“Family sticks with family, and sons help their fathers,” Eugenia, Worth’s aunt and Senior’s sister, loudly proclaimed in the middle of what was supposed to be Worth’s birthday lunch but seemed more like a ‘get Worth back into RGC’ intervention. With Senior looking on with a smug smile, she asked, “When will you quit that nonsense with hockey sticks and come back into the family?”
Grin and bear it, Worth reminded himself. It’s just for two hours tops. He pasted on his brightest smile. “Hockey sticks aren’t the only equipment we sell.”
“Pish, posh, sticks.” Eugenia dismissively waved her fork. “When will you come back into the family?”
“Aunt Eugenia, did you bake the ratatouille yourself,” Baron interjected in a transparent attempt to change the subject and save Worth. He beamed at their aunt. “It’s delicious. Even better than the one you brought for Thanksgiving dinner.”
The attempt worked.
Eugenia turned to Baron with a bright smile. “Is it? It took me almost the whole day to make it.”
Several people around the large dining table, including Worth, stifled their laughter. Everyone knew that Eugenia’s idea of ‘making it’ involved asking one of the three personal chefs in her home to cook the meal and pack it.
“Thank you for coming.” Karen, Baron’s mother and Worth’s step-mother, leaned closer to Worth to whisper, “I didn’t think you would.”
“Yeah, right.” Worth chuckled. “I bet you’re the one who taught Baron how to guilt-trip me.”
“I swear I didn’t,” the blonde bespectacled woman insisted. When Worth gave her a disbelieving look, she chuckled. “Or maybe I did.”
Worth was quite close to his step-mother. Given that she was the only woman who’d been a constant in his life, it would’ve been strange not to be attached to her. Before she was his step-mother, she was his nanny, and even then she’d treated him like he was her son. Worth believed that marrying her was the best decision Senior had ever made. It was unfortunate that Senior didn’t feel the same way.
“Karen.” Senior cut into the two’s conversation. “A glass of cold water.”
Worth shot a disbelieving look at his father. See, this was why he couldn’t stand the older man. There were four servants in the room, all of them having been hired specifically for this occasion, yet Senior still couldn’t let Karen eat in peace. Despite having been married for more than twenty years, he still treated her like his personal servant.
Worth opened his mouth, ready to say something, but before he could Karen squeezed his hand under the table, her silent plea for him to keep quiet. To Senior, she smiled. “Sure.”
Worth watched her as she headed out of the room. How in the world was she able to bear it? It wasn’t like she’d get rewarded once Senior passed on. Senior had made that quite clear in the unfair yet iron-clad prenup he’d made her sign. Senior would’ve made the perfect mark for Sin.
“What about the other one?” Great Aunt Rose, who was seated next to Eugenia asked, “When is she coming back home?”
Great Aunt Rose didn’t need to clarify who she was talking about. Everyone at the table knew that ‘the other one’ was Louisa, Worth’s half-sister. The reason she didn’t merit a name was because she’d taken after Worth by refusing to toe the family-line. However, she’d gone a step further to gain possession of the title of The Ransom’s Black Sheep. Wild child didn’t even begin to describe Louisa – and she had the dreadlocks to prove it.
His expression already stormy, Senior grunted. “I don’t know. Ask her mother.”
Baron interjected, “Last I spoke to her, she was thinking of spending time in Fiji before heading back.”
“Yeah, I don’t think that will happen.” Claire, who was seated beside Baron, let out a mocking chuckle. “She’s been saying she’s on her way back for three years now.”
“Maybe you should just tie her up and bring her back,” Eugenia suggested.
While his family discussed what to do with Louisa as they ate their meal, Worth kept his silence. Why? Because he was partly responsible for Louisa’s gypsy ways. When she’d declared that she wanted to be a travel-writer, everyone else in the family had scoffed that it wasn’t a real job. If she wasn’t going to have a ‘decent’ career, then it was better for her to just find a rich husband, they’d said. Senior had even cut off her finances.
When Louisa had come to Worth for help, he couldn’t turn her away. She was his little sister. How could he say no to her? He’d funded her initial travels, and thus begun her endless tour of the world. Of course he wanted her to come back home, but if traveling and writing about it made her happy then that was all that mattered.
As soon as the meal was over, Senior ordered Worth to follow him to his study.
People said that Worth was a carbon copy of his father; and it was true to a certain extent. They had the same name, same eyes and were both tall and athletic. Though Senior’s hair was already graying and he was carrying a couple of wrinkles, it was quite obvious that with time, Worth would look the same. But that’s where it stopped; their looks and their name.
Their personalities were as different as night and day. Where Worth was gruff and an introvert, Senior’s personality depended on who he was dealing with. He was sweet and diplomatic with RGC’s shareholders but stingy and mean to his employees. He was Mr. Charming to the ladies who attended the same sports-club as him, but an inconsiderate chauvinist to his wife. He was a forward-thinking mentor to the university students he regularly gave talks to but demanding and retrogressive whenever it came to his own sons.
In business, Senior’s only measure of success was profit. To him the ends justified the means. It didn’t matter how he got his money as long as he got it. But the funny thing was that in his books and talks, he always sermonized about the importance of business ethics and social responsibility. Frankly, Worth was amazed at the older man’s ability to keep all his faces straight.
“If this is about me coming back into the company-” Worth settled in one of the armchairs in the study. “-then don’t waste your breath.”
Ignoring his son’s words, Senior headed to the mini-bar. After pouring himself a drink he strode back across the room and settled in the armchair opposite Worth’s. He said, “Claire’s hosting a charity auction at her museum on the twenty-fifth.”
Worth lifted one eyebrow. “And you’re telling me this because…”
“You need to be there!”
“Is that an order or a request?” Worth asked.
His father just stared at him, but the answer was clear in his hard gaze.
Worth’s first instinct was to say no, but his curiosity got the better of him. “Why do I need to be there?”
“Her father is selling one of their wineries,” the older man explained. “I need to get a foot up on the bidding process. If he sees that our family supports his, it might sway him.”
Wow! Worth’s wasn’t even surprised that Senior’s sudden interest in their in-laws had something to do with profiteering. He chuckled. “You have a one track mind, I’ll give you that.”
Senior’s eyes narrowed. “What does that mean?”
“Nothing, nothing.” Worth paused to think over his father’s request.
Though, he wasn’t interested in anything involving his father or Claire, there was the matter of Sin and Claire’s alliance. This auction was a good opportunity to force the two women in one room and see how they interacted. Maybe he’d get lucky and find out what their plan was.
He met his father’s gaze and nodded. “Okay, I’ll come.”
Senior’s eyes widened in surprise. “You’ll come? Just like that?”
“Yes.”
“Why?” Suspicion clouded the older man’s face.
“Why?” Worth laughed. “You just asked me to come to the auction and now you’re unhappy that I said yes? Fine, I won’t come.”
“No, no, no. You’re coming.” Senior quickly retreated but doubt still glittered in his gaze. A moment later, he asked, “So when do you plan to come back to the company?”
“Dad!” Worth let out an exasperated sigh.
“You can sigh all you want but I won’t quit,” Senior said. “I’m getting older now. It’s time to settle the business.”
“The business is settled,” Worth countered. “Baron is doing a great job there.”
“He is,” Senior agreed. “But he’s not you.”
Worth scoffed. “You mean he’s not your biological son.”
“He doesn’t have Ransom blood,” Senior agreed shamelessly. “I can’t trust an outsider with our legacy.”
“An outsider?” Worth couldn’t hide his disbelief. “Do you hear yourself? If you were going to do this, then you shouldn’t have brought him and his mother into your house. You shouldn’t have convinced him to ditch his law career and get into RGC. Don’t you even feel bad?”
“What’s to feel bad about?” The older man’s expression was unconcerned as he took a sip of his drink. “I gave them a roof over their head, and Baron would never have ended up where he is without my help. Plus we’re paying him good money at the company.”
“And you think that’s enough?” Worth asked. When his father only shrugged, he had to shake his head. “Wow! You really know how to treat your family.”
The criticism flew right past Senior without even grazing him. He demanded, “Come back to the company.”
“Give up,” Worth countered.
“No.”
Worth shrugged. “Then I guess we’re at a stalemate.”
“Just for now.” His father gave him a toothy smile. “I’ll get you back.”
Though Senior’s tone was soft and he was smiling, his words were an obvious threat. Still, the threat didn’t scare Worth. It annoyed him. Senior would– if he hadn’t already – come up with another harebrained scheme to disrupt W Sport’s operations. The scheme wouldn’t work, but it would still be annoying as hell to nip.
Ugh! Worth clicked his tongue as he drove back to his apartment. Why couldn’t his father just leave him alone?
The family drama left him restless enough that as soon as he got to his place, he headed to the pool for a swim. Even twenty laps across the sizeable pool weren’t enough to soothe him. After showering, he tried watching a movie, but it just left him feeling jitterier. Before he knew it, he’d reached for his phone.
“Hello?” Sin’s husky voice echoed over the line. Just hearing her voice was enough to soothe some of his agitation.
Since he didn’t have a valid reason for calling, he fabricated one. “Did you finish proofing the Hoop Squad contract?”
“Yes, I did,” she said. “I sent it to you yesterday.”
“Print it out and bring me a copy.”
“Um… sir,” she reminded him, “it’s the weekend.”
“I know.”
“And I’m not in the office.”
“Neither am I,” he retorted. “Bring the contract to my apartment. My address is…”
As soon as he was done rattling off the directions to his place, he hung up on her, giving her no time to protest. Seconds later, she called him. He didn’t pick up. She called again. He didn’t pick up. If she was clever, she’d take the hint. He wanted her to come to his place and he wasn’t taking no for an answer. She called two more times then gave up.
Grinning, Worth settled on the couch, waiting for her.
* * *
WAS THIS MAN serious? Sin stared at her phone disbelief. What kind of inconsiderate jerk calls his assistant over the weekend to ask her to print out a document that he can access on his own – a document that isn’t even urgent?
The most sensible thing to do was to send him a text and let him know that she couldn’t go to his apartment. Heck, she could even say that she was out of the city and thus unable to do as he wished.
Yes, that was the sensible thing to do.
Sin clicked on the message icon on her phone, even started to think of how to phrase the message. However, her fingers refused to take her brain’s cue. Was it so bad to go to his place? they tempted. The man had been on her mind since the previous day. After that scorching make-out session in his office and the resultant desperation from not being finished off, Worth Ransom was all she could think about, and dream about, and lust after.
She ached to see him. Okay, fine… seeing him wasn’t all she wanted to do to him. But that didn’t mean she’d succumb to those sinful thoughts, Sin insisted even as she changed into a sexy red-t-shirt dress that had thigh high slits on its sides and clung to her curves. No, of course not.
Besides, she couldn’t sleep with Worth yet. Not until her doubts about Claire were cleared. Still, that didn’t mean she couldn’t satisfy her aching need to see him. To compliment the dress, she put on a pair of wedge sandals. She’d just drop by his place, drop off the contract while covertly taking a look at what he was up to then pop right back out.
Yup! That’s what she’d do.
Fortunately, Ten wasn’t around to question her logic. After downloading the document then printing it out, Sin headed out the door. Her building wasn’t too far from Worth’s and it took her less than twenty minutes to get there. Butterflies danced in her stomach as she took the elevator up to his apartment. By the time she rang his doorbell, her heart was practically in her mouth.
All it took was that one ring for him to open the door.
This was the first time Sin was seeing Worth in anything other than gym clothes and suits. The man looked delicious in his white v-neck tee, beige khaki shorts and white socks. But that wasn’t what caught her attention. It was the wide smile he greeted her with that made her heart give an odd thump.
“You’re here,” he stated simply as his eyes looked her up and down with a lazy arrogance.
“Yeah.” She nodded.
“Good.” He reached for her wrist and pulled her into his apartment.
Sin didn’t even have time to take a look around the apartment. Even before the door had fully closed behind them, Worth was dragging her into his arms. By the time he lowered his head, she was already lifting on tiptoes to meet him. He crushed his mouth to hers with a passion she’d never thought possible.
His mouth was hot over hers and his tongue wild as it parted her lips and pushed inside. He shuffled forward, pushing her backwards until she was pinned to the door. His palms hit the door, framing her head while he taunted her with his lips.
Sin couldn’t help the throaty moan that tore from her throat when he pressed his body into hers. When he flattened her breasts with his hard chest and ground the hardness behind his zipper into her stomach electric heat swept through her. Moisture pooled between her thighs, and she couldn’t help but grind her body against his.
Suddenly his hands were on her, sweeping over her arms, squeezing her waist and skimming her hips to settle at the back of her naked thighs.
“Oh!” Her breath gushed out in a sharp gasp when he hitched her up.
Instinct drove her to wrap her legs around his waist. As her arms automatically went around his neck, her purse and the shopping bag that contained the contract he’d asked for fell to the floor. Forgotten.
Worth was the first man she’d met who could make her lose her mind like this. His hot, deep kisses erased every bit of rational thought until all she could do was feel and touch. Though a part of her knew that she needed to stop this, her lips refused to say the word ‘no’. Instead of pushing him away, she kissed his forehead and face, nipping at his skin, while he carried her deeper into his house.
His bedroom was huge, airy and luxuriously furnished. A row of glass sliding doors that led to the balcony lined one of the walls, offering a magnificent view of the city beyond. Sin never got to enjoy that view. She was too busy trying to stay sane as Worth made love to her mouth with slow, sliding thrusts.
Gently, he set her on the bed. He took a moment to help her get rid of her shoes then joined her on the bed. They knelt on the bed while their hands and mouths explored each other.
Worth was all hard, rippling muscles and warmth. Sin couldn’t get enough of him. She smoothed her hands over his broad shoulders and toned torso, exploring him over his t-shirt. He returned her every touch with a touch of his own. His hands on her waist, her back, her ass, caressing her. When he slowly lifted her dress to her armpits, she readily lifted her arms. He dragged the dress over her head and tossed it somewhere beside the bed, leaving her in just her purple bra and v-string panties.
“Damn!” His voice was deep, husky and filled with undeniable desire. The look in his eyes as he took in her half-naked state sent an odd pang straight to her pussy. It was a look of complete adoration as he gave her a slow onceover, almost as if he couldn’t quite believe what he was seeing.
“Christ, you’re beautiful,” he mumbled. His hand came up to cup one breast then squeeze it.
“Worth,” she gasped as all her blood rushed to that area. Her breast swelled beneath his touch and her breath heaved in and out of her lungs. His touch was like silk, sliding against her flesh and leaving her trembling in its wake.
He sat on the bed then dragged her closer until she was seated on his lap. Beneath her she could feel the evidence of his own desire jutting against her pussy. Without conscious thought, she ground harder against his erection, drawing a pained groan from him.
“Fuck!” he growled as he wrapped her up in a hug before reaching upwards to unsnap her bra. As he pulled apart from her, he took the bra with him, leaving her upper body naked.
Sin instinctively crossed her arms over her twins but Worth wasn’t having it.
“I want to see,” he demanded as he pulled one of her arms away. She had no choice but to obey. Her arms fell away and his gaze lowered. By the instant heat that flashed in his eyes, it was obvious that he liked what he saw. His hot gaze was enough to pebble her nipples.
“Very nice,” he complimented with a smile before kissing her cheek then coming for her lips.
His kiss was sweet, but it was nothing compared to the sensations that soared within her when both his hands came up to touch her bare flesh. His big hands were the perfect fit; they surrounded her swollen tits and caressed them just the way she liked. When he pinched both rigid tips, she whimpered against his lips.
“You like that?” he whispered then did it again.
“Yesss…” She arched into his touch with a hiss.
“What about this?” He lowered his head.
Having his lips touch her nipple was like being struck by lightning. Electric heat flooded her to center at that sharp point where his mouth was. Lovingly, carefully, he suckled that tip, flicked it with his tongue then nipped it lightly.
“Aaah… oh…” Sin moaned in unrestrained pleasure when he gave the same treatment to her other tit. Threading her fingers through her hair, she watched him taunt and pleasure her breasts. When he came back up to kiss her, she was ready for him and she met him with all the need that was nipping at her.
The kiss was open-mouthed and deep. It left no doubt that she really, really liked what he was doing to her. When he urged her to lie back on the bed, she went willingly. He only took a moment off to draw his t-shirt up his body and toss it away before he followed her down.
“You taste amazing,” he murmured as he settled over her, his lower body nestled in between thighs.
“You too.” She puckered up to meet his kiss.
Given the heat that had been smoldering between them for the last two weeks, Sin expected him to go fast and hard. However, judging by Worth’s slow, deep and thorough kiss, it was clear that he wanted to savor her for a long, long time.
He moved to lie beside her while his hands skimmed over her body. Her breasts, her upper torso, her lower stomach… slowly, he eased his hand over her mound. The flames already consuming her leaped in excitement, became hotter. When he lowered his hand between her thighs to caress her over her panties, she couldn’t help her whimper.
“Worth.” She thrust her hips upwards. “Please!”
“I like hearing my name on your lips.” His voice was raspy and filled with desire as he smoothed his hand beneath her panties. “You want me, don’t you?”
“Yesss,” she hissed when he finally touched flesh.
“Yes, what?” He pushed his finger between the plump petals and found her nub.
“Oh my… Jeez… Wor…” Her words faded into oblivion as sensation rocketed through her. The way he was touching her, the way he was slowly circling that nub, the way he dragged his finger downwards then forced it into her. Her fingers dug into his back in desperation. “Ah… ah… ah…”
“Easy, sweetheart,” he soothed when she jerked her hips upwards to meet that wicked finger. But how could she relax when he was driving her this mad? Impossible. When he added a second finger, she almost jumped out of her skin.
“Oh, God… stop… it’s too much,” she pleaded as she squeezed his fingers inside her.
“No.” Worth gave her an open-mouthed kiss as he lifted off the bed to hover over her. His voice was rough and his drawl slurred with passion as he asked, “Do you know how long I’ve wanted you? How much I’ve wanted to do this?”
The eroticism of his words and the way he was working her pussy left Sin almost numb with desire. Moaning, she brought her arms up to surround his neck. Worth gave her one last kiss on the mouth before licking his way down her body. When he knelt between her legs and reached for the sides of her panties, she raised her hips to give him the space he needed to drag the garment off her.
Then she was naked.
Worth kissed her knee before forcing her legs apart so he could see her. If she wasn’t already turned on, the look in his eyes would’ve done the job. His gaze was darker than she’d ever seen it and stark passion lined his face. For a while, he just stared at her sex, as if he was tattooing her into his memory. When he licked his bottom lip in obvious hunger, heat like she’d never felt before shot through her.
By the time he scooted backwards to lie on his stomach with his head between her legs, she was already delirious. When he set his mouth on her, she was past the point of no-return. She clung to the sheets and writhed on the bed as he played her. Like a guitar, he made music with her body. Each strum of his firm tongue against her clit was like a flame licking her body.
“Worth!” She screamed when his long fingers slid inside her.
With slow steady thrusts of his fingers tempered by flicks of his tongue against her clit, he brought her closer and closer to the edge. Her eyes rolled back and lids fluttered closed as sensation after sensation bombarded and battered her. Soon it became too much for her to handle. The spasms and convulsions started then.
Every inch of her body seemed to be throbbing. Even her skin tingled. As his strokes became faster and faster, her body began bucking, splintering. Stars exploded behind her eyes. Ecstasy! She could feel it melting through her body, from her head all the way to her toes. She sunk into her release, letting the waves drag her higher and higher into their peak until finally, she broke.
By the time she floated back down to reality she was so worn out she barely registered Worth stripping off his clothes and sheathing himself. It was only when he knelt between her spread legs that she noticed that he was completely naked.
This was the perfect time to put an end to all this madness, her common sense whispered, but her other senses promptly drowned it out. The sight of his long, hard cock so dangerously close to her pussy was enough to send fresh heat pulsing through her. When he leaned over her, bracketing her upper body between his arms, then lined his cock right between her plump lips and started to rub, she went mad.
“Please, Worth.” She jerked upwards.
“Please what?” He ground his length against her clit, wetting himself with her cream.
She answered non-verbally, moving her hips so that the head of his shaft came to rest at her entrance.
But it wasn’t answer enough for Worth. Instead of pushing in, he paused, teasing her, as he whispered against her lips. “Ask me to fuck you.”
Sin didn’t want to surrender, but when he let just his head enter her then stopped again, she had no choice. She moaned, “Fuck me!”
“Good girl.” His lips lifted in a smile, Worth flexed his length then slowly sunk into her.