She sighed. She’d grown used to Ian’s dominating personality. All the Dare siblings had, legitimate and illegitimate alike. “Fine. But can I get a flight to New York this late in the week?” Today was Thursday. She’d have to be there on Saturday.
“The corporate jet is fueled and ready for you. Any other concerns?” Ian asked.
A broad smile pulled at her lips. Now that he’d laid it out for her so simply, the weekend seemed more like an adventure than a chore or something that would make her feel coerced.
“I suppose I ought to go pack!” She bounced up from her seat, suddenly eager to check out Manhattan and experience this weekend, starting with the private jet. Her father, the hotel magnate, didn’t fly them that way despite his wealth.
Sienna was all about new experiences. She supposed it had to do with nearly losing her life at such a young age. Although making permanent decisions about her future felt overwhelming, the easy things, like changing her hair, which she knew what it was like to lose, or going to check out New York City by herself, was exciting.
And she was looking forward to meeting the donor who would be her escort for the weekend.
* * *
Ethan Knight needed a break. Hell, after the year he’d had, he deserved one. But, as luck would have it lately, shit was piling up in every way.
His billion dollar project for the Miami Thunder Football Stadium was a pain in the ass. The schematics for the deliverables had changed several times and if a situation could go wrong, it did. His company, Knight Time Technology, KTT for short, supplied high-tech security for smart buildings and state-of-the-art corporate parks, and now, thanks to Ian Dare, a brand new stadium. If they nailed this project, many more sports complexes and technology projects could come their way.
Needless to say, keeping Ian Dare happy had become a full time job. The man was as hands on as Ethan. Two demanding CEO’s and Ethan had to do his best to accommodate the other man, not butt heads with him.
“What’s up?” Sebastian, Ethan’s brother, who also worked for KTT asked.
“You wouldn’t believe it if I told you.” Ethan strode to the window in his office overlooking Manhattan and groaned.
“Try me,” his middle brother said.
Ethan shrugged. “Ian Dare’s youngest sister is coming to New York this weekend. You know the Weekend Scholar’s Social that Columbia hosts and we send a representative to in order induce the brightest to attend their business school?”
“So we can hire them after? Sure do. I used to be the guy who attended on the company’s behalf, remember? I was more than happy to turn that job over to people on our management team.”
Sebastian shuddered at the memory, which didn’t do much to make Ethan feel better about the upcoming event.
“Ian wants me to escort her personally,” Ethan said.
Sebastian burst out laughing. “Oh, that’s rich. Mr. Anti-Social is going to make small talk with a graduate student-to-be.”
Ethan turned around and faced Sebastian, leaning against the window, annoyed by his brother’s obvious amusement at Ethan’s expense. “She’s twenty-three, almost twenty-four according to Ian. Not that much of a child.” Just enough to get on his nerves with chatter, compared to his ripe old age of thirty-one. Lord knew after all he’d been through he felt ancient.
Still smirking, Sebastian said, “Maybe it’ll be good for you. You know, get you out of the apartment and mingling with actual human beings. People who aren’t family or minions that you can’t yell at all the time?”
“Wise ass.” Ethan ran a hand through his overly long hair.
“Well, the Thunder Stadium is priority one so make sure you show this woman a good time. Smile a little. Maybe cut your hair?” Sebastian cocked an eyebrow.
Ethan scowled, annoyed. His brothers had been giving him shit about the length of his hair for a while now. Almost a year to be precise. He used to be so meticulous, suits and ties pressed just so, hair cut every month by a ridiculously expensive guy at a salon, and he thought he was pleasing his wife.
Well, considering the wife had died of a self-induced accidental drug overdose, and had also been undermining and stealing from his company, working with a supplier on a huge project to use substandard material and pocket the difference so she could support her drug habit, Ethan figured it was time for a lot of changes.
He was no longer going to twist himself inside out for a woman who wouldn’t appreciate anything he did or gave to her anyway. Been there, done that.
He’d get through this weekend and go back to his happy hermit life.
* * *
Sienna loved the private jet experience, felt like a princess for the two and a half hour flight, and now she was ready to take on Manhattan. She strode through the airport, looking for a sign with her last name on it. Ian had given her the name of her companion, Ethan Knight, and had assured her the man would be here himself to pick her up.
When she finally caught sight of her last name on a placard, a woman was holding up the card. With a shrug, Sienna headed toward the pretty female with light brown hair and blonde highlights, wearing a summer floral dress and shoes Sienna envied.
As she approached, Sienna waved. “Hi,” she said, coming to a stop. “I’m Sienna Dare.”
The woman flashed a genuine smile. “Nice to meet you. I’m Sierra Hammond, Ethan’s sister. I’m so sorry he couldn’t be here himself but there was an emergency at the office.” Tucking the sign under her arm, she extended her hand, which Sienna shook.
“Sienna and Sierra. Cute,” Sienna said, laughing.
The other woman chuckled. “I noticed the similarities too.”
“Thank you for picking me up.”
“My brother really wanted to be here,” Sierra said, obviously trying to reassure her.
Sienna waved away the woman’s concerns. “I’m fine. Really.” Sienna wasn’t insulted in the least. If Ethan Knight was anything like Ian, he wouldn’t have the time to be on airport duty.
Sierra seemed to relax at Sienna’s easy attitude. “Okay, good. Well, I thought I’d take you to the apartment where you’ll be staying and show you around. Do you need to wait for luggage?”
“No. I fit everything into my carry on.” Sienna smiled brightly. “We’re not going to a hotel?”
“No, my family owns a building on the upper east side of Manhattan. We have an apartment for out of town guests and Ethan thought you’d be more comfortable there.”
“Sounds good.”
They chatted on the limousine ride to the apartment. Sierra sat in the back beside Sienna, the driver knowing just where to take them. Sienna discovered that Sierra was married to her long time love, Ryder Hammond, with a baby girl at home. She also ran the Social Media Division at Knight Time Technology.
Listening to how the twenty-five year old woman had her life together made Sienna feel wistful that she wasn’t anywhere near doing the same. But that was what this weekend was about, she reminded herself, trying not to feel too bad about herself. She had time to figure it all out.
She was led into a gorgeous apartment that was well decorated, with dark wood furniture and a leather sofa in the family room. She rolled her suitcase into the spacious entry area and set it off to the side.
“So this is it,” Sierra said. “The bedroom is that door over there.” She pointed to a back corner with a closed door. “The refrigerator is stocked but anything you need, I want you to feel comfortable calling me.”
They exchanged numbers, programming them into their phones.
“There’s an itinerary on the table in the family room but there will be a limo picking you up tonight for the gala and my brother will be meeting you there. I promise.” Sierra reassured her with a smile.
“No worries. It’s all good.”
Sierra hesitated. “I hate to just leave you but I need to get home to my daughter. We just wanted someone from the family to pick you up and make you feel comfortable, but if you need a tour guide fo
r the afternoon …”
With a shake of her head, Sienna calmed the other woman. “I think I’ll head over to one of the department stores and have my makeup done for tonight,” she said, the idea popping into her head. And since she’d taken an early morning flight, Sienna had the entire afternoon free. “I’m really used to being on my own. I’m fine. Go to your little girl.”
“Oh makeup sounds like fun. I wish I could join you. Do you want to get your hair done too? Have the whole experience? My stylist is a friend. I’m sure he could fit you in?” Sierra offered. “Not that I’m saying you need your hair done.” She sounded horrified at her choice of words.
Sienna burst out laughing. She really liked Sierra Hammond. “As a matter of fact, I would love to have my hair done for tonight.”
Sierra pulled out her phone and dialed the salon, arranged a time and ended the call. “All set. I’ll text you the information. The car is at your disposal–”
Sienna shook her head. “I can take an Uber or a taxi, honest. It’ll be fun to explore the city that way.
“No can do.” Sierra shifted her purse higher on her shoulder. “I promised Ethan I’d take good care of you and that means the full chauffeured deal. Enjoy your time in New York,” she said, starting for the door.
Before leaving, she turned back around. “Umm … about my brother.”
“Yes?”
“He can be…” She drew a breath and paused, as if hesitating about what to say. Finally she settled on a word. “Abrasive on a good day.” She winced at her own choice. “I mean–”
“Don’t worry. Ian Dare is my half brother. I know how to deal with gruff, uptight men.”
“I hope you do,” Sierra said before shooting Sienna a hopeful smile and walking out, shutting the door behind her.
* * *
Sienna had a fantastic afternoon getting herself made up for the night’s event. Not only did she splurge, purchasing a ton of make up and skin care products after having her face done up at Saks Fifth Avenue, she left the salon with her newly dyed hair now blow dried and curled.
She called Jason and talked him into meeting her for coffee because she was in town and when else could she see him? He seemed subdued, which was par for the course with her sibling, his life having taken an unexpected turn back in his college days. One event had changed and marked him forever. But she’d made him smile and she called that a win.
Then she took a taxi back to the apartment and headed upstairs with a bounce in her step.
Excited, she decided to call Avery and show her the end results of her day. After dumping all the bags on the bed, she pulled out her phone and Facetimed her half-sister who had, over the years, become one of her closest friends. Maybe all the Dares weren’t BFF’s but the girls had definitely bridged the gap their father had created.
After ringing a few times, Avery’s face appeared on the screen. “Hi! How’s New York?” she asked.
“Amazing. I pampered myself. Look.” Sienna grinned into the camera phone and blew her a kiss, showing off her red lipstick.
“Oh gorgeous!” Avery, a video blogger and married to one of the biggest rock stars in the world, Grey Kingston, lead guitarist and song writer for the band, Tangled Royal, knew a good makeover when she saw one. “And I really love your hair so dark. It makes your eyes pop!”
Sienna rolled her eyes. “I don’t have those violet eyes of yours. Mine are crappy brown.”
“Hot chocolate colored,” Avery argued. “Now let me see your dress for tonight.”
Sienna had hung up the outfit before she’d gone out earlier and she’d brought a travel steamer with her just in case the garment wrinkled. From the closet, she pulled out the little black dress that flared out at the waist and held it up in front of her, showing it off for Avery.
“Ooh, the white piping makes the dress,” Avery said, whistling her approval. “Shoes?”
“Mom lent me her black Louboutins.” Sienna was more of a down to earth girl but once in awhile dressing up was nice and her mother’s closet was full of fun, luxurious things. She held up the red-soled shoes.
“Nice!” Avery exclaimed.
Sienna and Avery didn’t discuss their moms much, that being the one conversation that remained awkward. No matter how she looked at it, Sienna’s mom, Savannah, had been Robert Dare’s mistress / other woman / with another family while Avery’s mom, Emma, had been in the dark. The good news was that Emma had remarried a nice man the family approved of, and that helped everyone get over the past.
“Do you know who you’re meeting tonight?” Avery asked.
Sienna placed the dress and shoes on the bed and faced the phone again. “Ethan Knight, CEO of Knight Time Technology. The company is doing the tech and security for Ian’s new stadium.
“Have you Googled him?” Avery met her gaze, then disappeared from the screen, leaving it blank, and Sienna knew her sister was already busy on the browser. “Holy shit he’s hot!” she said, her voice coming through the phone.
“Show me. I need to know who to look out for tonight.”
Avery screenshotted a photo and sent it over Messenger. As soon as Sienna received the picture, she pulled up the photo and sucked in a startled breath.
Sienna had expected a stuffy older man who it would be difficult to spend the weekend with and pay attention to, not a sexy, gorgeous guy. Ethan Knight had dark, short hair, with a handsome, freshly shaven face. In his suit and tie, he was the epitome of a CEO in charge of everything and everyone around him.
If not for the fact that she found him hot, she would have said his steely eyed stare reminded her of Ian’s. Although he was obviously older than her, he was by no means old and he stirred something very primal in Sienna, something she’d never experienced before.
“Well?” Avery demanded.
“He’s so good looking,” she whispered, unable to tear her gaze from the picture, those blue eyes startling and seemingly focused on her.
Avery laughed. “Someone is going to have a very good weekend.”
“Hey sugar, are you home?” Grey Kingston’s distinct voice sounded from the other room.
“In the bedroom!” Avery called out. “Okay my evening’s about to start.” She looked at Sienna. “And you need to get dressed for your date!”
Feeling herself blush, Sienna shook her head. “It’s not a date! It’s a school event,” she said as much to remind her sister as to cement the fact in her own mind.
“With a private escort.” Avery glanced over her shoulder as Grey’s familiar face popped onto the screen.
“Hi, Sienna.”
“Hey, Grey. We were just hanging up.”
He grinned. “Always good to see you. But I wouldn’t mind some time with my wife.” He kissed Avery’s cheek and knowing what probably came next, Sienna called out, “Bye!” And disconnected the call.
She stared at her clothing, hoping her dress was as appropriate as she hoped for tonight’s event. She hadn’t chosen something stifling and conservative because that wasn’t who she was and the invitation had said semi-formal. But she didn’t pick something overly revealing, either. She wanted to come off suitable for the occasion.
With that thought in mind, she headed for the bathroom to wash up and dress for the evening, unable to get the image of her host for the night from her mind.
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About the Author
Carly Phillips is the N.Y. Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of over 50 sexy contemporary romance novels featuring hot men, strong women and the emotionally compelling stories her
readers have come to expect and love. Carly’s career spans over a decade and a half with various New York publishing houses, and she is now an Indie author who runs her own business and loves every exciting minute of her publishing journey. Carly is happily married to her college sweetheart, the mother of two nearly adult daughters and three crazy dogs (two wheaten terriers and one mutant Havanese) who star on her Facebook Fan Page and website. Carly loves social media and is always around to interact with her readers. You can find out more about Carly at www.carlyphillips.com.
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