She felt her eyes widen in disbelief and was completely unable to wrap her mind around what he told her.
"Fifteen! That's ... that's illegal!"
He shrugged again. “Yes, well, I grew up in Europe. European woman are not as hung up on age as American women are.” He checked his watch. “For the most part, anyway. In fact, my first lover was thirty-seven."
She couldn't think straight around this man. Maybe it was simply that he was the only man to ever chase after her, but somehow she thought it really had more to do with Aiden Grand simply being Aiden Grand. She paced to the front door, then spun back to face him.
"I'm the most insecure woman you'll ever meet. If you don't have the patience for that, you should leave now."
He moved across the room to stand beside her. She watched every step he took, and her heart beat faster with each one. His hands came up to brace her elbows, and his thumbs ran back and forth over her arms. She'd hoped the long sleeves of her blouse would have offered more protection against his heat, but the silk only seemed to magnify it until she was almost begging him to tear it off her.
"I think some man ran a chain saw over your heart and your self esteem. That kind of insecurity was not what I was referring to. What he's done to you, Cassidy, is a crime and I'd love nothing more than ten minutes locked in a room alone with the son of a bitch.” He pushed back the hair from her forehead and gently placed a kiss there. “You are so much more than you think. I see it. I wish you could see it as well."
His words effortlessly melted the ice block around her heart. No one had ever said such kind things to her. Her own mother blamed her for the divorce, saying that if she'd known how to keep her man happy in bed, he never would have had to find someone who could. Her reality had no reference for a man like this. She had no idea how to react to such kindness.
"I'm so lost with you."
He laughed softly.
"The feeling is mutual. I'm afraid I haven't handled this situation at all well. I'm usually much more polished."
Visions of the man running around the world propositioning women assaulted her mind, pushing away all the warmth his last statement had supplied. Her heartbeat sped up and panic started reasserting itself.
"So ... what? You pick up a girl in every city?” She felt suddenly a little like the fly in the spider's web, regardless that he was in her home. “Are you really that horny that you can't go a few weeks without it?"
Lordy, she had no idea what had come over her. Her mouth was on a rampage. How she was ever able to speak that way to a man, and one she barely knew, one who'd just been so kind to her and who'd asked her to ... well, to have an affair with him, she had no idea. She wished she could just shut herself up, tell Mr. Grand, thank you but no, and see him politely to the door. That would be the end of it, but she couldn't seem to do it, this was like one of those disaster movies coming to life in slow motion and she was the star.
Finally, she said the only thing that made sense to her. “You need to leave."
He let out a heavy sigh and checked his watch again. But she wasn't going to be swayed or feel sorry for poor Mr. Grand being thrown out of the villager's hut without his virgin sacrifice.
Okay, so not that she was a virgin anymore, but the basic principles still worked. Besides, maybe once he left, the planets would realign and life as she knew it would reassemble.
"All right. I've boggled this pretty good anyway.” He tipped her chin up as he'd done earlier. The move was dominant and bossy, but she liked the way it made her feel. She admonished herself to work on her independent, liberated side at some point. This man was able to turn her into a fifties movie heroine far too easily.
Except that, in the fifties, he wouldn't have been offering three weeks of sex. She needed to remember that. He hadn't asked for her hand in marriage, hadn't asked for her to run away with him, hadn't even really asked for a date. He wanted someone in his bed, and short term, at that. Really, it was degrading when she thought of it that way.
"But I'm not giving up on this, and—just for your information—I do have a very active sex drive, but I am not your ex. I have more respect for women than you implied, maybe I haven't shown that very well this morning and for that, I apologize, but Cassidy...” His voice turned as warm and silky as hot-buttered rum and soft as velvet; she knew she was in trouble. “If I had you in my bed..."
Big trouble.
"You wouldn't feel anything less than worshipped and sated. I know how to treat a woman, and I'd bet I could make you feel things you've,” the slight smirk tipped her off that she wasn't going to like what came next, “only read about before."
The article from this morning rushed back to her mind, her fantasies about his ass, about his hands running under her skirt and thoughts of being ravished not just by him but both men. Heat flooded her cheeks as images of them all naked, in her bed, one man holding her, stroking her clit, the other inside her, “pounding the spot", as it where. She took a deep breath before she passed out, surprised she was still standing, and now thanks to that kiss, she knew his touch, knew his taste. She wanted to lie beneath him worshipped and sated. Was it even possible to feel that way? She had a good inclination that if it was, he'd know how to do it.
Aiden Grand was a force of nature, and as hard as she was trying to stay insulted by his offer, his promises—along with words like “worshipped” and “sated"—made it far too difficult and left Cassidy far too curious.
He stared into her eyes for another long minute. She wasn't sure if he was going to kiss her again or not. Wasn't sure whether she wanted him to or not.
"You have the most incredible amber eyes I've ever seen, Cassidy."
His voice was incredibly soft, his eyes held secrets and promises. He made her weak, brought all her insecurities into the light and made her feel vulnerable and needy. All the things she hated, but he also touched on the girl she used to be, the one who wanted to explore her sexuality which left her thinking that three weeks in his bed sounded like bliss.
He let her go and walked out her front door, which closed quietly and unceremoniously behind him. Cassidy stood there for another minute, stunned and numb. She needed to sit, but this time the sofa was too far away, so she slumped to the tile hearth before her fireplace, dazed and wondering what the hell had happened.
* * * *
Aiden rolled the black artist's pencil around in his fingers feeling restless and frustrated. In the two days since he'd been to her apartment, he had reconsidered his decision to have a brief affair with Miss Flint. He was immeasurably relieved that she'd had more control and common sense than he'd shown.
He reached into his bottom desk drawer and pulled out a box of colored pencils and began adding color to his rough sketch.
In fact, since that day in her home, he'd decided there were several very important things he did not like about Miss Flint.
He erased a few detail lines and blew on the paper to remove the eraser remnants. Okay, so they were really things he didn't like about himself when he was around her, but it all boiled down to the same thing. He wasn't like normal men. Love was not a luxury he could allow himself. The further he kept from her over the next three weeks, the better for all concerned.
He leaned back over his drawing, reminding himself of the reasons staying away was the better choice. First of all, she rattled him. He didn't like being rattled. He needed to be in control; it was how he got through life. Second, the fact that one nearly-chaste kiss had left him hard for three hours. He liked women. He found them the most satisfying distraction there was and he wasn't a novice at getting female companionship, but Cassidy wasn't like most of the women he dated and there was the very real possibility an encounter with him would hurt her. She was sweet and sensitive and, in his arms, very vulnerable to a broken heart, because he wasn't the kind of man that could stay.
Still, that delectable little brunette called to both to his mind and his body and he was having trouble ignoring or controlling
his impulse to show her what her body was made for. Her innocence was seductive. Her inability to control that sexy mouth of hers, made him smile...
"Then there's the tiny little fact that you're obsessing over her."
He threw his pencil down and pressed the heels of his hands against tired eyes. Not in all his life had he obsessed over a woman. If one wasn't interested, he simply moved on to the next, no harm done.
And there was always a next.
Yes, he liked women. Yes, he had plenty of them. So, he really didn't need the shy and reserved Miss Flint then, did he?
Then why have you been in the office every morning at five, hoping she'd stop by?
His inner voice taunted him. He had no idea he had such moronic potential before Miss Cassidy Flint had appeared in his life, looking both shocked and interested at the same time over that ridiculous article.
He smiled and opened the bottom right drawer of his desk and pulled the very magazine from it. His fingers brushed over the lettering on the cover.
Be In Charge Of Your Own Orgasm.
He wondered how lame a man had to be in bed to chase his woman to an article like this one. He guessed there was some sort of empowerment for a woman, being in charge of her own orgasm, but he much preferred to be in charge of it for them. He most definitely wanted to be in charge of Cassidy's orgasms—at least for the next three weeks.
"Hey, I thought we were meeting at the restaurant."
Aiden looked up to see Garrison's face peeking around his door and quickly slammed the magazine back into the bottom drawer.
"Is it that late already?"
Garrison laughed. “Yeah, fifteen minutes ago. Thought you were anxious to try Yensen's latest creation."
"I am. My head's just in a strange place these days. It'll pass."
He stood, took one last look at the drawings he'd been working on and dropped his pencil atop them before grabbing his jacket.
"Hey, Aiden?"
"Yes?"
Garrison looked uncomfortable for a minute, and Aiden couldn't remember a time when he'd ever seen him like that. They'd met in college, frat brothers, and had been good friends since. Aiden had been thrilled when he'd convinced Garrison to come to work for him. It gave them a chance to see one another every once in a while and catch up.
"It's about Miss Flint."
Aiden felt his groin react at just the mention of the woman's name and instantly tried to think of something non-sexual, but couldn't. “What is it?"
He waited for Garrison to tell him she'd quit, or filed a complaint against him for sexual harassment and he knew he damn well deserved it. His stomach began to churn. Garrison pulled at his tie and straightened before stating, “I guess you've probably figured out that I've got a thing for her.” Aiden needed to sit down, but he'd already moved to the door, too far from his desk chair, the visitors’ chairs, or the leather sofa that lined the back wall. So he casually leaned against the door, fighting for composure. “A thing?"
Garrison rubbed his forehead and walked further into the office. “I know, completely unprofessional, and don't worry because I'd never act on it. My relationship with you and this job mean far too much to jeopardize for a woman, but the other night, I guess my thoughts went somewhere along the lines of, if she didn't work here, no more conflict of interest. I was clearly biased and though within my rights to fire her for her behavior, I'm not certain I would have reacted quite so vehemently if it had been any other employee."
His eyes met Aiden's, obviously looking for understanding and absolution, but Aiden was so blown away that he could barely comprehend anything his friend was saying.
"I guess that's why I acted so, so ... like a beast the other night. I feel awful about it. I've already apologized to her, but I just wanted to clear the air with you."
No two ways about it, Aiden needed to sit down. He moved as casually as he could to the sofa and sank down to it. “I think beast is over stating it, but how long have you felt this way?"
"A few years now.” He held up a hand. “I know. Pathetic, right?"
Aiden's stomach flipped. He pushed back his own embarrassment. “No. Not at all."
Well this changed everything, which was good, because now not only was Miss Flint an employee, but his best friend's ... He scratched his head. His best friend's what? Crush? Did that hold the same off-limits sign as girlfriend or fiancée or wife? He wasn't sure, but figured he could probably look it up online. You could find anything online.
"Don't worry, I'd never do anything to jeopardize the hotel in any way. I won't ever act on it. I just figured you'd probably noticed how I go on and on about her. I wanted to set your mind at ease."
That was the one thing he hadn't done, but Aiden gave him a small smile anyway, as if he had.
"I never worry about your ethics, Garrison. You're the most solid guy I know.” And that wasn't sugar coating it. Going through school Aiden had been known to bend a rule or two if he thought either his family name or money would let him get away with it, but not Garrison. He walked the straight and narrow at all times. It was one of the reasons he wanted the man working for him. “Let's just forget it and go get that lunch. All right?"
"Sure."
Aiden noticed how relieved Garrison sounded. What had he thought? That Aiden would fire him for having a crush on one of the employees? Hell, Aiden had just propositioned said employee after going through her personnel records to find her home address. How many violations was that? He'd turned into a stalker over night. His poor mother would be so proud.
He held the door open, hoping he could choke down lunch and behave normally, something he hadn't been doing since meeting Cassidy, but he'd give it a try.
The corridor they traversed was open on both sides, glass windows completely rolled back until they were hidden in wall panels, leaving the illusion of being in one of the gardens rather than still inside the hotel. Brightly colored blooms lined either side of the open-air hallway and the scent of climbing jasmine from the courtyard and salt air from the ocean beyond, filled the space.
Aiden was lost in thought and didn't see the very nervous brunette before she nearly plowed into them. She couldn't have seen them either because he noticed at the last minute that she was studying the ground instead of looking where she was going so he did the only thing the moment allowed, he reached out and caught her.
Her head came up instantly, her breath obviously deserted her and her eyes grew large with surprise. Aiden was having a distinctly different reaction to her being in his arms, but he purposely ignored it. He quickly released her and she took a step back, clearly rattled. As she rubbed three fingers over her forehead, her nose wrinkled and Aiden was struck with how adorably cute she was.
"Mr. Lancaster. Mr. Grand."
She acknowledged both with a slight nod, then hit Aiden hard with a full blast from those amber eyes of hers. His cock was already well aware of her presence, but that look stirred it to life even more.
"I was just wondering if I could speak to you for a minute, Mr. Grand.” She took a breath, licked her lips, further hardening his cock, and then added a solemn, “Alone."
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Chapter Three
The soft click of the door seemed ridiculously loud to Aiden's ears as he pushed it shut behind him. The fact that being alone with a woman was making him nervous in the first place was also ridiculous, but he wasn't able to stop it. Cassidy walked straight into his office like she'd been there a million times before and stood across the room by the window, biting her thumbnail. At least he wasn't the only one with a case of the nerves. Heartless beast that he was, he was glad to know it.
Her hair was straight today and clasped at the base of her neck in an ornate clip of brass and pearls. Considering she was still in her uniform, Aiden had to gather she had stuck around after her shift, which to his mind said she was here for him, he just wasn't sure if that was good or bad yet.
He couldn't blame her if she
was here to let him have it, when he thought of how heavy-handed he'd been with her the other day. He more than deserved whatever she had planned for him.
"What can I do for you, Miss Flint?"
He sounded far too formal and felt horrible when she visibly winced.
It wasn't directly her fault that she was torturing him merely by her presence. While moving behind his desk, a place he hoped would help him remember he was her employer and wouldn't be anything more, he made another attempt.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to sound harsh. Your appearance just surprised me.” He gave a small laugh. “And not much does that anymore. I guess I've become somewhat jaded in my old age."
He raised a brow at her, knowing their age difference bothered her. Hell, her own age seemed to bother her. He wondered who'd done the number on her, because what he saw when she stood in front of him was someone who was not aware of her own worth or beauty. And that was a crime, as far as he was concerned.
Then she surprised him with the most incredible smile he'd ever seen in all his life. It left him literally breathless.
"I guess I was a bit overly sensitive about that the other day. Lately, I don't know, I've just been feeling old. I can't really explain it.” She made a fancy turn that looked like a movement right out of Swan Lake yet appeared perfectly natural and flounced down on the edge if his sofa, resting her chin on her fist. “Old and shriveled."
Aiden laughed again. It felt good. It wasn't that he was overly serious, but he honestly couldn't remember the last time he'd laughed or even smiled as much as he had the few times he'd been around her. There usually wasn't much time in his daily routine for moments of spontaneous laughter, but something about Cassidy lifted his spirits while lowering his IQ at the same time.
He came over and sat beside her, his leg pressing against hers. Not sure that was the smartest move, he still squelched a feeling of smug satisfaction when he heard the hitch in her breath. At least he wasn't the only one suffering from a rush of hormones.
The Seduction of Cassidy Flint Page 3
