Trapped With The Tycoon

Braden didn’t care about moving stealthily through the crowd. He felt Mac right behind him as he charged forward. His brother always had his back.

“Remove your hand from Miss Perkins’s arm.” Braden didn’t try to mask the rage in his tone. He waited a beat, but Shane still held tight and kept his back to Braden. “Remove your hand or I won’t need to get my security team. I’ll throw your ass out myself.”

Over his shoulder, Braden heard Mac telling someone, most likely one of their employees, to have security on standby. Braden knew Mac was only looking out for everyone’s best interest, but Braden could only see red right now. Thankfully, Shane had backed Zara into a corner, and the guests were still milling about, oblivious to the action.

Shane threw a glance over his shoulder. “This doesn’t concern you. Zara and I have a little unfinished business. Just a lover’s spat.”

The look on her face told Braden there wasn’t anything unfinished here and this sure as hell wasn’t a lover’s spat—she’d told him as much earlier.

Zara’s wide, dark eyes held his. Even though she had her chin tipped up in defiance, her lips thinned in anger, there was a spark of fear in those eyes, and Braden wouldn’t tolerate Shane one more second.

Braden grabbed on to Shane’s wrist, applying pressure in the exact spot to cause maximum pain. “Take your damn hand off her. Now.”

Shane gave Zara’s arm a shove. “You can’t keep avoiding me,” he told her, rubbing his wrist where Braden had squeezed. “Next time I call, you better answer or I’ll come by your office. I doubt you want that.”

Just as Shane turned, Braden blocked his exit. “If you ever touch her or any woman that way again and I hear of it, you’ll wish for death. Feel me?”

Shane hesitated a second before he laughed, slapping Braden on the shoulder. “You’re Patrick O’Shea’s son, right down to the threats. And here I thought you were too good to get your hands dirty.”

Even though the bastard had touched Braden, he wasn’t about to take the bait Shane dangled in front of him. Flexing his fists, Braden was more than ready to hit Shane, but he knew deep down he wasn’t like his father.

Braden had never ordered anyone to be killed, had always said he wouldn’t. Right now, though, he was reconsidering that promise he’d made to himself.

“There’s a first time for everything,” he promised just as two security men in black suits came to show Shane the door.

They didn’t put their hands on him, as that would’ve caused even more of a scene, but they did flank either side of the nuisance and walk him toward the closest exit. People around him stared for only a moment before going back to their conversations. Nearly everyone knew to mind their business if they wanted to remain in the O’Sheas’ tight circle.

As soon as Shane was gone, Braden went back in with Zara.

“You okay here?” Mac whispered behind him.

With a nod, Braden wrapped his arm around Zara’s waist. “We’re fine. Cover for me.” He silently led her to the small sitting room off the ballroom and closed the door behind him before turning to face Zara. She rubbed her arm, and it took all of Braden’s willpower not to rush back out and follow through on his need to punch Shane.

Braden gently took Zara’s other arm, trying to ignore the brush of his knuckles against the side of her breast, and guided her toward one of the leather club chairs.

Flicking on the light on the accent table by the chair, Braden squatted down in front of her.

“Braden—”

He held up his hand, cutting her off. “Let me see your arm.”

“I’m fine. I really need to get back to work. I’m sorry I caused a scene.”

“Either pull your sleeve up or pull the shoulder down so I can see.”

Zara hesitated a moment, then pulled the material off her shoulder, exposing creamy white skin and a royal blue strap from her bra. She shrugged enough to pull her arm up a bit.

Rage bubbled within Braden at the sight of blue fingerprint-shaped bruises already forming on her flawless skin. “I should’ve knocked him out.”

Slowly, Braden eased the material back over her arm and shoulder. Her eyes held his and her body trembled as she placed her hand over his, halting his movement.

“I’m fine,” she assured him again. “I really need to get back to work. I appreciate what you did, though.”

He hadn’t realized how close he’d gotten until he felt her soft breath on his cheek. He glanced up to her, his eyes darting down to her lips.

“My motives aren’t always so selfless.”

The corner of her mouth quirked. “Whatever your motives are, they were effective.”

He leaned in closer, close enough that barely a breath could pass between their lips. “I’m always effective.”

Two

Effective. Thorough. Protective. So many adjectives could be used to describe Braden O’Shea. Yet he’d come to her defense without question earlier when Shane had snapped.

Zara nestled deeper into her coat as the heat from Braden’s SUV hit her. This dress had been such a good idea when she’d been inside. Now that the snow was near blizzard-like conditions, not so much. She’d had to swap her sexy heels for snow boots, which she’d packed with her once she’d seen the forecast. So now the allure of her favorite LBD was lost thanks to the thick, rubber-soled, sensible shoes.

“When you said you’d have your driver bring me home, I didn’t know you were the driver.” She glanced over, taking in his profile illuminated from the glowing dash lights. In the dark, Braden seemed even more mysterious, more enigmatic.

“After the incident with Shane, I’m not placing your safety in anyone else’s hands.” He gripped the wheel as the tires slid, then gained traction again. “I wouldn’t want you driving in this mess anyway. I heard a couple at the party say the forecasters mentioned feet instead of inches.”

Zara’s breath caught in her throat as Braden carefully maneuvered around a slick corner with skill. The back end fishtailed before he righted the vehicle. They’d only passed two other cars since leaving his historic Beacon Hill mansion.

“I’m so sorry about this,” she told him, once the car was on a straight path and she could focus on breathing normally. “I should’ve left when you suggested it earlier because of the bad weather. Then Shane wouldn’t have been a problem, and you wouldn’t be out in this mess.”

“Shane will be a problem until he meets his match.” Braden flashed her a wicked grin that looked even more ominous due to the minimal lighting. There was also the veiled implication that Braden was the perfect match for Shane. “As for the weather, don’t worry about it. This storm came on faster than I thought, and I have nothing else to do tonight.”

“Hopefully the guests all made it home okay,” she said, voicing her thoughts. The caterers had left around the same time she did, so hopefully they were safe, too. “They left over an hour ago, so maybe it wasn’t too bad then.”

She’d stayed behind to clean up and make sure the place was just as it had been before she’d entered—as she did with every event. All part of the party-planning business. Still, there would be a few people left from the cleaning service. She hoped they all got home okay, as well.

“You live alone?”

Braden’s question sliced through the quiet. As if she could actually forget she was this close to the world’s sexiest man. Then again, she didn’t know every man in the world, but she’d still put Braden O’Shea and his sultry eyes and broad frame against anyone.

“Yes. I actually just moved into my grandmother’s home three months ago. She’d just passed away, and I’m the only relative she had left.”

“Sorry about your loss.” In a move that surprised her, Braden reached across the console and squeezed her hand in a gesture of comfort before easing back. She didn’t take him for the comforting type, but she knew in her heart his words and his touch were sincere.

“My father has been gone six months,” he went on, his tone understanding. “On one hand, it seems like yesterday. On the other, I feel like I’m going to wake up from a nightmare and he’ll be fine. None of us had a clue his heart was so bad.”

Zara swallowed. She knew that nightmare-versus-reality feeling all too well. In the midst of her fantasizing over Braden, she’d not figured in the fact this man was still vulnerable, still suffering from a loss just as big as her own. Great, she’d not only been unprofessional tonight, she’d also been heartless.

“It’s rough.” For the first time since her grandmother’s passing, Zara felt comfortable opening up to someone. Shane certainly hadn’t been consoling in the few times they’d dated...another red flag where he’d been concerned. “Living in her home feels strange. I remember sleeping over there when I was little, but now it just seems so much larger, so empty.”

Zara had never been afraid to live alone, but in a house this size, she was a little creeped out at night—the old ghost rumors didn’t help, either. Perhaps once she rid the house of some of the antiques and actually unpacked her own things, that would help the place feel more like home. But she wasn’t to that point yet. Removing her grandmother’s favorite things just didn’t seem right yet. And unpacking... Definitely not something Zara was comfortable with. A shrink would have a blast digging inside her mind over the reasons Zara had a fear of commitment even when it came to a house.

Red-and-blue flashing lights lit up behind them. Braden threw a glance in the mirror, his jaw clenched as he maneuvered cautiously to the side of the road.

Zara tensed, gripping her coat even tighter. What was wrong? They certainly hadn’t been speeding. The rumors about the O’Sheas having illegal operations going flooded her mind. She didn’t know whether the myth was true or false and it wasn’t her place to judge, but she couldn’t help but wonder. All she knew was they were powerful and they were paying her well. Oh, and Braden was the sexiest man she’d ever laid eyes, or hands, on.

Braden glanced at her. “Don’t say anything.”

Stunned, Zara nodded. What would she say?

Braden put his window down as the officer approached. “Evening, Officer.”

The trooper leaned down and looked into the car. “The roads are at a level two now, and they’re getting ready to up that to a three. Are you folks out because of an emergency?”

“No, sir. I’m giving my employee a ride home because I didn’t think it was safe for her to be out alone.”

The officer’s eyes scanned over Zara, and she offered a slight smile.

“How far away is her house?”

“Just right up the street,” Braden said, pointing. Zara had given him directions before they’d started out, and they were actually only a few houses away from hers.

“I suggest you plan on staying put once you drop her off. Any drivers caught out once the level three goes into effect will be ticketed,” the officer stated. “I’ll follow you to make sure you get there all right.”

The full impact of the trooper’s words hit Zara fast. Braden had to stay put? As in...stay the night? At her house? A ball of nerves quickly formed in her stomach. Her boss was spending the night? Her boss, whom she found utterly sexy and nearly irresistible, and there was already crackling sexual tension charging between them? Sure, this would be no problem at all.

“Thank you, Officer,” Braden replied “We appreciate that.”

Braden rolled his window up as the officer went back to his car. Silence filled the vehicle, and the weight of what was about to happen settled between them.

Zara risked a glance at Braden, but he didn’t seem affected one bit. He kept his eyes forward, occasionally checking his mirrors as he pulled right into her drive. The cop gave a honk as he passed on by. Braden maneuvered the SUV around the slight curve that led to the detached garage around back.

Once he parked and killed the engine, Zara couldn’t take the tension another second. She unfastened and turned to face him.

“I’m so sorry,” she started. “Had I known you’d have to stay, I wouldn’t have let you bring me home.”

Braden threw her a lopsided smile. “No reason to be sorry. I don’t mind spending the night with a beautiful woman.”

* * *

Braden was well aware of his power. Hell, everyone who’d ever heard the name O’Shea knew the authority this family possessed. They even had a few of the local cops and federal agents in their back pockets...which had kept them out of the proverbial hot water more than once.

But even Braden couldn’t have planned the timing of this snowstorm better, or the condition of the roads. Under different circumstances, he probably would’ve chanced driving back home regardless of the officer’s warning. Wouldn’t be the first time he’d gone against the law. But why would he want to leave? A forced stay at Zara’s home was the green light he’d been waiting for, and it had come so much sooner than he’d ever intended. No way in hell was he leaving now. Not when this sexual chemistry between them had skyrocketed since he’d held her in his arms.

As he pulled his vehicle up to the garage, the streetlights went out. He cursed under his breath as the entire street was plunged into black. “Looks like the power went.”

“Great,” Zara muttered. “I don’t have a generator. But I do have some heat that isn’t electric. I’ve only used those gas logs once in my bedroom, and I’ve never tried to light the ones in the living room. Guess I’ll have to figure it out in the dark.”

Braden didn’t know what got his blood pumping more: the fact he’d be able to fulfill his father’s dying request and search this house, or the fact he’d be all alone in the dark with his sexy new employee.

He pulled to a stop by her back door. “Stay there. I’ll come around to help you in.”

He didn’t wait for her to agree as he hopped out into the freezing temps to round the hood, using his phone to light a path. Even though he was still wearing his suit from the party, he’d thought ahead and changed from his dress shoes to his boots.

Jerking on the frozen handle, Braden opened the passenger door and took Zara’s gloved hand as he settled his arm around her waist. The second she slid down from her seat, her body fell flush against his—well, as flush as it could be with the layers between them. Zara tipped her face up to his. Snow drifted onto her long, dark lashes, framing those rich chocolate eyes. Her unpainted mouth practically begged for affection as flakes melted against pale pink skin.

Damn it. That punch of lust to the gut was going to get him in trouble if he wasn’t careful. He had a goal, and Zara was merely a stepping-stone. Harsh as that sounded, he had to remain fixed on the objective his late father had been adamant about—finding the family’s lost heirlooms. Braden was near positive they were hidden somewhere inside Zara’s house...a house that used to be in his family up until they lost everything in the Great Depression.

“You know, I can walk,” she laughed, holding up her heels. “I swapped shoes, so I’m good.”

“Maybe I’m holding on to you so I don’t go down,” he retorted as he closed the door behind her and locked his vehicle. “I’ll hold the light so you can get your keys out.”

He kept an arm around her as they made fresh tracks to her back door. The snow was already well past their ankles, and the fat flakes continued to fall.

Zara pulled a set of keys from her coat pocket and gestured him into the house ahead of her. Once inside, she turned to the keypad and attempted to reset the alarm. With a shrug, Zara said, “Habit to come in and enter my code. Guess that’s out, too.”

Braden ran his light over the room, noticing how spacious the kitchen was and the wide, arched doorway leading into the living area. More light would be nice, now that he was actually inside. Somewhere his father was laughing at the irony of Braden finally getting in...and not being able to see a damn thing. But a power outage wasn’t going to stop him from making use of this opportunity.

“Do you have flashlights and candles?” he asked, bringing his light back around but careful to keep it from shining in her eyes.

“I know where my candles are, but I’m not sure about the flashlights. I’ve only been here a few months. I haven’t actually unpacked everything, yet.” Zara removed her coat and hung it by the back door. “Let me hang your coat up since you’re staying.”

Braden removed his coat and started to hand it over when Zara reached out, her hand connecting with his cheek. “Oh, sorry. I didn’t mean to punch you.”

Braden welcomed the impact, as her fist caused no damage but reminded him that he needed to focus. “I’m fine,” he stated as he maneuvered out of his coat while holding his light. “It’s hard to see, so I’d say we’ll be bumping into each other.”

Not that he was complaining about the prospect of randomly brushing against her. Braden actually welcomed the friction. So long as he kept his goal in the forefront of his mind, bumping into Zara was definitely not a hardship.

“I know I have a candle in here and one on the coffee table in the living room. The matches are in the drawer beside the sink.” She placed his coat on a hook beside hers. “I should try to figure out these gas logs in the living room first with the light of your phone.”

She eased past him, her feet shuffling along the floor. Braden held his light over to where she was heading. Pulling open a drawer, Zara grabbed a box of matches before coming back to him.

She started forward but stopped. “You better stay close so you don’t bump anything. I have several boxes in each room that are left from the move.”

Stay close? No problem at all. Braden slid his hand around the dip in her waist and gave her a light squeeze as he leaned down to whisper in her ear. “How’s this?”

Beneath his touch, her body trembled. Just the reaction he’d wanted...except now he was on the verge of trembling, too, because damn, she smelled so amazingly good and her silky hair tickled his lips. Wait, wasn’t he the one who was supposed to be seducing? She wasn’t even trying, and she nearly had him begging.

“Well, maybe not that close,” she murmured as she attempted to put distance between them.

He moved with her, keeping their contact light so as not to freak her out right off the bat. Let her get used to his touch, his nearness. He planned on getting a whole lot closer.

“You realize this isn’t a good idea?” she asked.

“Lighting the logs is the best idea. It’s going to get colder in here if the electricity doesn’t come back on.”

Her soft laugh filled the darkness. “You know what I mean. I work for you.”

“I’m aware of your position.” With his hand on her waist, Braden held his phone toward the living room. “I know we need to get heat in here, and if it’s not with the logs, then we’ll have to use a more...primal method.”

Zara slowly started forward. “Acting on any desire because of the circumstances is a bad, bad idea for both of us.”

“I’ve forgotten nothing, Zara.” He allowed his body to move with hers, making sure to stay close. “Why don’t we work on keeping warm and finding more sources of light? Then we can discuss the circumstances and what’s going on between us.”

Zara threw him a look over her shoulder. “We can settle this right now. I need this job and even if I was attracted to you—”

“Which you are.”

“If I was,” she countered in a louder tone to cut him off. “I wouldn’t risk sleeping with you and damaging our working relationship.”

He could barely make out her face in the darkness, and his light was facing ahead. But the way her body slightly leaned against his, the way she continued to tremble beneath his touch told him that her little speech was as much for her as it was for him. A slight obstacle but nothing he couldn’t handle.

At first he’d been all about searching her home, and he still was, but there was no reason a little seducing couldn’t come into play. He was an expert multitasker, and having Zara plus finding his family’s heirlooms would be the icing on the proverbial cake.

After a fun romp and hopefully discovering his family’s scrolls, Braden would be on his way, and she’d never even have to know his true intentions. Nobody would get hurt, and everything about this situation was legal. See? He did have a moral side, after all.

She could deny wanting him, but he was a master at lying and recognized that trait in others. So, let her think what she wanted...he knew the truth, and he’d completely use her attraction to his advantage.

“Fair enough,” he told her. “I’ll not mention it again.”

That didn’t mean he wouldn’t touch her or seduce her with his actions. The darkness provided the perfect setting for seduction, but it could make it a bit harder to snoop. Granted, the darkness could also provide him the cover he needed to look without being seen.

So, as far as he understood, the nine scrolls, which had been in his family since his ancestor transcribed them from Shakespeare himself, were last known to be in this house. The history ran deep with his Irish family, and the precious scrolls were lost in the chaos of the fall of the O’Sheas during the 1930s. The trunk that had been recovered from this home after the Depression had shown up empty, so it only made sense the scrolls were here...somewhere.

Decades had passed, and Braden’s family had attempted to purchase the property, but Zara’s family had owned it since the O’Sheas lost it and they were adamant about not being bought.

Several attempts were made by Braden’s father to purchase the place, but the efforts were always blocked. Eventually Patrick opted to go about things the illegal way. Ryker had even broken in a couple of times when Zara’s grandmother had been alive. The old lady had been sharp, and Ryker had been forced to dodge the cops, but they were still left empty-handed. Patrick O’Shea had even mentioned waiting until the elderly lady passed and trying again to purchase the property, but Patrick had passed before Zara’s grandmother.

So, Braden would get the job done himself. Failure was not an option, and buying the place wasn’t necessary at this point.

Would the scrolls be somewhere obvious? Doubtful, or someone would’ve found them by now, and if those scrolls had been found, they would’ve made headlines around the world. His ancestor, a monk, had transcribed original works, supposedly plays that never came to be.

Zara sank to her knees in front of the fireplace. “Shine that light a little closer.”

He did as requested, waiting while she fidgeted with getting the pilot light going.

“Need help?” he offered.

“Damn it.” She sat back on her heels and shook her head. “This one isn’t working. It was always causing Gram issues, but I’d assumed it was fixed. I know the unit in my bedroom works fine because I’ve used it.”

Braden shouldn’t delight in the fact her bedroom had gas heat and nowhere else in the house seemed to, but he was a guy, and, well, he couldn’t help himself.

“Then maybe we should find those flashlights and more candles and head upstairs.”

Zara threw him a look over her shoulder as she came to her feet and turned to fully face him. “Get that gleam out of your eye. I’m on to you.”

Not yet she wasn’t.

“What gleam?” he asked. “It’s dark, so how can you see anything?”

“Oh, I can see enough and this can’t get any more awkward than it already is.”

“I’m not feeling awkward at all.” He focused back on her eyes and offered a smile. “Are you?”

“Damn it, you know I am. Even if this—” she gestured between them “—wasn’t making me nervous, you’re my first overnight guest in this house.”

Surprised, Braden shifted. “You mean Shane—damn. None of my business.”

Zara crossed her arms over her chest. “After rescuing me tonight, I’d say this is your business. Shane never stayed here. We were dating when my grandmother passed, but he wasn’t there for me much during that time. That’s when I started reevaluating our relationship.”