Catching the CEO (Billionaire's Second Chance)

by Victoria Davies

  She won’t answer my calls. She won’t see me.

  The woman he loved despised him, and he could hardly blame her.

  “Let’s talk about this calmly. Come on. I’ll get you a scotch.”

  “I’m not here for a discussion,” he replied. “I told you what would happen if you crossed me.”

  A frown crossed Irene’s face. “You weren’t serious.”

  “Wasn’t I?”

  Alarm lit in her gaze. “I made the right call. I put the interests of the company first.”

  “You crossed ethical lines and refused a direct order from the CEO. I have no intention of letting that pass.”

  “I’m your mother.”

  A hollow laugh escaped him. “Yes. And even as my mother, you chose to put your greed ahead of me.”

  “Damien—”

  “No more. I’m done trying to find something redeemable about you just because we share some genes.”

  She stumbled a step back.

  “I’ve cut off the direct deposits to your account. I hope you’ve saved up, because you will never see another cent from me or the company.”

  “You can’t.”

  “I can. Since money is all you care about, it’s easy to hit you where it hurts. Enjoy your new life. You might want to think about going to school. You’re going to have to get a job if you want to support yourself, won’t you?”

  “A job?” She recoiled. “You can’t be serious. I’m your family.”

  “No,” he denied. “You’re not. I don’t know where my life will go from here, but I know my future is better off without you.”

  “I don’t believe you’d do this.”

  “And I didn’t believe you’d leak that story.”

  He took a last look at the woman who’d borne him. A tiny thread of regret tugged at his heart, but it was more than overpowered by the overwhelming feeling of justice. He should have done this years ago. In the back of his mind, he’d still been a little boy hoping for his mother’s love. But Caitlyn and her family had made him see love wasn’t earned. It wasn’t handed out piecemeal as a prize for a job well done. It was unconditional and unlimited. Now that he knew what love felt like, he knew Irene had never had any for him. He’d been her tool. Her ticket to a better life.

  And that ended now.

  “Goodbye, Mother,” he said, taking a step back. “I hope you have a good life. I do. Just as long as I don’t have to be a part of it.”

  Horror was beginning to fill her expression. “My boy, don’t do this. I love you.”

  He didn’t even flinch at the words he’d wanted to hear for longer than he cared to admit.

  “Do you?”

  “Yes. You’re my son. I love you with all my heart.”

  He didn’t know why he said his next words. Perhaps he needed closure. Or maybe she did. But either way, he offered her a choice.

  “All right, Mother. If you love me, I’ll let you choose. I will allow you to stay in my life, without a stipend from the company, without any money from me. But you can keep contact and, if I ever have children, you’ll get to know your grandkids.”

  “Or?” she asked, swallowing.

  “Or I’ll give you half a million to walk out of my life forever and never return.”

  There was a heartbeat of silence. He could almost hear the wheel turning in her head.

  Slowly she moved closer and reached up to lay a hand against his cheek.

  “My darling boy,” she said, more to herself than to him. Her gaze grew a little unfocused, as if she were lost in memories rather than this moment.

  He stared down at her, not flinching.

  The hand drifted from his face, and she turned away.

  “Wire the money to my account tomorrow.”

  With those words, she walked out of the hall.

  What did you expect?

  He stood there, staring after her, as he came to terms with his own bargain. Her actions had cost him everything.

  And now he was well and truly alone.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Caitlyn stared up at the skyscraper that housed Reid Enterprises and couldn’t make herself move forward. Time was ticking. She needed to make her appointment. But now that she was here, she couldn’t move.

  She’d spent days trying to find a way out of this, but the board had voted and the ruling had been clear. Sell for the best price possible. They’d had a few offers, their competitors gleefully taking advantage of their downfall, but the decision had been made to take the top price.

  Which, of course, had come from Reid Enterprises.

  You always knew he’d win in the end. Even before the conference.

  There was no surviving the Reids when they set their sights on something.

  This offer was a fifth of what his last one had been. She wondered if he thought he was being generous given the circumstances. Truthfully, he probably was.

  Buck up. Just get through this. Treat him like any other business colleague.

  She had to keep things professional. The last thing she wanted him to see was how much he’d devastated her.

  You can do this.

  One step at a time. This might be the hardest meeting of her life, but she’d get through it. Her last act as CEO would be to salvage what she could for her workers.

  After that, I need to find a new life.

  Because she’d have nothing left at all.

  Taking a deep breath, she strode into the building.

  Her heart was racing by the time she reached Damien’s office. Adrenaline coursed through her veins, making her light-headed as she checked in with the secretary. She followed the woman to Damien’s door, almost calling her back when she moved to open it.

  You can do this. Be strong. Don’t turn into a blubbering mess just because you got played by a man you trusted.

  Rolling back her shoulders, she entered the office. Her gaze zeroed in on the man her heart had been begging to see as she heard the secretary close the door behind her.

  “Caitlyn,” he said, rising from his chair.

  Pulling her professionalism around herself like a shield, she crossed the room and took a seat at his desk.

  “Mr. Reid,” she said. “I’m here to negotiate the sale of Brooks Corp. Nothing else.”

  “You’ve never once called me that.”

  “I never thought I’d do a lot of things when it came to you. I was wrong about all of them.”

  “Caitlyn—”

  “I’d like to start with clause four, subsection b. I have a few questions about the wording in the proposed contract you sent over.”

  “Caitlyn—”

  “Your offer is more than fair given how we’ve fallen, but I want to save as many jobs as I can.”

  “Caitlyn.” He slammed his hands down on the desk, getting her attention.

  Leaning back in her seat, she gazed up at him with what she hoped were calm eyes. “Is there something you need, Mr. Reid?”

  “My girlfriend back.”

  “I’m afraid that’s not an option. If that is why I’m here, then I’ll say goodbye and send in my VP to handle the details of the sale.”

  “I don’t want to buy you.”

  She hadn’t thought she could hurt worse, but those words did it. Had the offer been a trick to get her here? She’d been counting on this money. The next offer on the table was about half the price Damien had listed, and the company wasn’t planning on keeping much staff.

  How much can he hurt me?

  “This is cruel,” she said, her throat tight. “We need to sell, and if you’re not a serious buyer then you are wasting my time.”

  She pushed to her feet, meaning to leave.

  Except he caught her arm before she could make her escape.

  “I am serious,” he said, pulling her around to face him. “This is the most serious conversation I’ll ever have.”

  “Let me go, Damien,” she said to his tie, unable to meet his gray eyes.

  “
That’s the one thing I can’t do. I have something for you. Follow me.”

  He headed for the sitting area arranged at one end of his office.

  She eyed the door, wondering if she should cut her losses and run for freedom.

  This is all your fault. Swallow your pride and do what you can to make it better.

  Even if it meant breaking her heart all over again.

  With a sigh, she followed her lover to the couches, feeling like she was walking to the gallows.

  “Here,” Damien said, picking up a folder from the coffee table and handing it to her. “This is the real offer.”

  Likely with a less generous amount.

  How much could a heart take before it stopped beating?

  Steeling herself, she flipped open the file and began to read.

  Only to drop onto the waiting sofa.

  “This isn’t a sale.”

  “No,” he agreed, sitting beside her but not touching. “It’s a merger.”

  “Reid & Brooks Co.” She looked up at him. “Why would you offer this?”

  “Because it’s the right thing to do.”

  “This is guilt—”

  “Stop,” he said. “You’re right, I feel guilty about my mother’s actions, but that’s not why I’m offering this. I told you before I didn’t want to be on separate sides. I was looking for a solution, and I came up with this before all the rest of it went to hell. It’s not as crazy as it sounds.”

  “You don’t need to merge with us. You’re more powerful a company than we are.”

  “Yes. But you wouldn’t sell, and your cancer research far outpaces mine. Brooks Corp has a lot to bring to the table, and if left to your own devices, we might have ended up having this meeting in a few years anyways. Even without us having a personal relationship. That was the trajectory your company was on before that article derailed you.”

  “It wasn’t the article’s fault. I approved the wrong lab.”

  “Any of us could have made that mistake. I could have just as easily.”

  “Damien…”

  “Listen to me. If we merge, together we can become the foremost company for cancer treatment. You’ll have the funding of my company, and I’ll have the science of yours. Think what we could do together.”

  “And I’d work for you. Or would you simply fire me as a clause in the agreement?”

  A rusty chuckle left him. “Why would I want you gone? I told you before. I love you.”

  She jerked at the words, shifting farther back from him. “Don’t say that.”

  But he refused to look away, pinning her with his intense gaze. “Why? Because you don’t believe me?”

  “You lied to me. Used me.”

  “I’ve spoken with my mother,” he said, cutting her off. “I gave her a choice. Half a million to get out of my life forever or a relationship with me. Guess what she picked?”

  A wave of pity she didn’t want to feel rushed through her. “I’m sorry.”

  He shrugged. “I was very clear about the consequences of going after you, and she did it anyway. I was never going to be able forgive her for that, and she had no desire to stick around once I’d cut off her money.”

  “Why did you go through with it?” she asked in a whisper.

  He reached out, then, to take one of her hands. “Because I wasn’t lying about my feelings. You’ve changed everything, Caitlyn. Before you, I liked my life. I liked being a step apart from the rest of the world. But you were like a force of nature. I couldn’t have both my distance and you.” He smiled. “I made a choice at the conference, and I’ve made it every day since. I want to be with you.”

  “No one will ever accept this. We’re going down because of your family.”

  “I don’t give a damn what anyone else thinks. I love you. And I have a solution that saves us all. Please, don’t walk away again.”

  What if he’s telling the truth?

  Her heart thumped painfully. All she wanted to do was believe his words. He was right. This was the perfect solution. With his company bankrolling her research, there was no telling what they could achieve. Maybe they’d find a way to save other families going through what she was with her father.

  Pulling her hand from his, she stood and paced to the window.

  “I don’t know what to believe,” she said.

  “Then believe me.” He rose to follow her. “I’m not lying to you.”

  “You’ve been very vocal about your disdain for love and commitment.”

  “And yet I’m doing both with you.”

  She spun. “Aren’t you afraid what would happen if we got together again only to break up?”

  He smiled. “Not even a little. Because it won’t happen.” He took a tiny box out of his suit jacket and held it out to her. “The merger isn’t the only thing you need to decide.”

  She stared at the box.

  He can’t be serious.

  Could he?

  With hesitant fingers, she reached out to take the little black box.

  Opening it revealed the most beautiful diamond ring she’d ever seen.

  There were no words when she raised her gaze to his.

  “I had that before the news came out about your testing procedures,” he said quietly. “This isn’t a reaction to everything else that’s happened. I wanted you before, and I want you now. For the rest of my life.”

  She swallowed hard. “It’s too fast.”

  “Why? You know who I am. You have for years. And I adore everything about you.” He took a step closer. “The only thing that matters is, do you love me the way I love you?”

  Her breath caught.

  Yes.

  Even now, there was no denying how her body ached to be close to him. How her heart hammered in her ears just by seeing him.

  He was everything she’d ever wanted.

  And he’s offering all my dreams on a silver platter.

  She should leap at the chance.

  But he betrayed me.

  Or did he? She thought back to their last encounter. He’d been as upset as she had to learn the news. And the devastation on his face when she’d refused his words of love still seared her brain when she thought of it.

  What if it really was his mother behind all of it? What if he never worked against me?

  Then there would be nothing stopping them from moving forward.

  That is, if she believed he loved her.

  Do I?

  Damien Reid had never been one to have any softer emotions. He was her Goliath. A titan in their industry. An enemy to be overcome.

  But now that she knew him better, he was so much more. He made her laugh when she had a bad day. He made polite small talk without a word of complaint for her sake with people who loathed him. And he kissed her like she was the most precious thing he’d ever seen.

  I can’t walk away from that.

  “Do you love me?” he asked again, taking a step closer.

  Her fingers tightened on the ring box. “More than I ever thought possible,” she whispered.

  Hope lit his eyes.

  “Please,” he said. “Please don’t walk away from me.”

  How could she?

  She stumbled a step toward him. “Tell me again.”

  “I love you,” he said without hesitation. “You are the only woman I’ve ever said those words to. And the only one I ever will.”

  “Me too. I love you. Thinking you’ve been working against me broke my heart.”

  “Never,” he said, catching her hands to pull her closer. “When I found the file in your house, I was faced with a choice. My company or you. I made it clear to Irene you would always win.”

  Her throat constricted. “How can you be so sure about this?”

  He grinned. “You are the most real thing in my life. I don’t ever want to move backward. Marry me, cupcake.”

  Her breath caught at the proposal. “You don’t have to do this,” she said. “We could go back to dating. Move in togeth
er. See where it goes.”

  “It will lead here,” he replied. “There is no doubt in my mind. And when I want something, I go after it. Marry me.”

  “But merging would be stressful enough without planning a wedding. Who knows if we can even work together? All of this might crash and burn.”

  “Yes, or it might be the best decision we’ve ever made for ourselves and our companies. Marry me.”

  He was so sure. There was no doubt on his face. The only holdup was her.

  What are you doing?

  The rest of her life was a step away, if she was just strong enough to reach for what she desperately wanted.

  “Yes,” she said. “Yes. I’ll marry you. This might be the craziest thing either one of us has ever done, but I don’t want anyone but you.”

  Joy suffused his face as he swung her up into his arms, kissing her the way she’d dreamed of every night since they parted.

  When he set her back on her feet, he took the ring and slipped it onto her finger.

  “Our life will be incredible,” he promised her. “The things we will do.”

  “Does this mean we’re merging the companies?”

  He laughed. “The two offers were in no way tied together. I hoped you’d accept both, but it’s your decision.”

  “What would my role be?”

  “I want you running everything with me. Equal partners. In life and in business. It’s the only way this would work for us.”

  “I feel like I’m getting the better bargain here.”

  Something infinitely gentle filled his eyes. “I am the one winning everything, cupcake.”

  She twined her arms around his neck, rising to her tiptoes to whisper in his ear.

  “Let’s call it a tie.”

  Epilogue

  She ran a hand over the white satin of her dress. The vision staring back at her in the mirror barely seemed real.

  “Oh, honey,” her mother said, slipping into the small waiting room.

  Caitlyn turned, her wedding dress rustling as she moved.

  “You’re stunning.”

  She smiled. “I can’t believe today’s the day.”

  “You put the poor boy off long enough. He wanted to marry you a year ago.”