by Robyn Neeley
When Becca ended her call, she slid her phone back in her purse.
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah. A couple of guys called in sick. We’re going to be short for the afternoon deliveries. I probably should get going.” She winked, pushing off the stool. “Some of us aren’t on vacation.”
He pulled her into an embrace, kissing her lips, loving the taste of the maple-blueberry mixture. “Last night was amazing.”
She smiled, looping her arms around his neck. “I couldn’t agree more.”
“Although …” He grinned and rubbed her back.
She released her arms, her eyebrows furrowing. “Although, what?”
“Sleeping with a majority shareholder could be a major conflict. Might even get me fired. I mean, one night maybe, but if it were to happen again … in, say, ten minutes or so, that could be a different story.”
“I see where that could be a problem.” She laughed, and he loved the sound of it. There were a couple of other sounds he’d heard out of her last night that he’d like to hear again, too.
And that thought made him hard. He scooped her up in his arms like he’d done last night, taking her back upstairs.
“Grayson.” She nipped at his earlobe as he carried her down the hallway toward his bedroom. “We really should stop. You know, I can’t take the day off.”
He might have believed her protest if her tongue hadn’t plunged into his ear. “Oh, we’ll be working.” He carried her in and shut the door with his bare foot. “Closed-door meeting that’s going to pretty much take all morning.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Becca grinned, watching Grayson as he attempted to keep up. The poor man. The guys operating the machines were messing with him a bit this afternoon, speeding up the conveyor belts, slowing them down, then speeding them back up. She should probably go tell them to knock it off.
She adjusted her plastic cap, feeling more than a little embarrassed that he’d see her wearing it, but rules were rules. If she was on the floor, it was on.
“Well, look at you, checking out the new guy.” Tangie came up beside her, offering her a yogurt pretzel from the small bag she held.
“He is pretty cute.” Becca reached in for a pretzel and took a bite. She’d filled her BFF in this morning that Grayson had cooked her a celebratory dinner last night, leaving out the more intimate parts of the evening, but her friend was no fool.
And that gorgeous man had given her the best sex of her life. It’d been the perfect morning after a night she wouldn’t soon forget.
She didn’t really know where this thing with Grayson was heading, but the last twenty-four hours had been incredible, and she hoped they’d be doing the same thing again tonight. Maybe Jack had been on to something by pairing the two. Although, how could he possibly know that she and his son would have such intense physical chemistry?
She smiled to herself just thinking about their romp this morning and grabbed another one of Tangie’s pretzels.
While Grayson held her in his arms, he’d told her that he had big plans for today. She didn’t realize he’d meant working again in the factory, but when she finally made it in, she found him already on the production line, chatting it up with Franco and her other workers.
The only thing they didn’t do last night or this morning was talk about the research he supplied for the proposal. She did want to hear his explanation. He’d said he had one, and after last night she believed in her heart it had to be innocuous enough and couldn’t possibly involve him misleading her.
He’d suggested dinner at the Silver Spurs; she’d bring it up then. Get it out in the open, and then they could move on.
“Oh my God.” Tangie dropped her pretzel bag, her mouth wide open.
“What’s the matter?” Becca bent down to retrieve it, handing it to her friend. She glanced in Grayson’s direction. Grayson had his hands clasped behind him, arching his back into a stretch.
“That’s my move.” Tangie pointed at Grayson.
“Your move?”
“Yeah, my yoga move.” She lowered her voice and brought her hand down. “He’s doing my signature move.”
Becca raised an eyebrow. “Stretching is your move?”
“When it’s done while bouncing on your toes. Look at him go.”
Tangie was right, and he looked so cute doing it. “So what? Maybe his back is a little sore.” She didn’t doubt that it might hurt a bit from her nails digging into it. Maybe after work, she could pick up some massage oi—
“Becca.”
Tangie tapped on her shoulder, interrupting all thoughts of rubbing oil into Grayson’s back. “What?”
“That’s my signature yoga move that I’ve been showing all the guys over the last year. I taught Coop how to do it correctly last week.” Her hand flew to her mouth as her eyes widened. “Holy f—” She stopped herself and grabbed Becca’s arm. “Your office. Now!”
Once there, she shut the door and began to pace.
“What has gotten into you?” Becca studied her friend for any signs of having lost it. Maybe she should let her knock off work a couple of hours early.
Tangie stopped and shook her head. “Okay, this is going to sound nuts. Trust me. I know I’m going to sound crazy. I can’t believe I’m even going to suggest it.” She began to pace again. “Maybe I have lost my mind.”
“What are you talking about?” Becca was getting more than a little agitated at Tangie’s inability to spit out whatever it was she was thinking. She grabbed her arms, anchoring Tangie in place. “And would you stand still?”
Tangie glanced out the window toward the production line.
“Well?”
“I think Coop was Grayson.”
Becca let go of her friend’s arms. Wow. Her friend was completely off her rocker. “What do you mean, you think Coop was Grayson?”
“I think Grayson was wearing a disguise.”
“You think Grayson was pretending to be a factory worker. That’s just silly. Why don’t you clock out now, go home, and get some rest? You might be seeing things.”
“Becca, I don’t need a nap, and I’m not crazy. Think about it. Remember when I said there was something strange about his hair? I bet it was a wig. And now Grayson’s doing moves on the floor that I’ve never showed him before.”
“It’s just not possible. I spent so much time with Coop after hours working on our proposal. I think I would know if it was Grayson in a disguise.” Becca dismissed Tangie’s wild theory, gazing out the window. Grayson was laughing with Franco as they continued to lid. “Maybe Coop showed him the stretch.”
Tangie side-eyed Becca. “Because men show each other yoga postures when they hang out together,” she said sarcastically. “Look at him. He’s the same size and weight as Coop.”
Tangie had a point. In his jeans and black shirt, he did look a lot like Coop from the neck down. “So what if they’re the same height?”
All of a sudden the image of Coop wearing Grayson’s avocado socks popped into her head. Tangie couldn’t be right. Could she?
Could Coop Jackson be Grayson Cooper?
Coop Jackson.
Coop … Jackson
She lifted the strawberry key chain Coop had given her off the hook. Grayson had said this morning that Jack had left him a key chain. Was this it?
Oh God. Could Coop be short for Cooper?
“Oh fuck.” A wave of nausea slammed into her, and she took a seat, trying to recall every interaction she’d had with Coop.
He’d been so confident that Grayson would approve of their business plan. Tangie’s idea would explain how he’d known all the research.
And it would also explain how Coop had magically appeared when she’d needed an immediate replacement on the line, as well as his sudden departure.
Of course he’d have to quit before their presentation. Coop and Grayson couldn’t be in the same room if they were the same person.
Anger bubbled up inside her. Why had he c
reated such an elaborate plan to deceive her? Was this a scheme to get her shares?
“Becca, what are you thinking?”
That she was a complete idiot. That Grayson had deliberately deceived her. That she’d been betrayed by this man. She let out a slow breath. “I think you’re right. I’m such a fool.”
Tangie came up beside her, leaning on the desk. “He fooled all of us. Do you think we’re on that reality show, the one where bosses go undercover?”
Becca highly doubted it. For one thing, there hadn’t been any cameras around. No, she suspected there was only one target for this horrendous deceit, and it was her.
Becca stood and stared out the window, anger pulsing through her as she watched Grayson showing off his Apple watch to Franco and another line worker for a few minutes before they all resumed lidding dip. How could he do this to her? Had last night also been part of his plan, seducing the shares out of her?
She turned her back from the window, and this time she was the one to pace. No man made a fool of her. No man.
There was no way in hell Grayson Cooper was going to get away with this.
“What are you going to do?” Tangie asked.
“I’m going to schedule my first shareholders’ meeting.” She grabbed her keys and purse. “And Coop Jackson will be the man of the hour.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Grayson pulled into his reserved parking spot, shifted into park, and straightened his tie. He grinned over at Becca’s beat-up truck.
Maybe he could suggest they do some test-driving this weekend. He’d like to see her with a vehicle that wasn’t going to break down on her in the middle of nowhere or in the dark.
Glancing at the factory, he smiled again. He’d have to figure out a way to spend more time on the production line. Lidding the dip had easily become his favorite job, giving him a euphoric feeling that he was personally endorsing each container.
Nonetheless, when five o’clock came last Monday, he was ready to call it quits and take the beautiful brunette to dinner. Unfortunately, when he stopped by her office, Tangie had informed him that Becca had thrown up in the bathroom and gone home.
He’d tried calling that night and a couple of times the next day, but her phone went straight to voice mail. She finally sent him a text saying she had a bad case of the flu and would be taking the rest of the week off to rest.
He’d texted back asking if she needed anything, even offered to bring her some of his homemade chicken noodle soup, but she insisted she was highly contagious and that she’d see him on Monday.
Monday. September first. Today.
Her first day as the majority shareholder in the company.
For weeks he’d dreaded this day. That was before he discovered what an incredible woman Becca Nash was. Sure, some of that discovery happened while he pretended to be another man, and he hated that he’d deceived her. Still, he wouldn’t trade any of their time together while he was Coop.
She’d opened his eyes to how disconnected he’d been to the heart of Guac Olé—the factory and all the employees in it who took great pride in pushing out their product daily.
It was there, working side by side on the proposal, that he realized how perfect she was for him. Sure, he came up with the big idea, but Becca was the one who infused life and passion into it.
That passion and connection to the company had been missing in his leadership. Until now.
He’d planned on confessing all at dinner last week, but didn’t get the chance. He would soon.
But right now he wanted to welcome her on board as his new shareholder. He wasn’t sure what would happen when she took on this new role, but one thing was for sure. He’d support her to the hilt.
He’d asked Eleanor to set up the guest office next to his as a satellite one for Becca. With his assistant’s help and exquisite taste, the office now had new furniture, colorful paintings, and fresh-cut flowers to welcome Becca on her first day. He assumed she’d want to spend most of her time in the factory, but when she was over in the corporate building, he wanted her to have her own space.
Although his black leather couch would always be available should she like to join him on it. He chuckled to himself. Getting her back on his couch should definitely be a priority today, because he intended on showing the new shareholder how much he wanted her and how much he’d missed her.
Whistling his way up the walkway, he was surprised to run smack into Gavin with Merle. “Hey, you know that dog can’t do his business on Guac Olé property, right?” He bent down and rubbed the black Lab’s ears, tugging on his bright red bandanna. “What’s your dopey human doing here, anyway?”
“What do you mean?” Gavin asked. “I’m here for the meeting.”
“What meeting?” Grayson walked ahead and opened the door, eyeing the bag in Gavin’s hand, which he assumed were donuts from Betty Lou’s. He could go for one right now. Although now that he wasn’t pretending to be Coop, he should really lay off the donuts … and the cookies … and the Chipotle burritos.
“The shareholders’ meeting. Becca sent Gage and me an e-mail asking if we could be here at nine today.” He paused, scrunching up his face. “I assumed you called it.”
“No.” Grayson brushed off the uneasiness creeping up the back of his neck. “She’s been sick for a few days. She probably thought she’d invited me.”
They took the stairs to the third floor, Grayson’s thoughts flying fast. Why would Becca call a meeting with his brothers without talking to him first? What on earth did she have to say? Maybe she wanted to fill Gage and Gavin in on the proposal. “Look, if Becca mentions the proposal that Coop and she worked on to expand our product into restaurants that I told you about, just go with it.”
Gavin nodded, albeit while smirking, as Eleanor approached them, offering to watch Merle. Gage had already arrived and was leaning against the wall outside the Legacy boardroom, texting on his phone.
“There you are.” Gage put his phone in his pocket and tipped his cowboy hat. “Hey, Gavin, did you bring the donuts?”
“You know it.” Gavin waved a paper bag in the air. “Even got Becca’s favorite.” He winked at Grayson and handed the bag to Gage.
Gage lowered his voice. “Gray, I like Becca and all, but your lady could have done a better job prepping us for this meeting. You might need to talk to her about that. Charlotte could give her some tips.” He opened the top of the bag and peered in. “Hmmm. I don’t think this is going to be enough. It’s a packed house in there.”
Who the hell was in there? Grayson peeked inside. Around the table sat his entire senior team. Did Becca seriously call a meeting with all of them? Regardless of his feelings for her, this was not the way to do business. As the CEO, he needed to be kept abreast of any meeting being convened with the executive team.
He adjusted his tie and stepped in. He’d talk to her after the meeting, but right now he’d go along with it. He wouldn’t embarrass her on her first day. He greeted his team, motioning for his brothers to join the group.
Where was Becca? Grayson scanned the room and made pleasant chitchat with Tom and Bill while his brothers took empty seats at the other end of the table.
“Howdy, everyone. I hope I’m not late.”
Grayson froze in place.
The owner of that deep, boisterous greeting waltzed into the boardroom. The thin man had sandy brown hair and a beard to match, and he wore dark jeans and a button-down white dress shirt with a Western bolo tie.
Grayson’s heart dropped at what was at the center of the tie. His strawberry charm key chain had been somehow roped into it.
Grayson bit down hard on his lip. Even without the charm, he recognized the disguise immediately.
“Grayson, it’s good to see you, man.” The guy—whom Grayson was 100 percent sure wasn’t a guy—nodded in his direction, sliding his glasses up the slope of his nose.
“I didn’t know you’d be here,” Grayson said flatly, shoving his hands in his pants p
ockets. He made no motion to sit down.
The apparent guest of honor introduced himself, shaking Tom’s hand and then Bill’s. “Coop Jackson. Nice to meet you fellas. I worked with Becca on her recent proposal. She said you all supported it and invited me to attend the meeting.”
“We loved it,” Bill replied. “It’s a brilliant idea.”
Grayson caught Gavin’s questioning stare. He gave a short shake of his head while trying to process what the fuck was going on with Becca dressed as a man, wearing a wig, beard, and glasses.
This wasn’t happening. Strike that. This wasn’t going to happen. Not here in front of his brothers and the executive team. He stood and motioned for the door. “Coop, why don’t we step out of the meeting and talk privately in my office?”
“Not so fast, Grayson. Becca will be here any minute, and you don’t want to miss her arrival.” She turned and faced the group. “If my former college roommate would take a seat and indulge me …?”
Grayson locked eyes with her. How did she find out about his disguise? The only people who knew about it other than Gavin were Roselyn, Meg, and Meg’s two friends. Had one of them slipped up? He needed to play it cool, because one thing was apparent from her icy cold stare. She was pissed. “Be my guest.” He sat down and pushed back in his seat.
Becca walked from one end of the rectangular table to the other, before she began. “I’ve known Grayson for a long time. He was there when I lost my job as a vacuum cleaner salesman, and he always supported my vegetarianism, which comes and goes,” she said in her disguised voice. “And when I needed a job, he was right there to jump in and offer me one.”
She came up beside him and slapped his back. “Hell, he even let me borrow a pair of avocado socks. Do you all know he owns a set for every day of the week? Probably wearing a pair right now.”
“Coop,” Grayson started through gritted teeth. “I doubt my team is interested in the pattern of my socks.”
She moved past him toward the wall with his dad’s portrait. “Maybe not. All they know is that their CEO is smart, ambitious, generous, and loyal. The right man to further his father’s legacy and lead this company into the future. Wouldn’t you agree, Gage?”