The Unwilling Executive

by Miranda P. Charles

  “Of course,” Thomas said. “Lucas, I don’t mean to pry, but are you two going out?”

  He inhaled deeply. “We were. But I messed up big time.”

  “Oh. Jade’s a nice a girl. She’s a keeper, you know. I hope you work it out.”

  A keeper.

  If Lucas chased after Jade now it would loudly signal one thing—that he was ready for a serious, committed relationship.

  Yes, he was more than halfway there. In fact he was almost certain of it. But he wanted to be one hundred percent sure of what he truly wanted before doing anything. He didn’t want to stuff Jade around.

  Perhaps going away for two weeks was a blessing in disguise. He had that time to think.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Jade looked around for Ruby after taking a breather from dancing. Like Ruby, she’d been apprehensive that she’d feel out of place. Surprisingly, Greg’s party had a very down-to-earth feel.

  Sure, there was glamour and gourmet food and fancy decor, but everyone she’d met had been wonderful and friendly. The ambiance and happy mood of the celebrations lifted her spirits considerably.

  After Lucas had broken up with her two nights ago, she’d been down in the dumps. She couldn’t wait until he got back to Australia so she could have a long talk with him. He’d said he wasn’t after a relationship, but she bet that was just an excuse. She was sure that what made him distance himself was her forcing him onto Thomas Bilton—a man Lucas didn’t trust yet.

  Just because she was Thomas Bilton’s PA didn’t mean they couldn’t make it work as a couple. Besides, she was sure that once Lucas agreed to giving Thomas a chance to explain, he’d come around to opening his heart to the man who was trying everything to connect with him. And she wouldn’t give up on helping Thomas for Lucas and Ruby’s sake.

  She spotted Ruby, who looked like she was having the time of her life, laughing out loud while chatting with Greg’s grandmother. She smiled, happy to see Ruby comfortable with ‘the rich and famous’.

  If it weren’t for Jade’s heavy heart, she’d be having the time of her life, too. It was difficult hiding her pain from everybody, but so far, she’d been succeeding.

  She walked to join Rick, not wanting to interrupt Ruby.

  Even though she was supposed to be Rick’s plus one, she’d hardly spoken to him at all. He seemed a little distant tonight compared to his friendliness at the pub. She could understand, though. Rick probably wanted to party with his family and friends rather than entertain someone he hardly knew.

  “Hi, Rick,” she said.

  “Hey, Jade. Enjoying the night?” Rick asked.

  “Yes, it’s great. Thanks again for taking me,” she said teasingly.

  Rick smiled, then introduced her to his friends Connor and Amanda. “Connor used to work with Lucas for the same Formula One team,” Rick said. “He’s the one who introduced Lucas to me and my famous cousins.”

  “Oh, right,” she said, happy to meet another one of Lucas’ friends. “Lucas has told me about your plans to be business partners, Connor,” she said conversationally.

  “Has he? Yeah. I’m just waiting for the man to make the decision. We’ve agreed it can only work if we’re both working full-time on the business. We don’t want to mess up our friendship.”

  “At least he’s not considering setting up a rival car servicing shop,” Rick said with a snicker.

  The guys laughed.

  “Connor and Lucas are great buddies who enjoy competing with each other,” Amanda said with an eyeroll.

  “Oh, really?” Jade said with a smile.

  “Yeah, Lucas even tried to steal Amanda from me,” Connor said. “As you can see, I won, ’cause she’s now my wife.”

  Jade chuckled, certain that Connor was joking.

  “Did I hear Lucas’ name mentioned?” a stunning woman said, joining their little group. “Where is Mr. Fuck King anyway? How come he’s not here tonight?”

  Jade raised her eyebrows. What did this woman call Lucas?

  “He’s in Japan for work,” Connor answered.

  “Ah. Shame. He’s missing out on a great party. No doubt he’s having fun in Japan with his girls there, though.”

  Then Miss Stunning turned to Jade. “Hi, I’m Marilyn.”

  “I’m Jade,” she said with a wan smile.

  “How do you know the birthday boy, Jade? Or are you one of Gemma’s friends?”

  “No. I’m... Rick brought me here.”

  “Oh!” Marilyn said, looking at Rick with disbelieving eyes.

  “Don’t look so shocked, Marilyn. Jade’s just a friend,” Rick said with a laugh.

  Marilyn chuckled. “That’s a relief. Since Greg proposed to Gemma tonight, some of us girls thought it would be fun to have a bet.”

  “What are you betting on?” Rick asked.

  “Which among you bachelors would be the next one to be captured by looove,” Marilyn said theatrically. “I have my money on Simon. So don’t you dare go finding yourself a girlfriend.”

  “You’re money’s safe, darlin’,” Rick said with a laugh.

  “Who are the others betting on?” Amanda asked.

  “I can’t remember exactly, but there’s at least one bet for Simon, Derek, Keith and Tristan. No one bet on Rick and Lucas. None of us wants to lose.”

  “Smart girls,” Connor quipped. “You could also have a long-term bet on who will be the last one standing.”

  “That was the original bet,” Marilyn said with a laugh. “Everyone said it would be Lucas. No one dared pick anyone other than the reigning Mr. Fuck King. We all know he’s not like you, Connor. So we changed it around. It should be more fun picking who’d be hit next by Cupid’s arrow anyway.”

  Jade felt her whole body heat up. Was Marilyn really talking about her Lucas? And what on earth did being Mr. Fuck King mean?

  She gave a token wave to Marilyn when Miss Stunning left their little circle.

  “You want a drink, Jade?” Rick asked.

  She started to shake her head, already nearing her limit, then changed her mind. “Yes, please. A glass of white.” She had a feeling she’d need it.

  When Rick went to get the drinks, she casually asked Connor and Amanda, “Was Marilyn talking about Lucas Renner as Mr. Fuck King?”

  “Yes,” Connor said.

  “How did he end up being called that?”

  Amanda snickered, looking pointedly at Connor.

  Connor pulled his wife to him and kissed her on the temple.

  “Connor used to hold the title,” Amanda said with a giggle. “His buddies on the tour bestowed it on him.”

  “Then I met Amanda and it ended up with Lucas,” Connor said.

  “What does it mean?” Jade asked.

  “Uh, it means he’s very popular with the ladies wherever in the world he is,” Connor said.

  It seemed to Jade that she just got a sanitised version of the truth. “You mean he’s popular with the ladies in bed?” she asked for clarification.

  “Yes,” Connor said.

  “Mind you,” Amanda said. “Lucas tried hard to wrestle it away from Connor.”

  “How?” she asked, dreading the answer.

  “Well, a lot depended on how... uh... happy he made the ladies,” Connor said, clearly uncomfortable.

  “I see,” Jade said, although she couldn’t believe it.

  *

  Jade hid a sigh when Ruby went to the dance floor. That meant they weren’t leaving yet.

  She truly appreciated that everyone was being so friendly and welcoming but, quite frankly, she was ready to go home. She just didn’t feel like being around anyone anymore after what she’d learned about Lucas.

  She’d thought he just got mad at her because of Thomas, but he must have meant every single word he’d said in the car when he dumped her.

  ‘I’m not after a relationship, Jade. I never have been. I think we’ve gone as far as we can.’

  Ouch. Those lines hurt more now than they orig
inally did.

  “Jade!”

  Marilyn was waving to her to come over.

  She smiled, hoping it didn’t look fake. Hopefully there would be no conversation about Lucas amongst the group she was about to join.

  “This is Jade, Rick’s friend,” Marilyn said to the other women.

  Jade smiled pleasantly as Marilyn made introductions. She’d given up trying to remember the names of each person she’d met. It was impossible.

  “Did you arrive with Rick?” a blonde asked. “I though he was alone when he got here.”

  “I actually got a lift from Ruby—that lady over there,” she answered, pointing towards Ruby’s direction.

  “Isn’t that Lucas’ mother?” asked a brunette who was wearing the most revealing outfit of the night.

  “Yes.”

  “How come you came with her when you’re Rick’s plus one?” the brunette persisted.

  “Ruby and I are friends. It was just more convenient.”

  “Oh, really? Maybe you can introduce me to her.”

  Marilyn laughed. “Why, Vicky? Are you hoping to enlist Ruby’s help to get Lucas to turn over a new leaf?”

  Vicky flicked her hair, smiling in a way that said she knew something.

  Jade decided she didn’t like this Vicky person.

  “Do you know that Lucas is in Japan?” Marilyn said.

  “Yeah, so?” Vicky asked.

  “So are you hoping that he won’t be hopping into anyone’s bed there?”

  Vicky rolled her eyes. “Come on. I’m not deluded. That would be hoping for the impossible. But I do think that for someone like Lucas, a balancing act is what’s necessary.”

  “Balancing act?” said another girl.

  Jade was glad the question was asked. She wanted to know what Vicky meant, too.

  “You have to give certain types of men some freedom,” Vicky said. “The important thing is, when he’s ready to commit to someone, you’re at the top of his list.”

  “So will you be putting money on Lucas to be the next one to be captured by love, Vicky?” the blonde asked.

  Vicky snorted. “Like I said, I’m not deluded. But I’m biding my time.”

  “Hope you have extra years in your life to spare,” Marilyn said with sarcasm.

  Vicky laughed.

  Jade wanted to cry.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  “Are you all right, Mum?” Lucas asked, peering at his mother with concern.

  Ruby continued to stare at him mutely, ashen, with eyes like saucers.

  He took Ruby’s hand and rubbed it. “From everything I’ve seen, Mum, he’s telling the truth,” he said softly.

  With a sudden, shaky breath, as if startled from a dream, Ruby squeezed his hand. “He accepts you as his son?” she whispered.

  He nodded.

  “In exchange for what?”

  “Nothing, Mum. Nothing.”

  “Did he make you sign anything? As guarantee you won’t contest whatever’s in his will when he leaves his fortune to other people?”

  He smiled. His mother was thinking what he used to believe about Thomas. “He actually wants me to have a look around Bilton Machineries to see if it would interest me to be a part of it.”

  “Oh. And do you think you’ll be interested?”

  “I’ve thought about it a lot in the last couple of weeks,” he said, his enthusiasm bubbling. “It does interest me that the business is about machineries. Very different from cars, of course, but they’re very much into technical development and improvement. They’re expanding to other areas outside of construction, too. They’re opening up a department to focus on new inventions to make sure the company takes advantage of advancements in technology. There are a lot of exciting things happening there at the moment.”

  “What about Formula One?”

  “Well, my boss told me he couldn’t agree to the limited number of days I’m asking for. My choice is to keep my current schedule or quit the team. I’ve taken annual leave so I can think about this before making my final decision. But right now, I’m leaning towards the new challenge Bilton Machineries could give.”

  “So Thomas is really happy to give you a job in his company?”

  “Well, I still feel uncomfortable about it, but he insists I’m his heir.”

  Ruby’s jaw slackened, then tears rushed down her cheeks. “Oh, darling. If he really means it, then I’m so glad for you. You deserve it, Lucas.”

  He hugged his mother.

  His future with Bilton Machineries was far from settled. Anything could happen while he and his father worked on their relationship. For all he knew, things might not work as Thomas had planned.

  But he found great enthusiasm for the company that he hadn’t thought he’d ever have. He suspected it had always been in him though, and that it had just been buried underneath pain and anger.

  Ever since he found out who his father was, he’d secretly followed news about Thomas Bilton. While personal details got his blood boiling, developments in Bilton Machineries had always held his attention. He guessed it was a genes thing. He and Thomas shared the love for machineries of different kinds and how they could be used to impact people’s lives.

  He never thought he’d feel this way about Thomas, but after clarifying their horrendous misunderstandings, he genuinely wanted to get to know him better. Perhaps there really was an indestructible bond between parents and children that couldn’t be broken, no matter what the circumstances.

  But first and foremost, he wanted his mother to be absolutely fine with what was happening. “Are you really okay with all this, Mum? Are you okay with me spending time with Thomas?”

  “He’s your father, Lucas. If his intentions come from the heart, then I’m one hundred percent okay. But if this is a trick and he messes with you, he better hide. All my claws will come out.”

  Lucas laughed, relieved. “He wants to talk to you,” he murmured. “Are you comfortable with that?”

  Ruby hesitated, but eventually she nodded.

  “Great. I’m due to visit Thomas’—Dad’s—office today. I’ll arrange it and let you know.”

  “Okay,” Ruby said, concern appearing on her face again. “Is there any news on that man who came to harass me? Or who he really is?”

  “Private investigators are working on it. I’ll be speaking with them tomorrow to give them description and some information. It’ll probably help if they talk to you too. Would you be okay with that?”

  “Yes,” Ruby said with determination, her eyes steeling. “Whoever sent that man is responsible for years of heartache and pain. I want to know who they are and why they did what they did.”

  He nodded. He wanted that, too. “We’ll get to the bottom of this soon,” he said, rubbing Ruby’s arms.

  Ruby nodded, giving him another hug.

  He returned the embrace, praying that this matter could be put to bed. If anyone deserved happiness, it was Ruby Renner.

  “So how was Greg’s party?” he asked, diverting into something lighter.

  “Oh, it was wonderful!” Ruby said, her face splitting from remembered fun. “Did you know that he proposed to his girlfriend on the night? It was very sweet.”

  “Yeah. I got several messages from the guys,” he said with a laugh. “I rang Greg and Gemma when I found out.”

  “Jade and I had a fantastic time, although the poor girl had a bad headache by the end of the night. I think she had too much to drink.”

  “Have you seen Jade since?” he asked, his heartbeat accelerating from saying her name.

  “No. She’s due to get her flowers in a couple of days, though, so I’ll see her then.”

  “Okay.”

  He kissed his mother goodbye and started walking to the Bilton Machineries building. He didn’t know what made him more nervous: walking around his father’s company for the first time or convincing Jade to talk to him.

  *****

  Lucas pinned the visitor’s tag the receptionis
t gave him on the breast pocket of his shirt, then he rode the elevator to the top floor. He took deep breaths as the lift zoomed up to his destination.

  How would Jade react to his presence? Frankly, he wouldn’t be surprised if she refused to see him, or even if she slapped him. After the way he’d treated her, especially his reasons for breaking up with her, he deserved no less.

  But Jade was a professional, and he was counting on her sense of duty to see him so they could have a conversation. Hopefully, it would be enough to convince her to agree to meet with him tonight for a real heart to heart.

  ‘I think we’ve gone as far as we can.’

  He winced as he remembered yet again that hurtful line he’d told her. What the hell had possessed him to say it? Sure, he’d been mad at her—which was totally his fault, too, because he’d assumed the wrong thing. But why say what he didn’t mean?

  He exhaled harshly. At the time, he’d wanted to mean it. But these last two weeks had proven something to him that he could no longer deny.

  He’d fallen for Jade.

  At first he believed it was just his dick leading him. But his damn cock hadn’t gotten hard for any other woman since he met Jade. He’d never experienced this condition before. Those sultry women who’d tried to seduce him when he was overseas couldn’t even get his attention.

  He missed Jade desperately. It gutted him that they’d broken up, even if it was his own stupid doing. And now he was damn scared that he’d lost all his chances.

  He psyched himself as the lift doors opened, and stepped out into another reception area.

  “Hello, Mr. Renner,” said the smiling woman behind the desk. “Mr. Bilton is on the phone at the moment. I’ll let him know you’ve arrived when he finishes the call.”

  “Thank you,” he responded. “I’m a little early anyway.”

  “Please take a seat, sir. Can I get you tea or coffee? Or something cold, perhaps?”

  “Actually, do you mind calling Jade Tully for me? There are a few things I need to see her about, too.”

  “Of course.” The lady pressed a button. “Jade? Mr. Renner has arrived for his appointment with Mr. Bilton at eleven, but he’s asked to see you now.”