The Tycoon (Colorado Billionaires #4)

Chapter 1

Denver, Colorado

Cole drove into the parking garage and exited his Jaguar F-Pace SVR.

The luxury SUV had been his Christmas gift to himself.

What’s the point of being a billionaire if I can’t spoil myself sometimes?

He grinned and pocketed his keys. As he turned to collect his briefcase, he saw the reflection of someone behind him in the side mirror.

He turned and saw an assailant with a knife.

The man held the weapon about waist-high, like he expected to gut Cole.

Cole rounded on the man and kicked the knife from his hand. Then he put his hands up, fists loose.

The man charged him, hitting Cole in the stomach with his shoulder.

Cole slammed a knee into his gut. Boxed his ears with the edges of his hands.

The man screamed and let loose of Cole to grab his ears.

Cole slammed an uppercut into the man’s jaw and knocked him out. Then Cole reached into his pocket for his phone and called Mason.

While he waited for Mason to arrive, he went through the man’s pockets and found a wallet.

Donald Nelson. The name was not familiar to Cole.

He looked down at the man. He was young, blond, and, according to his driver’s license, he had brown eyes.

Donald Nelson was twenty-four years old and lived in a shady part of Denver.

He had a tattoo of a cloverleaf on the inside of his wrist.

Cole knew the Aryan Brotherhood sometimes used the clover, but whether this kid was a member of a gang or just a wannabe, he didn’t know. Maybe the police would know.

When Mason arrived, he checked the man’s pulse.

Cole rolled his eyes and placed his hands on his hips. “I didn’t kill him, just knocked him unconscious.”

“So I see. I take it he attacked you?”

“He did. With that knife.” He pointed toward the weapon sticking half under the left rear tire of the Jag. “I didn’t touch it. They should be able to get some prints from it, although they won’t need them because he had identification on him.” Cole waved the man’s wallet at Mason.

Mason pulled a glove from his pocket and picked up the knife. “I’ll make sure the police get it. You should probably wait here for them. They’ll have questions.”

“Yes, I’m sure they will.” Cole shoved his hands in his suit pants pockets and rocked back on his heels. “I think I hear a siren now.”

The police showed up a few minutes later and took the assailant into custody.

One officer, a tall, red-haired woman, with a nice figure, came over to talk to Cole and Mason.

“Hi, I’m Officer Jennifer Calhoun. Can you tell me what happened here? I know that you were assaulted, but what about after that?”

Cole went through all that had taken place, not leaving anything out.

Mason added his statement from after he arrived.

Officer Calhoun took down the pertinent information. “Thank you for your cooperation. I’d appreciate it if you came to the precinct tomorrow and gave a complete written statement.”

Cole nodded. “I’m sure that can be arranged.”

“Thank you.” The officer turned and walked back to her car.

Mason shoved Cole in the shoulder. “Pretty cute, huh?”

Frowning, Cole blinked. “What? Oh, yes, I suppose so.”

“She doesn’t rev your engine?”

“No.” Cole sighed and retrieved his briefcase from the Jag. “She doesn’t rev my engine. I wish you’d stop trying to set me up. I can find my own dates.”

“Hmpft. When was the last time you went on a date?”

Cole walked toward the elevator. “Well, I…I…I don’t remember. Okay, it’s been a while, but that doesn’t mean I can’t call someone up and have them meet me for dinner and a little sport, maybe.”

Mason snickered. “A little sport? You need to find someone you have a connection with. Your sport, as you call it, would be ten times better, believe me.” He slapped his friend on the shoulder. “You can’t imagine how it can be when you love someone.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Love. Let me tell you about love. It’s for the weak. I won’t ever be weak.” He clenched his fist.

Mason removed his hand and shook his head, then he smiled. “I can’t wait to see you when Cupid’s arrow hits you again.”

“We don’t talk about that. Never talk about her. She betrayed me in the most heinous way possible. She slept with Elliot Drake. You remember him…my biggest competitor.” The elevator doors opened. He and Mason stepped inside, and Cole pushed the button for the thirtieth floor.

“Cole, you have to get a bodyguard. You got lucky this morning with that attack. If you didn’t have some skills, you’d have been gutted. Now, that guy will spend some time behind bars, but you know there will be more.”

Cole Kincaid ran his hand through his hair. As a result, it now stood on end. “I don’t need a bodyguard, Mason. This was a fluke, nothing more.”

“What was a fluke was you not getting stabbed to death.” Mason Reid, a six-foot-six mountain of a man, was the security chief for Kincaid Energy. He was also one of Cole’s closest friends.

Cole always found it amusing that Mason’s wife, Wendy, was a tiny little thing. Five feet four inches of wolverine. She could take the best of them if they messed with her family. Wendy Reid didn’t put up with anything from anyone, including Mason and Cole.

“I don’t need a bodyguard.” Cole smoothed his hair into some semblance of order.

“You do, and as head of security for this company, I’m assigning you one. They are the best I’ve seen at their job.” He crossed his arms over his massive chest. “Don’t try to wiggle out of this one. It’s necessary, Cole. If anything happens to you, Wendy will kill me.”

Cole shook his head. “Fine, get me a bodyguard. I’d rather deal with him than with Wendy.”

Mason chuckled. “Smart man.”

The elevator ride to the top took about a minute.

When they arrived, he stepped out, followed by Mason.

“Hi, Amelia. Any messages?”

“Just the usual. Ecoterrorists and their ilk hoping for an appointment and threatening you if they don’t get one. I hang up on most of them.”

Cole groaned. “Don’t they realize they are just stopping the progress of me making the platforms eco-friendlier?” He stared at Mason.

“Hmpft.” Mason said. “They don’t listen to what you have to say. They think it’s propaganda, and you’re lying to get them to back off.”

“Oh, and there is a R. Phillips waiting in your office, your new bodyguard I believe.” Amelia looked up at him and smiled.

“Mason.” Cole’s voice dropped an octave and his eyes narrowed while his lips formed a flat line. “What did you do?”

He shrugged. “My job…keeping you safe. I have already hired a bodyguard. The best I’ve ever seen and perfect for you.”

Cole couldn’t blame Mason. He really was doing his job. The job Cole gave him. And he was good at it. He probably should take his advice; it hadn’t failed him yet. “Fine, I’ll try to keep an open mind.” He turned toward the office and opened the door.

Standing in front of the window was a figure…a decidedly female figure.

Cole stepped into the room and headed for his desk. “Excuse me, can I help you?”

Long blonde hair rippled in waves down to the middle of her back. She wore a short-sleeved shirt and pants that looked painted on. Her body was fit and quite shapely.

She turned and stared, but he was too far away to see the color of her eyes. And then, she smiled and walked over to Mason. “It’s been so long.” She wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly.

Mason hugged her back, easily lifting her off the floor.

Clearing his throat, Cole looked over at the two of them. “Would you mind introducing me?”

Mason let her down. They faced him. “Sorry, Cole. This is Regan Phillips. Former Army Special Forces and your new bodyguard.”

Cole lifted both brows and then started laughing.

Mason crossed his arms over his massive chest and narrowed his eyes, yet he could still cock an eyebrow. “What’s so funny?”

Cole knew that look, one that dared him to continue. “You are. You don’t really expect me to believe this woman is my bodyguard? She’s…she’s… dang it, she’s a woman.” He let his gaze rove over her from top to bottom. “And a beautiful one, at that.”

Regan lifted a brow and put her hands on her hips. “You’re saying I can’t do the job because I’m pretty?”

“Beautiful.” Cole walked over to his desk and placed his briefcase on it. “Yes, I’m saying you can’t protect me. You’re…” he gazed at her again. “You’re too small.”

She looked at him through narrowed eyes. “Would you like me to prove it? Do you think you can best me?”

He returned her green-eyed gaze. It struck him that her eyes were clear as emeralds. Now is not the time to notice her eye color. “I can. Anytime. Anywhere.”

She gave him a decidedly feral smile. “Here. Now.”

He removed his suit jacket and his tie. The last thing he needed was to give her something to choke him with. “Any time, doll. Show me your best.”

She lifted her chin. “I don’t need my best…for you.”

“Uh, Regan, you might want to—” began Mason.

“Zip it, Reid.” She never took her gaze off of Cole. “Anytime, Kincaid. I heard you were a Seal. I was a Ranger. Time to see which of us is better.”

“How long have you been out?” Cole rolled up his sleeves.

“A little more than a year. You?”

“Five years. I signed up for two and then re-upped for a burst of four.”

She circled him. “Why don’t you tell me what happened in the garage an hour or sol ago?”

Cole circled with her, never taking his blue eyes from her green ones. “You heard about that?”

She shrugged. “The police came in with siren’s blaring about seven-thirty.

I heard about it from the barista at Starbucks.

I think everyone in the building, if not the entire block, has heard about it by now, because I’ve only been here for about an hour.

Mason let Amelia know I was coming and she was kind enough to let me wait in here.

Why don’t you come at me and we’ll relive the attack? You be you and I’ll be the attacker.”

“Fine. I saw his reflection in the car window and turned. As I did he came at me with a knife.”

She pulled her right hand into a fist. “Like this?” Regan lunged toward him.

Cole did just like he did downstairs and lifted his leg to kick the knife from her hand.

She whipped around, out of the way of the kick, and let his momentum carry through. He lost his balance. She stabbed him in the kidney.

He landed on the floor and looked up.

She grinned and crossed her arms over her chest.

Mason guffawed.

Regan held out a hand toward Cole.

He took it.

Her eyes widened as she helped him to his feet.

Did she feel that, too? That tingling that started at our clasped hands and then traveled up my arm. Did she feel it? “That was pretty good.” Cole’s eyes narrowed, and he looked down at his hand before he ran it through his hair, causing the locks to stand on end.

“I can protect you, Mr. Kincaid. I take my job very seriously. No one will hurt you on my watch.”

“What about when it’s not your watch?”

“It’s always my watch, sir.”

“First, it’s Cole. Not sir, and not Mr. Kincaid. Second, what about when I sleep?” He lifted a brow. “Will you still be on duty…in my bed?”

She was unruffled. “I expect to sleep in your apartment or house or plane. Wherever you are, I am.”

Cole sat behind his desk, picked up a pencil from the top, and held it between his hands like he would break it in half.

“Very well. You have a one-month trial period. You will be paid $75,000 for that month and, if you make it, for every month thereafter. You will be with me twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. You will sit in on my meetings, eat every meal with me. You will accompany me to every function I must attend, and you will dress appropriately.” He looked over at her.

She sat across the desk, leaned back, and crossed her legs. “Understood.”

Cole sat forward. “You also need to be ready to travel at a moment’s notice. Those are my conditions. Do you accept my terms?”

She stared. “I accept as long as you accept mine.”

He leaned back in his chair, never letting go of the pencil. “What are your terms?”

“On the days of the galas or balls, or whatever you call your formal occasions, you will allow me extra time to prepare.”

“Done.”

She held up a hand, palm out. “Let me finish. You will not try to ditch me. If you go on a date, then I will accompany you and remain, discretely, of course, near you. You will allow me to sweep any of your meeting rooms, prior to you entering them. As I come across various scenarios, these requirements might change, and you will also agree to those. My only job is your safety, and I intend to do my job very well.”

“Agreed.” He looked up at his security chief.

“Mason, introduce her to Amelia. She needs a dress for the Denver Art Museum’s fund raiser.

We are attending the opening of Wicked at the Buell Theater tonight.

” He shifted his gaze to Regan. “You’ll need a cocktail dress and the appropriate footwear.

Do you have that? Be ready at five o’clock or before. ”

“I won’t embarrass you. I guarantee it.”

“See that you don’t.”