by Leanne Banks
He brooded over that for several seconds. God knows, he’d made a lot of poor choices. Who was he to hold this against her?
She stood and folded her hands in front of her. “I understand if you want me to leave.”
His gut dipped at the prospect. “I didn’t say that.” He still didn’t like that she’d deceived him. Part of the reason he had married her was he believed she was incapable of deceit. He’d obviously been wrong. A bitter taste filled his mouth. He hadn’t been pure. Why should he expect anything in his life to be pure?
He downed another shot of scotch. “You take my bed for tonight. We’ll discuss this in the morning.”
She met his gaze and turned away. “Yeah, like I’m going to be able to sleep,” she whispered and walked out of the room.
Calista stared up at the ceiling of Leo’s bedroom with the covers wrapped tightly over her chest. This had been a disaster. He was bound to throw her out in the morning. Could she really blame him? He’d held off having sex with her because he thought she was a virgin and she’d let him think it.
She could kiss her sisters’ future goodbye. She’d obviously mismanaged her charade. Calista wondered what she would do next. Would Leo annul their marriage? She couldn’t believe he would give her a penny now. How horrid of a person was she to be thinking about money at this point?
She didn’t want to think deeper than money, though. She didn’t want to think about whether she’d disappointed him. Or hurt him? Heavens, that had to be a stretch. The man was the personification of deceit. How could she even reach him, let alone hurt him?
Calista closed her eyes and counted backward from a thousand then counted backward again. Sometime during that second thousand, she drifted off.
In her sleeping but dreamless state, she felt the warmth of another body. A strong arm curved around her and drew her closer.
Her heartbeat accelerated. She rose to the surface of her sleep, and a hand slid over her hair, stroking. The touch soothed her and she drifted down again. When had someone stroked her hair? How long had it been? So long she couldn’t remember…. She snuggled against the body that held her and sighed.
Minutes or hours later, she rolled over, encountering a hard chest and strong shoulders. Instinctively, she curled herself around the man and nuzzled her face against his throat.
“Calista,” he said.
“Yes,” she whispered, taking in the scent of him. She dipped her lips over his skin and darted her tongue out to taste him.
He sucked in a sharp breath and swore.
Feeling herself rise toward consciousness, she tasted him again, savoring the salt of his skin.
He gave her a gentle shake and she opened her eyes, encountering his dark gaze.
“Do you know what the hell you’re doing?” he demanded.
“Do you want me to stop?” she whispered, her heart beating in her head, arousal surging inside her.
“Hell, no,” he said and drew her mouth to his.
He kissed her and caressed and slid his fingers to her secret places, taking her to a different place. She wanted him inside her, craved his fullness expanding her, but he waited, taking her higher and higher.
She felt the tension inside her grow tighter and tighter. She didn’t know if she could stand it.
“Give it to me, Calista. Give it to me,” he coaxed, his fingers working their magic on her.
“Leo,” she said, and suddenly she felt herself flung upward out of the stratosphere. Her climax twisted through her in fits and starts. She clung to him and he finally thrust inside her.
She moaned, feeling herself clench around him.
He groaned in response and thrust.
She arched against him, wanting to milk his response from him, needing every drop of his passion. He gave it and more.
Leo awakened the next morning with his bride in his arms. He felt a combination of cynicism and possession. He felt as if he’d been fooled. On the other hand, he felt as if he had gained a prize. Although she seemed innocent, he knew better. She’d come apart in his arms. Yet, even she had seemed surprised by the depth of her pleasure. That had given him enormous satisfaction. Knowing that he had taken her to new heights filled him with gratification.
Her blond hair was tousled over her eyes, her cheeks pink, her dark eyelashes fans against her fair skin. He suspected she didn’t trust easily, yet she’d trusted him in marriage and in bed. That had to count for something.
As if she felt him thinking, she fluttered her eyes open. Her green eyes stared into his. She inhaled deeply and buried her head against his chest. “Good morning,” she said.
He couldn’t resist a surge of pleasure at the sensation of her voluptuous body rubbing against his. “Good morning,” he murmured and exulted in her breasts against his skin, her naked thighs sliding through his.
She pressed her ear against his chest. “I can hear your heart,” she whispered. “I can feel it.”
There had been so many times when he’d been sure he didn’t have a heart. He closed his eyes for just a second to drink in her essence then he used his chin to nudge her chin upward.
Her eyes met his, wariness warring with something he couldn’t read. “Don’t lie to me again,” he said. “Don’t mislead me. Don’t shade the truth. Don’t cheat on me. Do you understand?”
She gave a slow, solemn nod. “Yes.”
“I’m glad we understand each other,” he said and took her mouth and pulled her against him, determined to take her again.
After a night spent in Leo’s bed, Calista awakened alone, feeling sore in secret places. She’d suspected Leo would have a strong sexual appetite, but she hadn’t expected him to be quite so ravenous. And she hadn’t expected he would make her so hot that during those private, primal moments she almost forgot who he was. She had the sinking feeling that she had gotten in way over her head. Grasping for something to quell her panic, she mentally flipped a page on the calendar. Technically, now that one night had passed, she had less than six months to go until she had completed her mission.
She rose from the bed and took a shower, allowing the warm water to soothe muscles unaccustomed to such a strenuous, intimate workout. Drying off, she wrapped her hair in a towel, pulled on a too-large terry cloth robe and walked back into the bedroom.
The scent of bacon and waffles drifted toward her. She glanced at the balcony and spotted Leo sitting in a chair with his legs propped up while he read a newspaper. He wore a pair of jeans and an unbuttoned shirt that revealed his muscular chest. Her heart skipped a beat. She knew exactly how that chest felt against her naked breasts.
As if he’d heard her thoughts, he glanced up and met her gaze. “Good morning. Breakfast is waiting. I don’t know what you like, so I told the cook to fix a little bit of everything.” He lifted the large silver cover off the tray to reveal a feast of breakfast food.
“Good grief, that would feed a small foreign country,” she said, her mouth watering at the sight of the fresh strawberries, blueberries and pineapple, along with the rest of the meal.
“What do you like?” he asked.
“Everything,” she said, sitting down beside him. “I usually grab a quick bite or drink a breakfast shake before I walk out the door, so this is a splurge.”
His gaze hovered on her. “No need to worry. You burned some calories last night.”
She felt her cheeks heat. “So I did,” she murmured and took a bite of waffle.
“Good?” he asked.
She nodded. “Delicious. Thank you. Don’t you want anything?”
He lifted his cup of coffee to his lips. “I’ve already eaten.”
After breakfast, she got dressed and Leo took her out on his smaller boat. It was a warm, sunny day and she enjoyed the sights and sounds of the lake. He put down anchor in a private cove and she served the picnic the cook had packed for them, although she was still stuffed from breakfast.
In different circumstances, she would have been in heaven—married to a man who could take c
are of her and her family. A gorgeous, intelligent man full of passion with a sense of humor. She knew, however, that she didn’t love him and he didn’t love her.
“I need to take a trip to Japan in two weeks,” he said. “I want you to go with me.”
She mentally flipped through her work schedule. “That’s short notice, but I’ll check the company calendar.”
“I’ll be wanting you to join me on most of my trips,” he said. “You may need to think about quitting your job.”
She blinked at his suggestion and shook her head. “I couldn’t do that. I work for a fabulous company with excellent benefits. I would be a fool to give it up.”
“It’s silly for you to worry about benefits now that you’re married to me. You’ll be covered under my insurance and I can give you an allowance twice your salary,” he said.
Her throat tightened because she knew their marriage wasn’t forever. If she gave up her job, she would be throwing away her future security. “There’s no need to rush, and my company may be flexible. I would feel like a slacker if I didn’t work at all.”
“That’s a first,” Leo said with a crack of amusement in his voice. “I haven’t met a woman yet who wasn’t ready to dump her job for a life of leisure.”
“Maybe that’s part of the reason you married me and not the others,” she said, lifting her chin.
“I doubt it,” he said and pulled her against him. “But I’ll give you a little time to work things out with your employer. Just remember your first allegiance is to your husband,” he said and took her mouth with his. “Always.”
Calista felt a shiver of forewarning. It had been hard enough for her to hatch the plan of meeting and marrying Leo. He was such a strong man, inside and out, she wondered what she would be like after six months with him.
Two weeks later, Leo and Calista flew to Japan. Calista was still worried that she’d put her job in danger by insisting on taking the trip. Leo found her concern both irritating and sweet. She still didn’t seem to comprehend how wealthy he was and that his wife would never want for anything.
Her brow furrowed as she studied her work assignments on her laptop.
Leo stroked that furrow with his index finger, startling her with his touch. “What—”
“You should relax. This is a long flight,” he said. “I’m the one who has to be ready with facts and figures. You just need to look beautiful and act charming.”
“Not quite. My boss expects me to have this assignment completed within three days. I’m sure jet lag will hit me before I know it, so I need to get it done while I have the energy.”
“I don’t know why you’re fighting it. You may as well go ahead and quit,” he said, turning back to his own preparations.
“I don’t want to quit. I like my job. It gives me a feeling of accomplishment,” she said. “I just need to learn how to juggle everything. I’ll get there.”
“We’ll see,” he said, shooting her a skeptical glance. “In a few weeks, we’re going to India.”
“India?” she echoed. “How in the world can I get off for two major trips within such a short time?”
“Exactly. Quit and I’ll triple your salary,” he said with a grin.
Not amused, Calista frowned. “It’s not that easy.”
“What’s so difficult? I can cover all your expenses and more.”
She hesitated a long moment. “I have some responsibilities with my sisters.”
“I thought your cousin covered their expenses.”
“They do as much as they can, but Tami has asthma and college is roaring toward us like a freight train.”
“So tell my accountant what you need and he’ll write a check. Money should be the last thing you’re worried about. Instead, I’d rather you be prepared to meet my business associate and his family. My assistant completed a report for you,” he said and handed a folder to her.
She lifted her eyebrows. “A report? I’ve been schooled in proper etiquette for at least a dozen countries.”
“I know you have. One of your many valuable qualities,” he said. “What you need to know is that you’re not only meeting Mr. Kihoto and his wife, you may also meet his mistress, Shonana,” he said.
“Mistress?” she echoed. “Surely he wouldn’t flaunt that relationship with business associates.”
“It depends on whether we go out to a nightclub,” Leo said.
Indignant, she flipped through the report. “How am I supposed to pretend to his poor wife that her husband isn’t a cheating jerk? Look, they have children,” she said, pointing to the report, clearly appalled. “She’s probably trapped in this marriage with an ogre.”
Amused by her reaction, he bit back a smile. “I’m sure she knows and accepts it,” Leo said. “It’s not unusual for a wealthy man to have a mistress.”
She pressed her lips together in disapproval. “What’s your opinion of it?” she asked.
“What he does in his personal life isn’t my business,” Leo said. “I just want to get the contract.”
Silence followed and he glanced at her, finding her gazing at him thoughtfully. “Yes?” he asked.
“What is your opinion of taking a mistress for yourself?” she asked.
He laughed. “I have a beautiful, passionate wife. Why would I need a mistress?” he asked. “You’re not worried, are you?”
She lifted her chin. “Of course not,” she said and returned her attention to her report.
He noticed she fanned through the pages very quickly and wondered if she was truly taking in all the information. She set down the report and returned her focus to her laptop.
“What is Mr. Kihoto’s age?” he asked.
“Fifty-three,” she said without looking up from her screen.
“His wife?”
“Forty-five,” she said.
“How long has he been CEO?”
“Twelve years. They have two children. A son and daughter. The son is oldest. He works for his father’s company. He’s married with a mistress too,” she said, narrowing her eyes in disapproval. “His daughter is studying to be a doctor. No husband. No wonder,” she muttered.
“Why do you say no wonder?” he asked, curious.
“With a father and brother who rule the roost and run around, she probably would run screaming from marriage,” Calista said. “Take control of your own life instead of giving it to a man.”
Surprised by her reaction, he studied her carefully. “Is that why you don’t want to quit your job?”
She hesitated a half beat, looking cornered and caught before she regained her composure. “From a personal standpoint, I gain satisfaction and confidence from completing my assignments with my job. Bringing that confidence into my relationship with you is a good thing. Plus, it’s not as if we have children—”
Leo’s stomach twisted at the mention of children. “And we won’t have them, at least not for a long time, if at all.”
She nodded. “I agree.” She gave the report a little shake and shot him a considering glance. “It occurs to me that I know more about Mr. Kihoto, in some ways, than I know about you.”
“Hmm. Really?”
“Well, aside from what happened before you were hatched at sixteen,” she said.
“Life inside the egg was pretty boring,” he said.
“I’m sure. But I know Mr. Kihoto’s favorite food, favorite drink, favorite movie, and I don’t know yours.”
“Favorite food, lasagna. I had it a long time ago and I keep trying to find a restaurant that replicates the taste, but I haven’t,” he said. “Scotch or beer to drink, depending on my mood. Favorite movie, a tie between Transporter and The Shawshank Redemption.”
She tilted her head to one side thoughtfully. “What did you like about Shawshank?”
“They were trapped, imprisoned, some were innocent. Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins had to find their way to freedom,” he said, thinking back to the days before he took his freedom into his own hands. It had requi
red careful planning. He’d had to stick to his plan even when he was sweating with terror.
“You ever felt trapped?” she asked.
She had no idea. “Well, life inside an egg is bound to get claustrophobic,” he said with a wry grin, pushing aside his darker memories. He was determined to leave his past in the past.
She nodded. “I guess we all have, at some point,” she said and looked away.
He watched her, seeing another glimpse of the struggle between desperation and confidence. “When did you feel trapped?”
She bit her lip. “Mostly teenage years. A few times since then.”
After her father’s debacle, he realized. He wondered how much she knew about it. “What made you feel that way?”
“Family things,” she said. “My father died and then my mother. My world turned upside down.”
“You don’t talk about your parents much,” he said.
“Just as you don’t discuss your time in the egg,” she said, pushing back, clearly closing the door in his face. He didn’t know why that bothered him, but it did.
“And now?”
“Now I try to depend on myself for my security,” she said.
“Ah,” he said, feeling another dig in his gut. He didn’t like it that she didn’t feel she could count on him, but he also understood it. Even though they were married, they didn’t know each other very well. “Your job makes you feel more secure. In that case, keep it. Just negotiate more time away from the office.”
She let out a sigh of relief, but he could swear she didn’t want him to see it. One second later, her face brightened with a smile. “Favorite board game?” she asked.
“I haven’t played board games in years,” he said.
“Think back,” she said.
He shook his head and strained his memory. “I don’t remember much about it. This game had aircraft carriers and submarines and there was a grid and you had to guess the location of your opponent’s ships—”
“Battleship,” she said with a triumphant smile. “Bet you loved it.”
“And what about you?” he asked. “What was your favorite?”
“In my younger years, it was Candy Land and Hungry Hippos,” she said.
