Happy Ever After Read online

  “Yes. Ms. Ululani.”

  A few moments later, her phone chirped. “Give me back my book! Do you realize what I had to do to get an advanced copy of it?”

  A warm masculine chuckle filled her ear. “No, but I know what you’re going to have to do to get it back.”

  His smooth tone had her seeing red. “Excuse me? Are you blackmailing me, Mr. Stone? Do you want your interview so badly you’d stoop to such lows?”

  “This has nothing to do with any interview. You want your book back. I want to see you again. Surely we can come to an agreement.”

  “Fine, meet me here at six o’clock. Bring the book. I’ll have Enrique escort you up.”

  “It’s not going to be that easy, Ms.Ululani. I want to see you on my terms—not yours. I’m not a lowly peasant you can command to attend you. You may be the Beast of Ululani but I’m no Belle.”

  She hissed. “I see you heard about that. I assure you, I realize I’m not the lord of some fictitious castle. I am merely a woman who values her privacy and prefers not to be stared at.”

  “Fine, then come to my place.”

  Her heart racing, she tried to reason with him. “Do you honestly think I’m going place myself at risk by going to a man’s home unescorted?”

  She heard his sigh of frustration. “Listen, Ms. Ululani, despite what you think of my chosen profession, I’ve never once physically harmed a woman. If you don’t believe me, ask your man. I’m sure he’s already checked me out.”

  “All right, Mr. Stone. What time?” Her icy voice froze the phone lines.

  “Eight is fine. I’ll tell the doorman to expect you. I live directly across the hall from your sister, so you know the address.”

  Before she could even reach for a pen to jot down his address, the phone clicked in her ear.

  “Damnit.” Setting down the pen, she pressed the button on her intercom. “Samantha, get me my sister’s address and ask Enrique to have the car ready at seven-thirty.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Caché barely noticed the absolute shock in her secretary’s voice. She had more important things on her mind than to worry about how totally she’d astonished her secretary. How the hell had one persistent reporter managed to do when others had tried and failed? She was leaving her tower for the first time in ten years, albeit reluctantly and under pressure.

  Chapter Two

  Staring down at the cover page of his book, looking at his own signature, Caleb finally realized why his reaction to Caché had been so potent. A thrill raced to his groin. It was hard to imagine the uptight Miss Caché was the sexy tease who’d been tempting him online for the last six months. He’d been surprised when he’d gotten her first email and before long they’d been instant messaging each other sometimes several times each day. In fact, they’d gotten so close he’d chosen to pull some serious strings to get her an advanced copy of his latest book, which he’d personally signed and had hand-delivered. No wonder she was adamant about wanting it back.

  Sinking down on his couch, he took a few deep breaths. Now that he realized who the little minx was, it was going to take all of his considerable control to not toss her over the nearest hard surface and fuck the life out of her. He’d given her a very dangerous weapon if she ever figured out he was the Casey Addington. Through the anonymity of the Internet, they’d confided in each other things he knew they’d never even thought about confiding in any other person. He knew her secret fantasies as well as she knew his. If he even hinted at the fact he knew her secret identity, one of two things would happen. Either she would storm out of his life or they would both go up in flames. Despite the fact his body would love it, he knew he wanted more than hot, sweaty sex with Caché, and if the latter happened he knew he’d be missing out in something more important than sating his raging hard-on.

  A brisk knock on his door had him surging off the couch. The book fell to the floor unnoticed as he rushed to the door. Jerking it open, he wasn’t surprised to see Enrique standing behind Caché.

  “Good evening, Enrique. Thank you for escorting Caché up, but I think I can take it from here.” Drawing her into his apartment, he closed the door before Caché could catch the wink the other man had tossed his way. The last thing he needed was for Enrique to give away the game now.

  “Can I take your wrap?” Gesturing to the hooded jacket and silk scarf around her head, he waited for her answer.

  “I won’t be here long enough to remove them, Mr. Stone.”

  Folding his arms over his chest he leaned up against the closed door. “We’ll see about that. I said I wanted to see you again, not just give you the book back.”

  Sighing she placed her hand on her hip. “I’ve about had it with you, Mr. Stone. Consider yourself lucky I came over to get it. I simply could’ve let Enrique fetch it for me.”

  “Fat chance. It was either you or nothing. Now hand me your coat and scarf. I’ll make it worth your while.”

  “Excuse me?” Her protest was muffled as he quickly stripped her out of her coat and pulled the scarf off.

  “Come with me.” Taking her hand, he led her into his kitchen. Pulling the dish from the refrigerator, he placed it on the island in the middle of the room. Cutting a sliver of tiramisu, he placed the rich dessert on a small china plate next to a fork before handing it to her. His breath caught in his throat when she licked her lips and stared hungrily at the dessert.

  “You made me tiramisu?” Cache’s voice was breathless with surprise.

  “Yep, a little birdie told me you absolutely loved this. I figured if I pressed for dinner, you’d shoot me down, but what woman doesn’t like dessert?”

  “I really need to talk to my sister about how loose-lipped she is about me.” Even as she protested, he couldn’t help but nod with satisfaction as she reached for her fork. He wasn’t about to tell her she’d been the one to tell him about her fondness for the Italian dessert. He’d let her think it was her sister for now. That dessert wasn’t her only secret vice, just the most fattening.

  A low moan of pleasure escaped her as she slid the fork out of her mouth. Leaning over the island, he couldn’t help but watch her savor the creamy taste and fight his own need to taste her.

  “Good?” His voice came out huskier than he intended.

  “Yes. It’s absolutely delicious. You have hidden talents, Mr. Stone. Are you sure you wouldn’t rather be cooking for me instead of reporting? I’d offer you a competitive wage.”

  Even though he knew she was joking, he found it hard not to take offense. Every woman he’d ever dated had tried to change him. “Nope. Not a chance in hell. I’d end up being fired for sexually harassing the boss, so it’s better I stick to my writing.”

  Her eyes widened and she left a smear of cream at the corner of her mouth as she jerked the fork back out of her mouth. “You have an issue with working for a woman?”

  He reached out and captured it with his finger before popping it in his mouth. “Nope. I’d have a real problem keeping my hands to myself if you were my boss.”

  “Really, Caleb, you can turn the charm off anytime now. I’m here and you accomplished your goal.”

  “And what goal would that be?” For a moment he panicked. How had she found out about his wager with Thalie?

  “You obviously wanted me to leave my ‘tower’ and here I am.”

  He relaxed. “Yes, you are. So why don’t you relax and enjoy the rest of the evening with me? I promise I won’t bite until you ask me to.”

  Setting her fork down, she tilted her head. “You really are a rascal, aren’t you? You just can’t resist flirting with every woman you come across.”

  Clutching his chest, he pretended to stumble backwards. “Ah darling, you wound me.”

  A laugh escaped her and she shook her head at his antics before sobering. “I’ll admit the attention is flattering and good for my ego, but I really wish you wouldn’t try to lull me with false sentiments.”

  Crossing his arms over his c
hest, he had a feeling he knew where this was heading and he didn’t like her implications in the least. “What exactly are you implying, Ms Ululani?”

  “I’m aware of my appeal or lack thereof. I’d much rather you’d be honest with me than lie. Pretty, little social white lies are still lies.”

  “So you think you’re unattractive, Caché?”

  Shooting him a mocking look, she pushed away from the island. “I own several mirrors and despite the fact I don’t spend time studying myself in them, I know I don’t have much to offer a man physically.”

  “That’s bullshit. So you’re not as beautiful as your sister. Almost no woman in the world is that beautiful, but why should it matter? There is more than one kind of beauty—both outer and inner—otherwise this world would be awfully boring.”

  “It matters when she’s my twin and every second of the day, I wasn’t allowed to forget the attributes I was lacking. ‘Study harder, Caché. You’ll never land a man with your looks. You’ll need to know how to support yourself.’”

  “That’s bullshit!” He grabbed her hand and yanked it against his dick. Under the denim of his jeans, his cock jumped in response, before hardening even further. “If simply watching you eat dessert has this effect on me, what do you think is going to happen the first time we kiss, or I see that luscious body you’re so set on hiding from me?” He held her hand firm as she tried to jerk her hand away.

  “Caleb!”

  “Relax, I’m not going to attack you. I want you to understand reality. This is the reason I wanted you to come over. It has nothing to do with any interview or anything else. I find you attractive and, as a single man with a very healthy libido, I feel the urge to pursue the object of my lust.”

  It was his turn to groan when her fingers tightened around the solid shape of his erection through the denim. “You really want me?” The amazement in her voice had him opening his eyes to look at her. The look of awe on her face had him flushing. Exactly what kind of lovers had she had? Obviously men who’d never taken the time to show her how thankful they were to have her sexy little body under theirs.

  “Hell yeah, I’ve wanted you since the moment you tried to throw me out of your office today. Do you know what I thought of while you were chewing my ass?”

  A self-conscious laugh escaped her. “What a bitch I was being?”

  “No. I had the most erotic fantasy of dropping to my knees and finding out how loud I could make you scream while I explored your pussy with my tongue.”

  He watched her face flush deepest rose, while her nipples pressed against the fabric of her silk blouse as she tried in vain to control her rapid breathing. “Unbelievable. You were thinking about sex during the middle of the day inside a business setting? What are you? A satyr? A lecher?”

  “What can I say?” He shrugged his shoulders. “There is something about you which tempts me beyond what is acceptable. Believe me, if I ever get the chance to fuck you in your office, I can guarantee I’m going to take it.”

  Leaning closer to her, he backed her up against the wall with his arms braced on either side of her head and let his lips brush the shell of her ear. “Can’t you imagine what it would feel like to be sitting in your plush executive chair behind your desk with it turned around, so no one other than me could see the pleasure on your face while I drape both your legs over the arms of the chair and prepare to eat your pussy? The arms would spread you so wide, you’d be a veritable feast for a starving man and that’s exactly what I’d be. I wouldn’t be able to resist. I would explore every fold with first my fingers and then my tongue. I’d be finding out exactly how velvety your outer folds are, while suckling on the tender and slippery inner ones until you’re filling my mouth with your cream.” His response ended with a deep, heartfelt deep groan.

  She lifted her head with her lips parting on a gasp, and found he couldn’t resist her offer despite the fact he’d promised himself he wasn’t going to do this tonight. He captured her lips under his with an intensity he was sure would scare her away, but now found he couldn’t control. He needed to sample her sweet taste now—he wouldn’t wait one minute longer. His tongue shot inside of her mouth, intent on exploring every crevice. Rubbing his tongue against hers, he savored the lingering, sweet flavor of tiramisu mixed with her unique taste. It made him ravenous for more. Slanting his head, he searched for a better angle and couldn’t help but growling as her arms wrapped around his neck and held him tighter. Hot damn if she couldn’t kiss, he thought as he cradled her head in his hands.

  When he finally jerked his mouth free of hers, his body was throbbing with the need to claim her. Forcing his desire down, he rested his forehead against hers. “Promise you’ll see me again, Caché. I can’t let you go without finding out where this will lead. Don’t make me beg, baby.”

  She opened her eyes and searched his face. “I…ah hell, if I say yes, will you kiss me again?” Her voice was raspy with unfulfilled need, her lips were soft and wet from his kiss.

  He nodded “Hell, yes. Wild horses couldn’t stop me from sampling your sweet lips again.” He moved to release her. He was surprised when her arms tightened.

  “No. Now! Kiss me now.” Her face was flushed and her eyes closed.

  He drew a harsh breath as he heard the desperation in her voice. Her arms tightened around his neck. His breath rumbled out of his chest and he prayed he had better control than he thought he had. That last kiss had nearly done him in, but there was no way he could resist the plea in her voice.

  Picking her up, he fastened his mouth over hers while holding her tightly against him. Each moan which escaped her made his body tighten further. He finally couldn’t stand anymore and yanked his mouth away. “Please, baby, you’re driving me insane. I’m trying not to rush this.”

  “Caleb.” His name came out as a soft exhale. When he went to lower her back to the floor, her sex brushed over his and she stiffened in his arms. Her eyes flew open. “Caleb!” Her response came out as a muffled scream as she bit down on her lower lip.

  “What the hell?” Shock rolled over him as she began to peak helplessly in his arms. The sight of her orgasmic pleasure nearly sent him over the edge after her. He continued to hold her as she trembled through what was obviously an extremely intense orgasm.

  When she slumped breathlessly in his arms, he carried her out of the kitchen and into the living room. He sank onto the couch and held her as her breathing returned to normal. When she finally stirred in his arms, he pressed a chaste but longing kiss against her forehead.

  “Better?”

  “I…” A flush filled her face.

  “Shh, there is nothing to be embarrassed about.”

  “But, I…”

  “Found pleasure in my arms and I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything as hot as watching you come for me, even if I’m not sure exactly how it happened.” He brushed a piece of her dark hair away from her damp cheek. She flinched away and ducked her head.

  “Don’t, please?”

  “What are you afraid of, Caché?”

  “I have scars…”

  “You mean these faint lines?” He traced his fingertips over the silvery lines which ran along her jawbone.

  She nodded.

  “They’re barely noticeable. They’re from the accident right?” Her sister had mentioned an accident which had caused Caché’s self imposed isolation.

  She nodded.

  “Then they are badges of honor, living proof you’re a survivor.”

  She sighed and laid her head against his chest.

  Chapter Three

  Biting her lip, Caché stood in the hall outside of Caleb’s apartment. He’d called earlier to let her know he was back from his trip. He’d been out of town for only a few days, but she’d missed him dreadfully, much to her surprise. Tonight would only be her fourth visit in as many weeks to his apartment since the night she’d climaxed in his arms.

  There had been no repeats of that particular night to her great d
ismay. He seemed to be keeping his libido on a tight rein no matter what she did. If it weren’t for the fire in his pewter eyes, her already battered self-esteem would’ve taken even a larger blow than the one her father had dealt her. But every time she saw him, the desire he felt for her was clearly apparent despite his reluctance to take their physical relationship any further.

  Looking down at the paper in her hands, the latest email she’d received from Casey Addington, she wondered what had possessed her to bring it with her. First and foremost, Casey would always be a close confident of hers. He was a nonjudgmental man who’d taken the time to listen to her deepest desires and not scoff at them. He’d even role-played with her online on several occasions since she’d met Caleb. With his valuable input, she was slowly coming out of her cocoon and she had both Casey and Caleb to thank for it. She’d be lying if she said her self-image no longer bothered her, but she was much more comfortable with herself than she’d been in many years.

  She wanted to take the next step with Caleb, but first she wanted to see if he could accept the other man’s presence in her life. She wasn’t about to give up her friendship with Casey for Caleb no matter how hot he’d made her. In fact Casey had told her any man worth his salt wouldn’t feel threatened if his woman had male friendships outside of their relationship. The only part which bothered her was that while Casey still remained her friend, their online banter had become even hotter and more risqué. There’d been several times in the past couple of weeks, she would’ve attacked the tease if he’d been in the same room with her. She thought perhaps he felt the same way about her.

  But how could she be lusting after two different men? Sure, they had similar interests. Both were writers and, despite the subject of his writing, Casey was just as masculine as Caleb. They both called her ‘baby’, even though she was a long time out of the school room. Amazingly enough, rather than feeling belittled by the endearment, it gave her a special thrill to think each man wanted to care for her. It’d been years since anyone other than her sister had tried to baby her.