Rage Of Passion: Accidental Romance Book 1 (Contemporary Romance)

Chapter One

Eva did not want to
like Malcolm West.

For one thing, her
partner, Cheryl Barrington, would kill her if she found out Eva had the hots
for their new investor. Cheryl would go crazy if anything even came close to
jeopardizing the financial backing they needed for their PR consulting firm.

Eva and Cheryl had
been the top consultants in the company they used to work for. Not just
associates but also good friends, the two women suddenly decided to break off
and try at it themselves. It was a big and bold step for the two of them, but
by working hard together and focusing all of their passions into the new
company, they had managed to make it work. In just months they’d already
started making waves, signing on bigger and bigger clients with every new
success. Now that they were expanding, they needed more capital than what
either of them was ready to bring to the table.

After another
stroke of fortune, they’d managed to catch the eye of the enigmatic and
mega-rich financier, Malcolm West. The meet was set up and with Cheryl manning
the proposal and Eva handling the paperwork, it seemed the deal was almost in
the bag.

Malcolm West
assured them, during the meeting, that he was impressed with their progress in
the past several months since they’d started up. He looked through their
portfolio and seemed convinced they were on to bigger and better things. He let
them know that he only backed winners – and he knew a winning team when
he saw one.

Eva couldn’t help
wondering what else he knew when he looked at them – her especially.

Eva Borgia had
never had any doubts about her charms. At age twenty seven, she believed she
was in her sexual prime. Her successful career and good looks gave her the
confidence to seek pleasures where she could. And when it came to men, she had
a special kind of taste that was hardly ever achieved in just the right
quantity and quality she preferred. The men she managed to fall for always seemed
to lack
something.
But when she met
Malcolm West, she suddenly realized that here was one man who might just be
able to tick all the boxes.

He had the looks,
no question. She was all for the silent hunk types, the brooding, Byronic
hotties whose actions spoke louder than words. A man who said little, but
conveyed plenty. A man with a glance could make her feel like her panties had
caught fire. She took one look at him and suddenly; life took on a whole new
perspective.

His hair was darkly
blonde, with eyes like midnight stars: navy blue and sparkling. Lips so curvy
they looked sinful, and they were just about the only soft or gentle looking thing
about his face. His square-cut features would fit just right on any of those
high-flying gents magazines. He’d totally make his fortune as a male model if
he ever decided to give up his day job, thought Eva admiringly. Every feature
seemed in perfect symmetry…Chiseled, bronzed, flawless and dangerously pure.
His gorgeousness should be a crime, Eva felt. And when she walked in with her
partner Cheryl and came face to face with him, she had to glance at her partner
to see if Cheryl was affected the same way she was.

Being the one
elected to handle the “pitch”, it was no surprise to Eva that Cheryl remained
ever professional, shaking Malcolm West’s hand like he was just any other rich,
handsome and eye-catching investor-to-be. Cheryl’s smile was winning, her
attitude alluring yet professional.

Eva was a quivery,
sweaty, internally mushed-up mess.

Coming up right
behind Cheryl, Eva shook his hand and prayed he wouldn’t notice how damp it had
become. His grip felt strong, firm and smooth; very masculine. Sent a volt of
awareness up her arm so strong it made her catch her breath for a second as she
looked into his piercing blue gaze. She could swear she read something there
for a second but later told herself it was her overactive imagination.

How she managed to
play her part during the hour-long meeting was beyond her. She could hardly
take her eyes off the very edible – and beddable – vision that was
Malcolm West. She’d read up a lot about him when she’d heard he was interested
in their firm; she’d seen the pictures. But now that she’d met him in person,
she admitted that nothing had prepared her for the real thing. And none of the
photos or news features she’d read about him had done him justice.

He was, quite
simply, perfect. In every way. How he could be so all-round irresistible and
still act so collected and easy-going was beyond her. Men she’d met who didn’t
have even half his looks, persona and wealth were so stuck-up and pretentious they
assumed every woman they met had to be panting for them.

Malcolm West didn’t
seem to have such short-comings. In fact, Eva was certain he was totally
unaware the kind of effect he had on women. Despite her drooling and blubbering
her way through the whole meeting, Eva told herself he probably had no clue
about her alarming reaction to him.

Thankfully, Cheryl
saved the day with her ever-efficient dependability. The presentation seemed to
go well. Malcolm West looked just as impressed – perhaps even more so
– than he had been when they’d first walked in. Eva heaved an inner sigh
of relief and hoped that before too long, he’d be signed on and his mega-buck
backing would be theirs to appreciate.

Too bad that Eva
wanted more than just Malcolm West’s money to relish…

*

“I’m sorry I messed
up at the meeting,” Eva apologized as she joined Cheryl in the elevator taking
them down from Malcolm West’s offices.

“What do you mean?”
the petite redhead asked quizzically, turning to Eva in surprise. “You did
great. You made sure all the information I needed was on hand. I think it went
fabulously well.”

Eva heaved an
inward sigh of relief. If the faultlessly perceptive Cheryl hadn’t noticed
anything amiss, then chances were, neither had Malcolm West. Eva figured she
just might have managed to escape discovery, if just by the skin of her teeth.

An agreement had
yet to be signed, but Malcolm West had assured them that he’d simply need a short
time to run over certain legal and fiscal details and he’d let them know his
final decision. But judging by the way things went, Cheryl sounded confident
he’d be signing up with them soon.

“The best part
about having him on board is that he’s not looking to take on a controlling
interest,” Cheryl said with obvious relief as they headed out of the
ultra-modern building that housed the West Enterprises concerns. “And although
he seems like the type who’d require top performance at all times, he doesn’t
strike one as the type to make inordinate demands we wouldn’t wish to meet
– or what do you think?”

They were already
at their cars, and Eva couldn’t help thinking that if Malcolm West chose to
make any demands on
her
, she couldn’t
see herself not wishing to meet them. But she wasn’t thinking at all about work
and that was the problem…

“Oh, I think he’s
our best bet from all the oh…two other investors we have beating down our
door,” Eva said with mild humor. “He’s got the most promising offer so far and
I could just see myself working well with him.” Among other things, she thought
wickedly. But then pushed any idea of having anything to do with Malcolm West
aside. Cheryl would positively lay an egg, Eva knew, if her partner guessed the
designs Eva was secretly nursing regarding their would-be investor.

Not that it would
come to anything, Eva knew. They were just fantasies, nothing more. A girl
could dream, right? It wasn’t as if she was going to make it obvious to the man
or anything. No way she could let him discover that with just his voice, so
deep and mellifluous, he got her panties wet. The way he fit into his suit and
tie…his broad shoulders, lean hips and trim waist…She knew he was above thirty,
around thirty-five judging by his press bio. But he had the fit bod of a man
years younger. And when he gave one of those rare smiles, he showed just a hint
of dimples that could come to full, pussy-melting blast if he ever chose to
laugh. Eva couldn’t help wondering what his laugh would sound like. Probably as
sexy and thrilling as everything else to do with the man.

“I can’t wait to
have him on board, too. I think we’ll make a great team,” Cheryl was saying
hopefully. “It’s too damn bad that he’s such a hunk, though. It would be hard
staying focused with him being such a distraction and all. What, didn’t think I
noticed?” Cheryl added the last phrase with a grin when she saw Eva’s shocked
look.

“I’m not made of
marble, girl. The guy’s a walking sex bomb. But thankfully, I’ve heard enough
about him to know that not only is he way out of my league, but Mr. Malcolm
West also happens to have very, very dark tastes. That’s enough to make me know
I’ll be crazy to overstep my boundaries – so I won’t. Neither should
you,” Cheryl added wryly to the gaping Eva. “I saw how you were all a-dither
around him. Trust me, Eva, he’s not your type, either.”

Eva frowned,
pausing at the open door of her SUV. “What makes you say that? And what do you
mean, dark tastes?”

“Just how deep did
you dig when you were looking for background info on the man?” Cheryl asked in
a mild tone. “Obviously, you only scratched the surface. Eva, I made a point of
asking around from people that would know. Not that his sexual exploits have
anything to do with our business interests, but it pays to know about the many
facets of the man you intend entrusting the fate of a business to. Eva…Malcolm
West might seem like a really charming, even harmlessly gorgeous hunk, but
there’s more to him than meets the eye. Women who’ve had the privilege of
actually getting really close to the persona that is Mr. West have the wildest
tales to tell. When it comes to behind closed doors, his sexual tastes
are…unusual to say the least.”

“How unusual?” Eva
enquired, wondering why her throat was getting drier with interest and
anticipation. Just what could Cheryl be getting on about? Everyone had his or
her little quirks in the bedroom. Big deal. What could Mr. Sexy West be into
that could make Cheryl sound so ominous?

Cheryl paused, her
lips parting as if about to say more, but then she shook her head, saying
lightly, “I’m not really sure. But from what I heard, he’s left a few ex-lovers
with more than a broken heart. He’s a dangerous man, Eva. Let’s just focus on
relating to him on a strictly business level and I’m sure we’ll be fine.”

“Of course, my
sentiments exactly,” Eva said with equal ease of manner, even as her head
whirled with questions. They decided to go for lunch and drinks to round off
what had already been a somewhat stressful day. But as Eva drove behind
Cheryl’s car heading for their favorite restaurant, she couldn’t help thinking
about Cheryl’s words. Instead of warning Eva off, Cheryl had only managed to
whet Eva’s interest even more.

She’d known,
instinctively, that Malcolm West was not everything he seemed. It had burned in
his dark blue eyes and the few times she’d held his gaze, she’d felt a pull
that she only hoped was two-way. She could keep dreaming, or she could take
action the first chance she got. Either way, she was going to get no rest. Of
that, Eva was certain.

Chapter Two

There was something
about Eva Borgia that stirred Malcolm like no other woman had before.

He’d met some of
the sexiest and most beautiful women in the world. His money and lifestyle
brought him in contact with women with not just the looks, but the personality
and intelligence to keep a man like him interested. Maybe not for long, but for
long enough.