What was the proper protocol for addressing a one night stand?

There is no process, hence ‘one-night’ stand!

Chills swept down Blu Evans’ spine. She hadn’t been able to get that night out of her mind, no matter how much she’d tried. The last place on earth she’d expected to find herself was forging her way through the hustle and bustle of downtown Chicago. The blustery, morning air made her teeth chatter and her toes were frozen solid inside her boots. Winter in the windy city was a bitch.

If there was one morning she’d wished she’d tossed the covers over her head, it was today.

Blu wondered for the hundredth time if she’d made the right decision about confronting the man whose touch had branded his presence into her dreams, turning her sleep into an erotic frenzy of need.

She offered the doorman a stiff smile and groaned as the immediate rush of heat inside the Sears Tower enveloped her frozen body. She removed the scarf from around her neck, smoothed the shoulder-length twisted braids atop her head, and glanced into the shiny glass wall. Her flushed brown cheeks reflected back at her, along with fear and anticipation.

What the hell was she going to say to him?

“Thanks for the multiple orgasms.” or “Care to go for another round of tongue laps?” Or maybe “I hope that hell has a place warm enough to fry your lying ass.” None of those retorts seemed adequate. An entire month had lapsed since Blu had rocketed out from under J’s satin sheets without a backward glance, only to find out he wasn’t who he’d said he was.

She’d slept with the enemy!

What a night of carnal bliss it’d been. Not that roll-over-and-smoke-a-cigarette crap either. No, what they’d shared was like a scene from one of her most blatant fantasies. She’d been captivated by his Afro-British accent that could give James Bond a run for his money and his tall, sleek, dark looks. He’d shaken and stirred her in ways she hadn’t even imagined.

Blu wished she could push the stop button on the erotic images replaying in her mind. Instead, she stepped inside the elevator cart, punched the button for the thirty-fifth floor and willed the powers that be to have her back. Just this once. Her destination? Suite 3530 J. Graeham Corporation.

His secret identity had been blown the moment she’d recognized him on the cover of Business Today. Jaden Graeham and J were indeed one in the same. He was a corporate shark, raiding fledging companies until he’d whittled their remains into a hefty profit. She paid no mind to the fact that he looked sexy as hell in his Armani suit, or the equally devastating smile that caused heat to pool between her legs at the mere memory of feeling those lips on her skin. The smug bastard had outright lied to her or rather kept out the tiny detail of his business dealings.

She wanted to strangle him. No, forget strangulation—castration—now that could be just the punishment he deserved. Pity, seeing as her overactive libido had become particularly fond of that well endowed part of his anatomy.

Bedding a corporate raider was a big no-no in Blu’s book, especially when she suspected he had a secret plot to take down her family’s company. It’d be a cold day in hell first! She knew how men like him worked; they took what they wanted, when they wanted it, consequences be damned.

Jaden Graeham ate, breathed and slept adrenaline. She’d learned that lesson the hard way, from a man just like him. She wasn’t about to take a repeat course. He’d set this little game into motion that night in Paris and now she was going to finish it. She should have known something was amiss weeks ago when a mysterious buyer had somehow beaten Elan Cosmetics, Blu’s family business, to the punch by buying out Mirage Industries, Elan’s long-running competitor.

She knew what hard work was, especially being an African-American woman in the cutthroat world of cosmetics. It always came down to the bottom line: money. Her ability to produce some of the most alluring fragrances in the business was what made the competition want to steal her away from Elan.

There wasn’t enough money in the world to make Blu turn her back on her family, a fact that she was promptly going to school Jaden on.

“We were better off without the complications of a man, isn’t that what we agreed upon?” she questioned the fierce pounding of her heart.

With a melodious ding, the elevator doors opened, causing her body to jolt with anticipation. A streak of hesitation shot to the pit of her stomach. In a million years, she’d never thought their paths would cross again, which made it impossible to forget the ways he’d touched her inside and out.

Blu took a deep breath, stepping out of the elevator. “Get it together.” She was here for one reason: to give Jaden or J, or whatever he cared to call himself these days, a piece of her heavily hormone-induced mind. As long as she kept that straight, she wouldn’t worry about imagining having him in her bed again, demonstrating moves that could rival the ancient ritual of Karma Sutra.

Again her guilty conscious pinched her. Deep down, she knew none of this would be happening if she hadn’t had sex with him. The past was the past. She couldn’t change it. She could, however, shape the future. She’d fight him and her wayward desires to her last breath if that’s what it took.

“Ma’am, excuse me. Do you have an appointment?” a robust redhead stated in an irascible voice from the front desk of Jaden’s office.

Blu breezed past the secretary. She’d handle this matter without someone running interference for him. “No, I don’t need one.” She smiled brightly at the woman and raced to the closed door of his office. “Thank you.”

Just as she reached for the doorknob, the secretary—Martha, her heavily embossed name tag proclaimed—pulled her hand away.

“We can do this the nice way and you can schedule an appointment,” the woman huffed, her breath coming in short bouts, “or the hard way and have security escort you out of the building.”

“I’m not leaving until I talk to Graeham. You can either pick up your phone and tell him Miss Evans is here, or I can walk in unannounced.” Blu inhaled sharply. The woman reminded her of the stern-faced Catholic nuns from grade school and just as inviting.

“You can’t go in there. He’s in a meeting,” Martha countered, her face turning red. Her gaze darted over Blu’s outfit, sizing her up. “What is your business with Mr. Graeham?”

”That’s between me and him,” Blu stated, twisting the doorknob.

“Oh, no, you won’t.” The secretary’s words dissipated into thin air as Jaden’s office door burst open and both women froze.

“What in the bloody hell is going on?” a husky male voice questioned. Irritation clipped his words and his intent gaze roamed over the two women.

“I’m sorry, sir. I tried to stop her.” Martha tilted her chin defiantly as she shot a look at Blu.

Blu straightened herself into a standing position. Her heart bungee jumped against her chest. She smoothed a palm down her red leather jacket. She focused on Jaden Graeham warily. The man was as determined as he was ruthless in his pursuit to get what he wanted, even if that object was someone who didn’t want him back.

Okay, so that last part wasn’t entirely true! Blu would never admit it aloud. Her body hummed to a vibration that could only be sated by feeling Jaden thrust deep inside of her. She remembered all too well the feel of his tongue on her skin. The sweet, almost painful tension of that same tongue on her clitoris, bringing her to earth-shattering climax. Again and again.

Damn, but the man did have some skills in the bedroom!

She groaned inwardly. If she kept her thoughts on that night, she would never accomplish what she set out to do by coming here.

Jaden turned to his secretary. “It’s all right, Martha. Please see that Miss Evans and I aren’t disturbed. Thank you.”

Blu pursed her lips at the woman’s disapproving scowl. With one last glare, the woman returned to her desk.

You didn’t come all this way to turn tail and run!

She squared her shoulders and faced the devil. ”Well, well, J—I mean, Mr. Jaden Graeham, we meet again. Except this time it appears all cards are on the table.”

Blu tried not to take in his handsome profile as she narrowly maneuvered her way past his powerful physique into his office. His six-foot, two inch frame made the feat nearly impossible. Her nipples tightened. Her body was on fire, making her movements seem laborious. The look in his wicked gaze seemed to reciprocate that he hadn’t forgotten their interlude any more than she had.

Her eyes roamed around the spacious office, fully stocked with a mini bar, a full-size Corinthian leather sofa and matching winged-back chairs. The rich mahogany and hunter green décor suited Jaden, she decided silently, turning around to find his gaze resting on her.

His gray Brooks Brothers suit fit him to the proverbial “T”, lining a pair of broad shoulders and long, muscular thighs. A crisp white shirt, geometric tie and Italian leather dress shoes spoke of opulence. His Afro-European heritage was etched in the hue of his rich penny-brown complexion. Long eyelashes fanned the sharp featured angles of his lean cheekbones and retrousse nose—the only imperfection being a scant few freckles. His wavy, jet-black hair was bluntly cut and framed an unlined forehead.

She had to concede that, in this case at least, the clothing wasn’t what made the man. Quite the opposite, the man made the clothes. She couldn't deny the stealthy masculinity that Jaden presented.

Nothing was amiss. Blu hadn’t expected anything less. She’d read up on him and had learned he had a quite the flair for fashion, women, spending money and equally quadrupling his fortune in the same heartbeat. Nothing but the best would do.

“This is a surprise.” His resonant voice wrapped around her, luring her deeper under his spell, every word carved out in his sensual British accent.

“So was finding out about your true identity.”

“You got me,” Jaden said. His gaze feasted on her like a starving man, scalding Blu from the roots of her hair to the tips of her toes.

“That is what you expected, isn’t it?”

His hazel eyes turned a deep holly green, touching her in ways his body could not at the moment. He moved closer, as he bracketed a hand above her head at the door frame. “I didn’t expect to be standing at my office door, trying to decide whether to pick you up and fuck you on my desk—” he lifted his fingers to toy with one of her twisted locks, his eyes burning with sensual secrets, “—or against the wall.”

He wanted her? Now?

What was it about this man that projected such raw energy and power that undeniably attracted him to her? She had to get a grip. She hadn’t come here to make another mistake. Although her body was willing to pay the price, she would never put her family at risk. “Sex and business don’t mix.”

“I’d say we managed quite well before.”

Blu licked her lips while Jaden continued to stare hungrily. “Can we discuss business or is playing games part of your normal regimen?”

“If only you knew, love.” He stepped back, allowing her minimal space to pass. “Please, have a seat.” He made a gesture for her to enter the office, appearing to be ever the corporate mogul he was.

She knew better and didn’t dare to ask what his enigmatic statement meant. The answer would come at too high a cost. The passion she’d witnessed in his eyes still remained. Potent. Blunt. Just like the man himself.

Blu didn’t bother fooling herself; she wasn’t Jaden’s prime target. It was the challenge she presented, more to the point, her family’s company. She couldn’t confuse lust for competition and it was a full-fledge war between her and Jaden. Nothing would change that. Not even the fact that she could feel the dampness between her thighs at just the thought of having him there. Licking her. Teasing her.

She slowly moved to a high-back chair. The sound of the door closing made her all the more cognizant of his presence. A quick glance around the office confirmed what she already knew of his taste: expensive, classy and modern. All man.

“Are you after Elan Cosmetics?”

Jaden frowned, leaning a firm hip against the edge of his desk. “Is that any way to greet an old friend?”

“Is that what you think we are? Friends?” Blu willed the blood in her veins to stop sizzling. This was insanity! She shouldn’t be attracted to him, but felt like the moth to his flame. “You are deceitfully charming as usual, Mr. Graeham, but you shouldn’t waste it on me. You were simply one night of comfort and little else.”

“Ouch.” Jaden grimaced. “I, for one, have not been able to get your lips off of my mind since that night at Hotel Crescent.”

“I can’t say the same,” Blu lied. She forced her wayward thoughts from the steamy open-mouthed kisses they’d shared. She’d been so impulsive. The reminder made her more determined to avoid his sensual web. “I’m surprised that a man of your stature doesn’t practice self-restraint. It appears you make yourself more vulnerable than you may realize.”

“Vulnerability only makes passion more attainable. I never deny myself anything, especially pleasure.” Jaden's deep voice smoothed over her like silk. “I have to admit...I’m not accustomed to a woman walking away from me.”

She’d bet he wasn’t!

“Was it a good view?”

He chuckled, his eyes smoldering. “Smashing.”

The woodsy scent of his aftershave invaded Blu’s senses, tingling her nostrils. She supposed his do-or-die attitude came with the cutthroat territory he reigned in, but she could be just as ruthless when someone was messing with her family. “Thanks.”

“What I remember was you screaming my name as you climaxed in my arms.” He walked closer, his scent washing over her. “What better view could a man have?”

The temperature elevated in the office. Her body was more than ready to give in to him, all she had to do was lean closer. One inch and she would be in his arms, kissing his lips, feeling those hands heating up her skin and his tongue on her taunt nipples. Again.

“Pleasure is overrated.” Blu tossed a pointed look at him, snapping out of her wayward daydream. She could play with the best of them. She’d overcome much in her life. She was long past the days of being easily intimidated by powerful men.

She told herself that Jaden Graeham was just one more man. But what a man he was! He was everything she’d once thought appealed to her, but life had taught her differently.

“You’ve been indulging in the wrong pleasures.” His eyes sparkled with playful mischief. “I could remedy that, if you’d like.”

Blu’s breath caught as she imagined how he could “remedy” her unwavering case of lust. "I don’t like and I pity you. I’ve forgotten all about that night and I suggest you do the same.”

Yeah, easier said than done. She wanted to laugh out loud. Trying to forget about spending the night in Jaden’s arms was like forgetting how to breathe.

“Well, then, I guess now would be a splendid time to inform you that I want more than just one night with you.” His gaze sought hers, his voice lowered. “I want to smell your scent on my lips.”

He was toying with her!

Blu cleared her throat, her grip tightened on the arm of her chair. “Forgetting should be simple for a man used to going from one conquest to the next.”

“Sometimes a venture starts as a conquest and ends up being much more.” Jaden rose, striding to his chair behind his desk. He sat down regally, as if he had all the time in the world, lacing his long fingers together. The pensive look on his face would have made anyone who entered the room think intense negotiations were taking place.

“Cut the bullshit!" Blu sat rod straight. She swept a few thick braids behind her ear and tried to appear unfazed by his nearness. “What game are you playing here?”

Jaden folded his arms across his broad chest, his gaze sweeping her face. "Game?" His outward appearance gave nothing away, except for the slight rise of his thick eyebrows, which only infuriated her more. “I don’t have time for games, darling.”

"You stole Mirage Industries from Elan Cosmetics. You want my family’s company, don’t you? That was your whole purpose for Paris, wasn’t it? Screw the daughter of a multi-millionairess and calculate your next move of attack. You’re a shrewd man, Graeham and—your plan—bravo,” Blu clapped her palms together, “you nearly succeeded. But it’ll be a cold day in hell before you get your greedy hands on my company.”

"Is that the story you tell yourself, love? Anything to stop you from clenching your thighs together, wishing I was there in between them, right?” Jaden nodded his head.

Blu clamped her lips together. Did the man have x-ray vision? Could he feel the tension building within her body, the heat deep within her womb? His words left her feeling exposed.

“Yes, let’s play it safe,” he continued. “For the record, I bought Mirage before I knew that Elan Cosmetics was connected to you.”

“I don’t believe you. There’s no such thing as ‘playing it safe’ when you’re involved.” She bolted from her chair, placing her hands on her hips. “I won’t be a pawn in one of your little conquests.”

“Oh, I want to toy with you, but not in the way you think. Not about this.” His gaze was riveted on her face, and then moved to her breasts. “Remember what it felt like when I was inside of you?”

“Why? Will my answer cause you to admit your true intentions?”

“I have, but maybe you didn’t hear me. So let me be blatantly clear.” Jaden rounded his desk, glaring into her face. “If you believe that Elan Cosmetics is my target, you’re not even bloody warm.” He closed the few inches between them. “I want to be there when you find out what it’s like to lose yourself. When you realize what it means when a woman forgets where her body ends and a man's begins. The only challenge I want to meet is breaking your control, to send you over the edge as many times as you‘ll let me.”

Blu opened her mouth but no sound emerged. She couldn’t ignore the blatant lust in his eyes. It only strengthened the tingling sensation sparking throughout her body. The man had her number. She looked away from him, refusing to acknowledge the slow burn of warmth that spread down her limbs at his open perusal. Taking a deep breath, she willed the fierce pounding of need to ebb. There was too much at stake to give in to this...attraction to Jaden. It just couldn’t be.

Blu went on. "You used your sordid connections to get inside information."

“You’re avoiding the real issue.”

“The only issue being discussed here is your underhanded business practices.”

Jaden sighed as if bored with her accusations. "You're referring to Miss Prescott, of course?"

He was referring to an unscrupulous employee that had worked in Elan’s advertising department under Blu’s brother, Napier. A suspected implanted spy on Jaden’s team. During Prescott’s employ, valuable information to several new product lines had been mimicked by another competitor that Jaden’s corporation had taken over.

The way she saw it, no one other than Miss Prescott could have been the culprit. She’d quit her position without an explanation shortly after the copy-cat products had been announced to the public.

"Of course." Blu narrowed her eyes.

“Do you have proof?”

"Are you denying that woman didn't provide you or a member of your staff with confidential information regarding Elan’s business strategies?”

Jaden placed his hands in his pockets. “I’ll give you one thing, you are persistent.”

“I’ll take that as a ‘yes’.”

“You can take it however you want, Blu. The fact remains, I have a bigger objective.”

“Surely, you haven't resulted to using women to do your bidding, although I wouldn't put it past you."

A nerve twitched in Jaden's jaw. She wondered if he'd ever let any person, business associate or otherwise, speak to him in such a manner. She didn’t give a damn. He was messing with the wrong woman.

"Not that I'm admitting to in which fashion I receive information or that I have to justify my actions to you—" Jaden eyed her hard. “—but I will use any means necessary to get what I want, Miss Evans. Surely you know of my reputation."

"Your reputation is what makes me wary of you, Mr. Graeham. You and I both know you bought Mirage Industries for one of two reasons: A, you’re after Elan Cosmetics, or B, you're after me, because I…we—“

He grinned. “Say it. Made love.”

She cut her eyes at him. “Had sexual relations in Paris.”

“Now you sound like a former US president, darling.”

Blu gritted her teeth. “Care to tell me which objective is on your plate, so I can throw it back in your face?" His expression was one of complete and utmost defiance, arrogance and pure male satisfaction.

Jaden stood, bringing his body a fraction of an inch from hers. Heat, anger and desire vibrated between them. "We need to get something straight right here."

"Yes, we do. Paris was a one time event and I don't respond well to intimidation. So if your takeover of Mirage has something to do with my rejection...”

He laughed. "Rejection?" He stepped closer. His chest rose and fell in a heavy cadence. "I can’t remember when making love to someone three times in one night signified rejection."

Blu’s eyelids fluttered. She wanted to tell him—say anything that would take that smug look off of his face but she was tongue-tied. It'd been a month ago, yet barely a moment passed when she wasn't thinking of him fucking her. Every time she closed her eyes, she remembered the vibrant smell of fresh flowers, Jaden's spicy cologne and the heady scent of sex.

It was enough to drive her insane. She despised this man and everything he stood for and yet she was attracted to him more than she’d been to any man in a long time.

Blu opened her eyes, startled at the blatant passion reflected in his green eyes. She wanted to look away, but couldn't. She'd never encountered a man so intense or forbidden.

"Some things can’t be forgotten." Jaden traced the tip of his finger against the soft skin of her cheek. Her body responded swiftly. She couldn’t breathe. He was standing so close that she could feel the heat projecting from him and the firm bulge pressed against his suit pants. He was hard, and she was oh, so ready.

Blu drew back abruptly. "Damn you!"

He smiled. "You want me and I want you. What's wrong with that?"

“That was before I found out what you were up to. Don’t hold my lack of judgment against me. I won’t make the same mistake twice, I assure you.” She balled her hands into fists to keep from striking him. "I don't want you."

Jaden shoved his hands back in his pockets, and retreated a fraction of an inch from where Blu stood. "You’re choosing to deny what’s going on between us? Can’t you feel it?”

“Feelings are fleeting.”

“Not so fleeting that your pulse didn’t speed up. I bet you’re wet for me right now.”

Blu’s eyebrows rose. "Look, I came here today to warn you to stay the hell away from my business. I'll only say this once." She swung her purse over her shoulder to keep from touching him, and then turned to watch the blatant amusement on his face. "Stay the hell away from me, too."

She turned to walk out of Jaden's office on shaky legs. She glanced over her shoulder to look at him. The sucker-punched look on his handsome face didn’t fool her; he was already devising his counter attack and she’d better ready.

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