Love Hurts Read online

  Chapter 2

  My heart pounded in my ears and my mouth went dry. I swallowed hard, my tongue tasting as gritty as sandpaper as my mind raced. I certainly didn’t want to let him spank me—at least, I didn’t think I did—but what else could I do? “And if I don’t?” I asked, tossing my head. I felt my black hair swish behind me. I was pretty sure I knew the answer, but I had to be sure.

  “If you don’t, you’ll need to find someone else to come out and take care of this for you.”

  I nodded. I hadn’t expected any less. “I can pay you double your normal fee,” I replied briskly. It was an old stand-by and it had never failed me.

  Until now. I could see it in his face, in his cocked eyebrow, the way his shoulders had set. This had nothing to do about money and was about principle. By suggesting I could change it by throwing money at him, I’d damaged his pride. “That isn’t going to work on me,” he said, his tone suddenly cool, confirming everything I’d suspected. “But if you need a phone, you can borrow mine.”

  I had been mentally kicking myself—why did I always think money solved everything? Never mind that it usually did—but once his words registered all I could do was blink at him. I prided myself on being able to read people quickly, but this man was an enigma if I’d ever met one. A tall, hunky enigma that had sex appeal coming out of every toned muscle. “Really?” I finally managed to squeak out.

  “Of course.” There was that amazing smile again. “I’m not a jerk, Karen.”

  I tried to fight it, but I couldn’t resist smiling back, just a little. “That’s the first time you haven’t called me ‘Ms. Donahue’.”

  “Yeah, I guess it is. You aren’t going to yell at me again, are you?”

  My cheeks colored—I could feel the heat practically radiating from them—and I mutely shook my head.

  “Good girl.”

  My eyes flew to his face at lightning speed; electricity crackled in the air when he met my gaze head-on. I searched his face, desperate for any sign that the words were more than an off-hand atta-girl, but it was hard since I didn’t really know what I was looking for.

  What was it about his voice that made my heart jump into my throat and set my pulse to racing triple time? Especially when he said things like that. No one but my Grandma had ever called me “good girl” and I didn’t think I ever wanted to hear her say it again—not after he’d made it sound so erotic that I was left standing there with my sex pulsing underneath my clothes and no idea how to erase the X-rated thoughts that had filled my mind, pouring in one after another.

  “Karen? What’s it going to be? Do you want to call someone?”

  Let him spank you, for God’s sake! My little devil championed. A little pain now for pleasure later! I waited, listening hard, but my angel was MIA.

  Studying him, I weighed my options. With the loan of his phone, I could easily get out of this predicament. One phone call, and whoosh: problem solved, just like that. So why was I even thinking twice?

  Maybe because of how sexy he was, that was a part of it. But if I dug deeper, I knew that I deserved a reprimand for my behavior and he was the first one in years to challenge me and I found to my surprise that I liked it. I was used to being around men who either couldn’t get out a sentence over their stammering or men that were so pompous they were boring. This guy seemed to be anything but.

  “What’s your name?” I asked suddenly, surprised that I hadn’t asked earlier.

  His grin was quick this time. “Brandon. And I notice that’s not your typical ‘get me out of here’ answer.”

  I looked down for an instant before meeting his gaze again. “There is nothing typical about me, Brandon,” I said in a breathy undertone.

  He assessed me for a long moment, his gaze as gentle as a caress. “I think you’re probably right about that. You want me to fix your car, I take it?” I nodded slowly, and he watched me for a moment longer before agreeing. “okay then. I will, but I am going to take my time, and I will not have you rushing me, understand?”

  I licked my lips. “Understood.”

  “Good. Now, go stand by my truck.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

  He laughed softly and it made my cheeks flush again. Damn my dark complexion! “Because I don’t want you underfoot, keeping me distracted.”

  When the words registered, both my eyebrows shot all the way up. I distracted him? Me? It was a strange world. Without another word, I turned around and walked toward his truck. They were tiny, hesitant baby-steps, but I made it there all the same. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d taken orders from a man, particularly when it concerned my baby.

  It was hard enough to watch as he began walking around my car, circling it like a vulture going in for the kill. I turned away, determined not to look. If I did, I might end up screaming again.

  It wasn’t like I tried to be mean. I didn’t, I just had a super-stressful job and worked on very little sleep. Ever since I created the company Dusty Records and became CEO, people treated me differently. They didn’t look at me like a poor kid from the wrong side of the tracks anymore, they looked at me like I was somebody. It was an addicting feeling, and for the last six years I’d enjoyed seeing people jump just because I said so. There was no request that seemed too outrageous. No one ever questioned me or told me to quit, so I’d grown accustomed to getting my way.

  I couldn’t say at what point it had all gone stale, but it had. Barking orders no longer held any thrill for me, it was just something I did. There was a part of me, buried deep down—but not so deep I could forget its existence—that wanted someone else to take charge for once.

  ***

  Brandon

  Regardless of the fact I’d told her very sternly, in no uncertain terms that I didn’t want to be distracted, I would have had to put her on another planet rather than a few measly feet away. Karen Donahue was as beautiful as she was fiery, as sexy as she was sassy. One look at her cute, voluptuous bottom and my mouth almost hit the floor. My palm had been itching since I’d first seen her and that was long before she’d opened her mouth and given me a reason to carry out the discipline I craved to give her.

  When my brother had mentioned the “entitled brat” who always gave him so much trouble, I’d expected someone in furs and a luxury car with a tiny dog in a four hundred dollar purse. Not that a Porsche wasn’t a great car, but otherwise, it didn’t seem to fit the picture I’d had in my mind.

  Yes, she definitely had a mouth on her—what woman couldn’t give a tongue lashing at a moment’s notice?—but she’d also shown she had a submissive side. Was it only when it suited her, or did she hide it under hostility and those beautiful, flashing dark eyes? That was the question and I was determined to get the answer.

  “Finished,” I said, approaching her.

  She checked her watch and her lips tightened. I could see that she wanted to remark on how long it had taken, but to her credit she gave me a small, little smile instead. “Thank you.”

  “That suits you much better than all that screaming you were doing earlier.” Her cheeks flushed prettily and I thought she’d look away, but she met my eyes head-on.

  “I should really be going.”

  I stepped closer—she was speaking in such a soft voice that I could barely hear her. The angelic look she wore now made me wonder for a moment if I’d imagined the brat I’d been dealing with earlier. This close to her, I could smell the sweetness of her skin. It was as intoxicating as perfume, which I normally couldn’t stand. “We should discuss your form of payment.”

  She flushed deeper and glanced away. When she met my eyes again, her own brown depths were determined. “I wasn’t thinking straight earlier. I’m under a lot of pressure and—”

  Ah, so that was it. The sweet and innocent act was nothing more than embarrassment from what she’d agreed to. “Look, Karen, we made an agreement. I expect you to be the kind of woman who keeps her word.” I could see the outrage on her face, but I hel
d up a hand to keep her from speaking. “If, like you said, you’re running late, let’s not draw this out. Here’s my number.” I held out a white business card that she looked at like it was a venomous snake. “My cell is on the bottom.”

  “Let’s just get it over with,” she ground out between gritted teeth. “How are we going to do this?”

  I had to fight not to laugh at her. What kind of man did she think I was? “Here? No, sweetheart.” I heard her sharp gasp, but I ignored it and turned the card over, pulling a pen from my pocket. I quickly wrote my address on the back. “Come tonight,” I said, holding it out to her again. This time, she snatched it from my fingers without a word.

  “Be there at seven. Oh, and wear a dress.”

  ***

  If it hadn’t been to save face, I would have stood there and watched Brandon walk away. But I’d told him that I was in a hurry and I didn’t want him to think I actually liked him. Yes, he had the rugged good looks that were desirable in a lumberjack, workingman kind of way. But I could have my pick of men, so why would I waste my time with this one?

  At least he’d fixed my car, I thought as I pulled back into traffic, tires squealing as I slammed my foot down on the gas. In mere minutes, I was away from that horrible little strip of interstate, away from the dark, probing eyes of the mechanic who thought he could get the better of me. Like I would ever, ever let him spank me! The nerve of him! Wouldn’t he have a nice little surprise when no one showed up tonight?

  Maybe he’ll get lucky and someone will come by selling magazines, I thought with a grim smile. He can spank her if he needs to get his fix so bad.

  My heart thudded strangely at the image of him with another woman, but I shook it off. I didn’t even know the man. There was no way, no way I was going to let him lay a hand on me. I didn’t do the whole “little woman” thing and I most certainly didn’t do one-night stands, so we had nothing more to say to each other.

  There was a flurry of activity when I arrived at Dusty Records. My assistant, Jack—who I’d nicknamed Jackie because I told him he worried more than a woman—met me at the door, a sheaf of papers in his arms and a flustered, constipated look on his face that he got sometimes when he’d been yelled at one time too many.

  “I’m here, Jackie, you can keep your undies on,” I told him briskly as he fell into step beside me. “Don’t even think of handing those to me,” I said, cutting my eyes at him as he tried to push the papers into my hands.

  “But Mark said you need to look these over—”

  He would. I rolled my eyes. “Summarize.”

  “Uh, but I—”

  “You have read it haven’t you?”

  “Um, well, he just gave it to me half an hour ago, and—”

  “So what have you been doing since then?” I asked, my voice severe as I halted to look at him.

  Jack pushed his dark rimmed glasses back onto his freckled face. “I’ve been fielding calls from your office, and—”

  “Well, I’m here now. Get that document read and put the summary on my desk in forty-five. Is there anything else?”

  “But, Ms. Donahue I…well, it’s just that the meeting starts in an hour, and I don’t, uh—”

  “Good point. Better make it thirty.” With that, I spun on my heel and strutted off, power walking toward my office. I really hated sniveling and I wasn’t going to stand there and wait for it to start. I swear, if I hadn’t spent so much time breaking him in, the man would have a pink slip by the end of the day. I didn’t know if they even made pink slips any more, but I’d find a way.

  “There you are, Karen!” Mark’s voice boomed down the hall just as I reached the door to my office.

  I turned and gave him a mocking smile. “You didn’t think you’d be able to talk to the board by yourself, did you? I’d never let that happen.” Mark had secret hopes, or so he thought, or one day running the company. Whether for that reason or because he actually found me attractive, he’d also let me know in no uncertain terms that he was available whenever, wherever.

  “You always pull through,” he said, his smile much warmer than mine had been. “I know that.”

  Hmm, if he remembered me cursing him out and hanging up on him, he didn’t seem to be holding a grudge. Even though I’d never taken him up on the offer, it certainly wasn’t from lack of wanting to. There were times when I saw him coming down the hall, or when I was sitting across from him at a business meeting and the sight of his close-cropped, silky-looking blond hair had my attention more than the speaker. He had a strong jaw and soft green eyes and wow, could the man fill out a suit. It was for political reasons that kept me from going out for drinks. I knew it would never just be one, and after two Cosmos I was pretty much up for anything. Mark could never know that—I could see my entire career spiraling out from under me if he did.

  “You would have covered for me,” I said sweetly, batting my eyelashes up at him. Hey, just because I didn’t plan to make a move didn’t mean I couldn’t flirt.

  He took the cue nicely and leaned on the doorframe, leaving little to no space between us. “No one can handle investors like you, Kar. Everyone knows that, even me. I might not like it, but I know it.” He laughed, a deep rumbling sound that made me smile back at him.

  “Well, that’s kind of you to say.”

  “Kindness doesn’t have much to do with it,” he said ruefully. “You and I have that in common. We don’t pull punches or play games. Maybe that’s why I’ve always thought…” His green eyes bored into mine and I had no doubt as to what he thought.

  The only game he played was this one. The game of getting a woman into bed. But if I ever did that, I’d lose my edge with him. I couldn’t afford not to have him on his toes—he was too smart for me to give up the only advantage I had. Still, as he leaned closer, brushing his muscular frame against me, I allowed myself to picture it. I’d always known it would be fun. Mark was the kind to sweep all the papers off his desk and throw a woman on top, taking her then and there because he just couldn’t wait. He would be passionate, I knew that. We’d had many an argument over business; I had no doubt he would be fiery and persuasive in the bedroom, too. Or office, as the case may be.

  An image of Brandon Fuller popped into my head and I felt my sex clench with desire. No, I told myself firmly, pushing it away and turning my attention back to Mark. “Maybe,” I said before taking his hand off my door handle. “Maybe,” I repeated, dropping his fingers and walking inside and shutting the door, leaving him to puzzle out what I could have meant.

  ***

  A cry-baby he most certainly was, but I couldn’t deny that Jackie knew how to come through. Twenty-five minutes later he dropped off his notes and I nodded briskly at him, which he knew from experience meant I wanted him to leave. I read and reread his summary, making notes of my own. I formed an outline for a speech marking down talking points. I’d done it so many times by now that I didn’t need to write the whole thing out.

  When I checked the clock again I saw that I had twelve minutes until the meeting. I took a deep breath and exhaled. I was going to do this. This was really going to work, despite everything. I was going to pull it off. I’d always had an uncanny ability to do just that, no matter what the odds, which is why I’d been made CEO. That, and the fact that the idea for the basis of the company had been mine.

  But mostly, it was luck and I knew that. That’s why I had to stay on my guard at all times, prepared for anything. The minute you let it down, just a bit, or looked away for a minute, that’s when the vultures swooped in to take everything you’d worked for. As much as Jack and Mark and all the rest drove me nuts, I wasn’t going to let that happen to them.

  Five minutes later, I walked in a long procession to the “War Room," as Mr. Boyles liked to call it. It was where all major deals were hatched and today would be a biggie. It could mean millions of dollars more for our company—it would mean hundreds of new jobs. It was a lot of pressure and suddenly I wished I’d had the foresi
ght to order a Cosmo. Just one.

  “Ms. Donahue,” Mr. Boyles greeted me as I stepped into the room.

  The man had been a mentor to me these past six years and was the only one who ever was on the receiving end of a genuine smile. “Hello,” I returned softly, stepping toward him. “Any last advice?” I asked in a low voice.

  “Give ‘em hell and take no prisoners,” he whispered back. It was what he always said, but I nodded and smiled again before taking my seat.

  Once everyone sat down, a representative from SunFilm stepped up to the podium and greeted us all. “Thank you all for being here today,” he said to the assembled group, but his nod was just for me. Like I had a frickin’ choice. “We all know why we’re here, which is to discuss the possible merger between our two companies. My grandfather used to say that a good businessman…”

  I kept a neutral smile on my face as I listened to him blather on. James Fern was as long winded as any man I’d ever met and he wasn’t even that old! Everyone here, even he, I would imagine, knew that what we were here to talk about wasn’t really a merger. We were looking to procure his company and if we had to call it a “merger” we would, so long as their customers became ours. The ideal though would be for an out-and-out takeover.

  As I half-listened to his contrived dribble, my mind began to drift. I shook my head to clear the image of Brandon’s well-toned arms working on my car. I tried to concentrate, but the next thing I knew, my imagination had his arms wrapped around me, one hand gently caressing my face as he whispered in his husky voice, tickling my ear and bringing every one of my senses to life.

  Get it together, the rational side of my brain screamed at me. The angel on my shoulder was right: any more of this and I was actually going to find myself at his house tonight. Which was stupid. Just the thought made me want to roll my eyes. Did he actually think I was going to go to a stranger’s house with the intention of letting him… What, did he think I was born yesterday?