Now, I know why he would not come when I called. He’s not mine anymore. He’s yours.
I’d like to see you again. Call me any time. Tessa.
Her number was printed in neat numbers at the bottom of the card. And Shane could not help but smile. Jesus.
“No, really. Amanda. Amanda, really.” Ryan made a face and rolled his eyes. Amanda was so pleased with their news that she could hardly digest what he was saying.
Shane broke in. “Amanda,” she was laughing now, “we got the contract.”
Ryan tried again. “Collectively, they are not willing to close on the thing until Micah is feeling better, but that’s only formality. They want him to be there when they close the deal. It’s important to them.”
Shane could only hear Ryan’s side of the conversation. “Yes, well, Tess – um… Elizabeth has invited us to come to the vineyard. She wants to informally proceed with the market research and share company insight that we will need to be able to take full responsibility of their marketing.” Shane was beaming and Ryan’s excitement shone through his tired eyes.
“Yes, all of it. They’re bringing it all to us. Packaging of all product lines. The Pairing concept which will include marketing for each specialty wine, as well as advertising for each restaurant they take on. Really. Yes.” Shane could tell. It was sinking in. Ryan was getting through to Amanda.
“Yes.” He said. “Of course, we know there’s a lot of work to do.”
Shane beamed and his smile mirrored hers. Pride shone in his eyes. “They loved her. Collectively. They all loved Shane. That’s what sealed the deal.”
He leaned away from the phone and spoke directly to Shane. “She loved you.” Shane laughed. Yes. Yes, she did.
Thank you for reading Book Four of the Boardroom Series!
Check out what happens next in The Play Room; Book Five of the Boardroom Series.
For the latest updates on books and new releases, visit http://annabellucas.com/
The Playroom
Annabel Lucas
No part of this book may be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in an information retrieval system in any form or by any means, without prior written permission from the author.
This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictionally. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved.
Copyright © (2020)
Annabel Lucas
Rachel ~ Love your spunk, smarts, and sass.
Contents
CHAPTER 1
The Trip
CHAPTER 2
Yellow Beauty
CHAPTER 3
The Ranch
CHAPTER 4
Let Them Watch
CHAPTER 5
Hot Ride
CHAPTER 6
Stormy Dusk
CHAPTER 7
Midnight Snack
CHAPTER 8
Home Alone
CHAPTER 9
Pleasure Dungeon
CHAPTER 1
The Trip
S hane ached for the dark after the bright, the quiet after the Vegas lights. The time home had been a whirlwind. She wanted some space and hoped this trip would allow for just that. The trip to the vineyard was like winding back the clock. Shane did not anticipate meetings or presentations; nothing that resembled such formality. Instead, she would be walking in the dirt and learning the craft that produced the sweet wine she and Ryan loved so much.
Shane and Tess had been in constant contact since she left the hotel room at ‘The After Party.' She had come to count on the texts that felt more like an ongoing conversation, along with the chatter filled calls.
When Shane pressed Tess for what she would need on the trip, Tess’s list of necessities was short. Jeans, t-shirts, hiking boots, and a bathing suit. The simple list gave Shane an idea of what to expect from the trip, and she knew these would not be days stuck behind a computer. Shane packed light toiletries, and minimal makeup. She zipped up her suitcase just as the notification came in that the Uber driver had arrived. After a final run through of her little apartment, Shane turned out the lights and locked the door.
The Uber driver was parked one spot away from the front door. The driver waved as she approached. She slid into the car to discover he was quiet and polite. Judging from his silence, he did not feel the need to fill the space between them with small talk. Shane settled in for the ride to the airport. She was making this flight alone, and Ryan would come later. He was currently working out details of another deal. Ryan already knew this business in and out, it was her turn to learn now.
To make the most of her days with Tess; Shane traveled by night. Streetlights blurred by as the driver sped through the empty streets. She didn't mind though; it gave her time to think. Her phone vibrated with an incoming message. Tess.
“Almost here. Just you and me for few days,” the message read.
Shane smiled. Just you and me. Tess was still typing.
"They released Uncle Micah earlier this week, and he is determined to go home,” Tess wrote.
“What?”
Oh, God. Not even three weeks ago, she’d watched Micah collapse from a heart attack in the lobby of their Vegas hotel.
“I know,” Tess was typing.
Shane waited. She didn’t want her concern to spike Tess’s. Tess was incredibly close to Micah, and Shane was, well, quite frankly, very new to the group.
“The doctors released him for travel?” Shane asked, guessing the answer. He could not have booked the trip without the doctor’s approval.
"They did," Tess replied, and that was all. Shane felt Tess’s concern coming through the phone in waves.
“Is he traveling alone?” She asked.
"Oh, no." … Tess was still typing. Shane was now thinking maybe a call would’ve been better suited for this conversation. “Michael and Drew are going home with him to get him settled.”
Shane nodded as if Tess could see her, her indigo eyes filled with concern. This was better. The doctor approved travel, which at least put her mind a bit at ease. He’d been released and was strong enough to go home, his sons were traveling with him; there was reason to be optimistic.
“Drew is going to stay behind with his dad for… well, for as long as Micah needs him.” Tess wrote.
Shane was nodding again. “That’s great, Tess.”
Shane paused, considering her next words carefully. “It'll be fine, Tess, the boys will take good care of him. I’m so glad Drew is staying on with him.”
Shane was saying all the right things, why did she feel so unsettled? “How are you doing?” she asked. “I’m sure it’s difficult to let him go.”
Tess was typing. Shane waited through the ellipsis for her response. “Yes, well…”
Shane’s attention was pulled from the conversation as the Uber slowed. She looked up to see the airport in the distance. The driver had navigated quickly through the empty streets. He slowed down as he pulled into the drop off lane, and she shifted her things in the car. Time to go. Shane slipped her phone into her purse and hustled. She felt a pang of regret, leaving Tess at such a crucial point in their conversation, but she figured she had plenty of time to catch up with her on the other side. Shane’s heart raced at that thought, and it translated in her mind to - plenty of time with Tess. How she wanted to take her time.
Shane slid out of the car and thanked the driver as she began her hasty trek through the airport. Like the streets, it was sparsely populated until she reached the gate. Between Shane and the security guards, stood an easy 200 middle schoolers. The chatter was deafening. The adolescents carried instruments of all shapes and sizes and were easily recognizable as students due to their school garb. Oh boy. She took a deep breath and waited.
An hour and a half later, Shane slid i
nto her seat her carryon stowed safely in the overhead compartment. She had been rewarded for her trouble with a window seat. Shane closed her eyes, travel-weary, barely into her first leg of the flight. From here she would catch a connecting flight in Dallas and then on to sunny California. She watched the tarmac as the pilot navigated the plane, and turn the bend leaving the airport behind. The plane began to pick up speed, and lights blurring as the city disappeared beneath them. When she felt the wheels leave solid-ground, Shane closed her eyes and slept.
She napped on the flight and was in full travel mode by the time she landed in Dallas.
Shane navigated through the airport in search of coffee. There was something about a warm latte at two o’clock in the morning that made the world feel surreal. The feeling enhanced by the fact that when she touched down again, she’d be in Cali, with Tess in the vineyard. It felt like a dream. Somehow Ryan stayed steady through the new friendship , unintimidated by Shane’s growing friendship with Tess. Maybe he understood better than anyone what intrigued her. The time Shane and Ryan shared was their time. Tess entered into the equation just as Lila did, simply Shane’s friend seeking attention.
Shane sipped her latte as she waited in line for the next leg of the flight to board. Soon she was seated in the plane, on another window seat. The plane was more compact than the one she’d boarded from Chicago to Dallas. The large man who slid into the seat beside Shane was not happy with his seating arrangement. Shane shifted uncomfortably, adjusting to the large man’s presence, and feeling grateful for her size. She moved closer to the window, not wanting to share the armrest with his bulk. The necessary alertness she acquired during the flight change dissipated, the burst of adrenaline spent. Her eyes drooped as the plane began to taxi, and she felt drowsy despite the coffee. She was asleep by the time the plane left the ground. Wheels up, baby.
Shane awoke to the captain’s voice, coming in strong over the loudspeaker. "Folks, we're getting in a bit early this morning. The local time is…" Shane stretched, muffling her ears from whatever else the captain had to say. She had slept through the entire three-hour flight. Beautiful. She felt her stomach drop as the plane dipped circling into its descent.
Shane looked out the window to take in the view. The sun was just beginning to peek up over the horizon blinding light over the cotton candy clouds. As the plane dropped through the clouds, the countryside below became clear. The ocean below was a kaleidoscope of blues that ran along against the coast. Waves rose and fell, crashing against the shore. The land beyond the shore was vibrant with color, deep shades of green peppered colors. As the plane drew closer to the ground, she could see a thin line emerge through the emerald foliage. It was the highway that ran along the coast. She knew instinctively that it was the road that leads to Tess, to the vineyard. Another swooping circle downward and Shane could see the airport. It looked like a fisher price version of a grown up's airport. Small and boxy, it was sooooo seventies. A single command tower rose into the air. Shane closed her eyes; she didn’t want to watch their circular descent to solid ground.
When she felt the wheels bump the ground, Shane exhaled and pulled her phone from her purse, tapping her fingers impatiently as she waited for it to come to life. Her people had been sleeping as she traveled, but now she wanted to share the news of her safe arrival. The phone was slow to come to life, but as it did, she was pleased to see notifications flood her screen; messages from Ryan, Lila, and Tess.
Tess had finished her thoughts in their conversation about Micah.
“It will be okay, difficult to say good-bye,” Tess wrote. “But under the circumstances, it could have been so different. Travel safe.”
Shane cringed at the canned answer. Shane knew Tess was hurting and worried.
“See you soon,” Shane kept reading. And then the best part. “Can’t wait.”
Ryan’s message, as timely, “Have a safe flight! See you in a few days. I’ll miss you.”
“Ry. Just landed.” She texted back. It was three hours earlier where he was, and she knew enough to know he would still be fast asleep, same as Lila.
Lila’s message read, “Love you, girl. Text me when you get there.”
“Love you too.” Shane texted back. “Just landed. Call you later.”
Scrolling to find Tess’s last text, Shane began typing. “Just landed. Getting a car. Be there soon.”
The passengers had finally begun to move through the tight quarters of the plane. She waited patiently until it was her turn to depart and moved slightly hunched over though the small plane. When she stepped onto the small platform outside the cabin door the view took her breath away.
An endless blue sky melted into the horizon where it met the ocean. Where the sky left off, the sea came alive with waves and movement. Birds circled in the air, diving into the water below. And although she couldn’t see it, she could hear the ocean waves as they crashed into the shore. Shane closed her eyes and listened to the sound of the surf. Waves were pounding the sand, crashing, and retreating. A magical healing sound that soothed her as she listened. Shane had seen pictures of the little coastal town as she did her research for the trip and knew what the beaches looked like. They were perfect white shores, where her bare feet would leave footprints to be washed away with the next wave.
"Uh, um." Behind her, someone cleared their throat. Shane turned to see an older woman, lovely and plump. Someone's grandma, probably. “Oh, I’m sorry.”
"It's alright, dear." She chuckled softly. "Takes my breath away too."
Shane laughed, squinting into the morning bright, and began her descent to the ground before.
“Have you been here before?” the woman asked behind her.
“California, yes, but never here.” She answered as they both carefully took steps down the narrow staircase to the tarmac.
As Shane had observed from the air, the building did indeed look like a fisher price version of a modern-day airport. Although the control tower looked considerably taller from the ground.
Shane looked around in search of the little girl’s room and made a bee line to it behind the other female passengers. Waiting patiently behind a those who’d beat her to the coveted destination.
The airport décor was so seventies, but it was in a way that embraced the era, and not the forgotten and abandoned to the passage of time. The bathroom décor was not different. As the line moved, Shane came into view, as she stood reflected in the mirror.
Shane smiled at herself. Hey girl.
Standing in front of the mirror, Shane toyed with the tresses of hair piled on her head. Her curls had been damp when she put them up last night. They were now wrapped into a messy bun on top of her head. Her face was clean and clear of makeup, she’d seen no need for it since she was taking the overnight flight. She wore a light white tank top with a summer hoodie. The hoodie was soft and pink. It made her look younger. Usually, she wouldn't have tolerated the color, but when she saw it, she'd had to have it. It was soft and cozy. Perfect for travel. She'd chosen leggings instead of jeans. That had been a good call. She'd been comfortable and able to sleep despite the tight space in the last flight.
Under her clothes, she went without. No bra, no panties. No wonder she felt like she wore pajamas. Shane had chosen a pair of running shoes. She was a comfort baby, all the way. The line moved, and it was her turn.
A few minutes later, bladder relieved, Shane washed her hands and resumed her assessment. Now it was time to fuss a little. She wanted to look beautiful for Tess. It was not a small desire, but it was one she tried not to address. The wanting made the butterflies in her belly come to life, and she just wanted to see her friend. She did not want to be all nervous and fluttery.
Shane dug in her carry on and pulled out her overnight pack, setting up the things she needed beside the sink. Shane brushed her teeth and washed her face, then applied a light coat of moisturizer, before she added mascara and some lip-gloss. She reached up and unwound her bun, letting her curls dow
n her shoulders. Shane scrunched her hair, then reassessed. Better. As a last pass, she traded her running shoes for the flip flops she’d stuck into the side pocket of her suitcase. Now she felt like a California girl, all the way down to her pretty polished toes. Much better.
CHAPTER 2
Yellow Beauty
N ext stop, rental car." Shane thought as she glanced around the airport lobby. Unable to see any signs indicating a rental car area. She looked again, feeling a little confused. It was not a large airport, and she didn’t think she’d missed it.
“Excuse me,” Shane said as stewardess from her flight breezed past Shane. It looked like she was headed to the bathroom for her own pit stop. “I can’t seem to find the rental car counter… could you show me where it is?”
The pretty woman smiled, humor flashing in her eyes. "Sure, honey, right over there." She raised her manicured hand and pointed.
"Thank you," Shane said and moved in the direction of the woman had indicated. As she drew closer, she could see an old placard that read "Rental Car Desk." Shane was struck again by the feeling of going back in time.
She closed her eyes as she stopped in her tracks and exhaled. When she’d reserved the car, and there had been no mention of restricted hours. Then she noticed a stack of business cards and a note taped firmly on the counter.
The note read: “I’m sorry if we’ve missed you, give us a call so we may assist.” Shane took a business card and dug through her purse for her phone. She dialed the number on the card and waited for a moment before she was greeted by a sleepy voice.
“‘Rent-Some-Wheels’ at your service.” It was clear she’d interrupted his sleep.
“Hello?”
“Yes ma’am, how may I help you?” He was older and cheerful even though she’d clearly interrupted his slumber.
The Boardroom Series – Complete Boxed Set (Boxes 1 – 6) : An office romance turned seductive submission Page 32
