  “Mr. Hall will be pleased you feel that way.” Roxanne felt pleased that she had put the man’s mind at ease all by herself, and also very relieved that neither Roger, nor his secretary, had noticed all the discrepancies. It would only be a matter of time, though, before they did, which meant she didn’t have much time to resolve the problem.

  Roger leaned forward and took Roxanne’s hands in both of his. “I can’t apologize enough for acting the way I did the last time we were together.” His smile made his green eyes twinkle, and Roxanne noticed how attractive he was. “I don’t have much time before my flight leaves, but I’d be honored if you would spend that time with me. I’d like to know you better, because what I see right now, intelligence and beauty, has me more than intrigued.”

  “You made me feel like a whore the other day,” Roxanne told him, not even remotely interested in his flattery.

  As good-looking as he was, he wasn’t in the same league as Jordan.

  “Then let me make it up to you today.” Roger rubbed his thumb over the top of her hand, and she lowered her gaze to watch the action. “We can go shopping, take a walk in the park, anything you like.”

  “I don’t think so.” She wanted to tell him to go hire an escort if he wanted to see the sights, but she would keep the conversation on a professional level, even if Roger wasn’t. “I need to head back to the office.”

  “Tell them you’re working with their most valued client.” Roger nodded to the waiter as he passed by, and the man placed a velvet pad on the table with the bill for Roger to sign. “You captivate me, Roxanne. And I simply can’t let you slip through my fingers so easily.”

  Roxanne studied Roger’s face. His soft brown hair, with wisps of gray, had been combed to the side, but fell over the top of his forehead. He had broad cheekbones and a full mouth, with lips that appeared soft. There was a rugged look about him, as if he spent a fair amount of time outside. His hands were soft and smooth though, and Roxanne guessed he’d lived a life of leisure.

  There was little doubt that he could probably find women to entertain him without much problem. But she wouldn’t be one of them.

  “No, Roger. Now if our business is done, I need to get back to work.” She slid the chair back just enough to show she was ready to leave.

  Thoughts of Jordan Hall suddenly consumed her, and she remembered that he expected to see her at two that afternoon. Granted, she had no intention of keeping the date with him, but she couldn’t help wonder what tactic Jordan had planned if she was to show up.

  Roger stood and held his hand out for her to take, then slid her chair back as she stood. “I can only imagine that Hall Enterprises doesn’t do well without you there,” he said, and slid his hand down her back, to rest just above her rear end, as he escorted her toward the exit.

  Roxanne waited until they were through the main doors of the establishment and then shrugged his hand off of her. She didn’t like this man. No matter that he brought in so much money for Jordan. The man was a creep.

  Jordan should be the one with Roger, explaining the accounts. And she’d tried to reach him. Even when she hadn’t wanted to talk to him, she’d tried to let Jordan know she was going with his client to lunch—a client whom Jordan had forbidden her to see.

  “Mr. Hall runs a smooth business,” she countered. “But I do have my responsibilities.”

  “Yes, I’m very impressed with him. But don’t deny that you have a hand in keeping that business running as it should.”

  Roxanne didn’t deny it, simply because she believed it to be true. But she didn’t feel a need to agree either. Roger escorted her out into the sunny afternoon, and the Rolls seemed to appear as if on cue. The chauffeur parked the vehicle, and once again hopped out and moved around to open the door for them. Roger paid the man no attention, but focused completely on Roxanne. He turned her to face him, and ran his hands up and down her arms.

  “I hear Kansas City has some beautiful museums. Accompany me, and I’ll have you back to your office before your workday is out.” Roger moved one of his hands to her back, and before she realized his intent, he pulled her close and kissed her forehead. “Please,” he whispered.

  “Take your hands off me.” Roxanne pushed him back, glaring at him. “I don’t care how successful you are, or how much money you bring in for Hall Enterprises, you won’t touch me like that again.”

  “Roxanne.” Ro
ger’s tone was smooth, but she noticed his gaze harden. “Come with me. You won’t regret it.”

  “I’m afraid that she might.” Jordan Hall’s voice, shattering the moment like an ice pick through glass, startled Roxanne and she jumped.

  She stared up into the outraged expression on her boss’s face. “Jordan,” she gasped, and her heart began pounding.

  But Jordan didn’t look at her. His gaze fixed on Roger Uphouse, and she watched his mouth turn into a flat line.

  “Well there, Jordan.” Roger sounded surprisingly calm, and Roxanne turned her head to focus on him. “I can’t say your timing is appreciated.”

  “I’m sure it isn’t,” Jordan responded with a calm that ran a chill through Roxanne. She looked from one man to the other, and got the weird sensation that she was about to experience a showdown.

  “Roxanne and I were just making plans.” The calm, gallant exterior that Roxanne had witnessed throughout lunch seemed to fade from Roger’s face. She watched a smooth hardness overtake him, and realized this man would be as good as Jordan when it came to cutting deals and manipulating a situation as he saw fit.

  “I believe I made it quite clear that Roxanne would not be included in any of your plans.” Jordan spoke quietly, and although she recognized the anger consuming him, overall his body appeared relaxed, and to any onlooker, Roxanne realized it would appear the three of them chatted easily.

  Testosterone began to clog the air as she stood between the two men, however.

  “Roxanne is a consenting adult.” Roger matched Jordan’s tone. “I wish her to accompany me. Surely there isn’t any harm in that.”

  “I…” Roxanne was ready to protest, make it clear that Jordan didn’t speak for her. She wouldn’t accompany him, and that was final.

  “My millions are worth an hour or so of your time, my dear.” Roger grabbed her arm.

  Before she could even step back to avoid his grasp, Jordan stepped between the two of them, and faced Roger head-on.

  “Your millions be damned. Touch her again and you can find another accountant,” Jordan hissed, and Roxanne stared at the muscles that stretched Jordan’s shirt. “I’ve made it quite clear that you weren’t to have any contact with her without my consent. And I will not be ignored.”

  The silence only lasted for a second, but to Roxanne it seemed to last forever. She stepped around Jordan, and Roger immediately met her gaze.

  Roxanne had half a mind to storm away from the two of them and take a cab back to work. Jordan’s show of ownership had to be controlled. She had kicked him out of her home over the weekend, yet he here stood, informing another man that she would not accompany him. That should upset her. Yet part of her realized Jordan knew about Roger’s particular kinks, and Roxanne saw that he was here trying to protect her, standing here as her knight in shining armor, albeit rather tarnished.

  “Roger, I think you should leave,” she said quietly, and watched Roger Uphouse study her for a moment. “You’ll be notified within a day or so once the discrepancies are in order. Otherwise, our luncheon meeting is over.”

  “Very well,” Roger sighed, and without another word he climbed into his Rolls. The silent chauffeur shut the door and moved without a word around to the other side of the car.

  Roxanne watched the classy vehicle move toward the exit. Jordan’s presence at her side seemed to grow, and Roxanne realized suddenly that she was at his mercy for a ride back to the office. She could call a cab but somehow she knew she would have to throw a fit to do that, and at the moment she’d had enough scenes.

  “Let’s go.” Jordan’s hand on her back accompanied the command, and Roxanne decided to save her comments for later, and walked with her boss across the parking lot to his car.

  She realized after a few minutes of being in the car with Jordan that they weren’t headed toward the office.

  “I need to get back to work,” she said without looking at him.

  “You have a two o’clock appointment to see me,” he reminded her. “We’re going to my house.”

  “I want my car.” Roxanne wanted to tell him that she’d had no intention of keeping that appointment, but felt bringing that up while confined in the close proximity of his car might not be the best idea.

  “You can get it later.”

  “Quit making all of my decisions for me.” Roxanne glared at Jordan but he simply turned his attention to her briefly, didn’t say a word, and then returned his focus to the road.

  Roxanne wanted to smack him for his silence. How could she argue with him if he didn’t speak? At the same time though, she wanted to give herself a good bashing for feeling so turned on by him. Every inch of her tingled with Jordan sitting so close to her in the compact car. She had a feeling she would be in big trouble once they were alone at his house.

  Chapter Eight

  Jordan glanced at her as he turned onto his black paved driveway and pushed the button for his garage door to open. She had a look of complete bewilderment on her face, and he enjoyed watching her lips part as her jaw fell open as she stared at his house.

  “This is your home?” she whispered, and then looked around quickly when they entered the garage and the garage door slid down behind them.

  “Yup.” He turned off the engine and opened his door to climb out. “Let’s go inside and then you can explain to me why you were with Roger Uphouse, for the second time, when I made it quite clear that you shouldn’t see him.”

  Jordan took a second to glance at her, before stepping out of his car and into the heavy shadows of his garage. She scowled at him and he felt a wave of desire race through him. He’d have fun taming his outraged beauty, and he bet himself that he’d have her calm, and in his arms, within the hour.

  Jordan was pleased to see that Millie had left and that two steaks thawed in the refrigerator. Maybe he’d grill them for Roxanne for supper later, but for right now he was ready to spar with his lady.

  He led them through the kitchen, aware of Roxanne’s quiet steps behind him, and decided his den would be a good place to start. He would hear her arguments and take it in a business-like fashion, and then wait for her to start fuming. Jordan couldn’t place his finger on what it was that he liked about watching her work to prove her point, but something about Roxanne all worked up sure did get to him.

  Jordan stopped at his desk, turned and faced her, and leaned against the smooth, cherry oak finish.

  “Roger had questions about his accounts. If you’d bothered to come in to work, you would have seen him and I wouldn’t have been doing your work for you.” Roxanne studied his expression, but when he didn’t flinch, she felt she needed to make her point more clear. “We are not a couple, Jordan. I work for you and that is it.”

  Jordan pushed himself away from his desk and she felt the urge to take a step backward, but she’d be damned if he’d bully her for one minute. She held her ground and kept her arms crossed.

  The room grew very quiet, other than the continuous muffled tick-tock of the grandfather clock that stood in the corner. Outside the day appeared sunny and bright, but here in Jordan’s study, Roxanne felt a chill, like a nasty thunderstorm brewing.

  “Business or not, you weren’t supposed to see him. Yet now you’ve seen him twice.” Jordan spoke quietly, adding to the threatening calm that filled the room.

  He moved closer and Roxanne’s heart began pounding in her chest. For the life of her, she couldn’t look away from that dominating gaze. She stared up at him, her mouth going dry. The man was trying to intimidate her and she wouldn’t allow it.

  “Maybe it’s that you enjoy the certain kink he likes to partake in,” Jordan continued, and moved even closer until he hovered over her.

  And if she did, damn it, he wouldn’t be able to stand her doing it with Roger Uphouse. He had no problem with rough sex, but his partner needed to be consenting. And he wanted his partner to be Roxanne.

  Roxanne turned and walked away from him.

  “I had no problem
handling Roger,” she began, with her back now to Jordan.

  Roxanne held her head high, shoulders square, looking at the surroundings of his yard outside the long windows.

  “The man is a gentleman, and knows how to respect a lady’s wishes.” She sounded way too calm.

  “Do you have any idea what kind of perversions that man is into?” He’d find out right here and now if she shared an interest in these perversions.

  Hell. He wanted to know everything about her—what was on her mind right now, what it would take to have her back in his arms.

  Jordan’s body brushed up against her backside, grabbing both of her wrists before she could stop him. He bent her over the table, so that her body covered the documents she had just observed. He pinned her wrists to the table, his blood surging through him while he looked down at her submissive position.

  “And did the lady wish to be tied up and used?” Jordan leaned forward so that she felt the heat of his breath on her cheek, and in her hair.

  He pressed against her rear end. His feet were planted on the floor next to both of hers, so she couldn’t move her legs. Holding her like this excited him. His dick throbbed as he stared down at her. Controlling everything around him had always been important to him. Now he saw how he needed confirmation of that control too. He needed to know that Roxanne wanted to be with him, that she wanted him, and that she regretted making him leave her over the weekend.

  The thought that someone else might do this to her, that another man would control her, made his blood boil. Anger surged through him just thinking that Uphouse might have tried something like this with her.

  “I don’t ever want to be used,” she told him, the coolness of the desk against her cheek doing nothing to calm the fire that rushed through her.

  Roxanne couldn’t move. She closed her eyes briefly to try and regain control of the way her body responded to the vulnerable position Jordan had put her in, but the moistness between her legs saturated her pantyhose.