Not Strictly Business!: Prodigal Son / The Boss and Miss Baxter / The Baby Deal

She heard the lock turn just before he bent down and kissed her.

She instinctively leaned into him, wanting to feel his mouth on hers. When his lips brushed against her mouth, she wrapped her arms around his neck to hold him in place.

They surged together, need growing until her mind overflowed with images of them together, naked, craving. Even as she tilted her head and parted her lips, she dropped her purse on the floor and stepped out of her shoes.

He took advantage of her invitation with a quickness that heated her blood. He nipped at her lower lip, then swept his tongue into her mouth where he claimed her with an eagerness that made her thighs tremble.

His hands were everywhere. Her shoulders, her bare arms, her back. She touched him, as well, stroking the breadth of his shoulders, before starting to tug on his jacket.

He quickly shrugged out of it, letting it fall, then he pulled off his tie. He broke the kiss, then turned her so her back was to him.

“Cuffs,” he murmured as he pushed her hair over her right shoulder, then held out his hands in front of her.

But removing the gold-and-diamond cuff links was more difficult than it should have been. Even as she reached for the fastening, he nibbled on her bare shoulder, then licked the same spot.

Goose bumps erupted on her arms. Her nipples got hard and she felt the first telltale wetness on her panties.

At last she managed to free the cuff links. She started to turn, but he stayed behind her, put his hands on her hips and drew her back against him.

He was already hard. She felt the thickness of his need as he rubbed back and forth. Wanting filled her, turning her body liquid. He moved his hands up her body until he cupped her breasts.

Her curves were modest at best, but exquisitely sensitive. Even through the fabric, she felt his thumbs brush over her nipples in a way designed to make her his slave.

“I’ve wanted to do this all evening,” he breathed before biting down on her earlobe. “That damn dress. You were driving me crazy. I couldn’t decide which would be more erotic—coming up behind you and touching you like this or just saying, ‘The hell with it,’ and shoving my hand down the front of your dress.”

Either would have taken her breath away.

“I want you naked,” he murmured as he kissed her neck. “I want to touch you all over until we’re both exhausted and then I want to do it all again.”

He’d talked to her before, she remembered, her brain turning mushy from too many hormones and too little sex. She hadn’t been with a lot of men, but except for Jack, they’d all been silent.

She loved his words. They not only turned her on, but they left no doubt that she did the same to him.

She turned in his arms and pressed her mouth to his. He kissed her with an intensity that shook her to the core. When she felt his fingers on her zipper, she trembled in anticipation of being naked with him.

Her dress fell in a whisper of silk. Underneath she wore tiny panties and nothing else. He continued to kiss her even as he brought his hands around to cup her breasts.

While she’d always wanted to be voluptuous, she had a theory that her small breasts had the same number of nerve endings as big ones, so hers were more sensitive. Apparently Jack remembered, because he touched her gently as he stroked her hot skin.

Fiery sensation shot through her, making it hard to keep breathing. Every part of her being focused on his touch as he moved closer and closer to her nipples. At last he touched them, first with just his fingertips. He lightly rubbed the very tips before squeezing them oh so gently.

She gasped with pleasure. He groaned, then broke the kiss and pushed her back. Seconds later three books, her mail and a plastic container of fake flowers crashed to the floor. Before she could figure out what he was doing, he lifted her onto the top of the wood console in her foyer, bent his head and sucked on one of her nipples.

Suddenly the mess didn’t matter at all. She closed her eyes and arched her chest toward him. Her fingers tangled in his hair.

“More,” she breathed as he circled her tight, quivery flesh. “Don’t stop.”

He didn’t. He sucked and licked and circled and then moved to her other breast. He replaced tongue with fingers, arousing her with everything he did.

He put one of his hands on her thigh and moved it steadily toward her center. She parted her legs, then cursed the panties still in place as he rubbed her through the silk.

“Off,” she begged, shifting on the console. “I need them off.”

He grabbed them and pulled them down. When she was fully naked, he reached for her and slid his fingers into her swollen, waiting heat.

Heaven, she thought, barely able to breathe. Heaven and then some. He explored her, quickly finding her favorite spot, then teasing it. He shifted so that his thumb rubbed there and his first two fingers could slip inside of her.

Passion grew as her body tensed. She clung to him, barely able to absorb all the sensations. It was too fast, too soon. And yet …

“Jack,” she breathed as she felt herself spinning higher and higher.

His only response was to suck harder on her breasts. The combination of pleasures was too much, she thought as she felt the first shuddering release of her climax. It overtook her body, leaving her unable to do anything but hold on for the ride.

She felt herself tighten around his fingers. He moved in and out, imitating the act of love. Toward the end, he raised his head and kissed her on the mouth. She kissed him back, then sighed as her contractions slowed.

She opened her eyes and smiled at him. “Wow,” she breathed, both pleased and a little embarrassed at the speed of her response.

He grinned and then picked her up in his arms. She shrieked and wrapped her arms around his neck.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“Taking a naked woman to bed. What does it look like?”

“A plan I can get into,” she said, then lightly bit his earlobe. “Once we’re there, you can get into me.”

“I will,” he promised. “In a second.”

“What do you … Oh!”

He dropped her onto the bed, then quickly stripped out of his clothes. She gave herself over to the show, remembering how good he’d looked before.

Time had been kind. He still had a hard, sculpted body and his arousal was very impressive. She reached for him as he joined her on the bed, but he shook his head.

“Protection?” he asked.

She pointed at the nightstand and held back the need to explain that they were, in fact, very new. She’d bought them the day after he’d kissed her. More than a little wishful thinking on her part.

He pulled out the box of condoms and removed one. But instead of putting it on, he slipped between her legs and knelt over her.

“I want you,” he said.

She saw the desire in his eyes and felt her body quicken with an answering need.

“Me, too. Despite my recent thrill ride.”

“Good.”

He bent down and kissed her belly. As he moved south, she knew what he was going to do. Politeness dictated that she at least offer him his own release before taking another of her own, but as she tried to speak, she remembered what it had been like that one night they’d spent together. How he’d kissed her so intimately, with an understanding of her body that had taken her to paradise so quickly.

“Just for a couple of minutes,” she told him as he pressed his mouth against her. “Three at most.”

He chuckled. She felt the movement and the puff of warm air. Then his tongue swept against her with the exact amount of pressure. He circled her most sensitive spot once, twice, before brushing it with the flat part of his tongue.

She was lost. Rude or not, she couldn’t stand the thought of stopping him. Not when he made her feel so good. She pulled her knees up and spread her legs apart, then she dug her heels into the bed.

He moved faster, pressing a tiny bit harder. It was the most intimate act she knew and she’d trusted no one but him to do this to her. She might have trusted Vance, but he’d claimed it was disgusting, although he’d been plenty willing for her to do it to him.

Without warning, her body shuddered into orgasm. She lost control in a way she never had before. He kissed and licked and moved his fingers back and forth as she screamed her release into the night.

She lost track of time and reality. There was only the waves and waves of pleasure filling her. At last her body slowed. She felt him pull back. She reached toward him, not wanting to lose the connection, but then he was there, between her legs, pushing, filling her.

She opened her eyes as he slowly thrust himself inside of her. He was much bigger than his fingers and she felt herself stretching. The delicious pressure made her shudder again and again. She came with each thrust, milking him.

He braced himself on the bed and made love to her. Their eyes locked and she watched him get closer and closer. She wrapped her legs around his hips, holding him inside, feeling him climax and contracting around him as he did.

Chapter Nine

Jack opened the drapes and returned to the bed to watch the growing light creep across the room. He gently shifted the lock of hair curling across Samantha’s cheek so that he could see the pale skin and the curve of her mouth.

She was beautiful, which wasn’t news, but still struck him this morning. She lay across rumpled sheets, with the blanket tangled in her legs. Her bare arm stretched toward him and he could see her naked right breast.

Just looking at the tight nipple sent blood surging to his groin. He wanted her again, but after last night, he didn’t think he should indulge himself. Three times was impressive, four was greedy. Besides, he didn’t want to make her sore.

He touched her curls again, rubbing his fingers against the soft texture of her hair. He didn’t even have to close his eyes to remember what it had been like the second time, when she’d straddled him, claiming him, moving faster and faster as her body gave itself over to pleasure.

He’d watched her as she’d arched her back, her breasts thrusting toward him, her hair spilling down, swaying with each thrust of her hips.

They were good together, at least in bed. But would she see that? Or would she revert to type—second-guessing what had happened and telling them both that this was all a mistake?

She stirred slightly, then rolled onto her back and opened her eyes. The sheet pooled around her waist, leaving her breasts bare and even after she’d seen him, she didn’t try to cover herself.

“Good morning,” she whispered. “Did you sleep?”

He nodded.

Her mouth curved into a smile. “You’re looking so serious. What’s wrong?”

“I’m fine.”

She rolled toward him and touched his bare chest. “Then what?” she asked, her smile fading. “Are you sorry about last night?”

“That’s your line.”

“Oh.”

He saw the hurt flash in her eyes and groaned. “Samantha, no. I didn’t mean it like that.”

She sat up and pulled the sheet so she was covered to her shoulders. Her messy hair tumbled across her bare shoulders and her mouth twisted.

“You did mean it like that and you have every right to expect me to bolt,” she said firmly. “Based on how I’ve been acting, what else could you think? I’m sorry I was a total change-o girl.”

He stared at her. “A what?”

“You know what I mean. I’ve been the queen of sending mixed messages. I hated that I was doing it and I didn’t know how to stop. I’ve since given myself a stern talking to. I’m working on being in the moment and letting the future take care of itself. You’ve been nothing but terrific since I moved to Chicago. You’re a great guy and I have no regrets about last night.” She shook her head. “I take that back. I have one regret. That it took me so long to get you into bed.”

He’d braced himself to hear a lot of things, but that wasn’t one of them. “You’re not sorry.”

“Nope. Are you?”

He grinned. “Are you kidding? Last night was incredible.”

“I do have a special talent,” she said modestly, then smiled. “Okay, what happens now? What are your usual rules of play.”

“You assume I have rules.”

“All guys do. Tell me what they are and I’ll tell you if I agree.”

Dangerous territory, he thought. Although maybe not. Samantha was coming off a rough divorce. He doubted she was looking for anything serious any more than he was.

“Serial monogamy,” he said. “We stay together as long as it’s good. No forever, no hurt feelings when it’s over.”

She batted her eyes. “So you’d be, like, my boyfriend.”

He chuckled. “If that’s what you want to call it.”

“Would we get matching tattoos?”

“Never.”

“Would we make love?”

“Almost constantly.”

She flopped back on the bed. “What makes you think I want you?”

“Last night you were screaming.”

Her cheeks darkened with color. “I don’t remember that.”

“Trust me. You screamed.”

Her humor faded. “You’ve been really patient with me, Jack. I’ve been so scared about messing up and being taken. I thought it was best to just avoid any kind of relationship. But that’s no way to live. Complicating the situation was my reaction to you.”

He took her hand in his and rubbed her fingers with his thumb. “What reaction?”

“You know, mine.”

“You have to be a little more specific.”

She sighed. “Look at the situation logically. If I didn’t want to get involved, why didn’t I just stay away from you? Why did I keep coming back for more?” She shrugged. “You’ve always been something of a temptation.”

He liked the sound of that. “Since when?”

“Since before. When we were in grad school.”

What? “You blew me off. You said it was a mistake.”

“I was scared.”

“Not of me. What did I ever do wrong?”

“Nothing. That’s my point. My fears were about me. But even they weren’t enough to keep me away. I was so torn. You were a lot like my father in that whole rich, powerful way and I didn’t know how to handle it.”

Which meant he was also like her ex-husband. How did he convince her that he wasn’t the enemy? That he wasn’t interested in hurting her?

“I never forgot that night we shared,” she said, not quite meeting his gaze. “After a while I convinced myself that I’d made it better than it was in my mind. That no one was that good. After last night, I know I was wrong.”

He wanted to tell her that their incredible time in bed together had a whole lot more to do with chemistry than with him, but it was kind of nice having her think he was special.

“At least half of last night was about you,” he said. “You’re very responsive.”

“Not all the time. Pretty much only here. So is this okay? Is this what you want?”

He nodded. “I’ll be your boyfriend.”

She laughed. “That sounds nice. I could use a little normal in my life right now.”

“Normal?” He moved in close and pressed his lips against her ear. “Not normal. I have some very kinky fantasies in mind.”

“Really? Like what?”

Samantha finished her speech to nods and smiles. She collected her materials and returned to her seat at the side of the room.

This had been her first ever presentation to a board of directors and it had been pretty high up on the nightmare scale.

“Sort of like facing down seven stern principals in school?” David asked in a low voice.

“Worse,” she whispered. “Do they all have to look so disapproving?”

“It comes with being on the board. They’re supposed to take things very seriously.”

“Obviously. I’m just glad I wasn’t trying to do stand-up.”

She reached for her cup of coffee and swallowed the tepid liquid. When this was all over, she owed Jack a big apology. He’d insisted everyone practice their presentations several times before the board meeting. They had all endured long evenings, perfecting their pitches.

At the time, she’d thought his anal obsession was foolish. Wouldn’t spontaneity be more interesting? But having just endured the stern expressions and pointed questions, she realized the importance of being prepared.

“I’m up next,” David said as he was called.

Samantha leaned back in her chair and did her best to relax. She’d heard all the talks so many times, she knew what to expect and could tune out the words. So she found herself with a little time on her hands.

She used it to good advantage, turning her head so she caught sight of Jack sitting at the end of the long conference table.

He looked good—all buttoned up and formal in his black suit. If she didn’t know him, he could have seriously intimidated her. But she did know him—every inch of him. And there were some mighty fine inches.

She watched the way he listened intently—as if he hadn’t heard every sentence at least a dozen times—and took notes.

He was a great guy, she thought happily. Smart, caring, funny. The man owned a dog. How was she supposed to resist that? If she hadn’t known about—

Samantha stiffened in her seat as a single thought flashed through her brain, on and off, over and over again. She wasn’t able to think about anything else, and as she considered the truth of the statement, she wondered what on earth she was supposed to do about it.

Jack wasn’t just some guy she’d hooked up with. He wasn’t just an old friend or a new boss or a terrific lover. He was all that and much more.

He was the one who got away.

The board meeting was endless and three kinds of torture, Jack thought when the presentations finally finished. The board excused everyone but Helen and him. He thanked his team as they left and braced himself for the inevitable confrontation. He’d put it off as long as he could, but there was no going back now.

Baynes, the chairman, waited until the door closed before looking at Jack. “You’ve pulled the team together. I’m impressed.”

Jack nodded, but didn’t speak.

“Obviously our goal is to keep Hanson Media Group alive. Between the bad stories in the press and troubles internally, that’s a challenge. You’re well on your way here. The new programs are very exciting. But we need to do more. We need to provide stability over the long haul.”

Several of the board members nodded in agreement. Helen shook her head.

“We don’t have to do anything right now,” she said. “I know where you’re going and it’s too soon. If we simply announce Jack as the new president, it will be seen as a knee-jerk reaction. Let’s think this through.”

Samantha might sing her friend’s praises, but obviously Helen, like the board, was ready to sell him out if that’s what was best for Hanson Media Group.

“Helen, it’s necessary. Do you want to see George’s legacy bankrupt, or worse, lost in some mega-conglomerate takeover?” Baynes shrugged. “I don’t. The only way to keep Hanson Media Group going is to announce a permanent president. Jack, I know you’re anxious to get back to your law practice, but we all have to make sacrifices. It’s time for you to make one. I’m asking you to accept the job.”

Jack looked at the older man. “What sacrifices are being made aside from mine?” he asked calmly.

“You know what I mean,” Baynes told him.

“Actually, I don’t. I’m not interested in running Hanson Media Group any longer than the three months I’ve already agreed to.”

Several of the board members started speaking at once.

“This is a family company. Always has been. You owe it to your father.”

Not an argument designed to get his vote, Jack thought grimly.

“Think of the stockholders. What about them?”

“You’re the best man for the job. The only man.”

Baynes quieted them. “Jack, your family owns the largest percentage of stock, but we still have an obligation to the financial community.”

“I find it hard to believe you can’t come up with a single qualified person to take over this company,” Jack said. “Have you even been looking?”

“You’re the one we want.”

“Has it occurred to any of you that forcing Jack to stay when he doesn’t want to is incredibly foolish?” Helen asked. “Someone unhappy in the position isn’t to anyone’s advantage. Now if he wanted to be here …”

“I don’t,” Jack said flatly.

Baynes narrowed his gaze. “I would think you, Helen, of all people would want a family member in charge of the company.”

She leaned forward. “I agree that Jack is very qualified and I trust him implicitly. But I see no advantage in guilting him into staying on. It’s a short-term solution and I don’t want that. We’re doing fine for the moment. Let’s not make a change before we have to. Leave Jack alone to do his job. In the meantime, we can be looking for a suitable replacement. If there isn’t one, then Jack gets my vote.”

“I don’t like it,” Baynes said.

“Just so we’re all clear,” Helen continued, “until George’s will is read, I control his voting stock, which means I get the final say.” She looked at Jack. “I still believe you owe your father but I’m reluctant to put his legacy in the hands of someone who doesn’t respect his vision.”

Not respecting his father’s vision was the least of it, Jack thought. But before he could protest, Baynes cut in.

“What do you know about the will?” he asked Helen.

“Nothing,” she said. “I’ll find out when everyone else does. That’s not my point. We have time to think this through and make the right decision for Hanson Media Group. As long as the company is moving in the right direction, then I say let it be.”

Samantha paced the length of Jack’s office, then turned around and walked back the other way. He’d already been in with the board for nearly twenty minutes. What on earth did they have to talk about for that long?

Finally he walked in. She hurried over to him.

“All you all right? Did they pressure you to stay?” she asked.

He pulled her close and kissed her forehead. “You’re worried about me.”

“Well, duh. What did you think? Now tell me everything. You didn’t accept the job permanently, did you?”

“What makes you think they asked?”

“It’s just a matter of time until they start pressuring you. You’re doing a great job. Why wouldn’t they want to keep you?”

He led her over to the sofa, then pulled her down next to him. “You’re right. That’s what they wanted. Helen held them off, saying they should make sure they had the right candidate. While I’m not interested in staying, at least she bought me some time.” He took her hand. “She’s not on my side in this. She cares about the company.”

She leaned back into the leather sofa and sighed. “You don’t know that.”

“Actually, I do. I respect her position. If I were her, I’d do the same thing.”

“But you’re not her. You still want to leave.”

“I will leave.”

She looked at him. “Were they all upset?”

“They weren’t happy but until the will is read, Helen controls the majority of the stock. That puts her in power.” He pulled her close. “Don’t kid yourself, though. If she decides she needs me to stay, she’ll be the first one holding out the employment contract.”

“I don’t want to argue about Helen,” she told him.

“Me, either.” He stood and crossed to a glass cabinet by the window. After opening one of the doors, he held up an empty glass. “Want a drink?”

“No, thanks.”

He poured one for himself and took a sip. “I don’t know where everything went wrong with my dad and his sons.”

“You probably never will. Sometimes families have trouble connecting.”

“If Mom hadn’t died …” He shrugged and took another sip.

She stood. There was something different about Jack. He was hurting and that pain made him vulnerable. She’d never seen him as anything but strong and powerful, so this side of him surprised her.

She crossed to him and put her arms around him. “You did the best you could.”