Chapter Nine
Magnus
T he look on Zoey’s pretty face is priceless, like I’m about to press charges.
She doesn’t want to talk about it and I really don’t plan on doing that, but it’s perfect, and I need her thinking this guy she’s talking to, maybe developing soft feelings for, is sweet and worth her bleeding heart.
This morning I had so much fucking work I couldn’t get here earlier than I could. Pretending to be wholesome and inept is harder than it looks.
There’s a fundraiser tonight for the homeless and I’m holding it. Not me personally, but one of my subsidiaries. I don’t want the Sinclair name on it. I want to show I can do virtuous things without putting my name up in lights. But maybe it’s a good way to work on my plan of stealing everything from out beneath pretty Zoey’s feet.
It’s not stealing, I tell myself, because I’m planning on giving her an outrageous payout once I have this place. It’s just the way I’m going to get it is a little…unconventional.
“I wanted to say thank you. It’s been a while since I’ve been out and about, and…” I shrug and give her my most disarming smile, and sweet Zoey smiles back. “You work hard here, and I wouldn’t ask, but…”
“Anything.”
There it is again, that bleeding heart complex she has that seems to come with a touch of hero complex. It’s like she never read one of these damn books. It’s like she’s not from this modern New York.
Actually, that’s it. There’s an air of…not old fashioned, but other world about her, like she’s from a time when people left doors unlocked, and trusted without a second thought, and gave their coats to a stranger without question.
I make a note to check her locks in the evening. I’m basically teaching her about the world, which she needs. Sure, I have to trick her out of her building, but that’s part of the lesson.
“I might ask for a million dollars.” I come up to her, because she smells good and the scent is low, subtle, tantalizing, and needs a man to be up close to appreciate it. Something, I’m sure, to do with the heat of her body. I pick up one of her dark curls and twist it in my fingers.
Her breath is uneven and her pupils large as she looks up at me. And damn if that mouth of hers isn’t soft and inviting. I bet it’s better savored, tasted slow and deep. Last night wasn’t anything, even if it did hit my cock with some kind of dark magic, that fleeting little kiss.
“I don’t have a million dollars. But if I did and you needed it, I would.”
She sucks in a breath and it’s like time goes still.
All it would take is me to shift a little closer, stroke my thumb against her cheek, and brush her lips once more. She’d give everything I ask for with that kiss.
Inexplicably, a burst of anger heats my blood and I step back. How has she even survived so long being her?
But that’s to my advantage. “I don’t need a million bucks.” And it’s really true. I don’t. “What I do need is company. Tomorrow night. For a good cause. A charity dear to my heart.”
“I’ll check my social calendar.” She looks at the ceiling a moment. “I think I can squeeze you in.”
Homeless events go on all the time and I’m aware there’s a deeper problem at work than just throwing money at it, like feeding the world’s starving. All things I’m…throwing money at. I do, anyway, but these are things my mother will see through. And I know that woman’s got Jenson’s ear. So I need to build on what I have, and this idea is going to take at least a day to throw something together.
“You didn’t ask what it was.”
She shrugs, and it’s so disarming for a moment it’s hard to breathe. “I don’t have to. You’re a good person, Magnus. Only a good person looks after their aged relative and gives up bigger opportunities.”
“You’d do it.”
“I…” Her gaze shifts.
“You have, haven’t you?”
She nods and looks back at me with tears that shimmer but don’t fall. “I know you don’t understand how special this place is to me, but my grandparents…my grandpa worked the store. But my grandmother, she was the backbone. She sacrificed and fought off the wolves when they circled. And…” Zoey laughs. “It doesn’t matter. Suffice to say, this place means the world to me, which is why no big corporation is getting their hands on it. Once I go, the whole neighborhood crumbles.”
Which is the idea.
“It’s for the elderly. Making sure they have enough, their dignity and as much freedom as possible.” It’s so perfect, I sigh. And I haven’t even gotten to poor nonexistent gran’s need for an operation, and the fact my evil company is going to turf her out unless she can come up with tons of cash.
Ignoring the twinge of guilt, which is probably lack of sleep and nothing more, I continue. Little nuggets doled out over time. Like fishing. Or what I imagine fishing to be like. I don’t have time for such crap unless there’s a huge payoff waiting for me at the end of the hook.
“With Gran…” I pause, giving her room to imagine everything she can. With Zoey’s sweet nature and soft and giant heart, I’m sure she can go places my black heart doesn’t know exists. Which is why it’s perfect. “Her injury brought home just how important having freedom, being able to do things like eat, go to the bathroom, get around, and have a roof and a routine, is to someone’s physical and mental health. Especially when they’re older.”
“I’ll go.” She catches hold of my hand and squeezes, and I feel it everywhere. “I’ll bring my checkbook. Just let me know when and where.”
“No, you don’t make a donation.”
“I have to…I want to.”
I kiss her on the cheek. It’s soft and warm and lovely and not enough. Dangerous. I don’t even know where that word comes from, but it somehow fits. Touching her, kissing her, it’s dangerous.
Because….
I don’t know why.
I shove it away. “No, you being there is enough. And we’ll go from here. Should we get back to work?”
“Yes. You’re a good man, Magnus.”
I’m exceptionally good at what I do, but I’m not a good man. I’m ruthless. Down to the marrow.
And I’ve hooked her.
Everything is going swimmingly. What could possibly go wrong?
“If you’re going to give me a hard time, I’m going to kill you.”
Ryder gives me a wounded look at the House the Homeless fundraiser as I sip my whiskey.
“I’m not the evil type. Bad boy in the bedroom department, sure. But evil? That’s more you. Or King.” He brightens. “I could seduce her. She’ll sign over everything—”
“No.” I shoot him my darkest look. Fuck that.
I want her building, not Zoey with a shattered heart over my fickle brother.
“Hmm.”
“Don’t hmm me.”
“Who’s hmming people?” Scarlett scurries up, her dark blonde hair pinned up on her head, looking curiously from me to Ryder.
I make a note to keep my brother’s brand-new wife away from Zoey. Something tells me they’d like each other. And something else, like Scarlett’s accidental penchant for talking too much, tells me it’s an extra bad idea for them to meet. She’d probably tell Scarlett who I was and then game over.
The event is going nicely. Moira, the woman who handles my charity events, is one of the best. She’s liaising with the right people and I’ve set up an intricate dance of keeping this out of the papers and news while also making sure it’s leaked.
I’m building my heart, and I have four weeks to do it. But I’ve also got her working late setting up a grassroots style fundraiser for tomorrow, one that’s silently backed by my company. No going through other holdings; I want it known that while I’m changing the landscape of New York, I’m also helping the people who built it.
It’s enough to make my dead father rise from the grave to haunt me. And hopefully it’s a big step in my four-week trek to show Jenson and his team I have enough heart to get the fucking stupid earrings and secure our ownership in father’s company.
Our company.
The true legacy.
“Mag’s got ideas,” says Ryder, nabbing another champagne from a passing waiter. A string quartet plays Vivaldi. “But he’s making me his big bad.”
“What’s this?” Hudson comes over and slides his arms about Scarlett. “Why?”
“The stupid letter.”
“And you have to make Ryder the bad guy?”
“Take the money and run.” Great. Now Kingston’s rocked up. “It’s all about the money here. We can do this bullshit. But those jewels are going to be worth something.”
“Why can’t it just be a romantic take on our legacy?”
“Romance makes zero. And I’m not interested in anything more than cold, hard cash. Speaking of, I’ve made a hefty donation. One that’s going to do well on my tax returns.”
And then he’s off, checking his phone.
The others look at me. At least our mother isn’t here. Yet. I sigh. “Look, I have to show I’ve got heart—” I ignore Ryder’s laugh “—to get the earrings and do my part in keeping the flagship in our hands. And I need to get this woman, this thorn, out of the damn way so I can build.”
“Yeah, and he’s doing this by pretending to be a good guy, working for the bookshop lady and stealing it out from under her. And, he’s making me the bad guy in this,” Ryder says.
“You turned up at the party.”
“He was going to kiss her.”
“Part. Of. My. Plan.” The kissing part wasn’t, but it doesn’t make a difference. Zoey’s attracted, and yeah, okay, I’m attracted back, but that’s what makes this work the way I’m playing it. I can play her.
“You took her to a party?” Scarlett’s giving me that look that says she thinks she understands but doesn’t.
“It’s not his kind of party. I was there.”
“Ry, that makes no sense. We attend lots of the same things.”
“But you took a woman who’s totally not your type.”
Hudson glances at his wife. Honestly, he’s gone soft. “That might go south in ways you don’t get.”
“Can we leave it?”
“No.” Ryder sips his champagne. “I want to know why I’m the bad guy.”
“Because I can’t clone myself. And I just said I told her you were evil and I worked for you. That’s all. It’s not like I want you to waltz in and win some kind of acting award. I don’t want you anywhere near her.”
“Why not?” Scarlett asked.
“We look like brothers and he likes to do things that win him labels and infamy. She doesn’t like billionaires—”
“She’s worse than you. To you I’m evil, and now she hates me without meeting me.” Ryder shakes his head. “You’ll be needing to give me those earrings when you get them.”
“I don’t want earrings,” I mutter. “They’re really not my style.”
“Don’t knock it. Dangly jewels might look good on you.”
Ryder’s an idiot.
“Look, I’m doing this for all of us. Keep the family company in our hands. And I need her damn building gone so I can build my legacy. She won’t hand it to Magnus Sinclair, but…maybe to a nice guy down on his luck, desperate for money to help his dear, imaginary gran. And I’ve got a plan.”
“A gran and a plan?” asks Hudson.
“I’m playing the small guy. Zoey will see all the pressure I’m under and she’ll hand over her business, thinking she’s saving my fake gran and me.”
I don’t even know why I’m explaining this to them.
Scarlett frowns. “Are you sure this is the way forward, Magnus? Things have a way of biting you when you’re not looking.”
“Zoey…” I trail off. I almost say she doesn’t have teeth, but that’s not true. She’s got more bite than people give her credit for. But she just doesn’t use it in the ways others do. She uses her teeth for good.
My metaphors are all over the place and I have limited time to get things moving. “I’d love to say this has been a good talk, but…well…you know.”
“Be careful, Magnus,” Scarlett says softly.
I glare. “I have a meeting.”
And with that, I head out and back to my office. I call Georgio and tell him to meet me. We’re upping the game. Attacking on all fronts. Subtle and not subtle. I need to see her under fire. I need to see her with the pressure on. I need her defenses strained to the limit.
I need to make my move.
And my fucking family?
They’re all totally wrong. Nothing’s going to bite back. I’m going to get what I want. And Zoey…
She’s unfortunately going to be another failed small business.
Nothing is going to go wrong.
At all.