Kidnapped for the Tycoon's Baby

by Louise Fuller

  ‘You mean tonight?’

  Her voice sounded too high, and she felt her cheeks grow hot as he raised an eyebrow.

  ‘Well, it can’t be any other night,’ he said slowly. ‘You’re flying home tomorrow, aren’t you?’

  Nola licked her lips nervously, a dizzying heat sliding over her skin. Dinner with her billionaire boss might sound like a dream date, but frankly it was a risk she wasn’t prepared to take.

  ‘That would be lovely. Obviously,’ she lied. ‘But I’ve got a couple of meetings, and the one with the tactical team at five will probably overrun.’

  He locked eyes with her.

  ‘Oh, don’t worry. I cancelled it.’

  She gazed at him in disbelief, and then a ripple of anger flickered over her skin.

  ‘You cancelled it?’

  He nodded. ‘It seemed easier. So is seven-thirty okay?’

  ‘Okay?’ she spluttered. ‘No, it’s not okay. You can’t just march in and cancel my meetings for a dinner date.’

  He raised an eyebrow and took a step backwards. ‘Date? Is that why you’re so flustered? I’m sorry to disappoint you, Ms Mason, but I’m afraid we won’t be alone.’

  His words made her heart hammer against her chest, and a hot flush of embarrassment swept across her face. She was suddenly so angry she wanted to scream.

  ‘I don’t want to be alone with you,’ she snapped, her hands curling into fists. ‘Why would I want that?’

  He smiled at her mockingly. ‘I suppose for the same reason as any other woman in your position. Sadly, though, I’ve invited some people I think you should meet. They’ll be good for your business.’

  She stared at him mutely, unable to think of anything to say that wouldn’t result in her being fired on the spot.

  His gaze shifted from her face to her fists, grey eyes gleaming like polished pewter.

  ‘Nothing else to say? You disappoint me, Ms Mason! I was hoping for at least one devastating comeback. Okay, I’ll pick you up from your hotel later. Be ready. And don’t worry about thanking me now. You can do that later too.’

  ‘But I’ve got to pack!’ she called after him, the bottleneck of words in her throat finally bursting.

  But it was too late. He’d gone.

  Staring after him, Nola felt a trickle of fury run down her spine. Any other woman in your position. How dared he lump her in with all his other wannabe conquests? He was impossible, overbearing and conceited.

  But as a hot, swift shiver ran through her body she swore under her breath, for if that was true then why did he still affect her in this way?

  Well, it was going to stop now.

  Standing up, she stormed across her office and slammed the door.

  Breathing out hard, she stared at her shaking hands. It felt good to give way to frustration and anger. But closing a door was easy. She had a horrible feeling that keeping Ram Walker out of her head, even when she was back in Scotland, was going to be a whole lot harder.

  CHAPTER TWO

  FROM HIS OFFICE on the twenty-second floor, Ram stared steadily out of the window at the Pacific Ocean. The calm expression on his face in no way reflected the turmoil inside his head.

  Something was wrong. He looked down at the file he was supposed to be reading and frowned. For starters, he was sleeping badly, and he had a near permanent headache. But worst of all he was suffering from a frustrating and completely uncharacteristic inability to focus on what was important to him. His business.

  Or it had been important to him right up until the moment he’d walked into that backstreet café and met Nola Mason.

  A prickling tension slid down his spine and his chest squeezed tighter.

  Down in the bay, a yacht cut smoothly through the waves. But for once his eyes didn’t follow its progress. Instead it was the clear, sparkling blue of the water that drew his gaze.

  His jaw tightened, pulling the skin across the high curves of his cheekbones.

  Two months ago his life had been perfect. But one particular woman, whose eyes were the exact shade as the ocean, had turned that life upside down.

  Nola.

  He ran the syllables slowly over his tongue. Before he’d met her the name had simply been an acronym for New Orleans—or the Big Easy, as it was also known. His eyes narrowed. But any connection between Nola Mason and the city straddling the Mississippi ended there. Nola might be many things—sexy, smart and seriously good at her job. But she wasn’t easy. In fact she was unique among women in that she seemed utterly impervious to his charms.

  Thinking back to their conversation in the boardroom, remembering the way she had stood up to him in front of the directors, he felt the same mix of frustration, admiration and desire that seemed to define every single contact he had with her.

  It was a mix of feelings that was entirely new to him.

  Normally women tripped over themselves to please him. They certainly never kept him at arm’s length, or spouted ‘workplace considerations’ as a reason for turning him down.

  Turning him down! Even just thinking the words inside his head made him see every shade of red. Nobody had ever turned him down—in the boardroom or the bedroom.

  He glanced down at the unread report, but there was no place to hide from the truth: despite the fact that his instincts were screaming at him to keep his distance, he couldn’t stop thinking about Nola and her refusal to sleep with him. Her stupid, logical, perfectly justified refusal to break the rules. Her rules.

  He closed the file with a snap. His rules too.

  And that was what was really driving him crazy. The fact that up until a couple of months ago he would have agreed with her. Workplace relationships were a poisoned chalice. They caused tension and upset. And not once had he ever been tempted to break those rules and sleep with an employee.

  Only Nola Mason was not just a temptation.

  She was a virus in his blood.

  No. His mouth twisted. She was more like malware in his system, stealthily undermining his strength, his stability, his sanity.

  But there was a cure.

  His groin hardened.

  He knew what it was, and so did she.

  He’d seen it in the antagonism flickering in those blue eyes, heard it in the huskiness of her voice. And her resistance, her refusal to acknowledge it was merely fuelling his desire. His anticipation of the moment when finally she surrendered to him.

  He tossed the file onto his desk, feeling a pulsing, breathless excitement scrabbling up inside him.

  Of course, being Nola, she would offer a truce, not a surrender. Those eyes, that mouth, might suggest an uninhibited sensuality, but he sensed that the determined slant of her chin was not just a pose adopted for business but a reflection of how she behaved out of work and in bed.

  Picturing Nola, her blue eyes narrowing into fierce slits as she straddled his naked body, he felt his spine melt into his chair. But truces could only happen if both parties came to the table—which was why he’d invited her to dinner. Not an intimate, candlelit tryst. He knew Nola, and she would have instantly rejected anything so blatant. But now she knew it was to be a business dinner at a crowded restaurant, she would relax—hell, they might even end up sharing a dessert.

  His mouth curved up into a satisfied smile. Or, better still, they could save dessert until they got back to his penthouse.

  * * *

  So this was what it felt like to be famous, Nola thought as she walked self-consciously between the tables in the exclusive restaurant Ram had chosen. It was certainly an experience, although she wasn’t sure it was one she’d ever want to repeat.

  The Wool Shed was the hottest dining ticket in town, but even though it was midweek, and the award-winning restaurant was packed, to her astonishment Ram hadn’t bothered to book. For any normal person that would have meant looking for somewhere else to eat. Clearly those rules didn’t apply to Ram Walker, for now, within seconds of his arrival, the maître d’ was leading them to a table with a view a
cross the bay to the Opera House.

  ‘I think I may have told our guests that dinner was at eight, so it’s going to be just the two of us for a bit. Sorry about that.’

  Nola stared at him warily. He didn’t sound sorry; he sounded completely unrepentant. Meeting his gaze, she saw that he didn’t look sorry either. In fact, he seemed to be enjoying the uneasiness that was clearly written all over her face.

  Sliding into the seat he’d pulled out, Nola breathed out carefully. ‘That’s fine. It’ll give you a chance to brief me on our mystery guests.’

  She felt him smile behind her. ‘Of course—and don’t worry, your chaperones will arrive very soon. I promise.’

  Gritting her teeth, she watched him drop gracefully into the chair beside her. At work it had been easy to tell herself that the tension between them was just some kind of personality clash or a battle of wills. Now, though, she could see that ever since she’d met Ram that first time, the battle had been raging inside her.

  A battle between her brain and her body...between common sense and her basest carnal urges. And, much as she would have liked to deny it, or pretend it wasn’t true, the sexual pull between them was as real and tangible as the bottles of still and sparkling water on the table. So much so that only by pressing her fingers into the armrests of her chair could she stop herself from reaching out to touch the smooth curve of his jaw.

  Her hand twitched. It was like trying to ignore a mosquito bite. The urge to scratch was overwhelming.

  But surely walking into this restaurant with him was just what she’d needed to remind her why it was best not to give in to that urge—for Ram wasn’t just her boss. He was way out of her league.

  In a room filled with beautiful people, he was the unashamed focus of every eye. As he’d strolled casually to their table conversations had dwindled and even the waiters had seemed to freeze; it had been as though everyone in the restaurant had taken a sort of communal breath.

  And it was easy to see why.

  Glancing up, she felt a jolt of hunger spike inside her.

  There was something about him that commanded attention. Of course he looked amazing—each feature, from his long dark eyelashes to the tiny scar on his cheekbone, looked as though it had been lovingly executed by an artist. But it wasn’t just his dark, sculpted looks that tugged at the senses. He had a quality of certainty that was unique, compelling, irresistible.

  He was the ultimate cool boy at school, she decided. And now he was sitting next to her, his arm resting casually over the back of her chair, the scent of his cologne making a dizzy heat spread over her skin.

  Unable to stop herself, she glanced sideways and felt her breath catch in her throat.

  He was just too ridiculously beautiful.

  As though sensing her focus, he turned, and the air was punched out of her lungs as his dark grey gaze scanned her face.

  ‘What’s the matter?’

  ‘Nothing,’ she lied. ‘Are you going to tell me who we’re meeting?’ She tried to arrange her expression into that same mix of casual and professional that he projected so effortlessly. ‘Are they local?’

  ‘They’re a little bigger than just Australia. It’s Craig Aldin and Will Fraser. They own—’

  ‘A&F Freight,’ she finished his sentence. ‘That’s the—’

  ‘The biggest logistics company in the southern hemisphere.’

  His eyes glittered as he in turn finished her sentence, a hint of a smile tugging at his mouth. ‘Maybe we should try ordering dinner this way. It would be like a new game: gastronomic consequences.’

  She tried not to respond to that smile, but it was like trying to resist gravity.

  ‘It could be fun,’ she said cautiously. ‘Although we might end up with some challenging flavour combinations.’

  His eyes didn’t leave her face. ‘Well, I’ve never been that vanilla in my tastes,’ he said softly.

  Her heart banged against her ribs like a bird hitting a window. There it was again—that spark of danger and desire, her flint striking his steel.

  But as he picked up the water bottle and filled her glass she bit her lip, felt a knot forming in her stomach. Flirting with Ram in this crowded restaurant might feel safe. Playing with fire, however, was never a good idea—and especially not with a man who was as experienced and careless with women as he was.

  She needed to remember that the next time he made her breath jerk in her throat, but right now she needed to dampen that flame and steer the conversation back to work.

  ‘Is A&F looking to upgrade its system?’ she asked quickly, ignoring the mocking gleam in his eyes.

  Ram stared at her for a moment and then shrugged.

  It was the same every time. Back and forth. Gaining her trust, then losing it again. Like trying to stroke a feral cat. Just as he thought he was close enough to touch, she’d retreat. It was driving him mad.

  He shifted in his seat, wishing he could shift the ache inside his body. If he couldn’t persuade her to relax soon he was going to do himself some permanent damage.

  His eyes drifted lazily over her body. In that cream blouse, dark skirt and stockings, and with those blue eyes watching him warily across the table, she looked more like a sleek Siamese than the feisty street cat she’d been channelling in their meeting that morning.

  ‘Yes—and soon. That’s why I want you to meet with them today.’

  As he put the bottle back on the table his hand brushed against hers, and suddenly she was struggling to remember what he’d just said, let alone figure out how to reply.

  ‘Thank you,’ she said finally.

  His expression was neutral. ‘Of course it might mean coming back to Australia.’

  Frowning, she looked into his face. ‘That won’t be a problem.’

  ‘Really? It’s just that you live on the other side of the world. I thought you might have somebody missing you. Someone significant.’

  Nola blinked. How had they ended up talking about this? About her private life.

  Ram Walker was too damn sharp for his own good. He made connections that were barely visible while she was still struggling to join the dots.

  His gaze was so intense that suddenly she wanted to lift her hand and shield her face. But instead she thought about her flat, with its high ceilings and shabby old sofas. It was her home, and she loved it, but it wasn’t a somebody. Truthfully, there hadn’t been anyone in her life since Connor.

  Her throat tightened. Connor—with his sweet face and his floppy hair. And his desire to be liked. A desire that had meant betraying her trust in the most humiliating way possible. He hadn’t quite matched up to her father’s level of unreliability, but then, he’d only been in her life a matter of months.

  Of course since their break-up she hadn’t taken a vow of celibacy. She’d gone out with a couple of men on more than a couple of dates and they’d been pleasant enough. But none had been memorable, and right now the only significant living thing in her flat was a cactus called Colin.

  She shook her head. ‘No,’ she said at last. ‘Anna’s the home bird. I’ve no desire to tie myself down any time soon. I like my independence too much.’

  Ram nodded. Letting his gaze wander over her face, he took in the flushed cheeks and the dilated pupils and felt a tug down low in his stomach. A pulse of heat flickered beneath his skin.

  Independence. The word tasted sweet and dark and glossy in his mouth—like a cherry bursting against his tongue. At that moment, had he believed in soulmates, he would have thought he’d found his. For here was a woman who was not afraid to be herself. To stand alone in the world.

  His heart was pounding. He wanted her more than he’d ever wanted anyone—anything. If only he could reach over and pull her against him, strip her naked and take her right here, right now—

  But instead a waiter brought over some bread and, grateful for the nudge back to reality, Ram leaned back in his chair, trying to school his thoughts, his breathing, his body, into some sort o
f order.

  ‘She’s impressive, your partner,’ he said, when finally the waiter left them alone.

  He watched her face soften, the blue eyes widen with affection, and suddenly he wondered how it would feel to be the object of that incredible gaze. For someone to care that much about him.

  The idea made him feel strangely vulnerable and, picking up his glass, he downed his water so that it hit his stomach with a thump.

  She nodded eagerly. ‘She was always top of the class.’

  He nodded. ‘I can believe that. But I wasn’t talking about her tech skills. It’s her attitude that’s her real strength. She’s pragmatic; she understands the value of compromise. Whereas you...’

  He paused, and Nola felt her skin tighten. That was Anna in a nutshell. But how could Ram know that? They’d only met once, when they’d signed the contracts.

  And then her muscles tensed, her body squirming with nerves at what he might be about to reveal about her.

  ‘You, on the other hand, are a rebel.’

  Reaching out, he ran his hand lightly over her sleeve and she felt a thrill like the jolt of electricity. This wasn’t like any conversation she’d ever had. It was more like a dance—a dazzling dance with quick, complicated steps that only they understood.

  She swallowed. ‘What kind of rebel works for the system?’

  Beneath the lights, his eyes gleamed like brushed steel. ‘You might look corporate on the outside, but if I scratched the surface I’d find a hacker beneath. Unlike your partner—unlike most people, really—you like to cross boundaries, take risks. You’re not motivated by money; you like the challenge.’

  The hum of chatter and laughter faded around them and a pulse began to beat loudly inside her head. Reaching forward to pick up her glass, she cleared her throat with difficulty.

  ‘You’re making me sound a lot edgier than I am,’ she said quickly. ‘I’m actually just a “white hat”.’

  ‘Of course you are!’

  Ram shifted in his seat, his thigh brushing against her leg so that her hand twitched around the stem of the glass. It was a gambler’s tell—a tiny, visible sign of the tension throbbing between them.