Hotshot Boss (Alphalicious Billionaires)

by Lindsey Hart

  “Uh- uh,” Curtis chided like he’d talk to a child. But right. He didn’t actually like kids. “We just got through the worst weekend in history. I’ve been through natural disasters that were more of a walk in the park than those two. Let’s celebrate. Have a glass of wine. We’ve accomplished the impossible.” Curtis pasted on a look of innocent vulnerability that she’d never seen before. He was being… casual. Almost friendly. He could lay the charm on thick when he wanted to. She had to remind herself, this was a man used to getting his own way.

  “No way.” She grinned back at him to soften her words. “That wasn’t part of the deal. I don’t do wine. Not with my boss.”

  “Do I have to be your boss right now? Can you just forget about work and power trips and whatever it is you have against me and be nice? It’s just a glass of wine. A really good, vintage, glass of wine. I’ll bring up the best I have. Come on. Would it kill you to be nice to me for ten more minutes?”

  Ugh. She wanted to say that it would. She wanted to spin on her heel and leave Curtis standing there. It was just after five, though, and she knew that even on a Sunday, traffic would be terrible. She’d already driven to the zoo and back. She didn’t really have the patience to sit in another jam. What were a few sips of wine? She wouldn’t have more than that. She has to drive after all. Plus, she’d eaten a massive sandwich when they got home from the zoo. She was stuffed. A few sips wouldn’t hurt. Just a few. She also had a feeling that after the stunt she’d pulled last night, she’d have to at least pretend to be nice for a few minutes or Curtis James was going to come up with some pretty inventive ways to make her life a living hell.

  Planning business trips with eighteen layovers and flight changes, sending extra dry cleaning, changing things up… there were a thousand ways he could make her job a nightmare.

  She had to go with that.

  It had to be option A because there was no option B. No option where she actually wanted to have a glass of wine with him. In her world, the Lexi she knew did not want to do anything willingly with Curtis James. That was the pre-kiss Lexi though. The post kiss Lexi was something and someone foreign and frightening. Someone who couldn’t stop feeling the sneaking tendrils of heat, the unwelcome shivers of desire, the pinches and pulls and prods of something close to want. The old Lexi wasn’t fixated on Curtis James’ lips. But the post-kiss Lexi couldn’t stop thinking about that kiss. It might have been unwelcomed and uninvited, but it rocked her entire world and shook the foundation of the very earth she’d thought she was so firmly rooted on before.

  Curtis, like the asshole he was- how could she have forgotten- snapped his fingers in front of her face, right under her nose, so close she felt the movement of air. “Earth to Lexi… are you going to do me the honor of tasting and critiquing a really good vintage or not?”

  “You have a wine cellar here?”

  “Of course.”

  It wasn’t a commonsense question. She’d seen his house plans and knew nothing about a wine cellar. “Right. Well… does it have a locking door?”

  “Uh- no. No reason to have a lock on it. It’s just me here.”

  “Darn.” She snapped her fingers in feigned disappointment. “It would have been really nice if you would have got accidentally locked down there. For like, eternity.”

  Oh damn, what happened to doing damage control before she went home. Well, she’d just have to blame it on Curtis James for rubbing her all sorts of the wrong way. Just by existing.

  Curtis granted her a dazzling, very Curtis James, god-like, billboard worthy, swoony smile in response. It did not affect her at all. She only dropped her duffel bag and her purse to make a point and totally not because her limbs were suddenly all gooey and soft and about as useful as warm molasses.

  “I like that. Maybe I’ll have one installed. If you’d agree to do me the honor.”

  “Honor of what?” she choked.

  “The honor of getting locked down there with me.”

  “Not in your lifetime, Trust Fund Baby.” Lexi nearly slapped a hand over her mouth. Had she really just said that out loud? She knew she’d probably slip up at some point, given that she used bad names in her head for him all the time. Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck.

  Curtis just threw back his head and laughed like it was the best joke he’d ever heard. He left her standing there, but then again, she knew her way to the kitchen, where she assumed the wine glasses were. He was still chuckling to himself when his footsteps faded into the distance, somewhere in the cavernous mansion.

  He left her alone, alone with her swirling shame and the clouds of something else suddenly obscuring her reason and better judgment. She should grab her bags and go. Tell Curtis to go fuck himself- in nicer terms of course- if he tried to retaliate through work bullshit. She should, she should, she should… she should do a lot of things.

  Instead, she let her fickle, addled, suddenly also gooey brain give the commands to her wayward feet to carry her to the kitchen.

  CHAPTER 10

  Curtis

  When he returned from the wine cellar, a bottle of eighty year old wine, something from France- hell, he had no idea what it actually was given that his parents gave it to him since he never would have spent money on stuff he didn’t actually ever drink- he found Lexi leaning against the island, one hip thrown out, her hand resting on the granite surface.

  She had a red floral, flowy blouse on and a pair of high waisted skinny jeans. He’d never seen her in skinny jeans before. He didn’t even think she owned a pair, seeing as even on casual Friday at the office, she seemed to stick to cotton dresses and leggings.

  She stole his breath just by existing.

  He didn’t want her to know that though, so he set the bottle on the island with a thud. He turned and grabbed a couple of wine glasses his mom gave him as a housewarming gift. He never thought he’d actually use them. Same with the wine corker. He barely managed to get it out, the thing was so damn decrepit, but it finally gave with a loud bang that resembled a gunshot.

  When no sirens were apparent in the distance, he shrugged and poured a small amount of wine into each glass. He swirled it around like he knew what he was doing and raised it to his lips, leaving the other glass on the island. Lexi didn’t reach for hers.

  “I think you’re supposed to let that aerate,” she said snidely, just as he was about to take a sip.

  He lowered his glass, staring at her smug smirk over the rim of it. “It’s ancient. Most wines under a decade need some time to gas off or whatever, but wines this old shouldn’t require any time at all.”

  Her brow crooked up. “So, you know your wine. I’m impressed. I thought the whole wine cellar thing was just you trying to be impressive.”

  “So, you think I’m a poser?”

  “Does anyone say poser anymore?”

  Curtis pushed Lexi’s glass her way. “Try it. It smells delicious.”

  In truth, he wasn’t a wine fan at all. Put an aged Scotch in front of him and he’d change his tune, but wine… thanks, but no thanks. Lexi didn’t share the same misgivings. Her eyes lit up when she saw the bottle. She’d probably always wanted to try something vintage and expensive. He was willing to put his money on her enjoying her reds too since she apparently knew a little something about how they were supposed to be opened and consumed.

  “I don’t care if anyone says poser. I say poser. I enjoy saying poser.”

  “I don’t. I hate that word.”

  “And everything else about me, apparently,” he said dryly right before he threw back the expensive vintage. He drained it in a single shot, just because he knew it would piss Lexi off. Sure enough, she made a low noise in her throat before her top teeth sunk into her lower lip.

  “I don’t hate everything about you.” She took a gentle swallow of her wine. Her throat bobbed gracefully, and god, even watching her drink that wine was somehow sexual.

  The aftermath was definitely sexual. He watched the pale column of her throat bob as she s
wallowed again. The tip of her pink, sensual little tongue poked out between her lips before it swiped away any lingering moisture off her bottom one. His cock kicked hard in his jeans and this time, there were no cock blocking mini devils around to keep him from trying to flirt. Trying, because he was pretty damn sure it wasn’t going to work. Either Lexi truly hated him, or she was in some pretty deep denial. He had his evidence for the latter from the kiss in the pool, but he also had a mounting case for the former, given that she’d rammed his mouth full of rainbow slime.

  “No?”

  “No, just most everything.” She set her glass on the counter and he immediately picked up the bottle and poured more. She protested after, but it was half-hearted sounding. “Hey! I didn’t ask for more. I have to drive right away.”

  He shrugged. “I can’t let it go to waste. It would, just sitting around here with no one to drink it. Might as well finish it off and take a cab.”

  Lexi squinted at him, but her fingers curled around the glass. He poured his own full, to match hers. He’d never done this. Never drank so much wine, but also never stood in his kitchen with a woman he genuinely was interested in. It had been well over a good year since he’d actually wanted to take someone out. Generally, he asked women out because he was either lonely or because there was a work function, or some other function and he needed a date. They weren’t in short supply. He had contacts all over the place. Platonic friends, real friends, women who didn’t mind being arm candy for the evening. They knew it was nothing more. He knew it was nothing more.

  Seattle’s Most Eligible Bachelor has actually been off the shelf for a while. Seattle just didn’t know it yet.

  “So- you said that you didn’t have everything handed to you. You do actual work?” Lexi sipped her wine. She shifted from one foot to the other, but she seemed genuinely interested in an answer.

  “Of course, I do. Where do you think I spend most of my days?”

  “I don’t know. Golfing? Schmoozing it up with other uber-rich dudes? Playing video games in your underwear?”

  “Who says schmoozing?” He threw it back at her just because she’d thrown poser in his face.

  “I do,” she shot back, ever up for the challenge.

  “What about all the travel you book me? Do you think I just go to those places to kick back and do nothing on the company’s dollar?”

  “Yeah, pretty much.” Lexi slammed the glass up to her mouth to hide her smirk. “I have to admit this is pretty good wine.”

  “I would hope so. It probably cost ten thousand for the bottle.”

  “What?” Lexi just about sprayed wine everywhere. She clapped her free hand, the one not holding the glass, over her mouth. “Are you freaking kidding me? We’re standing here chugging it like a ten-dollar bottle.”

  “Ten dollars, ten thousand. What does it matter?”

  Lexi’s eyes practically rolled in the sockets. “That’s exactly what I was talking about. The entitlement. This sense of the world owing you something. Or, maybe that’s not right. Not that the world owes you something. You probably don’t think it owes you anything because you have so much money you could buy whatever you want. You’ve had all that money since birth, so you don’t appreciate it. That’s the problem I guess I have with you. That you wouldn’t stop to think that this wine, this crazy expensive, ten-thousand-dollar bottle of wine could have bought someone a decent vehicle or housed them for a year or fed them for two or three years. You don’t have a sense of empathy or compassion because you’ve never been in those shoes. You fly all over the world, first class every single time. You live in a mansion. You own god knows how many cars. Anything- cooking, cleaning, even your laundry, and shopping- it’s all done for you.”

  “So?” He leaned back against the counter, watching as Lexi’s were painted with a bright shade of scarlet that had nothing to do with the wine she’d consumed. “What’s your point?”

  “My- my point?” Lexi spluttered. She pointed at the half empty bottle of wine. “That’s my point! You don’t even care!”

  “I happen to care very much.” That brought her pretty, tight little buns up short. Her bow lips parted, and she gaped at him like he’d just grown a visible third testicle at the end of his nose. “I could tell you that if I didn’t enjoy your company or if it wasn’t a reason of sorts to celebrate, I never would have brought out the bottle. I could tell you, but I know you’ll call me on the bullshit, so I’ll just be upfront. That bottle has been in my parent’s cellar for years. They passed it down to me. If you weren’t here right now, it would still be there, collecting dust. I do happen to think you’re worth sharing the ten-thousand-dollar wine with. I very much know the value of everything. I never make a move without thinking first. It’s served me well in business.”

  “A business you were just given like a gift wrapped on Christmas morning.” Lexi recovered quickly and it was apparent she wasn’t going down without a fight. She’d sink with her ship like a true captain, right to the bitter end. He half hated it and half loved it, considering watching her battle it- watching her lips work, her cheeks turn scarlet, her eyes dance with intelligence and darken with emotion was arousing, to say the fucking least.

  “A business that I happen to have doubled the value of. What started out in my grandfather’s garage is now worth billions. Thanks to my work these past years.”

  “Work that someone else started and gave you just like that.”

  “Work that I myself continued. Have you ever stopped to wonder what it’s like to feel that kind of pressure? My grandfather was the most important person to me in the entire world. My grandmother is still alive. My parents are still very much alive, as is the rest of my family. You don’t think my successes and failures aren’t measured? They’d still love me if I tanked their company, but I don’t think I’d be getting any Christmas cookies from my mom that year or a trip to the cabin with my dad.”

  Right. He could see that Lexi never had stopped to think about that. That he might actually do some real work. That stress might be a part of the job. That he might think and feel things like everyone else. He tipped back his glass and drained the whole thing without tasting it. After, he wiped his lips with the back of his hand. He loved the spark of indignation Lexi couldn’t hide in her eyes. She’d watched him purposely throw that wine back without savoring it. She took her time, just to prove a point, and he loved watching her do it. Loved watching her drink, swallow, watching her eyes close in heavy lidded pleasure because even though he hadn’t tasted much of it, the wine was obviously good.

  “Sorry to disappoint, Sweet Lips, but I’m human after all. Not the robot you imagined. They’ve come a long way with AI, but I don’t think they’re at the point of creating actual people robots yet.”

  “Sweet Lips?” Lexi rammed her glass down on the granite island. A hairline crack actually formed in the bottom, the hit was so rough. She didn’t notice. “I’ll thank you not to call me that ever fucking again.”

  “But your lips are very, very sweet. I tasted them myself just yesterday. I can attest to the truth and validity of the name.”

  Her pale, rain washed eyes darkened. Her lids grew heavy, the pupils blowing wide. She couldn’t help but drop her gaze to his lips.

  “I erred,” he admitted while she stared at him suspiciously, like she was about to walk straight into a trap. “I didn’t taste much of the wine. I thought I might rectify my mistakes.”

  “H-how?” Lexi stammered. She eyed the bottle. It was still half full.

  “I think you know.”

  “I- I’ll pour you another glass. Don’t shoot it like it’s cheap Vodka this time and you hate the stuff.”

  “I have a far more efficient way. A far better way for all parties involved.”

  Her eyes darkened further, and her pupils just about ate up her irises. “What are you talking about?” Her suspicion grew. She was now looking at him like he’d just unearthed a body out of that wine cellar along with the expensi
ve red.

  “I think you know.”

  “I really don’t.”

  “Should I help you out? Give you a clue?”

  “No!”

  “I don’t think you mean that.”

  “If you try and kiss me again, I’ll bottle you with that wine and yeah, I sure as hell mean that.”

  “You wouldn’t waste good wine.”

  “I could knock you out cold without spilling a drop.”

  “Challenge accepted.”

  They stared at each other across the island. He waited for her to make her move. To give him a signal. Her eyes finally flickered down to the bottle and she slowly, deliberately, ran her tongue along her bottom lip before she glanced back up at him, a challenge in her eyes.

  What a challenge it was. It was real. It was there. Sparkling and drawing him in like those eyes were the sea and there was a siren in their depths. He’d been just about finished from the first time he looked into those blue-greys. She stood her ground and tilted her chin. It was there. The moment he’d been waiting for.

  He’d been enticed by Lexi from the first. Lusted after her for a year. Tried to unravel the mystery of her for another. It was in the last year, though, that he’d really been lured to the murky depths of all that she was. He wanted to know. He wanted to drown in her and get lost in her. To be privy to her tears and her laughter, her secrets and the news she shouted from the rooftops. All of it. He wanted to give her the world, and it was pretty fucking hot that she didn’t want any of it. She was probably the one person on earth who knew where he lived, how many things he had, who his family was, that he was rich beyond rich, and didn’t give two. Fucking. Shits.

  That’s why he wanted her.