One Winter's Night

by Brenda Jackson

  In that heated moment, when their eyes connected, she felt a sensual connection to him all the way to her toes. She wanted to take a step back but couldn’t. Like he’d said, she couldn’t deny what was taking place between them.

  “I want to leave you with something to think about.”

  She didn’t have to ask what that something was because she knew. The rippling of coiled anticipation in her stomach spelled it out for her. He was about to stamp his presence all over her, and she would do more than think about it, she would fantasize about it for years to come.

  Her heart skipped a few beats when he released her chin to ease his arms around her waist and settle his hands right above her backside. Then he took a step closer while their gazes remained connected. There was a heated resolve in the dark depths of the eyes staring into hers. And when she saw him lowering his head, her feet—of their own accord—arched on tiptoes so she could meet his lips. All those amazing and incredible feelings she’d encountered since meeting him totally obliterated her senses.

  The man had all but admitted the only thing he wanted from her was sex, but she hadn’t decided whether or not he would be getting what he wanted. All she cared about for the time being was locking her lips with his, taking in more of his scent and acquiring his taste. She was tired of dealing with all these crazy emotions and sensations. She wanted relief, and she knew one place where she could find it.

  Right here, she thought, the moment Riley’s mouth aimed straight for hers.

  His tongue entered her on impact, and she responded on instinct. Reaching up, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body closer to his. No kiss had ever made her feel like this. Riley was a master at using his tongue, and he was doing so with a skill that nearly brought her to her knees. He explored first one side of her mouth then the other. And he was doing it with such intimacy that she felt it deep in her bones.

  He was taking her mouth greedily, as if this was his one-and-only chance. He was giving a whole new definition to French-kissing, and she moaned with every lick, every suck and every blatant stroke.

  Alpha was certain she would lose her mind if Riley didn’t let go of her mouth, and he seemed in no hurry to release it. Instead, he continued to take it in an even deeper kiss, stroking his tongue in a way that sent high degrees of desire spreading all through her. The hard bluntness of his arousal pressed like steel into her belly, and she moved her body to cradle it in the juncture of her thighs.

  She knew he was intentionally driving her mad, branding her and leaving his mark. The heat flaring in her midsection was sending her hormones—which were getting his name stamped all over them—raging out of control.

  And then he slowly pulled his mouth away. Heavy-lidded dark eyes remained steady on her. She tried to stop the way her stomach was quivering and found she wasn’t able to do so. Nothing was capable of bringing a halt to the sensations stampeding through her.

  “Now, a promise to you, Alpha. If you agree to what I suggested,” he said in a low, throaty voice, “I’ll make sure that we enjoy each other in a way no two humans have ever done.”

  He then leaned down and lightly brushed the tip of his tongue across her lips before opening the door and walking out of it.

  Five

  Riley thought this had been the longest week of his life. Now the day had finally arrived when he would be seeing Alpha again. More than once he’d been tempted to come up with any excuse to pick up the phone and call her to see how she was coming along in her thought processes regarding the affair he’d proposed.

  He would find out in a couple of hours at their scheduled meeting. He’d even arrived to work early, had advised the receptionist covering the lobby to send Alpha in as soon as she arrived. There was no need for her to wait. He was tired of waiting.

  There was a knock on his door, and he knew from the three repetitive knuckle raps that it was his brother, Canyon. Dropping by Riley’s office at the start of the workday was the norm for both Canyon and his other brother, Stern. Riley was eleven months older than Canyon and almost two years older than Stern. The three of them had been close while growing up, and although they didn’t always agree on everything, they had deep respect for one another. Working for the family firm after college had always been their goal in life, and they enjoyed working alongside Dillon to preserve the legacy their father and uncle had begun. All his brothers worked in some capacity at Blue Ridge except for Micah, who was an epidemiologist with the federal government; Jason, who, along with cousins Zane and Derringer, was in the horse training and breeding business; and Riley’s youngest brother, Bane, who was in the navy.

  “Come in.”

  Canyon, who was one of the firm’s attorneys, quickly walked in with his briefcase in hand. “I need to run something by you, Ry. It’s that dispute we’re trying to settle out of court with Shade Tree Developers. We’re holding our initial meeting tomorrow.”

  Riley looked at his watch. “Okay, I have less than a half hour to spare, so make it quick.”

  Canyon lifted a brow. “And just what fire are you going to?”

  Riley tossed aside some papers on his desk. “No fire, just an important meeting at ten.”

  “With who?”

  If Riley didn’t know of his brother’s penchant for being inquisitive, he would have been annoyed with Canyon’s questions. “I’m meeting with our event planner, Alpha Blake, about the holiday party next month.”

  “Oh,” Canyon said with a smirk on his face. He took the chair in front of Riley’s desk. Riley knew why the smirk was there. Dillon had tossed the responsibility to both of them and neither had wanted it. In the end, they’d drawn straws. Riley hadn’t been happy that he’d been the one to lose, but now he was more than glad that he had.

  “Okay, Canyon, what’s going on with Shade Tree Developers?” he asked, deciding to steer his brother away from the subject of Alpha.

  “I talked with one of their new attorneys today. She was brought on board a couple of weeks ago and you won’t believe who she is.”

  “Who?”

  “Keisha Ashford.”

  Riley scrunched up his face, remembering. “Is that the same Keisha you had that affair with a few years ago?”

  Canyon shifted in his seat. “One and the same.”

  “Ouch.” Riley remembered the affair hadn’t ended well.

  “Yes, that’s what I said. However, she sounded pleasant enough.”

  Riley chuckled and leaned back in his chair with his arms raised and resting against the back of his neck. “They always do, even when they’re about to cut off your balls. I told you to always be up-front with a woman. You set the parameters and the rules. Then there’ll be less drama on the back end. That’s why I have Riley’s Rules. That’s the only way I operate.”

  While Canyon rambled on with nonsense about not all women agreeing to rules, Riley’s thoughts shifted back to Alpha. He had already spelled out his terms and she could take them or leave them.

  He was hoping like hell that she took them.

  * * *

  Alpha stepped off the elevator onto the fortieth floor of the Blue Ridge Management building where the executive offices were located. She recalled the first time she’d come here, last month, to meet with Dillon and how impressed she’d been with the plush surroundings the moment she’d walked inside the building.

  First, there had been the huge, beautifully decorated atrium with a waterfall amidst a replica of mountains, complete with blooming flowers and other foliage. Seeing all those flowers had reminded her of a spring day in Daytona when flowers sprouted everywhere. They were the first sign that the city should prepare for spring break, when all the college students would hit the beaches.

  She liked the feel of the thick, luxurious carpet beneath her shoes. The first thing that caught her eye today, just like the last time, were the huge portraits of two couples that hung on the main wall in the lobby. They were Riley’s parents and his aunt and uncle, who’d all peri
shed in an airplane accident. Four beautiful people who had died young and left behind offspring who loved them. And speaking of love, the photographer who’d taken the photographs had captured the essence of love in both portraits. The way the two women were leaning in toward their husbands, the smiles they wore and the way the couples held hands showed that they’d truly loved each other. She would like to think that seeing these photographs gave the Westmorelands the strength to go on when others would have given up. She couldn’t help but admire the way they had bonded together in a crisis, a response which had been so unlike her own family’s.

  She glanced at her watch and saw she was ten minutes early. The weather was a lot better than last week now that the snowstorm had passed. However, she knew that it was just the beginning and forecasters had already predicted a lot of cold weather ahead.

  Alpha tried ignoring the stirring in the pit of her stomach when she approached a bank of offices. She drew in a deep breath when she reached the one with Riley’s name elegantly carved in bold gold script. She had no reason to be nervous since he had given her enough time to make a decision and she had. It was one she would live with and not regret making.

  She would have an affair with him because, whether she understood why or not, she wanted him. It was as if he had cast some spell on her and even when she’d tried talking herself out of wanting him, she couldn’t. So against her better judgment, she would follow the cravings of her body. For once in her life, she would give in to her wants. Besides, after Eddie had told her he wouldn’t marry her, she had pretty much known she wouldn’t set herself up for that kind of heartbreak again. A serious relationship with any man was totally out of the question. And she was curious about all that pleasure Riley had talked about.

  Another thing she had taken into consideration was that she knew, at some point, she would date again. Although she was certain there were a lot of single men in Denver, she wasn’t sure just how decent they were. She considered Riley both decent and honest. He’d demonstrated that by being up-front with her. He hadn’t tried sugarcoating an affair or making it out to be more than what it would be. He wanted her. In his bed. Just like she wanted him in hers. No excuses. Just bald facts.

  She let out another deep breath. Thinking that way was one thing but actually doing it was another. Growing up, Omega would tease her about talking a good talk, but when the time came to back it up, that was another story. Alpha hoped to do things differently this time around.

  She opened the door to another elegant-looking lobby. A young woman sat at the receptionist desk and smiled when she walked in. “Ms. Blake?”

  Alpha was surprised the woman knew who she was. “Yes?”

  “Mr. Westmoreland has been waiting for you.”

  Alpha lifted a brow before glancing down at her watch. “But I’m not late.”

  The young woman chuckled. “Yes, I know, but he’s checked three times to see if you’ve arrived, although I assured him that I would send you in the moment you got here. I guess this meeting is pretty important.” The woman then picked up the phone and announced her arrival to Riley.

  No sooner had the last word left the woman’s lips than Riley’s office door was snatched open and he stood there. This was the first time she had seen him in business attire. The transformation left her speechless. He was dressed in a gray suit and a white shirt. The printed tie brought both together and all three complemented the brown coloring of his skin. The cut of his suit did everything to emphasize his masculine build. He looked so handsome standing there, dominating the doorway in such a way that she had to force her breathing to slow. But she could do nothing about the way her blood was rushing through her veins.

  The corners of his mouth curved in a heart-stopping smile. “Ms. Blake.”

  She released the breath she hadn’t known she was holding. “Mr. Westmoreland. I have all the information we discussed last week,” she said with professional decorum, for the benefit of their audience of one.

  He nodded. “Good, I’m anxious for us to get started since we have a lot to cover.” He averted his gaze from her to the woman sitting at the desk, who was watching them with interest. “Make sure we’re not disturbed until our meeting is over.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  He then shifted his glance back to Alpha and stepped aside. “Ms. Blake, please come in.”

  * * *

  The thoughts running through Riley’s mind when Alpha passed him by were too dangerous to think about at the moment. Why did she always have to smell so darn good? Fresh, sweet and all woman.

  She moved to stand in front of his desk and turned around. He remained standing with his back against the closed door with his hands shoved into his pockets. He studied her, thinking every single thing about her spelled SENSUOUS in capital letters.

  “I’ve researched more information on the party and have a proposed budget for—”

  “You look nice, Alpha,” he interrupted her spiel to say. When she began nibbling on her bottom lip, he knew that he was making her nervous but he couldn’t help it. He was obsessed, and at that moment he offered no excuses for being so. There was just something about seeing a woman in a business suit with pumps on her feet. Had she assumed her attire would make him want to get down to real business, without thoughts of making love to her? If so, the intent failed miserably.

  “Thank you. Now can we get down to—”

  “Business?” He gave a negative shake of his head said. “No, not yet.”

  He slid his hands from his pockets. She was right; they should get down to business. He could go even further and say there was really no reason they should be meeting today at all. The information she was here to give him regarding the party could have been done over the phone. He knew that and figured she knew that, as well.

  “What have you decided?” he asked, tempted to walk over to her but knowing if he did he wouldn’t be able to keep his hands to himself.

  She averted her gaze momentarily and when she looked back, she said, “Maybe we ought to discuss this at another—”

  “Alpha.”

  The menacing tone of his voice probably pretty much told her she could forget that suggestion. “All right, then,” she said, placing her messenger bag on his desk. She then glanced over at him. “You were right about there being this strong attraction between us. I’ve thought about it and considered all aspects of what you’ve suggested, although, like I told you, I’ve never engaged in a casual affair—sex with no commitments—before.”

  “But you’ve reached a decision?” he asked, noting her expression wasn’t giving anything away.

  “Yes.”

  Both hope and despair flooded his stomach at the same time since he had no idea what her decision was. He said nothing, just waited for her to go on. When she didn’t, he asked simply, “And?”

  She nervously licked her lips again before lifting her chin. “I agree to it, but I have a few rules of my own.”

  That surprised him. No other woman ever had. He moved from the door to stand beside his desk. “Do you?”

  “Yes. First of all, I don’t want us to rush into anything.”

  “You mean not rush into sharing a bed?” he asked for clarity.

  “Yes. Like I told you, I’m not used to engaging in casual affairs so it’s not anything I can just jump into. I’m going to need time to get used to this.”

  He wondered how much time she would need. The affair was only supposed to last six weeks at the max. But then the last thing he wanted was a reluctant woman in his bed. Besides, there were ways of breaking down her defenses. “I can agree with that.”

  She nodded. “And another thing.”

  “Yes?”

  She paused, as if she needed the courage to say her next words. “It’s about that promise you made last week, right before leaving my house.”

  He knew what promise she was referring to and remembered it well. “What about it?”

  “I’m holding you to it.”

&nbs
p; Riley said nothing. He only stared at her. But he wasn’t just staring at her, Alpha thought. He was doing so in a way that was tantalizing her senses and sending electrified sensations all through her pores. Omega would never believe Alpha was letting any man affect her this way. Or that she was drawn to a man who was leading her down a road Omega knew well and had traveled down plenty of times. One that was naughty as sin.

  “Now, can we get down to business and discuss the details of the party for next month, Riley?”

  He shook his head. “No.”

  She lifted a brow. “No?”

  He shook his head as he unbuttoned his coat to remove it and loosened his tie, tossing both on the chair across from his desk. “Not yet.” Then, closing the distance between them, he pulled her into his arms.

  She went to him willingly, opening her mouth the moment his lips touched hers. And when he slid his tongue inside, the memories of the last time they’d kissed magnified tenfold. She was convinced that no other man kissed the way he did. No other man could fill a woman with as much longing and desire as he could. Heat sizzled along her nerve endings, and her stomach tightened with each meticulous stroke of his tongue.

  It was almost too late when she realized he had been walking her backward. Barely breaking the kiss, he eased her up by the hips to place her on top of his desk. He didn’t let up, continuing to take her mouth with a hunger she felt in every part of her body. In response, she tightened her arms around his neck and moved in closer, needing the contact of his chest against hers, liking how her nipples were hardening in need.

  “Mr. Westmoreland, I’m leaving for lunch now.”

  The sound of the receptionist’s voice over the intercom seemed to boom across the room. Riley pulled his mouth away but kept it within inches of hers. “I hope you liked that,” he whispered against her lips, tipping her chin up for better access.