by Chelle Bliss
I want to wipe the cockiness off his face, but I give him a small smile instead. “We look forward to crushing your dreams, Mr. Forte.” I stand and walk toward the conference room door. “Good day, gentlemen.” I hold it open for them to leave with a smile on my face. “Gentlemen.” I try to play nice even though I want to trip each one on his way out.
Naturally, Mr. Forte’s the last to leave and stops right in front of me. “Lauren.” The sound of my name coming from his lips sends goose bumps across my flesh. “We aren’t over.”
I glance down as he extends his hand to me. “Mr. Forte, we have nothing further to discuss.”
“I didn’t get where I am by giving up, Ms. Bradley.” He smirks.
My eyes drop to his mouth and he catches me, but I quickly regain my senses. “My assistant will show you out.”
“Why don’t you walk with me?”
“I’ll show him out,” Josh says, barging in between us.
“I’d rather be shown out by Ms. Bradley, but thank you, Mr. Gold.”
Josh’s jaw ticks. “It’s Goldman.”
Antonio waves him off. “Ms. Bradley, please.” He holds out his arm, waiting for me to walk in front of him.
Like the professional I am, I strut out of the room with Antonio close on my heels. I won’t give him the satisfaction of showing me up in my own company. Even though I like to say it’s only business, it’s personal too. I’ve tasted the man, felt him deep inside me, and he knew exactly what I sounded and looked like when I came.
“See me again,” he whispers in my ear when we are separated from the group.
I keep my face forward, ignoring him.
“Lauren, we need to talk about what happened.” His voice sounds more urgent and needy.
“There’s nothing to discuss, Lou.” I smile at the group in front of us after one of them turns around.
“There’s plenty to discuss. Business aside, Lizzy, we need to speak. Meet me for dinner,” he pleads, picking up the pace to match my steps as I try to hurry the walk along and get him out of there.
“No,” I snap and finally turn to look at him. “I want nothing from you.”
“You do.” He smirks.
I can’t stop glaring at him. “I don’t.”
“Lauren, you know no one has ever made you—” He brings his mouth closer to my ear. “Come as hard as I did.”
My eyes widen. I pray no one overheard his statement. I scan the crowd, but no one seems to be paying us any attention. “Fuck off, Lou,” I hiss, unable to hide my emotion any longer. “There’s nothing between us and never will be.”
“Just because you say the words doesn’t make them true.” He smiles like the Cheshire cat and moves far enough away from me that I can’t reply without being overheard. “I’ll exchange contact information with your assistant and be in touch.”
Asshole.
“Gentlemen, thank you for coming today,” I say to the group as they stand near the elevators. “I hope never to see you again.” My words are aimed directly at Antonio. I smile and turn on my heel, marching toward my office with my head held high.
Screw Cozza and Antonio Forte.
They aren’t going to win this battle.
Chapter Seven
My eyes scan the offices as I walk down the hallway. I take pride in knowing I helped build this company into something bigger, stronger than it had been before. The hundreds of employees moving around the building depend on me to bring Interstellar into the top position. Each one has devoted their life to the company and given their blood, sweat, and tears. I can’t hand them over to Cozza and Forte to pink slip without so much as a second thought.
In some ways, working at Interstellar to advance the aerospace industry was for my father. I wanted him to be proud. I wanted to reach for the stars like he’d always dreamed. I’ll be damned if I let a man—let alone a cock, come between me, my team, and the company.
Just as my bottom touches the chair, Josh marches into my office in a tizzy. “What the hell was that?” He tugs on his cuff links like he’s trying to regain his composure.
“I don’t know what you mean, Josh.” I lean back, relaxing into the cool leather material, and kick off my shoes.
“There’s something going on, Lauren. I don’t like how Antonio talked to or looked at you.”
“It’s just business. He’s a man and figures he can rattle me because I’m a woman. Little does he know that he’s messing with the wrong CEO. I don’t care how pretty he is or what comes out of his mouth—he’s never getting this company.”
“Who’s pretty?” Trent asks, striding into my office like he owns the space.
I close my eyes, wishing them both away.
“She thinks Forte is pretty,” Josh replies for me and laughs.
Trent glares at me. “You do?”
I clench my jaw so tightly that my teeth squeak. “I didn’t say that.”
Josh gives me a look that screams bullshit.
“Josh, are we done here?” I ask, fisting my hands in my lap under the desk so neither of them can see. “Where’s the team on squashing the Cozza deal?”
Josh glances between us, giving Trent a once-over before leaving. “I’ll check.”
“What do you want, Trent?” I shuffle papers around on my desk, trying to organize the chaos that has taken place in the last twenty-four hours.
Trent sits down, smoothing out his tie as he leans back in the chair. “So, when do I get to test the engine, Lulu?”
My hands stop over one pile, and I can’t believe something so huge has slipped my mind. In the frenzy yesterday, I forgot to call Trent and give him the go-ahead. “Damn,” I hiss and slam the stack on top of another.
“What’s wrong?”
I glare at him. “Just a lot on my mind. You can start the final test phase. The board was excited to hear about it, and your team received unanimous support.” I fiddle with my necklace, running my fingers back and forth along the chain, and watch him. “We ran into a possible complication.”
He moves forward, and he places his elbows on his knees, staring at me. “What happened?”
“Cozza.”
He hangs his head briefly before bringing his eyes back to mine. “I heard some whispers, but I figured it was bullshit. What did they do now?”
“They’re trying to take us over. I think they know about the engine and that we’re in a final test phase. Any idea how they could know about it?” I keep my eyes on him. Not even risking a blink because I might miss something in his body language.
His eyes widen. “No!”
“Be honest with me.”
He clasps his hands in front of his body and squeezes, his knuckles turning white from the grip. “Lauren, I swear. It wasn’t me. You know I’m loyal to you.”
I take a deep breath, searching him for a moment. “I know you are.” I do. Trent wants me, but that doesn’t mean he can’t be bought. “But the question is, are you loyal to Interstellar?”
His hand flies to his chest as he gapes at me. “I can’t believe you’d ask me that.”
Classic deflection. I cross my arms in front of myself, trying to hold my anger in before I do something I’ll regret. “You didn’t answer the question.”
“Of course, I’m loyal,” he bites out through gritted teeth.
I chew the inside of my mouth. He may say the words, but it doesn’t mean I believe the conviction in his voice. Though, it wouldn’t make sense for him to sell out Interstellar. Trent has the highest position for a man in his field–it’s his dream job. Plus, he has free rein to work on any project he wants.
“Okay, Trent. I have an important phone call I need to make.”
He rises to his feet and hovers over my desk. “Want to get a drink after work?”
I purse my lips before transforming them into a smile. “Sorry, Trent. I’m too busy for drinks these days. There’s a hostile takeover in place, and it’s all hands on deck.”
Trent hovers closer. “I�
“Get out.” I point toward the door and rise from my chair quickly. “Trent, really. Usually, I’m more patient with you, but not today.”
He laughs softly, tipping his head back. “You were never patient, Lulu.” He walks out without saying another word, and I feel like shit for treating him so harshly—for approximately twenty seconds until my phone chirps.
Unknown: Meet me for dinner.
“What’s up, fearless leader?” Cassie asks, walking into my office and carrying a new pile of papers. “This desk is a mess.”
“Ya think, Cas? You think you can help with it? I’ve lost track at this point.”
She nods and starts going through each folder and forming new piles on the chairs in my office. I take the time to check my email. My phone chirps again, but I ignore it.
Cassie’s gaze drifts toward my phone. “Oh, you have an admirer.” She giggles and waggles her eyebrows.
I snatch the phone from my desk and turn it over to hide the screen. “It’s the wrong number, Cassie. Shush it.” I wink at her.
“Um,” she says, rolling her eyes. “Yeah. You’re right. They’re looking for Elizabeth.”
My stomach plummets. The air from my lungs evaporates into thin air at the thought of Antonio being the “Unknown” texter. “Yeah, wrong number.” I slide the button on my phone to silence any other notification. I can’t look until she leaves the room.
“I wish a man would send me random steamy text messages.”
“It was steamy?”
She whistles. “Whoever Lizzy is—” She stops mid-sentence and turns to look at me. Her eyes are wide as she blinks rapidly. “Wait! Mr. Forte called you Lizzy. Damn.” She points at my phone, looking between it and me.
I shake my head and try to keep my face unexpressive. “Don’t be silly. You must’ve heard him wrong.” I glance down at my computer screen, unable to look her in the eyes and lie. “He thought I was someone he knew from college, but he was wrong.”
“Umm.” She sweeps her finger along the edge of my desk as she takes steps around the back. “I know I can seem like I’m an airhead sometimes, Lauren, but I heard him clear as day, and he didn’t think you were someone else.”
“Cassie,” I warn, keeping my eyes on the screen. “Drop it.”
She stands by my side, tapping her fingernails on top of the giant pile of to-do papers. “As you know, as your employee, I signed a nondisclosure agreement. Whatever I know, I can’t divulge.”
With someone selling us out to Cozza, I don’t put much stock in a nondisclosure or any promise to keep anything in confidence. Cassie and I have always been more than employer and employee. She’s been with me since the beginning and has always been the one I lean on in times of need. Her ability to listen and give good advice is priceless to me. Even though sometimes she doesn’t clean my desk, she is worth her weight in gold.
“I’m not firing you, but from now on, ask before you give out my personal cell phone number. I swear, Cas. There’s nothing going on between him and me.”
“Look me in the eyes and say it.” She smirks.
I cross my fingers under my desk and peer up at her. “I swear there’s nothing.”
She nods and looks disappointed. “Too bad. He was kind of hot.” She fans herself with her hand.
I grimace because she isn’t lying–he’s hot as hell. “If that’s the type of guy you like.”
“You can say whatever you want, but I saw the way you looked at him.”
“You mistake lust for hate. I don’t want to sleep with him, I want to pound him into pieces.”
“Pound,” she whispers through her giggles.
“Don’t you have work to do?” I ask, feeling uncomfortable having this conversation about Antonio, especially when everything I say sounds filthy.
“I do. I’d better go pound the keys like I’d pound…”
“Out,” I tell her and shoo her away with a giant smile. “I’ll finish organizing my paperwork.”
“I’m sorry. I’ll behave, Ms. Bradley.”
I can’t help but laugh. “I’ve never known you to behave when it comes to men, Cas.”
“There’s a time to work, and then there’s a time to play.” She grabs a stack from the couch in the back of the room and heads for the door. “I’m going to go work before I get myself in some trouble.”
“Thanks.” I walk toward the two chairs in front of my desk to see what papers were in the stack and hope I can figure out her process.
“Call me if you need me.” She closes the door and leaves.
As soon as I hear her footsteps far enough away from my office, I bolt toward my desk and grab my phone.
Unknown: I need to taste you again, Elizabeth.
Unknown: I want more than your company.
Unknown: Same time, same place–tonight.
Clearly, the man is crazy if he thinks I’ll meet him again. Last night was one of the biggest mistakes of my life…and the hottest one too. But knowing who he is, I can’t do it. Even if it was the best sex of my life, we are at war.
I try to work and get my head on straight, but my eyes keep peering down at my phone, waiting for the next message. “I’m an idiot.” I push my body back into my chair and close my eyes. When my phone chirps again, I can’t stop myself from looking.
Unknown: Lou will be waiting for Liz.
Fuck, what a mess.
“Lauren,” Josh says, giving the door a quick knock out of respect, but he’s already two strides inside my office. “Do you have time for a meeting? Our team has some ideas on how to stop the takeover by Cozza.”
I jump up from my seat because having news about a way to halt them in their tracks is just what I need. “I always have time when it comes to Interstellar.”
“Walk with me.” He moves to the side, having me walk in front of him, but he’s following close on my heels. “Our options are limited, but it’s entirely possible to stop their bid.”
“I’ve always liked a challenge, Josh. No matter what it is, we’ll make it work.” I push open the door to the conference room to find the entire legal division assembled around the table. “Good afternoon, everyone.”
“Good afternoon, ma’am.” Mr. Wiggins, the head of the legal team, greets me by standing.
“Sit, sit.” I motion for them to remain seated as I start to pace. “What have you been able to find?”
Wiggins clears his throat and glances down at his paperwork. “There are a few things we have going for us that can stop Cozza in their tracks.” He holds up a handful of papers and looks in my direction. “First, your contract should be reason enough to have them running for the hills.”
I freeze and turn on my heel to face him. “How so?”
“Built into your contract, as with every CEO before you, there’s a clause designed to stop such maneuvers. You were given an enormous golden parachute payoff that no company will want to swallow in order to take over Interstellar.”
I gulp down the lump that’s suddenly formed in my throat. “How much?” I ask, clenching my jaw when I try to control my breathing.
“Twenty million.” He smiles like he’s a genius and a savior, but his find is not a saving grace.
The golden parachute clause in my contract had totally slipped my mind. I never gave it another thought after I signed the paperwork the day I became CEO. Now it adds an entirely new dimension of shit that could fall at my feet by sleeping with Antonio. Not only would I profit substantially from being removed as CEO and the purchase of Interstellar, but people could say I did it on purpose. I know how rumors work. Not only could he ruin my company, he could destroy my reputation. I know the clause was added to stop someone from buying us, but with the new engine we are on the verge of releasing, our acquisition would still be a financial gain for any potential purchaser.
Unconsciously, I start to pace again, worry filling my entire body. “It’s not good enough, Wiggins. We need to find another way to stop them.”
His eyebrows furrow. “You don’t feel the parachute will be sufficient?”
I shake my head, blowing out a puff of air. “It’s not when you think of the financial gain that our new engine could bring to the purchaser. It’s not enough, Mr. Wiggins.” My palms are sweaty, and I suddenly feel flushed.
“Well, we do have another way.” He pauses and relaxes back in his chair, watching me like a hawk.
I grip the back of the chair tightly. “Out with it,” I bark out, unable to control the fear that has consumed me.
“We need to make sure we have a supermajority of stockholders that do not want to sell to Cozza. Cozza has to have the backing of that majority in order to gain control of Interstellar and be successful in their hostile takeover.”
“How many?” I ask, tapping my finger against the back of my chair.
“Over seventy percent of stockholders must agree not to sell their shares, Ms. Bradley.” Wiggins straightens his shoulders but never takes his eyes off me.
“We can do that.” I glance toward the ceiling and start to pace again, forming a plan in my head. “We need to call an emergency stockholder meeting to unveil the technology and announce the date of the public test. For the people who can’t be there, we’ll do a simultaneous webcast for our shareholders around the world where we’ll unveil our newest invention that’s going to catapult Interstellar to the top spot.”
“That may take some time,” Josh interrupts. “Also, I feel we should maybe test the engine privately first.”
I stop behind his chair. “Although it may seem like the most sensible option, under the circumstances, it’s vital that we make it public to shore up our stock. So, make it happen. You have thirty-six hours, Josh. Give me a goddamn miracle.”
Although I can’t see his face, his posture tells me everything I need to know. Josh is tense, but not a traitor. Everything about his demeanor confirmed that before we walked into the meeting. “I can work with thirty-six hours, Ms. Bradley,” Josh replies and starts to tap his pen against the papers in front of him.
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