“How would you feel about people trying to buy your family legacy?” So Greg was the unhappy one.
“If I were the one to put it up for sale, I’d try to find the best buyer I could.” The guy acted like we were trying a hostile takeover. Not that Peak Adventures was above it since Blake had tried to get his fiancée’s company that way and she’d outsmarted him. “But if the problem is that you want to keep KBBM, I’d like to know if I’m wasting my time here.”
“You’re not,” Katelyn insisted a little too quickly, giving me more insight into their dynamics. “Greg feels like he’s betraying our dad but what he refuses to acknowledge is that we’re ruining dad’s legacy.”
“And selling it won’t do that?” He smacked the table, taking a long pull from his beer the second it was set before him. “What do you plan to do with KBBM, turn it into local reality television?”
“Hell no! My brother hates reality TV, but the truth is that once you sell there is no guarantee that the buyer will do what you want. So the question is, what do you expect?”
“What we’d like,” Katelyn began, “is to know a little about your plans for KBBM.”
I resisted the urge to groan and tell these two to grow the fuck up and sell a business neither of them has any business running in the first place. “We plan to enhance it and increase the focus on adventure sports.” That was all they were getting.
“What a surprise! A party and I wasn’t on the invite list for once.” Walker stood between the Shepherd siblings with his car salesman smile and a hand on each shoulder. “It’s good to see you again Greg, Katelyn.”
That little motherfucker! “What are you doing here, Walker?”
He flashed an innocent smile and shrugged. “I was just walking by and saw you three looking cozy, thought I’d drop in and say hi.”
“Okay, you said hi. Now you can go.” There was no way I was letting him horn in on my meeting, not after waiting three weeks to get it on the calendar. “Goodbye, Walker.”
He frowned, more like pouted. “You afraid of a little competition, Lacey? I know it’s not the same without Blake at your side, but surely we can be civil about this.”
“Actually, we can’t. Is this how you do business, ambush unsuspecting businessmen and women? I can only imagine what kind of beer commercial station you’ll turn KBBM into.” Since he wanted to toss out that dig about Blake, two could play that game.
“I’m happy to tell you about it. All of you,” he said, blessing each of us with a smile like we needed his goddamn smile.
“Then you can call their assistant and set up your own meeting.” I crossed my arms. It was a challenge, one I fully expected him to accept. At his own peril.
“But I’m already here and business is all about efficiency, right?”
“Sometimes it’s not. But like you said, you’re already here. Have a seat.” His smile bloomed as he took the vacant seat between Greg and I.
“Thank you. What a gracious offer.”
I really think I deserve a medal for not tossing my drink in his face or choking him with the napkin in my lap. Instead I smiled and let Walker do his thing. His loud, flamboyant, overly boisterous thing. “We’ve already ordered,” I told him sweetly.
“How do you guys feel about KBBM becoming ESPN for extreme sports?” Walker’s smile was big and I could see this was him in his element, bright and flashy, using his charm to override what his facts could not. Katelyn was a hot blooded female so of course she was enthralled with his vision for the future. She was probably imagining herself in it, right beside Walker.
“That sounds amazing!”
“You could even do a few commentating gigs, assuming you know about these things.” The look of condescension he sent Greg was so bold, so ill-times I would have felt bad for Walker. If he hadn’t crashed my meeting.
“Are you kidding?” I couldn’t help the over the top laugh that came out of me and even if I could, I wouldn’t have. “Greg was a two time gold medalist in the junior Olympics in snowboarding. Didn’t you know?” I laughed at his bewildered expression. “How interesting!” I took way too much glee in his discomfort so I turned back to Katelyn. “Do you have any questions?”
Katelyn shrugged and cast a wary look at her brother who simply stared at his mug of beer. They both seemed uncomfortable now that both Walker and I were in the same meeting. Fucking, Walker.
The rest of the lunch passed mostly in silence, except for Walker who seemed oblivious to the tension, which he’d caused. Since I couldn’t talk business, I asked more general questions about their lives just to keep the conversation going until the meal was over.
It was, hands down, the worst professional meeting of my career. And when it was over, I paid the bill—for three—and left without a goodbye to Walker. It was one thing to do your best to secure a deal, it was another to pull such an underhanded trick.
And I was a moron, because all I could think about once I left the restaurant was the way he felt moving inside of me, making come until I couldn’t see straight.
Walker
“I never took you for a sore loser, Lacey.” Though I should have known she wouldn’t have enjoyed my hijacking her lunch with the Stepford Shepherd siblings. It was a childish move, but I didn’t regret it.
She sat there behind her desk, looking prim and sexy in a lace blouse, and I just bet her legs were crossed at the ankles, just like a perfect little lady. She finally looked up, brown eyes blank.
“What was that?”
I smiled and walked in to her office. “Well played, but we both know you heard me.” Instead of taking the white chair across from her, I stood beside her chair and leaned against her desk. “So why have you been ignoring me?”
“You mean why haven’t I called and begged for another night of sex? Probably because I have a job, and a life, and plenty of things to do other than worry about another night between the sheets with you.”
“You had fun.”
She smiled then. “I had a good time. The best time, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to act like some clingy girlfriend.”
“Why does that disappoint me?”
Her lips twitched. “Because you are a man who wants exactly what he can’t have.”
That was somewhat true, and I fully admitted it. To myself, but never to another soul, and definitely not the temptress before me.
“I’m sure I could have you right now, with nothing more than the crook of my finger.”
“I admit a weakness for your talented fingers, but as you can see, I’m busy.”
“Damn, seriously?”
“Totally.”
She was playing hard to get, and normally I hated that shit, but I could admit that one night with Lacey hadn’t been enough. Not yet. I’d gone out with Lukas, and I could have had my pick of women that night, but my cock had other ideas. He didn’t want just any blond with brown eyes or blush pink nipples. He wanted Lacey which meant I wanted Lacey.
Which meant I had to have her.
“You could invite me over and cook me dinner.”
She barked out a laugh and covered her mouth. “You were serious?” More laughter came and I sat there like I wasn’t bothered a bit. “Did it ever occur to you that maybe I might like a meal cooked for me?”
It really was so easy. “Fine. I’ll cook dinner for you. Tonight. My place.”
“I have plans tomorrow. How about Saturday?”
She was playing games. But I’d only had her once, which meant I had a few more nights before I had to let her go. I didn’t like to give women ideas, which meant I kept things uncomplicated. No more than a week’s worth of dates and no sleepovers. Except for the once with Lacey, but that was the exception not the rule.
“Fine. Saturday. I’ll pick you up. Be prepared to spend the night.”
“I don’t think so.” She pushed back from the desk, legs crossed not at the ankles, but even better, at the knee. I could see her bare creamy thighs. “I can’t just stay
holed up in your apartment for the weekend. I have things to do.”
I shrugged and leaned in close enough to see the gold and yellow flecks swimming in her eyes. “Don’t pack. I prefer to have you walking around naked all weekend. Makes things easier.”
“I’ll be sure to pack lots of flannel, then.” She flashed a sweet smile that had my dick banging against my zipper to break free. I closed the gap between us and took her mouth in a fiery kiss that threatened to burn out of control if one of us didn’t pull back. Didn’t break the spell or douse the fire.
Neither of us did.
I don’t know how long we sat there in her office, mouths fused like it was meant to be that way. My cock was hard and aching and as much as I wanted to lay her across her big desk and fuck her until my cock was exhausted, I couldn’t.
I had three days to plan all the ways I would ruin Lacey this weekend.
“Hello, you have reached the voicemail for Katelyn Shepherd.”
I slammed the phone down, angry the Shepherds seemed to be doing the one thing I hated in business. Playing games. There was no point leaving another message because they would dodge the call and then refuse to return it. I had a greater appreciation for Lacey’s frustration, and I now worried about the effect crashing that lunch meeting would have for me.
If they thought this vanishing act would kickstart a bidding war, they’d both better have their heads examined because that was not how I did business. Which meant I needed to keep moving forward.
“Jada I need you to start looking into other regional stations for sale that can fall within the same parameters as KBBM.”
Jada had been my assistant for nearly five years and had pretty much run my office in my absence, so I trusted her implicitly. And her decade long triad relationship with her partners Lamar and Kylie meant I never had to worry about her trying to blur the lines.
I may be a manwhore or playboy or whatever term people are using to describe bachelors who eagerly take what women are offering, but I never shat where I ate. Ever.
“On it, sir. One more thing, Eve has called twice.” Her voice was wary and shaky and my stomach sank.
“What the fuck did she want?”
Eve was fucking trouble. My cheating witch of an ex constantly trying to trick me into something or the other, and I didn’t have time for that shit.
“That’s the thing, she didn’t say. Didn’t leave her name or a message, but I know her voice. Anyway it was just a heads up.” Just like that the call was disconnected, but my phone rang again immediately.
“You forget something?”
“Nope, but it looks like you forgot your balls. Again.”
“Luke, you’re obsessing about my balls again? How many times do I have to tell you that you’re not my type?”
“Oh please, I’m everybody’s type. Have you seen these big brown eyes and this sexy body? That’s why I’m calling, actually. This week was shit and I’m exhausted, cranky and I need to get laid.”
Any other time I would be halfway out the door, ready to slap on some cologne and fuck my way through the city’s beautiful, elite and gold digging. But this wasn’t any other time. “Can’t. Got plans.”
Lukas groaned and I could almost see him burying his face in his hands. “With Lacey?”
“Do you really want me to answer that?” I wouldn’t keep secrets from Lukas, he’s my best friend. But I also wouldn’t let him dictate where I put my dick.
“No, I don’t, damn you. But I want you to be careful. Lacey is my sister, and my best friend other than you. She’s almost like a part of me. I know you do your whole ‘don’t fall for me spiel’ but this is Lacey.”
I knew exactly what Lukas was saying, and I even appreciated his warning, but I had to have Lacey. I wouldn’t stop until I did, and then we could go back to normal.
“No one is getting hurt, man. I promise.”
“Good because I love you like a brother Walker.” His words were tight and firm and I braced myself for the threat to our friendship that would come. Lukas wouldn’t be the first brother to warn me off and threaten me, but I never thought I’d hear those words from him. A lifelong friendship could be ruined over something as fleeting as sex and romance, and people wondered why I stayed clear of these emotional entanglements. “If you hurt Lacey, I’ll have to beat you like a brother would.”
I frowned at the phone. “I don’t even know what the hell that means.” I was an only child with a half dozen step siblings whom I haven’t seen or talked to in years, and had no plans to change that anytime soon.
“It means family fights messy and dirty. And it also means I’ll take it easy on you compared to Blake.”
That made me laugh, because Blake was tough, but he had a rigid code of conduct. “Noted but I’m not worried. Though I hear you should be,” I laughed. “Lacey says you’re panting after that redhead from lunch, Talia.”
He groaned. “First off, I don’t want to hear about your pillow talk with my sister, and second, don’t talk about me when you’re naked with Lacey.”
“And Talia?” Lukas was as unflappable as they came, and the fact this Talia woman had him all twisted up was entertaining as hell.
“I’m not talking about Talia because there isn’t anything to talk about!”
“Exactly,” I told him, laughing as the call ended with his grumbled swearing. I hated to blow him off this weekend, but I had plans for Lacey and nothing would get in the way.
Lacey
All day Saturday afternoon I vacillated between packing a bag for my weekend with Walker and not. Packing for the weekend was somehow complicit agreement that his caveman tactics worked. But not packing seemed ridiculous, since I had no doubt he’d refuse to give me a shirt and have me naked for the next two days.
In the end, I packed a small bag with casual and comfortable clothes and maybe a few pairs of ultra sexy lingerie.
Walker wasn’t the only one who could play dirty.
When a knock sounded on my front door at four o’clock I frowned. It was too early for dinner and I wasn’t expecting anyone else. When I pulled the door open, I was greeted by Walker and a smile hot enough to scorch my panties.
“You’re early.”
“Actually, I’m late. I planned to get here two hours ago but I got held up dealing with a crisis at a station in Prague. Apparently, the anchor admitted, on air, his preference for underage girls.”
“Shit. Is he fired?”
Walker frowned. “He’s more than fired. The crisis erupted because his seventy year old neighbor claimed he had a fifteen year old who never left the house. Which turned out to be true, so there were some fires to put out.” He raked a hand through his hair, looking disheveled and delicious. “You need more time?”
I didn’t, but I didn’t want to appear too eager.
“I do. Have a seat.”
“No. Come here,” he commanded, pulling me by the waist before I could refuse the closeness he demanded. “It’s been too long since I’ve had a taste of you.” His lips were on mine, soft to the touch, but firm and insistent. Demanding. Conquering. I clung to him like the wanton hussy he’d made me, grasping his shirt in a feverish attempt to get closer. The kiss went on and on until I knew if we didn’t stop now, we’d never stop.
But I wasn’t quite ready to take that step with Walker in my home so I pulled back, breaking the spell. “Damn.”
He chuckled and let his hands roam down to my ass, smacking it enough to tingle. “Let’s get going.”
I glared at him. “Did you just pat me on the ass?”
“No,” he said, smile growing more salacious by the second. “This is a pat,” he said giving my ass a small tap. “This,” he smacked me harder, pulling a half-gasp, half-moan from me, “is a smack.”
“Got it,” I told him, I knew my voice was thick with desire. “I’ll be quick,” I told him and dashed into my bedroom, quickly changing out of yoga pants and a tank, into a white summer dress and my vintage denim ja
cket, paired with the sexiest red cowgirl boots I’d ever seen. I tossed a box of condoms and toiletries into my tiny tote and took a deep breath before I rejoined Walker. He was relaxing comfortably on my sofa, flipping through channels. “Ready.”
“You have a lot of crap in your queue.”
I shrugged. “It’s called research. I am the Marketing Director, in case you didn’t know.” Plucking the remote from his hands, I hit the power button and stood by the door. Impatiently.
Walker, always the easygoing guy, just smiled as he stood and followed me onto the porch, grabbing my bag from my hand while I locked the door.
I groaned at the sight of the limo parked in front of my house. I didn’t pretend that I wasn’t rich, but I also didn’t do public displays of wealth either.
“Seriously, the limo?”
He laughed. “Not only do we now have some seriously hot memories back here, but also my driver is a real dick about taking pay on days he doesn’t work.”
The words were spoken so casually, but they said a lot about the kind of man Walker really was, that he would pay his employee for a day he didn’t work.
I refused to even think about that for too long, instead I focused on the journey to his penthouse, and all the orgasms I would come away with this weekend. But we passed the top floor and I frowned.
“Where are we going?” The answer was the roof, specifically the helipad. “You have a helipad on top of your building because, why not?”
He chuckled and herded me inside, strapping me in and setting headsets over my ears.
“I am a very busy man, babe.” He winked and jogged around the helicopter, taking the seat beside me in back.
“I’m surprised you’re not manning the wheel or whatever.” It seemed like a skill all wealthy playboys would have, flying planes and helicopters.
Sinful Takeover: An Enemies to Lovers Romance (Boardroom Games Book 2) Page 3
