Bound As His Business-Deal Bride

It did something to his equilibrium. Better she have it on only when necessary, which would be almost never, given that it was only for show.

She looked down at the twinkling gemstones. Splayed her fingers a little. Turned her hand so they caught the light. ‘It feels safer here. I’d be scared to leave it somewhere, like the bedside drawer.’

Warmth kindled low in his gut. It felt good to watch her admiring it. When he’d seen it on a tray of jewels presented for his selection, it had immediately caught his eye and he’d only thought of her.

Yes. Mine.

That damned insistent voice. He ignored it. She wasn’t his. She never had been and never would be. He wouldn’t be fooled again, by anyone. He wasn’t that young man anymore, full of hope for the future, desperately in love and made stupid by it. He’d never allow himself to be that man again and wouldn’t waste more thought on what might have been.

‘How was your swim yesterday?’ he asked.

She took a sip of her dark coffee. Closed her eyes for a brief second in pleasure. Her lip gloss left a perfect pink stencil on the white porcelain and he wondered whether, if he kissed her, she’d taste like strawberries.

‘Invigorating. How did you sleep last night?’

His blood rushed south as those dark, erotic dreams flickered in the back reaches of his consciousness. Not well at all. He’d ached for her the whole night. Lying naked in bed as he always did. The sheets torture against his overly sensitive skin. He’d never let her know.

‘Perfectly. And you?’

‘To be honest, I had a little difficulty. Until I...took things in hand. If you’re ever having trouble sleeping, you should try it too.’

His mouth dried. Visions of her lying naked. Thinking of him. Touching herself and... He shut the heated thoughts down. Poured cold water on them. ‘Try what?’

His voice sounded too rough and raw. He took another mouthful of coffee.

‘Warm milk and honey, with a shot of bourbon.’ Her lips turned up in a sneaky smile. ‘Always works for me.’

She was playing him like a finely tuned instrument. No more. His desire for her was something he would control. He’d done it in the past. Having her here with him was the ultimate test and he’d win, get his deal done and move on. But how would it feel to turn the tables on her for once? Make her crave him like some addiction. Perhaps he could give her a small taste. He’d have her panting and begging and wanting him. He was older now. Wiser. More experienced than he’d been as a callow youth in his twenties. He knew how to push her buttons and push them he would, with immense satisfaction.

But that could come later. Pleasure would wait for now. He didn’t want anything she didn’t want to give. That was the triumph for him. Her desire. Her capitulation. Her needing him. It made the anticipation of what might come all the sweeter.

He finished his coffee, moved his breakfast plate aside. There were more important things at hand, for now at least. He was sure she wouldn’t like what he had to say.

‘We need to talk.’

‘Ooh. Sounds serious.’ Eve gave an exaggerated sigh. ‘I suppose it’s about business again. Remember what I said about you becoming dull.’

He opened his tablet and clicked on a file full of spreadsheets. ‘About the French arm of Knight. I can email you—’

‘I have all I need here.’ She reached down, grabbed a tablet of her own and placed it on the table. ‘But for this discussion I need some fortification.’

She buttered a fluffy white roll then slathered it in strawberry jam. Bit into it and slowly ate her mouthful while she swiped her finger over her screen, pulling up some documents as well. ‘Go ahead.’

Her dismissiveness niggled at him like a stone in his shoe. He tried to ignore it. She was baiting him, and he wouldn’t fall into that trap, not now.

‘It’s not doing as badly as the US business but there are a few areas of concern.’

Eve glared at him. ‘We’re doing far better than that and holding our own. Turning a profit.’

‘You could do more.’ He looked at the financials he had before him. He might have been more aggressive in his approach to some acquisitions, but the decisions that had been made had been sound, if not on the conservative side. ‘The vineyard goes.’

She stared at him for a moment and he waited for the argument to come. Instead, she nodded. ‘Fine. Next?’

That was too easy, and Gage was deeply suspicious of anything that came too easily to him. He expected more of a fight from her, on all things. ‘You don’t want to ask me why?’

A smirk played at the corners of her mouth. ‘Why, sugar, you’re my fiancé. I want to keep you happy. You should be pleased.’

He loathed it when she called him sugar. Gage narrowed his eyes. ‘Are you treating any of this seriously?’