Claimed By Him: (Contemporary Romance Box Set)

by Alexis Winter

  “I want you panting, begging me for release.” I reach up and rub her earlobe between my thumb and forefinger, causing her eyes to flutter. “I want to hear my name on these lips.” I move my hand from her to drag my thumb across her lower lip. “And just when you think I’m done, when you feel like your body can’t possibly handle any more pleasure, I’m going to bring you over the edge, over and over again.” I lean in just a tad further and ever so softly press my lips to hers before pulling away quickly and settling back in my seat.

  “Did that answer your question?” I look over at her to see that she still hasn’t moved.

  “Mmmhmm.”

  The rest of the flight is uneventful, almost silent. She focuses on the drawings on her tablet, making sure that she has everything in line for back in Chicago before she starts things in New York. I catch up on my email and current events the rest of the flight. As much as I want to, I decide against idle small talk in favor of giving her space. I want those words to simmer in her head.

  After we land, I usher Alison to the car I had scheduled to take her to the hotel while I make my way to catch the next train to Long Island. That’s how I find myself, sitting in a tiny passenger plane, wearing a bunch of gear, while the instructor pulls the door open.

  I don’t have to go through all of the basic training since I’ve been jumping for years now. They just let me rent the equipment and run through a quick reminder on safety procedures before we boarded the plane with a few first-timers. The others are new to this; most of them are tandem jumping with an instructor to make sure that everything goes well.

  I am waiting to go last; I want to enjoy every last second of this jump. God knows I need the stress relief and mental distraction. There is a lot going on, between the renovations and the purchase I am planning to make soon in Vancouver. It is always stressful buying property in another country, especially when it is an already established hotel. Previous owners tend to be persnickety about their property.

  And then there is Alison. Usually, I wouldn’t care what anyone else thought of me. My grandmother had always told me it was none of my business what anyone thought about me. I’ve taken that lesson to heart.

  There is something about her, though. Some part of me secretly wants to impress her, but there is more to it than that. It isn’t just about impressing her. I want to make her let go of all those things she is holding onto so tightly.

  It is my turn to jump anyway, and all my focus goes to getting ready to jump from the plane and the impending free fall. I always enjoy that moment of anticipation. That is the moment in which my heart is pumping while I watch the ground below, looking like a patchwork quilt of land, trees, and buildings that stretch on for miles. One breath and I let go, just falling into the air as the world rushes up to meet me.

  This is letting go, letting all the worries melt away as I fall into the air. This is what I needed, and what Alison needed too: to just let go. Maybe it is up to me to help her realize what she is missing.

  Chapter 11

  Alison

  The driver pulls up to the hotel. I step out of the car and take in the impressive exterior of the building as he gathers my bags. This is my first time in New York City. Chicago is large, I am used to that, but there is something about the pace of life in New York that no one is prepared for until they experience it.

  My mind is still a complete jumble from the flight. It took everything I had not to jump into his lap and drag him to bedroom on the jet. I’ve never had a man speak to me that way, to be so bold, so brazen about what exactly he wants to do with my body. It was refreshing, exciting to know that a man so powerful wanted me and wasn’t afraid or ashamed to express it so thoroughly.

  “Alison?” I hear my name in an unfamiliar voice. Vincent told me on the flight that someone would be waiting for me when I arrived at the hotel to make sure I got settled and to show me around the place. It has been a long day, and I am ready to get situated before I start on the next part of the job.

  I turn to see a tall, slender woman walking through the revolving front door of the high-rise, dressed in a business suit with carefully styled dark brown hair that matches her eyes perfectly. I hold out my hand out to greet the other woman with a handshake as she approaches.

  “Yes, I’m Alison, but you’ll have to forgive me, your name is completely slipping my mind at the moment. It’s been a long…week.” I smile apologetically.

  “Oh, not a problem. I completely understand working with Vincent,” she says with a bit of an exasperated smile. “Vince can be exhausting when he’s got a beautiful woman in front of him.” She laughs and directs one of the doormen to take my suitcase into the hotel as she guides us into the lobby.

  “I’m Elise Taylor. You met my fiancé, Nate, back in Chicago. I’m Vincent’s attorney. Normally, I’d be in Chicago myself, but I had some business to take care of here in New York. It’s a pleasure to meet you. Nate had nothing but good things to say about you and the work that you’ve already started back at home. I’m kind of excited to see what kind of new life you can breathe into some of these properties. God knows it’s past due, and Vince is about as good at decorating as I am at water skiing.”

  I immediately find myself warming to Elise; she is beautiful, accomplished, and clearly doesn't take shit from Vincent. I’ll have to ask her for some pointers on that front.

  “It’s so nice to meet you, Elise. Nate is wonderful and seems to keep Vincent in check. He made me feel very welcome back in Chicago.”

  Elise steps away for a moment, grabbing a key card from behind the reception desk, saying something to the hotel manager before walking back over to where I stand.

  “Well, that’s good to hear. Nate can be such a ham, so I’m glad he didn’t make you feel uncomfortable. Come on, I’m sure you’re tired from traveling, and there’s time to start work later. You can get a nice overview of the hotel on our way up to your room. I think you should change and then come down here and join me for a few drinks in the hotel bar.”

  I open my mouth to protest. I want to get started as soon as possible on the work I am here to do. I convinced myself it would all just be easier if I focus on nothing but work.

  “But, I…”

  “No buts. I insist, and drinks are on me. I don’t get a lot of other women to keep me company around here. I’m usually just subjected to spending all my free time around Nate and Vince. Please do me a favor and let me entertain you for the night. The work will wait until tomorrow.”

  Elise is convincing enough that I give up trying to fight and just go along with her. A drink sounds like a great idea actually, and much needed now that my sexual frustration is at Chernobyl level.

  “Alright. I think I could use a night of relaxing anyway; I’ve been working for weeks on the Chicago site without a break.” The doorman comes by with my suitcase.

  “Good. Now, the porter here can show you to your room. Get comfortable and come meet me back here in the lobby when you’re ready.”

  It doesn’t take me long to head upstairs and grab a quick shower, changing out of the business clothes I’d worn for the flight with Vincent and into some nice jeans, a blouse, and strappy heels. Janelle made me pack them just in case I needed something casual for the time I was here, and I am so glad she did.

  I step off of the elevator and make my way to the lobby bar, glancing around until I see Elise waving me over. She already has two glasses of wine waiting for us; I like the way this woman thinks.

  “Come on. I made them pour us both a glass of Vince’s best wine and charge it to his account.” She laughs as I settle into the chair opposite her. “Don’t look so mortified. He can afford it. Next round is on me, I promise.”

  I sip from the wine, stifling a little laugh. “I mean, I don’t doubt that. I just don’t want him to think I’m getting paid to sit around here and drink his wine.”

  “Alison, you’re fine. Trust me. I’ve known him, and Nate, for years now. Neither of them is going
to hold it against you if you take a little time for yourself. Didn’t Vincent go running off to go skydiving? He’s a big work hard, play harder kind of guy. Now relax a little and have a good time. It’s Saturday evening. We’re in New York City. You’re young and gorgeous. Just enjoy it.”

  “That is exactly what my sister would say to me right now.” I take another sip of my wine and smile at Elise. “You remind me a lot of her.”

  “I’m sure she’s a beautiful and intelligent young woman then,” Elise says, laughing with a dramatic flip of her hair.

  “Well, yes, that, but also she’s not afraid to live in the moment and actually enjoy it. I, on the other hand, struggle with letting loose.”

  “Well, we will have to work on that then. And don’t worry about Vincent. I’m sure he’s making you uncomfortable. You’re going to have to excuse him for being such a little boy sometimes. He really can’t help it; neither can Nate. Those two grew up together, and I don’t think they forgot what it was like to be teenagers. Besides, it keeps them out of bigger trouble,” she says with a slight wink.

  I laugh, feeling myself relax a little more. “So, what you’re telling me is I’m working for the world’s richest little boy?”

  “You could say that. I’m sure all of his ex-girlfriends would agree.” She toys with the rim of the wine glass in front of her. “But I don’t think any of them ever knew him very well. They were all just fascinated with the money and the life. When the novelty of it all wore off, they were gone before the dust could settle on reality. Vince really does have terrible taste in women.”

  “Sorry, I guess I don’t know him either. We’ve only just really met recently. We actually met before at the airport in Dallas; it was random and wasn’t my best performance.” My voice trails off as Elise grabs the bottle of wine the waiter left on the table and refills both our glasses.

  “Oh, I don’t know about all that. He’s gone on about you to Nate a few times now.” Elise laughs again and looks over me. “I dare say you’ve made a better impression than you thought. Besides, I’ve seen photos of what’s going on back in Chicago. You know what you’re doing. That much is clear. I’ve got high hopes for the rest of the sites. And as far as Vincent goes, well, he puts up a front for most of the world, but at heart, he’s still the same little boy who was growing up on his grandparent’s farm back in the middle of nowhere. If I know better, it was Vince that didn’t make the good impression. Sometimes he lets the thrill of the chase get the better of him. In all honesty, he’s harmless. If he’s pestering you or crossing a line, just tell him and he’ll back off.”

  Elise’s words aren’t exactly what I had expected to hear. There wasn’t a ton of information about what Vincent’s life had been like before he’d become a hotelier.

  “I, uh...he’s just infuriating!” I let the word slip out, unsure of what I actually wanted to say. Elise laughs heartily like she knows firsthand what I am talking about.

  “You know, years ago, I went on a blind date with Vincent. That’s how we officially met. Actually, I had gone to college with him, so he looked familiar when I walked into the date, but I couldn’t place him.” My mouth drops open.

  “What?” She laughs at my shocked response.

  “My college roommate Tara worked for his non-profit, and she set us up. I had just moved back to Chicago from DC, and I was temporarily living with her again. It wasn’t love at first sight by any stretch of the imagination. There was just zero chemistry between us; I was put off by his…bravado,” she says with a small laugh. “He did invite me to come interview with him because he was in need of new legal counsel and I was jobless, so it worked out perfectly. Long story short, I knew Nate from college, and when I interviewed at the hotel, I saw him, and we ended up reconnecting, and, well, now we’re engaged.”

  “That is crazy! What a small world. You mentioned a farm? That’s a surprise. I wouldn’t have pegged him for a farm boy.”

  “Oh yeah, both of them. Nate’s father worked for Vince’s grandfather when they were back in school. They’ve been friends ever since. It was a long way from mucking out horse stalls to owning hotels all over the world, so I can’t blame you for being surprised. He doesn’t exactly give off that corn-fed country boy air.” Elise is a talker, but I am thoroughly enjoying it. She is friendly and funny, and I hope that the two of us can be friends. It doesn’t hurt that Elise is feeding me information on the topic I find most fascinating right now.

  “Not at all. I mean…if you go by what you read about Vincent online, then you’d be pretty certain he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and didn’t have anything better to do with his life than chase leggy models around a penthouse apartment.” I kick myself for going too far with that one, but the wine has me feeling a little too relaxed.

  Elise grins. “Appearances are deceiving sometimes.”

  I nod in agreement. “I can’t deny that. I guess if you went by what I look like, you’d think I was just a pretty face or another ‘dumb blonde.’ I have fought against that stereotype most of my life.”

  “Then you ought to know that there’s usually a lot more to a person than what meets the eye. Yeah, he drives an expensive car, and he has a penchant for dating beautiful women and doing things that put his life in danger to pass a Saturday afternoon. But, he’s a lot more than that. You don’t see the news stories about the charities he started. How he’s sending a half dozen kids from his hometown to college because their parents can’t afford it, or how he’s made a point of hiring veterans at all of our locations because his grandfather was in the Army once upon a time. He dates models, but he also funds a women’s shelter in every city that he owns a hotel. The journalists don’t think that stories about a billionaire giving back or making a difference with the less fortunate are what sells papers. Maybe they’re right. Just know that what you read on the internet isn’t the whole picture.”

  Elise put everything into perspective. She hit a dozen points that I hadn’t considered. Most of them were things I didn’t even think to ask or consider when it came to him. I figured I’d known everything I needed to know about Vincent when I’d walked into his office on that first day, but maybe I was wrong about him. Maybe I need to give him another chance.

  Chapter 12

  Vincent

  The last few days have flown by. I had hoped to spend more time with Alison, but she was like a damn tornado tearing through this place. If she wasn’t buried in designs and contracts, she was on her phone or sketching on her iPad. The few times I had interacted with her, she seemed distracted but weirdly nicer. Kind of freaked me out.

  “Alison?” my voice rings out in the executive suite, but there is no sign of her. I walk through the rooms that make up the suite, admiring all of the changes. I pick up a scrap of material and let it slip through my fingers when a sound behind me alerts me to her presence.

  “Shit!” she yelps as she trips over a ladder that was left out in the walk-in closet. She was too buried in her iPad to notice and stubbed her bare toe. She had removed her heels and cardigan and pulled her long hair up in a haphazard bun.

  I take a moment to admire her in the few seconds before she notices me. Her exposed neck is long and slender, just begging for me to drag my lips against it.

  She is startled to see me when she emerges from the closet, and her face displays her surprise. “Oh, hi! I wasn’t expecting anyone this late.” She quickly tries to regain her composure and smooth out her hair, realizing she is barefoot and in a slinky camisole.

  I make no effort to avert my eyes; in fact, I make an extra effort to take in this moment…Alison with her guard down. Looking terribly mussed up and sexy. Long strips of her hair hang down her neck from her bun, and one of her spaghetti straps drapes off her shoulder. I am lost in my thoughts when the sound of her clearing her throat brings me back.

  “Well, Elise told me I could find you here and that despite all her best efforts, she couldn’t get you to leave or even stop for a bite t
o eat.”

  Alison scurries around me, grabbing her cardigan and shoes. “Well, since I’m only here for a short time, I need to get everything situated and running smoothly. I still have so much to do and so little time, so I need to make sure everyone sticks to the timeline, and we stay on schedule.”

  “I certainly appreciate all the work, you are a machine, but you really should get something to eat. Care to join me tonight?” I nervously run my fingers through my hair, waiting for her reply. I can’t remember the last time a woman made me nervous.

  She continues to scurry around the suite, gathering scraps of material and blueprints. “I appreciate the offer honestly, but I’m exhausted and just want to get some room service and finish up some paperwork in my room.”

  I can sense her tenseness and decided not to push her tonight. I am captivated by her work ethic and passion; it permeates every aspect of her actions.

  “Well, in that case, I do hope you follow through on that plan to get some food and relax. I’m sure we’ll catch up tomorrow, so I’ll leave you to finish up your evening. Oh, and Alison, remember that you can always fly back to the hotel locations we are visiting as the projects progress. That’s what the plan has always been.” I turn and walk out of the suite, the entire time wanting to pull her hair out of that messy bun and throw her down on the king-sized bed in the middle of the room.

  I make my way back to my room but then decide to head over to the onsite restaurant instead. Usually, I’d be out at one of the finest restaurants in the city, then hitting up my favorite club. I don’t know what has gotten into me lately, but the truth is I am getting bored of that lifestyle. It is empty and exhausting.

  “Hey, Frank, how’s it going tonight?” I shake the hand of the maître d′.