CHAPTER 5

Jack walked out of the boardroom a few minutes later. He first had to wait for his arousal to settle and his thoughts about Madison to clear before he could face his staff. He had dreamed about finding her and reliving the night they had spent together, but he had never imagined it would be in this situation, where her fate was in his hands. His grandfather’s words came back to him: find someone with whom you can laugh and fight and still have fun doing both. He could imagine Madison would be like that and yet, he still couldn’t stomach the thought of getting married. That was an enormous responsibility that people took on when they were fooled by love and believed in fairytales. Jack knew that real life was nothing like fairy tales. Mothers walked out, fathers died and sometimes someone like his grandfather would come along and make it all right, but that didn’t mean that true love existed. He walked into his office and closed the door behind him. He took in the slate grey desk and charcoal couches. It made for a very corporate atmosphere, there was no whimsy in the decoration. Much like Jack. He didn’t care for the whimsical, he cared for the functionality. Why would someone like him want to get married? He was seeing Madison tonight and he had no idea why he had asked her to dinner besides the fact that he wanted to see her again. He hadn’t even decided about the rental agreement yet. It was quite clear there was no way that she would be able to pay the six month down payment, and yet he wanted to help her. An idea started to form in his mind. Smiling to himself, he thought if she didn’t want to spend another night with him, he’d just have to take advantage of the situation. That way he would get what he wanted: another night with a passionate brunette making his darkest fantasies come true. And she would get the corner property she so wanted without making a down payment.

Maddy’s heels clicked against the asphalt as she briskly walked down Columbus toward Lower Manhattan. She could get a taxi or take the subway but she needed to walk. She needed to clear her head and work through what had just happened. This morning she was still looking for her mystery man among the throng of people that walked the streets of Manhattan and now she knew exactly who he was and felt intimidated by the enormity of his Empire. If she had known who he was, if she had known how rich he was, she would have never taken the elevator up that night to room four four seven. She would’ve swiftly made her way home that night and felt flattered because a billionaire had found her attractive. And yet she had to be grateful she didn’t know, she would’ve felt intimidated. She would’ve never been able to be so bold, to allow him to touch her the way he did, and she wouldn’t have experienced the best sex of her life. She bumped into a man walking from opposite direction and swiftly excused herself before determinedly walking faster. Her calves started to ache from the exertion, but that didn’t make her slow down. Her mind was a jumble of thoughts, confused with her reaction to him and the situation she found herself in. If she didn’t go tonight she could kiss the office goodbye and would have to start the search for premises from scratch. If she did go, she didn’t trust herself to resist him and she could end up in bed with her landlord. But she wanted to. Maddy had boyfriends before. One or two steady relationships and no one had ever aroused her like Jack. Today in the boardroom with a single look into her eyes he did it again. Knowing that attraction like that was rare she was curious to see if it was the anonymity of the evening that had contributed to the experience, and if there was really something between her and Jack. Would they be able to speak freely as they did that night? Would there be banter and flirting, or would there be a power play involved now that their identities had come to light. Would she feel intimidated? Would Jack feel she was still worthy of his time? Why would the upper crust of Manhattan be interested in a blue collar girl from Brooklyn? A flash of panic went through her as she realized Jack didn’t even mention where they would be going for dinner. What should she wear? Casual, formal or cocktail? She thought of what her mother would’ve said if you’re not sure what to wear, overdressing is always a better alternative than the horrible alternative. She quickly ran through the cocktail dresses in her closet in her mind and decided on the perfect option. She knew it was a business dinner more than a date, but there was nothing wrong with dazzling him while she convinced him to approve the rental. Smiling as a plan started to form in her mind, she became more aware of the taxis zooming by, the chatter of passersby and the odd street musician singing the blues. She would make sure Jackson Landon knew she wasn’t a woman to be taken lightly in business and hopefully he’d remember that is a business dinner and not another night with a stranger. Hopefully she remembered that too.

Jack watched the grandfather clock against the wall. It was nearly eight pm, which meant that the town car would be dropping Madison off shortly. He had thought about taking her to a fancy restaurant, but for the proposition he had in mind they needed more privacy. He had spent the afternoon thinking back to their sultry evening in summer, and knew he wanted Madison again. His father had suggested he find someone that could both amuse and infuriate him, he had a feeling Madison was that person. He wouldn’t follow his grandfather’s advice and marry her. No, he would ask her to be his lover in return for lower rent and no down payment. That way if there was something between them he could decide later on if he wanted to abide by his grandfather’s wishes. For now he only wanted Madison. He wanted her to himself. When he saw her today he realized she was the reason he hadn’t taken a lover since their night six months ago. All other women had come short of the one woman who had dazzled him with her smart mouth and her passionate body. He had ordered in dinner from a specialty restaurant and knew he didn’t have to worry about that. He needed to persuade Madison that this was what she really wanted and in return she would receive the added benefit for her business. He didn’t see it as abusing his power, he simply saw it as a way to get what he wants, and he wanted Madison Turner.

Dalton had cornered him on the way out of the office asking if he had taken in another stray, he had forced himself to act calmly and had told him through clenched teeth that there were some details to iron out. Those details were none of Dalton’s business. Dalton was the only reason he was considering his grandfather’s ultimatum. If Jack didn’t get his grandfather’s shares when he passed away, Jack would no longer have the majority shares in the company, which would mean Dalton would be able to undermine him and even try to work him out. He couldn’t allow that. His grandfather knew that. The sneaky old man knew exactly how to set the rules of the game that Jack had to play. This morning he had thought the game ridiculous, but now that he had found Madison he was ready with a game plan.

The buzz from the doorman brought Jack back to reality. He felt his heart beat faster as he walked to the door of his penthouse apartment. He expected Madison to wear a business suit since it was after all a business dinner, but as he opened the door his breath was taken away. She wore a tight fitting red dress with cap sleeves and a high neck. It brushed against the tops of her knees. There was nothing inappropriate about the dress, but the way it fit her reminded Jack of all the dips and curves of her body he had explored in detail six months ago. Her green eyes were enhanced with dark eye shadow making her appear more mysterious, her lips left nude, as if enticing him to kiss her.

Maddy knew the score the moment Jack opened the door. Maddy -1, Jack – 0. His eyes ran over her body and she could feel her arousal awaken beneath his gaze. She waited for him to finish her assessment while she did one of her own. He was wearing slacks with a button down shirt. The top few buttons were left open revealing the appealing tanned skin of his chest. His hair was still wet from his recent shower, and the scent of soap drifted towards her. Grinning confidently she asked him. “May I come in?”

Jack’s eyes widened at her question momentarily confused. “Of course, please come in.”

As Maddy walked past him into the apartment, Jack had to force himself to close his mouth. Her whole back was bare. The dress buttoned at the back of her neck, a large oval cut out strategically to display her beautiful toned back. She had beauty spots there too. Forcing himself to focus on the reason for her visit he closed the door and followed her into the living room.

“Would you like to sit out on the terrace? It’s a lovely evening.”

Maddy nodded and followed him outside. So this was what the other half lived like, Maddy thought as she stepped out on the terrace. Potted plants created a carefully constructed cozy atmosphere. A glass railing was all that separated them from the forty floor drop to the bottom. Beyond the glass she could see the Empire State building in the distance and the numerous lights that kept Manhattan light through the night. “It’s lovely.” She murmured softly as she stepped up to the railing awed.

Jack stood behind her watching her. “Yes, you are.”

At his words Maddy turned around. “Jackson, Jack…I don’t even know what to call you?”

“Jack, please.” He said as he walked over to her taking her hands, just needing to touch her, to assure himself she was real. “Madison?”

Madison reveled in the warm feeling of his hands holding hers. “Just Maddy.”

“Maddy suits you better,” Jack said as he pushed a stray strand of her aside and looked into her eyes. “I thought I’d never see you again, I’m glad I am.”

Maddy tried to look away but she was lost in his gaze. “Jack, please. This is business.”

“We’ll get to business shortly. First I have a few things to say to woman that left me a memorable note six months ago.”

Maddy shook her head. She didn’t want to be dazzled, she already was.

“That night was the best night of my life. Not because I didn’t know who you were, but because I think except for our names we shared a lot about ourselves that night.”

Knowing he spoke the truth Maddy nodded. They had been open about both opinions and desires.

Jack read the reticence in her eyes and knew his proposition wasn’t one to be made within a few minutes of her arrival. “Would you like some wine?”

“Thank you.” Maddy said softly, grateful for the time alone to collect herself.

“Sometime tonight I’m going to find that smart mouthed girl from that night.” Jack said with a cocky grin as he went to fetch the wine.

Maddy told herself to breathe deeply. She needed to shake off the feeling of inferiority. The extent of his wealth was intimidating to her. His penthouse apartment was larger than the home she had grown up in. Although he wasn’t blatantly flaunting his wealth she could see it in the minimalistic furniture. Designer suede and leather. She could see it in the art, all originals. She could feel it when she stood on the terrace looking down on the rest of Manhattan. She didn’t belong in this world. She would make her money by planning events for this world, but she felt overwhelmed. Alicia Keyes’ voice streamed through the terrace doors singing about a girl on fire, if she didn’t know Jack any better she would’ve thought the music was part of his seduction. But late at night in a hotel bar he had admitted weakness for R&B and soul music to a perfect stranger. Realizing she knew him better than she thought she gained her footing before he stepped outside with two glasses of wine. Their fingers brushed as he passed her glass, and a bold of desire coursed up her arm. She found Jack’s eyes on hers and knew he felt it too.