Off Limits Attraction--A Glamorous Passionate Forbidden Romance

by Jayci Lee

  She was a grown woman and she was allowed to explore her sexuality so, tonight, she wasn’t going to second-guess herself, to wonder if she was falling back into old, destructive patterns. In the morning she could analyze her actions and deal with her regret, but she wasn’t going to do that tonight.

  Not with him.

  “I have a room, upstairs,” Adie whispered, her heart in her throat.

  His thumb drifted over her bottom lip, tense and expectant. As he opened his mouth to speak, her phone jangled from across the room. Not interested in anything anyone else had to say, she stared at him, waiting for his answer. Why was he hesitating? Was he playing hard to get?

  “I—” Her phone rang again and Adie, through her lust, recognized the ring tone. It was Kate. If she didn’t answer, her friend would keep calling. She was pain-in-the-ass persistent.

  Adie pushed him back and jumped to the floor. “Sorry, if I don’t answer, she’ll keep calling.”

  He nodded and Adie brushed past him to walk over to her bag, yanking her phone out of the side pocket. Annoyed and frustrated, she scowled at the screen and jabbed the answer button.

  “What?”

  “I just realized that I left you to pack up. I’m on my way back to help you...”

  Seriously? Nooooo!

  “I don’t like you being on your own with so many valuable items. I mean, the security there is good, but anyone could con his way in...”

  Adie’s eyes darted across the room to where he stood, hands in his pockets, pulling the fabric of his pants against his still-hard erection. Who was he and what was he really doing here? As blood returned to her brain, Kate’s words sank in and Adie bit her lip, her eyes flying over the table. Had he kissed her to distract her, so he could slip something valuable into his pocket? The dog collar was too big but the diamond-encrusted bottle stoppers and the gold memory sticks were easily hidden.

  And had she really invited him up to her room? Would she have walked away with him without securing the room? Possibly.

  Probably.

  Oh, God...what the hell was wrong with her? He was a stranger and she’d been about to risk her body and her safety and her business? She was acting like she had when she was a young adult, impulsively and without thought, looking for attention, a distraction.

  She refused to go back there, go back to that person she’d been. She’d worked too hard to jeopardize everything she’d work so hard to achieve, to become the person she was.

  No man, no matter how attracted she was to him, was worth her backsliding even an inch.

  Adie disconnected her call with Kate and folded her arms across her chest, forcing herself to meet his eyes. Passion had fled and his gaze was now concrete gray and hard.

  “I see the moment has passed and your offer has been withdrawn.”

  Adie bit her bottom lip. She jerked her head toward the door. “I think I got a bit carried away,” she said, her voice low. “If you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.”

  He walked over and stopped an inch from her. Adie refused to move—her pride was back—and she kept her folded arms as a barrier against him coming any closer.

  She stiffened as he dropped a kiss on the corner of her mouth. “Don’t hurt yourself counting stock, I didn’t steal anything.” He dropped another kiss on her cheekbone and then her temple. “Thanks for the chocolate. And the drink.”

  “It was nice meeting you.” He gave her a sexy smirk but Adie noticed his smile didn’t soften his eyes. “But kissing you was better.”

  Adie said nothing as he turned away. She watched him walk to the door, biting down on her bottom lip to keep herself from calling him back, from begging him to take her up to her room and show her how good sex could be.

  Because she knew with him it would be too bloody fantastic.

  * * *

  Christmas was a pain in the ass, Hunter Sheridan decided, leaning back in his chair and placing his feet on the corner of his desk.

  After Thanksgiving, productivity went down, laziness went up and it felt like every one of his employees was distracted by thinking about, planning for and chatting over holiday festivities.

  If Hunter had his way, the entire holiday would be canceled. But, while Christmas meant less than nothing to him, there were people out there obsessed with the holiday and who were, judging by what he’d seen last night, prepared to spend a lot of money celebrating.

  Three hundred thousand for a dog collar? Wow.

  Hunt leaned back in his chair and dug his fingers into his eye sockets, reluctantly admitting that dog collars and wine stoppers and bittersweet chocolate weren’t foremost on his mind.

  Adie Ashby-Tate was.

  Oh, he’d known who she was the moment he stepped into the ballroom of the Grantham-Forrester. He instantly recognized her from Kate’s incessant social media posts. And who else but the owner of the company would be the last to leave?

  With her shaggy, short espresso-colored curls cut close to her head and her delicate features, she reminded him of a young Audrey Hepburn. Her skin was a deep shade of cream, and her eyes...

  He ran his hand through his hair and blew out a long stream of air. Those eyes... Jesus, they were gorgeous. Against her luminous skin, they were the color of dark coffee beans tipped onto winter snow.

  Her body, slim but curvy, had been a revelation and she’d fit him perfectly, as if she were a puzzle piece he hadn’t known he was missing.

  Puzzle piece, luminous skin, the action in his pants... How old was he, thirty-five or fifteen?

  Hunt rubbed his hand over his jaw. He’d been immediately attracted to her looks, but catching her at the end of her event, he’d seen the woman beneath the salesperson, a woman more down-to-earth than he’d expected for someone completely immersed in their world, his world.

  It was a place laced with over-the-top opulence, fantastic service and unforgettable experiences. It was a world of excess and bling, instant gratification, pride and arrogance. According to his online research, her father was a British lord, her mother an American tobacco heiress and she was their only child. Adie’s mother was a former famous model, her father was once—before inheriting a fortune from his parents—a professional polo player. These days, her father didn’t seem to do much of anything, choosing to hop from superyacht to superyacht, mansion to mansion in the pursuit of pleasure, accompanied by a variety of young, busty women.

  Their daughter was very much a product of that rich, aristocratic world. Adie’s dress, a shorty frothy number, had been designer, and fat diamond studs had glinted in her pretty earlobes. Her perfume was expensive and her accent was upper-class British, thoroughly classy. She was the real deal, a proper aristocrat and, although he hadn’t seen her working the room, Hunt knew she’d done it with grace and charm.

  He should’ve introduced himself, that much was obvious, but if he had, he wouldn’t have gotten to kiss her, hold her slim body against his, feel her sleek curves under his shaky fingers. He’d been surprised at her offer to go upstairs—because she hadn’t seemed the type—but he’d wanted to accept her unexpected offer, because, hell, that kiss blew his socks off.

  Knowing that she needed to know who she was going to bed with—a potential client, one of the most influential business people in the city, according to Kate—he’d been about to introduce himself when her damn phone rang.

  He’d watched as a frisson of fear and wariness replaced lust in her eyes and he’d seen his chance slipping away.

  By the time she’d finished her conversation, it was obvious she was having second thoughts about what she’d proposed. So, he’d kissed her goodbye, knowing he’d see her again in less than eighteen hours.

  And that they’d soon be picking up where they’d left off.

  Hunt massaged the tight knot in his right trapezius muscle, thinking that he had work to do, lots of it. But, becau
se he was acting like an adolescent, he couldn’t stop thinking about Adie’s sweet and sensuous kiss. It had been the sexiest of his life and, had they gotten to the really good stuff, Hunt thought there would have been a good chance of them setting the hotel on fire.

  It had been that hot.

  He couldn’t remember when last, if ever, he’d had that same take-her-to-the-floor reaction to a woman. He’d been busy lately and hadn’t slept with anyone but Griselda for more than a year, not because he was committed to her or their arrangement—he wasn’t—but because he’d been too busy to bother.

  Right now, he’d ditch everything...

  EVERY.

  THING.

  ...to take Adie Ashby-Tate to bed.

  Hunt released a frustrated growl, annoyed that he couldn’t move his focus and concentration onto anything other than a gorgeous woman with big brown eyes and a pixie face.

  This wasn’t who he was, wasn’t what he did. He was never distracted by women and he never allowed them to affect his productivity. Work was all that was important.

  He had several companies to run, a legacy to create, goals to reach. People—women, friends, acquaintances—sucked up time when he could be working. But here he was, completely distracted.

  God.

  Help.

  Him.

  Hunt heard the door to his office open and looked up as his long-time assistant approached his desk, staring down at his tablet. “So, Griselda is off the list of people for whom I must purchase a Christmas gift? Is that correct?”

  Very. “Yep.”

  Hunt noticed the curiosity in Duncan’s eyes, but didn’t explain that he’d broken off his two-year—Fling? Liaison? Affair?—with Griselda a few days earlier when she’d asked him to consider co-raising a child with her. His “hell no” had been rather emphatic and his ending of their fling/liaison/affair had been the vehement exclamation point on that subject.

  Honestly, people exhausted him.

  He’d thought he’d hit the jackpot with Griselda. Thanks to his bouncing between foster families and group homes as a kid, his short but drama-filled marriage, and his best friend and business partner’s death, he’d deliberately chosen a woman who made no demands, financial or emotional. And Gris never had. Until the other day when she’d asked him to father her child.

  And all thoughts of his ex faded on meeting Adie last night...

  Duncan pursed his lips. “Well, not buying Griselda an expensive piece of art or jewelry should save you a pretty penny.”

  Hunt swallowed his smile and hoped his expression remained inscrutable. Even after so many years as his PA, Duncan still acted as if Hunt were on the knife-edge of slipping into debt. Since he had enough money for a hundred lifetimes, even if he chose never to work another day in his life, Duncan’s penny-pinching and cost-cutting attitude was a constant source of amusement.

  Leaning back in his chair, Hunt looked up and noticed a deeper worry in Duncan’s eyes, something more intense than the cost of gifts. Duncan was almost as stoic and implacable as Hunt so seeing his stressed face was a surprise.

  “Everything okay?” Hunt asked, sitting up and leaning forward.

  Duncan gripped the back of the visitor’s chair and shook his head. “I just got an email... Uh, my first partner, the man I thought I was going to marry, is in the hospital after suffering from what they are calling a brain episode. For some reason, and although we haven’t been together for more than fifteen years, he designated me to make any medical decisions if he’s incapacitated. And, he’s incapacitated.”

  Hunt heard the surprised confusion, and the intense fear, in Duncan’s voice. “I’m sorry.”

  Duncan’s head bobbed up and down in a terse acknowledgment of Hunt’s sympathy. “I know it’s not a good time for me to take a leave of absence, there’s so much that needs doing concerning your foundation’s annual fundraiser.”

  Honestly, Hunt had mostly forgotten about the yearly Christmas fundraiser. This year they were trying something new—an urban treasure hunt race. All the funds raised would go to support the Williams-Sheridan Foundation, named in honor of his and best friend, Steve’s friendship.

  Duncan quietly and efficiently organized everything, and Hunt’s involvement was to show up at the cocktail party and hand out prizes to the winning teams.

  Duncan also purchased Christmas gifts for Hunt’s biggest clients, his favorite suppliers, for the sports players who acted as his brand ambassadors. As his right-hand man, Duncan made Hunt’s life run smoothly. Duncan not only managed his office with aplomb, he also booked theater tickets, made reservations, dealt with Hunt’s housekeepers and interior designers and made suggestions for and booked Hunt’s infrequent holiday breaks.

  And Duncan made Christmas bearable by shielding Hunt from the chaos of the season. But Duncan needed personal time and Hunt had to put his assistant’s needs first. He’d survive Christmas...

  Maybe.

  “Call Jeff and tell him to file a flight plan and leave as soon as you can.”

  Gratitude at the casual offer to use his private jet flashed across Duncan’s face. “I can book a commercial flight, it will be so much cheaper...” Duncan protested.

  And jam-packed and stressful while Hunt’s plane and pilot were just sitting there, doing nothing. “Use my plane, Duncan,” Hunt told him, using his don’t-argue-with-me voice.

  Duncan nodded his thanks. “Concerning work, I’m pretty sure I’ll be just sitting around at the hospital so I can still be productive. I’ll have my laptop and phone with me.”

  Hunt stood up and walked around the desk to briefly lay his hand on Duncan’s shoulder. “Work if you want to, Duncan, but not because you have to. Be with your friend.”

  Because, God knew, Hunt would do anything for a couple more hours, days, with Steve.

  Duncan looked down, sighed and then he straightened his spine and blinked back the sheen of moisture in his eyes. “Thank you, Hunter, I appreciate it.”

  Duncan picked up a couple of folders, straightened them and placed them on the corner of Hunt’s desk. He picked up a couple of pens and dusted some used staples off Hunt’s desk into his hand. Hunter smiled at his assistant’s fussing.

  “Kate and Adie Ashby-Tate will be with you in five minutes.”

  Hunt was looking forward to seeing Steve’s twin Kate. It had been a while, although she had called earlier in the week to ask him to attend the Christmas market last night.

  “I’ll finish up a few things here, but I’ll be in touch, as soon as I can, with a plan on how I’m going to manage my duties regarding your Christmas schedule, your functions and the treasure hunt race.”

  God, Hunt hoped he would. He was lost without Duncan.

  Seeing the time, Hunter stood up and buttoned his suit jacket, smoothing down his designer tie. Hunter walked over to his massive floor-to-ceiling window overlooking Central Park and scowled at the dark gray clouds. Snow was predicted for that evening, just a light dusting, but that wouldn’t stop Hunt from his daily run around the park. Keeping fit kept him sane and he needed to spend a little time each day outside. If he didn’t, he felt like the walls of his office and apartment were closing in on him, pulling to the surface memories of being locked up in group houses.

  After his meeting with Kate and Adie, he’d walk toward the park and back. That would do him until he could pull on his exercise gear. Hunter turned at the brief knock on his door and saw Duncan pushing it open.

  “Your four-thirty is here, Hunter.”

  Hunter looked at the slim woman walking into his office, immediately taking in her tousled brown hair and bright red, sensuous mouth.

  There she was...

  And it terrified Hunter to realize that he’d missed this woman he didn’t know.

  Copyright © 2020 by Joss Wood

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  ISBN-13: 9781488063305

  Off Limits Attraction

  Copyright © 2020 by Judith J. Yi

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

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