by Jaci Burton
He'd soon discover who was the alpha dog in this relationship. Besides, she'd have her family standing with her, so she had nothing to worry about.
Confident, she stepped out of her office and headed to the conference room, intent on arriving early and grabbing a prominent place at the table. After all, appearances were everything, as was preparation.
She swung through the oak double doors and stopped short.
The room wasn't empty. A man was in there, his back to her as he gazed out the tall windows behind the table. His dark suit had to have cost a fortune, and must have been custom-made, considering the way it hugged his body. His jet-black hair waved over the white starched collar of his shirt. A bit too long for what was considered professional, but damn if it wasn't sexy as hell as it curled in tiny wisps against his tanned neck.
He turned to her and something within her sparked an immediate recognition, as if her body knew him. Ridiculous, since they'd never met, but the chemical reaction was overpowering. She grabbed for the back of the nearest chair, her legs suddenly trembling. For some reason, her limbs wouldn't move.
She'd never had this kind of a response to a man before. Never.
Without speaking, he approached her. He didn't smile either, just walked toward her slowly, in a stealthy, sexy way that had her thinking things she shouldn't.
Thoughts like primal. Animal. Lust. Passion. Sex. Hot, sweaty, incredible sex.
His eyes were breathtaking, a combination of green and gold that melted together like an artist's palette. Lashes as dark as his hair swept up along his brows. His nose was narrow, his jaw square, his lips delectably full--the guy looked more like one of today's hot movie stars than just a regular man. That sensual mouth of his curved into a lethal smile, and she forced herself to meet his eyes, all the while curious as to why she had suddenly forgotten rudimentary biological functions--like breathing.
"Shannon Storm," he said, his voice as seductive as his appearance. "I'm Max Devlin."
He extended his hand, but for an instant she was afraid to make bodily contact with him, unsure if she could withhold her magical reaction to the maelstrom stirring inside her. As it was, she felt unsteady, her entire world shaken. And all she'd done was look at him.
The professional in her wouldn't stand for any of this teenage girl drooling over a man. She held out her hand, tucked the magic deep inside her and directed her thoughts away from sex and onto business. "Max. Welcome to The Rising Storm."
When he took her hand, her toes curled right inside her shoes. She sucked in her lower lip and fought the panic assailing her. Heat shot through every limb, every organ, settling somewhere between her legs. She moistened instantly, her nipples hardening and pressing against her thin, lacy bra.
Max's hand stilled. He closed his eyes for the briefest of seconds, then inhaled sharply. When he opened his eyes, he graced her with a smile so predatory it caused her pulse to leap.
No. She did not have physical reactions like this. She was losing control. When she tried to pull her hand away, he held on, as if he sensed her reluctance.
Unfortunately, his heated grip on her only served to bring forth the response she feared most. Irritation grew within her, mixed with an inexplicable lust that permeated every part of her body. Railing against the loss of control, she let loose a little of the magic boiling inside her. The heavy doors blew open as a fierce wind blew through the conference room, whipping tendrils of her hair from its tight chignon and nearly propelling her against his chest.
Fighting to control the magic, she gripped his hand and squeezed with all her might, hoping her power would zap him with a shot of electricity that would shoot him straight across the room. No man had ever been able to stand up to the ferocity of the elements once she unleashed them.
They stood surrounded by what could easily be classified as hurricane force winds, and yet Max wasn't even struggling for balance. His eyes had darkened, the green nearly obliterated by the golden hue that seemed to glow. His grip held firm to her, almost as if he had accepted her unspoken challenge to back off and decided that he wasn't going to budge.
Why wasn't he shocked? Why wasn't he running for his life? For God's sake, wind like this didn't occur within an office complex. He was supposed to be afraid, or at least show some concern about what the hell was going on.
Instead, he held onto her as if they had engaged in a battle of wills, and he was determined to come out the victor.
Over her dead body.
It would be inappropriate to present arcing lightning in the Storm corporate offices, but she sure felt like blowing out the floor-to-ceiling windows in the conference room right now. How dare he provoke her this way?!
This first meeting wasn't going at all the way she had planned.
So much for gaining the upper hand.
*
Max held tight to Shannon's hand, ignoring the wind rushing around him.
He was mesmerized by the stray sable hairs that had come loose, whipping against her face. But she didn't budge, just kept trying to pull her hand free.
Damn, she was gorgeous. More so than in the pictures he'd seen. Her tan suit complemented her skin, and a creamy silk blouse underneath the jacket ruffled in the gusts she'd created, revealing the upper swell of her breasts.
He was having a difficult time keeping his burgeoning erection from poking right through his suit. Thankfully, his jacket covered the evidence.
This woman was a power to be reckoned with. She had magic, that was obvious, because the gale force winds smacking him in the face right now sure as hell hadn't come from him. He felt the magic course through her, had felt it from the moment she'd walked through the doorway, as if whatever secrets she held inside magnetized him, telling him more about her than a normal man would ever know.
A normal human male, anyway. He wasn't human and his powers certainly weren't normal.
Shannon was beautiful, strong, obviously capable and really pissed off right now. He had to admire the fact that she wasn't the slightest bit afraid to show her anger. A clear attempt at establishing who was in charge here. Shannon was a perfect alpha female.
No doubt about it, he wanted her. Never before had a woman captured his interest so quickly. Her intense gaze fixed on his and held, her anger evident in the way her eyes narrowed, turning a tempestuous blue.
Max heard voices outside the conference room. Immediately, the wind died and he released her hand, then brushed his hair back and straightened his jacket. Shannon's face burned a bright red, her irritation still evident.
"What was that?" he asked, although he suspected he already knew the answer.
"Problems with the air conditioning system. Blows a major gasket every now and then and it's like a wind tunnel in here. I'll alert the maintenance staff."
Good recovery, which meant she could think on her feet. She quickly turned away, smoothed her hair into place and smiled when a group of people came in.
"Are we late, or are you early?" A tall man approached, hand outstretched.
"You must be Logan. I'm Max Devlin, and yes, I'm early. You're right on time."
"I see you've already met my sister, Shannon."
"Indeed I have," Max said. Shannon nodded and offered a tight smile. Max wanted to laugh at her discomfort, but also knew that making a good impression on the Storms was paramount to a successful launch of his New Orleans business.
A lovely woman with hair the color of raven's wings stepped up. Shorter than Shannon, her smile was filled with a welcoming warmth. "We're so glad you arrived safely, Max. I'm Kaitlyn Storm."
Her hand slipped gently inside his and he felt her quiet, calm strength. This one was much less volatile than her sister. "A pleasure, Kaitlyn."
Max spotted Melissa Cross, who walked in with a tall man by her side. That had to be Aidan Storm, her fiance. She shook his hand and said, "Welcome to New Orleans, Max. Nice to have another of the Boston contingent here."
"And I'm Aidan Storm, Lissa's bet
ter half."
Max laughed. "Well, you're a pretty formidable group."
Logan nodded. "So we've been told. But no one here bites. Although Shannon has been known to chew up and spit out a few people in her time."
"Logan!" Shannon said, casting a vehement glare in her brother's direction.
A very tight family. And a powerful one, too. Max's senses went into overdrive as he picked up on the magic contained within each of the Storm siblings. It seemed that they each held control over the elements of nature. Heat, ice, wind, rain, lightning, all of it very potent. No wonder his blood had fired to life when he was offered the chance to work with them. His sixth sense told him there was something special about the Storm family. He'd just had no idea what it was until he actually stood in a room with them.
Good thing he wasn't easily intimidated. A weaker man would cower under such superior strength of will.
But he wasn't weak. Nor was he interested in establishing dominance over any of the Storms.
Except for Shannon. He and Shannon had a connection, one that she was obviously uncomfortable with. Good. Keeping her off balance was a start. Tilting her world completely upside down would come later. Right now, business was his number one priority.
Tea and water were brought in, and they all chatted amiably. The get-to-know-you part of any business venture.
"Have you had a chance to look over the campaign?" Logan asked.
"Yes. You have some great ideas and a really good start on a dynamite public relations program." He looked to Shannon, who lifted a brow as if she hadn't expected the compliment.
"Shannon's good at her job," Kaitlyn said. "She's run some amazing programs for the hotel as a whole, along with taking separate functions, such as my events planning, and promoting them throughout the southern states."
Melissa turned to him and grinned. "Shannon's PR program for the hotel/casino venture is very good."
He'd just bet it was. "Glad to hear that. I'll make it better."
"That's a pretty arrogant statement," Aidan said, crossing his arms.
Max knew this was coming. "Yes, it is. But I back up what I say with results. No offense to Shannon at all. You've made a great start. Now it's time to refine it, improve it, and take it out there across the country. Whatever your PR plan was for Louisiana and the surrounding states, I'll improve it so that you can promote nationally."
Shannon tapped her pencil against the dark wood of the table, the annoying cadence the only sound in the room. It was as if her family was poised and waiting for the explosion they knew was coming.
Max expected it. Hell, he welcomed it.
Finally, she looked at him, her eyes as cool as he wished the weather was. "I think you're full of shit. There's not a damn thing wrong with The Rising Storm's public relations campaign."
"Afraid of a little constructive criticism? Concerned that I might come up with a better idea?"
"I'm not afraid, nor am I concerned. I simply think you have your head up your ass and haven't done your research."
"What if I've done thorough research and still think I can improve your plan? Are you so conceited about your work that you wouldn't even take a look at what I have to offer?"
Her eyes widened, then shot icy daggers across the table at him. Max remained relaxed, enjoying a battle more than anything. This was positioning of the alphas. Her against him. And he intended to come out the winner. It was just a matter of time before Shannon realized that. However, since she didn't yet know about him, he'd give her a little time to adjust before he attacked.
She looked around the table at her siblings, then shrugged. "You're here, although I didn't ask for you. I'll take a look at what you have."
He tried to prevent the grin of pure satisfaction that threatened to break out on his face, but had one hell of a time masking the triumph he felt.
Logan stood and smiled at Max. "Well, damn fine job passing the Storm test. We're not an easy bunch and speak our mind."
"I'll take an honest gut reaction over a load of bullshit any day. I don't mind a little battle every now and then. Keeps the blood moving."
Logan grinned. "You'll do just fine here."
Shannon snorted and mumbled something about arrogant assholes under her breath. She assumed he couldn't hear, but then again, she didn't know about his ultra keen senses.
The rest of them said their goodbyes, agreeing to meet later in the week after he'd had a chance to go over the plan with Shannon.
She started to walk out, but he wanted some time alone with her, and didn't want to wait. "Shannon."
She stopped, her shoulders tensing. Good, he wanted her riled up a bit. He liked her that way. She turned, arching a brow. "There's more? I thought for sure you'd shot your entire wad of insults about my work in one conversation."
"I didn't insult your work; I just said it could stand some improvements."
"You're an arrogant bastard, aren't you?"
He smiled. "So I've been told."
"On a regular basis, I assume?"
Damn she was a fireball. Just the kind of mate he needed, the kind of woman he'd want to rule beside him. Strong, capable, take no prisoners. "More often than not, yeah. But I didn't get to the position I'm in now without pissing a few people off in the process."
"You've done a fine job for your first day. I'll talk to you in the morning."
"Have dinner with me."
She opened her mouth and he knew the word "no" was going to come sailing out. But then she surprised him by asking, "Why?"
"Because I don't want you to think I'm a prick all the time." Which was true. He wanted her to know he was in charge, but not a prick.
The corners of her mouth lifted in a slight smile. "Don't shatter my illusions of you, Max. I prefer thinking you're a prick all the time."
"Well, I love to prove people wrong. Have dinner with me. I just got into town and have no idea where to eat. You wouldn't want me to sample the wrong Cajun food, would you?"
She rolled her eyes and glanced at her watch. "I'm busy."
"You have to eat."
"I already have a mother. Don't need another one."
"Where's that southern hospitality I keep hearing about?"
She let out a disgusted sigh. Ah yes, he knew that would get her. She looked him up and down, regarding him as if she wasn't sure she could trust him.
If she were smart, she'd run like hell, because he sure wasn't trustworthy where she was concerned. No way could he keep his hands to himself.
"Fine. Give me an hour to wrap things up and I'll meet you in the lobby."
Max admired the slight sway to her hips as she turned and walked out. Subtle, but definitely there. Her legs were long and shapely, and he'd wager a guess she was either a runner or a tennis player. Good. She could run with the pack easily then.
After he converted her, after he claimed her as his.
His balls tightened, his cock springing to life at the thought of making Shannon Storm his mate.
Whether she liked it or not, they shared a destiny. He was patient in some areas, not in others. Considering he was already primed and ready for sex, his patience was going to run out quickly where she was concerned.
Time to put his plan into action.
Chapter Two
Shannon paced the lobby and waited for Max, annoyed at herself for so readily agreeing to go out to dinner with him.
As if she wanted to spend time with the overbearing, conceited Yankee, anyway, let alone outside the normal business day.
She spotted him exiting the elevator at the other end of the lobby. He stopped to speak to Logan as he passed by the door to the corporate offices.
"He's hot, isn't he?"
She turned to see Kaitlyn peering around her. "He's okay."
Kaitlyn stepped in front of her, her amber eyes widening. "Then you're blind, soeur douce. He is perfection. Has to be a couple inches over six foot tall, wide shoulders, narrow hips, broad chest. And those eyes. I swear I
've never seen eyes such a mesmerizing color."
"Like I said. He's okay." And that was all she'd admit to, otherwise she'd be bound and gagged and headed to the altar within twenty-four hours. Kaitlyn was as much a matchmaker as their mother.
"He's more than okay. And clearly he's attracted to you."
Shannon crossed her arms and turned her attention toward her sister and away from Max. "Oh right. Insulting me in the first ten minutes of our meeting was a definite clue that he has the hots for me."
"He's an aggressive alpha male, Shan. You know the type. God knows we've dated plenty. Most are assholes. Max isn't like that, I can tell already."
"Uh huh. What was your first clue? His incredible charm, or the way he slammed me in front of all of you?"
"He didn't slam you at all. Appeared to me as if he was teasing you. Playfully. Even challenging you to see if you could stand up to him. I think you two would make a good match. I feel something between..."
Shannon held up her hand before Kaitlyn could utter another word. "Do not tell me he's my destiny or I swear I will let out a scream that will bring this hotel down around us."
Kaitlyn held up her hands in mock surrender. "Ohhhkay. I won't say it. But if Mom was here..."
"Mom isn't here. And Max Devlin is not my destiny. For God's sake, I haven't even known him a day. You and Mom are too quick to jump on this destiny thing."
"Worked for Aidan and Lissa."
"That was different."
"How so?"
"I don't know, just different. They were different. Hell, Kait, we all felt their connection, and close your mouth right now because I know what you're going to say. There is no connection between me and Max Devlin. Nothing. Zip. I don't feel a damn thing. So quit comparing us to Aidan and Lissa. This whole conversation is ridiculous."
"And yet you're going out to dinner with him."
"He asked me to, said he didn't know anything about where to eat. Now you know Mom would have my hide if I left a newcomer to fend for himself."
"Uh huh." Kaitlyn crossed her arms, giving Shannon her classic I'm right and you know it look.
"You're a pain in the ass, you know that? Don't you have some event to plan?"
