Sweet Obsession (Men of Whiskey Row Book 1)

by D. A. Young

  “Dumont wasn’t bluffing about blackmailing you. He made some bad gambling investments, and now it’s time for him to man up. But that’s only going to happen if you give in to his blackmail and pay the money. Otherwise, he needs to get out of Europe, and you’re his only solution. Dumont knows that if he marries into a well-known political family, he’ll be somewhat protected.

  These people he did business with like keeping a low profile in their country, and your ex is the type who would make a lot of noise if he felt threatened. Your pics would come out either way, and this could have lasting negative effects on your father’s career,” Jack finished bluntly, watching as the realization of how big a scandal they were trying to contain dawned on Noelle. Her hands were gripping her shirt tightly, and she was struggling to take calming breaths.

  When problem-solving in his business, Jack always let the client see the enormity of the potential damage that could be done. He gave them a moment to feel the fear, and then he alleviated it with a rescue plan. It was what he called “Tough Love”, and it enabled him to do his job smoothly.

  “So what can we do to fix this?” Noelle asked determinedly. “If it was just me, I wouldn’t give that asshole one fucking penny. But it’s my family…” she shuddered. “Oh my God, Jack! My mother!!”

  Jumping up, she started to pace the room, and Jack took in the alluring view she made; hair whipping, hips switching, and ass swaying. Focus Sullivan, he reminded himself and willed his growing erection to stay down. No such luck.

  “Alicia would not be happy with pics of her baby girl in her birthday suit floating around, that’s for sure,” Jack murmured and winced for good measure. That was the understatement of the year. Although he’d put a considerable dent in her armor and she’d reluctantly agreed to back off, the Kramer matriarch was still no one to fuck with. Heads would certainly roll, starting with the beauty’s in front of him, if the pics were made public. Fortunately for Noelle, Jack liked her head attached to that delectable body. “Now I’m going to do what’s best for my clients in a way that allows them to focus on their priorities as I make their problems disappear. Lucky for you I have an easy solution to your problem.”

  Noelle whirled to face him hope lighting up her pretty face. “Well don’t keep me in suspense. What’s the plan?”

  He watched her carefully before dropping his bomb. “We get married.”

  ***

  Past…

  Noelle’s heart was pounding furiously as Ian escorted her across the ballroom to where Tall, Dark, and Fine as Hell stood watching their approach. His hazel eyes gleamed with masculine appreciation as they thoroughly inspected her. Goosebumps appeared on her skin; she was short of breath and unable to look away from him.

  “Are you okay, my dear?” Ian asked again. Noelle reluctantly dragged her gaze away from the specimen of male perfection ahead of them to look into her godfather’s amused eyes.

  “I don’t blame you for staring my dear; he really is quite dazzling. Hell, you should see his brothers, and he’s considered ‘the ugly one’. Their parents were quite the lookers,” Ian said with a tinge of bitterness.

  “He has brothers? That are better looking? Good Lord, there should be a crime against that much attractiveness in one concentrated area.” Ian laughed as they reached the beautiful man; and Noelle realized he was even better looking up close as he gave them a slow devastating smile. His skin was smooth and supple looking with a faint hint of a five o’clock shadow.

  “Jack, good to see you,” Ian greeted warmly and released Noelle’s arm to give the other man an affectionate hug. Turning back to Noelle, he explained, “Jackson here is one my business partners in our public relations firm. Jack Sullivan, this is the birthday girl Noelle Kramer. She’s also my goddaughter,” Ian added with a warning look at the younger man. Noelle blushed as Jack winked at her. Be still her beating heart…

  “Ms. Noelle, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Happy Birthday, and I hope you don’t mind me attending your party; Ian invited me. Are you enjoying yourself?” His voice was deep and velvety with a southern drawl. Noelle wanted to throw her panties at him right then and there. With a voice like that she didn’t care if he described his bowel movements as long as he never stopped talking. She realized both men were staring at her waiting for her to say something.

  “It’s nice to meet you as well. You can crash my party anytime,” she finally answered, breathlessly. Whaaat?? Who said that? At his amused expression and Ian’s raised eyebrow, Noelle flushed. Clearing her throat, she corrected herself. “I mean, it’s a pleasure to have you here. I..uh..hope you’re enjoying yourself.”

  “Oh, I definitely am. Would you like to dance?” Jack asked in that deep voice with the charming accent as he held out his hand. Noelle nodded her head dumbly and placed hers in his much larger one. It was electrifying, and awareness ran through her in currents. He watched her intensely, and judging from the way his hand clasped hers tightly; she was pretty sure he felt it too. And in that instant, Noelle knew, with this meeting, everything had changed for her. She knew that all other men would be compared to this one; and that they would fall short. But all too soon the moment was broken by her mother’s cool, commanding voice as she glided up behind her daughter and gently pulled her away. Noelle frowned at her, annoyed that she was no longer touching Jack, who also looked irritated by the interruption.

  “Please excuse us, gentlemen,” Alicia trilled with a brilliant smile. “Noelle, darling, I’ve been looking for you everywhere! You simply must come with me. Geneva Winters middle son is home for a brief stay. You remember Charles, don’t you? He’s an investment banker now. Anyhow, he recently ended his engagement to Tabitha Logway and is available. There’s no time to lose as you’re not getting any younger. Posture in place and smile agreeably to whatever he says. Let’s go, dear,” Alicia ordered briskly as she whisked Noelle away.

  Mortified, Noelle turned back to look helplessly at Jack and found him expressionless with his hands now in his pant pockets as he watched her departure. Ian wore a frown of disapproval and she was certain he would have blunt words for her mother later. Pissed off at being treated like a child, Noelle pulled away from her mother’s grasp and continued to walk alongside her.

  “Smile agreeably to whatever? Really, Mother?” Noelle shook her head in disgust, looking straight ahead. “Thanks for setting us back fifty years. Gloria Steinman should definitely ask you to speak at her next rally on women’s liberation.” She was horribly embarrassed at how her mother had just treated her in front of Jack Sullivan and Ian.

  “Oh relax, Noelle. I’m just looking out for your best interests. Charles Winters is a good match for you. If you’re not going to finish school and have a lucrative career, you should at least have a lucrative marriage. Or both. Look at your sister; she’s beautiful, successful, and has a wonderful marriage. You just have to want these things for yourself. I don’t know where your lack of ambition comes from.” Alicia shook her head in disappointment at her youngest daughter’s choices.

  “Well, never mind, here we are. Hello Charles! You remember Noelle, don’t you?” Alicia simpered as she shoved Noelle forward to meet the studious-looking man who held her hand limply. Just to be sure, she squeezed his hand and watched him give a slight frown. Nope, nothing. Releasing it she glanced across the ballroom to find Jack watching her; and for a moment, it felt like they were the only two people in the room. Even from afar, this thing between them was tangible, like an electric wire.

  The moment was soon broken by the return of the beautiful blonde from earlier as she pulled him onto the dance floor. Noelle hated to admit it, but they made a good looking couple. They appeared to be having the time of their lives laughing and talking to each other, she thought enviously. The woman oozed confidence, and Noelle was pretty sure she would have never let anyone treat her like she was a five-year-old. There was no way someone as sophisticated as Jack would ever be interested in someone as gauche as me, Noelle thought despond
ently as she tried to listen valiantly to whatever the hell Charles and her mother were talking about. From that moment on, she made it a point to avoid being alone with Jack Sullivan lest she embarrass herself.

  Chapter Seven

  Noelle was laughing and clutching her stomach as the tears rolled down her cheeks, because she just couldn’t stop…laughing. Jack watched in silent bemusement as it went on and on. Out of all the reactions he’d expected her to have, this wasn’t one of them; and it left him feeling slightly offended. Typically, women fell all over him and laughed with him- not at him. Finally, she stopped and wiped her big gray eyes with the backs of her hands.

  “Thanks; I needed that, Jack,” Noelle sighed in relaxation. “So what are we really going to do?”

  “We are going to get married, Noelle. I wasn’t joking.” Jack restated firmly. She opened her mouth in protest, but he continued on. “The kind of people your ex is mixed up with are the worst kind of greedy lowlifes. If you give in to Dumont’s blackmail, they will eventually come after you and everyone you love, ruining your family’s good name in the process. Are you willing to risk that?” Jack asked sharply, prompting her to slowly shake her head in the negative.

  “I didn’t think so. In his culture, there is a mafia-like syndicate that ensures everyone falls in line and doesn’t bring dishonor or attention to them. I know a guy that can make all of the shit he has on you disappear, but I have to show him that we are legally married. It’s disrespectful to make advances on another man’s wife in general; but from where his family is from, they take it to the umpteenth power. All your problems will disappear. Unless you’ve told anyone other than your closest friends about this, no one needs to know,” Jack finished smoothly watching her pensive expression as his words sunk in.

  Jack knew it was a long shot that Noelle would tie herself to him, because frankly he wasn’t even sure if she liked him. She avoided him and was always careful to make sure they weren’t alone. He felt like a pathetic fool as she digested the information. There was a long moment of silence before she finally spoke. “Would you like some pie?”

  Pie. The hell?? And because he’d been raised to be a gentleman, he replied politely, “Yes please; I would love some.”

  Noelle beamed at him and took off towards the kitchen leaving him alone in the living room. Pie. Jack shook his head in bewilderment. Why couldn’t pie be code for sex? He sure as hell would love a big helping of sex with her. He stood up and watched as she walked down the long hallway to the kitchen. Again her ass teased him from underneath the long shirt she wore. The urge to bury his hardness in her balls deep was unbearable. He wanted to fuck her like an animal marking its territory so that everyone would know whom she belonged to. And that was the part of him that scared him the most. Noelle brought feelings out in him that, until they met, Jack didn’t know he possessed.

  Women passed through his bed, but he was always cool and detached. It was like a business deal where each party walked away mutually satisfied-until he was alone and his thoughts turned to the insanely gorgeous girl in the kitchen. He longed to make her his and felt the need to kill any man that looked her way. As he was older than her, Jack knew he had no right to want her like he did. An image of his father flashed before his eyes, and he rubbed his face trying to clear it. You’re nothing like that psychotic bastard, he told himself firmly.

  Jack wandered around her living room, attempting to clear his head. Taking in all the framed pictures of friends and family she had; one frame in particular was hidden behind all the others and immediately caught his eye. Jack was amazed to see it was a picture of him taken at one of her father’s events two years ago. Why did Noelle have a picture of him? He looked up and discreetly placed the frame back as Noelle reentered the living room with a tray that held two slices of pie and two glasses of milk. He couldn’t even remember the last time he drank straight milk. That’s how goddamn sweet she is; don’t corrupt her, he told himself watching as she set the tray on the coffee table between them.

  “This is a new recipe of mine, peach–blueberry basil. I hope you like it,” she said shyly and handed him a plate.

  “It smells great,” Jack replied truthfully as he moved back to his seat across from her. Aware that Noelle was watching him; he cut a piece of the golden-crusted pie and put it into his mouth. The flavors of the fruit, basil, and cinnamon coated his tongue. It was delicious and made him think of his mother baking on Sunday mornings before church.

  “Damn, Noelle, this pie is amazing.” Quickly, he shoved another bite into his mouth. The crust was buttery and light, making him groan in happiness. All too soon his plate was empty, and he looked so forlorn that Noelle laughed and got him another piece. The musical sound played in his ears over and over again, making him realize how badly he wanted to be the only one who made her laugh and smile.

  “So did you get Tarik to straighten up?” Jack asked licking his fork clean. Noelle watched his tongue swirl around the fork prongs and groaned inwardly, imagining it on her nipples. Lawd, have mercy.

  “Actually, he called me yesterday to apologize,” she beamed, remembering how surprised she’d been to hear from him. “We have a meeting tomorrow afternoon at 4:45 p.m. My goal is to get everything finalized by the end of the meeting. Avery is coming with me to make sure he stays on task.”

  Jack nodded his head. “Good plan. Another way to achieve that goal is by making sure the environment is business-oriented. I find that meeting my clients who are prone to distractions in boring places makes them focus on the task at hand; they’re eager to do what I need them to do to get them out of there. If you’d like, you guys are more than welcome to use my conference room,” he volunteered. That way, he could keep an eye on the little shit.

  Noelle nodded her head in agreement. “That’s great advice, and we actually did rent a meeting room. If the non-refundable deposit didn’t already clear, I would have totally taken you up on your generous offer.”

  They continued to eat and talk about current events, avoiding the topic of marriage altogether. When the plates and glasses were empty, Jack gathered them up and took them to the kitchen. Noelle laid back and watched him move around her place, thinking again to herself how well he fit in her space.

  Jack had discarded his jacket and loosened the pinstripe tie. Damn, he was so freakin’ sexy; and just looking at him was making her panties wet, which was nothing new. It seemed to be the constant state Noelle was in whenever she was in his company. It made her angry how much of her emotions were invested in a man, that before this week, barely knew she was alive. She thought he would address the topic of marriage again, but instead he was examining her table.

  “Don’t you just love it? It was a gift from Uncle Ian along with the bookcase.” Noelle pointed to the corner where the beautifully carved bookcase stood. Jack turned to look as she continued. “I’ve been in love with some of the pieces of furniture at his house for a couple of years now; the day that I moved in here, he surprised me with them. The craftsmanship on both pieces is stunningly unique. From what I understand, the carpenter works on commissioned items only and is in very high demand. I don’t even want to think about what Uncle Ian paid for them,” she said with a mock shudder.

  Jack smiled enigmatically. “They’re really nice pieces and compliment your space, which I really like by the way. It suits you perfectly.” Noelle blushed and murmured thank you. There was a moment of silence, and she realized by his patient look that he was waiting for her to bring up the subject of marriage again.

  “So Jack, how would this work? I mean, do you really think we could pull this off?” Noelle asked seriously.

  Jack answered carefully. “Monday, we go down to the court house and have a quick ceremony. Afterwards, we’ll send the certificate to my contact so he can put things in motion overseas. In the meantime, to give our relationship some credibility, I think it would be best if we were seen in public together as frequently as possible. I can spin a credible story for th
ose who know us; but honestly, the less we say about our relationship to family and friends the better. That way, the chances of us getting caught in a lie will be slim to none. We would need to stay married at least six months. I know a really good lawyer that can draw up a pre-nuptial agreement to protect our investments.”

  “Six months is a long time. Won’t this cramp your social life with your revolving door of women? I don’t think there’s a stick big enough to beat off your hundreds of admirers with,” Noelle said giving him a saccharinely sweet smile that quickly turned into a frown when he grinned smugly.

  “This is actually a situation that would be beneficial to me as well. In my line of work, my job is to fix things for our clients so that their lives are interruption free and that they are seen in the best light possible. I frequently encounter women who see me as a knight-in-shining-armor type and concoct ridiculous situations where I’m left wishing someone would just rescue me instead. If I were taken off the market, I wouldn’t have those problems anymore and could just focus on doing my damn job,” Jack said simply. He gave her a woeful look. “Won’t you help a poor lil’ country boy out and say yes?”

  She gave an unladylike snort. “Maaan, please! Don’t give me that crap. You think being married would stop these thirsty chicks from pressing up on you? Your voice alone could convince women to drink your bath water,” Noelle imitated him by deepening her voice and adding a country twang. “This here dirty ass bath water is the best you’ll ever taste. Why, the dirty bubbles just melt on your tongue’”

  Jack howled with laughter, and Noelle joined in, enjoying the deep booming sound as it filled her home and did crazy things to her tummy.