Maddox: Vested Interest #3

by Melanie Moreland

  I glanced at Bentley, unsure how to handle the situation. He half shrugged, then addressed the table.

  “This is Reid Matthews, head of our IT department, resident genius—” his lips curled into a grin “—and fashion guru.”

  Everyone laughed, the tension draining from the room. Reid shook everyone’s hand. I noticed he lingered over Becca’s a little longer than acceptable. I elbowed him. He dropped her hand and turned to grab a coffee and fill a plate with pastries.

  “Hungry?” Richard asked, amused by the plateful.

  “I forgot to eat again,” Reid responded. He pulled out a chair across the table from Becca, almost missing it with his ass because he was so busy staring at her. Aiden was fast and pushed the chair forward. Reid flushed at Becca’s soft laugh and shoved a Danish in his mouth, avoiding her gaze.

  “I think we’re all settled now,” I announced dryly. “Richard, the floor is yours.”

  Richard cleared his throat. “We’re very excited to be here. Based on our conversations, I’ve come up with some ideas for Ridge Towers.”

  “I’m anxious to see your vision,” I said. “We all are.”

  He stood. “This is my concept. Remember, it’s still in the infancy stages, and we can tweak, change, or scrap it and start again.” He paused. “You’re the client, and we want you happy.” His eyes twinkled with suppressed humor, and he winked. “I think you’ll find I’ve nailed it for you.”

  We all laughed.

  I wasn’t laughing a short time later. Richard had every reason to be confident. He had nailed it. The other two companies had concepts, a tagline or two, and stock visuals with promises of more when we approved their ideas and moved forward.

  Richard wasn’t waiting for us to move forward. He was already at the finish line, with an entire plan.

  His presentation was slick and detailed. His keywords bang on. His marketing idea revolved around family. Home. Life. Exactly the direction we wanted for the project. He had numerous slogans and taglines, but they all came down to the same theme.

  Home. Ridge Towers. You’ve found it.

  I glanced at the sample boards. Bright, vibrant. Eye-catching. The images were sharp, the vision clear. The logo they had created was clean and went well with the overall design concept.

  I knew Bentley was impressed. They responded to every question with a thoughtful answer. Graham and Richard each had input, although I noticed Richard took the lead on the majority of the responses. Becca added her thoughts, showing she knew the campaign as well as her coworkers did.

  She was intelligent, often referring to Reid on technical points of the project. He answered her directly, but his replies were unusually slow, and he cleared his throat often. Most of the time it was like a private conversation with the technical jargon they used, but it was interesting to watch. He rarely took his gaze away from her as he spoke, even as he searched for words. The boy seemed to be off his game today, and I wondered how much of it had to do with lack of sleep and how much had to do with the pretty girl across from him.

  Becca had a lot of queries for us, and she took constant notes. I had the feeling they wanted to know as much about us as we wanted to know about them in order to work as a team. I liked the idea, and I liked them as a whole.

  Sandy sat at one end of the table, taking notes. She nodded frequently, looking pleased. There were no pretentious assholes in the group. I could tell she approved of Richard, his cocky attitude and all.

  After lunch, we spoke briefly, and they departed. I sat at my desk, inspecting the boards, jotting down some notes.

  Bentley wandered in, sitting down in his favorite spot. I waited, knowing Aiden would join us any second. After he appeared, settling on the sofa, I looked up.

  “That was impressive.”

  Bentley nodded in agreement. “Blew me away, to be honest. He got it.”

  Aiden spoke up. “Cocky bastard. Yet, I like him.”

  I chuckled. “He is. Let’s face it. We want that working for us, right?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “I liked the way he rolled with our suggestions and comments,” Bentley added. “He might be cocky, but he’s not arrogant enough that he refuses to listen.”

  “I agree.”

  “Rebecca is bright. I think she’d be good to work with in the office.”

  “Reid was strangely quiet,” Bentley mused. “He usually jumps right into our meetings.”

  Aiden chuckled. “What was with his behavior today? He was like a cat on a hot tin roof, all jumpy and edgy.”

  “I think Becca had something to do with that.”

  Bentley frowned. “Is that going to be an issue? Them working together?”

  “No. Reid will be fine,” I assured him. “He was a bit off his game at first, but he settled in. He needs to stop pulling these all-nighters.”

  “And get some new clothes. He looked like he rolled out of a trash can today.”

  “Ease up, Bent. I’ll take him shopping. To their credit, I don’t think they gave it another thought. Once he started talking about what he was bringing to the project, and all the things he handles here, they didn’t care what he was wearing.” Aiden defended Reid.

  Bentley raked a hand through his hair. “Make sure he wears his suit at dinner.”

  “Yes.”

  “Okay then, fine. Can you at least get him some new T-shirts? Ones without holes?”

  Aiden smirked. “On it.”

  “And a haircut.”

  “He’s a grown man, Bent. I can’t force him to cut his hair.”

  “Suggest it. Offer him a bribe.”

  Reid walked in. “A new wall of hi-def monitors would work. Eight of them. I’ll even wear a dress shirt once a week to show my appreciation.”

  Bentley’s eyes narrowed. “Every day. Pants too.”

  “Twice a week. Not on weekends.”

  “I want you in here for normal hours. No more sleeping on the floor of your office.”

  “Not happening. I do my best work at night.” Reid tugged at the hem of his shirt. “And that happens in these T-shirts.” He huffed out a long breath. “I like it in the office. It feels like I belong here. I’m zoned in. My apartment stifles me.”

  Bentley’s gaze met mine. We knew Reid had a rough time before he started working at BAM. He rarely talked about it, but on occasion, his comments spoke volumes.

  “Three times a week.”

  Reid held out his hand. “Deal.”

  Bentley stood and shook his hand. “Order whatever you want. After you get your hair cut.” He walked out.

  Aiden whistled. “You worked that angle well.”

  Reid sat down with a grin. “I would have gone as high as four days. The old broad bought me some nice shirts. I like them.” He waggled his eyebrows. “I look smoking hot in them.”

  I chuckled at his antics and his nickname for Sandy. Only he could get away with it.

  Reid cleared his throat. “So, ah, Becca . . .”

  I raised my eyebrows. “Yes?”

  “She is going to be here, right? In the office?”

  “If we sign a deal with them, yes.” I pointed to the left. “The office beside mine.”

  “Oh. Across from me.”

  “She’ll be your coworker, Reid,” Aiden admonished him.

  “I checked the company policies. There is no non-fraternization policy.”

  I folded my hands on top of my desk. “She’ll be here as a liaison between us and The Gavin Group. As such, she’ll be a valued member of the staff and under my direction.”

  He shifted. “I’m not going to bother her. I was only asking. Maybe I can help her find her way around. I know Toronto well, and I can help her get settled.”

  “Reid.” Aiden sat forward with his elbows resting on his thighs.

  Reid looked at him.

  “Tread carefully. This is huge for us. Don’t make me regret hiring you.”

  Reid shook his head, his tone uncharacteristically seriou
s as he spoke. “I would never do anything to jeopardize your trust or make this company look bad. You all mean too much to me. I thought she was cool, and I liked her vibe. She knows my language, and I think we’ll work well together. I thought she’d like a friend in a strange place. That’s all.”

  Aiden sat back. “Okay then. As long as we’re clear.”

  Reid stood. “I have a wish list to compile so Bentley can approve it.” He stopped at the door. “I should look into new equipment for Becca, I suppose. I imagine she needs some major software for graphics and a couple of monitors.”

  I shrugged. “You’ll have to ask her.”

  His face lit up. “I’ll do that. I’ll start investigating what’s out there. She needs the best.”

  He hurried out of the office. Aiden and I shared a glance.

  “Friends, my ass,” I snorted. “This is going to be interesting.”

  Aiden shook his head. “I think I’m too old for this shit.”

  “You and me both, Aiden. You and me both.”

  Maddox

  THE NEXT MORNING, Reid sauntered into the boardroom, his typical swagger in place. I hid my smile as he grabbed some coffee and food, then sat across from Becca, smiling widely at her.

  “Morning, Becca. How was your night?”

  I met Aiden’s amused glance with one of my own. Reid had stepped it up today. He’d replaced his jeans with khakis, still casual, but wrinkle-free. He had on a black T-shirt, free from any band logo, and an open red and black plaid shirt over top, with the sleeves rolled up. He’d had his hair trimmed, and although it was still in disarray, he looked much more put together than normal. I leaned back, glancing at his feet.

  New sneakers.

  Yep. The boy had dressed to impress this morning.

  And it wasn’t for us.

  Becca offered him one of her shy smiles. “Great. We went to dinner, and I walked around Eaton Center.”

  Bentley entered the room, the atmosphere changing. It always did when he showed up. His natural leadership and presence made everyone sit up and take notice. He placed his laptop at his usual spot at the head of the table and greeted everyone. His eyebrows raised a little as he looked at Reid, a grin making his lips turn up. He met my eyes with a subtle wink, then grabbed a coffee.

  We spent the morning going over the tweaks Richard had made, discussing timelines and concepts. After lunch, we sat with Graham and Richard alone, laying the groundwork and hammering out details of the contract and Becca’s placement in Toronto. We had no doubts they were the company for us. There were hundreds of details to work through and contracts to finalize, but I was confident we would reach an agreement.

  I tilted my head, curious. “Can I ask why Becca wants to move here? Or even more important, why you want to let her go? She seems to be a big part of your team.”

  Richard swallowed the last of his coffee. I had noticed he drank as much of it as we did. “Becca is a huge part of the team. She came to us on an internship the first year she was at university. She was a natural. She started working part time for us, and we hired her as soon as she graduated.” He winked. “I’ve been her mentor the whole time, which is one of the reasons she’s so amazing.”

  We all chuckled at his comment, and he continued. “Becca loves the big city. She loves to travel and explore, and she finds Victoria a little sleepy for her tastes.” He chuckled. “She makes me feel old sometimes.”

  “Toronto is a great place if she likes the bustle of a big city. It’s a great travel hub as well,” I said.

  Richard tugged on his hair. “I got to know Becca personally. My wife, Katy, met her at the office, and they grew close. She became part of my family. She’s shared holidays with us, babysat my kids. Katy has been her sounding board about guys.” He lifted one shoulder with a smirk. “I’ve scared a couple of them off myself. She’s more than a coworker. I hate to lose her, so does Katy, but we want her happy.”

  Graham spoke. “When your request came to us, her hand was up before I had even finished telling the group about what you were looking for. As much as we hate to lose her, we thought this was the best of both worlds. She’ll still be part of our team, but she’ll be in a place where she is happier.” He shrugged. “We knew we would lose her eventually. She had always been open about wanting to be in a bigger city, so this seemed like the right fit.”

  He met my gaze. “My company and staff are family to me. Normally, Richard would come by himself to do a presentation.” He grinned as he clapped Richard on the shoulder. “He can handle himself pretty well in the boardroom.”

  Again, we chuckled and he continued. “I wanted to meet you first, so I would know Becca would be a good fit and that she’d be treated well.”

  “I hope we’ve laid your fears to rest,” Bentley said.

  Graham smiled. “I checked you thoroughly beforehand. Your company is first-class. I like your values and the way you treat your business affairs, especially your staff. What I’ve seen since I arrived has strengthened my opinion. I think Becca will do well here with you, and together we can create some magic.” He draped an arm over the chair, as confident as Richard. “My team is brilliant, and I have no doubt we’ll deliver.”

  I knew Aiden, Bentley, and I all agreed. We exchanged a brief glance, and Bentley tilted his chin.

  “I think, gentlemen, we can call tonight’s dinner a celebration.”

  Graham stood, extending his hand. “We look forward to working with you.”

  I called Dee later in the afternoon. I had been so busy I hadn’t spoken to her since I left her place in the early hours of Monday morning, only communicating through texts. I wanted to hear her voice.

  “Hey,” she answered.

  “Hey, yourself. Calling to check you’re still okay for tonight’s dinner,” I responded.

  I felt my body relax when she assured me she was looking forward to the evening. She was coming straight from work, meeting us at the restaurant.

  “I’m wearing a new dress tonight.”

  “Nice.” I dropped my voice, teasing. “What’s it like? Tight, red, and held together with safety pins? Easy for me to rip off with my teeth?”

  There was silence, and I started to laugh.

  “Relax, Dee. I was teasing. I have no doubt you will be beautiful.”

  “That’s stretching the truth. I won’t shame you, though.”

  I frowned into the phone. “You are beautiful.”

  Had I never told her that?

  “Hmm,” she hummed, unconvinced. “Okay.”

  “You are,” I insisted. “Have I ever been anything but truthful to you, Dee? I think you’re incredibly beautiful, and if I’ve never told you that, then I have been remiss. That’s on me, not you.”

  “Wow,” she whispered.

  “You’re also as sexy as hell, smart, and feisty. It’s a remarkable combination.”

  “Maddox, if you’re trying to butter me up, let’s get one thing straight. I’m a given. I’m going home with you tonight and you’re going to fuck me. No need to go overboard.”

  Her husky voice turned me on.

  I glanced toward my door, making sure no one was hovering in the hallway. I lowered my voice, my lips pressed close to the phone.

  “Listen to me, Deirdre Wilson, and listen well. I am not buttering you up. I’m telling the truth. You are incredibly beautiful and sexy. As for fucking you, you bet your sweet ass I’m going to do exactly that. I’m going to fuck you so hard you’ll forget your name. You’ll forget everything but me and my cock inside you. I’m going to fuck you until you believe how beautiful you are.” I growled. “And you know who you belong to. Understand?”

  The sound of her sharp inhale made me smile.

  “Maybe I’ll butter something else up later and teach you how beautiful that part of you is as well,” I promised with a dark chuckle.

  “You-you can’t say things like that over the phone.”

  “I can and did. Now go back to work and remember wha
t I said. I’ll see your beautiful self at the restaurant.”

  “O-okay,” she stuttered.

  I chuckled. “Deirdre?”

  “What?” she whispered.

  “Are you wet for me now?”

  There was a pause before she answered, “Yes.”

  She hung up.

  I set my phone on my desk and shifted in my chair, thinking of her. Thoughts of what I wanted to do to her took over my mind. Remembering how she moved under me, how it felt to be inside her, made my cock swell against the confines of my dress pants. Only she had that effect on me.

  It was always her.

  I grinned. I affected her as well. I had no doubt she was sitting at her desk right now, squirming and wet. I could picture her gnawing at her thumb, distracted, and thinking of me.

  I picked up my phone and sent her a text.

  You have no idea what I’m going to do to you tonight, Deirdre.

  I waited until she replied.

  I’m yours.

  My response was fast.

  Yes. Remember that.

  I turned over my phone before I gave in and called her again or started sexting her.

  The wait would be so worth it.

  I arrived first and chose to wait out front. Aiden and Cami showed up shortly after, followed by Bent and Emmy. When Dee’s cab arrived, I was waiting. I opened the door, helping her out of the back seat. I thrust some bills at the cabbie, never taking my eyes off her. I had never seen her so elegant. Her dress was a dark green, complementing her coloring perfectly. Her strawberry-blonde hair had grown over the past months, brushing against her shoulders. Lace trimmed her neckline and sleeves—a hint at her love for girlie things. Her makeup was light, but her eyes seemed larger and darker than normal. Her mouth was rosy, and all I could think of was kissing her until she was breathless. Except, I disliked PDA and preferred to keep my affection private.

  Our eyes locked and held, and I saw a glimmer of my own desire reflected at me.

  So I did it anyway. I bent down, ignoring the fact that our friends were watching, and I kissed her. I held her tight to my body and claimed her in front of everyone.