Tender Kisses (16 page)

“Hey, Siobhan. Still at the hospital and may not get home until late. Been thinking about us, and want to talk when I get back. Will try to call, but I have a big project to finish. Later, beautiful.”

She'd been thinking about them and wanted to talk to him, too. He needed to know who she was. It would be up to him to decide whether to walk away.

Chapter 16

J
ustin shifted in his seat and adjusted the temperature. They had been on the road for three hours and still had a ways to go. “It is ten o'clock on a Tuesday night. Why are all these cars out?” His mother had come home on Friday, but Yvonne had to get back to work and left on Saturday. He'd stayed around to help his parents until he was sure his mother wouldn't relapse.

“Maybe they're all workaholics like you,” Jocelyn joked.

“Ha-ha.” As of late, he hadn't worked enough. “Are you going to be able to catch up on your lectures?”

“Yes. Alana took notes and emailed them to me already. I'm glad my first class isn't until noon tomorrow. Otherwise I'd fall flat on my face.”

“You can stay at the house tonight if you want. Actually, I'd feel better if you did. I don't want you driving back to campus this late.”

“I had planned to anyway. I don't feel like driving.”

It took another hour to make it home. Jocelyn said good-night and went straight to her room.

Justin took a quick shower and drove over to Siobhan's house. He'd originally intended to go tomorrow, but he had to talk to her tonight. He spent the entire ride rehearsing in his mind what he would say. He still wanted to see her, but needed a few weeks to complete his project. They could do an occasional dinner and he'd call, but their time together would be limited. A churning started in his stomach at that thought. He had missed her like crazy this past week and had contemplated at least twice driving back just to spend a few hours with her.

The closer he got to her house, the more excited he became, and by the time he parked and walked up to her porch, his body vibrated with sexual tension.

Justin took a couple of calming breaths and rang her doorbell.

* * *

Siobhan heard her doorbell, glanced over at the clock and frowned. It was almost midnight. Then her heart started to pound, and her mind conjured up all kinds of bad scenarios. She jumped off the bed, grabbed her robe off the chair and rushed toward the front. She flipped on the porch light, saw Justin and hurriedly opened the door. She took his hand. “Justin, come in. Is everything okay? Your mom... Is she all right?”

Justin backed her into the house and shut the door. “She's fine, but I'm not.” He crushed her against him and inhaled her startled gasp in a passionate kiss. He immediately tangled his tongue with hers, stripped off the robe, lifted her in his arms and carried her over to the nearest piece of furniture.

She felt the cool solid wood on her bare thighs, and it took her a minute to realize it was the end table. He moved between her legs and slid her panties to the side. His skilled fingers parted her folds and stroked and teased her until she was wet and trembling.

“Do you know how much I missed you?” he rasped out between kisses.

“I missed you, too.” She unzipped his pants and he sprang, hot and thick, into her hands. Siobhan wrapped her hand around his hard shaft and whispered, “Show me how much you missed me.”

That was all it took. “I hope you know what you're asking for.” Justin nearly ripped her tank in half, and her breasts bounced free. The flimsy material hit the floor, followed by her shorts and panties.

He pushed her breasts together, captured her erect nipples between his lips and scraped his teeth gently over the sensitive peaks, and she cried out.

He took a condom out of his wallet and stepped out of his pants and briefs in one smooth action. Justin tossed the wallet on the floor, tore open the package and sheathed himself.

The wicked gleam in his eyes turned her on even more, and she whimpered. He nudged her thighs apart and drove deep, filling her completely and lifting her hips to meet his rapid thrusts. Sensations unlike anything Siobhan had ever experienced overtook her body, and she screamed his name. He spread her legs wider and hammered into her, demanding she give him everything. Her head thrashed back and forth, and she gripped the edge of the table as spasms of delight rocketed through her and she surrendered to a shuddering release.

Justin threw back his head and exploded with a harsh groan. “I missed you, baby.”

Siobhan laughed tiredly. “I guess so.”

“I'm not done yet. I have a week to make up for.” He swept her into his arms and strode down the hall to her bedroom.

* * *

A few hours later, Justin silently rose from the bed and left Siobhan sleeping. So much for his little speech.
The moment she had opened the door, all his good intentions flew right out the window. Seeing her tonight confirmed what his heart had been telling him—he was falling in love with her. He pulled on his pants and went out to his car to get his iPad. Working helped him think, and he had a lot to consider. He started to go back to the bedroom, but changed his mind because he would be too tempted to climb into bed with her. He stretched out on the sofa in the family room and opened his program. Now what? Siobhan had been adamant about not wanting a committed relationship and retreated every time he tried to get close. But he would give her time—he wanted her to fall right with him. Giving her up was not an option.

“Hey. What are you doing in here?”

Justin glanced up. “Hey. I didn't want to wake you.” He set the iPad on the table and pulled her down onto his lap. He nuzzled her neck, inhaled her sweet, citrus fragrance and let the emotions he felt fill his heart.

“You said you wanted to talk when you came back.”

“I did,” he said slowly.

Siobhan angled her head to stare in his eyes. “What is it?”

“I want more than just a fling.” He felt her stiffen and gently caressed her shoulders and arms. “Yes, I told you in the beginning that I wasn't looking for anything serious, and I wasn't. But my heart had other ideas. You are a remarkable woman, Siobhan, and I want only you.”

“I don't know what to say.”

He placed his hand on her heart. “Tell me what's here.”

“I'm afraid of what I feel for you.”

“Don't be, baby. You can trust in me.” Seeing the tortured look on her face, he added, “Nothing's going to change, sweetheart. We'll just keep doing what we've been doing.” He pressed a gentle kiss on her lips and just held her.

After a few minutes, Siobhan pointed to his iPad. “Were you playing a game?”

“No.” Justin reached for the device. “It's a home alert system I'm working on.”

She sat up. “Really? Do you plan to bring it to market on your own?”

“I hope to get the backing of a corporate investor with this one, but if not, I will.” He showed her how the program worked.

“This is fantastic, and much better than anything I've seen. My father would love to talk to you.”

“Your father?”

She left his lap and paced in front of him, wringing her hands.

“Siobhan?”

“Um... I need to tell you something, and I hope you won't be too angry with me.”

He rose to his feet slowly. “What is it?” he asked with concern.

“I should have told you before, but... I wasn't... We weren't...”

He placed his hands on her shoulders. “Baby, just tell me.”

Holding his gaze, she said, “My name is Siobhan
Gray
.”

It took a moment, and then understanding dawned. He dropped his hands and took a step back. “All this time,” he whispered in disbelief. Now he knew why she had looked familiar that first night. When researching the Grays, he'd seen a family picture. But in it, she was younger and her hair much longer, which was why he didn't recognize her.

“Justin, let me explain.” She reclaimed the distance and reached for him.

He lifted his hands. “No. Why did you lie?” Justin was torn between wanting to hear her reasoning and leaving. His younger self would have stormed angrily out the door one second after she finished her sentence, but the older, and hopefully more mature, man in him demanded that he listen. Reining in his temper, he took a seat on the sofa and waited.

“I had already planned to tell you my real last name when you came back because I...I want more, too.”

Her admission deflated some of Justin's fury.

“Every time a man finds out who I am, they see me as an easy way to get into the company.”

“That night at the gala?”

She nodded. “Before you, there had been at least half a dozen men trying to hand me their business cards, promising me dinners and pitching their ideas. I thought you were after the same thing, so I used my mother's maiden name.” Siobhan perched on the edge of the chair. “I was engaged two years ago.”

His eyes widened.
Engaged?

“Turns out he was another one only interested in money. He stole money from my bank account and had plans to get his hands on my company shares as soon as we were married.”

Justin sat, stunned. He didn't know what to say.

“Justin, please know that I never meant to hurt you.”

“I know. You were trying to protect yourself.”

“So—”

“This doesn't change the way I feel, Siobhan. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little upset, but I understand.”

“Thank you. I meant what I said about your alert system. My dad's been looking for something innovative, and I think this is it. I can get you on his calendar, if you want.”

“No, no, that's okay. I can handle it.” She had given him the perfect opportunity to tell her about his upcoming meeting, but he feared she would assume he'd been stringing her along all this time for the same reason as countless other men.

“Are you sure? I can probably get you in much sooner than if you schedule it yourself.”

“I'm positive. I want the product to stand for itself without any special favors. Promise me you'll let me do this on my own.”

Siobhan smiled. “I promise. I can definitely say you aren't after me because of my family.”

Justin stood and pulled her to her feet. “No, I'm not. I fell for you
before
you told me who you were. Always remember that.”

She leaned up and kissed him.

“I'm leaving so you can get a few hours of sleep. You're going to be exhausted.”

She wrapped her arms around him. “You don't have to go.”

“Yes, I do. It's almost four, and if I leave now, you can get about three hours in. I have the luxury of sleeping in, but you don't.”

And he needed some time to figure out a way to tell her that the company had been his target all along.

* * *

Justin should have been tired after being up all night, but he hadn't been able to sleep after leaving Siobhan. And, with his brain racing as if it had a thousand open browsers, he hadn't been able to concentrate on work, either. He went back to the conversation he'd had with Bobby about the Gray family, and a lot of things made sense now. She was the PR director he had mentioned who kept people at a distance. What she had told him regarding her ex and other men in her past, plus the incident with her brother, explained her tough personality.

Another memory surfaced. The weekend they'd returned from Vegas, she had mentioned an emergency. Justin had been worried about her getting reprimanded, but he guessed being the boss, as well as the CEO's daughter, negated that possibility. Against his better judgment, he googled any recent incidents during that time frame and found out that someone was bringing a lawsuit against the company for a faulty product. He clicked on the link to a video press conference and turned up the sound. Bobby had been right; the woman knew how to handle her business. Her statement was simple, clear and gave only the facts, delivering the message in her usual confident way.

He rounded his desk and stretched out on the office sofa. Closing his eyes, Justin willed his mind blank. It worked for approximately five minutes. He let out a frustrated sigh. Why was it that the first time he was falling in love with a woman, things turned out to be so complicated?

Justin had asked Siobhan not to do anything on his behalf, and he sincerely prayed she wouldn't. If she decided to check the schedule or talk to her father's secretary, she would see his name. He didn't even want to imagine how upset she'd be.

“You're up early,” Jocelyn said with a yawn, coming into the office and propping a hip on the arm of the sofa.

“Morning. Did you sleep well?”

“Yep. Judging by the fact that you're fully dressed at seven thirty in the morning, I'd say I'm the only one.”

“Maybe I just decided to get up early.”

She laughed. “First off, you've never been a morning person, and second, you smell like a woman. I recognize that fragrance.”

“And?”

She raised her hands in mock surrender. “Hey, what you do is your business. It's just that there has never been a woman who's kept you up all night. Must mean she's pretty special.”

“She is.”

Jocelyn kissed Justin on the cheek and stood. “I'm happy for you. You want some breakfast before I leave?”

“Nah, but thanks. I'm going for a run in a bit. I'll fix something when I get back. What time are you leaving?”

“Around nine. By then a lot of the commuter traffic should be gone.”

“I might not be back when you leave, so text me when you get to the campus.”

She rolled her eyes. “You are such a big brother.” She smiled and walked out.

No matter how old his sisters were, he would probably never stop worrying about them. Justin lay there awhile longer, then made slow steps to his room to change into his running gear. He really didn't feel like going today, but forced himself to get moving. With any luck, it would clear his mind enough so he could sleep.

After completing his run an hour later, it took great effort to get his weary body to his room and resist collapsing on the bed. He was hot, sweaty and in desperate need of a shower, but his muscles felt as heavy as lead. He managed to stay upright long enough to wash up, then slept for four solid hours.