Royce (5 page)

Leah threw back her head and laughed. “Oh, Mr. Hunter, you are in for a big surprise if you think anything I say to her will make a difference when she has something set in her mind. Kasey is the most stubborn woman I know and she will tell you that all on her own.” Leah laughed again. “I love my daughter, Mr. Hunter, very much. I love her more than a mother loves her daughter. Without her…without her, I’d have died a long time ago. But she said I can’t. And for whatever reason, I haven’t.”

He nodded with a soft smile. “Call me Royce. And for as much as I hate to admit it, I admire her stubbornness, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to let her get by with it.”

“Call me Leah, and you have my fondest hopes that you can
try
and get through to her. As I have said, she is extremely stubborn.” To herself, Leah thought,
and my biggest hope is that I get to see you two come together.

They went back up to her room twenty minutes later. Kasey was alone in the room when they entered and glared at Royce when he came into the room with her. Leah hid her smile and sat in the chair next to the bed without commenting on her looks at Royce.

“Do you feel better, honey? Your cheeks are red. Are you in pain?” Leah had to bite her cheek to keep from laughing when Kasey turned as best she could away from the man on the other side of her bed.

“No, I’m not taking any more pain crap. All it does is make me sleepy and I can’t do anything while I’m asleep.”

“That’s the plan, you know,” Royce said. “When you’re asleep, you can’t hurt yourself and your body has a chance to rest. It’s called cause and effect. You should try and practice that a bit more. You might learn something. Take the damn drugs and get better.”

The only reaction Kasey had was to stiffen, but she didn’t answer him. Instead, she continued to look at Leah. Kasey smiled tightly. “I’ve been making arrangements with Uncle Jay. He said that I could move in with him as soon as I can get there. Aunt Suzy will be thrilled. And he said that he’d hook up the Internet if I still needed him to. It’ll help me—”

“You are not going anywhere until I say so,” Royce cut her off. “I know for a fact that the doctor said you’d be here for another week or more until you could even begin to think about moving about. And if—”

Kasey turned on him immediately. “Listen to me speak, you overbearing, pigheaded asshole.
I
do not work for you.
You
are not my boss. I don’t even know…what are you doing here? Get out. Shoo.”

“No.” Royce turned to look at Leah. She could see the strain on his face and, for whatever reason, she thought it was the funniest thing she’d ever seen. “Could you give us a few minutes? I’d like a few words with your daughter.”

“You’re not tossing my mother out. I want you to get out. I don’t even like you. You are the most stubborn, egoistical dickweed that —”

Leah didn’t know what she expected, but she certainly didn’t expect him to lean down and kiss Kasey. Smack her, yes, maybe even flip her over and beat her bottom, but not kiss her. Leah stood up and left the room when she heard her daughter moan. There were some things a mother just didn’t want to know.

Out in the hall Leah leaned against the wall and waited for the elevator, smiling. She knew then that Kasey had met her match and couldn’t be happier for either of them. She just hoped that she’d be around to... A slight dizziness came over her and she had to hold on to the railing before she fell. But it left as suddenly as it had come over her. Weakly, she moved toward the elevator and stepped inside of the opening.

Time was running out. She knew this as well as she knew that she her daughter was going to be as happy as she ever hoped for her to be. Leah pushed the button to take her to the ground floor and held onto the railing again. Soon, too soon, she’d be gone and she was happy that her little girl would have someone to hold her when this was over. Leah knew her daughter wouldn’t be happy with her if she knew what she was thinking, but there were some things a mother
did
want to know. And Leah wanted to know that her only child would have someone to care for her, to hold her when she was no longer able to do it.

Chapter 5

Royce pulled back from her mouth regretfully. He couldn’t help but take another taste before he stood back. Then he nearly took another taste when she moaned again. Christ, the woman tasted like sex and heat all rolled into one. He watched her expression change from dreamy to pissed in a few seconds. Damn, she was amazing, and he found himself wanting to see her going from pissed to dreamy this time. He watched her face and knew the exact moment when she was herself again.

“What do you think you’re doing? You can’t just kiss me like that. I told you before to get out of here and don’t come back.”

He grinned at her. “You behave or I won’t kiss you again. Now, we have some things to discuss. It’s about your position in my company.” Her sputtering nearly had him laugh, but he wasn’t that stupid.

“Kiss me ag—are you insane? You most certainly will not be kissing me again. And for the hundredth time, I don’t work for you. I was fired before that idiot hit me and even if I hadn’t signed off on it, I still wouldn’t work for you.” She pulled the covers up over her shoulder and glared at him. “You’re nuts.”

“Most likely. But that doesn’t mean that you didn’t enjoy it. You kissed me back, Miss York. And did a damned fine job of it too. I liked the way your tongue swept over mine. The way your warm breath tickled my cheek when you moaned. Damned if I don’t want to taste you again.” As he leaned in to take another nibble, she pushed her hand against his chest.

“Don’t you dare.”

Royce felt his cock harden. Her voice, low and hot, made the skin on his body seem to come alive and his blood to run like hot lava through his veins. He couldn’t have stopped now if his life depended on it. “Kiss me, Kasey,” he whispered to her. “Kiss me again and let me feel your need. Please, baby.” He ran his tongue along her lower lip before he ran it along the seam of her lips. “Let me in, love. You know you want to.”

When she opened under his teasing, he touched his lips to hers. Soft and firm, warm and cool. He was amazed at how many different sensations a person could feel from a kiss. But he should have known she was giving in too easily. He barely escaped from her mouth before she bit down at his tongue. As it was, he got a nip on his lip.

“Damn it, woman, that hurt. You could have just said no.” He stepped back when she reached for his groin. Somehow, he knew if she got him there, he’d be lucky if he’d be able to piss much less father children.

“I told you no. I’ve been telling you no for a week. What do you need, visual aids? Just leave me alone.”

He heard the small sob in her voice and nearly stepped to her again, but her look stopped him. She pulled the blanket over her head this time and he had no choice but to leave. He needed to think anyway. Things were going much too fast, even for him. “I’ll be back later. I have something for you and neither of us is in the mood to discuss it right now. I’ll be…I’ll bring my brother back. That way if you try to have your way with me again, I’ll have someone there to save me.”

He had no idea why he’d made that parting shot, but he got a laugh out of her growling at him. Had something bigger than a pillow been close, he was sure she’d have thrown that at him instead.

Royce left her room and walked to the elevator. She affected him like no other woman had and he wasn’t sure he liked it. He really didn’t dislike it because she did bring out feelings in him he’d never had before. He really wasn’t sure he liked himself, either, for trying to make her do things she didn’t want. He had the limo take him to work and then he had a meeting he had to go to later. One that he hoped would take his mind off the beauty in the hospital. He was sitting at the long conference table when his mother, his brother Curtis, and Charles came into the room.

Curtis was the company lawyer and Daniel was their personal one. Having two lawyers in the family gave them everything they needed and then some. Jesse had become the law enforcement part of the company, including any Internet security problems they might encounter. Also the laws governing trade that way. And Royce supposed people would say he was the money maker, though all of them were wealthy. Royce had learned at his mother’s feet how to buy and sell not only on the market, but also in businesses. Royce, the oldest, had taken over the company when their mom semi-retired five years ago. And he’d been making money since.

Curtis gave them all a copy of the paperwork on the newest acquisition that Hunter Corporation was taking on and settled back to explain any and everything that the paperwork entailed. He was a very detailed person and Royce knew without reading the sheets in front of him that everything would be covered and they’d have every loophole buried so deep that it would take another fantastic lawyer like him to find it.

“We purchased the Benton Works for one point three million dollars and your back taxes will be paid with a portion of the proceeds,” Curtis said to Charles. “As soon as we are made aware that the taxes have been paid, we’ll take possession immediately and shut it down. After thirty days the building will reopen and any and all employees of the aforementioned building will be rehired at that time. You, Benton, will pay their unemployment wages until that time.”

“Tell me again why I’m paying their wages? I could care less how they make their money. I won’t own the fucking building any more. Why should I care where they work?” Charles really was a self righteous bastard most of the time.

“Because,” Curtis said with a bite to his voice, “it’s part of the deal. And frankly, Benton, I could care less if you make a thin dime off this sale, but you will do it as we’ve lain out or the IRS steps in and takes everything else you have.”

“You should have been a lot nicer to the people you used on your way up the ladder, Charles, and maybe a few of them would have helped you out on your way down.” Annamarie smiled as she spoke to him. When Charles stood up both he and Curtis stepped in front of him. “See, my sons love and respect me. You have nothing. And at the rate you’re going, you never will.”

“So this is revenge? This whole thing has been about Jessica? My God, woman, she was knocked up. What the hell was I supposed to do, support her and her bastard kids?”

“Yes. It’s called being a parent. Sign the papers, Charles, before I go after a few more of your businesses.”

Charles snatched up the paper and signed where each tab had been marked. Then he did the same for the other two copies. One would be filed in the courthouse, another would go to the files in the Hunter Corporation, and the final copy would be held until Charles paid his taxes. Once he’s signed off Curtis nodded to his mother.

Royce braced himself for the explosion. This was the part where their mother announced what the Benton building was going to be used for. It was the only reason they’d purchased the building, to rub his nose in what he’d done.

“The Jessica Home for Unwed Mothers thanks you, Charles. I’m going to make sure that each woman that comes through our doors knows the reason why we’re here and why it’s named after your daughter.” Anger boiled off the man the moment their mother finished speaking.

“You fucking bitch. This has been because I wouldn’t let my daughter have a bastard child?” When Charles stood this time, so did Annamarie. “I’ll get you for this. See that I don’t.”

“I’m not sure how much
getting
you’ll think you can do from prison, Charles. Last I heard, the IRS is going to seize all your properties.” His mother smiled at Benton before she sat back down. “Why, I was able to purchase your home on Wilson for a song. Seems when you make a reasonable offer, the government doesn’t mind a few taxes being not paid.”

Before he could make another step toward her the door opened and three men from the security team walked in to escort him out. When the door closed behind them Royce looked over at his mom. “You really bought his house? I hear that’s a really beautiful home. Congratulations. “

“Yes, it is pretty. It’s your wedding present if you ever get married. You’re the only one still living in an apartment and I thought you could use it. Curtis helped me get it when things started to turn sour for Charles. Poor man, but he made his bed, now he must lie in it.” She sat back in her chair and looked him straight in the eye. “Got any prospects in mind?”

Royce frowned when the first name that popped in his head was Kasey. He’d not known the girl all that long and had only kissed her once…well, twice if you counted when she’d tried to take his tongue off with her teeth. But to his mom he simply answered no. “I don’t think I ever want to tie myself down. It’s hard enough to be single. I can’t imagine what it would be like married with a woman dragging you down all the time.” Royce stood before she could comment. “I have to get some work done if we’re going to have dinner this weekend. Thanks for the house, Mom. I love you for it.”

He was sitting in his office an hour later with the same report in front of him. He didn’t know what he’d been thinking of, but he knew it wasn’t work. Royce looked up when Jesse walked in after a hard knock.

“You know that girl…Officer York, that was hurt the other week?” he asked as a greeting. Royce nodded, almost afraid to know what she’d done now. “Did you know she has a degree in Business Management?”

Royce didn’t, but only shook his head. “Every person who gets out of college now days has some kind of Business degree. What of it?”

“Not a Bachelors, but a Masters degree. And she has another in Law Enforcement. Her minor both times has been another language. One is Spanish and the other is Chinese. She’s a smart cookie.”

Royce was shocked. He didn’t think Kasey was stupid, but to have two Masters Degrees as young as she was couldn’t have been easy. Royce wondered aloud why she worked for them as a security guard and wasn’t running some corporation.

“Don’t know. Her file didn’t say. But I will tell you this, as soon as she gets up and about, I’m going to ask her out.” Jesse stood to leave. “She’s a cutie and Mom likes her.”