She stared at him. He looked as if he hadn’t slept in days. “May I come in?”

  Justin stepped back and gestured for her to step inside. He closed the door and moved past her toward the family room. “Have a seat.”

  She expected him to say something, anything, but he just sat silently across from her. “I’m sorry for dropping by unexpectedly, but I didn’t want to take a chance of you not answering my calls.”

  “I don’t recall giving you my address.”

  Siobhan hesitated a beat. “I...um...got it from the files.”

  “You’re resourceful, if nothing else.”

  “Only when it’s important.”

  “And is it?”

  He was determined to make this difficult. “I’m sorry, Justin, for everything, and I don’t want you to give up your dreams.”

  “I don’t believe this.” Justin leaped to his feet. “Are you the company representative who’s supposed to convince me not to opt out of an opportunity of a lifetime?” he tossed out bitterly.

  “No! You worked hard to get where you are and deserve the deal, and no one sent me.”

  “Is that the only reason you’re here?”

  She shook her head. “I came to apologize for all the terrible things I said to you and to hear the truth.”

  He sat back down, braced his forearms on his knees and bowed his head. “You really want to know the truth?”

  “Yes.”

  “I said you looked familiar that first night, but I honestly didn’t recognize you from your photo on the website. It wasn’t until you told me who you were that I put two and two together.” He lifted his head. “It was your eyes that stayed in my memory.” Justin got up and paced. “I opened my mouth to tell you I had scheduled a meeting with your father. Then you mentioned what happened with your ex and all those other guys. He’d already hurt you, and I was afraid you’d think the same of me.”

  Siobhan came to her feet. “I don’t know what to say except I messed up. From the start, I expected you to be like the other men in my past, so I responded in kind.” She reached up and cupped his face in her hand. “You are nothing like those men, Justin Cartwright. You are the absolute best thing that has ever happened to me. Can you forgive me?”

  “That goes two ways.”

  She nodded. “Are you really going to cancel the contract? I mean, I know you’ll be successful if you strike out on your own or go with another company.”

  Justin rested his hands on her hips. “In a perfect world, I’d have both the partnership with Gray’s and you. But if I had to choose, you would win, hands down. Sweetheart, without you, my success means nothing.”

  “Then let me be part of your perfect world, Justin.”

  His eyes lit up. “Are you saying...?”

  “I’m saying I love you, Justin, and I want to be with you.”

  He pulled her into a crushing embrace. “Baby, you don’t know how much I wanted to hear you say that.” He placed butterfly kisses all over her face, lips and neck. “I love you, Siobhan.”

  Siobhan closed her eyes and basked in the love he so freely gave. She now understood what her mom meant. In his arms, she didn’t have to be strong or in control. “What do we do now?”

  He lifted his head and smiled. “We enjoy the ride.”

  Her lips parted, but before she could utter a word, Justin seized her mouth in a kiss so blatantly erotic she felt as if she might drown. She arched into him, wanting to feel every inch of his hard body against hers.

  With a husky groan, he deepened the kiss and devoured her mouth until they were both trembling. “Siobhan.”

  “I want to ride,” she said, reaching on tiptoe to kiss him again and grasping the solid bulge that had been pressed into her moments ago.

  Justin groaned again and grasped her wrist. “We still need to talk.”

  Siobhan moaned in protest.

  His low rumble vibrated through her. “I promise we’ll finish what we’ve started.” He took her by the hand and led her to the sofa. Sitting next to her, he said, “I don’t want us to have this kind of misunderstanding again, Siobhan. We need to make a pact to always be honest with each other.”

  “I agree. No more secrets. I had a long talk with my father yesterday, and I’m finally letting go of all the baggage I’ve been carrying.”

  “That’s good. I know you’re a strong woman and can handle whatever comes your way, but it’s okay to let someone help you out every now and again.”

  Siobhan recalled her mother’s words and chuckled.

  “What?”

  “My mom stopped by this morning and said something similar.”

  “And moms are never wrong.”

  “No, they aren’t.” She paused. “So, um, are we done talking?”

  Justin shook his head and laughed. “We’re done, baby.”

  “Ooh, goodie.” She jumped up from the sofa and went to get her purse.

  “What are you doing?”

  She retrieved a bottle and waved it in the air. “I brought my own dessert this time.”

  He threw back his head and roared.

  “First one to the bedroom gets to be on top,” she said and took off down the hallway.

  Justin entered the room seconds after Siobhan, a shocked look on his face. “I think I’m going to like seeing this side of you, Ms. Gray.”

  “You ain’t seen nothing yet, baby,” she said confidently. Her mother said to remind him why he’d chosen her in the first place. She planned to do that and show him why she would be the only woman he’d ever need.

  * * *

  Justin strode down the hallway toward Nolan Gray’s office at ten fifty Friday morning.

  “Good morning, Mr. Cartwright,” Ms. Avery said when he reached her desk.

  “Good morning, Ms. Avery. I have an eleven o’clock appointment with Mr. Gray.”

  She gestured to a chair. “Have a seat, and I’ll let him know you’re here.”

  “Thank you.” While waiting, he thought about his afternoon with Siobhan yesterday. The things they did with that bottle of honey, and the way she teased and tormented him had him contemplating buying some stock in the product. He grew hard all over again remembering the way she dragged her tongue across his chest, over his stomach and down to his...

  “Mr. Gray will see you now.”

  The sound of the secretary’s voice cut into his lustful musings. His eyes snapped open, and a rush of heat stung his cheeks.

  “Are you all right, sir?” she asked with concern.

  “Yes.” He smiled tightly and willed his erection to go down. Justin took a couple of deep breaths, stood and quickly fastened his suit jacket.

  She escorted him into the office. “Can I bring you some coffee?”

  “No, thank you. I’m fine.”

  “Very good.” She left and closed the door behind her.

  “Ah, right on time,” Mr. Gray said, standing and extending his hand.

  “You don’t look at all surprised to see me,” Justin said.

  “I’m not. Have a seat. All the documents are here and ready to be signed.”

  He hesitantly lowered himself into the chair, slightly taken aback by the man’s bold statement.

  “Do you have any questions before we begin?”

  Justin wanted to ask whether Mr. Whitcomb or Brandon would be joining them today, but answered, “No.”

  “Excellent. Let’s get started.”

  They went over every aspect of the twenty-seven-page document, from ownership, exclusivity and licensing, to fees and payments, presales and customer support.

  “We’ll need you to come into the office to work with our software team. You can set your own hours. Our marketing team will be available to help you, as well.”

  “Is there a particular person in Marketing who I’ll be working with?”

  A smile played around Mr. Gray’s lips. “I have a feeling you’ll have access to as many people in the department as you’d like.”

  In the end, Justin signed his name on a business contract that would keep him busy for the foreseeable future. He had worked hard over the past decade, and a deep sense of accomplishment washed over him. But nothing compared to the fulfillment he found in Siobhan’s arms. Hopefully, he’d be lucky enough to negotiate the deal of a lifetime.

  The older man stood, and Justin followed suit. “I think that covers everything. Is there anything else you need from me?”

  A broad smile spread across Justin’s mouth. “I’m glad you asked, sir. As a matter of fact, there is.”

  Fifteen minutes later, Justin emerged from the office richer, in more ways than one.

  * * *

  Later that evening, loud banging on his front door interrupted Justin’s phone call to his parents. “Mom, Dad, let me call you back. Somebody’s at my door.”

  “Okay, honey,” his mother said. “Congratulations, again.”

  “We’ll see you soon,” his dad added.

  “Thanks. I’ll talk to you both later.”

  He disconnected and went out to the front, wondering who the hell was banging on his door as if they’d lost their minds. Justin snatched the door open and was prepared to give a set down to the person, but chuckled when he saw the three men standing there, all wearing scowls. “So, I’m assuming this is the part where you warn me about hurting your sister. Gentlemen, please come in.” He escorted the trio to his family room. “You guys want a beer?”

  “No,” Brandon answered.

  Justin smiled inwardly at their “big, bad brother” personas. It didn’t faze him one bit. He’d been playing that role a long time and wasn’t intimidated easily, though all three eclipsed his height by a few inches, with Brandon being the tallest.

  “I’ve already met Brandon. You must be Khalil,” he said to the one who resembled a professional bodybuilder.

  Khalil nodded.

  “And you must be Malcolm—daredevil extraordinaire and running back for the Los Angeles Cobras football team.”

  Malcolm smiled.

  “Obviously you’re here because your father let you in on my plans. Should I even ask how you got my address?” he said, looking directly at Brandon. “You all really need to do something about the lax security at your company. Now that we’ve got the introductions out of the way, you have questions and I have answers. So, fire away.” Justin leaned back in his chair, folded his arms and smiled at their baffled expressions.

  Malcolm said, “We just want to know if you truly love Siobhan. The last guy who claimed to love her ripped her heart out, and if it happens again, I’ll rip your heart out.”

  Justin leaned forward and said with lethal calmness, “I know all about what that lowlife did to her, but I’m not him. Make no mistake, I will not allow anybody to hurt her again, including you.” He let his gaze linger on each of them long enough for them to get his message. “Better yet, why don’t you ask Brandon whether I love Siobhan. He knows exactly what I was willing to give up to have her.”

  A slow smile started on Khalil’s face. “I think I’ll take that beer now.”

  “Make that two,” Brandon added.

  Justin brought back beers for all of them. They laughed and told stories, and by the time the men left, he had a free membership to Khalil’s fitness center and season tickets to the Cobras home football games. Not a bad haul for an interrogation.

  There was only one thing he needed now.

  Chapter 20

  Siobhan opened the door to Justin on Sunday afternoon and greeted him with a passionate kiss. “Come on in. You’re early. I thought you were going to be here around three thirty.”

  “I can’t spend a little private time with my baby?” Justin asked, following her back to the family room and sitting next to her on the sofa. “I’ve been so busy these last couple of days that we haven’t had a chance to talk.”

  “I know, but I understand. Daddy said you’d be coming into the office to work with the software-development team.”

  “Yep. I’ll probably start with fifteen to twenty hours a week initially, then decrease as things progress.”

  “Maybe we can find you an office close to mine,” she said, batting her eyes.

  “No,” he said firmly. “There is no way I’m having an office next to yours. I wouldn’t get one ounce of work done. No way, not happening.”

  She scooted closer and let her lips brush his earlobe. He shivered in response. “Not even if I promise to give you the ride of your life?”

  Justin hopped up from his seat. “This was a bad idea. If you keep talking like that, we aren’t going to make it to your parents’ on time.”

  Siobhan was eye level with the solid bulge pressing tightly against his trousers. She reached out and caressed him. “We don’t have to be there for another hour. That’s more than enough time for a quickie.”

  Before she finished her sentence, Justin had her on her feet and nearly sprinted down the hall to her bedroom.

  They made it to her parents’ house at four thirty-five. Her body was still humming, and she hoped her mother wouldn’t try to keep them all night because that little interlude had only whetted her appetite.

  “You know, it’s not good to be late the first time I meet your parents.”

  “You already met my dad, so technically, it’s just my mom.”

  “I met your father as a business partner, not as the man dating his daughter. There’s a difference. And stop looking at me like that.”

  “I don’t know what you mean,” she said with a coy smile.

  Justin got out of the car and came around to her side. “Behave yourself.”

  She laughed. “Hey, it’s your fault. You’re the one who said I need to let go.”

  He shook his head.

  “Go ahead—admit it. You like it.”

  “Correction—I love it.” He gave her a quick kiss. “Now come on. Making me late,” he muttered.

  Siobhan smiled. “I didn’t hear you complaining thirty minutes ago.” She passed her siblings’ cars in the driveway and saw two unfamiliar ones parked in front of the house. “I wonder if my parents invited some other guests to dinner. I don’t recognize those cars.” She used her key to open the door and followed boisterous laughter to the back of the house.

  “There you are,” her mother said, rushing across the room. “We’ve been waiting for you two.”

  Siobhan kissed her mom’s cheek. “We’re only five minutes late. Mom, this is Justin Cartwright. Justin, my mom, DeAnna Gray.”

  “I’m so happy to finally meet you, Justin,” she said, reaching out to hug him.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, too, Mrs. Gray,” Justin said.

  “Well, come on in and get comfortable. We have some friends visiting from out of town here, as well. Dinner will be ready shortly.” She leaned over and whispered to Siobhan, “He’s a good-looking young man.”

  “Thanks, Mom. Do you need some help in the kitchen?”

  “No, baby. You go entertain Justin.”

  Siobhan made another round of introductions to her siblings. Morgan responded pleasantly, but Siobhan wanted to shoot her brothers. All three of them were barely cordial, reminding her of how they had behaved as teenagers. She was curious about the older couple conversing with her father and the two young women with them. Before she could ask, her mother called everyone to the table. Siobhan and Morgan helped bring out the food, and afterward, her father recited the blessing.

  Lively conversation began again as dishes were passed around.

  “Justin, I understand congratulations are in order,” her mother said halfway through the meal.

  “Thank you. I’m looking forward to working with the team.”

  “This is going to be great all around,” her father added with a wide grin.

  “Seems like that’s not the only merger you’re interested in,” Brandon said mildly, not looking up from his plate.

  Siobhan froze with her fork in her mouth. She pulled it out slowly and skewered her brother with a look. “Brandon, don’t start,” she warned.

  Khalil shrugged. “Well, he is sitting at the family dinner, so maybe Brandon has a point.”

  “What is wrong with you two? Knock it off,” she gritted out. She stole a glimpse at Justin, who continued eating as if her brothers hadn’t said a word, and she wished she could do the same. But all she wanted to do was jump across the table and punch them.

  “I guess he’s not man enough to speak for himself since Siobhan seems to be doing all the talking for him,” Malcolm chimed in.

  Justin lifted his head and glanced at Malcolm, then Siobhan, squeezing her hand under the table.

  “Dad, can you make them stop?” She was getting angry now.

  “All right, boys. You’re upsetting your sister, so lay off.”

  “Well, he hasn’t said a word, so we’re just wondering if he has anything to say for himself,” Brandon said mildly.

  “Yeah,” Khalil said. “Do you have anything to say, Justin?”

  “Actually,” Justin said, shoving his chair back, tossing his napkin on the table and rising to his feet, “I have a lot to say.”

  The tone of his voice made Siobhan’s heart leap in her throat. This would not end well. She pushed her chair back and started to stand. Then Justin lowered to one knee next to her. Her eyes darted around the table and met the smiling faces of everyone seated. His words held her spellbound.

  “Siobhan, I grew up chasing what I thought were my dreams. But, since the night I met you, I’ve come to realize that you are, and have always been, my dream. I want your heart to feel and your soul to know that this deep love I have is yours, and yours alone. They say that the love of a good woman sets something free inside a man’s heart. And that’s what you’ve done for me. Your love is all I want, all I’ll ever need, now and forever. Will you make me the happiest man alive and marry me?”