LAUREN (Silicon Valley Billionaires Book 1)

by Leigh James

  Clive smiled at me, chilling me. “But you will sell. If you don’t agree to, I’m going to move forward with the rapid testing and development of your technology. And then I’m going to bring it to market. Before you do.”

  I felt the blood drain from my face. “You can’t do that. You can’t just bring my technology to market—it’d take years.”

  “I disagree.”

  “Then you’re an idiot. You don’t have the means to rapid test and produce my technology. Only I have that. You also don’t have any sort of government approvals. The FDA’s not just going to let you slap a ‘for sale’ sticker on a medical device and sell it as you please.”

  That same easy smile crossed Clive’s face again, making me feel ill. “You’re wrong. I absolutely have the means. I got to the Valley before you, you know. I’ve been here a while, setting up shop. And as for the government approvals…let’s just say that I have a workaround.”

  What the hell is he talking about? “Even if that’s true—and I don’t think it is—you’ve broken state and federal laws by hacking into my system and stealing my technology. I have all the proof I need. I’ll have you prosecuted.”

  “That’s going to take a while—especially because you don’t have a patent. Trade secrets can seem like a good idea, but you can run into trouble if someone else independently develops similar technology. Especially someone who’s on foreign soil.”

  “You didn’t independently develop it. You stole it, and I have the chip you left behind.” I tried to keep my voice even. “You can absolutely be prosecuted for that.”

  Clive smiled at me again. “You’re missing part of the picture, Lauren. And it’s an important part.”

  “I don’t have time for this. I’m going to the authorities.” I put my hand on the door, ready to sprint out of there, away from him and directly to the FBI.

  “Don’t. Think it through,” Clive said. He didn’t sound afraid at all, which scared the hell out of me. “If you turn me into the FBI, I will sell what I stole from you. I will hit Send on a draft email I have waiting—one that contains all your documents—to someone who’s very eager to profit from your loss. And that buyer will go to market, and your technology will be loose in the wild, while you and I sic our intellectual property lawyers on each other in federal court for the next five years. But there won’t be anything left to fight over, except sloppy seconds of a product that’s already on the market. That’s a lose-lose proposition.”

  My stomach sank with fear, but I shook my head. “I’d vastly prefer that scenario to being blackmailed by you, thank you very much.”

  “I know Paragon’s your baby, Lauren. I know you don’t want to lose everything.”

  “I’m not going to.” I wanted to wave Timmy over, so he could crack Clive’s head open before he could email anyone, but I didn’t know what Clive would do.

  “I am holding the cards here. You need to see this clearly so you don’t make a mistake. Let me buy into Paragon, and I’ll make that other scenario go away. If you don’t agree, I’ll have to work with that buyer. A foreign buyer, one who won’t be hampered by such mundane things as our arduous FDA process. And that would be to your direct detriment, trust me.” Clive leaned forward and tucked my hair behind my ear. I winced at his touch, a fact that did not escape him. A sour look crept over his features. “You used to like me, Lauren. You used to be much friendlier.”

  “That was before I knew what a prick you were.”

  He looked mildly shocked by my language, then he smiled, raising gooseflesh on my arms. “I’ve never seen this part of you before—all riled up. I like it.”

  I wanted to throw up, but I tried to calm down. I should turn him in immediately, but if he had a foreign buyer lined up…this could be disastrous. I needed to think it through. “Don’t come near me again, Clive. It won’t go well for you.” I thought briefly of Gabe, of what he would do if he were here right now.

  “But do we have a deal?”

  “I’ll get back to you,” I said tightly, feeling sick.

  Before he could say another slimy word, I got out, slammed the door, and stomped to my car, all pretenses of “normal” long gone.

  My guard Timmy looked at me worriedly. “Is everything okay, Ms. Taylor? I don’t like to pry, but I know that was Mr. Warren, and you look upset.”

  “Everything is not okay, Timmy.” I practiced yoga breathing in the backseat of the car. “But it’s going to be.”

  Chapter 7

  “Lauren. Lauren.” Hannah shook me awake. “Gabe’s on the phone.”

  I sat up straight on the couch, even though I wasn’t entirely conscious. “I don’t want to talk to him.”

  She shoved my cell phone at me. “I called him. So you have to.”

  “Lauren.” I could hear the worry in his voice. Christ, what the hell had Hannah told him? I looked up at her.

  “Everything—I told him everything,” she said, as if she could read my mind. She bit her lip in guilt. “I’m sorry. I’m just…scared.”

  I shooed her away and tried to collect my thoughts, turning my attention back to the phone. “Hey. I guess Hannah told you I had a visitor at work today.” As the memory of my meeting with Clive clicked into focus, my adrenaline started to thrum.

  “He’s dangerous. It’s official.” I could hear the anger in his voice.

  “For once, I openly admit to agreeing with you.”

  “Can I come over? I don’t want you alone right now.”

  I looked out the window into the darkness, feeling that yearning again. “Timmy’s outside. I’m fine.”

  “I didn’t ask if you were fine. I’ll see you soon.”

  I started to object, but he’d already hung up. I looked down at my rumpled pajamas, then at the empty wineglass on the coffee table in front of me. I was a mess.

  Not only was I a mess, but Clive Warren was trying to use my own technology against me in order to coerce me into selling my company to him. And Gabe, the gorgeous and questionably trustworthy CEO billionaire, was on his way over.

  What to do, what to do.

  I pulled the blanket up over me and curled into a ball. I wasn’t going to give up, but I didn’t have a clear strategy. Not exactly, not yet. I planned to fight Clive with everything I had and keep up with everything going on at the lab. I would continue the clinical trials, get my regulatory approvals, meet with my investors to secure funding, and then my technology was going to go live. Everything would go as I’d planned.

  I refused to entertain alternatives. I wasn’t going to let Clive or some foreign black-market buyer ruin my life’s work. That was the upside of being brilliant—I’d think of something, eventually.

  I made myself get up, then I showered and threw on a pair of sweats. Hannah had bought me all sorts of clothes I never wore. Maybe I could find something comfortable yet appropriate to wear in front of too-attractive male company.

  Gabe came in while I got dressed. I could hear Hannah talking to him in worried tones.

  I came out of my room, my hair still damp, and glared at her. “I can speak for myself, you know.”

  She turned and gave me an exasperated frown. “But you don’t do it unless I force you to.” Her face softened. “I’m sorry. I know I’m meddling, but that’s what people do when they love you and they’re worried about you.”

  “Hey,” Gabe said. He was wearing a sport coat and dark jeans again. He looked slightly dressed up.

  “Hey yourself. Hopefully, we didn’t pull you from anything too important.” For some reason, I crackled with jealousy, suddenly wondering where he’d come from.

  “I wanted to be here, remember? You didn’t actually invite me.” He took a step toward me, and I could see the stubble on his chin. He was so tall and handsome, it almost hurt to have him in my kitchen. “Are you okay?”

  “No,” I said in a low tone.

  “I’ll just leave you two alone,” Hannah said before she quickly ducked out.

  “That�
��s a first,” I called, but I wasn’t mad at her. She was meddlesome, but she was all I had. I also happened to know for a fact that her heart was in the right place.

  Gabe came closer, reaching out and rubbing my arm. “Do you want to talk about it?”

  Heat rushed through me at his touch. “Not really. Clive Warren threatened me today. I’m still processing.”

  “I want to help, if I can. Actually, I’d like to go after him and crack his skull open.”

  I considered the man in front of me. Gabe was right there, saying all the right things, but part of me—the part that never should have trusted Clive Warren—felt the need to vett him. There was too much at stake. It was imperative that I exercise flawless judgment from here on out.

  “Why is that?” I asked. “Why would you do that for me?”

  Gabe regarded me patiently. “I know you’re not big on human interaction outside of the lab…but is it so hard for you to believe that I care about you?”

  “Care about me? Or care about my company?” The harsh words tumbled out before I could stop myself, and I instantly regretted them.

  He dropped his hand from me and backed away, probably worried that my spiteful paranoia was contagious. “Jesus, Lauren. You are what I care about.”

  “I’m…sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

  He shrugged. “We can forget about our business deal. If that’s what you need to trust me enough to give me a chance, consider it done.”

  I believed him, so I shook my head. “I don’t want to jeopardize our business arrangement or…anything else.”

  Gabe’s gaze pierced mine. “Do you have any idea what you do want?”

  My immediate and uncensored reaction, which I felt deep in my gut and farther below, was a distinct hell yes. To start with, I wanted him to put his hand back on me. I already missed his touch. But I hesitated, unsure of what to say. “I would like to explore…other partnership opportunities…with you.” I groaned inwardly at the inadequacy of my words. “But it just seems like a lot, all at once.”

  And by the way, if I seem awkward and unsure of myself? I’ve never had a boyfriend, or even a second date.

  He nodded, as if he understood, which soothed me a little. “It has been a lot all at once.”

  “I still don’t understand.” My heart was pounding in my chest. “Why me, I mean?” I couldn’t wrap my head around why he was pursuing me in anything other than a professional capacity. Gabe could have any woman he wanted, and I hadn’t exactly made things easy for him.

  He cocked his head, his eyes boring into mine. “Do you think I’ve gotten to where I am today because I’m lucky?”

  I shook my head, confused. “No. Of course not.”

  “That’s because it wasn’t luck. It was because I saw a market hole early, and I filled it. I’m an early adopter. I can see how something is extraordinary before anyone else can.” He swallowed, and I could see a muscle in his jaw pop. “And I can see that you are extraordinary, Lauren.”

  My heart swelled.

  “When you’re not being extraordinarily frustrating, that is.”

  “Thank you—for the first part, anyway. It means a lot to me.” In fact, it meant everything to me at the moment, but my logical brain couldn’t make sense of the overwhelming amount of raw feeling that was coursing through my body.

  I took a step toward him.

  “It means a lot to me, too,” he said gruffly. “So please—stop pushing me away.”

  “I don’t mean to, and I don’t mean to be frustrating. I’m…sorry.” Two apologies from me in one conversation? A personal record.

  I took another step.

  Gabe watched me warily. “Are you coming closer?”

  My heart hammered in my chest. “Only if you want me to. I know I’ve been difficult.”

  He held up his hand. “Hang on. Don’t move. I need to be prepared.”

  My confidence faltered a little. “For what?”

  A small smile returned to his face, and I caught a flash of that dimple. “For my brain to go haywire.”

  I took that as a good sign and finally closed the distance between us. Gabe put his arms around my shoulders and leaned over me, his dark brown eyes flashing.

  “Why would your brain do that?” My voice sounded hoarse. My kitchen had suddenly gotten very, very hot.

  “You’re a scientific genius. I think you can figure it out.”

  Then he very gently but very firmly put his lips to mine.

  I felt the kiss in every part of me. I could see what he meant about a haywire brain. I couldn’t think at all, just feel. He deepened the kiss, lengthening it, and I responded by unselfconsciously throwing my arms around his neck. Gabe’s hands roamed down my back and a shudder of desire rolled through me. It came from someplace deep inside, a place I hadn’t known existed.

  I kissed him back hungrily. I hadn’t known how hungry I was.

  “Were you finally nice to him?” Hannah suddenly called, swerving around the corner and bursting into the room. Gabe and I instantly broke apart and she clapped a hand over her mouth, looking horrified. “Oh boy. Oh my God. I’m so sorry! I didn’t know he was still here!”

  I gave my sister the evil eye while Gabe chuckled and straightened his jacket. “It’s okay. And yes, your sister was finally being nice to me. I was just saying goodbye to her.”

  “You don’t have to,” Hannah said, sounding simultaneously apologetic and gleeful from behind her hand. “You can stay and maybe she can keep practicing being nice—”

  “Hannah,” I interrupted, my voice a warning.

  Gabe turned to me, still chuckling. “Thank you for…having me.” The undercurrent to his words made my whole body tingle in response. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”

  “Okay.” I could feel my face turning red. “Thanks for stopping by and…everything.”

  He chuckled again, kissed me briefly on the nose, and was gone.

  “Well, well, well.” My sister crossed her arms against her chest, looking like the cat who just cornered the canary. “We finally have a winner, ladies and gentlemen! Gabriel Betts is a total keeper!”

  “Please,” I groaned, “You’re being ridiculous.” Even now, I could feel his hands as if they were still on me…and I wished they were.

  She arched an eyebrow at me. “You want to deny it?”

  “I want to go to bed.”

  Hannah looked triumphant as I made a hasty beeline for my room. “Just remember,” she called after me, “I told you so!”

  The next day I went about my work ruthlessly, gathering data and preparing compliance reports for the FDA as if I were gathering an army. Still, the whole day, my thoughts wandered from Clive to Gabe, from Gabe to Clive.

  On one hand, I still seethed over my meeting with Clive yesterday. He’d threatened to take away my company, the thing I’d put my heart and soul into for the past six years. He’d threatened the very reason for my existence. I would make him pay for that—I just had to figure out how. While I figured that out, I refrained from calling the FBI. I hated to admit it to myself, but his threat had resonated with me. I didn’t want him selling my technology to a third party on foreign soil. Even though the stolen specs weren’t the correct ones, any R&D department worth its salt would be able to recreate the correct technology eventually.

  On the other hand, the Gabe hand, I felt…positively giddy. I kept checking my phone as if I were a teenager, but there were no texts from him. I found cold consolation by reminding myself that he was a CEO as well, and was probably buried with work.

  Hannah buzzed me in the early afternoon. “You need to see something.” She went quiet for a second. “Two things, actually. And you aren’t going to like either of them.”

  “Great.” I opened my browser. “What?”

  “Go to Clive’s company website. He has a new announcement.”

  I held my breath and navigated to his site. The News page had an announcement, dated today, that his company was “working
on an exciting partnership with one of the biggest stars in healthcare technology.”

  What the hell. “I can’t believe he’s doing this.” I felt the floor spin beneath me. He was forcing my hand by going ahead with his plans to either partner with me or take me down in broad daylight.

  “That’s just the first thing. You might like the next one even less. Go to the Valley News’s Business page. There’s a picture—I’m just warning you.”

  I clicked to the page, feeling as if I were going to throw up. I pulled up the Boldface Names column, which recounted business dealings and other, more gossip-oriented news about local business people.

  I stopped scrolling when I got to the picture. It was of Gabe, his hand on the arm of a stunning woman with long, stick-straight dark hair and legs that went on forever.

  I gripped the mouse so hard I was surprised it didn’t shatter. “Who is that?” I asked flatly. I lacked the strength to actually make it sound like a question.

  “She’s a, err…model. For a sportswear catalog.”

  “Of course she is.” I swallowed hard. “I told you I couldn’t trust him.”

  “I don’t know about that,” Hannah said. “That’s who he left last night. To come and see you. If you read the column, it says he ran out on her in the middle of dinner. I debated even showing this to you. I didn’t want to make you upset.”

  I looked at the picture again and felt sick. “So why did you?”

  “Because I didn’t want you to stumble across the column and think the worst. I wanted to give you the context to analyze the information properly.” My sister, who knew me better than anyone, gave me a scientific presentation.

  With only one way to analyze the information, I looked at the picture and felt the hot, unwelcome sting of jealousy.

  “I have to go. I’ll see you later.” I hung up and grabbed my coat.