Tiana (Starkis Family #3) Read online

Even though Chris had never met Blake, I suspected my father may have warned him about the competition. My father wasn’t blind. He’d seen Blake and me together, witnessed our chemistry. I believed that was why he was so anxious to get me married off—so Blake would no longer pose a threat.

  “He must think you’re pretty special,” Chris said, touching the pink petals of the bouquet on top of my filing cabinet. My office wasn’t very big, and the flowers seemed to occupy every flat surface.

  “Did you need something?” I asked, anxious to change the subject.

  “Actually, I was hoping you were free for dinner tonight.”

  Even though I’d made my feelings clear last night, he obviously wasn’t ready to give up. Not that I was surprised. I was sure he and my father had had a nice long strategy session after I left.

  “I’m afraid not,” I said, smiling to soften the rejection. I had to see Blake after work, to talk about what had happened last night and where to go from here.

  “A better offer?” he asked, slipping a hand into the pocket of his gray slacks.

  “A previous engagement.”

  “Your father tells me there will be a company party next week.”

  “Mmmm hmmm,” I said, already dreading where this was going. “To celebrate a merger, from what I understand.” I tried to stick to my department, but I still attended important company events. According to my father, it was my job, since neither of my brothers felt obligated to be there to represent the family. My father had guilt and manipulation down to a fine art.

  “I was wondering if you might like to go with me.” He smiled, looking charming and uncertain. “I know what you said last night, but I don’t know anyone here yet, and I feel kind of uncomfortable going alone. What if I say the wrong thing?” He laughed before shrugging. “After all, English is my second language.”

  What a crock. He spoke perfect English.

  “I don’t think her boyfriend would like that,” Blake said, coming up behind Chris.

  It’s official. I’m going to kill that man.

  Chris looked back and forth between Blake and me, obviously waiting for me to explain.

  “Uh, Christos, I’d like you to meet Blake Kessler. He and my brother Damon are business partners. He’s also partners with my brother Deacon in Alabaster’s.”

  Chris hesitated before offering Blake his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I have heard a lot about you.”

  Blake smirked. He accepted Chris’s outstretched hand after an uncomfortable amount of time had passed. “All bad, I’m sure, if you heard it from Demi.”

  “Tiana’s father is not your biggest fan,” Chris confirmed.

  “Good thing I don’t care what he thinks of me, isn’t it?” Blake asked, winking at me. “As long as Tiana loves me, that’s all that matters.”

  I couldn’t believe he’d just dropped the L-bomb like that. Christos was just as shocked as I was, if his slack jaw was any indication.

  “I see you got my flowers, beautiful,” Blake said, looking around the room with satisfaction. He slipped an iPhone out of his pocket. “You probably tried to call, but I just picked this up on the way over here.”

  Our eyes met as I recalled how he’d destroyed the last one in a fit of rage.

  “Uh, well, you probably have things to discuss,” Chris said, backing out of the room. “Tiana, I’ll see you later. Blake, nice to meet you.”

  Blake didn’t even acknowledge him before closing and locking the door.

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” I demanded as he advanced on me. My breath caught in my throat when he fixed his hands on my armrests before leaning in to kiss me. “I’m still mad at you.”

  He smiled as though he knew there was no heat behind my words. “I’ll make it up to you, I promise. Tonight?”

  I couldn’t believe he was being so presumptuous. When I’d left him last night, I wasn’t even sure I wanted to continue the relationship, then he shows up today acting as though it never happened.

  “Why did you say those things to Chris?” I wasn’t willing to let him off the hook until he acknowledged his lapse in judgment.

  “Because I wanted him to know you’re taken.” He nuzzled my neck, inhaling deeply. “God, I love the way you smell… almost as much as I love the way you taste.”

  Damn, he was good. Within seconds, he had me forgetting why I was so angry with him. “You had no right to out us like that.”

  “I had every right,” he said, his expression tight. “It’s time for your father to know that he can’t run your life anymore.”

  He was right, but I would face off with my father when the time was right, not when Blake thought I should. “Neither can you.”

  “Touché.” His fingertip glided down my cheek.

  I mentally berated myself for letting my eyes drift closed, allowing him to see how much I craved his touch.

  “Have I told you that you look gorgeous today?” he asked, his eyes skimming my black pencil skirt and fitted black blouse.

  “No, you haven’t.” I crossed my legs while sliding my chair back to put some distance between us.

  “An oversight on my part,” he said, smiling. “You look stunning.”

  I loved it when he looked at me as though it took all of his self-control not to take me right there on the desk. “Thank you. You look good too.” I eyed his expensive black suit before grabbing his red silk tie to pull him closer and touch the scruff on his jaw. “But you didn’t shave.”

  “I didn’t get much sleep last night.”

  I pouted, watching with satisfaction as his eyes zeroed in on my lips. “Poor baby. Why’s that?”

  “You know why.” His voice was brusque, letting me know I was testing his patience. “I was going crazy wondering whether you were gonna be able to forget what happened last night.”

  I crossed my arms. “Forget? No. Forgive? Yes.”

  He smiled before sweeping in to treat me to a lingering kiss. “I guess I can live with that.”

  “I have no right to judge you for past… indiscretions.” I watched him carefully to see if he would react to my choice of words. “What you did before we got together is none of my business.”

  He grinned as he planted his sexy butt on the corner of my desk as though he owned the place. That was the way it was with Blake. An aura of authority surrounded him wherever he went, and I had to admit it was hotter than hell.

  “You’re technically right,” he said, tongue-in-cheek. “So can we agree to move on and pretend last night never happened?”

  I was annoyed that he’d agreed with me about crossing the line. I wanted him to tell me that his life was an open book and I could feel free to ask him anything I wanted to about his past.

  “I can see those wheels turning,” he said, looping a lock of my hair around his index finger. “Come on, now. Tell me what’s goin’ on in that pretty little head of yours.”

  I scowled. He could be a condescending jerk at times. Of course, that didn’t diminish his sex appeal. It just pissed me off. “You think I made too big of a deal of Jackie texting you last night, don’t you?”

  He sighed as though he was bored with the subject and wanted to move on. “I get why you were mad. I would’ve been too, but it’s over now. She won’t be calling again. I promise.”

  “How many other women have you put on notice?” I gripped his wrist when he slipped his hand into my hair and massaged my scalp to distract me.

  “What are you talking about?” he asked, looking annoyed that I was trying to restrict his movements.

  “I’m sure she’s not the only woman you’ve been sleeping with.”

  “From now on, I’m only sleeping with one woman. That’s all you need to know.”

  I didn’t know why I was so determined to dig up all of his skeletons. Maybe because I wondered whether I was justified in feeling so insecure.

  As though he could read my mind, he pulled me to my feet and settled me between his legs. “I’m s
orry about what happened last night, sweetheart. I should’ve taken care of it before you came over.” He popped a button on my blouse, followed by another, before his lips found the swell of my breast. “I would have if I’d remembered.”

  I sighed before tipping my head back and threading my hands through his hair. He made it so hard to stay mad at him. Warning bells went off in my head as he completely unbuttoned my blouse. I should tell him that this was a place of business—my father’s business, no less. But my tongue got stuck to the roof of my mouth when his hands found the zipper running down the back of my skirt.

  This was so bad. So unprofessional. So wrong. But something about Blake just awakened my inner bad girl.

  “What are we doing?” I gasped when his tongue dipped into the sensitive hollow between my neck and shoulder.

  “We’re about to have a little fun in your office, sweet thang.”

  I felt the heat in the room ratchet up a few degrees with his pronounced drawl. “Don’t pull that cowboy crap on me. You’re far from a good ol’ boy.”

  His sly grin told me he could be whatever I needed him to be. He looked his fill while easing my blouse over my shoulders, making me wonder how long it would be before my assistant returned from her lunch break.

  “Come on now,” he teased. “A country boy don’t forget his roots. Few other things we don’t forget either.”

  I could barely breathe when he looked at me as if he knew a naughty secret he couldn’t wait to share. “Like what?”

  “How to ride.”

  Lord have mercy. I stopped just short of fanning my face, only because I didn’t want to see that self-satisfied smirk on his handsome face again.

  “Grew up ridin’ bareback, sweetheart. Real nice to be gettin’ back to it.”

  “You’re too much,” I said, dipping my head to hide my smile. The last thing I wanted to do was encourage his outrageous behavior.

  “But you love it.” He squeezed my waist as he kissed me. “Admit it, you love it when I talk dirty to you.”

  I loved everything he did to me, but he already had an enormous ego. I didn’t want to risk inflating it any more. “We can’t do this here.”

  “What’d you think we were gonna do? Have sex?” He chuckled. “Naw, I just want to give you something to think about, beautiful. You know, give you some incentive to wrap things up early and meet me back at my place.”

  As if I needed extra incentive. I would already be counting down the hours until I could sneak out. “What did you have in mind?” I noted my thready tone of voice. I sounded more like a phone-sex operator than a highly regarded art curator.

  “I’d rather show than tell.” His eyes tracked my body as he inched my tight skirt over my hips. When he spotted my lace-trimmed thigh-high silk stockings, he whispered, “Jesus, you tryin’ to give me a heart attack, girl?”

  His accent was a lot more pronounced when he got aroused, making me question how hard he worked to mask it the rest of the time. I loved that he let his guard down and felt he could be himself with me.

  “You like?” I asked, running my hands over his broad shoulders before ridding him of his jacket.

  He chuckled. “Hey now, I’m not supposed to be the one gettin’ undressed here. ‘Cause I can promise you if I do, the whole goddamn building will know what we’re up to in here.”

  I moaned in his ear while reaching for the knot on his tie. “I’ve never done it at work before. Does the risk of getting caught add to the thrill?”

  He laughed, the sound strained and husky. “It can.”

  I regretted asking as soon as I thought about all of the women he’d bent over his desk for a little afternoon delight.

  I gasped when I heard the rattle of my doorknob.

  “Tiana,” my father said, sounding impatient. “Why is your door locked?”

  “Oh my God,” I whispered, tugging my skirt up over my hips as Blake reached for my discarded blouse. “What the hell is he doing here? He’s supposed to be at a charity golf tournament today.” If I’d known there was a risk of my father catching us, I would have kept a better hold on Blake’s roaming hands.

  “Relax,” Blake said, replacing his blazer and straightening his tie while I buttoned and tucked in my blouse. “He was gonna find out about us sooner or later. Might as well get it over with.”

  “No!” I knew Blake wasn’t happy, but I couldn’t just spring this on my father. I gave Blake a quick kiss to soften the blow. “Please, I just need a little more time to figure out how to tell him about us.”

  “Tiana!” my father shouted, rattling the handle. “Open this door right now. I don’t have time for this. I need to talk to you.”

  “Coming, Dad.” I fluffed my hair before stealing a quick glance at the compact mirror I stashed in my drawer. “Sweetie, please,” I whispered to Blake, capturing his face in my hands. “Just go along with me on this one. I promise I’ll tell him soon. Just let me tell my mother first. Maybe she can work on him, get him used to the idea.”

  “I’m not one of your father’s flunkies,” Blake said through clenched teeth. “And I’ll be damned if I pussyfoot around him the way everyone else does. He doesn’t like the fact that I’m dating his daughter? Too bad. He’ll have to get used to it.”

  “Please,” I whispered, pleading with him to understand. “I just need a little more time.” I patted his chest. “Do this for me.”

  He didn’t respond, but I heard my father’s heavy breathing outside the door, so I had no choice but to open it. My hand trembled as I unlocked it softly and turned the knob. I was terrified this would end badly. Any time my father and Blake were in the same room, it was a recipe for disaster, but if my father suspected I was sleeping with the enemy, he would go ballistic.

  “Hey, what’re you doing here?” I asked, stepping back to let him in. “I thought you had that charity golf thing today?”

  “Is that why you’re in here screwing around with him?” he asked, gesturing wildly at Blake. “Because you thought I wouldn’t be here to catch you in the act?”

  Blake rolled his eyes. “Don’t bust an artery, Demi. We weren’t—”

  “You shut up!” Demi said, slicing his hand through the air. “I was talking to my daughter!”

  “Relax,” I said, closing the door. “Do you want the whole building to hear this?”

  “What were you doing in here with him?” My father’s eyes skimmed me from head to toe, as though he was looking for crime scene evidence.

  I turned my head to hide the blush creeping up my cheeks. I was a terrible liar. I could never maintain eye contact or a steady voice. “We were talking.”

  “About what?”

  “What the hell is this?” Blake demanded, glaring at Demi. “You’re talking to your grown daughter, not a twelve-year-old. It’s none of your goddamn business what we were talking about.”

  I could practically see the steam billowing out of my father’s ears as I touched Blake’s forearm, hoping to silence him before things got out of hand. Not that they weren’t already. My father looked as if he were about to go for Blake’s jugular, and I feared my man wouldn’t hesitate to take down someone twice his age, even if the man was my flesh and blood. I normally admired Blake’s assertiveness, but in this instance, it could cost me. A lot.

  “This is my building,” Demi said, intentionally lowering his voice to a decibel level that would make most men run for cover. “I have the right to know what goes on in every square inch of this place.”

  “Fine, you want to know what was going on?” Blake stepped toward my father. “I’d be happy to tell you—”

  “Blake,” I said, stepping between the two men. I flattened the back of my hand against Blake’s solid chest. “Please. Let’s not get into this here.”

  My father zeroed in on me, refusing to look away until he was satisfied I was nervous. “Why did you tell Christos you are not interested in pursuing a relationship with him? I thought we had already decided this.”


  I squared my shoulders. “No, you decided. I never agreed to anything.” I may not have been ready to tell my father about Blake yet, but I had no intention of letting him live with his delusions about finding me a suitable husband. “I told you when you proposed this ridiculous idea that I was more than capable of finding my own husband.”

  “Then why did you spend time with him when you were in Greece?”

  “To get you off my back!” His eyes flashed with anger, but I refused to back down. “Do you know how difficult it is to be bullied by you all the time? You try to run my life here and at home. I’m getting sick of it!”

  I felt Blake tensing behind me, probably trying to resist the urge to applaud.

  “You are getting sick of it?” Demi repeated slowly, shaking his head. “That is how you repay your father who has done everything for you?”

  I knew he would play the guilt card to try to manipulate me into doing what he wanted. Well, it wouldn’t work this time. I’d made up my mind about Chris, and nothing he could say or do would make me change it. I lowered my voice to match his. “I have repaid you, a thousand times over. I’ve been the dutiful daughter. I let you choose my school, my car, my clothes, even my career path. But I’ll be damned if I let you choose my husband.”

  “Why?” he asked. “What is so abhorrent about Christos? You could have a good life with him.”

  “I don’t love him.”

  “You could learn.”

  “No, she couldn’t,” Blake said. “Haven’t you heard a word she said? She doesn’t want him.”

  Demi’s lip curled in derision as his eyes locked with Blake’s. “And I suppose you think there’s a chance in hell she’ll want you?”

  I should say something to diffuse the situation, but anything I said right then would only incense one or both of them.

  “I’m leaving,” Blake said, setting his hands on my shoulders. “For your sake, Tiana.”

  I breathed a sigh of relief—prematurely.

  “I’m not surprised,” Demi said, smirking. “You’ve always been a coward.”

  I gripped my father’s arm. “Please, stop this. Now.” I must have given Demi the impression I wasn’t messing around, because he walked over to the window while I saw Blake to the door. “Thank you,” I mouthed to him.