Camille gives me her hand and whispers yes. I slip the ring on her finger, joy imploding in me as I rise to my feet with her in tow. She throws her arms around me and our lips meet as the people we care about most clap.
With her, I can do anything.
Camille is everything I need, everything I want. For her, I’ll be the best man I can be. Together, we’ll live a flawed, perfectly imperfect life. And it won’t always be easy, but it’ll always be worth it.
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Preview of Temptation
Chapter One
The ceremony ended an hour ago, but it was taking forever for the visitors to leave. Hundreds of people had flocked to the funeral to pay their respects to Robert Parker, the iron-fisted founder of Parker Industries. The entrepreneur had built his million-dollar business from the ground up and managed to achieve the American dream. Under his rule, Parker Industries bought out and built up two different currier services, a mega-chain auto rental, and more. He was ruthless when it came to business, and most of the visitors were business associates. It was a room full of the pretentious and rich. There were few people left in the world who had truly loved Robert Parker.
They say that he'd hardened his heart after the death of his wife twenty years ago. He left behind three sons, and the funeral guests, who weren't there to network, were there to see the notorious Parker brothers.
Garret Mason loosened his tie and frowned. The expensive suits still made him a little uncomfortable even though he'd been wearing them for years. In high school, Robert Parker had made him a deal. If Garret proved himself in college, Robert would make sure that he always had a job with Parker Industries waiting for him when he graduated. The old man kept his word, and Garrett was named Press Release Manager five years ago, but it was still hard to shed his old skin. "This is ridiculous," he muttered. "Do we have to do this today? They just buried their father."
The skinny and bespectacled man shifted nervously from one foot to another. As Garret loomed over him, the shorter man’s balding head gleamed under the lights. Todd Harris. Garret could tell that something was unnerving the lawyer, but the man was tightlipped about the terms of the will. He only insisted that he meet with the brothers and the board directly after the funeral. "I told you. It was Mr. Parker's wish," he said nervously.
"Relax, Garret." Blake, the eldest of the three brothers, put his hand on Garret's shoulder and squeezed. "You're making Mr. Harris nervous."
"I don't know why. I'm just pointing out the obvious."
"I'm fairly certain that Cole and Hawk don't mind. As soon as we establish the terms of dear old Dad's will, the sooner they can skip town and move on with their lives. It's better that we get it all done at once." Blake, always the efficient one, cracked a rare smile. Blake had been groomed since practically birth to take over Parker Industries. When Garret first met Blake, he thought that the quiet and far-too-serious high school kid was an easy target.
He was wrong.
"Did you see the tabloids yesterday?" Garret asked grimly. "Hawk was so drunk at the club that they actually kicked him out. I can only imagine how bad he must have been for the club owners to throw a notorious Parker brother out."
"Damn fool. The faster we get them out of here, the better. Parker Industries is under critical scrutiny, and we can't afford any embarrassing scandals right now. Why the hell is Cole talking to Wiltshire? Please tell me that he's not trying to expand his connections at our father's funeral. And Wiltshire, of all people."
A scene between Blake and Cole would end badly, so Garret reached out and grabbed his friend's arm. "I'll get them to the office if you want to go ahead and meet us there. The crowd should dissipate once we leave."
Blake gave his brother one last look of disgust before nodding. Leaning down to give a quiet word to Todd, the two men walked out together. Garret decided that breaking up whatever deal Cole might be making was his highest priority.
"Mr. Wiltshire," Garret said as he flashed his most charming smile. "You'll have to excuse Cole. He's needed elsewhere. I'm sure you understand."
"Of course," Wiltshire nodded. "Cole, we can pick this up at another time. I am interested in your ideas, but you have a lot on your plate. I am sorry about your loss. I’m interested in seeing how Blake will fill his shoes."
More like interested in getting his grubby hands on the company if Blake failed. Garret reached out to shake the man’s hand and tried to keep his temper in check. Robert Parker wasn’t even in the ground yet, and the wolves were already circling. "There's a car waiting for you out front. Blake and the lawyer are already on their way. Have you seen Hawk? The two of you can ride together."
"The hell we're riding together," Cole muttered darkly. "He can take his own car."
Garret was about to ask Cole to wait when he saw two men approaching them. Not wanting to cause a scene, Garret conceded. "Fine. I'll get Hawk myself."
This meeting was going to go real well.
When Garret met the three brothers, they were loyal to each other. The ridiculously expensive private school they attended took boys of all ages, so they looked out for each other at school. When Robert paid for Garret to attend the same school for the last two years, Garret quickly found out that money only made some kids meaner. Many of the kids were the spoiled offspring of Robert Parker's competitors, and they shared their daddies’ hatred for the man. Hawk, as the youngest, always felt the brunt of their cruel jokes.
Garret was never really sure what happened after he and Blake graduated. They stayed friends during college and while they worked together, Robert made Blake work his way up to the top just like everyone else, but Cole and Hawk didn't want anything to do with the business. They moved to the different corners of the country for college, and the brothers drifted apart.
Way apart.
"Mr. Mason." The blonde gentleman cleared his throat, and Garret realized they worked with the funeral home. "We hate to bother you, but there's a gentleman with a lady in one of our offices."
He was about to demand why that was his problem when he saw the fear in their eyes.
Damn it. Hawk.
"I'll take care of it. Which office?"
Following their directions, he opened the door just in time to see the youngest Parker brother with his hands sliding up some young woman's bare thigh as she knocked things off the desk. She giggled breathlessly, and Garret cleared his throat. "Forgive me for interrupting," he said dryly. "But this is a funeral."
"Garret." Hawk smiled as he straightened. "I should have known that you'd be here policing my father’s funeral. Darling, meet Garret Mason. He was just some rat on the street that my father took in and turned into a real man. Garret, meet…" Hawk frowned. "Actually, I don't know your name, sweetheart."
Garret let the insult slide off him. He could smell the whiskey on the man's breath. "Miss? You should go." With wide eyes, the attractive redhead slid off the desk, straightened her dress, and hurried out with a muttered apology.
"Did Blake send you here to make sure that I was behaving myself?"
"Actually, Blake is on his way to the office. You and your brothers have a meeting with the board and the lawyers. I'll call for a car to pick you up."
Hawk leaned against the desk and shrugged. "I'm not going. We all know that our father left the company and the house to Blake. I'd say that he's the favorite, but Blake was just the first one out. The rest of the cash assets will be divided evenly."
"You still own controlling shares, and you need to attend if for no other reason than to sign the paperwork. The sooner you get this over with, the sooner you can go back to your life. Whatever that
may be."
Hawk narrowed his eyes. "Whatever," he muttered as he strolled out from the office. Garret called one of the drivers to pick up Hawk and escaped to his own car. No matter how much money he made, Garret couldn't imagine paying someone to drive him around. He loved the control that he felt behind the car too much.
The last to arrive at the meeting, he wasn't surprised by the tense silence. Blake had already taken his father's chair at the head of the table. Cole looked angry, and Hawk looked bored. The board members looked confused, and poor Todd looked terrified.
Yup. This was going to go swimmingly.
Todd cleared his throat nervously and stood. "Mr. Mason. Now that you're here, we can get started. As dictated by the last will and testament of the late Robert Parker, I have convened everyone here to discuss the arrangements of Parker Industries. This will was created on…"
"For the love of God," Hawk groaned. "Can you please skip the formalities and just get to the good stuff. We all know that Blake will take the controlling shares, so just tell us what to do."
"Hawk," Blake hissed. "I'm sure your plans to waste your life with sex and alcohol are important, but I think it can wait."
“You’re just pissed because I have a life.”
"The two of you getting into another pissing match is only going to make this longer,” Cole chimed in. "We don't want to be here. You don't want to be here. They don't want to be here. So let's just get this over with."
"Gentlemen," Garret said forcefully. The brothers fell silent, and Garret nodded to the lawyer. "Mr. Harris, I think we'd all agree that it's best if you just get to the point."
Todd paled considerably, and Garret frowned. He had a feeling the man was about to say something that no one would like.
"Very well," he stuttered. "As it so happens, the majority of the shares don't fall to Blake. They are to be split evenly among the three brothers. Blake, Cole, and Hawk are to evenly share the responsibilities of Parker Industries for at least a year. If they attempt to sell their shares or shirk their duties in that year, their shares will be transferred to Wiltshire and Donovan LLC."
At first there was stunned silence. Then the whole room exploded. Garret was too shocked to do more than just watch the chaos. Poor Todd visibly trembled as everyone yelled at him. Blake was furious to lose what he'd considered his birthright. Cole was ripping the copy of the will from the lawyer's hands, and Hawk was cussing everyone else out. Even the members of the board were outraged.
What the hell was Robert thinking? For all the time that Garret knew him, the company was Robert's baby. He put it before everything, even his sons. This act was so uncharacteristic of the bastard. He was practically throwing it to the wolves. Wiltshire and Donovan had been trying to buy out Parker Industries for years, and Robert had resisted them at every turn.
So why now?
"Enough," Garret roared. "Everybody settle down!"
The room quieted, and he took a deep breath. "Todd, have you looked to see if there was any way around this?"
The poor man slowly sat down. "I'm afraid not. Since his death, our whole team of lawyers has been looking for a loophole. It's ironclad."
"Great. That’s just great. So who's to judge if the brothers are shirking their duties?"
"Well, after our meeting here, I have to provide Wiltshire and Donovan with the details. If they can prove to a judge that the brothers aren't all active in running the business, they can take over."
Garret caught Hawk looking at the door and clenched his teeth. "Hawk. Cole. You are aware that if you don't participate for at least a year, you'll lose your source of income, correct?"
Hawk shrugged. "I don't give a damn about the company."
"Do you give a damn about me?" Blake hissed. "I am not about to lose Parker Industries to the slimy hands of Wiltshire and Donovan. Give me a year, and then you can bolt."
As the brothers bickered, Garret sat back and closed his eyes. He knew what the board was thinking. Even if he did get the brothers to agree to this ridiculous charade, that didn't solve their only problem. When the brothers took over, the press would have a field day, and the reputation of the Parker brothers would be under scrutiny. Wiltshire and Donovan could use that alone to take over.
"What the hell were you thinking, old man?" he murmured.
Chapter Two
Her heart beat erratically as Lisa tried to remain calm and poised in the plush, white chairs outside the office of Garret Mason. She was new at the image consulting game, but it looked as though her streak of luck was holding. Just last month she'd turned the new CEO of Lopate Supplies from an old man suffering from a heart condition into a man who looked twenty years younger and healthy as a horse. If he kept to the strict diet that she'd laid out for him, he might actually live for another twenty years too. Before that, she schooled a new junior executive on business etiquette so she could impress her new boss and get that promotion.
They were small fry compared to Parker Industries. When Garret Mason called for an interview, she was over the moon. Then she did her research on the Parker brothers and realized the immense job ahead of her.
She wanted it. She could practically taste it on her tongue. If she did this job and did it well, she'd never be without work again. She'd stop struggling paying for her crappy apartment and maybe upgrade to something more worthy of an image consultant. Maybe she'd finally be able to open an office rather than pretend that working from home was a choice rather than a necessity.
She'd been worried about money ever since she was a child. Her parents were dreamers who always followed their hearts, and it wasn't until she turned sixteen that she finally put her foot down. While they continued gallivanting about the country, she stayed with a friend and worked her way through high school and college.
Every single second of that stress would be worth it if things went well today.
"Ms. Moore? Mr. Mason will see you now."
Show time. She stood up and smoothed a hand down her black skirt. She'd gone with a bold choice in clothing to show that she was unafraid. A crimson blouse to match her crimson lipstick, and she'd pulled her dark hair up into a bun. First she would catch Garret Mason's attention, and then she would get the job.
Lisa followed the older blonde into a simple office. She was surprised. The waiting area was classy and luxurious, but the office was sparse. The large, glossy oak desk was tidy with a desktop computer and several neat piles of papers. There were no pictures or potted plants. No proudly displayed degrees or awards.
Garret Mason was huge. Towering well over six feet, he looked completely unimpressed and utterly intimidating when she walked in. Her breath caught when his dark and intense eyes swept over her, and she reminded herself that she wouldn't be here if they didn't think she was up for the job. She wasn’t going to let him scare her.
"Mr. Mason?" She stuck her arm out and smiled. "I'm Lisa Moore."
He ignored her hand. "Yes, I know. You don't look like the woman in your pictures."
Lisa frowned. There were no personal pictures on her website. "What did I look like in my pictures?"
"Professional."
Cocking her head, she lifted an eyebrow. She struggled to push down the rash response. "Care to explain what that means?"
"Let's get one thing straight. I don't want you here. I don't need you here. I'd refuse to see you except that the board has decided that the job is too big for me to do on my own."
This was going great. Deep breaths. She was here. She might as well sell herself. "Mr. Mason, might I remind you that your company called me. If you don't plan on interviewing me, then why am I here?"
"Excellent. I like a woman who gets right to the point. Have a seat." His face was suddenly warm and charming as he sat behind the desk and leaned back. "As I stated, the board is insisting that I need help. I gave them your name. They fought me on it because you're so new, but they all had to admit that your resume, although short, has some impressive, recent accomplishments."<
br />
Lisa settled in the seat and clasped her hands. It looked like things were looking up. Relaxing her shoulders, she tried to appear collected. "Despite the fact that I am new, I am very good at my job. The workplace is just about image as it is actual work. I help people put their best foot forward when it comes to impressing their bosses and the press."
Garret waved his hands. "Ms. Moore, I don't need to hear your spiel. You're hired. Submit your fees to my secretary, and we'll get everything inputted into the computer. I'll submit reports to you, and you can use them when you update the board."
"That won't be necessary. I'll be able to write my own reports once I meet with the brothers."
"No," he said coldly. "You won't. Ms. Moore, you seem to misunderstand the situation. You're hired, but you won't be doing any work for this company. There isn't a chance in hell that I would let you anywhere near the Parker brothers. This situation is far too delicate for a woman who looks like she just graduated from college."
Shocked and furious, she stood and clutched her portfolio to her chest. "Then I decline your offer, and I'll be happy to let the board know just why I've declined it. I'm sure that will make the search for the next image consultant much easier."
Scowling, he tapped his fingers on the desk. "Are you blackmailing me?" he asked in a soft voice. There was just a hint of danger, but Lisa ignored it.
"Not at all," she said smoothly. "I wouldn't dream of working with someone like you. I'm just letting you know what I plan to do next."
"Sit down."
"I think we're done here." She spun on her heels and stalked towards the door when it slammed shut suddenly. Gasping, she whipped her head around.
Garret held the remote for the door in his hand. "I believe that I asked you to sit down."
"And I believe that I told you no. Open this door before I show you just how unprofessional I can be."
Chuckling, he got up and stood by the large window. "I won't apologize, but I will admit that I underestimated you. Most people would be thrilled at the idea of getting paid and not having to do the work. You'll get the press and the credit."
Virgin's Lust Page 46
