“If you don’t hurry, we aren’t going to be able to eat before we need to drive to the airport!” Danielle yelled the words from the kitchenette where she had made them both a cup of coffee. They’d lived on questionable room service food for the last two days. Well, questionable food but unquestionably fantastic sex. They’d talked for hours, about everything and nothing, the way friends do. She sighed in complete contentment as she stirred his coffee. Too bad they had to leave today. Business waited for no man and Justin had already nearly given Max a heart attack with the unannounced extra day of being incommunicado in Hobart, Tasmania.

Justin padded out to the kitchen wearing nothing but a hotel towel. The damn thing was barely knotted around his waist. His Adonis belt and happy trail on prominent display, she couldn’t help ogling. He stepped in front of her and tipped her chin up, lifting her eyes from the wet terrycloth and his rising desire hidden beneath. “My eyes are up here.” He leaned down and kissed her as he reached around her for his coffee.

Suddenly food wasn’t important anymore. Well, not the protein she imagined before he walked out. Right now, she wanted to eat him. She dropped her hand to his towel and flicked the tucked material, dropping the damp terry cloth to the floor. “Your eyes are gorgeous, stop fishing for compliments.” She dropped to her knees and ran her cheek up the soft skin that covered his hardening shaft. His cock was long and thick with dark blue veins that crisscrossed under the velvet-soft skin. She licked around its large mushroom head before she pulled him into her mouth. There was no way she could deep throat him. She worked her hand from his base to her mouth as she took him as deep as she could. Gagging at his head at the back of her throat, she pulled away and went down on him again while stroking the lower portion of his cock. He sucked air through his teeth as she swirled her tongue around his head when she lifted. Danielle added that tongue movement to every stroke. She could feel the muscles in his thighs quaking as his hands reached down and gently cupped her head. His hips flexed the smallest amount as she lowered. He tapped her cheek. “I’m going…pull off.” Oh, hell no. Dani sucked him down and moved her free hand to his balls. They were high and tight against his body. She gently tugged on them, and that’s when Justin shattered, spilling into her mouth. She swallowed everything he had to give to her and held him in her mouth until he pulled free with a hiss. He helped her up before he kissed her. There wasn’t a portion of her mouth he didn’t devour.

She pulled away and glanced over at the clock. “Go, you’ve got five minutes.” She handed him his coffee. "I still want breakfast."

"I think I found the perfect woman." He turned away, leaving the towel on the floor. She cocked her head to the side and watched his wide, strong back, tapered waist, gorgeous ass, and muscular legs disappear into the bedroom. There was no “thinking” required on her part. She knew she'd found the perfect man.

Her phone vibrated, dragging her attention away from the naked body beyond her sight. She glanced down and answered the incoming call.

“I need you to get some information for me. A person of interest. I have heard through unreliable sources he may have ties to Libya.”

“Hi, how are you?” She chirped the question.

A long silence followed her question before her father answered. "Why the change in the status quo?" They didn't usually share details of their existence. He loved her, she knew it, but still, it was difficult for him to verbally express it.

"I don't know. Feeling happy, I guess. I am actually leaving for the airport soon. I can research that when I get back to the States. Libya is a failed state, now. There is no recognized government. Anyone having contacts over there is shady at best."

"Which is exactly the reason I need the research, and I need it from someone I trust implicitly."

"Thank you." She took the compliment for what it was. The people he trusted could be counted on one hand.

"You're welcome."

"Is this a big supplier?" Danielle took a sip of her coffee and listened to Justin whistling in the bedroom.

"It isn't a supplier. He is someone in the organization."

The smile dropped off Dani's face, and she concentrated her stare at the countertop. "You have someone on the board that has ties to Libya?" The ramifications of that could shake the foundations of his company.

"No, in R&D."

"You think he is the one stealing your design information?"

"Makes sense, but I won't bring in the big guns until I know for sure he is the one."

"Funny pun."

"Not intended. Can you get this information for me when you get back to the States?"

"I can, and I will. It will be forty-eight to seventy-two hours. Is that going to be alright?"

"Yes. I've taken covert action to prevent him from accessing the proprietary inventions that would cause catastrophic repercussions, and I have hired people to watch him."

"Sounds like you are convinced this man is the one conducting industrial espionage."

"My safe was broken into five weeks ago. There was no documentation that could be acquired, but I hired people to ensure it didn't happen again. If this is the man, he will be dealt with, swiftly and with prejudice." There was no change in his tone. The bombshell was dropped as if he was talking about the weather.

Fear spiked a rod of electricity through her at the comment. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"How does it affect you? I handle my concerns at this end. You take care of the company you work for and feed me a bit of unbiased research when you can. I'm more than capable of safeguarding Phoenix." Again, the even concise delivery. No accusation or incrimination, just her father stating facts.

"I didn't think for a moment you weren't capable, Dad, but I still worry about you." He didn't let anyone close to him. To her knowledge, he had no one to whom he could voice his concerns to or to discuss his fears. She'd been his only exception.

"And I you."

"Be careful. I know you don't like it when I say it, but I love you, and I worry about you."

A long silence punctuated their conversation before her father replied, "Ditto, Dani." She drew a shaky breath. That was as close to saying he loved her as he ever got. He cleared his throat and said, "I like it when you say it, I just don't know what to do with it," before he disconnected the call.

"Is everything alright?"

Justin stood beside the counter drinking his coffee. She'd been so engrossed in her conversation with her father she didn't hear or see him come back into the room. She drew in a deep breath and shook her head. "Yes? No? I don't know?" She laughed and took a drink of her cooled coffee. "Dad is having issues and wants me to do some research for him."

"Do we need to rebook the flight?" Justin grabbed his phone and started typing.

"No." She put her hand over his phone and gently pushed it to his side. "He said three days wasn't going to matter. From what he told me today, this situation has been brewing for a while."

"Alright. Let’s get some breakfast, make our way to Cambridge and the airport. We have several long flights ahead of us." Justin grabbed his keycard and held out his hand to her.

* * *

Dani's head rested against his shoulder. They'd been flying forever. Tasmania to Perth to gather both sets of luggage, Perth to Sydney. Sydney to Los Angeles and now on the last leg of the trip, Los Angeles to New York.

They'd talked, laughed and learned about each other. It was the first flight where he hadn't poured over documents or immersed himself in learning a new language. A novelty to be sure but concentrating on his business when there were so many things to find out about Danielle was unthinkable. The stewardess made the landing announcement, and Danielle rose off his shoulder.

"Is it wrong of me to be worried that when we land that this bubble will burst?"

He grasped her hand and put his other on the top of their intertwined fingers. "I'm not going anywhere. We are going to your apartment to get some clothes and anything else you need, and then you are coming to mine. We'll figure it out from there."

Dani smiled and dropped her head onto his shoulder again. "As easy as that?"

"There is no need to make it difficult." He wasn't going to give her the opportunity to second guess their relationship.

"We will need to do some paperwork for HR. We can't break the company's policy on employees dating." A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

"I set the policy. I'll have Max file the appropriate forms."

Dani groaned, "Uggg...God, Max. He hated me before. He's going to despise me now."

"Just let him do his job. He's good at it. Besides, if I didn't have him, I wouldn't have as much free time to spend with you." Justin relied on Max for all the minor administrative tasks that would drown him in cyber paper. He paid Max well enough to at least be civil to Danielle. The fact that Max had always had a crush on him was probably the real reason Max didn't like his acquisitions manager. Justin made a mental note to talk to his assistant about that.

"I know, I get it. I'm invading his territory."

"The only one who has a claim to my personal time is you." Justin had reaffirmed his position about exclusivity several times during the flight home. It was important to him that she knew he wasn't interested in dating anyone else.

"And the only one with a personal claim to me is you." She tipped her head up, and he placed a soft kiss on her lips.

"So, it’s settled. Your place for clothes and necessities and then to my apartment."

"Funny, I didn't think I argued that point."

"You are definitely the perfect woman for me."

The trip through baggage claim where his driver met them seemed to take forever. He wanted to get Danielle to her apartment, grab enough to last a couple days and then head to his for an hour-long shower, sex, and then sleep. Maybe they could condense that into shower sex and sleep. He escorted her up to her apartment, and thank God, she took exactly five minutes to grab several days’ worth of warm winter clothes, pull her toiletries out of her suitcase and pack a smaller bag. That, along with her briefcase, and they were back down heading to his apartment.

He'd originally purchased one unit in his Central Park West Apartment, but when his neighbor put his apartment on the market, Justin snapped it up. The wall between the units came down, and everything expanded. The work took over a year to complete, but now it was his home and a haven, although he wasn't often there.

His driver opened the car door for them. "I'll get the bags, sir."

Justin nodded and clasped the man on the shoulder. "Just set them in the entryway?"

"Of course, sir." Paulo had been with him for the last six years and would have normally taken the bags to his bedroom while Justin was showering. He didn't want that to happen today.

Justin reached back to assist Danielle out of the car and headed into the building. The security detail at the foyer’s main counter nodded to him as he walked toward the elevator and punched in his code. He pulled Danielle into him and lost himself in a kiss while the elevator climbed to his floor. When the door slid open he backed her out, still kissing her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and walked backward until they reached the door. She continued to kiss him as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his set of keys. It took five or ten kisses longer to open the door. He pushed it open with one hand while backing her into the apartment. He kicked the door closed with his foot before he reached under her jacket and cupped her breast.

"Ummm...this is rather embarrassing."

"Speak for yourself, this is fucking hot."

"Gross, that's your brother!"

"Girls!"

The burst of almost simultaneous feminine comments layered each other, one on top of the other. Justin froze. Both he and Danielle swung their heads toward the massive living room where four variously curious, amused or shocked faces observed them. His mom and all three of his sisters, Jasmine, Jade, and Jewell sat on the couch with an explosion of bridal magazines spread out around them.

"What are you doing here?" He sucked in air but didn't loosen the hold he had on Danielle.

"Ummm...you said we could stay here while we shopped for dresses." Jewell retorted.

"Yeah, on the twenty-eighth!" It was Justin's plan now to divert them to a hotel so he and Danielle could have privacy. Hell, he'd pay for the presidential suite at any of the five-star hotels in New York to be alone with Dani right now.

"Duh, dude." Jade snorted and then laughed. "It is the twenty-eighth." She stood up and walked over to where they stood. She extended her hand. "Hi, I'm Jade." As Danielle extracted herself from Justin's grip and took Jade's hand, his sister continued, "That is my mom, Amanda. The one in the pink is Jasmine, and the one in the green sweater is Jewell. Who are you?"

"Jade!" Justin, his mother, Jasmine, and Jewell shouted her name at the same time.

She dropped Danielle's hand and raised both of hers in the air. "What? Don't tell me y’all don't want to know, too!"

Justin drew Dani back into a hug and whispered in her ear, "I'm so sorry for everything you are about to endure." Danielle's shoulders moved and then shook. He released her and looked down.

Her eyes danced with merriment and she broke into a fit of laughter. "Heck of a way to meet your family, isn't it?"

"Oh, honey, we are only a small portion of his family. Just you wait until you meet his brothers, their kids and the rest of the extended mess we call a family!" Jade grabbed Dani's hand and pulled her into the living room. "You too, mister," Jade called over her shoulder.

Justin dropped his head back and closed his eyes, knowing the inquisition that was coming.

"Dude? You coming, or you going to let your woman face us alone?" Jewell threw a stack of magazines onto his antique coffee table making space for Danielle and him on the dark brown leather sectional.

"So, who are you?" Jade asked again.

Justin regained his senses and moved, quickly. "Everyone, this is Danielle. Danielle, the inquisition known as my mother and sisters. The chief brat is Jade."

His mother reached over and put a hand on his hand. "I promise to make Jade behave."

"Since when has that ever happened?" Jewell laughed at her mother.

"Yeah, right." Jasmine snorted and dropped back into the soft leather.

"Good luck." Justin's reply landed on the heels of his sister's quips.

"Hey! Keep that up for another hour or so, and I might take offense." Jade flipped her ponytail off her shoulder and twisted to face Danielle. "So, how do you know my brother?"

Justin helped Danielle take off her coat while she answered, "I've worked with Justin for four years."

All four women snapped their head toward him.

"You've been dating someone for four years, and you haven't introduced us?" Jade spit out the shocked accusation.

"No, that is not what she said. We've worked together for four years. Our relationship is new." Justin pulled off his own jacket placing both his and Danielle's on the hall tree. He stepped back down into the living room and veered toward the bar. He and Dani deserved a drink, especially since his family had descended. Damn, he'd forgotten all about them coming to New York to look for Jewell’s wedding dress.

"How new?" Jade probed.

"Jade." Her mother admonished her daughter.

"No, that's alright. Very new. We've been friends for a long time, but things have evolved recently. We found we had similar interests outside of work." Danielle accepted the snifter of brandy he handed her.

"Hey? Where's ours?" Jade glanced at Justin's glass to the bar and back to him.

"It is ten o'clock in the morning. We've been flying for the last two days. We are going to have a drink, go take a shower and hibernate for at least a day." Justin directed his comments to his mother. He sure as hell hoped he hadn't offended her.

"I understand completely, sweetheart. We will be out of your hair soon. Our car will be here in about fifteen minutes. Do you want us to make accommodations at a hotel for tonight and tomorrow?" Amanda placed a hand on his arm when she asked. Well, fuck...it seemed wrong when she said it.

"Is anyone camping out in my room?" Justin swirled his brandy, warming it in his hand. He noticed Danielle was doing the same thing. Damn, he loved the fact she knew how to properly enjoy the expensive alcohol.

"No, there are enough guest rooms here with one to spare. Although Jade wanted to take your room." Jasmine lanced a mock glare over at Jade.

"Not true." Jade stuck out her tongue at Jasmine. "I had your room until they said it was a violation of your privacy."

"Please stay. You just won't see us until the jetlag lets us out of its grip." Justin spoke before he took a sip.

Danielle took a small sip of her brandy before she spoke, "I'll just go back to my apartment."

"That's not happening." Justin's automatic response came out just a little sharper and more possessive than he'd intended.

Jewell snickered and stood up. "Well, that tone I recognize. Zane gets all growly, too."

"Ditto. Nic also seems to think he needs to do the Neanderthal thing." Jade made a face.

"Yep, been there still doing that. Chad is possessive as hell, especially now that we have Chloe." Jasmine agreed.

"Frank, too." Amanda stood up. "Come on girls. We have dresses to find."

"Okay, but there is no way I'm doing a hoop skirt. I want something sexy. If I have to go to a wedding, I want to look hot." Jade was the last off the couch.

"Classic and conservative." Jewell threw out the words like they'd had this argument before.

"Classic and conservative is boring. Mom, you have to make them listen to me." Jade grabbed her coat and handed Jasmine hers. Jewell handed Amanda her coat and put her arm in hers as the front door opened and Paulo walked in.

"Mrs. Marshall. Good to see you again. Ladies." Paulo dipped his cap towards his sisters. "Are you in need of a ride?"

"Oh, we hired a car. We didn't want to bother you."

"It is no bother! Mr. Justin, will you need me anymore today?" Paulo looked at Justin for the first time.

"No, I'm not going anywhere but to bed." Justin took a sip of his brandy watching the gaggle at the door.

"Well then ladies, your chariot awaits! The limo is in front of the building. Please go down. I’ll be with you shortly." Paulo ushered all the women out the door and closed it behind them, while he remained in the apartment. "It could take a very long time, sir. I'm sure they will want dinner out, and I have a hook-up for tickets to Hamilton..."

"Tell the concierge to bill them to me and take them to The Sabre. I'll call ahead for dinner reservations. You'll have a meal waiting, too."

"Thank you, sir." Paulo opened the door.

"One last thing?" Justin called out to his driver.

"Sir?"

"Your Christmas bonus just tripled." Justin raised his brandy snifter in a salute.

"It is my pleasure sir." The smile he shot Justin could rival any lights on Broadway.