Business Pleasures (Pleasures of the Heart)

Business Pleasures

By Lia Davis

Business Pleasures

A Pleasures of the Heart Novella

By: Lia Davis

Published by Fated Desires Publishing, LLC.

© 2014 Lia Davis

ISBN: 978-1-62322-124-9

Cover Art by Charity Hendry

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person or use proper retail channels to lend a copy. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. To obtain permission to excerpt portions of the text, please contact the publisher at
[email protected]

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All characters in this book are fiction and figments of the author’s imagination.

Dedication

To my hubby who showed me that there are good men out there.

Acknowledgements

For all my readers who love contemporary series and stand-alone books, I bring you Pleasures of the Heart series. You’ll get the best of both plus short sexy reads. Thank you so much for your support and love.

To my assistant, Charity, for being there when I’m on the verge of crazy during deadlines and through conference season. You rock!

To my street team and fan club. I love you guys!

Business Pleasures

Aimee Monroe never considered dating her boss. She needs a new beginning, not a big mistake. However, when the handsome, business lawyer, Kenton McDonnell, ask her to a dinner date with a new client and his wife, she finds it hard to say no. After one incredible night with Kenton, her attempt for a fresh start is ripped away when she returns home to find her abusive ex-husband waiting for her.

Kenton has wanted Aimee since the day she walked into the interview. Now he has the chance to make her his and nothing or no one is going to stand in his way. Especially not the ex-husband newly released from prison who has revenge in his sights.

Chapter One

Un-fucking-believable.

More annoyance than anger clouded Kenton’s mind as he stared at the text message. The words on the screen of his smart phone taunted him like a thieving cat. Julie picked today of all days to leave him. And by text at that.

Gotta love technology.

He really shouldn’t be surprised. He’d known it would happen eventually. She’d moved out of their bedroom a few months ago. Hell, he should have known five years ago on their first date. Sure, he cared for her a great deal. He would give her—and had given her—anything she desired. Shouldn’t he be more upset about the breakup?

A light tap sound on his office door a moment before it opened. Aimee—the reason why he wasn’t heartbroken—stepped inside, holding a notebook and pen to her chest. She’d twisted her brown hair into a bun on top of her head, held in place by a yellow, number two pencil. Black rimmed glasses rested on the bridge of her nose.

When her green eyes met his stare, she flushed and looked down at her notebook. “Have I come at a bad time?”

If only she understood how beautiful she looked.

He shook his head to clear his thoughts. She was his assistant and had been for years. Yet, he knew nothing about her other than the glasses she wore were for reading and computer use only, and she had a sister, whom she lived with, and teenage niece and nephew.

And she liked her coffee sweet and creamy.

“No, Aimee, please come in and have a seat.”

She shut the door behind her and sat in one of the chairs across the desk from him. “Mr. Campton’s assistant called and confirmed dinner tonight.”

Kenton groaned. They planned the dinner to welcome Mr. and Mrs. Campton to the firm as his new clients. To keep the mood relaxing and less business-like, Julie agreed to accompany him play the good supportive girlfriend.

Without Julie to accompany him, he considered rescheduling. Something about hanging out with the happily married couple on the heels of a failed relationship didn’t appeal to him. He’d feel like a third wheel and have to answer awkward questions. He needed a date, someone to distract Regina and keep her from going into matchmaker mode.

However, he didn’t want to take a total stranger to a client dinner, and he didn’t want to call Julie. She left and it seemed better to leave it that way.

“Sir? Are you okay?”

He focused on Aimee and tilted his head slightly to the side. Her large green eyes held concern and something else he’d never noticed before. It could be simply she’d never looked him in the eyes before. Whatever the reason, he saw a loneliness there which mirrored his own.

The loneliness he’d felt since losing both his parents ten years ago.

“Mr. McDonnell?”

Shaking out of his thoughts, he smiled at her. “Do you like seafood?”

Her eyes widened and she drew back a little, showing her surprise at his question. Instead of answering, she peered back at her notebook. “The Olsens called and wanted to set up an appointment to go over the new evidence against their company.”

He sighed. “I’ll call them. I’m sure I can handle it over the phone.” He paused before asking her, again, “Do you like seafood?”

Without looking at him, she nodded then took a slip of paper tucked into the back cover of the notebook and slid it across the desk. He peered down at it and froze. A note from Julie to Aimee. Her familiar handwriting, neat and proper, expressed no distress over her decision to leave.

Aimee,

I broke it off with Kenton. It just wasn’t going anywhere. We tried, but failed. He really is a great guy and an amazing lover. I saw the way he looked at you, the way his voice softened when he mentioned your name. Don’t run from him for long. He’s too good of a catch.

Julie

He crumpled the paper in his hand and sat back in his chair, understanding Aimee’s hesitation. “Julie broke up with me in a text.” He laughed. “Like we’re in high school or something.”

Aimee lifted her gaze to his. “But you’re not upset?”

He shrugged. “I guess I expected it. Like she said, the relationship just stalled. Neither one of us wanted to marry the other. So the relationship hit a roadblock or just the end of the road. We could have toughed it out, waiting to move forward, but we’d both be unhappy and possibly grow to hate each other. She was right about one thing though.”

“What’s that?”

“I’m attracted to you.”

With her hands in her lap, she averted her gaze. “I don’t think this could work. I mean, you and me. You’re my boss.”

“Come to dinner with me tonight.”

“What? I can’t…”

“Do you have other plans? I’m sorry, I didn’t think. Of course you have something else planned. I’ll just reschedule the dinner.”

Aimee shifted in her seat. “Reservations are already made. You can’t reschedule. Campton Energy is a huge deal.”

“Alan and I are old friends. He’ll understand that something came up.”

She fell silent, still shaking her head. “I’ll go, but it’s not a date.”

Amusement filled him. Aimee became more and more intriguing by the minute. “No, Aimee, it is a date. This is a celebration dinner among friends.” He reached over and held out his hand, palm up. “I would be honored if you came with me. If you don’t enjoy yourself, you don’t have to go to dinner with me next Friday either.”

She snapped her gaze to his, a spark of desire lit within the depths. “You didn’t say anything about two dates.”

“I would have asked you at the end of dinner tonight, and I still will, but it is your choice.”

She glanced down at her hands again and he wondered what had happened in her very private life that made her so timid. Maybe it was just part of her nature?

He would find out now that he could pursue her as he wished.

“Aimee, go ahead and leave early. I know this is last minute and all.”

“Thank you, Mr. McDonnell,” she muttered softly as she stood.

When she reached the door, he called her name again and when she turned, he said, “Call me Kenton.”

She nodded and left his office.

A few moments later Tessa Barnes, one of his partners in the firm, entered, her brows drawn together. “What did you do to Aimee?”

He rolled his eyes. “I asked her to dinner.”

Tessa crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. After a moment, her features fell into a sad, almost pout-like expression. “What happened with Julie?”

Kenton picked up his phone and wiggled it in the air for emphasis. “She left.”

Lifting up one of her red curls in her fingers, Tessa studied him. “Are you going to fire Aimee? Because I could use a good assistant.”

Tamping down on his initial flash of annoyance, Kenton kept his voice as emotionless as possible as he answered. “I’m not firing Aimee just because I want to date her. So you can’t have her.” Perhaps some of his possessiveness threaded through his tone, but he didn’t care.

Tessa dropped her shoulders and sighed in a fake attempt to appear disappointed. “Congrats on the Campton deal, by the way.”

Kenton smiled and eased back in his chair. “Did you have doubts?”

She rolled her eyes. “No, considering you and Alan went to college together and you served as his best man at his wedding.”

“Thank you, Tessa.”

She lifted one shoulder, but smiled. “I’m headed out.”

He looked at the clock— only three thirty. “Why so early?”

She held up a file folder. “Avery bought Lola’s.”

Surprise hit him, making him smile. Tessa’s twin sister, Avery, worked at Lola’s for the past two years as a dancer. The gentlemen’s club found itself under the public’s microscope in the last six months because the owner—apparently now ex-owner—mistreated his dancers and forced a few into prostitution. “How did she manage that?”

Tessa grinned ad if caught with her hand in the cookie jar. “Well, she still continued to live with me even though she made enough to rent an oceanfront condo. Anyway, she saved every cent until she could walk into Rocko’s office and hand him cash. Of course she took her lawyer with her, papers in hand.”

He laughed and damn near fell out of his chair. “I’m guessing her lawyer is you?”

“Yep. I didn’t realize how much she made as a stripper until she told me how much she had saved up.”

He raised a brow. Tessa let out a soft laugh. “She had one and a half mil saved from the two years she worked there.”

“Did she pay that much for Lola’s?”

“Oh, no. She offered him just enough to pay his legal fees and the fines to clear the club’s name.”

Kenton nodded. “Good work, to the both of you. Give her my best. I have faith she’ll be successful.”

Still smiling, Tessa said, “Thanks. I know she will. She’s my twin after all. Well. I’ll see you Monday morning.”

“Okay. Have a nice weekend.”

She waved as she walked off.

Once she left, the office seemed too quiet. Pretty common for a Friday afternoon. The lack of noise made him miss the sound of Aimee answering the phone outside his office or hearing her type on her keyboard.

Oh hell. He shut off his computer, stood and turned to windows that overlooked the marina. His pulse increased slightly and palms moistened. After years of thinking about it, but unable to act on his desires, he finally would go on a date with Aimee.

Chapter Two

Aimee sat on the edge of her bed in her bra and panties, watching in terror as her older sister held up dresses that were either too short or too low cut. No way would she dress like a desperate-throw-herself-at-a-man-girl.

She wasn’t desperate and she damn sure didn’t throw herself at men.

“I’m not wearing any of those.”

Grace lowered the too-short black dress from in front of her and scowled at Aimee. “You haven’t tried any of them on to see what they look like.”

Aimee shook her head. “I don’t need to.”

“Aimee Lynn, you only have another twenty minutes left until he gets here.”

Averting her gaze to her bare feet, Aimee spoke softly. “I don’t want men looking at me like that.”

A sigh escaped Grace’s lips and she sat beside Aimee and leaned into her. “You are beautiful. Wearing pretty things doesn’t make you a slut or desperate. They’ll make you feel pretty. If I had a bod like yours, I’d show it off and enjoy the stares and glances.”

“It makes me uncomfortable.”

Grace tsked and fisted her hands over the black satin dress in her lap. “Because that bastard conditioned you to believe you were nothing to everyone but him.”