Body Heat

by Mia Ford

  Silently, she placed her head on my shirt. A few buttons were missing now, from the force with which she had ripped my shirt off my body earlier. I cradled her in my arms and swung her gently from side to side. I had never experienced this raw tenderness before, this feeling of being able to hold a woman in my arms and not worry about what she wanted from me. I was willing to give Beverley whatever she wanted.

  Her arms had wound around my mid-riff as she pressed herself closer to me. We had been standing there like that for a relatively long time. I could sense that she was thinking as well, just like my own mind was racing with thoughts. Finally, she raised her head and looked up at me.

  I smiled when I saw her face, still ruddy on the cheeks but bright and excited. For the first time, Beverley looked truly happy and I couldn’t believe that I’d caused it.

  “When can I start?” she asked and I smiled wide.

  “So you’ve accepted my offer?” I said and she nodded her head.

  “I want to work with you and I want to be with you, Grant,” she added in a quiet voice and I lowered my face to kiss her on her lips again.

  Chapter 23

  Beverley

  Eight months later

  I didn’t walk to work any more, so when I looked at my watch and it was seven already; I wondered where Grant was. We usually left the office together. We worked on different floors. I had my office space with Susan, John and Sasha while he still worked from his own. Usually at six thirty, Grant buzzed me on the intercom and asked me what time I would be finished. This evening, he hadn’t and I pressed the button to reach him.

  Instead of Grant, his secretary answered the call.

  “He’s already left the office, Ms Wade,” she said and I had my brows crossed. In the past eight months, since I started working at Lonex, Grant had never left without calling me first.

  “Is he coming back?” I asked her and she sounded nervous, like she didn’t want to come between a quarreling couple and she definitely didn’t want to betray her boss.

  “I’m not sure, Ms Wade. He didn’t leave a note,” she said.

  “No problem. I’ll get a hold of him on his personal phone. Thanks,” I said to her, as politely as possible and hung up the phone.

  I hadn’t been paying attention to the time, but I would have heard him calling if he had. This was unlike him, and also made me wonder if something had happened.

  The past eight months had been a whirlwind of experiences and emotions. We had started off by testing the waters with a few formal dates, he drove me back home on all those occasions till one night I asked him to come in. We hadn’t had sex for a month when we officially started dating, because I wanted him to prove to me that it was more than just about the sex.

  After we had been together for three months; Grant asked me to move in with him. I was skeptical initially, not because of my feelings for him which were stronger than ever, but because I didn’t think he knew what he wanted.

  I was still in disbelief, that my boyfriend Grant was the same Grant Jennings from college. The King of Silicon Valley. My impression of him was entirely wrong? Everyone’s impression of him? When I agreed to move in with him a few days later, I did so with doubts still whirling around in my head. I was still not a hundred percent sure that this was what Grant really wanted. I often caught myself wondering if he missed his old carefree life. I was his first real girlfriend…one who had lasted for more than just a couple of weeks. I couldn’t help but wonder if he was itching to go back to his old ways.

  In the past few days, I had noticed a change in him again. The first few months of us living together was happy and normal and we were getting comfortable together. And now suddenly, in the last couple of days, I saw that he had become a little reserved. He might have even been nervous around me. He was speaking a little less, and sometimes when we lay on the couch watching TV together; I’d catch him staring at me.

  So out of the blue, the fact that he had simply left for home without informing me unbalanced me.

  I stood up from my chair and grabbed my coat from the rack before heading downstairs. I could take a cab I thought, but I was nervous about how Grant was feeling. Was he cheating on me? Did he have second doubts about our relationship. There was no way of knowing unless I actually spoke to him about it.

  The whole way down the elevator, I could feel my heart racing. I was in love with him, had always been and I was desperate to not lose him. But somewhere at the back of my mind, I’d always known that he was way out of my league.

  The elevator doors slid open and I stepped out into the lobby of the Lonex building, to find all my colleagues, everyone who worked in the building gathered there. There had to be at least a hundred people, who were standing there, creating a parted pathway for me to exit through.

  I looked around me in surprise. I had no idea what was happening and I tried to catch someone’s eye who could tell me. When I looked ahead again, I saw Grant at the other end of the tunneled clearing. He was in a fresh black tuxedo with a red bowtie at his neck. He was smiling at me invitingly while I rushed towards him, still in shock from what was going on.

  As I approached him, Grant fell to one knee and a loud gasp rang out in the crowd around us. I could feel my fingers quivering as I slowed my pace. He was slipping out a small blue velvet box from the pocket of his pants. The smile on his face grew wider the closer I got to him and I placed a hand on my heart.

  “Grant…” I said, my voice was a near whisper.

  “Beverley, will you do me the honor of being my wife? I love you. I worship you and I have never been happier before,” he said, in a clear strong voice before I could say anything else.

  I could hear the murmur in the crowd. Everyone who worked with Grant was surprised. He had organized this grand public gesture for me, and nobody could believe that a guy like Grant Jennings could do something like this.

  “Yes, Grant, of course I will,” I said and everyone was clapping. Grant slipped the huge solitaire diamond ring on my finger as he stood up and swooped me into his arms. We kissed passionately, a little too passionately for a public place but neither of us cared.

  “I thought you were acting nervous the past couple of days, I was getting worried,” I whispered in his ear when I drew away from him. I could barely hear him over the applause and cheers from everyone around us.

  “I was nervous because I wasn’t sure if you’d want to marry me,” he said.

  Feign Billionaire

  Blurb:

  I’m rugged. Independent and used to having whatever or whoever I want.

  At thirty I’ve been hit with a small problem. My grandfather holds the purse strings to the family fortune. He no longer plans to loosen them unless I agree to marry. He tells me he’s dying and that time is running out. He insists I settle down. Not with the woman of my choosing, but the daughter of his former ranch hand.

  Olivia.

  She’s pretty enough. In fact, she’s hot. Her parents died in a fiery car crash, leaving her penniless. She’s desperate. And smoking hot. Curves in the right places and her fiery red hair just sets my temperature on a high.

  My grandfather insists I give this marriage a three-month trial. It’s easy for him to say, I tried it once and it left me cold and alone. I don’t want to say no to my granddad, but this family’s fucking cursed. There’s too many secrets. Too much darkness, I shouldn’t let Olivia come into the darkness. When her innocence shines, like a bright light.

  I have plans for her. Filthy plans that will make this entire scheme not only pleasurable, but make me filthy rich too…

  Chapter One

  Isaac

  I can’t believe the old man’s demanding that I came to the ranch today. As if I haven’t got enough to do today. First, the banks are on my nuts about the loan and Paul the CFO quit, all in the same fucking day. I spent the whole car journey thinking that I should turn back and go to the office. Then again, Paul’s been the CFO since granddad was the CEO. He should h
ave retired a long time ago. Besides, it’s not my fault that he’s competent.

  “Granddad,” I sigh as I park up the car and get out of the car. He’s standing by the front door as if he was waiting for him. He comes down the stairs to greet me,

  “Son.”

  I haven’t seen him for months, because he hasn’t been to the city for a long while. I don’t ever come here, I can’t fucking stand it. Granddad looks well considering he’s three decades older than me. I’m relieved knowing that’s not the reason that he called me here today. For some crazy reason, I thought that it had something to do with his health.

  Walking with him is a woman, he motions towards her, “Olivia have you met my grandson?”

  She stretches out her hand but then withdraws it. She wipes it on her jeans. Shit, I bet she loves riding horses. She can ride me, any day, anytime. She’s fucking hot. Trust the old man to have the best staff working for him.

  She shakes her head and then takes off her cowgirl hat letting lose her fire hair.

  Fuck, she’s a red-head! Now, I’m intrigued, there’s something about a redhead that sets them apart from all the rest. They’re different. Unique and just the way I love my women.

  “Isaac?”

  I shake my head, my cock’s going wild, and I can’t get this hottie out of my head, shit it’s too early in the morning for this, and I’ve got my important things to deal with today.

  I shake it and say, “Hi.”

  “Well, Neil,” she kisses him on the cheek. “I need to get going; I want to see if Autumn’s okay?”

  Granddad nods his head, “You and that horse. You would think that you’re sisters separated at birth. The bond between the pair of you is too strong.

  Olivia smiles and then she starts walking away, “Isaac, it’s nice meeting you.”

  I nod thinking that if Granddad weren't here, I wouldn’t let her out of my fucking sight.

  “Damn Granddad, how do you cope with her working here?”

  He laughs as he pats me on the back, “She doesn’t just work here. She lives here too…”

  I shake my head because I didn’t come here to check the ranch hand, I came here to find out what he wants.

  “Granddad, what is it? I’ve got work to do.”

  He sighs, “I know, but I heard about Paul and decided that things are getting out of hand.”

  I shake my head, “No, he was too old and besides he should have retired when you did. You’re the same age right?”

  It’s as if we’re stuck in the quick mud as we look at each other. I know what I’m thinking, that I’ll ask him straight-up to bail the company out. He has the money to do it. Part of me’s pissed, he should just sign the damn thing to me. Just because my dad was incompetent when he took over doesn’t mean that I follow in his shoes.

  “Yes, but we know what the real issue is. I wanted us to come in and talk about it. Like men. Man-to-man.”

  I nearly choke on his words, “You’ve got to be kidding me. You treat me like a fucking kid. Just because dad fucked up the company when he ran it. Doesn’t mean that I’ll do the same.”

  I want to go inside because the sun’s beating down on me like daggers. I start to loosen my tie, and can’t believe that I drove four hours, because most of that was spent in traffic. There was some fucking accident on the highway and it doubled the time that it should have taken to make this journey. I never made it to have the third degree.

  “Come inside, let’s talk. You’re getting upset over nothing,” Granddad says as he puts his hand on me, no doubt we’re causing a scene. He likes his privacy which is why I’m surprised that he let’s Olivia stay here. Maybe there’s something going on, fuck I just hope that she’s not some gold digger that’s after his money. Then again, she seems to innocent for that, or she could be a good actress.

  I walk up, to the house in front of him, not because I want to go in to talk, but I just need a fucking drink. Anything to calm down the nerves. I’ve stopped driving to work because a drink in the morning helps keep me going, but seeing as he demanded that I came here this morning and the driver’s out of town. I had no choice but to drive here.

  As soon as I open the front door the painful memories of my childhood flash into my mind like a tidal wave. Maybe Granddad’s right and the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

  “This way,” granddad instructs me as he starts to walk to his study. I look up and see that he’s still got the family pictures up of when I was young and when this house used to mean something. We were respected by then; people used to look up to us until dad got into one scandal after another and it ended up with him retiring and me taking over the company.

  He shuts the door behind me and I stand to wait for him to lay it on me and then I’ll tell him the truth. The real reason I was debating about coming here today, so I can get it off my chest as we both sit down facing each other.

  I’m not a man to beat around the bush, so I just say what’s on my mind, “I need your help. The business isn’t doing well, and with Paul leaving, the bank’s on my back about the bank loan.”

  “What loan?”

  “Remember last year, when I told you that the business was in trouble and I needed your input you refused,” I sigh because either the old man’s playing games, or he’s going senile?

  I was sitting in the same chair telling him that things need to change at the company and he flat out refused to help. He must know that he can’t do that again.

  Fuck I need a drink!

  I stand up and start to head to the bar. The one at the corner of his study. There’s nothing new about this room. It’s as if it’s stuck in a time warp. The same antique chairs in the corner, the same mahogany desk that should have been replaced a long time ago and the photo of him and grandma on top of his desk.

  “Do you want one?” I say as I lift up a tumbler and realize that something has changed. This bar used to be stocked with different types of whiskeys, brandies and all kinds of liquor. Now, there’s just one bottle of bourbon.

  He shakes his head, “No.”

  I shrug and take off my tie and jacket which feel as if they’re ropes hanging around my neck and suffocating me.

  Then as I pour a bourbon he sighs, “I didn’t want to do this. I can’t have you running the company down to the ground like your dad did.”

  I knock back the bourbon and as it burns my throat and I think twice about pouring another one, but he’s still going on about what’s on his mind.

  “I need you to stop ruining not only your life but mine too. It’s my fault.”

  I turn to face him; he has his hands on his desk. He’s rubbing it as if he’s reliving a memory. One that I told him to lock away and turn away the key.

  “Your dad was a good man. Don’t get me wrong; I loved Ben just like I love you. I pushed him when his mother told me that he’s not a ruthless business man. I pushed him over the edge.”

  I agree, “You fucking did that alright.”

  He ignores me as he says, “I saw that you had the steam, the one that was ready to run the company. You took after me in many ways.”

  I choke, “Going to the office with you was the most excitement that I’d had as a kid. All I used to dream about was being you. Making people run around and jump to my command. You had that way about you that everyone did that as soon as you walked in the door.”

  “Yes, but it consumed me. So much so that I pushed your dad and looked what happened to him.”

  I sigh as I decide that there’s no point topping up the glass. I’ll just drink straight from the bottle, and then I sit down and face him as he revised the painful memory of dad when he was the CEO for two years.

  “I didn’t want to take your dad out of his position, but I had no choice…”

  “Blah, blah, blah…it doesn’t matter. As I said, I need money. Fast. Let’s not pussyfoot around and talk about the past. Because if I don’t have the financial injection soon, then Winters Industry will be closed an
d not passed to another generation. Not that there is any generation to pass it to,” I laugh as I start to sip from the bottle. I’m starting to feel disorientated as the bourbon’s not offering comfort but if anything it’s starting to give me a headache.

  “Son, you’ve been like this ever since Dede died and I-“

  “Don’t you fucking bring her name into this!”

  I’m trying to stand up, but then I flop back into the chair. I drank too much, and the worst part is I can’t remember the last time that I ate. This is turning into a fucking disaster.

  “Isaac you leave me no choice!”

  I’ve never seen the old man raise his voice. Not true, I’ve seen him but as he turns a deeper shade of red and then heads closer towards me. He takes the bottle of my hand and rants on, “Your drinking’s out of control. You took out a loan to invest in a company that’s not even related to our industry. You took out a loan against your apartment and even your flipping house.”

  “Damn! Someone’s been busy.”

  He shakes his head, “Not busy enough because I’ve tried. I call, I come to visit, and you go out of your way to avoid me. I was shocked that you said you would come here today, but then when I learned about the state of affairs, I knew that it was only for one reason. Money. Listen carefully, because I won’t be repeating myself. You see that beautiful woman that you saw when you came here.”

  I nod my head because one minute he’s talking about money and the next he’s talking about women.

  “Seriously, I don’t need to know about your love life. What you do with your life is your business. I just came here for the money.”

  “Three months Isaac. You move here. Live here. I help you with your drinking and if at the end of that you marry Olivia. Everything becomes yours.”

  He’s got to be fucking kidding me!