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CHAPTER ELEVEN

Back in my room, I did my makeup slowly with the TV on in the background. It was a mindless show, a reality competition that played often in the gym at home. I needed something, anything, to think about that wasn’t the way my heart had done an unexpected flip when Caden walked up to my table.

He had no business looking that good in a button up. All those tattoos should have clashed with dress clothes, but they didn’t. They looked sinfully good, and all I could think about was how Damien’s clothes had worn him and Caden’s did the exact opposite.

That wasn’t fair. Damien hadn’t done anything to deserve being brought up in my head every time Caden turned me on. He’d done nothing but be the kind of man my father wanted me to end up with.

I sighed, meeting my gaze in the mirror. My hair was pulled back in a French twist, a curl grazing my neck. I touched it, running my fingertips over the bare skin to my bra strap. No one had ever touched me gently, the way men did in books and movies, coaxing my body to respond to their caresses.

And God, I wanted that. I was twenty-five, and I’d only had sex a handful of times with my first boyfriend.

After five years of coming home at night and watching movies and shows packed with romantic clichés, getting up in the morning in a bed by myself and going to work like it didn’t matter... I knew I was young, but watching Emmy and Delaney go through all the normal things, like getting ready for first dates, gossiping about men, and recapping what they’d done the night before, hit hard.

I’d given up a lot to be the perfect daughter.

I loved my father, but he’d never let me have traditionally feminine wants or dreams. I was doomed to sit, pretty and demure, in the empty spot left by a mother I never met.

A doll in a display case.

My throat felt lumpy. I ran a glass under cold water and took a sip. My phone beeped, reminding me I needed to hurry up because our meeting was in thirty minutes.

I jerked back to reality, grabbing my dress from behind the door. It was pale mauve—no surprises there—and simply cut. I zipped it up the back, wriggling to get the tight fabric into place. The neckline dipped deep enough to show my white gold necklace and a trace of cleavage.

I slipped on matching heels and dabbed on my signature lipstick, blotting it with a tissue. My phone pinged, and a text from Caden popped up. My fingers clenched, crushing the tissue hard.

Ready?

My hand tingled as I swiped it aside. What was wrong with me? My mind drifted back to every flip of my stomach or rising pulse I’d experienced since we’d left Providence.

They were getting more frequent and harder to dismiss.

Did I want him?

Or did I just want to sleep with him?

Those were two very different things. If I just wanted to get under his clothes and feel that lean, inked body for a night, that wasn’t…completely out of the question. He’d made enough blatant comments for me to know he’d be happy to blow off some steam together.

I cocked my head, ignoring a second text letting me know he was outside my door waiting.

I was a twenty-five-year-old woman on birth control, tested, and perfectly able to sleep with another consenting adult.

So why were my palms drenched?

I flipped the sink on, letting the cool water run over them before a sharp knocking sounded.

“Come in,” I called. “It’s not locked.”

My heart was in my mouth as the door creaked. I grabbed a washcloth and ran it under the icy water and dabbed my neck. I was sweating between my breasts, but there was no time to get that.

He appeared in the doorway. His brow cocked, and his eyes did that thing that made me feel naked: a quick drop, a little linger, and then a slow drag up my body. His jaw worked as he met my eyes in the mirror.

“You were a bit mean this morning,” he said coolly.

My jaw dropped. “What?”

He shrugged once. “You were pretty rude.”

My defenses shot up. “I was not.”

“You tried to oust me from the meeting because you think I’m shit at my job,” he said, his voice even, though there was a hint of anger behind it. “I thought you were humble. My mistake.”

I spun, stepping back until I hit the sink. He had a hand in his pocket, that lean body rising easily a foot over me. Why did he have to be so tall? It made everything he said seem so much more important than my protests.

A crease appeared between his brows. “Anyway, let’s go.”

He stepped back and disappeared into the living area. I gave myself a shake, unsure what I felt. I’d expected to be angry, but I was shocked more than anything. No one ever spoke to me as directly as Caden did.

“We need to leave,” he said, his voice level.

I flicked the light off, grabbed my purse, and sailed past him into the hall. He followed me out and the door slammed shut. I didn’t wait for him; I just strode quickly ahead, with him following at an easy pace.

Our meeting was upstairs in one of the conference rooms. There was a fake fire roaring in the hearth and a platter of coffee waiting on the round, cherry wood table. I sank down at the end, and Caden kicked the chair beside me back, folding his long body up in it. He barely had room to tuck his legs under the table.

I scowled.

He glanced over. “What’s up?”

“Nothing,” I said primly. “But you’re being pretty rude, and it’s ruining my Botox.”

He laughed, that rich sound echoing. A little bit of the tension eased.

“Well, stop scowling and you’ll be fine,” he said.

“Stop making me scowl.”

He shifted and his cobalt eyes, heavy with dark lashes, fixed on me. “What if I just made you come instead?”

The door burst open, and two men in suits, chattering to each other, entered. I was frozen to the spot, barely able to offer them more than a glance. The corner of his mouth jerked up, and I noticed he had the faintest dimple on that side.

He swiveled, rising and offering his hand to the first man. “Tennessee Galt,” he said, his voice switching from husky to all business.

I had a feeling deep inside that he reserved that husky tone for special circumstances.

Like trying to get his co-worker to fuck him.

Oh God, I needed to get those thoughts out of my head. I brushed back my hair, rising and offering a warm smile. Tennessee was a pleasant-faced man in his early sixties, his white hair brushed back and his blue eyes calming. I’d met him many times before during board meetings. He’d always been respectful to me, even when I’d first started.

“Circe, looking wonderful,” he said, hugging me. “How’s your father?”

“He’s busy as usual,” I said brightly. “Everything’s been great. Numbers are strong this year.”

Tennessee nodded, stepping aside to reveal the second man. He was maybe fifteen years younger and had a broad, handsome face and wide shoulders. When I shook his hand, his grip was like iron.

“This is Clay Maxwell,” Tennessee said. “He’s my new financial advisor. I wanted to bring him along to get a fresh take on all this.”

For some reason, I got a strange vibe from Clay Maxwell. Maybe it was because his eyes lingered on me too long, or that he just looked like someone who was waiting to point out the fact that I was—yes, shockingly—a woman in a high-ranking position.

Palm itching from contact with his, I sank back down. Caden stepped in between us and shook his hand. The muscles in Caden’s forearm flexed, and I glanced down, noticing he’d changed his demeanor. His back was straight, shoes planted firm. Like he was making a subtle show of strength.

I sank down at the table, crossing one knee over the other. Caden sank down beside me, but he kept his knees spread and his back straight.

Like he was trying to send a message.

The only message it was sending to my brain was a prompt to remind me that, under the zipper of his pants, he had a dick, and I was devastatingly horny and had been for a while.

Inwardly, I sighed. Not even bothering to scold myself anymore.

He was gorgeous, and I hadn’t gotten laid in five years. Desire was bound to happen while working in such close proximity, but I wasn’t going to give into it.

“Alright,” said Clay, his voice booming over the table. “Let’s hear it.”

I leaned in before Caden had a chance to speak. “I’ll walk you through it and get you up to speed on everything. Are you familiar with the Wyoming Project?”

“It’s Merrick Llwyd’s business venture,” Clay said, eyes lingering a little low on my face. “His training grounds for a private international security force for hire. I believe your father is training security forces there as well, is he not?”

I nodded. “The deal on the table between my father and Merrick Llwyd isn’t complex. They share training space, Lukas funds half the expansion via Johansen Enterprises, and everyone gets a long-term payout, including investors.”

Clay lifted a brow, like he didn’t believe it was that simple. And truthfully, it wasn’t, but that wasn’t unusual. Our investors needed business to be easily understandable with a promise of a big check at the end. That was all they cared about.

Caden crossed his arms. “It’s a rock-solid venture, so much so that Merrick Llwyd has already started building before securing funding. And he is one of the most well-respected businessmen in Providence.”

Clay glanced at Caden, who met his stare with confidence. For a second, I felt a tremor of tension between them, like they weren’t meshing, which was a bad sign for this meeting.

“Let me go over some numbers with you both,” I said, taking a folder from my bag and offering Clay a sweet smile, the one I used with men like him.

The tension in his shoulders eased. “Alright, I’m all ears.”

Tennessee was quiet for the first several minutes while I moved through the building and business plan for the Wyoming Project. He perked up when I handed them sheets of projected numbers, and I could tell he was warming up to the investment.

Caden stayed as he was, giving off the energy of a watchdog, waiting for permission to attack.

My jaw ached from talking an hour later when we finished. I shook Tennessee’s hand, and he promised to get back to me by the end of the day tomorrow. Caden slipped in at the last moment and caught him in the hall, engaging him in conversation.

I waited, polite smile glued on. Clay gathered up his things and circled the table, stepping out into the hallway. The door banged shut behind him and suddenly, he was very close, his broad body filling my vision.

“Are you new to Johansen Enterprises?” he asked.

I glanced over at Caden and Tennessee several yards away. “No, I’m the chief operating officer.”

His brows rose. “Really? You look young.”

Inside, I sighed. Outside, I kept my polite smile going.

“I am,” I said. “My father owns it.”

If he was surprised, he didn’t show it. His gaze drifted down…down to my gold necklace and the hint of cleavage.

“Are you free later?” he asked, his voice dropping. “Outside business, I’d like to take you to dinner.”

My brows shot up. “That’s bold, Mr. Clay.”

He moved a step closer, and I took a tiny step back and into the wall. If I’d been attracted to him, I might have found his flirting attractive, but he had an abrasive presence that turned me off.

“You’re used to being treated well, I can do that,” he said, shrugging.

“Oh? What does that mean?” I tilted my head up, giving him a challenging stare.

He waved a hand. “There’s a world-renowned restaurant at the hotel a few miles from here. Let me take you out tonight. I’ll wine and dine you the way you’re used to. Maybe, if you’re pleased, we can talk about the deal more. In a less…formal environment.”

My stomach sank. “What exactly do you mean?”

I’d found being direct and forcing men to explain themselves was the best route in these situations. He faltered but recovered fast.

“Let me make you feel good, Miss Johansen,” he said, his voice dropping even lower, going a little husky.

“That won’t be necessary.”

We both spun. Caden stood directly behind me with an expression like he was going to haul back and punch Clay in the face. His narrowed gaze crackled, and despite the pleasant smile on his mouth, his knuckles were white.

His hand hovered over my lower back.

“We have an early meeting,” he said firmly.

A crease appeared between Clay’s brows, and he took a step back. His eyes raked over Caden, who met his gaze with a stone-cold glare. Maxwell was physically bigger, but I had no doubt that, in a brawl, Caden could beat the shit out of him.

And we couldn’t have that.

I offered Clay the sweetest smile I could muster and put my hand on his arm. “Thank you. I’m very flattered, Mr. Clay, but Caden is right; we have an early meeting. Maybe another time.”

I bit my lip and batted my eyes up at him, patting his arm and giving it a little squeeze. All the anger drained from his face, replaced by a slight flush. He was, as I’d suspected, predictable.

“Fine,” he said. “We’ll talk tomorrow.”

Relieved, I watched Clay and Tennessee walk off until they disappeared around the corner. Then, I turned on Caden, who was staring after them with a heavy, ice-cold stare.

“You need to stay out of my business,” I whispered.

He looked me dead in the eyes. “If anyone is going to fuck you, it’s going to be me. And if I see him trying to pin you up against a wall again, I’ll make sure he gets to watch when I do.”

He was a fucking psycho. Heart hammering, I attempted to speak, but my mouth was dust dry. He rummaged in his pocket for a second and came up with a crushed pack of cigarettes.

“Going to have a smoke,” he said.

He strode off, looking so sexy and angry that I couldn’t even be annoyed. Deep down, I had to admit that his jealousy was flattering.

And if I thought I was horny before, it was nothing on what I felt now.

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