Merger to Marriage (Boardrooms and Billionaires) Read online

  “The program is about creating opportunity. Many of these children haven’t been given much chance in life, either due to poverty issues or abandonment. The organization provides housing and healthcare services where needed, along with programs to educate and help these children find work as they grow into adulthood.”

  She knew the quality of the wine, and she was attending one of the weddings of the year, so she clearly knew her way around wealth and privilege. But her excitement about the children she worked for displayed a quality he hadn’t seen in many women of his acquaintance.

  “It sounds pretty amazing.”

  “It is.” She smiled, obviously warming to her subject. “The engagement these kids have with the world is incredible. They don’t see labels. They see the person inside.”

  “How long have you worked with them?”

  “About three years now. We’re trying to get their facility expanded and have hit a bit of a snag, but we’ll find a way around it.”

  “I think I’m starting to get a picture of you.”

  “Oh?” She cocked her head, a mischievous smile playing around her eyes and lips. “Have I put you off the career-woman-with-attitude impression?”

  “I think career woman is far too simple a description. You’re like this wine.” He held up his glass but kept his gaze firmly locked on hers. “Beautifully complex. You’re also full of bright, vivid colors. You embrace the world, pulling it in close and putting your own personal stamp on it.”

  “That might be the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me.”

  “I mean every word.” He leaned forward, unable to tear his gaze from her. Sexual awareness sparked between them like a live wire. He felt it—reveled in it—even as he realized there was something more.

  Respect.

  He certainly didn’t disrespect the women of his acquaintance—and all knew full-well where he stood on anything permanent—but no one he’d met before inspired such an immediate wash of interest and need. Yes, she was attractive. Devastatingly so, but it was something more.

  Something richer.

  “Why don’t you ask me to accompany you upstairs, Holt?” Her voice was just like that live wire he’d thought of, and it sparked through his bloodstream like a fire.

  “What’s upstairs?” He wanted her, wanted the invitation implied in her words, but needed to give her a final opportunity to say no.

  “A more private place to continue our conversation.”

  …

  The ride in the elevator had been quiet, but anticipation hummed between them with a loud, nearly-audible throb. He felt it in his veins, and knew Elizabeth’s pulse pounded as heavy as his. Could feel it where he ran a thumb over her wrist, just beneath their joined hands. Need pounded, dark and heavy in his veins, the anticipation of what would come almost painful in its intensity. God, how he wanted this woman.

  She stepped off the elevator before him, and again he was captivated by the gentle sway of her hips as she strode toward her door.

  “Don’t you live in New York?”

  “I do.” She glanced back over her shoulder as she keyed in her room card. “But I thought it would be easier to get a room for the evening and enjoy the party as late as I wanted to.”

  “Very smart.”

  “Practical.”

  “Here’s to practicality.” He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her neck, the soft spot beneath her hairline beckoning him like a lodestone. A light sigh drifted up from her lips and Holt reached around her to open the door as the unlock light blinked green. “After you.”

  She drifted through the doorway and turned toward him, her arms reaching for his neck. Holt pulled her close as the heavy door swung closed behind them. His fingers found purchase in the soft silk at her waist and he moved one hand to settle along the slim column of her spine. “Are you sure about this?”

  “Mm, yes, very sure,” she whispered before pressing her lips to his. When she showed no concern about taking things further between them, he relaxed, pulling her close.

  He deepened the kiss, more than encouraged by her eager response. Seeking a moment of clarity, he lifted his head while locking his gaze with hers. He ran soft fingers over the exposed skin of her upper arms and wondered at the subtle sense of panic, throbbing in counter-point to his aching body.

  “Holt?” Questions filled her eyes and, unwilling to let them take the form of words, he leaned forward and captured her lips once more, ignoring whatever warning bells his subconscious was intent on ringing.

  He ran his hands over her long, slender form, reveling in the subtle strength of her. Long and lean, her body was a graceful mix of athletic curves and feminine beauty.

  “Make love to me,” she whispered against his ear. Her warm breath shot sparks straight to his groin and his already-hard body tightened painfully.

  “How can I resist?”

  He felt her lush lips curve into a smile as she pressed them to his mouth. “You can’t.”

  With movements designed to prove her point, the arms she’d wrapped around his waist loosened and her hands came around to the front of his slacks. He felt her fingers on the enclosure and drew in a hard breath as they darted below the waistband, brushing against his erection. Her hand slid lower until her fingers wrapped around the hard length.

  “I think I’m very glad you caught me in the lobby.”

  He ground his body against her hand.

  “And I’m glad you were standing in the lobby, waiting to get caught.”

  With gentle movements, he reached for her hand, drawing it from his waistband and into his own. “There will be time for that in a bit. First, I think you’re wearing far too much.”

  He walked her backward toward the bed while his hands roamed around the edge of her dress. Once he had a grip on the delicate material, he stripped the long column of silk from her form, exposing her bra and panties. Her nipples had already pebbled under the pale lace of her bra and he reached for her breasts, palming both in his hands, intoxicated by her beautiful curves. Those tight points hardened and her eyelids dropped to a sultry half-mast as he worked her flesh. Her back arched, bringing her breasts in closer contact with his hands, and pure male satisfaction beat through his veins at the heavy breaths that escaped between her lips.

  Before he could reach for the clasp himself, her hands were at the back of her bra. “Touch me. I want to feel your hands on me,” she whispered as the garment fell away, exposing the full measure of her breasts.

  The heavy weight of them filled his palms, and he again reached for the bright pink nipples. While he continued to ply her with one hand, he leaned forward, grasping her waist to draw her close so he could take a nipple into his mouth. The hard bead of her nipple rested on his tongue and he tightened his arm on her back, pulling her even closer, the need to give her pleasure at the forefront of his thoughts.

  Moment after moment spun out in an erotic give and take as her fingers twisted in his hair. He used his free hand to drag one of her legs up toward him and pressed himself against the apex of her thighs. The wet heat of her scorched him through his slacks, and he pressed himself against her, desperate for the promise of her body.

  “I need to feel you,” she moaned against his ear before taking the lobe with a quick nip of teeth. “And I want to see you.”

  Her fingers dragged his dress shirt from his slacks and he stepped back to allow her access. With nimble fingers, she undid the buttons in rapid succession, drawing the shirt off, then reaching for his T-shirt. That followed in quick succession, and once he was free of the garments, he felt her hands as they smoothed over his shoulders, then around to his back.

  “Wow. Who knew businessmen could have a set of shoulders like these.”

  “I’m entitled to a few secrets.”

  “As long as you let me in on them.”

  Her words registered in the back of his mind. He did have secrets. Things he shared with no one.

  “Holt?” Her question balance
d delicately in the moment. “Are you all right?”

  Unwilling to ruin the moment with useless history, he pasted on a broad smile. “I’m fine, baby. Just fine.”

  Before she could reply or call him on his bluff, he walked her backward across the room until they fell onto the large king-sized bed. “Let me show you just how fine.”

  …

  Mayson breathed a small sigh of relief as he stretched over her. He’d made quick work of his slacks and briefs, and she had a sense her eyes were glazing over at his impressive form. She fought to keep the moment light, but couldn’t quite banish the memory of his bleak gaze. What had intruded on their moment? Was it the mention of secrets?

  A small kernel of guilt lodged under her skin and she fought to ignore it. They barely knew each other. If he had a few secrets of his own, he was entitled to them. Assuming he didn’t have a wife or girlfriend.

  Wait…

  “Are you married?”

  “Am I what?”

  He levered up onto his forearms at her words, his back going stiff.

  “Are you married? Or in a relationship?”

  “No on both counts.”

  “Good.”

  Now that the moment had broken, his gaze sharpened, the haze of pleasure rapidly fading. “What prompted that question?”

  “You got all squinty and weirdly quiet a few moments ago.”

  “Squinty?”

  “Yes.” She tried to shift from underneath him, but he held her immobile with his body. “Just like you are now.”

  “Maybe I was thinking about where I put the condoms. And then I thought about if you’d be mad I had them with me.”

  “Oh.”

  “Or maybe I wanted to make sure you weren’t regretting this.”

  “Am I acting like I regret this?”

  “You might.”

  She ran one finger over the thick muscles of his shoulder. “I won’t.”

  “You’re sure?”

  “I’m sure. Now where are those condoms?”

  He glanced toward the floor. “In my wallet.”

  “Then I suggest you get them.”

  His mouth came down on hers. “In a minute. I’m not quite finished with what I was working on.” The soft pressure of his lips gave way to his tongue as he explored the interior of her mouth.

  Mayson allowed him entrance and gloried in the firm slide of his tongue against hers, the erotic in-and-out pressure that mimicked what was to come.

  God, had she ever been kissed so thoroughly?

  She wrapped her arms around his back, tracing her fingers up and down the long length of his spinal cord before moving over the hard globes of his ass. Her half-whispered joke from earlier, questioning where he got such a great body, was just that—half a joke.

  He was beautiful.

  Long, tight ropes of muscle played under his skin, and each exploration of her hands took her breath away.

  To think that, for tonight, he was hers.

  Nothing could interfere in the moment and nothing could take this away. For the first time in a long time, Mayson took what she wanted for herself. The feeling was heady and glorious and she exulted in the sensation, taking simple joy from the moment. And if guilt edged the joy slightly, well, she’d have to live with it. Telling Holt her real name would have changed the tone of the evening. Instead of flirtation and innuendo, she’d have been a McBride sister and the new sister-in-law of one of New York’s most powerful men.

  Instead, she was here, with Holt, and more than happy to simply be another guest at the wedding.

  With renewed fervor, she pressed her lips to his, pleased when he responded in kind. After another seductive, drugging kiss, Holt lifted his head and smiled down at her. “You are exquisite.”

  “Holt—”

  Before she could even think to say anything else, he moved to stretch out on his side and ran a hand down the length of her body. His fingers played briefly over her breasts before coming to rest at her core. Her thighs fell open at his touch and she watched his eyes turn a smoky green as he slid a finger against the seam of her body.

  “You’re wet.”

  “For you.”

  “I certainly hope so.” A flush of embarrassment crept up her neck, the heat spreading to her cheeks, before his smile softened. “I meant that to tease you. Don’t be embarrassed by your pleasure. Ever.”

  As if to punctuate his words, he slid his finger into the tight, warm sheath of her body. When he added a second finger, his smile vanished completely, to be replaced by a dark look that spoke of the extreme self-control he was working hard to maintain.

  With seeking hands of her own, she reached for the thick length of his erection that strained against her hip. With deft movements, she made a circle with finger and thumb, and ran the tight circle from the base of his penis to the tip. He gritted his teeth and she felt his sensual retaliation as his fingers moved against her clitoris. A hard, low moan escaped from her chest and she tightened the pressure of her hands as he continued the exquisite torture against her flesh.

  Despite her insistence on teasing him as he did her, she quickly found herself losing the battle as Holt worked her body with his lover’s touch. Hot need coiled low in her belly and she felt the hard trembling of her body as the pressure of his fingers quickened, the pleasure nearly unbearable.

  “Holt,” she moaned, and he quickly caught it with his lips, using his tongue against hers with the same rapid pace of his fingers. The moment was exquisite and she gave in to the needs of her body and rode the wave of pleasure he was so determined to provide.

  He lifted his lips from hers as another harsh moan escaped her, long, languid arcs of pleasure emanating through her body in heavy waves of release. With soft movements, he disengaged his fingers from her body and leaned down to press his lips to hers once more. “You are amazing.”

  Her eyelids shot open. “Don’t think you’re getting off that easy.”

  “I’m not sure getting off is the best choice of words in this circumstance.”

  Even though the pleasure still pulsed from her core in hot bursts, she refused to enjoy this moment alone. With a devious smile, she pointed toward his discarded slacks. “Can you reach those?”

  One long arm snaked over the side of the bed and grabbed the fine black wool. “Got it.”

  “Good. Hand me the condoms.” At his arched eyebrow, she added a sultry, “please.”

  When she finally had the small foil packet in hand, she offered him one more smile. “Holt?”

  “Yes.”

  “You can thank me later.”

  It was long moments later, long after she sheathed his hard erection in the condom and long after she rose up above him, fitting her body to his, that he let out a hard sigh of pleasure.

  “Can I thank you now?”

  “Not yet.” She tilted her hips, rising up above him before falling back down and taking him to the hilt. His hands gripped her hips, helping her maintain the rhythm that was driving them both to the edge and beyond.

  “Now?”

  “I don’t think so.” Mayson marveled that the words were her own, that she was the sultry temptress who spoke them.

  She rose up once more and then once more again, each movement over his body harder than the one before. She watched with satisfaction as his hooded eyes grew even darker with need. Felt it as his large body tightened under hers and she knew he reached for his pleasure, even as hers was within striking distance.

  “Now?”

  His body stiffened and she cried out in ecstasy as he pressed upward, his body tight and fitted to hers. “Now.”

  The rush of want and need, passion and pleasure, gripped them both. And as Mayson rode the pleasure, she knew she’d never regret this night.

  Chapter Two

  TWO MONTHS LATER

  Mayson changed the resolution on her computer screen, amping up a sepia wash that bathed the image before her in a warm glow. She sat back with a satisfied smile and
rubbed a kink out of her neck. The color had done exactly what she’d hoped, slightly dulling the photo’s background while adding an ethereal glow to the actress staring back from the screen. The actress’s pose, one of over five hundred they’d captured, reminded her of lazy mornings spent in bed with a lover, which only served to send her mind straight back to the one person she’d diligently avoided thinking of since her sister’s wedding.

  Holt.

  Without the slightest effort, sense memories assailed her. She felt the heavy pads of his fingers as he ran the tips of them down her spine. Felt those same fingers curl around her hip before drifting lower to cup the heat between her thighs.

  No matter how many times she tried to pull herself back—to remind herself it was a moment in time and nothing more—the slightest thing had her mind racing back to those long hours before dawn she’d shared with Holt.

  “Are you all right?”

  Keira rushed across Mayson’s office like the carpet was on fire, snapping Mayson from the image of Holt’s arms.

  “I’m fine.” She made a point to glance back at her oversized computer screen before looking up again. “Why?”

  “You look awfully pale.”

  “Just because you’re still gloriously tanned from two weeks in Tahiti followed by weekends at your beach house doesn’t mean the rest of us should be mocked for it.”

  Her stomach did bother her, Mayson acknowledged to herself, now that she’d been fully dragged back into the here and now. She ignored the slight upset and vowed to cut back on the coffee. Her third cup had already gone cold at her elbow and she thought better of taking a sip.

  “But are you sure you’re all right?”

  “Keira, I’m fine. Really. It’s just been a busy couple weeks.” She pointed to the layout on her screen. “Take a look, though. The work’s been incredible lately.”

  Her sister walked around the desk and Mayson flipped from the image she’d been toying with to the one they’d chosen for the cover. They’d managed to land the hottest starlet in Hollywood for the cover of their women’s magazine, and the photographer’s work on the shoot had been inspired.

  “What is she dressed in?”