Seduction And The Ceo

Nine

There were a dozen reasons Melissa should have said no. Not the least of which was Stephanie’s resultant excitement and Royce’s knowing grin. There was also Melissa’s deception and the article and, though she hated to admit it, the very real possibility she was falling for Jared.

She glanced at his profile across the aisle in the compact private jet. Royce was in the pilot’s seat, while the two cream-colored, leather seats facing Melissa and Jared were empty. Four others behind them remained empty, as well.

Jared had offered her a drink and snacks after takeoff, but her stomach was too jumpy for either. Was she crazy? What if there were press at the charitable event? What if somebody recognized her?

As the jet began its descent, Jared reached across the aisle for her hand. “The ball’s at the Ritz-Carlton, so I booked us a suite. Royce is staying in my apartment.”

Melissa nodded. She’d have loved to see Jared’s apartment, but she understood he wanted them to be alone. And so did she. She wanted a night with him to herself-no Stephanie up the hill, no ranch hands next door and definitely no Royce in the neighboring bedroom.

Maybe heartache would hit her afterward. And she might be weeks recovering. But she knew a stolen fling with Jared would be worth it.

“You have a spa appointment tomorrow,” he continued. “And we can wander down North Michigan Avenue and find you a dress.”

“You do know how to spoil a girl.” She had several perfectly acceptable dresses at home, but she couldn’t admit that to Jared.

She felt another twinge of guilt over the deception. But it would end soon. And Jared might never read the article. Even if he did, he’d have to be pleased with it, she told herself. She intended to show him in a very good light.

His gaze was warm. “I’ll spoil you for as long as you want.”

“You don’t need to spoil me at all.” She brought his broad hand to her lips. “What I want from you is free.”

“I’d rather give it to you at the Ritz-Carlton.”

She affected a deep sassy drawl. “You can give it to me anywhere you like, cowboy.”

He pursed his lips and hissed a drawn-out exclamation. “I sure hope Royce plans to entertain himself after we land.”

“What are you doing now?” Stephanie’s voice came through Jared’s cell phone while he sat in a comfortable armchair by the window in St. Jacques boutique overlooking the lake.

“Watching Melissa try on dresses.” He’d made three overseas calls and consulted with his finance department while Melissa had paraded past in about a dozen dresses. She looked great in them all.

“I bet she looks gorgeous.”

“She does.”

Melissa walked out of the changing room in a short gold sheath with spaghetti straps and a diaphanous scarf. He wasn’t crazy about the scarf, but he liked the dress.

He held up four fingers. He’d been giving rankings out of five, since he’d been holding his PDA to his ear through the entire fashion show.

Melissa leaned forward and pointed to a looped gold-and-diamond necklace the salesclerk had fastened around her neck. He simply gave a thumbs-up to that.

“Did you have fun last night?” Stephanie asked.

“None of your business.”

“It’s quiet here. I miss you and Royce.”

“We miss you, too. Come to the party. Royce will pick you up.”

“I can’t.” She sighed. “We’ve got our first junior elite rider starting tomorrow. He’s been blowing them away on the young rider circuit.”

“That’s a good thing, right?”

“It’s a great thing.”

“Then quit your whining.”

Melissa pranced back into the changing room, and he wished he’d thought to comment on the shoes. Black, sleek and high, with flashing rhinestones around the ankles. He definitely wanted her to keep the shoes.

“Is this tough love?” Stephanie asked.

“Absolutely.”

“What’s going on with Melissa?”

“She’s going to blow them away tonight.”

“Will she blow you away?”

“Don’t get your hopes up, Steph.”

“You have to fall in love sometime.”

“Not necessarily.”

But then Melissa appeared again. This time she was wearing an emerald-green strapless party dress. The bodice was tight satin, stretched snugly over her breasts, while the skirt puffed out around her thighs, showing off her toned calves and sexy ankles. It was perfect for a late-night club. It was also dress number thirteen, and he realized he wanted to take her out in all of them.

“Gotta go,” he said to Stephanie, needing to end the conversation.

“Keep an open mind,” she called into the phone.

“Don’t worry.” No point in Stephanie worrying. Jared was the one who needed to worry.

He was starting to think about jobs for Melissa again, jobs at Ryder International. Or better still, jobs at affiliated companies in the city, so she wouldn’t work directly for him. But she’d still be around to date him.

He was starting to think about her skill set and who owed him favors. They had one more night together, then maybe half of tomorrow. But he knew that wasn’t going to do it for him. And that was a very worrisome development.

“She’s a knockout,” came Royce’s voice as he dropped into the armchair beside Jared. “No kidding.”

Melissa gave Royce a welcoming smile and a little wave.

Royce’s long lecherous look at her legs irritated Jared, worrying him all over again. Just how deep had he let himself fall?

“You serious about her?” Royce asked.

“Why?” Jared demanded, wondering what might have given him away.

Royce gave a smug grin. “Guess that answers my question.”

“She leaves for Seattle tomorrow.” And that was the disappointing truth. He’d suggested she stay longer, but she’d insisted she had to get back on her trip. Whatever feelings might be building inside Jared, this was the time to shut them down.

“You want me to fly her out?”

“No.” Jared did not. He might not be pursuing anything with Melissa himself, but that didn’t mean the field was open to his brother.

Royce’s grin widened. “This is fun.”

“Back off.”

“Not a chance.”

Melissa floated out in a calf-length ivory gown. It had snug, three-quarter-length, flat lace sleeves and a sweetheart neckline gathered with a line of jewels at mid-bust. There was a wide ribbon waist band and a two-layered, flowing skirt that flirted with her legs. She grinned and gave a twirl. Her diamond earrings twinkled under the bright lights.

Jared felt a tightening in his chest. A small bouquet of flowers, and she’d be the perfect bride. Her open smile told him she was oblivious to the image, but he wasn’t, and he drank in the sight for several long minutes.

He gave the dress a five, and she turned to walk away.

“Do I need to say it?” asked Royce.

“No.” Jared kept his focus on Melissa until she disappeared again.

“So how’re you going to keep her here?”

Jared gave up lying both to himself and to Royce. “I haven’t decided yet.”

They’d chosen a black silk dress with spaghetti straps and a metallic gold thread that made it shimmer under the ballroom lights. The skirt of the dress was full enough to make Melissa feel like a princess as she whirled around the dance floor in Jared’s arms to the music of a five-piece string band. Her rhinestone sandals were light on her feet. Her hair was upswept, and Jared had insisted on buying her the looped gold necklace and a set of matching earrings.

He looked roguishly sexy in his tuxedo. Having seen him in blue jeans, chaps and dust, she realized the formal clothes barely disguised the rugged man inside.

Champagne flowed, and the crystal chandeliers glittered around them as they moved past marble pillars, magnificent floral arrangements and the kaleidoscope of designer gowns. At one point, the mayor paused to chat. And everyone in the room knew and obviously respected Jared.

Though Melissa had promised herself the night was off the record, she’d decided to use a few of her impressions in the article. Jared was an intelligent, insightful man, with an amazing grasp of local issues and Chicago economic trends. There was no way she could leave that side of him out of the article.

Though she’d spent the first hour with an eagle eye out for press and anybody else who might recognize her, it turned out to be a private party. No press, and Jared’s social circle was far from hers. While she might recognize the notable figures from their pictures and television appearances, she knew they’d never recognize her.

She felt like Cinderella when they finally made their way out of the ballroom and into the promenade. Her arm was linked with Jared’s, and Royce was by their side.

“Barry left them at the front desk,” Royce was saying, thumbing a button on his PDA before he tucked it back into his breast pocket.

“I don’t want to work tonight,” said Jared, and he raised Melissa’s hand to his lips, giving her knuckles a tender kiss.

Royce sent Melissa a mock frown. “See what you’ve done? I’m usually the irresponsible brother.”

“Not tonight,” said Jared.

“Apparently not,” Royce growled.

“Is it important?” asked Melissa. She was anxious to get Jared alone in their suite, but his conversations at the ball had taught her his time was valuable. His business interests were even more significant and far-reaching than she’d realized.

“Yes,” said Royce.

“No,” Jared put in over top of his brother.

“Do you want to get up early, instead?” asked Royce.

“No,” Melissa quickly put in. She’d have to pretend to get on a plane to Seattle sometime tomorrow, but she’d been entertaining a glorious vision. One that featured a leisurely breakfast in bed with Jared, maybe a dip in their whirlpool tub and a long goodbye before they went their separate ways at, say, noon.

“Just sign them,” said Royce. “I’ll go over them with Barry before I countersign.”

“Who’s Barry?” asked Melissa.

“Ryder’s financial VP,” said Jared, and she could feel his hesitation.

“I don’t mind waiting,” she quickly put in as they stepped into an open elevator.

Royce quirked his brows at Jared, and Jared gave a nod. He pressed the button for the lobby. The door closed, and the car whooshed smoothly down twelve floors.

“I won’t be long,” Jared assured her, hand resting lightly on the small of her back as they stepped into the opulent lobby.

She gestured toward the far side of the huge room. “I’ll check out the paintings while I wait.”

He nodded, and left with Royce for the front desk.

It wasn’t much of a hardship to wander through the lobby. Marble walkways, elegant, French-provincial furnishings, magnificent sculpture and glorious flowers combined with the soft lighting to create a serene ambiance. It wasn’t the kind of hotel where Melissa normally stayed. Then again, this wasn’t exactly the kind of week she usually experienced, either.

Her heels clicked as she rounded the fountain, moving toward the main glass doors. There were a couple of furniture groupings that looked inviting. Her new shoes were comfortable, but the heels were high, and her calves were beginning to tighten up. A gold armchair beckoned. It would give her a nice view of the front desk. She could people-watch, while keeping an eye out for Jared.

But then she spotted a man on the sidewalk and halted in her tracks. He was in profile, smoking a cigarette in the muted light outside, but it was definitely Brandon Langard.

Melissa gasped, then whirled around before he could spot her. The rest of a lobby blurred in front of her panicked eyes.

“Melissa?” Her coworker Susan Alaric suddenly appeared in front of her. “Melissa? Oh, my God. You’re back. How’d it go?”

Melissa opened her mouth to speak, but only a squeak emerged.

Susan’s face nearly split with an excited grin. “Seth said you got on the ranch. Did you get the interview? Did Ryder figure out who you were?” She tipped her head back in glee. “Oh, man, Brandon is going to have a cow.”

Melissa grasped Susan’s arm. “Susan…” she rasped, but then her gaze caught Jared’s face over Susan’s shoulder, and her stomach roiled. “The Bizz is going to have the scoop of the year,” Susan finished. “The Bizz?” Jared’s voice and eyes both darkened to thunder.

Susan heard his voice and took in Melissa’s stricken expression. She twisted around to look at Jared. Then she swallowed. She opened her mouth, but gave up before she could find any words.

Royce appeared, taking in the trio. He noted Susan’s camera, then paused on his brother’s expression. “What the hell?”

“Jared…” Melissa began, mind scrambling with panic.

She’d explain it was a good article. It would focus on the most complimentary things. He was successful, hardworking and kind. And his family was wonderful. It wasn’t like they had any skeletons in their closets.

Okay, so there was the thing with his grandfather, but that wasn’t relevant, and she sure wasn’t going to write about that. And everything that had happened between them was way off the record. This wasn’t a tabloid tell-all. It was a serious journalistic piece.

But before she could pull her thoughts together, his hand closed over her arm and he pulled her away from Susan and Royce. “You lied to me.” His graveled voice was harsh in her ear.

She didn’t answer.

“You’re a reporter?” he demanded.

She closed her eyes, but then forced herself to nod the admission. “And I’m your subject.”

“Yes, but-”

“You are going to walk out that door.” He stopped, jerking her to face him. His words were measured, but she was subjected to the full glare of his anger. “You are going to walk out that door. You are going to do it quickly and quietly, and I never want to see you again.”

“But-”

“Do you understand me?”

“I’m not going-”

“Do you understand me?”

She closed her mouth and nodded, chest tight, throat closing in. She told herself he’d read the article. Eventually he’d know she hadn’t betrayed him.

“Good.” He flicked his hand from her arm, his eyes filled with contempt.

She had to try one more time. “Jared, please let me explain.”

“You already have. I know who you are. And I know what you’ve got.”

“I’m not going to-”

“Know this,” he cut her off, leaning in, lowering his voice to steel. “If you do anything to harm my family, I will destroy you.”

Then he turned away, sharply and with an absolute finality to his posture.

Before she could get another word out, he was past the fountain and heading for the elevators.

“Melissa?” Susan’s voice was hushed as she pressed against her shoulder.

“That was Jared Ryder.” Melissa’s voice was hollow. Her body was hollow. Her life was hollow. “No kidding.”

Melissa knew it didn’t matter what she wrote in the article, what secrets she kept or what she revealed, Jared was never going to forgive her. She’d never see him again, never be held in those strong arms, hear his voice, smell his skin, taste his passionate kisses. She realized now how very much she’d been counting on their last night together.

“You okay?” asked Susan.

Melissa forced herself to nod. Her eyes were burning, but she blinked the sting away.

“Wow,” Susan continued. “I hope your research was finished.”

Melissa didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Just then, she couldn’t have cared less about the article. “It is,” she told Susan.

“What are you doing here?” Susan glanced around the hotel lobby. “Brandon and I were hoping to catch the mayor.”

Melissa coughed a hollow laugh. “I chatted with the mayor upstairs.”

“Really?” Susan took in the dress. “You were at the Genevieve Memorial Fund ball?”

“Jared and, uh, his brother invited me along.” The last thing in the world she wanted to do was invite questions about her relationship with Jared.

“Wow,” said Susan, gaze going to the elevator where the two men had disappeared. “I am in awe.”

Where Melissa was exhausted, both emotionally and physically. It had been a week of hard work and long nights. She’d labored over the article every spare minute. Well, every spare minute that she hadn’t been falling-

She froze for a second, drew a stunned breath and closed her eyes.

Every spare minute that she hadn’t been falling in love with Jared.

Her hands curled into fists, and she fought against the knowledge that had just exploded in her brain.

“Your article is going to kick butt,” Susan was saying.

How could Melissa have been so stupid? Why hadn’t she seen it coming? She should have done something to stop it. But no, she’d hung around him like an eager little puppy dog, throwing herself into his arms, into his bed, pretending she somehow belonged in his life.

Susan squeezed Melissa’s shoulder. “You are so going to get that promotion. Seth might even smile.” She paused. “Hey, Brandon’s outside. You think we should go tell him?”

“No.” The word jumped out with more force than she’d intended. But Melissa didn’t want to talk to Brandon or anyone else. She wanted to go home and hole up alone in her apartment. Some way, somehow, she had to get over Jared and get words on the page in the next twenty-four hours.

“You slept with a reporter?” Royce confirmed the obvious as the hotel-suite door swung shut behind them.

The fact that Jared had slept with Melissa was the least of his worries. Sure, maybe she could write about seeing him naked or detail his kisses and pillow talk. But it wasn’t like he was into handcuffs or women in French-maid outfits.

“You didn’t suspect?” Royce went straight for the bar, snagging a bottle of single malt from the mirrored top shelf.

He flipped two crystal glasses over, ignored the ice bucket and filled the tumblers to halfway.

“Yeah,” said Jared. “I suspected. But I figured, what the hell? She’s got a great ass. Why not sleep with somebody who’ll splash it all over the front page?”

Royce rounded the bar again. “Sarcasm’s not going to help.”

“Neither are stupid questions.” Jared took one of the glasses and downed a hefty swallow.

“Nothing gave her away?”

Jared dropped into an armchair. “She was a stable hand. We have dozens of them. Yeah, she didn’t know much about horses. And maybe her background was vague. And maybe she seemed too smart for a drifter. Which was what attracted me in the first place. She was…”

Royce cocked his head meaningfully.

“Son of a bitch,” said Jared and polished off the scotch.

He’d let his sex drive override his logic. It was a clichéd, blatant, pathetic scenario. And he’d bought it hook, line and sinker. “She slept with me to get a story.”

“That surprises you?”

Yes. It surprised him. He knew there were women in the world who used sex as a bargaining chip. He met them all the time. But Melissa sure hadn’t struck him as one of those. She was down-to-earth, honest, classy.

“She told me she had brothers.” Jared coughed out a flat chuckle. “I was afraid they might come after me.”

“For defiling their sister?”

“I think about Stephanie sometimes…”

Royce stood and picked up the empty glasses. “Someday, some guy’s going to sleep with Stephanie.”

“He better be in love with her.”

“He’d better be married to her.” Royce poured a refill for each of them. This time, he added ice, then he wandered back to the opposite armchair.

“So what does she know?” he asked.

Jared slouched back, loosening his tie and flicking his top shirt button open. “The ranch, Stephanie’s jumping, you, Anthony, the Genevieve Fund.”

“What you look like naked,” Royce put in.

Jared waved a dismissive hand. “It’s not like we took pictures.”

“Good to know.”

Jared gazed out the wide window, letting his vision go soft on the city lights. He’d expected the night to turn out very differently. Even now, even knowing Melissa was a traitor, on some level he wished she was lying in the king-size bed, sexy, naked, waiting for him to join her.

“What’s she got?” Royce asked quietly.

Jared blinked his attention back to his brother.

He had to tell him. There was no way around it.

He’d been colossally stupid to share it with a perfect stranger.

“Gramps,” he said. Then he tugged off his tie, tossing it on the table.

Royce’s eyes narrowed.

“He told me something. Right before he died.” Jared drew a breath. “He told me Dad killed Frank Stanton.”

The room went completely silent.

Jared dared to flick a glance at Royce.

His brother was still, eyes unblinking, hands loose on the padded arms of the chair. “I know.”

Jared drew back. “What?”

Royce took a sip of his drink. “I’ve always known.”

Jared took a second to process the information. Royce knew? He’d kept silent all these years?

“I don’t understand,” said Jared.

Royce came to his feet, then carried his drink across the room, turning when he came to the window. “The day it happened. The day they died. I found a letter Mom had written to Dad. It was half-finished. It said she loved Frank. It said she was leaving Dad. She was leaving us.” He took another sip. “You didn’t tell me?”

His brother was silent for a long moment. “You know, sometimes, when you have to keep a secret? The only person who can know is you. The second-” he snapped his fingers “-the second you let that knowledge out of your brain, you put it at risk. I knew that. Even at thirteen years old.”

Jared couldn’t believe his brother hadn’t trusted him. “I would never have-”

“Our father was a murderer. Our mother was unfaithful. And Stephanie was two years old.”

“You should have-”

“No. I shouldn’t have. I didn’t. And I was right.” Royce paused. “I didn’t know Gramps knew.”

“He threw the gun in the river,” said Jared.

Royce gave a half smile. “Good for him.”

“He got rid of the gun before they found Mom and Dad. He thought Dad would go on trial for murder.”

“Yeah.” Royce returned to his chair. “Well, what do you do? He protected his son. Who are we to decide how far a man goes?”

“Do you kill your wife’s lover?” The question had been nagging at Jared for weeks now. He couldn’t help picturing Melissa. And he couldn’t stop the cold rage that boiled up inside him at the thought of another man.

“I don’t have a wife,” said Royce. “I don’t have to make that decision.”

Jared nodded. “Simpler that way.”

“It is,” Royce agreed. He sat back down. “Do we tell Stephanie?”

Jared hated the thought of hurting his sister. But if the story came out in the article, she needed to be prepared. He hoped it wouldn’t come to that, but he feared it might.

“Not yet,” he answered Royce.

The Bizz was a monthly magazine. He’d have at least a few days to think about solutions.

So far, all he’d come up with was a plan to kidnap Melissa and lock her up in a tower in Tasmania or Madagascar with no telephone or Internet. Unfortunately his mind kept putting himself in the tower with her, in a big bed, where they’d make love until he tired of her. Which, if his wayward imagination was anything to go by, would take a very, very long time.