Suddenly (Romance on the Go Book 0) Read online

  EVERNIGHT PUBLISHING ®

  www.evernightpublishing.com

  Copyright© 2019 Beth D. Carter

  ISBN: 978-0-3695-0068-7

  Cover Artist: Jay Aheer

  Editor: Audrey Bobak

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  DEDICATION

  Thank you to Stacey, my editor Audrey, and everyone at Evernight who helped giving this story a second life.

  SUDDENLY

  Romance on the Go ®

  Beth D. Carter

  Copyright © 2019

  Chapter One

  Bellah Denoon glanced at her watch as she walked back to her desk, noting the lateness of the hour. Not that she had much else going on in her life, much to the displeasure of her mother. Martha Denoon kept harping on her finding a nice man to settle down with and pop out a passel of kids, and Bellah didn’t have the heart to tell her mom she was stuck on her boss, as clichéd as it sounded.

  “… I thought it best to bring this to your attention.”

  Bellah slowed as she heard a woman’s high-pitched voice coming from Dalton’s cracked-open door.

  “And how did you discover this?” Dalton asked.

  “Well, it was lying on the printer. Can you believe it?”

  Jaclynn Turnier. I’d recognize that shrewish tone anywhere.

  “I think it’s best you leave, Jaclynn,” Dalton said. “And gossip is grounds for dismissal.”

  “What?” The outrage in Jaclynn’s voice was palpable. “Gossip? I never spread rumors, Mr. McCoy, but using our company’s printer for porn is not only shocking, but appalling!”

  “Yes,” Dalton replied soothingly. “I’ll look into it, but this stays with us. All right?”

  Bellah walked to her desk and made a noise to let the two people know she had returned from the restroom. A moment later, the door opened and Jaclynn walked out. She was a tall woman, almost six foot in heels, with beautiful coca-colored skin and piercing dark eyes. Next to her, Bellah felt frumpy and fat.

  “Hello, Jaclynn.”

  Jaclynn raised an eyebrow. “Bellah.”

  And that was all she said as she walked away, her perfect hourglass figure swaying with each step she took. It was hard to look away from her heart-shaped derriere, even though Bellah didn’t swing that way.

  “You out there?” Dalton asked, calling out to her.

  Bellah turned and headed into his office. Even in his mid-forties, Dalton McCoy could give any younger man a run for his money. Tall, muscular, athletic, and his silver hair only added to his rugged good looks. Every time she saw him, butterflies erupted in her belly and she considered that a bonus working as his assistant.

  “What was that all about?” she asked.

  “You won’t believe this, but she accused you of printing porn.”

  Bellah blinked. “Excuse me?”

  Dalton chuckled. “That was the first thing I asked too.”

  “I assure you, I have never printed porn here or anywhere. Why would I do that?”

  He held up a hand. “I really wouldn’t have cared if you had. I’d just warn you to not do it when she’s around.”

  Annoyance flashed through Bellah. When Dalton’s old assistant retired, Jaclynn made it loud and clear she expected to be promoted. After all, she’d been with the company the longest. Yet it had been Bellah that Dalton had chosen, and promptly afterward, the rumor mill had started about how she’d gotten the job. Mainly on her knees and on her back, which was so ridiculous, it wasn’t even funny. Dalton McCoy tended to date blonde models, not a forty-year-old glorified secretary.

  “Did you watch last night’s game?” he asked.

  She shook her head. “I have it recorded, so no spoilers.”

  He chuckled. The only reason she could think of why he’d hired her was the simple fact that he had spotted her cell phone cover during her interview, which featured the St. Louis Cardinals logo. Both being fans of the baseball team, they’d talked about players and stats rather than what he was looking for in an assistant. The next day, she’d gotten the notice of her promotion. Sometimes, it paid to be a sports fan.

  “Well, head on home,” he said. “We have a long day tomorrow.”

  “But I have one more document—”

  He held up a hand. “No, seriously. I have a feeling this merger will be closed tomorrow so it’ll be a long night. Might as well enjoy the game and get a good night’s rest.”

  “Okay,” she said. “Goodnight, Dalton.”

  “Goodnight, Bellah.”

  ****

  Dalton couldn’t drag his gaze away from her retreating form. Damn, she was gorgeous. Bellah Denoon had been his secretary-slash-executive-assistant for almost a year now. She did everything from taking care of his schedule to making sure his clothes got to the dry cleaner, and even buying the occasional good-bye gift for his so-called girlfriends.

  He couldn’t recall the exact moment he’d become aware of her as more than an employee, but one day, he’d turned around, looked at her, and something had hit him between the eyes. His dick had gone rock hard, his mouth went dry, and the very vivid image of her naked beneath him had been so sharp and potent that he’d gone into his private bathroom and rubbed one out.

  He’d been jerking off with her in mind ever since. Lusting after his secretary, how clichéd was that?

  She hesitated on her way out, cocking her head at him. “Are you all right? Do you need me to stay?”

  “No,” he said, glad as fuck that he was sitting behind his desk. Otherwise, she’d get an eyeful of how easily she affected him. “I’ll be following behind you soon.”

  What else could he tell her? That he wanted to spread her out on his desk and fuck her until they both passed out from exhaustion? That he wanted to suck on her cunt until she creamed his face? That he had fantasies of bending her over his chair, holding her tits as he reamed her from behind?

  “Okay.” She hesitated, and he didn’t like the look on her face. “Should I be concerned about Jaclynn?”

  “Absolutely not,” he assured her. “I’m quite aware of her schemes and I’ve talked to HR. I either need documented proof she’s done something or enough disciplinary write-ups to justify firing her.”

  “Oh! I wouldn’t want anyone to lose their job because of me! I just don’t want people thinking I’m using work time to surf porn sites instead of doing my job.”

  “The only person you need to be concerned about is me, and I know you better. Don’t worry about Jaclynn.”

  She nodded, although the worried look didn’t completely fade away. “Okay. I’ll have those contracts for the Shepard Corporation on your desk first thing in the morning.”

  “Go Cards,” he murmured.

  He expected her to smile sweetly, turn, and walk to the elevators. But she didn’t move and something flared in her sky-blue eyes. Was that lust I saw? She took a deep breath, opened her mouth to say something, and then … it looked like she chickened out because she snapped her mouth back together and turned, hurrying away without another word.

  What had she been about to ask?

  And was that interest he saw in her eyes?

  He sat in his office for another minute, just contemplating what had just happened. Was it possible Bellah felt the s
ame for him? He’d always thought fraternization between employees only led to trouble, but if Bellah was interested in him, he would seriously have to reconsider that particular rule in the employee handbook.

  Perhaps he needed to suggest to something outside of work. Get her out of the office and into a more relaxed setting. He wouldn’t call it a date because that might spook her more, but tempt her with something she couldn’t resist.

  Chapter Two

  God, she was such a coward! How difficult was it to invite Dalton out for a drink? One drink. They could talk about baseball and the chances of the Cardinals getting to the World Series. Any excuse to have some non-office time with him. Would that be so wrong?

  Human Resources might think so.

  Driving home, she ran through a list of topics in her head, stuff she could talk to Dalton about that didn’t involve mergers or acquisitions. In the shower, she visualized how flirtatious she would be once he realized how witty she was in real life. And when she grabbed her romance novel to read herself to sleep, she couldn’t help but picture him in the hero role.

  The next morning, she stopped by the donut shop and picked up a dozen glazed and one Boston Cream, because that was Dalton’s favorite. When she arrived at the office and got on the elevator, the doors had almost closed when a hand shot out and stopped them. When they opened, Jaclynn stepped in and looked her up and down before hitting the button for her floor.

  “Good morning,” Bellah murmured.

  Jaclynn didn’t say anything, just turned to stare at the sealed doors.

  “Would you … like a donut?” Bellah asked. She held up the box of sugary treats.

  “Anyone who has a sit-down job shouldn’t be indulging in fattening foods,” Jaclynn said. “Case in point, I think you’ve gained a few pounds since joining the top boss’s office.”

  Bellah frowned and brought the box of donuts down to her side. “That was uncalled for.”

  Jaclynn smiled, although it never reached her eyes. “I’m only looking out for you, Bellah. Isn’t that what co-workers do for one another?”

  The elevator came to a stop and the doors slid open. As Jaclynn stepped onto her floor, Bellah pushed the button to hold it open longer.

  “Jaclynn.” Bellah took a deep breath. “Stop spreading lies about me. Stop going to Dalton with false allegations. Or I will go to HR and put in a harassment complaint against you.”

  She let go of the button and the door closed on Jaclynn’s angry face. If looks could kill, she’d be incinerated on the spot. Taking a deep breath, she had only a minute to calm her racing heart before she arrived on the twentieth floor. Dalton was already on the phone. After setting his donut on his desk, she placed the others in the break room before hurrying to start up her computer. She had no more time to contemplate the put-down she had handed to Jaclynn. The rest of the day flew by as the merger Dalton negotiated between two companies was finalized, ending months of hard work and determination. By eleven that night, the rest of the staff had gone home and Bellah sat barefoot and cross-legged on Dalton’s sofa with her laptop on the armrest as she sent off the final emails.

  An opened bottle of beer appeared in front of her. She looked up and saw Dalton holding it out to her. He held an identical one.

  “Congrats and thanks for a job well done,” he said.

  She took the beer and lightly clinked the neck against his. “Same.”

  He loosened his tie as he sprawled into his ergonomically sound chair. “Damn, I’m tired. I think we need a vacation.”

  “Are you going to say Disneyland? Like the football players say?”

  “Uh, no.” He took a long sip of his beer. “Not really my cup of tea. But I did have an idea last night.”

  “Oh, yeah?”

  “We should catch a baseball game.”

  She blinked. “Like at a bar? I know a good one across the Poplar Street Bridge—”

  “No, at the stadium. I’ve got a friend who has season tickets. He wouldn’t mind giving me two of them. Right behind home plate.”

  “Are you serious?” she asked, stunned. She’d been to games, of course, but always in the cheap nosebleed sections. “Down in front so we can see the players without binoculars?”

  He grinned. “It’s a whole different ballgame.”

  “Ba-da-bump!”

  She laughed and took a sip of her beer before setting it on the side table. She had to drive home in a little bit and didn’t want to be fuzzy-headed.

  “So is that a yes?”

  Bellah bit her lip. “I … I would love to. But—”

  “But I’m the boss?”

  She nodded and closed her laptop. “You know, that’s funny because I had been thinking of inviting you out to, you know. Hang.”

  Bellah’s heart thumped heavily in her chest as she locked gazes with Dalton’s. The air thickened, ripe with a palpable tension that arced between them, and she unconsciously licked her lips to wet their sudden dryness. He glanced at her mouth, and it excited her that a look of wanting descended over his face because it matched what she felt.

  Then his phone rang, breaking the spell between them, and she blinked herself out of a daze. Dalton turned and glared at it before picking up the handle.

  “Hello? What? Yes, yes. You’re welcome.”

  Bellah shook her head to clear the desire he induced, and stood. She needed to get out of there before she did something very foolish, like kiss her boss and try to seduce him. Once down that path, there was no going back, and she liked her job too much to risk it. After hurrying to her desk, she slipped her low-heel, sensible pumps back on before grabbing her purse from her desk.

  “You’re leaving?” Dalton asked from his doorway.

  “Um, yeah. It’s late. I should go.”

  “Yes, of course.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s the weekend so you can rest and relax. Thank you for working so hard these past few weeks.”

  “Until the next merger, right?”

  “Yep,” he said. “Goodnight, Bellah.”

  “Goodnight, Dalton.”

  The entire trip back down the elevator car, she beat herself up, replaying the moment when the sexual tension between them exploded. She’d always been attracted to her boss, but this was the first time she’d ever had a thought to act on it. But the repercussions of such a decision had her freezing. Bellah sighed dejectedly. She was such a coward.

  The elevator opened with a silent swish and she headed for her car. But just as she reached the driver side, a hand covered her mouth and an arm slid around her waist. It took a brief second for her brain to comprehend what was happening and when she realized she had no idea who was touching her, she panicked. Instead of struggling, her mind went terrifyingly blank. Body odor hit her so strongly it made her gag, and she had the brief impression the man behind her was tall, but everything else faded as her terrified mind struggled with the fact she was about to be hurt, or worse, and she fought even harder.

  Tears burst from her eyes as she tried frantically to remember what to do. She had to hurt him. Hurt him before he could hurt her. She needed to run. Hide. Get away! Bellah clawed at the hand over her mouth, raking her nails along her attacker’s skin as deep as she could. Still, he dragged her away from her car, toward the stairway. Why wasn’t anyone seeing this on camera? Where were the security guards? One of the heels on her shoes snapped as she tried to find any traction to keep from being pulled into the stairs. She ground the other heel into his foot and the attacker gave a grunt, so she did it again.

  “You’re a fighter,” he said in her ear, spittle landing on her cheek. “I like women who fight. I like to sink my big cock in your ass and ride you until you scream for me to stop.”

  His words horrified her. Then he licked the side of her face and bit her earlobe. Bellah yanked and pulled and then stuck her fingernail under his and pushed, and it was enough for him to let go of her mouth. Without a second thought, she screamed, loud and long, and the sound only invigora
ted her to fight more.

  A second later, the man abruptly let go of her and she fell to the concrete ground just as a big body flashed by her and jumped on her attacker. She didn’t know who it was or what was happening, but she crawled on her hands and knees, shaking, trying to find someplace to hide. Tears still poured down her cheeks and her teeth chattered. She heard the vague noise of someone on the phone. Then hands reached for her and she screamed again. No! No! Not again!

  “Bellah! It’s me, it’s Dalton! Please, sweetheart, open your eyes. Look at me.”

  The words slowly pierced her narrowed world and the blackness around her vision cleared as she blinked. Dalton crouched next to her. Concern and tenderness blazed in his green eyes as he held his hands out to her.

  “D-Dalton?” she asked, stuttering a little and when he nodded, she launched herself into his arms. She began crying anew. “Y-you came.”

  “Oh, sweetheart,” he murmured as he ran a hand over her hair in a soothing gesture, holding and squeezing her tightly. “I’m here. I’ve got you now. He can’t hurt you anymore, okay? Security has him.”

  They stayed like that until the police and an ambulance arrived only a few minutes later. Like she moved in a dream, Dalton led her over to them and people looked her over. Asked her questions she couldn’t comprehend. Medical personnel scraped under nails and swabbed her skin. She stayed quiet because she realized they were doing their job, but it was like she was in a fishbowl staring upward. Finally, Dalton came back from talking to the police and she locked her gaze on him.

  “She should go to the hospital,” said the female EMT.

  “No,” Bellah whispered.

  “Is she physically hurt?” Dalton asked. “Did he…”

  “There wasn’t a rape,” the woman replied gently. “But she’s in shock.”

  “I need to shower,” Bellah said again, wondering if they even heard her. “Please, Dalton.”