by Leanne Banks
The elevator dinged her arrival at the penthouse and she took the few steps to Alex’s front door. Before she pushed the buzzer, the door opened and Alex appeared, dressed in slacks and a white open-neck shirt. He extended his hand. “Welcome,” he said and led her inside the lushly appointed condo.
“This is nice,” she said, looking around. Although Mallory was accustomed to the trappings of wealth, even she was impressed with the architectural design and masculine contemporary furnishings.
“I own a home farther out of town, but this is more convenient during the week,” he said as they walked toward a balcony with a stunning view.
“It’s gorgeous,” she said and closed her eyes for a second. “And quiet.”
“I chose it for that reason. After a busy day, I can sit here and let my mind run. It’s often my most productive time of the day. I come up with some of my best ideas up here or at my cabin in Tahoe.” He waved his hand toward a table set with covered silver platters, fine china and crystal. “I sent my staff away just for you. That means we’re on our own except for my full-time housekeeper Jean. She’ll take care of cleanup.”
Mallory sat down at the patio table and wondered how many other women had sat in this very chair. More beautiful, more sophisticated women determined to capture Alex’s heart, perhaps even to marry him.
Her stomach twisted at the thought, so she deliberately pushed it aside. This could very well be the only evening she spent with Alex. She may as well enjoy it.
Alex poured a glass of wine and she studied his hands. His fingers were long, and like everything about him, strong and masculine-looking. She wondered how they would feel on her body. She would bet Alex knew exactly how to touch a woman. A twist of awareness tightened inside her, surprising her with its intensity.
Shaking her head at the direction of her thoughts, she took a sip of wine and latched on to the first subject that came to mind. “You mentioned that your father is Greek,” she said. “Your family is obviously part owner of Megalos-De Luca. Do you have other relatives working for the company?”
He shook his head and lifted the silver cover from his plate and motioned for her to do the same. “My grandfather only had one son, my father, who chose to go into medicine. His decision infuriated my grandfather so much that he refused to speak to my father.”
“Oh, no. That’s terrible,” she said. “What does your father think of your career choice?”
He took a bite of the lobster dish the chef had prepared. “He hasn’t spoken to me since I dropped out of premed, majored in business and got involved in the family business again. My two older brothers went into medicine and the same was expected of me. Business isn’t noble enough. It just pays the bills.”
“You and your father don’t speak?” she asked in disbelief. “What about your mother?”
“My mother sneaks a call to me every now and then, but she feels her job is to support my father.”
“My mother takes a back seat approach to marriage, too. She goes along with my father’s whims. I don’t think I could do it. I don’t want to do it,” she said more firmly.
“Maybe if you met the right man…”
Mallory swallowed a bite of dinner and shook her head vehemently. “The right man will encourage me to follow my own goals and ambitions. Isn’t it ironic that your father decided to buck his father’s trend? Yet when you did the same thing, he reacted the same way as his father.”
“The same thing has crossed my mind more than once,” he said in a bitter voice.
Mallory felt a surge of sympathy for him. She never would have dreamed Alex’s family had totally cut him off. “That’s got to be difficult. What do you do for holidays?”
“Ignore them,” he said, his gaze suddenly cool. “What about you? You’re an only child, aren’t you?”
She nodded, wondering if his estrangement with his family truly bothered him so little. “I begged for a sibling until my eighteenth birthday.”
He chuckled. “You finally realized it wasn’t going to happen.”
She nodded, thinking back to that time in her life when everything had changed. “Everything was different after the accident. My mother changed. My father changed some, too.”
Alex met her gaze. “What accident?”
“I was seven at the time. My mother was taking my brother and me with her for a quick trip to a nail salon.”
“I didn’t know you had a brother,” he said.
Her stomach suddenly tightening, she pushed her food around her plate. “Not many people do. It’s too painful for either of my parents to talk about. He was two years older than me. His name was Wynn and he was a pistol,” she said, smiling in memory. “He was the adventurous one. My father was so proud of him.”
“Was,” Alex prompted.
“My mother ran a stop sign and we were hit by a pickup truck. All three of us had to be taken to the hospital. My brother took the brunt of the collision. He died in the emergency room. They told me I almost died. They had to remove my spleen and I broke a few bones. I stayed in the hospital for a couple of weeks, ate gelatin and ice cream and got out and wanted everything to go back to normal. But it couldn’t. I remember how quiet the house was without Wynn around.”
“What happened to your mother?”
“She had a few cuts and bruises. They released her after one night, but she has never been the same. She never drove again and I had to push when it came time for me to get my license. The accident frightened both my parents, and she blamed herself for my injuries. Both of them were, are, terrified of something happening to me.”
A thoughtful expression settled on his face. “Now it all makes sense.”
“What does?”
“Why your father is so protective,” he said. “They almost lost you. They don’t want that to happen again.”
“But you can’t wrap yourself in cotton and climb into a box because you’re afraid something bad will happen,” she said.
“You can’t,” he said, his lips twitching in humor.
“I love my mother, but I don’t want to live my life that way. I sometimes feel as if every time she looks at me, she remembers losing Wynn.”
“That’s tough,” he said.
She nodded. “It has been. She won’t really let me get close to her.”
“Maybe she’s afraid of losing again,” he mused.
“Maybe, but I don’t want to make all my decisions based on what could go wrong.”
“Caught between being the dutiful, devoted daughter and wild woman hiding underneath it all,” he said.
“Parental guilt is a terrible thing,” she said with a sigh, taking another sip of wine.
“I don’t have that problem,” he said.
“What about brotherly guilt?” she asked.
“My brothers followed my father’s lead. One of them is a researcher,” he said and gave a sly smile. “I donate to his foundation anonymously.”
She smiled, feeling as if she’d just been given a rare treat. “You just told me a secret, didn’t you?”
“Yes, I did. Don’t spread it around,” he said, shooting her a warning glance that managed to be sexy, too.
So Alex cared more about his family than he pretended, she realized. He was more complicated than the player she’d thought he was. Mallory wondered what other secrets lay beneath his gorgeous surface.
“I won’t tell your secret as long as you don’t tell my father about my plan to move out and get a job.”
“What will you do if he cuts you off financially?”
She shrugged. “I’m Edwin James’s daughter. He’s taught me how to invest. I have a cushion. Speaking of employment, do you think Megalos-De Luca could use me on staff?”
He paused for a few seconds, a flicker of surprise darting through his green gaze. He quickly masked it. “I hadn’t thought about that. Let me get back to you on it.”
“Oooh,” she said, shaking her head. “Complete evasion. And I had such hopes.”
>
“You didn’t really think I invited you here to interview you for a job, did you?” he asked in a low, velvet voice.
She felt a rush of heat and glanced away.
“Are you blushing?” he asked.
She shook her head. “Of course not,” she lied. “Dinner was delicious. Let me take my plate to the—”
“No. My housekeeper will take care of it. You’re my guest.” He stood and extended his hand. “Let’s go up to the second level.” He led her up a set of stairs to another terrace. This one featured an outdoor pool, hot tub, bar and chaise lounges.
Sensual music so clear the band could have been right there on the deck flowed around them. A slight breeze sent warm air whispering over her skin. Looking out into the horizon, she felt as if she could see forever. She drew in a deep breath and felt her burdens and dissatisfaction slip away for just a moment. For just a moment, she felt free.
The moment stretched to two, and because Alex was a man, he didn’t feel the need to fill the silence with useless conversation. He hadn’t made a sound, but she was aware of him. She knew he stood closer, yet not quite touching her, because his warmth radiated at her back.
“If you sold tickets for this, I would buy a hundred,” she said.
“For what? The view?” he asked, sliding his hand down her arm.
“Yes, and the temperature, and the breeze, and the feeling of freedom. Do you feel this way every night?”
“No,” he said and closed his other hand over her other shoulder. “But you’re not here every night.”
“Flattery again,” she said, unable to keep from smiling. Even though she knew he was just flirting, she couldn’t help but be charmed by him. It had been that way since the first time she’d met him.
“Not flattery,” he said. “You need a review.” He turned her around and lowered his mouth to hers, taking her lips in a kiss that made her feel as if she were a sumptuous feast.
Sliding his fingers through her hair, he tilted her head for better access and immediately took advantage. He kissed her like he wanted her, like he had to have her. The possibility threw her into a tailspin.
Her heartbeat racing, she felt a shocking surge of arousal that nearly buckled her knees. She kissed him back and his low groan vibrated throughout her body to all her secret places.
“Say what you want, Mallory, but you make me feel free and hungry at the same time. How do I make you feel?” he asked, dipping his head to press his mouth against her throat.
Another rush of arousal raced through her. She couldn’t lie. “The same way,” she said, her voice sounding husky to her ears.
“What are you going to do about it?” he asked, but it was more of a dare.
A visual of what she wanted to do scorched her brain. “I don’t know,” she said. “I thought I had you figured out, but there’s more to you than I thought there was.”
“It’s the same for me,” he said, sliding his hand upward to just below her breast.
Mallory sucked in a quick breath. “How am I different?”
“I thought you were a sweet girl, quiet and shy.”
“And?”
“And you’re sweet, but you’re not quiet or shy. You’ve got a wild streak a mile wide and I want to be there when it comes out.”
His fingers grazed the bottom of her breast, making her want him even more. It was a feeling she knew that would roar out of control if she let it. She just wasn’t sure she was ready for it.
“So what does Mallory want to do tonight?” he asked.
Her limbs melting like wax, she struggled with her arousal. She wanted to let go, but she didn’t want to lose herself to Alex. That would be too dangerous.
She grasped through her brain for something else, something that would give her more time. “Your car,” she finally managed to say. “I want to drive your car.”
Four
Sweet little Mallory had a lead foot.
She rounded corners and made hairpin turns at breakneck speed. Alex began to understand Edwin’s anxiety. If it had been his choice, he would put the woman in a nice, big Buick. Or a Hummer.
“This is wonderful,” she said, the wind whipping through her hair. “I love that it only has two gears. I can keep it in second gear all the time. I know there were only seven hundred and fifty models of this car made for this year. Who did you have to bribe to get it?”
“No one. I just had my assistant make a few calls and the deal was done.”
“Maybe I could order one and hide it,” she mused.
Alex laughed. “Do you really think you could hide a purchase like that from your father? You know he has people watching you 24/7.”
She shot him a sideways glance. “He’s not supposed to hover,” she said. “The agreement is if I keep a low profile on the party scene, then the bodyguards must remain invisible to me.”
“He’ll have my hide when he finds out I let you drive my car like a bat out of hell,” he said, but wasn’t concerned.
“Bat out of—” She broke off. “And I thought I was taking it easy.”
He noticed her skirt flipping around her thighs in the wind and slid his hand over her knee.
She swerved and popped forward. “Oops, sorry,” she said, pushing her hair behind her ear. “We should go back.”
He slid his hand away, pleased that his touch had flustered her. “I know a place that has a great view not far from here.”
“Which way?” she asked. “I have a weakness for a great view.”
So did he, Alex thought, looking at her skirt still dancing over her thighs. He gave her the directions and minutes later, she pulled into a clearing on top of a hill that overlooked the Las Vegas strip.
“This is beautiful,” she said as she killed the engine and leaned her head back. She inhaled deeply. “I’m surprised you let me drive your car.”
“I am, too,” he said, reaching for her hand.
She turned her head to look at him. “Why?”
“I haven’t let anyone drive that vehicle except me. Sure a Ferrari is more expensive, but I had to wait for that electric roadster for over a year. If you wrecked it—”
“You’d just get another one,” she finished for him.
He met her gaze. “True.” He sat up in his seat and leaned over her. “So you’ve driven my Tesla. What do you want to do next?” He dipped his mouth to her luscious, pale neck.
She sighed and he slid his hand over her knee.
“The way you act, I almost think you really want me,” she said, turning her lips toward his as he skimmed his mouth across her jaw.
“Almost,” he echoed, his voice sounding like a growl to his own ears.
“Like I said, I’m not your usual type,” she said, shifting toward him.
“Maybe that’s a good thing,” he said and rubbed his mouth over her sexy, soft lips. He loved the texture and taste of her. He slid his tongue over her bottom lip.
“But you’ve dated models, actresses,” she protested, at the same time opening her lips to give him better access.
“None of them had a mouth like yours,” he said and couldn’t put off taking her mouth in a kiss. He slid his tongue inside, tasting her, relishing the silken sensation of her lips and tongue.
She gave a soft sigh and lifted her hands to his head, sliding her fingers through his hair. She massaged his head and welcomed him into her depths. With each stroke of her tongue, he felt himself grow more aroused.
He slipped one of his hands beneath her blouse and pushed upward toward her ample breasts. He touched the side of one of her breasts, stroked underneath. He wanted to touch her all over. He wanted to taste her all over.
He felt her heat and arousal begin to rise. She arched toward him and he knew she wanted more. Giving the lady what she wanted and what he wanted, too, he unfastened her bra and touched her naked breast.
She quivered beneath his touch. Her nipple already stiff, she wiggled against him. Her artless response made him feel as if he w
ould explode.
He continued to kiss her, playing with her nipple and slipping his hand beneath her skirt, closer to her core. Reaching the apex of her thighs, he stroked the damp silk that kept her femininity from him.
“You feel so good,” he muttered. “So good.” He dipped his fingers beneath the edge of her panties and found the heart of her, swollen and waiting for him.
It was all he could do not to rip off both their clothes and drive into her hot, wet, sweetness. She would feel like a silk glove closing around him.
Groaning, he rubbed her sweet spot until she bloomed like an exotic flower. She began to pant and it became his mission to take her to the top.
“You’re so sexy,” he said. “I can’t get enough of you.” Still rubbing over her swollen pearl, he thrust his finger inside her.
She gasped and he felt her internal shudder of release, her delicious shudder of pleasure. “Oh—Al—” She broke off breathlessly as if she couldn’t form another syllable.
She clung to him, dropping her head to his shoulder. Seconds passed where her breath wisped over his throat. Finally she let out a long sigh.
“I don’t know whether to be embarrassed or—”
“Not embarrassed,” he said, still hard as a steel rod. He closed his arms around her.
“Amazed,” she said. “We’re not even in bed,” she said, awe in her voice.
“We will be,” he said. “It’s inevitable. I have business at one of our island resorts next weekend. I’m taking you with me.”
“Next weekend?” she said, pulling her head from his shoulder to gape at him. “But I have papers and I promised to help at a charitable auction.”
“Get your paper done before the weekend and find a substitute, Mallory. I won’t take no for an answer.”
She opened her mouth to protest then closed it. “It’s crazy,” she whispered.
“Just the way you like it,” he said.
“What if I don’t—” She broke off. “What if you don’t—” She frowned. “What if we change our minds and decide we don’t want to take this further?”