An Education in Business
A Somerset Novel
Heather C. Myers
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
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Acknowledgments
Also by Heather C. Myers
Also by Heather C. Myers
Also by Heather C. Myers
Also by Heather C. Myers
Also by Heather C. Myers
Also by Heather C. Myers
Also by Heather C. Myers
Also by Heather C. Myers
Also by Heather C. Myers
Also by Heather C. Myers
Also by Heather C. Myers
Also by Heather C. Myers
Also by Heather C. Myers
Also by Heather C. Myers
1
She didn’t know why she was here. She shouldn’t be here. That’s what everyone said. Her maid, her mother, the paintings that hung in the halls of the elaborate mansion her parents bought her as a graduation gift. She cringed at how tacky the gesture was – it had to be her mother’s doing – but there was nothing she could do about it and there was no way she would ask them to return it or sell it or rent it out. She didn’t want to be rude, after all.
Her father and her friends were the only people who supported her venture into business. She wanted to be more than an heiress, more than an airhead who inherited a bunch of money, married for even more money, and popped out children like it was her full-time job. Avery Montgomery wanted more than that from her life. She demanded it.
As such, she went to college for business and got her BA from Stanford. From there, she joined their graduate program, and at twenty-four, graduated with a Masters. She knew what she was doing. Just as well as her father did when he started his investment company. She was their only child and she was poised to take over his company with his blessing. When he told her to research potential investments for their company, she knew it was a test. She knew her father wanted to see what she could give his company, and she was willing to do what was necessary in order to earn his trust.
Which was how she ended up here. Waiting in the small lobby of a two-room company Avery thought was going to make her father’s company lots and lots of money. Sure, from the outside, it looked a bit sketchy. The neighborhood left much to be desired – she didn’t think she had ever heard of Honesty Avenue, though the street name was telling. There were a couple of homeless men sleeping on bus benches. Mail advertisements scattered the air like they belonged there. Apartment complexes and businesses were intermingled on main streets, leaving kids nowhere safe and nowhere green to play once they finished homework. Parents probably worked at least two jobs which meant those same kids had no supervision, which explained why a group of teenage boys on bikes rode up and down the sidewalk, loitering in front of the liquor store, trying to intimidate customers into purchasing them alcohol despite being underage. Even Avery, when she stepped out of her Lexus, got catcalled and whistled at; some complimented her while others complimented her car. She made sure it was locked before she walked through the small office space – though even that simplistic description felt overwhelming, and pushed away some prickles of worry that her safety was in jeopardy.
“Remember to text me when you get there, just to make sure you’re safe,” Rick told her before she left the mansion – it felt weird for Avery to call it her home; it didn’t feel like home, just another display at the rich being rich. “Are you sure you don’t want me to go? I don’t even have to go in. I just want to make sure you’re safe.”
Avery laughed. “I appreciate it, Rick, really, I do,” she said as she walked to the car. “But I’m a grown adult. I can do this on my own. Don’t you have faith in me?”
The silver Lexus waited for her to slide in the front seat. She grinned and a tiny thrill sparked through her body. She loved to drive. Rick didn’t understand why she just didn’t hire a driver, but he didn’t understand. And that wasn’t his fault.
He didn’t answer her question. Instead, he leaned against the doorframe and said, “At least take a driver. Not as a driver but as a bodyguard.”
Avery smiled but shook her head as she backed out of the driveway. She was doing this by herself, and that was final.
There was no secretary to greet her when she walked in, though when she opened the door, a bell clattered against the inside door handle, indicating that someone had walked in. Her eyes flickered across the small lobby and she was surprised to see someone else sitting in one of the plastic chairs, someone she recognized. Her eyes widened and she cleared her throat, hoping he didn’t notice her surprise. Judging by the way his lips curved up and the way his black eyes twinkled, he had.
Shit.
Avery took a seat in the only other vacant chair offered in the lobby, flattening her palms on the skirt of her dress, wiping away wrinkles that were not there. She fixed her eyes on the clock in front of her and pretended not to notice when the man next to her blatantly began to stare at her.
“Hi,” he finally said. His voice was smooth caramel, not too deep but enough to be masculine.
Avery’s eyes shot to him though she kept her face straight in front of her. “Hello,” she said and swallowed. Her throat kept going dry, something she didn’t quite understand.
“My name is Lucas Cruz,” he said and reached across the lone waiting area table with a small lamp and a few outdated business magazines in order to offer her his hand.
“Avery Montgomery,” she said. For a moment, she stared at his hand, unsure whether or not she wanted to take it. Wanted to touch it. She’d heard stories of Lucas Cruz, how he infused pleasure in the simplest of touches, how he had the ability to bring a woman to her knees with a simple glance, how he inspired moisture to spring up between a woman’s thighs just by biting his bottom lip. However, today was about being strong and independent and unafraid. As such, she forced herself to shake his hand, trying to ensure her grip was tight and noticeable.
If he did notice it, he gave no indication of it.
“I know who you are,” he told her, dropping his hand and placing it back in his lap. “I’m actually surprised you’re here and not” –
“My father?” Avery asked, and she could not keep the bitterness out of her voice if she tried.
He looked at her a long moment before saying, “Actually, I was going to say your fiancé.” He pushed his brow together. “What’s his name? Dick? Has a knack for knowing how to close a business deal?”
Avery rolled her eyes. “His name is Rick Ashton,” she told him. “And yes, he has a knack for business. It’s why my father hired him in the first place.”
“Right, right.” Lucas nodded a couple of times, his long index finger tapping his chin. “Was your engagement arranged as well, or was that just part of the deal?”
“Excuse me?” Avery asked, wrinkling her brow.
She could not believe she had been intimidated by him a few moments before. At least she knew that his reputation was lacking. Her thighs were as dry as the desert and there had been no pleasure while shaking his hand. He was good looking, certainly, but that was it. His personality was lacking and that was putting it nicely.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “It’s not your fault your fiancé is a jackass. Like I was saying, I’m surprised you’re here instead of him. Didn’t think you’d be the type.”
Avery furrowed her brow despite her mother's best efforts at getting her to break such a damaging habit - "You don't want Botox, dear. Not at your age." - and flashed burning, narrowed eyes at the man next to him. In that moment, it didn't matter how eye-catching he was. It didn't matter that the faint hint of his cologne was clean and masculine like a sea breeze. It didn't matter that his eyes - God, those brown eyes that seemed to stare straight into her soul - were penetrating her to her place. The fact that he dismissed her was infuriating.
"I'm sorry but your depiction of me not being the business-type is highly problematic and sexist," she told him. He looked highly amused by her assessment of him and perked his brow to get her to continue. Not that she needed his permission. "If I was a man, regardless of my background or experience, you would never say I wasn't the business type, especially if I'm set to inherit his father's company at some point in the near-future. Just because I'm a woman doesn't mean I don't know what I'm doing."
Lucas tilted his head to the side, scrunching his brow. It was hard to look away from him when his face was so animated. "I'm sorry," he said, "but do you know what you're doing?" He paused, letting the question hang in the air between them. "And just so you know, if you were a man who had no experience, I would ask him the same thing. Business is business. It doesn't matter if you have a cock, it doesn't matter if you don't. What matters is how you get the job done." His eyes suddenly found hers, adding layers to his brown eyes. "Think of it this way: business is like sex. Do you want someone who knows what they're doing, someone you can trust will get you to your precipice in the most efficient and pleasurable way possible, or do you want someone bumbling through the motions, not having any idea what to do with you and your body and making it up as you go along?"
"There is nothing wrong with being a virgin," Avery said through gritted teeth.
When she realized what words came out of her mouth, her jaw dropped open and Lucas's brow shot at right up. She couldn't be sure but his nose pointed in the air and his nostrils flared just a smudge, almost as though he were sniffing the air. Her face turned red - did virgin have a different scent? And if it did, could Lucas actually smell it? His eyes darkened just a bit as well, with a look Avery could only describe as animalistic. She had never seen it before except on dogs when they stared at a juicy piece of meat they weren't allowed to touch. Avery swallowed and sat up straight.
"I suppose that depends on your partner," Lucas allowed. "Your fiancé would definitely mind an inexperienced business partner. I, on the other hand..."
"How would you know anything about my fiancé and what he wants?" Avery asked in a cool voice, trying to keep control over her tone. "And why would you think I would care about your preferences?"
For the first time in their meeting, Avery watched as a flicker of darkness tainted his face. His jaw locked and his deep brown eyes somehow got darker. He looked... Mesmerizing. She swallowed again. He kept making her throat go dry.
"Your fiancé and I went to business school together," he said. His voice was low, casual, but there was a tightly controlled edge to it that she couldn't help but pick up. It was dangerous, she realized. His tone. It was both alluring and terrifying. She wondered if he realized what kind of effect it had on her. "He's not a good person, Avery. May I call you Avery?"
She pressed her lips together but did not tell him he could not. Perhaps it had to do with the way he said her name, like a promise of pleasure he would fulfill in the near-future. Perhaps it had to do with the way his lips formed around her name and drew her eyes to them. Before she could stop herself, she darted her tongue across her bottom lip, wetting it as though in preparation for using it soon.
Lucas pushed up his brow. His eyes were drawn to her lips as well and he was momentarily rendered silent. It was a glorious moment and Avery felt a twinge of power course through her body. If she could distract this man, if she could make him speechless even for a moment, that had to mean something. That had to mean she was much more powerful than she originally gave herself credit for.
"And I think you know this," he finally said, forcing his eyes up so they locked with hers. It was quite an effort, however. Like pulling two magnets apart. "I think you know who he really is. What I don't understand is why you put up with him." His eyes dropped to her lips again. He didn't even try to hide it. He traced the edge of her jaw with his dark irises, carving out a trail only he planned to take. She felt the inside of her cheeks get warm under his scrutiny. "He doesn't deserve you."
"You don't even know me," Avery said, and for some reason, her voice was hushed, a breath above a whisper.
The room was buzzing with electricity.
Lucas shook his head once. "No," he agreed. "I don't."
Before she could say anything - though she had no idea what she was going to say in the first place - the door opened to the back and a man, maybe a couple of years younger than she was – fresh-faced and probably right out of college - smiled.
"Oh good," he said, looking between them. "You've met. Why don't we head back and the meeting can begin?"
Avery stood faster than she should have and she felt her head get dizzy in response. Lucas placed her hand on the small of her back - Avery didn't know if it was to steady her or if it was to usher her in the back or maybe it was just an excuse to touch her - but she got a hold of her senses, took a breath, and walked through the doorway to her first business meeting.
2
“So,” Marlene Montgomery said, her short fingers pinching the spine of the flute of champagne she held, her voice just as pinched as the gesture, “how are things between you and Rick? Have you set a date yet?”
Avery nearly choked on her own sip of wine. She didn’t like alcohol all that much, and while wine had a good amount of it, she loved the drink with a particular group of food. Mimosas and wine during brunch were the only couple of times she actively drank. Other than that, she was a diet soda kind of girl, even though the carbonation always made her burp.
“You’re asking me about Rick?” she asked, furrowing her brow.
“Honey, don’t do that to your forehead,” Marlene said in a gentle scold. “You’ll need Botox in a few years if you keep doing that. I’ve already told you this. I don’t know why you must be so stubborn.”
She took a dainty sip of her champagne, but Avery knew her mother. This was her fourth glass and it wasn’t even noon yet. The difference was, Marlene knew how to pace herself, and that was why no one considered her an alcoholic. It also helped that she considered image as the most important thing in the world. There was no way she would ever let someone see her as uncontrolled and vulnerable as being drunk would portray her as.
Avery rolled her eyes. “You’re right, Mom,” she said. “I’m sorry. My facial reactions are trying to offend your delicate senses. I should have more control over them. I’m sorry.”
“Sarcasm is so déclassé,” her mother said with a tight frown and disgust in her blue eyes. “You know better.”
Avery had to clench her jaw to keep from saying something stupid. She knew her mother would be like this – this was who her mother was and Avery knew she couldn’t change her – and even though Avery was an adult and did not need to deal with her mother ever again if she didn’t want to, she chose to do so because she still loved her mom, it meant the world to her dad, and it improved her patience.
“Now,” her mother continued, flicking her eyes over to the untouched salad on her plate. Marlene was not a fan of salads but ordered o
ne with her meal over soup so she wouldn’t have to slurp and people would think she cared about her nutrition. It bugged Avery to no end what a waste of food that was, just to put on a show for people. “Why would you think I wouldn’t ask about your relationship with Rick? Everyone is talking about when you’ll finally tie the knot. I care about your happiness. I want to know what’s going on in your life.”
This time, Avery did snort. “If you cared so much about my life, you would ask me about my business meeting,” she pointed out and started to twirl some of her chicken pasta against her spoon so she did not look completely juvenile. “And why do people think Rick is a jerk?”
This caught her mother by surprise. She took a small sip of her drink before interlocking her fingers and placing them flat on the white tablecloth. Her blue eyes fixed on Avery. “Who says Rick is a jerk?” she asked.
Avery told her mother about Lucas Cruz, how he was at the business meeting as well, how they were the last two investors in the LunaApp running, and how Lucas thought little of Rick but didn’t go into detail why he felt that way. Avery didn’t talk to her mother very often, not like this. She tried to avoid deep, meaningful conversations because her mother was good at voicing her opinion even though she had little to no experience in the field. However, there were things her father did share with her mother and Rick might be one of them, especially since he was going to be family.
“Well, first off,” her mother said once Avery had finished. It surprised Avery that she hadn’t been interrupted with incessant questions and commentary. “Why would you take anything that dog says seriously?”
“Mom…” Just because Avery didn’t like Lucas all that much did not mean she was going to resort to calling him vile names.
“What?” Marlene seemed surprised and then took another sip of her drink. “It’s the truth. That’s what he is. And I don’t mean with the ladies.”
“I know what you mean,” Avery said in a hushed whisper.
An Education in Business: A Somerset Novel (Somerset Series Book 3) Page 1