Chapter One
Saturday evening
Linden Jacobson stood under the awning as the rain pelted above her. Her taxi had since left, and here she stood, alone. Over and over she asked herself why she agreed to come, and found herself with the same answer: this is what she had wanted from the beginning. This was one night, just one, with the wealthiest man in the country.
When Luca Harlow had approached her with the proposition just a week ago, she had thought it some kind of joke. True, she had pined over her boss since she started working for him two years ago, but she knew every other female that worked there hadn’t hidden their desire for him. So why had he picked her?
The NDA contract she’d signed made it perfectly clear she was to speak of this night to no one. Although she had no intentions of doing such a thing, she had been stunned at the pains he had taken to ensure this stayed amongst a select few.
During the week before her arrival at his estate, hidden high in the Colorado Mountains, she wondered how many other women he had brought to this home. Had they stood where she was, staring at the massive double doors, feeling like their hearts would explode right from their chests? Linden wasn’t a virgin, but she also wasn’t a woman that was accustomed to the things Luca wanted to do to her. Whips, restraints, and a whole slew of other activities she had only seen in movies awaited her for this one night. So, here she stood again, asking herself that same question. Why in the hell did you agree to spend the night with him?
Luca hadn’t made it a secret that pain would be part of their evening, and although Linden had never experienced BDSM, she knew enough about it to be nervous and a bit frightened. She swallowed the lump that formed in her throat and took a tentative step forward.
Luca Harlow, quite possibly the most powerful man in the country, if not the world, wanted to spend one night making her submit to him. For two years, Linden had dreamt of being between Luca’s sheets, but what she was about to do hadn’t factored into that equation. Hell, she was surprised he even knew her name. True, she worked for him, but she worked behind the scenes, and therefore had only seen him from afar. Luca, in his hand-tailored power suits, had probably only spoken to her on three different occasions. And yet, he had asked her to be his for the night.
She took another step, and another, until she was standing right in front of those double doors, fear and anticipation coursing through her bloodstream at the same time. She set her suitcase down and lifted her hand to grip the knocker. Residual rain slowly slid down her arms and the ends of her hair. A shiver skated through her. It was the beginning of fall, and a chilled wind swept by. Linden took a deep, calming breath and gripped the knocker.
One. Two. Three. On the last knock she dropped her hand and took a step back. After a long, grueling minute, the door finally opened. Her breath halted as she stared at Luca on the other side. He wasn’t wearing one of his trademark power suits. Instead, he had on a pair of loose-fitting slacks and a dark argyle sweater. He appeared almost…normal. Oh, he still had that dominating air about him, but his dark hair wasn’t swept back and his expression was more relaxed. Is this how he looked when not at the office? Damn, he was good looking at work, but here, now, he was like one of those Greek gods chiseled out of marble.
He smiled, not a full one, but a little tilt at the corner of his mouth that had her heart beating faster. She licked her lips, the sudden arousal that pulsed between the two of them tangible. She felt like a gawker, but she couldn’t bring herself to stop looking. From the top of his stylishly disheveled hair to his broad shoulders, narrow hips, and muscular thighs, Luca Harlow looked like he could hold his own, in bed and out.
Stop it.
“Right on time. I like that.” His voice, deep and husky, had Linden picturing all sorts of wicked things. He stepped aside and let her pass.
Oh, God.
She grabbed her suitcase and went into the lion’s den.
Chapter Two
Linden heard the door shut behind her, but didn’t turn around. His house, mansion, was gorgeous and huge. Just like its owner. Marble and dark maple surrounded her. The ceiling was cathedral high, and the crystal chandelier that rose above her glistened with the light of a thousand little diamonds. All these extravagant items seemed almost out of place in the Colorado Rockies, but then again, Luca was known for his taste in finer things.
Her bag left her hand and she turned around quickly.
“Let me show you where we will be sleeping.”
The way he said we sent a shiver up her spine. Why she even bothered bringing anything was beyond her. It wasn’t like much sleeping would be happening, anyway.