Penalty Clause (Risque Contracts Book 1)(2)
I didn’t want to come at her so strongly that I sent her running in the opposite direction. I gave her an out, with conditions, of course. At any time, she could use the penalty clause to end our association. However, to do so, she was given two options: forfeit her company to me or spend one night in bed with me, capitulating to my demands and giving me her complete surrender. My lawyers assured me they were able to word it in such a way that I would not be open to a lawsuit. How they did it, I didn’t know. Frankly, I didn’t give a fuck. Madeleine was going to end up in my bed one way or another. And once I had her, I wasn’t going to let her go.
A knock on my door pulled me from my thoughts, and, let’s be honest, rescued me from drowning in a rapidly thickening haze of lust.
“Come in,” I called. My executive assistant, Julie, opened the door and approached my desk with a handful of papers.
“These require your signature.”
Accepting the stack, I quickly scrawled my name on each one and handed them back. I looked up to find her standing directly beside my chair, a hip propped on the desk. Julie was a beautiful woman; model thin with long, blonde hair and ice blue eyes. She was exactly the kind of woman I usually preferred. In fact, I’d been toying with the idea of a night with her before I met Madeleine. Julie had subtly let me know she would be open to spending time with me in bed, but she never pushed it. If I hadn’t met Madeleine, I probably would have gone there, but one look at my girl was all it took for my cock to go limp around every other woman. It had been a long, dry, six months.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to stay until your last appointment leaves?” She cocked her head and smiled, a clear invitation in her posture and tone.
“I’m all prepped. You can go on home.” The last thing I needed was the woman who wanted to sleep with me greeting Madeleine at my first meeting with her. I didn’t want her to pick up on my assistant’s flirtations until I had her firmly installed in my bed, and my life. Then, if it became a problem, I’d handle it accordingly.
Julie took the dismissal gracefully, leaving with the sheaf of papers and a nod. Checking the time again, I saw it was five minutes to eight. My wait was about to be over. I breathed a sigh of relief, finally. Rising from my chair, I walked to the sideboard on the left wall of my large office and poured another tumbler of scotch. I set the two crystal glasses on the coffee table situated in the middle of a relaxed conversation area made up of three couches. Then, my phone rang and I swiftly walked back over to my desk.
“Sterling,” I answered gruffly.
“There is a Madeleine Connelly here for you, sir,” said the night security manager for the building.
“Send her up, Peter.” Anticipation rolled through me and I fought to keep myself calm, when all I wanted was to haul her into my office and fuck her. Show her who held the power in our relationship, who she belonged to.
Knowing she would not have my secretary to escort her in, I walked to the door. Opening it, I watched her exit the elevator. When she looked up and her jade eyes met mine, I was unable to keep the predatory smile off my face.
Chapter 2
Madeleine
The chemistry sizzling between Caleb Sterling and I was powerful. I’d never actually met him, but it had been like this from the first moment I laid eyes on him during a charity event several months ago, and I’d been resisting his pull anytime I’d seen him since. Straightening my spine, I dug deep in an effort to wrap myself in my ice princess persona. It had been my defense against guys ever since I’d suddenly developed boobs back in my freshman year of high school. It was like a second skin to me after all these years, but staying cool around Caleb wasn’t easy.
He fit his playboy billionaire image perfectly, with his starkly good looks and forceful personality. I was sure there weren’t many women who wouldn’t want to be on his arm and end up in his bed by the end of the night. I wanted to be one of the unaffected, but my fingers twitched with the desire to tousle his light brown hair. I wanted to see his crystal blue eyes lit with passion for me, with or without the glasses, which only made him look sexier. I dreamed of pressing my body against his muscular frame, to feel his arms wrapped around me. And his lips, they were so damn sensuous, I wanted to nip at the bottom one to punish him for making me lose my calm the way only he managed.
Thinking about how he would taste, I licked my lips as I exited the elevator and walked toward his office. He was waiting for me, standing in the doorway. My gaze drifted to his mouth and stalled at the confident smirk I found there. It took all the strength I had to follow him further into the room instead of running from him like my instincts were shouting for me to do. He had the look of a hunter tonight, and I was starting to feel like his prey.