A difficult Man to Love - EPUB by Elizabeth Lennox (4)

Chapter 2

“This isn’t going to work,” Hayden chanted under her breath, feeling like a beggar as she stepped into the beautifully decorated office. Smoothing her hands down over her hips, she wondered if she looked as pathetic as she felt. Her borrowed dress was too big while her shoes were too small. It was irritatingly hard to look confident when one was wearing an ill-fitting, borrowed outfit.

“What am I doing here?” she whispered as she stared out the floor to ceiling windows. The view was magnificent! She’d never seen Washington, D.C. from this height before. The headquarters to Chenko Industries wasn’t actually in Washington, D.C. but was right across the Potomac River in Arlington, Virginia, hence the sky rise building and the amazing view. The buildings in Washington, D.C. weren’t very high. There was an old law limiting the height of buildings in the nation’s capital to be no higher than one hundred and ten feet. That law had been amended, but the buildings still couldn’t be very high. Hence, any tall buildings were constructed just outside the actual city limits in both Virginia and Maryland.

And there were very few plants, she thought.

Her eyes scanned the horizon, looking for green. There was the National Mall, which was a swath of grass going from the Capital building all the way down to the Lincoln Memorial with the Washington Monument right in the middle. The grass was lined with big, tall, beautiful trees, but…

With a sigh, she turned away from the view. She was focusing on the wrong things. Finding patches of green amidst the sea of concrete structures was not going to help her figure out how to broach the subject of selling her land. Especially not after her last meeting with the loathsome male. She’d been so adamant, so firm about not selling her family’s land and home to the man who had…well, he’d irritated her with his arrogance and…and his eyes. Yeah, his eyes had conveyed a completely different conversation.

Of course, that wasn’t the reason she’d refused to sell to him, it had only been why she’d been so rude.

Hayden pulled oxygen into her lungs, trying to get her head back in gear. It was just the thought of how tall he was that was making her feel like this. Shaky. Nervous. She wasn’t excited. Nope. She rejected the possibility that this this tingling sensation was excitement.

He was a challenge, she told herself. And Hayden always loved a challenge.

Even when she looked like a pauper, Hayden thought with a bit of humor. The borrowed clothes didn’t fit her properly and everyone could see that. Even the man’s assistant had looked down her nose at Hayden’s dress and shoes.

Ugh! There was nothing to be done about it though. She was a glorified farmer, just like her father and grandfather. She might have a degree in botany and know the technical details on how to grow things and she grew things that made a yard more beautiful instead of something one could put on a table, but in essence, she was still a farmer. Nothing more, nothing less.

Normally, she derived a great deal of pride in her work, loving the plants that she raised and knowing that her “babies” were superior, healthier. But, in this kind of corporate environment, she was only human and she felt…awkward. Amid the beautiful ladies who knew how to elegantly walk into a room in heels and converse on just about any subject, how to sway their hips so that a man took a second look, Hayden felt like a schoolgirl playing dress-up.

Lifting her chin, she shook off her self-pitying thoughts. She shouldn’t concern herself with someone else’s opinion. She knew who she was. Deep down inside, she was a good person. She didn’t lie, cheat, or steal. She loved to read anything she could get her hands on and she cared about the world and her community. At the end of the day, being a good person was all one could ask, right? Knowing how to buy the perfect dress was not her priority.

Shake it off, girl!

Viktor’s hands crumbled the note his assistant had given him. She was here. The gorgeously defiant, stunning woman from the plant nursery was waiting for him in his office. Storming out of the meeting without any explanation didn’t concern him. His second in command could take charge. Nothing else mattered because…Hayden Ferrant was in his office.

The woman had haunted his dreams over the past month. He’d thought of her too many times, smiling over the stubborn tilt of her jaw, which was such a contradiction to her adorable nose and her soft, full lips.

Walking down the hallway, he accepted that he was more interested in this woman because she’d defied him, threw his offer to buy her land in his face. Yes, she was lovely. But he had been around many beautiful women over his lifetime. They were always around, always more than willing. But Hayden Ferrant…chert! She was one of a kind. Smart, unconsciously sexy, and independent to a fault. Despite her lack of creature comforts, she had scoffed at his offer.

Stepping through the door, he watched the delicate beauty walk around his office, amazed by the innate elegance in her movements. He was fascinated. What was it about this woman? From the first moment he’d met her, Viktor knew that he’d acted out of character. He always crushed the competition. With this woman…she fascinated him!

As he watched, she smoothed her hands down over her slender hips and he almost growled with the desire to do that himself.

How the hell could she look so elegant in a dress that was two sizes too big for her fine boned figure? Her hair looked…soft, even though it was pinned up in what might have been an elegant twist, but soft wisps of dark curls escaped, gently framing her lovely features. Her beauty wasn’t tied up in superficial accoutrements. Her elegance and self-confidence was just who she was.

That sense of self was what made her so…alluring. Enticing.

Beautiful.

Pulling himself out of his contemplation of her figure, he closed the door to his office and walked purposefully towards his desk. “Ms. Ferrant. I thought we’d concluded our business during our last conversation,” he commented conversationally. His hand silently invited her to sit in one of the leather chairs in front of his desk. “To what do I owe this visit today, then?”

As he came around to sit in the big, leather chair, Viktor was once again shocked by the beauty of her eyes. Those lashes! Long, dark, and thick, those lashes framed eyes that belonged to a cat, he thought. A mischievous, adorable, sexy cat. And those lips! Damn, his body was contemplating what she might taste like, feeling those lips against his mouth as she kissed him back.

She blinked at him and all thoughts of sexy cats and purring kittens vanished. There was a defiance there that immediately captured his attention. Gone was the confident woman who had basically told him to go to hell last month when he’d offered to buy her house and farmland. At this moment, she looked like she was about to burst into tears and all of his previously non-existent protective instincts kicked into high gear.

Those shockingly blue eyes glared at him and he wanted to laugh. Such anger! And in so beautiful a woman.

“I was wondering if the offer to buy my family’s land and house was still available,” she explained stiffly.

Viktor watched with a fascination that bordered on fury as she licked her lips. Was she doing that on purpose? Was she trying to sexually torment him?

Women had tried their little tricks on him before, never succeeding. If he was interested, he would allow a woman to lure him into her arms. If he wasn’t interested, he would walk away.

So why was this woman’s seemingly unconscious gesture making his body harden with a desire that almost doubled him over with need?

Perhaps it was that unconscious defiance tied to the sexual come-on. He wasn’t sure, but it was powerful.

The trembling of her fingers as she smoothed her skirt down over her knees was his first clue that she wasn’t doing this to him on purpose. Every gesture, every covert glance through those thick lashes was…genuine? Impossible!

So, why was she pushing the hemline of her skirt down? If she were trying to play him, she’d be sliding that hemline higher, to give him a glimpse of what was being offered.

“So…?” she prompted.

Viktor looked at the nervous beauty sitting so primly on the other side of his desk. He’d done his research on this woman. She ran one of the best plant nurseries in the area. Her plants were healthier than anyone else’s and she had a larger, more diversified stock. But as much as the woman knew about plants and growing things, she knew nothing about business. She was in debt up to her pretty, blue eyes, underpriced her products, and had no ongoing collections efforts, which allowed her customers to walk all over her.

A month ago, he’d told himself he was collecting information in order to put her out of business. He needed her land in order to start a development project in that area. As his research team pulled more and more information together on this woman, the only hindrance left to the bigger picture of developing the land, he’d thought of about twenty different ways to pressure her into selling him her land.

But he hadn’t implemented any of them.

And now she was sitting here, looking shockingly beautiful and still defiant, yet ready to sell him the land he needed, without any effort on his part.

“No,” he told her, unaware of the intensity of his look as his mind worked through his next move.

When her eyes dropped, he could have sworn that he saw the glint of a tear. Damn it, tears had never bothered him before. Why did the glisten in her beautiful eyes make him want to lift her up into his arms and tell her that he’d make everything okay?

“I see,” she was saying. Her fingers trembled in earnest now as she picked up her purse. Holding that ragged accessory against her stomach, he suspected that she was having trouble absorbing his answer and his gut churned with acid. “I’m so sorry to have wasted your time.”

He saw her prepare to leave and everything inside of him wanted her to stay. He didn’t examine his motives too closely as he quickly made up his mind. “But I’ll save your business.”

Those crystal blue eyes looked up at him, surprised, but not nearly as surprised as he was. Just two days ago, he’d had a meeting to determine how and when to put her out of business. Now, he was saying he would save it?

It was her eyes, he thought. As the startling blue stared across his desk at him, he felt like he’d just been punched in the gut. How could a pair of pretty eyes have such an impact?

“I’m…sorry?”

Viktor stood up and came around to the other side of his desk. Leaning against the steel and glass, he looked down at her, wanting to banish the fear and worry in those lovely eyes. “Marry me and I’ll save your business.”

The shock in her eyes was nothing compared to what he was feeling. Marriage? Where the hell had that thought come from? A long time ago, he’d vowed never to marry and now a pair of pretty blue eyes had him proposing?

And yet, when those eyes blinked up at him, he knew that he wouldn’t take back the words.

There was a short burst of shocked laughter as she looked at him carefully. “I’m sorry?”

“I want a wife, children. A legacy,” he told her. Every word, the very idea, was exactly right somehow. With this woman. Just thinking about having her in his bed, that beautiful, dark hair spread out, her soft, red lips smiling up at him, inviting him…damn, the image made his body throb with need. The need to possess her. Protect her.

She blinked again, that sexy tongue darting out to lick those lips that he badly wanted to taste. “Um…well. That’s very nice,” she replied, bemused, those soft, full lips forming the words carefully. Almost as if she had to concentrate in order to get them out.

He laughed softly, taking her hand and lifting her out of the chair. Her fingers were soft, but he could feel her trembling now. It wasn’t just in her hands either. He knew that she was shaking all over. She might be strong and competent when surrounded by plants, but she was nervous and terrified around him. Yes, he was a big man, but the last time they had met, that afternoon out at her house, she’d stood up to him, glared at him, and tossed his offer to buy her house and land back at him.

He almost laughed at himself. He was pretty sure she was wondering what had changed, trying to figure out what was going on.

“I’m sure you are a bit stunned,” he continued conversationally as he held her hand. “I assure you, this is generally how I do business. When I see something I want, I find a way to get it.”

She blinked and he detected more amusement in her eyes now. “And you want me?”

“Yes. But I believe you are taking this the wrong way.”

The amusement changed subtly. No one could ever accuse her of being soft, he thought with increasing admiration. This woman had a spine! A strong one! No matter how dire her circumstances, she wouldn’t be pushed around or manipulated.

“Mr. Chenko, I respect your business acumen, but I admit that I’m appalled at your personal interactions if this is any indication on how you deal with women.” Her shoulders straightened and she glared up at him. “You can see a car or a house, or even a company, and want it, then go after it. But women are not objects to be acquired.”

He chuckled. “You are correct, my dear.”

Her adorable chin went up a notch and that gesture turned him on even more. “I’m not your ‘dear’ in any way, Mr. Chenko.”

Viktor watched as she straightened her shoulders even more, thinking she might just snap if she stiffened anymore. But she was also stunningly beautiful. Damn, he loved an intelligent, beautiful, confident woman. And one that stood up to him, sticking to her morals despite the desperation he sensed deep inside of her? Even more incredible! Was there anything about her that he didn’t like?

Not much, he acknowledged. Even during their first meeting, he’d been turned on as those crystal blue eyes had glared up at him. What was it about this woman?

Full discloser, he thought as he watched her unconsciously entice him. “I’m not nice, Hayden. Never think that. Don’t let anyone tell you that either. I’m not nice.” He let those words sink in as his hand tightened around her fingers, trying to convey some of his strength, show her how much he admired her integrity. “I’m one of the meanest men you’ll ever meet. But I know business. I know how to crush the competition and, if you’ll marry me, I’ll show you how to grow yours.”

That’s when he saw it and knew that his words had gotten through to her. He wasn’t sure which words, but he guessed he still wasn’t winning her over on the marriage proposal. Most likely, she wanted to learn. Yes, beautiful, intelligent women wanted information.

Simply seeing that yearning for knowledge in her eyes made his body react.

The woman shook her head, unaware of the dark wisp of hair that had fallen out of the twist at the back of her neck, softening her look even further. “I don’t understand.”

“Your business is failing, your house is falling apart, you owe tens of thousands of dollars in property taxes that you can’t pay. Your bank balance is in the single digits and you look like you haven’t slept in about a week.” He waited a moment. “How am I doing? Pretty close to the truth?”

She started to shake her head, but with a raised, knowing eyebrow, he stopped that denial. He almost kissed her when those shoulders stiffened and her chin jutted out once more. Defiance! Damn, he liked that! She might be at about the lowest point in her life, but she still had pride!

“That all might be true, but I don’t think it is any business of yours.”

He laughed slightly. “You don’t understand, my dear. I’ve made it my business to know about yours. Your stretch of land sits on the edge of Interstate sixty-six. I’ve already bought up all the land surrounding yours. I need your farmland in order to finalize the details on a large-scale development.” Normally, he wouldn’t tell anyone his plans. Why he was doing so now was as much of a mystery to him as his recent marriage proposal.

“So, why won’t you simply buy my land?” she demanded.

Good question he thought as he stared down into her confused eyes. In his mind though, it was pretty simple. “Because I want you,” he told her. That much was true. He’d wanted her from their first meeting. Hell, from the first time he’d spotted her. She’d been wearing dirty jeans and a giant sweatshirt, a straw hat that should have been tossed into the garbage fifty years ago. But she’d smiled up at him and he’d been a goner. Those blue eyes, those soft lips, and the sexy ass that he’d spied despite her best efforts to hide her figure…he’d wanted her.

Now he’d decided that he wanted more. He wanted all of her.

Yes, he probably should approach her in a more traditional manner, but that simply wasn’t the way he worked. Perhaps a more gentle approach would convince her of his sincerity but…

“I need a wife. I want a family. You need freedom from crippling debts. Seems like a situation in which we can both get what we need.” He moved closer, one finger coming up to trace against her incredibly soft skin, feeling the pulse at the base of her neck and he wanted to pull her into his arms and reassure her that everything would be okay. “I can make you the queen of your area, Hayden.” He wanted to protect her from everything, including her own lack of business sense. She was too kind, too compassionate. That kindness and empathy for everyone who crossed her path was the reason her business was failing. But it was also the reason he wanted her to be his wife.

Hayden as his wife would be the crowning glory to his business empire. She was strong and compassionate, creative and enticing. A complete failure at business, but that’s where he could come in and help her. And yes, he was willing to soften his interactions with her. She would balance him as well. Hayden was perfect in every way.

Hayden stared up at the man who towered over her by at least a foot. Staring up into his grey eyes, she saw something there that was unexpected. Five minutes ago, she was asserting her hatred for the man. But now, seeing that startling expression in his eyes, that flash of…something…made her want to pull him into her arms and comfort him. Yes, the man was packed with muscle, had more money that she could even imagine. And yes, she suspected he was mean, heartless, and possibly cruel to his competitors.

But what she saw at this moment was…vulnerability? Yes. It was brief. Barely there. But now…she saw a gentleness. A man who called out to her. A man who needed her.

She’d never been needed before. Not since her parents had died. Oh, Natalie needed her and was a wonderful friend. Alejandro needed her, if for nothing else but to help him learn to grow things, since his mother was a disaster in that area. Kate…there was something about Kate that was strong and yet, at the same time, a wariness surrounded her. It was almost as if Kate was looking over her shoulder. But the woman was warm and outrageously generous, always helping out anyone in need.

No, Viktor Chenko needed her in a different way. It was strange. It was wrong. She felt foolish for even thinking it. And no, there was absolutely no way she would consider marrying this man. But seeing that look in his eyes, she couldn’t bring herself to reject him. Not yet anyway.

“Can I think about it?” she asked softly. Of course she wouldn’t accept a marriage proposal. She didn’t even know this man. Why he would even suggest something so outrageous was beyond her, but she couldn’t bring herself to say no. She didn’t want to hurt his feelings. Silly, yes, but there it was.

“I will expect your answer in twenty-four hours,” he told her, squeezing her hand more firmly in his. “Come, I will drive you home.”

Hayden’s mouth fell open with shock. “Umm…I don’t…you don’t need to drive me, Mr. Chenko,” she told him, racing to keep up with his longer stride since he still had control of her hand and, if his grip was any indication, he wasn’t giving it up.

He stopped and looked down at her, those grey eyes slicing through her rejection and making her heart ache for the need she saw in those eyes.

“You don’t own a car, so I’m guessing you took the train and bus into the city. Am I correct?” he asked, looking down at her as he pressed the elevator call button.

She shrank back from the hard look in his eyes, not wanting to feel anything for this man. She barely knew him! It was ridiculous to think that he needed her. And yet….

Car. Trains. Focus! He’d asked her a question and was waiting, patiently she supposed. “Well, yes, but I can…”

“You will call me Viktor, and I will drive you home. We are practically engaged. I don’t allow my fiancée to take public transportation.”

The elevator doors opened up at the same time Hayden’s mouth did. But as the doors closed on the two of them, her temper flared. “Excuse me, Mr. Chenko, but I never agreed to marry you. We are not engaged and public transportation is perfectly respectable.”

“I will drive you,” he repeated, his tone indicating that the argument was over. “And why do you look so tired?”

The elevator was fast, faster than she would have thought possible considering the size of the building. When the doors opened, she didn’t feel comfortable discussing their personal business in the crowded lobby area.

Before she understood what was happening, he was handing her into a long, black limousine. “I don’t…” she shook her head but the dim interior of the vehicle stopped her words. Or maybe it was the enormous man stepping in and sitting down next to her. He would have settled on top of her, but she scrambled away just in the nick of time. “Mr. Chenko, this isn’t…”

“You will call me Viktor,” he told her again. “And we were discussing your lack of sleep.”

Her lips pressed together angrily for a moment before she responded. “I was trying to discuss your arrogant, obnoxious attitude. But let me pause here to tell you that you are being an ass!”

Hayden was shocked when he threw back his head and laughed. She’d just insulted the man and he was laughing? She doubted she would ever understand him.

Hayden pressed her lips together, trying not to smile, surprised, and…dare she say it, impressed? Yes, Hayden was impressed that he hadn’t lashed out at her insult even though she knew that she should be offended. The man really was too dictatorial, but…her mind recalled that brief moment of vulnerability. Of hope. Besides, maybe if she gave a bit of his arrogance back, he would recognize it. Teach him a bit of a lesson. “I don’t think you should concern yourself with my lack of sleep, Mr. Chenko,” she advised, deliberately poking the bear. “It might come across as nice.”

She saw his eyes change and, goodness, was that another flash of humor? “You remember the last time we met, correct?”

Hayden’s fingers curled up into fists as the memories of their last interaction hit her hard. “That last meeting isn’t relevant to this conversation.”

“Of course it is relevant,” he argued, his accent thickening as his eyes dropped to her lips.

“Stop that,” she ordered, unaware of how she was holding her breath. She didn’t want to know what it was like to kiss this man. She couldn’t! It had taken her several days to come to terms with the way she’d reacted to him the last time. Hayden never lashed out in anger towards others, but Viktor Chenko had just…well, he’d pushed her buttons, and she’d been rude and insulting the last time they’d discussed the sale of her property. And now…? Now, she was wondering what it would be like to be kissed by him? The dichotomous reactions were…disconcerting and confusing. She absolutely couldn’t allow him to kiss her now!

Thankfully, his eyes moved back up to hers and she breathed a sigh of relief. Smoothing her hands down over her knees, she looked out the window at the passing landmarks. “You really don’t need to drive me back home. I can get there…”

“Nonsense. It took you approximately two hours to get to my office this morning, did it not?”

Hayden’s lips pressed together even as her eyes flicked up to his nervously. “That’s not the point. I’m just saying that…”

“You’re saying that you are too nervous to be in my company for an extended period of time because you are afraid of what might happen.”

Hayden glared up at the man, refusing to either confirm or deny his statement. “Your arrogance continues to astound me, Mr. Chenko. And the metro station is two miles ahead. Please inform your driver that I’m getting out.”

Of course, he didn’t say anything to his driver!

“What caused you to come to my office today?” he asked, taking one of her hands and uncurling her fist.

Hayden watched in terrified fascination as the man who had invaded her dreams way too many nights lately, extended her fingers and then pressed her hand against his thigh. Not high up, she realized. But high enough! Her hand could feel the rock solid strength of him underneath her hand and it took everything inside of her to not press her fingers against those muscles.

The outside world was whizzing past, oblivious to the building tension inside the limousine. Hayden wanted so desperately to both jump out of the vehicle and also to climb onto his lap and press her lips against the tanned skin of his neck. What was it about this man that called to her, made her want to do things that had never occurred to her before?

“I need to…”

“You need to follow your instincts, Hayden.”

She tilted her head slightly, looking at him curiously. “How often do you follow your instincts?” Licking her lip slightly, she turned so that she was facing him more fully. “I would have said that you were the kind of man who gathered facts first and acted on logic.” Her eyes moved over each of his features, noting how he wasn’t a handsome man. Not at all. He was actually very harsh, almost raw looking. His lips were almost non-existent, the skin across his cheeks stretched taut, as if he were constantly ready to strike. And those grey eyes! Goodness, they were hard. Unmerciful!

So, why did she keep thinking that there was a quiet gentleness, a tender side to this man?

“I would have bet money that you never allowed anything other than absolute logic and facts to guide your actions.”

He lifted her hand to his mouth, those non-existent lips teasing her palm, then his teeth nibbled at her fingertips, sending a bolt of excitement right down through her body. Woah!

When she tried to pull her hand away, he wouldn’t let her. “I need my hand back,” she insisted, trying to imitate his arrogance.

“You have the softest hands,” he commented, ignoring her plea. He was paying attention to her body language instead of her words. At this particular moment, her shoulders were leaning forward, her eyes stared at his mouth, and she looked like she needed to be kissed.

Damn, he wanted to kiss her, he thought. He suspected that any sort of physical contact between them would be powerful and most likely get out of control. He wouldn’t mind that, but not in the back of his car.

Viktor thought back to their initial visit. This yearning for Hayden had been powerful then, but he’d resisted, sensing that she wouldn’t be receptive. Everything about her at this moment was telling him that she wanted him just as much as he wanted her, although he also suspected that she wasn’t acknowledging her desires.

No, kissing her for the first time wasn’t going to happen in the back of his limousine. He doubted he would be able to stop once he kissed her. In fact, once he got her into his bed, he didn’t think he would ever want to stop.

What was it about this woman? She was certainly lovely and her eyes pulled him in deeper. But there was something more. Something he couldn’t define. On one level, it bothered him that he wasn’t figuring it out. On another level, he was too distracted by her allure to care.

He was just about to say something when she looked out the window.

“Oh no,” she sighed.

Viktor looked out as well, realizing that his driver had already pulled up outside of her house. The first thing he noticed was that she needed a new door, her front porch needed sanding and painting, and one of the windows on the second floor was broken. The overall impact of the damage was mitigated by the stunning landscape. Hayden might not have the money to repair her home, but there was absolutely nothing wrong with the flowers that were starting to bloom with the spring warmth.

“What’s wrong?” he immediately demanded.

She didn’t answer him, instead stepping out of the limousine and smoothing her hands down over her hips one more time. He loved watching her do that because it only emphasized her tiny waist and the femininity of her hips. But he was starting to understand that it wasn’t a conscious gesture, it was one of her nervous affectations.

Realizing that, he looked around, prepared to battle whatever was making her nervous.

Unfortunately, another man was standing off to the side, looking down at a row of bushes that were for sale. Why Hayden had set up her plant nursery so close to her house, he wasn’t sure. It wasn’t a good idea, allowing strangers to browse so close to her private space. It was a dangerous precedent that he was going to talk to her about, as soon as he got rid of the buffoon walking through the evergreen section.

“Hi Harry. What can I do for you today?” Hayden asked, hiding her hands behind her back. She really didn’t like Harry Simpson. He was one of the biggest landscapers in the area and was a steady customer, but he didn’t pay his bills. She’d sent him several reminders over the past several months because he owed her thousands of dollars. That balance alone would solve several of her immediate problems.

But the man continued to have financial problems of his own, so he couldn’t pay his balance.

Now he was back for more plants? And she’d thought she was a bad businesswoman!

“Hi Hayden!” Harry called cheerfully, turning slightly and she almost groaned out loud when she saw his clipboard. That meant he was back for more inventory. More inventory that he wasn’t going to pay for!

Darn it! She wished he would get his clients to pay him so that he could pay her!

“What’s going on?” she asked.

Harry smiled at her, that cheesy, annoying smile that came across as smug and condescending. “I got a big job. Need more greenery for this one. You ready for this order?” he asked, waving the clipboard at her. Hayden reluctantly took the clipboard and quickly skimmed down the paper, her eyes widening as she noted the large number of plants on the list.

Hayden hesitated, dropping the order to her side as she looked back at him. “Harry, have any of your clients finalized their bills with you? I really could use some of the money you owe me from the last few jobs.”

Her heart sank as soon as Harry’s eyes changed. Was that…pity?!

“You know how these things go, Hayden. I promise I’ll pay you as soon as I get paid. But I can’t stop working. If I stop, then there’s no chance of any further money coming in.”

Hayden understood. She’d had this conversation with a few of her other landscapers but none were as bad at collecting outstanding balances as Harry.

“Yes. You’ve mentioned that issue.” She bit her lip, looking up at Harry. “The thing is, Harry, I can’t afford to keep this up. I’m just…”

“What’s going on?”

Both Hayden and Harry turned at the interruption.

Harry reacted automatically, instinctively perceiving a threat as Viktor approached. Harry’s defensive manner had his chest puffing up, shoulders widening as if he might be trying to make himself bigger. It was almost amusing to see the two men face off. A bit like what two competing bears might do in the wild.

“Mr. Chenko, this is Harry Fisher. He’s one of the landscapers that works in this area.” She turned to Harry. “This is Viktor Chenko. I’m…” she hesitated, not sure how to explain the other man’s presence. No way could she tell Harry that this huge stranger had actually proposed to her less than an hour ago. It was too crazy to even contemplate.

Nor did she really think that Viktor Chenko’s proposal was real. Surely it had been a joke. Most likely some silly way to trick the foolish country woman into believing that he’d actually proposed. No, he was more than likely going back to his boy’s club tonight and they’d all get a huge chuckle out of her silly fantasies.

“Mr. Chenko, I don’t believe we have any additional business to discuss.” She turned her back on the man, determined to show him that she wasn’t intimidated by his size or that dangerous aura that surrounded him. Oh, she was intimidated. Terrified actually. But she wasn’t going to let him know it. He could just head on back to his big office and have a great laugh tonight with his friends. She was pretty sure that he would have a great story to tell at his next dinner party.

Harry dismissed the taller man as well, focusing all of his attention on Hayden. “So can you fill this order? Or do I need to go down the street?”

“Harry…” Hayden started, only to shake her head with a sigh. “I don’t think…”

“Hayden, you know that I’m good for the money. I keep sending you whatever I can as soon as my clients pay me.”

Still she hesitated. She felt Viktor walk away, heard him talking on his phone in a language she didn’t understand. She suspected it was his native Russian, but it could be anything for all she knew. She’d taken a few years of high school French, but she wasn’t very good at languages. Looking around, she felt her heart break at the realization that she wasn’t very good at many things. If she’d been a better businesswoman, she wouldn’t be in this position.

“What do you need?” she asked, lifting the almost forgotten clipboard.

Harry’s smile widened. “You won’t regret this, Hayden. And I think I can send you a few hundred dollars today.”

Hayden didn’t comment on the meager amount. It wasn’t even a drop in the bucket of what Harry’s company owed her and it irritated her that he kept coming back for more.

“You owe her twelve thousand, three hundred, ninety-four dollars, Mr. Fisher,” Viktor announced, standing behind Hayden.

Hayden swung around and stared up at him, her mouth falling open in shock. “Mr. Chenko, this isn’t…”

“I told you to call me Viktor. Since we are engaged, it doesn’t make sense to call me by my last name.” Then he focused all of his attention on Harry.

“So, if you want the latest inventory, you will pay the outstanding balance, as well as the full amount for this order.” His eyes hardened as he looked at the other man. “Apparently, your line of credit here is canceled.”

Hayden was horrified at the hard line that Viktor was taking. She glanced between the two men, trying to figure out how to get rid of Viktor while keeping Harry here. She really didn’t want Harry to go to another plant nursery. He was one of her biggest customers and, once he figured out his cash flow, she’d see a big windfall.

“I can handle this,” she told Viktor, lifting her hand as if she could ward him off with the gesture.

Viktor looked down at her. “No, Hayden. This man is taking advantage of your good nature.”

Harry was puffing up, ready to defend himself. Hayden could see what was happening and held her hands out to both men. “No, Viktor. You don’t understand this business. It’s just difficult to get clients to pay up. It’s simply the nature of the business.” She put a hand on Viktor’s chest, pleading with him to understand and step away. “Harry pays me in increments as soon as his clients pay him.”

Viktor glared at the other man. “Is this what you told her?” he demanded. He started to take a step closer, but the gentle pressure of Hayden’s hands on his chest stopped him. He was furious with the shorter man for taking advantage of her. “Is that why your company’s bank balance is currently over fifty thousand dollars?”

Hayden was just about to argue for Harry’s side of things when that number hit her. Turning around, she looked at Harry. “Is that true, Harry?”

Harry stammered for a long moment. “Of course it isn’t true! I have no idea where he’s getting his information, but my bank balance is as sad as yours is, Hayden! You know this business. Obviously, this stranger thinks he knows how business works, but he’s ignorant.”

Hayden was so surprised by the strong hand that curved around her waist that she didn’t have the mental capacity to defend Harry.

“One of my subsidiaries owns the bank where your company accounts are held,” Viktor was saying. “I not only can confirm the exact amount in your accounts, I can also give my fiancée additional information on the collections policies you have in place, which you submitted to one of my bank representatives while applying for a loan three months ago to expand your business.”

Harry’s mouth opened and closed even as his eyes moved from Viktor to Hayden. Hayden intuitively understood from that look that everything Viktor was saying was true. “Harry? What’s going on? You don’t have that kind of money in your account, do you?” At Harry’s continued silence, she started to step closer, but the strong hand on her waist stopped her from moving away. “And how can you expand your business, if you’re having the same kind of cash flow problems I’m having?”

Harry sputtered for a long moment, shaking his head.

Viktor once again spoke up. “Are you telling me that you don’t currently have very efficient collections policies in place? From the history my bank employee explained, your cash flow is extremely normal. You affirmed on your loan application that you require fifty percent of the proposal price up front, another twenty-five percent when the job is seventy-five percent completed, and full payment within fifteen days after completion of the job. Your application demonstrated that you have excellent cash flow and you provided excellent references.” There was a long, painful pause before Viktor went on. “Are you telling me now that you lied on your loan application? Or are you going to admit to one of the suppliers that have made your company such a success that you haven’t been paying her with the same terms that you require of your customers?”

Hayden’s eyes widened. “Harry? Have you been…” she couldn’t even say the word.

Viktor once again stepped in. “I expect a cashier’s check to be delivered to my fiancée by no later than close of business today, which will include the full balance that you owe her, as well as payment in full for the plants that you require for this next job.”

Harry sputtered. “Payment in full?! We’ve never had that kind of a business relationship!”

Viktor was merciless. “You are free to go to the other nurseries,” he told the shorter man. “But you and I know that the plants supplied by my fiancée are less expensive than the other plant nurseries around the area, which allow you to have such a high profit margin. Also, her plants are of superior quality and are the main reason that your business has spread so rapidly by word of mouth. The results speak for themselves…don’t they?”

Harry looked from one to the other, obviously not sure what to say. If he continued with his assertion that he didn’t have good cash flow, he was jeopardizing his loan application to expand his business. If he agreed that his business’ cash flow was good, then he would have to repay Hayden.

In the end, he was more afraid of losing his expansion plans. Pressing his lips together, he gestured to the list of inventory he would need. “I’ll have a check to you by close of business today. My guy will be here promptly at seven o’clock tomorrow morning to pick up these items.”

“She doesn’t open until nine o’clock tomorrow morning,” Viktor pointed out.

Harry looked like he wanted to open his mouth to argue, but in the end, he simply nodded. “Nine o’clock then,” and he turned around on his heel to stomp to his truck.

Hayden stared after the man long after she could no longer see the brake lights on his truck. When she continued to stand there, Viktor became concerned.

“He was lying to you, Hayden,” he reminded her softly, that deep gravelly voice slicing through her dismay.

“Yes. I realize that.” She bowed her head. “Now.”

Viktor was stumped. She looked so lost and he had no idea how to help her. He’d never witnessed a woman looking so vulnerable. Well, that wasn’t exactly true. Many women had tried to tug at his emotions but, until this moment, he hadn’t realized he had any. Their efforts had been ignored.

But when Hayden was upset, something inside of him wasn’t right. It felt as if he was living in a cloud of gloom.

“Could you give me a tour of your plants?” he suggested, trying to come up with some way in which he could brighten her mood. She looked like she was about to burst into tears, but he knew that he wouldn’t be able to handle that. Not from this woman. No. Absolutely no tears from Hayden.

When those crystal blue eyes looked up at him, he wanted to pull her into his arms. The tears were there, just under the surface.

No. Absolutely not.

“My gardener told me that he was going to rip out some green bushes,” he explained, completely lying. He’d never spoken to his gardener, but he needed to distract her from the pain filling her heart. “I want more color and told him so, but the man looked like I’d just suggested that I shoot myself to the moon.”

Almost immediately, he saw her eyes blink rapidly and the emotions shifted from teary and hurt to shining with intelligence. “Color? What time of the year do you want color?”

He relaxed now that the threat of tears and hurt were gone. “Time of the year?” he asked as if she’d just asked him something complicated. He shrugged. “All the time.”

Hayden smiled slightly. “You’re teasing me, aren’t you?”

He wasn’t, but if it caused her to smile, he didn’t care. “Maybe. Can you recommend something for my gardener?”

Hayden sighed. She suspected that this tall, muscular man didn’t even know that he had a gardener and his question was meant only to distract her, but she didn’t care. It was working and would keep her from breaking down. That would have been humiliating, she thought. This tall, intensely attractive man could never see her feeling weak or vulnerable, she told herself firmly. He had far too many advantages as it was.

“This way,” she directed, folding the piece of paper from Harry in half as she made her way through the plants. “Tell me what you’re looking for.”

He shrugged. “Color. That’s all I told my gardener. I want color. When I look out my windows, I want to see color.”

Hayden laughed. “Well, that’s a pretty tall order.” But as she led him through the plants, she described the colors each plant produced during the various seasons, why one would want a specific plant in a pot or in the ground, the various textures of the leaves, and other possibilities. “Most plants are just…green,” she told him, looking up at him, then quickly away when she saw the interest in his eyes.

Anger was fine. Amusement, yeah, she could take that one. But not interest.

She was painfully conscious of him walking beside her, her head barely coming up to his shoulder and she wished she was wearing higher heels so that she wasn’t so much smaller than he was.

When they came to the end of the tour and she had no more plants to describe, she turned to face him awkwardly. Taking a deep breath, she forced her eyes to look up into his. “Thank you for helping me earlier,” she told him, needing to say that to him. Clasping her hands in front of her, she took a deep breath and bowed her head. “I know plants,” she told him. “But when it comes to running a business, I’m….” she looked around, not daring to look up at the man who seemed to thrive on business ventures. “Well, I’m not good at business.”

“No. You’re not.” Her startled gaze snapped up to his. “Your prices are too low, your inventory is disorganized, your business is right next to your home, which causes customers to psychologically dismiss you as a light weight in the industry. Your collections procedures are bad, your cash flow is pathetic, and you’re too soft on the landscapers, causing you to lose business and capital. They are taking advantage of you.”

Hayden laughed slightly, more than a little hurt by his laundry list of her deficiencies. “Don’t pull your punches,” she teased, but she bit her lip.

“I never do. I tell it like it is.” He put a finger under her chin, lifting her eyes back up to his. “On the other hand, you have an excellent knowledge of plants and botany, your inventory is superior to other plant nurseries, and that’s not me saying that because I wouldn’t know the difference between an annual and a perennial. That’s your competition talking about you, by the way. Your advice is spot on and people are demanding that their landscaping companies use only your products because your plants are of higher quality.”

Hayden was so astounded by his praise, she wasn’t sure what to say. “Um…thank you.”

“You need a business manager, Hayden.”

She blinked up at him, not sure where he was going with this. “I thought you were trying to put me out of business.”

“Not if you marry me.”

“Which I won’t.”

“Which you’re going to think about,” he corrected, moving closer. “I think we could have a very strong marriage.”

She shook her head, trying to step backwards, but he took her hands in his and kept her right where she was.

“Would you like some tea?” she asked, desperate to put some space between their bodies. This close, all she could do was breathe in the male scent of him. She loved his spicy cologne, as well as the maleness that seemed to burn itself into her nostrils.

His eyes continued to survey her features for a long moment. But thankfully, he stepped back and nodded. “I would love some tea,” he agreed.

Hayden made her way from the back of the green house and up through the pebbled pathway to the kitchen door. Inside her house, she cringed, realizing that it was still colder inside than it was outside. She hoped he wouldn’t notice and hurriedly moved to the stove, turning on the heat in an attempt to warm up the kitchen.

“Did I pull you away from anything important at your office?”

He looked around and Hayden busied herself by pulling down cups from the cupboard. “Why is it so cold in here?” he demanded.

Hayden glanced over her shoulder, but her eyes couldn’t meet his. “I don’t know what you mean.”

The next time she looked over her shoulder, he wasn’t there. But she knew exactly where he’d gone and hurried into the living room. Sure enough, he was standing by the thermostat, switching the levers and twisting the temperature gauge. “Your heater is broken, isn’t it?”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “I don’t know. I don’t use it this late in the season,” she lied, then held her breath as she prayed he would believe her. She didn’t want anyone to know how desperate her circumstances had become.

He didn’t say a word, didn’t call out her lie. He simply watched her for a long moment. Hayden waited, her eyes pleading with him to simply accept her lie and move on. The man had just told her she was a horrible businesswoman and, okay, well, yeah, that was true. She was horrible. She was too nice, too trusting, and she had Harry’s performance as evidence of how gullible she really was.

Beyond all of that, Hayden simply couldn’t allow this man to know that she was too broke to get her heater fixed! That – and her lack of food – would be the ultimate humiliation.

But he lifted his phone from his pocket and dialed a number. Once again, he had a conversation in Russian and she had no idea what he was saying. She suspected it was about her, but she couldn’t call him out and demand an explanation because she just didn’t have enough information.

When he slid his phone back into his pocket, she breathed a bit more easily. Thankfully, the tea pot started to whistle at that point as well.

“I’ll just go fix the tea,” she told him awkwardly and almost tripped on her feet in her attempt to turn around. Grabbing onto the wall, she righted herself, glancing back at him in the hopes that he hadn’t noticed. But of course, he knew exactly what was going on, how she was literally tripping over her own feet. The man didn’t miss a thing.

“Just…” she pointed behind her, feeling like a clumsy fool. “Water is boiling.”

With that, she spun around and, thankfully, made it around the door and back into the kitchen. There, she turned off the heat and poured the hot water into the two cups, then stood there for a long moment, bracing her arms out against the countertop. “Pull yourself together!” she admonished herself in a whisper. “He’s just a man! A man like all the others.”

“But I’m not, am I?” he said gruffly and his voice was too close to her ear. Spinning around, she realized that he was only inches from her back. Now her chest.

“You’re not…?”

“I’m not just a man.” His eyes traveled over her features, one by one. “Not to you. And you’re not just a woman to me.”

She wasn’t sure what to say. “I’m not?” she whispered, struck by his words and the tone of his voice. Well, and the intensity in his grey eyes.

“No. I can’t explain it, and I doubt you could put it into words, but neither of us are just a male or female to the other. There’s something there.” His hand lifted to push a lock of hair back behind her ear. “Something intense between us.”

“There is?” Yes, Hayden was feeling it. There was a throbbing presence, a tension between the two of them that she couldn’t deny. But she was grateful that it wasn’t simply on her side.

“Why don’t we drink that tea?” he suggested, even though he hated tea. “And you can tell me about your dreams for your business.”

She nodded her head, not really sure if he was serious. “Tea. That would be nice.”

“Do you have any other customers coming this afternoon?”

Hayden shook her head. “No. I’m usually closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.”

Hayden watched in fascination as his grey eyes darkened, became angry. “So the ass who was trying to steal from you was here on your day off, forcing you to work?”

Hayden slipped away from him, relieved when she could focus on finding the perfect tea for him. “Is peppermint tea okay?” she offered, lifting the box to show him the candy canes on the outside. When she saw the horrified look on his features, she realized what she was asking and shook her head. “Sorry. No peppermint tea.” She reached up and pulled another box out. Then another. “Not chamomile either.” Another box was covered in blueberries, another with all sorts of berries. “I know I have some regular tea in here somewhere,” she told him, reaching into the back of her cupboard, unaware of his eyes moving over her slender figure in the too-large dress. The way her arms were reaching, they pulled the material more tightly against her butt and he almost groaned with the effort to keep his hands away from that perfect portion of her anatomy.

When she spun around, he had to quickly avert his gaze and almost laughed out loud at her triumph when she held up the box with the regular tea. “That will be fine,” he responded. Obviously, he didn’t do as good of a job as needed to hide his amusement because she glared up at him despite his efforts.

“Sugar or lemon?” she asked with a silky smooth tone of voice that didn’t fool him in the least. Flames of anger shot at him from those lovely, blue eyes.

He shook his head. “Neither. Just straight,” he told her. He actually hated tea, preferring coffee. Tea seemed like a pretentious beverage, but offering him the tea seemed to soothe her somehow. So, he’d drink the tea and get information.

“Tell me more about what you’d like your business to look like in five years,” he encouraged as he accepted the cup with the tea tag hanging over the side. He noticed that hers smelled like blueberries. Der’mo, he though, realizing that she’d almost offered him the same. He shuddered at the idea, then noticed that she didn’t add any sweetener to hers either. Somehow, the blueberry tea suited her.

Was he being fanciful? He mentally scoffed at the idea. He’d never had a fanciful moment in his life! Hayden just looked like a sweet, sometimes tart, and rare person. A bit like a blueberry.

No, that wasn’t fanciful, he silently vowed. It was a simple observation because he wasn’t a fanciful kind of man. He was practical and logical.

She led him into the family room where the furniture was comfortable, but obviously hadn’t been updated in a while. There were a few tears, he noticed, but someone had carefully darned the areas so that the spots were barely visible unless someone was looking for them.

The rest of the house looked solid if outdated and pretty rough. Just about everything needed to be replaced, repaired, or repainted. He thought a few walls should be knocked down to open things up and new windows installed that were more energy efficient. About thirty minutes into their discussion where he was half listening to her plans and half cataloguing all of the issues that needed to be fixed, the doorbell rang.

Hayden looked at the clock, then back at him. “I’m sorry, I have no idea who that is. I wasn’t expecting anyone.”

She jumped up and walked to the door with an innate grace that continued to dazzle him. It was all the more amazing since he suspected she had no idea how enticing her walk was. There was a soft, gentle sway to her hips. Nothing overt. Just a delicate, feminine walk.

When she opened the door, Hayden stepped back, blinking in surprise at the stranger standing in the doorway. “I’m here to take a look at your heater,” a gruff man in a navy blue suit announced. He was polite, but his eyes were mainly looking down at his clipboard.

Hayden stared at the man, astonished and worried. A repair man? She couldn’t afford this! And even worse, Viktor Chenko was right behind her. She could feel his eyes on her back and she cringed as the shame hit her. Viktor Chenko never had to worry about pinching pennies or suffering through a cold night because he couldn’t afford to pay for the heating system to be fixed. “I’m sorry, I didn’t call anyone to fix my heater,” she said, biting her lip as she contemplated her bank balance.

“I did,” Viktor announced, stepping behind her and opening the door wider. “Come in.”

The man looked up from the clipboard and nodded, immediately more subservient with Viktor’s more dominating presence behind her. The repair man’s arrogance and impatience was gone and he showed significantly more respect as he explained, “My orders were to take a look and fix whatever is wrong with it.”

Viktor nodded and slipped an arm around Hayden’s waist, pulling her out of the way so the stranger could enter. “Exactly. I don’t know where the furnace is. Just get it working again by five o’clock this evening.”

The man nodded enthusiastically. “Sure thing, mister.” A moment later, the repairman was walking into the living room, then moments later, disappeared into the basement.

Hayden turned a furious glare up to Viktor. “How dare you! I can’t afford a repair person at this point so you need to tell to tell him to leave!”

Viktor moved closer to her, taking her hands in his. “Hayden, the overnight temperature is supposed to drop below freezing tonight. There’s no chance I’m letting you sleep here without adequate heating and I doubt that you would be willing to stay with me, correct?”

Hayden ignored his outrageous suggestion, shook her head and whipped her hands out from his. “I don’t know who you think you are,” she snapped, “but this is still my home and you can’t just come in here and take over!”

He moved closer and, with each step, she took one back. But he continued to move forward until she was pinned against the wall.

Only then did he speak. “I think I’m the man you are going to marry. And my fiancée doesn’t sleep in a house without heat.” His hands rested on either side of her head.

Hayden pressed her palms against the wall behind her, praying that she could resist the temptation to reach out and touch this man. She didn’t even like him! Why in the world would she be tempted to touch him?! “I’m not going to marry you!” she gasped. “I didn’t tell you no before just so I wouldn’t hurt your feelings, but there’s no way I’m going to marry a man I don’t love, much less a man I barely even know!”

His finger caressed her cheek. “You know me.”

Frantically, she shook her head, trying to resist the temptation to turn her head into his touch, to feel his fingers more firmly against her skin. She trembled with his touch, wanting so much more and feeling horrible because of that desire.

Pressing her lips together, she took a deep breath, trying to shore up her resistance. When she finally could speak, she tried to sound confident even though every particle in her body was betraying her common sense. “I don’t know anything about you! I don’t know where you’re from, where you’re going, what you like or dislike…and I definitely don’t understand why you would propose to a woman to whom you’ve exchanged perhaps five or six sentences!”

He didn’t answer the first few questions, focusing on her last statement. “We’ve already established that there is something between us. Don’t make me prove it, Hayden.”

That threat terrified her because…well because he was right. There was some sort of weird chemistry going on between them, but that didn’t mean it made sense to pursue it. Instead, she ducked down and slipped away from him. “You’re crazy!” she gasped, pacing back and forth. “That’s the only explanation for it. You’re insane.” Spinning around, she glared up at him. “Is that it? Are you just a nutcase? Do you go around proposing to everyone?”

He laughed softly. “Let’s go for a walk and talk. I’m going to suggest some things to change about your business tactics.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you.”

He stared at her for a moment, the corners of his mouth tilting upwards as if he were trying not to laugh at her.

“Your inventory is all wrong.”

She stiffened with his words, forgetting to admonish him for his amusement at her expense. “What’s wrong with my inventory? I supply the things most people want, plus the hard to find plants that people call me about.”

He took her hand and led her out through the still-open front door. “The evergreens need to be moved together. And they should be against the back of your stock over there,” he pointed out to the left hand side of her rows of plants. “They should form a colorful backdrop to everything else. And they need to be in neat rows so customers can see each of them.”

She bristled against his advice. “You don’t know anything about plants. Why should I listen to you?”

“I don’t know anything about plants, that’s true. But I am extremely good at marketing.” He led her over to the front area, turning her body so that they could both see her entire stock of plants. “Look out this way,” he said and explained how each of the plants could be a backdrop, explained the psychology behind purchasing, the power of the impulse buy.

Hayden listened to him and, initially, ignored his advice, refusing to give in. He was taking over, she thought. And she didn’t like it. But as he went through the different ideas, she realized that he was right. What he was saying made sense, but the suggestions were overwhelming. She could get her guys to shift her inventory around so that it was more aesthetically pleasing, but the other suggestions…tax advantages, marketing, internet sales…she wouldn’t know the first thing about starting those ideas.

“I can’t do all that,” she admitted. “First of all, I know how to grow plants. That’s what I do. I specialize in plants and caring for plants. All that other stuff…well, first of all, I don’t have enough space for many of your ideas.”

He nodded. “I agree. You need to move this whole operation away from your house. This should be your sanctuary, a place no one invades.” He took her across the gravel parking lot. “Everything should be moved there,” he decided, pointing to the area on the other side of the street from her house. “And you need a business manager. This person should be in charge of implementing all of the issues I’ve just mentioned, as well as the financial aspect of things.” He took her hand and led her back towards her house. “I’ll have my human resources department get you some resumes. Just tell them the candidates that seem interesting to you and they will arrange interviews.” He thought about that for a moment. “Better yet, I’ll go through the resumes first, then you can pick someone that you think you can get along with.”

She felt as if her head were going to explode. “Why can’t I interview them first?”

His face was purposely blank when he looked down at her. “Because you’ve already admitted that you’re not good with business, you think with your heart, not your head.”

She wanted to argue with him, but stopped and thought about it. He was right. She made all decisions based off of how things felt, not a logical analysis of the situation. “Fine. But I’ll have to wait until I can afford a business manager. I can’t…”

They were back at her kitchen now and she put her shoulder into pushing the door closed, embarrassed that it took so much effort.

“I’m setting up a line of credit for you at my bank. You’ll need to go in and sign the papers tomorrow.”

She pulled back. “Now stop right there!’ she gasped. “I don’t want a line of credit! I don’t want a business manager.”

“Yes, you do. Hiring a business manager will allow you to focus on growing things, which is really what you want to do. You don’t want, or even know how, to handle all of the business details.” He turned to look down at her. “Hayden, stick with your strengths and give the other aspects of your business to someone else. Trust me, this is what I do. I don’t try to do everything. No one can be an expert at everything. Being in business means figuring out what you don’t know how to do and finding a good candidate to accomplish that task.” He was looking at her gently, which is the only reason she continued to listen. “I have no idea about the legalities of my various businesses. I don’t even attempt to file any tax forms. I hire excellent employees and let them do their job.”

Looking up at him, she once again was struck by the look in his eyes. She couldn’t really decipher it, but his grey eyes called to her.

He needed her! She’d thought that back in his office and…was she just seeing things? Was she trying to find something about this man that she liked…other than his physical attributes, that is? Her heart throbbed painfully as she looked up at him, trying to ignore the look. But it was there. She could feel it, even though his eyes were looking back at her with a hardness that belied any kind of need.

“That’s very generous of you, Mr…” she stopped, laughing softly as his look changed. Yes, her stomach flip-flopped with the threat in his eyes. And one day, she’d like to know what happened after she challenged that silent threat. But right now, she suspected that caution was the smarter choice. “Viktor,” she corrected quickly and almost laughed at the approval in his eyes. “But I won’t go into the bank. I won’t accept the line of credit.”

He glared down at her for a long moment, then shrugged one of those massive shoulders. “Fine. I will simply deposit money into your bank account as a wedding gift.”

The coughing, sputtering noises she made at that announcement could only be described as unlady-like but she couldn’t help it. The man took arrogance to a new level! “You will not!” she told him firmly. “This is my business and I will run it however I want to! If I want to bankrupt myself, then you’re going to…” she stopped, realizing how ridiculous that statement was.

Her mouth snapped closed and she ignored the amusement in his eyes. “Just no! You’re not going to deposit any money into my account since we are not getting married, Mr….” again she stopped and corrected herself. “Viktor.”

“Wise choice, my beauty,” he replied with a low, vibrating chuckle that sent zings of awareness through her body.

Shaking her head, she tried to clear out the fuzziness his presence was causing. “Viktor, the thing is…”

“All fixed.”

Hayden jumped at the stranger’s voice, turning to try and figure out where it had come from. As she turned, the furnace repairman walked around the corner, his tool box in his hand. “Simple issue. Two of the compression valves were loose and needed O rings to seal the connections. I also changed your filter and fixed a few other things that would have caused problems in the future.”

The man looked at Hayden, then up at Viktor, obviously realizing that he’d interrupted something. The awkward moment extended and Hayden looked up at Viktor, almost laughing as she took in his blasé expression. Did nothing phase this man?

Turning back to the repairman, she extended her hand to him. “Thank you so much for your speedy assistance, Mr….” she glanced at the name on his shirt, “Ben. Could you send me the bill?” she asked, pasting a smile on her face in the hopes that the man wasn’t expecting a check immediately. She had exactly eight dollars in her checking account. Hayden was fairly sure that the repair would cost more than that.

“Send the bill to my office,” Viktor snapped, handing the man his business card.

The man took the card, glanced at the name on it, and nodded efficiently. “Will do.” With a slight wave of his toolbox, he nodded politely to Hayden and left.

Hayden bristled with anger at his highhandedness. Turning around, she glared up at the man. “You are not paying for the repairs to my furnace, Viktor!”

He leaned in closer. “Yes. I am.”

Her whole body was trembling with…anger! Yes, it was just anger because he was trying to take over her life. It had nothing to do with the fact that they were once again alone. Alone and he had that look in his eyes that made her insides quiver with awareness. Awareness of him as a man and herself as a woman who liked the look of him as a man. Was she really so superficial that his appearance could turn her on this much?

Shaking out of that mental block, she glared up at him. “Look, I came to you this morning offering to sell this property to you. Not myself! I’m not for sale!” And she poked her finger to the middle of his chest.

As soon as her finger made contact with his body, she froze. There was no give on that spot. It was solid muscle. Solid, warm muscle.

Her breath caught in her throat as she looked up into his eyes. Surely he wasn’t aware of…

His eyes were no longer grey but a smoldering, heated, liquid silver. It was almost as if those eyes were glistening with the tension simmering between the two of them.

Her finger trembled as his hand reached up, flattening her palm against his chest. Hayden looked at her hand. At his chest. Before she could stop it, her hand moved, sliding along those muscles. She stared hard, mesmerized by his chest, by the way the muscles shifted underneath her fingertips.

What would happen if she…her fingers moved further. Almost sneaking along the lines of his chest, finding more muscles, feeling the shift of those muscles.

Licking her suddenly dry lips, she let her fingers shift further. Lower. But when she heard the low grumble, her eyes snapped up to his, shocked by what she was feeling. Hayden was about to pull her hand away and he must have seen the intent in her eyes because his hand once again came up to cover hers, forcing her hand to move. His hand guided hers, giving her permission to touch him.

So she did.

Hayden was completely unaware of her own ragged breathing. All of her focus was on her hand. On his chest. Her mind wanted to explore, to discover everything about this man’s chest. When he realized that her hand wasn’t going to move away, he took his hand off hers but moved closer, silently giving her further invitation to explore.

So she did.

Her fingers slid closer and closer to the buttons of his dress shirt. When they reached that point, the tips of her fingers daringly slid underneath the fold, her eyes darting up to his, although, she wasn’t sure if she was asking permission, or seeing if he would allow it. The message in his eyes dared her. So she accepted that dare. Needing to feel the power that would come from accepting his challenge.

When her fingers touched his skin, she almost pulled her hand away. Never in her life had she felt anything so hot. The skin on his chest almost singed her fingers. But instead of pulling away, her fingers inched closer to that dangerous heat.

The top half of her fingers smoothed along the hot skin of his chest, explored the rough hair, growing more daring, more confident with each caress. She looked up at him and was startled by the way he was looking down at her. His jaw was clenched, his nostrils flaring as if he couldn’t get enough air into his lungs. As her fingers moved, his body shifted, pinning her against the wall and she gasped. His thighs were pressing against her legs, his hips pressing against her stomach. But her fingers were still moving. In fact, his shift had caused her fingers to slide further into his shirt.

It still wasn’t enough.

Just one button, she told herself. Her eyes moved up, looking once more at his features. His eyes were closed, that rock hard jaw clenched tightly.

Since he wasn’t looking, maybe he wouldn’t notice if she…her fingers slowly, carefully unbuttoned that one button. It was just one, she told herself. Just one simple button.

When the material loosened, her eyes noticed his breathing change. Was that bad? Or good? Was he mad?

She didn’t care! Her fingers had a mind of their own and she just had to know. She had to feel! Her fingers inched along the edge of his dress shirt, finding more skin, more heat!

Oh my! Hayden had thought that the one button was enough but…

She didn’t have a chance to investigate further. She was suddenly yanked higher and gasped when she felt that hardness against her stomach.

“You’re playing with fire, Hayden,” he growled. “Now you’re going to get burned.”

She wasn’t given a moment to respond. His mouth came down over hers, hard and demanding. Her hands flew from his chest to hold onto his shoulders, amazed at the strength and power under her fingers. Her world tilted slightly, but she didn’t care. The tilting only gave her a reason to hold on more tightly, to explore more thoroughly. When she felt him lift her higher, she allowed her fingers to search out more of that heat she’d found on his chest, needing that singing power.

Her fingers discovered what she needed when they slid along his neck, but the softness of his hair was just as interesting. She wasn’t aware of him lifting her into his arms. All she cared about was discovering more about this man. More textures, more reactions. Every time her fingers found a new place to explore, she heard a sound, almost a growl, as if a wild animal was close by. It was one of the most erotic sounds she’d ever heard. Every time that sound came to her ears, she shivered and pressed her body closer to her only source of protection.

“Where’s your bedroom?” Viktor demanded.

“I don’t care,” she gasped back, whimpering when he moved because that hardness was pressing against her groin. She lifted herself up, trying to feel that sensation again. So when he took another step, she felt it again. And again. Shifting her body, she searched out that source, needing yet another shift. Another!

That growl reached her ear and she pressed against her protection, thrilled with the sound, feeling very daring and yet, desperate for more. Her hips shifted again and again, the growl coming to her ear as Viktor’s teeth nipped at her earlobe, sending spasms of excitement everywhere, but every tingling sensation ending in her groin, in that place low in her body.

She gasped when she felt the wall against her back once again, completely unaware of her dress being lifted up, bunching around her waist, or the zipper purring down her back. “Please!” she sobbed, shifting against him again, not sure how to fix this aching, desperate, clawing need deep inside of her.

Viktor could barely believe the passion that was driving him. Never in his life had he been so turned on. But Hayden’s soft hands caressing his chest had made him lose his head. One hand practically ripped the dress off of her body while his other arm held her against him, unwilling to separate her body from his own. She was pressing against him, shifting her heat against his shaft and it was all he could do to help her.

He slammed his palm against a doorway and almost roared when he discovered the bed. Carrying her in, he laid her down as gently as possible on the mattress. Leaning over her, he continued to press himself against her core, knowing what she was seeking. Closer and closer he pressed, watching her eyes as she stared up at him, her mouth forming a sexy “o” as she lifted her hips, grinding against him.

He knew the exact moment that she was going to climax and pulled back, not allowing her to find that release.

Instead, he shifted back, ripping the rest of her clothes off. “No, my beautiful woman,” he growled. “It’s not going to be that easy with me.” He almost laughed when he saw her anger, but his hands moved quickly, dispensing with her bra and the ugliest, white panties he’d ever seen on a woman. “You will never wear these again,” he told her, tossing them into the trash can. “I’ll send you what I want you in.”

Before she could argue with him, and the brewing fury in her eyes told him that she was definitely going to argue, he bent over her, taking her pink nipple into his mouth and sucking. Hard! He heard her scream, but her fingers dove into his hair, holding his head in place. When he flicked his tongue against that hard peak, her hips began their frantic shifting. But he’d moved his hips away from her, unable to endure that kind of torture any longer, especially now that she was completely naked. His hands moved down her body, barely able to take in all the places she liked to be touched. It didn’t seem to matter though. This woman gasped when he touched any part of her body. So, he moved his hands and his mouth over every inch of her. The spot at the base of her neck, her ears…he rolled her over and nibbled her shoulder blades. His hands were covering hers, so he knew when she curled her soft fingers into fists. Kissing a trail down her spine, he almost laughed when she tried to wiggle away as he approached those perfectly round globes.

“Not a fan?” he asked, standing up and taking her foot in his hand. Rolling her over once more, he leaned in again and kissed her. When she kissed him back, her tongue shyly moving into his mouth, he almost lost his control then and there. He loved her hands on his body, his skin seeming to light on fire when she touched him.

“Please!” she begged, lifting her hips up and trying to find that source that she’d enjoyed before.

Viktor felt like he was going to explode, but he’d been thinking about and dreaming about this woman for the past month. Now that she was in his arms, he wanted to savor Hayden, even if it killed him. Pulling back slightly, he was still standing on the side of the bed looking down at her as his fingers trailed across her breasts, tweaking each nipple. He smiled when her fingers clutched at the quilt, but his eyes moved further down her body. She was too slender, he thought, but then his fingers moved lower, watching, gauging her reactions. Her whole body stilled, her eyes closed but her pretty, white teeth were gnawing her lower lip. Every muscle in her body was drawn tight and his erection throbbed at the sight. She was beauty, sensuality, and innocence, all wrapped up in a lovely, feisty package.

He was going to make her his in so many ways, he thought with relish and a tenderness he’d never felt before.

Dismissing the tenderness, because he didn’t understand it, and focusing on making this woman sing with pleasure, he bent lower, kissing her nipples, teasing them until she screamed out his name. He loved the way her fingers alternately tugged at his hair, trying to push his head away, then pulling him closer.

But there was so much more to explore.

Hayden thought she was going to explode. This man, this horrible, cruel man who was making her body feel things that she couldn’t control, was driving her insane!

She breathed in huge gulps of air when he finally released her nipple, trying to get her body back under control. But every time he stopped one thing, his mouth or his hands would touch her in another way, not giving her enough time to figure out what was going on, to gain control of this situation. When his mouth moved lower, his fingers led the way. She knew what he was about to do, and tried to squirm farther up on the bed, but his strong hands only held her in place.

“No!” she begged when she looked up at his evil smile. “Please, I can’t take anymore,” she sobbed.

“Relax, Hayden. I’m going to take care of you.”

She didn’t like the sound of that. It sounded like he was going to…

Yep! His hands touched her down there, his finger sinking into her heat and all she could do was lift her hips up, silently begging him for the relief that she instinctively knew only he could give her.

She gasped when his thumb flicked against that bundle of nerves, her hands gripping his arms as she stared up at him, not sure what to do. But then he bent his dark head and she just about screamed when she felt his tongue flick against her. His fingers moved inside of her, that wicked touch making her arch her back in shock and desperation. Her movement also pressed that nub right up against his mouth and she did scream this time. Her body reacted instinctively, shifting against his mouth, needing that touch but still shying away from it while, at the same time, pressing into him.

It took only moments before her body exploded, throbbing against his tongue and his finger. She wasn’t aware of her hands tangling in his hair, tugging at his scalp, or of the way her entire body bowed as her release hit her, slamming into her like a bolt of lightning. All she knew was the pleasure that hit her was unlike anything she’d ever experienced before. The throbbing, the pulsating waves of pleasure seemed to continue on forever!

Shivering, Hayden could barely breathe, couldn’t think, could only hold onto Viktor, her tormentor and protector. When she felt his arms pull her closer, she curled up against his heat, needing that strength at this moment. Burying her nose against his throat, she breathed in his scent, feeling like she was an all-powerful woman at the moment.

Unfortunately, he wasn’t done with her.

The nibbling! Why was he doing that?! His teeth against her neck, those scalding hands against her back…she shook her head, trying to pull away from him. “I can’t,” she breathed, but then her body curled against his touch. He took his hand away but then she gasped and brought it right back. Normally, she would be horrified by her nakedness. But this man, the way he was touching her, made her unselfconscious. She wanted him. She needed him. This touch, the way he was kissing her again, as if she could offer him a lifeline.

And she wanted to be that woman for him! As he pressed her back against the mattress, she lifted her leg, rubbing her inner thigh against his hip. Vaguely, she realized that he was naked as well, but she couldn’t think beyond that thought. She could only revel at how wonderful it felt to have all of his heat against her starving body.

He rolled over so that she was underneath him, freeing her hands and she used that freedom to explore him, to run her fingers over his chest. Her eyes opened and all she could see was this man, his eyes filled with a heat that would normally scare her, but with Viktor, that look only made her need hotter, more intense.

“Touch me, Hayden,” he growled, moving her hands to his chest, just like he’d done hours ago. Hours? Minutes? Time didn’t matter. Not anymore.

She lifted her legs, her body instinctively cradling that hard part of him once again. She wanted to lift her hips up, but every time she did, he moved his away from her. So she let her fingers move over his chest, enjoying this freedom. When her fingers slid across that fascinating, flat nipple, she heard his intake of breath. Smiling, she did it again. And again. With each touch, he hissed and she felt her body turn into liquid heat with the sound.

Since she’d enjoyed when he teased her, she lifted her head, flicking her tongue against his nipple and immediately felt his hands tangle in her hair. What had happened to the neat twist she’d put her hair up into this morning? Obviously, that style was gone and, as she flicked her tongue against that sensitive spot once more, she didn’t care. Not a whit! All she cared about at this moment was making this man create those sounds again.

When her hands moved down his sides, she let her fingers curl into each and every wave of muscle. Hayden was fascinated by this man’s body, so different from her own. Curling around his hip, she held her breath, wanting to…did she dare.

Her eyes moved upwards, linking with his silver ones.

“Do it,” he groaned, but didn’t wait for her to follow his command. His hand took hers, wrapping her fingers around his erection. She was shocked by the velvety hardness her fingers encountered and wanted to look, to explore more. But his chest was now pinning her down along with one of his heavy thighs against her leg so she used her fingers to discover this man’s erection. Up and down, her fingers touched, explored, fondled and learned what a man felt like. Never had she felt something like this and she loved it. She suspected that not all men were like Viktor. She’d seen pictures of other men. What woman hadn’t? But this…her fingers couldn’t hold all of him. Running her fingers up and down, she stopped when she heard the sound low in his chest.

“Don’t stop!” he told her, his hands moving to cover her fingers, showing her how to touch him, tightening her fingers around him.

After only a few strokes, he pulled her hands away, shaking his head. “No more, Hayden,” he told her. He stood up and she whimpered, but he only searched through his pants pockets, coming back with something in his hand. She watched in fascination as he tore open the condom. A part of her mind was shouting out a warning, telling her that letting him go forward would be dangerous, but she didn’t care.

In fact, she sat up, wanting to watch him. Wanting to do it for him. “May I?” she asked, shocked by her daring, unware of her tongue darting out as she anticipated touching him again.

He glanced at her, then handed the condom to her. “Be fast, Hayden.”

She nodded eagerly, scooting closer. Her fingers once again wrapped around that throbbing shaft and she couldn’t stop her fingers from sliding up and down, exploring properly now that she could see as well as feel.

“Damn it, Hayden!” he groaned, taking the condom from her and rolling it down. She couldn’t believe what a turn on it was to see him like this. It was almost as if he were as tense as she was, as tied up and eager for more. He couldn’t be, because she felt like she was going to snap inside.

Then he moved over her once again. Hayden scooted back on the bed, aware of an increased sense of…tension. He didn’t wait. His body pressing her backwards, his knees shifting her legs apart. She held her breath, not sure what to do. She’d read so many romance novels, but nothing could prepare her for this. For him!

When he pressed into her heat, she gasped, surprised at how large he felt. But good! Better than good!

Then that part of him moved out of the way and his finger slid inside of her. “You’re so tight, honey,” he groaned.

His finger was gone and she wiggled when he teased that nub once again. Her first reaction was to shift away from his touch, but then he changed the way he was touching her and she couldn’t move. Not an inch. Her body tensed for a long moment until he shifted again. Then her hips were lifting, trying to meet his touch.

“You’re beautiful like this,” he told her, his voice husky, rich, and deep, as if he were being dragged through a chocolate fountain somehow. Hayden’s hands slid higher along his arms to grasp at his shoulders. Leaning into him, she bit her lip, trying to control what he was doing to her. But then he pulled his hand away, his hips moving back. This time, when he pressed into her body, the way was smooth. His erection pushed into her and she gasped, lifting her hips, wiggling to adjust to his invasion, to take all of him inside of her.

It felt incredible! There was a small pop as he pressed deeper and deeper. Her hands pressed against his shoulders, stopping him, and he froze. After a long moment, she lifted her hips again, inviting him deeper. He accepted that invitation, pressing fully into her heat.

Hayden gasped, feeling perfect, feeling full and wonderful. Never could she have imagined this feeling. It was too incredible. Too beautiful!

“Are you okay?” he asked, panting like he was running a marathon.

Hayden kissed him, needing that connection as much as the other invasion. “I’m great,” she told him, wanting to hug him.

That was all before he started moving.

The first shift wasn’t so bad. But then he moved again. Her eyes popped open and all of that wonderfulness was gone! “Viktor?” she asked, worried now. With each of his slow thrusts, she felt…something. “Don’t do that!” she gasped, but then he did it again and her hips lifted, meeting his. Thrust for thrust, she couldn’t stop the clawing, desperate need that intensified every time he pressed into her.

He moved faster, but that didn’t seem to help. It only made things worse!

Her head tossed back and forth, trying to deny everything, but it was there. It was too powerful and she wasn’t sure how to handle it. “No! You have to stop! I can’t take this,” she begged, but her hand was pressing against his butt, silently urging him to move faster, harder. “Please, Viktor, this isn’t…I can’t…”

Viktor knew what she was telling him and he shifted slightly. He pressed his thumb against that nubbin as he slammed into her. He wanted to be more gentle, more careful with her. But the way her body tightened around his shaft every time he pressed into her, he couldn’t stop. He couldn’t be gentle. All he could do was ensure that she found her own release.

So when his thumb rubbed in time with his thrusts against that nub, he knew that she was close. So damn close, he could feel her inner muscles tighten around him even more. She was like a vise and he had to concentrate to keep himself from letting go until…

Her scream and the nails biting into his shoulders caused him to lose that last bit of control. He couldn’t hold back any longer. All he could do was press his groin against her, intensifying her release as he roared with his own orgasm. Pulsating waves of pleasure. Sparks of light. Heavy breaths and…just intense, overwhelming, mind-blowing beauty.

And when it was all over, he wrapped his arms around her, giving her the gentleness that he hadn’t been able to achieve earlier.

This was his woman, he thought. He felt her breath against his chest as he grabbed a tissue and discarded the condom, keeping his arms around her and her body pressed up against his.

Slowly, he felt her breathing slow as she drifted off to sleep. Thinking about the dark circles under her eyes, he cradled her gently, wanting her to sleep. With his free hand, he pulled the quilt over them both, soothing her with gentle words when his movement seemed to wake her slightly.

As he held her, Viktor stared up at the ceiling, wondering what had happened to him. Just yesterday, he’d been sitting in a meeting discussing ways to put this woman out of business so he could buy her property and move forward with the land development. Now he was in her bed and thinking of ways to improve her business.

She was damn well going to take his money though. Looking around, he realized that the woman was in dire straits. The house needed to be leveled and a new one built in its place. But he wasn’t going to do that. He wanted his wife in his house, back in the city. No way was he going to continue to let her live out here.

Thinking back to his childhood, he remembered the brutally cold nights in Moscow, the cracks in the windows of the building that let in the cold wind. Ever since his childhood, he’d rejected feelings, acting purely on survival, logic, and crushing his competition. That philosophy had brought him to this point where he was feared by business leaders. Just a comment from him could change international markets and a glance towards a company had their management shivering in fear of what he might do. Marauder. Bastard. Merciless. All had been applied to his name.

And yet, he found himself in bed with a woman who, less than an hour ago, had been a virgin, a business woman with the worst sense of business he’d ever encountered.

So why was he trying to save her? Why had he proposed marriage to the very woman he was trying to destroy?

He didn’t know. Nor did he care. His hand smoothed over her soft skin, enjoying the way she snuggled against him, her soft, sweet breath soothed against his skin. She was unlike any woman he’d ever been with.

Marriage! Damn, he couldn’t believe he was going to marry this woman! Never in his life had he considered marrying. Anyone! But the thought of this woman being his, of protecting her and seeing her grow huge with their children…yeah, that was suddenly what he wanted more than anything in the world.

His body hardened just thinking about Hayden being big with their children. He thought about a little girl, one that looked as sweet and daring as Hayden. Or a son…damn, the thought of a son, someone to pass his business on to. Of course, his daughter would be just as good, maybe even better at business, than a boy.

He didn’t care. As long as they both had her sweet eyes and gentle spirit, he didn’t give a damn what they wanted to do with their lives. Children. Marriage had never entered his mind, so the thought of having children was foreign to him.

Protecting Hayden was at the top of his priority list. Yes, he understood her hesitation at the idea of marriage. But after today, there would be no more hesitation. She was his woman.