Owned By Fate by Tessa Bailey Page B

Is that what’s going on here?”
    He’d anticipated her assumption, but it still rankled. They may have only spent a too-brief time together, but he hadn’t imagined what had passed between them. Enough for her to know he wasn’t a bastard, at the very least. Instead of denying it outright, he decided to hear how she’d arrived at that conclusion. “Blackmailed?”
    “I write a favorable article, depicting Serve as a fine, upstanding pillar of the community. Maybe even vote for your friend’s merger. Or else you’ll tell everyone what I…what we …” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “What we did in that room. It’s the only explanation for you being here a mere three days later with Young Michael Douglas.” She stomped her foot. “Damn. I have to stop doing that.”
    “You really do. He’s more of an aging David Duchovny.”
    “Huh. Maybe.” Caroline tilted her head, as if considering his observation, before snapping back to reality. “So, am I right? Because if I am, you’re wasting your time. I’ve already decided to vote against the merger, and my article will be unbiased. Not even the threat of public humiliation can sway my integrity or change my mind.”
    “Really? You didn’t seem so sure of your decision in the meeting.” For a split second, distress blanketed her expression. Jonah was surprised to find himself taking an involuntary step forward. When he realized what he’d done, he stopped abruptly. “Or was that just for Oliver’s benefit?”
    Caroline’s expression closed off. “Please stop trying to figure me out.”
    “You make that exceedingly difficult, Caroline.”
    Their eyes stayed locked together for a heavy moment. She broke away first. “So what’s with the newsboy cap? What are you, like, the Jaunty Dom?”
    His mouth edged up. “I don’t usually get up this early. I had bedhead going on.”
    A laugh escaped her. “You never say what I think you’re going to say. I hate that.”
    “No.” Jonah couldn’t stop himself from moving closer. “You love it.”
    She shook her head and leaned back farther onto the desk to keep the distance between them. “And licorice. Why the hell do you always smell like licorice?”
    He kept coming. “Who’s trying to figure whom out now?”
    “Answer the question.”
    Jonah nodded toward the journalism degree from Columbia framed above her desk. “Top of your class, I’m guessing?” She merely smiled, but her expression faltered when he took that final step forward, bringing their bodies within an inch, where he could feel the heat of her through his clothes, just enough to make him hard. Jonah’s hand came up, and Caroline’s lips parted on a quick inhale. With a smirk, he changed direction and reached into his jacket to extricate his ever-present pack of Red Vines. “I order in bulk.”
    She bit her lip, amusement lighting her eyes. The desire to kiss her stormed through him, but she sobered so rapidly, he forced himself to hold back. “Are you blackmailing me or not, Jonah?”
    Hearing Caroline whisper his name dulled his senses momentarily, but he struggled back to the surface. “Christ, no, I’m not blackmailing you. Is it so difficult to believe I’d want to see you again?” He leaned in close, loving the way her chin tilted up on cue. “I’m a proud man, sweetheart. Yet I came here today knowing you’d like nothing better than to forget we ever met. Can you imagine how fucking badly I’d have to want you in order to do that?”
    He watched her process that, analyzing him the entire time. “Badly.”
    “Correct.” Jonah tossed the Red Vines onto her desk and planted his fists on either side of her. He made a pleased sound when he pressed against her and found her pliant, as if her body knew its master, even if she wasn’t ready to admit it. “Badly enough to return to that same room twice, by myself, and fuck my own hand to the memory.”
    Caroline sucked in a breath. “That does sound bad.”
    “I