by Nana Malone
Quickly and efficiently she went through the plan for keeping his recent run-in with meaty fists out of the media. She also ran through the plan of communication to the public and shareholders. Of course, every part of the plan boiled down to the final most important piece. “And what do you plan to do about your company while you’re away?” She glanced briefly to Lachlan.
Chase leaned forward. “We’ve called an emergency board meeting for tonight. I can suggest a replacement, and the board will choose. With the voting members present, it should be no problem making sure it goes my way. The crux is, in another thirty days, the board can keep or replace.” He glanced around. “It is in my best interest if the CEO I pick stays.”
Delilah studied the man seated next to Chase. Lachlan Murphy was great CEO material. Honestly, this job would be a walk in the park with him. There wouldn’t be much to do. “I assume you’ll be stepping in as Mr. Channing’s CEO, Mr. Murphy?”
Lachlan’s eyes widened. “Me? Uh, no. And call me Lach. There would be a conflict of interest with my other business interests. I will only be acting in an advisory capacity, that’s all.”
Jake frowned. “I don’t understand. Who will be your replacement?”
Chase gave them a sheepish smile. “I’d hoped he’d be here by now. He was taking care of a quality assurance problem with one of our games. He’ll be here shortly.”
Delilah chewed her bottom lip. What were the chances that whoever Chase had picked would be as easy to mold and work with as Lachlan Murphy? She slid a glance at Jake. His lips were pressed into a thin line.
She licked her lips. “Okay, then. What will we need to know? Where will we need to focus my attention? What’s his background, what are his strengths?”
Chase and Lach exchanged a quick glance. Lachlan spoke first. “He’s loyal.”
Chase continued. “He actually designed a good portion of our games, so he’s familiar with the technology.”
Delilah read between the lines. Games programmer usually meant awkward nerd type. She’d have to roll up her sleeves on this one. “What else?”
“He has an MBA, he’s smart, and he’ll keep my company afloat.”
Delilah studied Chase carefully, unsure how to get the honest truth out of both men. They were giving her the guy’s resume not the overall feel of him. She sat back and asked, “What are we missing here? What is it you don’t want to tell us? We need to know what deep dark skeletons we’re going to have to incinerate so the public never finds them. Or at least doesn’t find them until you’re back in your rightful seat and your profit margins are up.”
Chase squirmed in his seat. Lachlan wouldn’t meet her gaze and suddenly seemed to find his phone very interesting. Abruptly, Chase sat straighter. “Looks like he’s here. You can ask him yourself.”
Through the opaque glass of the conference room, a tall figure loomed at the door. Broad shoulders. There was an air of confidence about him. She could work with that, but even as she stood, the fine hairs on her arms stood at attention.
When the door swung open, Delilah catalogued him in an instant. She caught sight of his Nike Air Force Ones first, then dark jeans. His hands were big. Like they were made for playing basketball, not coding video games. But they were unadorned with jewelry. His leather jacket was expensive, well made and well worn. He didn’t wear it for fashion, rather for necessity. Under it, he wore a black T-shirt that stretched over a well-defined chest.
Oh hell yes. She could certainly work with this.
Her long dormant libido woke up and stretched languorously. It wasn’t until she managed to drag her eyes from his defined pectorals that her brain stuttered. A shadow of blond hair dusted his chin and strong jaw. Longish blond hair curled at his nape. Lips shaped like a bow with a fuller lower lip. High cheekbones. A slightly crooked nose that had been broken at least once. Deep-set, aquamarine eyes framed by thick, sooty lashes.
A face she knew well. One that had haunted her for seven years.
All air whooshed from her lungs as if she’d been hit in the solar plexus.
Chase’s voice sounded like a distant echo. “Jake, Miss Donovan. Allow me to introduce you to Nathanial Williams. He’ll be stepping in as CEO while I’m gone.”
Oh. Hell. No. Her heart hammered, and her lungs refused to operate properly. This is not happening to me. Not him. Anyone but him.
Her gaze collided with the man she’d thought she once loved, and her stomach pitched. The last time she’d seen Nate was her sixteenth birthday. The night he’d betrayed her family and broken her heart.
Chapter 2
Fuck.
Knees locked, muscles bunched, teeth clenched, Nate Williams’ whole body tensed. His mind refused to believe the sight in front of him. Delilah. His Delilah.
So much about her was familiar, from her wide brown eyes to her full, always smiling lips, honey-brown skin, and her sweet and spicy scent. His blood ran thick, and his pulse thrummed through his skull like the beat of a bass drum. His throat constricted. Say something, you idiot. Right. He should form words. Appear intelligent.
Her wide-eyed, panic-stricken expression guided his decision. Nate stuck out his hand and shook the dark-haired man’s hand first as he muttered, “You must be Jacob Park. Chase speaks highly of you.”
“Pleasure.” The guy gestured toward Delilah. “This is Delilah Donovan, she’s one of our best associates.”
Nate marshaled every ounce of control he possessed and turned to Delilah. “Miss Donovan. It’s a pleasure.” Except, it was a disaster.
When Chase had reached out to him, calling in an old debt, Nate should have known it wouldn’t go smoothly. Nothing with Chase ever did. But he couldn’t exactly say no. Back in college, Chase had used his connections to keep Nate’s punk ass out of jail, and Nate knew he owed him big. Though he paid his debts, he was hesitant about this particular gig. It would require more of a public persona than he was looking for. And having Delilah involved added a complication he certainly wasn’t prepared for.
Eyes wide and unblinking, she woodenly placed her hand into his. The brief charge of electricity almost felled him. He withdrew his hand as quickly as he could. The jolt seemed to drag her out of her trance as well, and she hastily sat down.
Lach furrowed his brows and assessed Nate. Chase smirked.
Asshole. Nate ignored his friend and said, “So sorry I’m late. We were having problems with the current game’s release. So I figured it was a better idea to stay and deal with that.”
Jake’s smile was understanding, though, it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Of course. Of course. We understand. And call me Jake. We’re a family around here.”
While Jake tried to catch Nate up on the meeting’s proceedings, Nate tried to stay focused, but his eyes kept drifting to Delilah. But she never looked at him, instead, kept her eyes on her laptop and typed furiously as her boss spoke.
His memory served him well, but some things about her were different now. Her wild curls were gone, replaced with a sleek bun. The air of laughter was gone too. This version of her was more muted. And of course, his body hadn’t missed the obvious physical changes. Last time he’d seen her, she’d been petite and thin as a reed. Seven years later, and she’d certainly filled out in all the right places.
She wasn't a kid anymore, tormenting him with glimpses of her honey-brown skin in her red, polka dot bikini. With her dark hair tucked into a neat bun and her conservative, though tailored, skirt and blouse, she was all woman and barely resembled the girl he’d known. Although, for all the things that were different about her, her lips, full and ripe and always hinting at a smile, still had the power to make him forget rational thought.
When Jake turned his attention to Delilah, Nate clenched his jaw. Please, just look at me.
“Delilah, you’ve worked several image campaigns—why don’t you share some preliminary ideas with us.”
Her eyes widened, and Nate could tell she’d been put on the spot. It made him like J
ake a whole lot less. She licked her lips, and he bit back a groan while shifting in his seat and scratching at his stubble. Delilah and Jake might have missed his discomfort, but both Lach and Chase stared at him, complete with raised eyebrows.
She slid a glance in his direction, and heat trailed over his skin. “I’d do the usual image package for starters. But the look isn’t the main concern. We can dress anyone up and call them a CEO. The important thing will be to make everyone believe it. We’ll want community initiatives as well as perception initiatives.”
She turned her attention to Chase and Lach. Nate didn’t like it. He leaned forward, intent on drawing her in. “I’m sorry, can you go to the part about the usual image package. What does that entail, exactly?”
Jake waved his hand as if to dismiss the question. “Oh, it’s nothing really. Just making you look the part.”
Nate pinned Jake with a glare. Yep. No, he really didn’t like the guy. “I’d rather Miss Donovan tell me exactly what she plans, since it was her idea.”
Jake stuttered. “I-uh—” He turned to Delilah.
She dragged her gaze back to Nate’s. Oh yeah. This was all kinds of a bad idea. Working with Delilah Donovan would be an exercise in torture. Maybe he was a masochist.
“Frankly, I would start with a hair cut and a shave. The clothes are actually fine for community events—they make you seem more authentic. But for the office, you’re going to have to upgrade your look. Suits for board meetings. It’s a technical office, so business casual that sets you apart from the other engineers but doesn’t alienate you.”
He raised an eyebrow. “This look works for Mark Cuban.”
Her chin tipped up. “Mark Cuban owns a suit or two.”
He cocked his head, and he couldn’t help the smile that tugged at his lips. She still had a way of getting her way. “Fair enough.”
Jake glanced between the two of them. “What Delilah means is that you’ll be required to do the pomp and circumstan—”
Nate cut him off. “I know what she meant. Please continue, Miss Donovan.”
Her eyes narrowed imperceptibly. “We want to make you a little less surfer. The leather jacket needs to go.”
“And that’s where I have to draw the line. I need it to ride.”
Her brows snapped down. “Ride?”
He nodded with a grin. This was fun. “My motorcycle.”
Her eyes widened before she slid a glance to Jake. “Well in most cases, I would suggest you park your motorcycle in a garage where no one will ever see it again, but given your industry, it might give you some cool factor. And we’ll want to establish your personality early. Something like ‘Knows how to wear a suit, but also knows how to have some fun.’”
“And these community events you were thinking of? I’m not a politician. Kissing babies isn’t really my thing.”
Her eyes flared then she smirked as if she’d thought of something funny. Maybe she was having fun too. “Well, I hate to argue it, but for now, you are a politician. And instead of kissing babies, how about you mentor young developers? Lots of software companies do internal hack-a-thons to foster new ideas and development. We can call it Coder’s Day. Maybe do one to find the talent of the future. After all, your main audience for most of your games is teenagers. What teen wouldn’t love the chance to program games?” She grinned then added, “And after, as a gesture of goodwill, we do a winner’s dinner with you for first, second, and third place winners and invite the press. Make it nice and splashy. Only the best outlets.”
Nate leaned back. She was good. But with his narrowed eyes and set jaw, Jake didn’t look happy about it. Maybe he had suggested she take over this part of the meeting because he’d wanted her to fall down a bit. But classic Delilah, she hadn’t. Always prepared. “It’s actually a good idea.” He glanced at Chase. “What do you think? Can we afford it?”
Chase shrugged. “You’re the CEO now. The funds are there. How you choose to distribute them is up to you. But it’s a great idea. I wish I’d thought of it years ago. Internally and externally. Well done, Miss Donovan,” he said with a smug smile.
Nate choked on a laugh. Chase was enjoying this. He might not know the reason, but he knew having Delilah in the picture fucked with Nate’s head, and Chase had spent years trying to figure out how to rattle Nate. No doubt Nate would be hearing about this for the foreseeable future. Fanfuckingtastic.
Nate still had one big issue. “Just one thing, I don’t want any press coverage.”
Jake blanched and choked on his mocha frappe whatever. “But, how are we supposed to create an image with no press?”
Nate kept his gaze on Delilah when he said, “I value my privacy.”
Jake shook his head. “That’s impossible. You’re tying our hands.”
“I think what Nate means, is he wants minimal pomp and circumstance. He doesn’t want the flashy treatment. Just a passing of the guard and a passing back. Maybe limit the press?” Chase added.
Delilah chimed in. “We’ll certainly have to do a press release, and if we do community outreach, we’ll want press to cover the event, but we promise you, this won’t be some ostentatious affair. We know what we’re doing. We’ll keep it tasteful. A few business journals. Key publications only. We value your privacy almost as much as you do.” There was a hint of bite to her whole ‘value your privacy’ comment.
“As long as we’re on the same page.” Press would be the noose Chase’s detractors used to hang him. But maybe if Nate was careful and Delilah kept her word and kept it minimal, he could pull this off. He knew he was blindly grasping at reasons to work with her, but he didn't care. And of course, Chase thought it was a good idea, but what his friend was really happy about was him taking over the CEO spot.
Jake beamed, and Nate wondered if the guy had had a genuine feeling in years. “Delilah is one of our best and brightest.”
Chase smiled. “It certainly seems so. I trust everything is ready to move forward.”
Jake nodded. “Someone from my team will be in touch with you tomorrow to set up the preliminary meeting with Mr. Williams.”
“And what about you, Miss Donovan?” Chase might have addressed her, but he kept his eyes glued on Nate. “Are you comfortable moving forward?”
She slid her glance between Nate and Chase. “Y-yes. But, Mr. Manning—”
“Chase. Please. Call me Chase. I figure if you’re saving my ass, you should call me by my first name.”
“Okay, Chase. We’ll be making some arrangements with your rehab facility to make sure it’s a safe and secure environment. And by secure, I mean that the only communication you will have to the outside world is through us.”
He nodded. “Fine with me. I’ll need to be in touch with Nate and Lach though.”
“We can arrange that.”
“Understood.”
As Jake closed the meeting, Nate watched Delilah. He needed a minute to talk to her alone. Clearly she wasn’t too pleased to see him. But maybe they could work things out if they just talked. All he had to do was keep his hands off her. Easier said than done.
Chapter 3
Delilah tapped her foot nervously as she and Nate waited for the elevator. She couldn’t do this. Work with him? There was no way. He was a liar...and he smelled too good. She shook her head, hoping for rationality to take hold. He’d betrayed her family and broken into her mother’s clinic with someone who would later turn out to be his brother, despite having said he had no family, when her family took him in.
No. She was not going to fall for the charm that was Nate’s MO. Embarrassment washed through her as her memories of her sixteenth birthday flooded in. While her friends danced and reveled in the house, Nate had taken her to the gazebo out back and given her a present, a silver, star pendant. He’d called her his lucky star and thanked her for saving him. Then he’d put the pendent on for her. Just as he’d pulled back, his gaze had flickered to her lips. And like the idiot she was, she’d thought that he wanted to k
iss her. In that frozen moment of time when they’d sat under her parent’s gazebo, she’d been so certain of him and what she wanted. But like a cruel joke by the cosmos, his phone had rung.
Not once did his gaze waver from hers though. But that buzzing phone had added a timer to the moment. She knew if he didn't kiss her then she’d lose her nerve, so she’d let the thought that had been clattering around in her head for a year spill from her tongue and whispered, “I think I love you.”
Delilah had imagined the moment in her head hundreds of times. She’d been so sure of her woman’s intuition. So positive he would want to. There had been something about the way he looked at her in the weeks leading up to her birthday. But he hadn’t kissed her. Nor had he said ‘I love you too.’ Instead, his phone continued to buzz, and with a curse, he’d mumbled ‘excuse me’ and run off to talk to whoever it was in private.
She dragged her thoughts back to the present. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. If she could invent a time machine that transported people back in time to keep their younger selves from saying and doing stupid shit, she’d make a killing. Losing her wits around Nate was a recipe for disaster. And now she had to work with him?
Delilah willed her hands to steady as she stared at them. Nate Williams, of all the people she’d never thought to see again. Her stomach knotted and roiled, threatening to let loose an eruption of bile. Unwilling and unable to look at him, she pushed the elevator call button...again.
Beside her, Nate chuckled. “You know, I’m pretty sure you only have to push those things once and the elevator will come.”
She slipped him a side-eyed, narrowed glance but kept the reins tight on her temper. That only lasted so long though. The elevator arrived and was blessedly empty. As soon as the doors closed, she rounded on him. “What the hell are we going to do?”