Heartbreaker: A Workplace Friends-To-Lovers Romance (Paths To Love Book 3)

by Grahame Claire

  “That’s why I’m sorry it’s come to this,” he said, deep-set lines creasing around his eyes.

  “Don’t be. What’s done is done.” He lifted a brow. New York was a huge city, and it would be easier to avoid my most challenging weakness. “I’ll be in New York on Monday.”

  Chapter Two

  Easton

  I hurled a paperweight against the paneled wall of my office. It splintered the wood with a satisfying crack before the metal ball dropped to the carpet with a thud. I was letting my frustration get the best of me, but to hell with it.

  I had good reason to be pissed. I’d worked at my family’s company since I’d graduated from the University of Texas. I’d been around the business my entire life, spending every day with my father and brother, building something to be respected—that was the epitome of success for me. There wasn’t a single thing I’d change about that part of my life.

  Turned out, I now didn’t have a choice in my future. It was made for me by the same man I’d revered all these years. The kicker was, I always thought I had a say. That the entire family, including Mulaney, had a say.

  From the time Dad had first talked of merging with another company, it had felt like a gut punch. In all the discussions we’d had about our goals for Carter Energy, taking the business outside the family had never been an option. It was so far off course from the vision we all had, or at least I thought we had, I’d almost convinced myself I’d heard my father wrong. Once the shock wore off, I dove deeper into the numbers to find out what had prompted him to think a merger was necessary. Things weren’t as good as they’d once been, but I couldn’t find what had him even entertaining the idea we couldn’t make it on our own. Carter Energy was solid because we’d built it that way, together. Yet I trusted my father, so I’d trimmed the fat, taken precautions, and done everything I could to ensure our success.

  I’d trusted Mulaney too, though God only knew why at this point. She’d destroyed that over the last few months, and yet it stung to know she wouldn’t have talked to me about the sale to SPE. If she was as blindsided as I was, she wouldn’t have sat there like a bump on a log. Her temper was worse than mine, and she wasn’t known to control it either. Then again, I didn’t know her anymore. Not like I thought.

  I picked up the desk clock I’d been given for outstanding leadership in the energy industry and reared back my arm with a need to smash something else.

  “Hey, I don’t have a helmet on.” Drew held his hands in front of his face and ducked.

  I chucked the clock at the wall, nowhere in his vicinity. He sauntered to one of the chairs in front of my desk and sat.

  “Tough day.”

  “How did this happen? And how could he do this without telling us?” My voice echoed around the space.

  “We were in trouble.” He leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “Dad’s been stressed, but I thought a lot of it had to do with Mom.”

  I dropped into my chair, thinking about our sick mother, the final blow to this hellacious day.

  “We weren’t that bad off. I’ve been through the numbers. Nothing indicates we needed a financial partner. And there sure as hell’s not enough reason for him to sell to another company behind our backs. I live with Mom and Dad for God’s sake, and I had no idea this was happening.” I shoved at the spreadsheets in front of me. Either they were lies or I didn’t know how to read them anymore.

  “From what Dad showed me, it was pretty dire.” Drew’s tone was too casual for what had gone down today.

  My brows pinched. “When?”

  “Over the last few weeks. I thought you knew.” He lifted a shoulder and lowered it, as if it were nothing that he and our father had been discussing something that significant without me.

  “Don’t you think if I had, I’d have done something about it?” I shouted.

  “I assumed Dad told you everything. Guess I was wrong.” He raised both hands in surrender. “If we’d have done the pipeline project, this probably wouldn’t have happened.”

  I stared at him in disbelief. The pipeline had looked promising, but after digging into the details, there was too much red tape to overcome, and the numbers didn’t work in our favor. Drew was well aware why we’d nixed the project. “We were solid financially. That pipeline would have been an albatross, and you know it.”

  He gripped his thighs. “We lost everything anyway. Hopefully we can make sure things are done right with SPE in New York.”

  “You seem comfortable with the idea.”

  He shrugged. “What’s done is done.” Why isn’t he angry? He’s worked with CE for fifteen years. Why doesn’t this bother him?

  “What about Mom? She needs us.” I looked away. She was fighting like hell, but there wasn’t much time. I knew better than to pray for miracles, yet I did it every single day.

  “I need to be there. I’m leaving tonight.”

  “Tonight? We’re supposed to be headed to Burdett in the morning. Grandma Carter is expecting us for Christmas.” Just like every year before. Drew could be selfish, but even he’d never skipped holidays. “And what about Mom? She’ll be devastated.”

  He wouldn’t meet my eyes. “I have to go.”

  “To Burdett, yes,” I argued.

  “Let it go.” His fists clenched on top of his knees.

  “There might not be another—”

  “Don’t guilt-trip me. I can’t help it. Someone has to be there.”

  I was grateful I hadn’t had to finish that sentence. Reality was a cold bitch sometimes, and when it came to our mother’s condition, I didn’t want to face it.

  “Don’t do something you’ll regret.”

  “I don’t have time for regrets.” He stood and smoothed his tie. “I’ve got a plane to catch. Why don’t you take this opportunity to get away from the business? Spend time with Mom and Dad since you’re so close.”

  I canted my head. Get away from the business? He knew me better than that.

  “We’ve always stuck together, and now’s no different. After the holiday, I’ll meet you in New York.” I had to speak to my team. They would be shell-shocked. How many of them would be able to make the move?

  His expression dropped, and his tone went flat. “Perfect.”

  “We’ll get through this.” We had to.

  “You do realize not everything works out.” The bitterness behind his words came from broken dreams of long ago, ones he had every right to still be angry over.

  “Yeah, I know.” Business wasn’t the only thing that hadn’t worked out for me, though. Thoughts of a stubborn brunette who refused to acknowledge our truth invaded my head. Who was I kidding? She was always there. I seesawed between pissed off and hot as hell with no in-between when it came to her.

  Drew rapped on the doorframe twice. “I gotta run.” He hesitated, half in and half out of the office. “I’m glad you’re coming. See you Sunday?”

  “Sunday,” I confirmed. He was gone before I could express further disappointment he wouldn’t be in Burdett for Christmas.

  I picked up the family photo from my desk. It was taken three years ago at Lake Okeechobee. Usually only Dad, Drew, and I went, but that particular trip, Mom and Grandma Carter tagged along. The annual fishing trip was the only week each year I took off. I’d vowed to change that, to change a lot of things, yet here I was putting work ahead of everything again.

  I set down the photo, opened the middle desk drawer, and stared at the wrapped box inside. The bow was crooked where I’d tied it, and the shiny paper didn’t look much better. The contents were too important to have it professionally giftwrapped, even if it would have looked better. She needed to know it was from me, needed to see the thought I’d put into it. If this didn’t bring us to the table to talk again, I didn’t know what would, but I couldn’t give up.

  I connected my phone to the Bluetooth speaker beside my computer. Within seconds, “New Person, Same Old Mistakes” by Tame Impala began to play.

  What I wanted
would have to wait a little longer. If Carter Energy had failed because of me, I couldn’t stand by and do nothing. I picked up the box and retied the red ribbon. Once I straightened out where things went wrong with CE, I could fix my own life. This gift would go a long way toward doing that. I just had to get Mulaney to accept it first.

  Chapter Three

  Mulaney

  “Fuck.”

  I slammed the phone into its cradle.

  Sandie Reynolds had worked for Carter Energy for twenty-four years. She was a year away from retirement, one I couldn’t promise her because I didn’t know if it was still there. The woman could barely speak through her tears, and though I distinctly remembered the last time I’d cried, and it was a long time ago, I’d been damn near letting the floodgates open along with her.

  I was twelve calls into delivering the news to our employees that Carter Energy had been sold, and it wasn’t getting any easier.

  “Thought you’d be gone for the holiday.”

  Easton leaned in the doorway, his tie gone, the top two buttons of his white dress shirt open. Images of my fingernail marks on the back of his neck flashed through my mind. I swallowed hard, refusing to allow my eyes to wander down the hint of tanned chest taunting me. There was no point in going down a road to nowhere.

  “I’m the Grinch stealing a lot of great people’s Christmases,” I said bitterly.

  I yanked on my ponytail now piled high on my head. With no one around, I didn’t have to keep up appearances. I’d changed into my jeans, boots, and a long-sleeved Jacobs Ranch T-shirt.

  Easton came across my office and around the desk. He rested his rear on the edge, and I rolled the chair back slightly to put some distance between us. I couldn’t have him in my space. After years of doing this very thing, he’d finally whittled me down, and I couldn’t lose control again.

  “What are you doing?” He crossed one ankle over the other and all his attention focused on me.

  I squirmed in my seat and prayed he didn’t notice. I pushed at the phone. “Calling our people to tell them the truth. They don’t deserve to be blindsided like I was.”

  His brow furrowed. “That’s several hundred people.”

  “I know. I won’t be able to get it done before the news spreads, but I have to try.”

  He nodded as if he’d expect nothing less from me, and once more he bolstered my confidence. Instead of telling me I was crazy or that it was too many people, Easton picked up a stapled stack of papers from the mess on my desk.

  “Is this the list of employees?” I didn’t have to answer when he saw the X’s beside the names I’d already called. “I’ll order some food and start from the back.”

  “No,” I said sharply. Too sharply. I cleared my throat and tried again. “You should head home.” The words came out as flimsy as my no.

  Mischief and a hint of satisfaction sparked in his eyes. He knew me too well. I was uncomfortable as hell being alone with him, because I didn’t trust myself. All I wanted to do was let him make me forget all this shit, but I knew it would only make things worse.

  “Have you forgotten we’re a team?” His deep voice wove its way through me straight to where I didn’t need him to be.

  “Are we? Because if we were in so much trouble financially, a heads-up would have been nice.” The mechanism to throw up my defenses was my natural way of protecting myself. I had to.

  His chin dropped to his chest, and I had the urge to run my fingers through his dark hair. The statement hadn’t been fair. We operated together, no one person at fault, yet I couldn’t find a way to open my mouth and apologize.

  “He didn’t say why after I left?”

  I spun and looked out at the lights of Houston. “Just that it had to be done.”

  Silence engulfed us, both seemingly lost in thoughts of where we went wrong.

  He rolled up the list and tapped it on his palm a few times. “These aren’t going to call themselves.”

  “It’s too late to call anyone else. We’ll finish up tomorrow.” Easton stood and stretched his arms above his head.

  Great. It had been bad enough doing this two days before the holiday. Christmas Eve would be worse. I slung back the remaining whiskey from the bottle we’d broken out an hour ago after a few particularly bad conversations. Easton had barely touched his drink.

  I stood too and stuck my laptop into my bag. A hint of red silk in the side pocket caught my eye, mocking me, and I quickly closed the tote. Now isn’t the time.

  “I need your truck.” The words came out more harshly than I intended.

  “Then I’ll need a ride to Mom and Dad’s.”

  Damn it. That meant more time alone with him.

  “Can’t you get a car service?”

  “Not sure.” He slung his suit jacket over one shoulder. “Are you afraid to be alone with me, Heartbreaker?”

  I ignored the shiver that rolled through me when he used the nickname he’d called me for as long as I could remember, one I’d never understood the meaning of and never dared to find out.

  This man constantly kept me off balance, something I not only disliked, but couldn’t allow. Especially not now.

  “In case you hadn’t noticed, we spent the last few hours together.” Tonight was the most time I’d spent alone with him in months. It had been a test of my will, and I couldn’t push that any more than I had to. I gestured around the room. “Besides, I need to pack.”

  His gaze followed the motion as if he were just now noticing there was anything else beyond me. Lines creased his forehead. He tossed the suit jacket he’d just picked up back on the chair.

  “You definitely owe me a ride to my parents’ house now.”

  “I sure as hell don’t see why,” I argued as I swiped my keys off my desk. “Just take my car.” I launched the ring at him, and he caught it with one hand.

  “This feels awfully domestic, don’t you think?” The resentment behind the statement had regret pinching the back of my brain. It hadn’t always been this way. Sure, we argued. That’s what two people who always thought their way was the right way were bound to do. But something had changed between us. I’d changed things. For as much as I preferred to avoid Easton Carter at all costs, I hated the ever-present undercurrent of hostility.

  He stalked around the piece of furniture that had been a safe barrier separating us. His body heat warmed one side of me. He placed a firm hand on my hip and turned me so we were face to face. I was tall but still had to tilt my head back to look at him.

  “You’ve been drinking.” He picked up the near-empty decanter of whiskey. “I’ll be damned if I let you get behind the wheel of a car.”

  “You just asked me for lift. And you’ve been drinking too,” I protested.

  “I took two sips. Plans change.”

  “We don’t have any plans.”

  His fingers dug into my hip. I planted my hands on his chest and shoved, but it wasn’t enough to move him.

  “You know we do.” His head inched toward mine. I didn’t do intimacy. He was too close. Too much in my space. Too tempting to make me surrender. I never surrendered.

  I pushed harder this time. “If someone sees us like this—”

  “Do you think I’d ever put you in a compromising position?”

  “You already have.”

  “How long have we known each other?” Closer, closer, closer. His breath ghosted across my lips.

  “Thirty years.”

  “Thirty-four and a half,” he said with authority. I’d never admit I already knew that, yet found myself surprised he did. “In all that time, when have I ever done anything but right by you?”

  “You know when,” I croaked as I shimmied out of his grip.

  Easton pulled me right back against him, erasing what little space we had between us. “Never.”

  “I don’t have time for this. I have to get my stuff out of here.” I slid past him toward the wall where one of my drill maps hung.

  He followed m
e and stood on one side of the large frame. “We’ll do it together.”

  “I’ve got it,” I said, even as I let him help me.

  “Are you going to quit?”

  I glared at him. “I don’t quit.”

  “Could’ve fooled me.” He eased the map to the floor and propped it against the wall.

  I straightened and pointed to the opposite wall. “Do you see that drill map?” He didn’t bother to look, well aware of what was there. “I lost five million dollars of your father’s money on that well, and back then that was a lot more money than it is today.” I marched over to the framed map. “I could’ve given up. Your dad could’ve given up on me. Neither of those things happened.” I tapped the glass. “Because I don’t quit.”

  Energy shot through me when I felt him behind me. He moved his lips near to my ear, and I closed my eyes.

  “I’m glad to hear that.” He wasn’t touching me, yet it was as though he was everywhere. His breath got closer to the shell of my ear. “Since you don’t quit, we can finally settle what you’ve been avoiding.”

  “There’s nothing to settle.”

  “I disagree.” He brushed his lips against my lobe. “We will settle this.”

  That’s what I’m afraid of.

  Chapter Four

  Easton

  “Where is Drew? He was supposed to be here by now.”

  I finished the remaining coffee in my mug and rinsed it in the sink. I hated disappointing my mother, yet always stepped in to ensure Drew didn’t. It never got any easier.

  “He’s not coming.” I placed the coffee mug in the top rack of the dishwasher to avoid seeing her face.

  “He’s not?”

  Briefly, I closed my eyes. Hearing the sadness in her voice may have been worse than seeing it. Finally, I turned. She looked better than she had a few months ago, though her skin had an almost gray, papery appearance from chemo. Her white hair had grown back, but it wasn’t the same thickness it had been before. The blue of her eyes was a bit duller now, yet another side effect of the drugs that were a necessary evil. It was the pain in them that had me close to finding my little brother and forcefully dragging him to our holiday gathering.