The Jarrods: Inheritance: Taming Her Billionaire Boss

Right then she heard him coming back and she quickly blinked away any suggestion of tears. He wouldn’t want to know. Otherwise he’d think she hadn’t been able to handle it, when it was merely because she hadn’t expected to be quite so touched by all this.

He gave a sexy smile as he dropped down and leaned over to kiss her. “How do you feel?” he murmured, pulling back and looking into her eyes.

She was fully aware of his nakedness next to her. She could easily reach out and touch him. “Wonderful.”

He looked pleased as he lifted the throw and slid under it to lie on his back, pulling her against his chest and kissing the top of her head but being careful of her injury. “Is that better?”

She was glad he couldn’t look into her eyes. “Much.”

He chuckled, his breath stirring her hair. “Who knew, eh?”

“What?”

“That we’d be so good together.”

She’d never doubted it. “We work well together in business, so why not in bed?”

“True.”

After that, they lay in quiet. The fire crackled and the clock on the wall ticked the seconds by. Samantha began to feel sleepy. There was no place she’d rather be in the world right now, she thought, as her eyelids drifted shut and she listened to the tick tock … tick tock … tick … she loved him … tock.

Startled, she jumped. Dear God, she loved him.

“What’s wrong?”

Her brain stumbled. Panic whorled inside her. The ability to speak deserted her for a moment … and then somehow she pulled herself together. “What? Oh, nothing. I think I fell asleep too fast.”

“Don’t worry. There’s no chance of that happening again just yet.” He put his hand under her chin, lowering his head and lifting her mouth up to his. She quickly closed her eyes, hiding them from him, hiding her deepest secret. She’d betrayed him by falling in love with him. And she’d betrayed herself. She hadn’t wanted to love him. She had never intended for that to happen.

Then he kissed her and the slow, delicious process of making love to her started again. She prayed to God for the strength not to reveal her love for this man who was leaving his mark on her like no one had ever done before. She couldn’t afford to give her feelings away, or their relationship would be over before it had really begun. Wanting Blake had been hard enough.

Loving him was going to be intolerable.

Eight (#ulink_fd34e85a-2d20-5d5a-bae2-bc288974880f)

Blake made love to her many times during the night, both downstairs and in his bed. Samantha had never known such bliss, but by the time the next morning rolled around and she’d gone back to her own room to get dressed for work, she had a thousand worries inside her head. She loved Blake and that presented so many problems. She’d virtually promised him she wouldn’t fall for him. Now it seemed like she’d gone back on her word.

Worse, somewhere along the line she hadn’t exactly “fallen” for him. No, she’d skipped that bit and had progressed straight to loving him. They’d worked together so closely these past two years, she already knew Blake was the type of man she admired and respected. And falling “in” love implied she could fall “out” of love with him—like she’d done with Carl. With Blake, she knew there would be no retracting her love for him.

If only she could.

Oh, God, loving Blake had taken her further with her emotions than she’d ever dared venture. And now she had to survive until she could leave for good. She had to remain tough. She would constantly have to keep something of herself back. Last night during their lovemaking, she’d only managed to keep a lid on it through sheer terror—only by telling herself he would run in the other direction if he knew how deep her feelings went. Talk about emotional involvement on her part!

And now more than ever she had to leave at the end of her month’s contract. She couldn’t stay permanently. Blake had been honest enough to admit he couldn’t handle emotional involvement and she believed him. If he discovered she loved him, he’d be horrified. He’d probably have her on the next plane out of Aspen before she could blink. Even if he didn’t, she couldn’t risk giving him such a strong emotive power over her. A power he might use in and out of the bedroom to get her to stay.

For all the wrong reasons.

Yet would Blake manipulate her in such a way? He was, after all, the man she loved. An honorable man. Would he really do any of those things? Her heart remembered his generous lovemaking and said no. Her head remembered the hard businessman and said maybe.

Making love to a woman certainly changed things, Blake decided as he watched Samantha eat breakfast in the hotel restaurant. He’d sat opposite her like this many times in the last two years but it had always been about work. Now all he could think about was being inside her again.

She’d been so generously tight last night when he’d finally buried himself in her softness. It had almost sent him straight into orgasm. Only the need to give her more pleasure had held him back. Never before had that happened to him. He’d always made sure his partner had been fulfilled before taking his own pleasure, but this time her pleasure had been totally his. It had been the ultimate experience for him. How could that other man—that Carl—not have wanted her in his bed? Idiot!

“Tell me something, Blake,” she said, cutting into his thoughts as he buttered a slice of toast.

“Anything.” Well, not quite anything. He wasn’t up for a meaningful discussion this morning. He merely wanted to sit here and soak up this beautiful woman in front of him.

She tilted her brunette head to one side. “Did you tell Andy to add the candles last night at dinner?”

He was relieved at the simple question. “Sorry, no. I wasn’t planning on seduction. At least, not until I was sure you could handle becoming my lover.” He smiled. “I’ll light you some candles tonight, though.”

A feathery blush ran across her cheeks but she looked pleased. “I’ve just realized something. You’re a romantic, Blake Jarrod.”

“Sometimes.” He liked to romance a woman as much as the next guy. “But don’t get the wrong idea that I’m a softie.”

She nodded. “Got it. Hard in business. Good in bed.”

He gave a low laugh. “I like that assessment.” He also liked to think he was both things in and out of bed, but he wouldn’t embarrass her further. Not here.

But tonight …

“I keep forgetting to mention this,” she said, “but I haven’t thanked you for taking such good care of me the other night.”

“Oh, I think you did thank me,” he said pointedly. “And you can thank me again later.”

“Blake!” she hissed, but he could see she was enjoying this sexual interplay.

“What?” he drawled. “I’m just saying—”

A figure appeared at their table. “There you are, Sam,” Joel said, giving them both a smile but causing Blake’s mouth to clamp shut. “I’m glad I caught you. How are you this morning? How’s the head?”

“Fine, Joel. No aftereffects at all,” she assured the doctor.

“You’re taking things easy, I hope?”

Her eyes made a quick dart across the table then back up at the other man. “Yes.” Her cheeks had grown a little warm and that in itself appeased Blake.

“Good. Then how about we take in that movie tonight?”

She looked at Blake again. “Oh, Joel, I’m sorry, I can’t.”

“Tomorrow night, then?”

Blake held his tongue. He wanted to lay claim to Samantha and tell the other man to shove off, but he’d first give her the opportunity to do it.

“Um, Joel. Perhaps not.” She shifted in her seat. “I’m returning to Vegas in less than two weeks’ time and then I’m going home to Pasadena for good once I wrap things up there. So, you see, there’s a lot to be done here right now. I need to work full-on with Blake until then.”

Blake was dumbfounded.