“Perhaps.” Shane returned his gaze to the window. “Perhaps not.”
“What are you trying to say?”
“I’m saying that something special happened in this limo tonight, something more than ‘just a fuck.’ You saw the way she looked at me. I need to pursue it and see if something is there.”
“Shane, listen to yourself. She’s Clint Velvet’s daughter, our competitor. You can’t be serious.”
“I am serious. She wants you there too, Noah. You have to come.” Shane took Noah’s hands in his. “Please, for me.”
Fuck. “For you?” Noah shook his head. “It’s too risky.”
Shane leaned back and rubbed a hand over his face. “Did you see the way she responded to us, Noah? Did you fuckin’ see it?”
“Yeah.” Noah had seen it, all right. He was even aroused by it, but he knew Kitty was just sex. Shane was special. Why didn’t his partner see it? “I think she might try to use us.”
Shane raised his brow. “Use us? How so?”
“She might have recognized us and not said anything. She might be forming a new plan as we speak to kick our feet out from under us.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. After our seduction, we’ll tell her who we really are and convince her to do the right thing.”
“Is it the right thing?”
Shane frowned. “What do you mean?”
“What do you think she’ll do when she finds out she has been fucking her competition? That we’ve been manipulating her to gain leverage on a takeover deal?” Noah sighed and stretched his arms over the back of the limo seat. “She’ll use us for her sexual pleasure and then dump us out on our ears.”
“If we explain the situation—”
“Don’t be stupid, Shane. She’ll feel used. I know I would.”
Shane leaned back in the seat and stared at the ceiling. “Shit, I didn’t think about that part.”
No, Noah didn’t suspect he had. That was why Shane needed him. Noah had prided himself on always seeing things from the practical point of view. If he could only convince Shane how good they could be together…
Noah let his fingers fall and brush against his friend’s shoulder. “Come on. Let’s forget this crazy idea. We’ll go into Wednesday’s meeting like we go into all our meetings.” Noah smiled. “Once they see our deal to buy them out, they won’t be able to say no.”
“That’s not going to work this time.” Shane brushed off Noah’s hand and leaned forward. “We’ve tried schmoozing the father, and it didn’t work. There’s no reason to believe Wednesday will be any different. We’re going to have to break through their defenses somehow, make them vulnerable.” He rubbed his chin in thought. “Or at least make Kitty feel more vulnerable. I still think she’s the weakest link. If we can get her on our side, then we’ll have the father.” He shook his head. “That only makes it more critical that we go up to that hunting cabin tonight.”
Noah leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. “Forget it.”
“I’ve got it.” Shane stopped rubbing his chin. “We introduce her to new forms of sex. You know—new toys.” He picked up the dildo and held it between them. “She obviously likes toys and games. It will be a slam dunk.”
“What are you saying?”
“She likes to be dominated and to use toys. We play to her every fantasy until she is so desperate to keep us around that she’d do anything. You heard her; she said she’d consider granting us what we desire.”
Noah frowned. “She didn’t mean handing us Velvet Steel on a silver platter.”
“No, but a promise is a promise. All we have to do is please her like she has never been pleased before. Toys and role-play would be good, but we would need something else, something bigger.”
“Bigger?” Noah looked at his partner in confusion. When Shane got an idea, his mind worked fast, and sometimes it was hard to keep up.
“Yeah, bigger. If we did some big romantic gesture, like fulfill a secret erotic fantasy, I’m sure she’d bend to our will.”
“I don’t know.”
“Come on, you saw her in here. She wants us to please her, so we please her. We give her everything she asks for and more. Then, when she asks what we want in return, we’ll tell her.”
“She’ll just refuse to give it.”
“No, I’ve been studying the Velvets, remember? They are big on honor and reputation. If she made the deal, she’ll follow through with it.” He snapped his fingers. “I’ve got it. She liked being watched back at the club.”
“So?”
“So we play into that.”
“In a secluded hunting cabin?”
Shane frowned. “Try to keep up, Noah.” Excitement lit up his features. “Do you still have that video equipment from your cable access job?”
“Yeah.” Noah scowled at the spark in Shane’s eyes. “Just a camera and stand, though. Not much. Why?” The cable access job had been a long time ago, almost a lifetime. Noah never liked to throw away old things. Too many memories.
Shane smiled. “Good.”
“Why do you want the camera equipment?”
“So we can videotape her.”
“What?”
“We videotape her having sex with us.” Shane inched closer, and Noah could feel the sexual energy radiating off him in waves. “Don’t you see? If having sex in a club turns her on, what do you think her reaction will be when we offer to make a video that anyone could watch?” He slapped Noah’s thigh in excitement. It reverberated up Noah’s leg and was a painful reminder of how Shane had once spanked Noah during one of their sexual interludes. Shane had been too drunk to remember it, but Noah hadn’t. God, he missed that.
“If something like that got out into the public, it could ruin her.”
“Don’t worry, it won’t get out. We’ll give it to her at the end of the weekend as a memento.”
“Are you suggesting blackmail?”
“It’s not blackmail. It’s just…insurance. Look, do you want to make this deal or not?”
“I do, but—”
Shane’s eyes shone bright with enthusiasm. “Think about it. You saw her reaction in the club. She’d love it.”
“You’re kidding, right?” Shane was never overly bright when it came to relationships, but this had to be a new low, even for him.
Shane trailed his fingers up Noah’s thigh. “It would be fun.”
Noah’s throat went dry, and his cock hardened. This was the way it always happened between them. They’d share a woman, and then Shane would make a move on Noah. Noah tried to deny him, but the temptation was too much. Every day they worked in close quarters; each night they’d retire to the same bar for a drink. It was hard to keep resisting the attraction every minute of every hour of every day. Shane’s enthusiasm and sexual energy were overwhelming, and Noah felt as if he were drowning in a pool of desire. It was hard not to respond.
He glanced down at Shane’s hand. “I don’t know about this. Kitty’s a smart woman. She’s going to figure out who we are.”
“She won’t, don’t worry.” Shane shrugged. “If she suspects something, we can say we have relatives who work in the plant. That’s why we are so interested in its fate.”
Noah met his gaze. “That doesn’t sound much better.”
Shane waved his free hand. “I’ll think of something. Forget about it. We have lots of time before then.” He inched his fingers between Noah’s legs. “I’ve never made a video before; have you?”
“That’s not the point.” Noah pushed Shane’s hand away. “This is dangerous and reckless. Everything we’ve been working toward in the past year would be put in jeopardy.”
Shane replaced his hand on Noah’s thigh. “Fuck, Noah, I know you felt it tonight too. The tension in this limo was intense. It was magnificent. Think about it. The two of us…and her…” He ran his fingers in circles along Noah’s leg. “She’s into us—both of us. You heard her. She won’t take me alone. She wants you, buddy. Why wouldn’t you w
ant to pursue that?”
Noah couldn’t speak. There was no doubt Kitty was gorgeous, even more beautiful than the rumors suggested. All that thick blonde hair and bright blue eyes were enough to make any man go mad with desire. Her round face had the look of innocence, such a contradiction to the womanly curves she’d shown them tonight. She was responsive to his fingers, and the way she looked at him when he said they wouldn’t go to the cabin had touched his heart. During the moments when she didn’t think he was looking, she had seemed sad and alone. He knew what that felt like: to be surrounded by people and yet feel alone. Despite his best intentions, a connection had formed, and his heart had softened toward her. It would be foolish to think otherwise.
He stared at Shane. To deny the connection they shared when pleasuring Kitty would be foolish as well. Could going up to the cabin and spending time with Kitty make Shane realize they needed each other? It was a foolish hope, Noah knew, but the way Shane’s green eyes flickered with heat, the way he leaned in and stroked his thigh, whispered of possibilities.
Shane brushed his fingers down the side of Noah’s cheek. “Think about all the fun we’d have together.” His gaze flicked to Noah’s lips. “All the exploring and touching…”
Noah needed to stop this; he knew that. There was no way in hell this weekend could end well for any of them. And yet…
“Do it for S&N Steel.” Shane left Noah’s cheek and cupped his neck. The touch was tender, and Noah shuddered as an old, familiar longing twisted around his heart. “Do it for us.”
Noah focused his gaze on the one man—the only man—he had ever loved and wondered who was the bigger fool: Shane for proposing such a risky plan or Noah for accepting it. “Just this once—for you.” He cringed at how his words lit up Shane’s face. “After this weekend, no more sexual adventures with the Velvet girl.” While Noah liked his kink, he craved a stable, caring relationship more. He wanted that relationship with Shane. Sure, Kitty was a sexual goddess—the way she responded to his touch was like magic—but she was also manipulative. Just look at how she’d gotten them into the limo and then finagled them into a weekend of sex. No, she wasn’t right for either of them.
“No more sexual adventures.” Shane glanced down at Noah’s lap, and Noah’s cock jerked in response.
“It will be just like old times.” Shane focused on Noah’s lips as he curled his fingers in Noah’s hair. “Remember how much fun we had with that woman in Baltimore?”
“Yes. It was one of the best nights of my life.”
“Mine too.”
It had been a good night. They had just closed on a big deal and gone out to celebrate. They drank too much and tumbled into bed with the curvy waitress from the bar. It had been a wild night, and when it was over, Noah and Shane caressed each other over the woman between them. It had been so tender and intimate. So right.
Noah moistened his lips and dragged his gaze to Shane’s mouth. Time stood still. He held his breath.
That was when the door opened.
Shane jumped back to the other side of the seat as Cain popped his head inside. “We’re here.”
“Great.” Shane scrambled over Noah and stepped outside. So much for intimate moments. Noah slowly got out of the car after him.
Cain folded his arms over his chest and stared at each of them in turn. “I don’t know what you two are up to, but I don’t like it. I won’t have you hurting Ms. Kitty.”
“We aren’t up to anything.” Shane held his hands in the air. “Honest.”
“Hmm.” Cain unfolded his arms. “Go get ready. I’ll pick you up in this parking lot in a few hours.”
As Cain got into the limo and drove off, Noah sighed. “Are you sure about this, Shane?”
“Don’t worry. What’s the worst that could happen?”
“We could lose Velvet Steel.”
“No, the worst that could happen is that we don’t get sex.” He chuckled and shoved his hands in his pockets. “Don’t you think?”
“Yeah, I guess.” Maybe Noah was just fooling himself. Shane was never going to own up to the fact that there was something between them. Denial was a part of who they were. But how could Noah pour all his energy into something for the past five years and then just walk away? Their lives were intertwined now with the company and a couple of other new ventures. Walking away would be like losing an arm. Better your arm than your pride.
“Come on, I’ll drop you off.” Shane strode toward their car on the other side of the lot, a popular midlevel sedan specifically chosen because it was inconspicuous. Noah glanced at the night sky and gave a silent prayer for strength before following.
Chapter Four
Shane could hardly contain his excitement as both he and Noah handed their bags to Cain and climbed into the limo. The thought of spending time alone with both Noah and Kitty made him hard. There was something different about Kitty. She was more than the CEO’s daughter. She was their woman. He had seen how her eyes lit up when they explored her body. Shane had never seen anything more beautiful in his entire life. Closing the deal with Velvet Steel was just a bonus.
Kitty was the real prize in this situation. All five feet four inches of spitfire. When he and Noah had her in the back of the limo, when they worked together toward a common goal, it had been wonderful. He always felt a deeper bond with his friend in times like these, something that both pleased and unnerved him. Over the past few years, they had been working more closely together, and Noah hadn’t made it a secret that he wanted to take their relationship to the next level. There was no denying the special connection Shane shared with Noah, and his growing attraction. Deep down it scared him. The handful of times Noah had gone out on dates with other men, Shane had stayed up all night, jealousy burning in his gut. Shane was pretty sure Noah knew. He was perceptive about stuff like that.
Shane had always dated women, always slept with women—except for the couple of times he had shared a woman with Noah. Somehow being with his friend made everything more intense, more special. That was the real reason why he wanted to go up to the cabin and see Kitty. He had to know if what he felt for Noah was real or just a result of spending many hours in the office together. Spending time with a beautiful, strong woman like Kitty and working with Noah to please her should help him decide what to do about his close friend and partner.
After a while, the limo pulled into a driveway, and a motion-sensing light cut through the night and illuminated the landscape around them. Shane climbed out before Cain could open the door.
“Wait—take this.” Noah held out a duffel bag from the interior of the car.
Shane took the bag and stared at the cabin before him. The whole building had been raised on a platform of sorts, presumably to protect it from flooding. The cabin was triangular in shape, with a large wraparound porch. Trees had grown up beside it, and bushes with brightly colored flowers dotted the landscape, shielding part of the structure from view. Everything looked overgrown, and Shane wondered why someone with so much money would let a beautiful cabin like this go uncared for. This simple structure didn’t seem to fit with what he knew of Kitty and her father. Was this some sort of game? Apprehension tingled over his skin. Shane turned to Cain as Noah got out of the car.
“This is it?” Shane asked.
“The place looks more like an abandoned summer cabin than anything a wealthy CEO would acquire,” Noah muttered behind him.
Shane cast him a frown. “Behave.”
Noah shrugged and hoisted his duffel onto his shoulder. “I thought I was.”
Cain pointed to a path, overgrown with vegetation. “That way leads down to the lake.” He nodded behind them. “You’ll find the key under the mat.” He turned back to the limo.
“Wait a minute.” Noah put his hand on Shane’s shoulder and edged him out of the way. “Kitty isn’t here?”
Cain shrugged. “Maybe, maybe not.”
“But we’re late.” Thanks to Noah’s renewed uncertainty, they had gotten a l
ate start. “Surely she would have arrived by now. You told her we were running late, right?”
“Of course.” Cain opened the front door. “Have a good weekend.”
Shane and Noah stared as the long, white limo backed out of the driveway.
“I can’t believe this,” Noah muttered. “There isn’t even another car in the driveway.”
“Ah, come on, Noah. It really isn’t that bad.” Shane made his way up the small, winding path toward the house. “She could have had someone bring her here and then have them leave, just like us.”
“Don’t you think this is odd?”
Shane dropped his bag and felt around under the mat. “What do you mean, odd?”
“I mean it’s almost two in the morning, and she isn’t here.” Noah turned around in a slow circle. “I don’t think anyone’s here. It certainly doesn’t look like anyone has been at this house in at least a year. It’s a mess.”
“Aw, come on, Noah. I’m sure it’s just that the Velvets’ lawn staff hasn’t gotten around to this place yet. It’s still spring.” He found the key and put it into the lock. “Besides, it’s just the outside that needs a little touch-up. The inside is probably more up-to-date.” He heard a soft click and opened the door.
Noah walked past him and into the cabin. “Yeah, you’re probably—” He stopped a couple of steps into the room and stared. “What the hell happened in here?”
Shane stepped inside. Shock whipped through his body and numbed his mind. “I don’t know,” he whispered.
Noah put his hand on Shane’s shoulder. “I think we’ve been had, my friend.”
“No.” Shane shook his head, unable to believe the soft, wide-eyed girl in the back of the limo would pull off such a scam. “There’s no motive.”
Noah walked a little farther into the room and turned to face him. “Then how do you explain all of this?” He swept his hand to the side, indicating the sparsely furnished room and drab décor. “This.” He slapped the back of the faded burgundy couch behind him. A cloud of dust blew up into the air and made him cough. “This.” He walked over and tugged on the white, lightly stained curtains hanging from thin metal rods. “And this.” He slid his hand over the whitewashed walls, then bent low to touch the gray carpeting. “These are not furnishings of a multimillion-dollar family.” He rubbed the dust from his fingers in disgust. “This reminds me of a dorm room that’s just opened up after a long, hot summer, not a socialite’s hideaway.”
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