Need You Now

Ethan smiled. She must have received his flowers, and if the furious expression on Kayla’s face was any indication, she was not happy about it. “And this couldn’t wait until our dinner tomorrow night?”

“No.”

“Well, then, by all means let’s talk.” He motioned with his arm for Kayla to follow him. He led her down the hall to the study where he’d been reading.

Once in the study, Kayla let him have it. “You have no right to send me a summons.”

“A summons?” Ethan’s brow rose. “I believe you’re mistaken. It was an invitation to dinner.”

Kayla pulled the envelope from her purse. “This was not an invitation because you did not expect to be turned down.”

Ethan sat down with his decanter in hand and folded one leg over the other. He sipped before speaking. “And I presume you are here at this hour—” he looked at his Movado watch and it read eight o’clock “—to decline my invitation.”

“I will not be ordered around, especially by you.”

Ethan’s mouth formed an O. “Especially by me. Why is that, Kayla? What do you have against me? Correct me if I’m wrong—” he rubbed his beard thoughtfully “—but had we not been interrupted the other night, you and I would have finally shared that long-awaited kiss you’ve always wanted. So what exactly is so abhorrent about sharing dinner with me?”

“You’re wrong!” Kayla responded even though her face turned several shades of red.

“Am I?” Ethan rose from the chair. “I think it’s time we find out exactly what’s between us. Don’t you?”

Kayla took a step back. “I wouldn’t share a meal with you if I was dying of hunger.”

Ethan chuckled. “Well, fortunately, you’re not.”

“Which is why I’m declining.”

“I refuse to take no for an answer.”

“You may not be used to hearing the word no, Ethan, but I meant what I said the other night. I want no part of you or your company.”

“Those are mighty big words for a woman in a bind. I would think you’d be chomping at the bit to pitch your investment strategy to me personally, as I am Graham International.”

“I have been looking after my family’s company for a long time, Ethan, and I most certainly don’t need you to bail me out.”

Ethan placed the decanter on a side table and walked toward her. Kayla stood up ramrod straight. She refused to be bullied by Ethan and was determined to stand up to him, even though butterflies were jumping around in her stomach at his nearness. She took a deep breath and calmed herself.

“No, I don’t imagine you need me just yet.” Ethan’s fierce brown eyes focused on hers, and Kayla found she couldn’t turn away from his piercing gaze that was drenched with hunger. “But you want me.”

Kayla swallowed hard.

“Oh, yes.” He watched Kayla nervously look downward. “You want me, but you’re afraid to show it. But that’s all right, I have no problem going for what I want.” Ethan grabbed Kayla by the shoulders and his mouth slammed down on hers, stealing her breath and fracturing her thoughts into a million pieces. Before she knew what was happening, he had her up against the bookshelves and was pressing his body against her. He cupped the back of her head as his mouth kissed her with fervor.

Kayla was unprepared for the onslaught of Ethan’s mouth on hers or the rush of excitement that coursed through her. She’d thought the kiss would be hard and fast but instead his lips were surprisingly gentle and soft as they searched hers. His tongue traced the outline of her lips and despite herself, she parted them, allowing him entry. His tongue slipped inside and he began plundering the inner recesses of her mouth. The kiss sent the pit of her stomach swirling and caused spirals of ecstasy to shoot straight through her. When he began sucking on her tongue voraciously, drawing her to him, Kayla gripped his arms and a moan escaped from her.

Ethan didn’t stop at kissing her. His hands were everywhere, touching her, caressing her breasts over her trench coat and cupping her bottom firmly against him as he deepened the kiss, fusing their two tongues as one. He tantalized and teased her equally, leaving her weak with need.

It was a slow, drugging kiss and when it was over, Kayla was shocked by her eager response. She dragged her mouth away from his and stepped away, embarrassed by her own wantonness. Was he right? Had she been waiting, wanting this all along? Her heart was pounding and her body ached for fulfillment. What was wrong with her? Her senses were reeling as if short-circuited.

“Now that was a proper kiss,” Ethan said. “And long overdue.”

His response snapped Kayla out of her kiss-induced daze. “You just had to put your foot in your mouth, didn’t you?” He’d broken the intimate moment between them and made Kayla realize just how close she’d come to losing control. She reached for her purse that had somehow fallen on the floor in the kiss and headed toward the door.

“Where are you going?” Ethan asked.

Kayla spun around. “Did you think that the next logical step was for us to go upstairs to bed? Because if so, you were dead wrong. The kiss was pleasant enough, but if you think it’s enough to render me free of my faculties, then you had better think again. I am not easily seduced, either out of my clothes or out of my company. Consider this your notice that I am declining your invitation to dinner. Have a good night.” Kayla stalked out of the room with as much dignity as was possible after she’d so easily succumbed to his charms.

On the other side of the wall, Ethan was stunned. Kayla Adams was a spitfire. And he loved it. She’d set his body ablaze, which was why a certain member was straining in his trousers.

He’d only meant to have a little taste, but instead her full lips had released a passion that had been lying dormant, and her well-defined rear end had him horny as hell. He could only imagine what it would be like to make love to such a siren. Kayla was like a wild Arabian horse. But he would look forward to riding her, because to tame her would be no fun at all.

Tonight, she’d shown her hand. That kiss had told him everything he needed to know. Kayla wanted him as much as he wanted her, but she would not come to him of her own accord. She was determined to show she was unaffected, which meant he was going to have to up the seduction.

An idea suddenly began to form in his head. He’d secretly wanted Kayla for years, but the rift in their families had never given him a chance to spend much time with her. But the more he saw of her now, the more convinced he became that she was what he’d always been looking for. He was well overdue to settle down and start a family. He needed a woman by his side who would complement him, who understood the business but was passionate enough in the bedroom to make him forget about it. A woman he could respect and who would be an excellent mother to his children. A woman who was beautiful yet confident, strong, intelligent, stubborn and sexy as hell. Kayla Adams fit the bill perfectly. If this idea came to fruition, he could have Kayla and correct the mistake Carter had made years ago with Byron. Kayla would hate him for it, but Ethan had a proposition for her. One she wouldn’t be able to turn down if she wanted to save her family’s company.

Chapter 4

Kayla was still lying in the bed the next morning and it was well after seven. She knew she should be getting ready for work, but how could she? She’d slept fitfully the night before. Visions of Ethan and the sudden surge of lust he’d evoked had kept her awake.

She told herself it was just curiosity from finally having the object of her teenage infatuation. Or maybe it was because it had been a long time since a man had roused that kind of passion in her. But she knew better. The sexual chemistry between them was so strong it had consumed her and shattered her resolve to keep him at bay. She was furious with her body’s betrayal. In the cold light of day, it was impossible to ignore that every part of her had wanted Ethan last night. The question was, what was she going to do about it?

Kayla was anxious. The prospectus listing the shares of Adams Cosmetics had gone out confidentially to several private investors and companies, but it had been over a week and she hadn’t heard a thing. She was beginning to worry that their company could be going up in smoke when her assistant, Myra, poked her head in the door.

“Kayla, are you free?”

Kayla smiled warmly at Myra. She had come a long way in the past two years. She’d started out as a mousy mess, but now after working with Kayla she was poised and confident and had no problem calling her by her first name. “Yes, what is it?”

“Ethan Graham is here to see you.”

“Excuse me?” Kayla’s head popped up from the file she was reading. She hadn’t expected to hear that name so soon, especially after their encounter last night. Sure, she suspected they would reconnect at some point, but not so soon.

“Umm, umm,” Kayla stammered and began shuffling the file around to close it. Myra stared back at her, clearly stunned to see her boss at a loss for words. “Tell him I’ll be with him in a minute.”

“There will be no minute,” Ethan said from the door of her office. “We’ll talk now.”

Kayla’s eyes rose to meet his and when she did, she inhaled sharply. Ethan’s mesmerizingly dark, deep-set eyes, the ones she’d gotten lost in as a naive young girl, were directly on her.

“Kayla.” Ethan walked toward her, commanding her absolute attention from his six-foot-three presence.

Kayla managed to tear her eyes away from Ethan for a second to tell her starstruck assistant, who was also staring at Ethan, “That will be all, thank you.”

“Ethan.” Since they were in a professional setting, Kayla offered her hand as she rose, which Ethan shook.

“You’re looking good,” Ethan stated, standing back to admire her in the two-piece navy suit she was wearing. It was completely professional, showing little of what he knew to be a curvy body underneath all those clothes.

“Ethan!”

“I don’t believe in wasting time,” Ethan returned as he sat across from her. “I believe in getting down to business.”