THE MITUS TOUCH: Book One of The Touch Series

by Stoni Alexander

  Glaring at Marjorie, Wilson slid his hand into his pocket. “You’re a first-class—”

  Marjorie shoved her index finger up to his face. “You so much as glance in the direction of the Francesco Company and I’ll have the Securities and Exchange Commission breathing down your back.”

  On a grunt, Wilson did an about-face and marched out of the ballroom with Dobb close on his heels.

  “There go two of the slimiest men I have ever met,” Brigit said.

  “Boy, was he trying to get a reaction out of you.” Marjorie patted Colton’s shoulder. “But you’re too smart to take the bait.”

  “Marjorie, that CEO position is yours. What do you say?” Colton asked.

  As Marjorie tapped a cigarette on her palm, she shifted her attention to Brigit. “Isn’t it time our crack wealth manager took the reins?”

  Brigit had dreamed of nothing but returning to her past. Her parents’ expectation had set her on the unwavering path to this moment. Her father’s dying wish was that she make Francesco her own. So, why didn’t she feel the exhilaration she’d imagined? She was finally free to reclaim her birthright and resume her life. Was their vision what she truly wanted?

  As she stared into Colton’s eyes, gratitude washed over her and her heart filled with love. Though she’d always miss her mom and dad, they’d want her to live a happy life. The guilt, the anger and the grief that had propelled her forward lifted a little.

  Eve Francesco had finally found some peace.

  “Mrs. Mic, I agree with Colton. You are the absolute best person to run Francesco.”

  “Thank you,” Marjorie said. “I’d be honored. Would you consider taking Dobb’s board seat?”

  Brigit beamed. “Now that I’d love.”

  “Should I expect you’ll be redoing your office at Mitus?” Colton asked.

  “No, I wouldn’t change a thing.”

  “Not even the location?”

  “Especially not that.” Colton’s smile made her heart flip. She had absolutely made the right decision.

  “You two make a damn terrific team, you know that?” Marjorie said.

  “We sure as hell do,” Colton replied, his eyes never leaving Brigit’s.

  “So, Brigit, what should we call you?” Chad asked.

  “My name…” She flipped her gaze back to Colton. “My name is Brigit Farnay.”

  “So, Brigit, something’s been bugging me for weeks.” Chad ran a hand over his unshaven chin. “When you met Marjorie, she asked if you were a soccer fan. What the hell was that?”

  Brigit and Marjorie laughed. “As a child, I’d spend Fridays after school with Marjorie,” Brigit explained. “She was supposed to be teaching me about the Francesco Company. Instead, we’d paint or draw, read stories and do anagrams. I loved our Fridays.” Pausing, she smiled at Mrs. Mic. “Soccer fan is an anagram for Francesco.”

  “Speaking in code. I’m impressed,” Chad said. “Marjorie, I’ll walk with you to the lounge. I could use something strong right about now.” Together Marjorie and Chad left the ballroom.

  Alone in the ballroom, Colton clasped Brigit’s hands. “We did it.”

  Brigit could stare into this man’s eyes forever. “Thank you for being Francesco’s White Knight.”

  “I saved your company and you saved me,” he murmured. For the second time that day, she melted. “You know, I have my father to thank for something.”

  “What? That man almost took down your business.”

  “Because of him we forged a partnership.”

  “Are you saying Montgomery thrust us together?”

  “No. We managed to do that on our own.” He softly kissed her and her heart flooded with love.

  With a smile, she kissed him back. “Ready to celebrate?”

  “In every way imaginable,” he replied pulling her gently into his arms.

  53

  An Intimate Affair

  Following a celebratory dinner at a downtown Columbus restaurant, Colton, Brigit and Chad said their goodbyes to Marjorie before returning to the hotel. It was too late to drive back to Virginia, plus Colton had a more pressing need to stay the night.

  His Brigit.

  Though she’d put on a good show, Colton could see her pain. Not only had she sacrificed her dream, she’d entrusted him with her legacy. Now it was his turn to take care of her. Once alone in their suite, he snaked his arms around her. “How ‘bout a backrub, my love?”

  Her eyes sparkled. “I like the sound of that,” she said, but her expression quickly turned somber. “I owe you an explanation.”

  “And I owe you a debt of gratitude. We can talk, but not now. Tonight is about pampering my Brigit.”

  Her relieved smile brought him peace. “Thank you,” she murmured. “I could use a shower, but I can’t get my stitches wet.”

  “I’ll run a bath and personally make sure your arm stays dry.”

  “Will you join me?”

  “I’ll be the guy washing your back.” He pecked her cheek, walked into the spacious bathroom and turned on the water in the Jacuzzi. When he exited, he found her struggling to remove her blouse.

  “Getting you naked is my specialty.” After helping her take off the sling and shed her blouse, he gently kissed her arm over the gauze. “Are you in pain?”

  “Like crazy, but you make it all go away.”

  He unzipped her skirt and knelt to peel off her black stockings. Seeing her in her lingerie reminded him of their first night together. He’d found her breathtaking then, but that was nothing to how much he adored her now. After sliding off her panties, he rose, then unhooked her bra and pulled the satin fabric from her breasts. Her beauty stilled him and he paused to appreciate her perfect feminine form. God, he wanted her.

  In his arms. In his bed. In his life.

  “You have way too many clothes on.” As best she could, she helped him undress until he stood naked before her. With a sultry smile, she wrapped her hand around his erection. “Let’s go play.”

  He tied her hair in a bun, supported her into the tub and eased in behind her. She relaxed against his chest and he laid his hands on her tummy. Feeling complete with her nestled in his arms, he murmured, “I could stay here with you forever.”

  “Me, too, but shriveled isn’t my best look.”

  “I love all your looks.” Colton kissed her shoulder.

  Craning around, she kissed his scruffy chin. “Today was huge, for us both. I’m so relieved and happy we won.”

  “Game changer.” He drizzled warm water over her chest and watched it trickle down her breasts. “Why didn’t you contact me after your parents died?”

  As she spun around to face him, water splashed against the sides of the tub. “You don’t remember?”

  “No, I don’t. Go easy. You’ll get your stitches wet.”

  “I left messages and sent emails. I even made a special trip to see you, but got turned away at the mansion gates.” She blew out a frustrated sigh.

  Her news stunned him. “You know me, Brig. I’ve never ignored a potential business opportunity and I wouldn’t have blown you off.”

  She shrugged. “Well you did, but let’s not dredge up the past.”

  “From the day we met in Seth’s office, I’ve thought about you and only you.”

  Her expression softened. “That’s sweet, but why are we talking about this now?” She lathered the soap and covered his chest with bubbles.

  “You’re right. Talking can wait.” He kissed her, savoring how her mouth molded so perfectly to his.

  “Much better,” she murmured, her eyes sparkling.

  “Now that you’ve met Montgomery, you can understand why having integrity is so important to me,” he said caressing her cheek. “And you’re so damn beautiful. I would have remembered you.”

  “Fine, let’s do this now. We never met. We never spoke by phone. The woman who screened your calls told me you weren’t interested. You responded to one of my many emails and echoed what the gat
ekeeper had said.”

  What the hell! “When was this?”

  “Five and a half years ago.”

  His blood pressure rose. I’ll deal with this tomorrow. “Please accept my apology. I’m sorry you were treated so rudely.” He kissed her forehead. “Let me rub you.”

  After several seconds, the tension in her eyes faded. “Apology accepted.” Moving slower, she turned back around. While massaging her shoulders, he forced himself to refocus his thoughts and his energies on Brigit. Everything else could wait until they returned home.

  “Thank you,” she said snuggling into him. “I feel better.” He rested his hands on her tummy and she moved them to her breasts. “I want you, so badly.”

  With sensuous strokes, they washed each other, then left the water for the warmth of the bed.

  He planked over her and she smiled. One soft kiss turned ravenous, but as soon as she guided him to her opening, he aborted the kiss. “I don’t have a condom.”

  “It’s okay. I don’t want anything separating us.”

  Colton lay next to her. “I don’t either, but this is more of a risk than I’m ready to take. And besides…you just…lost…the baby.”

  Her eyes grew wide. “Baby? What baby?”

  “I overheard you talking to Marjorie. She asked if I knew. You said it was just a matter of time before I found out.” Awareness lit up his eyes. “Oh, hell, you were talking about your former identity, weren’t you?”

  “I was.”

  “I thought you’d miscarried or lost the baby during the attack.”

  “Wow,” she said caressing his shoulder. “That’s a big deal. How did you feel about that?”

  Placing a possessive hand over her tummy, he said, “I wanted to protect you both. It killed me when the ER doc told me you weren’t pregnant.”

  With a gentle touch, she blanketed his hand with hers. “I’m sorry you had to go through that.” After several seconds, her eyes flashed with recognition. “Ah, so that’s why you told me to stop drinking. I would never drink if I were pregnant.” She planted a huge kiss on his mouth. “Thank you for caring about our baby.”

  “Always,” he said. Though he’d ached for their loss, relief washed over him for what they hadn’t lost.

  “I’m on the pill for medical reasons,” she explained. “Tonight, I want us to make love without a condom.”

  Unable to remember the last time he’d had unprotected sex, he promised himself he wouldn’t come until she did. Rising over her, again, he said, “I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “We’ll go slowly.” She guided him to her. “I need you, Colton.”

  Pleasure shot through him as he tunneled inside. Then, with their connection complete, they shared knowing little smiles between two lovers.

  A surge of emotion filled him as their bodies ebbed and flowed like gentle waves kissing the shoreline. In a protected cocoon of love, they bared their unmasked and vulnerable souls. And then, they let go. As she contracted around his unsheathed penis, her erotic cries and quivering body sent waves of ecstasy surging through him.

  He loved this woman with every fiber of his being. She’d freed his tortured soul and he’d spend the rest of his life showing her how much he adored her. In the aftermath of their lovemaking, they snuggled close.

  “Do you want a family?” She peeked at him through her lashes.

  “I’d never considered it until I thought we’d already started one.”

  “And now?”

  He kissed her forehead. “I’m all in.”

  A little smile flitted across her lips. “I’d love to be a mom someday.”

  “You’ll be an awesome one. But before we start trying, I want you all to myself for a good, long while.”

  “How ‘bout we practice making one again?”

  “You’re the boss.”

  On a laugh, she kissed him.

  54

  You’re Fired

  The following afternoon Colton sat at Chad’s desk while they scrolled through archived email. “Open the Completed Deals folder,” Colton said.

  Inside that folder was one titled Deep Six. Chad clicked on that and dozens of emails populated the page. Together they read a few.

  “After Brigit told me how she’d been treated, I knew I’d find something,” Colton said. “This is reprehensible.”

  “You’ve never seen these emails?” Chad swiveled to face Colton.

  “No.”

  “How did this happen? You have a guiding hand in every aspect of the business.”

  “When Mitus Consulting failed, Vanessa stayed, even though I couldn’t pay her a salary. I never suspected her loyalty came with such a high price.” Colton’s hands tightened into fists.

  Vanessa had dismissed a potential opportunity with a successful Northern Virginia commercial real estate company. And she’d rejected a meeting request with a start-up cosmetics company that had become an industry giant.

  “SGV Cosmetics had one of the biggest IPOs in the past five years.” Colton’s pulse kicked up. “Not only did she sabotage my business, she negatively impacted my reputation as a businessman.”

  “Hmm,” Chad said after reading several more emails. “I see a pattern. She only rejected the women. I think she wanted to keep them away from you.”

  “She cost me millions,” Colton bit out. “Send those emails to my printer. Three years ago I promoted Vanessa to staff manager and hired Red to backfill her position. Check Red’s archived email.”

  Chad clicked over. “Looks like Red was burning the midnight oil and engaging everyone who contacted you.”

  “My business surged around that time,” Colton said. “I could barely keep up. Find the emails from Eve Francesco.” Colton strummed his fingers on Chad’s desk.

  “Got ‘em,” Chad said after searching. “There’s one response. Did you send this reply to her?”

  Ms. Francesco,

  Thank you for your interest in Mitus Conglomerate. My future plans with the Francesco Company do not include you. In light of that, I’m not comfortable reviewing your plan, whatever its perceived value and merit. And please, no more drop-ins.

  Best wishes,

  Colton Mitus

  “Hell, I never even knew she’d reached out to me.” Colton pushed out of the chair and headed for the door. “No wonder Brigit despised me.”

  “Are you speaking with Vanessa?”

  “I’m way past talking.”

  “I doubt she’ll go quietly. I’m here if you need me.”

  On his way back to his office Colton texted Vanessa. Meet me in my office. Blood pounded in his temples as he grabbed the printed emails and waited at his conference table.

  A moment later Vanessa stood in his doorway. “You need me?”

  Once a model employee, she looked like a tramp. Her low-cut sweater and miniskirt were better suited for a nightclub than the workplace. When he’d instituted casual Fridays, he still expected his employees to dress like professionals. By tomorrow, her attire and her crafty ways would be history.

  “Vanessa, have a seat.” Firing employees was his least favorite task, but in this case, she deserved to go.

  She pushed his office door closed with such force, it slammed shut. “Oops, don’t know my own strength.” She perched on the edge of the chair and arched her back.

  She looks like she’s posing for a centerfold. “You know I’m not one for small talk, so I’ll get right to the point.” He slid over the two emails. “Tell me about these.”

  After reading them, she pushed out of her chair and walked to the window. “Ancient history.”

  “Why did you dismiss these opportunities?”

  “You don’t expect me to remember every incidental thing that happened over the years, do you?”

  “Your job did not include making executive decisions about what organizations I did or did not do business with, yet you rejected these two inquiries outright. Explain yourself.”

  “I made choices with your best
intentions in mind.” Turning, she crossed her arms and her breasts spilled from her sweater.

  Your tits are of no interest to me. “I lost millions over these two potential deals. There were dozens of emails like these.”

  Vanessa sighed. “You’re doing better than ever. Maybe I thinned the herd for you. But honestly, I don’t remember.”

  You don’t have an honest fucking bone in your body. “Your unprofessional, deceptive behavior is unacceptable.”

  Her mouth dropped open. “What?” She smirked. “Oh, I get it. You’re messing with me.”

  “Please have your bags packed by the end of the day.”

  Her eyes grew beady. “This was Brigit’s idea, wasn’t it? That woman has been a thorn in my side from the moment she entered our house.”

  Colton’s lip curled into a snarl. “What’s Brigit got to do with this?” As he stood and faced her, his lips slashed into thin lines.

  With her hands rooted on her hips, Vanessa glared at him. “After more years than I care to count, I’m getting the boot.”

  “Deceptive actions have consequences. Leave me a forwarding address for your final paycheck.”

  Vanessa strutted to the door and flung it open. “Keep it. I’m gone.” She stormed out.

  He’d anticipated a different scenario, filled with drama. I got off easy. He lifted his desk phone receiver and dialed Chad’s extension. “It’s done.”

  “That fast? How long did you give her?”

  “She’s leaving today.”

  “Hmm, no pushback. Thanks for telling me.” Chad hung up.

  Colton strolled into Brigit’s office. She sat at her conference table, clicking away on her laptop. Sneaking behind her, he put his arms around her neck and kissed her cheek.

  “Oh!” Brigit flew out of the chair. “You scared the hell out of me.”

  Colton looked surprised. “I’m sorry. Why are you still so jumpy?”

  With her hand on her chest, Brigit shuddered in a breath. “Even though Vinny Ray is gone, I still feel unsettled. I can’t remember the attack.” Pausing, she gave him the once-over. “So, Mr. Mitus, what can I do for you?”