Seducing the Boss (The Pulse Series) (15 page)

He had just taken the first step toward her, deciding he couldn’t stand it anymore, when they announced the final thing up for auction. Suddenly he knew exactly what to do.

“The last item is one I’m sure we’ve all been tempted by tonight,” Dr. Rodriguez said. “You’re bidding on a twelve-day cruise for two around the Greek Islands. Mountain Proteins has donated this once-in-a-lifetime trip to the Mediterranean. So, let’s start the bidding at five hundred dollars.”

Kellan bided his time as hands rose and fell around the room, more than a few people interested in winning the trip.

As the bidding slowed, he stepped forward, ready to make his move. “Fifteen thousand dollars,” he called out loudly, his bid nearly double the previous one.

There were audible gasps as everyone turned to look at him, but he only had eyes for Sara.

She was shocked to find him still there. That much was obvious by her expression.

“On one condition,” Kellan added.

Dr. Rodriguez looked at Sara and then back to Kellan, asking, “There’s a condition to your bid?”

He nodded, walking closer to the podium. He didn’t stop until he was halfway across the dance floor.

“What is it?” Dr. Rodriguez asked.

“That Sara Connelly goes with me.”

The silence in the room deepened. It was as if everyone had stopped breathing. Kellan certainly had.

Sara continued to look at him, appearing slightly shell-shocked.

“I can’t agree to something like that,” Dr. Rodriguez said. The poor man looked as if he was watching a tennis match, his eyes racing from Kellan to Sara and back again, trying to figure out what was going on.

“Kellan,” Sara said, glancing around the room uncomfortably. “What are you doing?”

“I thought that was obvious. I want to go on a Mediterranean cruise with you. I think it would be a nice honeymoon.”

Sara’s eyes widened for a split second before narrowing with suspicion. He didn’t blame her for her doubts. She’d known him for too long, had heard him swear off marriage no less than a million times. “Honeymoon?”

There were quite a few expressions of surprise from the onlookers when Kellan went down to one knee right there in the middle of the ballroom and pulled a small box from the pocket of his tuxedo jacket.

Sara had gone still as a stone.

“Marry me, Sara.”

“I…” She blinked rapidly, and Kellan wondered if she was trying to determine if he was a hallucination or not.

“I’m in love with you, Scrubs. Completely. Irrevocably. I’m pretty sure I’ve loved you my whole life. I was just too much of an idiot to see it.” He gave her words back to her, wanting her to know that she wasn’t alone in her feelings.

“You are?” she whispered. He caught the slight sheen of tears in her eyes.

“What part are you questioning? The love, or the fact I’m an idiot.”

She giggled. “I already knew the idiot part.”

He laughed, taking no offense. “Of course I’m in love with you. How could any sane man not be in love with you? You’re beautiful, funny, compassionate, and sexy as hell. I know I’m a pain in the ass, Sara. I’m demanding, controlling, and stubborn. And I can’t promise you it’ll be easy, but I do promise to worship the ground you walk on every single day if you’ll do me the honor of becoming my wife.”

The room went painfully silent for several seconds. The only thing Kellan could hear was the pounding of his own heart.

Josh found a way to break the tension, his voice filling the room. “Don’t be too hasty, Sara. After all, I’m still available.”

Laughter erupted, including Sara’s.

“I’m afraid you’ll have to find another girl,” Sara said to Josh. “This one is taken.”

She raced into his arms. Kellan had risen and was waiting for her. He wrapped her in his embrace, determined to never let go of her again.

He had no idea how long they stood there, but it took a few minutes before Kellan realized the band was playing again and the dance floor was crowded with swaying couples, all smiling at them.

Sara was the first to step away. “You came here with a ring?”

“I’m so sorry for everything I said the last ti—”

She placed a finger over his lips to stop him. “Forgiven. For all of it.”

His mom had been right.

True love didn’t walk away in the face of mistakes. It forgave.

He took her hand away from his lips so that he could place the ring on her finger. He’d moved heaven and earth to find it today, knowing it had to be perfect.

“Oh, Kellan,” she whispered when he slid it onto her finger. “It’s beautiful.”

Cupping her cheeks, he lifted her face to his. “I love you, Sara. So much it hurts.”

“Lucky for you I’m a nurse.” She rose up on tiptoe and placed her lips against his. “I can kiss it all better.”

“There are a few places that are really aching right now.”

She laughed at his innuendo, then her face sobered slightly. “Are you sure about all of this?”

“Sara, I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life. And I’m a cocky son of a bitch who thinks he’s right about everything.”

“You’re right. You are. And you always said you were never getting married.”

“A very wise woman once told me I should never say never.”

“Very wise indeed.”

He took her hand. “I know we have a lot to talk about. I don’t blame you for your doubts. I’ve been an asshole.”

She shook her head. “No. You haven’t. I could have resisted an asshole. Instead, you were charming and sweet and romantic and funny, and you made it impossible for me not to fall in love with you.”

“Last week, at Score, what I said—”

“Was a mistake. But let’s face it, you’d nearly lost your dad, and you were dealing with some pretty serious demons from your past. You’re allowed to screw up when you’ve got that much crap falling on you.”

“I hurt you in the process.”

“I think you’ll find out I’m pretty resilient. We’re only human, Kellan. We’re both going to screw up from time to time over the next…” She paused, pure mischief in her eyes when she said, “Fifty or sixty years or so.”

Kellan recognized the test. And he passed with flying colors. “Expecting me to wince or run scared?”

She giggled. “Just making sure.”

“I want nothing less than eighty years with you.”

She feigned horror at the thought. “Let’s don’t get too carried away.”

He adored her. And wanted her. “Did I mention I booked a room upstairs?”

She rolled her eyes. “Pretty sure of yourself, weren’t you?”

“I prefer ‘optimistic.’ That, and the fact I wasn’t leaving here without you. Even if I had to kidnap you, tie you to the bed, and beg you until you said yes.”

Sara winked. “I like the sound of that. Can I take back my yes so we can try that version?”

He grasped her hand and pulled her toward the exit. “Done.”

She laughed, tugging free. “Wait. I need to grab my purse and…oh shit. Gabriel.”

Kellan reluctantly let her go to the table. He hung back, watching as she retrieved her things and spoke to Gabriel briefly before returning. Now that he knew she was leaving with him, some of the jealousy had faded. But not all of it.

“Everything okay?” he asked when she finally returned.

She nodded. “He’s a very—”

“Nice man,” he interjected, not bothering to veil the jealousy in his tone.

She grinned at his obvious envy. “And you’re the man I’m marrying.”

Kellan wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “As soon as humanly possible.”

She gave him an incredulous look. “I’m still struggling to believe this.”

They walked across the hotel lobby hand in hand. When the elevator doors closed behind them, and they were alone at last, Kellan turned and gave her the kiss he’d wanted to give her since she’d said yes. He pressed his lips against hers, forcing her mouth open for his tongue. Sara’s fingers gripped the lapels of his tuxedo tightly, holding him close. Wild horses couldn’t drag him away from her.

When the doors slid open, he hastily led her to the room as she giggled.

“In a hurry?”

He slid the key card into the slot. “I wasn’t kidding about those aches. Get ready to do a lot of kissing, Scrubs.”

As they entered the room, Kellan unknotted his bow tie and tugged it free. He lifted his jaw toward her. “Take off that dress. I need you naked and under me. Right now.”

Neither of them spoke as they quickly shed their clothing. And then, just like that, they came together. Kellan carried her to the bed and placed her in the center. He wasted no time kneeling over her.

“I know I promised to tie you up…”

“Next time,” she said as she parted her legs, silently beckoning him to take her. “Can’t wait.”

He knew the feeling. Though they’d only been apart a couple of weeks, it felt as if eons had passed since he’d been inside her. Unable to hold back a second longer, he placed his cock at the opening to her body and slid to the hilt in one hard, passionate thrust. Sara’s inner muscles fluttered against him. It wouldn’t take either of them long to reach the peak. Typically he tried for more finesse, more foreplay, a couple orgasms for her, and multiple positions. This time, he managed none of it. Missionary had never seemed so fucking hot. He thrust in, not bothering to restrain himself. Sara, as always, responded to his roughness, to his uncontrollable need to take her hard and fast.

Her nails scored his back as she tightened her legs around his waist. Within minutes, she was screaming with her orgasm and taking Kellan down with her.

Kellan called her name as he came. “God, Sara. I want you pregnant with my baby.”

Her laughter was breathless as she struggled to recover. “Can we do the wedding thing first?”

“Honeymoon baby. Get off the birth control now.”

She ran her fingers along his cheek affectionately. “Remind me to teach you how to ask for things properly.”

“I warned you. Pain in the ass.”

“Yeah,” she said as she kissed him gently. “You did.”

“You want kids, right?”

“So much.”

He placed his forehead against hers. He was still buried deep inside her, neither of them in a hurry to part. “Move in with me. Tomorrow.”

“Try again.”

Kellan sucked in a deep breath. “Move in with me tomorrow?” The raised inflection at the end barely made it a question, but she seemed willing to let that slide.

“On one condition.”

“Anything,” he said without hesitation.

“I want the kidnapping. And the bondage. And the begging. Now.”

Epilogue

“Let’s raise our glass in a toast to Sara. She did the impossible when she put a ball and chain around Kellan’s ankle.”

Everyone laughed and took a sip of champagne. Their friends and families had joined them at the courthouse earlier as she and Kellan exchanged their “I dos.” Kellan hadn’t been joking when he’d insisted on a quick wedding. He had only issued his proposal to her at the Gala a week and a half earlier. Since then, she’d somehow managed to move all her things out of her place and into his, and they had spent every single night together doing wicked, unspeakable, wonderful things to each other.

“I tell you, Josh, marriage is the only way to go.” Kellan slapped his friend on the back as Sara rolled her eyes at his complete and exaggerated about face.

Josh never missed a beat. “You’ve been married exactly”—he glanced at his watch—“four hours, thirty-two minutes, and eighteen seconds. Report back to me in a couple years and let me know if you still feel the same.”

Kellan’s hand was resting on the back of her chair. He ran his fingers through her hair as she studied his far-too-pleased face. “I promise you. I will feel exactly the same.”

He was responding to Josh, but she understood that his words were meant for her.

“So will I,” she whispered.

As dinner wound down, the dessert and coffee consumed, everyone said their good-byes. Kellan and Sara were the last to leave the restaurant. It was late, and only a handful of cars remained in the parking lot, probably those belonging to the wait staff.

Sara gave Kellan a funny look when, instead of opening the passenger door of her Kia for her he opened the back one. “What’s up?”

“You and I have some unfinished business, Mrs. James.”

“We do?”

“Yep.” It was all he said, but she knew exactly what he considered unsatisfied.

“I told you,” she started. “We already—”

“No,” he interrupted. “I told you, fooling around in the ladies’ room at Score didn’t count as sex in public, and neither did hooking up on my desk at work.”

She took one last look around the parking lot and laughed. Why the hell was she fighting him on this? She wanted it as much as he did.

She climbed into the backseat, and then turned to face him, crooking her finger in invitation.

“Never let it be said that I left anything unfinished.”

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A New York Times and USA TODAY bestseller, Mari Carr writes contemporary erotic romance novels.

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