Mergers and Acquisitions

Mergers and Acquisitions ♥ Nessa L. Warin

THE first box was twenty inches square and fifteen high. Jackson Connor measured it—twice—before slitting the tape with a kitchen knife and slowly pulling back the brown cardboard flaps to peer curiously inside. From the outside, the box didn’t look big enough to hold one thousand finepoint markers, but there they were: twenty-eight tightly nested cylinders of thin plastic with thirty-six markers standing vertically in each. Jackson counted them three times and peeled back the cellophane tape on one of the cylinders to count the markers inside. Sure enough, there were thirty-six inside the thin, hard plastic, giving him one thousand and eight markers total. He’d cleaned out three shelves in the hall closet, sure he’d need every inch of it, and they’d barely take one. The markers were still out on the table when Dale came home, dropped his briefcase and laptop bag on one of the wooden chairs surrounding the table, and pressed a kiss to the back of Jackson’s neck just above the collar of his black T-shirt. “That’s… a lot of markers,” he commented in a muffled voice, his lips moving against Jackson’s shoulder, his five o’clock stubble rough against Jackson’s olive skin. “Not as many as I thought it would be. At least,” Jackson clarified, running a hand through ear-length brown curls and gesturing with a tanned arm to the containers

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Mergers and Acquisitions ♥ Nessa L. Warin scattered across the table, “it doesn’t look like as many as I thought it would be.” Dale’s gaze flicked over the table again, his lean face drawn into a frown. “It’s a lot of markers, Jackson.” “I know.” He shrugged as he wrapped his arms around Dale’s narrow waist and leaned his chin on Dale’s shoulder. “I just thought they’d take up more room, is all. They don’t look like they’ll last for more than an event or two.” “I think they’ll last a little longer than that,” Dale replied, his shoulders shaking with laughter. “I hope so.” Jackson found petulant hard to do when his lover was turning in his arms and kissing his cheek. “Trust me.” Dale turned them so Jackson’s back was to the table and leaned in, his lips against Jackson’s ear. “They ought,” he started in that voice that went straight to Jackson’s groin, “to last,” his tongue flicked out, caressed the shell of Jackson’s ear, “at least,” his fingers slid under the waistband of Jackson’s jeans, “three or four.” He stepped back, leaving Jackson gaping. “Ass.” Jackson lightly swung an open hand but missed when Dale dodged. “You’ll pay for that.” The amused expression on Dale’s face showed exactly how likely he thought that to be, but he said nothing as he pulled a bookmarked paperback out of his briefcase and set it on the edge of the counter next to his keys. An envelope

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Mergers and Acquisitions ♥ Nessa L. Warin came out next, joining the book. Jackson grabbed his lover’s arm before it could reach into the leather case again. “You're still thinking about work,” he growled as he pulled Dale away from the offending bags. “I’m unpacking so I can relax!” The protest of innocence fell on deaf ears. “No. More. Work,” Jackson stated forcefully, emphasizing each word with a kiss. “You’re all mine tonight.” “I am?” Dale was adorable when his eyebrows crept up like that, arching into his spiked red-blond hair in a way that made Jackson’s knees go weak. “Yes.” Jackson kissed his lover again. “You are. We’re just going to ignore these....” He grabbed the laptop bag and briefcase and carried them into the study. “And these,” he added when he returned, sweeping the markers off the table and onto the floor, “and just be us. No fans, no clients, no phone calls… just us.” “Just us?” Blue eyes twinkled mischievously with the all-too-innocent sounding question. Jackson nodded and grinned. “Do you have a problem with that, love?” “Not at all. I was just wondering what precisely you planned to do with it being just us.” “Well,” Jackson began, sliding his arms under Dale’s navy suit jacket, “I thought we’d start by getting you out of

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Mergers and Acquisitions ♥ Nessa L. Warin that uncomfortable business attire.” He slid his hands up Dale’s torso and eased the jacket off, letting the expensive material slide down Dale’s arms and fall unhindered by either man to the floor. “Then,” Jackson continued as he untied Dale’s navy tie and slid it from around his neck, “I thought we could see what other uses we could find for some of it. I’m sure this,” he held up the tie, the silk sliding easily between his fingers, “could be put to better use.” “It could, could it?” The wicked gleam in Dale’s eyes belied the innocent expression on his face. “Oh yes. Much better uses.” Jackson tossed the tie onto his shoulder for safekeeping and started slipping the buttons of Dale’s pale blue oxford-style shirt through their holes. The last button popped free, and Jackson pushed the shirt to join the jacket on the floor. The soft material fluttered down, catching on Dale’s wrists until Jackson slid his hands down muscled arms and pushed the cuffs over Dale’s hands. His fingers were caught as he tried to slide his hands back over the tanned flesh. “Stop teasing,” Dale growled, his rough, low voice going straight to Jackson’s groin. “I’m not.” Jackson leaned in and caught Dale’s earlobe briefly between his teeth before whispering, “I have every intention of following through.” “Do you now? Really?”

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Mergers and Acquisitions ♥ Nessa L. Warin There was something in Dale’s voice that Jackson should have noticed, but his dick was overriding the logical part of his brain, and he just nodded. “Really. If you let me have my hands—” “I don’t think so. It’s my turn tonight.” Before Jackson could process that, both he and the tie were on Dale’s shoulders, the secure fireman’s carry leaving him unable to break free. Well, if that was how Dale wanted it, Jackson was happy to play along.

THE second box was five inches bigger on each side, though still fifteen inches high, and contained a lot of crinkled paper stuffed in as extra padding to keep the marker containers from sliding around. It was delivered on a Saturday morning, and Jackson discovered it just after lunch when he stepped outside to bring in the mail. Dale was in the study checking something for work on one of the computers, and Jackson took the long way around, creeping along the well-manicured lawn to the back door so he wouldn’t have to carry the box past the study. The wooden shelves looked much fuller after Jackson added the second twenty-eight packages and rearranged things to use all three shelves instead of just two. He’d only gone through a half a pack so far—there wasn’t really a practical way to take more markers than that with him when

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Mergers and Acquisitions ♥ Nessa L. Warin he had an event—but he still felt much better looking at the marker-filled shelves. No more last minute trips to the office supply store. “Are they really that interesting? I don’t understand the fascination.” Dale slid his arms around Jackson’s waist, rested his chin on Jackson’s shoulder, and regarded the markers curiously. “You weren’t supposed to notice.” It took a lot to embarrass Jackson, but Dale’s wry amusement at his collection of autograph markers made his cheeks burn and his ears tingle. “The packaging is all over the kitchen table. It’s not exactly subtle.” Now Jackson’s cheeks were going nuclear. He looked down and shook his head. “I carried the damn thing around the house so you wouldn’t see me take it past the office, and then I left the box out in plain view. It’s a good thing I wasn’t planning a surprise for you.” “You’re cute when you try to be subtle, but we both know you’d never manage a surprise without help.” Jackson turned and looped his arms over Dale’s shoulders. “I could so! If I really wanted to.” The protest sounded weak and petulant even to his own ears, so he backed it up with a smoldering look and a come-hither grin that was practically guaranteed to distract his lover.

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Mergers and Acquisitions ♥ Nessa L. Warin It worked—sort of. Dale growled low in his throat and pushed Jackson back against the shelves, kissing him hard enough to leave Jackson breathless. When they broke apart, there was a wicked gleam in Dale’s pale blue eyes. “You are so bad at subtle, you might as well broadcast your efforts on the local news.” “Do you think they’d air the story?” “Brat. Who would be interested in watching it?” Dale stepped back, pulling Jackson out of the supply closet and into the wide hallway. “You.” “They don’t air stories only one person is interested in. It’s not good for ratings.” “My fans, then. I have plenty.” Jackson stuck his tongue out at Dale as he passed, heading toward the kitchen and the incriminating packing material on the table. “The girls who keep taking your markers, you mean? I think they just want free office supplies.” “You’re just jealous!” “Oh yes!” Dale pressed a hand to his heart as he joined Jackson in the kitchen. “Can I please, please have swarms of teenage girls who scream every time they see me and make me spend a small fortune on markers so they don’t leave my movie premieres without something I touched?”

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Mergers and Acquisitions ♥ Nessa L. Warin He looked so ridiculous leaning against the granite counter that Jackson couldn’t help but laugh. “They’re not all teenagers. And they don’t just take my markers either, you know. They buy tickets to my movies, support the causes I believe in, give the studios a reason to hire me—” “Take your markers—” “Yeah, yeah. What am I going to do?” Jackson held up his hands in a helpless gesture. “Let them bring their own pens?” He could. They all seemed to have pens that they clutched tightly and waved in the air as they tried to get their favorite celebrity’s attention, but he enjoyed letting them think they’d tricked him into handing over one of his own markers. “It keeps me from having to sign in purple sparkles or pink gel. Plus,” he added with a wicked grin, “they like mine better.” “Then maybe,” Dale caught Jackson’s wrist and pulled him close. “Then maybe you should think about investing in the marker company.” The low tones of Dale’s voice sent a shiver down Jackson’s spine. “Only you could make investing sound so sexy,” he teased, sliding his hands up Dale’s arms to wrap them around his lover’s neck again as he pressed their bodies close together. “That’s us. Matterdon and McCaw. We make investing sexy.”

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Mergers and Acquisitions ♥ Nessa L. Warin “Eewww.” Jackson dramatically exaggerated the shudder that sped through his body. “Don’t say things like that! I do not want to think about George McCaw and sexy! You’ve just ruined my mood for tonight!” Dale’s business partner, while an extremely good financial advisor, was paunch-jawed with liver-spotted skin, a comb-over, and a belly that made a walrus look skinny. Dale was the public face of the firm for good reason. Warm hands slid under the hem of Jackson’s shirt. “I’m sure that I can fix that for you,” Dale said, his breath warm on Jackson’s neck. “I don’t know, Dale.” He kept his tone light and teasing even as his body melted under Dale’s touch. “The idea of a naked George McCaw is enough to turn anyone off.” “When I’m done you won’t even remember George’s name, much less that your crazy brain tried to picture him naked,” Dale growled, thumbing the button of Jackson’s black jeans open. He should have protested the crazy brain remark, but Jackson’s ability to think coherently was fleeing rapidly as Dale’s hand slid under Jackson’s boxers and… Oh. The crazy part might have been wrong, but Dale was dead right about everything else.

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Mergers and Acquisitions ♥ Nessa L. Warin THE third box was made of thick plastic, closed with a flap that secured using a hook and loop fastener, was imprinted with the logo of Dale’s firm, and contained several booklets. Dale dropped it on the table in front of Jackson when he came home from work the next Tuesday, prompting Jackson to set aside the script he was reading, raise an eyebrow, and turn the box over several times, wondering why it had been given to him. “Um, thank you?” Dale chuckled as he slipped out of his suit jacket and hung it over the back of the chair, taking care that there were no wrinkles or creases. “Do you even know what that is?” he asked as he sat, resting his elbows on the table and his chin on his hands, eyeing Jackson curiously. Well, not exactly, but Jackson wasn’t just going to admit that. “A plastic box?” Dale rolled his eyes. “I meant what’s in the box, Jackson.” “Booklets?” Jackson teased as he pulled the box open and slid the contents out. The top booklet read TeckMark Mid-Cap Growth Fund B Prospectus. The next was a small cap value fund, the third a money market fund, the fourth a high yield bond fund, and so on. “They’re prospectuses,” Jackson announced as he finished scanning the covers and stacked the booklets to return them to the box. The slick covers slid against each other, making it difficult to line the books up properly. “Why are you giving me prospectuses? They’re not exactly exciting reading material, you know.” He barely managed to flip through the reports he got for his

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Mergers and Acquisitions ♥ Nessa L. Warin current investments. The idea of looking at them for funds he hadn’t invested in was laughable. “Well, since you so eloquently told me the other day you could handle your own investments, I thought I’d bring home a little light reading to get you started.” Dale’s eyes twinkled and his lips twitched as he tried to keep a straight face. Jackson snorted and pushed the poly-box towards Dale. “I believe what I said was that I wasn’t going to run out and invest in a company because my lover suggested I do so during foreplay.” “That wasn’t foreplay.” “Your hand was sliding under my pants!” “That doesn’t mean it was bad advice.” “And I didn’t say I wasn’t going to take it.” Jackson leaned in, putting his chin on his hands, mimicking Dale’s pose. “I said I would think about it and look into it. I asked Peter to check them out this morning.” He flashed his tongue at Dale and sat back with a satisfied smirk. Dale leaned closer, his hand sliding across the table towards Jackson’s. “I suppose I should be glad you took my advice at all.” “I always take your advice.” “Not officially.” Dale stood, and for a moment Jackson thought he was upset by the idea of him getting financial advice elsewhere. He’d been using Peter since before he met

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Mergers and Acquisitions ♥ Nessa L. Warin Dale, and it was occasionally a sore point between them. He was ready to apologize and call Dale back when arms wrapped around his neck and warm lips pressed against his ear. “It’s bad for my reputation that you don’t use me.” “Oh yes.” Jackson grinned and caught Dale’s hands so the other man couldn’t pull away. “It’s headline news, you know. Dale Matterdon, financial advisor to the stars, is jilted as lover gets financial advice elsewhere. No one is going to come to your firm again. You’ll be left trading on nothing but your looks!” He grinned as he tipped his head back for a kiss. Dale obliged. “You’re a brat, you know that?” “But you love me anyway, right?” “Lord help me, I do. But,” Dale continued, his expression mock-stern, “if we ever let your adoring public know about us, you’re going to have to switch over to my firm.” “Wouldn’t that be a conflict of interest or something?” “Not at all.” Dale slid his hands down Jackson’s torso and cupped his groin, flicking at the buttons of Jackson’s pants. “It’s in my best interest to make sure that your fortunes are always, ah, rising.” The jeans popped open, and a warm hand slid inside, rubbing against already engorged flesh. And then he was gone, across the room before Jackson could blink, leaving Jackson with a raging hard-on and two options to relieve it. “Rising fortunes, my ass,” he muttered,

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Mergers and Acquisitions ♥ Nessa L. Warin letting the jeans slide down his muscular legs to the tile floor and stepping out of them as he stalked off after his errant lover. “I’ll show him rising fortunes.”

THE fourth box was still wrapped in cellophane and adamantly resisted every attempt Jackson made at opening it. His fingernails wouldn’t puncture the slick material, there was no exposed edge for the clippers to grab, and his pocket knife was in the pocket of the jeans he’d left on the kitchen floor. He was not going back to the kitchen, not when he had Dale naked and aroused, handcuffed to the bed, and blindfolded with the silk tie Jackson had appropriated the day he got the first box of markers. “Jackson?” Scratch that. He had Dale naked, aroused, handcuffed, blindfolded, and calling his name. The kitchen was absolutely out of the question. The bathroom was too far away. Maybe there was something in the bedroom that would puncture the wrapping. He dropped the clippers, letting them hit the sink with a clatter, only just remembering to hold onto the box of condoms as he followed his dick back to the bed. “Impatient, are we?” he asked in a husky voice as he dropped the box onto the nightstand and climbed over Dale, positioning

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Mergers and Acquisitions ♥ Nessa L. Warin himself between spread legs and resting one hand lightly on his lover’s flat stomach. “Always.” Strictly speaking, that was only true in the bedroom. Dale was the soul of patience in every other area of his life, and Jackson quite liked it that way. The ability to make Dale come completely undone was exhilarating. “I suppose I’ll have to do something about that,” Jackson teased, sliding both hands up Dale’s torso as he stretched out over his lover, rubbing their cocks together. “Please.” Dale’s desperate tone was impossible to resist. Jackson tangled his fingers in Dale’s hair, pulling his head forward to bring their lips together in a brutal kiss. Dale’s legs wrapped around Jackson as they rubbed their groins together, moaning into each other’s mouths, Dale straining against the handcuffs. “So good,” Jackson whispered before deepening the kiss, his tongue delving into Dale’s mouth, exploring the familiar crannies as he lost himself in Dale’s spicy taste. Jackson’s fingers slid over the silk tie as he pulled back, leaving a trail of kisses on Dale’s neck and chest as he inched backward, his hands sliding down ahead of his mouth to stroke Dale’s thigh. “Jackson….” It was a desperate plea Jackson was happy to answer. With a sly grin, he slid down further and ran his tongue

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Mergers and Acquisitions ♥ Nessa L. Warin along the length of Dale’s penis, closing his eyes as he savored the salty taste of Dale’s skin. Dale gasped, arching his back and rattling the handcuffs against the headboard as he thrust forward, pleading for more. “Is that what you wanted?” Jackson slid his lips over the end of Dale’s cock, sucking it into his mouth as he swirled his tongue over the moist tip. He was answered with a moan that sent shivers down his spine and had his own cock springing to attention. God, he loved the way Dale sounded in bed. If he had to pick only one sound to hear for the rest of his life, that would be it. He sucked harder, sliding down and then pulling back, lightly scraping his teeth along engorged flesh and eliciting another moan from his lover. Scrap only hearing Dale moan for the rest of his life; if he did, he’d spend it with a raging hard-on. He’d have to find a new career or make a different kind of films. On the other hand, there were worse ways he could spend his twilight years. “Jackson….” Dale thrust upward, pushing himself deeper into Jackson’s mouth. “Please….” “Please what?” He knew precisely what Dale wanted, but he loved hearing Dale beg almost as much as he loved hearing Dale moan and fall apart. “Don’t tease.”

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Mergers and Acquisitions ♥ Nessa L. Warin “I’m not.” With a wicked grin, Jackson lowered his head again, taking Dale all the way into the back of his throat. He hummed and licked, carefully bringing Dale closer and closer to the edge. His hands stroked and teased, brushing over Dale’s balls and slipping down between his legs to ghost over Dale’s entrance. He slowly slid one finger inside, curled it, and nearly came himself as Dale gasped, arching his back and yanking at the handcuffs. “Oh God, Jackson, please!” Jackson crawled up Dale’s body and captured his lips in a deep, bruising kiss that left both of them panting. “Please what?” The handcuffs rattled again. “Stop with the foreplay and fuck me.” The tone in Dale’s voice left no doubt in Jackson’s mind that had Dale not been handcuffed, Jackson would now be the one on his back. It was a tempting thought, but he had plans for his lover, and they didn’t involve freeing him just yet. “Patience,” he whispered, sliding down again, tracing the thin line of soft hair down Dale’s torso with a trail of wet kisses. His tongue found Dale’s belly button at the same time his fingers found Dale’s entrance, and the combined assault produced the loveliest sounds in Dale’s throat. Listening to Dale come undone definitely topped Jackson’s list of favorite things, though he had to leave it off every time a reporter asked the question. It wasn’t the sort of thing

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Mergers and Acquisitions ♥ Nessa L. Warin teenage girls could read about, nor was it the sort of thing he wanted to share with the world at large. “Oh God, Jackson….” Dale broke off into a moan as Jackson spread his fingers, curling them to hit Dale in just that spot as he was stretched. “So close… going to come.” Jackson was too. He kissed his way back up Dale’s torso, fumbling blindly for supplies. His questing fingers found the lube and then encountered the cool smoothness of the still-wrapped condom box. “Fuck!” he cursed as he pulled the drawer open and began rummaging desperately for a free condom. There had to be one that had fallen out of the old box and slid to the back of the drawer or gotten buried under something. He pulled out pens, bookmarks, and reading glasses. The back of the drawer held old receipts which were flung away to flutter to the ground, more pens, and several business cards, but no condoms. As he frantically rummaged, he encountered just about everything anyone could want in a bedside drawer with the painful exception of a foil-wrapped packet. Still cursing, Jackson climbed off Dale. He’d have to run to the kitchen and get his knife after all. In the morning, he was writing a letter to the condom manufacturer complaining about the cellophane and suggesting easy-open boxes for their desperate customers. “Hold that thought,” he told Dale, stroking his hand along Dale’s length as he turned to go, his cock bobbing in front of him. “I’ll be right back.”

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Mergers and Acquisitions ♥ Nessa L. Warin Handcuffs clattered as Dale tried to sit up. “Where are you going?” “The fucking condom box won’t open. I’m going to the kitchen to get a knife.” “Don’t.” Jackson stopped cold, his erection softening as horrible scenarios ran through his mind. “What?” “Don’t go. Let’s not use one.” Jackson sat on the edge of the bed and pulled the tie from Dale’s eyes. “Say that again.” “Let’s not use one.” “Are you sure?” They’d tossed the idea around before, but somehow when it came time, they always used protection. It was a habit more than anything at this point, but one that was hard to break even when they were presented with the perfect opportunity. Dale’s gaze was clear and steady as he looked Jackson in the eyes. “Absolutely.” “Then let’s do this right.” Jackson unlocked the handcuffs and gently rubbed Dale’s wrists after he set the cuffs aside. “As much as I enjoy having you helpless under me, I don’t want us tied up in anything but each other right now.” Dale’s response was a searing kiss that quickly answered the question of how long it would take for them to

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Mergers and Acquisitions ♥ Nessa L. Warin become fully aroused again. Jackson reciprocated, his hands sliding from Dale’s wrists to his torso, caressing and stroking even as Dale’s arms wrapped around him, doing the same. They moved together, slowly at first, but with increasing intensity and desire, exploring the familiar planes of each other’s bodies as though they were new territory to conquer. The sheets tangled beneath them as they gasped and moaned, touching familiar spots in new ways. As Jackson positioned himself to push into Dale’s body, he caught Dale’s lips in a deep kiss, his fingers tangling in Dale’s hair as he thrust forward, pushing unsheathed flesh into his lover for the first time. Dale was tight and hot, and Jackson lost the ability to tell which moans of pleasure came from whom. He stayed still for a moment, letting Dale adjust, and then angled slightly and began the slow dance of ultimate pleasure. He kept his fingers tangled in Dale’s hair as Dale slid his hand between them, grabbing the erection pressing into Jackson’s abdomen and moving his hand in time with Jackson’s thrusts. Fingers scraped Jackson’s back as he moved, thrusting harder and faster as he got nearer to the edge. “So close,” he whispered into Dale’s shoulder as he nipped at the tanned flesh. “So, so close.” Dale made a sound that was probably agreement, and then Jackson was falling, spilling into Dale and calling out his name as Dale’s muscles clenched around him and Dale’s seed splattered onto his abdomen.

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Mergers and Acquisitions ♥ Nessa L. Warin After he pulled free, Jackson collapsed forward, spent, and lightly kissed the underside of Dale’s chin. “Love you,” he said as he relaxed, too content to worry about the sticky mess between them. He’d be perfectly happy to be stuck to Dale forever. “Love you too.” Dale rolled them over, kissed Jackson’s forehead, and vanished for a moment. He returned with a damp cloth that he wiped over Jackson’s groin and lower abdomen before tossing it into the clothes hamper. “Much better,” he commented as he climbed back into bed, pulling Jackson into his arms. “Mmmm, yes.” Jackson had to admit that it was, though he would have been happy the other way as well. “That’s why I love you,” he murmured sleepily. “You clean up so well.” Dale chuckled and pulled the covers over them. “Is that the only reason?” “No. I’ll tell you the rest of them later.” “I don’t know if I should let you. The way you ramble, we might be here forever.” “Funny.” Jackson swatted lightly at Dale’s shoulder, but his heart wasn’t in the gesture. Forever still sounded just about right.

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Mergers and Acquisitions ♥ Nessa L. Warin THE fifth box was about two inches square, covered in black velvet, and presented between the entrée and dessert courses of a tiki-torch-lit dinner out on their deck. Dale had risen, mumbling something in a soft voice about getting dessert, and returned with two plates of chocolate mousse, which he’d slid onto the round, glass table he’d cleared before he headed inside. Jackson had picked up his fork, ready to savor the delectable dessert, but Dale had stopped him, taking his hand and turning the chair away from the table so they were facing each other. That was when Dale had pulled out the box, slipping it from the pocket of the lightweight black pullover he wore as he dropped to one knee, still holding onto Jackson’s hand. There was a moment of tense silence as Dale licked his lips and Jackson stared, wide-eyed, at the hinged velvet box, wondering if it held what he thought it did. “Dale?” he asked softly as the moment dragged on. “Sorry.” Dale looked down, his cheeks turning a delightful shade of pink, the flush creeping up to his ears. “I forgot what I was going to say. I guess I’ll just wing it.” He flipped open the box to reveal a thin platinum band and looked up, catching Jackson’s eyes with his own. “Will you marry me?” Jackson released the breath he’d been holding, the air forced from his lungs by the butterflies that took up sudden residence in his stomach. “I don’t get a speech?” Somehow, his voice came out steady despite the lump in his throat.

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Mergers and Acquisitions ♥ Nessa L. Warin “I had one,” Dale admitted, looking down at their joined hands, “but I forgot it. I should have written it down.” He looked around slowly, his eyes focusing on everything other than Jackson. “I can re-write it,” he said, finally meeting Jackson’s gaze again. “Or make up the parts I can’t remember, if you want. Give me just a minute.” “I don’t want.” Jackson took his free hand and placed it on top of Dale’s. “I would love to marry you, even without a proposal speech. Just don’t forget your vows when the time comes,” he teased, his mouth wide and his eyes sparkling as he thought of new and delightful ways he could torment his lover. Dale spluttered with half-hearted indignation as he pulled the ring from the box and slid it onto Jackson’s finger. “I would never forget my vows!” “Right.” Jackson leaned forward and brushed his lips over Dale’s, grinning when he pulled back. “You would never forget anything important like that.” Dale had the grace to blush and mumble something about note cards and prompts before sliding his hand into Jackson’s hair and capturing his lips in a deep kiss that made Jackson’s toes curl and drove all thoughts of further teasing from his mind. “You realize,” Dale said as they broke apart, “that this means you’ll have to move your investments to my firm.”

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Mergers and Acquisitions ♥ Nessa L. Warin “You want me to break up with Peter?” Jackson put a hand over his heart and reeled back in the chair in mockhorror. “I don’t know how he’ll take that.” “He’ll survive.” Dale lifted Jackson’s left hand and kissed the knuckle just above the platinum band. “But if we’re going to be married,” he kissed again, this time on the back of Jackson’s hand, “you ought to let me acquire your portfolio,” he kissed Jackson’s wrist, “so we can merge our assets.” Jackson caught Dale under the chin with two fingers and guided his face up so their lips met. “I’ll have to call Peter in the morning and give him the news.” “You will. But now….” Dale kissed Jackson deeply again, his tongue slipping between Jackson’s lips in a gentle caress. Jackson leaned into it, moaning contentedly in the back of his throat as his tongue entwined with Dale’s. He was gasping as they broke apart and desperate for more. “God, Dale.” “Shall we eat?” Dale asked, gesturing to the mousse that had completely slipped from Jackson’s mind. “Um, yeah.” Jackson wasn’t sure he could properly appreciate dessert at the moment, but it would be a shame to let the delectable-looking mousse—his favorite dessert—go to waste. He picked up his fork as Dale moved around the table and refilled their glasses with the last of the bottle of Oregonian Pinot Noir.

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Mergers and Acquisitions ♥ Nessa L. Warin The mousse was rich and delectable; melting on Jackson’s tongue as he slowly slid the fork from his mouth, savoring each bit. The sip of wine that followed was excellent, the semi-sweet, fruity flavor complementing the chocolate perfectly, bringing out the rich undertones in both the wine and the mousse. The next bite of mousse was even better, and Jackson sighed and closed his eyes as he rolled the rich, bittersweet chocolate around on his tongue, letting it interact with the aftertaste of the wine. “That,” he said, taking another sip of the Pinot and happily sighing once more, “is like sex on a plate.” “Oh?” Dale’s eyebrows crept upwards, but Jackson was too engrossed in the delectable combination of dark chocolate and red wine to consider the significance. “Absolutely,” he replied, closing his eyes again as he slid another bite of the mousse into his mouth. “I think this is the best dessert I’ve ever had.” Dale’s hand slid across the table to stop Jackson from taking another sip of the wine. “I bet I could make it better,” he said, his eyes twinkling, A slow smile spread across Jackson’s face as he followed Dale’s gaze to their bedroom window. “Really?” Dale’s smile grew to match Jackson’s. “Really. Would you like me to show you?”

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Mergers and Acquisitions ♥ Nessa L. Warin “Please.” Jackson stood, and before he could take a step, he was in Dale’s arms, being kissed deeply. “Mmmm.” Dale was right, there was something better than good wine and good chocolate. “Chocolate mousse, Pinot Noir, and the man I’m going to marry. That is the perfect dessert.” “Would you like more?” “Yes.” It was a taste he’d never get enough of. He picked up the mousse and handed the wine to Dale. “Please.” Amazingly, they made it all the way to the bedroom without spilling a thing.

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Mergers and Acquisitions ♥ Nessa L. Warin

NESSA L. WARIN lives in southwestern Ohio and enjoys reading, wine tastings, and watching fantasy movies and television. She also participates in role playing events and can be found running around in costume during at least one Renaissance festival and one fantasy convention a year. When she's not playing, Nessa works in the corporate office of a large life insurance company coordinating the production and mailing of marketing materials. She shares her home with a cat that enjoys getting in the way when she's trying to write and owns far more books than she really has room to keep.

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Mergers and Acquisitions ♥ Nessa L. Warin

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Mergers and Acquisitions ♥ Nessa L. Warin

Mergers and Acquisitions ©Copyright Nessa L. Warin, 2009 Published by Dreamspinner Press 4760 Preston Road Suite 244-149 Frisco, TX 75034 http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/ This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the authors’ imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental. Cover Design by Mara McKennen This book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is illegal and a violation of International Copyright Law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction, fines and/or imprisonment. This eBook cannot be legally loaned or given to others. No part of this eBook can be shared or reproduced without the express permission of the publisher. To request permission and all other inquiries, contact Dreamspinner Press at: 4760 Preston Road, Suite 244-149, Frisco, TX 75034 http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/ Released in the United States of America June, 2009

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