He was drop-dead gorgeous in a fitted tux. She inhaled sharply as his eyes caught hers.
“You are sexy as sin, sweetheart.” He reached for her hand, drawing her wrist toward his face. She blushed when he turned her hand over and kissed the inside of her palm. She was worried this time they both saw her shiver.
“Shall we?” Cole offered his arm. Deacon was quick to follow on her other side.
Abby let them lead her to the dining room, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that they eyed her as if they wished she was tonight’s dessert.
7
Abby
She didn’t know if she could eat. The only thing that made any sense was to douse the night in alcohol. Lots of it.
Cole sat on one side of her and Deacon on the other. They acted as if this a normal dinner. There was nothing normal about it. Abby was determined they wouldn’t forget it.
She wasn’t here voluntarily. Only moments ago she was scouting a way out of this palace prison. The hand-laid stone and the imported glass didn’t make it a home.
“Do you like your room?” Cole asked.
Abby pushed her salad around on her plate.
“It will be fine.”
Deacon’s eyes bore into hers. “Would you like to look at another suite? You could move. You can take your pick.”
“It won’t make a difference.”
“If you don’t like it, you can move, Abby.”
“Can I? Really? How generous of you both.” She glared at them. “Is sleeping in my own bed an option?”
“While you are staying here, this is your home. You can choose any room you like. There are several that might make you feel more comfortable.” Cole didn’t take her bait. He was calm. His voice almost too cool.
She dropped her fork on the plate with a clatter. “Nothing you can do other than letting me go with my full freedom is going to make me feel comfortable.”
Deacon pressed his lips together. “We can’t let you go, Abby.”
She reached for the wine, eager to feel the numbness take over her thoughts. “I figured. Why would you?”
“Exactly. Why would we?” Deacon seemed satisfied with his rhetorical response. There was something about him that exuded masculinity. He was broad chested. His shoulders expansive. The tuxedo seemed to stretch at the seams to accommodate him.
“I think if you give this situation time, you’ll enjoy living here. You can have anything you want.” Cole tried to make the situation better. His eyes were softer than Deacon’s. He had long lashes that were hard to ignore.
“The only thing I want is my freedom, but that’s not an option.”
“No. It’s not.” Deacon refilled her glass. “You might as well drink up and enjoy the night.”
“But not too much,” Cole warned. “We all have a full day at the office tomorrow.”
The office. Again, he tried to make something surreal sound normal.
“I’m not sure I completely understand what you expect me to do for HiTech Global. Maybe you could fill me in.” Abby sat in her chair and waited for a response.
Deacon leaned forward on his elbows. “I’d much rather get to know you. We can talk work tomorrow.”
“I think it’s a fair question.” Cole took a sip of wine. “We could use a talented artist. I’m hoping that’s you.”
Abby twisted her lips together. “I’d like to propose a deal of my own.”
Deacons eyebrows rose. “Really? Like what?”
“If you like my designs for HiTech Global, you’ll let me go early.”
The men looked at each other.
“I’m serious,” she broke the silence in the dining room. “If my logo is the one that is chosen for the series, you let me go. I think it’s fair.”
“I don’t see how something like that would work. By default, I’m not going to pick yours, sweetheart if it means we lose you.” Deacon winked. “Nice try though.”
Abby huffed. “We have to have someone else make the decision. Someone you trust. But you can’t tell them about the deal.”
Cole cleared his throat. “Those are high stakes.”
She stuck her chin out in defiance. “I think my design will win. And I believe I’ll have my freedom sooner than thirty days.”
Cole chuckled. “You are confident.”
“One more thing.” She caught their attention. “No sex.”
“We already went over this,” they groaned.
“It’s part of my negotiation. No sneaking in my room at night. Nothing. I’ll stay until I’m ready to present the design and then you have to let me go. Do we have a deal?”
The candlelight flickered on the table. Abby held her breath.
Cole held his hand forward first. “We have a deal.”
Deacon was obviously frustrated. “Fine. We have a deal.”
She smiled and for the first time took a full bite of steak. It wouldn’t be long before she was out of here.
8
Cole
He walked into Abby’s office without bothering to knock. Damn, she looked fucking edible in high heels and the tight pencil skirt that hugged her ass. He had to remind his cock to stay in check.
He cleared his throat, forcing her to look up from her desk.
“I supposed you’re here to tell me what the artwork entails for your new project?” Her eyebrows rose.
Cole folded his arms across his chest. He couldn’t blame her for being hostile all the time. The situation was out of control, but he knew there was no going back. Once he had supported Deacon, he was in a hundred percent.
“First I want to make sure you were given a proper orientation to the company from human resources.”
Abby nodded. “I was. It seems a little ridiculous though.”
“It’s not. I’ll tell you what happened. A couple years ago our payroll department was hacked.”
Abby’s eyes widened. “Wh-what?”
“Yeah.” He nodded. “So, we take all employee information very seriously. Don’t worry. That’s not going to happen again. We’ve added firewalls. Whoever the hacker was, was pretty clever.”
“Really?” She tilted her head. “But you never caught them?”
“No. Never. Anyway, if you’ve gone through HR, I think we should talk about what’s next for you. Wouldn’t you like to know what you’re designing?” he asked.
She looked around. “This office is over-the-top. You could have at least put me in a cubicle so everyone else didn’t think I was sleeping with the bosses.”
“Is that what they think?” He smirked.
“Wouldn’t you if the new girl waltzed in and on her first day got the corner office with her own assistant?”
Cole shrugged. He didn’t give a damn what the employees thought about why Abby was here.
“I just need to know you have everything you need to complete the project.” He looked at the design table he had ordered this morning. He was pleased it had been delivered so promptly. She also had a new laptop, phone, and the latest design programs.
“I can’t think of anything else. I just need you to tell me the project. Is it a video game? One of your new apps?” She looked agitated.
“Is there something wrong with the products HiTech Global creates?” he questioned.
“No. I just can’t believe I’m going to help you make millions of dollars after all this, but that’s the price of my deal, so just go ahead and tell me. What’s the newest and greatest thing that will make you and Deacon ultra-rich.”
“Abby, it has nothing to do with making us rich.”
She huffed. “Likely.”
He sat in the soft white leather chair in front of her desk. “Would you like for me to explain it to you?”
“I’m listening.”
“You are competing for the winning design of the Soar Foundation.”
“A foundation?” Her beautiful lips parted with surprise.
He felt his chest tighten. Even the smallest movements she made, drov
e him wild.
“Yes. It’s our children’s foundation. The pinnacle of what we are trying to achieve at HiTech Global. Yes, we are fortunate to have padded bank accounts. Deac and I know how lucky we are. We don’t take it for granted. Over the years we’ve tried to figure out how we could give back. What the right way was to show our gratitude. This idea has been in the works for years. That’s why it’s so important that we get it right. The branding of the Soar Foundation has to show the world that if they give to our foundation, whether it’s through time or money, that they are part of a cause greater than them. They are part of a family.”
“I don’t believe it.” Abby blinked. The green in her eyes glistening. “This is for a charity?”
He chuckled. “We’re not green-headed monsters. We have hearts, despite all your pre-conceived ideas.”
“My pre-conceived ideas are based on the reality of my situation.”
“I’ll give you that.”
She paused. “Ok. So I’m supposed to design the artwork for a children’s foundation that does what exactly?”
She had started to take notes.
“We don’t want to narrow our focus too much, or make it too broad. Deacon would like to make sure we’re giving as many educational opportunities as possible to young children through high school.”
“And you? Do you have a different focus?”
Cole nodded. “I love his idea, but I want to make sure that kids stay healthy. That they get the chance to live out that educational dream of his. So, my end is more children’s health. Helping families pay medical bills. That kind of thing.”
Abby’s jaw dropped. “You are fucking with me right now, aren’t you?”
“Excuse me?”
She shook the blond curls from her shoulders. “You seriously want me to believe that you are both so enthralled with the livelihood and well-being of children that you’re setting up a foundation?”
“That’s exactly what we’ve done. The Vegas trip in two weeks is when we are announcing it to our shareholders and to the public. We are anticipating a high media presence. They are going to expect us to roll out a new product, but instead they are going to get this. And we hope the foundation gets a lot of support. What better way to kick off a campaign?”
“I really don’t know what to say.”
“Do you think you have enough information to start the design work? You’re running on a short time table. The other artists we have consulted certainly have a head start on you.”
“Th-this is huge,” Abby stuttered.
“Are you up for it?”
She nodded. “I-I have to be, don’t I?”
He smiled. “That’s up to you. You don’t have to take the assignment, Abby. Deacon’s not going to be easy on you. He has an art background. He knows his stuff. He has the final say.”
“And if I don’t then I sit around the office all day while you two work and wait for you to walk me home.”
“I didn’t say that. I’m sure we could find another position for you. This was your negation.”
She sat back in her chair. For a moment, he thought she might reconsider. She might pull her offer to design the brand.
“I want the job.” She pulled her shoulders back. “If there is one thing I know, it’s how much children need a foundation like this. I’m going to produce the winning design.”
“Good.” He pushed off from the chair. “I can’t wait to see what you come up with.”
“It’s going to be the Vegas design.”
Cole paused in the doorway. He could see the determination in her eyes. Feel the defiance dripping off her. She was beautiful and smart. And every time he saw her she was getting under his skin more and more. He wanted to clear everything off her desk and kiss her until she screamed his name. Abby was more than he ever could have imagined.
“If it is, then I guess Vegas will be our last weekend together.” He said the words slowly. He didn’t want that to happen. But he wanted her to win. He wanted her to feel that kind of satisfaction from proving her work and her art.
He was torn, wanting to keep her, and wanting her to be successful enough she freed herself.
“Then Vegas it is.” She grinned triumphantly. “Thank you for the information, Cole. I know what I need to do now.”
“Glad I could help.” He tapped the doorframe. “I’ll see you at dinner tonight.”
“Right. Dinner.”
He walked out of Abby’s office.
9
Abby
Cole walked out of her office and Abby still didn’t know how to take what he had told her. All this time she thought she was going to design their latest million-dollar product, when in fact they were trying to launch the most amazing foundation she had ever heard of. It was going to change lives. Make families whole. Help children and parents when they needed it most.
Who were these men?
She tapped her pen on the desk. They had given her a corner office that most people worked their entire lives to earn.
She didn’t want to think she had pegged them wrong. That they gave because maybe they were generous, not because they were trying to seduce her. Maybe they gave because that’s how they showed they cared. They gave because it made them feel good.
She twisted her lips together, confused more than before Cole’s visit. What if there was something good about Cole and Deacon buried underneath their sexy exteriors? What if they were capable of caring beyond their global domination? What if they were good men and she had judged them because of something stupid Cal did?
Her head spun with the possibilities. But Abby did what she always did when things were complicated. She walked to the new design table and picked up a charcoal pencil. There was one place where she could get lost. One place where everything else faded away and nothing else mattered. Her art.
It took ten days. A grueling ten days of working on the Soar design. Abby had never loved a project more than this. She wasn’t sure she was ready to admit it openly, but it was true. She awoke in the mansion each morning, eager to get to the office.
There were some nights she stayed up late, designing and creating. She felt as if part of her soul were invested in it. It had to be the most beautiful creation she had made.
Today was it. Deacon and Cole would receive the final submissions from the other artists. Abby’s fingers tingled with nerves. It was hard to decide what made her more nervous—wanting the design to be chosen because she loved it, or wanting it to be chosen to give her the freedom she had sought.
Either way, it was enough to keep her stomach in knots. She skipped her cup of coffee Douglas offered in the dining room.
“Can I get you something else, ma’am?” he asked.
She shook her head. “No. I don’t think I can eat.”
Deacon rested his tablet next to him at the table. “Is there a reason you have no appetite today?” He smirked.
She wanted to slap that beautiful smile off his face. It was irritating how sexy he was.
“I think you know exactly what is at stake today.”
Cole smiled. “I’m sure your design is going to be chosen.”
Abby exhaled and smiled at him. He had a way of calming her when she least expected it. “Thank you. I guess I’ll know this afternoon.”
“Whatever happens, we appreciate that you’ve worked hard for the foundation.”
“Thank you.” She folded her napkin in her lap. There was no way she could eat the omelet Douglas placed in front of her. “Would you allow me to go to the office this morning alone?”
She looked at Cole first before seeking Deacon’s permission.
She hadn’t been allowed to leave without an escort from HiTech, the mansion, or either of them.
Deacon poured a cup of coffee. He was relaxed and cocky as usual.
“I don’t see why not. You can take my car. I’ll ride with Cole.”
“Are you serious?” She stared at him.
He nodded. “Take it.
It’s fast. I think you’ll like how it feels.”
“I just need to get to the office. I don’t care if I drive a pickup truck.”
Cole muffled a laugh. “I’d like to see you in a truck, Abby.”
She shot him a frantic glance. “So I can go? You aren’t going to drag me back?”
Deacon winked. “The keys are on my dresser. Take it. We’ll see you in the office in an hour. Proposals are due on my desk at ten.”
She nodded. “Thank you.”
She rushed from the dining room and climbed the stairs to the second story. She had tried to stay away from the guys’ bedrooms, but she had no doubt where Deacon’s bedroom was. He was the last door on the left.
Sometimes at night she thought she heard him pause outside her door, but she was never sure. They had respected her boundaries.
She barged into his room and snatched the keys from the dresser, but not before she noticed the pictures tucked into the mirror. Abby paused.
She had never thought before about what kinds of things mattered to Deacon. She had been too busy either hating him, or trying to keep her distance from his smoldering stare. The last two weeks of work had given her an escape.
But now, she absorbed the photos he had saved.
He had his arm around a woman with wisps of gray in her hair. It must be his mother. There was a picture of him and Cole. She stared at the collection of art museum shots. He had been to every impressive collection in the world. She couldn’t believe it.
Abby fought the burning interest in her belly. She had to get to the office. Today Deacon wasn’t a hot sexy man who might have a side she’d like to get to know. No, that couldn’t happen. Today, Deacon was the man who decided her fate. That was all that mattered.
10
Deacon
He took a look at the three leader portfolios in front of him. Deacon pushed away from his desk and walked to the bar to pour a drink. He filled the rocks glass with bourbon and leaned his heavy frame against the marble surface.
Beauty and the Billionaire Bachelors Page 3