Read Feel The Fire (Unforgettable Series) Online
Authors: Adrianne Byrd
“We got it, Uncle Willy,” Solomon erupted.
“You want to check her out in action? I think I have a few DVDs around here somewhere.”
“No.” Sol jumped in. “That won’t be necessary.”
“Uncle Willy,” Marcel started. “This is serious. Our attorney is actually saying she may have a case.” He turned his accusing glare back to his partner. “I warned you this day would come.”
“I know. I know.” Solomon drew a deep breath. “Uncle Willy, we met with our new partner and-”
“Yeah. I heard. Jonas Hinton. I guess he didn’t let bygones be bygones, eh?”
“Anyway,” Solomon continued, “we wrapped up one meeting this morning with our attorney-only for him to call us an hour later and tell us two more women are filing suits.”
“This is going to set off a chain reaction,” Marcel groaned. “And with a staff that’s over ninety percent women, this could be a catastrophe.”
“Relax, relax.” Willy reached across his office desk to grab his cigar box. “Have a puff. The best Cuba has to offer. Just don’t ask me how I got them.”
“We didn’t come for a smoke,” Solomon said, his patience wire-thin.
“Then don’t mind me if do.”
Marcel tossed up his hands and then collapsed into a leather chair.
“First of all. I think you guys need to get better legal representation. Nora’s suit wouldn’t stand. Her being fired had nothing to do with me, right?”
“No,” Solomon and Marcel said.
“She’s just a gold digger looking to strike gold wherever she can. I’m sure the other two women if you investigate are likely Georgina Wilson and Theodora Golden.”
Marcel and Solomon shared another wearied look.
“And how would you know that?”
“Because we all did a foursome.”
“A foursome?” Marcel asked.
Willy shrugged. “Why settle for two when you can have three or four? You want to watch? I think I have that DVD around here, too...”
Chapter 12
Sterling was having a good day. It was just lunchtime and he’d already closed on a real-estate deal and two of his major investment companies had reported record profits and were expected to close with record highs on the DOW. The only hiccup on his schedule was to meet with his freeloading younger brother for lunch.
“Sterling, my man. I was just beginning to think you were going to stand me up.”
“And let my baby brother starve? I wouldn’t dream of it.”
“Glad to hear it.” Quentin stood from the bar and followed his brother and hostess to a vacant table. The brothers kept the chitchat light until Q approached Sterling’s latest relationship with Toni Wright.
“So how are things going with you two?”
Sterling’s gaze immediately turned suspicious. “Why do you ask?”
“Relax. I’m not interested in stealing your girl.”
“Not that you could.”
Q’s grin sloped lopsidedly. “Of course I could, don’t be ridiculous.”
Sterling’s brows arched. “Not all women like broke, pretty boys to spoil.”
“You keep telling yourself that, bro.”
Sterling rolled his eyes, and then paused long enough to give their waitress their drink order. “To answer your question, things are going well.”
“See a future with her?”
Sterling stiffened in his chair. “Why?”
Quentin shrugged, trying his best to look indifferent. “No reason.”
“Do I look like I was born yesterday?”
“Is that a trick question?”
“Q,” Sterling said bitingly. “What’s with all the questions about Toni and me?” he asked and then warned, “And don’t give me that ‘no reason’ crap.”
The brothers’ gazes locked for a long moment and then Quentin finally gave up the ghost. “I just noticed how Jonas reacted to your date that day at lunch. He hasn’t admitted it, but I think he may have feelings for your girl.”
Sterling clamped his jaw shut just as his drink order was delivered to the table.
“You noticed, too,” Q said.
“She said nothing was going on between them.”
“And you bought that?” Q chuckled. “In that case, I have some swamp land in Florida I’m dying to get off my hands.”
Sterling glowered.
“C’mon. You just met the girl. You’re not going to tell me you’re in love already.”
“I didn’t say that...but I am attracted to her.”
Q shrugged again. “I can see that. She’s beautiful. But you know what they say about that.”
“The beautiful ones hurt you every time?”
“Straight from the gospel of Prince.”
“Well, there you go.”
While Sterling sulked in his chair, Q studied him. “It’s not that I care one way or the other. I just thought that it’s rather encouraging to see Jonas finally showing interest in another woman. Hell, I was beginning to think he would never get over Ophelia.”
Sterling nodded, thinking.
“But,” Q continued, shrugging, “if you like her, too...”
Toni wasn’t rendered speechless often, and in this instance, she feared she would never recover. It wasn’t that she’d never been in a position where a man admitted his attraction. Hell, she had men proclaim their undying love and devotion, but none of them have been able to cause the earth to shift beneath her feet.
And though she was seated comfortably in a chair, she felt off centered, overwhelmed and even frightened.
That didn’t make sense.
“You have nothing to say?” Jonas asked.
Toni cleared her throat. “What would you like for me to say?”
He slowly cocked his head to the side and studied her. “I’d like to hear what you’re thinking.”
She shifted in her chair, hoping to right the world beneath her feet. “I’m not sure what I’m thinking.” She tried to sound caviler, but wasn’t sure it was working. “Truth of the matter is we hardly know each other.”
“That’s easily rectified.”
“And what about your brother?”
Jonas’s gaze dropped for several seconds. “I could talk to him.”
“You’d do that for little ole me?” she asked, exaggerating her southern lilt.
His gaze snapped back up. Was she teasing him-playing games?
The power ball slammed back into Toni’s court. “You know, I’m starting to think you’re only attracted to women who are already spoken for.” She watched his jawline twitch. “Do you consider me a challenge?”
“Never mind. I’ve mistaken the attraction to be mutual.”
“Oh, I’m attracted to you,” she clarified. “Just as I was months ago.”
“I wasn’t ready...to start dating-then.”
“And you are now?”
He shrugged, not liking feeling vulnerable. He was still recovering from the last time he’d left himself open for a woman.
Toni huffed and rolled her eyes. “I’m not into a lot head games, Mr. Hinton.” She sat up. “My clients are willing to settle for three million.”
“And the people in hell want iced water.”
“Is that a no, Mr. Hinton?”
“You bet your ass it is.” he snapped, and then swiveled his chair around to stare out of his office window. Maybe if he stopped looking at her it would soften his aching erection.
“Don’t you think you should discuss this with your partners?”
“No.”
He listened as she climbed out her chair, but instead of her marching toward the door, she approached him from behind.
“I’m going to forget you said that since you’re obviously talking out of anger instead of common sense.”
Damn, did she have to purr when she talked? When her hand landed softly against his shoulder, he bolted out of his chair as if he’d been shot.
Toni jumped back, surprised.
Belatedly, he realized he’d overreacted, but it was too late to shift control back into his court. “This meeting is over, Ms. Wright.”
“Is something wrong, Jonas?” she asked as she stalked forward, her gait still a bit slow. “You seem edgy.”
For every step she took, Jonas retreated.
“You know, you’re an interesting man, Mr. Hinton. You talk a good game, but when it’s time to play, you back away.” She cocked her head again. “Curious about the fire, but afraid of getting burned?”
Jonas’s head jerked up, giving himself away.
Toni stopped, stunned that she had guessed it right. “You’re afraid that if something happens between us, you’ll get burned?”
“No,” he croaked.
But both knew it was a lie.
“Why didn’t you call me when I was in California?” she asked, stalking again.
This time, Jonas stood firm. “I was busy.”
“Bullshit.”
He cocked his head. “Maybe I wasn’t sure I was interested.”
“Bullshit.” She stopped when her breasts brushed against his chest and then watched his reaction.
And there was a reaction.
A spark flared in his eyes, his jaw tightened and a jolt of electricity bolted through their compressed chests.
Toni stoked the flames by sliding her hand up his chest. “It’s time to get back into the game, Jonas. Play with a little fire.” Sliding on a grin, she leaned forward and did what she should have done six months ago: kissed him.
And what a kiss.
The previous bolt of electricity was nothing compared to the glorious inferno roaring into her veins the moment their lips connected. Her bones melted within her skin and she had no choice but to slack limp against him-successfully handing the power ball back over.
Meanwhile, Jonas had never felt more alive in his life. Her soft lips and teasing tongue unleashed an animal he’d long thought had died. He deepened the kiss, widening her lips for the exploratory stroke of his tongue. His hands slid into her thick hair and his mouth slanted over hers in a hungry demand.
The kiss was not unlike a vampire’s bite, draining all he could: her soul, her essence. He selfishly wanted it all.
During his tightening embrace, Toni found it difficult to string two cohesive thoughts together. The lesson when one played with fire: you never know who will get burned.
Jonas backed away from the office wall, wrapped an arm around her waist and directed her toward his desk. This time, he did sweep everything to the floor so that he could press her body down on top of it.
Their delicious kiss continued while each tugged at the other’s clothes. Neither thought about the consequences of their actions. All that mattered was this moment-and sating a curiosity and satisfying their bodies’ growing hunger.
Jonas’s door bolted open.
Michelle’s voice floated into the office. “Jonas, your—Oh, my God!” She jumped and covered her eyes. “I’m sorry. I’m...” she said, backing out of the room. “I’ll reschedule.”
When the door slammed closed behind his embarrassed assistant, Jonas and Toni looked at each other and burst out laughing.
“I really need to start locking that door.”
“Obviously.” Toni glanced down to see a breast popped out of her lace bra. She glanced back up with a mischievous grin and was surprised to see Jonas was already climbing off the desk.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I don’t know what came over me.”
“I do,” she said, sitting up and reaching for him in an attempt to reclaim the moment; however, Jonas backed away.
“Please accept my apologies, Ms. Wright. This should have never happened and it won’t happen again.”
“C’mon. We’ve talked about this. I’m not going to hurt you. I’m not Ophelia.”
The moment she’d said the name, she regretted it. She might as well have slammed a steel door between them.
“Your offer...as well as the three million dollar settlement request...is rejected.”
Toni’s mouth fell open. “You think I did this-” She glanced down at her exposed body and then stabbed him with an angry glare. “-as a way to get you to agree to the settlement?”
His brows arched inquiringly.
“You’re a goddamn bastard.” She pushed herself from off the desk and slid her breast back into her bra. “I don’t know why the hell I thought I cared about you.”
Hurt flashed across his features, but Jonas quickly turned away with a curse.
Toni hastily re-buttoned her blouse and grabbed her briefcase. “I’ll see you in court, asshole!”
Jonas remained staring out the window until the door slammed and the walls rattled around him. When he finally collapsed into his chair, he felt like every bit the asshole she’d called him.