by Opal Carew
This was my wheelhouse. I knew where to put money to keep it gaining interest and how to keep the IRS out of the way. “I will need each of you to nominate a trustee—not each other—to monitor the accounts and keep an eye on the allocations between cash, stocks, and low-risk bonds. My preferred mix has already been written into the trust documents, but that will necessarily change with the market.”
“Do you recommend anyone?” Cade placed his packet on the table as Gaines watched me with an intensity that raised goosebumps along my arms. To my surprise, the feeling wasn’t entirely unpleasant.
I ignored the urge to clear my throat. “There are several well-qualified banks and brokerages I’d be happy to—”
“Tonight.” Gaines glanced at his large silver watch. “Your time is up. We have another appointment to get to, but I want to hear more about your plan.”
I swallowed hard. “Tonight?”
“Yes. We’re having dinner at the Entwhistle. You’ll be there at eight o’clock for a business meeting.” He pinned me with his blue eyes, the twinkle in them unmistakable in the morning light.
“Good idea.” Cade smiled, and both men stood. I knew they were tall, but standing there in perfectly-fitting suits—Cade’s a bit flashier and Gaines’s all business—they looked like two different ideals of masculine perfection. Cade was lean and graceful while Gaines was a solid wall of muscle.
Were they lovers? A sudden flash of them kissing streaked through my brain, and the image made it hard for me to catch my breath. I stood so quickly that I almost knocked my chair into the wall behind me.
“Something wrong, Leah?” Cade strode around the table and took my elbow.
“No, I’m fine.” You’re a professional. Act like it. “Sorry. Just stood up too fast.” I tucked a lock of my dark hair behind my ear.
Gaines walked to my other side. “Are you going to faint on us?”
“No.” I shook my head and bent over to gather up my files.
When I stood back up, the men were exchanging a look that had my face heating. Did I mention that, in addition to the jacket being too tight, the skirt of my suit was also a bit shorter than I was used to?
Please tell me they didn’t see my panties.
“Well, I think we’ve seen enough.” Gaines’s smirk told me he’d gotten a full view of my black underwear. “For now, anyway.”
I hurried past him, getting the scent of his sophisticated cologne that reminded me of rainy woods and rich leather. “I’ll walk you out.”
They strode behind me and into the reception area, the two of them having a low conversation. My ears didn’t have to start burning for me to know they were talking about me. Cade laughed as I hurried to the elevator bank.
I hit the call button for them, and pondered making some excuse and running away. Luckily, the elevator pinged and opened in no time. They walked in, and my body finally started to unwind. It was almost over.
“Thank you for coming today.” I clutched my files to my chest and affixed a smile to my face. “Once again, I apologize for the wait. Mr. Tarver and I will meet you tonight at eight, on the dot.”
Gaines reached out and put his large palm on the elevator door, holding it open. “We won’t be needing Mr. Tarver for this dinner. Only you.”
My eyebrows likely hit my hairline as Gaines leaned back, Cade gave me a warm smile, and the elevator door closed.
Chapter Two
“This is bad. This is so bad.” I ran the flat iron through my hair and twisted it when I got to my ends.
“You look amazing, and you’re going out with two ridiculously hot rich guys.” My roommate Brynn stared at me in the mirror, her blond pixie cut streaked with bright pink.
“I’m not going out with them. This is a meeting to discuss their estate plans.” I finished the last piece of hair and grabbed my lipstick. “Besides, I think they’re gay.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Surely not.”
“They requested a joint estate plan.” I arched a brow at mirror Brynn. “Which is usually what married people or life partners want.”
“I still hold out hope they aren’t strictly dickly.” Her eyes widened. “How much money do they have?”
I rose and walked the few steps to my bed and grabbed my sapphire blue dress. “You know I can’t tell you that. It’s privileged.”
“I won’t tell anyone.” She plopped down in the overstuffed chair that I’d dragged to New York from my home state of Tennessee.
“That’s not the point.” I slipped the dress on and walked backwards to her so she could get my zipper. “I have a duty to my clients to keep their secrets.”
“Pfft.” She zipped me up, and I checked myself in the mirror.
The dress was sleeveless with a modest neckline that kept my girls in check. The hem hit right above my knee. With a black cardigan, I’d look professional but also sleek for a dinner.
“Why aren’t you showing your assets?” She straightened her cat-eye glasses and gave me an exaggerated up and down look.
“My mind is my greatest asset.” I pointed to the sheaf of papers on my bed. “And it will be on display as I finish explaining my work to them.”
“So it’s just business?” She kicked her tattooed leg over the arm of my chair.
“Yes.” I knelt and pulled a pair of black pumps with a silver heel from my closet.
“Then why don’t they want old crusty-bones Tarver to come?”
I’d been asking myself the same thing all day. No answer seemed to sit right, but I gave her the explanation I’d settled on: “Obviously, they’re still pissed that he didn’t show up this morning, so they want to snub him to teach him a lesson.”
“Sure, sure.” She nodded and then whipped her hand out and pointed at me. “Or they want to get you alone and make you their love slave!”
“Did you hear the part about them being gay?”
Brynn shrugged. “I ignored that part.”
I slipped my shoes on and fastened the ankle straps. The shoes were a little less modest than the rest of my outfit, but they were the perfect accent.
“I dig it.” She grinned. “I can imagine those heels up in the air.”
“Perv.” I walked past her and to the front door of our small apartment.
“Have fun. Don’t come back without stories of double penetration.”
I rolled my eyes. “Gay. They are gay.”
“Still ignoring that part.” The door closed as she snickered.
“Hi. I’m meeting Mr. Everett and Mr. Robins.” I tried not to show how impressed I was with the soaring ceiling, intricately carved woodwork, and all-around luxuriousness of the Entwhistle, a private club for the richest of the rich. It was old-world sophistication, the sort that could only be seen in movies or tasted in small glimpses through closing doorways. But here I was, in the thick of it.
“Of course. Right this way.” The tuxedoed maître d’ led me through a set of French doors and into a wide dining room, the tables gleaming under the light from dozens of chandeliers sparkling high overhead. Several tables were already taken, diners talking and laughing as a string quartet played in a back corner.
We wound through the room until we came to another door. He gave a brief knock and opened it. Inside, a smaller dining room held three large booths, the seats made of tufted brown leather and the tables a cream marble with streaks of gold. Cade and Gaines sat toward the back, Cade’s friendly laugh wafting to my ears. Different music played inside, something with a beat you might expect to hear at a club. Not that I went to clubs. I didn’t have time. Or a life.
The maître d’ showed me to their table. Both men stood as I approached, and I hated the heat seeping into my cheeks. They were dressed casually for the evening. Cade wore a button-down, open at the throat, and a blazer. Gaines wore a white button-down with the sleeves rolled up and a pair of well-fitting jeans.
I smiled and extended my hand. “Mr. Everett, Mr. Robins.”
Cade took my hand, his skin pleasantly war
m. “Please, call us Cade and Gaines. No need for formalities. Thanks for meeting us tonight.”
“Of course.” I withdrew my hand, but Gaines captured it in his much larger one.
“Glad you made it.”
My mouth went dry when Gaines smiled at me. It was the lopsided one from the photos, and it was utterly dazzling in person. My heart flipped over itself at the handsome men greeting me. Clients, I reminded myself.
“Thank you for giving me a chance to finish up our business.” I went through the words I’d rehearsed in front of my mirror. “I apologize again that Mr. Tarver missed the meeting this morning, and I hope you’ll give my firm a chance at your business in this and other matters.”
“Nicely done.” Cade grinned. “Don’t worry. We aren’t here to fire you. Have a seat.” Cade motioned for me to slide into the half-moon booth so that I sat between him and Gaines. It seemed too intimate. Then again, if I were between them, I could show them the estate plans more easily.
“Thank you.” I sat and scooted along the leather until I was in a cozy spot. A candle flickered at the center of the table and the chandeliers overhead gave off a soft light.
Cade sat on one side of me and Gaines eased over on my other. They were gorgeous, and both of them wore the same intoxicating cologne from earlier. Calm down and stick to business. My hands shook as I flipped my folder open. “I prepared a list of candidates for your trustees. My personal recommendation is—”
“We can get to business later.” Cade closed my folder and grabbed the stack. He placed it on the seat next to him. “First, let’s eat.”
Gaines pulled a bottle from an ice bucket on his side of the table and filled my glass before refilling his and Cade’s. “Drink?” He asked after he’d already poured for me.
He was so close that I could see the fine dusting of golden hair peeking from his shirt. How far does that go down? I wrenched my attention away from him. No good could come from such musings.
Gaines had filled my glass almost to the brim. I shouldn’t drink. This was work. Nothing more. I cleared my throat.
Gaines smirked. “Don’t be nervous. It’s just a business dinner.”
“I really shouldn’t.” Of course, drinking at business functions was a normal part of lawyer life, but drinking with two attractive men, in this secluded booth, just the three of us—no. This wasn’t the same as having a martini while discussing tax consequences.
“What will it hurt?” Gaines leaned back and slung his arm along the leather behind me. “It’s just a little prosecco.”
“Sure, but I don’t think Mr. Tarver would like it if I—”
“You look wonderful, by the way.” Cade took his glass, his warm eyes melting my resistance.
His words reminded me of something I’d forgotten over the year of working in my windowless interior office: I was a relatively attractive woman, one who’d had her fair share of lovers in college and law school. Did I still have it? With the way Cade looked at me, I suspected I did.
“Beautiful.” Gaines agreed and shifted closer to me.
“Thank you.” I dropped my gaze, but that gave me a full view of Cade’s trim stomach and well-fitting pants. Jesus.
“Don’t be nervous. This is the way we do business. Have a drink with us.” Gaines held up his glass.
I looked at him and then Cade. It wasn’t a good idea. My firm wouldn’t approve. But it had been ages since I’d had a real dinner—one that didn’t consist of me eating at my desk in the office as I worked on billing hours until late in the evening. I hadn’t been out with Brynn in months, not since I took the position at the firm. What would one night hurt?
I nodded and clinked glasses with each of them. “One drink.”
The prosecco bubbled down my throat, its sweet taste giving me a buzz all on its own.
I drank half the glass and set it down for my own good.
“You can have as much as you like.” Gaines topped me off. “Cade, shots?”
Cade scrubbed a hand down his jaw. “I don’t know, man.”
“Come on.” Gaines snapped his fingers, and a server bustled in. “We don’t have any appointments until tomorrow afternoon.”
Cade glanced at the server and then to me. “Only if it’s all right with Leah.”
I sipped my drink. “Of course.”
Cade made a frustrated sound and flashed a cute grin. “You were supposed to object and save me.”
“Oh—I meant, I’m horrified and would be scandalized if you were to do shots.” I smiled.
“That just means you should do them with us.” Gaines held up three fingers, and the server hurried off.
“Oh no. I have work tomorrow.” I leaned back into the leather, but sat straight again when I made contact with Gaines’s arm.
“I won’t bite.” He smiled, the look predatory and sexy as all hell. “Unless you ask nicely.”
“Gaines.” Cade shook his head, though his tone was far more playful than chiding. “She’s here for business.”
The server appeared with a small tray of shots and limes as well as a larger tray with platters of food. Calamari, beef carpaccio, and some sort of bruschetta with tomato and basil made my mouth water.
Gaines handed me a shot. I chewed on my lip as he stared at me, his gaze warming me far too much. Gone was the angry executive from the morning. He still had the air of authority, but he wasn’t using it on me. Instead, he seemed genuinely friendly—not at Cade’s level, but close. I took the shot glass.
“Good girl.” His words sent heat pooling between my thighs.
He handed the third shot to Cade.
I perused the light yellow liquid. “What is it?”
“Finest tequila this side of the Rio Grande.” Cade raised his glass.
I wavered. Doing shots when I was supposed to be going over an estate plan didn’t seem like a good idea. Then again, Cade and Gaines had been so welcoming that it didn’t feel wrong. Besides, one shot wouldn’t affect me too badly, especially since I planned on eating. The food would soak up the alcohol.
Gaines clinked his glass into mine and Cade’s. “Bottoms up.”
We downed the liquor, and I slammed my glass on the table as my tongue tingled.
“Here.” Cade handed me a slice of lime. The citrus cooled the burn, and I sucked on it until all the juice was gone.
“Perfect.” Gaines snagged a piece of calamari and downed it. “Here. Let me get this for you.” He took one of the small plates, then loaded it with a sampling of food from each platter.
He was so . . . attentive. I couldn’t tell if it was the alcohol or if I’d fallen into an alternative universe where hot, wealthy captains of industry lived to serve me.
I slid my black napkin into my lap. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“I wanted to.” He pushed the plate in front of me.
“So, where are you from? Your accent is definitely not New York.” Cade took a swallow of his prosecco, then held his glass out for Gaines to refill it.
“I’m from Tennessee, a small town near Chattanooga.” I bit into the calamari, the crispy coating delicious on my tongue.
“Family still there?”
“Yes.” I tried not to speak with my mouth full, but the food tasted so good that I became ravenous. “My two older brothers are in San Francisco, and I’m here. My mom still lives in Tennessee.” The beef carpaccio had a spicy horseradish twist and melted on my tongue.
“So your parents are separated?”
I swallowed to hide my grimace. “Yeah.” My parents had married shortly after high school. My father went to law school and became an attorney. Mom stayed home, despite her brilliant mind, and became the domestic goddess my father wanted. By the time he left her for a younger woman right after I graduated high school, she’d become bitter and resentful over her wasted potential. “Never depend on any man” had become a frequent refrain after my father left her. I couldn’t blame her.
“Roommate?” Cade popped some brusc
hetta into his mouth with his long fingers.
“Yes.” I was grateful for the change of subject. “She’s a paralegal at Ellerton and Lange.” I washed down the food with my prosecco, and Gaines dutifully refilled my glass. My blood warmed and a contented sensation rushed through me as the alcohol and food filled me up. Gaines and Cade kept picking at the platters as I cleaned my plate. “How about you?”
“Don’t you know?” Cade smiled and relaxed into the seat.
I leaned back with him, no longer caring that I rested against Gaines’s arm. I tried to ignore the wave of excitement that touching Gaines and Cade set off inside me.
“I know quite a bit about the both of you.” I sipped my drink. “Cade, you’re from Boston, but thankfully you don’t have the accent.”
He laughed, the sound rich and rolling. “Thanks, I think.”
“Oh my god.” I set my glass on the table. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”
“It’s fine.” Cade’s full lips kept their smile, and I wondered what he’d taste like. No, no, no.
Gaines shifted closer, his big body pressing against my side as he leaned down to my ear. “I’m glad he’s not too Southie, either.” His warm breath sent a tornado of desire swirling inside me. “What about me?”
“You’re from Pennsylvania. Your family used to be quite wealthy before your father squandered his inheritance.” My voice was breathy, and I couldn’t seem to get enough air. “But you made all that money back and then some.”
“That’s right.” His lips ghosted against my ear, sending a shockwave through me. My nipples hardened, and my pussy tensed.
“We have different backgrounds, but we’ve been best friends since the day we met.” Cade let his eyes travel down my body. “And we share everything.”
Oh. My. God. I pressed my thighs together. Ignoring the ache in my core was becoming imperative but also impossible. Concentrate. “We should. Um . . . I should . . . Business. The estate plan.”
“It can wait. Unless you plan on taking one of us out.” Gaines quirked his lips in his sexy smirk, his sandy blond hair falling across his eyebrows.
Cade drained his glass. “We’ll need some time to go over it. And we’d like to get every detail from you, so we know it’s right.”
