by Jaime Reese
“End of day can’t come soon enough,” Drayton whispered in a husky tone, nuzzling the crook of Vann’s neck.
Vann rubbed his cheek against the side of Drayton’s face, enjoying the scrape of the stubble against his skin. He loved finally having Drayton all to himself in the evenings at home. He pressed a chaste kiss to Drayton’s lips then took a step back, needing the few inches to control his starved libido.
“I wanted to ask a favor,” Vann said, walking over to the sitting area in Drayton’s office.
“Anything.”
“I want to hire Ben. Since I moved into the design department, we haven’t found anyone to fill my spot in the mailroom. I heard a few people complaining about not getting their mail so I want to make sure it doesn’t start snowballing into a bigger problem.”
“And you like Ben and want to help him.”
He chuckled, knowing Dray would see right through his motives. “Yeah. Is that okay? I’ll make sure he stays on top of things.”
“Sure.”
“I’m not sure if it would be a problem with the halfway house rules and us working at the same place.”
“I doubt it’ll be a problem now,” Drayton said, shaking his head. “Ask Mia to check with Taylor on whatever’s needed and she’ll coordinate it with HR. She’s handling everything with the work program now, so give her the info and let her run with it. If I need to do any paperwork or get some sort of special permission, we’ll get that taken care of.”
“Thanks. Speaking of Mia. She said you just got out of a long meeting and you’re headed into another one. You look a little stressed.”
Vann sat on the small couch and guided Drayton to sit next to him. He wanted to calm the fire burning inside, but that sure as hell didn’t mean he wanted to add that much distance between them.
“I’m trying to expand our distribution, and I’ve also been meeting with a few people about starting a racing team.”
“And they’re not biting?”
Drayton pinched the bridge of his nose. “They are, but everyone wants to see the new model before making a final decision. They’re willing to move forward if they can see a prototype.”
Vann leaned back in the seat and stretched his legs.
“So tell me…” Drayton’s voice trailed off as he stared at Vann’s thighs. He took a deep breath and looked up at Vann. “Is Sean making any progress or is he blowing smoke up my ass?”
“Honestly?”
Drayton cocked his head and half smiled. “Would you give it to me any other way?”
Vann sighed. He loved the ease between them, something he had missed from their childhood years and thought he had lost his chance at having again. And the fact that Drayton was relying on him for something relating to his work? That was something he never would have imagined possible. “I don’t think he’s going to get you your prototype.”
Drayton blew out a heavy exhale.
“That’s just my impression.” Vann shrugged.
Drayton leaned forward and clasped his hands together. “If your best guess is based on how you’re reading Sean, then it’s as good as gold.”
“Dray—”
Drayton turned to face him and raised his palm. “Don’t talk yourself down. You have a very sharp skill for reading people. I know it and you know it. This is me you’re talking to, so let’s cut the crap.”
Vann leaned forward and rested his elbow on his thighs. “I can’t put my finger on it, but too many things just don’t add up.” Vann chewed his bottom lip and lowered his brow. “There’s no sense of urgency. He’s too laid back about things. And he spends a shit-ton of time on the phone, which doesn’t make sense at all if he’s supposed to be focused on step number one, which is getting a working drawing.”
Drayton absently nodded.
“I don’t like anyone messing with you, and that’s the vibe I’m getting from him. Something’s not sitting right with me, and I’m pissed I can’t pinpoint it.”
“Because you’re in the middle of things. You always said it was easier to see things when you were outside of the circles. That’s why you read the guys at school so well.”
Vann raked his fingers through his hair. Yeah, he was too damn close. Not to mention worried as hell how all this would thrust him into a role he wasn’t sure he was ready to fill. “The part that’s killing me is, I’ve already offered him a suggestion on what he can change and he’s disagreeing with me. You’ve got one hell of a team working in that department and they’re all busting their asses, working without his oversight, trying to make sure you have a backup plan for the next release announcement.”
“They are a very skilled team. But I didn’t know they would do that.”
“Dray, c’mon, have you met them? They’re all nosy as hell, but they’re pretty fricken cool. They know their shit and they bounce ideas off each other.”
“In their employment backgrounds, they typically worked alone.”
Vann frowned. “In their employment backgrounds?”
“Yeah. Where they worked prior to their employment here.”
Vann leaned back in his seat, assessing every tiny detail in Drayton’s body language. “Have you met them?”
Drayton shook his head and casually rubbed his hands together.
“Why not?”
“It’s Sean’s responsibility to manage them. I didn’t want to interfere.”
“Um, do you even know who the people are?”
“Of course I do. I hand-picked them.”
“But you’ve never met them?”
“No.”
“Why?”
Drayton looked away.
And there he was, that vulnerable, young version of Drayton. The one who hated being ignored. The one who sat on the bench outside of the club as a kid, upset because he wasn’t accepted by his peers. Vann rose from the couch. “C’mon.”
Drayton stood and followed him. “Where?”
“You’re meeting with them.”
“No.” Drayton stopped and crossed his arms.
Vann rounded on him, standing before him, mirroring his stance. “Yes.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
Drayton sighed. “They’re going to hate me. I’m an asshole.”
Vann chuckled. “No…you’re definitely not.”
“I do know what people think of me here. They all think I’m dogmatic and cutthroat.”
“Then show them who you really are,” Vann pleaded. “If they don’t know you, all they have to go by is what they hear from Sean or rumors about a boss who doesn’t take the time to get to know them.”
“But I do know them.”
“Okay, so tell me about Zoe.” Vann raised an eyebrow, challenging him.
“She’s the artist who works the clay models. She was the second member of the team I hired. She has a degree in fine arts from one of the highest ranked universities in the field and has had her work displayed in three galleries, including one in France. She’s a single mother. Two kids. A boy, Kyle—he’s six—and a daughter, Katie—she’s nine. She joined the team because she wanted to be a part of something creative that affected people in a functional way. And since her son loves cars and she thought the first model was a work of art, she figured she’d come here.”
Vann was surprised—although he shouldn’t be.
“What about Li?”
“She’s the tech who develops the renderings from the sketches. She holds degrees in both fine arts and computer programming. I stole her from a gaming company in Silicon Valley where she developed the entire framework for the virtual reality program.” Drayton lowered his brow. “She’s the one who worries me the most.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because she banked some serious money with her previous employer but left when they attributed her work to another coworker. Had I not been following her career, I never would have known she invented the tech. She’s not here for the money, she’s here because she gets credit for h
er involvement on whatever project she works on or helps develop. And with the slow development we’ve had, I’m concerned she’ll lose interest and leave.”
“She won’t.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I do. You know why?”
“Why?”
“Because I’ve met her, and I’ve worked with her. She enjoys it here but hates Sean. And she’s the one spearheading the backup plan for you so you have something for the reveal at launch time.”
Drayton’s lips thinned to a line.
Vann took a deep breath, needing an extra dose of patience for Drayton’s special brand of stubbornness. He wanted the acceptance of his peers, but he couldn’t shake the childhood trauma enough to take that first step and initiate the interaction for fear of rejection.
“What about Milo?”
Drayton sighed deeply. Another one of his tells. Obviously, he knew exactly what Vann was doing. “He’s the junior designer. He’s stellar at playing devil’s advocate, and that’s why I keep him on in that department even though other applicants had greater creativity.”
“Yeah, he doesn’t have much faith in his artistic abilities. I was surprised you had him as a junior artist on the team. He can barely draw a straight line.”
“I don’t know how he does it, but with the last model, he found everything before the model went into testing. Except for one issue, but that wasn’t discovered until the test track time. But he’s like having a full beta team rolled into a single guy.”
Vann cocked an eyebrow. “You know these people. You need to meet them.”
“No.” Drayton stilled, the energy from moments ago evaporating in seconds. “They’ll hate me.”
“They won’t hate you.”
Drayton shook his head.
“Stop putting up that wall to keep everyone out. Sure, some people are assholes, but you’re missing out on meeting some really cool people along the way.”
“I said no.”
“You’re scared.”
“No.”
“They think you’re a unicorn.”
Drayton flinched. “A unicorn?”
“Yup. They’ve never met you so they think you’re some mythical creature.”
Drayton walked over to the window and shoved his hands in his pockets. “This is easier for you than it is for me.”
There was no way in hell Drayton was escaping this. Vann walked over to Drayton’s perch by the window and tugged on his arm so he’d face him. He cupped Drayton’s face, drawing his focus. “I know you’ll always be there to catch me when I fall. I need you to know I’m there for you when you need me. It’s the only reason I’m playing along as Sean’s lackey.”
“I’ll go meet the team if…”
“If?”
“If you let everyone know we’re together.”
Vann planted his hands on his hips and scowled. “That was a cheap shot. You know I hate hiding us. But I need to know I can do this on my own before I’m comfortable enough to do it at your side.”
“Drayton, you have Mr. Beggoni on line two,” Mia’s voice came through the intercom.
“She just saved your ass,” Vann said with a glare.
“And yours.”
Vann glowered then turned and walked toward the door. “I’ll let you know anything new about Sean.”
“You know, all this would be resolved if you just headed up the department.”
Vann sighed and glanced back over his shoulder. “We’re not getting into this again.”
“That’s your department,” Drayton said from across the room. He stalked over to Vann and commanded his attention with renewed confidence. “They’re your team. You know you can do it.”
And that was the problem. Vann wasn’t sure he could balance all that weight on his shoulders. “You’ve got a call waiting. I’ll see you later. I plan on cooking something on the grill tonight. So give me a heads-up if you think you’re running late.”
He leaned in and kissed Drayton before leaving his office.
The only thing he wanted more than flipping Drayton over the back of the couch was the courage to step up to the plate and accept the challenge to run that department. He wouldn’t know for sure until he tried, but hope and fear were a potent combination that often paralyzed him. Too much rode on the success within that department, and failure wasn’t an option or a chance he could risk.
After spending almost three weeks with the design team, learning the process, their strengths, and what was needed, Vann finally felt comfortable enough in the department and with the team to stand his ground.
He knocked on the open door before walking into Sean’s office. He hated giving the egotistical man any sort of power over him, but he had a job to do. And if being the departmental gopher and Sean’s shadow granted him access to the knowledge he needed, then so be it. He’d grin and bear it until he had a chance to discuss a plan with Dray. “Here are the renderings for your latest design.”
He set the file on Sean’s desk and waited. Sean’s designs were good, and some would even argue they were great. But they were a stark difference in style to Vann’s original sketch that set the expectations for the line. Vann would never openly admit it, but Sean’s designs could easily launch a new brand or sustain one that hadn’t been so firmly defined. But they wouldn’t work for the VannGuard brand of cars.
An odd thought crossed Vann’s mind about how the styles matched the men. Sean’s designs were sleek and had a smoothness to them that appeared modern and fresh, almost contemporary and light, while Vann’s designs were full of sharp, more…in-your-face harsh lines with purpose. Even the curves he used in his designs were extreme and served a role. Sean’s designs looked like museum cars or prototypes for something futuristic and space-like. Vann’s designs growled on the page, waiting for their chance to roar down the road and take charge.
Just like Vann was ready to do.
Over the last few weeks, he’d learned enough about the process and team to know the one obstacle inhibiting progress stood in front of him. While Sean had tried to tweak a few things to make it work, in the end, his artistic style was firmly entrenched and would never be a match to the style Drayton wanted to continue with the line. A subtle change with the introduction of a new model might work, but a radical difference in style for the new models would run the company into the ground.
“These look great,” Sean said, looking at the contents of the folder. Of course you think your design looks great, you narcissistic asshole. But they won’t work. “I’ll go meet with Drayton.”
“Do you want me to make that call?”
Sean cocked his head. His lips twisted into a lopsided grin he probably thought looked flattering. He stared at Vann, his green eyes alight with a hint of a challenge…and something else Vann couldn’t quite peg, but it was enough to send off a warning flare to his senses. “You’re wasting your time.”
Something was brewing in that pea-brain of his and it was enough to raise Vann’s hackles. “How’s that?”
“With Drayton.”
“Really?”
Sean’s jaw muscles twitched and his smile faltered. “Yes, really. Back off.”
Vann raised an eyebrow. “Or what?”
“He’s mine.”
A bubble of laughter rose in Vann’s throat. “Um. No. He’s not.” He planted his hands on his hips, debating if he should entertain this delusional prick any further. He shook his head and walked out of Sean’s office, deciding against engaging in a pissing contest with the jerk. He’d barely taken a few steps out into the department floor when the man started following him, yapping away again, doing his best Chihuahua impersonation.
“You don’t stand a chance with a man like him.”
Vann whipped around, standing in the center of the open department space, not caring about the chatter that quieted around them from the others in the department. He was tired of this game, and he wasn’t going to play a tug-of-war where Drayton was concer
ned, not after a lost decade. Not now. Not ever. “You don’t know him. And you sure as shit don’t own him.”
“Fuck you. You’re just an entry-level peon working the mailroom who got lucky with an internship here. No other designer is going to work for Drayton but me.” He took a step closer, a glint of something malicious sparked in his eyes.
Vann reined in the slow building rage threatening to possess him. He could read people well, and he was receiving Sean’s message like a fucking bullhorn piercing his eardrum. Sean’s next words eliminated any doubt in his mind.
“I’ve made sure of that.”
Challenging environment. A phrase he remembered from a phone call Drayton had had with another designer he’d solicited. That about summed up the experience working with Sean, but it seemed this self-centered son of a bitch was proactively making sure no other designer set foot in the department to challenge him.
He was not going to let this prick sabotage Drayton or let him think—for a single fucking second—that he held any claim on his Dray. He turned to Li and scribbled a quick message: You win the bet. Email the unicorn’s office and let Mia know she can finally use that letter she’s been saving. He returned his focus to Sean. His jaw hurt from holding back every word he wanted to say. He clenched his fist at his side, controlling the spike of fury he wanted to unleash on this son of a bitch.
Sean huffed a laugh, as if in victory. “This is my department. Don’t you forget that.”
“No. It’s not,” Vann said through clenched teeth. “This department is mine.”
Sean laughed and crossed his arms. “Mailroom’s on the ground floor, asshole.”
The rage boiling in Vann’s veins simmered, overtaken by a swell of confidence he hadn’t felt since he was a teenager. He set his hesitations aside and focused on Drayton, the empire he’d spent a decade building, the company and all the workers who respected his mind, and this department filled with staff members he now called friends. He looked around, making eye contact with each of the members of the team who excelled at what they did and were anxious to play their role in the future Drayton was going to shape with that new motor. He turned to Sean. A future this prick was trying to sabotage.