His Distraction

by Tanya Gallagher

  Her voice was sweet but strong, and he liked that she just dove right in. Too bad it was already Friday and she hadn’t spoken up yet—she sounded pretty damn intriguing.

  Bex leaned toward the phone. “We can start taking preorders in about two weeks. I don’t have sales images that we can share yet, but it’s not too early to talk up the features to our wholesale accounts.”

  Other members of the team chimed in with questions and suggestions, rising to the challenge like Jeremy knew they would. When he’d started the production facility in Vegas, he had worried about communication between the branches, but their morning meeting kept everyone on the rails. The company as a whole just had its strongest quarter ever, and it was thanks, no doubt, to everyone’s urge to stay on top.

  Before he could offer comments, his cell phone buzzed. A familiar name flashed across the screen, and he grimaced. He mouthed, “I’ve got to get this,” and strode out of the room.

  Jeremy caught the call just as he shut his office door behind him. “Hello?”

  “I’d like to make you an offer you can’t refuse.”

  The last time he’d heard those words they were coming from a very pretty blonde wearing nothing more than a satin ribbon and a pair of stilettos. Last time, no, Jeremy hadn’t refused the offer. Despite the fact that he prided himself on doing things a little differently than other people in his position, there was no denying the perks of having built a sex toy empire and the reputation that came with it. See Exhibit A: nothing but shoes.

  This time, though, the words coming through his phone were from a man in his sixties who was racking up gray hairs almost as fast as frequent flier miles.

  Jeremy sank into the chair behind his desk. “Piers, nice to hear from you.”

  He could hear the grin in the man’s voice. “What’s it been? Six months?”

  Jeremy winced. He didn’t like to be reminded, which is precisely why he’d created a barrier of employees between them. “Something like that,” he agreed. “What can I do for you?” It was a small industry when you got down to it, and even though he had limited patience for playing games today, he couldn’t burn bridges.

  “I need you to hear me out before you say anything.”

  “Cut to the chase, Piers.”

  “You know that X Enterprises’ market share has continued to increase over the last few years.”

  “I do know that. It’s my company.”

  “You’re interrupting.”

  He suppressed a smile even though Piers couldn’t see him. “Bad habit. Go on.”

  “The Board at Yessir Unlimited has had you on their radar for some time, especially with that trick of edging out Shigaki in the AVN awards.”

  “It was a good trick, wasn’t it?” Jeremy couldn’t help but feel a little proud of that one. Accepting the award on stage in Vegas had been a surreal moment, a sort of fuck you to anyone who had doubted X Enterprises before.

  “We’d like to propose a conversation about the future of your company.”

  It took a minute for Piers’s words to fully sink in, and then Jeremy choked out a laugh. “Are you making me an offer to make me an offer?”

  Piers cleared his throat, hedging. “I didn’t say that. But you’re garnering some acquisition interest, and we’d like to have a talk.”

  In the eight years Jeremy had spent building X Enterprises, selling the company was something he’d only ever thought of as a pipe dream. Not only were sex toy companies notoriously hard to sell, offloading it to the highest bidder hadn’t been his mission when he first started the company. Back then, X Enterprises was just a way for him to get through the shit clouding his personal life, something to focus on instead of the destructive state he’d wallowed around in for a year and a half. He’d put everything he had into X Enterprises, and it had flourished.

  He looked out his office window to the production floor, where top-of-the-line equipment turned out a steady stream of sex toys. The view from the top wasn’t bad, and it was even sweeter knowing he’d earned it. This conversation with Piers, though, could be a game-changer. If winning an AVN Award had felt like a victory, selling X Enterprises would be the ultimate validation. Not that he could let Piers know how much the idea tempted him.

  Time to play hardball. “My company’s not for sale.”

  Piers chuckled. “Good thing I didn’t make you an offer then.” He paused a moment before continuing. “Just hear what the Board has to say. If a sale was on the table—and I’m not saying it is—it could make you a very rich man, Jeremy.”

  “I’m already a rich man.” Anyway, it had never been about the money. He knew that was easy to say, given that he didn’t have to worry about cash, but it was true.

  “Retire at thirty rich.” Piers spoke quickly like he knew he was losing Jeremy’s interest. “Listen, there’s nothing to decide right now other than saying yes to a conversation. Come down to the Yessir facility in LA. I’ll be there in a few weeks. It’s closer than our New York offices for you—just a day trip. We can talk more in person.”

  Jeremy drummed his fingers on the edge of his desk and took a deep breath. He’d heard rumors about interest in X Enterprises before, but this was the first time anyone had directly approached him with talk of an offer. Jeremy had too much history with Yessir not to keep his ears open, but he needed to play it cool. He needed to see what Piers had to say before he got too excited either way.

  “Two airplane tickets,” Jeremy told him. “And I’m invoicing you for the cost.”

  “Done,” Piers said. “Oh, and let’s keep this confidential. Consider it covered by our NDA.”

  “Of course.” Jeremy hung up the phone and called his assistant. He had planned to stay in Las Vegas for another week, but now, more than ever, the pressure was on to get the business in order. X Enterprises already dominated the industry, but shining it up a little couldn’t hurt. Jeremy wouldn’t give Piers a reason to do anything other than offer to buy his company.

  “Ruth, I need to rebook my return flight to Seattle.”

  “How soon did you want to leave, Mr. Glass?”

  He glanced at the production line and felt his jaw tick in anticipation. Things were under control here. All the better to head back to the main office. “Get me on the next plane home.”

  Chapter 3

  Julie, Vanessa’s new coworker, leaned over the divider between their desks and rested her tattooed forearms on the partition. “Hey, V, what’s the pastry of the day?” she asked, just like she had every day for the past week.

  Vanessa pulled out her cell phone and located the picture her roommate, Bea, had texted to her earlier in the day. Bea had been a fine art major in college, and while she spent her nights painting masterpieces and trying to break into Seattle’s art scene, by day she had a part-time gig decorating cakes at a local bakery. She claimed it was close enough to getting paid to make art that she could deal with a mountain of buttercream. Frankly, however she wanted to pay rent was fine with Vanessa. And ever since Bea had learned about Vanessa’s new role at X Enterprises, she’d sent a daily picture of a baked good.

  Vanessa squinted at the screen. “It appears to be a boob cake.”

  So yeah, Bea’s bakery happened to be an erotic bakery. Apparently, sex was profitable in every industry.

  Vanessa looked more closely. “But, like, there aren’t two boobs. Just one poor, lonely nipple.”

  Julie laughed. “Now where’s the fun in that?”

  Sean shook his head at them. “You guys just aren’t thinking big enough. There could be a lot of fun to be had with just one boob.”

  Vanessa groaned. “And on that note, who’s ready for a coffee break?”

  She entered the break room to find Ramon already there, pouring coffee into a mug that read, X Enterprises. Our customers come first.

  Oh jeez. Sometimes it was still hard to keep a straight face in this office. This business was so, so far out of her world.

  As soon as she had returned
home from X Enterprises that first night, she’d hopped on the internet to research the company. It was a reflex, an ingrained habit leftover from her college years. She might not have known anything about X Enterprises when she’d walked in the doors, but she planned to leave her coworkers none the wiser. She was not going to make herself look dumb, and she wouldn’t let on how out of place she felt.

  “X Enterprises is the brand of choice for all your adult needs,” the website had promised in a glossy gold font. “A luxury approach for your most important encounters. Founded by Jeremy Glass, X Enterprises quickly became a trusted leader in the adult novelties industry. Since its inception, X Enterprises has been instrumental in raising the standards of the domestic adult-themed industry. It counts among its achievements multiple industry awards including Best Online Retailer from AVN, Best Pleasure Products Manufacturer, and a Retail Site of the Year XBIZ Award.”

  Apparently, it was a pretty impressive sex toy company at that. For whatever good that did.

  Ramon lifted the coffee pot. “Can I top you off?”

  Vanessa set out three cups for him to fill, not realizing the problem until she started to gather them. She glanced down at the three coffee cups on the counter and her two hands. “You know, I didn’t really think this through.”

  Ramon laughed. “Let me help.” He carried the extra mug, and together he and Vanessa wove their way through the glass office, steam heating their faces. “So tell me, are things going well so far?”

  Vanessa nodded. “I’m still learning the inventory, but Bex over in the Vegas facility has been super helpful in answering technical questions.”

  “Good. I’m glad you’re using the resources we have. The Seattle headquarters is great for your daily tasks, but for product development and production, there’s no one better to ask than Bex.”

  She glanced at Ramon’s profile. “Actually, now that you mention it, I have a quick question.”

  “Shoot.”

  “I was reviewing the quote request Yessir Unlimited made for the new Surrender that Bex introduced last week. Is there any wiggle room in the price breaks? I have an idea for how I can sell more units but still offer them a slight discount.” Vanessa hoped she wasn’t overstepping here. She didn’t want to undervalue their products, but she also didn’t want the customer to buy from one of their competitors.

  Ramon smiled. “Buying goodwill?” he asked.

  She blushed. “Just trying to give good customer service. Everyone likes to be treated well and feel like they have the inside scoop. I’m hoping Yessir will eat it up.”

  Ramon nodded thoughtfully. “I can appreciate that.” They hashed out the rest of the details as they rounded the corner to the Sales area.

  Just like every time she approached her desk, she was struck by how pretty the interior of the X Enterprises headquarters looked—all sleek metal and glass. It was another gray day in Seattle, but high above the skyline the office still felt sexy and sophisticated. And the fact that the sex toy company occupied the top floor of a giant phallus? She couldn’t imagine a better mission statement.

  Julie looked up from her computer as Ramon set a mug of coffee on her desk. “What’s this? The boss is doing coffee runs now?”

  “Don’t get too excited,” Sean grumbled. “It’s not lunch.”

  Ramon shook his head and laughed. “Tell you what. Next week, I’ll buy lunch for whoever books the most business before the end of the day.” He looked from Vanessa to Julie to Sean as they all nodded. They were in.

  Sean cracked his knuckles and smiled at the rest of them. “You’re on. Ramon, you can preorder my surf ’n turf right now.”

  The team burst into laughter. It had only been a week, but Vanessa was already starting to feel comfortable here. The team had done nothing but welcome her, and if she took away the fact that she was selling vibrators and dildos to the masses, it was almost like any other job.

  “Not so fast, Sean.” Vanessa threw him a smile. “I’ve got an ace up my sleeve.” She just needed to convince Amy Vanderbilt at Yessir that the idea she’d run by Ramon was a good one.

  She picked up the phone to dial Amy’s number. She was going to win that damn lunch. And no one had ever accused her of having a small appetite.

  Vanessa leaned back in her chair, a satisfied smile stretching her cheeks. She was damn good at this job. It might not be her long-term plan of helping people, but until Macy helped her find a job in social work, she could get used to it.

  Julie leaned over the back of Vanessa’s chair. “Uh-oh. Is that the preorder for the wireless vibrator I see?”

  She shrugged, feigning a nonchalance she didn’t feel. “Amy happened to agree with me that saving money and getting a first look at the product was the way to go.”

  “You did that all in thirty minutes?”

  She nodded. “Sure did.”

  Julie gave her an encouraging smile. “You should go tell Ramon. He’s in with Jeremy now.”

  The mysterious Jeremy Glass, huh? He’d been out in Vegas for Vanessa’s first week, and he’d skipped today’s production meeting. She had to admit she was curious about him. Jeremy’s voice on the phone last week had sounded deep and sexy—and, dammit, the man ran a sex toy company. She wanted to put a face to the voice.

  She wheeled back her chair and stood. “If you say so.”

  She strolled toward the corner office that had sat vacant for the last week, spotting Ramon’s form sprawled across one of the chairs. Ramon’s shoulders blocked her view of the man behind the desk, but when she knocked on the door, both men turned.

  Holy shit.

  Vanessa paused in the doorway on shaking legs. Jeremy Glass was flat-out gorgeous. He wore a slim-cut gray suit and a crisp white button-down that clung to his body to reveal broad, muscled shoulders and a trim waist. When he pushed a hand through his dark blond hair, an unruly lock fell into his blue eyes. Second-day stubble highlighted his strong jaw and lips that looked way too kissable.

  Still, his looks had nothing on his presence. She’d expected the founder of this whole sex toy empire to be older, but the man in front of her couldn’t be more than thirty. She had never before seen someone so inherently confident in his body, someone who radiated such cocky command and crackling energy at once. Jeremy gazed at her like a man who’d spent years of his life getting exactly what he wanted. He had clearly mastered the smolder.

  Shit.

  Jeremy stood, smoothing down the front of his suit as he strode to the door. His eyes burned into hers, fixing her with a look so filled with lust that her mouth went dry and her face flamed. Every nerve in her body jumped to attention when she looked into his eyes, and she could feel the goddamn beat of her heart at the base of her throat.

  She was so fucked. Because she knew, without a doubt, that she wanted to be fucked by this man, over and over.

  “Vanessa Reese, I take it?” Jeremy was so close she could smell him, something like pine and spice. Like Christmas come early. She wanted to lick the salt from his skin. Instead, she forced herself to close her mouth and nod.

  The CEO continued his approach, his eyes hot on hers. “Nice to meet you.” And then, without so much as a handshake, Jeremy Glass closed the door in her face.

  Chapter 4

  Jeremy couldn’t seem to form a coherent thought. He dropped his hands from the doorknob and strode back behind his desk.

  He knew if he looked up he’d still be able to make out Vanessa’s pretty features behind the glass door, but the minute he’d spent drinking her in had been more than enough time to commit her to memory.

  Vanessa was beautiful, with a heart-shaped face and dark hair falling around her shoulders. Her navy blue dress was both completely appropriate and goddamn sexy, showing off a petite, curvy body with killer legs and an ass he wanted to sink his teeth into. Her quick blue eyes had widened when she saw him like she was thinking about way more than work. And Jeremy had been, too.

  He did not get into this business f
or his lack of a sex drive, so he wasn’t surprised to find himself responding to her. But the way he’d felt was exactly why he closed the door on her. Perhaps the move, though, had been a little rash.

  He sighed as he sank into his chair. Why did he have to do that? Sometimes his cock thought more than his head. No matter—he’d already made a choice. He lived by two rules: don’t get distracted, and don’t mix business and pleasure. Sleeping with someone tied to your business was the surest way to ruin. He’d learned the last lesson the hard way, but it was perhaps the most valuable lesson yet, especially in an industry that so often confused the two.

  He wasn’t about to break his rules. And he wanted to fuck that girl. Which meant he needed to stay the hell away from her.

  He cringed, picturing the way her luscious mouth had rounded in an O as she took a surprised step back.

  Ramon glared at the closed door. “What the hell, Jeremy? I think you just scared the crap out of her.”

  He hadn’t scared Vanessa—he’d turned her on. At least at first. And that was the problem.

  “She’ll be fine.” Jeremy might not be, but that was another story. He tapped a thumb on the edge of his desk. “Back to business. I need you to come to LA with me at the end of next month. There have been some developments with Yessir Unlimited, and I’d really like your opinion on things.”

  Ramon was Jeremy’s second in command for a reason. He was the person Jeremy had by his side for every major decision he’d made about X Enterprises. If Jeremy was going to LA, he wanted Ramon there, too.

  His friend did some quick math. “That puts Maya at forty weeks. I’m afraid it’s a no-can-do. I’m on the baby’s schedule, not my own.”

  “We’ll have you in and out before your wife knows it. And if anything comes up, I’ll get you on the first plane home.”

  Ramon winced. “She’ll have my balls, Jer.”

  Jeremy had too many ties to Yessir to be totally impartial, and he needed Ramon’s level head. If selling was a bad move, Ramon would be the first to let him know. “You know I wouldn’t ask unless it was important.”