by Layla Hagen
“I hope it’s not an expensive one.”
I blink. I’ve never heard these words from a woman before. Generally, the more expensive the location, the better. But Ava Lindt is full of surprises. The first one was down in Creative today. I watched her carefully while she was inspecting the rubies. Women usually look with greed at the gemstones. However, the expression on her face was one of pure interest and awe.
“The verdict is still out there as to what kind of brother I am. I must do my best to impress you.”
“I see.” She laughs softly, and I find it a relaxing sound. It pleases me that I’m the reason for it. It also makes me imagine what other sounds I could get out of her.
“Is there anything you don’t eat?” I keep my fingers crossed, hoping she won’t be one of those women who eat almost nothing and call themselves full after half a salad.
“Nope. I’ll have anything. As long as it’s tasty, I’m in.”
I nod appreciatively. Ava Lindt is proving to be more real than any woman I’ve met in years.
“Is it far away?” Ava crosses her legs, making her skirt lift, revealing a bit more of her thigh. I force my eyes on the road, fantasizing about what she hides under her strict little suit. I must be out of my mind. I just met her.
“You don’t trust me?”
“Well, I did just meet you. Isn’t there a saying about not getting in cars with strangers?”
“You do know I’m the CEO, right? You act as if that doesn’t matter in the slightest.”
“And you like it.” Her eyes widen, her mouth forming a small, delicious O.
“I do,” I admit. “Most people are afraid to even breathe in my presence.”
“I’m not afraid of you.” Her dismissive tone riles me.
“Perhaps you should be,” I retaliate, because I’ve thought about devouring that delicious skin of hers since she set foot in my office. With her hair on one side and her neck bared to me, I wanted to kiss her right there and feel her shudder in my arms.
I grip the steering wheel tighter. I will not get involved with an employee. Well, technically she’s a consultant, not my employee. Damn semantics, Bennett… The whole thing is out of the question.
We arrive at the restaurant ten minutes later. I let the valet take my car. This is one of the best restaurants in San Francisco. Of course, I might be biased since one of my sisters owns it, but reviewers agree with me. It’s high on one of San Francisco’s hills with a magnificent view over the city.
“Mr. Bennett, welcome,” the headwaiter says. “We have a corner table available on the terrace. You’ll get the best view.”
“Oh, this is beautiful,” Ava exclaims as she sits down, looking beyond the terrace.
I order the house specialty for both of us. Ava squints at me.
“I could have ordered for myself,” she says after the waiter leaves, jutting her chin forward and rolling her tiny shoulders. God, she’s delicious all worked up like this.
“I know the restaurant better. You’ll like it.”
“You’re bossy.” She crosses her arms over her chest. Even though she has a petite frame, she has curves in all the right places.
I lean slightly across the table. “You have no idea.”
A few seconds later, my sister Alice appears at our table. “Sebastian, you should’ve told me you were coming.”
“It was a spontaneous decision. Alice, this is Ava, our marketing consultant. Ava, Alice is my sister and she owns this restaurant.” Out of my three sisters, Alice resembles Mom the most. She has the same small figure and light brown hair.
“It’s very beautiful,” Ava says.
Alice looks speculatively at us. I hold her gaze, but don’t return her inquisitive smile. I make a mental note to keep my eyes off Ava during lunch, or the Bennett rumor mill will start.
“I’d love to eat with both of you, but I’m in the middle of a meeting with a potential partner. I came to say hi.”
Ava and I make small talk after she leaves, until the waiter brings our drinks. After sipping from her soda, she says, “I want to know more about the company and about you.”
“Do you always grill CEOs?”
She grins. “No. CEOs are usually people hired from outside. You are the founder, the essence of this company. By knowing you, I will understand the company’s values better. The foundation of a successful advertising campaign is authenticity. I’ve read all there was to read about the company online. Nevertheless, I know the press has its way of twisting stories, depending on the angle they’re going for. I want to know the facts directly from the source.” She speaks with so much passion, the sudden urge to lean across the table and kiss her hits me like a ton of bricks.
“So I’m a source?” I smile. “No one’s dared to call me that before. Not to my face, anyway.”
The waiter interrupts us, serving our food.
“Oh, is this Dungeness crab?” Ava laughs throatily.
“Yes, it is.”
“San Francisco is famous for it.”
“I know; that’s why I ordered it. Thought you’d want to try it.”
With a wink, she digs in.
“Anyway, back to you being a source. You are the company. And you’re not half as bad as I feared you’d be. So. . .”
I’m used to curiosity from women, though of another type. Within five seconds of meeting a woman, I can tell what she wants from me: either to get a leg up in society, or my credit card.
Watching Ava watch me, I detect honest curiosity on her face. I smile, putting my fork down. She makes sense, but I’d be lying if I said the campaign is the only reason I’m considering giving in to her request. Something in her round eyes beckons me to open up to her. And that is dangerous. Openness leads to vulnerability.
“What do you want to know?” I ask.
“How did you start out?”
I lean back in my chair, studying her. “My parents had a ranch when I was a kid. They’d been struggling financially forever. Raising nine kids is no piece of cake. All of us were working hard at the ranch, even the small ones. At fourteen, I realized we’d never get out of poverty if we continued that way. It was the only life my parents knew; I don’t blame them for anything. They are wonderful people and they both worked their fingers to the bone, but it wasn’t enough.”
“You didn’t go to college.”
“No. I had to work. At sixteen, I left the ranch to try my luck in other jobs. At some point, I got involved in commerce. Nothing expensive at first, but later I moved to precious stones. At twenty-one, I’d made some good money, but it wasn’t enough for what I wanted.”
“And that was?”
“To set up my own high-end jewelry company. I sat down with my parents and asked them to sell the only thing they owned—the ranch—and give me the money. Within five days, they put it up for sale. Everyone was behind me.”
“I like your family already.” Her eyes are glassy all of a sudden, but then she blinks, lifting the corner of her lips in a smile. The moment of vulnerability is enough to wake something in me: a need to protect her and keep her from feeling vulnerable again.
“They trusted me completely. I’ll never be able to repay them.”
“You’re doing that already. You take good care of them now.”
“I try to. After selling the ranch, they moved in with my father’s brother and his family. They had a neighboring ranch. It was a tough time, but within six months, I made enough profits to help them. Anyway, Logan helped me build this company. He’s as much of a founder as I am. He doesn’t get nearly enough credit. The press always presents me as the sole creator.”
“That’s true. I suppose it makes for a better story. One man who succeeded against all odds and all that.”
“Yeah. Anyway, as the company grew and the profits came in, I set up my parents so they never had to worry about money again. My siblings all went to college—Logan included. I brought in my other brothers and sisters to help. The company is vast, and most of them
found their place in it.”
“So out of all of you, who works in the company?”
“Pippa and Logan, obviously. I’m the oldest, then come Logan and Pippa. You’ve met Alice. She decided to do something else. The first set of twins is next, Christopher and Max. Max is in London, and Christopher in Hong Kong, building our presence in those markets. The next set of twins—Blake and Daniel—are undecided yet, and the family baby, Summer, is a painter.”
“Wow. Your family sounds fantastic. Blake and Daniel are the party brothers, correct?”
I grimace—shouldn’t have mentioned that to her. People always pick on Blake and Daniel. A few women I’ve dated even went far enough to suggest I should completely cut them off. But they are family, and family comes first. Always.
“Yeah. Blake and Daniel will come around,” I say evasively, with no desire to hear another person talk about how I should crack a whip and put some sense into them.
“Well, everyone is different. As long as they don’t hurt anyone, I don’t see why they shouldn’t do whatever they like.”
I appreciate her nonjudgmental tone. “Many people view this as a corporation. I see it as a family business. A big one, it’s true. But there you have it; I’m not the core of the company. My whole family is.”
There it is again, that vulnerable look in her eyes. I want nothing more than to wipe it away with a kiss and a hug, but I stay put.
“So basically, you built up this company to make sure your family is well taken care of. You are the most interesting man I’ve met.” The sincerity in her words catches me off guard. Oh, I’ve heard this sentence from women before. It usually comes after I give them an expensive gift, not after I talk about my family. “I can’t wait for the show in two weeks.” Her eyes light up with excitement.
“Maybe I’ll go too this time.” Seeing her curiosity, I want to go, if only to watch her experience everything. “Got enough material for your marketing campaign?”
“This isn’t just about the campaign. You’re fascinating. I could hear you talk all day.”
“Careful there, don’t feed my ego. I’ve been told it’s oversize already.”
“I’m sure that’s true, but you might be one of the few men who deserve that ego.”
“Actually, Logan’s the one with the big ego. He likes to tell everyone he’s the nice brother. Don’t believe him.”
She tilts her head to one side. “Tell me more.”
“Enough about me. Tell me about yourself.”
“Pffft, my story isn’t nearly as interesting as yours.”
I lean forward. “I think you’re interesting.”
In fact, I think she’s very interesting. I chuckle, remembering Logan saying he got so bored at his last date he wanted to poke his eyes out. Blake refers to such dates as so boring I couldn’t even get it up.
Well, judging by the stirring in my boxers, that’s not the case here. Of course, the nipples almost showing through her shirt also contribute to that. I had a glimpse of them when she unbuttoned her suit jacket. Imagining how puckered they must be drives me crazy. Her reaction to me tells me exactly the kind of effect I have on her. A lovely blush spreads on her neck. Smiling, I lean back to give her some space. “Do you have siblings?”
“No, I was an only child. My mom died when I was in college.”
“Sorry to hear that. How about your dad?”
“Never met him. He took off before I was born.”
My jaw ticks. I detest men like him. Switching to a safe topic, I say, “Tell me about New York.”
“I’ve lived there since I was born, but I don’t see too much of it lately. I’m always somewhere else with clients. Singapore, Sydney, San Francisco.” She pauses, frowning. “I wonder if they sign me up to clients based on the letter the city starts with.”
“Do you like traveling? I find it exhausting.”
“I love it. It’s a lot of work, but I manage to squeeze in plenty of sightseeing. Can’t wait to explore. Believe it or not, I’ve never been to California.”
“I can show you around.” My words surprise both of us. I haven’t had time for such things in years. More accurately, I didn’t make time, but her enthusiasm is catchy. I like how carefree she makes me feel. I haven’t felt this way since I was working at my parents’ ranch, before I took it upon myself to take care of my family.
A grin flickers on her face. “I might take you up on that.”
“I’ll make sure you do.”
As we leave the restaurant, I notice her flexing her neck. “You look tense.”
“I wrapped up the last project in Sydney five days ago. My boss didn’t let me take a few days off. I was assigned directly to this project.”
“I promise not to go too hard on you in the first days.”
Her pupils dilate, and I swallow hard. Well, you know you’re on a slippery road when you start making involuntary innuendos. The valet brings the car and as I open the door, the words slip out. “Are you seeing someone?”
“You’re technically not allowed to ask me that.”
“Of course, I can. I’m the most interesting man you know. Don’t I get a hall pass at invading your private space?”
A red hue stains her cheeks as she whispers, “No, I’m not seeing anyone.”
I drive her to the complex where she told me her serviced apartment is, and invite myself upstairs. I can’t believe my eyes when she opens the door to her room.
"When did you arrive?” I ask.
“This morning.”
“This place looks like you’ve lived here for months.” There are photographs and little keepsakes from her numerous trips.
“You like it?” She smiles proudly.
“It looks almost like a home.” It’s warm, bright, and colorful, like her.
“Well, I spend so much time traveling and living in hotels or serviced apartments that I try to make it seem like home everywhere. It feels less lonely.”
“You don’t have to be lonely. There’s me and a bazillion other Bennetts to keep you company. My family is very friendly,” I add, before I can stop myself. I should go, but something makes me want to stay. “Aren’t you going to invite me for a drink?”
“It’s early afternoon, and I don’t have any drinks. Besides, I already have plans for today. I have to leave in about half an hour.”
“You’re kicking me out?” I ask in disbelief. I like this woman more with each passing moment.
“I am. I officially start working for you tomorrow, so the rest of the day is mine. I’m exploring the city.” She presses her luscious lips together in a tight line.
“I like a woman who is confident enough to spend time by herself, but wandering through San Francisco on your own is not the best idea. You don’t know the city.”
“Sebastian! Thank you for your concern, but I live in New York, and I have traveled to some very shady cities. I know how to take care of myself.”
I back off, trying to rein in all the feelings she stirs in me: protectiveness, desire, and something more.
“Besides, don’t you have work to do? I heard you’re a workaholic.”
This sobers me up. Yes, I am; but she made me forget that for a few hours. Stepping in front of her, I brush the hinge of her jaw with my fingertips. I take endless pleasure in the way her pupils dilate and her tiny body quivers at my touch. “Enjoy your day. See you tomorrow morning.”
Chapter Five
Sebastian
“I can’t believe you took her to Alice’s place. How was lunch?”
I look up from my papers to find Pippa in the doorway. Alarm bells ring immediately at her characteristic smile. When we were kids, that grin usually meant I broke a window—don’t tell Mom. As of late, that grin means I’m trying to set you up with someone.
It was a bad omen then, and it is now.
“The food was good.” Despite my neutral tone, Pippa’s smile morphs into a grin.
As I said, bad omen.
I hold
up the report I’m reading to show her I have no time. Instead of taking the cue, Pippa proceeds into my office, sitting in the chair opposite me and resting her elbows on my desk.
“Oh, but it’s all in the company, not in the food, right. So, how was the company?”
“Ava’s smart,” I reply curtly, still surveying the report in my hands.
“And beautiful and sexy. You want to add anything to that list?”
With a groan, I give up and push the papers away. It’s not as though they’ll stop Pippa when she’s on a mission anyway.
“What’s your point?”
Her brows lower and she answers in the most innocent tone possible, “No point. Just trying to get a feel for the situation.”
“There is no situation, Pippa.”
Her grin returns, all traces of innocence—real or feigned—gone. “Yet, Alice told me you and Ava were giving each other hot looks.”
“I don’t get involved with employees.”
“Ha!” Pippa points a triumphant finger at me, as if I admitted to a mortal sin. “So you have thought about Ava like that.”
“Pippa, I’m a man. She’s a smart, beautiful woman, and sexy as fuck. Of course, I thought about it. But—”
“You’d be perfect for each other.” Pippa rubs her palms together in excitement.
“Damn it.” I drop my head in my hands, sighing. I’ve opened Pandora’s box.
“Hear me out.”
“By all means, go on,” I say in defeat. I can make boardrooms go quiet by only looking at those in attendance. Shutting up my sister? Any of my sisters, for that matter, and sometimes even brothers, if they feel like meddling? Impossible. Of course, there’s something to be said about the fact that we’ve all seen each other playing in mud and had each other’s backs, but still. Years have passed since then. I’m thirty-three. One would think they’d find me at least half as intimidating as our employees do.
“The two of you are very much alike.”
I lounge back in my leather chair, frowning at her. “Meaning?”
“You both have a shield of steel”— Pippa grimaces—“you show everyone, and. . . ah, what is the phrase, ‘a heart of gold’ inside?” She cringes. “I always thought that expression sucks. I mean, steel and gold are both as hard as it gets. Why is a heart of gold considered a good thing? I mean, who decided that should be a thing as opposed to say. . . a heart of cupcakes? That sounds much better, doesn’t it?”