Burned Deep (32 page)

He held me spellbound as I removed my jacket and he gave me an extra hanger for it.

“Thanks,” I murmured, completely captivated by him.

I fumbled with the small pearl buttons on my French cuffs. He grinned when it became all too apparent that my now-trembling fingers weren't because a snake had terrified me but because of how Dane excited me. So easily. He stepped forward and helped out, our gazes locked.

He slipped the little orbs through the holes on the flap of my blouse and slid the material down my arms. He hung up the garment, then moved behind me to unzip the back of my skirt, easing it to my ankles so I could step out of it. My shoes followed.

I opened a drawer again and skimmed my fingers over my clothes, none of them holding much appeal.

“You want something of mine?”

I glanced up. “Yes.”

Rounding the bureau to his side, he pulled out an oatmeal-colored long-sleeved Henley.

“This one's comfortable,” he said.

I unhooked my bra and put it in the drawer before shutting it.

“Or maybe forego the shirt altogether.”

I smiled softly. “Something tells me you still have work to focus on. It's not even five o'clock yet.”

He grimaced. A sexy expression like every other one coming from him. “I do have a Board of Directors conference call for a nonprofit that I need to prep for.”

“Then prep.” I stretched on tiptoe and gave him a kiss. “What's the organization?”

“Children's group homes.”

My brows knitted. “Orphanages?”

“They don't really call them that anymore. They're privately held and funded group homes.”

“And you donate your time and money to them.”

“Yes.”

“Huh.” Warmth oozed through me. “That's pretty amazing.”

He lifted the shirt above my head. “You'd better cover up or neither of us will get anything done tonight.”

I slipped into the Henley and he whisked my hair from inside the collar, fanning it out over my shoulders. The buttoned neckline dipped between my breasts and he didn't bother to fasten me up, just left the material open so the rounded swells filled the gap.

He seemed to admire me for several seconds. Then his head dipped and he kissed me.

I clung to him, loving the nearness of him, the way he engulfed me with his entire sexy presence.

When he broke the kiss, he kept me in his strong embrace and whispered, “What happened to you today scared the hell out of me.”

“Dane—”

“Just listen.” His voice was strained, tattered. “I'd be worried and fuming over any employee or guest finding themselves in that situation. Possibly getting hurt. But the fact that it was you…”

His arms tightened.

“I'm okay,” I tried to assure him.

“No. You've been shaking since I pulled you out of the stairwell.”

My face was buried in the crook of his neck as I said, “I have a serious aversion to all reptiles. I told you that.”

“Ari, if Amano or I hadn't been right outside the door—”

“Don't make me think about that. Please.” I had no delusions of the trouble I'd been in. Even if my badge hadn't been deactivated, I could have been thoroughly engrossed in paperwork and bounded down those steps, right to that snake, giving it the perfect opportunity to strike.

I shivered. Dane held me firmer against his hard body.

“I wouldn't forgive myself if you'd been bitten. You know that. I'm not sure I can for—”

“Dane.” I wrenched free from his embrace. “It wasn't your fault. None of this is your fault.”

“Ari,” he said in a compelling tone as he stared deep into my eyes, “you don't seem to get it. I'd be upset if anyone encountered what you did on my property. But again, the fact that it was
you
makes it infinitely worse.”

“I'm not saying I'm not appreciative. I'm saying … I need to know what lies beyond all this darkness, all this anger. All this need for revenge.”

He was quiet for several seconds, still gazing unwaveringly at me. Finally, he said, “You're not the only one who grew up in an environment beyond your control. I had no clear idea of what happened to my parents. I just grew up without them. And for a while, I didn't understand why Amano was always shadowing me, why I couldn't go anywhere without him.”

“How do you know him? How did you know you could trust him?”

For that matter, the stunning and mysterious Mikaela Madsen flashed in my mind. What was her role in Dane's life?

He brushed strands of hair from my temple, distracting me from my wayward thoughts. “Like my lawyer, we go way back. Amano was head of security at my family's estate. He stayed on after my parents died, to keep an eye on my aunt and me. He's invaluable. I trust him explicitly.”

“Was it necessary for him to stick so close to you?”

“Yes. There were threats that I eventually found out about. Against me. Against my aunt, who raised me. I didn't grasp what they were all about, until later on, when I was old enough to comprehend the amount of money I was heir to, the properties and businesses I owned.”

He shook his head. My heart wrenched.

“Dane, I can't even begin to imagine how difficult that all was to process.”

“It was the threats I focused on the most,” he said, that tense, lethal look that I had become all too familiar with crossing his face. “My aunt made sacrifices, did whatever she had to do to take care of me. I couldn't stand anyone trying to take away what I felt she was also entitled to. The house, which I deeded to her as soon as I was able to, and a bank account that was supposed to guarantee—”

He moved away from me.

“Supposed to guarantee what?” I asked.

With another shake of his head, he told me, “We could afford the best doctors, the best care for her. She shouldn't have died.”

“Oh, God,” I said on a heavy breath. “Dane.” I closed the gap between us and gripped his arm. “You can't save someone just because you have money. But how—?”

“Breast cancer.”

I started to see things in a different light. He thought it was his duty, his responsibility, to take care of those around him, those who worked for him or had raised him. And because he'd always had a financial safety net, he'd likely considered himself invincible.

“I'm so sorry,” I said. “But you can't blame yourself for the position you found yourself in, or for what happened to your aunt. You can't save the world, Dane.”

This seemed to aggravate him further, if the flexing of his muscles was any indication. “You still don't understand that my obligations are—”

“I'm not an obligation,” I insisted. “Dane.” I searched his eyes, looking for exactly what he was trying to say to me.

“Ari. You're not seeing the biggest picture of all.” Leaning in close, he kissed me slowly yet intensely. Then, against my lips, he murmured, “I'm in love with you.”

 

chapter 18

I didn't know what to say.

Apparently, Dane didn't have a problem with my lack of words. His mouth sealed with mine and he kissed me possessively. My body melded to his and I slipped my arms around his neck, holding on tight.

I experienced a different kind of bliss. Exhilaration over the way he fervently ignited my insides mixed with warmth from his admission until I burned with need.

Breaking the kiss, I simply said, “Dane.”

And he knew what I wanted.

With one arm still around my waist, he reached for his suit jacket on top of the bureau with his free hand and dug out his wallet and a condom. He clenched the packet between his teeth as he whisked my panties down my thighs and I worked them off at my ankles.

He led us to the armless chair next to the full-length mirrors and yanked his pants and briefs to his hips, rolled on the condom, and pulled me into his lap. I straddled him and he sank in deep.

“
Yes,
” I whispered along his temple. “God, you feel so good.”

I rocked slightly as his hands roved my body, slipping under the shirt I wore. He clasped my waist and pressed me against him, tighter, as he thrust into me. I gasped. He was thick and full and pumping deeper, faster.

He palmed my breasts and massaged them, teasing my nipples into hard points. My head fell back and I let out a throaty moan as the sizzling sensations built. I curled my fingers into his biceps as he commanded my passion and pushed me higher.

Dane swept the material covering me up to my chest and then his tongue flicked over my nipple, puckering the bud further. He drew the taut peak into his mouth and my insides ignited.

I shamelessly, wholly sparked with this man. Everything he did sent me straight to the edge.

And he knew it.

His breath caressed my sensitive skin as he murmured, “Come for me.”

My fingers tangled in his lush hair and I rocked more firmly, my hips undulating. He gripped my waist again and guided me into a quicker rhythm that made soft pants fall from my lips.

He captured them with a hungry kiss and I lost it completely. Ripping my mouth from his, I cried out his name as the searing orgasm consumed me. I squeezed him tight.

“Yes,” he ground out. “Ari. Baby.”

I felt him surge and pulse within me. Then his cock throbbed in wild beats as he came, his hands still holding me steady.

My head fell forward and my lips grazed his cheek, his jaw, his neck. I quietly, breathlessly, said in his ear, “Just because I can't say the words yet doesn't mean I don't feel it, too.”

His arms slid around me and our bodies pressed together. “I've been patient so far, haven't I?”

I laughed. “You move fast and push hard.”

“I don't see the point in wasting time when I want something. This has been a bit different, but it's meant to be, so I'm not going to hide the fact that I'm crazy about you.”

I swept a wayward lock of hair from his forehead. He'd given me something to work with here—something in my comfort zone. “I'm crazy about you, too.”

“See?” He grinned devilishly. “You come around quick.”

Then he gave me a sweet but hot kiss.

It was impossible to deny that I was totally wrapped up in Dane. I'd realized long ago that my feelings ran deep. A somewhat unsettling and tenuous situation to find myself in, given that I still didn't know all that much about him. Just that he wanted me and fiercely pursued this budding relationship.

When I partially came to my senses, I said, “Don't you have a conference call?”

He grunted. “I'm enjoying this much more.”

“Duty calls and you're too responsible to shirk it.” Okay, so I did know some things about the man.

I climbed off his lap and snatched my thong. He ducked into what I presumed was the bathroom. I hauled my totes off the top of the dresser and set them and my shoes on the bottom shelf under my hanging clothes.

It was a bit thrilling to have my own little space in his world. At the Lux. At his house.

Thoughts of the hotel brought back my own responsibilities. I had a lot of work to do.

We traveled the hall together and collected our laptop bags.

Dane kissed my forehead and said, “I'll be in my office until about eight. Make yourself comfortable.”

“I like your great room.”

“Switch for the fireplace is under the mantel. Password for the Wi-Fi is
bagan
.” He spelled it.

I recalled he'd said it meant
to fight
. “Are you German?”

“On my dad's side.”

“How did your parents die?”

His irises darkened. “Not now, Ari.” He kissed me again, then turned to head into his office.

I said, “I'm sorry about them.”

He glanced over his shoulder. “Thanks.” As he disappeared into the other room, I wondered if I'd ever get all the facts.

I set my things out on the coffee table, lit the hearth and a few candles before firing up my computer. I accessed the Internet and went into full-on research mode, looking for the perfect Christmas tree. Or trees. I still hadn't decided on quantity. Size. Shape.
Shit.

Shopping around, however, led me in a different direction—budget planning. A thirty-foot Rockefeller Pine would cost us fifteen grand alone. I had a sneaking suspicion Dane would not reuse decorations from year to year but would donate them and have a different theme every Christmas.

I didn't know this for sure, of course, but from what I'd gleaned thus far—and the fact that packing up all of the unused furniture erroneously delivered to Monaco and having it shipped to the Lux was an unsatisfactory solution—I had a feeling I was pretty close to right with my speculation.

I had an astronomical budget for events. Still … Fifteen thousand dollars for a fake tree. Holy fuck.

Around seven o'clock, my head throbbed from breaking down my allotted funds into an Excel spreadsheet and trying to disperse them adequately across twelve months, taking into account the other holidays and potential functions we'd host. Not to mention all the pre-launch and grand-opening festivities.

I was also starving. I wandered through the house until I located the enormous kitchen, filled with shiny stainless-steel state-of-the-art appliances. There was a large rectangular island in the center, intricately designed with decorative accents. A matching table that sat eight was tucked into the artistic breakfast nook in the far corner, just off the patio, where glass doors revealed another big table and an outdoor grill and cooking station.

My entire townhome could have fit into this one room.

A slow churning started low in my belly. I wasn't a stranger to the rich and affluent—not when my dad's career had been red-hot and he'd garnered invitations to lavish parties. But I'd never been intimately involved with someone who owned …
all this
. And 10,000 Lux.