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

by Morgan Fox

  Janie was different from any other woman he’d spent time with, which hadn’t been much—needing to keep an emotional distance from people, especially women made sex the only connection. Until Janie. Most of the women he’d met had always had their hands out. Until Janie. She worked hard for every cent she earned and he respected that. He knew firsthand how hard it was to build a life. He just hadn’t had to worry about doing it with anyone else. Until Janie. Now, he wanted to know what messing up his perfect life would be like with Janie—the one person he couldn’t stop craving.

  She had quickly become an unavoidable obsession. Her uniqueness and strength had drawn him in. She fought him, resisted him at every turn, until she seemed to fall victim to the connection they shared. He was grateful she’d felt it, too.

  As he made his way into the kitchen, he spotted Janie sitting at his breakfast table. Wearing the button down shirt he’d wore to the office the day before, she had her feet kicked up on the table and was eating a bowl of fresh fruit. The sight of her had his cock stirring. He honestly didn’t think she knew just how attractive she was to him. Janie was breathtaking, the most beautiful woman he’d ever laid eyes on.

  She smiled at him, biting into a strawberry. The teasing gesture pulled directly from a porno he was sure he was living. Clearing his throat, he moved toward her.

  In addition to the fresh fruit, he noticed the bags of groceries on the counter. She’d gone to the store the night before and picked up some items for them. She planned to cook with him and live with him for the most part.

  His stomach fluttered with the knowledge that he’d fallen in love with her.

  “Good morning, stud,” she said, biting into her lower lip. “Want a bite?”

  As she offered him the strawberry, he trailed his fingers up her thigh and discovered she wasn’t wearing any panties. He groaned, tasting the fruit and feeling her wetness. He arched a brow as he pulled back.

  “You forgot to put something on?”

  She released a breathy laugh. “Um, no I didn’t. As I remember it, you tore them off me.” She teased her fingers over his tie, pulling him closer. “You own me a new pair.”

  He took her mouth in a slow, sensual kiss, licking the seam of her mouth to taste the strawberry. “I’ll buy you as many as you want.”

  She laughed. “I only need the one pair.”

  He stood, placing his finger under her chin so he could kiss her once more before stepping into the kitchen. “We’ll go shopping this weekend. Are you available Saturday?”

  “As a matter of fact, I am.”

  Victor grinned, pouring himself a cup of coffee. Thankfully she’d brewed a pot. She was spoiling him with the things she was doing for him. Grocery shopping, preparing meals together, brewing coffee without a timer, and making love to him every second they had together.

  She’s who I’ve secretly longed for.

  “What about tonight. Will I see you?”

  She rose to her full height and moved to wrap her arms around him. “I have to work, but like last night I’ll be over afterward.”

  His fingers worked at the hem of his shirt finding the smooth skin of her ass to squeeze. “I can’t wait.”

  With one final kiss, she pulled away. “If I remember correctly, Ruth has you scheduled for a few appointments this morning, so you better get going, before you’re late.”

  He frowned. “Are you sure you don’t want a permanent job at my firm.” He raised his hands as she started to object, and added, “You don’t have to work with me. Ruth is amazing. I was thinking more of an office manager role.”

  She smiled, pressing to her tiptoes to kiss him just before she patted him on the ass. “Go to work and be a good boy.”

  “What fun is that,” he asked, grabbing his briefcase and heading out the door.

  * * * *

  Office Manager?

  Was Victor serious? Did Janie really have it in her to manage an office? She was more than capable of assisting an executive, more than one as a matter of fact, and she could run circles around most people. She had an uncanny ability to organize, and the internal clock in her head always kept her ahead of office demands. Why hadn’t she ever considered moving into a higher end administrative position? Did they pay better?

  Victor had peeked her curiosity and she went to the bedroom to find her phone. She found her jeans slung over a chair and dug out her cell phone. Dialing her recruiter’s number, Janie hoped Deb would have some insight to share.

  “Janie, how are you?” Deb said the second the line connected.

  “I’m good. I was hoping you could help me with something.”

  “Name it.”

  “Do you think I could find an office manager job somewhere?”

  “Is that what you want? Most of those would be full-time needs though.”

  “I know. I think it might be time to see if I could make more than I do at bartending.”

  “Okay. Let me see what I’ve got that’s looking for a direct hire and I’ll get back to you. I know I’ve seen a few that would earn more than you have been.”

  A tumbling ball of excitement filled her belly. “Great. Let me know what you find. I’m working up at Iron Horse today, but I’ll keep my phone on me.”

  “Sounds good.”

  Smiling with a renewed hope, Janie got into the shower, and then dressed for her shift up at Iron Horse. She didn’t want to give up her job fully at Iron Horse, but a chance to earn real money sounded amazing. She’d worked her ass off for so long, it would be nice to get a break—something she hadn’t had for as long as she could remember.

  Things in Janie’s life were certainly changing and had she not bonded with Victor the way she had, she might still be in the runt of her life. But instead, she felt renewed and the sensation left her with a joy she hadn’t expected to feel. Welcoming the opportunity of a career that had financial benefits, health benefits, and a future was overdue.

  Glancing over the living space of Victor’s home, a place she recently spent more time at than anywhere, she realized just how much she loved being with him. Victor had offered her a new world of experiences and never once tried to change the person she was.

  With all that he owned, all the good fortune in his life, he hadn’t tried to buy her with it. She’d opened up to him about the struggles she’d faced and he hadn’t tried to fix it by throwing money at her. Instead, he embraced her and cared for who she was. That was all she’d ever wanted from another person.

  Yes, he had the means of making her life perfect. With one pen stroke in his checkbook he could eradicate all her worries. But that wasn’t want she wanted. His love was.

  She gasped. I’m in love with Victor.

  She smiled, realizing that somewhere along the way she’d fallen in love with a man she never would’ve given a second look at had her contract job not forced her into his world—a place she conquered on her own. She was more than capable of leading an office, managing people and making more money. She was also capable of loving a man like Victor.

  He might live above her means, but he wasn’t the type of man to rub it in her face. With her, he was genuine and caring. That was who she loved.

  All this time, she’d pictured people like him so caught up in money that they forgot how others lived, others who didn’t have the luxury of earning seven figures annually. She assumed he’d make fun of her simple apartment and paycheck to paycheck lifestyle. But he hadn’t. He only cared about her and had shown it time and again.

  The heavy beat of her heart, warned her that she was lost to him. The unavoidable connection was fate working its magic. Neither of them had professed their love for the other, but she more than saw it in his eyes and felt it in his kiss. Tonight she would be the first to share her most intimate feelings with him. Tonight she would confess just how much she loved him.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Janie rushed to her apartment to grab a change of clothing to have at Victor’s house. When she stepped inside,
she spotted a stack of folded laundry on the kitchen table that hadn’t been put away. She called out to Josh, but he didn’t answer. She was home alone.

  Blowing out a heavy sigh, she went into her room and filled her overnight bag, taking out the dirty clothing and replacing it with clean ones. Then she went to the kitchen table to help Josh with his laundry. She collected two piles of folded wash and dropped it off onto his bed. As she moved toward the door, she spotted what looked like a check. Curiosity got the better of her and she picked it up, unfolding it to see what it was.

  Her eyes darted over the signature on the check and the air was sucked from the room as she read Victor’s name. The amount on the check was for several thousand dollars. She heard the door to the apartment open and without further thought rushed from the room to confront Josh.

  “Hey sis,” he said plainly.

  “What the hell is this?” she barked, waving the check in Josh’s face.

  A fearful gleam lit his expression. “Janie,” he started.

  She looked at the date of the check. It had been written during the week she’d worked for him. Oh, God. He’d bribed her brother. Bile rose up at the back of her throat.

  I was wrong about Victor. He had tried to buy me.

  “Why did Victor give you this?”

  “He wanted to help,” Josh said softly. “I meant to put it in the bank.”

  Her mind filled with so many thoughts. None were good. She pictured him offering the check to her brother as a way to get closer to her. Victor must’ve known she’d never accept money from him directly and used her vulnerable brother. She hadn’t thought about it then, but perhaps the check she held was the reason Josh had stayed away from the apartment on the nights she’d gone out with Victor. He’d used his money to influence Josh.

  “That bastard,” she muttered, her heart crushing into a million pieces. “I can’t believe I trusted him. I should’ve known he was a liar.”

  “No, Janie. Let me explain.”

  “You took this from him. Why would you do that? Why would you let him do this to us?”

  “It’s not like that. I told him about our parents. I told him about how hard you work—”

  “So you let him take advantage of me…of you?”

  Josh shook his head, the blood leaving his face. “He wanted to help.”

  “No. He wanted to wave his fucking money in our faces and show just how better he is than you and I. I was an idiot to think he wanted me for me.” She ripped the check in half. “We don’t need shit from him or anyone else.”

  Josh gasped as she tossed the pieces of the check into the air. “What the hell, Janie?”

  She shoved passed him, leaving her overnight bag on the table. It wasn’t like she would ever need it again. At least not with Victor Cadwell.

  Twenty minutes later, Janie was still sitting on her motorcycle. She’d at least had enough sense to turn it off, but she hadn’t bothered to take her helmet off. The tears that streamed down her face were best hidden that way.

  The memory of that check had destroyed her and all she could think about was what a fool she’d been to trust him. How could I have been so stupid? How could I have fallen in love with him?

  “Are you going to go inside or try to bartend from your motorcycle?” Sam asked, coming into view.

  Janie blinked a dozen times, hoping to wash away the evidence of her sadness. “N–no,” she stammered. “I was just about to come in.”

  Sam looked at her as if seeing right through her. “Are you all right?”

  “Yes,” she lied. “I’m great.”

  The crooked smirk on Sam’s face said she knew otherwise. “Take your helmet off,” she said, her voice expressing that it was more a demand than a request.

  With a deep breath, Janie took off her helmet.

  Sam frowned sympathetically. “I can see how great you are.” She popped the helmet onto the back rest. “Now tell me the truth.”

  Admitting that she’d been naive to think Victor truly wanted her made opening up about her sorrows difficult. She’d been played a fool and no one ever wanted to admit that. But Sam had a way of making a person talk even when they didn’t want to. She was hard edged, but fair, and understanding.

  “Victor gave my brother money,” she muttered.

  “The lawyer dude?”

  Janie nodded.

  “How much money are we talking?”

  She shifted her gaze to meet Sam’s. “Thousands of dollars. Enough to pay his tuition.”

  “Do you think he was just trying to—”

  “He paid me an advance so I could pay Josh’s tuition. He already knew I had done it. The money he gave Josh was extra.”

  Sam folded her arms over her chest. “Why does this bother you so much?”

  Because I’m in love with him now and he let me believe he wasn’t trying to buy me with his money.

  “Are you worried that his feelings for you aren’t genuine?”

  She stiffened her chin. “What if all he ever wanted from me was sex and he got it by paying my brother to leave my apartment? What if all he ever wanted was to use his money to get what he wanted? What if he never really wanted me at all? What if I was only a fool to think he really cared about me?”

  What if I’m not good enough for a man like him?

  * * * *

  Victor had been impatiently watching the clock for hours. She wasn’t working until close tonight, he knew that much, but she still hadn’t shown up at his place. He wasn’t normally a worrisome person, but the fact that she hadn’t called or arrived concerned him. He picked up his phone and dialed her number, but she didn’t answer. Something strange churned in his gut and he didn’t like the sensations rummaging around inside of him.

  He grabbed his keys off the counter and headed for the door. As he flung it open, he came face to face with Janie. A flood of relief hit him.

  “I was just coming to find you,” he said, smiling.

  “Sorry. I wasn’t even sure I—” She glanced away. Her abrupt swing in behavior caught him off guard.

  “Is everything all right?”

  She locked eyes with him, anger firing in her expression. “Why wouldn’t it be? You paid my brother six thousand dollars to free up my apartment so you could have a second booty pad, right?”

  Victor’s mouth dropped and then slammed shut. What the hell was she talking about? Then he remembered the tuition check he’d given her brother Josh more than a month ago. “Wait a second. I didn’t offer your brother money to free up your apartment. Is that what he told you?”

  “That’s just it. He didn’t tell me anything. I found the check.” She shook her head. “You really are a piece of work, you know that?”

  “Janie, I don’t know what you think I did, but I didn’t give him money—”

  “I don’t want to hear your lies. In fact, it’s best that you don’t talk to me at all. I only came to get my stuff and to tell you that the charade is up.”

  He shook, but managed to move to the side to let her in and closed the door behind her.

  “I’m not staying,” she told him from over her shoulder as she went in search of her belongings.

  “You’re not even going to hear me out?” He was desperate. He knew offering her money was not a solution to help her. But he hadn’t realized that helping Josh unload some of the burden on her would’ve been. Damn, he was really stupid for a smart man.

  She returned carrying a toothbrush and a few other things she had balled up in her arms. She closed in on him, aiming for the front door. He wouldn’t move.

  “I’m sorry, I hurt you Janie. Please don’t go,” he muttered, his heart pounding hard. “This is all a misunderstanding.”

  “So you didn’t give my brother money?”

  He couldn’t lie. “I did, but—”

  “Then we’re done,” she said, cutting him off. “Now get out of my way.”

  When he didn’t move fast enough, she shouldered her way around him and
out the door. He chased after her, crowding in on her as she shoved her belongings into the saddle bag of her motorcycle.

  “Please, Janie,” he begged.

  “Stop. Stop trying to confuse me.” She glared at him. “You got what you wanted from me. I fucked you. I worked for you. I become what you wanted me to be. But it was a lie. None of it was real. I can’t believe I was so stupid to think that you’d understand me. That you’d get just how hard I fought to get where I am. That someone like you—entitled, would ever understand what it was like to scrap by. To know the value of hard work and sacrifice.”

  “You don’t know me at all then, if that’s what you think.”

  She pulled her helmet over her head, her eyes watering with her pain. “No I don’t and it’s best it stays that way. I might actually hate you even more than I do right now.”

  He couldn’t speak. All the negotiating and deliberating he’d done in his career and he couldn’t find the words to beg her to stay. Nor could he admit the truth of his shameful past. Instead of telling her why he’d given Josh money, he’d hoped she’d see how much he cared about her. That he only wanted to help. But she hadn’t, she’d seen the snobby side of him—the side of him that he wouldn’t be ashamed of. He worked hard to build the life he had, climbing out of a pile of shit to achieve. Fuck her for not seeing past everything to the heart of him.

  If she thought he’d betrayed her, then what the hell had she just done to him.

  * * * *

  “Good morning,” Ruth said to Victor, stepping into his office to deliver a stack of folders and his morning coffee.

  He hadn’t even bothered to raise his gaze to meet hers as he said, “Just leave it. I’ll get to it later.”

  “Well, aren’t you a ray of sunshine today? Who went and pissed in your cereal?”

  He huffed out an annoyed breath. “I’ve got a busy day ahead of me, Ruth, and I’m not in the mood for anything else.”