Seduction and Surrender (The Billionaire's Temptation Series) Read online

  He closed the distance between them, desperate to touch her. “I’d give you the world if I could, darling, though I’ll admit Finn did come over to make sure I wouldn’t screw up the kitchen, since he knows grilled cheese is about the extent of my cooking skills. If there’s anything you need changed, just let me know. I want this to be perfect for you.”

  When she turned to face him, he pulled her into his arms. “It is perfect. More than perfect. But I can’t let you do this. It’s too much, Quinn. And this does not mean we can just pick up where we left off, as if nothing ever happened.”

  “I’m not ignoring the fact that I fucked up, Emma. But it’ll be a cold day in hell when I walk away from you. Or let you walk away from me. I love you—and you love me too. If you deny that, then you’re doing nothing but lying to yourself.” He brushed the hair from her face and cupped her cheek, looking into her hazel eyes, streaked with green and flecked with brown. “You need to give us another chance.”

  “Don’t you think I want to? But I can’t—even if I still love you. I can’t pretend that everything’s perfect between us, when I’m worried about being lied to again.” She tried to pull away when her eyes glistened with tears, though Quinn just tightened his hold. “Let go of me, Quinn. Please…”

  “Never, darling.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Emma wanted to scream. Wanted to pound on Quinn’s chest until he let her go. Yet at the same time, she wanted him to kiss her until her anger melted away and he dragged her to his bed.

  Curse him.

  He was methodically weakening her resolve to stay angry with him. From his touch, his kisses, the restaurant… She’d never seen anyone be so thoughtful and generous, and though he had more than enough money so that he’d never feel the cost of the restaurant, she also knew he was damn busy. Too busy to be personally overseeing such a renovation.

  And he was doing it all for her.

  “I still can’t accept the restaurant, Quinn, even if it’s amazingly generous of you. It’s no longer just me—I’ve agreed to let Jake become a partner in the restaurant.” If Quinn was doing all this for her—and her alone—then he needed to know that Jake was now part of that equation.

  “If that means you’ll have less to worry about and you’ll have more time on your hands, then that’s fucking perfect as far as I’m concerned, since it means you’ll have more time to spend with me. In our house, and in my bed.” His gaze was so intense, it had her breath catching. And when he gripped her hips in a firm hold with both hands, she couldn’t help but want him.

  Dragging her to him, his mouth covered hers in a kiss, demanding, taking, his tongue thrusting past her lips to stoke her need for him and dampen her hurt and anger. She thought of pushing him away, telling him that it changed nothing. And yet it was the first time in weeks that she wasn’t miserable.

  His kiss deepened as he pinned her against the counter, making it impossible to ignore the hard length of his erection as it pressed against her in a not-so-subtle reminder of all the times he’d made love to her. And that’s exactly what it’d been. It may have started as just sex, a release they both needed and enjoyed, but it’d quickly become so much more.

  She couldn’t deny him, couldn’t deny what he meant to her.

  He nipped at her neck, his thumbs brushing her breasts as his hands slipped up her waist, while her fingers tangled in his shirt, holding onto him as her head spun with need. “Fuck, Quinn…why do you do this to me?”

  “Because I love you, Emma.” Cupping her face in both his hands, he held her gaze, his eyes shifting for just a moment to her lips. “With everything that I am, I love you.”

  “I love you, too.” And she did, damn him. When he smiled a shit-eating grin and kissed her again, she pulled away and slapped his chest. “But that does not mean everything’s okay between us.”

  “As long as I get to make it up to you…” He trailed kisses and bites down her neck and across her jawline, sending a shiver through her, making her clit ache with need, desperate for release. “I promise to be good to you, darling. More than good. And I swear, by the time I’m through with you, you won’t remember your own name, let alone why you were angry with me.”

  “Damn you, Quinn.” And then he was kissing her again as she kissed him back, kissing him as if she needed him more than the air she breathed, kissing him as if he was the very beat of her heart.

  He lifted her up onto the counter as she wrapped her legs around him, pulling him close, and when he spoke, his words drifted over her skin between kisses. “Let’s go home, love. I’ve missed you…”

  “I missed you too—but I can’t go home with you. Not yet.” Even though she wanted him desperately. “I just need a little more time to work back up to where we left off.”

  Already, he was looking at her like she was cornered prey and he was getting ready to devour her. “Fair enough—but I can’t guarantee how patient I’ll be.”

  “Why doesn’t that surprise me?” She couldn’t help but smile. And then she kissed him again, sweetly this time, cupping his face as she remembered something she’d been meaning to speak to him about. “Quinn…I wanted to thank you. Nate called to tell me you had taken care of his physical therapy and you’d set him up with an appointment to see a specialist. It was incredibly generous for you to do that, even after we’d split up.”

  He brushed her cheek and nuzzled her with a kiss. “I promised you I’d take care of getting him the help he needed. I wasn’t going to break that promise too.”

  “You’re a good man, Quinn.” She couldn’t keep the emotion out of her voice, her arms tightening around his neck as she held onto him, before finally managing to compose herself. “Come on. Show me the rest of the restaurant.”

  With his eyes locked on hers, he bit her lip, making her breath catch, and then helped her off the stainless-steel counter. “Happy to.”

  Slipping her hand in his, he took her through the whole restaurant, pointing out all the details—the long copper-topped mahogany bar, the leather cushioned booths, the hand-blown seeded glass light fixtures. There was a large patio with a wall of windows that could be opened when the weather was good, bringing the outdoors in. The details went on and on, all of it gorgeous, incredibly expensive, and more than anything, well thought-out.

  Quinn had taken the time to really think of the space, her needs, the feel of the Old Port—and he’d nailed it. It felt like home—albeit a more expensive and upscale version of the place she’d loved. And he’d done it all for her.

  Standing behind her as she looked out at the lights of the historic port glistening off the water, he slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her close, nuzzling her cheek before kissing it. “Do you like it, sweetheart?”

  She pulled his arms tight around her and leaned back against him. “I love it, Quinn. I can’t believe you did all this for me.”

  “I’d find a way to give you all the stars in the night sky if it would make you happy.”

  In that moment she knew…she knew it was the truth. Quinn loved her, absolutely and without limits. She had no more doubts. And if that were the case, then she had to believe that he would have saved her restaurant if it had been at all possible—and she had to believe that he’d never meant to hurt her.

  “Can you take me home?” She spun in his arms to face him, her heart thundering against her chest, knowing it felt right despite everything. “To our home...”

  He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her, his touch tender. “I’d love nothing more, darling.”

  ***

  With a quick text sent to Jake so he wouldn’t worry, it didn’t take long before they were making their way to Quinn’s bed, shedding their clothes as fast as they could manage without tripping themselves up, one kiss leading to the next. Emma gasped when Quinn lifted her into his strong arms, his muscles tensing so they bulged, hard and firm, as he lowered her onto his bed.

  “It’s been too fucking long, love. Don’t eve
r leave me again—I’d go insane.” Kneeling on the mattress between her legs, he slid a hand up her thigh up to her panties, hooking them at the side and pulling them down, so she lay before him naked, the last of their clothes gone, as he lowered himself to her, capturing her mouth in a kiss.

  Yet she managed to pull away long enough to get out the words that were nagging her, needing him to reaffirm where things stood, if they had any hope of truly moving past this. “Promise me there won’t be any more lies, no more secrets. No matter what’s happening in our lives, we deal with it together.”

  He pulled away enough to look at her, shifting his weight onto one elbow so he could cup her face, his gaze intense. “You have my word, Emma. I swear it to you. I love you. More than life.”

  “And you have mine.” She had to choke back her tears, though this time, they were tears of relief. “I’ve never loved anyone the way I love you, Quinn.”

  He nuzzled her, nipping at her lips between kisses. Desperate to have him, to feel him claim her in the most primal of ways, she wrapped her legs around his waist, and pulled him close. He thrust into her with a needy growl, taking her fully and with such intensity, that she knew this wouldn’t be a tender and slow coupling, but rather one that would push away all their fears, and banish the demons of their mistakes, linking them as one, body and soul.

  Each thrust claimed her as his, and his alone, just as she claimed him, for there’d be no turning back from this moment for either one of them. He took her rough and hard, as if unable to hold back, unable to control what was between them, his fingers tangled in her hair as his pace picked up and his kisses deepened.

  And then she was coming, crying out as her orgasm crashed through her, and he joined her with her name on his lips, his body tensing as his cock pulsed deep inside her, and they were finally reunited as one, all wrongs forgiven.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  The ring of Quinn’s cell phone tore through his blissful sleep, as he fumbled towards the night table with Emma still in his arms. Four a.m. Gabe. Something was wrong. It had to be. Gabe wouldn’t be calling him at that hour otherwise.

  “What’s wrong?” Adrenaline had his heart racing, as Emma started to stir.

  “It’s Morgan.” Gabe’s voice was shaking, unsettled. “I was driving him home from the club when a car came out of nowhere and drove us off the road.”

  “Fuck. Is he okay—are you okay?” His thoughts were racing, trying not to think of the worst.

  “I’m okay, just banged up, but Morgan’s in surgery. They’re not sure of the extent of his injuries, but they’re hopeful he’ll pull through.” Gabe took a deep breath, anger in his voice. “It wasn’t an accident, Quinn. They rammed us. Repeatedly. Just as we were going by the rocky cliffs. I think you were right about the fire not being about Emma.”

  Fuck. That made everything all the more dire—because it didn’t look like the attacks would be ending anytime soon.

  “We’ll be right there.” He was already throwing on jeans, and Emma was following suit. “Have you called Mom and Maddie?”

  “Yeah. Mom’s on her way and Maddie’s flying in from London. Quinn…be careful. If these are the same people who started the fire, then this might be escalating.”

  Quinn hung up and wrapped his arms around Emma as she walked into his embrace, needing the comfort only she could give him. “You don’t have to come, darling.”

  “We’re in this together. No matter what happens, I want to be the one at your side. I want to be there for you. I love you, Quinn. Through the good and the bad.”

  He cupped the back of her neck and held her to him, pressing a kiss to her forehead, knowing beyond a doubt that this was the woman he wanted to wake up to every day, the woman he wanted to grow old with. “You’re my heart, Emma, my soul, my everything.”

  “As you are mine.”

  THE END

  *** I hope you enjoyed Seduction and Surrender. Book two in The Billionaire’s Temptation Series will be release in the summer of 2014, so please feel free to sign up for updates through my newsletter. Please read on for a sample of my romance, One Sweet Summer, the first in my Mermaid Isle Series. Hope you’ll enjoy it! -- Cali MacKay ***

  One Sweet Summer

  The Mermaid Isle Series

  By Cali MacKay

  Chapter One

  Riley fought to take a breath, the news hitting her like a sucker punch to the gut, her world crumbling out from under her. “You can’t sell the inn. It’s the heart of the island. It’s my home.”

  She knew business had slowed with the downturn in the economy, but they’d managed to stay profitable, even if the numbers were down. She’d hosted conferences and booked more weddings, kept the numbers up for the artist retreats, and even held treasure hunts for the legendary Mermaid Isle pirate treasure. They’d all busted their butts to make sure the inn stayed afloat. It was just a rough patch they’d need to ride out, but they’d been through worse and managed to pull through.

  “Riley, you’ve done an amazing job running the place, and it’s because of you that we’ve managed to hold on as long as we have. But the roof will need to be replaced in the next year or two, and the entire place needs to be updated. We just don’t have the money to keep up with everything that’s needed, and the truth is, we’re getting old. We want to retire while we’re still young enough to enjoy it.” Jack reached over and took Ava’s hand, giving her a smile. Married forty years and still in love like they were teenagers.

  She could only be so lucky to find love like that someday.

  Ava’s easy smile could normally part the grayest clouds, yet today, it did little to take the edge off Riley’s nerves. “We weren’t looking to sell just yet, but we got an offer out of the blue. We couldn’t refuse, Riley, but we negotiated your position into the sale, so you’ll have nothing to worry about. You have the option to continue working at the Siren Song Inn or you can take the generous severance package they’re offering. We’re hoping you’ll stay, though. It’ll be easier for us to leave the place if we know you’ll still be here to take care of it.”

  At least she could still stay if she wanted to. Not that it would be the same with Jack and Ava gone and new owners at the helm. They’d want to change it. Turn it into another cookie-cutter hotel. Gone would be her artist’s collective and the herbalist conference. And who knew what they’d do with the century-old cottages.

  Maybe if it was an individual or a couple rather than some corporation. They might stand a chance then. “Who’s bought the Siren?”

  As if reading her thoughts, Jack frowned. “Holt Enterprises. They’re big, but promised to let you take the lead on the changes they’ll be making.”

  Yeah…and dreams were made of cotton candy and gumdrops. She bit back a groan, not wanting to make this anymore difficult on Jack and Ava than it already was. “Where will you go?” Now that she’d made Mermaid Isle her home, she couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.

  “Honey, another Maine winter will do us in.” Jack sat back and laughed. “I want sun and warm waters. Sandy beaches that I can walk on without getting swept out to sea. Drinks I can sip out of a coconut or pineapple and are loaded up with rum.”

  Riley wanted to protest that they could have those things here, but knew it wasn’t the same. And Jack was right—the winters could be harsh this far north, even if they were still in the southern part of Maine.

  “Might do a bit of traveling before we settle down.” Ava looked at her, her motherly concern still worrying her brown eyes. “But we’ll come back during the summers. And we’ll stay in touch. We’ll only be a phone call or email away—not to mention all the current technology. What’s it called? Swipe?”

  That made Riley laugh. “The world must be coming to an end then, if I’m going to finally get you two to go online and actually answer emails.”

  “You’ll manage just fine, my dear.” Ava got to her feet and Jack followed suit. “If anything, you might finally get the funds to do al
l those things you’ve been wanting to do here at the Siren. Change is good.”

  “When? When will the sale be finalized?” Riley’s breath hitched as she waited for an answer. She’d come here every summer as a child, worked at the inn during her vacations once she’d turned eighteen, and then full-time straight out of college. It was where she’d grown up, where she’d fallen in love for the first time. It was all she knew, all she loved—and she’d given it her all.

  “In two weeks. And don’t worry—we’ll tell the others.” Ava gave her a big hug. “Just remember, this will always be the Siren Song Inn. As long as you’re here, the heart of it will never change.”

  “I hope you’re right.” She couldn’t bear to think of the Siren changing so much it no longer felt like home.

  Riley waited for Jack and Ava to leave her office and then collapsed into her chair, tears stinging her eyes as she tried to swallow down the golf ball-sized lump in her throat. She knew they’d been looking to retire, but she hadn’t expected them to sell the place. Not that she held it against them—all their money was tied up in the inn, and they’d never be able to retire without freeing up those funds.

  She thought of what the Siren meant to so many people. Cultivated over the years to be an artist’s retreat, there was a long list of people who came year after year to meet with other like-minded folks, and be inspired by the rugged natural beauty and colorful town.

  Unlike other places that catered only to the rich and well off, Mermaid Isle was more approachable and far more unique than any other resort town Riley had ever been to, especially given its long history. Legend had it that thieves and pirates had stashed their plunder in one of the many caves that could be found on the island, and later, it was settled by a small group of women who’d come north to escape the witch trials that reached far past Salem. Add to that the commune that blossomed in the sixties and the artisans that flocked to it in the last few decades, and it would be impossible to duplicate the character of the island and its people.