She’d threatened to shut down operations immediately, but I’d convinced her to let me get my men on it overnight.
I’d walked her back to the room where I’d stayed until she went to bed, and then I moved down to the lobby, daring anyone to mess with me. “Jesus, Keith don’t tell me how to cool pipe, I know all about the process, just tell me you can deal with the wastewater issue in the next twelve hours.”
I hadn’t even heard her come up behind me and I was ready to snap a staffers headed off when she tapped me on the shoulder. I spun around causing her to start. “You’ve been here all night. Come back to the room. You’re not going to bother me.”
“Hold on, Kieth!” I yelled into the phone. I glanced around noticing the two staffers at the check in desk were watching with wide eyes as they whispered to one another. “They sent you to get me, didn’t they?”
“Yeah, I got a call begging me to come down and get my crazy husband out of the lobby, or they’re going to call the police.” She waved at the staffers and took my hand. “I understand you’re upset about the findings today, but you being thrown in jail for disorderly conduct in a public place won’t do either of us any favors.” She walked me to the elevator, and I finished my call on the way up.
I hung up as we got back to the room and she threw open the door and headed back to the bed where she stripped off her robe revealing her little shorts and tank top which matched. He breasts pushed against the soft pink cotton and my eyes trailed down to her tight ass which was in perfect proportion. Too soon she was under the covers and meeting my stare with narrowed eyes.
“Sorry, I was expecting to be along. This is what I sleep in at home.” She pulled the covers up high to her neck, and I shook my head.
“Make no apologies. I mean, I usually sleep nude, so—
“Not on your life!” She held a finger in my direction as I belted a laugh. The look on her face had been priceless. Her cheeks were warm with blush, and her face paled a bit like the very idea of seeing a man naked was too much. I wondered if she ever had. Surely with her age, but then again, how old was she?
“I was only kidding. I’ve got bed clothes. I never sleep naked when I travel.” I walked to the couch taking a seat, but she rose up on her elbow. “You should share the bed. You paid for the room, and besides, there are more than enough pillows to build a nice big wall between us.” She shifted around and put a line of pillows in the middle of the king size bed.
I went into the bathroom and when I returned dressed in my sleeping pants and nothing more she gave me a wide-eyed stare. Her eyes lingered downward, and when I smiled at her, she flipped over and faced the opposite direction.
She was so beautiful without any makeup and her auburn red hair down against her creamy skin and framing her perfect breasts.
As I laid there beside her with the wall between us, I dreamed of knocking it down, of pushing my way over and nudging them aside to get at her. What I wouldn’t give for just one taste, to hold her close in my embrace and press myself against her so she could feel just how much I wanted her.
As it turned out, the barrier remained in place, and we woke the next morning unscathed.
She was flushed from sleep, and her eyes seemed much softer—younger. And with her hair a mess it was hard to believe that she was such a hard ass.
I took my time getting ready to go down to the plant knowing that every moment counted on the other end. After thirty minutes in the bathroom where I claimed to be taking care of business, she’d threatened to go down without me. When I came out, she stood there with her hands on her hips.
“You can’t stall this forever, though it was a valiant effort.” She gave a little chuckle, and I played innocent. It was nice to hear her laugh for a change and the sound sent my blood pumping and my palms to sweating. I dragged my feet on the way out, and she turned to me with a sigh. “Hurry up.”
“Yes, Dear.”
She spun around and gave me a glare as we waited for the elevator. “I cannot believe those fools thought that I was your wife. Could you imagine?”
She shook her head as we stepped inside and as I caught another glimpse of her tight ass, this time wearing a pair of curve-hugging jeans, the idea didn’t sound so bad to me.
As it turned out I had panicked for nothing. The rest of the plant was in tip top shape, and the end of the factory that had been a mess was well on its way back to perfect performance with a new strategy in play for the wastewater. The water was easily reused, but there had been a certain amount of runoff that was happening due to faulty equipment. I’d ordered it to be brought up to date within the week, but the foreman said it might take a few.
Luckily Megan agreed that if the surrounding soil and air samples were within the right thresholds, she’d give me the extended time. I’d made arrangements with my team, and she’d spent the rest of the time taking samples with them while I’d called ahead to Ohio. I needed to give them a head’s up, but the foreman there assured me things were top notch. I’d hold him to it, and let him know that his job depended on it. I didn’t need someone making promises and then failing because they didn’t feel like inspecting. Before I got off the phone with him, his attitude had changed. I might tolerate Megan’s temper and determination, but that was only because she turned me on.
When we got back to the hotel that night, prepared to stay until morning, she’d asked me about dinner. I’d skipped out the night before but had ordered her up room service for her and then retreated to the lobby, but since we’d only had a light brunch in between me stressing out over things, my appetite was roaring. “Is that your stomach growling?”
I unlocked the door to the room and opened it for her. “Considering you’ve burned up all my calories by stressing me out, yes, that’s my stomach in full pleading mode.”
“You poor thing, do you want to just order something up from the restaurant again?” She pulled off her earring and slipped them into her bag and then she struggled with the clasp of her necklace. “Dammit.”
“Here, let me.” I stepped forward, brushing her hair aside and working her clasp. The clawless end of the chain slipped from my hand causing the pendant to slip off the chain and bounce to the floor. We both reached down at the same time colliding. She fell against me, and I caught her, pulling her close for a moment until she got righted.
“I’ll get it.” I reached down and picked up the pendant, and as I placed it in her hands, her eyes met mine with a new light in them.
“Would you let me take you down to dinner?” I had asked the question before thinking and just when I thought she was going to say no, she smiled.
“I’d like that.” It was as if she was finally seeing me, and not the billionaire brat she’d first accused me of being.
Chapter 8
Megan
We went down to the restaurant getting a few stares from the familiar staff along the way. Once we were seated at a cozy little table for two in the back of the room, I felt more at ease. I wasn’t used to dating or even having dinner with someone of the opposite sex. The only man that had ever bought me dinner was my grandpa, and that was at fast food restaurants, nothing like this place.
The round tables were dressed in red with candles in the center the lights had been dimmed so much I could hardly read the menu when it was given to me.
After some contemplation and a suggestion or two from Ryan, who seemed to like everything on the menu, I played it safe and ordered the roasted chicken and vegetables.
“You mean you’re not a vegetarian?” His eyes narrowed behind his grin.
“No, just because I care about the environment doesn’t mean I’m opposed to eating meat. I guess that’s a misconception of my trade, though I’ve never had anyone else think that.” I pursed my lips to keep from laughing as he sipped his beer.
“What made you want to do this? I know you don’t want to get too personal, but it seems to be a real passion of yours and honestly, Megan, I’d like to get to know you b
etter.” He folded his hands on the table in front of him.
“It’s fine, but only if you open up too. I find myself intrigued how someone so young is head of a billion dollar industry.”
“You first, and then I’ll tell you anything you want to know.” He held his hand up as if to vow before turning up his frosted glass.
I wasn’t sure how to paint the picture to be a pleasant one, so I decided the truth was best. “I lied when I said I grew up in Chicago. The truth is, I grew up with my mother and grandparents in a small town about thirty-five miles from there. After the construction of a factory nearby, half of the population in that area started coming down with different types of abdominal cancers. It was mostly the kidneys and liver, but there was some pancreatic, and colon as well.
“Mother and I had moved away about the time the factory was built, and I was just out of high school when he was diagnosed, so I went back home to take care of him and help grandma until he passed away. Mom had her own life by then and was settling down and remarried. Hell, she needed her own life by that time if she was ever going to have one.” I took a breath and remembered how at first I hadn’t understood my mother’s decision, but as time passed, I forgave her more and more. I’d cherished the time I had with my grandparents.
I looked up, and he was still waiting for more, so I took a sip of my soda and continued. “At that time there was an investigation of the factory, and it was dumping into a nearby drainage site. The water was going through the proper treatments, but the chemical contaminates were undetected until it was too late. They didn’t know what they were looking for. I was so upset by it all I went out to talk to the man in charge of the investigation, and he turned me on to the program at the local college. I’ve been at it since.”
“So it really is a passion, then. That’s a touching story and amazing. You know, I’ve never wanted to be one of those fat cats who doesn’t care about people. That’s why I hired a team. I guess I could keep a better eye on them, but that’s what they’re paid to do.”
“I understand, but now you owe me the reason you’re there in the first place.”
“A generational curse would be my only defense. My father formed the company before I was born. He didn’t have me or my brother until later in life, and after my brother passed away, around the time for my father to retire, I took the reins.”
“I’m so sorry,” I suddenly felt so small, but he didn’t notice me shrinking in my seat.
He shrugged and continued. “We started out doing well enough, but I grew the business from the millions to the billions in a matter of a year. I could have done it faster too if my father had gotten out of the way.”
“I had no idea you’d lost your brother. I feel like such an ass. Please forgive me for being such a jerk the past few days. The truth is, I haven’t been taken very seriously, and so I sometimes feel like I have to be aggressive to be taken seriously.” I wanted to crawl under the table and hide.
“Actually, since we’re being honest, the assertive behavior is really kind of hot, even when you’re being a brat.”
Brat. I felt my cheeks redden and I covered my face with my hand. “I called you that too, right? Ugh. I’m so embarrassed.”
Suddenly we were laughing together, and he reached across the table and took my hand. I didn’t mind. “It’s fine, really. I kind of liked the back and forth, it keeps me on my toes.”
I felt the need to explain and wondered if I shared my other deep dark secret if it would explain my tough girl act or maybe ruin it. I winced still wondering if I should spill, the inner battle playing across my face until he squeezed my hand and asked, “What is it?”
“I guess you’re just a little intimidating for me. I’ve been so busy pursuing my dreams that I’ve never really had time for men in my life. I mean there was college, and I had a boyfriend in high school, but—
“You’ve never been with a man?” His eyes widened, and he took another long swig of beer as I shook my head and bit my lip. “Wow. That’s a total turn on, but yeah, I’ll behave.”
I wasn’t sure if I wanted him to behave, but I knew it was for the best. I’d let my guard down and exposed too much, and I was left feeling vulnerable. It was exactly what I’d been trying to avoid with the bitchy attitude. A sinking feeling washed over me, but he patted my hand, and until then I hadn’t realized he was still holding it.
“Are you okay?” His voice was soft and tender.
“Yes, just a bit exposed I suppose.” Our waiter arrived with our food, and he let go of my hand.
The whole time we enjoyed our dinner, I kept wondering how to hold his hand again. Was it an in the moment kind of thing or would it be something he’d welcome? Maybe I should let him do it. I released a long breath thinking I had to be the only twenty-four year old on earth who didn’t have the guts to take a man’s hand. But then again, he wasn’t an ordinary man. How many women went on dates with billionaires, men who owned billion-dollar industries and private jets. He’s way out of my league. The words made it even harder to decided what to do, so I decided to relax and eat and the rest of the night happen as it would.
Dinner was over much too soon, and I wasn’t sure I was ready to go upstairs and sit through an awkward night of will we/won’t we. But then as we were standing he held out his hand, and I took it. He let me lead us out, weaving through the busy crowd up front.
As soon as I thought I’d cleared all the obstacles, a waiter walked right out in front of me, and I stopped short. Ryan, who was still behind me ended up pressed up against me. Everything seemed to stop as I felt his erection his my ass. There was no mistaking it, and as I turned around to meet his eyes. He reached for me and pulled me close, leaning in and kissing me with a passion I wasn’t sure existed before that point.
I melted into him, my head falling back as my heart grew lighter. The world stopped around us as he stroked my cheek and mingled his lips against mine. I pressed my hips into his, and he moaned as his tongue slipped softly between my lips and into my mouth taking the kiss even deeper. He slung an arm around my waist and hurried us to the elevator.
As the metal doors opened, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirrored walls. My lips were swollen with need and my face had flushed from excitement.
“I shouldn’t have done that. Should I?” he whispered in my ear. The chills that ran up my spine sent an aching heat across my breast and through my core.
Words escaped me, but my lips had found a much better use. I captured his face in my hands and pulled him in for another taste.
Chapter 9
Ryan
Apparently being a gentleman isn’t good for the neck and I found that out the hard way after sleeping on the couch all night. I could have slept in the bed again, but I didn’t trust myself after spending a majority of the night after we’d returned from dinner making out on the sofa.
It wasn’t that I didn’t want her, my aching balls were proof of that, and my damned morning wood wasn’t helping things. I tried to put the thought of her taste out of my mind, but it was no use. I was falling for he fast and hard.
And it wasn’t just the fact that she was a virgin and I wanted the honor of deflowering her to be mine, but I found myself wanting to care for her like she’d cared for her family. It didn’t seem fair that she’d had to sacrifice so much, and it made me understand what an amazing person she truly was inside and out.
I thought of her soft, pale skin and the way her lips swelled against mine, her breasts heaving with desire. It was enough to make me want to cry and beg for her, and that was only just the upper half of her. At one point I’d had her laid out beneath me, her long legs wrapped around my waist and I thought I was going to go for it, but I’d done the right thing and talked myself out of it. I’d carried her to the bed and tucked her in when her eyes had gotten heavy, and then I walked back to the couch like a dog with nowhere to bury his bone and tried to think of enough sad things to kill my erection.
The showe
r running in the other room told me she was up and getting ready to slam my balls in another vise over these damned regulations. I had felt like a real heel since she’d told me the story about her grandfather and I wanted to make sure I didn’t have any part in causing anyone that much pain ever again if I ever had at all. There was just no way to tell and no way to be too careful. I’d spend what it would take to get the job done and done right.
My phone rang, and I let out a groan as saw my mother’s face on the screen. I loved the woman, but she’d never taken the hint that I wasn’t a morning phone call from your mother type of person.
“How’s my baby boy?” Mom always asked that question with too much enthusiasm, and I returned an equal endearment.
“Hey, Mama!” I lay back on the couch and put my feet on the small coffee table.
“When are you coming home? You’re father said you’re out of town. I wish you’d tell me these things before you do them, darling. I was going to call over Victoria and her niece, Candy to come and have dinner with us, but your father said you wouldn’t be home.”
I cringed. That was the biggest favor my father had done for me in ages. “Mom, I don’t want to see that girl again. She’s a gold digger, and I already told you about how she tried to lift my credit card. Stop trying to fix me up.” I’d told her a million times that I could handle getting a date, but she was more concerned with the type of women I dated rather than if I could get one. Quality or quantity. “Jesus, mom.”
“Ryan Evan Walker I’ll wash your mouth out for taking the Lord’s name in vain.”
“You’re not even religious, Mom.” I couldn’t help but laugh because she did. She was in a strange mood, and my mother was one odd duck on a normal day.
All of a sudden the bathroom door opened up and out walked Megan in a towel. Her auburn hair wrapped up in another revealing the soft curve of her shoulders and that slender neck I’d spent the better part of the night nuzzling.
My One and Only: A Bad Boy Secret Baby Second Chance Romance Page 102
