Книга - The Ceo’s Little Surprise

The Ceo's Little Surprise
Kat Cantrell


It’s a corporate takedown in the boardroom and the bedroom—until a little secret raises the stakes!Cassandra Claremont’s favorite position is CEO—and she’s sure as hell not stepping down for Gage Branson, the sexy playboy who once broke her heart.When inside intel threatens her company’s success, he’s her number one suspect. So why is she still entranced by his sexual spell?Gage is determined to stoke the fire beneath Cass’s icy exterior and clear his name. Fortunately, working after hours with the blond beauty allows him to indulge in both. But when secrets from Gage’s past are exposed, will Cass lose her company, her heart, or both?









The only prayer Gage had of cracking that ice was to give her something sizzling hot to grab on to with both hands.


“Your point—if I recall—was that you’d use all the information at your disposal to seduce me,” Cass murmured throatily. “I don’t think you have a shot.”

“Guess there’s only one way to find out.”

The irresistible draw between them sucked him in, and finally his arms closed around her, and her mouth sought his. A scorching kiss ignited the pent-up emotions and desire Gage had been fighting since he’d first laid eyes on Cass in the parking lot of her building.

Yes. Her tongue darted out in a quest for his and he lost himself in the sensation of her hot flesh. She tasted of wine and familiarity.

Memories zipped by, of Cass spread out under him, hips rolling toward his in a sensuous rhythm, hair spread out, her gaze hot and full of anticipation and pleasure as they came together again and again. Memories of her laughing with him, challenging him, filling him.

He wanted her. Just like that. Right now.

* * *

The CEO’s Little Surprise is part of the Love and Lipstick quartet: for four female executives, mixing business with pleasure leads to love!




The CEO’s Little

Surprise

Kat Cantrell







www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)


KAT CANTRELL read her first Mills & Boon novel in third grade and has been scribbling in notebooks since then. She writes smart, sexy books with a side of sass. She’s a former Mills & Boon So You Think You Can Write winner and an RWA Golden Heart® Award finalist. Kat, her husband and their two boys live in north Texas.


Contents

Cover (#u8d3626de-cc41-58af-8d05-9837e7122715)

Introduction (#u62fd361c-0968-5527-b8df-a605ca60cd31)

Title Page (#u190f38d8-ed7e-57bd-bc48-3a1f9ce3069a)

About the Author (#ube52b2aa-1961-5d1f-acb3-6cea46060e98)

One (#u5bd01241-defd-587e-ad2c-cd8afb858ee1)

Two (#u90f2524c-8e0b-53d5-81ca-08bd4aa6bb4c)

Three (#u267b4fb3-32ea-5f9e-b9c4-d8ccb466fca8)

Four (#u378a8290-fe26-5dc9-a53e-6cdbe359f419)

Five (#litres_trial_promo)

Six (#litres_trial_promo)

Seven (#litres_trial_promo)

Eight (#litres_trial_promo)

Nine (#litres_trial_promo)

Ten (#litres_trial_promo)

Eleven (#litres_trial_promo)

Twelve (#litres_trial_promo)

Thirteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Epilogue (#litres_trial_promo)

Extract (#litres_trial_promo)

Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)


One (#ulink_31c16c9d-e25e-5774-89de-5db140c9f51c)

By the time Gage Branson’s tires hit the Dallas city limits, Arwen had started howling along with the radio. Not for the first time since leaving Austin, Gage questioned the wisdom of bringing his dog on a business trip.

Of course, it wasn’t a normal business trip—unless showing up at your ex-girlfriend’s office building unannounced and uninvited counted as customary. And Arwen wasn’t a normal dog. She was his best buddy, and the one and only time he’d left her at one of those pet hotels, she’d refused to speak to him for a week.

Arwen shared Gage’s love of the open road and honestly, he didn’t mind the company as he drove to Dallas to collect a long overdue debt from the CEO of Fyra Cosmetics.

GB Skin for Men, the company he’d just pushed into the billion-dollar-a-year category, had enjoyed a good run as the top skin-care line of choice for the discerning guy who spends time in the elements: professional athletes, outdoorsmen, even the occasional lumberjack.

Gage had spent millions designing a new product to heal scars. The product’s launch a month ago had outperformed his carefully executed publicity strategy. GB Skin instantly cornered the market. But now his former lover’s company was poised to steal his success out from under him with a product of their own. That wasn’t going to happen.

A Black Keys song blasted through the speakers and the howling grew unbearable.

“Arwen! Really. Shut up.”

She cocked her ginger-colored head and eyed Gage.

“Yeah, never mind,” Gage grumbled good-naturedly and flicked off the music.

The exit for Central Expressway loomed and Gage steered the Hummer north. He drove a few miles and before long, he rolled into the parking lot at the headquarters for Fyra Cosmetics.

Nice. Of course, he’d done an internet search for pictures before driving up from Austin. Just to check out the company Cassandra Claremont had built alongside her business partners–slash–friends after graduating from the University of Texas. But the internet hadn’t done justice to the sharply modern, glass and steel, five-story building. Cass’s multimillion-dollar cosmetics company lived and breathed inside these walls, and the deep purple Fyra logo dominated the landscape.

“Stay here and keep your paws off the gearshift,” he muttered to Arwen and got the trademark vizsla smile for his trouble. It was a cool day, so he parked in the shade and left her in the car with the windows cracked.

Cass had done very well for herself thanks to him. Gage had been her mentor for eight months and turnabout was fair play. She owed him. And he’d help her see that by reminding her of how he’d guided her at a time when she had no idea how to navigate the shark-infested waters of the cosmetics industry.

With any luck, Cass would be curious enough to see him on short notice. Gage couldn’t call ahead and lose the advantage of surprise. Not when he was here to get his hands on Cass’s secret formula.

So secret, he shouldn’t even know about it since it wasn’t on the market yet. His sources had whispered in his ear about a miracle formula developed in Fyra’s labs that worked with a body’s natural healing properties to eliminate wrinkles and scars. His intel adamantly insisted it was better than his. And he wanted it.

You didn’t spring that kind of request on anyone over the phone, not even a former girlfriend. They hadn’t even spoken in eight or nine years. Nine. Maybe it was closer to ten.

“Gage Branson. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

The husky feminine voice raked over Gage from behind before he’d managed to get ten feet from the Hummer.

He spun to face the speaker and did a double take. “Cass?”

“Last time I checked.” High-end sunglasses covered her eyes, but her tone conveyed a hint of cool amusement just fine. “Did I leave my face in my other purse again?”

“No, your face is right where I left it.” Gorgeous and attached to a hell of a woman.

But this überchic version in five-inch heels and a sexy suit with cutaway panels at her hips did not resemble the Cassandra Claremont who lived in his memories. Her voice wasn’t even the same. But something about the way she held herself was very familiar. Confidence and the ever-present “look but don’t you dare touch” vibe had always been a huge part of her attractiveness.

Obviously he hadn’t changed much since graduate school if she’d recognized him from behind.

“Moving into the dog transportation business, are you?” she asked blithely.

He glanced at the Hummer. “You mean Arwen? Nah. She’s just company for the drive. I came up from Austin to see you, actually. Surprise.”

“Do you have an appointment?”

The lack of question in that question said she already knew the answer. And wasn’t planning to adjust her calendar one tiny bit, even for an old boyfriend. He’d change that soon enough.

“I was hoping you’d see me without one.” He grinned, just to keep things friendly. “You know, for old times’ sake.”

His grin grew genuine as he recalled those old times. Lots of late-night discussions over coffee. Lots of inventive ploys to get Cass’s clothes off. Lots of hot and truly spectacular sex when she finally gave in to the inevitable.

She pursed her lips. “What could we possibly have to say to each other?”

Plenty. And maybe a whole lot more than he’d originally come to say. Now that he was here and had an eyeful of the new, grown-up Cass, a late-night dinner and a few drinks with a former lover had suddenly appeared on his schedule for the evening.

Everyone here was an adult. No reason they couldn’t separate business from pleasure.

“For one, I’d like to say congratulations. Long overdue, I realize,” he threw in smoothly. “I’ve been following along from afar and what you’ve accomplished is remarkable.”

Once her name had been dropped in his lap as a potential game changer, he’d searched the internet for details, first with an eye toward how well she was executing his advice and eventually because he couldn’t stop. Strangely, he’d liked seeing her picture, liked remembering their relationship. She was one of a small handful of women from his past that he recalled fondly, and for a guy who held on to very little in his life, that was saying something.

“Thank you.” She inclined her head graciously. “It was a group effort.”

He waited for her to say she’d been following his entrepreneurial trajectory in kind. Maybe a congrats or two on the major retail distribution deals he’d scored in the past few years. An attaboy for Entrepreneurs of America naming him Entrepreneur of the Year. If nothing else, Fyra’s CEO should be brushing up on her competition the way he had.

Nada. She hadn’t been a little curious about what he’d been up to? Was their time together such a blip in her life that she’d truly not cared?

But then, their affair had been brief, by design. Once he’d escaped his restrictive childhood home and overprotective parents, he’d vowed to never again let his wings be clipped. He owed it to his brother, Nicolas, to live on the edge, no regrets. To experience all the things his brother never would thanks to a drunk driver. Sticking to one woman didn’t go with that philosophy and Gage liked his freedom as much—or more—than he liked women, which meant he and Cass had parted ways sooner rather than later, no harm, no foul. He could hardly blame her for not looking back.

“Come on.” He waved off her “group effort” comment. “You’re the CEO. We both know that means you call the shots.”

She crossed her arms over that sexy suit, drawing attention to her breasts. In spite of the cool breeze, the temperature inched up a few degrees.

“Yes. Because someone has to. But Trinity, Harper, Alex and I run this company together. We’re all equal owners.”

Yeah, he’d figured she’d say that. The four women had been inseparable in college and it wasn’t hard to imagine they’d extended their tight circle into the company they’d created together. Fortunately, he’d always gotten along with the quartet of savvy females, but Cass was the one he had his sights set on. She’d make this deal happen.

“Can we take this inside?” Hoping she’d like the idea of getting behind closed doors as much as he did, he sidled closer. “I’d like to catch up.”

“Gage.”

Her husky voice wound through him as she moved closer in kind, tilting her head toward his in a way that shouldn’t feel as intimate as it did. A hint of jasmine filtered through his senses and it was a powerful punch. “Yeah, Cass?”

“You can save the ‘Kumbaya,’” she murmured. “You’re here because you’ve heard about Fyra’s breakthrough formula and you want it.”

Back to business, then.

He grinned and reined in his thundering pulse. Going toe-to-toe with Cass was such a turn-on. Smart, sexy women who didn’t take any crap had always floated his boat. “Am I that easy to read?”

Cass laughed in his ear, a throaty sound he instantly wanted to hear again. “I’m afraid so. Sorry you’ve wasted your time. The formula is not for sale.”

All right, then. Cass needed persuasion to see how his tutelage had launched her into the big leagues. He’d anticipated that.

“Of course it isn’t. Not to the rest of the world. But I’m not one of the masses,” he reminded her. “I’m not unreasonable. I’ll pay fair market value.”

He turned his head at just the right angle to almost bring their lips together. The pull between them was magnetic, and he nearly forgot for a second that he’d instigated this sensual tease to get him closer to his goal—the formula.

She didn’t flinch, holding herself rock steady. “You think you have special rights because of our former relationship? Think again.”

His element of surprise hadn’t worked to catch her off guard and, for some reason, that made her twice as attractive. Or maybe the unexpected draw had come about because they were equals now. It was an interesting shift in their dynamic he hadn’t expected, and it was throwing him off.

So he’d up his game. Gage had never met a woman he couldn’t charm. When he wanted something, he got it. “That’s no way to talk to an old friend.”

If he moved an inch, they’d be touching. He almost did it, curious if she still felt the same—soft, exciting and warm. Except he had the distinct impression Cass was all business and little pleasure these days. And that she wasn’t interested in mixing them up.

“Is that what we are?”

There came that sexy laugh again and it did a powerful number on his already-primed lower half. She really shouldn’t be so intriguing, not with his agenda and the lost element of surprise. But all of that actually heightened his sense of awareness, and he had a sharp desire to get under her skin the same way she’d managed to get under his.

“Friends. Former lovers. At one time, mentor and student.”

“Mmm. Yes.” She cocked her head. “You’ve taught me a lot. So much that I’m running a successful company I need to get back to. You’ll excuse my rudeness if I request you make an appointment. Like anyone else who wants to talk business.”

All at once, her heat vanished as she pulled away and clacked toward the entrance to her building. Ouch. He’d been relegated to the ranks of “anyone else.”

He let her go. For now.

There was no way a former pupil of his was going to take away even a single point of his market share, and he’d pay handsomely to ensure it. But one had to do these things with finesse.

Remind her of what you’ve done for her. Remind her how good it was.

The voice in his head was his own conscience. Probably. But sometimes he imagined it was Nicolas guiding him from beyond the veil. A big brother’s advice in times of need, which usually led Gage down the path of living life to the fullest. Because Nicolas couldn’t.

The philosophy had never steered Gage wrong before.

He wasn’t about to stop listening to sound advice now, especially when it aligned with what he wanted. Cass clearly needed a good, solid reminder of how tight they’d been. So tight, he knew every inch of her body.

Your best strategy is to use pleasure to influence business.

Nicolas had spoken. And that pretty much solidified Gage’s next steps because that genie wasn’t going back in the bottle. He wanted her. And her formula. If he did it right, one would lead to the other.

He gave her a good five minutes and went after her.

Turnabout was fair play in love and cosmetics.

* * *

Hands shaking, Cass strode to her office and checked her strength before she slammed the door behind her. That would only invite questions and she had no answers for why her entire body still pumped with adrenaline and...other things she’d rather not examine.

Okay, that was a flat-out lie. Gage Branson was the answer, but why seeing him again so severely affected her after all of this time—that she couldn’t explain.

God, that smile rocked her to the core, even all these years later. And his still-amazing body had been hidden underneath casual-Friday dress, when it should clearly be on display in a pinup calendar. He’d always had the messiest, most casually cut hair that somehow managed to look delicious on him. Still did. Oh, yes, he was just as sexy and charismatic as he’d always been and she hated that she noticed. Hated that he could still put a quiver in her abdomen. Especially after what he’d done.

Breathe. Gage was just a guy she used to know. Put that on repeat a thousand times and maybe she’d finally believe it. Except he wasn’t just a guy from college; that was the problem.

Gage Branson had broken her.

Not just her heart, but her. Mind, body and soul. She’d fallen so hard for him that the splat hadn’t even registered. Until he casually declared their relationship over, and did she want the clothes back that she’d left at his place?

Nine years later and she was still powerless to move on, unable to fall in love again, incapable of forgetting and far too scarred to forgive. And that’s why her hands were still shaking. Pathetic.

The only positive was she felt certain Gage hadn’t picked up on her consternation. God forbid he figure out how greatly he’d affected her. Emotions had no place here, not at work, not in her personal life. No place. That’s the most important lesson she’d learned from her former mentor. Thankfully, he’d taken her advice to make an appointment without too much protest, giving her much-needed regroup time.

Her phone beeped, reminding her she had five minutes until the meeting she’d called would begin. Five minutes to put her thoughts together about how Fyra should handle the leak in the company. Someone reprehensible had publicized Harper’s nanotechnology breakthrough before they’d even gotten FDA approval or a patent. Five minutes, when she should have had an hour, but didn’t because of the car wreck on Central and the surprise appearance of the man who’d laced her nightmares for nearly a decade.

And maybe a few need-soaked dreams. But he didn’t have to know about that.

Great. This was exactly what she needed, a come-to-Jesus meeting with Trinity, Harper and Alex so soon after locking horns with the offspring of Satan. Who was here strictly because of a leak that never should have happened.

Well, she’d have to get her wild swing of emotions under control. Now. It wasn’t as though she didn’t already know how she felt about the leak—sick, furious and determined to find the source. They’d not only lost a potential competitive advantage, until they figured out who had spilled, there was also no guarantee the same person wouldn’t leak the secret formula—or steal it.

But five minutes was scarcely enough time to settle her racing heart before waltzing into a room with her best friends, who would see immediately that Something Had Happened. They’d probably also realize “Something” had a man’s name all over it.

Working with people who’d held your hair when you drank too much and borrowed your clothes and sat with you in a tight huddle at your grandfather’s funeral meant few secrets. Most of the time, Cass appreciated that. Maybe not so much today.

In the bathroom, she patted her face with a blotting cloth and fixed her makeup, which was equal parts wardrobe and armor.

No one saw through Cass when she had her face on—with the right makeup, no one had to know you were hurting. The philosophy born out of the brokenness Gage had left her with had grown into a multimillion-dollar company. Best Face Forward wasn’t just the company tagline, it was Cass’s personal motto.

No man would ever put a crack in her makeup again.

Fortified, Cass pasted on a cool smile and exited the bathroom. Only to run smack into Fyra’s receptionist, Melinda. Her wide eyes spelled trouble as she blurted out, “There’s an extremely persistent man at the front desk who seems to believe you have an appointment with him.”

Gage. When she’d said make an appointment, she meant for later. Much later.

Her not-so-settled nerves began to hum. “I don’t have an appointment with him. I have a meeting.”

“I told him that. But he insisted that you’d scheduled time with him, and he drove all the way from Austin.” Melinda lowered her voice. “He was very apologetic and sweet about it. Even asked if there was a possibility you accidentally double booked your appointments.”

Did his audacity have no end?

The stars in Melinda’s eyes were so bright, it was a wonder she could still see around Gage’s charm. Well, Cass didn’t suffer from the same affliction. “When have I ever done that?”

“Oh, I know. Never.” Her shoulders ducked slightly. “But I...well, he asked if I’d mind checking with you and he just seems so sincer—”

“Why is Gage Branson in our reception area?” Trinity Forrester, Fyra’s chief marketing officer, snapped, her short, dark hair nearly bristling with outrage. Since Trinity possessed the main shoulder Cass had cried on back in college, the statement was laced with undercurrents of the “hold me back before I cut off his fingers with a dull blade” variety.

Cass stifled a sigh. Too late to have Melinda throw him out before anyone saw him. “He’s here with a business proposition. I’ll take care of it.”

As the woman in charge, she should have taken care of it in the parking lot once she’d figured out he wanted her formula. But he’d been so... Gage, with his wicked smile. He fuzzled her mind and that was not okay.

This was strictly business and she would die before admitting she couldn’t handle a competitor sniffing around her territory.

“That’s right.” Trinity crossed her arms with a smirk. “You take care of it. You toss him out on his well-toned butt. Shame such a prime specimen of a man is riddled with health problems.”

Melinda’s gaze bounced back and forth between her employers, clearly fascinated by the exchange. “Really? What’s wrong with him?” she asked in a stage whisper.

“He’s got terrible allergies to commitment and decency,” Trinity explained. “And Cass is going to hand him his hat with class. Can I watch?”

Strangling over a groan, Cass shook her head. This was her battle, and there was no way she’d deal with Gage for a second time today in front of a bevy of onlookers. “It’s better if I talk to him in my office. Trinity, can you tell Alex and Harper I’ll be there in a few minutes?”

Trinity harrumphed but edged away as Cass stared her down. “Okay. But if you’re robbing us of the show, you better come prepared to spill all the details.”

With Melinda dogging her steps—because the receptionist likely didn’t want to miss a thing at this point—Cass marched to the reception area.

Arms crossed and one hip leaning on the desk as if he owned it, Gage glanced toward her as she entered, his deep hazel eyes lighting up at the sight of her. His slow smile set off a tap dance in her abdomen. Which was not okay. It was even less okay than his ability to fuzzle her mind.

Steeling her spine against the onslaught of Gage’s larger-than-life personality, she jerked her head toward the hallway. “Five minutes, Mr. Branson. I’m late for a board meeting.”

“Mr. Branson. I like the sound of that,” he mused, winking. “Respect where respect is due.”

Flirting came so naturally to him, she wondered if he even realized when he was doing it. She rolled her eyes and turned her back on his smug face, taking off toward her office in hopes he’d get lost.

He drew abreast with little effort, glancing down at her because he still topped her by several inches no matter how high her heels were, dang it. His powerful masculinity dominated the small hallway that had always seemed quite large enough for every other person who’d accompanied her to her office.

“Trying to score the first one-minute mile? You can’t outrun me barefoot, let alone while wearing icepick stilettos.” He eyed them appreciatively, his too-long hair flopping over his forehead. “Which I like, by the way.”

Her toes automatically curled inside her shoes as heat swept over her skin. “I didn’t wear them for you.”

Why had she thought taking care of this in her office was a good idea? She should have gone to her board meeting and had Melinda tell Gage to take a hike.

But he would have just shown up over and over again until she agreed to an appointment.

So she’d get rid of him once and for all.


Two (#ulink_198052be-ba02-5865-b65d-9bd90059333f)

When she halted by her open office door, Gage raised a brow as he read its deep purple placard. “Chief enhancement officer?”

His amused tone rankled but she just smiled and silently dared him to do his worst. “Branding. We put incredibly careful thought into every single aspect of this business. Seems like I had a mentor once who taught me a few things about that.”

He grinned in return and didn’t acknowledge her sarcasm. Nor did he say a word about her outstretched arm, choosing to humor her and enter first as she’d meant him to, but he didn’t miss the opportunity to brush her, oh, so casually. She pretended the skin he’d just touched wasn’t tingling.

“Yeah, we did have a few lively discussions about business strategies,” he mused. “Branding is why I drive a green Hummer, by the way.”

Cass had decorated her office with the same trademark Fyra deep purple hue, down to the glass-topped desk and expensive woven carpet under it. He took it all in with slightly widened eyes.

“Because you want everyone to see it and think GB Skin has zero environmental consciousness and its owner is obnoxious?” she asked sweetly before he could make a crack about her decor.

Sleek and modern, the offices had been decorated by an expensive, trendy uptown firm. It had cost a pretty penny, but the results had been worth it. This company was hers, from the baseboards to the ceiling and she loved it. They’d moved to this building three years ago, once Fyra posted its first annual revenue of fifty million dollars. That was when she knew they were going to make it.

She’d do whatever she needed to do in order to keep her company alive.

He laughed as he slid into a purple chair and then swept her with a pointed once-over. “You know the name of my company. I was starting to think you didn’t care.”

How did he manage to make understanding the competitive landscape sound so...personal? It was a skill he’d clearly bargained with the devil to obtain.

“I’m good at what I do. Of course I know the names of my competitors.” Cass remained standing near the door. Which she pointedly left open. “You’ve got your appointment. And about three minutes to tell me why you didn’t take the no I gave you earlier and run back to Austin.”

Casually, he swiveled his chair to face her and waved a hand to the empty chair next to him. “Sit and let’s talk.”

She didn’t move. There was no way she could be in close quarters with him, not on the heels of their earlier encounter when he’d barely breathed on her and still managed to get her hot and bothered. At least by the door, she had a shot at retaining the upper hand. “No, thanks. I’m okay.”

“You can’t keep standing. That tactic only works if you inflict it on someone other than the person who taught it to you,” he said mildly.

The fact that he saw through her only made it worse.

“Really, Gage,” she snapped. “Fyra’s executives are waiting in a boardroom for the CEO to arrive. Cut the crap. Why are you here?”

His expression didn’t change. “The rumors about your formula are true, right?”

She crossed her arms over the squiggle in her stomach. “Depends on what you’ve heard.”

“Revolutionary is the word being thrown around,” he said with a shrug. “I’ve heard the formula works with your natural stem cells to regenerate skin, thus healing scars and eliminating wrinkles. Nanotech at its finest.”

She kept her expression schooled, but only just. “I can neither confirm nor deny that.”

Her lungs hitched as she fought to draw a breath without alerting Gage to her distress. The leak was worse than they’d assumed. When Trinity had stormed into Cass’s office yesterday to show Cass the offending blurb in an online trade magazine, she’d read the scant few lines mentioning Fyra’s yet-to-be released product with horror. But it could have been so much worse, they’d assured each other. The trade magazine had few details, especially about the nanotechnology, and they’d hoped that had been the extent of the information that had traveled beyond their walls.

Apparently not.

It was a disaster. Full-blown, made even worse by Gage’s arrival on the scene.

Gage watched her carefully, his sharp gaze missing nothing. “But if my intel is correct, a formula like that might be worth about a hundred million or so. Which I’m prepared to pay.”

Oh, no, he had not just dropped that sum on her. She shut her eyes for a blink. Money like that was serious business, and as the CEO, she had to take his offer to the others for due consideration.

But she knew her friends. They’d agree with her that the formula was priceless. “I told you, the formula isn’t for sale.”

He stood suddenly and advanced on her, clearly over the power play she’d instigated by standing by the door. The closer he got, the harder her pulse pounded, but she blinked coolly as if lethally sexy men faced her down on a daily basis.

“It’s smart business to consider all opportunities,” he said as he leaned against the doorjamb not two feet from her. “If you sell, you don’t have to worry about little things like FDA approval and production costs and false-claim lawsuits. You just roll around in your millions and leave the hard work to someone else.”

The scent of clean forest and man wafted in her direction.

“I’m not afraid of hard work,” she stated firmly as she fought to keep from stepping back, out of the line of his masculine fire. It was a battle of wills, and if she fled, he’d figure out how much he truly affected her.

The man was a shaman, mystical and charismatic. One glance, and she’d follow him into his world of hedonistic pleasure. Or at least that had been true in college. She’d learned a few tricks of her own since then, along with developing a shield around her fragile interior.

His gaze held her captive as he reached out and tucked a chunk of hair behind her ear, his fingers lingering far longer than they should have.

“What are you afraid of?” he asked softly, his expression morphing into something almost...warm.

You. She swallowed. Where had that come from? Gage didn’t scare her. What scared her was how easily she forgot to control her emotions around him.

This cat-and-mouse game had veered into dangerous territory.

“Taxes,” she muttered inanely and ignored the way her pulse raced.

When was the last time she’d been touched? Months and months. She’d developed a reputation among single men in Dallas as a man-eater and unfortunately, that just made her even more popular as men vied for her attention so they could claim victory. Mostly she just shut them down because the whole scene exhausted her.

And she couldn’t lose sight of the fact that the reason she chewed up men and spit them out was staring her in the face. He was very dangerous indeed if she’d forgotten for a second the destruction he’d caused.

And that’s when it hit her. She was handling Gage all wrong.

This wasn’t college and Gage wasn’t her mentor. They were equals. And he was on her turf. That meant she called the shots.

If he wanted to play, she’d play.

* * *

Once Gage had tucked the errant lock of hair behind her ear, he’d run out of legitimate excuses to have his hands on her. Which didn’t keep him from silently running through a litany of illegitimate excuses.

“Gage,” she murmured throatily and the base of his spine heated. “The formula’s not for sale. I have a board meeting. Seems like we’re done here...unless you’ve got a better offer?”

Her eyelids lowered to half-mast and she didn’t move, but the sensual vibe emanating from her reached out and wrapped around him, drawing him in. Those cutaway panels at her waist would fit his palms perfectly and with any luck, the mesh inserts would allow him to feel her while fully clothed. The thought sent a rush of blood through his veins and the majority of it ended up in a good, solid erection that got very uncomfortable, very fast.

“I just might have something in mind,” he said, his vocal chords scraping the low end of the register. God, she’d even affected his voice.

Down boy. Remind her why the formula is for sale...but only to you.

Yeah, he needed to get back on track, pronto, and stop letting her get into his head. He dropped his hand but leaned into her space to see about turning those tables on her. “You’re doing amazing things here, Cass. I’m proud of what you’ve accomplished.’

Wariness sprang into her gaze as she processed his abrupt subject change. “Thank you. I’m proud of what the girls and I have built.”

He crossed his arms before an errant finger could trail down the line of her throat. Because his lower half wasn’t getting the message that the goal here was to get her hot and flustered. Not the other way around. “Remember that project I helped you with for Dr. Beck’s class?”

That was before they’d started sleeping together. He didn’t recall being so magnetically attracted to Cass back then. Sure he’d wanted to get her naked. But at twenty-four, he’d generally wanted women naked. These days, his taste was a bit more refined, but no woman he’d dated over the years had gotten him this hooked, this fast.

Of course, he never looked up his old girlfriends. Maybe any former lover would affect him the same. But he couldn’t imagine that would be true.

Her eyes narrowed a touch. “The project where I created a new company on paper, complete with a marketing plan and logo and all of that?”

“That’s the one,” he said easily. “You got an A plus, if memory serves. Except you didn’t do that alone. I was right there every step of the way. Guiding you. Teaching you. Infusing you with CEO superpowers.”

In fact, he’d done such a good job, here he was smack in the middle of her corporation negotiating over a Fyra product that was better than his. He appreciated the irony.

An indulgent smile bloomed on her face and he didn’t mistake it for a friendly one. “Nothing wrong with your memory. As much as I’m enjoying this trip down memory lane, if you have a point, now would be the time to make it.”

“Your success here...” He waved a hand at her office without taking his eyes off her. “Is amazing. Your C-suite is unparalleled. But you didn’t get here without me. I’m a big factor in your success.”

“Yes, you are,” she agreed readily. Too readily. “You taught me some of the most important lessons I’ve learned thus far in my life. Fyra’s business philosophy grew 100 percent out of my experience with you.”

She blinked and undercurrents flowed between them but hell if he could figure out what they were. Regardless, it was a great segue. Exactly what he’d hoped for.

“I’m glad you agree. That’s why I’m here. To collect on that long-outstanding debt.”

“Oh, really?” Her head tilted slightly as she contemplated him. “Do tell.”

“You know what I’m talking about. Without me, Fyra might never have existed. You might never have achieved your goals, particularly not to this degree. Don’t you think turnabout is fair play?”

“Hmm.” She touched a finger to her cheek. “Turnabout. Like I owe you for what you’ve done. That’s an interesting concept. It’s kind of like karma, in a way.”

“Kind of.”

But he didn’t like the comparison, not the way she said it. Karma was rarely a word used in the context of reward. More like you were getting what you deserved.

“What I’m saying,” he interjected smoothly before this conversation went in a direction he didn’t like. “Is that I want to buy your formula. My role in your success should be a factor in your decision-making process. In all fairness, you do owe me. But I’m fair, too. I’m not asking you to give me the formula for old times’ sake. One hundred million dollars is a lot of tit for tat.”

He watched her as she filtered through his argument, but her expression remained maddeningly blank.

“Here’s the thing, Gage.” She leaned in, wafting a whole lot of woman in his direction. “You did teach me and I’m grateful. But you must have been sick the day they taught corporate structure, so I’ll clue you in. Again. I’m a quarter owner in Fyra. We’re missing three-quarters of the decision makers, none of whom owe you a thing. I’ll take your offer for the formula to the board and we’ll consider it. Period. That’s how business works.”

Her mouth was set so primly, he had the insane urge to kiss her. But they were just getting into the meat of this and he needed to hone his focus. Not lose it entirely.

So he grinned instead and waved off her protest. “Not in the real world, honey. You need to get out more if that’s your best line of defense. Deals are done and undone across the globe based on exactly that. Companies don’t make decisions. People do and rarely are they united.”

“Fyra is,” she insisted. “We’re a team.”

“I hope that’s true,” he said sincerely. “If so, then it’s in your best interests to convince them to sell. How would they feel about their CEO not honoring this lingering debt?”

Her brows drew together but it was the only outward sign she gave that she’d heard the underlying message. This was business at its core and he was not leaving Dallas without that formula. It had become more than just about ensuring Fyra didn’t take any of his market share. GB Skin was number one for a reason and he liked being the top dog. His products should be the best on the market and Fyra’s formula would put him there—assuming it checked out like he thought it would.

Not to mention that Cass’s stubbornness had piqued his.

“Threats, Gage?” Her laugh thrummed through him. “You gonna tattle to my partners about how naughty I am?”

He nearly groaned at her provocative tone.

“Nothing so pedestrian.” He shifted a touch closer because he liked the scent of her, tightening the cross of his arms. Just to keep his hands where they belonged. “I wouldn’t go behind your back to manipulate the other executives. This is your cross to bear, and I’m simply pointing out that you don’t want this on your conscience. Do you?”

“My conscience is quite clear, thanks.” Her gaze fastened firmly on his, she crossed her arms in a mirror of his pose, intentionally sliding her elbow across his. And then hung around, brushing arms deliberately. “I’ll take your offer to the others. Shall I show you the way out or can you find it yourself?”

Heat flashed where they touched. “As you’re late for a board meeting where I suspect one of the topics will be the offer in question, I’ll see myself out.”

She didn’t move, still partially blocking the open doorway. On purpose. So he’d have to slide by her like he’d done when he entered the room, to show she had his number and that whatever he dished out, he should expect to have served right back. It almost pulled an appreciative chuckle out of him but he caught it at the last second. Cass had grown up in many intriguing ways and this battle was far from over.

No point in letting her believe she had a chance in hell of winning.

So close to her that he could easily see the lighter colored flecks of blue in her irises, he palmed those cut-away panels at her waist like he’d been itching to do for an eternity and drew her against him. Yes, she was still as warm as he remembered and he ached to pull the pins from her tight blond chignon to let it rain down around her shoulders.

He leaned in, nearly nuzzling her ear with his lips. Her quick intake of breath was almost as thrilling as the feel of her skin through the panels. Instead of pulling her toward him like he wanted to, he pivoted and hustled her back a step into her office.

“Tell the girls I said hi,” he murmured and let her go. Though where he found the willpower, he had no idea.

She nodded, her expression blank. He was so going to enjoy putting a few more cracks in her newly found ice-goddess exterior when they next met.


Three (#ulink_486ad311-bf01-5754-a490-01867fff2dd3)

Cass blew out the breath she’d been holding. Which didn’t help either her shakes or her thundering pulse.

That hadn’t gone down quite like she would have hoped. She and Gage might be equals now but that hadn’t afforded her any special magic to keep her insides under control.

But Gage had left and that seemed like a small win.

Except now she had to go into that board meeting, where Trinity had most definitely told the others who Cass was meeting with. So she would have to give them the whole story, including his ridiculous offer for the formula.

Of all the nerve. Telling her she owed him the formula because he’d given her a few pointers once upon a time. Oh, she owed him all right, but more like a fat lip. Fyra’s success had nothing to do with Gage.

Well, the broken heart he’d left her with had driven her for a long time. But she’d succeeded by her own merit, not because he’d mentored her.

If anyone decided to sell the formula, it would be because it made sound business sense. Like she’d told him. She squared her shoulders and went to her meeting in the large, sunny room at the end of the hall.

The other three women in the C-suite ringed the conference table as the governing forces of the company they’d dubbed Fyra, from the Swedish word for four. Alex Meer ran the numbers as the chief financial officer, Dr. Harper Livingston cooked up formulas in her lab as the chief science officer, Trinity Forrester convinced consumers to buy as the chief marketing officer and Cass held the reins.

All three of her friends looked up as she entered, faces bright with expectation.

“He’s gone. Let’s get started.” Cass set down her phone and tablet, then slid into her customary chair.

“Not so fast,” Trinity said succinctly. “We’ve been sitting here patiently waiting for juicy details, remember?”

They’d all been friends a long time. Juicy details meant they wanted to know how she felt about seeing Gage again. Whether she wanted to punch him or just go in the corner and cry. What was he up to and had they talked about their personal lives?

She didn’t have the luxury of burdening her friends with any of that because they were also her business partners. There was no room at this conference table for her emotional upheaval.

“He wants to buy Formula-47. Offered one hundred million,” she said bluntly. Better to get it out on the table. “I told him it wasn’t for sale. That’s the extent of it.”

Harper’s grin slipped as she wound her strawberry blond ponytail around one finger, an absent gesture that meant her brilliant mind was blazing away. “That’s hardly the extent. What’s the damage? Did he hear about my formula from the trade article?”

“No.” Cass hated to have to be the bearer of bad news, but they had to know. “His information was much more detailed. Which means the leak is worse than we thought.”

Hearing her own words echo in her head was almost as bad as a physical blow.

“What’s wrong?” Trinity asked immediately, her dark head bent at an angle as she evaluated Cass. “Did Gage get to you?”

Dang it. It had taken all of fourteen seconds for the woman who’d been Cass’s best friend since eleventh grade to clue in on the undercurrents. That man had put a hitch in her stride and it was unforgivable.

“I’m concerned about the leak. That’s it. Forget about Gage. I already have,” she lied.

Trinity’s eyes narrowed but she didn’t push, thank God. Gage’s timing was horrific. Why had he waltzed back into her life during such a huge professional catastrophe?

Alex, the consummate tomboy in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, fiddled with her ever-present pen, tapping it against the legal pad on the conference table in front of her. “A hundred million is worth considering, don’t you think?”

Instantly, Harper shook her head so hard, her ponytail flipped over her shoulder. Trinity and Cass scowled at Alex, who shrank under the heat of their gazes, but didn’t recant her traitorous statement.

“Worth considering?” Cass’s stomach contracted sharply as she took in the seriousness of Alex’s expression. How could she be talking about selling so coolly? To Cass, it would be like selling her own child. “Are you out of your mind?”

“Shouldn’t we consider a lucrative income stream when it’s presented?” Alex argued. “We can’t categorically dismiss that kind of paycheck.”

They could when it was coming out of the bank account of the man who had destroyed Cass. Didn’t that matter?

“Wait just a darn minute, Ms. Moneybags.” Harper rounded on Alex, who shrank a bit under the redhead’s scowl. “Formula-47 is my baby, not yours. I spent two years of my life perfecting it on the premise that we’d hinge our entire future strategy around the products we can create from the technology. If we sell it, we’re giving up rights to it forever for a lump sum. That’s not smart.”

Alex tapped her pen faster against the legal pad. “Not if we retain rights and structure the deal—”

“No one is structuring deals,” Cass broke in. “I only mentioned it because you needed to know. Gage’s offer will vanish instantly if the leak shares the formula’s recipe. And since we still don’t know who it is, we have to focus on that first.”

Alex firmed her mouth and nodded. “That’s true.”

“What did our lawyer say?” Trinity asked, raising her eyebrows as Cass blinked at her. “Didn’t you just come back from Mike’s office?”

“God, I’m sorry.” Cass slid down in her chair an inch in mortification. Gage had wiped that entire meeting out of her head. “Mike doesn’t think we can involve the police yet. The article didn’t contain enough detail and wouldn’t stand up in court as proprietary information. He advised us to file for FDA approval immediately, in hopes that will stem future information from being released prematurely. Until we find the leak, we can’t be too careful.”

She had to regain control now. Gage wasn’t a factor. Period.

“I’m not ready.” Harper shook her head mulishly. Careful and thorough might as well be tattooed on her forehead alongside her credentials, a valuable trait in a scientist who created the products with Fyra’s label on them. “This is our first product that requires FDA approval. We can’t rush it.”

“So our lawyer gave us advice we don’t plan to take.” Pradas flat on the ground, Trinity leaned on the table. “What else do we have on the agenda that we need to get busy shooting down?”

“The leak is the only thing on the agenda,” Cass said firmly.

Alex zeroed in on her. “What’s your plan for fixing this problem, then?”

“I’m still working on it.”

“You’re working on it.” Alex’s sarcastic tone couldn’t have conveyed her disbelief any more clearly. “You mean you don’t have something laid out already?”

Cass froze her muscles, a trick she’d perfected over the years. She refused to let on that Alex’s words had pierced her through the chest.

Alex’s point wasn’t lost on her. Cass should have a plan. But didn’t, which was the last thing she’d admit to these women who were looking to her for leadership. “I’ve got some ideas. Things in the works.”

“Things?” Trinity repeated incredulously.

Trinity and Alex glanced at each other and foreboding slid down Cass’s spine. She was losing her edge. And everyone knew she didn’t have a blessed clue how to handle this problem.

“I said I’ll take care of it,” Cass snapped and then immediately murmured an apology.

She couldn’t believe how the meeting had deteriorated, how much it hurt to have Alex on the other side of these critical company issues. There were fractures in Fyra she hadn’t known existed. Fractures in the relationships with her friends and business partners that scared her. Was Alex disputing her ideas because she had lost confidence in Cass’s ability to run Fyra?

And what was with that look Alex and Trinity had exchanged? Did they know Cass had lied about how much Gage had affected her? And Trinity hadn’t defended Cass, not when Gage’s offer had come up and not when Alex had attacked Cass for her lack of a plan.

It all rubbed at the raw place inside that Gage had opened up.

Cass cleared her throat and forced her CEO mask back into place. Emotions had no place in a boardroom, yet she’d been letting them run rampant thus far. It was much harder than she would have expected to shut it down given all the practice she had.

“I’ve got this,” she said a little more calmly. “Trust me. Nothing is more important than finding this leak. Let me take care of it.”

Trinity nodded. “Let’s meet again on Friday. You can give us a progress report then.”

Cass watched the other ladies stand and leave the conference room. No one said a word but the vote of no confidence rang out in the silence, nonetheless.

With the room empty, she let her forehead thunk the table but the wood didn’t cool her raging thoughts.

She needed a plan.

But Gage had messed her up. Of course he was the reason she’d slipped up in the board meeting. Why had he picked today to dismantle her careful facade?

Her head snapped up. What if the timing wasn’t coincidental? It had been bothering her how accurate his information was and how quickly on the heels of the trade article publication that he’d shown up. What if he’d planted someone in her company who was feeding him information and the mention of Fyra in the trade magazine had been designed to throw her off?

But why would he do that? He was already successful in his own right and he was willing to pay for the formula. It wasn’t as if he’d put a mole in her company in hopes of stealing it.

Or was it?

She had to make sure. She’d never forgive herself if she left that stone unturned.

She also had to make progress on discovering who the culprit was and the faster the better. If the leak heard the formula was worth one hundred million dollars to GB Skin, it was as good as stolen. And Gage probably wasn’t the only competitor willing to ante up.

Fyra needed Cass to step up, to lead this company. So she’d keep her friends close and her enemies closer, no matter what sort of distasteful cozying up to the CEO of GB Skin she’d have to do. After all, she did owe Gage Branson and it was time to pay him back.

He’d used her once upon a time. Turnabout was fair play in Gage’s book, was it? It was time for Cass to wholeheartedly embrace that mantra.

Whatever Gage’s game was, she’d uncover it. And maybe exact some revenge at the same time. Karma indeed.

* * *

Whistling as he rounded the Hummer’s bumper, Gage went over his pitch as he strolled toward the entrance to Fyra Cosmetics only one short day after running into Cass in the parking lot. After she’d kicked him out, he’d really expected to have to push her for another appointment. When she’d called, it had been a pleasant surprise.

The 9:00 a.m. appointment had been another one. Nice to be Cass’s first priority for the day. Apparently she’d thought about the logic of his offer overnight and was finally on board. Or the other executives had convinced her that selling him the formula did make for smart business, like he’d told Cass. Either way, the tide had turned.

Which was good because Arwen didn’t like the hotel, and she’d let Gage know about it. Loudly. He’d have to take her on a weekend camping trip to the Hill Country to make up for all of this. Hopefully, he could melt a little of the ice in Cass’s spine, close the deal and be back in Austin tomorrow.

Depending how things went with the ice melting, of course. If Cass was still as hot as he remembered under her new bulletproof CEO exterior, he might stick around for a couple of days. Arwen could rough it.

Cass didn’t make him cool his heels like he’d thought she would. After yesterday, with all the power plays disguised as flirting and Cass not letting him run roughshod over her, he’d come prepared for battle. Hell, he’d kind of looked forward to another game of one-upmanship. It was rare that a woman could match him.

She appeared in the reception area looking gorgeous and untouchable in another sharp suit with a microskirt, this time in eye-popping candy pink, and she’d swept up her hair into another severe bun-like thing held by lacquered chopsticks that he immediately wanted to take apart. Why was that so hot?

He dredged up a memory of her old look from college, which had largely consisted of yoga pants and hoodies, and he’d liked that, too. But this was something else. Something elemental. He wanted to explore this new Cass in the worst way.

“Good morning, Mr. Branson,” she said, though the frost in her tone told him she thought it was anything but. “This way.”

The chilly greeting and use of his last name put a grin on his face. So she planned to cross swords after all. Excellent.

This time, he didn’t even hesitate at the door of her office. No point in beating around the bush when the upper hand was still up for grabs. He waltzed into the middle of all that purple and plunked down into a chair. Happened to be the one behind the desk—Cass’s chair—but he figured that would be enough to get her into the room.

It was. She followed him into the interior, and without batting an eye, she crossed to the desk and perched on it. Two feet from his chair. Gaze squarely on Gage, she crossed her stocking-clad legs with a slow and deliberate slide and let her stilettos dangle. The little skirt rode up her thighs almost to the point of indecency.

His tongue went numb as all the blood rushed from his head, pooling into a spectacular hard-on. One tiny push with his heel and Cass’s chair would roll him into a proximity much better suited to enjoying the smorgasbord of delights inches away.

This was his punishment for stealing her chair? She clearly didn’t get how corporate politics, particularly between competitors, worked.

“Thanks for coming on short notice,” she purred and the subtle innuendo wasn’t lost on him.

“Thanks for having me,” he returned and cleared the rasp from his throat. Maybe she knew a little more about this game than he’d supposed. “You ready to talk details?”

“Sure, if you want to jump right into it.” She cocked her head, watching him. “The others don’t want to sell. But I’m willing to talk to them.”

Instantly suspicious, he grinned and crossed his arms, leaning back in the chair so he could see all of her at once. She was something else. “Along with what strings?”

“Oh, nothing much.” She waved a French-manicured hand airily and leaned forward, one palm on the desk. Her silky button-up shirt billowed a bit, just enough to draw his attention to her cleavage but not enough to actually show anything.

The anticipation of catching a glimpse of skin had his mouth watering.

“Name your price, Cass,” he murmured and wondered what she’d do if he pulled her off that desk into his lap. “I’m assuming one hundred million wasn’t enough?”

“Not quite. You also have to help me catch the leak first.”

His gaze snapped back up to her beautiful face as her meaning registered. “Help you catch the leak? You mean you haven’t already?”

Unacceptable. Hadn’t she learned anything important from him? Yesterday he sure would have said so, but obviously she needed a few more pointers about how to run her business.

“I have a plan,” she explained calmly. “And you’re it. Until the leak is stopped, Fyra can’t make a major decision like selling our formula. Surely you understand that.”

He did. This was a wrinkle he hadn’t anticipated. But what she was proposing—it meant he’d have to stay in Dallas longer than he’d anticipated. He ran a successful company, too, and it was suffering from his lack of attention. If he stayed, he’d have to ship Arwen home, which she’d never forgive him for.

“You should have already handled the leak,” he groused.

“I know.”

Her voice didn’t change. Her expression didn’t change. But something shifted as he realized how hard this conversation was for her. She hadn’t wanted to admit that.

Disturbed at the sudden revelation, he stared at her and his heart thumped strangely. He’d been so busy examining the angles, he’d failed to see this was actually just a baseline plea for help that she’d disguised well.

“Work with me, Gage. Together, like old times.”

She wanted to pick up where they left off. Maybe in more ways than one. The simple phrases reached out and grabbed hold of his lungs. It echoed through his mind, his chest, and the thought pleased him. Enormously.

It was a redo of college, where he was her mentor and she soaked it all up like a sponge with a side of hero worship that made him feel invincible. That had been a heady arrangement for a twenty-four-year-old. But they weren’t kids anymore.

And he didn’t for a moment underestimate Cass. She’d suggested this for some reason he couldn’t figure out yet. Which didn’t keep him from contemplating that redo. Who was he kidding? He’d wanted her the moment he’d turned around in the parking lot yesterday and gotten an eyeful of grown-up Cass. If he hung around and helped her, it gave him an opportunity to get her naked again.

And he could ensure the problem with the leak was handled like it should have been from the get-go. Not to mention he could dig a bit to uncover her real motives here.

Her eyes huge and warm, she watched him and he was lost. Dang. She’d played this extremely well. There was absolutely no way he could say no. He didn’t want to say no.

But a yes didn’t mean he’d do it without adding a few strings of his own.

“I’ll help you. Until Sunday. I have a meeting Monday that can’t be rescheduled.”

Her smile hit him crossways. And then it slipped from her face as he leaned forward oh-so-slowly. Mute, she stared at his hand as he braced it on the desk a millimeter from her thigh. He could slip a finger right under the hem of that tiny skirt. And his mind got busy on imagining where that would lead.

“But you have to do something for me,” he murmured. He got as close to her as he dared, crowding her space where all the trappings of business melted away and they were simply man and woman.

She smelled classy and expensive, and instantly he wanted that scent on his own skin, transferred by her body heat as she writhed under him. He could lean her back against that desk and at this angle, the pleasure would be intense. The image made him a little lightheaded as his erection intensified.

“I already said I’d talk to the others about selling you the formula,” she said a touch breathlessly, but to her credit, she didn’t allow one single muscle twitch to give away whether she welcomed his nearness or preferred the distance. “If we catch the leak.”

That ice-goddess routine needed to go, fast. That wasn’t going to happen here. Not under these circumstances. If he wanted to take things to the next level, he had to go bold or go home.

“Yes, but you’re doing that because deep down, you know you owe me. If I help you find the leak, you owe me again. Turnabout, sweetheart.”

“What do you want?”

Oh, where should I start? “Nothing you can’t handle.”

The knowing glint in her gaze said she already had a pretty good idea what gauntlet he was about to throw down. They stared at each other for a long moment and her breathing hitched as he reached out and slid a thumb along her jawline.

“You have to take me to dinner.”


Four (#ulink_676407b6-327f-5d29-9e76-7091e5b971c8)

Cass’s laughter bubbled to the surface in spite of it all. Gingerly she dabbed at her eyes without fear thanks to Harper’s smudge-proof mascara. “That’s what you want? Dinner?”

She’d been braced for...anything but that. Especially since she had the distinct impression he was working as many angles as she was.

His fingers dropped away, but her face was still warm where he’d stroked her. She missed his touch instantly.

Why had she thought sitting on the desk would give her an edge? Seemed so logical before she actually did it. Gage had taken her chair in deliberate provocation that she absolutely couldn’t ignore. So she’d trapped him behind the desk and put all her good stuff at eye level. It should have been the perfect distraction. For him. The perfect way to spend the entire conversation looking down at him, imagining that he was suffering over her brilliant strategic move.

Karma, baby.

Instead, she’d spent half of the conversation acutely aware that all her good stuff was at eye level. He’d noticed, quite appreciatively, and it hit her in places she’d forgotten that felt so good when heated by a man’s interest.

The other half of the conversation had been spent trying to stay one step ahead of Gage while feeding him the right combination of incentives to get him to agree to help. If he was up to no good, what better way to keep tabs on him than under the guise of working together to uncover the source of the leak? Besides, she hadn’t done so hot at resolving the leak on her own. If they kept their activities on the down-low, no one had to know she’d outsourced the problem.

If they caught the leak—and Gage wasn’t involved—she’d absolutely talk to the other girls about selling the formula. She hadn’t specified what she’d say...but she’d talk to them all right. The conversation might be more along the lines of no way in hell she’d sell, but he didn’t have to know that.

It was a win-win for everyone.

Crossing his heart with one lazy finger, he grinned. “Totally serious.”

“Dinner?” She pretended to contemplate. “Like a date?”

“Not like a date. A date. And you’re paying.”

A God-honest date? The idea buzzed around inside, looking for a place to land, sounding almost...nice. She’d love to have dinner over a glass of wine with an interesting man who looked at her like Gage was looking at her right now.

She shook it off. She couldn’t go on a real date with Gage Branson. It was ludicrous. The man was a heartbreaker of the highest order.

Instead, she should be thinking of how a date fell in line with her strategy. A little after-hours party, just the two of them. Some drinks and a few seductive comments and, oh, look. Gage slips and says something incriminating, like the name of the person he’d planted at her company. The one who was feeding him information he could use to his advantage.

And she would pretend she wasn’t sad it had to be this way.

Coy was the way to go here. But she had to tread very carefully with the devil incarnate. No point in raising his suspicions by agreeing to his deal right out of the gate. “What if I already have plans for dinner tonight?”

She did have plans. If working until everyone else left and then going home to her empty eight-thousand-square-foot house on White Rock Lake, where she’d open a bottle of wine and eat frozen pizza, counted as plans.

“Cancel them,” he ordered. “You’re too busy worrying about the leak to have fun, anyway. Have dinner with someone who gets that. Where you can unload and unwind without fear.”

“What makes you think I need to unwind?” she purred to cover the sudden catch in her throat. Had she tipped him off somehow that she was tense and frantic 24/7?

His slow smile irritated her. How dare he get to her?

“Oh, I’m practicing my mindreading skills,” he told her blithely. “I see that things are rough around here. You can’t be happy that word got out about your unreleased formula. You’re at a unique place in your career where you have millions of dollars and a large number of people’s jobs at stake. You want to keep it all together and convince everyone that you have things under control. With me, you don’t have to. I get it.”

Something inside crumbled under his assessment. Guess that shield she’d thought she’d developed wasn’t so effective after all. How was he still so good at reading her?

Now would be a good time for that distance she should have put between them long ago. She unglued herself from the desk and rounded it, an ineffective barrier against the open wounds in her chest but better than nothing. Let him make what he chose out of her move.

“You can’t come in here and throw around pop psychology,” she told him, pleased how calmly she delivered it. “You don’t know anything about me, Gage. Not anymore.”

Arms crossed, he watched her from behind her own desk, still wearing a faint trace of that smile. “Yet you didn’t say I was wrong.”

She shut her eyes for a beat. Dinner was going to be far more difficult than she’d anticipated.

If Gage was involved in corporate espionage, catching him in the act was the only way to prove to the others she could lead Fyra through these difficult circumstances. Plus it got rid of him, once and for all. His hundred-million-dollar offer wouldn’t be a factor and the leak would be stopped.

He’d get exactly what he deserved.

Then she could get started on getting over him—for real, this time. She could stop hating him. And stop being affected by him. And stop turning down every man who asked her out. The chaos inside with Gage’s name written all over it had driven her for so long. Wasn’t it time to move on? That was what she deserved.

“I’m not what you’d call a fun date,” she said. “I have a very boring life outside of these walls. Dinner is a chance to discuss the leak. Strictly business.”

A token protest. She knew good and well it was anything but.

“Is that really what you want, Cass?” he asked softly, as if he already knew the answer. “Because it sounds to me as if you need a friend.”

Of all the things she’d thought he come back with, that was not one of them. The laugh escaped her clamped lips before she could catch it. “What, like you’re volunteering? I have lots of friends, thanks.”

But did she really? This time last week, she would have said Trinity would take a bullet for her. They’d been friends for almost fifteen years. It still stung that no one had stood up for Cass in the board meeting, but Trinity’s silence had hurt the worst.

Alex’s defection was almost as bad.

Cass and Alex had met in a freshman-level algebra class. It had taken Cass four months to convince Alex she had what it took to be the CFO of a multimillion-dollar corporation and Cass had been right. Alex’s lack of confidence and all the talk of selling hurt.

Cass was afraid the cracks in Fyra’s foundation were really cracks in her foundation. The last person she could stomach finding out about the division in Fyra was Gage Branson, and it would be just like him to sniff out her weaknesses.

So she wouldn’t show him any.

“There’s always room for one more friend,” Gage countered softly. “In fact, I changed my mind. Let me take you to dinner and you can relax for a while. Wear a dress and we’ll leave our titles at the door.”

There he went again, working his magic because that sounded like the exact date she’d envisioned. He was the last man on earth she should be envisioning it with, though. “How do you know that’s what I need?”

“Cass. I know you. You can’t have changed too much over the years. At least I hope you haven’t.”

Before she could figure out how to respond to that, he rounded the desk and took her hand to hold it tight in his surprisingly smooth one. For a guy who’d always spent a lot of time outdoors, his skin should be rougher. It was a testament to GB Skin and the effectiveness of his products that it wasn’t.

She stared at his chiseled jaw, gorgeous hazel eyes and beautiful face framed by the longish brown hair he’d always favored and something unhitched in her chest.

Gage had broken her so thoroughly because she’d once given this man her soul.

That hadn’t been an accident. A mistake, surely, but not because she didn’t realize what she was doing. She’d fallen in love with Gage willingly. He’d filled her, completely. Because he understood her, believed in her. Taught her, pushed her, stimulated her.

All of it rushed back and she went a little dizzy with the memories of what had been holy and magnificent about their relationship.

“Say yes,” he prompted, squeezing her hand. “I promise not to mention how boring you are.”

Despite everything, she laughed, oddly grateful that he had figured out how to get her to.

“Yes,” she said. There’d really never been another choice. “But we split the check.”

He couldn’t be allowed to affect her. The good stuff about their relationship didn’t matter because at the end of the day, Gage didn’t do commitment and never would.

“That part’s nonnegotiable,” he said with a wicked smile. “I’m paying. After all, I bullied you into it.”

Mission accomplished. He had no clue he’d spent this entire conversation persuading her into exactly what she wanted to do. For that alone, she returned the smile. “You haven’t seen the price of the obscenely expensive wine I plan to order.”

“I’ll pick you up at eight,” he said, clearly happy to have gotten what he wanted, though why he considered dinner such a coup was beyond her. He had an angle here that she hadn’t yet discovered.

She watched him leave. That gave her nearly ten hours to figure out how to keep Gage at arm’s length while cozying up to him. Hours she’d use to figure out how to pump him for information while keeping him in the dark about her motives.

Ten hours to figure out how to seduce answers out of Gage Branson without falling for him all over again. All she had to do was focus on his sins and the rest would be a walk in the park.

* * *

Gage knocked on Cass’s door at seven fifty-five.

Nice place. A bit too glass-and-steel for his tastes but Cass’s house overlooked a big lake with a walking trail around it. His own house in Austin was near a lake. Funny how their tastes in views had aligned all these years later.

She swung open the door wearing a sheer lacy dress that hugged her body in all the right places. Cranberry-colored, which was somehow ten times racier than red would have been, it rendered him speechless. When he’d told her to wear a dress, he’d fully expected her to wear anything but.

His body sprang to full attention. He could not get a handle on her.

“You’re early,” she said with an amused brow lift. “I like an eager man.”

The blood that should have been stimulating his brain into a snappy response seemed to have vacated for a warmer locale in the south.

Cass wasn’t a college student any longer. Not that he was confused. But he was having a hard time reconciling how much she’d changed. Cassandra Claremont, CEO, might be the most intriguing woman on the planet. She was also far more of a challenge because she seemed to have developed Gage-proof armor.

Dinner was supposed to level the playing field. Warm up that ice so he could get her used to the idea of selling him the formula because she recognized what she owed him. She might be willing to talk to the other ladies about the formula, but he needed her to convince them, not talk about it. For that, she had to be totally in his corner. How was he supposed to get her there when he couldn’t get his feet under himself long enough to figure out what game she was playing?

“Uh...” Brain not engaging. He shook off the Cass stupor. “It’s only early if you’re more than fifteen minutes ahead. Technically, I’m right on time.”





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