by Amelia Jade
That line once again brought home to Kaitlyn just what it was she was dealing with. A child. A living human being was growing inside of her. It was crazy to think about.
“You wanted to see me, Aric?” she said, feeling meek and small as she always did around him.
Everything about Aric was big. His desk was a large, solid looking thing made of rich-grained wood stained a dark cherry color. The bookcases that lined the side walls of the rectangular office stretched up twelve feet to the high ceiling. Even the chairs for guests were massive, the back of it curving up and over her head, making her feel like some sort of comic villain when she sat in it.
“Kaitlyn, good to see you. I won’t waste your time, since I’m sure you’re busy.” He grinned, perfect teeth a reminder of just one of the reasons she’d made a pass at him that night.
“I have a moment. What’s going on?”
“Pack your bags. We’re going to the United States to close a deal there. A big one.”
She was too stunned to speak. A business trip. To the United States. Together?
“You…you want me on your team?”
Aric’s smile grew wider, his cheeks dimpling slightly in a manner that made her female bits come alive. Sexy with just the right amount of cute underneath the hard-cut exterior. Gods he could be a ladykiller if he wanted, though rumor had it he didn’t have a steady stream of female companionship.
“You are my team,” he stated. “Just the two of us. We’ve got this.”
“Uh-huh.” She was trying to ignore the way the colors at the edge of her vision were starting to blur together. The world wasn’t spinning. She had to hold firm. “When do we leave?”
“Tomorrow. What do you say?”
Chapter Three
Kaitlyn
What the hell was she supposed to say to that?
“To the United States?” she asked, breathing out slowly. “For a business deal? I’m flattered, but I’m not a salesperson or a director, Aric. There are plenty of others who deserve this opportunity. I wouldn’t know the first thing about what I’m doing there.”
It hurt to tell the truth. Nobody enjoyed admitting that they were unqualified, or not adequate to the task at hand, but Kaitlyn wasn’t naïve. Something large enough and important enough for Aric to go and visit to sign the deal was way above her paygrade. The last deal she’d helped him close, she’d barely been one step above intern. It had been her job to create the reports he needed. That was all she’d done, if she was honest. Now he wanted her to come in effectively as his equal to close another deal? It was flattering, but preposterous.
She pondered it for a moment. It was flattering. Almost too flattering. That brought up another unpleasant notion. What if he didn’t actually want her along for business purposes? What if Aric was trying to recreate what happened between them, but this time on an extended trip?
Kaitlyn wisely held her emotions in check, not letting the burst of fury show. If she wanted to keep her job she would have to be professional about it. Aric was one of the senior directors, and it was rumored he was next up for a job on the Board of Executives that oversaw the entire banking system for the little country. If she denied him it would be a trivial matter for him to dismiss her.
It wouldn’t be the first time he’d done something like that either. None of it had happened during her time at the bank, but the rumor mill never stopped. Several people had offended Aric in the past, and all of them had abruptly left their positions a short time later. According to the rumors they’d never held a high-level job again. He was ruthless, and not the sort of person she wanted to get on the bad side of.
Now, the stories she’d heard were all about men who had done something wrong, lost a deal, refused to do as he said, things like that. Kaitlyn was, as far as she knew, the only woman who he’d slept with in the office. That sort of thing made its way around very quickly most of the time, but she’d not told a single soul about her night of excess with the lead director. Hopefully he wouldn’t have her dismissed for saying no, but she was glad she’d stood her ground.
“You’re the perfect person for this deal, actually,” he said, leaning back in his chair to study her. “I have been directed to take one person of my choosing. And I’m choosing you.”
Kaitlyn shrugged off his commanding tone and stared right back at him, evaluating the director, his words, and his intentions.
There was little to be revealed in his face. His lean face appeared to have been angular in the past, but the sharp edges had been dulled slightly to produce an interesting look of defined features with no sharp edges. The skin was smooth. He detested facial hair she’d been told, though it looked like he could pull off a goatee or short beard if he chose.
The nose was very aquiline in keeping with stereotypical European aristocratic looks. His eyebrows looked artificially shaped, the curve just too perfect. They were full, but not bushy. Soft, was the best word she could think of, and it was almost a necessity too, because they rode atop a pair of cool, penetrating eyes that radiated the blue of the ocean depths. It was the eyes that made others fear him, though having seen them grow wide with pleasure Kaitlyn had a slightly different view of him.
She started to protest. “I don’t know. What about the others? They’ll be mad at me for leapfrogging them for no reason.”
On top of that, she was pregnant, and morning sickness could happen at any time. How was she going to hide that from him? It was a rather obvious sign, and something that she just couldn’t control. She couldn’t go, and she couldn’t tell him the truth about why either. Hopefully he would accept this reasoning.
Aric shifted in his chair, the custom-tailored pinstripe black suit pulling taut over his broad swimmer’s shoulders. “Then that is their problem.”
Kaitlyn laughed. “No, that is distinctly my problem. All of these people are more senior to me, and have the ability to make my life a living hell if they choose to. Just because you don’t have to deal with it doesn’t mean it isn’t there. I’m not willing to put myself in that position. I’m sorry. I like my job, and I want to continue feeling comfortable coming to work every day.”
His jaw worked back and forth, strong and chiseled and just another feature of his that made him gorgeous to the naked eye. “They won’t bother you. If they do, you tell me.”
“I’m not playing office politics, Aric. Nobody likes a tattletale.” Hearing herself speak and the way she was standing her ground stunned Kaitlyn. Where had this spine come from? She’d never considered herself weak, but standing up to someone as powerful as Aric should have had her quaking. Instead she felt comfortable and at ease with it.
“You should really reconsider,” he said coolly, sitting upright, his eyes growing harder, the blue in them compressing until it sharpened into something fierce. “This could be a life-changing deal for you.”
Kaitlyn almost laughed out loud. Life-changing? She was pregnant! That was life-changing. Not some offer to go be his playtoy for a week under the pretenses of “business.” How much more life-changing did she want her life to get anyway?
Maybe, she thought, maybe it’s time that his life changed. Knowing he was a father might shake things up a little bit.
That was it. She was going to tell him. It was going to happen. Kaitlyn was going to open her mouth, and spit out the words that would clue him in to his new situation. Easy. It was easy. Just speaking, something she did all the time. Do it. Tell him.
“If you agree, your cut of the deal will be six-figures.”
Her jaw clacked shut audibly as he dropped his ace. It wasn’t fair. There was no way she could turn down that sort of money. That would go a long way to looking after the child in the years to
come if she spent it wisely. Potentially enough that she would never have to tell Aric that it was his child. She could raise them on her own, without his interference.
But only if she agreed to his deal. Kaitlyn still wanted to say no, to decline, but Aric was right. It was life-changing, and
it came along at the right time. Could it be more than a coincidence?
No, she decided, that was all it could be. Nobody else knew. She hadn’t told a single soul. Unless Aric was spying on her in her washroom at home, he couldn’t know either.
Aric cleared his throat. “Well, what will it be, Kaitlyn?”
Chapter Four
Aric
The limousine pulled out onto the tarmac, dropping them off at a very sleek-looking private jet. The dark black paint with white trim gave it an air of “elite” that few things would be able to match. The twin engines mounted just ahead of the rear tail were also white, a perfect contrast to the rest of the jet. He watched her take it in, eyes bright despite the heavily tinted windows.
“That’s quite a plane.”
He smiled. “Thank you. I’d love to say it’s mine, but it’s one of a half dozen or so that the bank keeps at our disposal as needed. Truthfully, I’ve never felt the need for a personal one.”
Kaitlyn just nodded. That brought a crease to his forehead. She’d been oddly silent the entire ride to the airport.
“You made the right decision to come along,” he assured her, exiting the limousine and holding the door for her. His hand twitched, wanting to be offered as aid while she got out, but Kaitlyn wasn’t that type. She was strong, independent, and not overly prone to acts of chivalry when they were unnecessary. Holding the door was as much as he was going to get away with.
“That remains to be seen,” she said tartly. “Once the rest of the office finds out I went with you, they’re going to say all sorts of things about me.”
“Like what?”
“It doesn’t matter.” She pushed past him, her short, thick form headed for the stairs to the jet.
Aric watched, enjoying the view. Kaitlyn was thick—that was the best way to describe her. Big legs, hips, and a comfortableness with her body that meant she looked almost rectangular down the sides, and yet it made her look better. He wondered if there was muscle under there. A past athletic background perhaps. There was so little he knew about her, it tantalized him to find out more.
I wish I remembered more about our hookup. I’m sure that would tell me.
Even his dragon metabolism had been overwhelmed by the amount of alcohol he’d ingested, unable to burn it off before it left him wobbly and with a frayed memory.
“Either way, I’m happy you decided to join me.” He followed her up the stairs, taking in more than an eyeful of her very solid-looking ass, despite the loose-fitting cream-colored suit pants she wore.
“I would have been stupid to turn down that much money,” she muttered. “But that doesn’t explain why you wanted me of all people. I don’t add anything to this team. I’m woefully junior to be included on a deal this big.”
“You did fine on the last one,” he pointed out. “Better than fine really. I think it was your reports that won them over.”
She rolled her eyes at his compliment, but her expression softened. “Aric, I don’t even know what the deal we’re trying to close is. All I know is that we’re working on another one. Together. Just you and me.”
He dropped into one of the plush executive seats near the front of the cabin, rolling his shoulders to relax at the unspoken accusation in her sentence. So that was it then. That was why she was acting so standoffish. She thought he was bringing her along because she was a woman and had shown she was willing to have sex with him.
But she’d come along any way. Now that was something that bore more thinking on. Was she irritated by it, but willing to do so? Maybe she was okay with hooking up again, but didn’t like that he just sort of assumed it by telling her she was coming with him? There were so many different ways it could all be constructed his head began to swim with possibilities.
“We’re going to meet with one of their military representatives,” he said, choosing instead to answer the other part of her question, pretending like he hadn’t heard the undertones.
“The military? Don’t they have their own funding from their government?”
Aric shrugged, leaning back into the black leather seat, feeling the padding mold and conform to his body. “From what I understand, they did. Now they’re sort of supported by the government, but they need more funding and have been left to their own devices to secure it. Enter us.”
“That makes absolutely no sense. It reeks of lies and illegality.” Kaitlyn went to get up.
“Calm down,” he assured her, waving his hand languidly. “I promise you this is all aboveboard. I’m not here to break rules, especially on foreign soil.”
“Okay fine, but you still haven’t explained why we’re working with the military?”
“That’s something that would normally be above your paygrade.” He eyed her oval face, watching the tiny muscles in it tick in response to his words. She had such a beautiful smile. It was a shame she didn’t use it more often. Full of teeth, it carried right up to her eyes, taking them from looking shifty to bright and active.
Right now though they were darting back and forth, her long eyebrows lowered in suspicion. “Explain please.”
Aric grinned. He loved her tenacity. She’d grown a lot in the six months he’d known her, but even now, in the past two days, something more had changed about her. He wasn’t entirely sure what, but it was so prevalent. He could almost smell it, and her sudden confidence certainly showed.
“Sure. What you probably don’t know, and are from this moment forth sworn to secrecy about, is that—” He paused as the steward came up the stairs and pulled them in behind him, before taking their drink orders and ensuring they had seatbelts on while they took off.
“You were saying?” Kaitlyn prompted when they were alone again.
“Right. So you’re sworn to secrecy about this, and if you tell a soul you will find yourself in a bit of a legal quandary with the government. The bank and—”
“Hold on.” She raised a hand to stop him. “Wait a minute here. I don’t want to be ‘disappeared’ and dragged off to prison. I was never told this was a classified mission.’
Aric shrugged. “Do you want to know what we’re doing or not?”
“Not!”
He blinked slowly. That wasn’t the answer he expected.
“I have other things I need to worry about, Aric. Government secrets is not something I signed on to get involved with.”
Aric watched her face, then shrugged. “We’re going to seal a deal with the military over licensing some advanced mechanized combat suit technology that will then be used by the elite of our Guard.”
Her jaw dropped. “But I said…”
“I know what you said, but it’s ridiculous. I wouldn’t have brought you if I didn’t think you could keep it a secret, Kaitlyn. Have some more faith in yourself.”
“Right. Or you could respect my wishes.”
“I need you on this deal.” The hardening of his voice was undone by the near plea-like undertone to it. Where the hell had that come from? Aric didn’t truly need her. The deal was mostly agreed to, and they were really just hammering out the fine details, like the price. So why was he suddenly so adamant that she needed to come along?
He thought about leaving her there, not bringing her along, and every nerve in his body sang, urging him not to do that. Instead he needed to fight. To do whatever it took to have her along with him. Aric was entranced, thrown completely into the dark with whatever was happening to him and how it involved Kaitlyn.
She’d always been attractive to him on multiple levels. The first thing he’d noticed was her looks, but soon after that he’d found himself interacting with her. Her wits, drive, and overall intelligence had caught his attention and kept it, until she’d been the clear choice for him to bring along on this trip.
“I said I’ll come, but you need to lay it out straight with me right now, Aric. No more secrets.”
He nodded automatically, his attention still focused on whatever had changed between them. It wasn’t him, he w
asn’t any different. So the difference lay with Kaitlyn somewhere. What the hell was it? Opening up his senses slightly—just enough to enhance them, but not enough to stir his dragon—he inhaled slowly, drawing in a deep breath of the air. Perhaps she was wearing a new perfume or—
The armrest shattered as his left hand clamped down on it with his full strength, the material unable to handle the supernatural power. Aric groaned as his dragon reared up and tried to escape. The sudden onslaught of its attempts to gain control were more than he’d prepared for. Whatever the hell was bothering it had sent the beast into a frenzy the likes of which he’d never felt before. Falling out of his chair to one knee he groaned again, resting his left hand on his temple as if that would soothe the pain.
“Aric? Aric are you okay?”
He wobbled and had to reach out to balance himself as the plane started forward.
“Should I stop the plane? What is it?” Kaitlyn was hovering over him. She reached out to touch his shoulder, her index finger brushing against his neck.
Aric’s face went red, his muscles bulging, pushing his suit’s seams to the limit. He fought back, hauling down on the demon in his head. They fought viciously. Brutally. The battleground was his mind and it was ripped apart, all because of the smell of one woman, followed by a minute touch of her skin. The ancient beast gave no quarter, but it wasn’t the match for Aric, his human mind stronger, more adaptable than his counterpart.
Slowly he beat it back, exerting control, until once more he could sit up in his chair and breathe normally. His face was strained and he could feel the sweat dripping from his body. It was an embarrassing display in front of Kaitlyn, but there was little he could do about it now besides prepare himself better for the future.
If his dragon had won, he couldn’t imagine the damage that would have been done. It wasn’t fit for these times, a product of his upbringing combined with a naturally nasty nature.
“I’m fine,” he said, offering her a smile that was meant to be calming.
