“I don’t care about the meetings. I want to know what happened with my grandson. Your engagement that I knew nothing about. And still don’t,” Regina said.
“That’s because you left half-way through dinner!”
She looked away. “I had something come up.” Was she blushing? Michael shook the thought out of his head.
“Fine. Shut my door. Come in. I thought we discussed how you should start knocking. I mean, what if I’m in here with my fiancée and we’re…” He looked up in time to see her reaction and couldn’t help his laugh at the daggers she threw at him. “I’m kidding.”
“What’s the story?”
“Well, you met Sophia at the gala. Mindy showed up, and she came to our table to say hello. And to rub it in my face that she’s engaged.”
“That’s Mindy for you.”
“Right. So anyway, out of nowhere Sophia proclaims that she and I are engaged as well.”
His grandmother’s eyes lit with excitement. “She stood up to Mindy? That a girl!”
“It was extremely funny. Well-played, too. You had to have been there. She blurted out that we were engaged, and she called Mindy, Monica or some other name. Mindy was livid.” Michael laughed at the memory.
“Oh, I bet. Mindy always has to be the center of attention.”
“Then Mindy warned Sophia away from me, that she hoped she knew what she was getting into.”
“Michael, I’m sorry you had to deal with her,” Regina said.
“You know, it wasn’t so bad with Sophia there. She apologized profusely for saying what she said and then realized how bad it could be for me. It was my idea to keep the charade going—”
“Which is so unlike you.”
He nodded. “Which is so unlike me. I got her to agree on one month. One month to pretend we’re a couple, and after that, we’ll break it off, and no one will be the wiser.”
“Except me.” She smiled.
“Except you.”
There was a small knock on his door, and Julia walked in before he had time to answer.
Michael smiled. “And her.”
“And me what?” She drew her shrewd eyes over him. “You look like you had sex. Don’t tell me you are already having sex with the woman.”
Julia’s blonde hair was tied in a bun on the top of her head. She was the shortest person Michael knew and sometimes the meanest, but as she leaned over Regina and kissed her on the cheek, Michael guessed today she might be a little off her game. Why? Because she was always going a hundred miles an hour. Today, she seemed slow.
“I’m not having sex with the woman. Her name is Sophia Baldwin.”
“You missed how she called Mindy Monica.” Regina laughed.
“I bet that caused a riot.” She pointed her finger at Michael. “No sleeping with her. If you want this to last a month, keep your hands off her.” Julia set her briefcase on the edge of Michael’s desk and unbuttoned her suit jacket. “I’m serious.”
“I barely know her. I’m not having sex with her.” Yet.
She quirked her eyebrow at him. “Yet. I know you, Michael, and when’s the last time you had sex?”
“Not that long ago. Two months?” His brain started to catalogue events, trying to remember who the last woman was he’d slept with. His ever-helpful rep beat him to the punch.
“It was Aubrey Carlisle. Remember? Cole introduced the two of you at the opening of Apple Bottom’s Boutique on the 16th Street Mall?”
“Vaguely.”
She rolled her eyes and gave him a look that he was sure translated into “why are men assholes?”
Michael clarified, “I remember Aubrey. I don’t remember how I met her.”
“Whatever. Anyways, no sleeping with Sophia Baldwin. You need to prove to the media that you guys are an item. That you are in love. If you sleep with her, that will all be over. I know you. I know your record. Trust me on this.”
“I trust you. That’s why I pay you the big bucks.”
“That’s my cue to leave. When Michael starts admitting he doesn’t know how to treat a lady.” Regina stood from her seat and ambled to the door.
“I know how to treat a lady. I just don’t like commitment. Women always want commitment.”
She turned at the door. “What are you going to do about work?”
“Nothing. We’ll work around it.”
“Michael, you work all hours of the day. She isn’t a meeting. You can’t just pencil her in.”
He winced. “Am I really that bad? Actually, I did try that already.”
“You did not!”
“I did. She wouldn’t have it. She committed me to three dates a week with a no-cancellation policy. I can finish up what I need to at work and meet her when it’s time.”
Regina’s hand flew to her chest. “By golly, I think you’ve found your soul mate.”
“What? No. Sophia already knows I’m not marriage material.”
“But she got you to”—Regina held up her fingers—“not add her into your calendar. She stuck up for you after only knowing you for a matter of a few hours, and she got you to commit to dating without cancelling. Who have you ever done that for? Plus, she agreed to this plan of pretend dating for you.”
“She’s genuinely nice. Down to earth. She would probably do this for anyone, actually.”
“No. Not buying it. Mark my words, Michael. After one month’s time, you aren’t going to be able to let her go.” She widened her eyes before she continued, “Cole called you. He said to stop pretending to work and give him a call when you can.”
“Drop everything for him and call, right?” Michael said.
“Those were Mr. Carrington’s exact words.”
“How kind. Especially considering he was absentee at the gala.”
“I need to meet this Sophia,” Julia chimed in. “I can brief her on how you two should be acting in public. Here is a picture of you two leaving the gala. You two do not look like a newly engaged couple, Michael.”
Michael looked at the photo. Sophia looked utterly amazing in her dress. She was smiling as they walked out of the gala. He was looking around. One hand was on her arm, guiding her toward Aslan, he remembered. It had been a rush to find the limo, and he’d just wanted to get her to the car before all the camera hounds could snap more photos.
“No, we don’t,” he admitted.
“If you want to make this believable, you’re going to have to change tactics. Wine and dine her. Spoil her. Pretend you love her. Do everything you do to the other women you date, except make this last. It has to be more than two dates, Michael.”
“I hear you, Julia.”
“You hear me, but are you understanding how critical this is? They will slaughter you if they find out the truth. You will be humiliated. Together will be humiliated, and stock will drop.”
“I will have no problem wining and dining Sophia.”
Julia reached forward and gripped Michael’s jaw. “Look at me. Are you already falling for her?”
Michael’s silence was more than an answer for Julia. Julia knew him. Better than most. Before she could open her mouth to argue, Michael reined her in.
“I’m not falling for Sophia. I’m not falling for anyone for that matter. I can do as you’ve instructed. I am meeting Sophia tonight, and I’m sure we can make an appearance somewhere.”
“I’ll have Regina get you guys a table at Morton’s.”
“No, I’m taking her to Red Rocks.”
Julia folded her arms across her chest and gave Michael the side eye.
“I will take you up on your offer of Morton’s on a different day. Tonight, I want to be alone. I’m sure the public won’t miss us. If they do, I know you’ll be ready to spin a story however you choose.”
“God, I hate it when you get like this,” she said.
“Stubborn?” He grinned.
“Determined. Fine. Tonight. The next time you have to go out in public. Everyone is already asking about her. They will
be dying to know in another few days.”
“Thanks. Schedule something with Regina, and I will talk to Sophia tonight.”
“My work is done. It will be smoother, if you follow my directions.”
“I’ll try.”
She gave Michael one last stern look before walking out his door, where he could hear Regina and her checking his schedule. What she was asking made sense. It was doable. It also reminded him of how he needed to keep Sophia at arm’s length. Which was damn difficult considering he wanted to keep her the opposite of arm’s length. He wanted her against him, beneath him. Over him. He rubbed a hand across his face and considered calling Cole back. Give him shit for not attending the gala.
He dialed Cole’s number, strumming his fingers on his desk as he waited for him to pick up. Sure it was going to go to voice mail, he was surprised when Cole finally managed to answer.
“Michael, thought you weren’t going to call.”
“I can only pretend to be busy for so long. When you coming home? Since you bailed out on the gala.”
“Sorry, man. Had a major crisis in Vegas. I’ll be in town in a few days. Wednesday. I have to meet a client at the Tech Center, and then I should be able to have some free time. Want to meet up for dinner?”
“Depends. Are you buying?”
“I guess I could take your cheap ass out to eat somewhere. How’s fast food sound?”
Michael laughed. “Fast food my ass. They opened a new steakhouse on Broadway. Let’s go there. You want me to send Aslan to pick you up?”
“Still riding around in that vintage limo?”
“It’s a classic.”
“Classic my ass.” He laughed, throwing Michael’s words back at him. “I’ll have time to stop by the penthouse and get my car. I’ll text and see if Zander or anybody wants to come. Send me the address.”
“Will do.”
Cole got silent on the other end, sending off a weird vibe. “Look, I wanted to talk to you guys about a business venture I’m thinking of doing. A woman’s shelter.” Cole paused.
Knowing he meant Zander, Justin, Dylan and himself, Michael didn’t question what guys. “Like for battered women?” he clarified.
“Yes. Sort of. Women that have suffered from abuse as well as their children. I want to open an apartment complex—more than just one building—and offer it to battered women as a way to rebuild their lives.”
The silence was thick with guilt on the other end of the line, and Michael stayed quiet. He waited for his friend to speak again holding his tongue before he asked the one question Michael guessed this entire business deal stemmed from.
“As a way to rebuild their lives as well as their children’s lives independent from the spouse or person who abused them,” Cole said, his voice was hoarse, cracked.
“Is this because of Francesca?”
The silence was deafening. “Yeah, it is. It’s always about Francesca.”
“You didn’t fail her, Cole. You know that.”
“That’s what I keep telling myself. It doesn’t sink in though.”
There wasn’t anything Michael could say. He couldn’t pretend to understand his friend’s pain or the guilt that Cole had harbored for the past year and a half. That the five of them had. But Cole’s was the worst. He had been the closest to Francesca. His sister. Michael swallowed loudly, wondering if Cole could hear it through the phone.
“What do you need from me? Let me know. It’s yours,” Michael said.
“I’ve managed to put together proper documents for you guys to review. How about we get together for a meeting here in the next few weeks?”
“Let me know when you’ve got a time figured out. We can meet here.”
“Thanks, man. Thanks, a lot. I’ll shoot you over all the information I’ve managed to acquire. This not-for-profit shit can be quite the pain in the ass.”
“Send it over when it’s ready. One question though. What makes you think something like this will work? Aren’t there plenty out there?”
“In comparison to the number of actual battered women’s shelters, there aren’t enough opportunities like this out there for all of these women. This will be different.”
“Different how?”
“I haven’t got all the kinks ironed out yet.”
“All right. I’ll keep an open mind,” Michael said.
“Thanks, man!”
“No problem.”
Cole and Michael met in college and managed to get together often. He spent ninety percent of his time in Denver, having begun his career in Denver. He’d expanded into Vegas and L.A. where that put him at the top of the money-making bracket and occasionally spent time there. People often called Michael a CEO billionaire, well, Cole was a billionaire five times over. How could a man design and sell women’s lingerie and then turn that business into a brand – not of just lingerie but women’s fragrances, shoes, handbags and clothing? He didn’t know where the guy got his muse for that stuff, but he managed to make it work.
Michael hung up wondering about this new business venture and what it would entail. Money and lots of it was his first thought. He hadn’t felt it was the right time to ask Cole what kind of new women’s lingerie he had on tap. Imagining Sophia in any one of the millions of pieces the guy sold, well…she wouldn’t be wearing the pieces for long if she were with him. He had mighty fine ideas of what he wanted to do to Sophia that would definitely break all of Julia’s rules.
The rest of his day seemed to drag on endlessly. They managed to secure the contract between Together and To Eat or Wear, but for some reason, even though Michael had spent weeks wasting his time in negotiations over how both companies could work with one another, having the contract in hand didn’t make him as satisfied as he thought it would. It felt like it was just another means to an end. The way he’d been living his life lately.
All he was looking forward to was his evening with Sophia. He hired a chef to cook a meal for the two of them to take on their date that evening. At four-thirty Michael packed up his stuff and started to head out so he could shower and be at Sophia’s by six.
His grandmother blocked his exit. “Somebody call in an emergency. You do know it’s only four-thirty, right? Have you ever left this early?”
“Regina, it’s four thirty-three, and yes, I have. Remember almost four years ago when I had that massive toothache? Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a date. With a woman who is, so far, nothing like Mindy.”
“You don’t hear me complaining. If I had it my way, I’d have you leaving early much more often. Because—”
“I know. Because I work too much. Somebody has to run this company though, or it would burn to the ground and you, my dear, would be out of a job.”
He walked away, knowing full well she was shaking her head behind him. Once he was at his place, he sent Sophia a message asking if their date was still on for the night. He jumped in the shower and let the heat soak into his blood. His mind drifted toward Sophia and the way she felt in his arms at the gala. How her nipples pressed tight into his chest and how only a thin sheet of cloth separated the two of them. He imagined what her chest looked like in the daylight. Firm. Perky. Tight pink nipples. And the image he created did nothing to satisfy his craving for her.
He hated to think about Mindy, but her words from earlier infiltrated his mind like an enemy. Her pouty voice, that much to his dismay, still got him wound up. As well as her offer to dance for him. Dance for him, shake her tits in his face, grind herself in his lap. The ultimate turn on. She wasn’t like an enemy; she was the enemy.
He fisted his cock, stroking it harder than necessary as he thought about squirting come all over Sophia’s chest. Recalling the slippery feel of his dick sliding in between Mindy’s tits once upon a time when she’d danced for him. Once he unloaded himself, he cleaned up and shut the water off. All the while disgusted with himself for thinking of Mindy. Especially because he knew she was only trying to mess with him and his relationship wi
th Sophia. Mindy hadn’t changed, and it was in his best interest to remember that.
Easier said than done.
He couldn’t, no, he wouldn’t go down that path again.
Michael managed to get out front in time for Aslan to drive him to the sketchy apartment complex ten minutes ahead of schedule. The two of them stood next to the limo, both a little shocked at their surroundings. In the light of day, the once sky-blue paint needed another coat. In some spots the gutters were hanging down, pulling away from the edges of the building. What little shrubbery there had been stood rooted in their spots, dried and shriveled. The entire place had seen better days. At least that was what he told himself.
“I’ll be right here,” Aslan assured him.
Michael nodded and made his way to apartment number nine. Temporary. This was only temporary. One month and he wouldn’t have to come to this place again. Knowing Aslan had his back, he avoided glancing around and behind him, thinking he could be held at gunpoint any time, and knocked furiously at her door.
After a few seconds, Sophia stood in the open doorway, greeting him with a gigantic smile. She wore a red sweater, black tights and black, fur-lined boots. The snow that had fallen yesterday had pretty much melted, but the boots would keep her warm for what he had planned. Her red sweater dipped down her chest, showcasing the round globes of her breasts that he’d imagined while he’d been in the shower, and to hell if it didn’t make him semi-hard again. She was a huge contrast to her surroundings. A kitten in a pack of angry wolves, and he had the sudden urge to throw her over his shoulder and get her the hell out of there.
“Hey!”
“Sophia. Your beauty is astounding.” As are all those luscious curves. Michael leaned in and kissed her cheek, taking away her beachy scent when he stepped back.
“Thank you. So, where to tonight?”
“Aslan is taking us on a drive up through the mountains. The limo is packed with food and drinks.” Anywhere had to be better than this place, and he itched as he waited for her to lock up.
“Okay. To the mountains where though? No hints?”
“You’ll find out when we get there.”
Nothing But Trouble Page 9
