The Sweetest Seduction, Breakaway Hearts

by Crista McHugh

  “About Chef Lia?”

  “And about Chef Schlittler.” Now that the arrogant prick was gone, Adam could at least speak openly about him. “As you can see, he’s very demanding and difficult to work with. As big a name as he is, I’m beginning to wonder if he’ll also become a big problem.”

  “Meaning?” one of the other men asked.

  “I’ll e-mail you the list of demands he’s already given us as far as the Michigan Avenue property is concerned. I foresee more demands like this in the future, meaning we’d have to continue to finance them. Men like Amadeus Schlittler don’t come cheaply.”

  The other men nodded.

  “It seems Ray has already set a deadline for us,” Tom said, “so I’m willing to wait until then to see if we can come up with the best solution.”

  “And as I said before, I won’t hold you to your contracts if I decide it’s in the best interests of the company not to give Schlittler the Michigan Avenue property.” Adam stood and shook the hands of the other men. “Thank you again for coming. I’ll get you that information later today, and I encourage you to see the gem that we already have in place.”

  The other men left, but Tom remained in his chair. Age may have lined his face and turned his hair white, but it had only sharpened the intelligence in the older man’s eyes. “I have the sneaking suspicion you’re leaving something out, Adam.”

  Adam fetched the papers and put them in his folder, ignoring the trickle of unease that slid down his spine. “I told you everything that’s pertinent from a business perspective.”

  “But you left out the personal perspective.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Come now, Adam, I’ve been friends with your parents since before you were a twinkle in their eyes, and Maureen was telling me all about how she introduced you to Lia a few weekends ago up at the lake house.”

  “I’m glad she did. If she hadn’t, I wouldn’t have discovered what a fabulous chef she is.” Or what a passionate lover she was, either. Lia had spent three nights of the last week in his arms, making the nights she wasn’t with him a form of agony that grew harder to bear with each passing day. Traces of her scent covered his pillowcase. Memories of her laughter echoed through his empty living room. And the peace he knew lying beside her, completely spent after making her cry out his name in ecstasy, called to him throughout the day. She was slowly turning his condo into a place he couldn’t wait to come home to, but only if she was there to greet him when he did.

  Tom watched him but said nothing. The old man probably saw right through him, but at least he had the decency not to say anything more about it. “We need to have dinner once your mother gets back from Vancouver,” he said as he stood.

  “I agree.” His mother had left this morning to take care of his brother after Ben had suffered a season-ending knee injury two days ago. “The surgery was today, so she should be home in a week or two.” He stood and shook Tom’s hand. “Thank you for being the voice of reason.”

  “Don’t thank me yet. Ray could hold you to the original contract. He’s got enough fingers in the town’s pie to make life difficult for you and Lia.”

  “I know.” He just prayed it wouldn’t come to that. He wanted both Lia’s and Schlittler’s restaurants—the question was, which one did he want more?

  “So here’s a little piece of advice from me. Remember Robert Cully?”

  Adam nodded, wondering where this conversation was going. His father had hired the private investigator several times over the last decade, usually to gather information on suspected fraud cases. He glanced down at the files, then back up to Tom. “Is there anything you think I should hire him for?”

  “You don’t make it far in Chicago politics without getting your hands dirty along the way.” He winked and walked out of the boardroom, giving Adam the spark of hope he needed to see himself out of this mess.

  Chapter Eleven

  Lia hummed an aria from one of Verdi’s operas as she tossed some tortellini in a warm gorgonzola sauce with prosciutto and peas. The last entrée of the night was about to go out to the dining room, bringing her one step closer to the end of the evening. She’d given her mother the same line about staying late at work once again—meaning don’t wait up for me—so she could stop by Adam’s tonight. It was easier than trying to explain that she was sleeping with someone she’d known less than a month.

  Of course, if La Arietta was forced to close at the end of the month, she’d have to come up with a different excuse.

  That is, if she continued to see Adam.

  As much as she enjoyed his company, things definitely were more complicated now that they’d become lovers. They never mentioned the lease when they were together, but it was never far from her mind when she left his arms. She kept her heart guarded, afraid their relationship would end once she no longer had her restaurant. But every night in his bed only made it that much harder to leave when the sun came up. She was happy with him, miserable without him, and constantly on edge when it neared the time to see him again.

  Dax came into the kitchen. “I had to keep Mr. Hottie in a Suit from barging in here like he owned the place.”

  “He does own the place,” Lia replied with a laugh. “But thank you. He’s usually not here during business hours.”

  “Meaning he’s been here after hours, I presume?” Dax tailed along behind her as she went out into the dining room. “Stopping by for dessert?”

  Heat rolled into Lia’s face like a line of thunderstorms. “That’s none of your business.”

  Adam stood by the maître d’ stand, waiting for her with a smile that remained polite but with an underlying gaze that already spoke of the naughty things he wanted to do with her. He rocked back and forth on his feet with his hands clenched in his pockets.

  “Told you she’d come for you, Mr. Kelly.” Dax took his position behind the stand and gave her a saucy wink.

  Thankfully, no one was around to hear the innuendo in his voice. Lia grabbed Adam’s arm and led him to the corner by the elevators. “You’re a bit early tonight.”

  “I had to see you.”

  Her pulse quickened. Perhaps he had some good news about the lease. “What about?”

  Adam opened his mouth but snapped it shut as a pair of guests left the restaurant and pushed the button for the elevator. “Is there some place we can talk in private?”

  “There’s my office.”

  “Someplace else?” The heat in his eyes told her talking was the last thing on his mind.

  Her sex clenched at the thought of what was lying in store for her this evening, and her breath quickened. “Can this wait until after we close?”

  He shook his head and pulled her into the stairwell. They ran down three flights, stopping only long enough for Adam to punch in a key code and unlock the door that led to a darkened hallway full of empty offices.

  As soon as the door closed behind them, his lips were on hers, hungry and demanding. Any cry of protest she made faded into a moan of pleasure. He pushed her against the wall, his body pressed against hers while he tugged at her clothes. “I need you now, Lia.”

  ****

  I’m like a junkie craving my next hit.

  Or at least, that’s the closet thing Adam could think of as he fumbled with the zipper of his pants. He’d gone home after the meeting and tried to come up with a solution that would please everyone, but every time his mind circled back to Lia, a new wave of longing consumed him.

  She’d only been in his condo four times, but she’d already left her mark there. The half-empty bottle of wine in the kitchen. The extra crumpled napkin left on the dining room table. The magazine on the coffee table left open to an article about a Napa Valley winery. The indention in the pillow next to his that smelled faintly of the peach-scented lotion she kept on the table beside his bed. All little reminders that made him miss her.

  He’d gone to the restaurant with the intention of inviting her back to
his place to watch a movie and unwind before going to bed, perhaps even to broach the subject of possibly relocating her restaurant in case Schlittler and Ray refused to back down. But by the time he got there, something else had seized control of him, a burning thirst for her that had to be quenched before he lost all control. A basic need that now had him kissing her like a starving man while he slipped her panties down around an ass that fit perfectly in his hands.

  She moaned and shimmied against him, the motion both freeing her from her underwear while rubbing her against his already aching cock. Sparks of teeth-gritting pain shot up his spine. If he didn’t get inside her soon....

  “Wait,” she said, pushing him back. “We don’t have a condom.”

  He reached into his wallet and pulled out the one he’d tucked in there a few mornings ago. “I’ve learned to be prepared when it comes to you.”

  Relief softened the tension in her face. She grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him back to her, assuming control of the kisses with a passion that left him breathless. She wanted him as much as he wanted her, and he set a new record for donning the proper attire for the occasion.

  All it took was the subtle prompt of cupping her ass to have her jump into his arms and wrap her legs around his waist. He wasted no time sliding into that hot, slick place that fit him so perfectly. A sigh of contentment filled the empty hallway, but he had no idea if it came from him or her.

  Sometime during all the commotion, she’d managed to slip his jacket off, leaving him only in his dress shirt as he pumped his hips back and forth, slamming his cock into her over and over again like a madman. Every stroke was pure bliss. Every cry of passion that came from her lips was sweeter than any music he’d ever heard. Every rake of her nails along his back drove him forward like a coachman’s whip.

  “More, Adam, more.” Lia writhed against the wall, her eyes half-closed, her breath coming as quickly as his. Her body tightened around him, from her arms and legs to the tight walls of her sex.

  His own body tightened in response, his balls rising, increasing the pressure building at the base of his shaft. He fought to hold it back, to make sure she enjoyed the same explosion of pleasure he knew was lying ahead of him, despite the frenzied nature of their fucking. “Oh, God, Lia, I can’t, I can’t—”

  The words died in his mouth as a feral growl took their place. He plunged into her one final time before surrendering to his orgasm. But that last stroke was all she needed to join him over the edge. Her higher pitched scream joined his, her sex tightening and releasing in perfect rhythm with the waves of release rolling through his cock. His legs wobbled from the intensity of it all, and they slid down the wall together.

  Minutes passed as his pulse drummed through his body like a marching band doing a victory celebration. Sweat beaded along the nape of his neck, dampening his hair where her fingers twirled through the strands. He sucked in a deep breath that was scented with peaches, sex, and another note that was undeniably Lia.

  “I—” she began before breaking off into a nervous giggle. “I’ve never done anything like that.”

  He lifted his head from where is rested against her hair and pressed his forehead against hers. “Neither have I.”

  His confession bought another giggle from her, less nervous this time. “It’s always been one of my little fantasies, but it was far better than I could’ve ever imagined.”

  She took the words right out of his mouth. He pulled her closer to him, tucking her head under his chin. “I hope you’ll forgive me for being so blunt. I’m finding that I’m having a hard time controlling my desire for you.”

  “I would have stopped you if I didn’t feel the same way.”

  What strange twist of fate had brought her into his life this way? Oh, wait, his mother. But for once, perhaps his mother knew what she was doing by forcing them to meet each other.

  A blast of cold air from the vent above reminded him that they were sitting in the middle of a hallway without their pants. He kissed the top of her head and loosened his arms around her. “Perhaps we should get dressed.”

  She nodded, her bottom lip jutting out ever so slightly. “I suppose you’re right. I have to start closing.”

  “Maybe I should hang around until you’ve finished.” His cock twitched to life, already growing hard at the idea of making love to her again. “We can go back to my place when you’re done.”

  She laughed and ran her finger along his shaft. “At the rate we’re going, you’ll be ready to go again by the time we reach the staircase. And then I’d be all distracted because all I’d be thinking about would be when I can have you inside me again.”

  He remained where he was as she got up and put on her underwear and pants. Something in her words troubled him. Their sexual chemistry was undeniable. But was there anything more between them? Did they have enough in common outside the bedroom to turn this from a fling into a long-term relationship?

  The night he cooked her dinner came to mind as he pulled his pants back on. Yes, they’d been able to chat, to enjoy each other’s company before things eventually turned to the bedroom. And as much as he enjoyed getting twisted in the sheets with her, he now found himself craving something different.

  “Lia, would you like to meet me for lunch tomorrow?”

  She froze like he’d just asked her to jump into Lake Michigan in the middle of a blizzard. “You mean like this?”

  “No, I mean like you and me, fully clothed, enjoying a meal together.”

  Her lips parted for a few seconds, her expression wistful, before the practical edge returned to her voice. “As much as I’d love to join you, I can’t. I have to tend to my own lunch crowd here.”

  “Can’t you play hooky for a day?” He pulled her back into his arms, placing several light kisses along her face. “It’s just for a few hours, and I promise to have you back in plenty of time to prep for dinner.”

  She gave him a half-hearted shove, followed by a laugh when he continued to plant small pecks on her cheeks. “You don’t give up until you get what you want, do you?”

  “Now you know why I always get what I want.”

  “Fine, but that means I can’t come home with you tonight. I have to get everything ready for lunch without me.”

  “I’ll make that sacrifice.” Besides, he’d already scratched his itch moments before and cleared the lust haze from his mind. “Can you meet me at eleven?”

  “Where?”

  It only took him a split second to come up with the one place he knew he’d be able to keep his hands off of her. “My mother’s house in Highland Park.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Lia double-checked the address Adam had given her. Yep, this was the right house. Or mansion, to be more precise. When her mother had told her a few weeks ago that the lake house was more a cabin compared to Maureen Kelly’s Highland Park home, she hadn’t been kidding. A lead weight dropped to her stomach as she came up the circular driveway, her palms sweating on the steering wheel.

  By the time she rang the doorbell, her hands refused to stay still. She checked her appearance in the glass in case she’d missed some small smear of her lipstick or piece of lint on her shirt. Adam and his family were part of the Chicago elite, no matter how much they downplayed it, and she was out of her realm.

  She braced for a slobbering mound of white fur when the door opened, but saw only Adam. “Where’s Jasper?”

  “Don’t worry about him. I took care of that problem.” He took her hand and led her inside, pausing only to press a quick kiss on her lips. “It’s just you and me today.”

  Her stomach began to unwind as she gazed up the massive carved cherry-wood staircase. “Your mother isn’t here?”

  “No, she’s in Vancouver taking care of my brother, Ben.”

  Her hands finally stilled. Even in this mansion, she could still find solace in the fact that she didn’t have to put on airs in front of anyone else. “Which one is he?”

  “Come here and I
’ll show you.”

  He led her into a room off to the side. Tiffany glass inserts framed the massive windows overlooking the bright blooms of the garden and immaculate green lawn beyond it. A pair of well-cushioned Queen Anne wing chairs stood on either side of a fireplace big enough for her to crawl into. A square table made of dark, heavy wood with a brown leather insert stood off to the side with two decks of cards inviting someone to play with them. All and all, the décor reminded her of Adam’s place—expensive and elegant, but comfortable and inviting.

  Picture frames lined the mantle, all dwarfed by the family portrait that presided over the wall above. A man who looked very much like Adam sat next to a 1980s version of Maureen, surrounded by seven boys. The youngest son appeared to have been only a few months old when the picture was taken. She swallowed a giggle when she noticed the two lines of silver tracks running along Adam’s teeth.

  He caught her looking at the picture and gave a half-cough. “Yeah, I keep telling Mom it’s time to update the family photo—perhaps something where I’m not wearing braces—but she won’t listen to me.” He held up one the smaller frames. “This was taken last Christmas.”

  A line of seven men grinned back at her, their arms all thrown around each other’s shoulders. Their hair color varied from black to bright red, and their height varied within six inches of each other. Their eyes were all blue, even though two of them had eyes that were more of a slate blue rather than the bright, piercing blue of Adam’s eyes. But they all had the same smiles, the same chin, the same crinkles around their eyes. In other words, there was no denying they were brothers.

  Her heart squeezed a little tighter as she looked at the picture. She’d never had a brother or a sister growing up and had always wanted to be part of a large family. It was only when she moved to Italy and was taken in by her cousins that she got her wish.

  Adam ran his finger along the line, starting with man next to him. “That’s Ben, Caleb, Dan, Ethan, Frank, and Gideon.”

  Each of the Kelly brothers now had a name and a face for her, although a couple of the men she hadn’t met seemed vaguely familiar. “What do they all do?”