Everything He Desires Read online

  Everything He Desires

  The Sexual Subjugation of Chloe

  By Liz Lovewell

  Text copyright © 2012

  All rights reserved.

  Prologue

  Chloe had already found herself wildly attracted to the gorgeous Grant Sheridan—before she discovered who he really was.

  He was the one person who could help make things right for her sister, Heather. Chloe had always been happy to make sacrifices for her family in the past, but now that it entailed becoming Grant’s sexual plaything, was she up to the task?

  It didn’t take long for Chloe to realize that it wasn’t all about helping her sister. Deep down, she knew that when the time came for her to give herself wholly to Grant Sheridan, she would do so…with pleasure.

  Chapter 1

  Now here was one rock-hard, handsome stranger.

  Chloe couldn’t keep the twinkle from her eye as he approached her bookstand. He held a few books in his hand, and with his height, stirring good looks and eye-catching demeanor, he stood out from the noisy family crowd like the odd one out.

  It didn’t help the flutters in her belly to find a trace of equal admiration in his dark, piercing gaze. She let a smile widen on her lips as she looked up at him from her own modest height. She was already piling on the charm.

  “Well hello,” she said lightly, acting like she came in contact with such hunky specimens every day. Which she certainly did not. And certainly none that looked like him. With his sky blue open-necked shirt tucked into dark, slim-fitting slacks, he looked good enough to eat. His dark hair flopped stylishly about his forehead. He really was quite smooth and handsome. She could picture him on the cover of some classy men’s magazine. She could picture him in many ways…and the pictures were all very, very naughty. He was like candy on legs, she thought with an inner chuckle. The kind of man hot, wild fantasies were made of…

  “Are you from around here?” she asked casually, while her eyes flicked over the books. English classics, mostly. Hmmm…he even had her taste in books. Better and better.

  “No, actually, I’m not,” he said with a smile, which rocked her off her feet. Chloe had a sudden light-headed feeling, like she was floating. Oh heck, he is so hot, she thought, resisting the urge to fan her face. Just one smile and she felt her lower belly twitch. And she was certainly starting to twitch even lower as well…

  Quelling her raging feminine hormones, she tried to place his deep, rolling accent. Australian? She really wanted to pry further, but there was a long line forming behind him and a few faces were already looking huffy.

  Smiling, she quickly told him how much for the books, and he handed her the money. Then she gave him the change as well as the bagged books. A brushing of fingers, another couple of smiles…and Chloe was all aquiver—inside and out. She looked up into his eyes for a time-warped second, and she could see his small, knowing smile, as if he was keenly aware of the effect he was having on her. But then the spell was broken as with one final nod, he turned and left. She would have followed him with her eyes, but she didn’t get the chance due to the line in front of her waiting to be attended to.

  She wasn’t free until 20 minutes later, when the line finally cleared. Leaving one of the assistants to man the cash register, she went to get herself a drink of water.

  There was some on the table laid out with refreshments for the customers. Pouring herself a glass, she looked around with a sigh and wondered if this was all going to be enough.

  Organizing the book fair had been Heather’s idea. Heather was her older sister, and the owner of the bookstore, Paper Glory. Heather had started the company when she’d been barely 19 years old. Now 30 and married, it was more or less a family business, with Heather’s husband Luke and sister Chloe having a part. It had been successful up until a few years ago when a few bad economic turns had finally started to hit into the shop’s finances. Coupled with Heather taking one or two high-risk investment decisions, Paper Glory was about to take its final plunge.

  As if that wasn’t enough, Heather’s husband Luke had only just survived a cancer scare, and the treatments had cost more than anyone could have foreseen. And now it was two weeks until the meeting with the investors, who were threatening to close it down.

  Chloe sighed deeply, shaking off the discouraging thoughts. She was here to help, like she had two years ago when she’d decided to join the business. But even her monetary contributions hadn’t been able to make much difference. Well, she’d do the best she could today, and hoped it would be worth something. She’d insisted that Heather stay home and relax with Luke who was recuperating. Chloe was five years younger than Heather, but she could still boss her big sister around when she needed to.

  Now, Chloe thought with another sigh, if only I could make things okay with the bookstore…

  “Taking a break?”

  The sound of that warm, slightly resonant voice coming from behind her made Chloe stiffen in breathless anticipation. Could it be…?

  Yes, it was him. She turned round swiftly and he was standing right there, looking all the more lethal up close. He was just the thing to get a woman’s mind off her troubles, she thought with an inner wicked smile.

  “I think I deserve one, don’t you?” she half-teased, taking a sip of her glass and eyeing him over the rim. Why was he still here? She’d thought he’d left after paying for the books. Unless, for some reason, he’d decided to stick around. Chloe tried not to feel a rise of hope that such reason had to do with her.

  “You certainly do. In fact, I think you deserve a lot of things,” he said with a charming smile, his eyes raking over her quickly. Chloe wondered if he liked what he saw. She smiled back, waiting patiently. He shot out his hand. “My name’s Grant.”

  “Chloe,” she supplied, slipping her fingers through his. There it was, fast as lightning. Just the touch of his hand, and she felt it. He was all heat, and firmness, and he took her hand in a warm, strong grasp. He held on for a second too long, giving her another tingle straight through her arm. Chloe bit on her lip, retrieving her hand and trying to keep herself in check. For goodness’ sake she was ready to jump this hunk, right there in public! She fought to put on an air of decorum.

  “I’m surprised actually, to see someone like you here,” she said lightly, smiling a little. “I mean, no offense, but you don’t really strike me as a bookish type.”

  He chuckled. “What, do I need come dressed in tweed or something? Or maybe have a bit of a bald spot on my head to look more…well-read?” His tone was teasing, and she couldn’t help chuckling. “But you’re right; I mean I do like a good read now and then, but that isn’t the whole reason I’m here.”

  “So why are you here?” she asked, tipping her head to the side with interest.

  He shrugged. “Just a little fact-finding mission.” Chloe frowned slightly in confusion, about to ask what he meant, when his next words distracted her somewhat. “But then I caught sight of you, and I’ve been distracted ever since.”

  He grinned, flashing a nice set of pearly whites that made his face even more painfully handsome. It was official: he had to be the hottest guy she’d ever met. Everything about him seemed utterly gorgeous and perfect. He’d make even a nun think twice about her vows—and Chloe was certainly no nun…

  He continued, “Well, Chloe…I was halfway back to my car when I suddenly realized I forgot to ask you something.”

  “And what’s that?” she asked mildly.

  “If you’ll let me buy you a drink. Or better yet, maybe even cook you dinner. Tonight.”

  Chloe’s heart surged with delight. My, he works fast, she thought with an inner shiver. But the next second, she deflated. “Oh…I’m sorry, no.”


  “No, you wont’ let me buy you a drink, or no, you won’t have dinner with me?” he asked with a half-smile.

  She waved her hands in a flurry. “Sorry, I meant, well…I can’t go out tonight. I would love to, but I can’t. It’s just…family commitments.”

  He nodded slightly. “It’s a pity, though; I was really looking forward to preparing a nice, home-cooked dinner for you. I’m a really great cook. I’m also great with foot rubs,” he said with a wicked gleam in his eyes, which held a bushel of promise. “And you have been standing on your feet all day.”

  “That’s certainly true,” Chloe murmured. Well! He wasn’t the type to waste time, was he? But then, judging by his looks, he probably wasn’t used to waiting—or wanting—for anything.

  And offering a foot massage—at his place no doubt…whoa! That was certainly one way to get things rolling. She looked up into his handsome, confident face, and knew exactly what he had on his mind. She could just picture it: those firm, strong hands of his, rippling over her sensitive, arched feet. And the next image she saw was of him taking hold of both of her ankles and spreading them wide apart before he’d…

  She blinked out of those wayward thoughts, wondering why she was so in heat around this man. He was gorgeous, yes, but that wasn’t it. He had a kind of animal magnetism that drew her to him; she looked into his eyes and she knew: He’d have the power to drive her crazy. He had that “I’ll fuck your brains out” gleam in his eye that made all her nerve endings twitter.

  Chloe wasn’t normally the reckless type, but with this guy, in another place and time, she would not have thought twice about it. But tonight she was babysitting for Heather, who was going with Luke for a well-needed evening out. It had been months since they’d had the chance.

  “Well, what about some other time then?” she purred, finding herself twirling her fingers in her hair, trying not to look too flirty, but unable to help it. She wanted him to get all the right signals, that was for sure. “Not that I accept dates to a strange guy’s home all the time, but if there’s a home-cooked meal and a foot massage rolled in, then…”

  They both shared a laugh, but then his face was apologetic. “I’m sorry, but I leave town tomorrow, for Melbourne. I won’t be back for two weeks. Tonight would have been the perfect chance for us to…connect.”

  Chloe shivered at the unmistakable, feral light gleaming in his dark grey eyes. Dear God, if he threw her over his shoulder right then and carried her off, she knew she wasn’t going to stop him. Which was why his words made the disappointment pass through her like a knife.

  “Oh. Well, it’s too bad, I guess,” she said, squeezing out a smile. Damn!

  “Yes…too bad. But I’m sure we’ll be running into each other again soon. Take care, Chloe,” he said, sending her one more smile and a nod before he turned and walked away for the second time that day.

  It took Chloe a minute to realize that he hadn’t even taken her number—but by then he was long gone.

  Chapter Two

  The meeting with the financial firm was the following day, and understandably, Heather was a bundle of nerves. She placed a few documents on the table, and Chloe was beside her, looking through the files.

  “This is the man we’ll have to convince tomorrow that Paper Glory is worth saving,” Heather said with a sigh, pointing suddenly at the face on the magazine cover. “He’s this big shot Australian financier, who now owns the company wanting to buy us out.”

  “Wait a minute, I know him,” Chloe said, frowning. She’d never forget that arresting face, with the dark, piercing eyes and finely sculpted lips. Grant…

  “You know him? How…?”

  “I met him two weeks ago, at our book fair.”

  Heather was staring at her. “Grant Sheridan, at the book fair? Hold on…was he that guy you told me about, who asked you out for dinner and a foot rub?” She was grinning suddenly in disbelief. “Come on. Are you sure this is the same guy? Because Grant Sheridan is like, freaking loaded. I’m talking close to the billion-dollar mark. His family is also behind the Sheridan brokerage holdings in Australia. What on earth would he be doing at the fair?”

  “Son of a…” Chloe swore, biting off the last word as her teeth clenched together. Everything started to fit in. His words, their double meaning… Gosh, she’d been such a fool! To think how she’d almost…

  “He knew. He knew all along who I was,” she muttered, half to herself.

  Heather was staring at her. “What are you talking about?”

  Collecting her furious thoughts, she faced her sister. “He didn’t just show up at the book fair, Heather. He must have been snooping or something.” She sighed shortly, wondering why she was so angry. “And you say the meeting’s set for tomorrow?”

  “Yep. D-day. Make or break. The moment of truth,” Heather said with her usual brave smile, which almost broke Chloe’s heart. Her annoyance at Grant—and herself—seemed silly now as she thought of what was really at stake. To think of Heather losing it all, on top of her husband almost dying…

  “Heather, I know we were supposed to attend this meeting together, but I need to know something: Do you trust me?” Chloe asked softly, placing her hand on Heather’s shoulder. In Chloe’s mind, the craziest idea was beginning to take shape. But heck, it was certainly worth a shot.

  Heather looked confused. “Of course I trust you. We’re sisters.”

  “What if I told you I can think of a way to get this in the bag? Will you let me handle it? No questions asked?”

  “What’s going on, Chloe?” Heather asked, her voice sounding hushed.

  “You’ll need to trust me,” was all Chloe said, even as her thoughts jumbled together as she tried to figure out her next plan of action.

  Chapter Three

  Grant had known he’d meet her again. So it wasn’t like her appearance was a surprise. But still, he hadn’t expected to get that blow to the stomach from seeing her walk into his office.

  This time, she had shed her sexy jeans and tee shirt for an equally sexy, sharply cut skirt suit, which hugged the curves of her body like a jealous lover. Her blouse was a jumble of low-necked red satin ruffles hidden beneath her jacket. Her skirt was short, slashing halfway up her thighs and revealing the hottest legs he’d ever seen grace a pair of high heels. Grant wanted to fuck her—now.

  “Hello, Chloe.”

  He saw her lift her chin as the secretary shut the door behind her. They were alone, and all he could think of was how the last two weeks had been Hell. He’d thought about and wanted her every single day he’d been in Melbourne – and now she was here, alone.

  “Hello, Grant. I could say this is a great surprise, but…” Her lips twisted slightly. “Why did you go to that book fair?”

  He shrugged. “Nothing sinister, believe me. But won’t you sit down?”

  He saw her hesitate, then take the seat in front of his desk. He went back to his own chair, hoping that keeping the desk between them would help him keep his hands off her. Damn, she couldn’t know how sexy she was: her long blonde hair falling down her shoulders, her large green eyes, her full, bow-shaped lips. He’d had many a sleepless nights dreaming of having those same lips wrapped around his cock. Even now, he felt himself stiffen in arousal just looking at her sitting there, all prim and proper. The things he wanted to do to her right here on this desk…

  “Chloe, I’ve been interested in this case for a while,” he said as he forced himself to focus on the business of the day. And he knew he had bad news for her, so he wanted to get that over with.

  “I don’t usually get involved so directly with these things; but then I looked through the files and read about how your sister Heather built the company up from when she was a teenager. I was really impressed by the success story. And yet, I was baffled by how it all went wrong so quickly.”

  “A few mistakes, people giving bad advice…”

  Grant sighed. “I’m sorry to have to break this to you, Chloe, but Paper Glo
ry is doing bad—really bad. And from our perspective, we just don’t think it’s a viable investment anymore. I visited the book fair on a whim, trying to find out just what staying power still exists for Paper Glory. You and Heather are making a great effort, but it’s not going to be enough. I’m sorry.”

  Chloe let out a ragged breath. “Wow. I guess I’m really glad right now that I didn’t let Heather come along to this meeting. Hearing you say what you just did would have broken her heart.”

  “It’s great that she has such a supportive sister like you,” he drawled, rising from his chair. “Sounds like you’ve been making a lot of sacrifices for her lately.”

  “Yes,” Chloe said softly. “And I’m willing to make many, many more.”

  His eyes narrowed as they held hers, and he wondered if she was thinking what he was thinking. But that was too much to hope for. Wasn’t it?

  “Really?’ he asked lightly, as he casually made his way to where she was sitting, taut as a bow string. He sat on the edge of the desk, just inches from her. She looked ready to spring any minute, and Grant wondered what really scared her: the failing business, or the way he made her feel?

  Grant was very much aware of the effect he was having on Chloe. After all, he sensed since that first day that she was attracted to him. But back then she hadn’t known his true identity. What did she think of him now? Did she hate him? Blame him for what was about to happen to Paper Glory?

  He wasn’t going to let these few points deter him from his goal, however. Chloe was his type of woman, in every way. He just had to figure out a way to get closer to her, and fast. He’d waited two weeks for this—and he wasn’t about to wait much longer.

  “Did you mean what you said, Chloe, about making sacrifices?” Grant asked softly, and Chloe swallowed, wondering why his closeness disturbed her so much. There was so much tension in the air; she could feel it coming off him in waves. He looked ready to rip her clothes off her any second. But why was she this flustered? It wasn’t like he was going to try anything, not here in his office.