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  Chapter 8

  Jade

  Upstairs in the printing room, I meet another one of the speaker’s PA. A sweet local woman called Anong. She too, is preparing hard copies of the presentation to be handed to the attendees of her boss’s talk. She hands me a green and white box. It says Tiffy on the outside and is written in English on one site. It’s a Thai version of Acetominophen. They are very effective and in less than twenty minutes, my headache is gone. I tell her that I need to pop down to the hotel’s boutique to buy a suit for a lunch meeting.

  “No. No,” she says shaking her hand. “Hotel boutique very expensive. Come with me I show you very good shop,” she offers.

  I look at her doubtfully. “How far away is it?”

  “Next door. You will like.” She nods vigorously.

  I grin at her. “Okay.”

  The shop turns out to be the gift that keeps on giving. It is one of those amazing little places that sells knock-off designer gear for one tenth of the price in other shops. I have heard of these secret places where you could go and get tailored suits for fifty American dollars. Like a kid in a sweet shop, I buy dresses, pant-suits, skirts, tops, jackets, shoes, bags and scarves. In less than an hour, I max out both my credit cards and leave carrying six bags of stuff for me. I even got a gorgeous silk suit for Emma. It’s one of those classic #sorrynotsorry moments. I’ve blown six months of wages, but heck, I won’t have to shop for the next five years!

  After running up to my room to change, I come down in a fitted red suit to meet Luke and Carl Magnus for lunch at the Golden Orchid. I’m ten minutes early, so I walk into the restaurant, hoping that the men aren’t here yet. I want a few minutes to compose myself. Get a handle on whatever is happening between us. Things are quickly spiraling out of control with Luke. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, but this isn’t who I am. I never leap before I look. I need something to clutch to right now, when my whole damn world feels like it’s been turned upside down.

  But of course, both Luke and Carl Magnus are already at the table.

  Carl is one of our major Swedish clients. Though I’ve never met him in person before, I’ve spoken to him on the phone a few times and I’ve seen pictures of him before. They don’t do him justice. He’s a hellva lot better looking in person.

  His Viking heritage is clear. He’s a big man, about the size of Luke, but with broader shoulders. Long blond hair frames his rugged face. Despite the tailored suit he’s wearing, he looks about two seconds from tearing his clothes off and charging into battle.

  I perceive all this in a distant way, because even though he’s startlingly handsome with beautiful grass-green eyes, he’s just not my type. And even if he were, my heart doesn’t have room in it for anyone else but Luke. I’ve spent the last two months falling for my boss, and the last twenty-four hours have been the culmination of all those feelings.

  Luke notices me first. His blue eyes shine at me like a beacon, dimming everything else in the dining room. I can’t look away from him. His eyes devour me. Then he smiles and his crooked smile makes my heart flutter.

  Like a proper gentlemen, both men stand as I approach.

  Carl’s eyes move appreciatively over my body. “Miss Jade Emerson. In the flesh,” he says softly. His voice is deep, warm and accented.

  I smile politely. “Mr. Magnus.”

  I reach out my hand for a handshake, but he ignores it and sweeps me into a hug. The unexpected familiarity, so unlike the exceptionally polite and distant way the Japanese clients greeted me last night, startles me, but Carl is an important client.

  “I can’t breathe,” I say breathlessly.

  Carl laughs and puts me down. Then he kisses me on one cheek, and then the other. It’s an oddly delicate greeting after the bear hug, but he’s European. I assume it’s how they do things over there.

  “My apologies, Jade,” he says. “Can I call you, Jade?”

  My eyes widen. “Yes, of course.”

  “Good. You must call me Carl.”

  “Okay.”

  “It’s just nice to put such a beautiful face to the efficient voice on the phone.”

  I blush at that, not expecting the compliment. Again, he’s being a bit forward, but I don’t call him on it, out of politeness. Besides, that may be the way they do things in Sweden. Anyway, he hasn’t really crossed any lines. Luke would certainly step in if he had done that. I glance at him, but he just stands there, flashing me his billion-dollar smile, so everything must be okay.

  Both men wait until I sit down before taking their own seats. It’s just the three of us at the table, so I sit between Luke and Carl. I’m still reeling from Carl’s exuberant greeting, but luckily, Luke is on his game. He jumps right into business discussions, allowing me to sit back for a moment and gather my bearings.

  Chapter 9

  Luke

  I’m talking business with Carl, but it’s almost like my brain is on auto-pilot. The way he hugged and kissed Jade is still making my blood boil. It took all my willpower not to push the fucking table over and yank him off her.

  Carl is a good client, but I have no problem punching him in his stupid, cocky face if he tries something like that again with her. As it is, I’m half tempted to cut this meeting short right now and sever all ties with him. There are other Swedish fish in the sea. I don’t need him.

  But I know that’s just my temper getting the better of me, so I pretend as if nothing is wrong and smile.

  Jade shoots me a worried glance, then she relaxes, and sits down.

  I watch the curve of her smile as she takes the menu from the waitress. I stare at her. I still can’t believe her complete transformation from dowdy librarian to this raving beauty sitting beside me.

  I don’t know when it happened exactly, but sometime yesterday, she became incredibly important to me. She went from being my assistant to being a woman I can’t stop thinking about.

  Something about her drives me wild in a way I’ve never felt.

  There have been plenty of other women in my life, but they tended to be casual affairs. They come, literally, and then go. It’s not a conscious decision on my part, and it’s not their fault either. I just tire quickly. Most of the time it’s like, I take them to bed, and by the morning, I already want nothing to do with them.

  Maybe that makes me a womanizing bastard, but that’s just how it was. I never lied to those women. They knew exactly what they were getting into when they hooked up with me. I gave them no illusions that it would be anything more than great sex. Some of them tried really hard to tantalize me. I’ve seen every trick in the book. They probably fooled themselves into believing that they were more special than the other women I’d run with, that they were the one who would finally tame me and make me theirs for good.

  But they never were.

  Then there’s what-a-surprise, frumpy, dumpy’ Jade. We’ve already had our night together. Really, I should be done with her, or at the very least, have started the distancing process, but I only want her even more. Now that I’ve seen the swan hiding underneath the ugly duckling clothing, I can’t stop thinking of her. How good her body felt beneath mine, how sweet her pussy tasted, and how mesmerizing her face looks when I make her come. In the limo, and in my bed.

  She is perfect for me.

  It’s a lot more than just how sexy she is. I actually like spending time with her that doesn’t include sex. That’s a massive difference from all the other women I usually hang with. I have no idea what makes Jade so special. All I know is that she is. She actually makes me happy, for fuck’s sake.

  The only fly in the ointment is that she’s my assistant.

  Dating my assistant feels crude and low-class. Only scumbags do that. I can’t exactly fire her, then ask her out on a date. I’m a bastard, but I’m not a fucking bastard. But I can’t stop this freight train of desire either. I don’t want to stop it. I don’t want to throw her away like I’ve done with all the other women. I want to keep exploring her, both
her body and her mind. I want to see where this goes.

  The sound of Jade’s laughter cuts through my train of thought. I had retreated into my own head while Carl kept talking, but now, I notice that he’s sitting a lot closer to her than I like.

  “You’ve never been to Sweden?” he says. “Well, that is something we must fix very soon. I will show you all the wonderful things about my country, yes? I will fly you out there on my private jet and you will stay with me.”

  Jade smiles at him. “That sounds nice. I’m sure your country is beautiful.”

  “It will be even more beautiful with you in it,” the smarmy bastard oozes.

  Jade laughs.

  My heart blazes with black fury.

  “You’re too kind, Carl,” she says. “Maybe one day we can arrange something, and I can visit. But you know how busy I am.” She throws a look at me. “With Luke.”

  Carl has the balls to turn to me like we’re fucking friends. “Luke, you can spare Jade for a week or two, can’t you?”

  I’m one second away from punching him in his smug fucking face, but I remind myself that I’m not in the jungle. I’m not a caveman. I’m not going to act impulsively. There is a better way. I smile. If he can’t see it’s a tiger’s smile then he’s a bigger fool than I think he is. “No, Carl, I actually can’t spare her.”

  He doesn’t even seem to notice the rage flaring inside me. Incredible!

  Jade, who is obviously, a lot smarter than him, does. She turns and gazes at me with a worried expression.

  “Don’t be silly,” Carl scoffs with a laugh. “Let her off the leash for—”

  I slam my hand on the table, shaking the plates and the glasses. “Jade is not a fucking dog on a leash.”

  Half of the people in the restaurant stop talking and look in our direction. Jade blinks in confusion while Carl leans back slightly and regards me with a curious, almost satisfied expression.

  I force myself to smile. I doubt it reaches my eyes, but it’s the best I can do. “You’re being inappropriate, Carl,” I state, my voice tighter than I want it to be. “This is a business lunch. Act like a fucking professional and stop harassing my assistant.”

  The smile drops from his face. He looks from me to Jade and back to me. “My apologies if I have offended you, Luke. Or you, Jade. I was just having a bit of fun.”

  “Well, don’t,” I snap. “If you want me to keep working with you, you’ll go have your fun somewhere else.”

  Carl nods. “Yes, of course, Luke. You’re right. That was unprofessional of me. I value your company’s services. Sometimes my sense of humor doesn’t translate to English.”

  I nod, giving him a graceful way to back down. I know damn well his English is perfect. It’s his goddamn manners that are the problem, but I don’t want things to escalate further than they already have.

  “Well,” Carl says, standing up. “I’m sorry for my rudeness, but I have another meeting to attend. Please excuse me.” He nods and leaves without saying another word.

  Jade watches him go, her mouth agape. When he disappears from sight, she whips her head around to face me. “He’s our best European client. Why did you do that? We could have lost him.”

  I stare into her eyes, letting her feel the weight of my gaze. “Fuck him and his fucking business. He can walk if wants to. I’ll replace him in no time.”

  “But—?”

  “Jade Emerson, you belong to me and no one else. Is that understood?”

  Her head jerks back and she gawks at me as if she can’t believe her eyes. “What do you mean?”

  I lean in. “I mean, if you want to be with me, then you are mine and only mine. You’re a beautiful woman, Jade. Other men will always notice. But when they come around, I expect you to brush them off real quick.”

  “I wasn’t flirting with him, if that’s what you think,” she gasps defensively.

  “No, if I thought you were flirting with him, I wouldn’t be sitting here with you right now. That would have been unacceptable.” I pause and let that sink in. “But I’m just making this clear to you. I don’t like games. I don’t find it attractive to see other men fawn over you. If we’re going to be together, it’s just you and me. Nobody else.”

  She stares at me, silent.

  “Now, I’ll have to punish you for what you did.”

  Chapter 10

  Jade

  Luke signs for the bill and stands up. “Come, Jade,” he growls.

  Hell, I almost do, just from the completely authoritative sound of his voice. We walk together out of the restaurant. There is not a word exchanged all the way to the auditorium. We step into the darkened auditorium, and I can feel Luke’s emotions pulsing off him in waves. I don’t dare look up at him because his face seems like a stone mask.

  A man with steel rim glasses is on the stage discussing the developing Asian markets. Dr. Marty Rambul is a titan in our field, and I’ve really wanted to hear this particular lecture ever since Luke told me about the conference. At any other time, I would have found this topic, and the accompanying slideshow, absolutely fascinating, but right now, all I can think of is Luke telling me I need to be punished.

  Just the thought of it has lit a raging fire inside me. Luke heads to some seats right at the back of the room. We sit next to each other and I can’t focus on anything else, but his hard body next to me. He appears to be entirely absorbed in what the speaker is saying, so I keep shooting glances at him. He is heart-stopping gorgeous in the dim light. Dark shadows accentuate his sharp cheekbones and his powerful jaw. I look at his ripe lips and remember how they felt on mine the night before. How I got lost inside him. The memory thrills me and makes me crave the real thing again. I wish he would kiss me.

  He’s sitting so close to me. One shift of my body and we’ll be touching. I don’t dare act on that impulse. We’re in a room full of people. Even though we are sitting in the back row with no one directly around us, I’m not so brave that I can pounce on him in public. No matter how much I want to feel his lips on mine.

  Luke looks at me, and my lips part. I desperately try to beam my urge into his brain. Wow, he must have read my thoughts in my eyes, or my body language, because he leans his face close to mine, and I move my face closer to receive the kiss.

  Only he doesn’t kiss me. He buries his head in my hair and growls softly into my ear, “Take off your panties, Jade.”

  His demand startles me. He can’t be serious. I stare at him, and his eyes glint with something, something dark. And a blazing hunger for me.

  “I can’t do that,” I whisper fiercely.

  He leans in again. His warm breath tickles my ear, sending warmth fluttering through me. “You can, and you will,” he says so firmly there is no room for argument. His tongue flicks out and licks my ear lobe.

  I melt at the feeling.

  It’s a crazy request, but there’s no harm in playing this game with him. It must turn him on to think I’m bare under my skirt. It’s not like anyone will notice that I’m not wearing underwear. I’ve never gone commando, but the idea exhilarates me. “Okay,” I say softly and I get up to go to the ladies’ room.

  Luke grips my wrist and pulls me down into my seat. “No,” he commands. “Do it now. Right here.”

  Fear spikes my chest. I look around the room, where a few hundred people are sitting. Nobody is sitting in the back row with us, but any of these people could turn around and see me at any time. Someone could get up and leave the room. The guy giving the presentation might be able to see me.

  “What if someone sees me,” I hiss.

  Luke grins wolfishly. “Then you better be careful.”

  I glance around the room again, trying to gauge my chances of getting caught. No one would really notice me back here, but all it would take is for someone to stand up and walk back here. Then I’d be caught with my pants down, literally.

  The very idea scares me a little, but I realize I’m also astonishingly turned on and excited by the thought. T
here’s something so incredibly naughty and erotic about exposing myself to him in public. Then again, maybe it’s Luke’s eyes roving over my body with a heated anticipation that’s egging me on. Or maybe it’s the stern expression on his face. There is no doubt in my mind that this is my punishment.

  All I know is I’m going to do it.

  I lift my skirt up to my thighs. Luke stares at my revealed flesh like he wants to devour it. The way he looks at me makes me feel sexy. It keeps me going. I look down and my skin seems almost to glow in the darkness. Too obvious. If anyone looks my way, they’re going to notice immediately, but I take a deep breath and go for it.

  I hike my skirt up to reveal my lacy red panties. Luke stares at them, and it’s like a physical touch. He radiates excitement beside me, sending a thrill through me. I sit up subtly in the seat, lifting my ass. Hooking my fingers into my underwear, I slide them down.

  Luke is breathing heavily now as he looks between my legs.

  My heart hammers in my chest. I am exposed and vulnerable. My core clenches with arousal. This is so risky and insane, but damn it, if it isn’t getting me so hot, I can barely stand it.

  I slip my panties the rest of the way off and tug my skirt down to hide my nakedness. Then I look at Luke almost proudly. I’d met his challenge.

  His eyes dance with desire. He takes the panties from my hand and lifts them up to his face. He inhales the scent of me deeply.

  It’s sexy as hell, but now anyone can turn around and see what he’s doing. I yank his hand down to his lap to hide my panties from view.

  He smiles seductively at me and stuffs my underwear into his jacket pocket, like he’s claiming them as a prize.

  I clench my thighs together to still the desperate ache there. Why the hell was this turning me on so much? If I don’t find a way to calm down, I’m going to soak right through my skirt.