by Jenna Leigh
“Will you stop sniffing me?” She jerked her hair out of his grasp. “I swear. You’re like one of the dope dogs down at customs or something.”
“You smell good.” He gave her an easy grin.
“Thank you, I think.” She looked at him as if he were deranged, and maybe he was. If so, it was her fault. She squirmed beneath his scrutiny, making him harden even more beneath her thighs.
Her hair fell down around her shoulders, framing a soft, oval face with high cheekbones, a straight nose with a slightly tilted end. Her pink lips were soft and full. Just the sight of them had him aching to slide either his tongue or his cock between them—hell, he was easy.
The stubborn chin she now jutted out at him spoiled the overall symmetry of her face. “Are you quite through with your inspection?” Her haughty question brought him out of his daze.
“No, the strip search is next.” He leered.
“Never mind, I’ll get into the ball on my own.” She scrambled to get out of his lap. “I don’t need your help.”
He grabbed her wrists in one hand and pulled her back down. She let herself fall much harder than necessary and smiled sweetly at his winded grunt and wince. “Damn, are you trying to break it?”
“Yep,” she admitted.
“Here’s the deal, Cinderella. You want to go to the ball and I want to get to know you again. We both have something the other person wants so I don’t see why we can’t make a deal.” He thought that was reasonable.
Lainie didn’t seem to agree if her expression was anything to go by. After a second or two though, she stopped struggling and he could practically hear the wheels turning in her brain. “Fine, but no sex.” He choked and she rolled her eyes. “I meant no sex unless we both agree it is beneficial to the continuation of our relationship.”
“You make it sound so…” he paused for the right word, “…healthy.” He curled his lip and she let out a delightfully sweet laugh that made his chest ache.
“Sex is healthy. The benefits of a good sex life have been scientifically proven to help promote good skin, shiny hair and lower your cholesterol,” Lainie spouted off like an announcer from an infomercial.
“I mean—oh, never mind.” He twirled a lock of her hair around his fingers. “So, do we have a deal or what?”
“Yeah, yeah, if that’s the way you want it, I guess I’ll have to go along with it.” She sighed gustily and rolled her eyes, but he could tell she was fighting a smile.
He let her hair go and tipped up her chin. “Shall we seal the bargain?”
“I can’t shake hands because you have both of mine,” she pointed out.
“I’m sure we can think of something else.” His fingers fanned out across her cheek, turning her face toward his own. He slid his hand into her hair and cupped the back of her head, pulling her close to him. “Kiss me, Lainie.” His voice was hoarse with the need he’d held in check since she walked in the door.
She brushed her lips teasingly across his, barely making contact, until he thought he was about to explode before her tongue slid against his lips, and darted inside. A breathy sigh escaped her as she dragged her hands out of his now-slack hold, curling her fingers in his hair, tugging gently.
Whimpering softly, she rubbed herself against him like a cat and he lost all semblance of control, taking over despite his attempts to hold back. Growling softly, he slanted his mouth across hers, deepening the kiss.
With fumbled movements, he undid the buttons on her shirt, desperate to touch her bare skin. She bucked against his hands when they cupped her breasts, her nipples hardening against his palms through the lace of her bra.
He knew he could have her right now if he wanted and perversely that thought had him pulling back. He grinned when she tugged on his hair in an effort to deepen the kiss again. “Lainie,” he whispered and her lashes fluttered open revealing dazed green eyes gone dark with passion. Marcus chuckled. “I think that seals our bargain just about right.”
She licked her lips. “Well, no, actually.” He frowned down at her. “But this one might.” She straddled his lap, her skirt hiking up over her thighs. He appreciated the view until she moved in for the kill. This time, she didn’t allow him to move. Her tongue played sweetly inside his mouth, coaxing and then retreating in a teasing little dance that left him hard and hungry for her body beneath him. Finally, she pulled away, and gave him a saucy grin.
Once he got his breath back, he began to think that this wasn’t such a good idea. Maybe he could trick her into doing something else, goad her into chickening out on the deal.
“What are you planning, Marcus?” Her voice was low and husky, her lips curved in a smile that made his hackles rise.
“If I told you, I’d have to fuck you.” He grinned, trying to extricate himself from the honeyed web she’d already started to weave around him.
“You’re so full of shit.” She laughed and shook her head.
“That’s why my eyes are brown, darlin’.” He tugged on a curl that fell in her eyes.
She snorted and stood, smoothing down her skirt before picking up the jacket she’d laid on the back of the couch. “I’d better go. So, see you Friday?” When he still sat there, looking up at her. “Marcus?” She prodded his leg with hers.
“No.”
“You said our bargain was sealed with a kiss.” She put her hand on her hip and glared at him.
“I did and it is. But you won’t be seeing me on Friday.” He shrugged.
“That’s the day of the ball!” She stamped her foot.
“Yeah, but this is only Monday, Lainie. You and I have to get to know each other much better before then.” He gave her the most disarming smile he had and it was a doozy.
Of course, she fell for it, staying within his reach, when she should have known better. Until he got the information on this criminal, she was going nowhere.
“What do you mean?”
“You’ll be at my beck and call twenty-four/seven.” With that pronouncement, he stood and pulled her into his arms. And if he had his way, she’d never leave him again.
Lainie tried to process what he said but his hands were cupping her butt, lifting her against him. The bulge of his arousal was distraction enough without him grinding his hips against her, thank you very much. “Stop it.”
“Why?” He pulled her a little closer.
God, he smelled nice. “Because.” She glared up at him.
“Honey, that isn’t an answer.” He grinned and nibbled on her mouth, pulling back when she tried to bite him in earnest. “You like it, I can tell.”
“Oh, bullshit!” She pinched his side, and he winced. “You can’t tell anything. Unlike boys,” she sneered, “women are not so obvious with their desires.”
“I’m not a boy, I’m a man, and I can tell when a woman wants me.” He stared directly into her eyes and she could swear he was looking deep into her soul, finding out her inner secrets. “Your heart’s pounding, your skin is flushed and you’re breathing fast. Oh, and you’re licking your lips. Keep doing that, I like it.”
“Maybe I’m just pissed, did you think of that?” In reality she couldn’t help but be flattered by the hungry looks he kept giving her. Now she knew how a piece of chocolate cake felt when it met her in a dark kitchen after a long day of dieting.
“I don’t think pissed is the term I’d choose.” He shook his head at her. “I think hot and bothered is more in line with what you’re feeling.”
She closed her mouth, refusing to answer. When she tried to pull away again, he let her go. “Who are you after at the Caulder Corporation, Lainie?”
“The big man himself, Jacob Caulder.” She knew Jacob was involved and she aimed to find out how.
Marcus sputtered for a few minutes before he threw up his hands and stalked away, only to turn and charge her like an angry bull. “Have you lost your mind?”
“I most certainly have not!” She stood her ground.
“I won’t allow it!”
> “You don’t have any say in the matter. You ain’t my damn daddy!” She winced at the ain’t. She hadn’t said that word in a long time.
He growled, like a dog, or a wolf and she froze, instinctively knowing she shouldn’t move. Even as she did it, she wondered at her reaction, it had been automatic.
He pulled his hair and stomped away to stare out the window again. “Elaine.” Her name came out low and rough. “I don’t want you to do this. It’s too dangerous.”
“I have to, it’s my job.”
“You could just live with me; you wouldn’t have to work, if you didn’t want to.” He placed his palms on the window and leaned his forehead against it. “I’d take care of you,” he pleaded.
“No.” She ignored the way his offer to take care of her made her go all gooey inside. “I’m good at my job. I love it. It’s who I am.”
“Lainie.” His shoulders drooped and he sighed. “Fine, I’ll help you. But you’ll have to listen to me. Jacob is dangerous.”
“Dangerous how?”
“I can’t explain it.”
“Can’t, or won’t?” She moved to stand beside him, enjoying the view of the city. Arizona was a beautiful place. She wondered if that was why he relocated the company here.
“Can’t.” He speared her with a glance and she barely choked back a gasp. His eyes had changed to an eerie gold color.
The room started closing in around her and some errant thought tickled at the back of her brain, almost breaking through. He blinked and his eyes changed back to their regular dark brown. She shook her head, dismissing it as a trick of the light.
Chapter Two
“Come on, I’ll take you home,” he spoke, bringing her out of the small trance she’d fallen into.
“You know where I live?” She stiffened, watching him warily.
“Yeah.” He didn’t admit that he’d kept track of her, and he sure as hell wasn’t stupid enough to tell her that his company had funded her college scholarship. Lainie was sweet, for the most part, but she did believe in vengeance and she was sneaky as hell about getting it.
“I haven’t lived here that long.” If she was waiting for him to give her more information, she’d be waiting a while. He didn’t dare give her any more than he had to, but sometimes it seemed like she sensed clues just by smell.
If Lainie were a dog, she wouldn’t be a Pomeranian, or one of the other toy breeds like her looks suggested. Instead, the woman had to be half bloodhound because she’d sniffed out more stories than most reporters twice her age.
Marcus just gave her the same affably blank expression that served politicians and CEOs in good stead in the boardroom and beyond. “Did you move here because of me?”
“No, I did not.” Her face went bright red. “I didn’t even know the paper wanted me to move until the last minute.” Lainie worried her bottom lip with her teeth. Damn, he wanted to do that for her.
He put his arm out for her to take. When she did after a moment’s hesitation, he led her to the door, holding it open for her. This seemed to discomfit her, so he kept doing it. It was nothing she could complain about, but it put her off balance and he needed all the help he could get with her.
Finally, when they reached the parking garage, she demanded an answer, her curiosity overwhelming her pride. “How do you know where I live?”
“I am a man of many talents.” Marcus spread his arms wide. He leaned closer and leered. “Guess which one I do best?”
She opened and closed her mouth, and he rocked back on his heels, enjoying the special occasion. A speechless Lainie, he hadn’t been sure this creature really existed. He got a little too overconfident though, because she stepped closer to him and spoke in a low, seductive whisper that had his whole body at attention.
“Marcus, I’m sure you’re a wonderful lover…” she ticked the words off on her fingers, “…kind, strong, caring, forceful.” She licked her lips and sighed softly. “Full of shit.” With that, she turned and headed toward the limo that stood waiting.
Since she hadn’t changed her tone, it took him a few seconds to hear her last remark. “Hey!” He hurried after her, grumbling the whole way.
Lainie smirked as she settled into the back of the limo. She’d got the last word in that time. No easy feat, with his gorgeous smile distracting her. Marcus wasn’t smiling when he got into the car, but he slid in until his body was flush against hers.
“Excuse me?” She lifted a brow and indicated the rest of the seat that was free because he was practically sitting in her lap. “Do you mind?”
“No, I don’t mind it at all. You’re soft, cute and you smell nice.” He put his arm on the back of the seat, thus moving himself even closer. She tried scooting over but he followed until she was pressed against the door on one side and his hot, hard body on the other.
“I can’t breathe!” she warned in a low voice. “I still get carsick.”
He moved away quickly enough after that. “You hurked a hell of a lot for such a little girl.”
“I didn’t do it that much.”
“Yeah, you did,” he teased.
She kept her eyes on the horizon, as she always did when she felt nauseous. But she wondered if it was actual sickness she felt in the pit of her belly. The swirling sensation had started the minute she walked into his office. No, to be honest, it started the moment she decided to see him again. She was an idiot, a fool and a dumbass. She stopped her bout of self-castigation, which only made her feel more like tossing the three-taco lunch she should have thought twice about.
“Whatever.” She flicked her hand around airily. “So, what’s our arrangement, besides your inherent need to control everything? I mean, we could date every night and still not know anything about each other.”
“Why won’t you look at me?”
“Because, I may hurk as you put it, and how crude does that word sound? Watching the horizon helps.” She took a shaky breath and at the count of three, let it out.
“Hurk’s a good word.” He sounded like he was pouting and she smiled. “How about, hurl, ralph, worship at the porcelain altar, drive the big white bus, the Technicolor yawn—”
“Enough!” She turned to glare at him. “Are you trying to make me do it?” He looked puzzled at her ire. Boys, no matter how much they grew up, they remained goofy as hell at times. Despite that, or maybe because of it, her resistance to him melted a little more.
“No. I don’t want to have to pay the bill to clean it off my seats. The smell lingers forever.” He wrinkled his nose in distaste.
“Marcus, you haven’t changed at all.” Silence met her remark, lasting the rest of the ride to her house.
As they pulled up, he took in the exterior of her house. It was made of adobe, like a lot of the homes in the area, not too big, not too small. Cozy and comfortable looking. The small cactus garden out front showed she was ecologically conscious, not that he’d ever doubted it. A gravel walk, neatly raked and free of weeds, led up to the small front porch that contained a swing at one end and more deciduous plants clustered around the door and the posts. All in all, it was warmly welcoming. The feeling lasted until they reached the front porch where something caused his hackles to rise, literally.
He shoved the growl down, unwilling to show her his other side before he was sure he could trust her with the truth. “What is that?” He knew he snarled, but couldn’t help himself. He was very aware that his driver, Mick, leaned against the hood of the limo while he waited. Marcus knew this would go straight back to his people, embellished with all the bells and whistles.
Lainie, alarmed by his thunderous expression whirled to see what he pointed at, and laughed when she spied the object of his disdain. “Oh Marcus, it’s just Fluffy!”
Fluffy was a huge orange cat, and apparently he knew what Marcus was, because he gave the man a smug smile when Lainie picked him up and cuddled him. “Hi there, baby. How have you been?” she cooed while the cat purred and rubbed his head on her jaw.
Marcus showed the cat his teeth. This only served to make the cat purr louder and mew at Lainie.
“Aw, he missed me. Isn’t he sweet? Do you want to pet him?”
“No!” He stepped back. “That is, I’m allergic to them. Does he have to come inside with us?”
“Who said you get to come in?” She smirked.
“I did. I never took you for a…” he barely repressed a shudder, “…cat person.”
“Think about it, they’re independent, they don’t whine constantly, you can leave them alone all day and not come home to messes on the rug. They’re the perfect pet for someone on the go.” Lainie put the cat in the swing and brushed stray hairs off her suit. “Dogs are too needy, like babies.” She frowned and looked toward the driver who’d snorted with suppressed laughter.
“Dogs are loyal,” Marcus informed her, rather, yes, he’d admit it, doggedly.
“So are cats, to a certain extent.”
“Ha! They aren’t loyal, they’re users.” Marcus curled his lip at the cat.
Lainie stepped into the crossfire, interrupting the staring contest. “Before you whip out the pistols at dawn, let me clue you in, he isn’t mine.”
“Oh?” Marcus tried not to look too happy about that. He must have failed because she laughed, a sweet, melodic sound that both soothed and aroused him.
“He’s the neighbor’s cat. She lets me borrow him at the end of the day for a little cuddling time. He’s always happy to oblige me too. Aren’t you, Fluffy?” She leaned down and gave the cat a kiss.
Marcus gagged. If she only knew what those animals got up to when they groomed themselves, she wouldn’t be so quick to—. He broke off guiltily when he recalled that he could actually do that too, in his other form. Not that he did, of course, never.
“Come on in.” She went to put the key in the lock and stopped when it opened under her hand.