“So am I.” He opened the door for her. “Also, Maya is right. You should do all the things to me.”
London’s mouth opened and closed a couple of times. “You heard that, huh?”
“She wasn’t very quiet about it.” He shut the door and placed his large hand on the small of her back. “You look beautiful by the way.”
“Thank you.” She got all gooey inside at his compliment because it felt so... genuine and natural for him to say. “You look... oh my gosh, we’re twinning.”
He punched the button for the elevator and gave her an odd look. “What does that mean?”
“It means we’re wearing the same shade of blue, like a couple would.” As soon as the words left her mouth, she wanted to snatch them back. There was no need to give him any ideas that would never come to fruition. He was a Taggart, and she was a Montgomery. “Not that we’re a couple. We’re not.”
“Whatever you say, but you were the one who told me what to wear and the only thing I asked you to wear were your shoes, which from what I’ve seen so far, look brand new. I’ll have to give Rodney an additional tip.”
She started to argue with him as they moved inside the elevator and the doors shut, but then reconsidered. She had been the one to tell him to wear the blue shirt. Instead, she focused on her shoe, which seemed to be the safest topic. “He made me very happy with his work.”
“You’re welcome,” Sawyer said, his hand brushing against hers.
The contact made her suck in a breath. Did he want to hold her hand? Should she hold his hand if he did?
His fingers twined with hers, and something inside of her made her keep her hand in his. She glanced up at him only to find his blue on blue gaze focused on hers.
“What?” she asked.
“You’re just so damn gorgeous.” His free hand cupped the side of her face. “I want to kiss you again.”
She tipped up her chin. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“I disagree.”
He leaned in, and she closed her eyes. She could feel the heat he threw off, feel his breath touch her skin before the first pass of his lips touched hers. She licked her lips, wanting more. Needing more.
If he didn’t kiss her, she would burst into flames.
“Please,” she whispered and he lifted his head.
“Please don’t, or please do?”
Before she could answer, the elevator doors opened. She all but jumped back as people started to get on before they could get out.
Sawyer guided her out of the crowd, out of the building, and onto the street. His mouth was drawn tight, but his eyes were moving, as if he were scanning the area for danger.
“Are you angry with me,” she asked.
He seemed to snap out of his mood. “No... shit, I’m... crowds are still a bad thing for me at times. Small places, you looked slightly panicked. I was in rescue mode.”
“Military training?” she asked, wondering if she was being too nosy. “Or something else?”
“PTSD and military training. I do go to counseling, if that’s what you’re after.” He led her to a waiting car, where the driver opened the door as soon as he saw them. “Mandolin is closed so their staff can go on vacation, so I made different arrangements.”
She placed her hand on his arm. The muscles beneath his shirt bunched. “I wasn’t after anything that you don’t want to share. You’re not obligated to tell me anything you’re not comfortable with.”
“Don’t treat me like a client, London.”
She shook her head, wishing she could make him understand. “I wouldn’t ever treat you that way. I’m not trained for that sort of thing, anyway. I’m just... as a friend, I’m saying you have the choice to share as little or as much as you want.”
He helped her in the car, sliding in beside her and placing his hand on her bare knee. The driver shut the door, leaving them alone in the back of the limo.
“You only want to be friends.”
“I want...” She licked her lips as he began to caress her skin. Desire pooled between her thighs, making her move restlessly against the leather seat. “I want you to finish the kiss you started in the elevator.”
He hauled her to him, his mouth on hers so swiftly that she gasped. His lips caressed hers gently, even as he moved her so that she was straddling his lap. She could feel his erection against her, long, thick and hard.
He groaned her name, kissing a path down the side of her throat. He nosed the thin strap of her dress over and paced open mouth kisses on her shoulder while she rocked her hips against him.
Suddenly, her dress went taught, then loosened until it fell to her waist. Sawyer snaked an arm around her, somehow forcing her to arch her back. He moved the cups of her bra out of his way, baring her breasts to him.
Her nipples tightened under his scrutiny. “Tell me to stop and I will.”
“I can’t,” she said.
His mouth closed over a hard nipple and sucked deeply. She moaned, her hands going to his shoulders, nails sinking into his shirt. He teased her, lavished attention on her breasts while the car drove through traffic to some destination that he hadn’t named.
He pushed his hips up, his erection hitting her aching core. She whimpered with need.
“Let me take care of you, sweetheart.” His hand coasted down her back, then lower to cup a cheek. “You don’t have to do anything, but tell me what you want.”
She sucked in air. “What about after?”
“After tonight?”
“Yes.”
“I haven’t thought that far ahead,” he said, his eyes dark with need. “I don’t plan on giving you up, though.”
“Why?”
He moved his hands to slide his fingers in her hair, pulling her to him. “Because you’re all I think about. All I dream about. I’ve never had that happen before and I’ll be damned if I ignore something that feels so right.”
“You’re not with me for revenge?” she asked, giving voice to her biggest fear.
“I have never wanted revenge on your family, only mine.” He laced a sweet kiss on her forehead, each cheek, and finally her mouth. “I just want you, London. That’s all.”
She nodded. “I believe you, but... this is moving too fast. I need time to process.”
“Whatever you want, I’ll give it to you.” He set her away from him. “Turn please.”
She did as he asked and he adjusted her bra, then zipped her dress back up. He dropped a kiss on her shoulder, making her sigh dreamily and shiver with pleasure before she turned around to face him again.
“Thank you for understanding.”
“What kind of man would I be if I didn’t?” he nodded to the right. “I had dinner brought to us. I thought we could eat before the concert.”
“Concert?” she asked as he began to plate her food.
He grinned. “Concert in the Park.”
She loved going to concerts in the park. The owners of the large plot of land dedicated to beautiful gardens and romantic pathways put on a series of concerts in the summer. She frowned, even as she took the plate of food from him. “Wait a minute. Those don’t start until two months from now.”
“I might have made special arrangements,” he said, pouring a glass of champagne for her. “We have the park to ourselves.”
Her mouth dropped. “You’re kidding.”
“As I said before, I’m hilarious, but not about renting out an entire park for a date.”
“Wow.” She couldn’t stop smiling. “That’s... I’ve never had anyone do that for me.”
“Not even your dad or brothers.”
She shook her head. “No, we lived kind of modestly... except for our house and a few extravagant vacations where my dad would rent out the entire resort, but uh, that was mainly for security reasons. There was one place we always went, on the Outer Banks, and we were like any other family there. I have good memories of it. Anyway, our dad didn’t believe in excess spending on frivolous things like birthday partie
s and holidays. But I think that’s because our mom used to plan all those things and it made him sad to try to take her place.”
“My mom sounds a lot like yours. She goes all out on holidays and birthdays, even when she barely had two nickels to rub together. Somehow she’d find a way to make things happen.”
London smiled softly. “She sounds amazing.”
“She is...” He handed her the glass of champagne and then poured a glass for himself. “To us.”
“To getting to know one another.”
He smiled. “Watch out, sweetheart. I’ll have you falling in love with me before you know it.”
She laughed. “Falling in love with you? Your ego is huge.” She looked around the interior of the limo. “However did we fit in here with it?”
He smiled cockily. “You’d be amazed at what I can fit into tight places.”
London nearly choked on her champagne.
11
Sawyer
London spun around slowly, taking in the park. It was decorated to mimic the first night they met at the spring ball—he’d hired the same decorator and party planner they’d used—and he hoped she’d notice. Not only that, he hoped it would remind her of the connection they had from the start.
“This is beautiful,” she said, her voice reverent.
He leaned against the tree, content with watching her explore. “We have some time before the concert starts, so feel free to wander around. Just don’t go too far.”
“Yes, sir.” She tossed him a smile over her shoulder. The same shoulder he’d kissed minutes earlier. His gaze drifted lower to where her full, perky breasts filled out the material of her dress. “I’ll be right over here.”
“Take your time.” London was naturally gorgeous, but bared to him, with her rosy nipples and creamy skin, she was exquisite. His cock grew hard and he adjusted his stance. She was worth the raging hard-on, even if it would most likely go unsatisfied by her tonight. “I’ll be over here, with dessert.”
She perked up. “Dessert did you say?”
He nodded. “All your favorites.”
“What about yours?”
“You’re sweet enough for me,” he said, and she smiled.
“You really know how to charm a lady when you want to, Sawyer Taggart,” she drawled in her lilting accent. “You should do it more often.”
“To all the ladies, or just you.”
She peered at him from beneath her lashes. “I’m sure you do it to all the ladies.”
He stepped closer to her, so close that he could touch her if he wanted. “That’s not what I asked you.”
“Just me. Happy?” She tossed her hair. It was still mussed from where he’d ran his hands through it and her lips... they were still swollen from his kisses.
“Very.” He caught her by the wrist before she could walk away. “What do you need from me in order to know that I’m only interested in you?”
“Time.”
“I’ve wasted enough time in my life. In war. Over a woman who didn’t love me like I did her.” Shit. He shouldn’t have said that, but it was out there.
“Who was she?”
“My wife.”
Her eyes rounded. “You were married.”
“Four years, only to come home to a Dear John letter, letting me know she’d been cheating on me with her ex-boyfriend. She was doing me a favor by divorcing me because she just couldn’t live with herself any longer. She needed to live her best life and that didn’t’ include me.”
London touched his cheek with her free hand. “I’m so sorry she hurt you.”
He shrugged, but he also leaned into her touch. “She freed me to spend the next eight years on what I really wanted out of life.”
“And now?”
He laughed, but it was without mirth. “Now I find myself completely distracted by a woman who thinks she has no business being with me, simply because of our last names. As if that’s the only thing that defines us. If we were anyone else, this would be a hell of a lot easier and you know it.”
“Poor, Romeo,” she whispered. “Do you want me to deny my name and no longer be a Montgomery?”
Turning his head slightly, he kissed the palm of her hand. “I want you to forget all about Taggarts and Montgomerys, and feuds. Focus on us, as a man and woman who are simply meant to be together.”
“In a beautiful park. Under the moonlight and fairy lights while music plays,” she added, and he nodded. “Dance with me, Romeo.”
“Until the sun comes up, Juliet.”
*
The next day, he drove to Charlotte, but not to meet with his dad or his brother. Instead, he walked right inside of Montgomery Industries and demanded to speak with Andrew Montgomery.
It didn’t come as a big shock when he was immediately taken to Andrew’s office, where the CEO was seated behind his desk.
Sawyer didn’t allow him to speak first. “I won’t take up too much of your time. I want to make my intentions known to your family. I’m interested in your sister.”
“And if she’s not interested in you?”
“Then I’ll leave her alone, but until she feels that way, then it’s game one,” he said.
Andrew cocked a brow, then rose to his feet. “She’s only a game to you?”
Sawyer sliced his hand through the air. “That’s not what I meant and you know it. Look, I don’t have to tell you a damn thing about my relationship with your sister, but I felt like this was the right thing to do, considering how much she loves her family.”
“Her love for us doesn’t concern you. We could convince her that you’re no good.”
Sawyer smiled grimly. “Pretty sure you attempted to do that the night we met and that failed.”
“I have a few questions for you.”
“Go on,” Sawyer said.
“What are your intentions with Taggart Securities?”
That threw him for a minute. He thought for sure Andrew would be questioning him about London. “I want what’s rightfully mine.”
“And what are you willing to do to get it?” Andrew moved to stand in front of him. It wasn’t exactly a threatening pose, but it close enough to let Sawyer know that London’s brother wasn’t intimidated by Sawyer’s size or his impromptu meeting.
“How about I tell you what I’m not willing to do,” he said. “I’m not willing to screw over thousands of employees to bring John Taggart down. And I sure as fuck aren’t willing to spread misinformation about the competition either. I like to win as much as the next guy, but I’m not going to cheat in order for that to happen.”
Andrew smiled. “Then you have my blessing to pursue my sister.
“Just like that.” Sawyer blinked. “Alright. Nice talking to you.”
“But if you hurt her, I will do everything in my power to end you.”
“As you should.”
Andrew nodded. “Thanks for the warning.”
“I don’t know what he’s got, but he thinks it’s something big.” Sawyer rubbed his jaw. “Jack and I plan to take him down—something that shouldn’t go any further than this room.”
“What can I do to help make that happen?” Andrew asked.
“Educate me on the fastest way to get John to cede control of Taggart Securities to me... or even my brother.”
“Why wouldn’t Jack share that with you?”
“He might have a change of heart.” Sawyer shoved his hands into his pocket. “I have no love for our father, but I can’t say the same about him. Plus, I don’t know if John has any leverage against Jack.”
“But you think I’ll help you.”
Sawyer eyed Andrew. “I think you’re the type who wants to come out on top because you’re the best, not because you play dirty.”
Andrew held out his hand. “Let’s get started.”
After a beat, Sawyer shook it. “Don’t make me regret this, Montgomery.
12
London
It was nearly six p.m. when Sawyer
knocked on her office door. Her heart slammed against her chest. “What are you doing here so early?”
After their date in the park, he managed to wrangle yet another date out of her, not that it was difficult for him to do. She’d been completely under his spell by the time he’d taken her home. Plus, their goodnight kiss had been hot enough to set her body on fire.
“We need to talk,” he said, stepping inside her office. He wore dark slacks and a grey button-down, looking so fine that she wanted to jump him.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Taggart. I don’t have you down for an appointment and I have a date this evening.” She winked at him, then pretending to concentrate on the papers on her desk while keeping one eye on him so she could see his reaction.
Sawyer cocked a brow, crossing his arms over his chest. “Maggie asked me for a thirty percent raise.”
London smiled. “And?”
“She was supposed to start at ten.” He didn’t sound angry with Maggie or her. In fact, he looked... impressed? “We settled on twenty, by the way.”
“Yes!” London did a little dance behind her desk. “Way to go Maggie! I cannot wait to celebrate with her.”
He came around her desk and she backed up, her arms straight out, as if to ward him off, which she didn’t want to do in the least. She wanted him to chase her, to take her in his arms and kiss her until she couldn’t see straight.
“Don’t pretend you’re afraid of me.”
She grinned. “I’m not afraid of you. “
“Then hold your ground.”
With a smirk, she stopped moving and put her arms at her sides. “Like this?”
He dipped his head, his lips dangerously, deliciously close to hers. “Exactly.”
*
Three weeks had passed since she’d first met Sawyer, but it seemed like a lifetime. They spent every waking moment together and while they hadn’t gone any further than that night in the limo, she felt as connected to Sawyer as someone who had taken that final step.
Only, she hadn’t told her family about him—not that her personal life was any of their business. However, Sawyer invited her out everywhere with him, to events that put them firmly in the face of the press.
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