I was going to be so late.
It was a fact that my professor didn’t let slip. When I finally arrived at class, he stopped the lecture and turned to stare at me as I tried to slip unnoticed into class. “Ms. Whitlow, so happy that you could join us,” Dr. Elliot said dryly.
“Sorry professor,” I said as I ducked my head. Every head in the class turned.
“Would you like to tell us what caused you to miss over half the class today?”
I thought about telling him I was wrapped in the arms of a gorgeous man. But I just smiled briefly. “Alarm clock didn’t go off.” Quickly sliding into the nearest empty seat, I pulled out my notebook and tried to focus. As Dr. Elliot continued to lecture, I tried desperately to focus. By the time class was over, I realized that I hadn’t heard a single word.
“Ms. Whitlow. Do you have a minute?” Dr. Elliot called out as I packed my bag at the end of class.
“Of course,” I said with a tight smile. At least he was waiting for the rest of class to leave before he raked me over the coals for my tardiness. Mentally cursing Lucas and all his temptations, I slowly made my way down to him. “Dr. Elliot, I am sorry I was late.”
“Ms. Whitlow,” he said as he held up his hand and smile. “You’re almost never late, so don't think anything of it. I reviewed the information you emailed me last weekend, and although it’s very late in the game, I think, my dear, you finally have your thesis statement.”
My eyes widened, and I grinned. Over the weekend, I had emailed him the information I gathered from the charity in the hopes that I could include the information in my paper. The need for a summer schedule for students that included both education and pleasure that also taught the kids responsibility and charity. “I can make it work, Dr. Elliot. I know I can.”
“You’re weeks behind. You’ll still have to find a group of subjects to participate and get in touch with the charities to come up with a lesson plan before the end of the semester. You have a lot of work to prepare for,” he said warningly.
I nodded eagerly. “I will. I’ll get started right away!”
He waved his hand to dismiss me, and I gripped my bag and raced to the library. If I skipped lunch, I had a solid four hours to work before my next class. After that, I could work all night.
Sleep was overrated.
It wasn’t until the sun had set and I’d spent hours in the library that my phone vibrated. Frowning, I picked it up and glanced at it.
Your class let out hours ago. Where the hell are you?
My heart sank. I had completely forgotten that I’d told Lucas that I’d try to meet him.
I’m so sorry. I got caught up in researching at the library. I’m going to have to take a rain check.
He texted back almost immediately.
So we make an agreement, and you break it the first chance you get?
What was the big deal? It was one night, and he knew how important my thesis was to me. I said I was sorry. I’ll make it up to you.
He didn’t text back, and I tried to sink back into my work. I couldn’t help but glance at my phone every now and then to see if I had missed his text.
I didn’t.
The library didn’t close until two in the morning, so I quickly lost track of time. It wasn’t until a shadow passed over me that I looked back up again.
Lucas stood over me, and there was nothing but cold anger in his face.
“What are you doing here?” I hissed in a low voice. Looking around, my heart sank when I saw that the library still had a handful of people in it. “How did you even get in here? It’s supposed to be student IDs only.”
“I have money, Sloan. You’ll find that gets me just about anywhere.” He sat down and stared at me expectantly.
“You still haven’t told me what you’re doing here.”
“I wanted to see you. We had plans, remember?”
I glanced at my watch. It was nearly midnight. “Lucas, I’m sorry that I forgot, but you can’t just sit here and stare at me while I work.”
“Why not? I don’t stand people up,” he said loudly.
Rolling my eyes, I gritted my teeth. “Lower your voice,” I snapped. “People are here to study. Are you going to be an idiot every time something like this comes up?”
“Do you expect to stand me up often? If you had called me and told me that you needed to work, I’d be much happier. Instead, you forgot. I don’t like being forgotten,” he said casually. He did lower his voice, but not by much.
“For fuck’s sake,” I growled and slammed my book shut. There was no way I was going to get work done now. Shoving my books inside my bag, I stormed out. Predictably, he followed.
Once outside, I whirled on him. “Is this what’s going to happen every time I piss you off? You’re going to stalk me on campus and embarrass me in front of my peers? I have put a lot of money and effort into my education, and this thesis is going to get me a career! A career that I am working damn hard for. I’m sorry that our plans slipped my mind, but I am weeks behind everyone else, so researching and writing thesis is my main priority. And if your ego can’t take that, then you might as well find some other woman to be your stupid fuck buddy.”
I turned to continue down the stairs, but he reached out and grabbed my arm. “Do not walk away from me, Sloan,” he said in a low voice.
“Let go of me.” Fury fueled me as I turned around to stare at him. “Let go of me, now.”
His anger matched mine, but he relented and released me. I shook my head as I stared at him. “Do you always throw such a temper tantrum when things don’t go your way? How does anybody stand to be near you?”
His face fell, and I worried if my words were too harsh. “Sloan,” he said in a low voice.
“It was one mistake, Lucas. I know that I should have said that to you, and I know that you don’t love that I forgot, but I can’t guarantee that it’s not going to happen in the future. You have the right to be upset, but if you got caught up in a meeting, I wouldn’t storm into your office and throw a fit.” Taking a deep breath, I turned my back on him and moved slowly into the darkness. When he followed behind me, I stopped.
“I’m just making sure that you get to your car safely,” he muttered tersely. “I’m sure campus security is not up to my standards.”
Controlling bastard. Too tired to argue with him anymore, I let him follow me back to my car. I didn’t make eye contact or say anything to him as I slid in the driver’s seat and slammed the door shut.
I still felt his eyes on me as I started my car and drove away.
A measly twenty-four hours later, and we’d blown it. Lucas Montgomery wasn’t the type of person who forgave mistakes, and I wasn’t the kind of woman who could be pushed around.
Despite my convictions, I couldn’t help but feel the tears prick my eyes. We were over.
Chapter 6
Lucas
I rocked back and forth in my chair and stared dumbly at Torrence. He kept talking, but I didn’t hear a word.
I had seen Sloan annoyed at me. Frustrated. Pissed. But this was the first time I’d ever seen her truly angry.
It was irritating. She stood me up. What right did she have to be mad at me?
“Are you listening to anything I’m telling you?” Torrence snapped.
Rubbing the back of my neck, I yawned. “I’m tried, Drew,” I muttered.
“For you to call me Drew, you must be tired. I don’t suppose you had Ms. Whitlow in your bed last night?” he asked dryly.
Cocking my head, I stared at him. “Actually, I did not. She’s quite angry with me. She think’s I’m controlling.”
Torrence snorted. “That should not be news to you. You are a controlling bastard.”
“She said I threw a hissy fit.”
“I think I might actually like her,” my friend said with a smirk. “What did you do?”
“I didn’t do anything,” I growled. “She stood me up, and I just went to find her!”
He
stared at me. “Seriously? You stalked her because she stood you up? That’s a little over the top.”
“Shut-up. Why are you here?”
“I’m trying to give you a report of my findings. I’ve done a pretty thorough financial background report of nearly a third of the staff, but, while there are some kinky people working for you, I haven’t found any strange activity that indicates any payoffs.”
“Damn.” I rubbed a hand over my face and closed my eyes. Last night, I didn’t leave campus right away. I’d walked around a little bit and tried to remember my own time at college.
It was brief. Only two years. I’d only gone because my father demanded it, but college never suited me. I wasn’t the partying type. I was raised to be disciplined and in control, but college was full of temptations. My father was furious when I dropped out, but he was dead less than a year later. I wouldn’t have finished college anyway. It was strange to me that it would be so important to her.
More important to her than me.
It was a ridiculous thought. She worked hard for her education. I liked her because of that. She wasn’t a vapid individual that let her whole life fall to the wayside because a man showed her interest. She had a goal in life that was more than just having a good time. She had substance, and I adored her for it.
Until, apparently, it got in the way of what I wanted.
Damn it, I was a controlling bastard.
“Montgomery! I swear, if I’m just wasting my breath, at least let me know so I can grab a cup of coffee while you put yourself together.”
“I’m listening,” I growled. “I can sum it up in one sentence. You haven’t found the traitor. How is that helpful to me?”
Torrence shook his head and stood up. “You’re a damn ass today. Apparently someone telling you the truth really pisses you off. So she thinks you’re controlling. Montgomery, you are controlling. That’s not a horrible thing. You’ve built an empire on discipline. Don’t beat yourself up over it. If she upset you, find another woman.”
I didn’t want another woman. I wanted Sloan. And even more strange, I wanted Sloan to like me.
The revelation startled me. I normally wanted women to lust after me, and that was never a problem. Sloan definitely lusted after me. Her body responded to every touch. Every word. But I never cared if women liked me before.
“How long will it take you to finish your search?” I asked finally.
“At least another week,” he sighed. “Maybe longer. I know you have a board meeting tomorrow. I think you should postpone it.”
“If I postpone it, I’ll have to give them a reason why. Just because we don’t think it’s a board member doesn’t mean it’s not. I have to pretend everything is normal.”
“The traitor knows you found their bug. It’s not like you have to hide from them,” Torrence pointed out.
“But if I take too many precautions, they might do something more drastic. As long as we sweep for bugs before the meeting, it should be fine. If any information leaks, then we’ll know it’s a board member. I’ll just have to be careful about the information I share,” I said finally as I turned to stare out the window.
“Montgomery, I’ve looked at the financials of the board members. If one of them is the mole, they’re doing it for personal reasons. Have you done anything to piss them off lately?”
“They’ve invested money in me, but it doesn’t mean that I listen to every word they say. I run this company as I see fit, and that doesn’t always sit well with them. But I can’t think of anything that I’ve done lately,” I muttered. Hamburg brought the traitor to my attention, but that didn’t immediately exclude him. Addison had been in a generous mood since her birthday, but I had a feeling that had more to do with the lover she kept on the side than with me. Holmes kept to himself, and Jenson was young and pompous, but his seat on the board gave him status. He wouldn’t jeopardize that just because he was angry with me.
“I’ll watch what I say in the meeting, Torrence. Don’t worry. Even if the company crumbles at my feet, I have enough money in the reserve to keep you employed,” I said dryly.
“Idiot,” Torrence muttered. “I don’t even know why I try to be your friend. You should take this more seriously.”
“Trust me, I take it very seriously.” And personally. Someone was trying to take me down. I took that very personally. “Keep up the search. Let me know what you find.”
Torrence nodded and opened the door. “Iris?” he asked in a surprised voice.
Iris? I whirled around to see the gorgeous blonde standing in the door with a smirk on her face. “Hello, Drew. It’s been awhile,” she said, but her eyes were on me.
“I thought you were in Europe.”
“I was. I just got back. How have you been?”
Torrence looked uneasily over her shoulder at me. Iris and I had a brief relationship, but although it lasted only a few months, it was much longer than any other woman had held my interest. I was happy with our arrangement, but she had left suddenly for Europe and never said a word. Just disappeared one day. It wasn’t until I started snooping around that I realized she’d left the country. I never contacted her, and she’d never contacted me. “I’m fine. It’s good to see you.”
He slipped past her, and Iris looked at me expectantly. “Well? Can I come in?”
Warily, I nodded. Iris was always calculating. Her return was not without reason. “What can I do for you?”
“So formal,” she chuckled as she walked in. I was relieved to see that she left the door open. “I thought you’d be happier to see me.”
“You didn’t exactly say goodbye before you left.”
She sat on the couch and crossed her legs. Her short blue dress rode high along her thigh, and she lounged seductively. “We both know it didn’t bother you, so there’s no need to pretend it did. I warmed your bed at night, and that’s all you needed. Or were you just upset because I left you before you could leave me?”
Iris had a point. I walked around the desk and leaned against it. “What can I do for you, Iris?”
“Nothing professionally. I’m back in town, and I thought you might have some free time.”
Her meaning was clear, but I wasn’t interested. “I’m sorry Iris. I’ve got a lot going on right now.”
“I’ve been in town for a while, Lucas. I’ve heard rumors that you’re showing quite a bit of interest in a pretty young thing. A student. Now why would you have interest in a student? You normally like more powerful women. Experienced women.”
Stiffening, I felt a sudden urge to defend Sloan. Protect her. “So you’re jealous?”
“Not jealous. Just curious.” She trailed a finger up her thigh.
Cocking my head, I stared at her. “Just how long have you been back, Iris?”
“About a month. Long enough to hear about the kidnapping attempt. Long enough to know how publicly distraught you were when the girl disappeared. Long enough to hear about your daring rescue.”
And long enough to plant a bug in my company. “A month, and you didn’t reach out to me before?” I asked casually. “What exactly was your business in Europe? Pleasure?”
Iris was the daughter of a wealthy oil tycoon. Although she didn’t need to do anything with her life, she had a head for business, and her father frequently asked her for advice. She wasn’t some naive woman. She was a strategist, and if she thought she could use me to further her rise in the business community, I had no doubt that she would do it.
“I spent some time on the topless beaches of France. Lounging in the cafe’s of Italy. Flirting with the handsome men of Greece. It was a nice vacation. You should have joined me,” she said with a coy smile.
“You should have invited me.” My voice was cold. There was no way she spent months vacationing in Europe. Iris got bored if she had nothing to do for an hour. Weeks of lounging would have driven her insane.
She stood and walked towards me, swaying her hips. Iris was a natural beauty. Curves in all
the right places. Gorgeous even without a stitch of make-up. Tall and leggy. She knew she was captivating, and she utilized it like a weapon. “If you missed me, Lucas, I’d be more than happy to make it up to you.”
She tried to reach for me, but I clasped her wrists before she could touch me. “If I were you, I’d be very clear about your intentions, Iris. Your true intentions. I’m a busy man, and I don’t like games.”
The smile slipped from her face, but before she could say anything, someone cleared their throat. Looking up sharply, I saw Sloan staring at me from the doorway. Her face was a mixture of anger and jealousy.
“Sloan,” I said in a controlled voice. “This is Iris Norwood.”
I tried to stay as calm as possible. Iris would, without a doubt, try and rile Sloan, and our relationship was too fragile for that. I pushed Iris slightly back before releasing her hoping that she would take the hint and move back even more.
She didn’t.
Sloan walked in slowly. Her eyes locked with Iris’s. “Norwood? The oil company?”
“Yes. Who are you? Lucas and I were discussing something quite intimate before you interrupted us,” Iris said with a mocking smile.
Damn it. “And our conversation is over,” I quickly intervened. “Iris, you don’t need to come back.”
She looked sharply at me, and there was surprise in her eyes. Whatever she thought of my relationship with Sloan, she clearly didn’t think it would trump my relationship with her.
“Fine,” she said stiffly. She cast another look at me before sweeping past Sloan.
“Sloan, what are you doing here?” I asked softly.
“You came to my campus. I thought that it was only fair if I came to your work,” she said as her head turned to stare at the door.
Great. She was still angry. “Sloan, this isn’t a good time. You also distinctly pointed out last night that storming my office wasn’t something that you would do.”
“I didn’t storm,” Sloan muttered. “I would have waited patiently with your secretary, but your door was open.”
I clenched my jaw and took a deep breath. There was nothing in her body language to indicate why she was here. “Could we speak later? I’m a little busy right now.”
Montgomery Billionaire Series Page 11