One Month with the Magnate by Michelle Celmer Read Free Book Online Page A

always wondered what it would be like to get her good and riled up.
    It was an intriguing idea, but tonight he just didn’t have the energy.
    He turned to leave and she said, “Emilio?”
    He looked back.
    â€œI’m really sorry about dinner.”
    This was his chance to twist the knife, to put her in her place, but she looked so damned humble he didn’t have the heart. She really was trying, holding up her end of the bargain. And he…well, hell, he was obviously going soft or something. He’d lost his killer instinct.
    â€œMaybe tomorrow you could try something a little less complicated,” he said.
    â€œI will.”
    As he walked away the vacuum switched back on.Despite a few screwups, her first day had been less of a disaster than he’d anticipated.
    Emilio settled at his desk and booted his computer, and after a few minutes the vacuum went silent. About forty-five minutes later he heard her banging around in the kitchen. That continued for a good hour, then there was silence.
    At eleven he shut down his computer, turned off the lights in his office and walked to the kitchen. It was back to its previous, clean state, and his travel cup was washed and sitting beside the coffeemaker. He dumped what was left of his drink down the drain, set his glass in the sink and was about to head upstairs when he noticed she’d left the laundry room light on. He walked back to switch it off and saw that Isabelle’s door was open a crack and the desk lamp was on.
    Maybe he should remind her to set her alarm, so he didn’t have to get breakfast in the coffee shop at work again tomorrow.
    He knocked lightly on her door. When she didn’t answer, he eased it open. Isabelle was lying face down, spread-eagle on her bed, still dressed in her uniform, sound asleep. She hadn’t even taken off her shoes. She must have dropped down and gone out like a light. At least this time she’d made it to the bed. And on the bright side, she seemed in no condition to be smothering him in his sleep.
    The hem of her uniform had pulled up, giving him a nice view of the backs of her thighs. They were smooth and creamy and he couldn’t help but imagine how it would feel to touch her. To lay a hand on her thigh and slide it upward, under her dress.
    The sudden flash of heat in his blood, the intense pull of arousal in his groin, caught him off guard.
    Despite all that had happened, he still desired her.Maybe his body remembered what his brain had struggled to suppress. How good they had been together.
    Though they had never made love, they had touched each other intimately, given each other pleasure. Isabelle hadn’t done much more than kiss a boy before they began dating. She had been the most inexperienced eighteen-year-old he’d ever met, but eager to learn, and more than willing to experiment, so long as they didn’t go all the way. He had respected her decision to wait until marriage to make love and admired her principles, so he hadn’t pushed. Besides, it hadn’t stopped them from finding other ways to satisfy their sexual urges.
    One thing he never understood though was why she had been so shy about letting him see her body. Despite what he had told her yesterday, he’d never believed it had anything to do with vanity. Quite the opposite. For reasons he’d never been able to understand, she’d had a dismally low opinion of herself.
    After she left him, he began to wonder if it had all been an act to manipulate him. Maybe she hadn’t been so innocent after all. To this day he wasn’t sure, and he would probably never know the truth. He was long past caring either way.
    He shut off the light and stepped out of her room, closing the door behind him. The lack of sleep was catching up to him. He was exhausted. What he needed was a good night’s rest.
    Everything would be clearer in the morning.

Five
    I sabelle hated lying. Especially to her mother, but