Seduced by the CEO

by Barbara Dunlop

  “I am.”

  “Did I wake you?”

  “No. What are you thinking?”

  She paused. “I was thinking it never happens this way.”

  He loved the sound of her voice. The words didn’t even have to make sense. “What never happens which way?”

  She cracked an obviously self-conscious smile. “You meet a guy. He’s smart, funny, good looking, and then...” A delightful touch of pink flushed her cheeks.

  “Sometimes it happens that way.” And he was beyond thrilled that it had.

  “There’s always a catch.”

  He agreed with that. “Catch is.” He settled a hand on her bare hip. “I’m falling for you.”

  Her smile widened. “That’s not a catch.”

  It was for him, and that was the hard truth. He was quickly coming to care for her, but he was destined to upset and disappoint her. There was no way around it.

  But not now, he told himself, not today. There was still some more time before the real world crowded in.

  She glanced behind him and her expression sobered. “We’re late.”

  He realized she’d glimpsed the bedside clock. “I disagree. We’re right on time.”

  “I’m late for work.” She gave a longing glance around the picturesque room. “I’m late for my real life.”

  He slipped an arm beneath her, determined to hold her in place. “Real life’s over-rated.”

  “Maybe so, but mine’s out there waiting for me.”

  “Let it wait.” Deep down, he knew he’d never have another chance like this.

  She sat up, giving him a lovely profile view of her breasts and the indentation of her stomach.

  “I can’t abandon Megan.”

  He rose beside her, searching for the words that would change her mind. Then he spotted her cell phone on the bedside table. He reached for it and swiftly opened her contacts. There was Megan.

  He connected a call and put it to his ear.

  Kalissa obviously heard something, and she turned to look at him. Her brows knitted in confusion.

  “Hey, you,” came Megan’s sing-song voice. “How’d it go?”

  “It’s Riley,” he said.

  Megan’s tone immediately changed. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing’s wrong. Kalissa’s right here.”

  “Who are you talking to?” asked Kalissa, her confusion obviously growing.

  “Where’s here?” asked Megan.

  “Lake Forest.”

  “What are you doing way out there?”

  “Hey,” Kalissa called. “That’s my phone.”

  “Tell her hi,” said Megan.

  “Megan says hi,” Riley told Kalissa.

  “Give it back.” Kalissa lunged forward.

  He leaned away from the bed, reaching for her shoulder to hold her at arm’s length.

  “I was hoping to keep her for a while,” he said to Megan.

  “I’m taking a shower, then we’re coming home.” Kalissa called out so that Megan would hear. She was obviously trying to glower at him, but the amusement in her eyes was giving her away.

  “She’s taking a shower?” asked Megan.

  “No.” Riley hesitated, wondering how much he ought to reveal. “I, uh, just came in and woke her up.”

  “Oh, good grief,” said Kalissa. “She’s not going to buy that. Give me the phone.”

  “Do you need her right away?” asked Riley.

  “Tell her to have fun,” said Megan.

  “Give me that phone,” said Kalissa, punctuating her words by bopping him in the shoulder with the heel of her hand. Her lips twitched as she clearly fought a smile.

  “Megan says to have fun.”

  “I am not going to have fun.”

  He grinned in triumph. “You’re already having fun.”

  “You should probably let her talk to me,” said Megan.

  “Okay,” Riley agreed. “But you’re my wing-man in this.”

  Megan laughed.

  Riley handed the phone to Kalissa.

  “Hey,” Kalissa said into it, giving Riley a stern glare.

  He pulled her close, folding her against his chest.

  To his delight, she didn’t fight him.

  “It was nice,” she said to Megan.

  “Nice?” Riley growled in an undertone.

  She elbowed him in the ribs.

  “That’s nuts,” she said to Megan. “We’ll head back right away.”

  “Tell her I’ll have you home by tonight,” said Riley.

  “She can hear you,” said Kalissa.

  “Is she agreeing?” asked Riley.

  “She’s not the person you have to convince,” said Kalissa.

  Then she took the phone from her ear.

  Megan’s voice was tinny but audible. “Do you two even need me in this conversation?”

  “Yes,” said Kalissa.

  “No,” said Riley.

  Megan gave a spurt of laughter. “Take the day. You sure deserve it.”

  “So do you,” said Kalissa.

  “I’ll take one later.”

  There was hesitation in Kalissa’s expression. She looked up at Riley.

  He gave her an encouraging smile and ran his fingertips from the tip of her smooth shoulder, over her collarbone and up her neck.

  Her head tipped ever so slightly, and her eyes closed.

  “Fine,” she breathed in capitulation.

  “Thank you, Megan,” Riley called.

  “You can’t have her forever,” warned Megan.

  “We’ll see you tonight,” he answered, lifting the phone from Kalissa’s unresisting hand and ending the call.

  As he gazed at her creamy skin, her gorgeous hair and those full luscious lips, he thought forever sounded about right.

  Six

  In an open air art market, in a historical section of Lake Forest, they found some dramatic metal sculptures. Kalissa knew they’d be perfect for Riley’s patio. After a brief protest, he agreed to buy them. He was now lugging the two unwieldy pieces toward his car.

  His phone rang, and he glanced down at his pants pocket.

  “You want me to?” Kalissa asked, tentatively reaching.

  “Can you just tell me who it is?” He shifted the sculptures to give her access.

  She reached into the pocket, taking a moment to get her hands on the phone.

  His eyes twinkled. “Keep looking.”

  “You have a one track mind.”

  “I do around you.”

  She managed to extract the phone, lifting it to check the display.

  “Wade Cormack?” she told him.

  Riley blew out a sigh. “I’d better take that.” He glanced around, spotting a bench under a tree. “It’s a business associate. Can you tell him to hang on?”

  “Sure.” Kalissa pressed the answer button. “This is Riley Ellis’s phone,” she answered as she followed him toward the bench.

  “And who is this?” The man’s voice was smooth and professional.

  “This is Kalissa Smith. He’ll just be a moment.”

  “Are you his new secretary?” asked Wade Cormack.

  Kalissa hesitated, wondering how exactly she would describe herself. “Something like that. I’m on contract.”

  Riley set down the sculptures and gave her a look of confusion.

  “What kind of a contract?” asked Wade.

  “Mr. Ellis is ready for you now,” she said in a very proper voice, grinning as she handed over the phone.

  Riley listened for a moment. “She’s none of your business, that’s who she is.”

  Kalissa chuckled a
s she plopped down on the bench next to the sculptures. His gardener? His date? His one night stand? All were true one way or another.

  “No,” said Riley, his voice rising. “Of course not. Give me a break.”

  His expression sobered. He glanced at Kalissa, then he turned and took a couple of steps away.

  She tried not to listen to what was obviously a confidential call, but his voice carried.

  “How did you find that out?” asked Riley, bracing his feet apart.

  Kalissa focused her attention on the clusters of people walking past, couples, families, some with strollers, many of them carrying paintings and other packages.

  “Crap,” Riley spat in a tone of disgust.

  Kalissa found herself sitting up straight, taking in his tense posture. Whatever had happened, it obviously wasn’t good, and it seemed like their stolen day away was about to end.

  She was disappointed by that. Having worked through her guilt at leaving Megan on her own, she’d started to hope Riley would suggest stopping for dinner on the way back to Chicago.

  “As soon as I can,” said Riley. “Maybe somewhere overseas?”

  His head nodded. “I know. He’ll have thought that through too. Damn it.”

  Kalissa’s emotions wavered between pity and curiosity.

  “I’ll let you know,” said Riley.

  He turned back, shoving his phone into his pocket.

  She came to her feet. “Do we need to go back?”

  “What?” He was obviously distracted.

  “Do we need to go back? Are you in a hurry?”

  “It’s all right,” he said, gathering up the sculptures.

  “It’s okay if you do,” she told him. “It wouldn’t hurt for me to check up on—”

  “There’s a guy,” said Riley as they started their way back down the pedestrian street. “He’s a competitor. He paid a ‘rush’ premium to buy up all the stock on a particular part that he doesn’t really need from three different suppliers. So they’ve back-ordered on me.”

  “Why would he do that?”

  “To shut down my assembly line and destroy my company.”

  “That’s appalling.”

  Riley stared straight ahead, his pace increasing as he talked. “He’s a very competitive man.”

  “He sounds like a bona-fide jerk.”

  Riley’s jaw clenched tight, and they walked in silence for the next block.

  “What are you going to do?” she asked.

  “Try to find another source for the part.”

  “Can you do anything to him? Take him to court maybe. Is it illegal?”

  “It’s not illegal. It’s ruthless, and it’s definitely smart.”

  She was surprised that Riley would have anything positive to say about the man.

  “Smart?” she asked.

  “Brilliant, actually. I didn’t see it coming.”

  “Who is he?” she asked.

  Riley’s expression relaxed. “Nobody important. Definitely nobody you need to worry about.”

  “If he can destroy your company...” How could that fail to make him important?

  “If a competitor can destroy my company that easily, I don’t deserve to succeed.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Seriously. Tell me, what would you do if another landscaping company bought up all of the, say, Boxwood?”

  She came up with a quick solution. “I’d substitute Privet.”

  “If you couldn’t substitute? What if every customer you had demanded a Boxwood hedge as part of the garden design?”

  “I’d order from out of state.”

  “And if there was none available out of state?”

  She thought about it for another moment. “Well, it would take a while, but I could start a nursery and grow my own.”

  It took her a second to realize that Riley had stopped walking. She turned back. “What?”

  “You’d grow your own,” he said, a calculating look in his eyes.

  “It would take a while. And I’m assuming I could get my hands on some seed.”

  “I can get seed,” he said.

  She wondered if she’d lost sight of the overall metaphor. “Are you saying you want a Boxwood hedge?”

  His attention moved back to her. “What?”

  “We’re not seriously talking about a hedge?”

  His brow furrowed. “No.”

  “I thought maybe I’d missed a left turn in the conversation. We’re still talking about you. The seeds aren’t literally seeds.”

  “They’re not seeds.” He began walking again.

  She trotted a couple of steps. “So, what are they?”

  “A titanium alloy, C-110M.”

  She rolled that one over in her mind. “What exactly is it you do, Riley?”

  “It’s not as complicated as it sounds. It’s just a type of metal. If we have approved specs, we can contract someone to make the part. It’ll be expensive, and it’ll take some time, but it’s not impossible.”

  They’d arrived at the car, and he popped the small truck. “Well, this is going to be a tight fit.”

  She took in the space and the shape of the sculptures.

  “Turn that one sideways, big end that way.” She pointed.

  He set it inside.

  “The other should nestle with the sunburst part in the space that’s—”

  It was clear, he was way ahead of her, and he set the second one down. They fit perfectly, and he stepped back.

  “We’re going to have to restrain ourselves for the rest of the afternoon,” he said.

  “I thought we were done.”

  “We only made it halfway through the art fair.”

  “Don’t you have to get back to work?”

  It was pretty obvious he had problems to solve.

  “We’ve got some time.” He shut the lid of the trunk. “I wanted to buy you a painting, or a vase, or maybe some earrings.”

  Her fingertips rose reflexively to her earlobe. “You can’t buy me jewelry on our second date.”

  He stepped closer. “Why not?”

  “It’s too...too...” She struggled for the right word. “Intimate.”

  He took one of her hands, twining his fingers with hers, pulling her closer, his voice going low. “Too intimate? You were there last night, right?”

  “That’s not the same thing.”

  “Physical intimacy is not the same as emotional intimacy?”

  “It’s not.” It wasn’t.

  He gave her what looked like a tolerant smile. “Okay.”

  “I’ll take a vase,” she said.

  “Sure.” He stepped closer, brushing up against her. “Unless you happen to fall madly in love with a pair of earrings.”

  His touch brought back memories of last night, and fresh desire swept through her. “I won’t.”

  He gave her a warm smile. “Never say never.”

  She waited for his kiss, eyes closing, lips parting, her chin tipping toward him.

  He didn’t disappoint.

  His lips were hot, his kiss thorough, and his arms wound tight around her. She wished they weren’t on a public street. She wished they were back at the inn, wrapped in the cocoon of that soft bed. She desperately wished she could rewind and have last night start all over again.

  * * *

  Riley spoke to Ashton across a hewn wood table at The Copper Tavern. Rock music came from the speaker above them, while a muted Cubs game played out on the screen above the bar.

  “We can have the engine mounting bracket custom made,” said Riley. “But it’s going to be tough on the bottom line. It’s a structural part, so we’ll need permits and certification.
And if he does something like that again, it could sink us.”

  “Can you stop him?” asked Ashton, as the waitress set two frosted mugs of beer in front of them.

  “We’re going through the E-22 specs part by part to see where we’re vulnerable.”

  “Can you retaliate? Buy up all the stock of something he needs?”

  “His pockets are way deeper than mine,” said Riley.

  He was ticked off at Shane, but he had to reluctantly admire the play. Now he needed a play of his own.

  “What about the girl?” asked Ashton.

  “The girl?”

  “The twin. Can you use her against Shane?”

  “You mean Kalissa?”

  “Yeah. Is there a way to parlay that into something—”

  “I’m not dragging Kalissa into this.” She wasn’t a pawn in their battle.

  Ashton drew back. “I don’t get it. I thought that’s why you were dating her.”

  “That’s not why I’m dating her.”

  “Then why are you dating your rival half-brother’s sister-in-law?”

  “I like her.”

  “Sure,” Ashton said with a shrug. “I’ve seen pictures. What’s not to like?”

  “I mean, I like her. I’m not going to use her to get to Shane.”

  Ashton stared at him in obvious confusion. “You can’t truly fall for Darci’s sister.”

  “I’m not falling for her.” But even Riley could hear the lie in that statement.

  “I’m serious,” said Ashton.

  “I’ve seen her a couple of times, a couple of dates.”

  Ashton’s eyes narrowed further. “And, have you...”

  “None of your business.”

  “Oh, this is great.” Ashton threw up his hands. “You’re sleeping with her, and you don’t want me to know about it?”

  “It’s none of your—”

  “Yeah, yeah. I get it. And when was the last time you were discreet about your sex life?”

  Never, was the last time Riley had kept his sex life secret from Ashton. It had never much mattered. It had always been casual, a fleeting good time with women who made no bones about telling their own friends about him.

  Riley took a swig of his beer. It was satisfying going down. Though he now wished he had something stronger. He probably should have gone with a boilermaker.

  “You can’t think this is going to work,” said Ashton.