Feeling Mia struggle beneath him was affecting him more than he’d expected. It had seemed easy to have one amazing night with her before she had to find out who he was, and they parted. But now, with her in his arms, pliable and warm, welcoming and submitting to him, everything had changed. Being with her felt wonderful, and as he watched her writhe under his touch and ministrations, his own arousal sharpened. Yet the sharp teeth of fear pierced his shoulder, reminded him that after tomorrow’s meeting, she might well despise him.

Climbing off the bed, he stood and looked at her. Could he do this? If not now, then it would never happen. He had to show her what he could give to her, the depth of his feelings—perhaps that would blot out the stain of his name, his family.

Lying naked on his bed, she looked so unguarded and relaxed. If he turned his back on her now, she would be sure to hate him, no matter how things turned out. If he gave everything to her, he might still win her over after the storm.

He took her hands and pulled her up to a sitting position. Without a word, he walked to the chair next to the bed and pulled his tie from his shirt. He turned toward her, wrapping the tie around each of his hands, leaving two feet of space in between. He pulled it taut and watched her shiver as he approached her.

“Don’t be afraid,” he whispered, kneeling in front of her. “No matter what—tonight, tomorrow, whenever—you can trust me.” He grazed the back of his hand along her cheek. “Do you understand that?”

She parted her lips in anticipation and nodded. He leaned forward, his eyes on hers until he covered them, wrapping the tie around her head and securing it tightly behind her. He kissed her cheek, smiling as she flinched. He kissed her other cheek as she swallowed, nervous tension gripping her. He hesitated then leaned in and kissed her lips, her little intake of breath arousing him.

He glided his fingertips down her neck and over her breasts, feeling goosebumps form on her skin. He followed with warm breath from his mouth, kissing just above and below her nipple. Every chance he got, he watched her face and her reactions to his touch.

He stood up and looked at her, backing up a few steps before unbuckling his pants and letting them fall to the floor. He tucked his thumbs into the sides of his boxer briefs and took a deep breath. This was the moment of no return. He could still walk away and let her decide on them, their connection and relationship, without sexual persuasion.

Would it be enough to make her still love him?

He shook his head at himself and pulled his underwear down, his cock springing forward. He picked them up and set them on the chair, then walked back to the bed and stood in front of her. He didn’t say a word. He didn’t make a noise. He watched until she pulled her arms over herself, vulnerable and exposed. She was growing more nervous as he watched. Every small sound he made caused her to react. She turned and cocked her head as if trying to hear something, anything.

Just as she reached up to lift the blindfold, he lunged toward her, wrapping his arms around her, and pushing her back to the bed. He covered her body with his, his mouth on hers and his hands imprisoning her wrists above her head.

Her gasp penetrated him, and her heavy breathing drugged him. All doubts he had were gone, and the only thoughts he had were of her and her need to be with him. He kissed her hard, shoving his tongue into her mouth and twirling it along hers. He pressed his weight into her, feeling her moan and tremble beneath him.

His cock was hard, pressing into her pelvis with only a thin layer of material remaining between them. He wanted to take her. He fought the urge but found it very difficult to keep control. He dragged his hands along her arms, still pressing her into the bed.

“Mia, whatever happens after tonight, I want you to know how much this means to me. How much you mean to me. I want you to savor this. I want you to remember tonight and how beautiful it was.”

“Yes,” she breathed.

“Tell me what you want.”

“I want you. I want you to love me, to touch me, give me what I need.” She could barely get the words out. She reared her head back and arched her back, her arms still outstretched on the bed as he worked his hands down her sides to her ass. He tucked his hands underneath her and pulled her into him, a gasp escaping her lips. He took the hard nub of her nipple into his mouth, flicking the tip with his tongue and feeling her body jerk each time.

“Oh, God, you’re making me crazy.” She clutched the blanket beneath her, every twitch of her hips begging for more.

She buried her fingers in his hair and tried pulling him up to her face, but he slammed her wrists back onto the bed and straddled her. Reaching to the side, he pulled the nightstand drawer open and pulled a long silk tie from it. Reaching forward, he fed the tie through the brass spindles just above her head in the headboard. He wrapped his hand around her wrist, watching her lips tremble as he caressed her waist. He slid one end of the tie around it and tied it tight.

“What are you doing?” Her voice became shaky.

He pulled the other end down and dragged it over her freed wrist. He leaned down and grazed her lips with his, stopping at her ear.

“Position your wrist for me, Mia.”

She hesitated, trembling, struggling between her logic and her desires. She slowly raised her hand off the mattress and held it there.

“Good girl.”

He wrapped it with the tie and secured it. Climbing off the bed, he stood at the foot and admired her body, her chest rising and falling noticeably with each breath, her lips parted, her stomach sucked in, trembling.

“So beautiful.”

He hooked the sides of her panties with his fingers and took his time as he pulled them down her legs, watching each beautiful inch of her as he did. Her sexy legs crossed automatically, trying to cover what he had just exposed.

He walked out of the bedroom and went to the kitchen. He poured a glass of water and filled it with ice. Setting it on the counter, he pulled a bottle of whiskey from the cupboard and picked up a shot glass from the counter. Filling it, he sipped it, feeling the burn of the liquid invade his mouth like wildfire along dry brush. He could hear her calling out to him, and he smiled. He licked his lips and downed the rest of the whiskey, giving a moment to enjoy the feeling of the burning liquid coat his throat and hit his stomach. He picked up the water and walked back into the bedroom, a smile forming on his lips at the sight of Mia still sprawled across his bed. She wasn’t moving so much, but her nerves still had her on edge.

The moment she felt him kneel on the bed next to her, she seemed to calm herself. He leaned over her and lightly kissed her lips. When her lips parted, he pressed his lips into her deeper and penetrated his fiery tongue into her mouth. She took a deep breath and struggled against the ties that bound her. He held her there and kissed deeper, his hand cupping her pussy and his fingers moving back and forth. When he sat up again, he left her breathless, her body reeling from the pleasures and experiences she was enduring.

He reached for the water and held the glass over her breast. Dragging his finger down the side, the cold condensation trickled down the glass and clung to the bottom for a moment. He watched her face as the droplet let go. The moment it hit her breast and trickled down the side, she sucked a small breath in and turned her head toward him. He put two fingers into the glass and jingled the cubes inside. Her reaction gave him a smile. Pulling a small cube from the liquid, he let it drop on her breast again and again, each time allowing the droplets to get closer to her nipple. He sucked on the cube and ran his finger over it again. The next drip, he raised the cube to her lips and allowed it to drop into her mouth. She opened her mouth, her tongue partially darting out in anticipation for another. He dragged it down between her breasts and down her stomach, around her navel and down to her hair line. He smiled at her reaction before putting the cube in his mouth.

Twirling his tongue around the shrinking cube, he moved down and blew on her pink pearl. Protruding his tongue out of his mouth and into the folds of her sweet spot, he licked up and down, the cold penetrating her and pushing her further into her arousal.

She pulled at the restraints and spread her legs further, panting and breathing harder.

He slid his finger inside her and froze when he thought she would orgasm prematurely. “Not yet, baby.”

“I can’t.” She panted. He pulled out and moved back until her body calmed. “No,” she begged. “Please, don’t stop.” She pulled at the restraints and tried to sit up. “You have me so close. I’ve never been this close.”

“Shhh. I know. There is a time for that, but it isn’t right now.”

She fell back on the bed and stopped struggling, her frustrations surfacing.

Still, he wanted to savor her. He pushed his fingers back inside her and watched her body react to him. Her breathing picked up again and her fists clenched at the ties around her wrists. He pressed his other palm on the top of her lower stomach and pushed inward, causing pressure to build inside her. She pushed back, trying to grind her pelvis into his hands. He continued this until he felt her arousal begin to peak again, and he pulled back, sitting away from her.

“Mia,” he whispered.

“What?” She seemed to find it difficult to speak. “I can’t. I can’t do this. My body aches. Please. Fuck me. Make me orgasm. I’m begging you.”

Something in her voice shattered the control he’d struggled so hard to keep. Nothing mattered at that point. Nothing except for her, and he needed to be inside her. His breathing coming harder now, he reached into the nightstand drawer and aggressively ripped a small silver package open. With one quick motion, he rolled a condom on to his large shaft and crawled toward her. He straddled over her, grabbing her by her hips and flipping her body over onto her stomach. Her gasp penetrated him as he pulled her up on her knees and smacked her ass cheek.

“No,” she pleaded. She pushed back and pressed her head into the bed.

“There is no turning back now,” he growled. “You are mine.”

He pressed into her and heard a yelp escape her. Grabbing himself, he leaned back and moved just right. When he pushed forward, he felt her open for him as he inched his way inside her. Her body stiffened. She held her breath and pushed back against him as he penetrated her.

When he was fully inside, he stopped and froze, feeling Mia’s muscles constrict around him. He enjoyed her body, her perfect ass, the way it moved and wiggled with her growing arousal. He pulled out, taking his time and pushed back in even slower, holding himself there until she grunted and tightened the muscles of her body again. Each time he pulled out, he pushed back inside her with aggression and a little more thrust. His stomach tightened with his own arousal building strong and heavy. He grabbed her hips and sped up as he thrust into her over and over again. She pushed back each time, panting and moving against the ties that held her there.

He was there, so close, teetering on the edge of orgasm. He pulled out, flipped her back over, pulled the blinds off her eyes, and opened her legs. He fell on top of her and entered her again, his eyes affixed to hers, his arms bracing his weight above her as he moved back and forth. He imprisoned her head with his arms and kissed her hard, his tongue penetrating her mouth as he fucked her hard and slow. He moaned in a low tone, causing his vibration to affect her. She grabbed the ties and pulled down, holding her breath as her body stiffened. Her body jerked, and her back arched as her essence gripped him and soaked him. She yelled, her breath catching in her throat as her body shook with orgasm. He slammed into her once more, his body stiffening and pulsating.

He clutched her to him and shuddered as he released. He buried his face into her neck, kissing her skin, his hands caressing her body beneath him. He rolled to the side, still caressing her skin with his fingertips as they lay there, gasping for breath and coming down from the euphoric high they had just encountered. He reached up and untied her hands, allowing her to break free.

“What the hell was that?” She rolled toward him, catching her breath.

“Was it not to your satisfaction?” he teased.

“Are you kidding me?” She fell flat on the bed and shook her head. “I have never in my life felt anything like that. I think I love you.”

Let’s see what you say after our meeting tomorrow, he thought. “Mia, I need to talk to you about something.”

“No.” She jumped off the bed, leaning on the side, her legs moving like rubber bands. “What did you do to me?” She reached out and held the side as she tried to steady herself.

He smiled at her and inched himself to the edge of the bed. “Seriously, can I talk to you?”

“Eddie, you may have just given me the most amazing sexual experience of my entire life.” She reached down and picked her clothes up. “Now, I know you have this big secret that will more than likely come out to me very soon, but I want to savor this for the night. You promised me that. One special night before anything else happens? Remember?”

“Yes.”

“Then please, just give me that. It’s not even midnight.”

“Okay, you win.”

“Thank you. I’m going to use the bathroom.” She walked out of the bedroom, her beautiful ass moving perfectly with each step she took. He was mesmerized.

“Oh, Mia. There’s a bathroom off my bedroom.”

But she didn’t return. When she left the bedroom, he had no idea he wouldn’t see her again that night. When she left the room, she had thrown her clothes back on and snuck out. He tried calling her a few times, but each time her phone went to her voicemail.

“Damn it, Mia.”

The next morning at the office, Edward tried working with Claire on the final paperwork before the big meeting, but his mind was turning. He sat at his desk and stared into space, Mia heavily on his mind. He needed to help her, help pick her company back up, and he knew how to do it.

“I need to hack back in and ease up on the security wall I put on their backup.” He typed away at the keyboard. “They break the security wall, put their own company back on the network, and they’ll think they did it. I need more time. Maybe I can cancel the meeting, do a conference call and make this work over the phone.” He looked up at Claire, hoping for approval.

“You know that won’t work. If you want to stop the takeover from happening, you have the power to do so. You are the controller now. You have more pull than anyone. It will take some doing, but you can make it happen.”

“Buy me some time.”

“Sure.” She started to turn away, but stopped and walked back to Edward’s desk. “What else is it? What else is bothering you?”

“I need to make this right.”

“And you will.”

“Right now, Mia thinks Edward Donovan is another version of Reese Donovan, who wants to take her company down and destroy it.”

“Only you can fix that.”

“How? As soon as she sees me, she’s going to hate me. Who knows if she will even give me the chance to explain myself? I should have told her. I tried to tell her.”

“I know you will make the right choice, Edward. I’ll let you finish preparing.” She walked out of his office, leaving him with his guilt and fear of the worst. A moment later, Jack entered and leaned against the doorway, his arms crossed.

“How long have you been listening in?” Edward asked, not shifting his eyes from his computer.

“Long enough to know you are in a predicament.”

“What do you want?”

“I can help you.”

“How so?”

“Let me go in your place.”

“Place of what?” He gave Jack a look of confusion.

“Let me go to the meeting in your place.”

“And why would I do that?”

“I’m your brother. It’s what families do in crisis situations. I know your situation, and I can help.”

“Yeah, bullshit. The only one you want to help is yourself.”

“I have a large interest in this deal as well. You can’t shut me out.”

“Things have changed, Jack! I’ll take care of it myself.”

“You don’t have the right to take care of it yourself.”

“And you do? I don’t want you there!” He stood up and clenched his hands. “Stop making this difficult for me.”

“Just because you’re fucking her doesn’t mean you have the authority to throw all of our hard work out the window!”

“How dare you! Get out!”

“I won’t let you sabotage this!” Jack stood his ground until Edward started walking around his desk. “I won’t.” He pointed at him and walked out.

Edward took a deep breath and tried to put his head back into what needed to be done. He needed to give MWSA back to them, figure out how to save it, keep his brother and any other vultures from fighting him to take it down, and prepare himself for his meeting with Mia as Edward Donovan. Would she understand, or would she throw him out and never give him a chance? He thought back on the night before and prayed that it was enough to keep her mind open.

He opened his email and hesitated.

Mia—

Our interests in your company have changed. Even though we still want to invest, we no longer want to take it from you. I will explain during our meeting later this afternoon.

See you then,

Edward Donovan

He hit the send button and leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes and hoping for the best.

“Do you want some support at the meeting?”

He smiled before opening his eyes. Claire stood in the doorway with a sympathetic look on her face. “It looks like you could use a little.”

“You know I can never turn a good woman down.”