Insatiable

by Adriana Hunter

  Insatiable

  Adriana Hunter

  He wants her. Who ever she is, whatever it takes…

  When beautifully curvy Ava Peters shows up at a charity gala, billionaire Jonas Marks sees only one thing, a woman he must have in his bed by nightfall.

  Ava refuses to be claimed by anyone, much less the arrogant Jonas. He may be wealthy, powerful and dangerously handsome, but the man also destroyed her family.

  Jonas soon learns that the sassy Ava isn't his ordinary conquest. It doesn’t matter, he’ll ultimately have his way. After all, he usually does…

  eBooks are not transferable. They cannot be sold, shared or given away as it is an infringement of the copyright of this work.

  INSATIABLE

  Bad Boys Series

  Copyright © 2014 ADRIANA HUNTER

  Cover art by Amanda Kelsey

  Edited by Trinity Scott

  ISBN: 978-1-936387-75-5

  All Romance eBooks, LLC Palm Harbor, Florida 34684 www.allromanceebooks.com

  This is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or business establishments, events, or locales is coincidental.

  All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever with out written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  First All Romance eBooks publication: May 2014

  Insatiable

  He wanted her.

  Whoever she was, whatever it took, Jonas Marks knew he would ultimately have his way. He always did.

  The woman was dressed in a calf-length, black-sheathed dress, with its broad straps crisscrossing over her delicate, tanned shoulders. She filled out the dress perfectly, her ample curves hugging the thin fabric, revealing a full figure, soft and sexy. Jonas drew in a sharp breath of sexually charged awareness as he eyed the voluptuous beauty who stood in the middle of the room, unaware of the effect she was having on a complete stranger. Her generous bust seemed to strain heavily against the bodice, with its heart-shaped cut, and revealed a delicious deep shadow of cleavage. She had to be at least a 40D, Jonas’s well-trained eye quickly decided—and her five-foot-four frame served to emphasize every curve. He took his time, trailing his eyes from the very top of her top-knotted silky hair to her heeled feet, and he decided that he simply hadn’t seen anything so alluring, so utterly desirable, in a very, very long time.

  “Who is she?” he asked, cutting through the words of his assistant, who was standing next to him.

  His assistant, the long-suffering Carly, followed the line of his gaze and instantly narrowed her eyes in recognition.

  “That would be Ava Peters. And if she’s captured your attention I’m sorry to say that you’re going to be very disappointed, Jonas.”

  ****

  Carly couldn’t help the trace of satisfaction that dripped from her reply. She knew her boss all too well. Nearly a decade of being at his service had given her a unique perspective on the spoiled billionaire and she instantly recognized the intense look in his eye. He was on the prowl. Sure, it was unusual for him to set his sights on any one particular woman these days, but when she saw that dark, purposeful glint in his eye, she knew exactly what it meant. She also knew that he’d stop at nothing until he had her.

  Jonas Marks was known as the “Bust-up Billionaire” by many in his business circles because of the way he’d made his fortunes on the backs of ruthlessly leveraged take-overs—turning a thriving family business into an absolute goldmine. Now, at age thirty-four, he was running a billion-dollar business empire left to him by his father. In the ten years since then, Jonas Marks had become a billionaire several times over—and he didn’t seem ready to slow down any time soon. Young and hungry, he refused to take no for an answer, both in business and in bed.

  As if money and power wasn’t enough, he was also blessed with incredibly good looks. His face had graced countless magazine covers, both in the field of business and of pop culture, and to many he was nothing short of a local celebrity. People were intrigued by his corporate savvy and his charm, while colleagues were content to watch from the sidelines as ultimately everything he touched turned to gold.

  Carly carefully analyzed the target of his interest, and had to admit she was certainly a voluptuous beauty although hardly what she would consider his “usual” type. And yet despite it all she could see where the appeal lay. Ava Peters appeared to be a very confident woman, at ease with those around her. Her poise was evident in every inch of her carriage and her striking features immediately stood out despite the crowd. Tonight, her dark hair was swept up, leaving her shoulders bare. As both Jonas and Carly looked on, Ava stood in her group and talked and laughed, oblivious of the scrutiny from across the room.

  “Her name is Ava Peters? Why does that sound familiar?” Jonas mused openly.

  Carly turned to face him. “Well, perhaps because you were responsible for taking over her father’s company,” she replied, bluntly.

  “Why do you seem so pleased about this?” he asked, his tone dropping. He hadn’t torn his gaze from Ava, watching as she accepted the offer of a dance from a bespectacled, burly looking man whose suit hung on his beefy frame awkwardly. Jonas scowled when the man drew her closer into his huge arms. She seemed uncomfortable, though she smiled with forced brightness and Jonas saw a grimace cross her face and he figured Mr. Hulk had trod on her.

  “Here,” he growled, handing Carly his glass.

  “What are you doing?” she asked through gritted teeth, watching him stride purposefully away. Carly sighed impatiently. While she was consigned to keeping Jonas away from trouble whenever she could, one thing was certain, she wasn’t sure just how successful she’d be at keeping him away from Ava Peters.

  ****

  Ava wasn’t even sure why she was here. She absolutely hated these sorts of events and after her family’s near financial ruin she hadn’t been much of a social butterfly. But her brother had insisted she show her face at this fundraising gala, for the same reason she had wished to avoid it—to show that the Peters family was still part of society. Ever since her father had lost his beloved company a year ago, he’d withdrawn on a much-needed vacation to South America, and now she and her brother had been left to pick up the pieces. It had been an uncomfortable situation to live down, but here she was, being social—and getting her feet smashed in the process.

  She tried not to grimace as her dance partner stepped on her toes—again. Kirk was a beef of a man, and while a very nice guy, he couldn’t dance to save his life. However, he was a big-shot financial advisor with all the right contacts—contacts Ava was dearly in need of. But befriending him was getting to be too much of a risk to her wellbeing, she discovered, feeling crushed too strongly against his massive frame. He was taking too much advantage of the slow, swaying music to practically squelch her against him, and she gritted her teeth. If only her brother Jeffrey could take her position right now. Where the hell was he anyway, she fumed, her eyes scanning the crowded room.

  “May I cut in?”

  Ava paused at the sound of that voice. It was deep, clipped and very refined. A James Bond kind of voice—take-charge mixed with a little bit of black silk smoothness. She looked up quickly and found herself struggling to breath. He was absolutely gorgeous and he was smiling directly at her, his hunky quality further magnified by that sexy tilt of his lips. His aquamarine eyes were startling and finely chiseled planes and edges defined his face. He was at least six feet tall and dressed impeccably in a dark jacket that looked like it was molded to his athletically built frame. Ava blinked, unable to register much except “holy shit, he’s absolutely gorgeous.”

  “Sorry, pal, maybe another time,” Kirk replied with a cool smile,
looking over his shoulder at the dark-haired man behind him.

  “Oh, I insist,” the newcomer drawled. “Because someone needs to spare the lady years of physiotherapy before you crush what’s left of her feet.”

  Ava choked down the giggle that threatened to burst from her lips at Kirk’s furious expression.

  “Now look here…” blustered Kirk, but Ava chose that moment to slip out of his arms.

  “I’d be honored to dance with you,” she murmured, meeting the triumphant gaze of her “rescuer”. She saw Kirk’s face turn red, before he stalked off angrily. Well, there goes my hope of ever getting help from Kirk’s firm, she realized—and decided she didn’t feel even a twinge of regret. Her brother Jeffrey would have to do his own dirty work and make his own contacts. Besides, it was all worth being able to glide into the arms of the best-looking man in the room. She looked up at him as they drew closer, the proximity necessary due to the tight squeeze on the ballroom dance floor. It took a few moments for her to realize he was a great dancer, as he moved smoothly, while keeping her in a dangerously intimate embrace. She could feel every outline of his powerfully built frame, her own soft body reacting in ways she couldn’t remember it doing in a long time. Kirk had held her just as closely and she hadn’t felt this breath-stealing sensation, like she was running short on oxygen supply. She felt his fingers dip into the flesh of her curvy waist, seemingly searing through the fabric. Her hand on his shoulder itched to dig deeper, savor the play of muscles that hinted from beneath his tailored jacket.

  “Thank you,” she finally said, hoping her voice didn’t sound as breathless as she felt. Up close, he was almost painfully good-looking, every feature appearing to have been carved by loving hands. There was something familiar about him, and she wondered why that was. She was certain that she wouldn’t have forgotten if they’d ever met before. This wasn’t the kind of man that could ever slip from memory, she felt.

  “Trust me, it’s my pleasure,” he replied in a skin-tingling voice. He could tell her anything in that voice, and Ava had the funny feeling she’d instantly obey.

  For goodness sake, girl! Ava told herself with hidden annoyance. He might be the most handsome face you’ve seen in a long time, and he’s certainly packing a lot of appeal—but you need to keep your feminine urges in check. Whoever this guy is, he’s probably way out of reach, totally out of your league in many ways. Everything about him seemed to exude power, magnetism, and an almost predatory undertone, which warned her to instinctively be on her guard.

  Easier said than done.

  “Do we know each other?” she asked lightly, eyes scanning his gorgeous face for any clues. He seemed to look thoughtful for a moment.

  “You’re not a woman I’d let slip from memory easily,” he murmured, and she shivered to feel his eyes rake swiftly over her. “So, no, I’m sure we don’t.”

  “Maybe on TV, then,” she added teasingly. “You certainly have the face for it.”

  He chuckled, eyes narrowing even further in intent as he looked at her. “I’m not sure whether that’s a compliment or not.”

  Oh, it’s certainly a compliment, Ava thought, her heart beginning to pound. With every look, and even with the slight pressure in his touch as he guided her in the slow, swaying waltz, she could tell he was going in for the kill. The problem was, Ava had a crazy feeling she was going to be very, very easy game…

  “It would be nice to at least know the name of my dance partner, and the man responsible for rescuing my toes from bruising,” she purred, surprised at her audacity.

  Here she was, flirting with a total stranger…and yet, a man thrilling enough, gorgeous enough, to make her forget every one of her personal principles—a man dashing enough to make her kick her good-girl image right out of the window. She wanted to leave. Right then. Just grab his hand and run off to somewhere they could be alone, all alone—and she could do with him all the unspeakable things her mind was telling her body to do…

  “My name is Jonas. Jonas Marks.”

  Ava paused, his words sinking in like lead. And in moments, her wild, wanton attraction to him was checked, shattered, before finally shriveling to nothing as she went to ice in his arms.

  “Jonas Marks?” she breathed, eyes flashing with anger and disbelief.

  “Yes,” he said calmly.

  Ava gasped, arching away from him in distaste and anger. “Jonas. I should have recognized you for a snake the moment I saw you.”

  “It was business, nothing personal.” Jonas replied. “Just like how you found yourself dancing with Kirk. Was that not purely a business strategy? Whatever you think he can offer you, I can provide tenfold. I destroy men like him every day, Ava.”

  “Just like you destroyed my father?” she asked through thin lips. “You bastard. Well let me tell you this: the day I ever give in to a man like you will be the day I dishonor my family and all it stands for. And that’s something that’s never going to happen.”

  “My affairs with your father have nothing to do with you and I,” he growled.

  “There is no ‘you and I’, Mr. Marks,” she bit out clearly, finally able to wrench herself from him. “I hope I never have to lay eyes on you again.”

  ****

  “That didn’t go over so well.”

  Jonas frowned. He could hear the smugness in Carly’s tone but didn’t look her way. Instead he kept his narrowed gaze on the disappearing figure of Ava Peters.

  “Clearly,” he replied at last, his tone wry.

  “You’ll forget her, of course?”

  “Not a chance,” he replied, as he watched Ava exit the ballroom, his last glimpse of her being the gorgeous swaying roundness of her curvy bottom. He felt the beast in him rise to the surface. The pleasure of holding her soft, curvy body close in his arms had him wanting her more than ever. In fact, at this point he was ready to do whatever it took to get the luscious Ava in his clutches—and in his bed.

  He faced his assistant at last, his eyes gleaming with intent. “I just have to make her an offer she can’t refuse.”

  Carly sigh deeply, and he heard the resigned note in her voice as she asked, “Dare I ask what it is you have planned?”

  ****

  Ava couldn’t think of last night without shuddering—especially when she’d been so close to making the biggest mistake of her life. The instant attraction, the burn of desire. It had fizzled in a heartbeat when she’d found out his name. Jonas Marks.

  To think of how thrilling it had felt to be held in his strong embrace, swept up in a dance, the burn of undeniable lust burning between them. She’d looked into his eyes and had known; he had but to say the word, and she would do anything that he asked of her. Those wicked thoughts had been so unlike her, totally different from the woman Ava really was, or at least thought she was. Now she wasn’t so sure. But in the few moments that she had with Jonas, as briefly as it had lasted, she had known true, unquestionable desire.

  It was a good thing then that she had been flung back down to earth just in time. Her father—her brother too—would have been heartbroken if they heard that not only had she been dancing with Jonas, she had also been willing to go beyond that. Very willing. And he hadn’t even had to work hard to seduce her.

  She found herself staring at a recent cover of Time magazine. Ever since that night she’d been digging, trying to unearth all that she could on Jonas Marks. Prior to now, she’d had no interest in knowing anything about the man who’d hurt her family so badly—virtually destroying her father, yet now she couldn’t help herself—she had to know everything there was. She thought back to where she was when it had happened. Her father had called to tell her that he’d lost everything: the properties, the family business, everything he had spent his entire life working for.

  That was more than a year ago and they were still struggling to recover from the loss. Wasn’t that why she’d agreed to go to the fundraiser that night? In a show of solidarity, she’d accompanied her brother, had even allowed
him to foist her onto that creepy man, the financial consultant whiz who was in the position of helping them get back on their feet.

  All that had been quickly forgotten the moment she set eyes on the handsome, dark-haired stranger. Only to discover he was the very snake in the grass, the one solely responsible for everything that had happened.

  She stared down at the magazine cover, seeing those same aquamarine eyes, those beautifully sculpted lips, the square jaw and that finely structured nose. The rich and powerful Bust-up Billionaire, Jonas Marks. He lived true to his name—crushed rivals and peers with the same ruthless hardness. He was as implacable as granite, and as immovable as a rock. How could she for one second believe herself attracted to him? How could she have allowed herself to feel such raw, intense desire for such a monster?

  She shuddered, thankful that Jeffrey hadn’t witnessed her in the arms of the man he despised so much. Just the mention of Jonas Marks’s name was enough to make Jeffrey seethe with uncontrollable rage. And only that very morning, he’d vented his terrible temper on her.

  “Why did you do it?”

  Ava had turned to face him, her face burning with guilt. Had he found out? she’d wondered frantically. Had he somehow discovered her almost-lapse with the ruthless Jonas Marks?

  “All you had to do was be nice to him,” he’d growled, referring to Kirk. “He’s a good guy, one of the few who were willing to help us out of this mess. And you just had to offend him, didn’t you?”

  “Jeff, it wasn’t like I meant to offend him,” she’d replied with a sigh. “Someone else asked me to dance, that’s all. I would have returned to him.”

  “You selfish brat,” he’d replied coldly, eyes narrowing down at her. “All you think about is what’s best for you. You never cared about what happened, it never bothered you that Dad lost control of the company he’d spent almost all of his life building. When Mom died years ago, the company became his life, it was everything to him. All I asked was for you to do one simple thing, be nice to a prospective financier, and you blew it.” His expression darkened. “Kirk is not even taking my calls now. He’s not interested in hearing any of my proposals. Way to go. You’ve been a great help, as always.”