“Hey. They’re at it again?” He asked, nodding towards the door I’d just shut.
“Yep. Save yourself that visual.” Not that we weren’t overjoyed that our big brother, stoic and cool Blake, had fallen in love with a wonderful woman. But seeing the evidence of their love was a bit much at times.
“That’s fine because I was looking for you anyway.” Lukas looked nervous, and my self-assured twin was never nervous or uncertain. It was his least attractive feature in my opinion.
“What’s up?” Lukas rarely needed anyone’s help, not at work or in his personal life, which mostly consisted of a few nights with really beautiful but empty women. He followed me back to my office, sniffing at the deli sandwich my assistant, Lara, had left for me.
“Halfsies?”
I rolled my eyes and gave him half of the too big sandwich. “Guess I’ll stop and pick up dinner tonight,” I told him with a pointed look.
When Lukas flashed his on the prowl smile I knew I’d walked into a trap. “Funny you should mention dinner, because that’s why I wanted to find you. I asked Talia out.”
“Finally! I thought you were losing your golden whore touch.”
“Anyway, she seemed hesitant, so I told her it was dinner with a bunch of us and she agreed.” He gave me that familiar look that made unspoken communication between us easy, but always seemed to make other people uncomfortable.
“You told her I would be there.” I didn’t need him to confirm, because of course he had. Talia and I had become friends thanks to my friendship with Poppy. So my presence would have been just the carrot he needed to get her to say yes. “Snake. And I have plans.”
He sighed, but I didn’t buy the resignation on his face. “I suppose I’ll ask Walker to come and bring one of his women.”
It was meant to make me jealous, and it worked. But not enough to agree to his silly dinner game. Walker was free to see and do whomever he chose, and I had no right to get jealous. And I wasn’t jealous.
“That’s probably a better idea.”
He frowned, his protective brother shield firmly in place. “What’s going on with you two?”
“Other than a few nights of incredible sex? Absolutely nothing.”
Lukas shuddered dramatically, and leaned over the desk. “Just for putting that visual in my mind, I’m calling in a favor. Pietro’s at eight.”
I groaned because calling in a favor meant I couldn’t back out unless it was a life or death, or a Peak Adventures related emergency. Over the years we’d collected favors from one another, calling them in with no questions asked when needed.
“Get out of here before I throw myself down the stairs just to get out of it.”
Lukas laughed, but his brown eyes shone with concern. “Are things cool with you and Walker, or do I need to beat his ass?”
“You couldn’t even if you wanted to, trust me, I’ve seen him naked.” I shouldn’t delight in torturing my brother so much, it was juvenile. But as the only girl in the family it was a god given right. “And no, I don’t need you to get violent. But thanks for the offer. Neanderthal.”
He stood in the doorway, looking so much like our dad that sometimes it hurt to look at him. “Pietro’s at eight. Don’t be late.”
“Because that wouldn’t be great?” He rolled his eyes at my lame rhyme and left, leaving me with a strange anxious sensation.
Dinner tonight. With Walker. There would be no drama, but I didn’t just run into people I’ve had sex with, mostly because the only people I’d had sex with were ex-boyfriends. One from college and two as an adult for a grand total of three. And two of them had left the state while the other had gotten married. To the woman I found him banging in his office. So, I was feeling a little nervous.
Did I greet him normally with a snide remark, or did that seem like I was trying too hard? Did I play it cool ignore him all night? I had no idea how to act, and that just made me a nervous wreck, which in turn just pissed me off. Walker didn’t warrant frayed nerves. We’d had a good weekend, there was no need for things to be weird. We were adults.
But if he brought someone else, she would be tall and beautiful with perfectly done hair and she’d have on the latest fashions. That thought moved my feet into action. Even though Walker wasn’t an official ex, he was a former lover, and therefore due the same treatment as all exes.
Me looking so good that he remembered exactly what he was missing.
“I’m heading out for the day, Toni. If the Shepherds decide to reach out, send them to my cell.”
“Sure thing. The new mini-skis ads are nearly complete, do you want digital copies emailed when they’re complete?” Toni was a young woman with cocoa brown skin, a great body and the perfect demeanor for an executive assistant. I would never let her go if I could, but I already knew that in six months’ time I would have to let her go. Her just completed finance degree meant she’d be perfect for Lukas’ department, and I knew she was over qualified to be keeping my schedule. She had skills and talent our company could use elsewhere.
“Yeah, thanks Toni. Drop by to see if Lukas has anything for you to do, if not I want you gone by five. Got it?”
She smiled. “Got it.”
I left the building and made my way to Rene’s, a high end salon that catered to the rich and aimless. Luckily Toni was able to get me an appointment in thirty minutes. When I walked in to the black and white salon, the latest dance track was playing loud enough to make all the liquid in my body vibrate.
“Lacey, honey!” Rico called out to me, his blinding white smile in stark contrast to his smooth bronzed skin. “I hope you’re finally ready to let me do my thing on that wild mane of yours.”
I took a seat and laughed. Rico was determined to get rid of my curls which had proven impossible to get rid of, but he insisted he had the magic touch. I was skeptical, but as I sat there, watching socialites and executives leave the shop with sexy French twists, sleek blowouts and sexy beach waves. Not one of them left with curls like mine.
Decision made, I stood when Rico called my name and gave him the news of his life.
“Work your magic.” He gleefully pulled me to a station and pushed me into the chair where he put the protective sheet around me and dashed off to gather his magical ingredients.
“Hi.” A small voice called out beside me and drew my attention, shocking the hell out of me.
“Katelyn, what a surprise. How are you?” Clearly she was not in a coma or stranded on a tropical island.
“Fine,” she said nervously. “You?”
“I’ve been better, but that’s life right?” She nodded, still nervous and I resisted the urge to groan. “You can relax, Katelyn. I’m not in the habit of holding a grudge because someone doesn’t want to do business with me. I am curious though.”
Katelyn shrugged again, and I wanted to grab her shoulders and shake her, tell her to grow a pair. “We both know we need to sell it. We’re doing a terrible job of keeping it going, but it’s hard. Dad built this station with his father, and look what we’ve done to it.”
In a weird way, I understood. Selling Peak Adventures had never occurred to any of us, but Blake was a savvy businessman and each of us had the skills required to make it succeed. “Take your time,” I told her even though it physically hurt to say the words. “When it feels right I promise it won’t be so hard to let it go.”
Katelyn blinked, taken aback. “Seriously? That’s your advice?”
“Why not? It might cause a war if one of us wanted to sell Peak Adventures, because that’s how much it means to our family. We use to model the gear in the Peak catalogs because Dad thought it was pointless to hire models who didn’t know a damn thing about the outdoors when he had three little outdoorsmen of his own.” I could hear his gruff words as clear as if he’d said them yesterday.
“Thank you for saying that, Lacey. And really, I’m sorry we’ve been so flaky.”
Her words startled me out of my own thoughts while Rico coat
ed my hair with some sinister goop that he insisted would keep my curls away for a few days.
“It’s okay. This is your family’s legacy, but I might have an idea that could benefit us both. If you return a phone call or two.” She blushed at my words and nodded before her stylist escorted her to the bank of hairdryers near the window.
An hour later, I had pages of notes blind typed into my tablet while Rico brushed and dried my now sleek hair, giving me six additional inches of length. “Damn girl, if I swung your way I’d throw you over my shoulder right now.” He turned me to the mirror, and all I could do was stare.
My curls were gone and with them, the little girl look that I’d blamed for my lack of credibility in the workplace. I looked like a grown woman. A beautiful grown woman who was in charge of her life, who could face her ex-lover with his newest lover without feeling inferior.
“I never should have doubted you, you Evil Genius you.”
He laughed, genuinely pleased at my reaction. “I’ll take it, because you are hot with a capital H, honey.” He handed me two bottles and a jar, along with instructions for care. “Call me if you have questions.” With a kiss to each of my cheeks, he sent me on my way with instructions to “Knock’em dead, chica.”
I didn’t think I was the type of woman to knock people dead, but the fact that Rico thought I could be had me thinking that maybe he knew something I didn’t. Hell, he’d been on more dates than me over the past year, so yeah, he knew a bit more about how to attract a man.
If I was looking to attract a man.
Which I wasn’t.
Walker
“Talia, right? You’re looking well tonight.” The redhead I’d seen a few times with Blake’s fiancée and Lacey arrived at Pietro’s about three minutes after I did, looking wary and ready to flee.
“Thanks, Walker. Wish I could say the same.” She smirked and took the seat directly across from the large round table set near the private rooms in back. “Trouble sleeping?”
I barked out a laugh. “I thought you were an EA not a psychic.”
She shrugged and flagged down a passing waiter. “Dark beer. Ice cold, please.” The smile she flashed the kid was so bright and sexy he dropped his pad, and then walked away without taking my order.
I arched a brow at her. “Must be nice.”
“Sorry sir, I um…what would you like to drink?”
I smirked, ignoring Talia’s laugh and ordered a top shelf Irish whiskey. “Neat.” When he was gone I turned to her and laughed. “You were saying?”
“Oh please, making some teenager into a bumbling fool doesn’t do it for me. Neither do rich playboys.”
I found that hard to believe. “And poor ones?”
“Add money and it can only be worse.” I saw that she meant her words. That didn’t bode well for Lukas, because he was rich as hell and the biggest playboy I knew, even when I was at my peak.
“Yet here you are.”
“He’s interesting enough to warrant a chance, and I knew there would be other people here, including my friend. Lacey.” She looked around, craning her neck. “Where the hell is Lacey?”
I wondered the same thing, but my drink arrived and I took a long fortifying drink. “My guess is deciding whether or not she wants to come.”
“Nope, I talked to her earlier and she said she would be here. Didn’t you know?” She knew damn well I didn’t know, so I remained silent. “Damn.” She shook her head, curls swaying as she gave me a look that said she clearly thought I was mentally deficient.
“What?”
“Nothing,” she shrugged. “I know what her problem is, now I’m trying to figure out yours.”
“Why does anyone have to have a problem?” This was why I didn’t date or give women false hope, they thought every date was the potential for a white picket fence, backyard barbecues and two point five kids.
“You’re right,” she said, holding up her hands defensively. “Everyone doesn’t. But usually a guy like you finds a woman like Lacey, who is smart and funny and gorgeous, with her own money, so you know her motives are pure. I don’t know, I figured she was like a golden unicorn for your social set.”
“Lacey is great, but neither of us are looking for that.”
“Sure. Right. But…you know what? Never mind.” She took another pull of her beer and looked towards the door.
“Just say it, Talia.”
She did a piss poor job of hiding her triumphant smile. “Well you’re like Lukas, made up mostly of ego, so I figured after you spent all weekend going at it like rabbits, you’d at least feel a little possessive of other guys touching what you’ve had.” She shrugged again, casually, but I was on to Talia. “Maybe I read you wrong.”
“Is there another guy?”
“Sorry I’m late. Apparently, the new hire in my department is lazy and stupid.” Lukas dropped down into the seat between me and Talia and raked a hand through his hair before flashing a smile at her. “You look beautiful, Talia.”
“Yeah, thanks.” She was completely unimpressed, and I felt bad for my buddy. “Did you fire the employee?”
Lukas’ expression turned fierce. “No, but I did demote him.”
“Unbelievable!” She leaned in, ready to give him a piece of her mind but he put two fingers to her lips.
“I am, I know. But before you get all riled up, listen.” Just like that Luke was in control of the situation. His fingers left her mouth and brushed down her bare arm to hold one hand while the other snagged her beer. He took a long sip and leaned back, still holding her hand. “I didn’t fire him because he’s new. Though I’d be within my rights. I did demote him because he didn’t ask one fucking person to go over the contracts with him. He just sent them out, just like that. If that means you’re not interested, fine.”
She glared at him, but I could see the heat she’d banked there, and snatched her beer back. “Don’t ever put your fingers on my lips again. Who knows where your hands have been.”
Lukas grinned. “Who knows where they might be before the night is over.”
“Oh my god, my ears are burning!” Lacey breezed in as though she wasn’t nearly thirty minutes late. “I can’t unhear that, ever!”
I turned and froze when my gaze landed on Lacey. At least I thought it was her, based on those big brown eyes, the curve of her hip and that lush mouth I couldn’t stop dreaming about. Wanting.
But this Lacey was absolute perfection in a deep purple dress that hugged her tits and hips, giving her a sultry hourglass shape. Long straight blond hair hung well past her shoulders, down her back. “What the hell did you do to your hair?”
She froze half way into her seat and glared at me before she turned her attention to her friend. “I knew that dress would look great on you.” She smiled and I couldn’t look away even though all I could see was her profile.
“Not cool, Walker.” Lukas glared at me, shaking his head in warning.
“I didn’t mean it was bad. It’s just a shock.” The last time I’d seen her she had the same curly blond hair she’d always had, and now, this fucking bombshell shows up and I’m not supposed to react? I don’t think so.
“It’s a good thing I didn’t ask your opinion,” she said without waiting for a response. “Lukas did you know that Talia teaches burlesque?”
He barked out a laugh that pissed Talia off. “Seriously?”
“Do you think all women are just programmed to please men? That it just comes naturally to us all?” It was a set up question and I coughed in an effort to save him.
“Of course I don’t think that, but I never really thought of people learning burlesque.” Damn, he was screwing this up bad.
“Excuse me.” Lacey stood and grabbed her purse before making her escape to the bathrooms. I gave her three minutes before I stood and went after her, leaving Lukas to strike out all on his own.
I listened for the sound of running water and made my move, slipping inside the ladies room and locking the door behind
me. “You look different.”
“So you said.” When her brown eyes met mine, they looked…bored.
“For fuck’s sake Lacey you know you’re beautiful, the new hair just threw me off a bit.” I stepped forward and wrapped a lock around my fingers. “You look good.”
“Thanks. You’re blocking the door.”
“We don’t’ have to ignore each other, you know.” I don’t even know what in the hell was wrong with me, suggesting we get more familiar when I should have accepted the gift of her cold shoulder.
“Maybe not, but we don’t’ normally talk, do we? No. I haven’t seen you since college, even though you’ve only been away for what, a few years?” She took my silence as acceptance and stepped forward, reaching for the doorknob. “I’m fine Walker, don’t worry. I got the message loud and clear.”
What in the hell did that mean? I wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her flush against me, groaning as her curves rubbed against my body. “I can still smell you in my dreams, Lacey.” Cupping one of her breasts in my hand, I groaned when she arched into me bringing her round ass right up against my cock. “It’s not enough.”
“It has to be,” she moaned at the way my thumb brushed back and forth across the hard peak of her nipple.
I didn’t agree, and I knew it would take only a moment to get her agreement too. My other hand slid down her stomach and between her legs, cupping her heat and pulling another groan from her. She was hot and wet when my knuckles grazed over her swollen silk covered pussy. “
No, it doesn’t.” I found her waistband and slipped my hands inside, sliding down over her trimmed bush and into the slick heat of her plump pussy lips. Two fingers slid into her opening, deep and she moaned. I moaned with her at the way she clamped down around my fingers, pulsing. “It’s only enough when we say it is.” I pushed in and out a few times before letting my hand slide from her body.
“Tease.”
Sinful Takeover: An Enemies to Lovers Romance (Boardroom Games Book 2) Page 5