The Millionaire Meets His Match

by Kate Carlisle

  Granted, she didn’t have much experience in making love, or with men in general, for that matter. But she was fairly certain that having the man walk out after the woman said she was all fired up and ready to go was not a good sign.

  She cringed at the memory of her puckering up and practically begging him to kiss her before he left her room last night. But no. Instead of kissing her, he’d whispered, “Next time,” then walked out.

  What had he meant? Next time? Next time when? Tonight? Tomorrow? Next year? And why did she care? She wasn’t here to be romanced. But in spite of her best-laid plans and against her better judgment, she wanted to be.

  Needless to say, she hadn’t slept well at all last night, despite the beautiful room and that plush bed.

  Now she wondered, not for the first time, whether she should just quit her job with Adam Duke and deal with the pain of losing her home and her grandmother in some other way. She had to face the fact that the man she’d been seeking revenge from, the man who had ruined her life and destroyed her grandmother’s dream, no longer stirred up the same anger and resentment inside her.

  No, that man stirred up something very different inside her now.

  “Oh, my goodness,” Trish said, as tendrils of lust radiated through the pit of her stomach. She was in very deep trouble if simply thinking about the man could turn her insides to jelly.

  Trish forced herself to remember that she was being paid to work here and that’s just what she needed to do. If nothing else, it would keep her from feeling sorry for herself. There was nothing worse than a pity party for one.

  Bouncing up from her chair, she gathered a stack of documents that needed to be copied and carried them to the copier. For the next three hours, she buried herself in work, typing documents and letters, making copies, running to the mailroom. Thankfully, the work kept all her troubling thoughts from circling over and over in her mind.

  The next time she looked up from her computer, Adam was staring at her from his doorway. “Do you mind staying late tonight? We’ve got some extra work to take care of.”

  “No, I don’t mind,” she said. “I’d planned on it. Shall I order dinner?”

  “In a minute,” he said. “Can you come into my office first?”

  “Of course.” It would give her a chance to tell him what she’d been thinking about all day.

  He sat on the edge of his desk as she approached.

  “I want to thank you for everything,” she said tentatively. “Dinner last night was wonderful, the resort is magnificent and, um, I hope you’ll accept my apology for what happened, you know, after.”

  Adam studied her for several long seconds, his face an expressionless mask. “No.”

  Okay, she hadn’t expected that. Couldn’t he see how hard it was for her to humiliate herself in front of him? Again? As confused as she was by his reaction, she was also a little steamed. For heaven’s sake, she was apologizing to him, the least the man could do was be gracious about it.

  “No?” Her eyes narrowed in puzzlement. “You won’t accept my apology? But…you can’t just say no.”

  “Yes, I can.” He pushed away from the desk and approached her. He was so close and his look was so focused on her that for a moment, she thought he might kiss her again, right there in his office. And however crazy it was to think it, it was even crazier to hope he would do it. Which made her wonder just how unhinged she’d become.

  But instead of kissing her, he took hold of her hand and led her to the sitting area at the far end of his office.

  When they were both seated on the soft burgundy leather couch, Adam squeezed her hand. “Are you apologizing for our kiss last night?”

  She couldn’t meet his gaze but instead concentrated on an intriguing spot on the wall beyond his left shoulder. “I behaved completely unprofessionally. I can’t even believe I did that. You should probably fire me, but maybe we could just move on and forget it ever happened.”

  “If anyone should apologize, it’s me,” he told her, dropping her hand and standing up. “I’m your boss. You don’t owe me anything.”

  He pulled her to her feet, took her hands in his and held them tightly. “I should apologize, but I’m not going to.”

  “You’re not?” She blinked at him. This wasn’t going the way she’d expected it to.

  “No. Because I’m not sorry at all. I really liked kissing you and I’d love to do it again, but I’ll understand if you don’t want to.”

  “Oh, but I do,” she said in a rush, then felt her cheeks burn. Very smooth, Trish, she told herself. Burble over him like a high school girl talking to the football star.

  “I’ll understand,” he repeated quickly as his mouth spread into a grin. “I’ll be extremely irritable and I’ll have to take a cold shower or two, but I’ll understand.”

  She breathed in, then out, slowly. “You’ll understand.”

  “That’s right. I won’t like it, but you say no and this is done. Here. Now.”

  She pulled her hands away and tried to gather her thoughts. All she had to do was say no. It was up to her. He wanted her, just as she’d hoped. And she wanted him desperately, despite knowing what kind of man he was. Despite knowing it was a huge mistake. But, first, she had to say something.

  “Adam, it’s important that you know that I’ve never done that before. That is, I mean, I hope you don’t think I’m…” She exhaled heavily and waved her hand in exasperation. “Oh, you know what I mean.”

  He laughed softly. “Are you trying to say you don’t usually kiss the boss?”

  She raised her chin and met his gaze. “Of course I don’t.”

  He gazed at her with that crooked, boyish grin of his and she felt another unwelcome spark burst into flame in her belly. She reminded herself that she was flirting with the enemy, but it didn’t help douse the flames. She wanted him. She knew better, knew she should stand up and walk out right then, but she couldn’t. She wasn’t going anywhere.

  “Say no and we’re done. But if you don’t say it, Trish,” he whispered, lifting one hand to skim her hair back from her face, “then there’s no stopping once we start.”

  “I don’t want to stop,” she confessed, and closed her eyes as his fingertips trailed across her cheek.

  He pulled her tight against him and covered her mouth completely in a hot, open-mouthed kiss that overwhelmed and inflamed her.

  He held the nape of her neck firmly, keeping her close as their tongues tangled and parried in a wildly sensual paso doble. Trish met his passion with her own ardent desire, ignoring the voice in her head that warned her that if she wanted to survive, she should walk away from Adam Duke, now.

  But how could she walk away when she was already lost in this sweeping rush of sensation and wanting? Already lost in the softness of his lips that belied the strength and confidence of his lean, hard body. He pressed her against his solid chest, causing her nipples to quiver and harden.

  Oh, God, no, she wouldn’t walk away.

  “Adam, I…” She couldn’t complete the thought but it didn’t matter as he seemed to anticipate her every want.

  “I know,” he whispered, and laid her down on the wide couch. He covered her body with his and his mouth claimed hers with renewed urgency. His taste filled her senses, his taut body tempted hers. She could feel him lengthen and harden against her thigh and she wanted all of it, all of him.

  She reached up to wrap her arms around his neck at the same time as his hand moved to cup her breast, drawing a soft moan from deep in her throat. He began to unbutton her blouse while his lips nipped and kissed their way along her jaw to her ear, then down her neck.

  He pushed himself up and straddled her, staring at her with a heated intensity that somehow gave her the courage to act more boldly than she felt. He watched intently as she eased her blouse off, then began to unhook her bra.

  “I’ll do it,” he said huskily, and peeled back the white lace cups. His nostrils flared as he stared at her exposed breasts.


  “Beautiful,” he said, then took both breasts in his hands and used his thumbs to gently flick her nipples to a hard peak.

  She caught her breath when he bent down and took her into his mouth, teasing one ultrasensitive nipple first with his teeth, then with his tongue, rolling and licking her firm tip until she groaned aloud.

  He continued his tender assault on her other breast as he reached to unzip her pants and ease them down her legs. She took over, shimmying and finally kicking her pants to the floor to allow him full access to every part of her.

  His eyes met her gaze and Trish saw a flicker of heat and pure masculine satisfaction in his dark eyes. He slipped his fingers beneath the elastic band of her thong and touched her most intimate spot. When he slid one finger inside her, she gasped.

  “So hot and tight,” he murmured, then eased out and back in again. He repeated the action over and over, creating friction against her sensitive flesh that aroused and devastated her.

  “Adam,” she whispered. “Please.”

  Instead of answering, he stood and made fast work of taking his shirt off, tearing off his shoes and socks before unzipping and removing his trousers.

  Trish watched, mesmerized as she savored the sight of his long, powerful legs and well-toned body. She shivered with anticipation and her breath hitched as he pulled off his boxers and revealed his large, stiff erection.

  She ached to touch him.

  He was watching her now as he reached for his pants and pulled a foil packet from the pocket. He tore it open and slipped on protection, then stretched out on the couch and took her in his arms. He kissed her fiercely, carnally, at the same time as he found her moist core and entered her with one, strong thrust.

  Trish’s eyes opened wide and she cried out, but almost as quickly as the pain came, it was gone, replaced by a feeling of fullness, an intimate connection she’d never experienced before.

  Adam stopped, held perfectly still, locked inside her and stared down into her eyes. “A virgin?” His words were strangled as if there were a fist clamped around his throat. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “Can we talk about this later?” she demanded, lifting her hips, drawing him deeper.

  He hissed in a breath through gritted teeth.

  “Don’t stop,” she commanded, and latched her ankles over his legs.

  He gave her a tight grin. “I have no intention of stopping, but we’ll talk about this.”

  “Later,” she moaned. Her hands glided over his shoulders in an attempt to calm him down, urge him on, reassure him it was okay to keep going. Please keep going.

  His lips found hers again and he kissed her tenderly as he began to move again. Pleasure grew and spread through her and she relaxed beneath him.

  “Wrap your legs around me, sweetheart,” he murmured. “Move with me.”

  She did so, matching his rhythm. She could feel his heart pounding against hers and it made her feel alive. She watched his face-beautiful, strong, straining as he gave her pleasure. She tightened her legs around him, then lost sight of everything but the lush heat that was threatening to consume her.

  “Open your eyes,” he said. “I want to see them turn dark when you come with me.”

  She was helpless to do otherwise as he plunged and filled her. Heat built within her and need ignited every nerve ending as she climbed higher and higher. She cried out his name as color exploded behind her eyelids and electric pulsations coursed wildly through her body.

  Adam stiffened above her and shouted her name. He drove into her one last time, so deeply that she could’ve sworn she felt him touch her heart. Then he collapsed against her and his full weight pressed her into the couch. He murmured words she couldn’t hear, but his warm breath against her skin soothed her.

  For the next few minutes, all she could feel were the tremors moving in waves throughout her body and all she could hear was their ragged breathing. She was completely drained and satiated. She felt free, joyfully free and more alive than she’d ever been before.

  Eight

  Adam carefully shifted and stretched out alongside Trish. He tucked her closer to him and then, leaning on one elbow, stared down at her.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  Despite the fact that they were inches away from each other, she wouldn’t meet his gaze. A virgin? Was she really that hungry to get her hands on his bank account that she’d given up something so precious?

  Adam wondered what she was thinking. Was she getting ready to bolt? He wouldn’t put it past her, but he wasn’t about to let her walk out right then. Not until he knew what was going on. He wanted-no, he needed-to know what was going through her mind. If she’d felt so compelled to apologize for one measly kiss the night before, she must be drowning in guilt and regret now, after just having had wild, incredible sex on his office couch.

  But that didn’t mean she was going anywhere. No way. Not yet. His own guilt had ratcheted up a notch or two besides. Would he have taken her if he’d known she was a virgin? No. But that ship had sailed. Besides, he couldn’t say why, but he wasn’t ready to let her go. Not until he could taste her again. He thought of the private bathroom connected to his office, with a shower big enough for two. He could offer her the use of the shower, then join her there.

  The soft curve of her thigh was nestled against his shaft, causing it to stir to attention. He almost groaned aloud. It wasn’t bad enough that he’d taken her here, in his office, on the couch. Now he wanted her again.

  “I’d better be going,” she whispered.

  “No,” he said immediately, telling himself she was too vulnerable right now for him to allow her to leave-and he refused to dwell on why he cared one way or another. He’d never wanted a woman to stay with him any longer than absolutely necessary. But Trish was different. He wasn’t prepared to say how or why she was different. She just was. Gold digger or not, he felt something for her. And besides, he wanted answers to some questions.

  “You’re not going anywhere until I find out why you didn’t tell me you were a virgin.”

  “Why does it matter?” she asked, still averting her gaze.

  “Because I wouldn’t have taken you on a damn couch, that’s why.”

  She glared at him. “Well, then, that’s why I didn’t tell you.”

  He frowned as he brushed a strand of hair back from her face. “But I could’ve gone slowly and not hurt you so much.”

  “You didn’t hurt me,” she insisted softly, shaking her head as she said it. Her eyelids fluttered and she finally smiled at him. “Well, not too much anyway. And after a few seconds, it was perfect.”

  “Not yet,” he said with determination. “But it will be.”

  Trish sat at her desk early the next morning, torn between preening like a satisfied cat and crawling under her desk to hide in shame.

  She’d had sex with the enemy.

  If it had only happened once, she might’ve chalked it up to temporary insanity. But it hadn’t happened just once. Not even twice. Three times! In three different ways. She shivered at the memory of everything he’d done to her. One thing was certain: she’d never look at his conference table the same way again. And she was considering erecting a small shrine in front of that awe-inspiring couch of his.

  She knew it was wrong, knew what a mistake she’d made, but it had been amazing, wonderful, thrilling. She’d reveled in Adam’s kisses, each caress and every whispered word. He’d made her feel like she’d never felt before.

  Well, of course she’d never felt those things before. Up until last night, she’d been a virgin.

  She couldn’t have told Adam why she was still a virgin at the ripe old age of almost twenty-six, so it was a good thing he never asked. She’d grown up sheltered, surrounded and protected by her grandmother and her neighbors at the Victorian Village. Once she went off to college, she was working too hard to mix in much with the party crowd.

  She graduated a year early, then came home and enrolled in th
e MBA program at the local university. Grandma Anna was starting to slow down, so Trish tried to help out in the store every day. She took over the purchasing and handled all the shipments. She rotated the displays and dealt with advertising and promotions.

  Grandma was always teasing her, telling her to go out and meet people, have fun, fall in love. And Trish always figured there would be plenty time to do just that.

  But that was around the same time her grandmother and their neighbors applied for historic landmark designation for the Victorian building. And that’s when their world came crashing down, thanks to Adam Duke’s company.

  That’s why she was here. Because Adam Duke had destroyed their lives and now she was out to ruin him. If only she could remember that.

  Trish sighed heavily and powered up her computer. It was still early enough that she could do some personal work without feeling too guilty.

  “This is for you, Grandma,” she murmured, then logged onto the company’s Web site and did a search of their mergers and acquisitions over the past two years. She made a list of the companies Duke had acquired, and planned to search the Internet to see if any unsavory dealings had gone on during the transactions. She might even try to set up some interviews of the former employees of those companies to see how badly they were treated by the Dukes.

  She sat back in her chair, feeling better now that she’d taken some small action toward avenging her grandmother. After the way she’d spent the previous evening, she wasn’t sure she’d ever lose these feelings of guilt, but at least she could tell herself that her mission was still on track. She owed that much to her Village friends.

  So why did her thoughts keep drifting back to Adam?

  This morning it seemed that all she could remember was Adam’s skillful moves, his talented mouth and the scent of his skin. Suddenly her loins tightened and fresh waves of excitement surged through her. She could barely suppress a moan.

  “Oh, good grief,” she muttered as she stood up. She had to get busy. What if someone caught her daydreaming at her desk? What if Adam caught her? It was still early and he wasn’t in yet, but he’d be walking down the hall any minute. She swept up a handful of correspondence and rushed off to the copy room to work.