The Billionaire's Disgraced Virgin (Billionaire Knights Book 2) (7 page)

N
ever before had
his senses been under such strenuous attack, Mike recognized. And never before had he responded so eagerly to a woman’s sensuality as he now did with Chloe. It was as if his body had suddenly developed a mind of its own, neglecting his urgent demand to retreat while he still had a chance of salvaging his sanity and self-control. But that was before he’d touched his lips to hers, before he’d had a taste of the sweet, intoxicating aroma that was uniquely hers, and before something had snapped inside his chest and he’d been thrust headlong into a whirlpool of urgent need and obliterating arousal. It licked at his self-control and broke through the dam he’d erected after his father’s death. After he’d told himself that to be with a woman was an exercise in self-control lest he watch his life be destroyed like his father’s life had.

Gone were all those sacred oaths he’d sworn, swept away in the raging torrent of sensuous need that crashed through him, destroying everything in its path. He pushed her down onto the bed and drank deeply and with abandon from her lips, his fingers seeking and finding her swollen nipples as he tormented them between thumb and forefinger. And even as his knee parted her thighs, a warning bell sounded in his head, finally penetrating the erotic blanket that was covering him. And then, fighting to regain his self-control, he dragged his lips from hers, and as they both stared at one another, panting and faces flushed, lips bruised and swollen, he shook his head like a prizefighter after receiving a knock-out punch, and reluctantly released her, rolling onto his back.

What the hell was he doing? She was in love with Lewis Dixon! Colluding with the guy against him and his company! She’d probably exchanged his face for Dixon’s, her mind supplying the images her body needed to get off!

With a disgusted groan, he rose from the bed and strode to the door. Turning back, he regarded her sternly. “I can assure you this won’t happen again,” he growled viciously, and then walked out and slammed the door shut behind him.

Sobs racked Chloe’s chest. She didn’t know what had come over her. It was as if all those years of fasting had developed a sexual appetite that had now grown so overpowering the slightest provocation had lit the fuse and caused the devastating conflagration. As if Mike’s kiss had caused the barren nature of her sexuality to suddenly explode into a full-blown forest fire, blazing out of control.

Any man could have caused this, she knew. Any man’s erotic caress.

But then why was she feeling such a powerful urge to run after Mike and beg him not to leave? Why had the touch of his fingers on her naked skin, and his lips on hers, been of such sweet and wondrous satisfaction, as if quenching a thirst she’d never even known existed? She was still breathing erratically, her breasts heavy and aching with need, her heart beating spasmodically. Something momentous had just happened, she recognized. Something portentous and life-changing. “Mike. Oh, Mike,” she whispered, allowing her fingers to touch the lips he’d bruised with his heated kisses, then along her neck to her breasts where his touch had elicited such an explosive response of pure need and pleasure.

Yes, something had changed. The sensuous nature of her being she’d thought had died with Lewis was still alive and had just been swept into full bloom again under Mike’s expert tutelage. And now he was gone, telling her this would never happen again. He was obviously sorry he’d allowed himself to be carried away.

Of course he was! He was her boss—she a mere accountant. She had no business cavorting with him. Perhaps he had a girlfriend—maybe he even was engaged! But if he was, would he have kissed her? Probably not. Of course not!

But he was right. This shouldn’t have happened. Still she was glad that it had. She just hoped he wouldn’t think less of her now, after she’d so wantonly thrown herself at him. And then she realized that even more than before he must never discover her true identity. After what had just happened between them he’d draw the inevitable conclusion that she really was the kind of woman her Men’s Monthly image suggested. That she really was a wanton harlot ready to throw herself at any man willing to give her the pleasure she so brazenly sought.

She didn’t know why, but Mike of all people must remain in the dark about who she really was. Because he was her boss, she told herself, and she couldn’t bear to lose face before him, nor lose the job she’d worked so hard to get.

That only moments before she’d been ready to flee to London and leave Mike’s employ she conveniently ignored for the moment. For what she felt for Mike were simply the natural urges of a body that hadn’t been touched by a man in a very long time. Nothing more, nothing less. He’d made her come alive again, but if not he, any other man would have been able to stir the same urges she had just experienced. But then why was the image of Mike and the memory of his touch branded on her body and soul to the exclusion of all else? For a moment she’d even forgotten the predicament she was in, with Lewis demanding she feed Mike false information. When the memory of her agreement to that vile deal tore into her mind again, the thought of Mike’s kisses was finally swept away and the darkness that hung over her life like a pall reclaimed her for its own, engulfing her with a vengeance. She’d agreed to betray Mike. Oh, dear God, no!

S
he’d been dreading going
down to lunch, not only because Lewis Dixon would be there, watching her, wielding her secret like a weapon, but also because of Mike. She didn’t know how to face him after what had happened between them. She’d willingly given herself to him, allowed him to kiss her in a way she’d never been kissed before, not even by the man she’d once professed to love, the very man she now despised.

How could she face Mike when she was about to betray his trust? When she felt this overpowering urge to be in his arms again, the very nearness of him driving her out of her mind with an aching need and the pent-up desire of years of celibacy? She was being driven to the very edge of sanity by the untenable position she was in. Betraying Mike… working for the benefit of Lewis, whom she abhorred almost as much as she ached for Mike.

How she was going to survive this ordeal she didn’t know.

She gazed around the room she’d been assigned. The leaden windows offered a view of the grounds, stretching to a forest in the distance, a small river or brook separating it from the Knight domain. The bubbling stream was glittering in the late evening sun and she found its aspect soothing, supplying a balm to nerves pummeled raw. The room itself was surprisingly modern, though the refurbishment had kept some of its historic features, like the frescoed ceiling and its delicate moldings and the wide wooden window seats adorned with embroidered cushions. The building itself dated back to the seventeenth century, and had been a part of the Knight family’s estate for just as long.

The bathroom, however, was state of the art, with a spacious circular tub and a wet room. She’d already enjoyed a hot shower, even though no matter how long she stood under the spray the muscles in her shoulders remained knotted, her entire body so tense she felt the ache all over.

She’d briefly touched her lips, where Mike’s kiss had lit a fire in her being, and let her hands slide down to her full breasts, imagining they were Mike’s hands and not her own that were gently massaging the aching peaks his touch had raised. Desire was flooding her, sweeping through her like a raging storm and without warning or recourse her legs suddenly trembled, the powerful explosion of arousal holding her in its grip, sweeping through her lower belly and pooling at the core of her sex. If only Mike were here, his hands deftly stroking heated circles on her flesh, his fingers moving over her—into her…

Stop! Nothing of the kind would ever happen, she knew. Mike had no interest in a lost cause like her—he dated beautiful, gorgeous women, the kind who were strong and empowered and probably ran business empires of their own. Why would he trouble himself with an accountant on the verge of a nervous collapse?

She’d stepped from the shower and gazed into her own haunted eyes, surveying the damage years of emotional turmoil had wreaked. Her once youthful features, so pink-cheeked and carefree in the pictures that were published and now still floating on the Internet for all to see, were gone, replaced by the gaunt, pale creature that now stared back at her.

Her face hardened. She needed to steel herself for the upcoming confrontations, with both Mike and Lewis, or else she would never survive this ordeal. She would simply have to give Lewis what he demanded and then this would all be over. No way could she keep on working for Mike, of course, and the moment the Press Corp deal was announced, she would tender her resignation, and she would never have to face Mike again. Or she could hold onto the job she loved and had worked so hard to acquire…

She glanced down, not able to face herself and the traitor she’d become.

Mike looked up when Chloe entered the dining room. In spite of his protestations Maria had seated him at the head of the table, and he’d been wondering whether Chloe would show up or not. He’d promised her she wouldn’t have to leave her room if she didn’t want to—that she could enjoy her meals in her own private space. But Maria said she hadn’t received any instructions to that end, so it appeared as if Chloe had changed her mind and had decided to join them after all.

Perhaps she’d patched things up with Dixon. A vicious rage slashed through him like a knife, ripping his insides to ribbons.

He’d had Murray go over Chloe’s report with a fine-tooth comb to detect any malfeasance or the deliberate planting of fake or inflated numbers and there had been none. Her report was aboveboard. So much for the theory she was a Press Corp spy, forced to do Holmes’s bidding via her affections for her old boyfriend. That left only one conclusion for her erratic behavior: she’d been so in love with Dixon, and so broken-hearted when he dumped her, that simply being here with him—seeing him on a daily basis—was tearing her apart.

She hadn’t wanted to come because she knew her ex-lover would be here.

His mood had darkened considerably when he’d finally reached that conclusion. Why he would feel such a strong resentment toward Dixon and the idea of the two of them together he didn’t know. Or perhaps he did. It would mess with her capacity to turn the sales figures Holmes bandied about with such obvious relish into actionable information Mike could base his decisions on. Make damn sure the sly old fox wasn’t pulling the wool over his eyes.

She couldn’t do that when she spent her time mooning over Lewis Dixon!

It also irked him she’d kissed him while she was still so obviously hung up on Dixon, and it made him judge her quite harshly. Obviously she was trying to get over Dixon by throwing herself at the first available male! And he didn’t feel like being her rebound lover in any way, shape or form!

She walked into the room dressed in a cream-colored dress which was almost as if she’d been poured into it, clinging to her curvaceous figure like a second skin. The only difference with the black dress he’d seen her try on was that the neckline on this one was cut high, displaying no skin and making it a more modest companion piece to the other one. He could sense all eyes turning to her as she entered and a violent ripple of jealousy momentarily held him in its grip. He fought it down. Emotions had no place in business, and she was his employee, nothing more, nothing less. But then why was he suddenly filled with such smoldering desire when her eyes briefly swept up to meet his, before being demurely concealed again by fanning lashes as she took a seat next to him? Was it possessiveness that had compelled him to assign that seat to her? Of course not. He just wanted to keep a close eye on her, that was all. Make sure she didn’t fall apart again like before. It would make a bad impression on Holmes.

Chloe saw that Eileen Holmes was seated on Mike’s other side, and the way she kept touching Mike’s arm when she addressed him over lunch sent a sliver of an emotion settling in her heart she’d never hitherto experienced. She justly identified it as jealousy, though surely that couldn’t be? She had no interest in Mike. He was merely her employer, nothing more, and if this woman wanted to lay claim to him, she was most certainly welcome. Or at least that’s what she told herself. She couldn’t resist throwing anxious glances at Eileen, though.

The media tycoon’s daughter was dressed in a purple sheath dress that left the upper slopes of her bust bare, her skin festooned with an outrageously expensive gold necklace that sparkled against her honey-toned skin. She was a gorgeous young woman, Chloe acknowledged, but that was of no relevance to her, when all she wanted was to get through this ordeal without suffering another breakdown. She just hoped that the other members of the delegation hadn’t noticed her inner turmoil, for it would weaken Mike’s position in these negotiations. For even though she was on the verge of betraying him and feeding him false information, she still felt fiercely partisan, an aspect of the schizophrenic stance she’d been forced to take that was tearing her up inside.

Soon the first course was served, and she had to admit it smelled delicious. A pity she’d lost her appetite along with her equanimity the moment she’d accepted this assignment, and she only took a scant bite of the spinach manicotti.

“Not hungry, Miss Ross?” Mike asked, casting her a censorious glance.

She shook her head. “Not really,” she acknowledged softly.

He frowned. This nonsense had gone far enough. He could understand that having your heart broken by a callous lover was painful to a degree, but he needed her mentally and physically acute, not wasting away from lovesickness.

“You must eat,” he instructed tersely. “These negotiations will demand your full acumen. You can’t muddle your way through on an empty stomach.”

She nodded, but kept pushing her food around her plate.

“Don’t tell me you’re one of those women who starve themselves?” he asked gruffly. “So they can look good for their lover?” And he knew exactly whom she wanted to impress. Did it hurt him that he wasn’t that lover? Of course not! He was merely looking out for her well-being and his own self-interest, that was all.

Her lips tightened and she eyed him with disdain. “My eating habits are none of your concern, Mr. Knight,” she snapped.

“Oh, but they most certainly are. You’re in my employ and a great deal depends on your ability to perform to the very best of your ability, so either you’re going to finish that excellent hors d’oeuvre or I’ll—”

“Force-feed me?” she asked tartly.

“Ask the cook to prepare you something that you do like,” he corrected curtly. “I’m not in the habit of force-feeding my people, Miss Ross.”

She shrugged and a strap of her dress slipped and revealed the soft curve of her shoulder. A flash of arousal ripped through him, catching him off guard.

“Well, I definitely love this food, Mike,” Eileen’s voice interrupted them.

“That’s most satisfactory,” he responded, reluctantly dragging his gaze from Chloe’s bare flesh.

Chloe watched the conversation that ensued between Mike and Eileen Holmes with a sinking heart. For some reason she found that she suddenly disliked the other woman intensely. Probably because she was the daughter of the man who’d monetized her own despair, she thought. Which was totally unfair, of course. It wasn’t Eileen’s fault that her father coined quite a packet from degrading women.

She had to suppress a slight gasp when Lewis entered the room and took a seat next to Holmes. His eyes briefly bored into hers, sending her a very clear message: not a word to Mike about our deal, or else. She cast down her gaze, misery pooling in her gut like bile, and if she hadn’t been hungry before, she lost all appetite now, the nervous tension like a vicious fist squeezing her stomach.

Mike watched Chloe from the corner of his eye. He’d seen the look Dixon had given her, and the way she’d dropped her fork and had slumped in her seat the moment she caught sight of him. A muscle started twitching in his jaw. It was obvious the mere sight of Dixon was upsetting her greatly and robbing her of her appetite. This nonsense would end now!

“I see you and Dixon have patched things up?” he asked, his voice deliberately smooth and noncommittal. “Lovers once again?”