the powerful business persona was offset by a gorgeous, fascinatingly opinionated wife, Sienna, and now a cute young daughter.
Minutes later, with the deal on the table, Nick should have been over the moon. Instead, he found it difficult to focus. Kyle kept sending him questioning glances because it was taking him so long to read the paperwork.
A slim brunette with silky dark hair strolled into the room. Constantine’s new legal brief. Apparently the last one had bitten the dust because he had tried to put a prenup on Sienna Atraeus. Sienna had seen him to the door, personally.
Nick forced himself to finish the clause he was reading, even though he knew he was going to have to go over it again because he hadn’t understood a word.
The problem, he realized, was the legal brief. For a searing moment he had thought she was Elena, even though a second glance confirmed that she didn’t look like Elena at all.
His gaze narrowed as he tracked her departure. His pulse was racing, his heart pounding as his inability to concentrate became clear.
He wanted Elena.
He wanted her back, in his arms and in his bed, which was a problem given that he had walked out on her that morning for the second time. If she ever spoke to him again, that in itself would be a miracle.
It had been difficult enough getting her to trust him the last time. The process had been slow and laborious. From the first phone call, it had taken weeks.
She had stood him up, refused his calls and done everything in her power to avoid him. He had managed to get close to her only through the good luck that his brother had gotten married to Elena’s best friend.
If he wanted Elena back, he was going to have to engineer a situation that would give him the time he needed to convince her to give him another chance.
Two of his Atraeus cousins had employed kidnapping as a method of securing that quality time, although Nick didn’t seriously think a kidnap situation would repair the rift with Elena. Both Constantine and Lucas had had long-standing relationships with their chosen brides, with the added bonus that love had been a powerful factor in each relationship.
It was a factor Nick could not rely on. He was certain that after a second one-night stand, Elena would no longer view him as a relationship prospect.
For a split second disorientation gripped him. He could kick himself for the mistake he’d made. He’d had Elena back in his arms, and then let her go.
He had further complicated the situation by leaving the field clear for Corrado.
If he wanted Elena back he was going to have to move fast. Normal dating strategies wouldn’t work; he was going to have to use the kind of logic he employed with business strategies.
With this new deal they would have a vital link in common: the Atraeus Group. He wouldn’t exactly be her boss, but it would bring her into his orbit.
He’d had two chances with Elena and had blown them both.
He didn’t know if he could create a third, but he had an edge he could exploit.
Try as she might, Elena couldn’t hide the fact that she couldn’t resist him.
Nine
M aster of Seduction Meets His Match.
Elena stared in horror at the tabloid coverage of the wedding. She hadn’t read many of the words; it was the image of the bride and groom that riveted her attention.
Someone had made a terrible mistake. A photo of her and Nick on the steps had been used instead of one of Gemma and Gabriel. The black-and-white print made her bridesmaid’s dress look pale enough to be a bridal gown, and Nick looked the part with his morning suit. The shower of confetti and rice added the final touch.
There was nothing either scandalous or libelous about the brief article. If the photograph had been the correct one, it would have been perfectly nice, if boring, coverage of a high-end society wedding.
Acute embarrassment gripped her as she imagined the moment Nick saw the article and the photo, which portrayed the exact opposite of what he
Minutes later, with the deal on the table, Nick should have been over the moon. Instead, he found it difficult to focus. Kyle kept sending him questioning glances because it was taking him so long to read the paperwork.
A slim brunette with silky dark hair strolled into the room. Constantine’s new legal brief. Apparently the last one had bitten the dust because he had tried to put a prenup on Sienna Atraeus. Sienna had seen him to the door, personally.
Nick forced himself to finish the clause he was reading, even though he knew he was going to have to go over it again because he hadn’t understood a word.
The problem, he realized, was the legal brief. For a searing moment he had thought she was Elena, even though a second glance confirmed that she didn’t look like Elena at all.
His gaze narrowed as he tracked her departure. His pulse was racing, his heart pounding as his inability to concentrate became clear.
He wanted Elena.
He wanted her back, in his arms and in his bed, which was a problem given that he had walked out on her that morning for the second time. If she ever spoke to him again, that in itself would be a miracle.
It had been difficult enough getting her to trust him the last time. The process had been slow and laborious. From the first phone call, it had taken weeks.
She had stood him up, refused his calls and done everything in her power to avoid him. He had managed to get close to her only through the good luck that his brother had gotten married to Elena’s best friend.
If he wanted Elena back, he was going to have to engineer a situation that would give him the time he needed to convince her to give him another chance.
Two of his Atraeus cousins had employed kidnapping as a method of securing that quality time, although Nick didn’t seriously think a kidnap situation would repair the rift with Elena. Both Constantine and Lucas had had long-standing relationships with their chosen brides, with the added bonus that love had been a powerful factor in each relationship.
It was a factor Nick could not rely on. He was certain that after a second one-night stand, Elena would no longer view him as a relationship prospect.
For a split second disorientation gripped him. He could kick himself for the mistake he’d made. He’d had Elena back in his arms, and then let her go.
He had further complicated the situation by leaving the field clear for Corrado.
If he wanted Elena back he was going to have to move fast. Normal dating strategies wouldn’t work; he was going to have to use the kind of logic he employed with business strategies.
With this new deal they would have a vital link in common: the Atraeus Group. He wouldn’t exactly be her boss, but it would bring her into his orbit.
He’d had two chances with Elena and had blown them both.
He didn’t know if he could create a third, but he had an edge he could exploit.
Try as she might, Elena couldn’t hide the fact that she couldn’t resist him.
Nine
M aster of Seduction Meets His Match.
Elena stared in horror at the tabloid coverage of the wedding. She hadn’t read many of the words; it was the image of the bride and groom that riveted her attention.
Someone had made a terrible mistake. A photo of her and Nick on the steps had been used instead of one of Gemma and Gabriel. The black-and-white print made her bridesmaid’s dress look pale enough to be a bridal gown, and Nick looked the part with his morning suit. The shower of confetti and rice added the final touch.
There was nothing either scandalous or libelous about the brief article. If the photograph had been the correct one, it would have been perfectly nice, if boring, coverage of a high-end society wedding.
Acute embarrassment gripped her as she imagined the moment Nick saw the article and the photo, which portrayed the exact opposite of what he
Similar Books
