From Boardroom to Bedroom

bsp; There it was. The reason she couldn’t fully enjoy her first sexual experience. Nigel didn’t even know her real name. Guilt and disappointment spiraled through her. She’d finally chosen to give herself to someone, and her pleasure had been robbed by her lies. She had nobody to blame but herself.

How could she let this go any further? Clearly Nigel cared for her on some level. He’d taken his time, he’d made love to her with his mouth, and now he looked as if he was perfectly content with nothing more.

Why couldn’t she have met him before the deceit? Why couldn’t she just tell him who she was and why she was here?

Because her brothers were counting on her and she couldn’t let them down. Miranda had no right to take ownership of a family legacy that meant nothing to her anyway.

“I may be inexperienced,” she told him. “But I’m not naive or dumb. You’ve got to be...frustrated.”

Again, he let out a throaty laugh. “I’ll admit to being a trifle uncomfortable.”

His smile slowly faded and those lingering eyes continued to hold her in place. Another burst of arousal slid through her, coupled with fear of all the unknown components that made up this warped relationship.

At some point, this was all going to blow up in her face and they were both going to end up hurt. The longer she stayed, the more involved they became, the more Sophie knew there would be no good way for this to end.

raked a hand over his mussed hair and stared down

“I’ve envisioned you several times, in several ways—spread across

stood, tugging the material down to cover her thighs. “You’ve been busy,” she

thumb over her chin. “Nobody has been able to distract me from work before and nobody

to follow his declaration. This was getting too deep, too intimate... But she knew tonight was just a stepping stone for the future. She wasn’t innocent enough

replied, still recovering from his touch. “I just didn’t expect

to tell the truth where she could. Maybe he’d even turn out to be understanding. After all, he’d have to see that her

it badly? What if he threw her out...and then called Miranda to tell her everything? She couldn’t bring herself

miserable. She’d never felt so guilty, so ugly. But she’d already started this

nothing at all to do with this attraction,” he told her. “I need you to know that. In a very short time, you’ve proven to be a worthy

“I didn’t think you gave me an extra project to get in my

into this faux job. If she’d learned anything from her

her and her brothers and shown some real care toward them—in his life or in his death. Money and assets aside, she didn’t know why he wouldn’t leave them a part of his legacy. Why he would throw it all at Miranda like she deserved more in her blingy, snobby

had a strained relationship, having everything removed from her life where he was concerned seemed so final, so heartbreaking. Like she just had to sever any ties she had with him. He was