Love Connection Read online

  She gathered her clothes and the personal items she would need and considered whether or not it would be smarter to stay put. Of course it would be smarter, who was she kidding? She could call the whole thing off right now, and probably should. As dangerous as spending a night in the arms of Richard Morgan would be, the thought of not going through with it was almost painful. Surely they could forget about business for one night, and simply be a man and a woman. Nothing more.

  She rarely went to bed with a man she wasn’t in love with, much less one she wasn’t sure she even liked. The candy industry was a small one and Richard one of the larger players in it. He was a very public figure, and Yvette had read countless articles about him. She knew that he was thirty-two, that he had an Ivy League education, and that his mother had been in a fatal automobile accident around twenty years ago. His younger brother had been in the accident too, but had survived and now ran a successful record label in New York.

  His former wife, on the other hand, had been photographed so often that though the couple had been divorced for years, Yvette could still picture Chelsea Morgan clearly. Their divorce had been acrimonious and very public, their disdain for each other ongoing, recorded in detail in the local media’s gossip reports. Was that why Richard had been so quick to assume Yvette was some sort of gold digging sexpot?

  The company’s profits were legendary, but Michael Morgan’s inheritance insured that the family fortune would be virtually limitless regardless of which direction the business took. Richard was a brilliant businessman, and he was heavily involved with philanthropy as well, whether out of genuine charity or to improve his public image, she didn’t know. He personally donated a sizable percentage of his income and personal time every year to a pediatric cancer charity. Thoughtful, she lifted her hand to her chest and absently ran her fingertips across the scar there again.

  Having now met the man, she could see that while Richard Morgan was practically perfect on paper, there was a wall around him. A cynicism that would usually keep her from trying to get close, but there was something interesting, fascinating even, about him. Yvette had a feeling that spending a night with him would be an adventure she wouldn’t regret.

  With a final check in the mirror, she zipped her overnight bag closed and pulled the strap over her shoulder. As her hotel room door closed quietly behind her, her hesitation fell away and she strode towards the elevator, looking forward to the night ahead.

  • • •

  Her position at Saffron had her spending nearly as much time in hotels as she did at home, but she’d never stayed in a suite so opulent and luxurious. The house she grew up in, mere blocks from one of the busiest drug and prostitution corners in the state, made this place look like a palace. She looked up to Richard with wide eyes, and he laughed indulgently. “It’s a bit much, isn’t it? Dad and I hosted a cocktail reception here for the reps from a beverage company we’re working with, so I could justify the expense.”

  Yvette feared her sophisticated veneer was slipping. “It’s certainly a bit grander than Saffron’s corporate budget allows.” Hell, it was the fanciest digs she’d ever seen in her lifetime.

  Normally, she didn’t like to reveal any weaknesses to her business rivals, but what the heck. They were about to get much more intimate than two competitors had any business being. Why not drop the façade for a night?

  “Come on in. Make yourself at home.” He led her through the sitting room, past a well-stocked bar, an actual full-sized dining room, and into the bedroom. The sumptuous royal blue linens on the king-sized bed seemed to both beckon and mock her with their inviting textures and softness.

  An ornate golden stand held an ice bucket with a bottle of champagne, two delicate cut crystal champagne flutes, and a bowl of beautiful ripe strawberries. She thought it was a bit cliché, but had to admit that the effect was decadent and romantic. A bittersweet longing tugged her heart, and she sank down into the plush, velvety loveseat situated in the bedroom.

  “This suite is simply unbelievable, Richard. Everything is so exquisite.” She waved her hand around the room, finding no words adequate enough to describe their opulent surroundings.

  “You are exquisite, Yvette.” Would he think so when he saw her jagged scar and chemical burns? He plucked a champagne flute off the table and handed it to her before expertly popping the cork of the chilled bottle of Taittinger. He filled her glass and handed it to her before filling his own, his fingertips lightly brushing hers. The brief contact set her heart racing, pounding hard. “To a beautiful woman, and a beautiful night together,” he said as he raised his glass in toast. He took a sip of his champagne as she did the same, and he stepped closer to join her on the loveseat but stopped short. Her posture was ramrod straight, but a bouncing knee betrayed her nerves. “You seem nervous. Is everything okay?” He took another sip from his glass and watched her with concern in his eyes. Candlelight danced in the shadows of the room, making Richard even more irresistibly sexy than before.

  She squirmed and took a sip of champagne, watching the bubbles race to the top as she considered how to best answer the question. Should she pretend that she was the kind of woman for whom one night of no-strings-attached sex was commonplace? Telling him that she wasn’t the kind of woman who usually did what she was about to do would just sound silly. This wasn’t the time to look for validation or try to extract meaning from the situation. This was the time to release her inhibitions and give in to the desire brewing between the two of them. Only then would it be out of her system so she could move on. She gave Richard her best smile. “Everything’s fine.”

  Yvette was rewarded with a wolfish grin and a rakish look in his eyes. “Come here.” His deep baritone sent a shiver through her and she met his gaze with her own. Rising and walking to where he stood, she fleetingly wished that the room was dimmer, but was too excited about the prospect of seeing and tasting more of him to give it much more thought. She didn’t relish the idea of him seeing her less than perfect body, her scar, or the light chemical burns that dusted her fair skin, but with any luck he would be enough of a gentleman to overlook her flaws. She was practiced at presenting a certain image, highlighting her best features and hiding the rest. But Richard Morgan didn’t seem to be the kind of man who did things halfway, least of all in the bedroom.

  He didn’t notice her hesitation. “I want you now, all of you, and waiting is taking all of my willpower.” He took her champagne flute and placed it by his on the table. “Now turn around.” She turned her back to him and he unzipped her dress, letting it fall to the floor. He turned her around to face him and held her hands as she stepped out of the dress, leaving it behind in a heap. His masterful control of the situation gave her no choice but to comply.

  She kept her gaze cast down, unable to look him in the eye. He broke the silence, his voice raspy, thick with desire. “Gorgeous. Absolute perfection. Look at me, Yvette.” His fingertips traced the scar on her collarbone, and his eyes widened in surprise. He tipped her chin up with a fingertip until she raised her face and met his gaze. When she looked in his eyes, he held her gaze, didn’t scan her body, didn’t recoil when he noticed the chemical burns she’d been so worried would disgust him. In his eyes she saw sincerity … and lust. He wasn’t lying; she really was beautiful in his eyes. He reached up and plucked pins from her hair, tossing them carelessly to the floor until raven waves fell freely around her shoulders. Weaving his fingers into her hair, he gripped gently, pulling her closer until their lips met, close enough for a kiss. His breath danced across her lips as he whispered, “I’ve wanted to run my fingers through your hair since the first moment I saw you. It was definitely worth the wait.” He crushed his lips against hers and kissed her with surprising intensity until she felt her body respond to his.

  Her body was thrumming with excitement, and her mind clouded with the intensity of the feelings that Richard had awakened within her. His hands explored her curves as though every inch of her body fascinated him, and
she luxuriated in the contrast of his warm skin against her cool softness. She slid his jacket off his shoulders and tossed it aside, loosened his tie until she could pull it off, threw it behind him, and began unbuttoning his shirt as he trailed, hot, insistent kisses down her neck. Pushing his shirt over his shoulders, Yvette kicked it aside when it fell to the floor. As she stepped back, an appreciative noise escaped her lips.

  She ran her hands over the hard planes of muscle covering his stomach, then around his waist to his back as he pulled her into his arms. Pressing herself against him to accept another deep kiss, she faintly registered a ping of surprise as he deftly unfastened the clasp of her bra. Once she moved again, once she was no longer pressed against him, it would fall to the ground and she would be on display to him, imperfections and all. She didn’t want to stand before him naked and exposed while he was still half-dressed. Her hands found his belt and worked quickly to unfasten the buckle, unbutton his pants and pull down the zipper. She pushed his pants down with enough force for them to reach the floor, and he stepped out of them, lifting her and wrapping her legs behind his back in one swift motion. In his arms, she felt light, feminine, and irresistible. Their lips never left one another’s as he carried her to the bed and laid her down beneath him.

  Yvette lost herself in the magic of his kiss and released her inhibitions when he pulled her bra over her arms and tossed it onto the floor. He rocked back onto his knees and surveyed her bare torso with naked appreciation in his eyes. Candlelight flickered all around them, and his eyes were a pool of hazy lust as he gazed upon her body. Under his spell, she forgot to be self-conscious about her scar, her imperfections, the light marks that marred her skin. He ran a fingertip across her scar and leaned down to plant light, teasing kisses down her neck, over to her shoulder, and finally to the base of her neck. As her body responded to his, she was certain that she would explode with lust before he was even completely undressed.

  He moved his mouth to her breast and licked long, languorous strokes from the bottom to the top, over and over until she could take no more. She took his head in her hands and planted him firmly in the center of her breast, where he obliged by pulling her into his mouth with gentle but insistent force. A soft moan escaped her lips, and he responded by moving to the other breast. His hands never stopped moving, their expert strokes driving her mad with passion. She ran her fingers through his hair, luxuriating in the soft feel of the dark locks in her hands. Richard turned his attention further down her body, running his tongue over the planes of her stomach, both thrilling her and unnerving her. There were few parts of her body that Richard hadn’t seen and showered with attention. The tiny turquoise lace panties she wore were all that separated her from him, and he was circling them with whispery, hot kisses, and her breath caught when he pulled them down over her legs. They fluttered to the floor after being carelessly tossed aside, and he gently pushed her thighs apart. He took a moment to indulge in a long, appreciative look and a sexy smile spread across his lips. She heard a low moan deep in his throat as he lowered his head and touched his lips to the apex of her thighs. He planted kisses all around her most sensitive area, his breath hot on her body. Just when she thought she would lose control, his tongue ran long, lazy strokes against her center before swirling circles around her most sensitive point. His fingers and mouth worked in tandem to drive her into a frenzy of pleasure. Mindlessly, she cried out Richard’s name as passion clouded her mind and she felt as though she had come undone beneath his mouth and hands. Intense waves of exquisite sensation rolled over her, and she opened up to him completely and without hesitation. She lost all sense of modesty as he took her over the edge of passion with his touch. Never before had she dreamed that a man’s touch could bring her such intense pleasure.

  He raised himself up on his arms once more, hovering over her body close enough that she could feel his breath on her skin. A delicious shiver skipped down her spine as he moved up her body, dotting her skin with kisses as he moved, licking and nipping her along the way. He stretched out beside her and pulled her into his embrace. She ran her fingers up and down the length of his body, from his hip to his shoulder, as he kissed the top of her head and loosened his grip on her enough to lie back and relax. His fingertips traced a lazy circle on her shoulder.

  “Thank you.” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she laughed at their absurdity.

  She heard a low, quiet laugh in Richard’s throat as he inhaled against her hair and kissed her sweetly on the top of her head. “It was my pleasure.”

  “That was amazing. I really needed that after the stress I’ve been under the last couple of weeks.”

  “Plotting to take over innocent candy companies can really take it out of you, huh? Glad I could help.” With soft laughter, he traced the curves from her shoulder down to her hip and whispered against her skin.

  He hardened against her, sending warmth blooming from deep within her, making her ache for him, desperate for him to fill her. Her body arched to meet his as she returned his kisses with growing intensity while soft moans escaped her throat. Before she knew it, his undergarments were on the floor and he sheathed himself in a condom. Positioning himself between her legs, eyelids heavy with desire, he buried himself within her.

  • • •

  As they lay together in the dim light, her limbs were rubbery with delicious fatigue. Her eyes drifted closed, and his finger traced over her scar, nudging her from her drowsiness.

  “Is this a MediPort scar?”

  “Yes, I had cancer when I was a teenager. These are the chemical burns from the radiation treatment.” She pointed out the light marks on her skin. His lavish attention made it easy to forget that she had been self-conscious about the scars and imperfections earlier. The extensive work he did for local pediatric cancer charities meant that he’d likely seen much worse than her scar. So much of her body image was wrapped up in the imperfections that it was hard to believe that they weren’t glaring to someone who’d seen it all before.

  “Oh my God, Yvette, I had no idea. What kind of cancer? Are you in remission?” The concern in his voice touched her and made her want to open up to him. He was making it so difficult to remember that their affair would last only until dawn.

  “I was diagnosed with stage two Hodgkin’s disease when I was seventeen. I had chemotherapy and radiation treatments for about a year, and at this point I’m considered cured. I had to go in for regular checkups for a few years before my doctors felt confident that I was completely clear, but I’ve been cancer free for quite awhile now.”

  “I’m so glad for that.” He kissed her lips softly. “I know a few kids with that diagnosis, and the chemo and radiation is never easy, regardless of the prognosis. What a horrible thing to go through.”

  “It was a pretty miserable year, and if I had my choice I certainly wouldn’t choose to go through it again, but the cancer really is part of who I am. It brought me closer to my family, and it gave me a great deal of perspective at an early age.” Her cancer diagnosis and subsequent treatment were far enough in her past that she had made her peace with the experience. “It’s made me appreciate the things I have and what I can accomplish, in a way that having a normal childhood might not have.”

  “I’ve heard similar things from other cancer survivors. Sounds like you turned a terrible situation into a positive.” He pulled her close again and kissed her gently as she snuggled against him, marveling at the perfect fit.

  “It hasn’t always been easy. The treatment changed my life forever, and not always in a good way. Nobody ever complained or resented me, but I know it was so hard for the whole family. The treatment took forever and was incredibly expensive, even with insurance, and my parents were strapped financially. My poor sister was the one always stuck sitting with me during chemo, and I wasn’t exactly easy to get along with. She was so good about trying to entertain me while we sat in the treatment room for hours, but I didn’t exactly appreciate her sacrifice. She was fi
fteen and would’ve definitely rather have been at the mall with her friends.”

  “I’m sure she was happy to be with you. I have a younger brother, and we never went through anything like that, but I would do the same for him. She was probably scared out of her mind that they’d lose you.”

  “After a while, it became our family’s normal. My doctors were great about managing my treatment schedule so I had my worst days on weekends and I hardly ever missed school. If it hadn’t been for my bad days and the constant insomnia, we probably could’ve pretended that everything was fine.”

  “So, business as usual at the Cruz house?”

  “Yeah, after a while I gave up on playing the cancer card.” She laughed, remembering. “At first, I got out of a lot of housework and chores, even got away with treating the family badly, but it wasn’t long before they started calling me out on my behavior again. Especially my sister.”

  “Siblings will do that.” His chest rumbled under her cheek.

  Yvette shifted next to him. “She was the one who finally told me that cancer was no excuse for being a jerk. As soon as she said it, I could tell that she wished she could take it back. Our parents were always on her case to help me out, to watch over me, to take care of me. She was so shocked that it came out of her mouth that we just cracked up. It was such a relief to be with her after that, to have at least one person see me for who I was and not something that could break at the slightest touch.”

  “I have a hard time thinking of you as fragile.”

  “Having cancer can teach you a lot. A lot of people feel like they have a new lease on life, or think life is precious and it needs to be appreciated. Well, it taught me that there’s no excuse big enough to stop me.”