by Lisa Lace
“Mia,” he leaned in and whispered to her, “don’t do this. Don’t embarrass yourself. I sent you the email. Did you not get it?”
“I got it. But it isn’t me who’ll be embarrassed when this is all over with. I thought you didn’t play games, Eddie?”
“Eddie?” Claire looked surprised. “No one has called you that since you were a child.”
“I guess he never grew up.” Mia knew she needed to clamp down on her retorts, but she was angry, and she felt threatened. “He still likes to play games, don’t you?”
“The email was meant for you to read, not just receive it. Let’s start the meeting.” His eyes shifted nervously around the room. “I’ll explain everything.”
“I don’t really have much choice, do I?” Her face felt hot, and it took all she had not to walk out.
“No, Mia.” His tone was sharp and dominant. “You don’t.”
She felt the familiar tightness in her stomach, much like the feeling she’d experienced when he blindfolded her in his hotel room.
“If you will please have a seat,” he pulled her chair out and waited for her to sit down, “we can get this started.”
She held her chin up and sat down, allowing him to push it back in for her. He leaned in, and his whisper caused a shiver down her back. “I promise you’ll be happy with my decisions.”
Mia didn’t know how to react. She was furious at him for manipulating her and the situation. She fumed at herself for allowing him to cause the feelings she had for him. With the mere tone of his words, he was able to somehow manipulate her actions. Although she had a strong desire to submit to him, whether it be direct or indirect, her eyes stayed glued to his face as he made his way around the table to the other side. It was bad enough that Reese Donovan had it out for her and her company. Now that she was sleeping with the enemy, it made everything so much worse.
“Thank you for having us,” he began. He nodded at each member around the table as he spoke. “First off, I want to tell you all that my father’s passing was very sudden and a shock to us all.”
“I’m sorry for your loss, Mr. Donovan.” Steven was always kind, no matter the situation.
“Thank you.”
“Yes,” Mia chirped. “Very sorry, Mr. Donovan.” She unwittingly sounded condescending but was happy with it in the end. She needed to let Edward know she wasn’t going to be pushed around or taken advantage of, despite his supposed intentions for her company.
“Thank you, Miss Walker.”
His eyes penetrated hers, not wavering until she began to feel the awkwardness grow between them. She glanced at the others and awkwardly looked down at the table.
“Please continue,” Steven said, trying to be Mia’s savior. “I think we’re all in agreement when I say we would all like to get this over with.”
“Yes, of course.”
Mia caught Edward watching when Steven reached over and squeezed her hand. Maybe she played a little more into it when she took his hand in hers, but it gave her a sense of satisfaction seeing Edward squirm a little. He unbuttoned his suit coat, tossed the sides back, sat down, and awkwardly adjusted his tie.
“I’m sure you are all aware of the takeover my father had started through Merge Inc. for MWSA Cosmetics.” Edward shifted his look from one to the other as he unveiled his new ideas. “Claire and I have put a lot of thought into what our intentions are, and we no longer want to buy MWSA and resell it in pieces.”
“Then what are you going to do?” Mia felt uneasy. “You have quite a role in what happens to my company.” She knew her entire future was in his hands. She just hoped she still had a leg to stand on with him. “You know we need investments to survive. Your father made sure that was not going to happen by sabotaging every opportunity we were given.”
“I am well aware of what he did. We still want to invest, but we also want to work with you, educate your staff, and rebuild your company—helping it recapture its potential heights.”
Mia let Steven’s hand go. Everything she was feeling had all balled up, sitting in her stomach like a rock. “You want to help our company?”
“Yes, we do.”
He could have dug in and really given it to her, but he didn’t. His face softened, a touch of a smile on his lips. “I tried talking to my father several times before he began the initial process, but his intentions were set in stone, not so noble and quite selfish. It was never my intention.”
Tears threatened Mia’s eyes as she tried to blink them away. “I don’t know what to say. I’m sorry for what I said earlier, to everyone, especially to you.” She looked across the table, hoping Edward did not hate her.
“Say you will be my new colleague.” He held his hands out and smiled.
“Yes, of course!”
They all stood up and walked around the table, shaking hands. When Edward got to Mia, she didn’t offer her hand. She looked up at him and threw her arms around him. “Thank you,” she whispered.
“We need to talk in private.” He sounded demanding, but desperate in the same tone.
Mia had made a lot of hasty mistakes, and now that invitation just made her anxious and terrified. She cleared her throat and looked at the others as they moved around the room.
“We will set up another meeting to take care of the paperwork. I want to thank everyone for being here through this difficult time. Our deepest condolences once again to you and your family, Mr. Donovan.”
“Thank you.” He stepped back and allowed the others to exit the room. When it seemed Steven and Claire were going to stick around, Edward leaned toward Claire and whispered. She nodded her head, glanced at Mia, and exited as well.
“Steven,” Mia walked a little closer, “thank you for supporting me today. I couldn’t have done this without you.”
“It’s what I’m here for, Mia. You know I’ll always support you in whatever you do.”
“If you’ll excuse us, I need to talk to Eddie—I mean Edward—alone.”
“Of course. If you need me, I’m just a quick text away.”
Steven walked out of the room, leaving Mia and Edward alone together. She felt the tension thicken instantly, and the rock in her stomach get heavier. She struggled with what to say first as he walked around the table toward her.
When he passed by the door, he closed it and continued toward her.
“I’m so sorry for how I acted. I called you a child when I myself was behaving like one. You were right when you told me I was going to embarrass myself. I did.” She attempted a chuckle. “I owe you so much for what you’re doing for my company. Can you ever forgive me for what I did?”
He stopped in front of her but didn’t say a word. His jaw clenched, and his body straightened. Was he that angry? She looked away from him and felt his arm slide around her waist.
Before she could grasp what was happening, he had her against the wall, his face buried into her neck and his teeth grabbing at the sensitive skin on her shoulder. She lost all the breath in her lungs and struggled against the familiar arousal she felt just the night before. Her eyes closed and everything she was worried about vanished. A flame ignited inside as he continued biting around her shoulder and up her neck. He pulled back and flashed her a glare before invading her mouth with his tongue. His lips crushed hers as his body kept her pinned to the wall. His hands found their way inside her blouse, caressing and groping at her breasts.
“The next time,” he pushed his groin into her pelvis, “you think you want to try and play games,” he pulled back and pushed toward her again, grinding on her, “be sure you know what you are doing and who you are doing it to.” He kissed her hard, shoving his tongue into her mouth again. He forced her blouse up, exposing her to him. “I’m better at it than you are, and I’ll win every time.”
She nodded, her eyes wide.
“Now, do you want me to fuck you here in the conference room, or would you prefer a bit more privacy?”
“Not here.” She barely got the words o
ut before he backed up, letting her almost fall to the floor. He readjusted his suit and walked toward the door. She followed, pulling her blouse back down and tucking it back into her skirt.
Edward
Edward all but dropped Mia from his grip and walked out of the room, all the while praying she’d follow. He knew he was pushing it when he grabbed hold of her and dominated her. The entire thing was a gamble, a ventured chance on her pleasures and preferences. She was a strong-minded woman, and he needed her in his life, but he also needed her to know he was not going to be pushed around.
As soon as he got into the hallway, he looked back and smiled as she scurried out after him.
“Thank you, again, for your hospitality.” Edward nodded toward Steven as he passed him. “We will be in touch.”
“Yes, of course.”
Mia mumbled something almost incoherent as she walked swiftly past, trying to catch up to Edward. He held the front door for her and smiled once again as they exited.
Edward’s car was waiting for him in the parking lot, and once they were both inside, he sat across from her, turning his attention to her. “Where would you like to go, Mia?” he spoke in a low tone.
She looked around the cabin of the car, with its darkened windows keeping them from the public eye. He watched her take a deep breath. Her eyes changed as she looked back at him. He watched her struggle with her desires as she bit her lip.
“Right here,” she cooed. She seductively unbuttoned the front of her blouse, exposing the white lace bra that covered her breasts.
“Come here,” he growled.
Crawling toward him, she came up between his legs, arching her back into him and dragging her breasts up his stomach until she pressed them into his chest. Her lips met his, and she hovered over them, teasing and taunting until he pulled her to him to claim what was his. He clutched the sides of her blouse, pulling it from her shoulders while he tasted her lips and experienced her hunger for him. The tension between them snapped. She sat upright and looked up at him, her lips parted slightly and her breathing heavy. She unclasped her bra and let it fall from her body before leaning into him.
He pulled her up to the seat and watched her straddle him. His hands ran up her thighs, taking the sides of her skirt with them and hiking it up to her waist. Their kiss intensified when he pushed his hand between her legs. She lifted up until he hooked the side of her panties with his finger and moved them to the side.
Her breath caught when he pushed his finger into her and deepened his kiss, thrusting his tongue deep into her mouth and holding her there with his other hand behind her neck. Moving his finger in and out of her warmth, he found himself intoxicated, addicted to her quivers and soft flesh, her moans.
She mumbled something, not wanting to pull away from him but he pulled back. “What is it?”
“I want you, but what about protection?”
He grinned and slid his hand into the pocket of his coat, producing a small silver package.
“You knew this was going to happen?” She sat back and folded her arms over her body.
“At least, I was hoping it would.”
Leaning back into him, she pressed her lips to his and unbuttoned his shirt. He let her go long enough for her to fumble his pants open and expose him to her. She confiscated the package and opened it, pulling the condom from the package and watching his face as she rolled it down his hard, engorged length.
He groaned at her touch. As he grabbed her and pulled her back to him, his mouth reclaiming hers, he felt her position her body until his cock pressed against her clitoris. He opened her up and slid inside, feeling the inferno she offered to him. Her gasps and noises as he filled her made him want more, his arousal pushing him to the edge.
She moved perfectly to his rhythm, dancing against him and bucking her hips. She moved like a swimmer exulting in the freedom of the water. He wanted to melt into her forever.
He couldn’t take his eyes off her. He wanted more of her. He wanted her body, yes. But he wanted to get into her head and claim her soul as well.
An orgasm washed over him and grabbed hold, seizing him and stiffening his muscles. He clenched onto her hips and slammed into her over and over again until his body lay limp over the back of his seat and his breath became difficult to slow.
Her head lay on his shoulder, her breath labored. “Eddie? Were you serious about what you said in the meeting, about working with my company?”
“Mia, wait. We have to talk.” He pushed her back, forcing her to look at him, a sobering expression stealing her bliss from her face.
“Don’t.” She shook her head as if she knew what he was going to say. “Don’t do this.” She pulled away from him, reaching for her clothes when he pulled her back to him, holding her there.
“I only want to tell you, or ask you, rather, to please stop calling me Eddie.” A smile grew on his lips. “No one has called me that for a while now.”
Her mouth dropped open. “Oh, you!” Her playful slap on his chest relaxed him, and he tackled her to the seat beside him, pinning her down. Still breathless, she laughed. “I thought you were going to tell me this was all a mistake.”
“I know what you thought.” He shook his head as he gazed down at her. “This is not a mistake. Nothing has ever felt more right, Mia.” He wanted to tell her what was in his heart. He wanted to show her how much he truly cared for her, but he held back. There was a lot at stake, and he didn’t want to complicate things. “Come on.” He pulled himself up and helped her up, handing her a lacy white bra. “Very nice, by the way.”
She grabbed it before he could tease her anymore, and turned away to reconstruct her careful attire. He watched, taking in every move she made, every curve of her body and every lock of hair tossed over her shoulder.
“Shall we?” He motioned to the door.
She finished tucking her blouse in. “Do I look presentable?” She ran her fingers through her hair, trying to use the dark window as a mirror.
“For a freshly fucked woman, yes.”
Her eye roll was cute as hell, but she smacked his shoulder again. He opened the door and waited for her to exit the car, looking up at her perfectly heart-shaped ass when she stood up in the parking lot.
Yep, he thought. This woman is going to change my life forever.
Mia
Edward walked slightly behind her, his hand on the small of her back. Once they reached the front door of the building, he stopped and leaned toward her, kissing her like he had just walked her home from a first date.
“I hate to love and leave you, but I do have to get back to the office. I have a lot of paperwork to edit and a lot of promises to make good on.”
“That’s okay. I know how it is. You CEO guys are all too busy for us little people.” She smiled and looked down, finally happy with the possibilities in her life.
“I would like to see you again.”
“You would?” Her face beamed.
“Will you be available this evening? Dinner?”
“I would love that.”
“I’ll pick you up at seven, then.”
“I will be ready.”
He raised her hand and kissed it before turning away and walking back to the car. She watched him climb into the back, close the door, and watched the car pull away. She gasped, wondering if the driver had been in the car the whole time. She leaned forward, watching the tail lights light up and turn out of the parking lot before it disappeared.
With that on her mind, she went back inside and blindly walked back up to her office.
“Did you have a nice little after-meeting?”
“Steven!” She jumped and looked up. He leaned against her doorway, his head cocked, his arms folded and looking like he wanted to scold her. “I hope you weren’t waiting long. It’s a good thing I didn’t leave for the day.”
Mia loved the way Steven looked after her, but sometimes it was a little much.
“We have a lot at stake here, Mia. I am co
ncerned, that’s all.”
“Well, if you must know, Eddie—” She stopped herself and smiled at his childhood name. “Edward and I had a lot to talk about. We are back on a good, level playing ground, and things should go smoothly from here on out.”
Steven pursed his lips and looked down at her attire. “Good to know. As long as we keep things professional.”
“Of course. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“Our afternoon meeting with the lawyers has been moved up to four o’clock.”
“Thank you. I’ll be ready.”
“So, you two just talked, huh?”
“Yes.” She looked up at him with doe eyes. “Why?”
“No reason. Just asking.”
When he didn’t turn and leave right away, Mia shook her head at him. “What?”
“You might want to fix your blouse before the meeting.”
Mia jerked her head down and noticed the puckered material sticking out.
“Oh, my goodness. How did that happen?” She looked up to see an empty doorway and no Steven. Turning her back to the door, she moved fast to fix the hasty buttoning job, a smile creeping up from the inside.
The time couldn’t have moved any slower that day. Mia watched the clock obsessively.
“It’s finally quitting time.” Steven poked his head into her office. “You can stop looking at the clock.”
“Was I doing that? I barely noticed.”
“I think you can recite every minute you looked, but I don’t think you can tell me what you’ve accomplished today. What did the lawyers say in the meeting again?” He leaned against her desk as he sarcastically quizzed her.
“Okay, you got me.”
“Do I? Or does Edward Donovan?”
Mia knew what he was implying, but she didn’t reply.
“Have a good evening, Mia. I’ll see you in the morning.” He barely looked at her as he walked out.
She had no reason to feel guilty. She wasn’t doing anything wrong. “I don’t know why you always have to be right, Steven.” She closed her computer down, shut off her desk lamp and left her office, her mind on the night ahead.
