7. Lex
“Lex!”
I turn toward Linc’s voice to find him emerging from the building, hand raised, and sigh. Crossing my arms, I lean one hip against my Maserati–a gift from Van when we hit our first billion–and wait for him to cross the parking lot. He offers a sheepish smile as he draws closer, shoving his hands into his pockets.
“He’s an ass.” I brush imaginary lint from the sleeve of my blazer, then look up at him.
Linc looks off into the distance. “Yeah. He is.”
I scoff. “I thought you’d be defending him.”
“Nah, not this time.” He gives me a boyish grin, an irresistible dimple appearing in one cheek. “Our family’s big on calling it like it is. He’d want me to be honest.”
Smiling, I shake my head and inhale deeply. “He’s a problem, Linc. And shaping up to be a big one.”
“That’s fair. I can see how you’d come to that conclusion.” He glances down. “You rushing off somewhere?”
Checking my phone, I breathe a sigh of relief. “Looks like my next call got canceled. So, no; no rushing off. I’m done for the night.”
“Brilliant. Full transparency, Shane sent me out here for damage control.” He grins, that dimple coming back out and making my stomach flip. He’s so fucking cute. “Do you have spare kicks in your car? There’s a trail we can get to out back. The fresh air might do us both some good?”
I study him for a long moment, considering. It’s a kind offer, but it’s also skirting the line between professional and personal. Linc’s full of infectious energy, and I’d be lying through my teeth if I claimed to be immune to his flirtatious charm. He puts me at ease in a way few men can, his playfulness balancing the open want in his stolen glances. Those bottomless brown eyes don’t help, either.
However, I’ll be working closely with him and the others over the next few months, and building a solid relationship now will only make it easier. Making up my mind, I click the button on my key fob to pop the trunk and fish out my gym bag. We’re all adults, right?
“If we’re walking, I’m getting out of this.” I motion to my fitted red skirt and oversized blazer.
His expression heats as his gaze dips to the black lace bodysuit peeking out from under my blazer, then snaps back to mine. “Hell yes, let’s get you comfy. Come on, you can change inside.”
“Somewhere we’ll avoid your absolutely delightful older brother?”
Lincoln chuckles. “Yes, we’ll avoid the asshole.”
Ten minutes later, we’re strolling away from Solum, a comfortable silence between us. True to Linc’s word, we avoided seeing anyone else as he smuggled me into the bathroom and stashed my work clothes and heels at his desk. He led me out the back door as Shane and Declan’s voices sounded down the hall, and we jogged to the trailhead to escape unseen.
The trail is narrow with lush growth on either side, so we walk closely, arms brushing. In my heels, we were almost eye-to-eye, but in my sneakers, Linc has a solid four inches on me. I look up to find him watching me, a small smirk on his lips.
“What’s that look for?” I knock my shoulder lightly into his arm, feeling comfortable in the outdoor environment and my workout gear. If I could work in yoga pants every day, I would.
“You know that saying, ‘you clean up good’?”
“Uh, yes?”
“You’re like the opposite of that. You dress down real nice, Lex.” He grins at his own ridiculousness and I can’t stop my laugh.
“Why, thank you.”
I preen teasingly, then snuggle my hands into the pockets of my fleece. I didn’t miss the way Linc’s eyes darkened when I emerged from the bathroom in my yoga pants and fitted jacket. That, and our sneaking around, went a long way toward easing the tension caused by his brother.
“As much as I’d rather just enjoy being out here with you, I do think I should share a bit.” He flashes me a small smile. “About Dec.”
“Might be helpful,” I murmur as I look ahead.
Linc sighs. “I’ll start at the beginning. Stop me if you have questions or get bored, yeah?”
“Sure.” I smile softly in encouragement.
“It’s always been the three of us. Met as kids, only got closer as the years went by. Dec’s always been…proud of being the older brother.”
I scoff quietly and he chuckles, looking down.
“Yeah, I’m sure that’s not a surprise. He was the de facto leader of our little three-man gang for as long as I can remember. Being three years behind him and five behind Shane, I always felt like I had to work to catch up and be on their level. I didn’t want to get left behind.”
“You’ve definitely won in the emotional maturity department.”
His surprise makes me chuckle. “What?” I lift a shoulder, my mouth turning up in one corner. “Just saying.”
“I can’t wait to hear what Shane says when I brag about that later.” He winks at me before his gaze turns thoughtful. “Shane went to undergrad–Stanford–first, then Dec did the same, and I followed them. After they graduated, they went straight to grad school, then Shane got an engineering job at a chemtech startup. The two of them did a lot of volunteering while at school and after, and I joined them.”
“What kind of volunteering?”
“Building houses, mostly. Locally, and we even did a few trips abroad.”
“Makes sense.” Some pieces start to fit together about them and how they found their way into the green building industry.
“Yeah. I loved working with my hands and learning new things, and we got to meet some awesome people.” He shoves his hands deeper into his pockets and exhales, long and low. “That’s where I met Anne-Marie.”
I glance up at him. He’s frowning, with a crease between his brows. I want to reach up and smooth it away. What the fuck, Lex? Boundaries.
“She was so enthusiastic, you know? We got to talking, and I shared some of what Dec and Shane were working on. She had a lot of ideas, and she’d studied sustainability with her business degree. It seemed like serendipity, like we’d met because she had the missing piece we needed. Dec had big ideas, Shane had the science and tech expertise to make them real, and my engineering skills could turn his lab experiments into something scalable.”
The sky darkened as we walked. It won’t be long before the path is hard to see, but Linc’s story holds me captive.
“I introduced her to the guys, and everything clicked into place. We started working together immediately.” He reaches a hand up to grip the back of his neck. “Then our parents died.”
I suck in a harsh breath and lay a hand on Lincoln’s arm. “I’m so sorry.”
He casts me a small smile. “Thanks. It’s been years, but it was a shock. Car accident.” Linc peers into the distance, his expression tight. “Declan…he took on a lot of responsibility after that. All of it, really. They were our only family, so when they were gone, it was just us three. Four, with Anne-Marie. Declan was determined to make things happen for us though, to turn my parents’ legacy into something new and impactful.”
“Their legacy?”
“Yeah. My dad owned a construction company in Seattle. We sold it to invest in Procerus, and now Solum.”
My eyebrows rise. “Wow, that’s quite the leap of faith.” And a shit ton of pressure.
He chuckles. “You can say that again. But we were all in, you know? Ready to make it happen. And Anne-Marie told such a good story. She started booking meetings for us left and right, getting us in front of investors and press.”
My heart aches at the hurt in his voice, the dejected slope of his shoulders. This girl, this ambitious, selfish person, clearly did a number on them when she made off with their formulas. My fingers flex in my pockets and I shift minutely closer, our shoulders touching, a small attempt to offer comfort.
“She’s not the one who reached out to Athena, though,” I muse.
“I wondered if you knew.” He glances over at me, his smile tinged with pride. “That was all Dec. Early on, we talked about our big goals. Investment from Athena was definitely one of them. We all challenged each other to get out of our comfort zones; reaching out to Athena on our behalf was one of those things for Dec.”
“And then Anne-Marie botched it.”
“And then Anne-Marie botched everything, Lex. Shortly after that first meeting with you, we had our first blowout fight. We wanted to go back to the lab, focus on solving the issues causing people like you to question investing in us.” He looks over with a self-deprecating grin. “You were right to be skeptical. The more we pressure-tested the product, the more we realized we needed to reset. But Anne-Marie was adamant we forge ahead.”
“So, it wasn’t Declan who chose which VCs to approach for your first seed round.” The story came together, suspicions forming about the true cause behind Declan’s defensiveness.
“No, Athena was the only investor he specifically targeted. The rest was Anne-Marie. She used her connections, and, as you’ve seen since she got picked up by Greenstar, her identity as a woman in tech to get her foot in any door she could. We were on board with it until she started lying.”
We round a bend on the trail and head back toward the facility. It’s a good thing, because it’s nearly dark.
“At first it was little things, stuff we could chalk up to a simple mistake. Then she started making claims we couldn’t substantiate, suggesting we pitch to high-profile firms and projects without disclosing the flaws. She and Dec were constantly at each other’s throats. He was listening to me and Shane, recognizing we needed to focus on RD before we made any more promises we couldn’t fulfill. She didn’t want to hear any of it. Just shut us out and kept taking meetings.”
“How did it all fall apart?”
He laughs, but it’s an ugly, bitter sound. “She called me. It was fitting, honestly, because she wouldn’t have even been involved if I hadn’t brought her in. She told me she was sorry, but she couldn’t let us hold her back anymore. Said our tech had too much potential and we were fools to get bogged down in the details.”
“She was the fool,” I mutter, frustration on Lincoln’s behalf welling in me.
“She was. Is, if we’re honest. Anyway, she told me she didn’t need us anymore and thanked me for introducing her to her destiny. Two days later, Greenstar announced their partnership. So who knows how long she’d peddled our work as her own, all while we thought she was with us.”
“Jesus, Lincoln. I’m sorry.”
“Not your fault.” He puts a hand on my elbow to steady me as I stumble on the unlit path. “Sorry, not my best idea to go for a walk so close to sunset.”
I lean into his hold, feeling emboldened by the dark and drawn to his openness. “I don’t mind a bit. I’m used to being out in the dark. Four am is usually my only time to get a run in.”
He gives me a long look, and I feel it like a caress on my skin. My body reacts to him so naturally, a sense of rightness between us that catches me off guard. Sex has been transactional for me for years, something I seek when I need release, and never for more than a night or two. But the way this man gazes at me, as though his world has narrowed to me and nothing else? It’s intoxicating. Add that to his heartfelt conversation, playful humor, and clear care for his family, and it’s like the universe is serving him to me on a silver platter. Who am I to deny the universe?
“Anyway,” he continues, dragging his eyes back to the path, “Declan has always felt responsible for everything that went down with Anne-Marie. It was his decision to sell my parents’ company, his choice to trust her with the investor meetings and strategy conversations. He thought they were aligned, so he wasn’t always present. He spent a lot of time with us in RD, working through the kinks and experimenting.”
“I hope you’re not making excuses for him and his abysmal attitude,” I tease to diffuse the tension, bumping into him again.
His laugh is soft and velvety. “Wouldn’t dream of it. Just thought some context might help the next time he puts his foot in his mouth. Because he’s going to keep fucking up for a while, I think.”
“Do you know why he sees me as the enemy?”
We reach the parking lot, and the light from the street lamps illuminates Linc’s wry expression.
“He sees everyone as the enemy right now, Lex.” He runs his hand through his thick dark hair. “He’s convinced it’s all his fault, and he’s the only one who can fix it, even though that’s the furthest thing from the truth.”
His assessment rings true. Though he fought me at every turn, I can tell Declan cares deeply for both his business and his partners.
“This can only work if he gets on board, Linc. With enthusiasm.”
He dips his chin. “I know. He knows it, too. He could”ve thrown in the towel by now, but he hasn’t.”
“That may be, but I refuse to be the one bearing the brunt of his bullshit.” My eyes harden as I look up. “I’m serious, Linc. I won’t stand for his insults or attempts to walk all over me.”
“Damn straight you won’t.” His sharp jaw ticks. “Believe me, you aren’t the only one holding him accountable.”
Even though I know so little about them, I believe him. Something in my gut tells me Lincoln is an earnest, honest man. And I listen to my gut. It’s gotten me this far.
Headlights swoop across us before fading into the distance.
“I think that’s my cue.” I motion to my car.
Linc opens his mouth, then snaps it closed. He purses his lips briefly, nodding once to himself. “We’re grateful, Lex. All of us. I know we have a shit ton of work to do, and it seems like Dec isn’t doing his share. But he’s going to, and we’re going to make it work. I know we will.”
I study his face for a moment, then reach out to grip his arm gently. My whole body warms at the contact, my nerves practically buzzing. “I believe you, Linc. I wouldn’t have made an offer if I didn’t.”
His hot as sin dimple makes another appearance and, as butterflies take flight in my gut, I know I need to get in my car before I do something I shouldn’t. Like wrap my arms around Linc and lose myself in him completely.
I step to my door and slide into the driver’s seat. Linc reaches out to close it, smiling at me through the window and patting the roof as I start the ignition. He steps back as I give him a wave, then back out and turn for home. Going home is the right choice. But why does it feel like a loss?
Three minutes after I walk in my front door, my phone buzzes with a text message.
Unknown: hey, it’s linc
Unknown: i’ve got your heels and work clothes here
Unknown: can i drop them off?
I stare at my phone, considering. The thought of Linc in my home after dark, after our intimate conversation and stolen glances, is dangerously tempting. It gives me all sorts of unprofessional ideas, and unless I’ve completely lost the ability to read people, I’m not the only one with that particular train of thought.
Unknown: just me, no assholes
Unknown: i can bring food
Unknown: or wine
Unknown: or both?
My lips twitch into a smirk. He’s adorable. And ridiculous. Ridiculously adorable. I save him in my phone quickly, then type out a reply.
Me: Surprise me
I add my contact card with my address, then stare at the screen as anticipation trips through me. I’ve never engaged in anything resembling inappropriate behavior with a client, never been tempted to cross the invisible line I drew for myself. But there’s something about Lincoln and his boyish smile, his infectious energy and earnest gaze. He worked his way under my skin in a whole new way, and I’m struggling to deny him. It feels right to just…give in. What’s the harm? I haven’t been this attracted to someone in ages, and I may as well make the most of these three months.
With the timeline on our partnership and our insane chemistry, it feels almost criminal to let the opportunity pass by. After all, calculated risks are the name of the game for me. And our attraction alone feels worth it, whatever may come.
My phone buzzes again.
Linc: surprises are my specialty
Linc: see you in 15