Fierce- Drake (Fierce Family Series Book 3)

by Natalie Ann

  “She knows what I spend it on. She has my receipts and questions every little thing,” he argued. She’d been doing it for longer than he cared to admit. It seemed like she’d been doing it from her first day of employment.

  He remembered that day well. He had nothing to do with the interviews. He never really did for those types of positions. But when she was walked around by his father and introduced to everyone, for the first time he thought to himself, holy cow, he wouldn’t mind a date with her.

  He’d never dated a coworker. Never wanted to. He always kept that separate because work came first. The family firm and reputation came above his personal life. It wasn’t as if he couldn’t find a woman when he wanted one.

  The funny part was, she really wasn’t the type he normally went for either. She was quiet and controlled. Serious. That was the word he was looking for. Kara was almost too serious for him. Not flexible or bendable. He tended to be more limber than a ten-year-old gymnast.

  And he was right because the more he talked to her the more he realized they’d have nothing in common. Not one thing.

  She was a treat to look at. Tall and willowy. She dressed more like a professional fifty-year-old than someone of her generation. Never any fun colors or prints. Almost like she wanted to just blend in.

  He wouldn’t call her dull. Nope. He could see behind the hair she pulled back and the glasses she wore that there was an attractive woman there. He just supposed she didn’t want anyone to notice it at work.

  Maybe outside of work she was different? Nah, he doubted it.

  “Drake,” his father said. “Pay attention. Your eyes are drifting off on me. I feel as if this is one of those times like when you were a kid and you figured if you lost yourself in other thoughts I’d end the conversation.”

  He narrowed his eyes at his father and uncle when they laughed. He wasn’t purposely drifting off into other thoughts. It just happened.

  “Sorry,” he said. “I’ve got a lot of work to do.”

  “We won’t keep you then. Kara will be in touch. Play nice,” his uncle said.

  He stood up from the chair he was sitting in near his father’s desk. “When don’t I play nice?”

  “You always do,” his father said smirking at him. “My point is, this isn’t a walk to the guillotine.”

  “No, it’s not,” he said, even if he felt like it at times when he was in Kara’s presence. He had no idea what it was about her that got under his skin.

  ***

  “Did you see his face?” Garrett asked his brother.

  “Yeah. He knew we were feeding his ego. I forget that your kids are twins and understand the looks between us,” Grant said. “I didn’t have that problem in my house.”

  “You’re lucky you didn’t,” Garrett said.

  “True. So what do you think is going to happen between these two? Do you think there is more there between them than what we see? I’m still not positive, but the women are all hot and bothered over Drake’s reaction to Kara.”

  Garrett laughed. “Tell me about it. Carolyn got so excited when I brought it up to her...the plan you and I came up with. She seems to think it will work, but I’m not so sure.”

  “You want it to though, don’t you?” Grant asked.

  “Of course I do. You’ve got one down and are working on another. I’m just getting started,” he said. He and his brother always competed with things, but never seriously. He wasn’t taking this seriously either, but he was a bit jealous.

  “It will all fall into place. Look at Gavin and Jolene,” Grant said.

  “They had it easier,” he said. “Jolene actually hired some of the people for her kids. Not sure how she had time to scope them out, but she did.”

  “I never question Jolene and how she gets things to work. But our wives listen to her. Her advice to Diane worked for Sam, so I guess we just need to go with it. Worst case, the time Drake and Kara spend together might at least make them mellow out.”

  “We’ll see. I’d just hate to see this backfire and lose a good staff member.”

  “It won’t happen,” Grant said.

  “I hope not.”

  ***

  Kara couldn’t believe her rotten luck. She’d gotten a meeting request from Garrett Fierce late Friday afternoon that he and Grant wanted to go over a new project with her first thing on Monday morning.

  She loved when that happened. She loved new ideas and projects and couldn’t wait to get her fingers dirty on some color coded spreadsheets.

  Little did she know she’d have to work with Drake on it.

  She’d never tell her two bosses no, that she didn’t want to work with their family members. That she didn’t want to work with anyone.

  And they were right—Drake did bring in the most revenue. She knew that because she analyzed it all.

  But he also spent the most and that just drove her insane. Just like she was sure she drove Drake crazy when she questioned him on everything.

  She was only doing her job though. What she was hired to do. Nothing wrong with that.

  And she’d continue to do her job because she wouldn’t risk losing it. She wouldn’t risk the life she’d built for herself that was so different than what she’d come from.

  A place she never wanted to be part of again. One she wanted to forget.

  If only her family would let her.

  Just Gets To Me

  “Thanks for the dinner invite, Mom,” Drake said when he walked into his parents’ house later that night.

  After meeting with his father and uncle, he received a meeting request from Kara with a few dates for him to pick from. He picked the one furthest out in the week. Not only did he have a lot of work to do, but he wasn’t ready to sit down and work on this either. Especially after she made a list of things she needed from him.

  He should have known she’d have a list. He hated lists!

  “Never a problem. Your father should be home soon. He and Grant had a meeting with someone today. A late meeting.”

  “Yeah, I know.” He knew their schedules well. Or well enough. He could pull up the calendar the firm shared and everyone could see each other’s appointments.

  “I made your favorite. Cheese-and-bacon-filled burgers. I’ll just slap them on the grill when your father comes in. Are you hungry now? Would you like a snack or a drink?”

  “I’ll take a beer,” he said. “I need it. If you’ve got a salad made I’ll pick at that.”

  She laughed at him and pulled out the salad from the fridge along with a beer. “You are the only one of my boys that likes a salad.”

  “It’s just food. Nothing to not like about it, I guess.”

  “My agreeable one too,” she said, walking over and kissing him on the forehead.

  Yep, that was him. Agreeable to a fault. Most times. He was fine with that too.

  “Anything I can do to help you with dinner?” he asked.

  “I’ve got it covered. I’ll sit here and have a salad with you. Your father won’t care, as he passes on it more times than not. So tell me, how is work going?”

  “It’s good,” he said. “I’ll be on the road again tomorrow. I have to head back to Charlotte and finalize a few things. Guess I better make sure I just go to a fast food place with my clients for lunch this time.”

  She laughed at him. “Why would you do that?”

  “Nothing,” he said.

  “Of course it’s something or you wouldn’t have said it.”

  “I’ve got to work with Kara. I’m sure Dad has mentioned her name before. She’s the financial analyst they hired. She’s always griping about my spending.”

  “You’ve consistently been the one to spend the most, Drake. I’ve always known that. When it comes to an image, you want it. Nothing new there. I don’t want to get in the middle of your father’s business and I know how proud he is of the work you do, but it’s not surprising people complain about your spending habits.”

  He looked up, grabbe
d his beer and took a long swig. “It’s not that bad. It’s not like I’m out every day of the week. Others buy dinners and lunches too. What’s the big deal?”

  “No clue. You’d have to take that up with your father if you think it’s an issue. Did they say it was?”

  He thought back for a second. “No, they didn’t. They’ve never said.”

  “Then what is the problem?” she asked.

  “For some reason Kara just gets to me with the way she questions everything.”

  “Isn’t that her job? Is she trying to tell you you can’t do something? Is she saying you are breaking some rule or something?”

  “Of course not,” he said. “She just chases me down for receipts and then when she gets them she shakes her head or makes comments on the amounts.”

  “Kind of like what your father and I did when you were growing up?”

  Shit, his mother was right. He’d been getting reactions like that his whole life. Why did it bother him so much now?

  “I guess. I just like to make a good impression on people. In my personal life I don’t waste money.”

  “We know that. You’re smart with it most of the time. You spend money on things that you think will help you make money. You even try to get the best deal too. But you’ve always been a bit flashy. More so than your brothers.”

  “See?” he said. “You get that. Looking successful helps bring in more business. That’s Business 101. I’m not even a business major and know that. Why can’t Kara?”

  “So, back to this woman again. What is it about her that gets to you so much? It’s not like she’s your boss and can tell you what to do. Only your father or your Uncle Grant can.”

  “I know. I think it’s just she is so rigid.”

  “And you are anything but,” his mother said, laying her hand on his. He looked up and saw the humor dancing in her eyes. “You’re just doing your job the same as she is. It’s nothing more than that. I think you are getting bent for no reason at all.”

  “You’re probably right,” he said, going back to his salad and stabbing at it with more force than necessary. When he realized what he was doing, he stopped and was thrilled when his father walked in the door. It allowed his mother to get up and light the grill and the two of them to talk, leaving him a few moments of quiet.

  “Kara reach out to you today?” his father said when he walked into the kitchen after changing.

  So much for the peace and quiet. “You know she did. Almost like clockwork when my meeting was done.”

  His father laughed. “So you’ve got meetings set up?”

  “One so far. And a list of things she wants from me to start.”

  “It’s a good thing, Drake, and you know it. Others can learn from you. That isn’t me stroking your ego either.”

  He knew that. He wasn’t being conceited either. “True. It’s fine. Not sure why I’m so worked up when I never get this way. We’ll get it figured out.”

  “I know you will. You always do. You’ve been mentoring interns for a few years too. Duke loves that we bring them in and give them some hands on experience.”

  “They learn better that way,” he said. “I know I did. I think that is why school was so easy for me. Probably Jade and Ryder too. We’ve been in and out of the firm working summers and learning things since high school.”

  He’d always appreciated that his father and uncle let him do that. That they fostered his love for drawing, designing, building. He went into civil engineering like his uncle Grant. Jade followed his father into mechanical. They had the best of both worlds at the firm. Ryder was an architect too.

  The services they offered at the firm gave them an advantage for a lot of contract bids.

  “Your uncle and I learned more by having those internships too,” his father said. “Not only that, we spent some summers working construction with your Uncle Gavin. Getting your hands dirty and in the mix is the best kind of experience there is. Book smarts are great, but not the same. You know that.”

  He did and that just brought him back to Kara for the moment. She was book smart, he was positive. He’d bet she was the brainy girl in school. The one that sat silently in the corner, did her work, and aced every test. She probably had notes, spreadsheets, and whiteboards lining up details in order to help her study.

  He laughed and didn’t realize it until his mother asked, “What’s funny?”

  “Oh. Nothing. Just thinking of something,” he said. “Anyway, I’ll help you with dinner, Mom,” he said, grabbing his beer and going to the deck. He was done with talking shop. He talked it all day at work and didn’t want to do it after hours.

  He just wanted to relax and have a personal life that he didn’t seem to have anymore.

  ***

  A few hours later, Drake had left and Carolyn was pouring herself a glass of wine while Garrett grabbed a bottle of water. He’d had a beer with dinner but didn’t often drink during the week.

  “What do you think?” Garrett asked his wife. “Didn’t I tell you he was acting strange? That’s not the first time today he was caught drifting off into space.”

  “Yeah. There is definitely something with Kara. He brought her name up a few times before you got home. I asked how work was going and he made a comment about being on the road this week and then sarcastically said he had to keep his spending in check.”

  He let out a loud booming laugh. “No one told him to keep his spending in check. I doubt Kara would. She doesn’t have the authority to and if she did I’m not sure Drake would listen.”

  “I think he realized that. Or I tried to remind him that he always spent a lot of money. He’s all about giving off a good impression.”

  “He’s always been that way. Cheap in other ways,” Garrett said.

  “He hates when you point that out, but we know it’s true. Deep down he is a closet nerd that watches his pennies and invests wisely.”

  “Something I’m willing to bet he and Kara have in common, but I won’t be the one to point that out,” Garrett said.

  “Smart move. I think it’s best to let this one play out. I hope we have some luck with them because Drake is definitely not acting like his normal self when he talks about Kara.”

  “Not when he is around her either. I’m waiting to see if there are fireworks in the office this week or not.”

  He’d noticed that his son and Kara had a meeting scheduled for later in the week and made a note to check in and see how it went. He’d have to keep tabs on things in the guise of business when he really had a more personal agenda in mind.

  The Truth Nerve

  Kara was in the copy room on the fourth floor. She had a meeting with the accounting department in a few hours and learned that if she didn’t make copies and bring them to the meeting most didn’t have what she emailed them to look over in advance.

  She tried to not let it drive her insane, but it kind of did. Though she kept it locked up tight like she did so many other emotions in her adult life.

  Too many years of letting them out as a kid...with reason. Now it was better to stay in control. Well, it was better back then too. She did what she could to get through and reminded herself of that daily.

  If people didn’t like that she was more robotic than caring, that was just too darn bad. They didn’t live the life she did. They didn’t go through what she had.

  “Fancy meeting you in here.”

  She turned to see Drake come in with papers in his hand. “Just getting ready for a meeting,” she said. “You?”

  “I’ve got a meeting off site in a few hours and dropping off some bids while I’m there.”

  She looked at the papers, some colored with graphs on top. She felt a little shiver of pride and told herself to stop it. That she was too nerdy to get worked up over charts and graphs.

  “I thought your assistant put together those things for you,” she said.

  He always had very professional bids. More so than other engineers in the building. It di
d just prove that Garrett and Grant were right. Maybe everyone should have the bids looking the same way. Something to make a note of.

  “She does. I always put it together first, the way I want it. I sent a few things to print to this copier. I’m sure once you are done with your copies they’ll pop out.”

  When the machine stopped, she reached over to the bin and grabbed them off but noticed a few more sheets that weren’t hers at the end. She pulled them out, “Guess these are yours.” When she handed them over his fingers brushed hers and that little shiver of pride from earlier was now bouncing around her hand like a ball in a pinball machine.

  “Thanks,” he said, moving over to the table in the large room and organizing his work. He walked into the closet off to the side, then came back with a clear cover to put over it and a folder. He always had everything so neatly lined up. His office supply orders were through the roof expensive too, but he knew what he was doing.

  Not just that, but printing costs too. At least the firm used Marshall Printing out of Charlotte. Their cousin was marrying the owner of that business and they’d been able to get some discounts.

  There she was again, her mind going right back to discounts and money.

  It was her job to do that though, she reminded herself.

  “Are you set for our meeting tomorrow?” she asked. “Was there anything you wanted me to have beforehand?”

  “Nope,” he said, assembling his stuff faster. “I figured it’s just a first meeting. We can go from there if I need anything from you. I’m sure there will be more you need from me.”

  She felt her lips twitch over his statement. She knew she would too. She had a list of other things but didn’t want to hit him all at once. “You might end up answering some of my questions when we meet anyway.”

  He turned and looked at her, a big grin on his face, one that reached his brown eyes that she found herself thinking of too often. “Do your lists have lists?”

  She laughed. She had to. “What do you think?”

  “I think that is the first time I’ve seen you laugh like that. I think I might have hit a nerve but realized, if I did, it’s the truth nerve.”