by Tara Lynn
Mira rolled her eyes. “Oh, god. Ok, I didn’t mean like right right now. Don’t you have improv tonight?”
I gritted my teeth. I wasn’t exactly feeling in a free mood. “Things might get a little uncomfortable for everyone there if I went today anyway.”
“Fine. Go ahead and tell me what a budget is.”
I smiled, opened a new page on her easel and began my own brush strokes.
Numbers always put me at ease. With Mira and Snowflake and the dim yellow living room light, it was almost a perfect evening again. The only thing that could have made it better was Antoine cleverly undercutting my every word as he texted someone on Grindr.
Maybe I should join one of those apps. After a while though. Right now, it was still hard to compare anyone to Deacon. I'd have to wean myself off him like a drug, patiently and persistently.
Next week, I’d be off in Abu Dhabi, talking to the solar company on-site. I should be dreaming about the travel, the amazing opportunity for my resume. Instead, it made me nervous.
Because travel meant I’d have to see Deacon Stone again. And over there, I’d be in a strange place, away from everything I knew.
And just like in Chicago, I might be confused enough to do the wrong thing about it.
****
Friday afternoon came and it looked like I might get out early. I double checked my initial report for the solar company’s financials along with the dozens of questions I planned to get answered on site.
My team leader, Leo, had been a little slackjawed at the afternoon meeting when I presented. Even Trey had been taking notes. He might have thought this project was pointless, but that was just because he wasn’t skeptical enough to ask the right questions.
The memory brought me a dozen fresh smiles through the day. It was a soaring feeling knowing you had something special in you. No one could take that away from me. It made all my other problems trivial.
Mira just needed to find a part time job like every other artist. I had helped her fill out a few forms for coffee places. She had the perfect vibe for it.
As for my mother’s new number? That’d be easy enough to block.
And Deacon…well, maybe he’d leave me alone once we got over there, too. I could handle a couple stray looks if they came from the far end of a conference table.
Sooner or later I’d stop having those embarrassing dreams about him. They were fantasies, nothing more. A thirty second talk with him would be enough to remind me just who he was.
Trey rapped on the door outside. I knew his energetic cadence by now. Maybe he was here to praise me again for my meeting performance.
“Come in,” I said.
The door brushed open, but it wasn’t an NBA player that stood in the gap. It was the big, rough form of a Texas billionaire.
It’d been so long. I saw that chiseled face, the sharp gray eyes, those arms that nearly bust the seams of his suit as if for the first time. Words escaped me.
Deacon wore a teasing smile.
“Have a good week, darlin’?” he asked.
“Yes,” I said, softly.
All my anger was gone. Stupid meeting. I was feeling too good.
“Great.” He brushed into the room like a hot wind. His pine and earth scent sank all over me. “Sorry, I couldn’t be there for your presentation. I was in Norway all week talking with some boring old oil guys. Shoot me if I ever have to talk to a Scandinavian again.”
He stood at the side of my desk, gazing out the tall wide window. Power wafted off him. I had never truly seen him in his habitat, but the effect was grander than I could have anticipated. It was almost gravitational. I dug my feet against the carpet to keep my chair from rolling his way.
To keep me from rolling over.
The thought lit my fuse. “I told you not to come near me,” I said. “That was our deal.”
“Deal?” He chuckled. “Darlin', we never shook hands. Heck, we didn’t even have an oral agreement. And it just so happens that this is my building you’re in.”
He winked. I swung my chair away, keeping my face out of sight. Maybe it looked like a power move. Inside, I was trembling.
“I can’t work with you standing over me,” I said.
“Under then? I’m ok with any position.”
“I’d prefer no positions.”
“Well, that’s too bad,” he said. “Cause you work for me now. And next week we’re going to the Middle East together. You and me and your team, one big happy family. You decide how you want to play it, but don’t expect daddy to eat dinner alone just to make you feel right.”
I shivered at the demand in his voice. I should hate it. I should march back to Phil and say I wanted off the job.
But he wasn’t asking me to do anything indecent. Heck, he was just telling me to do my job like nothing was wrong. What kind of man could be so understanding and arrogant at the same time?
“Family,” I said, slowly. “I can do family. Family can’t get all that close. Especially if you know my family.”
“I have a strange feeling that I know exactly what you mean.” My chair spun and suddenly he was right over me, his eyes like stormclouds. “But fine. If I can’t make you do anything but work for me, then I’ll get my kicks out of watching you do just that.”
His lips poured the words onto me like heat. They were just a bend of the knees away from mine. As if he were waiting for me to stand for him.
I just gripped my armrests and held his gaze. The moment hung like an eternity. And then he was gone, back to the door.
“There’s someone I want you to meet before we leave,” he said. “Sunday will work for that.”
I blinked rapidly. “I’ll have to check.”
“Not a request.” He smiled. “It’s job related.”
“Yeah, fine, whatever.”
He threw me another blink before leaving. “Sorry to leave you alone for so long.”
The door whispered shut behind him. My head buzzed in the gap he had left behind.
So many things roiled around in there. He'd been pushing and professional in a single breath. My world spun. I struggled to find my grounding, my anger.
But the only thing I could really notice was the soft, dumb smile on my mouth.
CHAPTER TEN
Deacon
I stood just under the covered entrance to the River Oaks country club, gazing out and looking for a ride that could belong to Kerry. The grassy roundabout just past the entrance was lined with Maseratis and Ferraris, Aston Martins and the odd Tesla or two – my Roadster included. Even the staff all seemed to have at least a BMW.
I grimaced. There must be some club event going on I didn’t know about. I didn’t want Kerry to see me in the middle of this glitter.
Right, dumbass, that’s why you brought her to the richest zipcode south of the Mason-Dixon.
My family had a mansion just nearby. The drive up left most girls speechless, but wealth didn’t seem to have the same effect on Kerry. Might explain why she had a pull on me that I’d never once felt before.
I’d slept with plenty of women who cared more about substance than class, the sort my mother hated. Some of them had been impressive, and yet the pattern was the same: I’d desired them, had them, forgotten them. Kerry lingered for reasons beyond her gorgeous body and her brilliant mind.
Maybe it was just cause she was playing hard to get. But maybe it was something real, that weight to her, that darkness that drove her.
Either way I was spellbound. It was the difference between a check and a checkmate.
No other girl would have me trying so hard to get back in her graces. I’d never been a weak-kneed teenager even when I was a teenager. Now, I had to lean on a pillar to keep my golf shoes from tapping against the concrete stairway.
A silver Honda turned up into the shaded street further ahead. It rode up past a couple million dollar River Oaks estates, and entered the roundabout.
The glare shifted off the windshield. Kerry’s prett
y round face shone out like a vision. She drove the car around, glancing this way then that.
She couldn’t be looking for me. The hellish sun kept the sidewalk pretty empty this early in the morning.
Ah, right. She wanted to park.
I loped down the steps and into the street right as she came around a second time. She noticed me only at the very last second, squealing to a stop.
The sun burned down on whatever part of my my polo didn’t cover, but I blazed my own burning smile and rapped on the molten hood of her car. She opened the door and stood.
“Are you crazy?” she said panting. “I can’t afford to run over a billionaire.”
Her face glowed in the sun light. Her dark hair fell back straight for once, held in place by a yellow headband of all things. She looked ready for church.
“You can afford this billionaire,” I said. “I wouldn’t let them put you in cuffs.”
“Splattered men have a tough time speaking.”
“You were going too slow to cause damage.”
“You’ve crashed enough Ferraris to know this?”
“The things I’ve crashed are bigger, sweetheart.” I moved around towards her. “Oilfields, presidential fundraisers. Hopefully not this company. But I have you to help me with that now.”
I held a hand out. She glanced at my palm like it held a grenade.
“I can’t just leave my car here.”
“You can.” I smiled and took a step to the side. “This young guy behind me can’t, though.”
A Latino teen in red and white double vest had rushed down behind me. Kerry’s wary look turned to him.
“Don’t worry,” I said. “Valet fees are on me.”
She took a moment more, then plunged back in and got the car keys for the valet. She moved past me and up the stairs.
“Of course they’re on you,” she said. “This is a business meeting after all.”
I’d duly forgotten what possible business I could have in mind at the sight of her firm ass under the drapes of a long pleated skirt. Her blouse was simple and white, but it let through her shapely figure and the straps of her loaded bra.
Christ, how could a girl dress so clean and make me feel so dirty? Guess I wasn’t quite the gentleman I pictured.
I paced up beside her as we strode into the wide, regal lobby. The building was old, and took pride in its age. Rich, dark wood glowed red with sunlight from ornate windows. Stone and plaster designs framed the wide walls and twirled in disciplined patterns overhead. The front counter took up much of the room, but the back extended to the club restaurant.
Kerry tried to hide her interest, but her eyes darted her and there, nervously appraising.
“Don’t let this place intimidate you,” I said. “It’s homey once you know the lay of the land.”
“I know the lay of the land. This isn’t my first time here.”
I stared at her. “You’ve been here before?”
She gave me a coy smile that stopped my heart. “I grew up in Houston.”
“Did you have a rich friend invite you to a birthday party or something?”
“What makes you think I’m not rich?”
“Oh you’re rich in all sorts of ways, just not – you know – the real one. I don’t think you borrowed that ride from a friend.”
She snorted. “You’re right. It wasn’t money that got me in. There are other forces that hold sway in this town.”
We reached the awning leading to the restaurant. She looked around, her shoulders held tight, suddenly nervous.
She wasn't out of place – she was worried about seeing something. Someone, perhaps.
The maître approached with clasped hands, but I held him off.
“What exactly are you talking about when you mean other forces?” I asked.
She peered up at me. “My father was invited here sometimes,” she said. “Sometimes he brought me. He was very strict, so it wasn’t much fun.”
“You see him here?” My arms were tingling, too.
I wasn’t exactly ready to present myself to a girl’s father. Especially one who was already fighting me this hard.
“No. It’s a Sunday.” She glanced at her cute little feet, then back to me. “It doesn't matter now. We’re here on business. Let’s stick to money talk.”
She stared straight ahead, eyes dull. I’d been pretty bored coming here as a child, too, but that was no glazed look. There was that weight she carried. I knew better than to try to unearth it.
The maître had departed. I didn’t want to delay my meeting. If things went well, we’d be talking after. The cool, dark interior of the restaurant beckoned, glowing faintly only at the far edges by the tall patio windows.
“After you.” I gestured.
I shadowed her delicate form in, gesturing her towards the bar lounge area, where our booth awaited - along with its occupant.
“Morning, you two,” Jesse said, toasting us with a mint julep. His other hand was slung around the curving, red backrest. For once he and I were dressed about the same. But the chinos and navy polo he wore, was about as dressed down and laid back as he ever got.
“Uh, hi,” Kerry said, condensed and rigid again.
“Kerry,” I said. “May I present our other partner on this project, and my brother, Jesse Stone.”
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Stone.” She glanced from me to him. “This is going to be confusing.”
“Jesse’s fine,” he said, eyeing her sharply. “In fact, feel free to call me anything you wish. Deacon failed to mention that his guest would be so charming.”
Did Jesse think she was an offering? It was the other way around. He was proof that this project wasn't fake...well, entirely fake, at least. I’d have to be careful, though. Jesse might not be a big bull shark, but he knew how to grab a bite.
Kerry looked around. “Am I the only one coming here?”
“We only needed one liaison from your team,” I said. “I couldn’t imagine a better person than you.”
She glared at me.
“Don’t worry,” I said. “It really is business, but you don't have to mention it to your team if you don't want.”
Jesse shifted around the booth, and I made room for Kerry to get in. She took a deep breath and entered. The table wasn't tight, but it would do no good to leave her feeling cornered. I clambered in after her, making sure to leave room.
“So you’re an accounting analyst?” Jesse said, hunching forward. “I will certainly have to readjust my mental picture of that profession.”
“Save it till you see the rest of her team,” I said.
“I’m seeing the only one that matters.”
Kerry glanced at me. “Why exactly did you call me in here anyway?”
“To help you get a feel for the scope of the project,” I said. “I know that… your team had expressed certain doubts about whether their report would matter.”
Her eyes widened. Good. She understood this was for her.
I ticked my head at Jesse. “I figured that a talk with the man who ordained this operation would make clear that there is real purpose behind hiring you. Ain’t that right, Jesse?”
Jesse flinched as he looked up from Kerry to me. Another dual hit. I loved it.
“There was a very good reason to hire an external team,” Jesse said to Kerry. “I wanted to make make sure that the internal assessments weren’t biased.”
“You think they missed something?” Kerry asked.
“Not necessarily. But I head the sales organization for the company. Which means I know all the ways to get into people’s heads. All the ways to hide things that you don’t want them to see. And to make them think you can give them what they've been craving deep down.”
His fingers traced up the table, landing just inches away from Kerry's hand.
“So you’re the rainmaker at Stone Holdings,” Kerry said. “I can see why.”
“Not me?” I said.
“Definitely not you.” She fla
shed a smile that dulled the words.
“Rainmaker.” Jesse nodded. “That's a positive in your world, I hope?”
Kerry chuckled, a hot low sound. “It’s pretty much the highest award an accountant can give you.”
Jesse’s face lit up. He set off into a tale about his latest big contract. Kerry laughed high and bright at all the right points. If I didn't know better, it looked like Jesse was the one losing control.
This was getting a bit too chummy.
“It’s kinda ironic then,” I said. “That a man who brings in so much money doesn’t know how to balance his own sheets. That’s the real reason Ms. Martin's here, right? To do your work.”
“It’s a different skillset, Deacon,” Jesse said. “What my skillset allowed me to do was look at the deal you proposed and imagine myself on the other end selling it to you. What sort of things could I hide from a man so eager to make his mark that he might overlook the risks?”
“Risks are risks. Just cause I roll the dice doesn't mean I don't see them.”
“You saw the risks with this company you want to buy perhaps, but not in how the deal could affect us overall. Of course, if you considered that, then you might not get things your way for once.”
Faint red heat occupied Jesse’s regal cheeks. The formally-dressed waitress came over, and found us glaring at each other. She took one look and backed off.
This might have been a bit more than I wanted to show Kerry about our family.
“Well what’s the harm, huh?” I chuckled. “A few weeks and another bill are peanuts compared to the potential of this deal. It’s probably a good thing to do a third check.”
I flashed my eyebrows at Jesse. For now, he accepted my graces and eased back.
“Precisely my thoughts,” he said, turning to Kerry. “As you see, we're a meticulous bunch here. At the very least, you’re giving us peace of mind over a rather risky venture.”
“Well, it’s a team effort,” she said.
“Not from what Trey’s told me,” I said.
Her brow wrinkled. “Trey’s been giving you reports on me?”
“Your team, Ms. Martin,” I said.
“Really?” She nudged towards me. “Tell me what you think of the other people in it then.”