“I need your answer, Lucas,” Jade said.
The bitter taste came rushing back in his mouth. “My answer is no. And if the circumstances were different, I would have said it was a pleasure meeting you, Jade Tully.”
Then he walked off.
Lucas entered the Bondi car service centre owned by his close friend, Connor Reid. He walked to the state-of-the-art service area at the back and found Connor there, checking a computer monitor that gave the condition of one of his client’s vehicles.
“Hey, bro,” Connor said. “How was your meeting with Jade what’s-her-name?”
“She was a fake,” he said flatly.
“What do you mean?”
“She wasn’t there to interview me for an article. She’s Thomas Bilton’s PA.”
Connor stared at him before pressing a button on the screen. Then Connor led him to his office.
Lucas started for the sofa in Connor’s big room, but changed his mind and sat on a chair by the desk.
“What’s wrong with the couch?” Connor asked.
“Please,” he said with snicker. “I’m not going to sit where you and your wife have sex when no one’s around.”
“Hey, it’s been treated with a stain-resistant thing. And Amanda changes the blanket all the time.”
“Amanda was here last night while you worked overtime, wasn’t she?”
Connor just grinned at him and sat on his chair behind the desk.
Lucas shook his head good-naturedly. There had been a time, when he and Connor had worked for the same Formula One team as mechanics, that the two of them had competed for the title Mr. Fuck King—a label jokingly given to Connor by their workmates because of Connor’s popularity with women from different parts of the globe. Now the title was all Lucas’s, but it had lost its lustre. He’d only wanted it for the fun of stripping it away from Connor, anyway.
A picture of Jade Tully popped into his head. Unfortunately, it came with the remembrance of whom she worked for.
“So this Jade woman was sent by Thomas to talk to you?” Connor asked.
“Yup. She made me read this letter where Thomas pleaded with me to talk about the possibility of being part of Bilton Machineries. He said he’s getting old and wants to make sure that the company continues to be owned and operated by his own flesh and blood. And since I’m his sole heir…” He couldn’t help but say the last word with a good dose of sarcasm.
“And you still don’t want to have anything to do with the company? Or him?” Connor asked.
“Come on, bro. You know the whole story. Why would he want me to run his company?”
“Hey, you’re the one responsible for making your mother’s flower shop a success because you made sure she has efficient systems for online ordering and fast delivery. Sure, there’s a difference between a flower shop and a billion-dollar company, but—”
“That’s not what I mean, Connor,” he interrupted. “This is all a joke. Thomas never acknowledged me as his son, much less his heir, until recently. He’s up to something.”
“Okay, fine,” Connor said, raising his arms in surrender. “So did you tell off that Jade woman for lying?”
Lucas sighed, Jade Tully’s apprehensive but beautiful face appearing in his mind. “I don’t blame her. I’m sure she was just following Thomas’s orders. She’s new, so she must be desperate to keep her job.”
“You have to admit she was effective,” Connor commented. “How many times did the other PA try to get you to talk to Thomas, or read the emails and letters she sent for him?”
“Yeah,” Lucas said, wondering if he’d ever cross paths with Jade Tully again.
Continue reading! Grab your copy of The Unwilling Executive by clicking here.
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Also by Miranda P. Charles
Lifestyle by Design Series
Lifestyle by Design: The Complete Series
Get the omnibus and save.
Book 1: Will To Love
Clarise Carson and Will Matthews
Book 2: Heart Robber
Jessa Allen and Rob Granger
Book 3: Ray of Love
Faye Summers and Ray Thackeray
Secret Dreams Series
Secret Designs: The Complete Series
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Book 1: Secret Words
Jasmine Allen and Kane Summers
Book 2: Secret Designs
Ari Mitchell and Dylan Summers
Book 3: Secret Moves
Kris McCann and Trey Andrews
Book 4: Secret Tastes
Samantha Lane and Adam Craig
Time for Love Series
Book 1: Forever
Rebecca Andrews and Zach Carmichael
Book 2: Finally
Sarah Daley and Jeff Carmichael
Book 3: Again
Amanda Payne and Connor Reid
Book 4: Always
Brenna Ward and Ash Payne
Book 5: At Last
Gemma Aldwyn and Greg Carmichael
Captured by Love Series
Captured by Love Books 1-3 (The Unwilling Executive, The Unyielding Bachelor, The Undercover Playboy)
Get the boxed set and save.
Book 1: The Unwilling Executive
Lucas Renner and Jade Tully
Book 2: The Unyielding Bachelor
Rick Donnelly and Lexie Mead
Book 3: The Undercover Playboy
Carter Garrett and Cassie Stephens
Book 4: The Unintended Fiancé
Bradley Mead and Erin Baker
Book 5: The Unforgettable Ex
Gavin Redford and Natasha Garrett
Book 6: The Unknown Billionaire
Jarryd Westbourne and Marilyn Grant
Book 7: The Unmasked CEO
Simon Alexander and Geri Blaine
Book 8: The Unexpected Husband
Tristan Grant and Paige Shipton
Book 9: The Unreal Boyfriend
Derek McCarthy and Bernadette Luna
Indie Rebels Series
Book 1: Xavier - The Contract
Xavier Stirling and Eve Marrin
Book 2: Jaxon - The Assignment
Jaxon Caine and Holly Stirling
Book 3: Bryce - The Project
Bryce Green and Emma Fern
Book 4: Kallan: The Substitution
Other books in the series coming soon!
About the Author
Miranda P. Charles is the author of more than twenty-one steamy, stirring and suspenseful contemporary romance novels.
She prefers to spend her time in front of her laptop, putting into words the love stories that play in her head, or reading books that she can’t put down.
She does have a life outside of books. Mostly, that consists of bonding with family and friends or going on romantic trips with her awesome husband, who, thankfully, puts up with her hermit-like daily routine.
She lives in the beautiful city of Sydney, Australia.
Connect with Miranda!
www.mirandapcharles.com
Bryce: The Project (Indie Rebels Book 3) Page 21
