Good Girls Don't

by Rosalie Lario

  “Digital marketing is one of the fastest growing segments in today’s business industry. Given the advances in electronic technology, it’s more important than ever to have a strong online presence. My firm helps to bridge the gap between psychology and technology. We don’t believe in spamming potential customers, but rather advising businesses how to understand human behavior so they can not only capture, but keep, a loyal customer base.”

  She kept her gaze locked on Martin as she spoke, and gradually her confidence grew. If there was one thing she knew, it was her business. And she was damn good at it. From the look on Martin’s face, she had his captive attention, too. He leaned forward in his chair, riveted on the financials she presented.

  Ten minutes later, she concluded her presentation with full trust that it’d had the desired effect on Martin. “So, as you can see, with the expansion I propose, my firm’s growth will extend not only to the real estate field, but nationwide to a variety of industries. And that is why I think you should invest with North Star.”

  Martin sat back, giving her a smiling nod. “Excellent proposal, Lyssa. You’ve given me much to think about.”

  His compliment infused her with pride. She had done a good job. If the expansion of her firm was meant to be—and she had to hold out hope that it was—then it would happen.

  As she moved back to her seat, her gaze collided with James’s. To her surprise, he looked impressed. When he gave her an admiring nod, she fought back her foolish delight. The man was her freaking competitor, for god’s sake.

  “Steve, why don’t you dazzle us next,” Martin said as she settled back into her seat.

  Lyssa pushed back her thoughts of James and focused on Steve’s presentation. It only took about two minutes for her to realize he posed no true threat. Not only were his words vague and jumbled, but it seemed clear the man had no true business savvy. He’d lucked into his fortune, and she’d bet every dollar she had—which unfortunately didn’t amount to much—that Martin wasn’t going to risk investing in Steve’s company. Not with Steve at the helm.

  All too soon, it was time for James to speak. Since it would be odd if she didn’t look at him, Lyssa forced a blank expression to her face as she watched him stand. She didn’t know whether to admire him or curse him when he strode to the podium as if the whole world was at his command. The man had presence, she’d give him that.

  James loaded his flash drive into the computer and began. “As you know from our prior discussions, Martin, Everly Publications is already in the process of expanding into the foreign market. With the help of a select group of investors, locations for Distinguished Gentleman branches have already been found in Paris and London. Negotiations for leases are underway. In other words, the bulk of the work has already been done, which means a quicker return on your investment.”

  Lyssa listened to James go on and on, and her chest grew tighter and tighter with every word he spoke. This was worse than she’d thought. James wasn’t talking wishes and rainbows like Steve was, or even in quantifiable facts like she had presented. His company had already done the bulk of the work needed to complete its expansion. From the sound of it, all he needed was some additional capital. The figures James presented made it seem like a no-brainer that Martin would come out a winner in the venture. Hell, he was so good, she would want to invest in his company if she had a dime to spare.

  This isn’t a competition. It’s a freaking bloodbath.

  Martin was clearly a shrewd and intelligent man. Why would he set up this whole farce when it seemed painfully obvious what choice he would make in the end? She couldn’t believe it was just some elaborate joke on his part. He didn’t seem like the type. But pitting her small firm against a corporate giant like Everly Publications?

  She forced herself to remain rigid in her seat even as her discomfort grew. Her mind raced with thoughts of what she could do to strengthen her case. She couldn’t find a single thing.

  No, there must be something.

  She needed Martin and his investment. Desperately needed the cash outlay it would provide. If she didn’t find a way to make more money, fast, she didn’t know what would happen. What would that mean for her family?

  As James wrapped up his stellar presentation, Lyssa was forced to admit the truth. In strict financial terms, Everly Publications was clearly the better bet.

  Which meant she was screwed.

  Her panic and sense of failure morphed into ire as she stared at the man whose body she’d worshipped the night before. This presentation couldn’t have gone better for him. Not only did he have an excellent proposal, but he’d managed to catch his one true competitor off guard.

  She didn’t know how it was possible, but from where she sat it was beginning to look like he’d orchestrated last night to manipulate the situation to his advantage.

  If that was true, then he was a true and utter bastard—one who ought to pay for daring to play such devious games.

  ***

  James went through his entire presentation in a stunned daze. One of the most important meetings of his life and he could barely even process what he was saying. Though he tried to keep his mind off Lyssa as he spoke, his gaze kept drifting to her lush figure. He couldn’t believe she was truly here.

  When he’d first walked in and had seen the back of the woman standing in front of Martin, he’d immediately thought of Lyssa. The woman had her same curves, same hair color. But the woman’s hair had been tucked into a tight bun at the base of her neck, and her body had been concealed by a conservative suit. He’d assumed he was just thinking of Lyssa because part of him regretted leaving without giving her his number.

  Then she’d turned around, presenting him with the same gorgeous chocolate gaze that had been all but burned into his memory the night before. He’d almost fallen to the ground in shock.

  It was Lyssa. His Lyssa. Standing right before him.

  His mind hadn’t been able to process that fact. No doubt he’d looked like an idiot watching her while Martin made the introductions. Then, because it had hardly seemed wise to acknowledge their acquaintance given what had gone down last night, he pretended not to know her.

  It was only when she turned and strode to the conference table that it had hit him. She was one of his competitors.

  Well, fuck.

  He thanked god for his extensive preparation as he made his way through his speech, because his brain was stuck somewhere in the “Disbelief” position. What were the odds of spending the night with an amazing woman, only to find that she was one of the two people he had to compete against in the morning?

  Damn, he hated having to go head-to-head with her. But he couldn’t very well back down. He needed the funds. Everly Publications would need this money to complete its global expansion. If that didn’t happen, the other investors would likely call for his big brother’s resignation.

  That wasn’t something he could allow to happen. Not after everything Andrew had done for him.

  After what seemed like a lifetime, he completed his proposal. Martin’s brow rose and he stood. Lyssa and Steve immediately followed suit.

  “Very impressive, James,” Martin said. “You’ve given me a lot to mull over.”

  He hoped so, because he knew he was operating at a disadvantage. Martin was a social acquaintance, and from his experience, the man preferred to invest in smaller local companies. Everly Publications didn’t fit that bill. He could only pray that he’d highlighted how little risk there would be in investing in the global expansion. Otherwise, he was fucked.

  “I’ll be ruminating over your proposals throughout the remainder of this week and over the weekend,” Martin said to the three of them. “I expect to have a response for each of you by Monday.”

  “Thank you.” Willing himself to act confident instead of rattled like he still was, James strode over to shake the older man’s hand. He couldn’t help but be hyperaware of Lyssa’s presence as she made her way over to them, though.

&n
bsp; Like a kid struck dumb by a schoolboy crush, he watched her thank Martin for his time. Then she was directly in front of him with her hand thrust out and her expression stone-cold. “Pleasure to meet you, James.”

  He clasped her hand for all of a second before she pulled it back, and then she was gone.

  His mind was awhirl as Steve stopped in front of him and shook his hand, mentioning something about his magazine and advertising. He pretended to listen until Steve paused expectantly and it became obvious James had no clue what the other man was talking about.

  “Uh, excuse me,” he said. “I have a pressing meeting I have to run to.”

  “Bu-but the ad,” Steve stammered.

  “Call my secretary.” He turned to wish Martin a good day and then raced out the door.

  The elevator doors were sliding closed by the time he made it into the hallway. Cursing under his breath, he rushed for them and pressed the down button. It took what seemed like hours for the next elevator to land on his floor.

  He arrived on the ground floor just in time to see the back of Lyssa’s head as she pushed her way through the crowd at the revolving door. The urge to call out to her was so strong he had to bite it back. Even if she did hear him through the muted roar of the people milling about, odds were she wouldn’t stop anyway.

  Instead, he broke into a run, shooting past a startled security guard. Surely the only thing that stopped him from being chased was his three thousand dollar Armani suit. Quality was easy to recognize in a town like theirs.

  It took him a full city block to catch up with her.

  “Lyssa, wait!”

  He closed his hand over her shoulder and she swung around, practically tumbling in her haste to knock his arm away. “Don’t touch me.”

  Something in her face all but broke his heart. Her eyes shimmered with a brilliance that made him think she was holding back tears, and she glared at him as if he were the devil. He was taken aback by the fury on her face. It made him suddenly unsure.

  James took a step backward and combed his fingers through his hair. “Look, Lyssa, I don’t—”

  Her brows scrunched together with ferocity. “How’d you do it?”

  “Do what?”

  Ire flashed in her eyes. “How’d you find out who I was before the meeting? Did Martin tell you?”

  What? He stared at her, his shock rendering him mute until a man in a business suit knocked into him as he walked past.

  “Wait, let me get this straight. You think I knew you were going to be my competition when I met you last night?”

  Her laugh was hard and bitter. “What’s the alternative? Am I supposed to believe that in a city of millions, you somehow managed to randomly meet the very person you were about to be going up against?”

  “Yes, because that’s what happened.” He managed to say the words evenly, when inside he wanted to shout them. When she looked as if she didn’t believe him, he said, “Think about what you’re accusing me of. Even if Martin had told me your name, which he didn’t, what reason could I possibly have for arranging to meet you beforehand?”

  She looked stumped for a second, but then her brows knitted together once more and she stepped forward to give him a hard poke in the chest. “You set me up. The whole charade last night. You wanted to get me off my game.”

  James couldn’t help his guffaw. “Listen to yourself. You can’t possibly believe that. Even if I had known you were going to be my competition, how could I have known you’d be remotely interested in hooking up with me?”

  “I…”

  When she bit her lip and looked indecisive, he softened his tone. “I know how improbable it seems, believe me. But I was as shocked as you were when I first saw you in that conference room.”

  Lyssa had to know that was true, even if she didn’t want to admit it.

  He leaned toward her, spearing her with his earnest gaze. “And what happened last night, you can’t fake that kind of chemistry.”

  Something hot flashed in her eyes, but it was gone in a millisecond. She shook her head and took a step back. “You might think you’re god’s gift to women, but let me tell you something, James Everly. You weren’t all that.”

  She was lashing out in anger. Trying to get a rise out of him. Even though he knew it, her words still managed to piss him off.

  His lips curled into a mocking smile. “Liar.”

  “I bet you think you have it in the bag, don’t you?”

  “Far from it,” he said honestly. “Martin generally prefers investing in smaller companies like yours.”

  “Oh.” Her brows rose. “So you think your charm and your skills in the bedroom are going to convince me to back off?”

  “Goddamn it, Lyssa.” He raked a hand through his hair again.

  “Well let me tell you something, Mr. I’m Used to Getting My Way.” She poked him again. “My presentation kicked ass. I’m going to beat you, and I’m going to enjoy every minute of it.”

  She thought so, did she? Confounding woman.

  James gave in to the tide of anger rising in his chest. “We’ll see about that.”

  Fuck, he was trying to talk to her here. Trying to let her know where he stood. But if war was what she wanted, then that was what she’d get. He needed Martin’s funds. His brother needed it. And he wasn’t going to let him down, no matter how luscious the woman standing before him was.

  Lyssa crossed her arms and snickered. “I hope you’re not a sore loser.”

  With a liquid laugh, he closed the distance between them, leaning down to murmur in her ear. “If anyone is sore around here, I doubt it’s me.”

  Her sharp gasp told him she understood exactly what he alluded to. His conscience let out a twinge, but right now he was too fired up to care. The woman was past all reasoning, and despite all the sensual delight they’d shared last night, he had a job to do. Funds to procure.

  It might be regrettable that she had to lose in order for him to win, but he couldn’t stop now. Too much rested on his success.

  When James stepped back, it was to see two splotches of red coloring Lyssa’s cheeks. Ignoring the remorse that threatened to erupt within his chest, he turned on his heel and walked away. It took all his effort, but he managed to leave without a single backward glance.

  Chapter Five

  Back in her tiny Brooklyn office building, Lyssa rested her forehead on the steel and wood desk taking up most of the space inside her private office. Humiliation burned through her body, making her flush with heat. She lifted her head a few inches from the surface, then banged it down again. And again.

  Bang. Bang. Bang.

  God, she was so stupid. That whole confrontation with James was just idiotic. Deep down she’d known he hadn’t planned any of it. There had been no mistaking the look of surprise on his face when she turned around to lock gazes with him that morning.

  No one was that good an actor. No one.

  She’d just been so pissed about everything that had gone down. It had been absolute torture having to give the most important presentation of her life right after learning her competitor was the guy she’d slept with the night before. And then, when it was his turn, he’d been so freaking suave it had driven her insane.

  Maybe this was karma’s way of paying her back for going against everything she’d been taught growing up.

  Good girls don’t do one-night stands, Lyssa. And apparently when they did, they paid for it. Big time.

  If she didn’t land Martin Freeman, she’d be back to the drawing board. Back to trying to draw interest from another investor. That could take months, if not longer. Her mother’s next chemo appointment was only three weeks away. The knowledge of that was like a ticking clock, each second serving to diminish her options.

  Lyssa’s head banging must have alerted her best friend and employee, Nadia—whose similarly tiny office was right next to hers—that she was here. There was a sharp knock on her door and it opened.

  Nadia walked in with a hope
ful smile on her face. “How did it--”

  She took one look at Lyssa’s face and cut off, racing to her side.

  “Oh god, Lyssa, what happened? Was it the meeting?”

  Lyssa let out a laugh that somehow turned into a half-sob. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

  Nadia cocked one thin brow and slid her bottom onto Lyssa’s desk. She reached for the box of tissues Lyssa kept there and snagged one. “Oh, you’re going to tell me.”

  Swallowing past the knot in her throat, Lyssa grabbed the tissue and used it to wipe the moisture from her eyes. “I…I had a one-night stand last night.”

  Clearly that was the last thing Nadia had expected to hear, because she let out a sharp gasp and her hands rose to cover her mouth. It took her a moment to recover. “Is that why you’re crying? Do you feel guilty or something, because if so, I swear chica, I’m going to—”

  “This morning, when I met with Martin Freeman,” Lyssa interrupted, “I found out I was going to be giving my proposal in the presence of the two other competitors.”

  Nadia’s brow furrowed. “He was pitting the three of you against each other?”

  “He was nice about it. But in a way, yeah.”

  She could see the wheels spinning as Nadia attempted to work it all out. Saving her friend the trouble, she forced herself to say the rest of it.

  “The guy, my one-night stand, he was there.”

  “What?” Nadia’s palms slapped against the desk. “Why?”

  “Why else?” She gave a bitter laugh. “He was one of my competitors.”

  “No,” Nadia gasped.

  “James Everly,” Lyssa said. “Of Everly Publications.”

  “Everly Publica…” Nadia bounded off the desk. She started pacing the room. “You’re competing against a company like that?”

  “Exactly.” Lyssa threw her crumpled tissue into the trash and grabbed another. “Now you see why all the tears and self-recrimination.”

  Shaking her head, Nadia asked, “Do you think it was intentional, him meeting you last night?”