ForePlay: A Checkmate Inc. Novel Book 1 (The Checkmate Inc. Series)

by Shelly Alexander

  But I can’t, because if Chloe is going to be in charge of my public relations campaign, it could get too complicated. This jerk is living proof that boss/subordinate relationships in the workplace can get ugly.

  Plus, my kid sister would probably cut off my balls.

  “Chloe’s already knocked my socks off with her adept understanding of my company. I’m giving Simmons & Richards my business, but only if she’s in charge of my account.”

  She gives me another million-dollar smile, and it lights the room. “Glad to hear it. You won’t regret it.”

  The air around us thickens with tension, and Slick looks back and forth between me and Chloe like he’s trying to figure out if there’s more going on between us than just business. “You’re in good hands then. I can vouch for that,” he says.

  Chloe’s face goes up in flames.

  “She’s one of our best.” Slick dons a professional tone to cover his innuendo. “Chloe, be sure to stop by my office Monday so we can firm up the details and get the paperwork over to Mr. Foxx for his signatures.” He places his card on the table in front of me. “I rarely see you at the office anymore, so we need to catch up.”

  She shrugs and points to the ceiling. “You’re on the top floor. I’m practically in the mail room now.”

  “We’ll have to remedy that. I’ll have my assistant find you a better location. You’re going to need to assemble a team to handle an account the size of Checkmate Inc.” He looks at me. “We’ll make sure Chloe has everything she needs for your campaign, Mr. Foxx.”

  I don’t ask him to call me Leo.

  Chloe glows, but she’s not looking at Slick. She’s looking at me. Which makes me want to beat my chest like a caveman.

  “Actually,” I say. “I’d like Chloe and her team to have temporary offices at Checkmate as well. Just until this PR crisis is over.”

  “Makes sense,” he says to me. “I’ll leave you two to finish your dinner.” He nods at Chloe’s copper mug. “I see you still drink Moscow Mules. Good choice.”

  When he’s out of earshot, taking a seat on the far side of the restaurant, Chloe pushes her drink aside and says, “I’ll have to expand my drink horizons. Some things are better left in the past.”

  Chapter Four

  The next morning around eleven, I walk from my Upper West Side apartment overlooking Central Park to the Great Lawn between 79th and 85th to attend an event hosted by my sister’s company. I’m dressed comfortably in jeans and a lined denim jacket with a hood, because the early autumn air has grown crisp. I love strong coffee, and I’m on my third Red Eye because, as I expected, I got no sleep after thinking about Chloe’s smile and laugh and witty charm… and her lingerie. Definitely the lingerie. All. Fucking. Night.

  It’s a glorious sunny day. The colorful display of autumn foliage surrounding Central Park’s most popular picnic and entertainment venue reminds me why I left our small hometown in Upstate New York for a university scholarship in the city and never looked back. I have a lot of fond memories of my hometown, mostly because of my parents, but I’m a city boy through and through.

  I walk through the bustling picnickers and Frisbee throwers toward a canopied area where Ava told me to meet her. Notice I didn’t say my sister asked me to meet her. That’s not her style. She gave me an order and assumed I’d follow it.

  Which I’m doing at this very moment.

  I chuckle, shove a chilled hand into my jacket pocket, and take a long swallow of bold, rich coffee.

  Ava’s company is hosting a client appreciation day, so I stroll in the direction of the canopy where a sign hangs with my sister’s logo: “5 Muse Designs.” It took a lot for her to swallow her pride and ask to borrow the money to start her own web design agency. No idea why, because she knows I’d do anything for her. Plus, I can afford it, so WTF? But that’s her. Independent, free-spirited, and stubborn as a mule.

  Although the company is still young, just like its five owners, it’s growing like crazy. Checkmate is its biggest client, but the agency designs websites for companies, entertainers, and organizations of all shapes and sizes. So she and her business partners employ twenty-five people and counting. Not bad for a twenty-four-year-old kid who was smart enough to major in physics but chose graphic design instead.

  Guilt feathers through me. People say the same kind of shit about me, like I should be working on the space shuttle instead of manufacturing men’s cologne. Ava’s happy, and that’s all that counts.

  “Hey, squirt.” I walk up behind her under the canopy where she’s giving the caterer instructions.

  She turns and gives me a hug. “If you call me that in front of my clients, I’ll castrate you.” She gives my cheek a pinch. “I like the scruff. You usually shave every morning. Why not today?”

  Visions of a thong, that’s why.

  Damn. Now why’d I have to go and think of the thong again? I’ll be thinking of it all day. Actually, no. I’ll be thinking of her all day. Chloe Evers hasn’t left my mind since the moment I laid eyes on her. I scrub a palm over my jaw. “Got up late.”

  “Well, can you help me play host? I’ve got my hands full with the caterer.” She slants a predatory look at the man she was just ordering around. He’s waiting patiently, and I swear he blanches. Can’t blame the guy.

  “Where are your other partners in design crime?” I shouldn’t ask about my sister’s partners. One of them, a pretty girl named Sophie, has had a crush on me since she and my sister were in college together, and I feel bad about it.

  “Vi is at the office because one of our client’s sites crashed. The others are running the games.” My sister points east of the canopy, where Bella is refereeing a bocce ball game on the lawn. Next to it, Peyton is setting up horseshoes. Sophie is on the west side, and with animated flair that holds her audience captive, she’s explaining the game of cornhole… words I’m happy I don’t have to say out loud. She sees us looking in her direction and blushes. Poor kid.

  Next to cornhole is a giant lawn-sized game board and knee-high chess pieces. “God bless you, my child,” I say to Ava. She knows the way to my heart.

  “Dex offered to man the chess game. He’ll be here soon. Oz is stopping by later. The three of you aren’t allowed to crush my clients. I might lose business, so wait until the end of the event, and then you can play each other.” She gives me a shove. “Go mingle and make people like me.”

  “Not possible.” I laugh when she gives me another shove.

  She returns to the other side of the canopy, where she fires off a few more instructions for the caterer, then proceeds to give the poor bartender a hard time.

  I do what I’m told and mingle through the crowd of clients that are milling around the canopy. A French pastry chef, a high-end restaurateur, a children’s inflatable gym company, a citywide office supply chain. I stop to speak to each one, singing their praises. I even get a card from the office supplier and tell him my assistant will call. I greet a law firm, and ignore the sexual invitation from the attractive associate who’s here representing her firm. Then I speak to a chiropractor, a construction company, and a professional clown named Bubbles. Yeah, they’re creepy no matter how old you get.

  I glance around to find Dex has arrived and is over by the giant chessboard. He’s dressed in his usual casual GQ look and is taking orders from my sister. By her gestures I can tell she’s actually telling him how to run the chess game. I shake my head, and turn away so I don’t have to see that train wreck happen. I know who’ll be the last person standing when it’s over, and it won’t be my business partner.

  Hand in one pocket, coffee in the other, I look for another client to schmooze. Even though not a single person is within an arm’s length, I feel like someone has hit me square in the chest. Walking toward the canopy is Chloe, and once again, I feel like I’m caught in some awesome Star Trek episode where time slows.

  She’s wearing distressed jeans that offer a hint of skin through the frayed spots and a thin s
louchy gray sweater with a cowl neck that slinks off one shoulder to show a thin black strap and a creamy shoulder. Even though the sweater is baggy, I know exactly what’s underneath because it’s just sheer enough to make an impression.

  Her hair is down today, unlike last night when it was pulled back into an elegant ponytail. The autumn breeze causes dark silky strands to flutter around her face, and she hooks a finger around one to move it aside. I wonder what she’ll want from a man, when she finally figures it out herself. Will she want his fingers to run through those locks? Will she want his touch against her tits to be gentle or harsh? Will she want to fuck slow and soft, or fast and hard? Will she want to moan softly when she comes or scream until the windows shatter?

  I think she’ll want it all. And I want to be the one she wants it from. I want to taste every inch of her, have her in every way she desires. Drive her wild. Make her mine.

  Her gaze locks with mine and I feel like I’m caught. I lift my hand with the coffee cup and waggle an index finger. She gives me a casual wave in return and adjusts her course to intersect with me. Before she reaches me, she’s intercepted by Adam Richards.

  Her douchebag boss.

  What the hell is he doing here?

  She looks caught off-guard, but nods politely at whatever he’s saying to her. She glances away from him. At me. No one else but me. Like her mind is on me even though she’s listening to him. I walk over to them, unable to resist the magnetic pull toward her.

  “Ah, Mr. Foxx.” Slick extends a hand.

  I shake it without inviting him to call me by my first name. Probably the only person I’ve met in my adult life that I haven’t insisted on calling me Leo.

  “Good to see you again,” Slick says. “When I spoke to Chloe late last night…” He hesitates, and I swear his eyes dilate like he’s gloating.

  A flash of anger sears through me. Or is it jealousy? Maybe both?

  Chloe tenses.

  “I planned to send her in my place to represent our firm today, but I had a last-minute schedule change, so here I am.”

  I get the impression he thinks we should kneel or something. “I didn’t realize you were a client of 5 Muse Designs.”

  “Just signed the contract with them. Our new website should go live in a few months.”

  Shit. Simmons & Richards is a good-sized client for 5 Muse Designs. Not only is Chloe tied to this fucker, but now my sister is too. And if anything goes south, Mr. Slick could do some serious damage to all of us. Good thing I’m a champion chess player and a genius, so I can outmaneuver this guy.

  Chloe stands there. Quiet. Stiff. Uncomfortable.

  Slick excludes her like she’s not even present.

  “Well, there’s no better web designer in the city, that’s for sure.” I don’t mention that one of the owners of 5 Muse Designs is my sister, but I’m sure he’s aware. “5 Muse will do a fantastic job for you.”

  “I’m counting on it,” Slick says with a purr in his voice.

  Why do I feel the need to take a shower?

  Ava walks over. “Hello, Mr. Richards.” She tries to shake his hand, but he hugs her instead. I nearly growl.

  “Food and drink await you,” Ava says in her best client-schmoozing voice, while politely extricating herself from Slick. “Let me walk you over.” She leads him away to the canopy.

  I pull my phone out and text Dex, who is still running the chess game.

  Help keep an eye on Ava? Don’t want her alone with guy she’s with.

  He dings right back.

  ’Course.

  Dex doesn’t hesitate, and leaves the giant lawn chess game unmanned to head for my sister.

  I turn my attention to Chloe. “I didn’t expect to see you here. Then again, my sister doesn’t fill me in on her client list.”

  Chloe’s more relaxed now that her boss is gone. “That’s how I met Ava. I was put in charge of finding a web designer for Simmons & Richards. We became friends.”

  “Doesn’t sound like a job for an account rep.” I wait until Slick is gone from the canopy, then I lead Chloe toward the bar.

  She shrugs. “It’s not, but I’m twenty-six, the youngest rep at the firm, and not the boss’s favorite.”

  I wonder if that’s because she wouldn’t sleep with him or because she did sleep with him. I’m certain it’s one of them. Either way, he’s obviously using it as leverage against her.

  We step up to the open bar, and I toss my coffee cup into the trash. “It’s still early.” I look at the Bulgari Diagono Chronograph watch strapped to my wrist. “But it’s a special occasion, so I’ll allow myself to indulge. You?”

  “Why not.” She wrinkles her nose like she’s breaking the rules and feels naughty.

  I want to explore that further, but I try to focus on the task at hand. “Moscow Mule?”

  Her expression darkens. “No. I’ll try something new.” She gives the bartender a pointed look. “What do you recommend?”

  “Sex on the Beach is especially popular for brunch,” he says with a straight face.

  I nearly choke. With a drink like that, every time she wraps her lips around the straw, every time she swallows… dear God, the thought of her swallowing…

  “Sold,” she says to the bartender.

  “You play chess?” Chess may be the only thing that can pull my concentration out of fantasyland.

  She takes a tall, slender glass filled with the blood orange drink from the bartender, and we wander to a deserted corner of the canopy. “I’ve played a match or two. My…” She hesitates. “My dad taught me.” She stumbles over the words. Takes the straw between her full lips and sips.

  She swallows. Swear to God, I can’t help my lips from parting as I watch her suck on that straw and the muscles in her neck work as the drink slides down her throat.

  “I haven’t played since high school, though.”

  “Up for a game?” I force my stare to meet hers.

  “With you?” She throws her head back and laughs. That sensual throaty sound drifts across the gentle fall breeze. “I don’t think I’d be much of a challenge.” The darkness in her expression vanishes, and her eyes glitter again.

  I can’t help it. I just fucking can’t. I lean in so that our faces are a breath apart. “Chloe Evers, you’re the biggest challenge I’ve ever met. The question is, are you up to it?”

  Chapter Five

  I feel Chloe’s quickening breaths feather over my face as she stares up at me. Her cobalt eyes widen, her lips part, and I wait for her response to my suggestive question.

  “I’m ready for a challenge,” she finally says. “I think.”

  See? I was right. She’s not sure exactly what she wants, only that she knows she wants something. And I want to help her figure it out.

  “The board is free now.” I nod at the giant chess game. Some pieces have been cast to the side, others are still on the board like it was abandoned mid-game. No big surprise, since not many people actually like chess.

  “Promise to be patient, since I’m kind of rusty?” Her stare drops to my mouth, and I know we’re not just talking about chess.

  I’m so close that the deliciously sweet vanilla scent of her perfume makes me hungry for dessert before I’ve eaten lunch. “The key to chess is patience.” Same as sex. “Patience might as well be my middle name.” I love that double meaning as the words leave my lips. After the cheerleader so generously relieved me of my virginity in high school, I quickly learned that sex isn’t so different from my favorite game. Patience makes me good at both.

  “You say that now…” The uncertainty is back in her expression, the shine is gone from her deep blue eyes. “Truth is, I’m not very good.”

  There’s no bitterness in her words. Only sadness that makes me want to take her in my arms. The muscle in my jaw hardens, and I wonder if her douchebag boss put that idea in her head, or was it some other asshole? “Then you haven’t played with the right partner,” I say gently.

  She looks
off toward the large lawn chessboard, but I know her mind isn’t on the game. She’s considering, weighing. What does she want exactly? She’s not sure. But she knows she wants something, and she’s trying to decide if she wants it from me.

  She adjusts her stance, and her sweater slips further off one shoulder. I can hardly stop myself from pressing my mouth into the curve of her neck to kiss her creamy skin. My fingers would slide the thin black strap off her shoulder, and I’d pull a pink nipple into my mouth and suck it into a hard peak.

  “If I’m going to work for you, maybe it’s not a great idea to mix business with pleasure.” Her gaze shifts to her boss in the crowd. “I’ve played that game before and lost. It sucks.”

  Chloe is probably right. It could give the bad press more steam if it gets out and is misconstrued. Sleeping with her would give me a lot of control over her career. A power I could care less about, because all I want is her. It’s a gamble for both of us. I’m willing to throw the dice, though, and I’ll protect her if it goes bad. That’s what knights do, right? One of the reasons my partners and I love that piece on the board the most.

  “Or we could both win.” I glance across the lawn at her douchebag boss. He’s yakking it up with another one of Ava’s clients. “I’m not like the other bosses you’ve obviously had the misfortune of working for, Chloe.” I look at the game board, then my gaze lands back on her supple lips. “But I’ll only do this if you’re sure I’m the guy you want to play with.” My voice goes more smoky with each word. “I like my partners to accept a challenge willingly. Not because they feel bullied into it.”

  What the hell am I doing? But I just can’t stop. Everything we say has a double meaning. We’re flirting, circling each other, each innuendo more sexual than the last. The conversation is like foreplay. Hell, it is foreplay, and it’s a total fucking turn-on. I want her so much, and not just for sex. I want to get to know her. See where it might lead. Truth is, I want this woman to want me too.