Carnal Risk

by Kym Grosso

  “What kind of a burlesque dancer doesn’t actually take her clothes off?” Garrett paused, putting together the pieces of the puzzle. “Don’t get me wrong, she was sexy, but it wasn’t lost on me that the ending was a little anticlimactic.”

  “Give her a break. I just told you that she’s a singer, not a dancer. This is just kind of a hobby, anyway. It takes guts to get up and perform like that. She may be a little more cautious than most people, but she’s working on it.”

  “Working on it?” He laughed.

  “So she’s a little repressed, okay? What the hell difference does it make, if she can do the job?” Lars asked with a sigh. “Listen, I promise you that she is what you need now. Yeah, you’ll find someone to take Evan’s position eventually but it’s not going to be anytime soon. At least this way, you can keep things moving forward with our deal. Listen, you know I would not fuck with you. I’m telling you that she’s the best. And she’s tough. In fact, she’s probably going to kick my ass for bringing you here.”

  “Why would she do that?” Garrett found it amusing that he’d misread the situation. Perhaps it hadn’t been lust in her eyes; she’d been pissed at Lars. Whatever this meant to her, apparently it had been a secret and she wasn’t at all pleased he’d mixed her worlds.

  “She, uh, doesn’t really want people to know she does this.”

  “Why did you bring me here then?”

  “Because you need to get out and do something other than wallow in the office. And besides, if I’d told you about her without you actually seeing her sing, you’d have shot me down. This is the only thing she does that, you know, is risky.”

  “Risky? Are you high? I’d hardly call singing a song risky.” Garrett laughed and rolled his eyes.

  “You get up there, then, if you think it’s so easy.” Lars’ smile fell away as he grew angry with his friend’s resistance. “Look, this is the deal. I can loan her to you. We just ended the Elkinson account. I moved a few people around. She may not be Evan, but she knows her shit. I know you’re going to vet the hell out of her anyway, even though she already technically works in your network. Evan’s death has been hard on all of us, but you’ve got to keep these deals moving. You need help, and I’m offering it to you. She is what you need.”

  “I need you to mind your own damn business.” Garrett blew out a breath, staring at the bottom of his glass.

  What Lars had said about her already being in the network was somewhat accurate. All the subsidiary corporations were independently owned, yet Garrett had a minority share within each, ensuring the viability of Emerson Industries. But clearances to work in the corporate building were a stricter, higher level, having access to covert government contracts.

  Regardless of his opposition to Lars’ suggestion, Garrett was aware that it could take months to find a suitable replacement for his chief technology officer. In the meantime, he’d been given a gift. A nice shiny one…very attractive and hard to resist. How he’d like to see what was underneath the wrapping she’d failed to peel away. Fuck it all, he knew he was thinking with his dick, but the temptation remained. It wasn’t as if she’d really be his employee anyway.

  “Two weeks. That’s all she’s got. If she doesn’t add value, she’s gone.” Garrett shoved the chair out from the table and stood. “But if she screws up, she’s out. I’m not in the business of taking on interns. If she doesn’t hit the ground running, she’s done. I’m not messing around.”

  “Good…because I don’t want you messing around. We should, uh, maybe have some rules.”

  “You’re kidding, right?”

  “Come on, G. I know she’s attractive but this is business. She’s not like us.”

  “Yeah, I get that.”

  “She shouldn’t come to our events.”

  “We haven’t had any events since the accident.”

  “True, but she’s not into jumps or any of our other extracurricular activities.” Lars wiped his mouth with a cocktail napkin.

  “I saw her looking at you. Are you fucking her?”

  “Oh, no. Come on, man.”

  “Don’t give me that shit. What’s going on between you two?”

  Lars shook his head.

  “Spill it or we’re done here.” Garrett wasn’t sure why it irritated him to think Lars had been intimate with her.

  “We met in college. That’s it.”

  “Anything else?”

  “No, we didn’t click that way. But we stayed friends over the years. She came on board five years ago.”

  “And you never brought her around? Ever?”

  “No, she’s not like us. Besides, you saw the look she gave me. Nothing’s lost on you.”

  “She’s pissed.”

  “Yeah, I just told you. I knew she did this, but I don’t usually come to watch. So she’s probably wondering why the hell I’m here.”

  “I’m sure she’s going to love that she basically just had an interview with her new boss.”

  “Let’s not get crazy now. I’m her boss. You have her on loan.”

  “This isn’t going to work…”

  “She’s the best you’re going to get, considering the circumstances.”

  Garrett just shook his head. Yeah, I just undressed her while she ground on my cock. Great way to start a business relationship. Awesome.

  “What? She’s not going to care that you were here.”

  “You’re delusional. No wonder you can’t keep a woman.”

  “Glass houses, bro.” Lars shrugged. “There is one tiny thing…”

  “What?”

  “You can’t fuck her. And before you go all CEO on my ass, this is a deal breaker.”

  “You’re a dick, you know that. Why bring me here to see her like this?” Garrett raked his fingers through his hair in frustration.

  “I told you. I brought you here so you could see her in her element, doing something that pushes her a little outside of her comfort zone. She’s no jumper, but she’s brave. If I hadn’t done this, you wouldn’t have ever considered her. You are sinking fast, my friend, and desperate times call for desperate measures. It worked. I got you to say yes.” Lars set his palms on the table, his expression serious. “For years I’ve kept her away from that side of my life, away from you. She’s my golden goose. I’m proud of her. There’s nothing she does half-assed, including what she just did. I love you, Garrett, and because I love you, I’m not going to let you fuck up business. This thing with Evan…I can see how this is affecting you and I don’t like it a damn bit. So I’m letting you borrow one of my finest assets. But I care about her, and because of that, she’s off limits. Got it?”

  “Fine. Whatever. Bring her to the office and we’ll talk. I’ve gotta go. She stays two weeks, that’s it.”

  “Two weeks,” Lars repeated.

  Garrett wasn’t sure if he believed the words he was speaking but they sounded good. He caught the raised eyebrow Lars gave him, but ignored it. With a slap to his friend’s shoulder, he saluted goodbye and headed toward the door. He hated that Lars sometimes knew him better than he knew himself. For the first time since Evan had died, he’d been distracted by something else, someone else.

  Granted, he couldn’t be sure whether or not she was going to be as good for his business as Lars promised. But considering his depression, he had to admit that for those few seconds she’d brushed against him, she’d taken his mind off of his grief. Despite his attraction, he’d promised Lars he wouldn’t touch her. Garrett told himself it would be easy to ignore his feelings, and rationalized his arousal as temporary lust. A couple of weeks was all he needed to get the search for Evan’s replacement on track. He’d put her in charge of the outsourcing deal, and she’d be in and out. Hopefully, he’d be able to stick to his word and not be in her.

  Chapter Three

  “What were you thinking?” Selby shouted.

  “I was thinking that there was no way I could help him without bringing him to see you.”

  “Ga
rrett Emerson?” Selby turned to the window, mindlessly shuffling folders.

  She’d been surprised when Lars had showed up to hear her sing. It wasn’t as if she’d kept it a secret. Far from it. She’d been performing for two years now. At first it’d been more of a dare from a friend, something to distract her from reality. But the moment she’d started singing again, the performances became a therapeutic remedy, both to stress and her fears, alleviating the anxiety that threatened to choke her.

  She considered how different her upbringing had been from Lars’. While other kids partied in college on Mommy and Daddy’s dime, Selby had scraped by on loans. Keeping her nose to the grindstone, she’d graduated summa cum laude and landed a graduate assistantship at Wharton, where she’d first met Lars. He’d been dashing and charismatic. She’d been awkward and quiet. They’d gone on a few dates, but rather than discovering romantic sparks, they’d ignited a long-lasting friendship. After graduation, they’d stayed in touch. He’d started his own company and she’d gone to work for the government. It was there where she’d utilized the coding skills she’d learned in undergraduate school. Hacking had come naturally for her, helping companies identify weaknesses. She excelled within the confines of her endeavors.

  After working her way up the corporate ladder, Lars had approached her with the opportunity at his corporation, DLar-Tech. Five years later, she routinely worked high profile clients, incorporating business solutions with complex data issues. Along with outsourcing, she specialized in turning around fledgling IT departments. Whether the corporation was large or small, she had the ability to successfully analyze operations, recruiting human resources into the system like fitting pieces into a puzzle. No matter the assignment Lars gave her, Selby had never blinked an eye at any request….until now.

  Garrett Emerson. Billionaire playboy. He’d been reputedly ruthless in business as well as the bedroom, leaving a trail of broken hearts in his wake. She cursed herself for not recognizing him in the club. She’d seen several photos of the clean-shaven mogul, but last night, his scruffy beard had disguised his face. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t studied him in business school. They’d spent an entire semester dissecting the case study, discussing how he’d built his empire from the bottom up, focusing on extreme sports, patenting innovative technologies and snaring top secret government projects. With secretive alliances, he’d cast his net, virtually creating a monopoly.

  Selby’s thoughts refocused on Lars, who sat at her desk, playing with a pencil. She couldn’t believe he’d gone behind her back and brought Garrett to her club. As her anger surfaced, she sifted through the papers on her desk, searching for the stapler she didn’t need. Where’s my fucking stapler? She located the metal weapon and began to look for something she could bang together

  “It’s not what you think,” she heard Lars say.

  “How exactly isn’t it what I think? I mean, for real, Lars. You brought him to see me sing and then…” She laughed and rolled her eyes, recalling how she’d sat on his lap. It had all been part of the show, but now she regretted every second of the encounter. “You have the nerve to ask me to take him on as a client. No. Just no.”

  “I’ll owe you.” He smiled and crossed his legs.

  Selby glanced into his baby-blue eyes, the same ones that had won him a first date with her. God, the man was beautiful. Blond hair, tanned skin. And he could sweet talk the panties off of a vestal virgin. As his friend, she’d watched him work his magic on the ladies, but had never fallen under his spell.

  “Owe me. That’s rich.” She swept her fingers through her long blonde hair, nervously twisting the end. With a sign of defeat, she fell back into her leather office chair. “It’s not that I have a philosophical issue about going to work for him, but Lars, you’re killin’ me here. You saw what I did to him last night…what I did to Garrett Emerson.”

  “It’s not like he’s the President of the United States, for Christ’s sakes. Besides, I saw what you did, and he seemed to enjoy it.” Lars gave a laugh.

  “It’s not even funny. You should have stopped me.”

  “Hey, you wanted me to come see you perform.”

  “It might have been nice if you’d told me you were coming, you know? Look, I’ve taken every job you’ve ever given me…even the shitty ones. But take him on as a client? After last night? Seriously? I’m supposed to waltz into his office and say, what? ‘Hi, I’d like to look at your hard drive?’ You and I both know what happened.” Selby certainly had felt his erection. Heat flushed her neck and face as the thought popped into her head.

  “You go in like you always do. Why were you dancing last night, anyway? I thought you were a singer. Not that I minded the show.”

  “I don’t dance. I was working the room, that’s all.” Selby wished she’d had the guts to take it all off, but she kept her sexuality and emotions well concealed. “Look, it would be one thing if he’d met me prior to last night, you know, as a professional.”

  “You are a professional. The best. And the fact of the matter is that he needs us…you.”

  Selby gave him a hard stare, sensing Lars’ change of tone.

  “You remember last week…the funeral I had to go to,” he began.

  “Yeah.”

  “It was for a friend of mine, Evan Tredioux. Evan worked for Garrett. Was an advisor of sorts. He was a really good friend of Garrett’s.” Lars rimmed his coffee cup with the tip of his finger.

  “I’m sorry.” Selby’s voice softened.

  “You know I skydive sometimes, right?”

  “I didn’t think you did that anymore. In college but you don’t still…” Selby’s heart sank as she realized there was more to the story than Lars was revealing.

  “Garrett and I have been friends for a long time. I know you don’t like,” he paused, “heights.”

  “Yeah, me and a million other people.”

  “Confidential time, got it?” Lars gave her a hard stare, his expression serious.

  “Of course.” Selby moved to close the door, returned and sat on the edge of her desk.

  “You’ve done special projects for me over the years but I haven’t disclosed everything. You need to know that there are parts of DLar-Tech that are intimately tied to Emerson Industries.”

  “What are you saying? Your business is in trouble?”

  “No, not at all. What I’m saying is that what affects Garrett affects me. Evan’s death is hitting all of us hard but he was Garrett’s right hand man. It’s not like he can fill the position right away. He needs the kind of expertise you offer.”

  “I don’t know,” she hedged. Expertise? She pretty much gave him an eyeful of it last night. She didn’t want to say yes to the assignment, but already felt herself caving to his request.

  “Please. I’ll owe you. If you do this for me, I’ll give you an extra bonus.”

  “Does he know that you want me to do this? Did you already tell him you were sending a consultant? Me?” Selby’s resolve cracked, the water pushing through the tiny hole that held back the dam. Looking at the mess on her desk, she shook her head. This was a bad idea. A really bad idea.

  “Now that you bring it up…um, yes he does.”

  “This isn’t going to work.” Her eyes flashed to his.

  “Trust me, he’ll be grateful for the help. I’ve already been working on getting the outsourcing contract in place, but I need you to sell it to his board. It’s short term. Do the deal, work on finding recruits for the CTO position. This is easy for you. A no brainer.”

  “Maybe.” She sighed.

  “Consider the business. Wrapping up the contract is no problem. The hardest part will be recruiting Evan’s replacement. That resource needs to be top notch. An expert in some facet of the extreme sports business. One who walks the walk. But they’ll also need to know IT.”

  “Sounds routine.” Selby took a deep breath, forcing the muscles in her chest to relax.

  “You need to know something.” Lars averted his g
aze to the pencil he twirled in his fingers. “Garrett can be, how should I put this? He’s very concerned about the way our friend died.”

  “Didn’t you say it was an accident?”

  “I don’t want to get too much into it, but Garrett isn’t fully on board with replacing Evan.”

  “What are you saying?”

  “He’s a bit reluctant.”

  “He doesn’t want me there, does he?”

  “He’s expecting you tomorrow.”

  “If anyone else was asking me to do this, you know I’d just say no.” In the past, she’d faced the same kind of situation but she’d made the client pay extra for time spent on the job. “Am I working for him or you?”

  “You’ll work for me. I’m just loaning you out.”

  “I’m not doing it without a contract. Time on the job will be predetermined. Two weeks. A month. You call it. Every extra day spent working for him attracts a bonus fee. I also want a nondisclosure out clause.”

  “If he fucks this up, you want to leave free and clear?”

  “With no repercussions or lawsuits. There’s got to be a gag clause should we decide to part ways. He keeps quiet about me and I do the same for him. I’m not going to let him screw up my reputation because he’s having some kind of a CEO tantrum if we can’t agree on a replacement. I’ll take on the special projects while I’m recruiting candidates. Also, I want your name on the contract. If he wanted me to help him, it would be his ass sitting in that chair, not yours. So because it’s yours, you both have to agree. That’s the deal. Terms aren’t negotiable.”

  Lars’ lips tightened in a fine line. He set the pencil onto her desk and blew out a breath.

  “Okay,” he reluctantly agreed.

  “Okay.” A familiar sense of accomplishment washed over her despite the fact that she’d given in to his request. The agreement would give her the control she needed in order to be able to face Garrett. “And Lars?”

  “Yeah?”

  “No funny business. This is my career here. I don’t want to see either of your faces in my club. When the contract is over, I’d love to have you back, but until then…”