Passionate Proposals. Andrea Laurence

life to be some of the wealthiest and most successful businessmen in Chicago. Carson was painfully aware that he wasn’t from a good family. That he was a bastard, unclaimed by his father. He already had a daily battle shoring up his feelings of self-worth and adequacy.

      What he didn’t need was a woman ditching him for a man who had all the things he lacked. For a while he’d wondered if he’d ever be enough. He had a ton of money, but not enough for Candy. He was very successful, but not successful enough for his father to be proud and step forward to claim his son. No matter how hard he worked, it never seemed like enough.

      He’d hoped he could be enough for Georgia. A lot had changed since his engagement—he was wiser, older and even more successful. And yet it felt the same. Would it be that much worse if Georgia ditched him for his own father?

      “You wanted to speak with me?”

      Carson turned to find Georgia at the threshold. “Yes. Please come in. Shut the door and have a seat.”

      Georgia narrowed her gaze at him for a moment before complying. “Is this about yesterday?” she asked, sitting down.

      Carson took a seat behind his desk and sighed. “Maybe. I had a discussion with Graham this morning that wasn’t very encouraging, but I’d like to hear your version of events.”

      “It’s not a version of events. Graham has no idea what he walked in on.”

      “What did he walk in on?” After the way his brother described it, he wasn’t entirely sure he wanted to hear it from her own lips. The thought of her getting involved with his father was enough to make him want to punch a hole through his office wall.

      “Nothing more than a little corporate espionage.”

      Carson’s brow shot up. “What?”

      “Listen,” Georgia said, sitting forward in her seat. “With everything going on between Newport Corporation and Elite Industries, I decided it was a good idea to keep the lines of communication open. If Sutton thought I was still considering his offer, I might be able to get some information from him that could help you. There’s nothing more to it than that.”

      Carson breathed a deep sigh of relief. He hadn’t realized he’d been holding his breath for so long. He tried to suppress the doubts in his mind that Candy had left behind. There was no real reason to doubt Georgia. He needed to at least try to hear her out and see if he could trust her. “Really?”

      Georgia got up from her seat. She rounded his desk and settled into his lap. She ran her fingers through his hair and looked down at him with her pale gray eyes. “Yes, really. Would you like to know what I’ve found out so far?”

      She already had information? That was faster than he expected. At the same time, the weight of her firm, round behind in his lap was sending his thoughts in another direction. He settled for resting a hand on her bare knee and stroking her soft skin. “Sure, tell me.”

      “Well, first I secured a large donation from Elite for the children’s hospital. Sutton will be having a check sent over by courier this week.”

      Carson couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face. He wrapped his arms around Georgia and pulled her soft body tight against his own. She was an amazing woman, and for some reason, she wanted to be with him. “Really?”

      “Yep. I don’t think his pride will let him donate less than seven figures so he can always have top billing on the list of corporate sponsors. I also have some interesting personal information about Sutton that you and your brothers might need to know.”

      Personal information? “Like what?” he asked.

      “Graham wasn’t there long enough to notice this, but I was. I think Sutton is sick.”

      “Sick? That old bastard is too mean to get sick. The germs are repelled by him.”

      Georgia didn’t smile at his joke. “I’m serious, Carson. I’m not talking about him having a cold here. He was coughing up blood. He’s lost weight. He looks terrible. He does a good job trying to hide it, but I really think something is wrong with him.”

      If what she said was true, it wasn’t public knowledge. The failing health of the King of Chicago would start wild speculation. Who would take over Elite Industries? Who were the beneficiaries of his will? How many of his mistresses would show up at the funeral?

      Ideally, those paternity-test results would come through quickly. They were running short on time if Graham and Brooks were dead set on getting their piece of the Winchester pie. Sooner was better than later. If they were Sutton’s children, pushing their way into the will once he announced he was ill would look really bad. While Carson didn’t care much for appearances, the last thing he wanted was for people to think he was a ruthless chip off the old block.

      That was just his luck, though. He’d gone over thirty years wondering who his father was. Within days of finding a solid candidate, the man got sick. If Georgia was right and this was a serious illness, just how long would he have with dear ol’ Dad before he died? Not long enough, although Carson doubted they’d have a touching, father-son bonding moment even if Sutton lived for another decade.

      “Carson? Are you okay?” Georgia asked.

      He realized he hadn’t responded to her revelations. “I’m fine. I guess I was trying to think through what all that would mean for us. Do you really think he’s seriously ill?”

      Georgia shrugged. “I’m no doctor, but he looked bad to me. This wasn’t the flu or a passing stomach bug. Whatever has hit him, has hit him hard and taken a physical toll quickly.”

      “Well, the man does have a reputation for hard living. Perhaps it’s catching up with him.”

      Georgia studied his face for a moment, and then ran her finger along his jaw. “Are you still mad at me for going over to meet with Sutton?”

      “No, I’m not mad. I’m actually pleased by your underhandedness.”

      “Do you want me to stop going over there?”

      Carson considered her question. He should say yes, but she was right. There was valuable information to be had. “No. Keep visiting him if you think it’s useful and you feel comfortable around him. Just be careful. That guy can’t be trusted.”

      “I think he’s more talk than action these days, but I promise to tell you if I go back. But you know you don’t have to worry about me leaving you for him, right? It doesn’t matter what he offers. I’m not going to run off with Winchester.”

      She looked at Carson with her big gray eyes and he had no choice but to believe her. She wasn’t Candy and despite what Graham thought he saw, nothing was happening with Sutton. If she’d wanted to leave him for the old man, she would’ve done it when he first offered the job. Instead she was here, sitting in Carson’s lap, telling him she wasn’t going anywhere. That was the sexiest thing she could’ve said to him.

      “I’d like to think so,” he said, “but we’ve only been together a little less than two weeks. We’re hardly serious enough for me to start making demands on you.”

      “You can make a few demands,” she said coyly. “I like a man who’s in charge. At least in the bedroom.”

      Georgia shifted on his lap, and all thoughts of his potential father’s potential illness vanished. He wanted to hike up the hem of her skirt, brush his fingertips across her bare thighs and take her on his desk. The fantasy played out so vividly in his mind that he had to squirm uncomfortably beneath her to avoid his building arousal pressing inappropriately into her. He was breaking a pretty sensible rule by having a relationship with one of his employees. He wasn’t going to compound the problem and blur the lines by making love to Georgia here.

      Instead he palmed the curve of her rear end through her pencil skirt and gave her a wicked look. “Is it time to go home yet?”

      She smiled and looked at his desk clock. “It’s