“I’ll give you that.”
She paused. “Ok. So I’m supposed to design the artwork for a children’s foundation that does what exactly?”
She had started to take notes.
“We don’t want to narrow our focus too much, or make it too broad. Hunter would like to make sure we’re giving as many educational opportunities as possible to young children through high school.”
“And you? Do you have a different focus?”
Drew nodded. “I love his idea, but I want to make sure that kids stay healthy. That they get the chance to live out that educational dream of his. So, my end is more children’s health. Helping families pay medical bills. That kind of thing.”
Alison’s jaw dropped. “You are fucking with me right now, aren’t you?”
“Excuse me?”
She shook the blond curls from her shoulders. “You seriously want me to believe that you are both so enthralled with the livelihood and well-being of children that you’re setting up a foundation?”
“That’s exactly what we’ve done. The Vegas trip in two weeks is when we are announcing it to our shareholders and to the public. We are anticipating a high media presence. They are going to expect us to roll out a new product, but instead they are going to get this. And we hope the foundation gets a lot of support. What better way to kick off a campaign?”
“I really don’t know what to say.”
“Do you think you have enough information to start the design work? You’re running on a short time table. The other artists we have consulted certainly have a head start on you.”
“Th-this is huge,” Alison stuttered.
“Are you up for it?”
She nodded. “I-I have to be, don’t I?”
He smiled. “That’s up to you. You don’t have to take the assignment, Alison. Hunter’s not going to be easy on you. He has an art background. He knows his stuff. He has the final say.”
“And if I don’t then I sit around the office all day while you two work and wait for you to walk me home.”
“I didn’t say that. I’m sure we could find another position for you. This was your negation.”
She sat back in her chair. For a moment, he thought she might reconsider. She might pull her offer to design the brand.
“I want the job.” She pulled her shoulders back. “If there is one thing I know, it’s how much children need a foundation like this. I’m going to produce the winning design.”
“Good.” He pushed off from the chair. “I can’t wait to see what you come up with.”
“It’s going to be the Vegas design.”
Drew paused in the doorway. He could see the determination in her eyes. Feel the defiance dripping off her. She was beautiful and smart. And every time he saw her she was getting under his skin more and more. He wanted to clear everything off her desk and kiss her until she screamed his name. Alison was more than he ever could have imagined.
“If it is, then I guess Vegas will be our last weekend together.” He said the words slowly. He didn’t want that to happen. But he wanted her to win. He wanted her to feel that kind of satisfaction from proving her work and her art.
He was torn, wanting to keep her, and wanting her to be successful enough she freed herself.
“Then Vegas it is.” She grinned triumphantly. “Thank you for the information, Drew. I know what I need to do now.”
“Glad I could help.” He tapped the doorframe. “I’ll see you at dinner tonight.”
“Right. Dinner.”
He walked out of Alison’s office.
Nine
Alison
Drew walked out of her office and Alison still didn’t know how to take what he had told her. All this time she thought she was going to design their latest million-dollar product, when in fact they were trying to launch the most amazing foundation she had ever heard of. It was going to change lives. Make families whole. Help children and parents when they needed it most.
Who were these men?
She tapped her pen on the desk. They had given her a corner office that most people worked their entire lives to earn.
She didn’t want to think she had pegged them wrong. That they gave because maybe they were generous, not because they were trying to seduce her. Maybe they gave because that’s how they showed they cared. They gave because it made them feel good.
She twisted her lips together, confused more than before Drew’s visit. What if there was something good about Drew and Hunter buried underneath their sexy exteriors? What if they were capable of caring beyond their global domination? What if they were good men and she had judged them because of something stupid Leo did?
Her head spun with the possibilities. But Alison did what she always did when things were complicated. She walked to the new design table and picked up a charcoal pencil. There was one place where she could get lost. One place where everything else faded away and nothing else mattered. Her art.
A few days later the security agent deposited Alison in the foyer of the mansion after work. It was nearly midnight.
He looked around the house.
“You can go now,” she prodded. “I’m not going anywhere.”
He ignored her, searching for a sign that someone else was awake. Hunter strolled out of his study.
“You’re home.” He smiled.
Alison crossed her arms. “I’m here. I wouldn’t call it home.”
He nodded. “You can go.” He dismissed the agent. “I’ll make sure Ms. Rossi is tucked in for the night.” He winked in her direction.
The agent left and they were alone. She started to walk toward the winding staircase.
“You don’t have to turn in. Have a drink with me.” Hunter watched her hesitate.
Alison bit the inside of her cheek. “It’s late.”
“You’ve been working late the last few nights. I have barely seen you.”
She sighed. “I take my work seriously. And my freedom,” she added.
“Come with me.” Hunter led her to his study. Drew had one on the opposite side of the house.
Alison reluctantly followed him. Everything inside her told her she should climb the massive staircase, but her curiosity won out. She had a purpose now at the office. Nothing would keep her from winning.
Hunter stood in front of the bar. He poured a glass of wine for her.
She clutched the glass as he handed it to her.
“How is the project coming along?” he asked.
She took a sip. It was soothing. The glass was probably worth more than her entire apartment.
“I don’t think I should discuss it with you.”
His eyebrows rose. “Afraid it may sway my decision?”
“Something like that.”
She sat on the leather sofa. The fireplace was lit. It was hard to ignore how warm and comforting the room was. The shelves were lined with books about art. Hunter’s collection was amazing. She could stare at the pieces he had in here for hours.
He sat next to her on the couch, the leather bowing under his heavy frame. He was more relaxed than usual. His sleeves were rolled to his elbows. She could smell the masculine scent of his cologne.
She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. It had to be the wine, but she was seconds away from leaning her head on his shoulder. Instead she scooted closer to the edge of the couch.
“Something wrong?” he asked.
“You realize I have an escort home from the office every night. Even with the deal you don’t trust me. And here we are having a glass of wine, surrounded by art and literature.”
“Yes.”
She stared at him. “It doesn’t make any sense. Nothing in this house makes sense.”
“Alison.” He looked at her. She felt his eyes heavy on her lips.
She had to get out of here. She placed the wine on the coffee table.
“I’m going to bed. I have work to do. Early.”
She walked to the doorway.
�
��Stay and finish the bottle with me,” he urged.
She closed her eyes. She hated that the draw to him was so strong.
“Good night, Hunter.” She walked away, knowing something inside her was shifting and there was nothing she could do about it.
It took ten days. A grueling ten days of working on the Soar design. Alison had never loved a project more than this. She wasn’t sure she was ready to admit it openly, but it was true. She awoke in the mansion each morning, eager to get to the office.
There were some nights she stayed up late, designing and creating. She felt as if part of her soul were invested in it. It had to be the most beautiful creation she had made.
Today was it. Hunter and Drew would receive the final submissions from the other artists. Alison’s fingers tingled with nerves. It was hard to decide what made her more nervous—wanting the design to be chosen because she loved it, or wanting it to be chosen to give her the freedom she had sought.
Either way, it was enough to keep her stomach in knots. She skipped her cup of coffee Douglas offered in the dining room.
“Can I get you something else, ma’am?” he asked.
She shook her head. “No. I don’t think I can eat.”
Hunter rested his tablet next to him at the table. “Is there a reason you have no appetite today?” He smirked.
She wanted to slap that beautiful smile off his face. It was irritating how sexy he was.
“I think you know exactly what is at stake today.”
Drew smiled. “I’m sure your design is going to be chosen.”
Alison exhaled and smiled at him. He had a way of calming her when she least expected it. “Thank you. I guess I’ll know this afternoon.”
“Whatever happens, we appreciate that you’ve worked hard for the foundation.”
“Thank you.” She folded her napkin in her lap. There was no way she could eat the omelet Douglas placed in front of her. “Would you allow me to go to the office this morning alone?”
She looked at Drew first before seeking Hunter’s permission.
She hadn’t been allowed to leave without an escort from HiTech, the mansion, or either of them.
Hunter poured a cup of coffee. He was relaxed and cocky as usual.
“I don’t see why not. You can take my car. I’ll ride with Drew.”
“Are you serious?” She stared at him.
He nodded. “Take it. It’s fast. I think you’ll like how it feels.”
“I just need to get to the office. I don’t care if I drive a pickup truck.”
Drew muffled a laugh. “I’d like to see you in a truck, Alison.”
She shot him a frantic glance. “So I can go? You aren’t going to drag me back?”
Hunter winked. “The keys are on my dresser. Take it. We’ll see you in the office in an hour. Proposals are due on my desk at ten.”
She nodded. “Thank you.”
She rushed from the dining room and climbed the stairs to the second story. She had tried to stay away from the guys’ bedrooms, but she had no doubt where Hunter’s bedroom was. He was the last door on the left.
Sometimes at night she thought she heard him pause outside her door, but she was never sure. They had respected her boundaries.
She barged into his room and snatched the keys from the dresser, but not before she noticed the pictures tucked into the mirror. Alison paused.
She had never thought before about what kinds of things mattered to Hunter. She had been too busy either hating him, or trying to keep her distance from his smoldering stare. The last two weeks of work had given her an escape.
But now, she absorbed the photos he had saved.
He had his arm around a woman with wisps of gray in her hair. It must be his mother. There was a picture of him and Drew. She stared at the collection of art museum shots. He had been to every impressive collection in the world. She couldn’t believe it.
Alison fought the burning interest in her belly. She had to get to the office. Today Hunter wasn’t a hot sexy man who might have a side she’d like to get to know. No, that couldn’t happen. Today, Hunter was the man who decided her fate. That was all that mattered.
Ten
Hunter
He took a look at the three leader portfolios in front of him. Hunter pushed away from his desk and walked to the bar to pour a drink. He filled the rocks glass with bourbon and leaned his heavy frame against the marble surface.
He knocked back the first swallow. If he chose Alison’s design, she would be free. He took another sip.
It was the last thing he or Drew wanted. Two weeks with her had changed him. He didn’t know how to admit it, or face it, but it was the fucking truth.
She had a smile that could bring him to his knees. She had a smart mouth that he wanted to kiss every morning and every night. Her voice. Her laugh. She had invaded every part of him when he wasn’t looking. The thought of letting her go was ludicrous.
But he had made a deal and he wasn’t going to break his word, even if it cost him the one thing he wanted more than anything.
The elevator in his office dinged. The doors retracted and Drew stepped inside.
“Have you made a decision yet?” he asked.
Hunter shook his head. “No. I haven’t even opened them.” He nodded at the presentations on his desk.
“You know Alison is a nervous wreck waiting on your answer.”
Hunter frowned. His brows almost touched with the scowl.
“I know. There’s a lot riding on this.”
“Which part? The foundation? Or Alison?”
Hunter exhaled. “Both. I don’t want to fuck up either.”
“It’s going to crush her if you don’t choose her design, man.”
“You don’t think I know that?” He shot a look at his best friend. “I want hers to be the one, just as much as I don’t.” He took a seat behind his desk. “This is the one time I wish I didn’t know a damn thing about art.”
“I could go through them if you like,” Drew offered.
“No.” He shook his head. “This is my fucking responsibility. She’s counting on me to get it right.”
“By right, do you mean granting her freedom?”
Hunter felt his scowl deepen. He clenched his fist. “Yeah. I guess so.”
“I don’t want her to leave.”
“Neither do I.” Hunter glanced at the travel package on the corner of his desk. “Vegas is tomorrow. We’re unveiling the foundation. Soar needs me to do the right thing. And so does Alison. But I’ve been thinking about Vegas.”
“Yeah? What are your thoughts?” Drew shoved his hands in his pockets.
“I think it’s important that whoever our designer is, attends the event.” He smiled.
Drew grinned. “I think that’s part of the agreement with our artists, isn’t it?”
Hunter nodded. “Standard. Even if it means we take the smelly French guy with us.”
Drew laughed. “Son of a bitch. One more weekend with her.”
Hunter felt the burden lift. It wasn’t much, but if he did choose Alison’s design she would have to debut it at the conference. If he didn’t, she was required to be their travel companion. It was a win-win.
“Get out of here and let me study these proposals. I’ll let you know the finalist.”
Drew nodded. “I’ll wait for your call.” He stepped in the elevator and disappeared.
Hunter opened the flap to the first design. He sat back in his chair and studied the lines. This might be one of the biggest decisions he made, but at least he knew he had one more weekend to spend with Alison. One more weekend to convince her to become theirs. One last chance to make her realize she was where she needed to be.
Eleven
Alison
She paced back and forth in front of the large windows in her office. This was agonizing. She had delivered her design over three hours ago. How long was it going to take Hunter to make a decision? What if he already had and she wasn’t th
e choice? He had gone with someone else and she had two more weeks with the bachelors.
She closed her eyes, exhaling a long breath. The past two weeks had changed her. She hadn’t had any contact with Leo. She had a new kind of freedom, even though it was under the constraints Hunter and Drew set.
She felt free from the Rossi world. No more doing Leo’s bidding. No more schemes to make money. She didn’t like to think about the ways she had helped him over the years. Something about her two weeks with Hunter and Drew had taught her the past could really be the past.
She had moved into a new home. Was given a new office. Had a new career, using her passion for art. And every night she dined with the sexiest most eligible bachelors in Chicago. As much as she had hated how it came to be, she had started to wake up with a smile on her face.
She went to bed feeling safe. She awoke feeling as if she had a purpose. Hunter and Drew had given that to her.
What happened if she did win the bet? Would Hunter throw her out of the office? She won and her freedom was instantaneous? She shook with nerves, rubbing her arms. Was that really what she wanted? Did she want to leave them and not look back?
Alison jumped when her phone buzzed.
“Alison, Hunter would like you to meet him in his office.” Alison rushed to press the button on her intercom.
“All right. Please tell him I’ll be there in a minute.”
“He asked that you use his private elevator. Do you know where that entrance is?” Annette, her assistant asked.
Alison nodded. “I do.” The butterflies attacked her stomach. She didn’t know if she could walk. This was it. The moment of truth was about to hit her.
It was a different experience riding in the elevator without being slung over someone’s shoulder. She watched as the numbers rose higher about the doors. The carriage finally arrived at the top floor and the doors retracted.
Hunter leaned against the front of his desk, his arms crossed. She almost lost her breath. He shouldn’t look so edible.
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