He didn’t bother replying. The answer was obvious enough. He’d do whatever he needed to in order to ensure the survival of his company. It’s what he’d been trained to do practically from the cradle. The Reid name could not die with him. The empire couldn’t crumble under his care. His life, and the lives of his family, had always been given in service to Reid Enterprises.
You call that a good test score? The neighbor’s kid could have done better, and he’s a child.
His father’s voice echoed through his thoughts. An unwelcome reminder of where he’d come from.
He clenched his teeth, the only outward sign of his memories. Weaknesses had never been tolerated in his family. It was even less acceptable in his business. Hadn’t both his parents taught him that?
If Caitlyn becomes a problem, I’ll do what I have to do.
What he’d been trained to do.
And no pretty pair of bottomless green eyes would stop him.
“I might not want to come up against you in the boardroom, but a bar is a completely different matter,” Spencer said, looking at the conference schedule on his phone. “There’s a few events on tonight. Tell me you won’t be working.”
Shaking off his dark thoughts, he allowed a small smile to twist his lips. “I might have some time.”
“Gotta check with your boss first? Oh wait.”
“Ha-ha, very funny. Fine. I’ll take the evening off. Where are we going?”
“The bigger the better, my friend. One thing these retreats do right is the free-flowing liquor and the stressed-out professionals looking for a little respite. Just wait. We’ll find you someone to take your mind off the redhead.”
“I’m in.”
Too bad he didn’t believe for a second erasing Caitlyn from his thoughts would be a simple task.
…
“This place is a madhouse,” Shireen said as they entered the bar.
Caitlyn glanced around the sea of business suits and ties. Looked like everyone at the conference had decided to blow off some steam tonight.
She ran a hand down her cerulean-blue dress, wishing she’d opted to stay in her suit instead. While there was nothing wrong with the breezy fabric that accented her curves, she would have felt more confident wearing her usual corporate armor.
“I thought this was a casual thing?”
Shireen shrugged. “Darling, you look amazing. All you’re going to have to do is snap your fingers and you’ll have men at your feet.”
“I think we live very different lives.”
Her friend waved the words away. “Let’s get a few drinks in you and see what happens then.”
Together, they shouldered their way to the bar and joined the throng of people trying to get the single bartender’s attention.
We might be here awhile.
Then again, what was the alternative? If she wasn’t here, she’d be holed up in her hotel room with some room service and a laptop.
Everyone needs a break every now and then.
She could afford a night off.
By her side, Shireen waved a hand in the air, hoping to speed up their service.
Content to watch the scene unfold, Caitlyn stepped back to give her friend room to work her charms. Escaping down the bar, she found a less crowded spot to wait for Shireen.
“Let me guess. You’re a cosmo kind of girl?”
The words tickled her ear as she stiffened. She knew that voice even if she wished she didn’t.
Turning, she leaned one arm against the bar nonchalantly. “Actually, I enjoy a nice whiskey.”
Damien rewarded her with a small smile. “Aren’t you just full of surprises.”
“And you? I’m betting you’re all about the appletinis.”
“Matches my reputation,” he agreed, moving toward the bar. Before her eyes, he signaled the bartender with a wave of a fifty and had service in a second.
“A scotch and a whiskey. Straight up. Top-shelf,” he said, handing over the bill.
“You’re not used to waiting on anything, are you?” she asked, watching the bartender race for the scotch bottle.
“No,” he said. “Not in my nature. I doubt it’s in yours, either.”
He has a point.
Their drinks appeared before them seconds later.
“Cheers,” she said, not about to squabble over the free drink. The man had given her more migraines that she could count. Alcohol was the least he owed her.
“What should we toast to?” he asked.
“Taking down giants?”
“How about to friendly competition.”
“I’m not sure that word applies to us.”
“Competition?”
“Friendly.”
His smile grew as he clinked his glass to hers. “Fair enough.”
She took a small sip of her drink, closing her eyes at the smooth, dark liquor coating her tongue. She felt the tension in her shoulders ease as the fiery liquid burned down her throat.
When she opened her eyes, Damien was watching her with an inscrutable expression.
“Long day,” she said in explanation.
“I’ll drink to that.” But when he took his first sip, his gaze never left hers.
A shiver ran down her spine, one she refused to acknowledge or show.
It’s like playing with a wolf.
Beautiful, until it ripped you to shreds.
“Is this part of your plan to get back at me? Because I have to say, excellent liquor was not the way I anticipated that going.”
“Maybe I’m just warming up.”
“I’m sure your Machiavellian mind will come up with something more fitting.”
“Should I be flattered?”
She took another sip. “I might not like you, but that doesn’t mean I don’t respect how you run your business.”
“That’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”
“Don’t get used to it.”
His lips twitched. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”
Humor bubbled within her, and she pushed it down. She couldn’t be enjoying his company.
Could she?
Don’t drop your guard. You know you can never trust him.
No, but it didn’t mean she couldn’t enjoy a few stolen moments away from reality.
“I didn’t think you’d deign to come to events like this,” she said as they enjoyed their drinks.
“Why?”
“I thought billionaires would be all about helicopter tours of the city and elite clubs the rest of us could never get into.”
“My helicopter is in the shop.”
She rolled her eyes.
“Is that the chip on your shoulder?” he asked, moving closer to be heard in the crowd. “That I have a bank account the Brookses don’t?”
“I’ve had to work for everything I’ve earned,” she replied.
“And I haven’t?”
She snorted. “No one got me into a fancy school or paid my way through life.”
“Brooks Corp isn’t exactly on the brink of bankruptcy.”
“You know what I mean.”
His eyes narrowed. “All right. I’ll double my last offer to buy you out. Right here, right now. You can take the money and pay the way of your future children. Hell, you can pay the way for anyone you damn well please if you take my check.”
The breath stilled in her lungs. The price he was talking about had enough zeros involved to make her pause.
But her father had never wanted to sell. For him, it hadn’t ever been about the money but about the science. He’d wanted to find new ways of making better medicine that could be sold more affordably. How many times had he told her everyone deserved the right to a healthy, happy life? If she took this deal, everything he’d fought to develop, the drugs he’d brought to market, would all disappear into the conglomerate of Reid Enterprises.
The good her father had tried to do would be erased in an instant.
Damien watched her like a hawk before sh
aking his head. “You won’t take it, will you?”
“This isn’t about money.”
“Apparently not. It might be about stubbornness, though.”
“If I was a man, you’d call me determined.”
“If you were a man, a great many things would be different between us.”
And just like that, his billions and her company became secondary to their conversation.
Her fingers tightened around her glass as she refused to look away from the unreadable expression on his face. She’d stared down her fair share of businessmen, but this felt different.
More exposing. Less predictable.
“Such as?” she dared him, lifting her chin.
A ghost of a smile touched his lips.
“Playing with fire tonight, Caitlyn?”
“I don’t run from a fight. I told you that before.”
“No,” he agreed. “It’s not in you to retreat. Even when you should.”
“Says you.”
He didn’t reply, choosing instead to swallow the last of his drink while he watched her.
She tried to ignore how her heart rate sped up under his scrutiny.
I won’t let him unsettle me.
Even if it seemed to be his favorite pastime.
Lowering his drink, he tilted his head to the side as his gaze ran over her.
“Maybe I was wrong,” he said.
“About what?” she asked, her voice sounding a little breathless to her own ears.
His eyes flicked back to hers. “Perhaps getting even isn’t what I want from you.”
The breath froze in her lungs.
“What do you want instead?” she said, forcing out the words.
He shifted, his body so close she could feel the heat from his skin. When he touched her, however, it was the lightest brush of fingers along her waist. A gossamer caress that made every nerve in her body light up.
“Risky question,” he said, the words so soft she nearly missed them.
We’re rivals. I should hate this man. Or at the very least, step away from him.
But she didn’t. She stood still, her gaze caught by his. The bar faded away around them until all she could see were his silvery eyes burning with an emotion too dangerous to name.
Her mind blanked. She couldn’t step back, and she couldn’t step forward. She was trapped by the tiniest touch she didn’t want to end.
Those expressive eyes left hers to drop to her lips. Her breath caught as she waited to see what he would do next.
I don’t want him to kiss me.
But she also didn’t want to stop him.
His lips quirked in the barest hint of a smile before he leaned forward.
This is it.
Excitement raced through her.
Until he leaned to the side to set his empty glass on the bar.
He straightened, the movement so slow his breath tickled her cheek, and dropped his hand from her waist.
“Have a good night, Caitlyn.”
The intensity hadn’t left his gaze, and she felt the same confusion he no doubt shared. What to do with this inconvenient attraction that seemed determined to trap them both?
It took her two tries to say, “You too, Damien.”
With a last lingering look, he stepped back and let the crowd swallow him up.
She exhaled the second he was gone. Turning around, she gripped the bar to hide her expression.
That was the most civilized conversation we’ve ever had.
And the most unnerving.
Her fingernails gouged into the bar as she tried to calm her racing heart. To Shireen, or hell, to the world, she might deny her attraction to her rival. But right now, in this moment, there was no escaping the truth. There was something about Damien Reid that she just couldn’t shake.
Here’s hoping it wouldn’t be her downfall.
Chapter Four
It was one thing not to want to get out of bed after a late night, but it was another to want to hide in her room altogether.
Caitlyn groaned as she forced herself to get ready to face the day. The night before had blurred after Shireen’s endless rounds of drinks. It’d been hours filled with laughter and fun, but through it all, she hadn’t been able to stop herself from watching out for Damien. Not that he’d ever reappeared.
Why would I want him to?
The man had infuriated her for years. She should want to spend as little time in his presence as possible.
Except last night, when he’d brushed her waist, excitement had surged through her. Something she hadn’t felt in far too long.
Don’t mix business and pleasure.
Because as much as she wanted to believe she could flirt with Damien one day and cut him down in the boardroom the next, she wasn’t sure she was quite that cold.
He is.
And she’d do well to remember that fact. This was a time-out from real life for him. She didn’t doubt for a moment he would use any weakness he found against her once they returned to the city. Which made him far too dangerous to play with.
DC is filled with eligible men. Pick one of them if you need someone in your bed.
Damien was strictly off-limits.
Resolved, she slipped into her usual heels and flicked off the hotel room light. Time to face the day and whatever new confusion it brought.
Not that she had to wait long.
As soon as the door had clicked closed behind her, she heard Damien’s door open.
Biting back a groan, she headed down the hallway, hoping to reach the elevators before he realized they seemed to be on the same schedule.
“Caitlyn,” he called, forcing her to stop.
Cursing whatever horrible luck she had, she turned with what she hoped was a calm expression.
“Good morning,” she said neutrally.
“Don’t tell me you’re heading for the corporate strategy session in the east ballroom?”
“I’m sure every executive at the conference is.”
“Were you going to save me a seat?” he teased, moving toward her in easy strides.
His all-black suit fit him like a glove, and she hated that she’d noticed.
Spinning on her heel, she headed back down the hall.
“Didn’t think so,” he said, keeping easy pace by her side.
“Do you try to annoy me on purpose?”
He chuckled. “It’s just so easy.”
She shot him a glare and missed the flipped-up edge of the carpet in front of them. Her heel caught it in just the wrong way, and before she could think, the world tilted around her. Her arms pinwheeled as she tried to keep from falling, but she knew she had no chance of avoiding a tumble to the ground.
Until an arm wrapped around her waist.
Damien cursed as her momentum started to pull him down with her. In a last attempt to save them both, he swung their bodies up against the wall.
The air rushed from her lungs as she hit the side of the hall hard, Damien pressed firmly against her. One hand splayed out by her head, the other was tightly wrapped around her middle as he pulled her body to his.
She tried to catch her breath as adrenaline swept through her veins. Bit by bit it subsided, leaving her to realize her face was pressed into the hollow of his neck. Every inch of his hard body pressed against hers, and she stood frozen in his embrace. There was no doubt in her mind he’d saved her from a scraped knee or two, but she wondered if the pain might have been worth it to escape their current predicament.
“Are you okay?” he asked, his lips a breath away from her ear.
“Yeah,” she said. “You?”
“All good.” He raised his head enough for her to look up at him.
“Do you make a habit of playing knight in shining armor?”
“Only to easily rescued damsels in distress,” he replied. “Not that I mind a bit of mockery, but gratitude is another way to go, too. Just throwing that out there.”
She swallowed hard, trying to ignor
e the heat from his body or the feeling of his leg pressed intimately between hers.
He’s not wrong.
For better or worse, he’d helped her when letting her fall at his feet would have been a far easier option.
“Thank you,” she said.
Surprise flicked in his expression.
“You could have let me fall.”
His gaze dipped to her lips before he tore his eyes away. “No, I don’t think I could have.”
Her heart skipped a beat.
Right now, she didn’t feel like CEOs on opposite sides. She felt…
Vulnerable.
When was the last time she’d let anyone get this close to her? The last time anyone had thrown her as off-balance as Damien could with a single look?
His eyes returned to hers, pinning her in place as surely as his body was.
She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. For the first time in recent memory, she had no idea what to say.
I should tell him to let me go.
Even if being in his arms made her feel alive in a way she hadn’t realized she’d been missing.
“Feel like rewarding this good deed?” he asked.
She swallowed before replying, “What did you have in mind?”
His hand left the wall to trace her jaw in a light touch. He tilted her head to the side, brushing his thumb along the smooth skin of her cheek.
“Dinner,” he said finally. “Have dinner with me.”
It didn’t seem like the laughable idea it had been the first time he’d asked her the same question.
“Why?” she asked.
His familiar grin tipped his lips. “Because you want to.”
She opened her mouth to argue when his next words cut her off.
“And because I want to.”
She blinked, not sure what to do.
Damien lowered his head, breathing her in as he touched his lips to her throat.
“This is a bad idea.”
“Terrible,” he agreed.
“We shouldn’t muddy these waters.”
“You’re absolutely right.” Those clever lips drifted up her throat. “Do it anyway.”
She closed her eyes, tilting her head farther back to give him more access. “I’m not falling into bed with you.”
“I didn’t realize that was on the menu,” he replied, his lips moving up to trace along her ear.
Catching the CEO (Billionaire's Second Chance) Page 3