Chapter 1

1

KENNETH

I know I've fucked up immediately.

I curse every cell in my body for burning with need as the young woman turns to face me, tears in her glorious, intoxicating eyes. I want her, down to the animalistic part of my soul. There next to her, with his hand on the small of her back, is my son.

Fuck. Dammit.

I knew he was bringing his new girlfriend, but never in a million years did I expect to feel such a rush of possessiveness the second I lay eyes on the girl.

At 41, I don't have many new, novel experiences in my life these days, but my first moment of eye contact with Kasey Mulligan surely tops any I've ever had before.

I rip my eyes away from her, pulse thundering in my ears, and try to ignore the quizzical look my son Devin is shooting me. Then, the worst thing that can happen right now, does.

He pivots Kasey in my direction, and the couple makes their way over so he can introduce his girlfriend to me—his father and employer. Devin looks happy to see me, and Kasey looks like a deer caught in headlights.

I clench my teeth, flex my leg muscles to keep my blood from pooling in my groin and making me hard just at the sight of this girl, and put on the most neutral expression possible. I've got to get through this.

But fuck, does she make it hard.

We arrived by plane in Hawaii in the late afternoon, which made it a rush to get ready for the gala I had scheduled as the opening event for the weekend work retreat. Klein Investments Incorporated has almost tripled in value over the past few years, and at the suggestion of my son, as well as other high-ranking employees on the board, I have finally decided to give in and spring for a celebratory retreat for everyone that made my company's success possible.

I haven't taken a vacation in years, at least not since Devin was young enough to still be interested in them, and he's 20 now.

To be fair, there will be plenty of work-related tasks and networking to handle while we're here at Lava Rock Resort, right outside of Honolulu. I chose this resort solely because it's a popular destination for other like-minded business owners and other individuals that I plan to engage with, so I won't be totally out of my element.

I knew that Devin planned to disappear in a cloud of smoke as soon as his responsibilities were attended to, with his new woman on his arm, but that life isn't for me.

My son flew in business class like the rest of the employees, much to his chagrin, but I flew in first. I love my boy, I do, but he has to work his way up to my level just like I did at his age. Plus, he's shown a streak of laziness and even cruelty in some ways that I need to excise from him if he is ever going to succeed in this world.

There's no room for unwarranted selfishness and entitlement in my company…I don't know what's come over him, but I have a hope that some time away from the daily grind will help him remember who he is.

I had no problem with him bringing his girlfriend, and up until this moment, I've even been anticipating meeting her. I neither ignore nor run away from problems when they arise, preferring to face them head-on, but I can't deny the slight relief I feel when Devin and Kasey are intercepted by another couple from work and I'm able to slip away into the hustle and bustle of people mingling and chatting amongst themselves.

My eyes roam the room, scanning for anyone or anything that might catch my attention enough that I can put off the inevitable meeting, but my escape is short-lived. Again, I see her, but this time she doesn't notice me, and I look my fill.

She stands at the other end of the lobby, looking around with wide eyes, a hint of apprehension on her face. Devin must have lost her in the crowd, and she looks lost.

Her golden hair cascades down her back, the soft waves framing her heart-shaped face perfectly. Kasey is small but curvy in all the right places, her skin fair but kissed by the sun. There is a smattering of freckles on her nose, shoulders, and chest. I immediately think about how I want to trace the path of them with my fingers and tongue until they disappear beneath the neckline of her gauzy dress.

Knock it off! I tell myself mentally, closing my eyes so I can get a reprieve from this forbidden temptation in woman form.

This is a mistake, though, because when I open them again, her emerald green eyes meet mine for a moment, and something hot and raw pulses in my veins. Something about her draws me in, and I can't tear my eyes away as I move toward her.

The way her dress clings to her curves has my thoughts racing. The fact that she's off limits to me seems inconsequential when our gazes are locked like this. I'm used to getting what I want. And what I want right now is her.

Then, like clockwork, my son is there again, putting his arm around her shoulders and his fingers brushing her bare arm. I can't hear what he's saying, but it's obvious he's trying to charm her. The thought of that makes my blood boil. I already feel my competitive nature kicking in—he might think he has a chance with her, but he's no match for me.

This is your son! I remind myself, clenching my fists. The answer is NO. You CAN'T have her!

I watch as they exchange a few words, and I notice Kasey's demeanor change. She looks sad, and it only intensifies my irritation toward Devin.

What the actual fuck is he doing? What could he have possibly said to make her look like that? As he turns to walk away, I catch a glimpse of his smug smile. That expression is the same one I've taken notice of on my son's face right before he does something cruel or thoughtless, and now he's wearing it with his back to Kasey.

Shit. Something is off. That girl deserves better, and I'd do anything to make sure she gets it—if only that were an option.

Devin finally reaches me and tugs me toward where he has left Kasey. "There you are, old man! I thought I lost you again. Come meet Kasey."

No excuse comes to my lips. What can I possibly say? "Sorry, son, I'm not interested in meeting your girlfriend because every time she looks at me, I want to fuck her into next week?"

Yeah, that probably won't go over well.

So, in seconds, she's right in front of me. More than a foot shorter than I am, Kasey has to tilt her chin up to look at me, and once more it feels like all the air has been sucked out of the room. Damn everything to hell…how did Devin manage to land the only woman on Earth who I've ever had this sort of connection with?

"Dad, this is Kasey. Kasey, Dad." There is a rushed note to Devin's voice like he's anxious to get all the formalities out of the way and go back to having Kasey for himself.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Kasey," I introduce myself, nodding. I consider kissing her hand, desperate to drag my lips across her knuckles, but I'm afraid that once I get any sort of taste, there will be no stopping me.

"A pleasure to meet you too," she replies, and her soft voice unfurls something in my chest—something like primal hunger. She's nervous and normally, I won't give a fuck, but it's her. Her. Possessiveness roars through me, making me want to protect her, shield her from everything, and… Make. Her. Mine.

We chat for a few minutes, and there's a connection building between us. I can't explain it, but I've learned that some things in life must be experienced without too much questioning. This is one of those things.

The conversation is supremely surface level, with Devin losing interest as soon as the introduction is made. I've barely said a few dozen words to each of them before they're moving on. I watch her walk away, admiring the way her ass sways with each step. I know I have to have her…if my son separates from her for any reason at all, I'll do whatever it takes to make her mine. Only my loyalty to my family is keeping me from doing it right now.

I turn my attention back to the lobby and scan the room, taking in the elegant decor and luxurious surroundings. This resort is one of the most exclusive in all of Hawaii, and I spared no expense in booking the presidential suite for my stay. The suite is the epitome of luxury, with a spacious living area, a king-sized bed, and a private balcony that overlooks the ocean.

It's a power move against myself, the more I think about it, because I'm making it so there is no other choice but to relax some of the time. That said, I'm looking forward to enjoying the personal infinity pool and hot tub once the rush of the welcome gala is over.

Slipping into the role of CEO is effortless, and while the now-thrumming need and awareness I have for Kasey is far from gone, I can at least put it at the back of my mind and focus on what I'm doing right now.

I'm standing at the edge of the room, pretending to listen to one of my board members talk about a fishing excursion. My attention is drawn to the view of the ocean outside when I hear a loud crash. The noise silences everything else in the room, and not a single soul is speaking as we all pivot to see the source of the sound.

My thoughts stumble to a halt when I see that it's Kasey, at once pale from something that has shocked her, and ruby-red high on her cheekbones and over her chest as she flushes from embarrassment. At her feet are the shards of the piece of art she's knocked over in her effort to retreat, but all I can see is Devin.

He looks pissed and in one of those moods he's had since he was a teen that he has a hard time shaking off. Devin's anger can soar to incredible heights, but unlike me, he has no control over it. I am calm and collected in the heat of my rages, and it rarely spills over no matter how hot it burns.

With Devin, though, there is no restraint. He breaks things, screams at people, and has a hard time taking any sort of accountability. I hoped it was a trait that would dim once he was finished with puberty, but here we are, and it's worse than ever.

And, for the first time since I was his age, I feel like the leash on my own temper is much thinner than usual.

Devin's face is beet red, and he's got his finger pointing in Kasey's face even as she turns away from him. He's hissing something at her, and as she ignores him, he pays no mind to the crowd watching him and begins to yell at her. Before I can stop myself, I'm moving toward them, and the crowd around me parts like the sea.

"I can't deal with you anymore!" Devin complains. "You're always so needy and insecure, but at the same time, you have no interest in MY needs! It's exhausting."

Kasey is choking back a sob as she replies, "I'm not needy or insecure! I just want you to pay attention to me sometimes."

When Devin starts to speak again, she doesn't let him, speaking louder herself. "And I don't mean attention as in SEX! It's all you ever want to talk about!"

Devin's laugh is sharp and mean. "Ha! You've led me on for months now, Kasey. I've paid for everything during our relationship, taken it slowly with you, and all you think you owe me is a make-out session every once in a while? HA!"

His sarcastic smirk turns into a sneer as he leans close to her to say the last thing, and if I hadn't been nearly on top of the both of them, I wouldn't have been able to hear what he's saying, "You know what, Kasey? Put out or get out!"

I approach the couple, my anger barely concealed. "What's going on here?" I demand. "Is everything all right?"

Devin scowls at me, but I ignore him. My attention is focused solely on Kasey. She looks up at me, her eyes wide and frightened, and fury curls hot in my gut.

"It's nothing, Dad," Devin says, his voice tight with anger. "Just a little lovers' spat."

"Just a spat, huh?" I grab my son by his upper arm, forcing him away from Kasey effortlessly. "Is that why I just heard you tell her that if she doesn't sleep with you that she has to leave?"

"We've been dating for weeks," he points out as if that matters to me at all. "I get that I'm her first boyfriend, but I'm a man and I have needs."

I can't help the bark of laughter that bursts out of me. "A man?! Hardly. Not when you're speaking about a woman the way you are."

"Things are different these days," Devin shrugs, his voice low as it begins to dawn on him how public this argument has become. "She's just a college student, and as a successful man, I have certain expectations–"

Shooting him a hostile glare, I huff out an exasperated breath. I can't stand the way he talks about her like she's some kind of inconvenience. That he thinks he can demand sex from her like it's nothing. What kind of man-child is he? Real men don't demand women to sleep with them. Only pathetic losers do.

Jesus Christ. Is this the boy I raised?

"You should treat her better than that," I say, my tone hard and unyielding. "I have never taught you to treat someone like this, Devin, especially a woman." Devin tries to speak, but I cut him off. "I don't want to hear it. The way you're speaking to this young lady is completely unacceptable."

Kasey's gaze is on us, and I know that she's crying at this point. I quickly look at her, and the sight of mascara-tinted tears streaming down her cheeks makes me want to shake my son until his teeth rattle.

"Franky, Dad, it's none of your business, and–"

Devin tries to defend himself, but my rage only intensifies. "As the owner and CEO of this company, it is absolutely my business. And I won't tolerate any mistreatment of my guests, especially not from my own employees, even if he is my own fucking son, Devin. Get the hell out of here. Now."

He shoots one last look at Kasey, who is being handed a small stack of tissues by one of the gala servers, and storms off. I watch him go, headed straight for the bar, and wonder briefly if this is because of something I've done wrong as a father. But the thought can't stay because someone else is waiting behind me, patting a tissue on her face to soak up her tears.

I turn to her and momentarily forget everyone else in the room. Even crying, she's stunning, and she doesn't flee either. Kasey is brave, but I know in my bones that she's desperate to get out of this situation without looking like she's weak.

This woman—this beautiful, wounded woman—needs me. And I'll be damned if I'm going to let anyone hurt her again.

"Are you okay?" I ask, my voice coming out deeper and more commanding than I intend. The other partygoers stare at us. Let them. All I can think about is this woman in front of me.

She looks up at me. "I'm fine," she says but her voice trembles slightly, betraying her words.

I can't stand to see her in pain, especially not at an event that's meant to be a celebration. "My son….he's a real piece of work at times," I say, my jaw clenching with anger. "You deserve better than him."

She looks surprised by my bluntness, but I don't care. I'm not usually one to mince words, especially when it comes to protecting what's mine. And something about this woman makes me feel like she could be mine. No, that she will be.

"Better than your son?" Kasey asks, tilting her head to the side as she contemplates my words. "I would have thought that as his father, you'd be trying to convince me that he's not always like this and that I should give him a second chance or something."

"No," I tell her simply, moving close enough to her that no one can eavesdrop on our talk. "I've never raised Devin to expect anything extra just because we're wealthy. He is his own man and as of right now, a poor one in my eyes. And you–" I can't help myself as I reach out to tuck a strand of that golden hair behind one of her ears, making her eyes go wide. "You, Kasey, are something special."

"T-thank you," she breathes, her chest rapidly rising and falling.

Kasey looks up at me with those big, shimmering green doe-like eyes, and my resolve starts to crumble. I want to wrap her up in my arms and make all her problems disappear. I want to show her what it feels like to be loved by a real man, not some boy who doesn't know how to treat a woman. But I can't let myself get carried away.

She might be a beautiful, captivating girl but still my son's now ex-girlfriend, and I'm a powerful CEO with a reputation to uphold. Logically, I know I need to keep my distance.

Every part of me that isn't logical, though, is taking control.

I've got to break away and get myself under control before I make a stupid mistake. Most of the crowd has gone back to mingling and celebrating, but there are quite a few sets of eyes still watching the two of us. I take a small risk laying my large hand on Kasey's shoulder, making sure all of her attention is on me.

"Go get yourself a drink, Kasey," I command. "It's an open bar, so get whatever you want to settle your nerves. Hell, order a bottle of champagne if you want. Then, go back to your suite, order whatever services you want from the spa, and put it on my tab. Do you understand?"

She nods slowly, opening her full lips to say something else to me, but I break away and stalk towards the table where a few of my big investors are seated, needing to get some distance between the girl and myself. Just the feeling of the skin of her shoulder in my palm was too much to bear, knowing I can't have more. And yes I want more. So much more.

I walk away hoping no one notices the sudden swell in my pants. There's a lot going on in my mind, not least of all the long-overdue talk I need to have with my son, who is nowhere to be found now. I make my rounds through the gala, talking to everyone and welcoming them to the retreat, shaking hands and exchanging pleasantries for what feels like hours.

For some time, I think I might be able to get away from this night without having to face the object of my desires again…but fate, the universe, or whatever the fuck it is, has something else in mind.

From the corner of my eye, I see the familiar silhouette of my son, and he's got his arm around a woman. For a terrible moment, I think that Kasey has already gone back to him, but when I turn to get a closer look, I realize that the woman is one of the secretaries from my office building—Tina or Tara. Both she and Devin look beyond drunk.

Worst of all is Kasey, standing in front of them, with her eyes once more full of tears and her mouth pulled into an expression of outrage. Devin is flaunting another woman in front of the girl he left less than an hour ago. A vein pulses in my temple and I ball my fingers into a fist. What the hell does he think he's doing after just dumping Kasey and humiliating her in front of my guests?

Devin sees me before either of the women, and he removes his arms from around Tina or Tara quickly, trying to act nonchalant. He's telling Kasey that he's done with her for good and he's moving on with his life. But he looks guilty. He knows he's done wrong.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Devin?" I say, my voice low and full of danger.

He turns around, his face confused and then embarrassed when he sees that I'm not leaving. "Uh, Dad, I didn't see you there," he stammers, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "I'm just trying to settle things here with Kasey so there aren't any hard feelings."

"Settle things?" Tina or Tara snips, looking up at Devin. "You said you wanted to show her what a real woman can give you." She motions up and down to indicate herself, and Kasey is sputtering with annoyance at this point.

I almost scoff. She has nothing on Kasey. If Devin thinks she does, then my son is a bigger fool than I initially thought.

"Settle things? A real woman?!" She turns her lovely green gaze to me, angrily dashing away unshed tears. "Your son came over here to tell me that he's taking this lady upstairs with him since I'm not tending to his needs! He said—he said—" She sniffles but straightens her spine and forces the words out. I'm impressed by her bravery but get thrown through a loop as I process her words. "He said that if I decide to give up my virginity, then I know where to find him."

My vision goes red, and Devin seems to shrink down as I focus on him, eyes narrowing. "You what?" I grit out, my wafer-thin control almost snapping. "Are you an animal, Devin? Were you being raised by wolves when I wasn't paying attention?"

"She's making it sound way worse than it is!" he protests.

"I don't care," I growl. "You're fired. You're done. And don't you ever come near Kasey again."

Devin looks shocked. He's ruined everything. Kasey's hurt and I'm enraged. If he thinks I'm gonna let his behavior fly just because he's my son, he's got another thing coming. "But Dad, I didn't do anything wrong," he pleads. "I broke up with her, and now there's no issues with me taking Tina upstairs. That's how this works! It's not like I'm cheating on her."

I give him a hard look, sighing heavily. "Devin, it's been less than an hour since you fought with Kasey, so as far as I'm concerned, it's a fucking disgrace. You think humiliating your girlfriend in public is okay? You think that's acceptable behavior for an employee of my company?"

Devin tries to argue back, but I wave him off. "Save it. You're done. Don't come back to the office. Don't come near Kasey again."

"But–" he tries, but I cut my hand through the air to silence him.

I step forward, towering over him. "Is this how you treat a woman, Devin? Using and discarding them like trash? You have no respect for anyone, not even yourself. And you dare to do it at an event like this where everyone in the company can witness? Where is your head, boy?"

Devin tries to defend himself, but his drunken state only makes him more belligerent. He tells me again to mind my own business, but I'm well and done with the boy that I know I raised better than this. I grab him by the collar and push him up against the bar, watching his eyes go wide with fear. I've never struck my son, but the urge is there, and it takes conscious effort to push it down.

"You listen to me, and you listen good. You may be a big shot around here, but in my world, you're nothing. You treat Kasey with the respect she deserves or you answer to me. I'm only letting you stay because all the rooms are fucking paid for already and because you've got responsibilities with the company that you need to see through."

"You just said I was fired," he chokes out, eyes wide.

"Don't fuck up anymore on this trip, take care of your obligations, and maybe you will just be demoted when we get back to New York. Any more fuckery, Devin, and I'm throwing your ass on the first plane home. Do you understand?"

Devin looks me in the eye and sees the fury there. He knows I mean business, and once he nods, I lower him to the ground. He slinks away, quickly followed by Tina, leaving Kasey and me alone.

I turn to her, my pulse already picking up from her nearness, all while a different voice is roaring in my head, demanding that I take care of her and claim her as my own.

"Let's get some air," I finally say instead of all the other phrases that might scare her off. "Follow me."

I take Kasey's delicate hand in mine and guide her outside to the expansive patio overlooking the ocean. The moonlight casts a soft glow on her, illuminating her beauty. God, I can't get enough of looking at her. Devin fucked up royally. This girl is out of his league.

Kasey exhales slowly and turns her face to the sky, seeming to relax now that we're away from the din of the gala.

"Take a deep breath, Kasey," I say, my voice laced with concern. "We're in paradise, remember? Let it all go and just feel."

She follows my lead, inhaling the salty air, and a faint smile tugs at the corners of her lips. In that moment, I see a glimmer of the strong, resilient woman she truly is. It's all I can do not to pull her into my arms and taste her mouth.

"Thank you for getting me out of there," she says, her voice soft.

I nod, placing a hand on the small of her back. To my pleasant surprise, she doesn't pull away. "Of course. You looked like you needed to escape, and I'm happy to help."

We stand there in comfortable silence for a moment. Part of me still knows that this is wrong and that I'm lying to myself if I can't admit that this is just the beginning of a slow seduction, but it's a very, very small part at the moment.

"You know," I say, breaking the silence. "I have a feeling that you only met my son so you'd be able to walk into my life, not his. I promise I'm more reliable, at least."

She laughs. "I think you might be right about all of that. At least then there would be some meaning to him dragging me across the ocean to tear me down in front of, like, a hundred people."

As we continue to converse, her laughter breaks through the night a few more times as she relaxes. I can't even remember what I said to make her laugh, but I'm well aware of my entire body responding to that sound. My fingers ache from the need to touch her. I become acutely aware of her presence, the magnetic pull between us impossible to ignore.

Then, a song that we both recognize comes over the speakers dotted about the terrace, the first one that isn't simply instrumental, and on a whim, I ask her to dance with me. Kasey flushes but nods. After all, we're alone out here, so what's the point of resisting? I'm past the point of caring anyway.

Gathering her into my arms, my muscles are strung tight under her touch. Heat is radiating off her, the electricity coursing through my veins as we move in perfect synchrony.

The initial feeling of possessiveness starts to intensify. Pressing us together, the softness of her against the hardness of my body, I get the sensation that I'm claiming what is rightfully mine. She fits perfectly against me like this has always been where she belongs.

I don't want to think of her as my son's ex. Not at all. Instead, I force myself to see her only as the woman that she is.

I breathe her in and fuck if she doesn't smell good enough to eat. We're close enough that I can see the pulse hammering in her throat. She feels it too, whatever this is. Her breathing is ragged, and she's swallowing hard.

Good to know I affect her as much as she affects me.

As the song comes to an end, I hold her close, unwilling to let go. The weight of possibility hangs in the air. My head is foggy with desire, and it's all I can do not to act on my thoughts.

Kasey has awoken something deep inside me, a primal need to claim her as my own. In that moment, I make a silent promise to myself. I will fight for her. I will protect her. And I will do whatever it takes to win her heart. She doesn't know it yet, but she's about to spend the rest of her life with me.

The need to kiss her is strong, almost impossible to deny. Kasey softens against me, gazing up with a hooded, needy look in her eyes, and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that she wants me to kiss her too.

But I have to have some restraint at least. Kasey has suffered enough embarrassment tonight. If I kiss her and someone walks out here, seeing her making out with her ex's father, it will just be one more terrible thing for her. I personally don't give a fuck, especially since I'm paying for everything these people are taking advantage of, but I need to think about Kasey and how she'd feel.

So instead, I slowly pull back. There's a hurt cast to her features until I take her hand, holding it lightly as I look into her eyes. "Be ready for me to pick you up tomorrow morning at 8. We're going to have breakfast together."

She looks at me, confused, so I explain. "I'm going to get you a new room, Kasey. You can't stay with Devin now."

Her eyes widen in surprise, and I can see the questions in her mind. But before she can ask them, I continue. "Don't worry about it. I'll take care of everything. Let's go get you a new room key."

After nibbling her bottom lip in thought, a move that threatens to make me hard right here on the spot, she nods. "Okay. If you really want to."

I know I'm attracted to her, but I also know I need to be careful. I don't want to rush things and scare her off. This isn't a one-time thing. She needs to understand that first. Once she's in, she's in…forever.

I walk with her to the front desk and speak with the receptionist, asking for the key to the King Suite. As expected, Kasey looks at me with surprise and excitement, clearly aware of the prestige of the room. I hand the receptionist my credit card, and she processes the payment as I take the key and lead Kasey toward the elevator.

"For real? The King suite?" she gushes as we walk away. "It's too much, Kenneth, you don't have to do all that for me."

"For real," I confirm, smirking.

It's the first time I've heard my name on her lips and my member immediately stands at attention. Calm the fuck down.

"Consider it a gift from me," I say, pretending I don't have a rock-hard erection and thinking about anything but my face between her thighs. "You deserve nothing but the best, Kasey. Always remember that."

The elevator doors open, and we step out into the hallway. We approach the door to the suite and I slide the keycard in the slot. The door clicks open, and I hold it for her, watching her as she walks in, hand covering her mouth in amazement.

The suite is a spacious room with a king-sized bed in the center and a panoramic view of the ocean. The décor is elegant, and the room is filled with all the amenities one could ask for in a luxury resort, including a flat-screen TV, a minibar, and a hot tub. The bathroom is equally impressive, with marble flooring, a shower, and a bathtub.

I watch as Kasey takes it all in, her eyes wide with wonder. "It's beautiful," she finally manages to say.

"As I said, baby girl, you deserve nothing but the best," I repeat, closing the door behind me. "And I intend to give it to you."

Kasey spins around and smiles. "Thank you so much, Kenneth. You have no idea how much this means to me." Vulnerability crosses over her features. "I never expected to take a trip like this in my entire life, and when Devin told me it was over, I was sure it was going to get cut short. You're…you're so different. "

"I'm just happy to help," I say. "And I hope you'll join me for breakfast tomorrow."

Kasey nods, her smile widening. "I'd love to."

"Great," I tell her. "I'll pick you up at 8 am. Get some rest, Kasey, and have a good night."

"Wait," she breathes as my hand hovers above the door handle. To my shock, her arms come around me as she rests her head on my back, the sweet warmth of her body coursing through me. My blood rushes south and I clench my jaw.

"I just don't know how to express what this all means to me," she sighs.

Fuck it. We've come this far. I've got her in a room alone, and she's obviously feeling affectionate towards me. I extract myself from her embrace and turn until I can pull her into one of my own, tilting her chin up with my finger when she gasps at the sudden movement.

"I have an idea of one way," I rumble, moving the finger at her chin to her plump lips, tracing the bottom one. "Do you want me to show you?"

Kasey swallows and nods. She barely has time to breathe before my mouth is on hers, and I'm showing her just how much I want to give her the world and more. The words my son had so cruelly thrown at her about her virginity float through my mind, but I brush them away. We aren't going that far, not tonight.

Soon though, I think. Very, very soon.

The kiss starts out light, with just a ghosting of my mouth over hers, but when she melts against me, I cup her jaw, turn her head just slightly and deepen the kiss. Kasey makes a soft noise of surprise when I sweep my tongue past her lips, not even asking any sort of permission, and glide it over her own until she's breathing heavily.

Fuck. She tastes so good.

Kasey grabs the lapels of my suit jacket, not to pull me closer, but just to hang on while I kiss her without restraint. The noises she makes tell me she's loving it, that she's never experienced anything like the way I claim her mouth, and I can't stop myself from grinding against her.

Now she gasps and freezes, and I wonder if I've pushed too much, but then she lifts onto her tip toes and kisses me herself, tentative but wanting. I growl deep in my chest and pull her firmly to me, grinding again and again against her softness until she's all but panting into my mouth.

I lose track of how I'm supposed to restrain myself, and I lift her with two hands on the round globes of her ass so she can wrap her legs around me and rock against me. I ravish her mouth, giving her all the friction she needs as she rubs against my cock, making it strain against the zipper of my pants almost painfully.

It's effortless to back her up against the door of the room, and even more so to skate my hand up her bare leg until I reach the apex of her thighs and the indecently small slip of her silk panties. Her damp silk panties.

"Fuck," I groan, breaking the kiss for only a second. "You're wet for me, baby girl."

The only answer I get from her is an honest-to-God moan.

I press my thumb against her seam, just the silk separating her skin from me, and work it in circles until I can feel the hard button of her clit. Kasey's spine goes rigid, and she cries out from the unexpected pleasure of it. Emboldened, I keep at it, my mouth drifting from hers, across her jawline, and back again as I do so.

Kasey is writhing against me as I use just the right amount of pressure on her clit to bring her closer and closer to the edge.

"Don't stop," she breathes. "Oh, please don't stop, Kenneth."

I have no fucking plans to do anything close to stopping, especially when I feel the slightest quiver in her legs where they are wrapped around me. In a haze, I pull her panties aside and find her bare clit now, her wetness covering my fingers as I repeat the motions over and over again, skin to skin.

"I'm–" she pants. "I'm going to–"

Then, like the universe is doing everything in its power to fuck me over, there's a knock on the door that I have Kasey pressed up against. The loud, forceful sound snaps us both out of the fog of lust that we had found ourselves in. While Kasey looks up at me with a mix of desire and humiliated fright over what she's just done, all I can do is grin and internally curse our ill-timed visitor.

The knock sounds again and I sit Kasey on her feet before asking, "What?!"

"Oh, um," a small voice comes from the other side of the door. "I have the luggage for Ms. Mulligan from her old room like you requested."

I laugh bitterly, resting my forehead against the door as Kasey scurries out from underneath me. Of fucking course I did this to myself. I accidentally cock-blocked myself. Dammit.

"Give us five minutes and you can bring it in," I tell the person on the other side of the door, turning on my heel to find Kasey sitting on her new bed with her legs crossed and color high in her cheeks.

Her pupils are round and dark, and there's an unmistakable air of need surrounding her, but I know she isn't going to let what just went down happen again. At least not so soon.

"I guess this is goodnight, baby girl," I tell her, giving her a wink. I turn to leave, but before I do, I look back at her. "And Kasey," I say, my voice low and serious. "Remember, as long as you're here with me, it's only going to be the best for you. Don't ever settle for anything less. And…" I let my gaze drift down her body, pausing at the spot where her dress hides her pussy from my sight. "I don't leave jobs unfinished."

With that, I exit the suite and make my way back to my own room, knowing Kasey will get to spend the rest of the night in luxury, even if she is painfully unsatisfied. After giving a nod to the employee in the hall, waiting with Kasey's luggage, I head to the elevator. As I adjust myself in my pants once the elevator doors close, I sigh. She isn't going to be the only one left wanting.