by Bryce, Megan
Cole had practically heard the silent oh, shit from across the room.
He knew Maggie on her game would be entertaining.
He knew linking their names would strike terror into the heart of Dallas.
And he knew, the second they left, that Gary here would be calling everyone he knew to pass on the news.
The Montgomerys and Caldwells had teamed up. And they were out for blood.
Christ almighty, this was going to be fun.
Cole stayed silent, letting Maggie have her way.
She crossed her long legs, her skirt sliding up, and Cole thought he was going to have to buy the woman some longer skirts. He didn’t mind her using those kind of tricks on him, but God help him, he couldn’t sit here watching her do it to someone else without wanting to break something.
Gary’s eyes flicked down and then over at Cole. Gary paled just a bit and sat back in his chair, his eyes widening. Cole decided that as long as the man kept his eyes north of Maggie’s neck, they wouldn’t have any problems.
Maggie smiled as if she knew exactly what was going on and Cole knew this was what happened when you gave a woman the reins. She led all the men around by the balls.
Gary cleared his throat. “Um, congratulations. I hadn’t heard the happy news. What can I do for the two of you?”
“I wanted to personally let you know that circumstances have. . .” Maggie turned to look at Cole, her lips still curved in a man-eating smile. “Changed.”
And damn if the brain in Cole’s pants didn’t sit up and take notice.
He couldn’t help it, he smiled back at her.
He looked back at Gary and stopped smiling.
Maggie said, “It’s no secret that Caldwell Holdings is in trouble. But I think, as does Cole, that with a little time, a little leniency, we can save it. And that it would be better for all of us if bankruptcy could be avoided.”
Gary nodded slowly, looking between the two of them. “I see. Yes. Of course we have always hoped things would turn around for you.”
“Of course.”
There was a long, pregnant pause. Maggie sat there smiling, Cole sat there not smiling.
Gary finally said, “I think we may be able to work something out. Give me a few days to see what I can do for you.”
Maggie nodded, no if in her eyes. “I’m looking for new payment terms. Fair and equitable to the both of us, of course, but a substantial reduction in cash outlay.”
Cole stared at Gary, his gaze clearly saying that fair and equitable were not the terms Cole was looking for.
Maggie had always been big on fair. Cole hadn’t.
Gary nodded, looking again between the two of them. Clearly wondering just how much Cole was willing to pay to tie himself to the Caldwells. Wondering if MOC would guarantee Caldwell Holdings debt.
Wasn’t going to happen. Gary here was going to offer a new contract with a longer term along with an interest rate reduction, and what he’d get in return was keeping Cole’s accounts.
Cole rose slowly. “We’ll be back next week to work out the specific terms. But I will tell you this, whatever you’re thinking of right now, it’s not good enough.”
When they entered the elevator, Maggie raised her eyebrows at him.
He said, “He didn’t say thank you. It pissed me off.”
She squeezed his arm and leaned into him. She sighed. “That was fun. I’d forgotten it could be.”
He smiled at her. “And now you must be hungry.”
She shook her head. “I’m full. Bacon and banker.”
He laughed and turned towards her. “Don’t tell me that after all that bacon and banker a nice tangy salad isn’t exactly what you want right now.”
She pulled away from him. “It does sound surprisingly delicious.”
“During the week I eat shit out of a microwave. I make up for it on the weekend.”
“It’s Friday.”
“Thanks to you, this weekend started a little earlier.” He eyed her briefcase with its Texas-sized stack of papers inside. “Thanks.”
She laughed.
He said, “And I need to refill before we go see the next one.”
She did, too. Every time he got his hands on her, he felt her bones. She felt frail, and it punched him in the gut.
Whether it was stress or just the need of every woman today to be as thin as she could, Cole didn’t know. All he knew was he didn’t like it.
He could tell his mission for the next few weeks was going to be fattening Maggie up.
He took a step towards her, edging her into the corner of the elevator.
He said, “And then we’ll need to stop and buy you a new skirt. This one doesn’t fit.”
She put a hand on his chest, pushing. She said, “It fits just fine.”
“Then how come every time you sit down it rides up?”
“That’s what skirts do. And you can see maybe an inch more skin. I’m not flashing the room.”
He took another step forward, trapping her hand between them.
He said, “Pants. We’ll get you some pants.”
“It’s a leg, Cole. I don’t know why you’re getting so worked up about it.”
He put his hand on her hip, running his hand down to the bottom of her skirt and slowly began to pull it up.
“It’s not a leg. It’s a tease and a hint and a whiff.”
She whispered, “Is it distracting?”
It wasn’t distracting. It was lust-inducing, rage-inducing. He didn’t know whether he’d wanted to punch Gary and pull her skirt down, or shout at the guy to get out and pull her skirt all the way up.
He said, “Yes, it’s distracting,” and she smiled.
“Good thing then that all you have to do is sit there and look menacing. You said you wanted to play the part, I’m just helping set the mood.”
He muttered, “You’re setting some kind of mood.”
The elevator dinged and the door slid open. Cole stayed where he was a long moment, then sighed.
He smoothed her skirt back down and pulled her hand back through his arm. He turned to find a handful of people waiting to get in the elevator. They just stood there and let the elevator doors slide shut again.
Maggie chuckled. “See? Menacing.”
“How is it, Maggie, that I can scare everyone but you?”
She squeezed his arm. “Oh, Cole. It’s never going to happen. I grew up with the scariest man in Texas wrapped around my finger.”
He turned to look at her, menace oozing from every pore. “Just remember you don’t have this one wrapped around your finger.”
She laughed and said, “Where were you thinking of going for salad?”
Four
Tanner Beaumont’s membership to the country club had lapsed last month. He had to wait for the man he was meeting to arrive before they let him in. He smiled and lounged in his chair but inside it roiled. He’d tried to time it just right but the man he was meeting was late.
Late to meet Tanner Beaumont.
That roiled even louder, drowning out the chatter of the room.
It shouldn’t hurt. If he was honest with himself, Tanner hadn’t had a membership for the last eleven years. His wife had.
And no one would have cared if they were late meeting Tanner Beaumont for the last eleven years if it hadn’t been for Ginny.
He’d married Ginny the summer she’d graduated, tying himself to the Caldwell fortune.
Sam Caldwell hadn’t been thrilled to marry his youngest daughter off at eighteen, saying she was too young. But Ginny had loved Tanner, wanted him. The Caldwell girls always got what they wanted.
Even if it was bad for them.
Jackson Harwood walked in, his phone to his ear. When he saw Tanner he made a beeline straight to him.
Jackson glared at Tanner and said into the phone, “I want to know every account, every penny, for both of them. Send it to me.”
He hung up and Tanner leisurely stood and nodded to him.
“Jackson.”
“Tanner. I hear Margaret got herself engaged. To Montgomery.”
Tanner breathed in. Then nodded.
“I could have used a heads-up.”
Tanner realized he should have worked that news himself, should have made himself an intermediary.
He’d just been hoping it had been a hallucination brought on by cheap scotch.
Tanner said, “It was sudden.”
Jackson stared at him a long moment, then jerked his hand, inviting Tanner inside the club with him.
Jackson went straight to the bar and ordered two Glenmorangie, neat. A little warning bell went off in the back of Tanner’s brain.
He watched the bartender pour liquid into two glasses. He stared at his drink, already tasting it, already wanting it. Knowing if he reached for it, it would be gone the second his fingers touched it. Knowing if he reached for it, he would reach for another and another.
Jackson tossed his back. “I’m not saying I was enjoying having Margaret Caldwell over a barrel.” He grinned. “But I was enjoying it.”
Tanner took a deep breath, still looking at the drink.
Jackson ordered another and downed it. “She’s a cold bitch and her father was a bastard. I figured it would take a miracle for her to dig out and it wouldn’t hurt any to have some fun with her. Make her beg for once.”
Tanner stuffed his hands into his pockets. “Did she? Beg?”
Jackson huffed. “As close as a Caldwell gets.”
“Which means no.”
Jackson turned toward him, leaning against the bar. “She’s a cold bitch. Even to you, her brother-in-law. Family, but not really. Isn’t that right, Tanner?”
Tanner remembered Maggie sitting him down, firing him. It had hurt, it had stung. And he wouldn’t argue with anyone about her being a cold bitch. She wouldn’t argue with anyone about that.
But it had nothing to do with him not being family.
Tanner said, “She’s a fair cold bitch. When she does dig Caldwell Holdings out of the red, she won’t hold it against you.”
A look of fear entered Jackson’s eyes and Tanner said, “What did you do?”
Jackson shook his head. “Nothing that she wouldn’t understand. Made credit hard to come by, interests rates a little high, repayment terms unfavorable. Just made things a little tougher for her than they could be.”
Tanner nodded. That was business. Dog eat dog, the big dog getting the best scraps and pissing on the little dogs. And Maggie would understand it was part of the game. If she ever was in a position to return the favor, she would.
Tanner nearly smiled when he said, “But now there’s Montgomery.”
“Fucking Montgomery. How did that happen, Tanner?”
Tanner would have sworn Maggie hadn’t seen Cole in years. But he shrugged and said, “You know how they were.”
Maggie had always been Cole’s staunch defender. No one could understand it then, no one could see why she always sided with a snarling, sneering kid who liked to talk with his fists. The son of a man who destroyed families, legacies, right and left.
Maggie had always said it wasn’t his fault who his father was.
But Tanner knew from personal experience that the apple hadn’t fallen far from that tree.
Jackson said, “Montgomery won’t be happy with just getting even.”
Tanner smiled. He even laughed a little. Because Jackson was staring at Tanner as if he was looking at his own future.
Tanner might have the distinction of being Cole’s first annihilation but he wouldn’t be the last. Cole only needed an excuse and Maggie had just handed him a truckload.
Tanner said, “He’ll stomp on you.” He patted Jackson’s shoulder. “You could try and preempt it. Give her a call, offer her some better terms before Montgomery tells you to do it.”
Jackson nodded.
Tanner said, “Should I tell her you’re willing to beg?”
Jackson swore and rubbed his face. “Think it’ll help? You can tell them whatever you want if it’ll keep me off Montgomery’s shitlist.”
“You think he’ll listen to me?”
“You’re going to be family, right? Barbecues and whatnot. Get in there, Tanner.”
Tanner blinked. He looked around the room, at the handful of men in the room straining to hear their conversation.
He had about as much hope of getting either Cole Montgomery or Maggie Caldwell to listen to him as the bartender did.
But he did happen to live with the woman. Her sister loved him beyond all reason.
He’d spent the last years surviving as the brother-in-law of Margaret Caldwell. And now he’d be related to Cole Montgomery.
He knew about working connections, when connections were the only thing you had left.
Even if those connections were spotty. Imaginary.
He didn’t know if fate had just thrown a bouquet of roses into his lap or if it was a cactus.
All he knew was there was something sitting in his lap full of thorns and he needed to move carefully.
Tanner said, “I do have a project I’m working on. Could use some capital at decent terms.”
Jackson nodded. “I’d love to hear about it.”
The man Tanner had been waiting for rushed in, looking around frantically. He saw Tanner and relief crossed his face.
“Sorry I’m late. I had a visit from your sister-in-law.”
Gary Irvine ordered a stiff drink and shuddered. “Engaged to Cole Montgomery. The devil must not have been available.”
Jackson leaned toward him. “Is she looking for blood?”
“Montgomery is. Sat there the whole time looking like he wanted to rip my head off and eat it.” He muttered, “Do yourself a favor. Don’t look at her legs.”
Jackson said, “Come on. What did they want?”
“Better terms. A reduction in payments.”
Tanner said, “Margaret will fix cash flow first. She’s been cutting expenses.”
The men looked at him and nodded.
Tanner said, “And then she’ll be looking for new revenues. She won’t let Cole stomp on you if she can use you.”
Gary said, “Think she can stop him?”
Tanner thought back to finding the two of them in the pool. The rage in Cole’s eyes when Tanner had interrupted them. Hard to tell if it was the interruption or if it was the who was interrupting them.
Maggie had told Tanner once that she had Cole in their corner and look what had happened with that. Tanner wasn’t at all sure Maggie could keep Cole on a leash.
He shrugged. “It’s your best bet.”
Someone came and tapped Tanner on the shoulder. “Buy you a drink, Tanner?”
He looked down at lovely amber liquid. He pushed it towards Gary and ordered a tonic water.
Maggie sat back, stuffed. Bacon for breakfast, a huge salad for lunch. And now Cole was ordering dessert with a look in his eye that said she’d be eating it whether he had to spoon it down her throat or not.
He looked like he was looking forward to it.
She turned her phone back on, surprised to see five messages waiting for her. She listened, her smile growing wider and wider with each message.
She turned her phone back off, thinking she’d just let everyone wait a little longer. She said, “I’m not sure we actually need to go see anyone else today.”
“No more bankers? I only got to scare one.”
She patted his hand. “We’ll still need to work out terms. But it seems as if the news is spreading.”
“We need to see at least one more. Hammer it home.”
She laughed at his eagerness and when the waitress placed a large brownie sundae between them, it turned into a groan.
Cole grabbed a spoon, dipping into the ice cream, the brownie, and taking a large bite. He scooped a slightly smaller bite and brought it to her lips.
His other hand reached under the table and grabbed her knee, his fingers sliding under the hem of her
skirt. He murmured, “Open up.”
She opened her mouth, slowly sucking the ice cream off the spoon. She murmured, “Oh, Cole. You’re the one who’s going to have to stand up when I’m done having my way with this ice cream.”
He scooped another bite, eating off the same spoon.
He said, “Yep. Should’ve thought this through.”
He dipped the spoon back in and held it to her lips again.
She put her hand on his thigh and squeezed hard. She whispered, “If I eat one more bite, I will vomit.”
He whispered back, “Sounds sexy. I’ll make you a deal, Empress. One last bite, one more banker to really get this weekend started, then we go back to my place and take a nap.”
She laughed and he slipped the spoon between her lips.
She swallowed, seriously worried it might come back up.
She finally said, “One more banker and then you can go home and take a nap, old man.”
“I said we.”
“I will be returning phone calls.”
He dipped the spoon in again and held it to her lips. She leaned back and shook her head.
He stared at her a long moment before eating it himself.
He said, “If we’re not going to take a nap, what else are we going to do?”
She said again, “I will be returning phone calls.”
“You’re the one who interrupted my workweek. You’re going to have to keep me entertained.”
She shook her head. “I don’t think so.”
“We’ll go to dinner tonight.”
She groaned. “No. No more food.”
“Then we’ll go dancing.”
She sighed. “Cole.”
He sat back, a satisfied look on his face. “You want a nap, too. Admit it.”
A nap sounded wonderful. She just wasn’t going to take one with him.
She said, “I’m going to drop you back off at home so you can take a nap and then I will go do more work. I have even more to do now that the tide is turning.”
“But now you have someone to help, so really you have less to do and you can enjoy yourself on a Friday night. We’ll get back to work tomorrow.”
“I wasn’t expecting you to help me.”
“I’m a full-service fiance.”
