“So what is this thing he and Ivan were working on?” she asked.
Adam sighed. “Alright. But I need to know this won’t go any further than these walls?”
“Adam, you have my word. I just want to know what’s going on. Surely I deserve an explanation now that Tariq’s involved me in this whole thing? And Grafton Techs, too. I mean, I don’t love my job, but I don’t want the company getting involved in anything dodgy.”
“Yeah, you’re right.” He gripped her foot and gazed intensely into her eyes. “Okay, it’s a perpetual motion machine – an engine that runs by its own steam, without any need for an external source.”
Amy frowned. “Isn’t that impossible? Against the laws of physics?”
“That’s what I thought. But Ivan and Tariq have cracked it somehow. It’s got the potential to – well quite frankly, to revolutionise humanity. No more oil or coal would be needed. No more struggling and toiling… But Tariq wants to do bad things with it. That’s why Ivan started to distance himself from him. Oh, and there was a woman they were both in love with – you know how it is. They fell out, he went bad… Now he wants world domination.”
Amy chuckled. “Sounds like a bad James Bond plot.”
“I know. I was just joking about world domination, but I think Tariq wants to sell it to the highest bidder. That won’t necessarily be the American government or even the Europeans. I think he might be in communication with some Russians. It all happened so fast, but I think that’s what Ivan said before he… you know. Died.”
Amy nodded sadly. This wouldn’t be the first time a genius inventor had been murdered for his invention.
“So there you go,” Adam said, resuming the foot massage.
Amy closed her eyes to enjoy it, as her mind tried to process all this information. She suddenly realised something. “Wait, did you say they were both in love with the same woman?”
Adam chuckled cynically. “Well, that’s how it seemed to me at the time. But now after what you’ve just said… I don’t know what’s going on anymore.”
Amy nodded and tried to stifle a yawn, but the yawn won. The foot rub was so relaxing…
“Aw, poor baby,” Adam said. “You’re shattered.”
“No, I’m okay. Tell me about the woman Ivan and Tariq were fighting over.”
“I’m not too sure of the details – Ivan wouldn’t talk about it. But anyway, I think it’s time we went to bed, huh?”
She crawled over and kissed him. “Alright. You wanna make love?”
He gazed into her eyes, allowing her to see deep into his soul. “You know, this may sound weird, but I’d love to hold you under the covers. Don’t tell anyone I said that!”
She laughed. “Okay – that sounds lovely. But you’ve unlocked my love of orgasms – it’s like having a new toy to play with. So we’d better set the alarm for early – I’ll need to get my fix of you first thing in the morning, before we head off to see Frank!”
Chapter Twenty-One
Amy’s bedroom was small and cozy, with the double bed taking up most of the space, and the furniture crammed in tight. The cupboards and drawers were all a bit worn now, and some of them belonged to James. But it was her place, and she was happy to be home after spending the last few nights in that stark New York hotel room.
She awoke snuggled in Adam’s strong arms, and she lay there for a moment, relishing the sparkly feeling that whooshed through her, simply from being here with him. The spring sunshine was gleaming through the gap in the curtains, and Amy suddenly felt more safe and secure than she had in her entire life. She listened to Adam’s gentle breathing and her contentment turned to lust. She reached down and was delighted to find his morning glory under the covers, firmed-up and ready for action.
She propped herself up onto her elbows and kissed him into wakefulness.
“Morning, angel,” he said, smiling sleepily.
“Morning. I was wondering whether you and your huge erection would like to take a shower with me?”
He grinned. “Sounds like heaven.”
Her bathroom – like the rest of her apartment – was in need of some refurbishment – the ceiling was damp, the floor tiles were chipped, and the window sometimes jammed itself shut. But the one wonderful thing about it was the power shower.
Adam and Amy didn’t bother putting on any clothes as they padded from their warm bed across to the chilly bathroom. As soon as they were in there, Amy reached above the bathtub and turned the shower dial, so that the warm water spluttered out. Adam came up behind her and started to nibble her neck, and she felt his glorious erection rub against her ass, reminding her of how much pleasure was about to be had.
“You’re a dirty girl,” he muttered. “I’m gonna clean you up with some soap suds. How about it?”
She laughed, feeling arousal shudder through her body.
Adam kissed her from behind, then he stepped into the bathtub and joined her under the stream of water, unable to keep his hand off his erection. He was so fucking handsome; so fit and toned. And that cock was perfect – so powerful and ready to give her pleasure. Amy couldn’t resist him any longer, so she stepped into the bath tub, and, as the room filled up with steam, they kissed frantically under the jet of warm water.
She broke away and reached out to grab a bottle of shower gel, then she squirted some into her palm and lathered it up in her hands. Maintaining eye contact with Adam, she rubbed the suds over her breasts, down her stomach, and between her thighs. He watched her in awe, and she felt powerful having such control over him. He stepped forward and massaged a strong hand over her soapy breast, then he ran his fingers down and around to her butt, which he squeezed possessively.
Amy gasped with pleasure. She reached out and rubbed the soapy lather into his straining erection, then she gazed into his eyes and purred. “Condoms are in the cabinet.”
Adam kissed her passionately, then stepped out to do the honours. Amy turned to face the tiled wall, then she threw him a smutty glance over her shoulder.
“I’m so fucking ready for you to fuck me,” she said.
He grinned and stepped back into the tub, then positioned himself behind Amy so that their legs were touching. She could feel his straining erection poking against her ass and his balls against her thigh. They kissed over Amy’s shoulder, and she relished his masculine scent.
“And I’m ready to fuck you,” he whispered.
He reached out and wrapped his arms around her, then he ran his hands over her soapy breasts, down her stomach, and over her throbbing clit. He stood firmly behind her as he rubbed her tender nub, focusing all the pleasure into that wonderful area, while keeping her warm and secure in his strong embrace.
She felt as if she might come soon, so she rested her hand on the slippery tiles in front of her – one had either side of the shower dial – then she glanced over her shoulder and stuck out her ass.
“Take me deep,” she said. “I need to feel you inside me, thrusting hard.”
He grinned. Then, still fondling her clit with one hand, he eased two fingers from the other hand between her legs.
“I need to loosen up your tight sweet pussy first,” he said.
Amy groaned at his dirty talk, pushing back against his fingers and encouraging them to go deeper. She thrust her hips hungrily as he skimmed his fingers over her pleasure zones – inside and out.
With the soaring sounds of the shower filling her ears, Amy felt Adam’s fingers withdraw. He gently pushed her shoulders from behind so she bent down further, then she felt the tip of his cock ease inside her. He teased them both like that for a moment, rapidly moving his hips back and forth so the head of his cock was pleasuring the sensitive entrance of her pussy. Then he suddenly pulled her hips towards himself and thrust his cock deep inside.
Even though this position – from behind – seemed elicit and naughty, Amy felt incredibly connected to Adam. He was tender, yet firm. He was completely in control, but only concerned with her pleasu
re. He ground his hips against her in a steady rhythm, rubbing it faster and faster against her G-spot. The feel of his balls banging against her thigh enhanced the pleasure a few more notches, and Amy felt the room begin to spin. Her knees buckled. She let her head drop back onto his shoulder, knowing he’d support her as she lost control. It was what he wanted.
The intense pleasure merged with the steamy air and swirled around them. Amy’s mind surged with delight as her man pounded harder and harder into her body – sending her over the edge and into ecstasy.
“You’re mine, Amy,” Adam grunted as he thrust. “Mine. Whose are you?”
“Yours… Adam!”
Amy’s body suddenly tensed and she let out a guttural cry of joy as the orgasm struck deep inside then spread out gloriously all over her body. Her mind melted into the moment as her muscles flooded with freedom. She heard herself – faraway – call out to Adam that she loved him. Shit! Hopefully he hadn’t heard or understood. Luckily, he didn’t break his stride, but thrust hard as he ejaculated deep inside her. Then he held her close as they both drifted back to reality.
Amy breathed heavily and opened her eyes, but the room was steamy and her mind was swirling; everything was blurry. Adam hugged her tightly from behind.
“You okay, babe?”
“Ah… yeah. That was amazing. I’m…er… I’m sorry if I said anything weird just then.”
He chuckled kindly. “I didn’t hear anything.”
“Oh good. Phew!”
Amy unhooked herself and turned to face him. She kissed him, but she couldn’t look him in the eye now. How had she allowed herself to lose control to the extent that she was shouting things like that? Of course she didn’t love him. And he didn’t love her. They’d only known each other five minutes.
There was only one way to deal with this awkward situation: act cool, don’t be clingy, and make him want her all over again.
Chapter Twenty-Two
The cheap and basic furnishings of Grafton Techs’ head-office was the antithesis of what Amy had experienced at the opulent Quinlan Brothers’ HQ. Grafton Techs was tidy, but sterile. The blue carpet tiles and white walls were as unstimulating as the plywood desks, and the general ambiance did nothing to make the place feel special or unique. But – bland as it was – it was good to be back in familiar territory.
As Amy and Adam strode through the open-plan part of the office, they ignored the silent stares in their wake. Amy wondered whether James would’ve blabbed about Adam spending the night with her last night. Would his pride have allowed him to tell everyone the gossip of how Adam had come in and kicked him out?
They walked side-by-side towards Frank’s office, keeping a safe distance in the hope that they could imply there was nothing but a strict professionalism between them. A younger female colleague of Amy’s stepped out of the photocopier room and almost dropped her papers, as Adam strode past in his masculine glory. Amy felt pride rush up inside her. He was so striking and confident compared to the dull London IT geeks around here. All the women were secretly swooning over this glorious American hunk. But he was hers now. Excitement rippled through her ribcage at the thought of them fucking in the photocopier room, demonstrating to the world just how close they’d become in New York.
Amy led Adam to Frank’s office, then she knocked on the door and they strolled inside. Even Frank’s office was basic and nondescript – and he’d occupied it for nearly twenty years. The only thing that gave this space away as his was the silver-framed photo of his wife and teenage kids on his flimsy desk. Maybe an American touch of glamour was actually just what this place needed.
Frank glared silently at them as they stepped over to his desk, like a couple of naughty school kids in the principal’s office. Frank was a hefty, powerful man, who worked long hours and expected the same of his staff. His trimmed moustache and pinstripe suit made him look as if he should be in a black-and-white movie about 1960s London gangsters. But Amy knew he was honest and proud. The last thing he’d expected was for these brash Americans to come along and demand that he hand over everything he’d worked so hard for. He was due to make a fortune, of course. But that wasn’t the point.
He pushed his office chair away from his desk and stared at Amy. “Welcome back. You look different.”
“Do I?”
“Yeah. You look more confident; like you’re glowing from the inside. It suits you.”
“Thanks. I feel pretty good, too.”
She shot Adam a grin. Frank followed her gaze.
“Adam. I’d heard you were in town.”
Adam grabbed a couple of chairs from the conference table on the other side of Frank’s office, strutting around as if he owned the place. Which he practically did.
“News travels fast with disgruntled ex-boyfriends, huh?” Adam said.
Frank shrugged. “We weren’t expecting you to come back with Amy, that’s all.”
Adam and Amy sat down – a little too close to be just colleagues. “I figured as you couldn’t come to us to sign the contracts, I’d come here. They’ve been signed by myself and my brother. We just need your signature now, Frank. What do you say?”
Frank leaned on his desk. “Let me apologise to you in person for not being able to make it to New York.”
“Oh, no problem. Have you recovered from your accident?”
“Yeah, I got away with just a few cuts and bruises – no real damage. I wonder whether I’ll be so lucky after my collision with Quinlan Brothers.”
Adam gestured to Amy. “Ms Carter will verify that everything’s above board. We mean you no harm.”
Frank transferred his gaze to her. “Well, Amy?”
She crossed her legs and smoothed down her pencil skirt. “Things will remain the same for six months. And then there will be redundancies.”
Frank’s expression remained blank. “I don’t recall that rather huge detail in our original negotiations, Adam?”
“You’ve got a great ops director in Amy, Frank. She’s a company woman through and through. Dylan and I were hoping to hide the six-month clause from you, but Amy discovered it. And now she’s forcing us to be completely honest.”
“Well, you should’ve been completely honest straight from the start.” Frank sighed and shook his head. “I’m not happy about this.”
Adam waved his hand dismissively. “We’ll aim for damage limitation.”
“Damage limitation? These are people with homes; families.”
“I know. We’re giving them a six-month head start. I’m sorry this is happening, but it’s business. We have shareholders to satisfy. Ms Carter’s role will be one of the first to go and she’s aware of this. But look, she’s still here, negotiating for your company when she could just walk away. We guarantee that the expert technical staff will be retained. But the back-of-house staff, they’ve gotta go. I’m sorry, Frank.”
“Are you, Adam?”
Adam shrugged. “Sure.”
Frank nodded knowingly. “Well, I guess it’s that or a hostile takeover. You leave me no choice. Who’s coming over to head the merger, by the way?”
“My brother,” Adam said.
Amy’s head whipped around and she glared at him. She’d assumed that Adam would be moving here so they could be together. How was this romance going to work if he was in America and she was in London?
Adam gazed tenderly at her, the hard businessman act falling away. “I want you to come and live in New York with me. Will you?”
“What? And do what?”
He grinned. “Have a sabbatical. Do some painting. Whatever you want.”
She frowned. “Are you firing me?”
“No. You’re welcome to stay in your current role for six months – you can head up the merger on our side of the pond. But I want you there with me, Amy. I really do.”
She turned back to face Frank and smirked. “I’ll think about it.”
Adam chuckled. “Alright. But I did hear what you shouted in the shower thi
s morning, so I assume you won’t be thinking too long.”
She blushed and glanced down at her lap. “Shall we talk about this later?”
Adam grinned. “Sure.” He turned to face Frank. “Will you sign, Frank? We’ll make sure we fully compensate any employees we need to lose. You have my word.”
“Can you vouch for Mr Quinlan’s word, Amy?”
She smiled. “He’s been pretty true to it so far. Yes I can.”
Frank shrugged. “Well, it looks like I have no choice. Have your people send the contracts over.”
Adam opened his laptop case and pulled out the paperwork. “I’ve got them right here. Let’s do business.”
Once the contracts had been signed, Amy and Adam decided to leave, because they were both still feeling jetlagged. Amy knew they needed to return to New York as soon as possible to prepare for her meeting with Tariq, but as they strolled back through the open-plan part of the office, they chatted about how nice it would be to spend the weekend in London, chilling out in bed and walking in Hyde Park.
Amy was thrilled that Adam wanted her to relocate to America to be with him, but she was reluctant to completely believe it yet. They hadn’t even known each other a week, and she knew this fairy tale could end badly. But at least she had a six-month guarantee before it was time to find a new job. Or possibly she could take some time out, as he’d suggested. But whatever the future held, Amy currently felt strong, independent, and in control. It was a feeling she’d never really known with James.
As she strolled with Adam along the Grafton Techs corridor towards the exit, she couldn’t help but stare in through the huge glass window of James’s office. He was behind his desk, head down, working hard. Amy felt she owed him a ‘goodbye and farewell’, but now probably wasn’t the appropriate time.
Adam saw her looking in, and he halted to also inspect James through the glass. Realising he was being stared at, James glanced up and glared at them both, like a dangerous zoo exhibit.
Amy tugged Adam’s arm. “Come on, let’s leave him alone.”
The Billionaire's Kisses: Billionaire Brothers Page 13
