Fistful of Roses (What a Woman Wants, Book 1) Read Online Free Page A

under his.
    But it had been a double-edged sword. The moment her tongue had touched his finger he’d gone brick hard, and need had screamed through his blood. He’d damn near staggered under the intensity of it, so close to kissing her he hadn’t realized Hayden had walked in until his friend cleared his throat. He’d wanted to grab him by the throat again, the frustration had been so great.
    Instead, he’d walked away. Her head was bent, the glossy black strands of her hair pulled up in a neat bun. Some had come loose earlier as he’d hovered over her, and he’d jumped on the opportunity to touch her. Her skin was so fucking soft. Her smell drove him mad, too. A hint of lavender and the ocean, the combination was heady and irresistible. She was a tiny thing, barely reaching his collarbone, but stacked.
    And those thoughts were a dangerous road to travail with a multimillion-dollar deal on the line. Get it together, Locke.
    Wellesley cleared his throat, the sound bringing her head up, her gaze to Ryan’s. He tapped his lips and waited for the other man to fold.
    “You’ve got me by the short hairs.” Wellesley sighed. “I assume you own the satellite outright? There won’t be any danger of foreclosure and the technology falling into enemy hands?”
    “You wound me, Mr. Wellesley. I would have thought your nephew filled you in on just how tight our ship is run.” Hayden’s voice was a whip.
    “I’m sorry, young man. Although my nephew speaks highly of you and his opinion carries weight, we are talking about multiple millions of US dollars with several more for continuous support. Forgive me my need to assure myself you are as you seem on paper and in my nephew’s eyes.”
    Silence spoke for both Ryan and Hayden. Sophie’s gaze was trained on him, her curiosity a tactile caress. She’d only been with their company for six months and could have no way of knowing the full scope of how they ran their business. Not many did, even the ones who’d been with them from the beginning.
    “Consider the deal complete. I will get final approval from the Council and should have the purchase order to you within the next week. Gentlemen, it has been a pleasure.”
    “The same, Mr. Wellesley. ATC looks forward to working with you,” Ryan said in return.
    Both parties disconnected and Ryan let out a relieved breath as he looked at Hayden. They shook hands before they pounded fists and smiled. Deal done. Now all he had to do was deliver the device and get back here so he could deal with another pressing issue: Sophie.
    “I’ll see you at the club tonight?” Hayden asked as he made to leave the room.
    “Not tonight. I have the High Museum Gala and then a meeting.” Ryan’s voice was hushed, but he knew she heard him as she stood to gather her stuff.
    “Who you taking? Not Gloria; tell me not Gloria. Good God, the woman’s a viper. Easy on the eyes, but a viper.” Hayden laughed and then went silent at the look Ryan threw him.
    Ryan was attentive to every move, hell, every breath Sophie took. Her spine straightened and color stained her cheeks as she shoved her pad into her briefcase and snapped it shut. She turned to leave and he watched her go, enjoying her fit of pique and hoping at the reason behind it.
    Her apple-shaped bottom, tight and flexing beneath a pencil-thin skirt, taunted him as she walked out the door.
    “Thank you, Sophie. Good job,” he called out to her, and she straightened even farther as she stopped for a second. She nodded and continued out the door.
    “You know you’ve got it bad, right?” Hayden teased him and then threw his hands in the air, palms out as if in defense of a blow when Ryan glared at him. “I told you I’d leave it alone, but this is going to be good. She’s gonna be a tough nut to crack, and I don’t know that settling down is in your immediate future, bro.”
    “Off. Limits,” Ryan bit out through gritted teeth.
    He didn’t know about settling down, but he knew