Unavoidable Heat [Men of Iron Horse 6] (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Morgan Fox

“Who was the kid on the sofa?”

  Janie’s eyes rounded and her jaw twitched with tension. “None of your damn business.”

  “I’m sorry,” he said, softening his voice. “I was just trying to make pleasant conversation.”

  Janie glanced out the window of the car, her protective nature was fierce. The young man looked too old to be a son, but the perfect age to be a younger sibling.

  “If I had to guess, I’d say he was your brother?”

  She slanted him with a hard look. “Why does it matter?”

  “Why can’t you just talk to me?”

  She sighed hard with frustration. “Yes, he’s my brother.”

  “He lives with you?”

  She didn’t seem pleased with his line of questioning. It wouldn’t be the first time he asked something that the recipient deflected. As an attorney, it was the nature of the beast. Hostile clients were his specialty.

  “Come on, Janie. I need you to at least pretend to like me.”

  “I don’t think I can,” she admitted.

  He laughed. “Your blatant honesty is refreshing.”

  She cringed a little. “I’m sorry. It’s just that we got started on the wrong foot, I think.”

  He nodded. “I kind of like the way we got started. I enjoyed getting to know you the way I did.”

  Janie scrunched up her nose. “You like being insulted and tormented?”

  “I like sex with a beautiful woman and sparring with a worthy opponent. You, Janie, offered me both.”

  It was her turn to laugh. “You think I’m a worthy opponent?”

  A smile teased his lips—a sensation he was growing fonder of when he was with Janie. “You have a beautiful smile,” he told her, his eyes lingering on her mouth.

  His heart revved as he caught the blush in her cheeks. He looked out the window as the car came to a stop and quickly opened the door to exit. He hadn’t meant to reveal so much honesty to her.

  He waved off the driver and helped Janie from the car. Taking her hand in his, he led her to the door. The boutique was still closed, but as they approached the front of the store, an attendant opened the door.

  “Good morning, Mr. Cadwell.”

  “Good morning,” he replied. “This is the young woman I told you about. She’ll need at last three evening dresses.”

  “Yes, sir.” The attendant looked at Janie. “If you’ll follow me.”

  Victor took a seat on the sofa outside the dressing area. He still had the newspaper he’d been pretending to read all morning. His mind had been too caught up in Janie to do more than stare at it. Opening it, he kept his gaze down, but every so often he peered up to see if he could catch a glimpse of her. The attendant had been good enough to select the changing room directly in front of him and when the curtain was closed, he could see shadows of Janie that teased his mind and aroused his cock.

  When she moved, the curtain would breathe and he glimpsed her long blonde hair and smooth, white flesh. He remembered just how soft she was as he’d held her in his arms the first time they were together. Touching and tasting her had done something to him, fevered his mind with thoughts that had never been there before. Seeing her again had rattled him, driven him nearly mad. After he’d had sex with her, he couldn’t erase her from his thoughts, and he’d even considered taking a trip back up to Iron Horse to tempt her once more—something he hadn’t done with another. But then she appeared in his office and he thought that fate was fucking with him.

  He was enjoying their power play, trading off who had the upper hand. Normally, he dominated. No one, even his co-workers, ever challenged him. Janie did from the start. Her sharp tongue and fearlessness attracted him like a moth to a flame. His eyes were glued to the small opening of the dressing curtain. He couldn’t get enough of her.

  Janie shoved open the curtain and faced him. She was wearing a black corset, black panties, and black thigh-high stockings. His cock throbbed.

  “If you wanted to watch, all you had to do was ask. It’s not like you have to worry about other patrons at 6:30 in the morning.”

  He smiled, realizing he’d been busted for ogling her. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t seem to help myself.”

  “I noticed.” She dug her hands into her hips. “Did you want to see the dresses on me?”

  Dressed? No. Naked? Yes. “I like the view I see already.” His breaths were shallow as he placed his newspaper down and moved toward her, closing the distance in a few strides. “Would you mind loosening the top of that corset and pulling your breasts up just a little more.”

  The closer he moved toward her, the more her glare intensified. “Why don’t you shrug out of that uptight suit and show me yours.”

  His brow arched and his head cocked to the side. “I’d gladly comply, if you were serious.” She pursed her lips tightly closed. “That’s what I thought.”

  She sighed, glancing downward and then back up at him. “These dresses are awfully expensive, Victor. I don’t think I—”

  “I’m buying them, so please do me a favor and stop worrying about the cost. You need them for work and that is that.” He turned around, closing the dressing curtain before returning to the sofa.

  His entire body was wrecked with desire. He was desperate to have her again. The rush of need was fiercer than it had ever been.

  Janie Tatum is going to be the death of me.

  Chapter Seven

  Each time a new dress was brought to Janie, she couldn’t help but smell the fabric. The scent was intoxicating, seductive—a scent she would never forget for as long as she lived.

  No wonder rich people never wore the same thing twice.

  She selected three out of the dozen or so dresses she tried on and put on her business suit again. When she stepped out of the dressing room, Victor was up at the register purchasing the items. The attendant kept the outfits on hangers and covered them in a fancy garment bag, zipping it up just before she handed it to Victor.

  He turned to face Janie. “Shall we go?”

  She nodded, smiling softly. When they got back to the car, she couldn’t help but share her appreciation. “Thank you for the beautiful dresses.”

  “You’re welcome,” he replied, handing the garment bag to the driver who took it and laid it in the trunk. “I’m glad we were able to get a few picked out for you so quickly.

  “That was quick,” she asked with a laugh, sliding into the car. “That felt like forever.”

  He joined her in the car. “I take it you don’t shop often.”

  Janie never shopped. It was a luxury she was unable to take advantage of. “I don’t shop in boutiques, that’s for sure. I go to…different stores.”

  “Well, whatever store you shop at seems to work for you. You look very nice.” He cleared his throat, shifting in his seat. “Would you like to grab a coffee before we get to the office?”

  “I thought you said that the office had outstanding coffee,” she reminded him.

  “It does,” he said, only asking about the coffee as a means to change the topic off of her and the way she looked. Talking about her clothing only made him want to strip her naked and kiss every inch of her silky skin.

  As it was, that was all he seemed to be thinking about. He needed a distraction—a new topic besides something that would have him focused on her body.

  “Have you always lived in Texas?”

  She nodded. “My folks moved here from Florida, but my brothers and I were all born here.”

  “What about you?” she asked him, grinning. “Did you grow up in Texas?”

  “California.”

  “Ah,” she moaned as if figuring something out. “It makes perfect sense.”

  “What does that mean?” He imagined it meant that she thought he came from money, but that was far from the truth of his past.

  Looks truly are deceiving.

  “I don’t know. I guess I just pictured you coming from a place like that.”

  “Care to be more specific?”


  “Big house. Fancy cars. Butlers even.” She shrugged. “Something like that.”

  “I see. So if I would’ve said the Bronx, you would’ve called—”

  “Bullshit,” she finished for him. “You don’t have a New Yorker accent at all, so I never would’ve believed that.”

  He knew what people thought of him. Shit, he’d worked hard to build up that false imagine. Telling people that he came from California was easy. Explaining to them that he’d grown up in one of the cities with the lowest average income was not. It was easier to let people assume they knew him.

  But still there was so much stirring inside him when it came to Janie. He wanted to know her, wanted to peel away the layers of her life. He was putting pieces together, but the puzzle was far from complete.

  “Your parents, what did they do for a living?”

  Janie smiled and then frowned as if remembering something upsetting. He couldn’t make out the reason why, but her expression only made him more curious. “If I had to guess, I’d assume your parents were both college educated. Your mother was in a field where attitude and strength mattered—a medical professional. And I’d bet money your father was an engineer.”

  She batted her lashes downward, a gentle smiling pulling at her lips. He liked it when she softened. He adored her feisty attitude, but to peek at the tender woman she hid beneath the layers of emotions was a welcomed delight.

  “That’s a pretty interesting talent you’ve got there,” she said, her gaze lifting to lock with his. “My mother was a nurse and my father was a college professor.” She paused. “Of Engineering.”

  He grinned.

  “How could you possibly have guessed that?”

  His grinned turned into a full-fledged smile. “I’m afraid you won’t be near as impressed when you discover that it was all part of the background check you did for the firm.”

  She gaped at him, then closed her mouth tight as if to block the grin he spotted. “I forgot about that. And you’re right. That’s not as impressive as thinking you had some kind of sixth sense.”

  “I have other talents,” he replied.

  She laughed. “Oh, we are so not going down that road again, are we?”

  “What road is that?”

  She scoffed, rolling her eyes as if knowing he was referring to things that lingered on a primal level. “Like you’re not referring to sex.”

  He kept his expression blank. “I’ll have you know that I’m an excellent cook. I can work on my own motorcycle and I don’t have a house keeper.”

  Her mouth formed a small O. “You own a motorcycle?”

  “I can actually ride it, too.”

  Her crooked grin had him wanting to kiss her. Again. He glanced out the window as the car pulled up to the office building. He pushed open the door before he did something stupid like lock the doors and ravage her right there on the seat.

  “Wow,” Janie said, slipping out of the car. “I never would’ve guessed you rode a motorcycle. Owning one is no big deal. Lots of collectors own bikes. Riding them…now that’s kind of hot, Victor. Maybe Iron Horse isn’t too far off the beaten path for you after all.”

  His brow arched high on his forehead as she winked at him, sliding past him to head inside the office building. Again he felt like he was confined in too close quarters with her. He stepped back, clearing his throat. He had to behave himself. They still had a few days left to work together and he had to try and keep things professional.

  For now.

  He joined Janie in the elevator. Just then, Dennis darted between the slow closing doors. “Glad I caught you,” he said, patting Victor on the shoulder. “Are you ready for the dinner meeting this evening. We need our boy at his best tonight.”

  He nodded. “If everything goes well, we should be able to add another client to our list.”

  “That would be stupendous,” Dennis cheered. “What a win for the firm that would be. A reason to celebrate that’s for sure.”

  “Well, don’t uncork the celebratory champagne just yet,” Victor told him. “I want the contract signed before we get ahead of ourselves.”

  “Right. Right,” Dennis conquered. “But you won’t let us down. You never do.”

  The doors opened and Dennis headed in the opposite direction that he and Janie did. He was quiet as they walked, but he could feel her inquisitive mind working. He slanted her with a quick look and she was eyeing him back.

  “What is it?” he asked, stepping into his office.

  “Why you? Is it because you’re the Managing Partner?”

  He furrowed his brow. “Why me what?”

  She dropped her purse on her desk and followed him into his office. “Why can’t Mr. Avery or Mr. Conner close the deal? Why are they depending so heavily on you?”

  He folded his arms and rested his ass on his desk. “I’m the Managing Partner,” he said matter-of-factly.

  “That can’t be all. Do they suck at speaking to clients?”

  He chuckled. “We should ask them.”

  “I’m serious. This is the second time in two days that I’ve heard him bring up the Hunt dinner to you.”

  He quirked a brow. “The second time?”

  She swallowed hard. “I may have over heard you talking to him in the conference room yesterday.”

  He closed the distance between them in a few strides. “What else did you hear?”

  “It’s not what I heard, but what I saw.”

  He stood so close to her now it would be effortless to kiss her. “What did you see?”

  Licking her lips and eyeing his mouth, she replied, “You were hiding from me.”

  “I was not.” His words were as soft as a whisper.

  She motioned to speak, but didn’t, closing her mouth and backing up. “I’m sorry. I must be mistaken.”

  She turned to leave, but he caught her arm. He groaned. “Damn it, you’re right. I was hiding.”

  She released a breathy laugh. “I would’ve, too, if I could’ve, but I think people would’ve noticed if I tried to work from under my desk.”

  He smiled. “You wanted to hide from me?”

  “Duh. That was the oddest moment in my life, walking in to discover that you were the person I was going to be working for. Especially when I had never expected to ever see you again.”

  “I was shocked,” he admitted. “And I’m afraid I didn’t handle things very well, either. I’m sorry about that.”

  He wasn’t sure why she did it, but she moved closer to him. “Vic…Mr. Cadwell, do you think we could start over again, without all the tension between us?”

  He held his breath for a moment, wanting so badly to touch her, kiss her. His fingers itched to reach out to her hand. The memory of her skin so vivid in his mind. “I’d like that, but only if you call me Victor.”

  Her cheeks filled with rosy color as she whispered, “Victor.” Then she gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. “Oh, God. I forgot the dresses in the trunk.”

  He dug his phone out of his pants and dialed the driver’s number. “Would you mind bringing up Ms. Tatum’s dresses?” He paused. “Thank you.”

  “He’s still here?”

  Victor nodded. “He’s our driver for the day. Which reminds me, feel free to take the car whenever you want to go grab yourself some lunch.”

  “What about you?”

  He turned back to his desk and sat down. “I have too much to do today and hadn’t planned on going out. If it’s not too much trouble, would you mind picking something up for me?” He dug into his pants pocket to grab his wallet and offered her his corporate card. “My treat, if you do.”

  She took the card, fanning herself with it. “Alright. Is there anything you normally like to eat for lunch?”

  God, he wanted to say her, but they had just started over. He had to keep his desires in check. “Surprise me. I have no food allergies and I like everything except liver and onions.”

  She curled her nose. “Eww.” />
  He laughed. “Glad we agree on that.”

  “My mother used to subject me to liver and onions on occasion. I went to bed hungry whenever she made it.” She swallowed hard. “I couldn’t get past the smell.”

  “I know exactly what you mean.”

  For a long moment they just stared at one another, as if seeing each other for the first time. Then she began backing up to leave. “Right. Okay. Great. If you need anything, let me know.” Before he could say a word, she closed the door.

  * * * *

  It was like fraternizing with the enemy.

  A gorgeous enemy who continues to tempt me with ideas of sex.

  Stop that!

  She sighed. I can’t help it.

  Janie groaned sitting down at her desk. All morning long, she couldn’t stop glancing up to look at Victor. Once or twice she caught him staring at her, but she did nothing more than avert her eyes and keep busy, pretending she wasn’t attracted to him.

  Damn, I’m so attracted to him.

  No you’re not.

  The argument taking place in her head was starting to become annoying. And harder to dismiss. In a short time, Victor had worked his way, not only into her pants, but into her mind. She couldn’t stop thinking about him, or the way his eyes fired with intent each time she meet his gaze.

  Blowing out a lungful of air, she tried her best to focus on the day ahead. She had a lot of work to do for him and she wasn’t about to let a little sexual distraction stop her from accomplishing all that needed to get done.

  When her stomach rumbled, she took notice of the time. All morning long, Victor remained in his office. He spent hours on the phone or meeting with associates. She assumed things were business as usual. Which suited her fine. But now she had to get them lunch and that meant she had to decide what to order and pray he liked her choices.

  Frowning, she wasn’t sure why it was important that she not disappointment him, but it was.

  Chinese food was usually a good choice, but she wasn’t sure if he preferred beef, chicken, or seafood. Deli sandwiches seemed too boring for a man who dressed the way he did. And a hamburger and fries didn’t appeal to her as much as if they went somewhere and ate it. Bringing food back would mean it would get colder. Hamburgers and fries needed to be eaten hot. Working at Iron Horse had taught her that much. That left Mexican and Italian food as their choices.