Chapter 10
10
As he waited for the elevator rushing up from the ground floor to arrive, Zach counted the LED lights of the floor numbers and tried to stem the unease swirling inside him.
The next hour would determine whether what he’d planned would succeed or backfire horribly.
The past few days had been an exercise in panic-management. He’d never known anything like it. Indecision had never consumed him so completely, not even with Farrah.
After his conversation with Bethany in his car, he’d nearly called off this meeting. He’d felt as if they’d made progress; that she would give them a chance while he tried to get over the hurdle of his erstwhile brother-in-law and the piece of paper, which now stood between him and the woman he was coming to realize he couldn’t live without.
The idea that he could lose Bethany was what had made him keep this appointment. Come hell or high water, he intended to hang on to her. This was merely another angle to make certain that happened.
She may not like what was coming next—hell, he was pretty sure she would have a thing or two to say about it—but he’d be damned if he’d let the chance slip by to keep her with him until he could come completely clean.
The elevator door pinged open.
He saw her first. Dark humor lit within him as he silently mocked himself. Hell, when didn’t he see her first? She was like a laser beam attuned to his radar. Wherever she was, his senses zeroed in on her.
And today, as always, the sight of her knocked the breath from his lungs. Jesus, but she was fucking gorgeous.
Her hair was tied away from her face in a loose knot that caressed her nape. Her navy pinstripe jacket covered a cute, pink, flowered shirt, and her skirt ended at her knee, leaving her knock-out legs exposed. Delicate studs adorned her ears and a single string pearl necklace rested against her collarbone.
She looked prim and proper.
He wanted to mess her up. Tousle her well and good, leave her glossy mouth and other equally captivating parts used and bruised.
He barely managed to tear his eyes away when Sheena Malcolm stepped out first, followed by Gary Wright.
He hurried through the handshakes and glanced back at Bethany.
Shock, surprise, then uncertainty streaked across her face. Then hurt and anger flashed through her eyes.
His blood thrummed at the anticipation of fireworks, even as he wondered whether he’d chosen the right path.
“Mr. Savage, this is Bethany Green, our very talented assistant,” Sheena said.
Zach stepped forward. “Miss Green. Very pleased to meet you.”
Bethany remained frozen against the elevator wall, her throat working as she watched him. He kept himself firmly planted in the elevator entrance to prevent her bolting. And he could see in her eyes that she was considering it.
He held out his hand and cocked an eyebrow.
Her eyes flashed as she glanced down at his hand and back at his face. When the silence strayed into awkward territory, she finally stepped forward.
“Mr. Savage. It’s an honor to meet you, I’m sure.”
The bite in the word made his lips twitch, but the hurt and wariness in her eyes didn’t prolong the humor. Bethany wouldn’t take this situation lying down. And he had to play his cards right.
But the moment her hand slid into his, the belief that he was doing the right thing reasserted itself. He was not willing to live without her.
He held her hand for as long as it was appropriate without raising questions from the two Neon executives behind him. Then reluctantly, he let her go.
Jeff, who’d flown in that morning from San Francisco, was waiting in the newly set up meeting room. Introductions were made and coffee served.
Zach made sure Bethany was seated first before he took the seat next to her. He caught her hastily indrawn breath as he quickly squeezed her bare thigh under the table.
She began to ravage her lower lip with her teeth and heat surged into his groin faster than he could process the reaction.
God, please. Soon. He was dying of blue balls.
Sheena Malcolm cleared her throat and smiled a brittle smile from across the table.
“Mr. Savage, Gary and I can’t express our appreciation at being given this opportunity to spotlight your company. I will be your first point of contact on anything to do with the Indigo Lounge, of course, but Gary and I?—”
Zach forced himself to concentrate on the meeting and not on the urge to flatten Bethany to the nearest surface and fuck her until the world stopped turning.
“You made a PR bid for the Indigo Lounge last year, did you not?”
Sheena nodded eagerly. “Yes, but we’ve had even more exciting ideas about profiling your company since then, and like we mentioned yesterday, we have a portfolio of clients who would be perfect for your New York events. The package we’ve put together is edgy and exciting?—”
He felt Bethany tense next to him, and his neck grew hotter. Time to bring this thing to an end before she exploded. “Who spearheaded your initial research last year?”
Bethany tensed further. Again, he slipped his hand onto her thigh. She froze but didn’t move away. Zach chose to take it as a good sign, even though her face was set in a quietly furious mask.
He’d have his work cut out to win brownie points after this stunt. But he was well up to the task. His hand slid higher, the need to connect with her clawing through his gut.
She clamped her thighs shut, stalling his upward movement but also imprisoning his hand against her warm flesh. He barely managed to suppress a smile.
Sheena exchanged a glance with her partner before her gaze moved to Bethany. “Well, Bethany was tasked with digging up the pertinent information about your company, but putting the package together was a group effort.”
“If I decide to go ahead with Neon, I’d like Miss Green to take point, guided by you two, of course. But before I make a decision I’d like to hear about the sort of New York clients you intend to attract and what fresh ideas you can bring to the table entertainment wise.”
“Of course. We can do that,” Sheena replied quickly, hiding her surprise at his directive.
Zach nodded to Jeff, who picked up the remote on the table and aimed it at the screen on the far wall. It flickered to life, revealing the familiar indigo jet with the custom trim. “This is the latest IL plane. It arrived two weeks ahead of schedule so we’re planning an extra IL trip before the scheduled trips commence.”
Zach continued. “We already have a waiting list to fill the slot if needs be, but I’d like to give Neon the opportunity to stage this event. You have three days to put a package together?—”
“Three days?” Bethany snapped, her eyes firing livid blue flames in his direction. “Are you serious?”
Jeff’s eyes widened. Sheena’s mouth dropped open. Gary Wright looked downright displeased. Zach didn’t give a damn about any of them. All he cared about was the fact that Bethany was engaging with him.
“Is that a problem, Miss Green?” He raised an eyebrow, and her blue eyes flashed. She looked as if she was contemplating tackling him right there and then.
His blood thrummed faster with anticipation. Her nostrils flared as she read his reaction and the daring look he didn’t bother to hide.
Her mouth thinned into a prim line, and her eyes slid from his. “Well, normally three days is ridiculously short notice, but I’m sure we can come up with something more than suitable for your launch.”
Gary, who’d been poised to intervene, relaxed. “Shall we come up with an itinerary for the trip, or will your office provide us with one?”
“I concede Miss Green’s point that this is somewhat short notice. Neon can take care of the first two stops, and my people will arrange something else for the last two. Call it a collaboration. Also for the sake of clarity, Neon’s guests will only be on board for the first two stops. After which, they will be expected to disembark.”
Gary frowned. “I’m not sure how our clients will take an abbreviated tour, Mr. Savage.”
Zach narrowed his eyes. “It’s your job to sell it to them. Or I’m happy to pass the whole thing to my people.”
Sheena hastily shook her head, shooting her partner an evil glare. “That will not be necessary. We’ll make this work.”
“Miss Green? Do you think you can make it work too?”
Her gaze met his. Electricity zapped through him at the heaven and hell he glimpsed in her eyes. Her mouth compressed in further mutiny, and he grazed his thumb across the top of her thigh.
Her tiny jerk sent a pulse of heat and delight through him.
“Yes,” she replied huskily. “We can make it work.”
“Great.”
Her bosses breathed a sigh of relief, and everyone started to relax.
Jeff grabbed the remote again and pressed another button. “The next slides show you the full extent of the various compartments of the plane?—”
“Jeff, I’ll leave you to show the slides to Sheena and Gary. I want to speak to Miss Green in private, if you don’t mind?” He raised a cursory eyebrow at the rest of the table and rose.
Speculation quickly followed surprise on the faces of the occupants around the meeting table.
He ignored the looks and stood, staring down at Bethany’s bent head. He was prepared to drag her out if need be. As if she heard his thoughts, her head snapped up.
“Miss Green?”
“Sure. Excuse me, please.” Her smile was stiff as she stood and followed him out of the room.
He managed to stop himself reaching for her until they were in the hallway. Then his hands closed over that trim waist of hers and he half carried her into his living room.
“Zach! What the hell… Put me down.” Her voice was a fierce, husky, whispered demand, but he heard the catch nevertheless.
He kicked the large door shut behind him, set her on her feet, and gave her a chance to face him before he propelled her backward into the wall.
“No!” she protested.
“Yes. Hell, yes.”
Starved and desperate for her, he slanted his mouth over hers, taking full and merciless advantage of her shocked gasp.
His tongue surged against hers, demanding and achieving entry. Wet and erotic, her tongue met his in a series of bold flicks that told him she hadn’t forgotten how he liked to be kissed. He surged deeper, eager to drown in her taste and touch.
He pressed closer, imprinting his body on hers as his craving escalated. His cock found the cradle of her hips, that sweet curve he was so desperate to rediscover.
She whimpered and wriggled against his hold. His hands tightened, holding her still as he rocked his erection deeper into her pelvis. Once he was satisfied she could feel him, all of him, he let go of her waist and slid his hands upwards.
Her full, covered breasts filled his palms, her nipples tight buds against his seeking thumbs. He gorged on her mouth until the need to breathe caused stars to dance behind his closed eyelids. Even then, he would gladly have suffocated in the kiss if the hands clamped in his hair hadn’t pulled desperately.
Easy … he cautioned himself. For now.
He broke the connection and stared down at her. Wide blue eyes locked on his as she sucked in air. His gaze dropped from her bruised lips to her heaving chest. She breathed in and her gorgeous breasts filled his hands once more.
He groaned as his cock stiffened to stone.
“You feel so fucking lush, Peaches. And so damned fuckable in that prim suit.” A tremor rocked through him as he continued to deny the forceful urge to rip her clothes off and do what he desperately yearned to do. “Jesus, baby, I want to fuck you so damn badly.”
A long sigh shuddered out of her as he mercilessly kissed his way down her throat and barely resisted the urge to bite her supple, silky skin. He’d raised enough questions for one day. Although he personally didn’t care who knew, he cared too much about Bethany to leave her to explain a giant hickey on her neck to her bosses.
But there were other, equally enthralling parts of her body he could explore.
Sliding his hand beneath her skirt, he touched her between her legs. Hot dampness met his fingers. Tugging aside her panties, he plunged one finger into her tight heat, groaning deeper when her flesh closed greedily over his knuckle.
Her shocked cry made him grin.
“You naughty girl. Did you get wet imagining me having you here like this?” he crooned in her ear.
She gave a jerky shake of her head. “Uhh… No.”
He laughed. “Well, something got you wet and hot. So what was it?”
“I don’t… Let me go, Zach.”
He leaned even closer. “No way.”
Her throat moved in a convulsive swallow. “Why? Why are you doing this?”
“Because I know what you’re thinking.”
“No. Trust me, you have no clue what I’m thinking.”
“Yes, I do. You have a plan. You’ve made up your mind about what happens next. But you forget, Bethany. I’m a much better negotiator than you could ever be. And for me, there’s only one way this ends. You. Becoming mine. In every way.”
“So you planned this. All of it,” she accused, her voice breaking as he pushed deeper inside her. “You met with Sheena and Gary yesterday, didn’t you? That’s why they were acting so weird at work.”
“Yes.” He may have had some doubts before about what he was doing. But now he’d kissed her again, and her sweet, wet pussy pulsed around his finger, he regretted nothing.
“Why?”
“Access.”
“Access? To me?”
He bit lightly on her earlobe and delighted in her shudder. “Of course.”
“But like this? How could you?” The raw hurt finally penetrated his fog of lust. He drew back and looked down at her.
Confusion and a hint of despair grappled with her desire, causing her eyes to darken. He hated seeing that.
“You told me you’d never lie to me.” Her voice was dark with accusation.
He tensed. “How have I lied to you?” he demanded.
“What the hell do you call this? Barreling your way into my work life just to get what you want?”
He slid another finger inside her, felt her stretch deliciously around him. Jesus, at this rate he would blow his load as shamelessly as he’d done the other night on her bedroom floor. He fought the tightening in his groin. No way was he losing control that quickly again.
“I call it the extra edge. With perhaps a little manipulation thrown in. But no lies.”
He watched her toss that in her mind for a few seconds. Then she shook her head, even as her thighs spread that little bit wider, and her hips slowly undulated against his hand.
“This isn’t okay, Zach. It’s nowhere near okay. This is my professional life you’re messing with.”
“On the contrary, I’m seeking to enrich it. Besides, we discussed this, back in Paris, remember?”
“What?” Gratifyingly lust-glazed blue eyes met his.
“I said I’d find a way to make it work in the real world. This is me, making it work.” He flexed his fingers and her pouty lips dropped open on a gasp.
“If we discussed it then, why couldn’t you discuss it with me now?”
“Because it’s partly business. Believe it or not, if Neon hadn’t been a good fit, this meeting wouldn’t have happened. Now, the only thing that needs clarification is whether you feel you can work with it, or if you want to refuse Neon the opportunity of a lifetime.”
“Are you really saying that if I don’t come with the package, this doesn’t happen?”
He shrugged. “A little hardball to get what I want, Bethany. That’s all this is. Now, if you don’t want those panties shredded, be a good girl and hold them to one side for me so I can see to your needs.”
Alluring blue eyes met his and he watched her struggle to take a breath. “Zach…”
“Do it, Bethany. You’re not leaving this room until I make you come. I can bend you over the sofa or we can do it this way. I can control your screams better here, but it’s totally your choice.”
Her lips parted wider, and a hot little breath burst through them. He licked her lower lip and felt another shaky sigh spill from her kiss-swollen mouth.
Her fingers grasped her hemline and slowly lifted the skirt up to her hips. He caught sight of her panties and his breath stopped.
Indigo lace.
“Jesus. You fucking know what this color on you does to me, Peaches.”
“I didn’t even know I was coming here until an hour ago…”
His hand left her breast and tugged her chin upward. “But you wore it anyway. When you saw me it made you wet, didn’t it? Knowing you were wearing my color against your sweet cunt?” He hardened his tone, not prepared to accept anything less than total honesty.
“Yes,” she sighed.
He dropped his forehead to hers. Withdrawing his fingers, he plunged them deep, deeper until his middle finger grazed her sweet spot.
Her hips jerked against his ruthless invasion. Liquid heat oozed between his fingers, sliding down into his palm. “Fuck, baby.” He could barely breathe. She was so hot, so fucking incredible.
How could he ever let her go?
They both watched, fascinated and breathless, as he finger-fucked her. Dirty, decadent sounds of suction filled the room as he plunged in and out of her, pushed her to the brink of her endurance. She bit back a cry as her orgasm drew closer. More than anything he wanted to hear her scream her climax, but he was mindful that there was an audience next door.
“You like this, baby?” he growled down at her. “Watching what I do to you?”
She didn’t look up, her attention totally engrossed in the precisely timed pull and thrust of his fingers.
“Bethany?”
She gave a jerky nod, her fingers tightening convulsively over her skirt.
“I want to hear it,” he demanded harshly. He’d missed her vocal celebration of what he did to her; was as starved for it as he was starved for her body. “Tell me!”
“Yes, I like it,” she whimpered. Her back arched, and her thighs widened, giving him better access.
He greedily took it. Catching her nape to steady her, he angled his fingers and executed a series of fast, hard thrusts that slammed her over the edge. He swallowed her throaty groan as she came. Hot liquid gushed into his palm and dripped between his fingers. Her body jerked against his as sensations buffeted her. He soothed her down with kisses until she quieted, then slowly withdrew his fingers.
Her whimper of protest was pure joy to his ears.
She started to slide her panties into place and lower her skirt. Before the thought was fully formed in his mind, he’d hooked his fingers into the lace and ripped her panties off.
“Zach!”
He knew his grimace fell short of contrite. “Sorry.” He wiped her slickness from his hands and stuffed the soaked panties in his pocket. “I want nothing more than to taste you right now, but if I start you won’t get out of here any time soon. This will have to serve as a peace offering.”
Biting her lip, she straightened and pulled down her skirt. Her eyes met his and slid away. He caught a glimpse of the hurt, and his insides shredded.
God, he hated that look.
“Can you show me where the bathroom is, please?” she asked in a low voice.
He wanted to kiss her again, reassure her that things would get better, but he knew she would see them as just words. After all, he’d been saying that for the better part of a week and a half now.
The only thing he could do now was to use the one weapon in his arsenal guaranteed to keep her with him until the right time came to share his sordid past with her.
Swallowing a growl of frustration, he took her hand and led her down the hall. He saw her glance at the surroundings for the first time and take in the décor. Did she like his choices?
What would she think about the room he’d created especially for her?
The toy room was much more extensive than the one he’d introduced her to in Morocco. He wanted to tell her about it, but he cautioned himself against going further. They weren’t out of the woods yet. Far from it. She may have allowed him to make her come, but that didn’t mean their issues were anywhere near resolved.
On top of everything else, she was hurt and confused by the stunt he’d pulled today. He had a long way to go before Bethany opened up herself again the way she had on that last night in Marrakech.
But no way was he giving up.