The Millionaire's Revenge

by Wendy Byrne

He slowly inched inside and reached between them to slide his fingertip along her clit. When he adjusted her legs so they rested on his shoulders and started to move, she gave into the pleasure once again.

  “The perfect position to get that elusive G-spot one more time.” That’s when she discovered the true level of his talent. Or maybe she was feeling a little faint.

  With every surge, she felt closer and closer to completion. When his thrust sped up, she caught the wave of tingles cycling through.

  “Luke…” His name burst from her lips as the tremors rocked through her, and her legs slipped off his shoulders and onto the bed.

  He followed closely behind, collapsing on top of her. The word intimacy came to mind again when she felt the thump of his heart against her chest.

  Nothing like a post-coital man-press to put a zing in her step.

  He slipped his hands under her back and flipped them so she was on top with their bodies still joined. She squirmed around because it felt good. And judging by his hands on her butt encouraging her, he must have felt the same. When she placed a kiss on his lips, he responded.

  “It seemed like you were having a good time.” The kiss he laid on her was one of seduction, despite the fact she’d already been seduced.

  “I was wondering if it’s possible to die from too much pleasure.”

  “It would be quite a way to go, don’t you think?”

  “If you’re going to go, might as well go big.” Emotion squeezed her chest as she looked into his eyes. He was holding something back, but she was afraid to think about it too long or too hard.

  “I probably need to get rid of this before we go round two, but I kind of like being inside you.” His hand traveled down her back

  “Describe it to me.” She’d never felt this comfortable in bed with a man before. She couldn’t explain how that came about, especially with a guy she didn’t know that well who started out as an experiment.

  “It’s like a cocoon of warmth and sensation that’s hard to explain, except that it feels good.” He shook his head. “Change that. It feels spectacular.”

  “I thought once a guy gets off, the vagina has lost its appeal.”

  “You’ve been hanging out with the wrong kind of men if they want to cut and run. Either that or they’re afraid of intimacy.”

  “You scare me sometimes.” That whole waiting for the other shoe to fall sensation was never far from her mind. Time and time again, it had happened when she’d been least prepared for it.

  His gaze narrowed as he examined her face. “You’re afraid of me? I don’t get that vibe.”

  “No.” She shook her head. “Something about you feels…well…too perfect to be real.”

  “Believe me, I’m far from perfect.” He kissed her. “I might be able to get you off, but so can a lot of other guys. It’s called not being selfish in the bedroom.”

  …

  Luke figured he might very well be the biggest asshole on the face of the earth. For two days they’d been in bed exploring and enjoying each other, but he hadn’t managed to be straight with her about how they ended up together in the first place. He couldn’t figure out a way to explain what he’d done. She was so vulnerable, and he didn’t want to hurt her, either through confessing his deception or how her father had used her.

  She slipped on his shirt and walked to the window in her bedroom and looked outside. “Good news. The snow isn’t letting up. I think we can play house for a day or two before we have to return to the real world.”

  He should tell her, but he didn’t want to see the look on her face. Right now, it mirrored how she felt inside—confident in her lovemaking skills—and made Luke feel like even more of a heel. Maybe he was a chickenshit for putting it off, but he needed to get in touch with Sal and see if there was any progress finding a connection to someone at the city, if there was real proof Whitaker had paid Gage off, or who or what Prentiss Enterprises was.

  He patted the bed next to him. “Maybe we can think of a thing or two to do to pass the time.” Yeah, he was chickenshit.

  “You mean after the last forty-eight hours in this bed there are some things we haven’t done yet?” She jumped onto the bed and straddled his hips, revealing her nakedness underneath. “That sounds intriguing.”

  “Lots of things.” He kissed her until his head spun, which didn’t take long when she inserted her tongue inside his mouth. His hands cupped her ass. He scooted her closer and fondled her breasts. “I do love you in my shirt.”

  “Really? This old thing.” She did a slow striptease until she perched naked on his chest.

  Just when things started to get interesting, her phone rang. Considering both their phones had been silent for the last two days, it seemed odd to hear. She glanced at the readout.

  “Crap. Figures my dad would be the first person to get through. If I don’t answer, he’ll just keep calling.” She slipped his shirt back on and got off the bed. “Yeah, we’re doing fine. No phone service until now.” She nodded a couple of times. “Not sure when we’ll be back. The plows haven’t come through yet.” She was silent again before a pained look came across her face. “What do you mean there’s an injunction against the Hudson River Project?”

  Luke wasn’t sure he heard anything else after that because he didn’t want her to get snared in the trap he’d set for her father. But separating the two would be like capturing one grain of sand.

  “What about LRM Real Estate Development?”

  His heart banged inside his chest at the mention of his company. With enough digging, somebody would find out he was the owner.

  “All right. I’ll get back as soon as I can. Could you have a guy come plow out the driveway for us? Otherwise I’m not sure we’ll make it out even with the street cleared.” She nodded a couple more times and hung up.

  She clicked off the phone and walked back toward the bed, a look of concern spreading across her face. “I can’t believe this LRM guy is stopping progress on the building.” She began to pace. “Other developers were going to tear it down, but I saw the beauty in it and begged my dad to take on the project and include the subsidized units.”

  She didn’t know that her father might have left out that part of the deal. And he couldn’t tell her without revealing he’d gone through the data without her permission. He’d stepped into this big time and couldn’t think of a way to extricate himself from the mess without everything tumbling down on his shoulders. And maybe hers.

  “What do you think I should do?” She stopped in front of him and lifted his chin so that he faced her.

  “About your father?” By some miracle he managed to respond and focus.

  “This LRM guy is really pissing me off. How dare he stop me from breaking ground on a project that’s so near and dear to my heart? Unfortunately, my father hasn’t been able to track down the guy in charge. But he’ll figure it out. Nobody screws Cyrus Whitaker over and gets away with it.”

  “Are you sure this guy’s screwing him over?” He threw out the question but as he spotted a rise in her temper, he held out his hands. “There had to be a reason why the judge would order an injunction.”

  “Maybe this LRM guy is paying off the judge.”

  “I guess that’s possible, but I wouldn’t jump to conclusions. For all you know it might be something innocent like a zoning issue, or maybe it has something to do with the bidding process.”

  She mulled his idea over for a few hopeful seconds then made a face. “I guess it’s possible, but it seems pretty unlikely. My dad has a reputation for being a tough negotiator and businessman, and some people are jealous of his success. I’m guessing that’s the case with this LRM guy.”

  Shit. He’d really stepped into it this time.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Grace sat on the bed of her townhome after Luke dropped her off and began to unpack her things. Since the plow truck didn’t get to the driveway until late, they’d waited until the following morning to leave. While the normal
ninety-minute drive took twice that long, it seemed to fly by in retrospect. There was nothing she’d like more than to prolong the drive back into reality.

  They’d had sex about a million times over the weekend, and she had the beard burn and soreness as evidence, but she frickin’ loved every single moment of it. In fact, she couldn’t wait to call Felicia and Tess to inform them of her newfound love of sex.

  Who would have thought she’d be converted by the skillful work of one man? Vastly different than any other man she’d dated, Luke didn’t care who her father was or what she could do for him. He liked her for her weird, quirky self.

  He was the real deal. Genuine. Trustworthy. Kind. She grinned. It sounded like she was describing a dog. As she spun through fantasies of Luke and her together for now, forever, a shiver broke along her spine. Wow, this is what it felt like to be falling in love.

  The idea seemed inconceivable, but she missed him and he’d left less than a half hour ago. She couldn’t help wondering how quickly she could bring up the subject of moving in together…wait what was she thinking? This wasn’t in her TSD plan. Luke had blown into her life with such force, was she really willing to give up on her rules for him?

  He said he’d come by for dinner after he got some work done. And she’d do the same if she could get her mind to focus. She glanced at the clock and figured out the hours before she’d see him again, and then scolded herself for being so distracted.

  Someone pounded on the door. She jumped but then smiled. It had to be Luke. Not even Mrs. Harrington would be up this early.

  Her whole body felt sexually charged as she threw open the door, ready and willing to jump straight into his arms. But instead of Luke, her father stood outside. He had that stern you-are-in-such-trouble look on his face.

  “We need to talk.” Cyrus looked like he hadn’t slept in days as he paced the front hall. While she’d like to attribute his agitation to worry over her safety after driving through the snow-covered countryside, she knew it had nothing to do with her and everything to do with his self-interests. She’d recognized this fault in him when she was young and had accepted him for what he was—mostly selfish and self-centered—but somewhere deep inside he had a heart. At least occasionally. It was part of the reason she continued to work for him instead of moving on, hopeful that the more time she spent with him, the more she could turn him around. The Hudson River Project had been a real breakthrough.

  “And good morning to you, too.” She placed a chaste kiss on his cheek as he fumed past. But she wouldn’t allow his foul mood to disrupt her blissful moment. Not going to happen. She wouldn’t let him drag her into his drama any longer. For the first time, she understood why her brother had cut off ties with their father. Sometimes his larger-than-life persona was like the proverbial bull in a china shop, and she was smack dab in the middle of it. And maybe, in the end, she had no chance of making a difference in this man’s life.

  “I’m bringing down LRM once and for all. Nobody messes with me and gets away with it.” He didn’t look at her, only continued to pace and run his fingers through his hair. She’d seen him angry before, but this seemed different.

  “Don’t you have your lawyers on it?” she asked the obvious question, knowing it would probably set him off on a whole other trajectory.

  “Yes, but they’re all idiots. They can’t find anything on the owner. I want his head on a stick.”

  “This will all work out. The city will come to its senses and lift the injunction, and you’ll be able to proceed with the project as planned. It’s a minor glitch. It’s not like you haven’t had those before.”

  He stopped and glared at her as if she were the root cause of his troubles. “Why are you so chipper?” he growled. “Don’t tell me it has something to do with that Luke guy. I’m facing financial ruin, and you’re having a good old time with your latest boyfriend.”

  “One has nothing to do with the other.” Never had she been so brazen with him, but his buzz-kill attitude was destroying her feel-good moment. Besides, he was being a drama queen—even though she didn’t dare mention it. This one small building would not cause him financial ruin. The sooner his dark cloud of anger left the better. “You have the best lawyers in the business to get to the bottom of this. I’m not of any help with that angle.” Except for moral support, which she couldn’t seem to muster.

  “I knew I should have insisted on law school for you.”

  “I’m not sure that was your call.” While he was still in shock at her comment, she led him toward the door and softened her approach. In many ways her father was like a tiger who hadn’t been fed in a long time and was waiting to pounce on anyone or everyone. She needed to coax him into submission. “I’m tired. It’s been a long drive and a long couple of days. I’ll do what I can on my end, but be patient. If this guy is messing with you, I’m sure you’ll figure out a way to stop him.”

  With hands on his hips, he scanned her. She tried not to flinch under his scrutiny or worry about the appearance of possible hickeys and other love marks on her neck.

  “I expect your full cooperation. This is about family, not about your new man of the week.”

  “Right, Dad.” Once again, it was all about him. She was getting a clearer and clearer picture of why her parents had never married.

  The man’s larger than life persona had always been the part that enthralled her. But he also had qualities that didn’t feel good—like he didn’t listen—and the fact that if he was unhappy, he made sure everyone else around him was also unhappy.

  Maybe it was time for her to trim down her client list, starting with him. She shook her head. Sooner or later, his hissy fit would blow over and business would be back to normal between them. He never did like when things veered off course.

  This current dust up would be short-lived, her father always had the last word. And she didn’t believe that would change any time soon. That thought bothered her more than usual.

  …

  Luke browsed through the paper to keep himself occupied while Sal was on the phone. The guy kept nodding and saying shit that made him think something was coming down and he wasn’t going to like it.

  Something about the picture in the paper riveted his attention. The headline was the members of the Manhattan planning board meeting, but he didn’t read the article; he was too focused on the woman in the photo chatting with the mayor. The caption claimed the woman was E.J. Green, but the name didn’t ring a bell. He couldn’t shake the sensation that he’d seen her before, but he couldn’t remember where or when.

  Finally, Sal hung up the phone and folded his hands on the desk to stare at Luke. “You need to watch your ass.”

  “What the fuck are you talking about?” His voice reverberated along the walls of Sal’s office.

  “Keep your voice down,” his friend cautioned. “Whitaker knows, or at least is close to finding out, you’re behind LRM and he’s coming after you. Big time. He’s brought out the big guns and outbid you by five million on the new property you wanted in the Meat Packing District.”

  “What the hell? He’ll make nothing in profit at that price, or he’ll have to sell the units at twice what they’re worth. That’s never going to happen.” Rage simmered as he considered ways to follow through with the information he’d gotten from Grace—he could prove Cyrus kept two sets of books.

  “This makes me think he’s sniffing you out. As soon as he knows you’re head of LRM, you are officially fucked. Being that he saw you with Grace, he’ll tell her, and your whole plan is shot to shit. You need to come forward with what you have to bring him down right away.” Sal shook his head. “Believe me, I’ve seen Cyrus when he gets this way and he won’t just destroy you, he’ll annihilate you.”

  Luke couldn’t help but think of the ramifications for Grace. She probably wouldn’t be indicted, but her reputation and name would be splashed all over the headlines and dragged through the mud along with Cyrus. Any thought of a relationship with he
r would be toast, if she even survived the blast from the discovery of her father’s deception. He couldn’t allow her to be humiliated, could he?

  But Cyrus had to know he couldn’t screw with Luke McCall and get away with it. No longer was he that poor, snot-nosed kid who had to beg for everything he got. He was capable and able to get what he wanted. And no one would stop him.

  He couldn’t back down.

  Cyrus had gotten away with it in previous developments. It was time to stop the graft and corruption once and for all.

  “I’ll get you the evidence, and you can get send it to the district attorney to start the indictment.” Why did the words stick in his throat? This was what he wanted, wasn’t it?

  Luke had a sinking sensation in his chest that this was going to get a lot worse before it got better. Sal’s contact at the city said everyone from the mayor on down was experiencing the heat. But how to nail Whitaker strategically and keep Grace on his side?

  “How about Prentiss Enterprises? Have you come up with anything?”

  “Looks like a dummy corporation. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s laundering money through there like we’ve suspected. Where did you get that name again?”

  It took a few seconds for Luke to work through the guilt that had lodged in his throat. “I found it on some accounting sheets for the project.”

  “I’ll get in touch with the district attorney and give her a heads up. Get me that paperwork ASAP.”

  Luke stood and gathered his stuff, all while getting the impression he was missing something. He got into the elevator and pushed the button. Before the door closed, somebody stepped inside. He paid no attention until the person spoke. “I know who you are.” The voice bounced off the walls.

  He had no doubt this was about to get ugly as he stared into the beady eyes of Cyrus Whitaker. Everything that had happened between Grace and he flashed before his eyes and then disintegrated, to blow away in the wind.

  “You’re feeding information to LRM aren’t you?” Cyrus uttered the question in a way that made him believe the man didn’t know everything.