After one passionate and unforgettable night in London that
neither can resist, Cal vows never to let it happen again…if only he could stop
thinking about Lyssa, or wanting so much more.
Between a secret Lyssa is keeping from him and the Maverick
Billionaires hellbent on protecting her at all costs, do they have any chance of
finding a future together?
Can a deluxe trip aboard the most romantic train in the
world save their failing marriage?
Lyssa
Spencer had flown in sumptuous private jets before. But this was by far the
nicest plane she’d ever been in. The carpet was plush, the seating was
upholstered in the softest leather, and the onboard bathroom was so large and
luxuriously appointed that she could have quite happily lived in it.
“Did
one of my brothers get a new plane?” she asked Cal Danniger as she settled into
a leather armchair, making herself comfortable for the long flight to London.
Across
the cabin table, Cal shook his head. “No.”
“I
didn’t realize any companies rented private jets this nice.”
“As
far as I know,” he said in that deep voice that made all of her nerve endings
come alive despite knowing he was off-limits, “none do.”
It
finally dawned on her. “You own this jet?”
He
nodded.
She
felt all kinds of embarrassed. As if she’d implied that Cal was nothing more
than an administrative lackey for her brothers, rather than an incredibly
successful businessman in his own right. Especially when she knew exactly how
it felt to be undervalued in the shadow of her amazingly successful family.
Her
whole life, she’d been seen as nothing more than an extension of the Mavericks.
Most people didn’t realize that, apart from Daniel, the Mavericks were actually
her foster brothers. But blood ties didn’t matter—they had grown up as family,
which meant that she had five big brothers. Six, if you counted Gideon, who,
upon entering the fray, had immediately treated her like a little sister he
needed to protect.
“I
didn’t mean—”
She
would have continued her apology, but the flight attendant stepped into the
cabin. “Would you like coffee, Mr. Danniger?” The woman had zeroed in the
entirety of her attention on Cal, and her gaze on him was like a caress.
And
why not? Cal was an extremely attractive man. In his mid-forties, with a few
strands of gray streaking his chestnut hair, he was tall and fit, his eyes a
penetrating silvery shade that made Lyssa feel like he could see all of her
secret hopes and dreams and longings.
This
summer at Ari and Matt’s wedding, Lyssa had drunk just enough wine to let her
guard down with her girlfriends and voiced her appreciation of Cal’s taut
muscles and toned body. Unfortunately, Daniel had overheard and gone
Neanderthal on her. Her brother’s words still rankled: He’s not for you.
It
was precisely how the Mavericks had always taken care of her—by trying to make
all of her big decisions for her while also dictating everything she could and
couldn’t do. She knew they loved her to pieces and would do anything for her.
They had already done so much. They’d looked out for her growing up in
Chicago and supported her in her choice of majors at college and then in her
career as an accountant. And she loved them without reservation. Even if they
too often treated her like she was still fourteen years old, rather than a
twenty-six-year-old woman who was perfectly capable of taking care of herself
and making her own decisions, big and small.
Cal
smiled at the flight attendant. “I’d love some coffee. Thank you, Delilah.”
“I’d
love a cup, as well,” Lyssa said, even as she wondered if he had any idea how
sexy his smile was. Delilah had certainly noticed.
“It
will be my pleasure,” the flight attendant said to Cal with absolutely
no subtlety—and not even the slightest glance toward Lyssa—before she headed
back to the galley, her hips swaying.
To
Cal’s credit, his eyes didn’t follow the woman’s movements, nor did he seem to
be counting down the minutes until he could sneak away with her to make use of
the onboard bedroom.
His
behavior was consistent with what Lyssa knew of him. While he definitely didn’t
lack for female company—some might even use the word playboy to describe
him—at his core, he was an upstanding guy who would never take advantage of his
wealth or position of power.
Cal
had been her boss for six weeks. In September, she’d quit her job in Chicago,
moved to San Francisco, and taken on the accounting activities for Gideon
Jones’s Lean on Us Foundation.
For
years, Gideon had owned a painting given to him by Karmen Sanchez, a fellow
comrade-in-arms who had been killed overseas. Little had Gideon known that the
painting was worth sixty million dollars until his fiancée, Rosie, who had
knowledge of the art world, had done some research and realized he was in
possession of a rare masterpiece by famed eighteenth-century artist Miguel Fernando Correa. Instead of using the money on a lavish new lifestyle, he’d
started a foundation to benefit foster children, returning veterans, and
military families. As a veteran himself, Gideon understood the difficulties of
assimilating back into civilian life. Rosie had gone through the foster care
system along with his sister, Ari, so it was only natural for him to want to
help. However, given that Gideon had neither the time nor the expertise to run
a nonprofit foundation, Cal had offered to step in to manage it.
Cal’s
first move had been hiring Lyssa, and she absolutely loved her new job. Though
a part of her wondered if her brothers had asked Cal to give her this job
because they knew how unhappy she’d become at her previous company, it only
made her more intent on proving to all of them that she had earned it.
As
they waited for coffee, they got down to business, both opening their folders
on their latest potential contributor, resort tycoon Dane Harrington. Dane had
built a worldwide empire of health spas and resorts. Though his headquarters was
in Northern California, he was currently in London launching a new resort. Dane
was the reason for this trip—they hadn’t wanted to wait for his return to the
U.S. to make their pitch.
“I’d
like to begin the presentation by explaining a bit about the programs we want
to fund,” Cal told her. “Once I’m done with the dog-and-pony show, it would be
great if you stepped in with the budgets.”
Lyssa
almost gave herself whiplash looking up from the papers she’d been scanning.
“You want me to detail the budgets to Dane?”
Cal
smiled, seemingly unaware of just how sexy he looked—or how much he made her
heart race. “You’re the one who put the numbers together, so you’re the best
person for the job.”
Lyssa
was astounded. She’d figured he’d brought her along simply to run the
presentation software and provide background data if he needed it, not to
actually present her budget to a hugely valuable donor.
“Besides,”
he added, “I’ve never seen anyone do as thorough a job as you.”
His
appreciation for her talent made her glow in a way she couldn’t hide. In
Chicago, she’d been relegated to collections despite having earned a degree in
accounting with honors. She’d asked her boss for more responsibility, but he’d
had no interest in finding out what she was capable of. Working for Lean on Us
was a dream come true, even better because she’d moved to San Francisco, which
she loved.
As
soon as Lyssa had flown the coop, her parents had also decided it was finally
time to go west and join the rest of the family in the Bay Area. Though she was
pleased that her parents would be nearby, she had a niggling suspicion that one
of the main reasons they were moving was so they could still watch over her.
Her
brothers had found the perfect home for her folks in Portola Valley and were
having a great time fixing it up. Her dad had taught them all about home
repairs when they couldn’t afford a repairman, so each of them not only knew
their way around a tool belt, but after spending so many of their days behind a
desk inside an office, they loved the hard, hands-on work of the house
renovation project.
Delilah
returned with their coffees. “There you go, Mr. Danniger. Your coffee, just the
way you like it.”
“Thanks,
Delilah.” Though he was polite, he was so focused on the document he was
reading, he barely looked up.
“If
there’s anything I can get you, Mr. Danniger, just let me know.” She paused
before adding a husky, “Anything at all.”
At
last, Cal met the woman’s gaze. “I’m good, thanks. But I’ll let you know if I
need anything later in the flight.”
Delilah
practically melted into a puddle of goo when his eyes met hers. She seemed
distracted as she put Lyssa’s mug down in the middle of a stack of papers, coffee
slopping over the rim to leave a ring.
Lyssa
sopped it up with a napkin as Cal opened another folder, saying, “Let’s move on
to the six-month forecast.”
Her
numbers were solid on their plans to purchase buildings, hire staff, and buy
equipment. This was where new contributors came in. As huge an amount as sixty
million sounded—and despite the fact that Cal was working pro bono for
the foundation—when the money was spread across everything they hoped to
accomplish, it was nowhere near enough.
Throughout
the flight, Cal never wasted a moment. He was intelligent, diligent, incisive,
and all business. And, she thought with a sigh she never gave voice to, sexier
than any man she knew.
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