“What?” Her mouth was bruised, her mind swimming in endorphins and confusion.
“You heard me.”
“I did. I just don’t believe you made that request.”
“It wasn’t a request.”
In response to his command, arousal clawed at her. Since they didn’t have a relationship, there was no way he’d ever know. But the fact that he’d thought of it and set off fireworks inside her pussy—he had to know that.
He let her go, then crouched to pick up her clip. Instead of returning it, he slid the metal into the breast pocket of his suit. “Do you mind?”
Did he want to keep it as a trophy? “It’s fine.” She had others in her desk drawer.
“Leave your hair loose? I want to imagine you like this all day.”
Sighing, Hope scooped back wayward strands.
“Will you?”
Why was she agreeing? That wouldn’t help her put distance between them. Then again, maybe it was because she didn’t want to refuse him anything. “Yes.”
He walked her to the big glass door and opened it for her.
“Have a safe flight.”
“See you this afternoon.”
With a quick smile, she entered the building.
She paused near the large reception desk and looked back. He stood on the sidewalk, watching her. In the last few seconds, he’d put on a pair of sunglasses that made it impossible for her to read his expression. He did, indeed, always get his way.
Not that it mattered. In a week, perhaps as soon as a few days, he would no longer be part of her life.
She clutched the straps of her purse so tight that her knuckles whitened. If only she could convince herself that forgetting him was a good thing.
CHAPTER EIGHT
The sight of Skyler’s desk made Hope freeze in horror. Memories of the previous night assailed her. It had been a mistake to get physical with Rafe at her workplace. She should have confined her explorations to his home. Or the restaurant. An image of the rose’s thorn returned, making her flush and squeeze her legs together.
The front office door slammed open and Skyler rushed in. “Oh my God!”
Hope’s pulse slowed as she turned back to face her assistant. “What?”
“Nice try.” Skyler grinned. “I saw you canoodling on the sidewalk. My boss. The cool and calm and in charge Ms. Hope Malloy, president and CEO of the Prestige Group, was all but doing the nasty outside the building.” She fanned herself. “I didn’t get a good look at the guy, what with those sunglasses and his back being to me. But damn. He’s hot. Dish.”
“We have work to do.”
“Are you serious?” Skyler’s mouth fell open in disappointment. “You’re keeping it a secret?”
That was the plan. Except… Hope exhaled.
“I brought doughnuts.” Skyler lifted a white bag from the depths of her purse.
“Can’t tempt me today, Satan.”
“Which means you already ate. I know you don’t make breakfast for yourself. Which means that hot guy made you breakfast?”
“Would you stop?” Despite herself, Hope grinned. It had been a rare treat.
“Seriously?” Skyler walked in and dumped her purse on the desk, with no idea that one of their clients had considered bending Hope over the surface a little more than twelve hours before.
After plonking herself into her chair, Skyler extracted both pastries and placed them on top of the bag.
“That’s sorcery.”
“You’re not hungry, remember?” She studied both before picking up the vanilla-glazed cake doughnut.
Which meant she’d left Hope her favorite—the chocolate one.
Looking at Hope, Skyler took a bite and made soft noises that sounded orgasmic.
Hope’s fingers twitched. She knew what the confection tasted like, how sweet and puffy and mouth-watering it was. A need for a sugar rush crashed through her, threatening her resolve.
She reached for it, and Skyler, the most horrible, worst assistant ever, yanked it away. “Uh-uh. Talk first. This doughnut is truth serum.”
The battle was real. Sugar in exchange for a confession. Hope’s resolve waned, and Hope sank into her chair.
Skyler broke off part of the chocolate pastry and edged it toward Hope.
“You’re coldhearted.”
“Persuasive.” Skyler nodded. “I prefer to think of it as persuasive.”
“Cunning,” Hope corrected.
“Whatever works.” She took another bite. “Go ahead. It’s going to be better than you remember. They’re still warm, but they won’t be for long.”
Bested by an assault on her sweet tooth, Hope sighed and took a bite. Warm and gooey, the icing exploded in her mouth. “God.”
“I told you. You should always trust me. Now… Back to your admirer. From what I could see, he wanted to devour you.”
Hope stared at Skyler above the doughnut poised in front of her mouth for the next bite she was sure to need. “You couldn’t have seen all that.”
“Au contraire. I was facing him as I was walking down the street. There were like a million people heading to work—”
“Or ten.”
“Whatever.” Skyler shrugged. “You were his entire universe.”
“That’s an exaggeration.”
“Nope. Not at all. He stood there watching you forever. Quit keeping me in suspense. I need a name.”
Stalling, stalling, she popped the doughnut in her mouth and chewed. When she couldn’t stall anymore, she braced for the inevitable. “Rafe Sterling.”
“Our client?” Skyler dropped her pastry. “That Rafe Sterling?”
As if there could be two even in a city the size of Houston.
“Shit. Shit.”
Hope nodded. “One and the same.”
“Oh, shit.”
That was about right. “Yeah.” Hope took another bite. “I’m going to need the other half.”
“You are going to need a full dozen. I should have gotten you a latte, too. I’ll get Tony to stop on his way in.” Skyler shoved both doughnuts across the desk. She typed a text message into her phone, then said, “Okay. Tell me everything.”
“Uhm.” There were things Hope would not reveal to another human being. “No.”
“No? Crap on a cracker, it has to be bad.”
Hope chose her words carefully. “If you’ll recall, I had to be the one to call him to find out if he was a sadist.”
“Right.” Skyler glared. “Come on, Hope.”
“He wanted to discuss it in person. Over dinner. That’s how it started.”
Skyler waved her hand, brandishing the doughnut. “So how did it end? Somehow you went from dinner to a public groping the next morning?”
Hope slunk down in her seat.
“Sorry.” Skyler didn’t sound the least bit contrite. When Hope failed to respond, Skyler widened her eyes. Her voice filled with wonder and awe, she asked, “What happened in between? Is he a sadist?”
“Let’s say I…” How much to reveal that would satisfy her assistant but not give away secrets? “I learned a few things about what that might encompass.”
“Such as?”
“There seem to be a whole host of behaviors that could be considered sadistic by some and pleasurable by others.”
“Did he—”
“I’m not answering anything else about what happened after I left the office and when I returned.”
Skyler was silent for a moment. Then she tried a different approach. “What did the Colonel think of him?”
“She tolerated him.”
“Ha! Which meant he was at your apartment.”
“I told you—”
“River Oaks? He lives in River Oaks, right?”
“Uptown. And that’s the end of what I’m saying.” Hope forced an edge of finality into her tone. “Back to business.”
Skyler nodded. “What does this mean for our contract with Mrs. Sterling?”
After everyt
hing Hope had learned about his family’s dynamics, she understood why Rafe’s mother had hired them. Time was of the essence. This morning’s call from Celeste had reinforced that. “Nothing has changed. To my knowledge, we haven’t been fired. Which means the mixer is still on.”
“After that kiss? You’re kidding me, right? Right? You spent the night with him, and you still want us to find him a wife?”
More than ever. Before she became any more attached. Last night, this morning, had been a huge tactical error. Not just because he was a client, but because she’d promised herself she would never become besotted with a man the way her mother had. Love had destroyed her mother, and if she wasn’t careful, Hope would fall into the same trap. Rafe had elicited responses she hadn’t known she was capable of. He’d taken her to the edge of orgasm and dangled her over the precipice. Then he’d cared for her, tucked her in, taken care of her cat, seen her to work. It would be too easy to fall in love with him. And far too dangerous.
“Earth to Hope. Come in please?”
She shook her head, aware that Skyler had spoken a couple of times. “Sorry. What?”
“I asked if you’re kidding me. Shouldn’t we tell Mrs. Sterling that we are not able to fulfill this contract?”
“He needs a wife.” To convince herself, Hope brushed her hands together to dislodge invisible crumbs. “I’ll call Hannah and give her some information to see if she’d like to be included on the invitation list. If you’ll confirm today’s details with the International Club, we’ll be fine.”
“Are you sure that you’re sure?” Concern telegraphed across Skyler’s voice. “Like, extra sure, sure?”
“I’m okay.” Resolved, Hope stood, then snatched up the rest of the doughnut.
“Hey, boss?”
Hope paused at the entrance to her office.
“You sure you’re okay? Because I wouldn’t be.”
“Yeah.” The lie left Hope’s mouth dry.
“She’s a beauty, isn’t she?”
Turning, Rafe leashed his impatience. His father hadn’t agreed to see him, but Rafe had flown in regardless. He hadn’t found his father at the oceanfront condominium he’d rented in St. Pete Beach, and in desperation, Rafe had asked Celeste to track his father’s cell phone. At first, she’d refused to help. That wasn’t a service that the Fallon Group offered. But she had numerous employees with dozens of contacts. And because the Theodore situation also affected the Zeta Society, she’d been persuaded.
After discovering Theodore’s location, she’d hazarded a guess that he was on his boat, registered as the Lunar Sea. His dad’s car was in the marina’s parking lot, and Rafe picked the lock on the gate leading to his dad’s boat. Rafe had boarded the yacht and roused his father and Lillibet from bed.
Pacing with impatience, Rafe had returned to the deck. Though the boat was comfortable, he couldn’t imagine it cruising the Atlantic. A few minutes later, Theodore, in bare feet and a robe, had joined Rafe.
“The boat,” Theodore prompted. “She’s a beauty. Can I offer you a cup of coffee? Bloody Mary? Bellini? Mimosa?”
“I won’t be staying.”
Lillibet joined them. Her blonde hair was fluffed around her face, her eyelashes were in place, and her lips were painted bright red. She wore silver platform sandals and a pair of sunglasses that covered more than her bikini did. In her left hand, she had a filled champagne flute, and her ring finger was strategically placed so that the engagement diamond winked in the sun. Rafe wondered how she managed the weight of the rock and the filled glass.
With a great show, she leaned forward, made a cutesy sound, and kissed Theodore on the cheek, leaving behind traces of her lipstick. “Don’t be long, Teddy Bear. I already miss you.” As she moved off, she gave Rafe a little wave that was part hello, part goodbye. “I’ll be in the hot tub, lover, waiting for you.”
One hand on his waist, Theodore watched her go. He stayed where he was, riveted, besotted, as she climbed the stairs, her sleek muscles contracting with each step.
Rafe was a cynic. But even he recognized that Theodore didn’t look at his wife the same way. Had he ever? Maybe he was in love. And so what if he was? Everyone around them was dealing with the repercussions of his behavior. “When are you going to stop this, Dad? You’re needed at home.”
“Well, even if you don’t want coffee, I do. Having an uninvited guest wasn’t how I planned to start the day. Make yourself comfortable while you’re here.”
Theodore disappeared inside the cabin, leaving Rafe to exhale his irritation. He glanced at his cell phone to see if Hope had returned his last text message, the one where he’d reminded her not to touch herself. Words couldn’t convey how much he wanted her to disobey him.
There was nothing.
Frustrated but undeterred, he decided to change his approach.
He sent an email with instructions to Jeanine, then repocketed his device.
When Theodore returned, he was carrying a mug of coffee, but even from several feet away, the scent of whiskey wafted toward Rafe. “Is that necessary?”
“This one’s for you,” Theodore said, extending the mug.
“I don’t drink in the morning.”
“Well, then, don’t mind if I do.” With a shrug, Theodore took a long drink. “I hated running Sterling Worldwide. Didn’t plan on getting married.”
“We all have to do things we’d rather not.”
“Your mother is a good woman. Bit of a stick up her ass, but she did her best.”
“Don’t fucking go there,” Rafe warned, a growl in his voice. His mother was a good woman. And she cared a lot more about Sterling Worldwide than the man who owned the company. Rafe would be damned if he’d listen to anyone say anything bad about her. No matter who they were.
“Duty. Responsibility. Think of what others will say. Go to work. Increase the wealth. Take the right vacations. Go to work. Increase the wealth.” Theodore gazed out over the gorgeous blue water. “Even the fucking Zeta Society. Take your place. Do the right thing.” When he looked back at Rafe, he did so with clear, lucid eyes. “I abdicated.”
Rafe pulled off his sunglasses. “Dad. Listen to me—”
“Call it retirement if you must.”
“You’re too young.”
“What’s the sense in having all this”—he extended his hand and swept it wide, encompassing the world, not just the marina—“if you don’t enjoy it?”
“Future generations are counting on you.”
“I did my part. Added to the damn coffers like I was supposed to. Produced the requisite heirs.” He took a drink of the coffee he’d said was for Rafe. “Now, my boy, it’s up to you. I quit. Firing myself. If you want my advice? Let that little prick have it.”
Rafe scowled. “Noah?”
“He’s got ambition and a wife who popped out the squalling brats.” He shuddered. “Thank God Lillibet doesn’t want kids. Best thing about her.”
Rafe ignored that in favor of staying focused. “I talked to Celeste. Noah has indicated he wants your seat on the Zeta’s steering committee.”
“Better him than us.”
“Judge Anderson has been trying to reach you. You missed a telephone conference call.”
“I was busy.”
“There’s a planning meeting Saturday.” For more than a hundred and fifty years, a Sterling had attended every session.
“Let Noah go. He’s a schemer, Rafe. I said ambition, but hunger or thirst is a better word. He wants power. You’re goddamn rich, boy-o. Let him have the headaches. The trust is inviolate. You’ll get a piece of anything he makes. I’d watch him, though. He’s got plenty offshore in Switzerland. Panama, even. You have enough money to live the life you want. The one you deserve. If you don’t want to get married, don’t. Have girlfriends for as long as you can keep getting it up. Sleep in. See the world. Enjoy your time on the planet.”
Fury colored Rafe’s world. Nothing excused his father’s adultery. “The company legacy m
eans nothing to you? The struggle? The sweat? Our obligations? Grandfather—your dad—made it clear that we have a duty to do good in the world.”
“Haven’t lost a minute worrying about it.” He clapped Rafe on the shoulder. “Be sure you listen well. I’d hate to have you make an unnecessary trip. I’m not coming back, boy-o. Not now that I’m out.”
Previous generations had sacrificed for Theodore to squander the riches? “If that’s the case, Mom will want a divorce.”
Theodore shrugged. “I’m sure she will. Make it easier for me to marry Lillibet, at any rate.”
“You’ll lose half of your money, assets, homes.” Years down the line, Lillibet might get the rest.
“Rebecca is a fine woman. Good, solid stock. Devoted to you kids and growing my career. She deserved better than I gave her.”
Rafe tried one last time. “Mom is willing to pretend none of this happened.”
“Why the hell would I want that?”
The edges of Rafe’s temper frayed. “Your actions are destroying our family.”
“An unfortunate byproduct of my happiness.”
Selfish fucking bastard. “You would only have to work part-time. We could sort out something. I’ll take over more responsibility. You can take long vacations as we plan your exit strategy. Maybe over the next year, two at the most.” Give Rafe time to convince Hope to marry him.
“I’ll be in… Where was it Lillibet wants to go? Monaco?”
“Morocco?”
“Oh, yes. Casablanca. I think I told you I’ve hired a captain. He starts next week. I’ll be able to start taking this baby out of her slip.”
Jesus. Rafe exhaled. Fuck.
“Look, son. No. I’m giving you a gift. From my insight.” He tapped his temple, as if showing off his brain’s prowess. “Getting up, going to work—there’s more to life.” His eyes, so much like Rafe’s own, were clearer than Rafe had ever seen them. Rebecca’s suppositions weren’t correct. Theodore Sterling was in control of his faculties. “Take my advice, son. Get out while you can. Talk to the lawyers. It’s not worth it. None of it. Do what you want with your life. Have you ever thought about what that might be?”
“I have.” More than ever, Rafe knew. Sterling Worldwide was his. His responsibility. His fucking good fortune.
Billionaire's Matchmaker Page 14