“I’m looking for a cab, not that it’s any of your business,” she slurred at him, surprised by her own voice.

“You’re going to give me a heart attack. I don’t know why I’m bothering to worry about you,” he seethed and took her arm, leading her in the opposite direction. She tried to yank her arm free but he had a firm grip.

“I can walk on my own,” she snarled. He looked at her as if she was indeed not capable of doing anything on her own and he continued to walk, dragging her along, beside him.

He stopped and clicked a button and then she was being tossed inside his car again. She was so stunned by his behavior that she sat motionless, giving him time to reach the driver’s door. When he started the car and pulled onto the street she came out of her shock.

“You arrogant jerk, I didn’t ask you for a ride, nor did I ask for your help. You can let me out of this car and I’ll call a cab,” she yelled, glaring at the side of his head.

“You may not have asked for my help, but you obviously need it. You can’t handle liquor worth a damn, and are a prime candidate for tomorrow’s news if I don’t get you home safe. I can’t imagine how you managed to stay alive this long,” he answered in an eerily calm voice. She was more irritated by his tone of voice than anything else. He was talking to her like she was a child and she didn’t appreciate it.

“What are you doing down here, anyway?” she demanded, giving up on the idea of him letting her out of the vehicle.

“Not that it’s any of your business, but I’m human, and do like to go out once in a while,” he said in the same tone.

“I didn’t think you knew how to take off your suit and mingle with the commoners,” she said, knowing how immature she sounded, and not caring. She knew she let her tongue run rampant when she drank.

“I know exactly what to do when I take off my suit,” he said and the look in his eye let her know his exact meaning. She decided to keep her mouth shut for the remainder of the ride. She suddenly found they’d pulled up to her apartment and so she worked on getting her seat belt undone so she could get away from him before she said or did anything else.

Trenton exited the car and came around to open her door before she was finished. She got out on wobbly legs and holding her head high, started walking toward her door. He gripped her arm and led her there.

“I don’t need your help. I’ll be just fine getting in on my own,” she snapped.

“Obviously, you do need my help, and I don’t leave a lady alone this late at night without making sure she’s locked inside, safe and sound,” he said, still with too much patience. She was irritated he seemed so capable of keeping his cool when her own emotions were all over the place.

She dropped her keys in her haste to get the door unlocked and he just sighed, reached down, grabbed them, and then had her door open in a few moments. She held her hand out for the keys but he just placed his hand on her back and led her inside.

“I don’t need you to walk me in,” she snapped before plopping on the couch, too tired to argue with him anymore. He ignored her and walked over to the kitchen and soon she could smell coffee brewing. It smelled heavenly but she wouldn’t have a cup until after he left.

“Drink this,” he said and she realized she’d drifted off while leaning against the back of her couch. She was surprised she could relax with him in her house enough to fall asleep.

“Maybe, I don’t want to,” she said, even though she really did want the soothing liquid. He raised his brow and with a sigh, she conceded and took the cup, taking a long sip. It was just how she liked it, which irked her. He was more observant than she’d given him credit for.

He stood there and sipped his coffee while she finished her cup. Then, he walked over and removed it from her fingers. She sucked in her breath, knowing she wasn’t up to fighting him off. Her traitorous body was already reacting to his nearness and she wanted him.

He bent down and without saying a word, pulled her off the couch and into his arms, where he devoured her lips. He kissed her long enough that her knees turned to jelly and her insides melted. She was ready for him to take her. She was tired of fighting both herself and him.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer and he caressed her back, sending goose bumps all along her skin and making her blood boil. Then, as suddenly as he began the kiss, he pulled away and the shutters were put back into place. He pulled her over to the door.

“Lock the door after I step out,” was all he said before he was gone. She stood there motionless for several moments, shocked he’d kissed her with so much heat and then walked out. Finally, she cleared up enough to throw the locks into place, and walked back to her room, flopping on the bed.

She kicked off her shoes, leaving her clothes on, lying on her bed, aching and needing him more than she’d ever needed anything. He turned her on more than any man should be able to but apparently she didn’t have the same effect on him because he’d been able to walk away without a second glance.

Jennifer tossed and turned for several hours, before finally falling asleep. She was grateful it was Saturday the next day or she would’ve had to call in sick, because she needed a couple of days before she could face her boss again. The man was extremely potent and she was discovering how very weak she was around him.

Chapter Five

Trenton waited until he heard the locks click and then headed to his car. He should receive a medallion for walking away, because it was the hardest thing he’d ever done. She’d been willing and ready for him, but he knew she would’ve hated both him and herself in the morning and he’d done the right thing.

He drove himself home and poured a double scotch before climbing the stairs to his room. He took a long shower and climbed into bed, where he knew he was going to lay for hours on end. He couldn’t get her out of his head and it was really pissing him off. No woman had ever held his attention as long as she had.

He made the decision to really pursue her. He knew after they had a brief affair he’d get over her and be able to move forward with his life. Hell, it would be good for both of them and things could return to normal. He could find her a new position within the corporation so she wouldn’t be left without a job and he could once again sleep at night.

He had a long business trip coming up and figured it was the perfect amount of time to put his plan into motion. He would let her know on Monday morning about the trip. He felt better once he had a plan. It would all work out, even though a part of his brain tried to tell him he was crazy. He chose to ignore the more rational portion of his brain and focused on pleasure instead. He finally fell asleep and she invaded his thought even there.

***

Jennifer walked into work on Monday morning and knew she looked bad. She hardly slept over the weekend and knew her face showed the results. She was frustrated Trenton had so much power over her that he affected her sleep.

As soon as she sat down and pressed the computer on, her buzzer sounded and she was called into Trenton’s office. She squared her shoulders, held her head up high, and walked into his office. She was hoping her face looked professional.

As Jennifer stepped into his office Trenton noticed she looked exhausted. Even though it looked as if she’d slept even less than him, she was still stunning. The trip would be a great thing for both of them, even if it would take her a while to realize it.

“I have a business trip scheduled for the end of this week and I need you to come with me,” he told her, coming right to the point. Her eyes widened and she looked stressed.

“How long will we be gone?” she asked. She didn’t want to leave her niece for too long.

“If things go well, it will only take a week, if things don’t go according to plan, then it could take up to three weeks,” he said and her eyes widened even more.

“I c…can’t be away for that long. I have my niece to take care of,” she told him. She in no way wanted to lose her job, but she couldn’t leave her niece for three weeks. Molly would think she’d been abandoned again.

“I understand you have your niece, but as you were told when you interviewed for this position there’s a certain amount of travel. I need you with me on this trip. I’ve already arranged child care and she’s used to my cousin, so she’ll be fine. Your laptop also comes equipped with a video camera, so you can video message her nightly if you’d like,” he told her. He’d been prepared for her arguments and had already taken care of them.

“If I’m to go on this trip, then I need a couple days off to spend with Molly so I can explain what’s going on and she won’t panic,” she told him. He was impressed by her backbone.

“That will be fine. You can work from home the rest of the week. Take your computer with you, and if there’s any paperwork needing to be transported I’ll send a carrier,” he told her. “You can finish today in the offices, though.”

“Thank you,” she replied and quickly exited his office. Trenton was feeling pretty good about himself. He’d never wanted a week to end so badly. He couldn’t wait to get her all to himself for a week or two. He sat back in his chair and smiled.

“Auntie loves you so much and we will talk every night with the cool camera I showed you, okay,” Jennifer said to her niece. She was trying so hard to not let her tears fall. They were standing outside the company jet and thankfully Emily had agreed to bring Molly to the private airport to say goodbye.

“I’ll be okay, Auntie. I’m going to play with my friends,” Molly said, but Jennifer could see she was a bit frightened by her aunt leaving.

“I’ll bring you home lots of presents, too,” Jennifer told her, finally letting go.

“I like presents,” Molly said, enthusiastically.

“I know you do, baby - now be a good girl for Mark and Emily, okay?” she asked. Molly agreed, and before she knew it she was boarding the jet and waving to her niece from the window.

Emily led Molly to her car and they disappeared. Suddenly, Jennifer realized she was alone with Trenton and her heartbeat skyrocketed. She didn’t even know where they were going, or how far away it was. She’d been so focused on her niece nothing else had mattered.

She looked around at the luxury jet in awe. It was more plush than anything she’d ever been in. It had beautiful, soft carpeting, comfortable chairs, couches and a hall, leading to other areas. She’d flown in a couple of commercial jets in her life, but they didn’t even compare.

“Would you like to look around? We won’t be taking off for about fifteen minutes,” Trenton said.

“That would be great,” she answered. She wanted to see how the other half lived. He gave her the tour and she was amazed such a thing even existed. There were several rooms in the back of the aircraft, one with a large table and chairs around it, plus a huge television screen, another with a fairly decent kitchen. There were amazing smells coming out of there, ensuring they would eat well on the flight.