Chapter 2
CHAPTER 2
S ebastian
“I won’t stand for this,” I hissed at the men and women in the room before launching my chair backward as I jerked to a standing position.
“Just sit down, Sebastian. We can talk about this.”
The man I’d called my partner in crime was taking this sitting down? What the hell was wrong with Drake? Our own board of directors had just questioned our fiscal responsibility. He was acting as if he hadn’t a care in the world.
I’d gotten wind the board was asking questions since the stocks had taken a hit, but I hadn’t expected this. Not this. One member had even alluded to the possibility someone was skimming from the top. I was appalled.
And furious.
No one treated me that way.
“I don’t think so. I have work to do. Ladies. Gentlemen. Enjoy the rest of your day.” It wasn’t often I could put a rope around my anger when I was driven to a certain point. However, even I knew it wasn’t in our best interest as a company to piss off the other board members.
I stormed out of the conference room, pitching the door against the jamb.
Whatever the fuck was going on, I would get to the bottom of it.
The girls in the outside administrative pool cringed, slowly sliding further down in their seats when I walked by. Everyone in the firm knew when I was pissed.
Which lately had been almost every day.
Today had bypassed that, heading straight to rage. How dare the other members of the board throw accusations our way? I took long strides into my office, attempting to slam the door shut, but Drake was right on my heels.
“What in the hell is the matter with you?” he demanded, making certain the door was closed so our employees didn’t need to hear yet another argument. That’s all we’d seemed to be doing as of late. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“What am I doing?” I laughed. Pacing the floor and raking my hand through my hair. That’s what I was doing, fuming to the point I couldn’t see straight.
“Calm the fuck down. They have every right to question our plans for the future, especially given the sudden drop in stocks. You know that.”
“I’m curious why you believe they dropped so quickly when the quarterly financials haven’t been released.”
“You’re the fucking CFO. You should know.” Drake’s eyes flared.
He was right that I should have a better handle on what the fuck was going on with the company I’d started. “The market is down and has been for over eighteen months.” That was true enough, but the situation was about more than just being unable to win a couple of contracts. I was at a loss for why clients who’d been repeat buyers were suddenly heading in other directions.
Huffing, I sneered at him before slamming my fisted hands on my desk. Yes, he was right as he usually was. Drake Caffrey was the calm while I was the storm. That’s one reason our partnership had worked so well over the years. We’d faced more than our share of challenges, but this one had the chance of forcing us to close our doors.
I refused to allow that to happen. We’d worked too hard over twenty years to create a powerhouse in the industry. Yes, profits were down, partially because of the continued trickledown effect of COVID. However, travel was back up and more and more billionaires were purchasing private jets.
An ugly truth hung just below the cobwebs. I’d allowed my personal life to interfere, which had left me distracted. That was finished.
“Did you go over the numbers again?” Drake asked, trying to defuse the situation.
“Several times. There’s no smoking gun, buddy. Our profits are down because we’re not selling shit. That’s up to the marketing department to figure out.” I looked him directly in the eye. He knew what I was thinking.
Another ugly truth was that neither one of us had our eye on the ball and hadn’t for over a year. We’d been resting on our laurels.
If he spent more time at the office and less time with his handful of girlfriends, maybe we’d have more contracts lined up. He was in charge of marketing, but preferred playing the CEO role, including for the cameras. It drove me nuts.
His eyes reflected his anger, but he backed down, even looking the other way. He knew better than to get into an argument with me. I always won and I was always right. “Fine, Sebastian. Have it your way. Be angry. Blame me. You’re the goddamn CFO.”
“So you keep reminding me. I noted the red flags months ago.” Months. Well over a year at this point. Then I’d clocked out of my own job mentally. “I’ve worked long hours, nights and weekends included to try and keep us afloat. I cut costs, staff, and that was never my intention when I opened the doors to this company.”
He shoved his hand into his pocket. “You might have opened it, but I am your full partner now. That’s something for you to remember. We need to work together to find out why our clients are dropping off. If you had a nicer personality, it’s quite possible you’d find something to work with you so your load could be lifted. And congratulations on the great award. Man of the Year. Imagine that.”
His tone was dripping with sarcasm. He’d been up for the award as well.
“As if I give a shit.”
“God knows, you need to get yourself a life. What’s not to enjoy?” he demanded.
I didn’t answer.
“Fuck this. I’m headed out.” He threw his other hand in my direction before heading for my office door, pitching it open as forcefully as I’d done in the conference room.
Our arguments never lasted, but I was fearful our friendship had been hurt by the constant bickering. He was right about one thing. I did need to get a life. Yes, I loved working long hours and had my entire adult life, but one year had slipped into another.
I pounded my fist on the desk and was certain I heard moans coming from one of the administrators. This shit had to stop.
I grabbed my keys. It was time for a drink.
“Goodnight, Mr. Winfield,” one of the girls dared say to me.
For a split second I thought about stopping and asking if I had a gruff demeanor, but thought otherwise. I knew I did and had prided myself on separating business from pleasure. I’d done so successfully over the years. I’d also been careful about having my photograph taken by reporter hounds.
Until the night before. Christ. Why had I attended that goddamn event? My picture had been plastered on various social pages with the Man of the Year in bold lettering.
Unfortunately, Drake didn’t follow the same rule. He craved the attention, thriving on seeing his photograph in whatever ragtag news would have him. In our early years, it was the reason our firm hadn’t been taken seriously. But we were older and supposedly wiser. Another round of bullshit.
As I stepped into the elevator with thoughts of heading home, I had a change of heart. When was the last time I’d bought myself a drink in my favorite bar? At least a few months.
And more important, when was the last time I’d allowed myself to engage in the company of a beautiful woman? Longer than I could remember.
After the shitty day, that’s exactly what I intended on doing.
The Moonrise Hotel in the heart of the entertainment district was trendy, a favorite watering hole for the young and the young at heart. I certainly didn’t fall into one of those categories and I’d dare say everyone who knew me realized the second had never been and would never be true either. Guests who stayed often commented about the hotel’s eclectic atmosphere, including the vibrant mosaic tiles lining the stairs.
The rooftop bar had spectacular views of the city, the best drinks, and was also a fabulous place for people watching. That’s what I needed, not heading home to an empty house. The estate on several acres had been the perfect choice when designed, built and purchased over ten years before. Now it seemed like an anchor around my neck.
I found a parking spot close instead of using valet parking, taking my time studying the parking lot before heading inside. I’d learned a long time ago to be very careful with my surroundings. And that had nothing to do with nasty reporters.
Grinning, I shoved my keys into my pocket and walked toward the main set of doors, immediately turning toward the elevators. I slipped inside, almost grateful to be alone.
When the doors closed, I rubbed my eyes. I’d been getting more frequent headaches over the past few months. It was all about crunching numbers well after midnight. By all rights, I should take over the CEO and marketing positions from Drake, but he needed to do his share of work. I had no time to add anything else to my already overflowing plate.
The sharp pinging let me know the doors were opening, but I quickly realized we weren’t on the rooftop. The elevator had stopped on the sixth floor. I was already grumbling more than usual until a woman stepped in. She immediately lifted her head after noticing me, offering a smile.
One that could light up the entire downtown.
She was beautiful in a nontraditional way, her long legs accentuated by a form-fitting dress that hugged her curves perfectly. She was voluptuous, a body designed for a man such as myself.
Her hair was a stunning shade of flaxen, curls tumbling over her shoulders. But it had been the light green of her eyes that had drawn me in much like her smile. She was truly a beautiful woman.
And far too young for me.
She settled in for the one-floor ride and I resisted saying anything to her. She was likely meeting friends or worse, her boyfriend. I shook my head. Now I was stooping to entirely new levels of debauchery.
The stunning girl immediately headed for the bar near the rooftop’s edge while I took my time walking in. It was early enough that there were only two people at the bar, sitting together at the other end. She took a position far removed, sliding onto the barstool and immediately grabbing the drink menu in the plexiglass sleeve.
I headed in her direction, taking a deep whiff of her perfume as I passed, taking up residence a few stools down. She didn’t so much as look in my direction, but I’d felt a crackle of electricity shared between us.
Her perfume settled into my nostrils and for the first time in as long as I could remember, I was immediately aroused.
The bartender approached her first, conversing with her about the various concoctions highlighted. She selected one of them, offering a laugh at something he’d said. Her tone was hushed as if she didn’t want anyone overhearing her conversation.
Her action amused me more than anything.
The bartender quickly made her drink, a strange aqua-blue mixture that had to be sweet to the taste. Just like she would be. My thoughts were already turning filthy. I was in rare form today.
“What can I get you, sir?” the bartender finally asked after sauntering in my direction.
“Kentucky bourbon. Neat.”
“Coming right up.”
I tried not to study her, instead paying attention to one of several televisions hanging over the bar, but the draw to her was strong. I was genuinely surprised just how much.
She toyed with her drink, running the tip of her nail around the rim before taking the slice of orange into her fingers. As she began to suck the pulp from the rind, I imagined how it would feel to have her full lips wrapped around my cock.
Seconds later, her appeal attracted the attention of a man sitting with friends at a table in close proximity. He approached her with a swagger and instantly, my hackles were raised. Not a word had been said between us, yet I felt strangely protective.
“Hey there. I noticed you were all alone,” the guy said in a cavalier way. “Would you like to join me and my buddies for a drink?” He nodded toward the table and she did honor him by glancing over her shoulder.
“No, thank you. I’m just fine.”
The woman had a surprisingly smoky voice, the tone meant for reading romance novels over the air. My balls immediately tightened.
“Ah, come on. A pretty gal such as yourself shouldn’t be sitting alone.” He crowded her space as he leaned against the bar, his elbow on the surface and his knee drifting against hers.
Her expression was blank except for the venom in her eyes as she rolled her gaze slowly down to the man’s cheap, scuffed loafers. When she lifted her head, her lips were curled in a smirk.
“I’m enjoying my drink very much alone, but thank you for the offer.”
The woman had claws. I wanted to applaud her.
She was holding her tongue, yet the girl had grit, the kind developed from experiences that had likely taught her a lesson in lack of trust.
“Come on now, sugar. You don’t know how special we can make your lonely night.” The jerk was licking his lips, the buddies he was with snickering behind him.
She smiled one of those practiced expressions, but the curl of her lips lit up the room.
Oh, fuck. The asshole was pushing every boundary and I was already hot under the collar.
I was on edge, wrapping my hand around my glass with white-knuckled force as soon as the bartender placed it on the cocktail napkin. While I could be a pushy bastard, I refused to do so with women who clearly wanted nothing to do with me.
“I prefer being all alone rather than sitting with a slimy bunch of guys.” She’d reached the end of her patience.
Her response was so pleasantly unexpected that I couldn’t contain a snort.
The jerk snapped his head in my direction, sniffing as if he was coked up. “Mind your own fucking business. This is between me and the lady.”
It was barely six in the evening and he was three sheets to the wind. His buddies laughed and I gave him a look that should indicate they were playing with the wrong man. I had no issues wiping the floor with them if it became necessary.
“Come on, darling. Let’s go party. We have all night to do so.” The bastard made the mistake of placing his hand on her leg. “We can have some fun. I can tell that’s exactly what you need.”
What she needed? The jerk had no clue and wasn’t the kind of guy to spend any time figuring that out. I felt my muscles clench, but this wasn’t my party. The last thing I needed was to get involved.
While she didn’t flinch, she did offer him a dirty look. Meanwhile, I was on my feet, closing the distance seconds later. I towered over him, enough he was forced to lift his head when being stupid enough to look me in the eyes.
“The lady wants you to leave,” I told him, ensuring my tone was gruff, a clear indication I was an unforgiving man.
“When I want to. Buzz off.” He squeezed her leg and that was all I could take.
I jerked him away, slamming his back against the bar. Now I was crowding his space, using the five plus inches I had on the man to my benefit. “You heard what I said.”
He had the good graces to tremble enough from realizing I could hurt him.
And I would if he was stupid enough to make a wrong move, such as attempting to express his anger.
He threw up his hands, but I gathered a sense he was waiting to throw a punch. As soon as I let him go, he proved me right. I snapped my hand around his fist, crushing down on his fingers.
I was stronger than I was often given credit for, spending my free time in my home gym at least six nights a week.
The lovely lady clapped, although I wasn’t entirely certain whether the gesture was out of gratitude or fury because I stepped in.
“Get off me, man, or I’ll break your neck.”
“I would love to see you try. Now, if you want to walk out of here with your bones intact, then you and your buddies will leave without creating an incident. If not, I guess you’ll be spending your night in the emergency room.”
He half laughed as if I wasn’t being serious. I kept my eyes pinned on him, even cocking my head for emphasis.
“Fine. Whatever.” He pushed me hard with his free hand and I let him go. The asshole purposely bumped into me as he walked around me, heading back to his buddies. Exhaling, I waited and watched every move they made as they gathered their things. One even knocked a chair to the floor and didn’t bother righting it.
The jerk flicked me the bird as they were walking out and I allowed myself to chuckle. I moved toward the table, easing the chair back into position. By all rights, I should do nothing more than go back and enjoy my drink without exacerbating the moment. However, I sensed an air of excitement in the woman that few offered. I also sensed she wasn’t the type to be snowed by small talk or a pushy asshole.
I returned to my seat, immediately taking a hit of my drink.
She’d remained quiet, but I could feel the weight and the heat of her gaze. Instead of using that as an invitation, I returned to my stool.
“Good job, buddy,” the bartender said. “The drink’s on the house.”
I immediately grabbed my whiskey, longing to look the beautiful woman in the eyes. When I did, I noticed they were filled with fire.
My cock immediately twitched.
She was a woman after my own heart.