A Taste of Passion ; Ambitious Seduction Read online

  A TASTE OF PASSION

  The exquisite night Maya North spends with a seductive stranger is the perfect prelude to her new life in Paris as co-owner of a French vineyard. Until she discovers that her mystery lover is her new business partner, Nicolas Rayo—and he’s trying to buy her out. That’s when the LA corporate consultant decides it’s war—even if her heart says Nic’s the one...

  AMBITIOUS SEDUCTION

  Heir to his family’s international empire, Leonardo Astacio chose to make his name in the legal arena. Now he’s up for a partnership and must work with his competition, ambitious attorney Kamilla Gordon, to win their firm a deep-pocketed client. In Aspen, the simmering attraction they’ve been fighting boils over. But when they uncover corruption that reaches to the highest levels, can passionate rivals become lovers for life?

  Chloe Blake

  and

  Nana Prah

  A Taste of Passion & Ambitious Seduction

  Table of Contents

  A Taste of Passion by Chloe Blake

  Ambitious Seduction by Nana Prah

  Excerpt from Pleasure at Midnight by Pamela Yaye

  A Taste of Passion

  Chloe Blake

  “Nic, this is Maya Belcourt, I mean North.”

  “Um, hello.” Maya extended her hand, her gaze roaming over him, remembering him towering naked over her. Her voice cracked. “So nice to finally meet you.”

  “Enchanté.” Nic’s grin slid to a dull slant as he accepted her handshake and tried to keep his face neutral. “So glad to finally put a name to a face. I am so sorry about your father.”

  She couldn’t speak. “That’s very kind.”

  They stared, shaking hands slowly, the air between them sizzling. The lawyer fell silent.

  “Have you two met before?”

  “No,” they said in unison, breaking from each other’s grip.

  Maya sat back down and focused on her coffee, trying to ignore the fact that she’d slept with her business partner.

  That it was the best sex she’d ever had.

  That she was hyperaware of his every movement as he sat next to her and fixed himself a plate of food.

  That he smelled amazing.

  “Patron, Chef wants to know if you need anything else,” a server said to Nic. Nic shook his head, then glanced at Maya. Her French was sparse, but she knew that word.

  He was the owner of the hotel.

  Chloe Blake can be found dreaming up stories while she is traveling the world or just sitting on her couch in Brooklyn, New York. When she is not writing sexy novels, she is at the newest wine bar, taking random online classes, binge-watching Netflix or searching for her next adventure. Readers can find out more about Chloe and her books from her website at www.chloeblakebooks.com.

  Books by Chloe Blake

  Harlequin Kimani Romance

  A Taste of Desire

  A Taste of Pleasure

  A Taste of Passion

  Visit the Author Profile page at Harlequin.com for more titles.

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  Acknowledgments

  Many thanks to my agent Christine Witthohn, the Kimani team, my writing group and the friends and family who keep me sane.

  Dear Reader,

  Welcome to Paris—the city of love! Or in Nicolas Rayo and Maya North’s case, loss. A sudden death has thrown these two for a loop. Not only are they reluctant business partners, their unrelenting attraction for each other runs deeper than they realize.

  Maya thinks she doesn’t want her father’s vineyard, but she can’t let it go. Or is it Nic that she can’t let go? Nic’s plans for the vineyard don’t involve a partner, but he finds himself craving more of Maya, in and out of the bedroom.

  But there is more than just passion bringing Nic and Maya together. Both have felt the loss of a parent and it’s that hole in their hearts that drives them further and further into each other’s arms.

  Some say love heals all wounds. I agree. Have you found that to be true? Drop by chloeblakebooks.com and let me know.

  Chloe Blake

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 1

  Maya North waved her key fob over the lock of her apartment door and heard the latch pop just as an arm snaked around her waist and twisted her into a hard kiss. She melted into him a little, liking the surprise display of affection, wondering if tonight should be the night that they finally made love.

  “I had a really nice time tonight,” he said, sliding his lips to the corners of her mouth and down her neck. Her gaze darted to both ends of the hallway, curious if her neighbors were at their peepholes. She and Rick had been seeing each other for several weeks, sometimes twice a week, prompting her married neighbors, Chris and Christopher, to show up at her door one night with a bottle of wine and their French bulldog Shania in hand, saying in unison, “Girl, you sent him away again? What are you waiting for?”

  Honestly, she didn’t know. A spark? Was there such a thing? She and Rick had a lot in common. They were both business consultants, both born and raised in California, both liked Archer and Star Wars and had an ongoing debate on whether Harrison Ford’s character in Blade Runner was a replicant. Of course he was! Yes, Maya was a sci-fi nerd—a nerd with a thing for designer bags, but still—and she thought she’d found a kindred spirit in Rick.

  They’d both had one too many when she literally bumped into him at a consulting conference in Florida, sending him stumbling into the indoor koi pond at the hotel. She’d given him her card, promising to pay for ruining his custom Italian shoes. Realizing they were both vice presidents at rival Los Angeles consulting firms, he’d reached out to have drinks instead.

  But her gut told her it wouldn’t last. Their chemistry was off, like now, when he could have held her hand at the restaurant or taken her in his arms during the car ride home. She understood an aversion to PDA, but he really only touched her when no one was around. And living in LA, people were always around.

  “I did, too,” she said, feeling the hardness of his bicep under his crisp suit. God, she loved a good suit. Gently, she pulled back, stopping him when he began to push open her door with their bodies. “But I have an early flight in the morning.” It was true, but not really the reason she was ending the night.

  He looked disappointed, almost angry. And the twist in her stomach reminded her of the other reason she was hesitant. He might be a closet jerk. Pretty on the outside, rotten on the inside. It was the way he talked to waiters, dismissed his associate who had still been at the office when he called her during dinner, and sometimes made Maya feel like her lack of knowledge of certain subjects was inexcusable.

  “It’s a Dechamps. Can you taste the floral note in the finish?”

  Maya had looked at the stately wine bottle with its gold
lettering, then taken a sip. She’d tilted her head. “Mmm. Not really. But I like it.” Rick had shoved his nose in the glass again and was swishing the liquid around and around dramatically when he jerked his head up. His brow had cocked, making Maya feel she had just given the teacher the wrong answer. She shrugged. “I’m more of a beer girl.” Rick’s eyes had widened. Thankfully, they had been interrupted by the appetizers.

  “An early flight,” he said on a sigh, pulling his hands from her body. He straightened and she took him in again, wondering if she was making a mistake. It had been a long time since she’d felt the weight of a man, and there were nights when her body seemed to be torturing her to just “go get some.” She wished she could be that girl sometimes, like tonight, when Rick looked strong and very capable of giving her some. “Maybe it’s best. I have a job interview in the morning.”

  “Leaving the firm?” she said neutrally on an inner sigh of relief.

  “Maybe. A new opportunity popped up.” He kissed her again, his hands on her face and in her hair. That was another thing: she’d gotten highlights a week before, turning her dark hair into a dynamic display of caramel-colored waves. He hadn’t noticed.

  Not completely immune to his kiss, the lower half of her pulsed, and she imagined her inner self jumping up and down and shooting flares into the air for some much-needed attention. Should she just go for it? There was a supplicant look in his eye, and on impulse, she shoved open her door with her shoulder and raised her hand to invite him in.

  “Don’t women like you do this all the time?”

  Her head jerked. Which did she address first? Women like her or do this all the time? She went with the latter. “Do what?”

  “Random sex.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “You’re single, successful and obviously averse to getting married—”

  “What?” Maya’s voice rang down the hall. “I’m not averse to marriage. Why would you say that?”

  “Look, I’m not judging. I’m a feminist, too.” Maya’s head snapped back, but he continued. “You can’t hold a career like yours and have a husband and kids.”

  “Yes, I damn well can,” she said. She thought of her other neighbors, who were both doctors with two kids. The bags under their eyes were permanent, but they made it work. “Where is this coming from?”

  “You’re holding out because you think it will make me come back for more or respect you or whatever, but I’m telling you now that we aren’t on track for marriage. My wife isn’t going to have a career. But we could be on track for casual sex, which fits into your lifestyle.”

  She was floored, and struggled to put thoughts and words together.

  “Wow, Rick, you’re more of an idiot than I thought you were.”

  “You’re not getting my—”

  “Oh, I get it.” Her gaze flicked across the hall, where Chris and Christopher’s door was almost imperceptibly ajar. “You think I’m following ‘the rules’ or some kind of mantrap etiquette. No, I just don’t want to sleep with you. You’re not good enough for this random sex chick, so lose my number and have a good night.”

  She slammed the door in his face, then listened for the elevator doors to close. Insistent banging followed. She opened the door, knowing exactly who it was.

  There stood Chris and Christopher in fuzzy slippers with Shania and a bottle of rosé. Crying was not Maya’s thing, but one tear did slide down her cheek.

  * * *

  Two months later, Maya whizzed her Range Rover off the 405 highway, turned up the music when Britney came on the station and swerved to a screeching halt in front of her office building.

  She sang aloud, gyrating in her seat as she turned the car off and kept the radio on. She just wanted to savor the moment. First the phone call last night from the CEO to come in a little early for a meeting, then the zero traffic, and now Britney was on the radio? It was a sign that today was her day. She could tell by Dave’s voice that he had good news, that he’d taken their meeting from over a month ago to heart.

  As lead consultant for their largest client, SuperFoods, she saw potential for a combined consumer goods division, taking all of their applicable clients and assigning them specialized attention from a larger team under one chief—her.

  She’d provided Dave with a PowerPoint presentation of her ten years of achievements, a ladder plan on how to grow the business and why he should promote her to executive vice president of consumer goods. Having such an amazing work distraction right now would be great, since her search for a significant other had stalled after her last online dating disaster, Rick, and she’d been gun-shy about tapping that app again.

  Whatever. She couldn’t think about it now. Now she was going to go into the office and become a boss. The trophy husband could come later. She readjusted the rearview mirror and relined her lips: Boss Red.

  Oops, I did it again. I got that promotion. “Hi Chrissy!” She waved to her colleague’s associate account exec as she strode by her car. I’m gonna be your boss. Mhmm, mhmm.

  Maya got out of her car and brushed wrinkles from her pants, then she plopped her Jimmy Choos to the asphalt and slipped them on, noticing an obnoxious red Lamborghini a few spaces away. Maybe she should get a red Range Rover: Boss Red.

  She was still humming when she plopped her things in her office and knocked on Dave’s closed office door.

  “Come in,” Maya heard through the mahogany. With a smile, she turned the knob.

  “Good morning, Dave.” Her smile faltered. Dave was sitting at his desk, while a light-haired man sat across from him. “Oh, sorry. I thought you said come in.” The man was staring at her and recognition flashed in Maya’s mind. Rick? The jerk she’d dated just months ago. Rick the di—

  “Don’t be shy. Have a seat.” Dave smiled. “I want you to meet someone. This is Richard Shade. Rick, this is Maya. She’s the one who came up with the idea to consolidate the division. SuperFoods is our best client because of her. I want you two to really make this division soar.”

  “It’s great to meet you, Maya.” Rick kept it neutral as they shook hands, but his gaze held a sickening glint.

  “And you, Rick.” She tried to keep the sneer from her voice and focus on what the hell was going on. She turned to Dave. “I’m sorry. I don’t understand. How are we working together?”

  “Rick is going to head the division as executive vice president...” Her ears actually shut down. As did her facial functions. But she was blinking. A lot. “He’ll be accompanying you on your trip to New York next week so you can introduce him to SuperFoods.”

  Several responses flickered in her mind. In the first, she let out a string of curse words with her middle fingers up in the air. In the next, she puked all over Rick and his shiny shoes. Another had her screaming at the top of her lungs, running down the hall and bashing Rick’s car with a baseball bat.

  “Oh. That sounds great,” she managed, nodding like an idiot. “Well, I should get back to work. Welcome aboard, Rick!” she said too loudly, with a plastic smile.

  Somehow the hallway to her office stretched a million miles.

  “Maya? You okay? He just told you, didn’t he?” Dave’s executive assistant, Carol, stood with a concerned look on her face. Carol was like the office mother. She knew everything and she took care of the employees, acting as confidante and guide. But, at the end of the day, she worked for Dave.

  “You knew about this and didn’t tell me?”

  She looked stricken. “It happened quicker than you think. He considered you, Maya. He did.”

  “I know that guy, Carol. I dated him!” She frowned.

  Carol’s brows rose. “That’s not Rick the d—”

  “In the flesh.”

  “Oh, no. The one who—”

  “Yep.” Maya turned toward her office, wondering how her life had gone from Boss Red to shit brown in
twenty minutes.

  To make matters worse, Rick stood in her office thirty minutes later offering her a gourmet cup full of shit-brown coffee he’d ordered on his expense account. There for a minute, and he’d already been set up with an expense account? She wanted to throw it in his face. Instead, she smiled and reached for the cup.

  “Thank you.”

  “No problem. They are still setting up my laptop, so I thought it would be a good time to talk. You look well.”

  “Thank you.” Her record needle was stuck. When she stayed silent, he lowered his lids and leaned forward.

  “Look, I know we didn’t part well, but I want you to know it’s water under the bridge. I really liked your presentation.” God help her. “Great ideas. I mean, the ladder plan was aggressive and there is no way you can hit those numbers in a year—” She wished she had an electrocute button attached to his chair. “—but with some tweaks I made, Dave is totally on board. I’ll email you a copy. We can do this. Together.” Maya sipped her coffee, praying she was dreaming.

  He looked at his watch. “Well, I have a breakfast with the chiefs. We’ll touch base before New York.”

  “Thank you,” Maya gritted out as he sauntered out of the office. She sipped her coffee, annoyed that he remembered how she took it. One sugar, no cream. She should hand in her two weeks’ notice. She should get up and walk out. She should—

  “Hey, Maya, this package was delivered to the legal department, but I think it’s for you.” Jen, the head of their legal team, slapped the package on Maya’s desk with a thud. It looked like it weighed a hundred pounds, was stamped like it had been around the world twice and was torn open at the top. “I didn’t mean to read it,” she apologized.

  “What is it?”

  Jen hesitated, and Maya gave her friend a confused look. They had both started at the company around the same time, which had led to them being friends outside of work as well. “Some of it is in French, but from what I could make out, I think it’s an inheritance.” Maya’s mouth turned down as she reached for the package and pulled out reams of paper with tiny writing. It definitely looked legal. “I—I think someone died,” Jen stammered.