Reforming the CEO (South Beach)

by Marisa Cleveland

Chapter Twelve

  Vin stepped out the back door into the early Friday morning sunrise. He stood with his phone in his hand, unable to process the conversation he’d just had with the chairman of his board. Not much threw him off guard these days, but this—whatever the hell this was—hit him like a wrecking ball.

  Landon Rowe wanted to meet.

  At least, his team did. Rowe’s chief of staff had called to ask the date of Vin’s mock IPO presentation—July first—and confirmed Landon would be in attendance. Two short weeks away. These days, the minutes blurred together, and every time he blinked, he lost another hour. His future rushed toward him without brakes, and it was every bit as intoxicating as he’d imagined.

  “You okay? You look a little stunned.”

  His head snapped up, and a moment later, he focused on Reece’s face. Reece Rowe’s face. She stood there, holding a Yeti tumbler, wearing boxer shorts and a threadbare T-shirt. She’d pulled her usually sleek dark hair into a slightly rumpled ponytail, and his throat went dry. It had been incredibly easy to separate her from her brother when neither of them mentioned the man. But ever since Tami’s office visit, Vin’s brain had been on overdrive. He needed to get through the summer with his shiny new reputation intact, and that meant the remaining three events he had with Reece would need to be spread out over the next ten weeks.

  Unless…

  “I need to renegotiate our deal.” Okay, if that sounded more demanding than he intended, he could blame her brother. This new request had nothing to do with him wanting to spend more time with her and everything to do with his IPO launching in September. Right. His inner voice dripped with sarcasm. Nothing to do with your ego when she screams your name.

  “Renegotiate?” A shadow passed over her face, and she glanced into her tumbler.

  He read her like a magazine. She thought he was done. She—and the rest of their world—had read about his secured investors and figured he didn’t need her anymore. Her negative opinion of him annoyed him, but he shoved the irritation aside and said, “Don’t misinterpret me. I want more events, more sex.”

  “Ohhhhhh.” Her comprehension complemented the mischievous glint in her midnight eyes. “Moooore sex.”

  When she lowered her gaze to his cock, she unconsciously licked her lips. Or maybe it had been conscious. Hell. He didn’t care. Her excitement shouldn’t matter to him. But the damn woman distracted him. She was so open about her desire for him. So…guileless.

  Despite the tightening ache in his pants, he punched open the calendar on his phone, determined to keep this business as usual. “I need one event a week for the rest of the summer.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “Where is this coming from? I thought you’d secured your investors.”

  “I need to maintain my image right up until the opening bell.” He moved toward the barrier separating their balconies. “The last Friday in August.”

  She bit her lip, an unreadable expression on her face. Had he offended her? Would she say to hell with it? To hell with him?

  “That’s a lot of sex.”

  Once again, she managed to say exactly what he needed to hear. He wanted to laugh as relief hit him square in the chest. Instead, he rolled his eyes. “Will you please be serious?”

  Her eyes laughed at him over the rim of her tumbler. She sipped and swallowed. “How difficult are the logistics of sex on the beach?” With a tiny smile, she added, “And sex in the ocean?”

  He let out a dismayed sigh and launched himself over the railing. “Oh, for God’s sake.” Her eyes went wide as he stalked toward her. “It’s almost seven a.m., which means we have an hour or so before any real passersby might catch us.”

  She squealed and skipped back, but her protest held no conviction. He could see the cogwheels clicking into place as her eyes brightened with a sparkle. With a conspiratorial hush, she glanced over the edge of the balcony. “Here?”

  His phone went off in his hand, but he barely noticed. She’d set her tumbler on the ledge and faced him, her perky nipples easily noticeable through her thin T-shirt. His cock gave a happy little twitch at a morning quickie. When his phone dinged again and again and again, signaling multiple text messages, the stab of regret hit him hard. He blew out a breath. “I wish.”

  “Work?”

  “Not exactly.” The idea hit him unexpectedly, but since it sounded like she’d agreed to his plan, he offered, “Come with me?”

  She picked up her tumbler. “Okay. I can be ready in twenty. How should I dress?”

  Her easy answer accentuated how…easy it was to be around her. To make him forget other women might need an hour or two to shower and get dressed. But this woman managed to outdo everyone with her authenticity.

  “I promised my sister I’d watch her walk with her students in the Flag Day parade.”

  “We’re going to Marco for a family thing?”

  The way she asked—her tone laced with curiosity and excitement—would’ve sent alarm bells racing through him with anyone else. He realized his mistake as soon as the suggestion left his lips. This was not a business event. This was his sister. It wasn’t even in South Beach, so there was no advantage for them to be seen together on the Gulf Coast. But damn it, he didn’t care.

  Vin blew out a breath. “I know it’s not part of our arrangement…” He let the final word hang between them, mostly because he didn’t know how to finish the sentence.

  She sucked on her lower lip and matched his gaze. “It’s not.”

  He swallowed and told himself to calm the hell down. It wasn’t a big deal. Yes, maybe it was a family thing. Yes, maybe it was outside their agreement. But they liked each other. Didn’t they? He liked spending time with her. “I just figured if I have to stand in the hot sun watching some kids trot down the street, it would be more fun if I wasn’t alone.” If I was with you.

  Her mouth did a little smirk-like thing he couldn’t quite interpret before she tilted her head and studied him. “Just to clarify…you want me to stand next to you in the hot sun, probably sweating my ass off, watching a parade so you don’t have to do it alone?”

  He winced and rubbed a hand on the back of his neck. “Sounds about right.”

  Her laugh lit up his entire morning. “Of course I’ll come with you. What time’s the parade? Do I have twenty minutes?”

  The air whooshed out of his lungs. Why did it feel as if something pivotal had happened? All because her brother wanted to attend his mock presentation. If he hadn’t stepped outside when he had, he would’ve missed seeing her until after he’d returned. Then he wouldn’t have had the opportunity to invite her to his sister’s parade. He’d never hung out with a female as often as he was with Reece. “Eleven. Twenty is fine. Meet you back here then?”

  “Yay!” She bounced on her bare toes and disappeared inside.

  He slowly shook his head, a little befuddled at how the Rowes had rearranged his entire day.

  …

  “There she is.” Vin pointed at his sister, marching with three rows of kindergarteners waving flags and smiling at the crowd.

  Reece stretched her arms above her head, holding her phone in both hands while snapping some pictures. “They’re so adorable.”

  Vin thought Reece was adorable. She’d changed into a yellow sundress with large white dots and pulled her hair into a ponytail, so he could see where the dress tied around the base of her neck in a bow. Not a knot. A bow. If he tugged on the tail—

  He swallowed hard. What was the matter with him? They were in a crowd, surrounded by families and cotton candy, and… She turned slightly, raising onto her toes, and whispered, “I think the whole island is here. Bet we could find a secluded area on the beach now.”

  What was the point in trying to maintain decency, when a certain dark-haired temptress seemed determined to get his blood pumping at every turn? Who knew she’d use every opportunity to suggest sex? His heart stalled, his blood running cold. Somehow, she’d managed to make him be the responsible adult in
their arrangement. He’d chosen her for her pristine reputation, but if it was up to her, they’d be in bed all damn day. His cock twitched at that happy thought, and he rolled his eyes. “What am I going to do with you?”

  She gave him a bright smile. “Whatever you want.”

  That was the problem. He was getting everything he wanted, and a small part of him warned it was too good to be true.

  They’d positioned themselves under a tree toward the end of the parade route, and as he watched his sister and her troupe march around the curve, he grabbed Reece’s hand. “Right now, I want to find us a place to eat before the crowds disperse. I promised Tonia I’d find us a table.”

  It had been an unconscious move on his part, only meant to guide her out of the crowd. But her gaze had snapped down to where their fingers laced, and the pause was long enough to make him aware of the intimacy in the gesture. Too late to let go without it being awkward, he tugged her onto the sidewalk, weaving through several rows of onlookers.

  When they reached a clear area, she stopped, releasing his hand. He turned, and she stepped into his personal space. With a sly little smile, she said, “After lunch with your sister, I get whatever I want.”

  His body responded to the innuendo. Instinct had him steering with determination down the sidewalk until they reached the Esplanade. Normally he appreciated the view, taking time to admire the docked boats, but not today. Instead of entering through the front entrance of the waterfront bistro, he opened a side door. “This way.”

  For a woman with a squeaky-clean reputation, she caught on too quickly to his intentions. As soon as the door closed, sealing them in a narrow hallway leading to the restaurant’s restrooms, she hooked her fingers in the front of his pants and back-walked her way to the first door of the unisex bathrooms. With one quick glance around, he followed her inside.

  The lock clicked shut, and his body tensed as her fingers reached for his belt. The pressure from wanting her since the early morning built to feral proportions, and he reached out and yanked the bow at the back of her neck. The top of her dress fell to her waist, exposing her strapless bra. With both hands, he pushed it down and cupped her breasts, even as she growled at the button-down fly.

  “What a terrible clothing choice. Fuck,” she cussed, and he lost it.

  He needed to be inside her immediately. He didn’t care how. Just needed relief.

  Dropping to her knees, she shoved his pants and boxer briefs to the floor and took him in her mouth with a force that had him swearing out loud. She smiled around the rim of his cock. Damn woman. She knew she had him, and as her hand lifted and gave a little tug, he realized she had him literally by the balls.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Reese grabbed her oversize beach bag and ran out front to where Vin had parked his sedan. An amused look on his face, he opened the car door. “You do know we’re going to the beach? For the Full Moon Party?”

  She glanced down at the knee-length, pale yellow sundress. “You said this was a work event.” She’d dressed on the conservative side, but she had a bikini underneath.

  He chuckled but kept his eyes on the road as they pulled into traffic. “It is. But with my marketing team, I have a different kind of reputation to maintain than with my board.”

  “Why do I feel like you’re being serious right now?”

  “Because I am.” With one hand, he opened the console. “See the wristbands in here? Those are the brainchild of my marketing team. My head of public relations, to be exact. If she can brand anything, she does.”

  Reece pulled out a blue band that read #justlivelife. “I noticed you wear one of these.” Stretching the band over her wrist, she said, “I’m keeping this one.”

  “They’re going to love you.”

  Love her. Could it really be so easy to get a whole marketing team to love her? Just wear a rubber band around her wrist. If life were that simple, she wouldn’t have spent years cultivating an image to prove to her family she was worthy of their love. That they hadn’t made a mistake in adopting her and welcoming her into their family. Most days the negative thoughts stayed away, but the need for reassurance was always there. In the back of her subconscious. As she twisted the band around to read the hashtag again, she thought about the phrase and recalled the conversation in his office that started this whole series of adventures.

  Sprint toward your dreams like you’re flammable and time is the match.

  That was the quote on his website that first caught her attention. But how much of it was marketing and how much was pure Vin?

  Tucking her ankle under her knee, she turned just enough to see his expression. “Sprint toward your dreams. What if I don’t have dreams?” She couldn’t think of a single thing she wanted enough to sprint toward, and that made her sad.

  He shot her a frown. “Doesn’t everyone have dreams?”

  “I don’t know. Goals, sure. But dreams? Like, what does that even mean?”

  He placed his palm on her naked thigh. “Dreams are ideas you implement. For example, I’m dreaming of your smooth skin.” His hot hand slid up her leg, igniting all sorts of delicious dreams.

  She bit her lip. “Oh, yeah, I get those dreams.”

  His tone turned serious, but he kept his hand right there, his fingertips just inches shy of her most sensitive flesh. “Dreams are ideas we try because they sound fun, or exciting, or different, or new. Like, learning to surf has always been a dream of mine, and so I took a bunch of lessons. But goals are more calculated to produce a measurable result, like my goal to graduate with an MBA. But sometimes they can be the same thing.”

  She never really thought about the difference. But the way he explained it gave her a new perspective. “I like that.”

  He gave her leg a light pat and removed his hand. “So tell me your dreams.”

  Staring out the window, she reminded him, “I just said I don’t have any.” She wasn’t sure why this bothered her so much, but spending time with Vin spotlighted her deficiencies and everything she didn’t do before hooking up with him.

  “Make one up.” His voice sounded casual enough, but the weight of the request equaled flying to the moon.

  She sucked on the corner of her lip. “Well…based on your definition…”

  The road curved and the beach came into view. It was one of those rare occasions when the sun and the moon could both be seen at opposite ends of the sky. As they pulled up to the valet, she still couldn’t think of one dream she’d ever had. Goals, yes. But not dreams. Nothing like learning to surf. Unless her fantasies counted?

  He tipped the valet and then turned to face her. “Well?”

  “I’m thinking.”

  Their gazes locked and held, and then he nodded once and looked around. They headed through the hotel’s entrance straight to the VIP section in the back, where most of the Ferguson Holdings marketing team already sat around an ice sculpture. The beach was packed with people in various stages of undress, and the drums beat a rhythm that matched Reece’s heart. Girls in bikinis roamed around with trays of colored shots, and a trio of guys hula-hooped like professionals. How had she never known about these drum parties? Just miles down the road from where she’d grown up.

  Vin leaned down, brushed the hair back from her neck, and kissed her shoulder. “I expect you to come up with at least one dream by the end of the night, Reece Rowe.”

  And she would, because damn if she’d disappoint him.

  She accompanied him around the party, meeting his marketing team, drinking fruity beverages, and detailing every moment. She liked how he knew the names of his team, and with each introduction, he included a bit of trivia about the person. This is Carl. He’s too good at golf, so he’s the guy to have on your team during a tournament. She’d witnessed Vin in CEO mode with his board of directors, but this was a whole different breed of leadership with his subordinates. Accommodating and approachable. She could tell his team not only liked Vin, but they admired him.

  She
was just about to comment on her observation when Vin stiffened. “Reece, I’m so sorry about this.”

  Before she could fully comprehend what he meant, the blonde from Amelie’s birthday party approached them wearing a rhinestone-studded bikini top and a micro-wrap around her slim hips. Tami Martin. The one Vin said had connected family. Reece had forgotten about the other woman, and she still didn’t know what the Martin family had done to gain notoriety or wealth or whatever Vin meant when he said she was connected.

  “Vinnie! I was wondering when you’d make an appearance.” The blonde sauntered toward him, sunglasses perched on top of her head, so Reece could see the other woman’s bright blue eyes as they dramatically perused his body from toe to head.

  Vinnie? Reece bit the inside of her cheek to keep from snorting, but some part of her ached to know the history behind the nickname. Had they been close at one time? She knew she had no right to be jealous, but the distinction between him voluntarily hooking up with Tami versus Reece and Vin’s arrangement stabbed her in the heart.

  “Tami, I believe you know Reece.”

  Tami held a blue drink in one hand and a clutch in the other, displaying her perfectly manicured, blue nails. “Your brother and I serve on the same board for the children’s grief shelter.”

  “Landon?” Reece asked, wary of the direction of the conversation. She didn’t discuss her family with strangers.

  Tami rolled her eyes. “God, no. That man doesn’t have an empathetic bone in his entire body.”

  The woman’s familiarity with her brother irritated Reece, but she recognized it for what it was: name-dropping.

  The blonde raked her eyes over Reece and continued, “Christopher is an amazing man. So dedicated to serving the community.”

  Vin touched Reece’s elbow. “Excuse us, Tami, but this is a work function for me, and I’d like to introduce Reece to the rest of my marketing people.” He nodded toward two people walking in their direction.

  Tami sipped her blue drink and puckered her lips. “Of course. I know how this whole thing works. Showing off your fancy girlfriend. But I wanted to ask you if you still had my champagne flutes in your office. I’d hate to lose another set of Waterfords.” She waved her arm in the air, and the liquid splashed over the rim and landed on the pale yellow fabric of Reece’s sundress. “Oh!”