House of Cards (Tech Billionaires)

by Ainsley St Claire

  Then I take a deep breath, and prepare to start my day, dutiful daughter that I am. Honestly, the Foundation is probably my one rebellion. I get in the shower and try to wash away my anger. It doesn’t work. Instead I dream of running off and hiding from every last bit of this. Let them try to find me.

  When I’m still raging as I dry off, I conclude that I’m not going to be much good at working today. Alex told me he was spending the day at the Lakes Spa… Maybe he was on to something.

  Chapter 11

  Jonathan

  On Monday morning, I arrive at the office shortly after Lola does.

  “How was the tournament?” she asks.

  “Excellent. Mia Couture won the whole thing. It was fantastic to see. I’ve decided to run home to Minneapolis today. Can you clear my schedule for a day or two?”

  She pulls up my calendar and pokes around on her computer for a moment. “I can, except you have a meeting with the Nevada Gaming Commission. They won’t wait. Should I have Daniel Peters in gaming cover that?”

  “Yes, and if Gillian can be there, that would be ideal. That way gaming and guest relations are represented.”

  She agrees, and after we touch base about a few other things, I head into my office. Confident things will be under control for a few days, I focus on the task at hand. I could hardly sleep last night—I’m so keyed up about seeing Maggie. Face to face, surely I can convince her to change her plans and give us a chance.

  I arrange a car for my arrival and a place to stay. Less than an hour after that, my bodyguard Caden and I board my jet for the flight from McCarran to Minneapolis.

  “Would you like a drink or a snack, Mr. Best?” the flight attendant asks.

  I give her my order, and she brings me Johnnie Walker Blue neat with a warmed bowl of mixed nuts. “Thank you, Nicole.”

  I have plenty of work to do, but instead I think what’s about to happen. If Maggie doesn’t want to marry me right away—or ever—I’ll understand. But I convinced the bank to loan me almost a billion dollars to build my hotel. I convinced my team we’d create something different and original, and clearly we did. Maggie still seems to have feelings for me, so I just need to talk her into fighting this ridiculous wedding.

  My ride is waiting when we arrive in Minneapolis, and once I settle in the backseat, with Caden up front, I text Maggie.

  Me: Hey, what are you up to this afternoon?

  Maggie: I’m taking a me day at the Lakes Spa.

  That would be a nice place to surprise her…

  Me: What are you doing at Lakes?

  Maggie: I’m getting a massage and maybe a Brazilian.

  I almost choke.

  Me: Really? Any chance I might get to see it?

  Maggie: Only if you’re going to be local.

  I smile. Oh, there’s a sliver of light at the door. I’m going to kick it down.

  Me: I might be able to make a trip for that.

  Maggie: It’s not nice to tease me.

  Rather than respond, I give the driver directions to the Lakes Spa. It’s not far from where we grew up. I sent my spa manager from the Shangri-la here and to a few of the other top spas in the country when we were looking for what we wanted in our spa.

  The car drops me off. I leave Caden behind and enter the building. Immediately scented candles and soft music wash over me, and I feel right at home, despite being in dress pants and a pressed shirt with the sleeves rolled up.

  “Welcome to the Lakes Spa,” a woman whose name tag reads Heather says.

  “Hello. I have a friend enjoying the spa that I’d like to surprise. May I go back?”

  “Do you have an appointment?”

  I give her my best smile, which usually works on women. “I don’t, but—”

  “I’m sorry, sir,” she interrupts. “Without an appointment, I can’t allow you back.”

  I hadn’t thought about that, and we’d do the same at the Shangri-la. I try to gloss over the fact that she called me sir. I’m not that much older than she is.

  “Okay, that makes sense. Do you have any treatments available that would give me access to the spa?”

  She sets an appointment for me. I can always blow it off if I can talk Maggie into stepping away with me. It’ll be worth it to see her and the look of surprise on her face.

  I follow a man in white yoga pants to the dressing room, where he shows me my locker and the sauna. I quickly change into a robe and go in search of my surprise, slipping my cell phone into my pocket.

  I walk into the large central area. Soft water trickling plays over the loudspeakers, and the two grand fireplaces are crackling. I scan the room, which is dotted with people drinking water and wine, leafing through magazines, and reading books. I finally spot her. She’s sitting with Alex, and my stomach drops. Fuck!

  Before I can decide how to play this, she sees me. Her eyes go wide, and her face lights up. I can’t very well back out now.

  She stands up and we meet in the middle of the room. “What are you doing here?” She hugs me, pressing the softness of her breasts against me, and it takes all my self-control to not pull her out of here and take her to my hotel immediately.

  “You said I should come see you,” I murmur.

  “I’m glad you’re here.” She turns and says, “You remember Alex from school, don’t you?”

  “Nice to see you again, Alex.”

  “Jonathan, the big casino owner in Vegas.” He doesn’t seem very happy I’m here. He’d probably be less happy if he knew my plan.

  “Well, we call it a resort.”

  He nods, and the only thing we haven’t done is pull our dicks out and measure them. This is a mistake, and I need to leave. I shouldn’t be here. I want to fight for Maggie, but I don’t want to put her on the spot with her fake fiancé sitting next to her.

  “My, don’t you look handsome,” Alex says. “How are things going at that resort of yours? I would love to see it sometime.” His eyes roam up and down and settle on my cock, hidden behind the robe. He’s definitely talking about more than my resort.

  I paint a smile on my face. “You’re welcome anytime. Let me know and I’m happy to set up the VIP treatment for you.”

  Maggie’s name is called over the intercom.

  “Will you be here when I get done?” she asks.

  I nod. “I plan to be. If for some reason you don’t see me, it’s because I’m in my own appointment, but we can meet back here.”

  She flashes me a brilliant smile. “Great. Have a glass of wine, relax, and enjoy yourself. I’ll be back.”

  Alex’s name is called next. “See you in ninety minutes.” He waves as he walks away.

  I’m relieved I don’t have to sit here and make conversation with him. My name is called next, and a woman takes me to a pedicure chair. I feel silly, but it was the only thing available that would get me beyond the check-in desk.

  “What color would you like?” the nail tech asks.

  I give her my choice and sit in the vibrating chair, not sure if my nuts are going to go numb. My feet are extra sensitive, so I jump about ten feet when she rubs them with a pumice stone. It tickles. This is why I usually avoid pedicures like the plague.

  This is not relaxing at all. How do people do this all the time?

  When I’m done, I walk carefully back out to the waiting area and grab a copy of the Star Tribune sports section. I love the hometown news on my favorite teams. The Twins are already in the middle of the pack, and they’ve only been playing a week or so this season. I can’t remember if they’re home this week; that could be fun, if I can talk Maggie into joining me. I understand sporting events are good dates.

  Alex joins me after a few minutes. “Gawd, I love a deep massage.”

  I nod. “I sent the head of my spa here to check out the amenities when we were getting started. I think when you come to the Shangri-la, you’ll enjoy our spa, too.”

  “That sounds wonderful. Maggie and I should make plans to come soon. She’s b
een bouncing back and forth to San Francisco working on something for Bullseye or the Foundation or something.”

  “Yep. She’s headed there in a few weeks to deal with the expansion. Can you believe all the locations they have this year?”

  “How was your massage?” he asks, changing the subject.

  “Didn’t have one. I was a walk-in, and the only service they had was a pedicure.”

  “Oh, I love pedicures.”

  “Not me. My feet are crazy sensitive. It was pure torture.”

  “What color did you pick?”

  I spot Maggie walking toward us, carrying a giant glass of water with cucumber slices. Her hair is a golden mess, and she has the dazed look of just having had the orgasm of her life. Since I know that look firsthand, my cock wakes up.

  “I’m sorry?” I ask, realizing I can’t remember the question.

  Alex spots Maggie. “She saw Janice today, and she has magic hands.”

  Maggie takes a gulp of water. “My massage was incredible. All the stress is gone from my shoulders.” She rolls her shoulders.

  “Did she give you a happily ever after?” Alex teases.

  She swats her hand at him. “No. Of course not! She just knows what she’s doing.”

  “Jonathan was just telling me about his pedicure,” Alex says.

  “Oh? What color did you choose?”

  “Just clear,” I tell them.

  Alex slips his foot out of his sandal and shows us his blue toes. “I don’t know,” he says, waggling his brows. “Colored toes are kind of sexy.” He winks at Maggie, and she rolls her eyes.

  He strikes me as a little too saucy for someone who has a major life change approaching. He can’t possibly have Maggie’s best interest at heart. Whatever. We sit and make small talk about a couple of people we know in common from high school. But we ran in different circles, so we quickly run out of conversation because we don’t have a lot of the same friends.

  “I have some plans tonight, so I’m going to head out.” Alex leans down and kisses Maggie on the cheek. “You two have fun.” I could swear he winked at her.

  We watch Alex depart. Maggie hasn’t asked why I’m here.

  I lean in close. “I thought you were getting something else done.”

  “I was waxed before the massage.”

  “Why do you do it?”

  “I like how it feels afterward.”

  I’m excited by that thought. “It must hurt.”

  “Uh, yeah. Having hot wax put on your bits and pieces? Trust me, not a fun feeling. But it’s nice afterward for a few weeks.” Maggie giggles, and I love the sound.

  “What?” I ask.

  “They do a manzilian. It’s the man’s version of a Brazilian. Alex gets it all the time.”

  “Do you prefer your men with no chest hair?” My heart beats faster. With only a few scraps of thin terrycloth robe between us, my cock is alert, and I’m not hiding it from her. She looks incredibly sexy.

  “I like hair on a man—something to run my fingers through.” She takes another sip of her water. “Do you prefer a woman without hair?”

  “It doesn’t bother me either way,” I lean in again. “But you did promise me a peek, and I very much want to examine the precision of your Brazilian.”

  She turns the most beautiful shade of scarlet and doesn’t answer. I stare at her and imagine her showing me her beautiful pink lips.

  “What brings you to Minneapolis?” she asks.

  “You.” The scarlet across her cheeks spreads down her chest, and I’m sure she just shuddered. She bites her bottom lip, and I want to pull her into a massage room, crush her up against me, and make love to her until she comes all over my face, fingers, and dick. But I need her to get over this farce that she’s marrying Alex first.

  “There’s a lot going on here,” she explains.

  I nod. “I understand you’re still planning a wedding?”

  “Yes.”

  “Alex seems to know we were together.” I lay it out there.

  “We haven’t discussed it specifically,” she whispers. “But he thinks getting laid solves all life’s problems. He’d like me to be in a better mood.”

  “I don’t see how your mood can improve until you’re back in control of your personal life,” I tell her, though that may have been a bit too frank.

  She sits back hard in her chair, and her hands tremble. “The future of the company requires this.” Tears shine in her eyes. “And Alex has to do this or he’s left destitute.”

  “I understand the pressure you feel about preserving the company, but it isn’t your job to make sure Alex keeps his money,” I tell her, trying to keep my anger in check.

  “No, but his father is making the Elite merger contingent upon Alex running at least some portion of the company, and that can only be done if he’s family.”

  “This is not how normal businesses—normal families, normal people—operate. There are so many reasons this doesn’t make sense,” I tell her. Why doesn’t she realize this is crazy?

  She just shrugs.

  “Okay, hear me out.” My mind races as I try to pull something together that will reach her. “You don’t need Elite in all the Bullseye stores. You already have an electronics section. Why title it Elite?”

  “It’s not just having the name. We want their stores, which means we want their inventory and their employees. And like us, they own all their real estate, and we want that too.”

  “Okay, but at what cost to you? Why does it have to be you?” I’m becoming desperate. I know her parents had a fucked-up relationship, but I can’t imagine them requiring this. How could any woman think this is remotely acceptable? An arranged marriage in our culture and at this time? This is preposterous.

  The look on my face must reflect my feelings, because she tries again to make me understand.

  “I’m sorry. I don’t know how to explain it. I feel like I don’t have a choice. I can’t walk away from something my family has spent generations building, and Mother doesn’t care anything about the Foundation. If I don’t see it through, no one will. And I’m helping my friend in the process.”

  But what about you? I want to scream. I have to take a different approach. Preserving the family business is one thing, but this can’t be the only way. She needs to understand that her mother is talking her into something unnecessary. “Stevie told me he’s planning to marry Genevieve.”

  She seems surprised. I reach for her, but she doesn’t reach back. “Mag-pie, you don’t have to marry Alex to run the company. And you can’t make this merger your responsibility. You should make your own choice too. Please, I have money. I’m begging you.”

  “I’m sorry.” Tears form in her eyes. “It’s so complicated. I have to think of Alex too…” She wraps her arms around herself and won’t look at me.

  I want to throw the vase of flowers on the table into the fireplace. She’s not making sense.

  “What can I do to change your mind?” I lower my voice. “I happily did that last fall. Maybe you need me to do it again?”

  She turns a delightful shade of red, and I remember her soft pink nipples. I want to suckle them.

  “I...don’t...want to...lead you on,” she tells me.

  “You aren’t leading me on if you’ll at least consider what I’m offering. Come with me to Las Vegas. Please. Let’s find a way out of this. We can be happy. I know it.”

  “I...” The pause seems interminable. “Can’t.” She straightens up. “If you came here for me, I’m sorry. But I’m marrying Alex.”

  I rub my hands over my face, completely and utterly overwhelmed. If I don’t leave, I might say something I regret. “I have to go. I’m going to see my parents. They’re celebrating their fortieth wedding anniversary next year and still adore one another,” I add out of spite. “You have my number if you change your mind.”

  Disappointment and hurt are evident on her face, but still she says nothing.

  I shake my head. “
You’ve given up, and that’s heartbreaking. I understand your devotion to your family business, but I don’t understand how I can want more for you than you want for yourself.”

  I leave her sitting there and return to the men’s changing room. Once I’m dressed, I walk out to my waiting car and direct the driver to my parents’.

  Chapter 12

  Maggie

  I hadn’t been expecting Jonnie at the Lakes Spa, and the look on his face when I told him again that I had to marry Alex just destroyed me. I know I’m ruining the only possibility for happiness I’ll ever have, but I have no idea what else to do. I’ve tried to explain it to him, but he doesn’t understand. My family demands this. My friend’s future is dependent on it. I can’t see my way out. After he left, I went into the sauna and cried and sweated every tear out of my body.

  I get dressed as slowly as possible. My heart is broken into a thousand pieces. I should never have flirted with Jonnie. I have to let him go. Even if I’m free to have affairs once I get married, Jonnie wants more from me, and I want to give him more—he deserves better.

  Shit, I never should have slept with him all those months ago. If I hadn’t done that, I wouldn’t know what amazing sex is.

  That thought accompanies me all the way home, and when I arrive, my mother is waiting for me in the foyer. “You’re late,” she says in the caustic tone she has when she’s upset.