by Nana Malone
But instead of cowering and backing down, she tilted her chin up, and I knew she would have eviscerated me if I let her. "You put your lips on me again, you will regret it."
And then she turned around, reached for the door, and stalked out, leaving me in the storage cupboard, breath still tearing out in jagged puffs. I had obviously miscalculated. But maybe this was better. I had poked the viper's nest. I hadn't meant to, but that was what had happened. It would keep me on my toes. It would teach me never to turn my back on Rian again. "Game on, princess. Game on."
Four
Rian
Five minutes after kissageddon, and my lips still tingled. My pulse still hummed just under the surface of my skin. And my heart was still beating that erratic pattern.
That asshole.
Are you sure he’s the asshole? After all, you kissed him back.
Hell, return kisses or not, my brain and I needed to come to a consensus and, that consensus needed to be that Oliver was an asshole.
How the fuck did I get into these situations?
This wasn't me. I didn't do this.
I’d been minding my business. I got a job I could be proud of. I was working my ass off. And then here comes Ollie Wexler. Just fucking up my whole groove.
I made it to my desk without incident. But as I sat down and tried to pull my notes together, I couldn't focus. I pulled up my purse and headed straight for the back with my lipstick and makeup, determined to put myself together again.
In the mirror, I looked like myself. Olive-toned skin, full lips that were now a little too full, smeared lipstick, and my face slightly flushed. But otherwise, I looked like me. Except, I felt like someone else. I felt like the me I used to be. The pull of the Wexler boys. Jesus Christ.
I truly never expected to see them again. Despite the promises made, I had zero intention of ever looking for them. They had wrought such destruction on my life. I forced myself to take a deep breath. I could do this. My one advantage was that he thought I was that same girl. The one who was weak, blindly followed, trusted too easily. Yeah, well, thanks to his brother, that girl was dead. Long gone. She'd been replaced by a woman who wasn't going to let anything stand in the way of her dreams. It didn't matter how many butterflies fluttered at the thought of Ollie Wexler and his sweet, easy smile. None of it mattered. Because I was not making the same mistakes again.
You got this. Just avoid him like a plague. Work with him when you must, and then you don't have to deal with him.
Exactly. I could do this. If push came to shove, I'd talk to Olivia and we'd work something out. Because like hell I was going to get stuck working with him.
When I returned to my desk, Livy's door stood open and she greeted me with a smile. "Ah, there you are."
"Oh, hey, did you need something?"
"Yep, can the two of you join me for a moment, I want to talk to both of you."
I bit back my scowl before she noticed it. "Oh, great. Let me grab my notebook."
I tossed my purse in my bottom drawer, letting the metal clang a little too loudly, and then I plastered a smile on my face. I could hear Ollie walk in behind me, and I had to work not to grind my teeth.
God, it was so hard to look at him because I could still remember the feel of his hands on my hips and how he slammed his lips on mine. Those kisses were not the kisses of a boy. Those were the kisses of a full-grown man. One that knew exactly what to do with a kiss. One that knew exactly what to do with my body.
I dragged my attention back to Livy with a smile. "So what's up? What do you need?"
"Well, I was just speaking to Bridge, and he really wants the two of you to work on Kensington together. You'll be doing all the operations work for both their soft opening in Monaco and the real deal in New York this Fall. Rian it's a chance for you to showcase what you can do. Oliver, it’s a great leadership opportunity for you.”
Working directly with Oliver? This had to be some kind of cosmic joke. "Yes, of course. Anything you need."
Oliver grinned at me. “Well, we’re nothing if not team players.
Livy’s smile was relieved.. "I’m glad to hear that. Up until this morning, I had a different plan for the two of you, but then Bridge had this bright idea, so we’re going to go with it.”
Ollie smiled at me. "I will show Rian the ropes and get her all caught up to speed on the client. "
I gave him a tight smile, vowing to murder him long before the New York event would happen.
But you're too good of a person to murder.
Normally, I was. I was that person who gives friendship mugs to my new coworkers. I was that person who planned birthdays and such. I was that person who made sure that if you had a rough day, you'd find a bar of chocolate on your desk to brighten it just a little bit. But God, with Ollie Wexler, instead of birthday surprises, I was hatching murder plans.
"Right, what criteria will we be evaluated on?"
Olivia smiled at that. "I'm so glad you asked. Obviously, teamwork, client satisfaction, timeliness. You'll be evaluated by your teams as well. All the tasks that you're going to be working on and touching. Obviously, Oliver, you will need to catch Rian up a little bit. Rian, let me assure you, Oliver is one of the best."
I shifted in my seat, crisscrossing my legs, and I swore I could feel the heat of him.
Olivia continued. "I'm so glad you guys are so willing. Most of what you need is in your inboxes. You have a kick-off meeting with the Kensingtons this afternoon, so make sure that goes well. Remember, the Kensingtons are all about old-world charm and opulence. You want to make sure you give them that. They have boutique properties under the London Lords name and brand that we need to reflect their brand with our modern touches, right?"
The good news was, I was somewhat familiar with the Kensington brand. I’d worked as an assistant on that brand back in New York. But Ollie likely knew them like the back of his hand. I’d have to catch up. Luckily, I knew how to fight this battle.
When Olivia dismissed us, I marched to my desk and Ollie watched me. I knew I couldn’t show weakness. I needed to be firm, direct. Get what I needed, ninja style. "Oliver, I’d like a chance—"
He lifted a brow. "Did you have a question for me?"
My gaze narrowed. "You heard Olivia."
"Oh, I did. Everything you need is in the Kensington file. And like she said, we have a client meeting. So you should familiarize yourself with them."
He was going to leave me adrift, knowing that it might make the both of us look bad?
"So you're not going to give me a rundown?"
"You know, there's no point in giving someone a rundown if they haven't done the initial work themselves. Research for yourself first. If you have any questions, I'm more than happy to answer. I'm not going to waste both our time with me walking you through everything that you can figure out for yourself."
I pressed my lips firmly together to keep from telling him to fuck himself. "So, it's like that?"
"Oh, you better believe it. You made it clear you won’t leave on your own. You and I, we're not friends. We don't know each other. And right now, it's every man for himself."
Rian
On the drive to see Lila Kensington, I drank in the sights of London. Made a note of what had changed since I was last here. There were restaurants I'd never even heard of. Advertisements and billboards for stores that were unfamiliar. I’d have killed for a full week to explore.
While the driver wove through London Traffic, Ollie and I didn't speak. Which honestly suited me fine. After all, what was I going to say to him, I can still feel your lips on mine?
No, of course not. How about trying to build a professional rapport.
I wasn’t sure which was worse. That my brain hoped it would work to ease the tension, or that my inner brat wanted to never speak to him again.
Besides, I was still salty about his lack of help during my research. He could have cut the time down exponentially. I’d spent the morning hunting down files and
trying to turn my sluggish brain into a sponge.
It was he who spoke first.
"Bridge said you came from the New York office?"
I blinked in surprise. "What, so you know me now?" I tried to bite back the flare of temper.
He sighed. "You're still pissed about that kiss."
"How am I supposed to feel Oliver?"
He shook his head and buried himself back into his phone. "You know what? Never mind."
"Yeah, better if we don't speak." Besides, this was my game face. I would not be cowed by the likes of Ollie Wexler. I didn't need his approval, and I wasn't looking for it. I’d had quite enough of that, thank you very much.
We arrived at the Shard in the midst of all the London traffic. The Kensington Group was on the fourth floor. Once Ollie showed his identification and indicated I was with him, we were waved in by the security guard at the desk.
I couldn’t help but take everything in. The women in their Chanel and Armani suits, rocking their Louboutins and Blahniks. The steel and glass and chrome of the building. "You'll get used to it," he muttered.
I turned to him. "Get used to what?"
"This. The first time I came here, my mouth hung open too. But I guess at some point, it becomes blasé."
On the fourth floor, the elevator dinged and opened, and I led the way down to Lila Kensington’s office. Her receptionist stood when she saw us, giving Oliver a wide smile. "Hi Ollie... er, Mr. Wexler. Who is your guest?"
He flashed her a dimpled grin and I had to resist the urge to punch her face in. "This is Rian Beaumont. She's new to London Lords."
Lila's assistant nodded. "Have a seat. I'll let her know you're here."
I sat on the edge of the seat while Ollie sat back and pulled out his phone. “Get used to waiting. She likes to do that to gain the upper hand.”
“Are you kidding? Does she do that to Olivia?”
"Oh yeah. You see, she'll never be late for Bridge, or Ben, or East. Olivia and Jessa though? Always. Olivia understands how important of a client she is. It's a good strategic partnership for us, so she doesn't kick a fuss too much. But she will send me in her stead."
"That's bullshit. Is she always late?"
His laugh was warm and rich and hit me low in the belly. "Again, not for the London Lords. For anyone else, yes."
"It's so rude."
He gave a nonchalant shrug as if he was used to doing this.. "Yeah, welcome to my world."
Another twenty minutes and we were finally seated in front of Lila. She gave us both a wan smile. "All right, let's see your projections. If you tell me our operations budget is out of control, I promise you, I'm not going to be happy about it."
Well tough titties for her because it was from what I’d seen. But when he started speaking, Ollie’s voice was cajoling. Almost placating. "Miss Kensington, I understand you have some reservations. And like I told you the last time, we can absolutely discuss your budget concerns with Mr. Edgerton, Mr. Covington, or Mr. Hale. While we're here, I'm just trying to make sure that we have all the information we need so we can keep moving on without having to start and stop so often."
She waved her hand. "Who's this? You're pretty. Why are you so pretty?"
I shifted in my seat. The way Lila Kensington was staring at me like I was lunch made my stomach heave, but I held her gaze. “I’m Rian Beaumont. I’m new, but I’m familiar with the workings of the Kensington account.”
She lifted a brow. “Well, isn’t she eager?”
“Tell me about it,” Ollie muttered.
For the rest of the meeting, the two of them chatted, more than happy to ignore me. There was something else too. There was a tinge to their chatter. Something in the way she cocked her head when Ollie was speaking.
He provided Lila with all the information she needed with me trying to interject things like current costs, projections, even the fun bubbly stuff like marketing, but she was more interested in Ollie and his weekend plans.
She only had eyes for Ollie, questioning where he was from, where he'd gone to school, etc. Yes, yes, fine. He was very handsome. I had eyes. It wasn't that I couldn't see how gorgeous he was. I could. But I could also see the boy I used to know. The one I knew better than to trust. I could see all of it. All of him.
"Miss Kensington, perhaps if you could just look over the projections we have, you would understand that we need—"
She held a hand up. “That is enough. When can you provide me with the new budget?”
That was when Oliver set his jaw. “The budget remains the same. Before we can move forward, you’ll need to review it with a fine-tooth comb.”
When the meeting ended with Lila not bending an inch and barely taking a glance at the reports I'd painstakingly put together, I was in a mood.
So when we went down to wait for a taxi, I didn't say a word. Ollie just chuckled. "Oh, come on now, you're not going to be upset when I got the client at least willing to look at your dumb reports, are you?"
"Is this a joke to you? I’m trying to learn."
He shrugged. "This is deadly serious. What you will learn is that in the end, Lila isn’t running the show. Her father is. But he sees her as a gatekeeper. Now that we’ve chatted with her, we’ll finally get to deal with the old man. He’s making all the decisions."
"You could have told me that.”
"Where would be the fun in that?” he said with a smirk.
Five
Rian
Miriam stared at me as I recounted the story of my day. "Wait, so you know him from your past?"
I took a large gulp of my wine. "Yup. And to make matters worse, he’s just as good looking as I remember. He’s more arrogant than he ever was, and now he’s a total dick. Though, if I’m being fair, that means he was a total dick then. I just didn’t know it until later."
Miriam was parked cross-legged on my mustard yellow Moroccan rug right in front of me. " How do you know him again?"
I sipped the rest of my wine until I drained my glass. "I used to date his brother."
She lifted a brow. “And...”
Her voice trailed. “And nothing. That's it.”
“That’s a load of shite. No one has that kind of visceral reaction to someone unless they used to shag them.” Her gaze narrowed. "Oh my God, you boned your boyfriend's brother."
A wash of heat crept up my neck. "No, I did not bone my boyfriend's brother. It's just... We…had this moment once."
Her jaw hung open. "No way! You are a dark horse, and I think I'm living for this. He sounds super sexy."
"He is not sexy. God. The fact that I ever pegged him as sexy makes me want to throw something. Forget breaking your heart, he’s the kind of guy you end up in jail for.” I didn’t elaborate.
She practically hugged her glass of wine to her chest. “Those are the best ones. My mum used to say every woman needs at least one of those in her life. A sexy bad boy who could blow it all up. To love and be loved that way is the thrill ride of a lifetime. Granted, she also says you can't keep those kinds of blokes. You eventually marry for more enduring love because that kind of fire will incinerate you or burn out quick.”
I poured myself another glass of wine. “Your mum is right about the incineration part.”
"Okay, so you emotionally banged once. Which meant that you probably were emotionally banging long before that."
"No, we were not. He hated me. I’d walk into a room and he’d leave. He was so bloody hostile all the time. Always watching and judging. But that night I needed a rescue. I’d broken up with Max and he abandoned me in the rain with no way home. I honestly had no idea what I was going to do, and then Ollie showed up.”
Miriam’s mouth hung open. “Oh my god. This is so hot. He just turned up?”
“Yeah. He was worried. Picked me up off the Highstreet. Saving me from bad decisions. Took me home, dried my hair. He was campaigning for knighthood or something. He made it seem like he’d always wanted me but couldn’t show me. And then he k
issed me like I’ve never been kissed before or since.” I glanced down at my hands, remembering how firm his had been. Strong, but capable. Had I ever felt like that again?
“That is so sexy. I swear you are like my walking, talking soap opera.”
"I’m not trying to be I promise you. Except today, I started my new job and he’s the one training me. And let me tell you, he looks just as good now as he did then.”
Miriam leaned forward. “Talk to me. Like how hot is he?”
I considered this as I took another sip of my wine. I had to get the description just right. “He’s like Henry Cavill and Theo James had a baby.”
“Good Lord. Isn’t that kind of good looking too much to bear?”
“No. Because I wasn’t even thinking about it. I was more reeling that he pretended not to know me, then dragged me into the supply closet to tell me to go back to America.”
She lifted a brow. "Wow, that is an extreme response."
"Yeah, you think? And then he kissed me."
Miriam settled her glass on top of the coffee table and then sat back, full proper yoga pose, and stared at me. "Wait a minute, you're telling me this hottie from your past, whose brother you just happened to shag, kissed you? Again? As in just hours ago?"
"Actually, we never shagged. Me and Max, I mean. We did other stuff, sure. But I was only sixteen then. We didn’t really go all the way."
"How old was he?"
I winced. "Twenty-one."
She blinked. "You must have been really good at the other stuff, because what kind of bloke would have kept you if you were just doing other stuff, you know?"
I covered my face as I howled with laughter. "Yeah well, that's not the point. I need your help staying focused on the Wexler boy in front of me."
