by Amy Knupp
“How’d it go?” Gabe asked. “Melody looked happy.”
“It went well. We’re presenting it at the board meeting,” Mason said, entering something on his computer—notes on the meeting, Drake would bet. “Drake’s put together a lot of good info, and Melody’s findings were even better than we expected.”
Instead of taking the second guest chair in front of the desk, Gabe wandered to the side table along the wall and leaned against it, crossing his suit-clad legs at the ankles, arms over his chest. “I wanted to catch you two together. I had an idea.”
“You sure I need to be in on it?” Drake asked, glancing at the time on his phone. He had a shift at NBS in less than an hour.
His two oldest brothers were infamous for their frequent business discussions. Didn’t matter if it was work hours or not, in the office or outside of it. Mason handled a hell of a lot, and he generally kept Gabe, who was VP of Human Resources, in the loop. Of all the brothers and cousins, they’d been with the company the longest, along with their cousin Cooper. Mason had already been in the corporate office when their dad died. The ten-year difference in age between Mason and Drake was more than evident when it came to their roles in the company. Mason acted like an old man, and Drake…didn’t.
Drake appreciated the hell out of the two oldest North brothers’ devotion to the business because it took the pressure off him. Keeping this company, their dad and uncle’s company, going strong was paramount. It was their legacy and would hopefully be in the family for generations to come. Drake valued it just as much as the others did, but he’d always known Mason would lead it. He himself would always have a part in it—that’s why he worked the retail end of it instead of putting in full-time hours at the gym—but he savored his freedom and his lower stress level.
“This isn’t business related,” Gabe said. “I was thinking about Cole and Sierra, now that they’ve set a date. What do you think about the three of us, and maybe Zane too, going in on a dream honeymoon as their wedding gift? Something Mackenzie could coordinate? Something Cole probably wouldn’t think to spring for.”
With a half grin, Mason said, “Cole definitely wouldn’t think of it, and Sierra would never ask for it. I like it. What about you?” He aimed the question at Drake.
“Easy. I think it’s a great idea.”
“Maybe Mom would want in on it too,” Gabe said.
“I bet she would.” Mason leaned back in his chair now that he was done on his computer.
They were spot on about Cole. He was a black sheep in a lot of ways and had signed away his share of the business when he was eighteen years old, then spent years working his ass off in construction, when literally millions could have been his. It was only recently that he’d joined North Brothers Sports, and he’d reluctantly accepted his vastly multiplied company share back as part of the deal. The guy was brilliant about a lot of things but hardheaded as hell. Cole was not a big spender and wasn’t used to being well-off and then some.
Sierra deserved a trip to the moon if she so desired it, for putting up with the surliest North brother and figuring out how to make him happy.
Beyond that, Drake was a fan of giving Mackenzie some business. She didn’t need charity, was more than competent, from what he’d seen, but he knew she wanted to make a big impression on the company owners fast, to show them the decision to move her to Nashville was a wise one. The more business she could drum up quickly, the better.
“Any idea where you want to send them?” Drake asked as he started to filter through some of the places he’d seen her working on when she was staying with him.
“Sierra said she wanted something with a beach at dinner that night when Mackenzie was there,” Gabe said.
“You think Cole would like that?” Drake asked.
“Cole will like whatever makes Sierra happy,” Mason said. “That sucker has it bad.”
All three of them shook their heads, mocking their weak-ass brother.
“How are you thinking we’d work it?” Drake asked. “Tell them up-front what we plan to do and let them choose all the details? Or plan it all ourselves and surprise them?”
“As busy as those two are, I’d like to take the planning off their hands,” Gabe said. “But we need to prevent them from planning a honeymoon themselves somehow. I’m not sure how best to handle it.”
“I’ll talk to Mackenzie. I’m sure she’ll have some insight.” Drake jumped on the opportunity to be the point man for two reasons. One, he didn’t want either of these clowns spending time with Mackenzie, and two, it was just the excuse he needed to see her again.
“See what she suggests, what she needs from us,” Mason said. “Once we have more information, we can decide how to proceed.”
“I’m on it,” Drake said, standing to leave, taking out his phone to send Mackenzie a message.
She hadn’t been unfriendly yesterday when he—and Cole and Sierra—had helped her move her belongings out of his mom’s garage into her apartment, but there’d been a coolness in her demeanor, a distance between them that wasn’t his doing. A definite message of things are different now with a healthy dose of that night was a fluke, so don’t get any ideas.
Not that he was.
Not too much.
Okay, ideas, yes. He couldn’t get that night—before Ezra had blown it to hell—out of his mind. But actual intention of a repeat, no. He had no expectations of sleeping with Mackenzie again, but he missed her, had grown used to daily interaction with her. Besides that, he never liked to have someone upset with him, either outwardly or subtly. He was determined to get back in her good graces, and this would be the perfect opportunity.
Chapter Fifteen
Mackenzie loved her job even without the perks, but the perks… They made working for To the Stars over-the-top and unbeatable and something she would be hard-pressed to ever walk away from.
It was Tuesday afternoon, just after five o’clock. She’d been in her apartment for two days and had unpacked the necessities and made it comfortable for now—story of her life, though at least this time there was an end to the cycle of packing and unpacking almost in sight.
She’d ordered two barstools online and they’d arrived just before lunch today. Assembly had been quick and painless as she stuffed a sandwich down so she could get back to work. Now she sat on one of the stools, her laptop on the counter in front of her, on a video call. After several emails back and forth with Giovanni Rossi, the owner of Bellamore, the new resort on the island of Jiva, they’d finally found a time to connect. He was most insistent that the resort would fly Mackenzie to the other side of the world for a five-night stay so she could experience firsthand the exquisite luxury and impeccable service that her clients could be enveloped in.
She couldn’t turn him down. Not even considering how chaotic her life was right now. Going would be good business—the more relationships she could build around the world with people at key resorts, the easier her job became. But beyond that, how crazy would she have to be to say no to soaking up sun and luxury on the other side of the world—at no cost to her? Yes, she had loads of work to do, but she could do a lot of it poolside with an umbrella drink at her side. She’d gone on numerous other business trips like this, to all parts of the globe—the Maldives, Thailand, Peru, Turks and Caicos, Austria, and probably a dozen others. Sometimes they ended up being overpacked with sales-pitchy activities, but Giovanni had assured her multiple times she could spend her time as she wanted to. These were the perks she lived for.
Giovanni had momentarily muted the call and stepped away while he checked available dates for her trip. The twelve-villa resort had opened three months ago, and he was working hard to get its name out there.
While Giovanni was away from the call, she glanced at the clock on her computer, noting it was twelve minutes after five. Not surprisingly, Drake was late for the appointment he’d set with her to discuss some kind of mysterious business he’d refused to elaborate on. If it was anyone else,
she’d be less skeptical, but what business could he possibly want to discuss?
She couldn’t help suspecting he was using “business” as an excuse to come over, though why, she couldn’t figure out. They’d made their peace last week. They’d gotten along fine on Sunday, when he, Cole, and Sierra had helped her move in. Once Sierra and Cole had left, Drake had hung around, offering to assemble this or unpack that, but Mackenzie refused his help at every turn and finally told him he had to leave so she could take a nap. At last, he’d given up and gone, but the look on his face as he walked out was one of reluctance.
She’d had no intention of napping but had needed him out. Away. Because she was still struggling hard to cut off her attraction to him, still fighting the urge to replay every moment they’d been in bed together.
Today, she wasn’t feeling at all optimistic it would be any easier, but if he showed up, she’d find out what he wanted and then get him out the door again. She hoped one day she’d be able to spend time with him without obsessing or remembering, but today was not that day.
Giovanni, who had dark, collar-length hair and sparkling brown eyes and looked to be in his early thirties, surprisingly young for a resort owner, appeared on the screen again. He paused before unmuting and gave his attention to someone off-screen, holding up his index finger to Mackenzie, then mouthed an apology and stepped off camera again. It made her slightly antsy that he was taking so long, but how could she hold it against him when he was arranging a trip to paradise for her?
She pulled her planner in front of her to check out her schedule for tomorrow, but before she could get it open, a knock sounded on the door, causing her heart to hammer. As reluctant as she was to see Drake, a part of her danced in anticipation.
After a quick glance to verify that Giovanni was still away, she hurried to the apartment door, rammed her foot into the empty barstool box that she’d set aside to take out later, swore to herself and righted the box, then twisted the knob, pulled the door open, and…
God. He made her breath catch every time.
She tamped that reaction right the hell down and wrapped a cloak of indifference around her. “I’m on a video call with a resort,” she said, her voice hushed even though the call was still muted. “Come on in, but pretend you’re not here when Giovanni comes back on.”
“Giovanni?” he said, amusement lacing his tone.
“Shh,” she said as she heard noise from the call that sounded as if Giovanni was back. She rushed to her stool just as the handsome resort man appeared and flashed her a winning smile.
“Hello again, sweet Mackenzie,” Giovanni said. She could appreciate his dark-haired good looks, but they were altogether ineffective on her, especially now that six plus feet of testosterone was settling in next to her, just out of view of the camera. Six plus feet that let out an almost inaudible grunt of amusement. “Thank you for your patience. I’ve reserved the Sea Sanctuary casita for you, one of our very best, for a five-night stay beginning on this coming Sunday. I’ve tentatively booked a six-fifteen a.m. flight out of Nashville, Tennessee, on Saturday morning. You’ll arrive in Fiji, where you will be met by someone from my resort. I cannot wait to meet you in person and show you all the pampering and amenities of Bellamore.”
“That sounds amazing,” she said, triple-checking her planner for those days, knowing even if there was something scheduled, she would cancel it or postpone it. “The dates and times are fine. Let’s go ahead and do it, Giovanni.”
“As you wish, pretty lady,” he said, typing away on his keyboard.
“Pretty lady,” Drake said, again under his breath, and Mackenzie smacked his thigh with the back of her hand off camera, keeping her eyes on Giovanni to make sure he couldn’t hear any of it. She risked a quick glare at Drake, telling him with her eyes, if he made one more comment, she would do true physical harm to him. Drake put both his hands up in surrender.
Mackenzie finished up the call quickly, with Giovanni promising to forward all her travel info via email, and when she disconnected, she breathed out in momentary relief that Drake hadn’t said anything further.
“How old are you?” she asked.
“That guy,” he said, shaking his head. “Subtlety isn’t one of his strengths.”
The guy was flirty, but she could ignore the random pretty lady as long as that was all it was. “He’s harmless,” she said as she marked the days of her trip on her planner.
“How do you know?”
With a shrug, Mackenzie said, “He’s a flatterer and a flirt. Not a big deal. I can handle a guy like him.”
“You’re really going to go meet him in person?”
“I’m going to take advantage of the trip his resort has booked for me, check out the property for my clients—including Ellie Grant—and take in a little turquoise water while I’m at it. This isn’t an unusual thing in the industry.” She hopped up and went into hostess/business mode. “Can I get you something to drink?”
“I’m good,” he said, leaning his elbows on the counter and gluing his gaze to her.
She busied herself getting a glass of ice water, feeling his eyes on her back with every movement. When she’d gotten dressed this morning, with their meeting at the top of her mind, she’d felt dumb putting on the jeans that Cora said made her butt look good but had done it anyway, and now…thank God. Taking one more cube out of the ice tray, she bolstered herself as she plunked it into the glass. Instead of facing him, she poured water into the empty sections of the ice tray.
“So…you said you have a business proposition,” she said as she put the tray back into the freezer.
“My brothers and I would like to hire you to plan a honeymoon that will blow Cole and Sierra’s mind.”
Closing the freezer door, she spun around. “Wow. Really?” she said stupidly.
In theory, she knew all the Norths were well-off, verging on filthy rich. Living with Drake for a week, she’d discerned that he didn’t spare any expense for the things he wanted, and seeing the vehicles each of his brothers drove the night they’d gone to his mom’s for dinner, there was no question—they were not worried about money. But they were all fairly down-to-earth and came across as everyday guys in a lot of ways, so it was easy to forget they were in the same league as her actors and entrepreneurs and other clients.
“Really,” Drake said, his lips twitching up into an amused half grin.
“And let me guess…you’re the point person.”
“In the flesh.”
“Do you think it would be better for me to work with one of your other brothers instead?”
“Not even a little bit,” he said. “They don’t have time anyway.”
“This isn’t just a ploy to work your way into a repeat of what happened between us?” She said it with her own halfhearted grin.
The smile that appeared on Drake’s face now was full-throttle, one-hundred-percent flirtatious, and there was not a doubt in her mind he’d used that exact look to get what he wanted a thousand times. In the last month. “Is there a chance of having a repeat?” he asked, raising his brows hopefully.
“Not even a little bit,” she mimicked.
“Can’t blame a guy for asking. But no, not a ploy for anything. Gabe came up with the idea yesterday. He, Mason, my mom, and I are all in, and maybe Zane, too, once we get ahold of him.”
“Do you know what you want? Where you want to send them?”
“Sierra mentioned the beach.”
She set her water glass on the counter, quickly forgetting about it, her mind revving up with possibilities. “It’s hard to go wrong with a beach trip. Anything more specific?”
Drake shook his head. “We’re open.”
“Do you have a budget in mind?”
“Whatever it takes to give them a spectacularly memorable trip. Cole has a history of thinking he’s an outsider in the family. It’s never been true except to the extent he’s distanced himself from us. This is our way of showing him he’s one of us.
And Sierra… She’s the one who helped Cole turn his life around. How do you pay someone back for giving your brother the kind of happiness she’s brought to Cole?”
“The honeymoon of a lifetime is a really good start,” Mackenzie said.
“They both deserve it.”
In that moment, Drake’s love for his brother and his soon-to-be sister-in-law were so clearly etched on his face that she couldn’t help but see a deeper dimension of him, beyond the all-around charming, friendly guy. He was a man who cared deeply, who didn’t always make it easy to see how deep he went.
And didn’t that just draw her in another three or four levels. Maybe five.
“Okay then. Let’s do this. Let’s figure out a ‘spectacularly memorable’ trip for Sierra and Cole,” she said.
Without hesitation, Mackenzie went back around the counter, sat down next to him, and drew her notebook near. Drake pulled his stool closer to her, as if to better see everything she wrote down and any websites she might pull up, and she wavered. Because she could smell him, that same scent she’d been lost in the other night when she was engulfed in his arms. She felt the heat of his thigh up against hers, even through the denim and polyester.
Scratch all that. She sat up straighter, put a whisper of space between their legs, and reminded herself that she could do this, she could do business with Drake and keep it strictly business. She was as hardheaded as she was determined, and he was not going to get to her.
Chapter Sixteen
For three days, Drake had managed to keep himself ass-crazy busy, busy enough to avoid thinking about Mackenzie’s pending trip. He’d organized a rock-climbing day trip with a couple of guys he knew, gone out each night to the bars, played a double-header volleyball game for the North Brothers Sports intramural team, cleaned out his mom’s garage, met with Cole and others regarding Cole’s new baseball training foundation, and worked a couple of shifts—one at the gym and one at the store.
