The Billionaire Boyfriend Trap (14 page)

I expected Reece to tell her he was cooling
toward the idea, but he said nothing. He stood as still as a
statue, his eyes hooded, his face impassive, and took her
abuse.

"Cleo knows how Cassie feels about you," she
went on. "She knows how I feel about you too, and yet she still
chose to come and work here. I don't get it." She turned to me.
"You get great job offers all the time, and yet you chose to work
here when you knew how I felt. Why?"

Reece's gaze slid to mine and I shivered
beneath his frosty stare. Gone was the warmth of the past few days,
the tenderness and vulnerability. In its place were ice and steel
and a quiet anger that radiated off him in waves. Clearly he was
wondering the same thing as Becky.

My heart fluttered in my chest like a bird in
a cage. I was trapped between Reece and Becky and the only way out
was the truth. But not the entire truth, just enough to create an
opening for myself to escape through.

"I admit my motive for working here wasn't
innocent," I said, risking a glance at Reece. The muscles in his
jaw worked, but he said nothing. "I wanted to find a way to save
Cassie's house and I thought working for you would give me access
to the information I needed. I'm sorry, Reece. It was a terrible
thing to do, and I'm a total bitch for tricking you. You have every
right to fire me."

It wasn't Reece who answered, however, it was
Becky. She threw her arms around me. "You took this job to help me?
Oh. Okay. That
totally
makes sense." Her gaze flicked to
Reece, still standing rigid near my desk. "And the other
thing?"

"That was unexpected. I didn't plan to spend
the night with him." I bit my lip and watched for his reaction. He
gave none. It was like I hadn't even spoken. I wanted to go to him
and tell him I liked being with him, but Becky would get upset. I
was about to steer her back to the elevator when Reece spun round
and stormed back into his office. He shut the door.

I blinked back hot tears, feeling strangely
hollow and full at the same time.

"Does that mean you're fired?" Becky
asked.

I pressed my lips together to stop them
trembling. "I'm not coming home tonight," I told her.

She gasped. "You're going to stay with him?
After this?"

"If he wants me to."

She shook her head. "I don't get it, Cleo.
What do you see in him?"

"He's not a bad guy."

"He is! Have you not been listening? He upset
Cassie's sister so much that he drove her to suicide."

"You can't pin that on him. It's not
fair."

"And now he's going to throw Cassie out of
her home. You can't deny
that
."

"He's been having second thoughts. I know he
has. Becky, if I can spend a little more time with him, I might be
able to convince him to leave her house alone. Will you let me try
tonight?"

I could see her wavering and I knew I had her
convinced when she blew out a breath. "Okay. But don't expect a
miracle, Cleo. Leopards, spots and all that. He's not going to
change who he is just because of some hot sex."

"I don't expect him to change. I expect him
to shed the mask he's been wearing all these years."

She rolled her eyes and shook her head.
"You're such a romantic." But she hugged me anyway and told me not
to worry about her. "Do whatever you have to do. It's for the
greater good. I guess. Be careful though. Don't let him into your
heart." She shot another glare at Reece's door then left my office.
She seemed convinced that I was still on her side. For now.

I watched the elevator doors close on her and
sighed. Now came the hard part. I knocked on Reece's door and let
myself in. He didn't look up from his paperwork.

"Get out," he growled. "You're fired. Get
your things and leave the keys on the desk. I don't want to see you
again."

CHAPTER 10

Reece's words slammed into me. I rocked back
on my feet beneath the force of them. "Reece," I whispered. "Listen
to me. Let me explain."

He calmly turned over the paper he was
reading. "You have explained. You came here with the express
purpose of betraying me. You've seen how I deal with people who
betray me. I don't see why I should treat you any differently."

"Don't you? Then you're a fool. Unless you
slept with Austin too."

He finally glanced up and my legs turned weak
beneath the raw, brutal anger in his eyes. "You think this is
funny?"

I refused to cower. There was another side to
him. A softer side. I just had to find it again and believe that it
was strong enough to survive. "I think you're throwing away
something good over a mistake I made. I admit that I came to work
for you to find a way to stop you bulldozing Cassie's house. But
that's not why I slept with you. I slept with you because I wanted
to." That at least was the truth. "Fire me from RK, but not from
your bed."

He gave a harsh laugh. "That's not how it
works."

"Because you can't separate your PAs from
your bed partners?"

He shoved his chair back and rose to his full
height. Then he stalked across the room to me, not once taking that
ice-cold gaze off me. "Because I can't be with someone who wants to
see me fail."

A lump formed in my throat, making it
impossible to swallow. But I would not let him intimidate me. He
was angry and I needed to help him see right from wrong. "It's not
a failure to pull out of the hotel deal."

"Try telling that to my stakeholders. Better
yet, try telling them that I'm pulling out of the deal because I'm
too
nice
to close it. They won't believe you. They know I'm
not nice. Everyone knows it. Ask whoever you want, they'll all tell
you the same thing. Reece Kavanagh is a bastard."

"I don't care what other people think. I know
you're not a bastard."

He stopped dead. Blinked at me.

"I wasn't expecting to like you," I ventured.
"In fact, I was prepared to despise you. From all reports, you
should have been an asshole. But you're not, Reece. You're a
wonderful guy and I like you." I stepped up to him, but he turned
away from me. I laid my hand on his back and felt his warmth
through his shirt, the strong, erratic beat of his heart. "I like
you a lot and I want to go home with you tonight."

He breathed. Breathed again. "Damn it," he
muttered. "Damn it, Cleo." He pushed past me and locked the door.
Then he turned to me with eyes still brimming with emotion, chief
among them anger. But it had dimmed somewhat, and I could just see
the uncertainty there again, the vulnerability I knew lurked
beneath the façade.

"Take your clothes off," he ordered, striding
past me.

"Now? Here?"

"I can't wait for later. I want you now." He
pushed the papers off his desk and let them flutter to the floor
then set the keyboard and monitor to one side. "I said, take your
clothes off. I'd do it but I might rip something."

His hands were trembling. He saw me looking
at them and grabbed onto the edge of his desk. His knuckles went
white. I unbuttoned my blouse. I let it fall to the floor and
followed it with my bra, skirt and underwear.

I'd barely shed the last item when he came to
me and wrapped his arms around my waist. He hoisted me high and
buried his face in my breasts. He kissed and licked and teased
until I was gasping for air, unable to control the delicious
tingles swallowing me whole.

I began to pant, frustrated and turned on at
the same time. He laid me down on the desk and, instead of seeing
to my pleasure like he usually did, he removed his clothes and
thrust his rock-hard cock in to the hilt. I was slick enough to
take him without any resistance.

I wrapped my legs around his back, drawing
him in deeper. He pounded me into the desk, his thrusts coming
faster, stronger. He wasn't looking at me, so I clasped his face in
my hands and forced him to.

He shut his eyes.

"Look at me," I whispered. "Look at me,
Reece."

His face twisted and his pace slowed. Then he
opened his eyes and looked at me. The rawness in them clutched at
my heart. There was still a kernel of anger, but even that
disappeared when I caressed his jawline.

He pulled out and came on my stomach with a
low, guttural growl. He'd not had time to put a condom on. He
breathed deeply, his eyes screwed shut once more as if he were in
pain. I clutched his head and drew him down. He held me gently and
pressed his lips to mine, kissing yet not.

"I'm sorry," he murmured against my mouth.
"That was… I shouldn't have…"

"Shhh. I wanted it too."

"But not like that."

"I'll take it any way I can get it,
thanks."

He touched his forehead to mine and drew in a
ragged breath. "Come home with me tonight and let me make it up to
you."

"You don't have to make anything up to me,
but yes, I will come home with you."

He helped me to sit and together we cleaned
up with tissues. Then he handed me my clothes item by item and
waited until I was dressed before dressing himself. He unlocked the
door and opened it for me.

I touched the corner of his mouth. "No
working back late tonight. I can't wait that long."

He gave me a fleeting smile, but it vanished
before it took flight. He was clearly still affected by the
morning's events. He wasn't the only one. I couldn't concentrate
and was grateful when he said it was time to go at four.

He drove us to his place in silence and we
made it all the way to his apartment before either of us said a
word. Even then, the only words he said were, "Lie on the bed."

I did. He lifted my skirt up and my underwear
down then licked me until I was writhing in delicious ecstasy. Then
he made slow, passionate love to me.

Afterward, we lay facing one another, our
hands entwined. "I want the truth, Cleo," he said, his warm gaze
not leaving mine. "Are you sleeping with me to gain something, or
because you want to?"

"Because I want to, Stupid. If you can't tell
that after making love to me then I should just leave now. Clearly
I'm lacking."

He circled his arm around my waist and pulled
me into his hard body. "You don't lack anything, Cleo Denny. You're
everything I ever wanted in a woman."

Oh boy. And oh crap. How was I supposed to
respond to that? It was like sitting on a flying carpet. It was
exhilarating and wonderful, yet the carpet beneath me was unstable
and I could fall off at any moment.

"I'm sorry I came on so strong earlier," he
said, kissing the top of my head. "I was mad, but when I calmed
down I was able to think more clearly. I know you only did what you
did to protect your sister. I know it wasn't about me."

I closed my eyes and tightened myself in an
attempt to stop the wave of guilt washing through me. But it was no
use. I knew if he ever found out I worked for Ellen, he would never
speak to me again.

But I couldn't think like that. He wouldn't
find out because who would tell him? Ellen and I were the only ones
who knew and neither of us was going to say a word.

It was time to end my association with her. I
wanted to work for Reece and only Reece, even if he bulldozed
Cassie's house. I would cross that bridge with Becky when the time
came. Tomorrow, I would tell Ellen. Tonight was all for Reece.

"I'll take care of you and Becky," he went
on. "Anything you need, I'll get it for you. Just let me know.
You're mine now, Cleo, and I protect what's mine."

I pulled back so I could see his eyes
properly. The depth of emotion in them rocked me. Who would have
thought this scary control freak would be brought to his knees by
me?

"Will you leave Cassie's house alone?" I
asked tentatively.

He stiffened in my arms and I cursed myself
for bringing it up again when things were going so well. But it had
to be asked. We needed to clear the air.

"I have to," he said simply. "Now more than
ever, I have to do it."

"But you were already hesitating. Why are you
so determined to go ahead with the plans again? Are you that
worried about the backlash from the stakeholders?"

He squeezed his eyes shut and sighed. "It's
not a matter of business. It's…personal."

"Tell me, Reece. Talk to me. Why do you need
to remove her house?"

He drew in a deep breath, two. "Because I
want to go home." The pain in his voice melted my heart and had me
tightening my hold on him.

"You've been avoiding it," I said, finally
understanding. "Because of the memories."

"Cassie told you about Wendy and me?"

"Yes."

"She blames me for her sister's death."

I shifted up on the bed and drew his head
against my chest. I stroked his hair, his shoulders and back. "You
blame yourself."

A tremble wracked his body.

"You shouldn't," I said. "It's not your
fault. No matter what Cassie thinks, Wendy's life—and death—was
entirely up to Wendy."

It was some time before he answered. I
thought he wasn't going to then he finally shook his head. "She was
fragile. She saw her parents die horribly when she was young. She
was trapped in the car with them when it rolled and took their
lives. Losing your parents like that…it's no wonder it affected her
the way it did."

My stomach churned. My heart skipped and he
must have noticed, positioned as he was. The similarity to my own
situation was freakish. With one big difference—I didn't want to
take my own life after I watched my parents die.

"She must have had other problems before you
broke up with her," I said. "Were there any signs?"

"Everyone knew she was sensitive. She always
had been. I should never have dated her. It was stupid to take
advantage of her affection for me when I didn't feel the same way.
I should never have let things go so far between us."