Reforming the CEO (South Beach)

by Marisa Cleveland

  She believed him about his sister. The baby brunette probably wore matching cardigan sweater sets and pearl earrings. “It’s a television show. These are the star’s signature wineglasses.” When she held hers up, the moon glowed through the glass. Who would have thought she’d find herself sitting on Vin’s back deck, drinking his wine, and discussing a summer affair? “I’ve been wanting a set.”

  His gaze snapped to hers. “You’re welcome to come over and use mine any time.”

  Her mouth went dry. She couldn’t think clearly when he caught her under that intense stare. The one that encouraged her to be naughty. As tempting as that sounded, this was fun, not forever. If she could keep reminding herself of that fact, then she could stay focused. With a shaky laugh, she said, “I don’t think that’s included in our agreement.”

  His voice lowered a notch. “Are you really such a stickler for details?”

  She didn’t want to be. But she found too much ambiguity when details were ignored. Even a simple misplaced comma could change the meaning of a phrase. So it wasn’t that she was a stickler for details rather than she admired the benefits of being detail-oriented. The real question was, “Why aren’t you?”

  He shrugged. “Because.”

  That was it? A one-word answer. “Because?”

  Another shrug, but this one was followed by a husky, “Where’s the fun in being predictable?”

  He leaned in enough for her to know this was real heat generating between them and not her imagination. Somehow, his thigh had moved enough to touch hers, and the pressure, though slight, made her ache for more contact. How easy it would be to reach out and place her hand on his thigh. To run her palm up his leg. But they weren’t there yet. They weren’t supposed to be flirting. They were discussing… She had no idea how their conversation turned to this. He’d asked for a game plan. Didn’t that mean details? Clearing her throat, she hoped he didn’t hear her fluster when she asked, “So, h-how did you build your empire on instability?”

  He licked his lips and then smiled when he caught her staring. “Predictable and stable are two entirely different monsters.”

  The fact that he even considered those words monsters hit her in the gut. She valued both. And suddenly, the whole scheme for their summer of secrets seemed wildly risky. What had she been thinking? She wasn’t that girl. The one to go around town having sex under the stars. Not because she didn’t want to be. But because she had an image to maintain.

  What if their whirlwind of a summer changed her into that girl she always wanted to be? The fun one. The one who didn’t need a plan. What if, after a summer with Vin, she didn’t know how to go back to being herself?

  What if she didn’t want to?

  As if sensing her hesitation, he set down his wineglass and turned to face her, placing a hand on her knee. “Are you having second thoughts?”

  The heat from his hand seared her leg, and her brain shut down. The hard pulse of her heart carried an aching need to every part of her body.

  No second thoughts. Not about the sex. Not if she was being honest with herself about what she wanted, about why she’d asked him to be the one to give her these fantasies. But she was scared of what it might do to her. Of how it might change her.

  She placed her hand on top of his and leaned forward. “No second thoughts. You?”

  His gaze dipped to her chest before returning to her face. He stroked his hand up her thigh, and his mouth curved in a hungry grin. “Just live life, right?”

  Her body flamed to life, tingling with a desperate need to press herself against him. “Just live life,” she whispered, her hand sliding off his to touch his bare forearm. The muscle tensed, and she wrapped her fingers around his arm. It would be so easy to lean into him. To tug him toward her. To give in to this craving for a man she could never have. Not completely, anyway.

  He drew back then and dug around his back pocket. “Okay. Back to your details. Six events.” He tapped his phone and then glanced up hopefully. “Got anything fun planned?”

  Startled, her breath hitched right before she gave a nervous laugh. This was a game. She had to get in the game. Not let him distract her. “Amelie’s birthday is the twenty-third. She’s having a party at the botanical gardens.”

  His long finger caressed the screen. “I got an invite to that.”

  “Perfect. I think we should run into each other there, maybe chat about the fundraiser, and you can sit with me at dinner. People will see us together, and the next event will seem organically construed.”

  “Organically construed?” He sounded amused when he repeated her phrase.

  “Yeah, like real and not fake.”

  He let out a long breath. “Well, dating is the only thing we’ll be pretending. You won’t have to fake anything else.”

  “I’m counting on it.” Given the way he’d set her body on fire from a simple touch on her thigh through her jeans, she knew they had chemistry.

  He cleared his throat. “My chairman of the board has a barbecue every Memorial Day.”

  “Great,” she said. “That’s two events in May.” She pulled out her phone and opened the calendar. “What time is the barbecue?”

  “Let’s plan to leave around eleven.”

  She tapped in the details and then glanced up to find him watching her. She blinked. “What?”

  He leaned forward, bringing their faces closer. “You’re gorgeous.”

  She stared at him. He’d completely shocked her with the compliment. Not that she hadn’t been complimented before, but his seemed random. Genuine. She was already a sure thing for him. Which reminded her… “Have you scouted locations for my side of the deal?”

  He gave a wolfish smile. “I have.”

  “Well?”

  He shook one finger. “Oh, no. You don’t get to control all the details.”

  “Control? I’d just like to know.”

  He pursed his lips. “Why? So you can be prepared? Trust me, it will be more fun my way. You know, more”—he traced his finger down her arm—“organic.”

  Damn, he was hot. And good at this. Her stomach tightened in anticipation. “Maybe you’re right.”

  Chapter Six

  “It’s Landon. Again.” Reece held up Amelie’s buzzing phone. “Want to tell me what’s been going on? Or should I assume you two had a secret fling and now you’re pregnant?”

  The horrified expression that passed over her best friend’s face told Reece the truth. Maybe because Reece anticipated her own secret fling, her radar had been fine tuned. Amelie’s weird mood swings, her more-than-usual texting, her less-than-usual posting on social media. All signs she had a new side piece. And she still hadn’t shared with Reece the identity of the last hottie. Unless he was one and the same.

  Amelie stormed into the kitchen, grabbed the first bottle of red on the shelf, and poured a generous glass. In between gulps four and five, she said, “I’m not pregnant.”

  “So that leaves the secret fling.” Reece took a glass for herself and waited while Amelie poured.

  As the liquid swooshed out of the bottle, she thought about Vin’s last text asking about allergies. She hadn’t seen him in over a week, but every time he texted, her pulse sped up. His messages held an implied undertone.

  Good morning. Hope your dreams were as vivid as mine. Hints designed with vague details. It’s too bad you’re not here right now.

  Juicy text messages promising steamy sex.

  I found a great place to get to know all of you.

  He was a master sexter, and the anticipation nearly blinded her to anything else.

  Quick question: are you allergic to anything sweet?

  She wasn’t sure she’d make it through Amelie’s birthday celebration at the botanical gardens. The image of him naked crossed her mind more than once, and she felt her cheeks heat at the idea of the two of them having sex. She pictured him rough and ready, all hard passion and panting for release. Most of her bedmates had been satisfactory,
but it alarmed her how eager she was to be with Vin. All her girlie parts ached to start their secret fling. And speaking of flings… “Landon was your wicked hottie that night at the fundraiser, wasn’t he?”

  “Hmmmm?” Amelie continued to chug the wine. “Oh. Yes.”

  “Amelie!” Reece couldn’t believe it. Her best friend had hooked up with her brother and had kept it a secret from her, and she wasn’t sure how she felt about that.

  “Don’t be mad, okay? But he’s, like, super hot.”

  “How could you keep it a secret from me?” And yes, she heard the irony in her tone, but Reece didn’t blurt out every little thing happening in her life like Amelie did.

  Amelie twirled the end of her blonde ponytail, an annoyed expression on her face. “I didn’t want to tell anyone. I wanted to keep it private. This isn’t some huge romance. It was a one-time hookup. But then he asked to meet me in his office, and you know why? To iron out the details of our relationship! How ridiculous is that? So I stormed out, and then he showed up at Lacey’s that night and asked to take me to dinner, and— I can’t date Landon. It would be too…predictable.”

  Even as Reece processed her friend’s words, she couldn’t quite believe them. Landon had contracts with some of the women he dated, but he couldn’t be such an ass to propose Amelie sign a confidentiality agreement, could he? Amelie had to be the only woman on the planet who didn’t want to date her wealthy, stunningly handsome oldest brother. “You think dating Landon would look bad?”

  Her friend’s mouth opened, and a tiny gasp escaped, right before the tears. Damn it. Reece hadn’t meant to make her cry.

  Amelie shook her head, wiping at her tears with the back of her hand in a very unladylike, un-Amelie way. “It’s exactly what everyone would want. My life would turn into a nightmare. Ugh. And don’t you dare say anything to him!”

  Reece got it. She was the girl trying to prove she deserved to be part of the Rowe family, while Amelie was the poster child for rebellion. While Reece longed to show how much she fit in, Amelie always, always found ways to push the boundaries of what her family found acceptable. Dating Landon would be exactly what her overbearing mother would want.

  Reece nodded. “Got it. No dating Landon.”

  Her friend sniffled again, but at least the tears stopped. “No dating Landon. I don’t want a relationship. I can’t do commitment. Can’t get distracted right now. But damn it, Reece, he’s just so…charming.”

  Ironic. Neither of them wanted to go through another public relationship that would make the tabloids when things went south. But having her loyalties tugged in two different directions didn’t make her feel good, and after all, Landon was her brother in almost every sense of the word.

  “Look, Amelie, maybe you’re taking your whole date for fun, not forever mantra a little too seriously. What’s the harm in exploring a possible boyfriend?”

  Her friend poured another glass of red, this one slightly more conservative than the previous pour. “It’s not like I can just turn off twenty-four—oh, god!—I’m twenty-five today. I’m a quarter of a century. I can’t just turn off twenty-five years of how I was raised.”

  “You could try, if you like him enough. But if it was just one hookup, then you should tell him that. Be clear.” The last thing she needed was a rift between her best friend and her brother. Maybe Amelie was smart to not date her brother. He tended to discard women after a couple months, and what would happen then?

  “Oh my god, I’m a terrible friend! How can you stand to listen to me?”

  Reece shook her head. “It’s awkward, but I love you both. Just tell me what this means for you, and I’ll try to help you.”

  Amelie wrapped her arms around Reece’s neck. “You’re the best.” She pulled back. “I should probably answer that.”

  They both glanced down to the phone on the counter, buzzing again with Landon’s grin flashing on the screen.

  “Go.” Reece headed toward her room. “I’m going to shower.”

  She had an hour to decide what to wear to the birthday party that evening, and while she’d been comforting her friend, Vin’s latest text had come through.

  What are you wearing?

  Her skin heated at the innuendo, and she felt her face flush, despite being alone. Feeling naughty, she shed her tank top and jeans and hopped in the shower. She didn’t have to answer him right away.

  Twenty minutes later, with the water still dripping from her hair, she texted back,

  Just got out of the shower.

  His reply was immediate.

  A picture’s worth a thousand words.

  After applying her favorite lotion and sliding into her bra and underwear set, she scrolled through her phone until she found the silver shower head streaming water and sent that emoji.

  A peach and clapping hands appeared, and it took her a moment to figure out the meaning. When she did, her nipples tightened.

  She sent him back a French flag and lips. Shouldn’t they start slow?

  His reply—the French flag, lips, and a honey pot—sent heat straight between her legs. No question, sex was happening. Tonight. And now, her underwear was as wet as her hair.

  She took her time with the blow-dryer and changed into a different underwear set. She hadn’t responded to his last text, but a new one came through.

  Meeting almost over. See you in the garden.

  The man had been sexting from his boardroom? She sent him the snowflake.

  He sent back the fire emoji.

  Even though she was a sure thing, she still wanted to entice him. Would he prefer the innocent angel or the exotic vixen? After tossing her phone on the bed, she picked up both dresses and wandered into Amelie’s room.

  “I love your angel-demon birthday theme this year, but what do you think? I’m thinking this is my chance to play the wicked, forbidden one.” She lifted the red and black cocktail dress.

  Amelie laughed as she applied glitter to the corners of her eyes. “Every girl dreams of being the sexy siren.”

  Reece slid into the dress and adjusted the straps. With Vin, she didn’t have to wonder why he was around her. She’d get her chance to have fun that didn’t come with attachments and obligations, and he’d get a Rowe on his arm at six events. And because he had plenty of his own money, he’d never go after her for hers. Never use her for financial gain. Just sex.

  She couldn’t wait. With a final glance in the mirror, she said, “That’s me, all right. Slutty and stupid.”

  “I said sexy siren, not slutty and stupid.”

  Amelie had chosen the angel theme, though her white sequined micro-dress could’ve been painted onto her lithe physique. Last Reece heard, her brother would be in white as well.

  You’re late.

  Reece frowned at Vin’s text.

  “Who’s that from?” Amelie asked, picking up her evening bag.

  Reece slid the phone into her clutch. “Friendly reminder you’re late to your own party.”

  Amelie rolled her eyes. “Fashionably late never goes out of style.”

  They arrived an hour late, and as they passed under the rose trellis and entered the botanical gardens, Vin’s dark silhouette stood out against the large orbs of light, tumbler in hand, looking for all the world like the kind of demon made for sex and sin. At the sight of him, her pulse slammed into awareness, and heat flushed up her neck. Relief washed over her at seeing him after so many days apart, but the feeling also confused her. A blond devil in red heels stood next to him, touching his arm and laughing into his face. Jealousy hit Reece hard, swift and unexpected. They had a deal. He’d sent those texts. How could he stand there, openly flirting with another woman, when he was supposed to be organically flirting with her?

  He looked up then, and the smile that curved his mouth told her she’d chosen a brilliant costume in the formfitting black and red dress. His gaze locked on hers for a brief moment before scanning her from head to toe and back up again. Long enough that the blonde
noticed, turned to look, and then did what most women did when they saw she was a little too curvy: dismissed her as competition. The blonde turned back around and continued talking, this time stepping into Vin and speaking so closely their mouths were inches apart.

  But Reece had seen his desire when he’d caught sight of her. When he glanced back at her, she tilted her head in an inquisitive manner, challenging him to dismiss her.

  He whispered into the blonde’s ear and moved away from her. Toward Reece. Mesmerized by the way he stalked forward, she stepped back and bumped into Amelie. Amelie hooked her hand through Reece’s arm to steady her.

  “Looks like we’re about to get company,” her friend whispered.

  Reece could only nod. Both Vin and Landon appeared to be walking in their direction. When the four of them faced each other, Reece hugged her brother.

  “Happy birthday, Amelie,” Vin said.

  Amelie hugged him. “Thanks so much for coming, Vin.” Then she looked at Landon, and Reece swore the temperature dropped by ten degrees. In Amelie’s classic icy tone, she managed to sound polite and disinterested when she asked, “Landon, how’s everything?”

  Landon frowned at Reece. “Hey, sis. Did Dad see your dress yet?”

  Reece scowled at his big brother act. As if she needed one more reminder of how she let down her family. But before she could protest, Vin jumped to her rescue. “I think you look amazing, Reece.” Then, to Amelie, he said, “Lovely to see you again, Amelie.”

  “Always great to see you, Vin. I keep telling Reece we need to get back to Lacey’s.”

  “Amelie,” Landon said, taking her arm. “May I have a word with you?”

  As her brother dragged her friend away, Amelie said, “Rude much?”

  Vin’s hand pressed against her lower back, and Reece jumped at the unexpected contact and warmth of his large palm on her bare skin. “Let’s go this way, Reece.”

  “Who’s the blonde?” she blurted, horrified as she heard the jealousy rip through her.

  He chuckled, nonplussed at her envy. “Her name is Tami Martin. Have you seen her around?”