Showdown: Tech Billionaires

by Ainsley St Claire

  The only way to remain at the top is to take out my competitors quickly. After not too many hands, I get rid of Mason and Dillon. Then William guts Mia’s date, Jeremy.

  “I’m glad it was you and not my girlfriend,” Jeremy says as William goes on to take out Viviana.

  There’s a roar from the other table, and it seems Landon has taken care of Andy.

  “Nice job eliminating the host. You’ll be sleeping in the barn with the horses if you aren’t careful,” William quips.

  The crowd laughs. It isn’t even dinnertime yet, and we’re down to the final six. I increased my chip count, but not as much as William and Landon did.

  As I’m checking out the leaderboard, I smell Lilly’s perfume. It’s like a cool summer breeze.

  “You cleaned your table out fast,” she says. “I think we’ll be back in time to put the girls to bed.”

  I smile. “We don’t have to be in a hurry. Let’s have dinner and see what people are up to tonight. Enjoy your evening off. Let loose.”

  “You’re the boss,” she quips with a grin.

  “Not tonight. Tonight, we’re friends.”

  She pauses a moment. “I like that,” she says before her attention is drawn to the waitstaff coming in with trays of food.

  We sit down, and immediately Mason and Caroline join us at our table for four. I’m just fast enough to get the napkin on my lap before a bowl of tomato basil soup is placed in front of me.

  “This smells divine,” Caroline says.

  After everyone has their soup, we all dig in. Lilly moans softly, and my dick stands at attention.

  “This is so good,” she says.

  A few minutes later, the waitstaff clears our plates, and we enjoy the table bread while we wait for the next course. The ladies talk about Caroline’s honeymoon plans, and Mason and I discuss how a joint venture among the six guys from the yacht would work to manage the confiscated technology. He says he and Dillon would work up the business plan with SHN owning half. I would need to use my government connections from Lancaster Holdings to secure a deal with the military or federal police.

  I sit back and put my arm across Lilly’s chair. I can feel heat emanating from her. My little head has a different idea than my big head, that’s for sure.

  I focus on talking about the engine. “I know this is a great way to stick it to whoever is behind the attempt at thieving, but we could also reverse-engineer it and just put it out on the internet as freeware—give the technology away to anyone who wants it. The government can use it, but so could small police forces or maybe just a fisherman.”

  Mason sits back. “You’ve been behind the wheel at Lancaster for almost a decade. You’ve made incredible inroads in the artificial-limb market and expanded into some artificial intelligence and robotics. But where do you see yourself in ten years?”

  We’ve talked about this as a leadership team and with our board of directors. I always assumed I’d be the chairman of the company I founded and built, but I don’t have an answer for Mason because I’ve been in a holding pattern since Cecelia’s death. Thankfully, I don’t have to say anything as the next course arrives: a fish stew that’s thick enough it doesn’t require a bowl, a plate of T-bone steaks, a bowl of white beans, and some fresh-cut tomatoes, all served family style.

  Lilly leans in. “I’m going to need some serious exercise after this meal.”

  There’s a glint in her eyes, though I’m pretty sure she isn’t thinking the same thing I’m thinking.

  Caroline nods. “Greer’s a big dancer. I have no doubt she’s going to try to get everyone dancing tonight.”

  I internally groan. When I dance, I look like a fly in a spiderweb. But looking around the room, I’m sure I won’t be the only buffoon on the dance floor.

  We work our way through the bounty of food. Lilly finishes half her steak and offers me the rest. Since I keep fantasizing about her putting her tongue in my mouth, I certainly can’t be anxious about eating after her, and this steak is too good to waste.

  Once they clear the plates, a waiter brings Lilly a martini in a frosted glass.

  “Delicious,” she declares after a sip.

  “You can always have one at home,” I tell her.

  She looks at me as if I’ve spouted horns. “No, I can’t. I’d never drink in front of your girls. It sends the wrong message. And I don’t drink alone.”

  “Well, maybe one night after they go to bed, we can have a drink.”

  She tilts forward, and I can see down the front of her blouse to some pretty lace. “That has trouble written all over it.”

  Yes, it does.

  Dessert arrives next: a slice of warm cake with nuts sprinkled across the top and a generous portion of cinnamon ice cream appears in front of each of us. Andy’s mother comes around and speaks to each table. She looks like she’s walked out of a Versace print ad.

  “The cake is a castagnaccio,” she explains. “It’s an ancient Tuscan dessert. I’m afraid if you can’t eat nuts, you shouldn’t eat this. It’s made with chestnut flour, walnuts, pine nuts, and raisins. I grew up making this. And the cinnamon comes from our trees on the west side of the vineyard.”

  “Wow, you grow cinnamon too?” Caroline marvels.

  The corners of Mrs. Giordano’s mouth turn up. “The olives, nuts, and cinnamon are all grown for our wines, as they add subtle notes to the different varieties.”

  Once we finish our meals, people begin moving around and visiting with other tables. Plenty of people come by to talk to us.

  “It’s like they’re all paying homage to the king.” Lilly elbows me in the side softly as Mia and Jeremy walk away.

  “Not likely.”

  She gives me a look.

  My mind wanders back to what Mason asked. Am I getting bored running Lancaster Holdings? Would I want to do something different? I just don’t see who I could hand the company over to.

  “You’re awfully quiet,” Lilly says, just loud enough for me to hear.

  “Mason said something I’m still thinking about.”

  After all the plates have been removed, the staff moves the tables back, creating room for a small dance floor. Greer hooks her iPhone up to the speakers and starts a slow song.

  “Care to dance?” I ask.

  “It’s going to make a lot of tongues wag,” Lilly warns.

  I wink at her. “Then we’d better give them something good to wag about.” I stand and offer her my hand, leading her to the makeshift dance floor. We begin to sway to the music.

  She fits so well in my arms, and rather than feeling strange or wrong, something just clicks. For the first time in a long time, I’m content. I want to lean down and kiss her, but not in front of everyone. I respect her too much for that. And besides, I have some groundwork to lay first.

  “How old are you?” I ask. I know she’s well over eighteen, but I don’t know anything about her.

  “Twenty-eight,” Lilly says with her head on my shoulder, looking away from me.

  “Where are you from?”

  “I grew up in Palo Alto,” she says.

  “Did you go to college?”

  She pulls away and looks me in the eyes. “Why so many questions?”

  “I just realized I don’t know anything about you.”

  “I went to Smith and then MIT.”

  “An all-girls liberal arts school, followed by one of the best engineering and math schools, and you’re now a nanny?”

  Her eyes cloud over for a moment. I’ve hit a sore spot. I want to find out more, but Jackson wanders over, and he and Corrine start chatting with us. I love them, but I feel like they’re robbing me of precious alone time with Lilly.

  After a few dances, Lilly looks at her watch. “I should go. It’s after one, and I’m taking the girls horseback riding in the morning.”

  “I can go with you,” I offer.

  “Stay with your friends. Don’t worry about me. I had an incredible time. Thanks for my first night out in
three years.”

  What does she do on her days off? “It was my first date in over two decades.”

  Her eyes widen for a moment, but then she recovers. “You’d never know. You were wonderful.”

  She breaks away, and Viviana immediately asks me to dance. I watch Lilly leave, missing her already.

  “What are you planning to do about the boat we found?” Viviana asks.

  I shake my head. “I’m not sure. I think they’re talking about arranging for all of us who were there to be part-owners and then sell the technology. But honestly, I’m not sure.”

  “Is it Russian made?”

  “I think so. As Landon probably told you, there are some Cyrillic letters on the engine parts. They’re the only identifying marks.”

  “I went to school for mechanical engineering and was always fascinated by Russian technology. I’d love to check it out.”

  Viviana made her billions when she developed a new kind of robot for auto assembly lines. Her company has since moved on to create robots that assemble things as small as microchips. I can see why she’d be very interested.

  “You’d have to check with Landon and Andy. They seem to be the ones heading things up.”

  “Thanks, I’ll do that,” she says in a husky voice. Her hand goes to my chest, and I can sense her trying to change the mood. I want something tonight, but not from her.

  The song ends. “Will we see you tomorrow?” I ask.

  “I’m not sure,” she says, stepping back. “I need to head up to Berlin for the day for some business.”

  I’m stunned. “Will you be back for the wedding?”

  “Of course. When I lost today, I decided to go see one of our suppliers now rather than extending my trip at the end.”

  “Got it. You’ll be missed, but have a great trip. I’ll see you this weekend then.”

  She nods. “Good luck with the game. I hope you win.”

  I wave as I start working my way out of the room. I don’t get far before I’m stopped by a group of wives and girlfriends. They ask about the girls, and I’m proud to chat about that.

  I get some trash talk from Landon as I’m on the move again, and Mason and Dillon are still working on the business plan, and they want some input. When I finally get free, Lilly is an hour ahead of me. She’ll be asleep when I get back, but I hope she’s in my bed. I can sleep with Bex.

  When I let myself in, I go right to my room. I’m disappointed to see my bed is empty. Peeking into the girls’ room I find Bex curled up with Lilly, and they’re both fast asleep.

  I would have loved to spend more time with Lilly this evening…who knows where things might have gone. Or maybe I’m just kidding myself. But I still feel cheated.

  Chapter 8

  Lilly

  I wasn’t quite ready to leave Nate at the party, but at the same time, I knew it was time to go. I’ve always been glad he never pressed for too much information about me. But tonight was the night, it seems. One day I’ll come clean, but I always thought that would be my last day on the job with them.

  Lying in bed, I look up at the ceiling. Cecelia, what were you thinking when you left me with the girls? You knew I wasn’t a nanny, and you barely knew enough about me to be sure I wasn’t crazy. I’ve grown to love your girls—and Nate. I’ve read what you thought about him, and I agree. He’s freaking hot. But he still misses you, and I can’t risk the normalcy I’ve worked so hard to find for the girls.

  Flirting with him on this trip has been a huge error in judgment. I know better. I’ve worked for him for more than three years and managed just fine. Just because my hormones have taken notice now doesn’t mean anything is different. I push my head back into the pillows. This sucks.

  When I hear Nate return, I fake sleep. I wanted to be in his bed. Dancing with him tonight reminded me of the pleasure to be found in the comfort of a man. I’ve put that aside for these girls, but I know if I were in his bed and he came to me, I wouldn’t be able to stop myself. So, I can’t do that.

  Eventually, I hear his deep, even breathing in the other room, and the next thing I know, Bex is playing with my hair and tickling me.

  “What are you doing?” I say, still half asleep.

  “I’m hungry,” she whines.

  “I brought you up an apple and a banana yesterday. Eat that until everyone wakes.”

  “I ate both of them last night.”

  I roll over and begin to tickle her. “Do you have an empty leg you’re filling with food?”

  Bex screeches, and I stop. Her smile lights up the room. “No, I want the pancakes again.”

  “They may not have pancakes for breakfast. I don’t know what the plan is today,” I warn.

  “Let’s go see,” she insists.

  “Okay, let’s be quiet and not wake your dad or sister.”

  I notice Bex is already dressed in jeans and a polo shirt. She’s excited to go riding today. We’re going to have fun.

  I pull on my yoga pants and a Naval Academy sweatshirt Nate loaned me because I didn’t pack enough casual, warm things. Bex and I walk downstairs holding hands. She’s excited about pancakes, but I’m dreaming of caffeine.

  “Katrina thinks you and Daddy might get married.”

  I almost trip. “What? I don’t think so.”

  Bex’s shoulders fall. “Oh.”

  I stop and make her my full focus. “I like your daddy a lot, but I’m here for you and Katrina. When he’s ready to start dating, I’m sure you’ll get to meet whoever he likes, and you’ll get the chance to figure out if she’s a good fit for your family.”

  “You’re a good fit for our family,” she says, her eyes pleading.

  “Bex, you do realize your dad is my boss, right?”

  “So? Don’t people fall in love at work all the time?”

  I can’t argue her logic. She’s the female version of her father. “Well, anyway, your dad and I are just friends.”

  “Do you have a boyfriend?” she asks.

  “I’ve told you before, with the two of you, I don’t have time for a boyfriend.”

  “Then it’s perfect for you to marry Daddy.”

  “I wish it was that simple.” I reach for her hand again and walk her into the breakfast area. She squeals when she sees the pancakes.

  My cellphone pings.

  Nate: Where are you and Bex?

  “Your dad’s looking for us.”

  She smiles. “I told you he liked you.”

  “He only wants to know where we are.”

  Me: At breakfast. Come on down. We’ll have room for you and Katrina at the table.

  Nate: We’re on our way.

  Me: Bex has eaten all the pancakes. You’re on your own.

  Minutes later, Nate and Katrina come in. “I hear you ate all the pancakes.”

  Bex’s eyes grow large and she nods. “I had five.”

  “You’re going to be fat,” Katrina informs her.

  I shake my head. “Please don’t say things like that. She’s just getting ready to grow and eating like crazy.”

  She looks at Bex. “I’ll show you what you should be eating.”

  Nate rolls his eyes and ruffles Bex’s hair. “Looks like because of you, they made more.”

  She starts to stand.

  “We’re going riding shortly,” I remind her. “You don’t want a tummy ache.”

  “Okay,” she says, returning to her seat.

  Katrina returns with a plate of fruit and a European yogurt. “This is a healthy breakfast.”

  I roll my eyes. Later I’ll tell her that European yogurts are made with cream and not the nonfat milk they use at home. They are not diet-friendly. But she doesn’t need to be on a diet anyway.

  “We got a tour of the stables last night,” Bex tells me.

  “You did?” I ask. “Who gave you the tour?”

  “Mr. Giordano,” Katrina says. “They’re his horses. He collects them. He was happy we were excited to go riding.”

  Nate
sits down.

  “Tell your dad about the stable tour you got,” I say.

  “We were in the game room, and he offered to take us to pick our horses last night, so Yolanda and Rod went with us. We saw two racing horses. One of them is very popular with female horses. He gets flown all over to hang out with them. They have dates like you two did,” Bex announces.

  If the Earth were to open up and swallow me whole, I would welcome it.

  “Are you okay if I go out on dates?” Nate asks.

  Katrina shrugs.

  Bex nods. “I’m okay if you have dates with Lilly.”

  “Bex, I already told you, I work for your dad. You don’t date people you work for.”

  “Dad, you’re in charge, so you can make the rules, right?” Bex asks.

  “Yes, but—”

  “Okay, you two can get married.”

  Emerson and Dillon are at the next table, and their smiles tell me they’re enjoying our conversation.

  “I guess we can plan your wedding next,” Emerson offers.

  Nate and Dillon snicker. I look at Nate, wanting him to help me with this, but he seems oblivious. I can see Katrina is not thrilled with the idea.

  She gets up and throws her napkin on the table.

  I give Nate the I-told-you-so look and follow Katrina. When I catch up, her eyes are brimming with tears.

  “I’m not dating your dad.”

  “He’s going to forget my mom.” Katrina’s tears begin to fall.

  I pull her into my arms. “Oh, honey. I don’t think he’ll ever forget your mom. She was a huge part of his life and made him who he is. That will never change. Plus, he has you and Bex to remind him every day. Your dad has been in a deep, dark hole trying to figure out what happened to your mom and why. He’s more confused than you are. But I promise, he’ll never forget.”