27. Grayson
27
GRAYSON
I ’ve never been good at feelings when it comes to women. Not real ones. Attraction, sure. Lust, definitely. I’ve spent years perfecting the art of the short-term fling, the easy charm, the casual detachment, the morning-after grin that says, this was fun, but let’s not pretend it was more than it was. But Margot messes with that. She messes witheverything. It’s not just that she’s gorgeous, though she is. It’s not even that we’ve spent years dancing around each other, rivals and reluctant allies and something else neither of us ever wanted to name. It’s the way she looks at me when she’s pissed off and still manages to make my pulse jump. It’s the way she took on Liam’s betrayal with her chin high and her voice steady, even though I could see the hurt under her skin. It’s the way I want to shield her from all of it andstilllet her fight her own battles, because I respect the hell out of her. And it’s the way I can’t stop thinking about that night. The way she tasted. The way she said my name like itmeant something. God help me, I think I’m falling in love with her.
Which is insane. I don’t do love. I don’t do long-term. And Margot deserves better than a guy whose longest relationship barely outlasted a bottle of scotch. But none of that matters when she’s this close.
Margot’s lips are still on mine when I realize something: I don’t want to stop. Not just because of the adrenaline, not just because of the high of knowing we’re about to destroy the people who tried to ruin her. I don’t want to stop because it’sher. Because after everything, the fighting, the rivalry, the tension that’s been simmering between us for years, this moment feels inevitable. But then she pulls back, breathless, blue eyes searching mine. "We should…."
I smirk. "Keep going?"
She lets out a breathy laugh, shaking her head. "I was going to say we should focus."
I tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, my fingers lingering against her skin. "We can do both."
She rolls her eyes but doesn’t pull away. "King, if we let this, whateverthisis, distract us, we lose."
I nod, even though part of me wants to argue that havingherisn’t losing at all. "You’re right."
Margot exhales, stepping back, smoothing her clothes like that will somehow erase what just happened. "We have a takedown to plan."
I run a hand through my hair, forcing my mind back to the strategy. "Right. First, we need to start tracking the board’s movements, who they’re meeting with, any last-minute deals they’re trying to push through before the vote. I already have someone keeping tabs on Gerald Wright, but we need more."
Margot nods. "I’ll reach out to a few contacts on my end. If any of them are planning to sell their shares or consolidate power before the vote, I want to know."
I arch a brow. "Using your matchmaking network to gather intel?"
She smirks. "You’d be surprised how much people reveal when they think they’re just talking about their dating lives."
I let out a low chuckle. "Remind me never to get set up by you."
She grins, but the moment doesn’t last long before her phone buzzes. She glances at the screen and stiffens.
I frown. "What is it?"
She turns the phone toward me. It’s a message from an Unknown Number: You think you’re safe? You think this is over? Think again.
A cold fury settles over me. "That bastard."
Margot exhales sharply. "Liam."
I shake my head, my jaw tightening. "Or someone worse."
She meets my gaze, and for the first time, there’s something that looks a lot like fear in her eyes. "So what do we do now?"
I take her phone and delete the message, my voice unwavering. "We stop playing by their rules. It’s time to make our own."
I grab my laptop from the desk and pull up a list of board members. "First, we hit them where it hurts, their power. They’re consolidating shares, which means someone’s buying. We find out who, and we cut them off. If we can disrupt their buyout, they lose leverage." Margot nods, catching on quickly. "And if they think they already have the upper hand, they won’t see it coming."
"Exactly." I type quickly, sending a message to one of my contacts. "We also need to bait them into making a mistake. We let them think they’ve rattled you, that you’re panicked, maybe even considering stepping down. If they believe they’ve already won, they’ll get sloppy."
Margot tilts her head, considering. "And while they’re busy celebrating, we gather proof of their backroom deals and corruption. We take it to the right people at the right time."
I smirk. "A public takedown. A scandal big enough to shake Perfectly Matched to its core."
She exhales, determination flickering in her eyes. "Alright. Let’s burn their empire down before they even realize it’s on fire."
Before I can say anything else, Margot’s phone starts buzzing again. She groans, pulling it out and glancing at the screen. "It’s Olivia. Should I even…"
I raise a brow. "Better answer before she shows up at your door."
Margot sighs and picks up. "Liv, please tell me this is urgent."
Olivia doesn’t skip a beat. "Oh, itis. Elliot is in full-blown crisis mode again. He wants to set up another date, but he’s stuck between two approaches: asilent retreatwhere he ghosts her for two days to build intrigue, or afull-blown lecture on the history of fine dining etiquette to impress her. Margot, he’s driving me insane."
I chuckle under my breath as Margot pinches the bridge of her nose. "You do realize both of those are terrible ideas, right?"
Olivia huffs. "Obviously, but have youmetElliot? Logic isn’t his strong suit when it comes to dating."
I lean in, smirking. "Tell him to go with the silent retreat. Let’s see how long it takes before she thinks he’s dead."
Margot swats my arm. "Not helping, King." She sighs, rubbing her temple. "Okay, tell him to text her something casual but thoughtful. No dissertations on wine pairings, no calculated mystery, justbe normal."
A beat of silence. Then Olivia snorts. "Yeah, that’s not happening, but I’ll try. Good luck with your corporate espionage. I have my own disaster to manage."
Before Margot can even lower her phone, it buzzes again. She groans. "Oh, for…what now?"
She glances at the screen and her eyes widen. "It’s Elliot’s date. Why is she callingme?"
I smirk. "Maybe she wants to know if she should bring a notepad for his fine dining lecture."
Margot shoots me a glare before answering. "Hey! Is everything okay?"
Tessa’s voice comes through loud and panicked. "Margot! I needhelp! What do I wear? I thought Elliot was, like, socially inept, but then he pulled out my chair and said my dress 'captured an ineffable elegance,' and now I don’t know if I should go classic and sophisticated or if I should test his limits and show up in a leather jumpsuit."
Margot bites back a laugh. "Okay, first of all, hedefinitelyrehearsed that line. And second, you should wear whatever makes you feel comfortable."
"Comfortable? Margot, hethanked the waiter in Italianand somehow made it sound seductive. I don’t know what to expect!"
I cover my mouth with my hand to keep from laughing. Margot sighs, rubbing her temple. "Fine. If you want to impress him without sending him into a philosophical crisis, go for something elegant but a little unexpected. Something that makes him recalibrate but doesn’t shut him down."
"You mean like, a silk dressandcombat boots?"
Margot considers. "Honestly? That might be the perfect level of chaos for him."
Tessa lets out a relieved sigh. "You are a lifesaver. If I survive this, I owe you one."
Margot shakes her head as she hangs up. I raise a brow. "So… we’re officially relationship counselors now?"
She groans. "If we don’t take down the board, we should just start a crisis hotline for hopelessly awkward rich people."
I smirk, closing my laptop. "The same way you and I are brilliant strategists but somehow ended up making out in the middle of a takedown plan?"
She glares at me, but the corner of her mouth twitches. "Shut up, King."