“Are you trying to trick me?” he asked.
“No.” She shook her head, and the look in her eyes told him she resented the accusation.
“How do I know you’re not recording this conversation?”
“I’m not,” she insisted.
“Then you won’t mind if I search you?” he asked. A look of uncertainty spread across her face, but then she nodded. “Go ahead.” It came out as a challenge, and he found himself liking her even more, if that was possible. He was already beginning to see what a good mate she would make. Not only was she loyal and hardworking, but she was brave too. However, Jared didn’t know if he was worthy of all of those things. What did he have to give in return, except for lonely days and nights while he was here working?
He lifted his right hand, and put it on her shoulder, and prepared for the shock of recognition that passed between them. Jared saw it in her face too, saw the look of confusion as her eyes darted across his face and fixed on his eyes as if looking for some kind of explanation. He gave her none.
Once he regained his composure, he placed his left hand on her other shoulder, and then proceeded to pat her body down, just like he had seen police officers do in the movies. Although he suspected that police officers didn’t end up with a painful erection in their pants.
Before the search was complete, he pulled away and walked back behind his desk and sat down. “Why are you here, Miss Hanson?”
“The offer you made,” she said, and he noted the flush of pink across her cheeks. His touch had had an effect on her, and he wanted to slip his hand between her thighs and feel how much heat dwelled there, how wet she was at the thought of him.
“What about it?” he asked, his voice thick with emotion.
“Did you mean it?” she asked, her head tilted upwards, as if in defiance, but it was something else: she was trying to hold onto her pride. And in that moment, he knew that she had made up her mind to accept him.
She was ready to sell her body to him. But had he made a mistake?
Chapter Six – Kelly
“I never say anything I don’t mean,” he said confidently, but he looked nervous, an emotion she had never seen in him before. Jared Sinclair was one of the most confident, arrogant men she had ever met. Whatever was going on with him, it was affecting him deeply, but she couldn’t allow herself to think that this change was down to her.
“Half a million dollars?” she asked.
“Yes.”
Her breathing quickened and her breasts heaved, as she tried to take in enough air to stop the room spinning. It had all seemed so simple when she had rehearsed this scene in her head, but she hadn’t taken into account the pure animal magnetism of this man in front of her. Even though he looked as if his composure was slipping, he was still in charge of the situation, making her think he would take what he wanted, because he could.
He was rich, used to getting whatever he wanted, and right now it just happened to be her. She could not allow herself to slip into her fantasy and believe it was real. She was simply his toy. This arrangement would only be for a weekend, and then he would walk out of her life, and she would put hers back together. Piece by piece.
“When?”
“I’ll pick you up tonight at 6 PM.” He stared at her face, watching the shock as it spread across; she hadn’t expected it to be so soon.
“There are a couple of things I need to get sorted out first.” Her mind was a muddle of shopping lists, lists of chores, and excuses she would have to give her mother.
“Then take the rest of the day off.” The excitement in his eyes unnerved her, as if she was walking straight into his trap. She needed to get out of there.
“What do I tell my manager?” Her voice was breathy and high. Was this even real? Or was he playing with her?
“I’ll tell her that I sent you on an errand for me. I’ll explain to Rosemary that I had already asked you to gather some information. That will put her mind at rest too, and stop her gossiping.” He gathered up the report that Mr. Carson had been given him yesterday, on office stationery savings. “Take this with you, and they’ll think it’s to do with a money-saving exercise.”
That couldn’t have been further from the truth. She wasn’t saving him money; she was spending it for him. He was about to spend half a million on her body.
“Thank you,” she said, taking the papers from him, and jumping as if she had been struck by lightning when his thumb slid over the back of her hand. She took two steps backwards, too quickly, and tripped over her own feet. He reached out his hand and caught her, pulling her to him and her breasts squashed against his hard, toned chest.
“I’m forgetting something.”
She stared into his eyes, seeing something there that she had never seen before either in him, or anyone else. Something lurked inside of him, deep inside of him. Another part of himself that he kept hidden, and she trembled against him. She was right, he was a predator, and suddenly the thought of being alone with him seemed like a stupid idea, and she wondered if she would ever return from this trip.
“What?” she squeaked.
“Your bank information.” He released her, making sure that she was steady on her feet before he let her go completely.
“Don’t you want to wait until after…?” she asked.
“No. As a matter of trust, I will have the money deposited into your bank account today. By the time we leave, you’ll be half a million dollars richer.” He walked back to his desk, and sat down.
“I don’t have the information with me.”
“Go home, Kelly, and as soon as you get there ring my private cell number.” He wrote his number down on a piece of paper and then handed it to her. She walked towards his desk and took it from him, noticing his hand no longer trembled. He had what he wanted, he had her agreement, and the look in his eyes was one of triumph.
Go home, that’s what he had told her to do, and she followed his command. Going to fetch her purse, she felt all eyes on her, and she knew they must be speculating on whether or not she had been fired.
Trying to keep her breath even, and her head held high, she collected her purse and her coat, firmly gripping the report Jared had given her, angled so that everyone could see what it was. Although halfway to the elevator, she realized it didn’t matter what they thought, because she wasn’t going to be coming back to work here.
In a couple of hours’ time, she would have half a million in her bank account, enough to clear her mom’s debts, get her the best care for her back, and maybe even buy a small house, with enough left over for them to live on. She could keep her job at the diner, take on a couple more shifts to cover the bills, and actually have some time off to read, watch a movie or two, and become normal.
Only she wouldn’t be normal, would she? She would always be the woman who had slept with her boss for money. Blinking back tears that threatened, she told herself she could live with that. Other people did worse things for money. All she had to do was have sex with one of the most eligible bachelors in the city.
What if he was into kinky sex? She left the building, feeling guilty and walked towards the bus stop. She wanted to get home quickly and explain everything to her mom—well, maybe not everything… Kelly realized she hadn’t thought that part through very well. What exactly did she intend to tell her mom?
The bus pulled up, and she got on, sitting in a seat next to the window, but not seeing anything they passed, as she went through all the different ways she could make this work. A lottery win. That was the simplest idea, but she still had to give some excuse as to why she was going away for the weekend.
Keep it simple, stupid. OK, the truth, or as close to the truth as she could get. A weekend away with her boss was plausible, just. She would tell her mom he had a business meeting and she was one of the only people free on such short notice. Her mom might buy that.
She would mention he was paying her a large amount of money for her inconvenience. When she came back, sh
e would say she had won the lottery.
Hopefully, her mom would be so relieved their financial worries were over that she wouldn’t question the details. But Kelly would know. Stop it, she told herself firmly as she got off the bus. Walking along the street to her house, she cringed at the thought of Jared Sinclair coming here to pick her up. It must be the complete opposite of his home. She could only imagine how luxurious his house must be. How comfortable and secure, with all that money at his disposal.
“What are you doing home? You haven’t been fired, have you?” her mom asked anxiously from the sofa as Kelly let herself in.
“No,” Kelly reassured her mom. “My boss has to go away on business for the weekend, and he’s asked me to go with him. It’s a huge opportunity for me.”
“What about the diner?” Her mom’s anxiety increased. “You can’t let them down.”
“I know. Violet is already covering my shift today and I have tomorrow off, so I just have to get someone to work on Sunday, or maybe we’ll be back before then and I could go straight into work.”
“I would do that. Once you start giving shifts up left, right, and center Kev will stop putting you first on the roster.”
“I’ll go and speak to him now.” She went upstairs to her room, under the pretense of phoning the diner. Instead, she dug out a bank statement and rang Jared.
“Hello.” His voice was cool, and she swallowed her panic, still unsure if he wasn’t playing some big joke on her.
“Hello, this is Kelly.”
Immediately he let out a sigh. He had been waiting for her call; it surprised her that this meant so much to him. He’s offering you a large amount of cash, of course it matters to him. She had to sit down on the bed at that thought. What the hell was she getting herself into?
“Hello, Kelly. Do you have your details?” She paused, long enough for him to sense her panic.
“Kelly. I won’t hurt you.”
“Then why?” she blurted out. “Why me?”
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” he said and laughed ironically. “But all I can tell you is I won’t hurt you. I swear.”
And she believed him.
Chapter Seven – Jared
Jared had made deals worth hundreds of millions, and yet he had never felt this nervous, or worried this much that it would fall through. Of course, it was because this one was personal: he was about to claim his mate.
His mate.
He let that sink in. Somehow, despite his longing for her, he had let himself forget what this whole weekend was about. What exactly did he hope to gain from taking this woman to a secluded cabin and then screwing her every way he could imagine?
Jared had thought that once he claimed her, he would be able to get her out of his system, but he was beginning to realize that was not going to happen. The more time he spent around her, the more he wanted her in his life and in his bed. As he drove over to pick her up, his overnight bag in the trunk, he was thinking about what it would be like to have a real conversation with someone who wasn’t a blood relative.
Since he had embarked on his business career, he had kept everyone at arm’s length, only trusting his mom and his brothers. His brothers all worked for his company, and were all wealthy in their own right, thanks to his help. He had provided them with longterm security, and they had scattered to the four winds, so even these interactions were on the end of a phone, or on Skype. His mom was the only person he talked to.
He spent the week, which often turned into a seven-day week, in his city apartment, going back to the big house he had bought his mom years ago on occasional weekends. He hadn’t told her he had found his mate, and he certainly hadn’t told her he had offered his mate money to go away with him. Maybe because he knew exactly what she would say.
Stupid. That’s what she would say, and she would be right. Why hadn’t he just dated her? Because he didn’t know how.
He laughed at himself. Here he was, a billionaire with the social skills of a … bear.
His bear roared inside Jared’s mind, not liking the joke. Yet in some ways it was true. Because of his other side, he had put his personal life on hold; he knew it was something he could do without. The only woman they needed was their mate. Apart from an occasional clandestine meeting with a woman in a bar or club, purely for sex, he had only interacted with women at the office, both employees and executives, many of whom eyed him up as if they were undressing him, wanting to know what was under his hardened exterior.
A thing even he did not know.
Pulling up outside her house at 6:00 p.m. exactly, he was about to text her when the front door opened and she came out. His heart beat rapidly, and a sense of disbelief swept over him. She was actually going through with this!
Ever since he had transferred the money into her account, he had thought she would disappear and leave him feeling like a fool. Why he had offered her the money in advance he wasn’t sure, but it had something to do with wanting to find out if she were trustworthy. That character trait counted for a great deal to Jared.
Something that went back to his childhood and his missing father. Now presumed dead, William Sinclair had the perfect life to those looking in, until the day he ran off with his secretary, abandoning his mate and leaving the family debt-ridden and in danger of being destitute. His mom was heartbroken; being the shifter side of the relationship, she had taken her mate’s leaving hard, blaming herself for not working harder to keep him by her side.
Jared watched Kelly walk across to him, his eyes taking in every movement of her body, from the sway of her hips to the slight bounce of her full, luscious breasts. Forgetting his manners, she had reached the car and was looking about ready to bolt back inside her house by the time he had undone his seatbelt and opened his car door.
“Hi,” he said, and went to her, kissing her cheek briefly, thankful that she didn’t pull away. Then he took her suitcase and placed it in the trunk.
Kelly didn’t say a word, only slid into the passenger seat and did up her seatbelt without looking at him directly. He hoped it was only nerves making her so quiet. Not until he was driving away from her house did he relax a little. Up until they hit the highway, he was convinced she was going to tell him to turn the car around and take her home. Yet as his car ate away at the miles, he began to feel more confident.
“How was your day?” he asked, trying to break through to her.
“My day?” she asked.
“Yes. I wondered how your mom is?” Jared asked, never having shown any concern with other people’s families. But that was what he heard other people in the office ask. How’s your family? How’s your cat? All these mundane little snippets of small talk he heard on a daily basis.
“She’s OK. A little shocked.”
“You told her?” he asked, surprised.
“No. Not about…” She looked out of the window, her face hidden from him. “I usually spend my weekends shopping and doing laundry. I tried to fit in as much as I could today so that they don’t starve and my brothers have clean clothes to wear. My mom will have to put a wash on to get their school uniforms ready, but apart from that, it’s all done.”
“What happened to your mom?” he asked, settling back in his seat as they left the highway and began to thread their way up the mountain roads. Being out here in the wild always made him feel more at home, more like himself. Whoever that was.
“A car ran into hers. She was on her way home from work, and another driver, most probably drunk, the police say, hit her. She spun off the road and ended up in a ditch. It was two hours before she was found, and her spine was pinching one of her nerves. The damage is most likely irreversible. And most definitely irreversible unless we pay for a specialist.”
“So that’s where the money is going?” he asked.
“Yes,” she whispered.
He looked at the road ahead, trying to work out if he was the good guy for giving her money, and giving her mom hope, or the bad guy for wanti
ng so much in return.
Chapter Eight – Kelly
They could be just any other couple about to embark on a romantic weekend in the mountains. If she let her brain become unfocused, she might be able to believe that. It was like looking at one of those Magic Eye pictures: you look at it in just the right way and an image suddenly pops out at you. The image she was looking for was two young, carefree lovers wanting to be alone.
But she was never good at seeing those images, and this was no different. As soon as she focused, the voice in her head screamed prostitute at her. Yet seeing her mom trying to make an effort to help today had proved to her they needed the money to get her well. She might have made David leave, might not have been willing to commit to marriage, but up until her accident, she had been totally focused on providing for her family.
Rarely sick, her mom had worked all day, come home and cooked, and kept the house and her three kids clean and tidy. She made sure they got good grades, always willing to sit down and help with homework, or listen to them read. The accident had changed her.
“How much further?” she asked,
“Another five miles. We have to turn off a track to the left, and the cabin is at the end.” He glanced at her and she saw concern in his eyes, which put her more at ease.
“So no one will hear me scream,” she said, trying to smile and lift her mood.
“So no one will hear you scream.” His eyes grew darker, filled with desire. “The only way I’m going to make you scream, Kelly, is with pleasure. And if there’s any pain, it will be of the most exquisite kind.”
Her face went pale as she let his words sink in, because she believed him. Out of everything he had ever said to her, everything he had promised, that was the truest thing he had ever said. It was in the way his body angled towards her, the way his eyes were ablaze with longing, and the way her body responded. It was as if he had put some spell on her. One she didn’t want to break free of.
A Bond to Bear Page 3
