"Oh yeah? Like who, exactly?"
"Look, it's not like I have someone in mind. I'm just saying he's not a good guy. Trust me, I can tell there's something off with him. Would you want Mia's focus to waver because of issues with Gardner?" He felt strangely protective of Mia and Chloe. Gardner was a ticking time bomb, and he was capable of a hell of a lot more than Mia could imagine.
"You're assuming there are going to be problems. Her choices are none of our business. Now can we please talk about Atlas and be done with Gardner's love life?"
Those words made his stomach churn. Fuck, did they have… were they sleeping together? He rubbed the back of his neck, but the stress knot refused to loosen. "Fine."
"These are contracts for some of the athletes who are endorsing our new games. Blue Coat needs to review them as soon as possible. I'm not signing anything without their approval. And, I've got other news. Atlas wants to partner with us on a new app."
"Before we go live with their game on our website? Is that such a great idea?"
"The plan is to launch everything together. They were already planning to build the app, but I think it would be great to partner across the board."
"What do we really even know about Atlas? I'm fine with launching their games on our site and linking them into the celebrity leagues. But partnering on an app? Who's going to develop it? Who's going to have final say in the design and the launch? How do we handle the accounting for any revenue we make?" Chris shook his head. "We don't want them driving all these decisions. And if the joint app becomes part of the celebrity leagues, are we tied to Atlas going forward? Are we allowed to take the fantasy leagues to other gaming companies?"
"I got you. I just thought it was a natural progression of the relationship we've built."
"We need to do a lot more due diligence before we make this kind of deal. It's not as easy as linking our names together and bringing a fantastic product to market. I know you could build something insane, but I'd rather create it on our own. We shouldn't do anything that's going to jeopardize any potential buyout offers, you know?"
"Why are you talking about a buyout? We've turned LazerShark into something huge, and it's only going to keep growing. Why the hell would we ever want to sell?"
"Because we can make a fortune if we get the right offer. Blue Coat is going to position us so the perfect deal becomes a reality. I thought you were on board with that."
"Yeah, but not right now. There's still more to do. I have a ton of ideas for expansion and—"
"If we hold out on any offers it only increases the risk that a competitor with a shitload more capital will come along and take over our market share. Then, LazerShark will be yesterday's news. That's one of the reasons we partnered with Blue Coat. They have the connections to put us in front of the right investors who can make those offers and free us up to build the next big thing."
"I don't know. I'm not ready to give up on this yet. We're the strongest in this industry. Are we supposed to just walk away?"
"We have to be open to the possibility."
"Not now. I'm not on the same page. Sorry, but I've busted my ass for too long to give up. Tell me you're on my side, that you won't fold if Blue Coat tries to strong arm us."
LazerShark's unique concepts would become obsolete almost instantaneously if a larger competitor weaved its way into the market. A buyout was their best option for long-term success. Chris rubbed his throbbing temples. If the right opportunity presented itself, Emerson would pressure them to sell. But James was his best friend above all else. He had to protect their interests no matter what. "Listen, we're partners, and I'll support your decision to hang on for the time being. But you need to be flexible if the right offer comes our way. You trusted me with Blue Coat. You have to trust me with this too."
"Fine, so long as we make the final call, not Emerson. Deal?"
"Deal." They had a very small window of opportunity, one that was slowly creaking shut. They didn't have the luxury of time to find the right deal. Blue Coat was their sole lifeline.
THE FOLLOWING AFTERNOON, CHRIS sat in his office, chewing the end of his pen. He had the perfect reason to call. Just pick up the phone and dial those seven little numbers—
"Hey!"
Startled, Chris looked up to find James lounging in the doorway. "What's up?"
"Any feedback from Blue Coat?"
"Are you serious? I haven't even called yet. Give me until lunchtime. I do have other things going on, you know."
"Sorry, I'm just anxious. And don't forget about dinner, okay?"
"Dinner?"
"We're going out with Jessica and her friend…?"
"Oh, right. I remember now." Total bullshit. The only thing on his mind these days was Mia, so if it didn't involve her, it was safe to say he had no clue. "Which restaurant?"
"Joya."
"Nice pick."
James was quiet for a minute. "Is everything okay? You've been a little… spacy these days."
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Just trying to keep things moving."
"Is anything wrong with Rachel or the girls?"
"No, they're hanging in there. Although Rachel's trying real hard to get me in front of her mommy-friends. She says she's worried about my commitment-phobia."
"She loves you. You can't blame her for being concerned."
"I don't understand why everyone is so preoccupied with my love life. I'm a big boy. I just haven't found the right girl." What a load of crap. He'd found her; he just couldn't do anything about it.
"Jessica's friend is pretty hot. Could be a match…"
Chris fired a balled-up piece of paper at James. "Enough. You know how much I hate blind dates. I'm going as a favor to you."
"Just be open-minded."
"I'll be perfectly charming and engaging. Now get out."
"I don't appreciate the sarcasm, jackass." James gave him a little salute and walked out of the office.
Chris let out a deep sigh. His fingers itched to press those square buttons, to hear her sultry voice. Waiting was sheer torture but sitting across from her in a conference room, knowing her heart belonged to another man? So much worse.
"MIA, I HAVE CHRIS Camden for you." Alison's voice jolted Mia out of her reverie.
Chris Camden… calling her? Right, because she was his investment manager for chrissakes.
Mia cleared her throat and tried to calm her racing pulse. That fiery gaze spoke volumes; his eyes sparked pure lust. It wasn't possible to have imagined whatever the hell had transpired between them. But then he'd gone home with that bimbo Lexi. Blond, huge boobs, completely over-processed, killer body… Lexi.
"Thanks, you can put him through."
She tapped her fingers on the desk. "Mia Bradshaw."
"Hey, Mia, Chris Camden. How's everything going?"
It would be so much better if he hadn't nailed that trashy whore the other night. "Hey, everything's great, thanks. What can I do for you?" There could be endless possibilities, assuming he wasn't such a womanizer and she wasn't his investment manager.
"James and I wanted to regroup on some of our immediate plans. I know we have a pitch meeting with The McMillen Group coming up, but can we schedule another time to talk through some ideas, maybe Friday?"
That husky voice made every last nerve ending prickle. "Um, let me take a look at my calendar… Yes, Friday looks fine."
"Great. What time?"
"How about… three?" She chewed her lower lip. Christ, she was sixteen again.
"Sounds good. So I guess I'll see you in a couple of days at McMillen?"
Huh? He was totally calm, cool, and professional. Okay, so clearly she was off her nut. Nothing had transpired between them, except in her own twisted imagination. Either that or Lexi had given him the ride of a lifetime and cleared his mind of any competing thoughts, namely her. Ugh. No more thoughts of Lexi and her porn-star body pressed against him. Yick.
"Sure, see you then." She kicked off her shoes and sat back in
the chair, mentally reviewing her wardrobe until Alex's face floated in front of her. A twinge of guilt made her shift uncomfortably.
The phone rang, and she jumped. "This is Mia."
"Hey, it's Alex."
How horrible was it that she secretly wished Chris was on the line? "Hi there." She forced herself to focus as he told her what time he'd be over that night and went through the itinerary. Something about a company prospectus. Something else about takeout. Maybe a final item about dessert. Yikes. That was on permanent hold, although how much longer could she make him wait? Chloe was always a great excuse. Having sex while her nine-year-old daughter slept in the next bedroom was out of the question.
"Sounds great. I'll see you later." She hung up the phone and stared out the window. Life was all about sacrifice, right?
CHAPTER NINE
"HI!" MIA PLASTERED A BRIGHT SMILE on her face as she opened the front door. "How are you?"
"Better now." Alex wrapped his arms around her.
"Oh, I—"
The thought was silenced when his lips pressed against hers. It was urgent, desperate, and completely uncharacteristic. His hands roamed her curves, stroking the bare skin under her shirt. His cold fingertips pressed into her back, dipping lower and lower—
"Alex, stop." She pushed against his chest, trying to regain her breath. He'd always been so gentle, sometimes a little too gentle for her liking, but this was all wrong.
He narrowed his eyes, a grimace darkening his features. "What's the matter? You didn't like that?"
"No, no, I just… it's not… appropriate. Chloe is here, and we're at the front door." She backed away, straining to hear Chloe singing in her bedroom.
Alex rubbed his hands over his face. "Shit, I'm sorry. I know you want to take things slowly. I thought it might, you know, get us in the mood. I shouldn't have done that. You just make me feel so alive. I couldn't help myself." He squeezed her hands and brought them to his lips. "I hope I'm not scaring you."
Was this Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde?
"You don't seem yourself. Is everything okay?"
The charming Alex was back. What the hell? "Yeah, I'm fine. A little preoccupied. Work was rough." He took her by the shoulders, and she instinctively stiffened.
"Um, why don't you come inside? I just opened a bottle of wine. What should we order for dinner?"
"I'm not really hungry, but wine sounds great." He strolled past her into the kitchen, all smiles.
It was a good thing she'd already fed Chloe. The next thirty minutes were filled with excruciating detail about each of his meetings. Nodding off was a definite possibility, especially after two glasses of her favorite cabernet sauvignon.
"So how was your day?" He finally took a gulp of wine, his jaw twitching.
What the hell was up with him?
"Um, good. I have a few meetings to schedule with some potential investors for LazerShark this week."
"So you and Camden are working together, huh?" His face twisted into a mask of disdain. "That guy is a real asshole. Don't trust him as far as you can throw him."
Mia's pulse quickened at the mention of his name. "Why?"
Alex paced around the kitchen, tapping his fingers on the countertops. "He's had some issues with former business partners. Plus, he can't keep it in his pants, but that doesn't really impact you."
"Should Blue Coat be concerned about his past dealings?"
"I wouldn't want him as a partner."
Mia gulped. Was there something more to this? Or was Alex just acting out of jealousy? Great, just what she needed. A potential scandal for Blue Coat involving the guy she couldn't stop thinking about.
Alex placed a folder on the table. "I have a company prospectus to show you."
"Oh right." Anything to get off the topic of Chris Camden. "Sure, tell me about it."
He sat next to her, bouncing his knee as he explained the potential upside of the company. His eyes glazed over, and he became more animated with each word. "It's a fantastic investment. Great thought leadership, solid business model, marketable suite of products — all the makings for a huge public offering." Alex gulped the rest of his wine. "Hey, you know, I bet Paul Emerson would be interested in this company. It's a great start-up for his portfolio."
Mia sifted through the documents. Her eyes widened. Solace, Inc. Paul wouldn't go near that company with a ten-foot pole. The leadership was at odds; they had no direction, no viable business plan, and their investments all but dried up due to a lack of strategic direction. It was a rapidly sinking ship. Wait a minute… "How did you get involved with this company?"
Alex averted his eyes. "I told you, someone at the office passed it on to me. I figured I would have you take a look at it to get some feedback."
"You could have done your own assessment. Why are you bringing it to me?" It was clear there was a motive behind his request. He was hiding something; that much was clear. His eyes darted in every direction but hers.
He stood up suddenly. "I'm not sure what I did to make you suspicious of me, but I just wanted your opinion. I figured it was the type of company you specialize in, and that you might have a feel for long-term profit potential. If that's a problem, I can just take it somewhere else."
"Solace, Inc. isn't an ideal client for Blue Coat. They've got a lot of issues right now, and Paul would never invest. Why do you care if he wants in anyway?" She paused, arms folded. "Unless you're more involved than you're saying and stand to benefit from his wallet."
Beads of perspiration formed on his forehead. "Look, I'm not involved with the company! I just think it's a worthwhile investment. Period."
He gripped the back of the chair, his knuckles white. The tension in the room was stifling, finally relieved by his ringing cell phone. "I'm going to take this outside real quick."
Everyone knew Solace was in a downward spiral. Rumor had it they were looking to partner with an unsuspecting company so they could ride someone else's coattails. No way would she pitch the company to Paul.
Alex returned a few minutes later looking much calmer. "I'm really sorry about my behavior. Can we start over?"
"What was that all about? Are you okay? Maybe we should just do this another time."
"I'm really sorry. I'm just under a lot of pressure these days. My numbers have been down, and when I got the information on Solace, I thought it could be a big win, especially if Paul got involved."
"You could have told me all that right in the beginning. Everyone goes through rough patches."
He seemed more relaxed. She'd let it go… once.
"I'm sorry for making you uncomfortable." He pulled her out of the chair. "Now, let's talk about some of my other ideas… for dessert."
"WHAT HAPPENED NEXT?"
Mia stirred her coffee. "He left to take a phone call. When he came back, he was a different person. It was really odd."
"Anyone can have a bad day. Do you like him?"
"Yes, and I want to give things a fair shot with him…"
"But?"
"I met another guy. We work together. And even though I know there's no future for us, I can't stop thinking about him."
"Life's too short for you to waste away with the wrong guy." Rachel's eyes took on a faraway look. "You never know when something great is going to disappear from your life, so my opinion is just go for it. Don't question, just leap."
If only it was that easy. Throwing caution to the wind wasn't an option at this point of her life. "I guess I'm just afraid."
"Of what?"
"Of the consequences. I have Chloe to think about. Plus, this guy isn't exactly boyfriend material. He's with a different girl every week. He's not interested in settling down with anyone, much less a workaholic single mom."
"Sounds like my brother. I never got that whole love 'em and leave 'em thing. Why wouldn't you want to find the right person and settle down? I guess it's the thrill of the chase. My brother has it down to a science, and I wish he'd find the right girl to tame his wo
manizing tendencies."
"It's too risky to get involved with a guy who doesn't know what he really wants. I'd made that mistake with my ex. He'd promised Chloe and me a picture-perfect life and we'd been ready to follow him halfway around the world so he could chase his dream career. I had been about to pull Chloe away from all the people who loved her most because we'd planned a future together. Then one day before we were scheduled to leave, he disappeared. No note, no goodbye, no apology. He just discarded us. I can't have another lapse in judgment like that, not when I have Chloe's needs to consider. Wasting my time on a guy who can't stand by his word just isn't an option." She sipped her coffee and smiled. "You know, I'm so glad we met this year. It's really nice to actually connect with another mom. Thank God for basketball."
"I completely agree, and I'm sorry about what happened with your ex. But trust me, there are great guys out there. They do exist, I promise. Now, what are you going to do about Alex?"
"It's tricky because we met through my mom, and she's all over my case to find a husband. She thinks he's fantastic, which only makes everything harder." Mia sighed. "I tried to convince myself that my feelings would change, but they haven't. There's just no spark."
"Oh yes, the elusive spark. I used to think it was a myth. But when I met Tommy, our connection all but exploded. It's real. Don't sacrifice anything for that feeling. When you've met the right guy, you'll know it. You won't have to convince yourself he's the one."
CHAPTER TEN
"THAT'S A PRETTY SWEET RIDE." MIA sauntered over to Chris, her heels clicking on the concrete.
He dragged his eyes away from her toned calves, wishing for a pair of sunglasses.
"Not quite ready for a grown-up car yet?"
"Thanks, this one suits me just fine."
"I'm sure it does."
Yet another glaring reminder of his inability to commit. Why drive anything larger than a two-seater? He clearly had no intention of settling down. Argh. Just another reason for her to stick with that cocksucker, Alex.
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