From Riches to Redemption Read online

  The side of his hand brushed against her fingers and stole any concerns from her lips. It sent a thrill through her no matter how hard she tried to tamp it down. Eventually, Morgan would have to face that she and River had something that just couldn’t be ignored.

  “I got scared,” she said at last. That, at least, was true enough.

  “Of me?”

  That forced her to turn and look him in the eyes. They were wary as they watched her. She’d hurt him on some level when she ran off the other day. She hadn’t meant to, but she had. Perhaps it was too much like the last time when she’d left, only this time had been her choice, not her father’s. “Of course not,” she said emphatically. “I was scared of this. Us. This thing between us, whatever it is. I thought that after all this time, it might have lessened, but it hasn’t. So I ran.”

  Her gaze dropped down to the knot of his silk tie and focused there instead of the face that was studying every one of her vulnerabilities. Then she felt the warm press of his hand against her cheek. He guided her back up to look at him. “You’re not the only one that feels that way,” he said.

  Before she could really consider what that meant, his lips were on hers. She leaned into him, seeking out the comfort and protection he offered as he wrapped his arms around her. As a young woman, she’d always felt safe in River’s arms. When she lost Dawn and everything seemed to be crumbling around her, she wanted his embrace more than anything else, and it was the one thing she couldn’t have. But she could have it now. At least for a while.

  “River?” She pulled away and whispered his name into the space between them.

  An expression of physical pain flickered across his face for a moment. “You aren’t about to run off again, are you? I’m not sure I can take that a second time.”

  “No. You’re in my office, so I’m not going anywhere. I just wanted to talk about something before this went too much further.”

  “What?” His fingertips pressed into the curve of her waist, massaging her hip as she spoke and making it hard for her to focus on her words.

  “It’s just that...well...I don’t want anyone to find out about this. Whatever this is going on between us. If someone does, it will get ruined, I’m certain of it. I’d rather walk away now than have something with you spoiled again. Can we please keep it—whatever we decide we want it to be—just between us?”

  He sighed and leaned back from her. His disappointment was palpable. “Great. Another Steele secret.”

  “It’s not about keeping it a secret,” she argued. “It’s about not letting outside influences taint this. I want you. You want me. It’s a simple thing. Neither of us is looking for anything more than a little comfort and release. Maybe some closure. But I don’t want it to impact our professional work. Keeping this between us is the best way to make sure that doesn’t happen. No drama, no scandal...nothing for Daddy to freak out over. Just a little fun between the two of us while it lasts.”

  “And after the key ceremony?”

  Morgan brushed a strand of hair from his eyes. That event would mark the end of the project, as they handed over the keys to the new residents of the homes they’d built. It would be a bittersweet event for Morgan in more ways than one. “After the key ceremony, I think the best thing is for me to go back to DC and for you to go off and capitalize on the good work you’ve done here. That’s the point of all this, right?”

  “Right,” he repeated, but she got the sense he wasn’t content with this arrangement.

  Did he want more? An actual relationship? Didn’t he see how impossible that would be? It would be an uphill battle for them every step of the way until something drove them apart again. There was no sense in even entertaining something like that.

  “You want me, don’t you?” she asked.

  His hands cupped her rear and pulled her tight against his erection. “You know I do.”

  “Then what’s the matter? I thought you’d be happy. A no-strings affair with someone you have amazing chemistry with? That seems like a pretty sweet arrangement, especially considering both of us work too hard for anything more complicated.”

  “It’s not that. The arrangement is fine. I guess I just want to know what’s changed,” he said.

  Morgan pulled away and looked up at him. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, the last time we were together, you literally ran from the room. You said you were scared of what we had between us, and now you’re practically crawling into my lap. What’s different about this time? Is it the secrecy that makes you feel more secure? Are you ashamed of people knowing we’re together, even casually?”

  “Of course not. It has nothing to do with that.” She reached up and stroked his cheek, feeling the coarse hairs of his beard tickle against her palm. It was an obvious reminder that he wasn’t the boy she’d loved anymore. He was a man. A man that she wanted very badly, despite how she argued with herself. Over the last two weeks, she’d wrestled with how to move forward with River and get what she wanted without exposing the past she needed to keep hidden. For now, the best she could do was to try and keep parts of herself from being exposed so he wouldn’t ask questions. Whether that entailed lingerie, dim lighting or her current strategy—staying partially clothed—it didn’t matter. She was confident in her plan. If he was willing to go along with it.

  “In the end, does it really matter why I changed my mind, as long as I have?” She looked at him with her mostly sultry gaze, hoping that it would make the answer moot.

  “It shouldn’t,” River agreed. “I know I should just shut my mouth, thank the stars for the situation I’m currently in and take full advantage, but I guess I’m an ass and I overthink everything.”

  Morgan cradled his face in her hands and looked him in the eyes. “What’s important is that I want you, River. Every time I argue with myself about it, every time I deny what I need, it only makes me want you even more. What’s different is that I know I can’t run from it anymore. So as far as I’m concerned, there’s only one thing left for us to do.”

  “What’s that?” he asked.

  “Lock my office door.”

  Seven

  Morgan leaned back on the conference table with a mischievous smile, watching as River quickly rushed over to her door and flipped the lock. This was the moment they’d both been waiting for. She’d tried denying herself and running from her feelings, but it was clear that River wasn’t going to let her avoid it any longer. The only thing to do was give in to what they both wanted, and she knew she could do it in a way that kept any questions at bay.

  Her office was private and separated from the other Steele executives on the top floor. Her calendar was clear for the rest of the afternoon and her assistant was gone for the day. The only windows overlooked downtown, with no way for anyone to see what was about to happen in her corner office. It was the perfect place to indulge at last.

  When he returned, he stopped just short of her and let his gaze dip down to study her body. She was still leaning against the conference table and she had no intention of moving. It was solid oak and just what they needed. For this first time at least, she wanted to take the edge off, not curl up together in bed and have pillow talk.

  She hadn’t planned for any of this to happen today, but her slinky pencil skirt and silk blouse would be perfect to unbutton and slide out of the way, and help hide any areas she didn’t want River to see. His gaze moved over her thoughtfully, likely thinking the same thing as he planned his move.

  River seemed either hesitant to reach for her or he wasn’t in a rush. Morgan could understand that she’d jerked him around enough that he’d be waiting for her to change her mind. But not now. Not again. She needed to make sure he understood that. She reached out and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. She looked up at him with a sly smirk curling her burgundy-painted lips.

  “I want y
ou, River. Right now. Right here.”

  That was enough to dash away his last concerns. Now River snapped into action. Leaning past her with a quick slide of his arm, he moved a stack of papers and an arrangement of silk flowers on the table out of their way. Then he encircled her waist with his hands and lifted her up to sit at the edge of the smooth wood as though she weighed ten pounds. She closed her eyes and drank in the sensation as his palms slid up the silky length of her legs, pushing at the hem of her skirt. The fabric moved out of the way, allowing her to spread her thighs so River could find a home between them.

  “Is this what you had in mind?” he asked, gripping her rear end and tugging her tight against the throbbing erection pressing against his trousers.

  Morgan groaned softly, and then wrapped her legs around his waist. “Even better.”

  She leaned in to kiss River and the moment they touched, it was as though the floodgates had been opened. They’d been holding back for so long. This time there would be no interruption, no second thoughts. All the emotion and need that had built up over the last few weeks—and even the last ten years—came rushing forward at once. Their hands moved in a frenzy over each other’s bodies, fighting with buttons and fasteners, tugging aside cotton and silk until they finally made contact with the bare skin underneath.

  Morgan couldn’t get enough of River. The warm woodsy scent of his skin. The searing heat of his hands gliding over her body, the low groans of pleasure against her lips... It all brought back a rush of memories that made her skin flush hot. Memories of their nights together. Of how much she needed him then, and now. It almost scared her how easily it came back after years of suppressing it. It made her worry that the temporary nature of their agreement might be harder to keep to as well. She wanted River, yes, but she couldn’t let herself love him again. Not when he didn’t know the truth.

  Their lips didn’t part until she felt him push her skirt up to her waist. “That should be enough,” she whispered against his mouth. “For here.” She added the last part, as though her hesitation was being naked at work where they might be caught, when in truth it was to keep as much of her body hidden from him as possible in the bright, late afternoon sunlight.

  River nodded. Leaving her skirt where it was, he sought out her panties instead. His fingers hooked around the sides and tugged them down, slipping them past her patent leather heels and letting them fall to the floor like nothing more than the thin scrap of black lace they were.

  He groaned aloud as he caught a glimpse of her bare flesh when he stood back up. She was quite disheveled with her blouse unbuttoned, her bra exposed and her skirt hiked up around her hips. Judging by his intense gaze and flexed jaw, he seemed to think she was the greatest thing he’d ever laid eyes on.

  It made her feel sexy and desirable in a way that she rarely identified with. It had been a long time since someone had looked at her with such naked desire in his eyes. Since she’d allowed someone to look at her that way. The walls she built around herself after everything that had happened were high. Even with the anticipated prize of the Steele heiress on the other side, few men had tried to breach her protective barricades. Those who tried usually gave up before they reached her. And she was okay with that. It saved her the disappointment of finding they were just after her money.

  River hadn’t even thought twice about it before he’d scaled her walls, and there was a part of her that loved him for his reckless bravery where she was concerned.

  But now his hesitation was starting to worry her. She’d expected him to dive back into devouring her, but he stopped, just looking at her. “I haven’t changed my mind, River. I’m ready.”

  He nodded and smiled. Leaning in, he gave her a soft kiss and pulled back. “I’m ready, too. More than ready. That was just a sight I wanted to commit to memory. And now, first things first.”

  Morgan watched as he shuffled out of his suit coat and reached into his breast pocket for his wallet. He set it on the table and tossed the coat across the back of a nearby chair. He opened the wallet, pulling out a single condom before he cast the rest of it aside.

  Of course, he would remember them this time. On their wedding night, he’d forgotten to buy some. They’d been so excited to steal away on their adventure that some of the details had been missed. Since they were technically married and holed up in their honeymoon cabin for the night, they decided that it was okay without them this one time. That ended up being a mistake. Morgan had had an IUD put in not long after Dawn passed away. She wasn’t about to be caught in that position again.

  River didn’t know any of that. He just knew to plan better this time. Stepping back between her thighs, he put a condom on the table beside her bare hip. Then he wrapped one arm around her back and eased her backward until she was lying across the conference table. He leaned over her and unbuttoned the rest of her blouse. Running his hands over her breasts and down her rib cage, he stopped long enough to press a searing kiss on her sternum. The warmth of his touch against her skin heated her blood and ran through her veins as quickly as her racing heart could move it.

  Morgan gasped and squirmed against the cold table. She longed to be enveloped by River’s warmth, to chase away the chill, and he seemed content to tease her instead. When his hand sought out the moist heat between her thighs, she forgot about anything else. Her mind went blank to everything but the waves of pleasure that pulsated through her body. Her back arched off the table, her hands clawing futilely at the slick polished wood. There could be no question of her wanting him this time. Her body had given her away. He had her on the edge of climax and he’d barely touched her.

  Then he pulled away again. She heard the clinking of River’s belt and opened her eyes to see him undoing his zipper. Slipping on the condom, River gripped her hips and with his gaze fixed on hers, entered her in one slow stroke. Feeling the hard heat of him sinking into her welcoming body was a pleasure she’d missed for so long. She almost couldn’t believe it was really happening. How many nights had she lain alone, wishing for one more kiss, one more embrace and then hating herself for still loving the man who had betrayed her and walked away? She wanted to pinch herself so she knew this was real.

  Morgan pushed herself up upright, wrapping her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. She wanted to be as close to him as she could in this moment. Pressing her satin-covered breasts against the wall of his chest, she leaned in to whisper into his ear how much she needed him and nipped gently at his earlobe.

  River shuddered then, gritting his teeth as he seemed to fight for control. It was a losing battle for them both. They’d both waited too long for this to take their time. He gripped at her back and pulled her so close to the edge she might have fallen without his support. Then he stopped holding back and gave her what she’d asked for. He filled her again and again, pounding hard into her willing body.

  He seemed to know exactly what she needed from him and once again, she was on the edge of coming apart. She clung to him, gasping and whispering words of encouragement against his throat. “Please,” she cried out as she neared her release, and he responded.

  He pressed his fingers into the ample flesh of her hips and thrust until his legs began to shake. Morgan tensed and fell apart, shattering into her climax. It was only River that held her together, holding her tight until the last shudder rocked her body. It was then, with her cries finally silent, that River let go. He thrust hard and finished with a deep growl of satisfaction. Then, completely spent, he pulled them both down to the floor. Morgan fell to her knees straddling him as they collapsed into an exhausted, satiated pile on the expensive imported rug.

  * * *

  “So...” The younger man spun in his chair to face his webcam, a piece of licorice hanging out of the side of his mouth like a floppy red cigar. “I’ve got good news and bad news for you, Mr. Dalton.”

  Jade squeezed Harley’s forearm a little tighter as
they sat together in front of his laptop. She could tell he was getting irritated with his tech support team back in Virginia. He preferred to interface with his deputy of sorts, Isaiah Fuller, but he was tied up on another case the company was working. That meant the buffer between Harley and his team of geeks was gone.

  They were supposed to be the best of the best, and yet it had taken them longer than he’d expected to run the backgrounds on his two primary suspects—Gregory Crowley and Robert “Buster” Hodges. Now that they had the information he needed, they seemed to be dragging it out.

  Harley pinched the bridge of his nose. “Just tell me what you have, Eddie. I’m not in the mood for theatrics today.”

  The grin on the computer geek’s face faded and he quickly plucked the candy from his mouth and set it aside. “Yes, so at first glance, there wasn’t much to look at. I’ve emailed you both their background checks, which came back pretty clean, all things considered. Not many leads there. The problem is that both of your guys have fallen off the face of the earth since the kidnapping. Neither are at their last known addresses with the DMV. They don’t seem to be employed anywhere with any federal withholdings. If they are working, it’s under the table.”

  “If we’re on the right track, and I think we are, they have ten million dollars of mine and Steele’s money. Why would they be working after a payday like that? How about their financial records? Any leads there?” Harley pressed. Jade watched as he reached for his phone and pulled up the background checks to scroll through while his employee reported his other findings.

  “Not for Crowley. His only checking account was closed as overdrawn not long after the kidnapping. He doesn’t have any credit cards or loans under his social security number. He’s either living off the cash from the kidnapping, bought a new identity off the dark web or he’s blown it all and is couch surfing somewhere.”