Closer

by Roxie Wilde

  “Good enough to see you for what you are.”

  “And what am I?”

  “A scoundrel. Your job is to get me in bed with Olivier, any way you can.”

  I shook my head.

  “No Charlie. That was my job before I met you. Now, as your future husband, I have your best interests at heart.”

  Now the smile touched her eyes.

  “Alright then. Prove your more than just a pretty face and a nice ass.”

  “You think I have a nice ass? I’m touched.”

  She pinned me with a withering look of utter contempt.

  “False modesty doesn’t become you at all. I find it sickeningly cloying.”

  I let the smile slide off my face, matching her stare with one of my own, and straightened the cuffs of my shirt.

  “Fine. You should absolutely get in bed with both Olivier and me. You can use his resources to accelerate your growth. You already own the market, you just need to squeeze the juice. Plus, Otto’s ancient. You can snatch up all his holdings within five years. Three, if he keeps taking two blondes instead of aspirin every morning.”

  “A reverse hostile takeover?”

  I nodded. “Exactly. Corporate judo. He thinks he’s eating you up, and instead you devour him.”

  That little quip wrung the first genuine smile out of her that I had seen. It was just as radiant, just as heartbreakingly beautiful as I had already known it would be.

  “Seems like good advice. A bit traitorous though. What happened to loyalty? Or is this back to you sweating the very tiny reservation fee?”

  I took another sip of my water, wishing it was something stronger. I glanced around, but the maitre’d had vanished into thin air just when I needed rescuing.

  “I’m grateful to Otto. He has no heirs, though. No one to take the reins after he’s gone. He’d like you, though. If he had a daughter, I’m sure he’d like her to be as capable and ravishingly beautiful as you are.”

  “I told you to stop being cloying.”

  “I’m not, not anymore. Now I’m just being honest.” I met her gaze, held it for a second.

  “Otto pays me a bundle, but it’s a pittance compared to my Mom’s cancer bills.” I didn’t often go in for the truth with clients, but Charlotte was different. She was more than work— she was my future.

  She reached across, placing a hand on my arm. The sparks were there even in the comforting gesture.

  “I’m sorry. I know how hard that can be.”

  I smiled back at her.

  “Hard to imagine the Condom Queen being shaken down by the ER.”

  “Not me. I have a friend, Elena. She’s got lupus, and it’s been rough for her.”

  I nodded along as she launched into the grisly details. The facts had been in the briefing, but hearing Charlie tell the story was completely different. The passion and warmth in her voice drew me into the sad story of her best friend.

  At some point, food was placed in front of us, and even though it was no doubt fantastic, I couldn’t remember a single thing I ate. When she was done I expounded on the story of my mother. How she’d dealt with raising a teenage boy alone while on chemotherapy. How she had beat the cancer back twice already.

  “It’s hard, isn’t it?” She asked.

  “What, watching someone you love suffer?”

  She nodded. “Being helpless to do anything.”

  I smiled, reaching across to place my hand in hers. “I guess no matter what your name is or how much money you have you’re still just a human being, hoping and praying for the best.”

  She squeezed my hand, and I felt the warmth creeping through my body. I had half-way hoped this dinner would reveal some flaw in Charlotte Campbell. A crack in her flawless exterior. Some turn-off that would solve this problem for me. Instead, I had discovered she was a perfect diamond. No matter how I turned her, no matter the angle of the light I shone on her, she glittered and shone.

  Fuck.

  Chapter7

  Charlotte

  “Well Xander, this has been a lovely dinner but I have an early morning appointment with some sharks from some awful company.”

  I smiled at the man as I spooned the last bit of dessert into my mouth. I knew that most women on a date— I was no longer pretending this was anything else— wouldn’t indulge, but I could never resist the sweeter things in life.

  Case in point, the delectable man sitting across from me with the midnight hair and the ocean blue eyes.

  “That sounds terrible. I think I should make sure you get a good night’s sleep.”

  He had thrown out a dozen statements like that throughout the night, and they were beginning to wear me down. Not that it was hard when every cell of my body was screaming at me to climb him like a tree.

  “You talk an awful lot, but I’m beginning to think that’s all it is.”

  He flashed me a look I couldn’t read. It wasn’t a question, but close. Like the rest of his facial expressions, it smoldered so intensely that even after I looked away, I could see him in my mind’s eye. He shone so brightly that he left an afterimage burned into my retinas.

  “Surely not. I know you can feel it.” He reached across, turning my hand palm up, and dragged one big finger across my palm. I shivered, bit my lip, and tried to will myself not to blush the deep crimson I could feel creeping across my cheeks and chest alike.

  “I don’t know what you mean.”

  I had meant my words to be flippant and off-hand, but my voice betrayed me every bit as much as the rest of my body. It came out shaky and weak.

  He grinned. Cocky bastard.

  “Fine.” He called for the check, and I let him. His money might have been an illusion, but it was still nice not to pay for once.

  “Take a walk with me. Give me a few more minutes of your time. I promise you that after that, I’ll fix your phone and you won’t ever hear from me again.”

  I fixed him with a pointed stare. This had been his game all along, I knew. The dinner had been delightful, eye-opening, and terrifying. He wasn’t just a pretty face, and that made him doubly dangerous.

  “Fine. One walk.”

  “One walk on the beach.”

  I rolled my eyes. “That’s twenty minutes away.”

  “I know a shortcut.”

  I quirked one eyebrow.

  “You’ve been in town less than a day. How do you know a shortcut between here and Santa Monica?”

  He grinned, and my heart melted. “I told you, I’m more than just a nice ass.”

  Santa Monica, even late at night, was crowded. The dark meant I wasn’t instantly recognized and mobbed. The sand meant I had to kick off my Louboutins, which left me looking up at Xander in a way that made me feel extremely feminine.

  “So, dinner. A long walk on the beach. Your playbook isn’t very original, is it?”

  He favored me with another one of those heart-melting smiles. It was entirely unfair— no man should be that gorgeous and also know he was.

  “I save my creativity for the bedroom.”

  I snorted, but I didn’t take my hand out of his. Walking along like this, leaning into his warmth? It was nice. It might not have been the most original date, but classics were classics for a reason.

  “Thank you for this. I don’t think I’ve ever had such a nice night.” I said. It was the honest truth.

  Xander stopped, arresting my momentum easily with just the one arm. I hadn’t realized just how strong he must be under that Armani. He had stripped his jacket off and rolled his sleeves up, revealing enough chiseled forearm to make me want to drool.

  I turned to face him, looking up into his eyes. Behind him, the moon shone, but it wasn’t anywhere near as bright as the eyes that gazed down at me.

  His first kiss was soft. Gentle. It caught me off guard and stole my breath away. It asked a question, as he leaned into me. Soft, but insistent. He tasted of expensive wine, smelled like the summer ocean, felt like pure sex.

  His second kis
s was pressing. He slid his hand from mine and up my arm, cupping my neck in one hand. The other wrapped around my waist, to the small of my back. He pushed and I gave, relenting. I felt his body against me, hard in all the ways that I was soft.

  By the third kiss he owned me.

  No; I had always belonged to him. He was simply back after a long absence, the master returning home again. I whimpered against him, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling his mouth down harder against mine. I had kissed my share of mouths. Models, trust fund babies. The sons— and one daughter— of the rich and famous.

  None of them held a candle to this man. He was a man, where all the rest had been children. The confident way he held me, his hands tracing over every curve of me as if he couldn’t get enough.

  I lost track of time. I lost track of everything except the man in my arms. I was fully aware of him, more aware of his body pressing into me than I had ever been of anything, ever. I could feel his dick pressing against me, the hard need branding my thigh. The feel of it should have shaken me from the daze I was in. Instead, it deepened my hunger for him. I wanted him so much it hurt.

  We broke apart, panting. I could see in his eyes that he was just as shaken as I was. I took a half step back, stumbled, and he caught me, pulling me against him again.

  “Well, still think that I’m all talk?” His voice was low and hoarse with need.

  “Shut up and kiss me again.”

  Chapter8

  Xander

  Every cell in my body had screamed at me to do more than shut up and kiss her.

  By the time Charlie Campbell had finally melted into my grasp, I’d wanted nothing more than to pin her against the peeling wooden pillars of the Santa Monica pier and fuck her to the roar of the Pacific Ocean until the sun came up.

  She had fit perfectly in my arms— I’d known she would from the first moment I’d laid eyes on her. Still, even the undeniable chemistry and hours of conversation hadn’t quite prepared me for the lush fullness of her mouth, or the way her curves had filled my palms so completely. I was achingly hard, even long after I got back to my AirBnB. I knew I’d done the right thing, knew I would have regretted rushing into things with Charlie. I had to do this right—I’d only get one chance. But that didn’t stop me from kicking my own ass for the duration of one very cold shower.

  I woke to the usual LCD screen full of messages, texts and emails. Most of them were from Olivier. I could almost smell the cigar smoke through the touchpad.

  — How’s it going in fitness protection, son?

  — Might need to really turn on the charm with this one. There’s a bonus in it for you. You’re earning it! Bring home the BACON

  My stomach soured as I scrolled through more of Olivier’s tasteless jokes. Charlie’s question about loyalty echoed through my mind again. I owed Olivier everything. My entire career… my mother’s life had literally depended on this job. But I was empty inside. Last night, walking along the sand with Charlotte, I’d felt more alive than I could ever remember. She had dreams and a vision for her company. Watching the passion and pride in her eyes as she’d told me the changes she’d implemented, the shelters and charities she’d worked to fund… it was like watching a light come on.

  I was willing to string Otto along, put up with his offensive barbs for a while. I was even willing to lose my job once this takeover flipped and find a new one if it meant Charlie got the world she deserved.

  Beneath Olivier’s texts was another message, forwarded from an email address. A smile curled my face at the six words.

  — You didn’t fix my phone, scoundrel

  I checked the time and did some quick mental calculations against everything Charlie had told me she’d had to do today.

  —Must have slipped my mind. I’ll pick you up at 6.

  She’d been stunning in the green— a rich, woodsy color that had set off her eyes and deepened the auburn of her hair.

  But the pale blue wrap dress with the buttons down the front was made out of some kind of soft sweater material that made me want to curl up between her breasts and stay forever. I watched with rapt appreciation as a long stretch of pale leg appeared to mid-thigh. Only Charlotte Libido could make sliding into the passenger seat of a rental car an act of seduction.

  “I’ve got a dinner meeting in twenty minutes. So, if you could unlock this for me please— ”

  I ignored the phone she held out across the car’s cabin, steering us into the madness of LA traffic, instead.

  “Tonight is your first stretch of twelve unscheduled hours in a row in over three weeks. You told me so last night. I’ll fix your phone when I drop you off.”

  I probably would have felt bad about holding her cell hostage, but Charlie and I both knew she had at least three other personal and business phones. She blinked up at me from her spot on the BMW’s shotgun seat, the iPhone forgotten in her hand. Apparently, she was not used to men actually listening when she spoke. I let her mull it over in her head as we headed towards the Hollywood Bowl.

  I didn’t unlock her phone before dropping her off.

  I did kiss her senseless under the stars while the LA Philharmonic played a tribute to Queen under a blanket of stars.

  I was beginning to learn she just looked stunning in everything.

  Jeans clung to her hips the same way I’d dreamt about since the first moment I’d set eyes on her. Even after only a handful of dates, it felt natural to slide my hand into her back pocket as we walked. The rhinestone bustier glittered in the lounge’s overhead lights, putting her very enticing assets on display.

  We’d been spotted by a couple of photographers on the way in, and Charlie had made a show of pouting it up for the cameras, dropping the Raise Your Libido line with a sensual purr that went straight to my groin.

  “Am I a Disney Princess yet?”

  I snapped a picture, capturing the smile on her face, the way the sunlight danced across the light hint of freckles across the bridge of her nose. In the brightness of the California sunshine, the vibrant hair that tumbled across her shoulders competed for attention with the golds and oranges of the monarch perched on her outstretched finger. I’d been so caught up in the massive dinosaur hall that we’d almost missed the museum’s Butterfly Pavilion entirely. Looking at her now, I was glad we hadn’t.

  “Who mixes rocky road and mint chocolate chip, honestly?”

  I leaned over and took a playful bite off her top scoop. Indignation and slight chased their way across her features, and I couldn’t tell if it was from the insult to her ice cream selection or the theft.

  We were nearing her place. Which meant we both knew what was about to happen.

  Charlie would bring up her phone, I would promise to fix it on our next date, and she would protest. Then I would kiss her until she forgot what she was saying and I would go home frustrated. I couldn’t wait for this merger to be over so I could give us both what we wanted so much.

  My how things change, McMannis

  The truth was, I had changed. I needed Charlotte to see that what was happening between us was not about Olivier International vs Libido Condoms.

  “Hey?”

  “Yes?” I leaned in, ready for another taste, but Charlie stopped me. She looked serious, her green eyes wide.

  “We have the meeting with Otto on Friday. I fly out to New York on Saturday…” She trailed off, and my heart hammered in my chest.

  “I’m sure you’ll have moved on to another client by then, but... I thought maybe when I got back, if you wanted to, we could really— ”

  I crushed her mouth with mine, relief flooding me as I realized not only was she not breaking up with me, she wanted to make this work as much as I did. I wondered how the hell to tell her I wouldn’t have a job at all when she got back.

  She tasted like chocolate and mint and decadence and suddenly, none of it mattered anymore.

  Chapter9

  Charlotte

  I itched.

  I’d had the
final fitting for my costume right after my breakfast meeting this morning. I wasn’t really sure whose idea it was to make me a sexy dragonfly this year— Elena had vetoed Jessica Rabbit again— but I was fairly certain I would never be rid of the glitter.

  “Hey Charlie can I get you to take a look at these—you good, chief?”

  Nia poked her head in my door and caught me rubbing my back against the edge of a filing cabinet like a bear. I hung my head in shame before blowing out a long breath and waving her in. It was no use. No matter how hard I tried to concentrate on the images spread out before me, all I could think about was the maddening way little bits of sparkly confetti were creeping all over my skin.

  “I have got to go shower. I’ll be back before the meeting, no problem.”

  This was expressly the reason I kept a fresh change of clothes and a full makeup kit in the back of the Land Rover.

  The 101 was the 101, though. I could probably make it home and back in time. But it would be pushing it, and I prided myself on already being in the conference room when a meeting started. I steered the car down a now-familiar shortcut, instead.

  Xander’s long-term rental wasn’t far. And, I reasoned, we were both headed to the same meeting anyway. No reason I couldn’t stop in, steal his shower and bathroom mirror and then carpool back to the office.

  I would have texted to let him know I was on the way, but I only had one cell phone on me— the one that was still locked. I hated that it gave me a soft feeling inside when I looked at the red bar across the top. Our own stupid, inside joke.

  I found the spare key under the fat surfing troll statue by the front door, right where Xander had told me it was when he welcomed me to come over any time. The sound of the shower in the back of the narrow townhome echoed through the space as I closed the door behind me and called out a greeting. Seems he’d beat me to the mirror.

  The thought of all those muscles and that long, lean body all wet and soapy gave me pause. The image alone was enough to make me forget all about the glitter. I looked around, wondering if there was an unobtrusive place I could wait for him to finish up when the wicked idea to join him in the shower struck me.