Player!: A Walker Brothers Novel (The Walker Brothers Book 2)

by J. S. Scott

He seemed…different. Maybe it was because his tie was hanging loose around his neck, and his jacket was over his shoulder. His sleeves were rolled up like he’d actually been working, and he sounded more low-keyed, maybe because it was getting late.

  He’d come in the same time I had this morning. Was it possible he’d had a long day? “It was good,” I answered shortly. “Yours?”

  I had visions of him chasing his secretary around the desk all day until he’d finally caught her and nailed her on the desk. But for some reason, the image didn’t stick.

  I had no doubt that Sebastian Walker was every bit the playboy he’d been branded. How could he not be? Yeah, I was pretty certain the rumors I heard about him were true since I’d learned about his behavior from more than one source.

  He had a body meant for sin, tall and toned as hell, intriguing hazel eyes, and thick, sandy brown hair that tempted a woman to spear her fingers into the cropped locks to see if they felt as sensual as they looked.

  Still, right now he actually looked just a little bit vulnerable and more approachable.

  “Busy,” he finally responded to my question. “But good. I’m making progress on our solar energy interests. So my day was productive.”

  I gaped at him. “I didn’t know Walker was big into alternative energy.”

  Walker Enterprises was a major conglomerate, but I hadn’t seen anything remotely resembling alternative energy in their profile.

  Sebastian shrugged. “It wasn’t before I joined Trace. Now that area is developing and expanding. Seeking the resources so we can do what we need to do to become a world leader in technology and development is a large part of my job right now.”

  “You actually work?” Shit! I hadn’t meant to say that aloud. Even my tone of voice had been insulting—surprise mixed with a healthy dose of disbelief.

  Somehow, I hadn’t seen him as the type of guy who busted his ass for his company. I’d heard good things about Trace Walker, but Sebastian…not so much.

  His sudden bark of laughter rang out in the small space. “Why else would I be here? I don’t exactly have massive orgies in my office. It’s big, but it isn’t that big. Contrary to what some people might think, I do work hard to do the best I can for Walker. It’s our family legacy. Maybe you shouldn’t believe everything you hear, Paige.”

  What I’d heard is that Sebastian Walker screwed a different woman every night of the week. That he was a worthless, spoiled billionaire who traveled around the world looking for his next big party.

  “I did believe it. I’m sorry.” I felt kind of bad when I looked at his weary expression. It was obvious that there was a part of Sebastian Walker that I’d never heard about.

  We were moving down now that the doors had closed, and I felt a little sad that I’d judged him by rumors alone. My remorse was sincere. I had judged him because he was rich, was known to be a playboy, and had a bad reputation. It was hearsay, and I usually wasn’t the type to judge by other people’s opinions.

  Maybe I had my reasons to hate wealthy, spoiled, petulant men, but I couldn’t keep lumping all rich guys into the same category.

  He brushed off my apology. “I did it to myself. Too many years acting like an asshole. Now I have to prove my worth here at Walker.”

  “You don’t have to prove yourself to anyone. It’s your company,” I defended. “So you really haven’t slept with countless women and blown off your responsibilities?”

  Oh, dear God, I really, really need to muzzle myself. Sebastian Walker’s personal life was none of my business, but my damn curiosity was digging me deeper into a hole. If I wasn’t careful, my unusual bluntness could lose me my new position.

  He grinned. “Never said that. I did. I don’t anymore.”

  I wondered if he meant he didn’t still sleep with a lot of women, or if he was responding to the part about his responsibilities. But it didn’t matter. His sex life was none of my business.

  Shut up, Paige. Just shut the hell up!

  My stomach rumbled while we were silent, a growling noise that no longer wanted to be ignored. I put my hand to my belly. “Sorry.”

  “Did you eat today?” Sebastian asked in a disapproving voice.

  I nodded. “Lunch. But it’s been awhile.”

  “I’m starving, too. Do you want to go grab some dinner with me?”

  His charming smile was back in place, but he looked more approachable, more genuine. I wasn’t sure if it was my imagination, or if he was really more appealing at the end of the day than he’d been this morning.

  His masculine scent drifted across the confined space, and I breathed it in, loving the smell of starched linen, masculine strength, and a musky aroma I couldn’t place. It was all him. Sebastian. His fragrance lingered in the air between us like an aphrodisiac.

  Strange, but I could swear that I could smell a hint of butterscotch. Unfortunately, I loved all things butterscotch, so it made his scent even sweeter.

  I only let myself absorb him for a moment before I came to my senses and reminded myself he was everything I didn’t like.

  He was rich.

  He had been a player.

  And he was undeniably one of the best looking men I’d ever seen.

  “I can’t,” I refused. I was a junior attorney, a newbie in his company. I didn’t need to be seen anywhere with him unless it was business. People would talk.

  He was also wealthy and powerful, two things that made me nervous in a very unhealthy way.

  “Why?” he asked curiously. “I’m not asking you to let me fuck you, although I certainly wouldn’t refuse if you wanted that. It’s just food for two hungry people.”

  I shuddered at his bluntness, but his husky voice conjured up some very hot visions of a passionate encounter that I couldn’t get out of my head. “It’s late. I need to get home.” Like he was desperate to get laid? A guy like him probably had women falling at his feet. I didn’t delude myself for a second that a man like him actually wanted to screw me. He could have any woman he wanted.

  It occurred to me that this was a highly inappropriate conversation to be having with the big boss on my first day at the company.

  The elevator stopped, and he motioned me out in front of him.

  The lobby was empty except for a security guard sitting at the front reception desk. Sebastian lifted his hand in greeting, and his employee waved back with a smile.

  “You don’t have to get home,” Sebastian stated bluntly. “You just don’t want to be seen with me.”

  I turned and faced him. “Honestly, I don’t. I’m just starting the job opportunity of a lifetime, and I don’t want to mess that up. I like to keep things uncomplicated.” That was putting it mildly. I generally avoided men like Sebastian, like a person avoids a communicable disease.

  “What’s complicated about food? You’re fairly new in town, and we’re hungry. I don’t have many friends here myself. I pulled up roots to come here last year, but all I do is work. It’s just dinner.”

  “How did you know I was new to the area?” I asked, wondering how he knew anything about me. For all he knew, I could be a local.

  He grinned mischievously, an expression that was nearly irresistible. “I do own the company,” he answered simply.

  I panicked, wondering what else he knew. Moving across the country was my escape from my past. A new start. “What else did you find out?” I asked aloud as I fidgeted with my purse.

  “I know you were a model student with nearly perfect grades—”

  “Nearly?” I questioned.

  “Okay, pretty damn perfect. But you did get an A- in your undergraduate work.”

  I was proud of my obsessive overachievement that had landed me straight A’s and scholarships to struggle my way through school. “Philosophy. My professor hated me because I asked too many questions,” I said defensively.
/>   “Sometimes there are no concrete answers.”

  “But why think about something that doesn’t have a definitive answer? I like solvable mysteries.”

  Sebastian laughed, and the sound made my heart skitter. He was getting to me, and I had no idea why.

  “You’re not that pragmatic,” he answered in an amused voice.

  He surprised me, probably because there was some truth to his words. At one time, I had been a dreamer, but that had been a long time ago, and that part of me was gone.

  I went to look at my watch, a nervous habit, but something I did often to keep myself on schedule and focused. Unfortunately, my wrist was bare. Somehow, my watch had been lost while I was moving and I hadn’t replaced it. Right now, it was definitely a gesture of pure discomfort.

  I couldn’t keep letting him dig into my life, not even about little things. We had to keep our discussion short and professional. “Any other observations, or can I go now, Mr. Walker?”

  “If you were looking for the time, it’s nine o’clock. Dinner?” he asked, his tone cajoling.

  “No,” I answered huskily. Not only was Sebastian Walker an uncomfortable man to be with, but his eyes seemed to be probing me like he was trying to figure me out.

  I’d made it a habit to keep everything, every emotion well concealed. He’d never understand me. Sometimes I didn’t even comprehend some of my personality since I’d done such an abrupt change.

  The last thing I wanted to talk about was me or my past. I wanted to look toward my future.

  “The only thing I saw was your résumé and your references,” he admitted. “I don’t know any of your deep, dark secrets, and I don’t really want to right now. What I want is to get something to eat. With you.”

  I swallowed hard as I finally looked him directly in the eyes. For a brief moment, our gazes met in understanding. Somehow he knew that I was uncomfortable with him, and he was trying to ease my fears. But I wasn’t scared of him. Not exactly. I wasn’t afraid for my physical safety. But maybe I was wary of the way I reacted to him. My body was tense, and a deep-seated need seemed to make me want to be closer to him, while my reason pushed me away.

  Sebastian was handsome, but it wasn’t just his looks that made me want to spend more time with him. Maybe he was just as much a mystery to me as I was to him, but there was something there as we continued to lock eyes and stare at each other.

  He’s lonely.

  Just the thought of a billionaire as hot as Sebastian needing company almost made me want to laugh at the errant thought. But the thought rang true about my suspicion. And I had a feeling he understood me, too.

  In the end, even though I yearned to go with him, my rational side won out, just like it always did.

  “Goodnight, Mr. Walker,” I said in a shaky voice as I turned and averted my eyes from his mesmerizing expression.

  “I won’t stop trying, Paige,” he warned as I turned to exit the building.

  When I’d left through the sliding doors, I whispered to myself, “I won’t stop saying no.” It was more of a vow than a statement.

  That brief connection, the chemistry between us had to be ignored.

  I had big goals, and I wasn’t going to let my apparent lust for Sebastian Walker stop me after I’d worked so hard for the last several years. My physical reaction to him was surprising, but I admitted to myself it did exist. I just couldn’t make it that important.

  I shuddered as I entered the parking garage, almost certain somebody was watching me.

  Turning, I looked over my shoulder as I walked faster, then slowing my pace as I saw Sebastian watching me as I hurried to my vehicle.

  CHAPTER 3

  Paige

  “Oh, for God’s sake, Paige, if he’s that hot, just have a fling with him,” Kenzie grumbled as we talked on the phone at the end of my first week at Walker.

  I’d told her everything. I’d met up with Sebastian a few more times during the last five days, but I’d made an effort to be completely professional. As usual, he just grinned like he knew something I didn’t, and it was totally unnerving. Did he realize that my body reacted to him every time I saw him?

  “I can’t just screw him, Kenzie. He and Trace own the whole damn company.” My best friend didn’t understand why I couldn’t just scratch my itch, even if I’d have to have an awkward relationship with Sebastian once I did.

  Not to mention the fact that I’d never had a one-night stand. Not intentionally, anyway. I’d gone out with a couple of guys in law school, but the sex had been uncomfortable rather than pleasurable. The two relationships had both ended after the first sexual encounter.

  Kenzie’s suggestion was oddly tempting. Generally, I avoided entanglements all together. I definitely didn’t want a relationship. But I did have an itch that needed to be scratched. It was interfering with my concentration occasionally. Unfortunately, I had a feeling there was only one man who could soothe that discomfort, and he was absolutely off-limits.

  “Then casual sex, Paige. Lord knows you’re due for a fling.”

  Seeing as I’d never had one before, I’d say I was more like…overdue.

  I kicked off my low heels, and flopped on the couch in my apartment while keeping a solid grasp on my phone. “Not with him.”

  “It’s a big city. There has to be somebody.”

  There wasn’t.

  I was alone, and except for Sebastian Walker, no man seemed to see me as a female. Most of the other attorneys in the office were married, but they treated me kindly. The few females on staff in legal were older, but I liked all of them. I’d even made casual friends at work. But other than that, there wasn’t a single guy I’d encountered who even tempted me to have a casual fling.

  Just him.

  Only Sebastian.

  Dammit!

  “There’s nobody else,” I groaned into the phone.

  “Then use the hot billionaire. You said he was a player. Certainly he’d do you if you hinted that you wanted to go that direction.”

  He might, and that very thought terrified and bewildered me. He’d asked me two more times to have a meal with him, only to be refused. “I’m not so sure all of the rumors about him are true,” I admitted to Kenzie reluctantly. “All I see him do is work late.”

  “Then maybe he needs to get laid, too,” Kenzie suggested. “Sounds like a perfect situation to me.”

  “I don’t need sex,” I denied, knowing my statement was true. I’d survived years without it.

  “But you want it,” Kenzie stated. “Paige, is your reluctance because of your past?” Her voice changed to one of hushed empathy.

  “No. Not really. I just don’t want to do anything to jeopardize my position. I’m starting all over in Colorado. And I need this job.”

  “Unfortunately, you can’t run away from your past when you change locations,” Kenzie answered with regret in her tone.

  I knew that Kenzie understood me and accepted me the way nobody else did. She had her own issues that had affected the way she sometimes saw herself, an incident that had forever altered her life. Maybe that’s why we were so tightly bonded. Both of us had experienced something that had irrevocably changed our lives completely.

  “I know,” I admitted wistfully, wishing that my new surroundings would suddenly change my personality. But it hadn’t. I was still the same cautious, nerdy female, determined to climb the ladder, even if it killed me.

  I suddenly felt tired and wiped out emotionally, so exhausted from trying to contain every emotion.

  Logically, I knew becoming as successful as possible was a control issue, or maybe just a safer place to be. But having some kind of security was important to me. More critical than giving into baser needs that I knew damn well I could live without.

  “Just do him,” Kenzie said with a sigh.

  I twirled a long
strand of my dark hair as I retorted, “You wouldn’t do it. How’s your social life these days?” Kenzie was creative, but she wasn’t exactly daring. Like me, she’d once been carefree, and eager to find her next party or opportunity to socialize. Her future had been bright and ripe with opportunity.

  Then one day, everything had changed for her, too.

  “It sucks,” she admitted. “I’m living in the big city now, but I do everything alone. Not that I’m complaining. New York has endless things to see. But nobody notices me. Nobody looks at me as a potential date.”

  My heart ached for Kenzie’s situation. If someone could just look inside her heart for an instant, they’d see how beautiful she really was. “Truce?” I said softly. “Don’t badger me about my social life, and I won’t mention yours. There’s nothing wrong with being alone. Not for me. I prefer it that way.”

  “No, you don’t. You just think it has to be that way. We’re both fucked up,” Kenzie replied in a melancholy tone.

  Honestly, we probably were both more than slightly dysfunctional because of our pasts, but I wasn’t going to admit it. “No, we aren’t. We’re working on our careers.”

  “Maybe you are. Mine is pretty much stagnant.”

  “No chance of working your way up the ranks?” I questioned.

  “Not without more education.”

  Kenzie had taken a job at a prestigious art gallery in New York as a receptionist. She’d been hoping she could learn and advance. Obviously, she wasn’t going to get that opportunity. Even though we’d lived in a college town, my best friend had never gotten the opportunity to attend any of those colleges full-time to get a degree. She’d taken some art classes, but had worked two jobs just to survive.

  “Do you need anything,” I asked anxiously. New York was expensive. “I can send you money. I’m working now.”

  “Not happening,” Kenzie answered decisively. “I have a second job at a convenience store. And I have a couple of roommates. I’ll survive just fine.”

  God, I hated the fact that Kenzie wasn’t going to have a chance to advance. After what she’d been through, she deserved to be happy. And despite the fact that she hadn’t gone to college, she was smarter and definitely more creative than most people I knew who had a higher education. “Let me know. I’m working full-time now, and I have a good job.”