Part 4 (1/2)
Chapter 5.
Mason reviewed his presentation one last time before saving it and shutting down his laptop. He pulled off his reading gla.s.ses and rubbed his weary eyes. When had his living room become so cold and sterile? So different from Kevan's tiny but colorful apartment, which had been full of warmth and character. How had he never noticed the precise placement of his furniture and overpriced art by a popular artist he couldn't even name? Who was the interior decorator he'd used? He didn't care to even remember. But what he did recall was instructing her to make it understated and functional. Somehow he'd ended up with stark and arrogant. On second thought, maybe the designer had nailed it.
The phone on his desk rang, startling him out of his thoughts. Other than his sister, only his board members and his parents called his home line. Since the phone was a refurbed antique from the forties, it didn't have caller ID, and answering meant he risked dealing with his robotic parents or one of GEM's board members. But it could also be Jami.
”Dillon,” he barked into the receiver, a little harsher than he'd intended.
”No kidding, Mason, since it's your house I just called, and you're the only one who lives there,” his sister's clipped voice answered, and he could picture the smirk on her face.
”Hey, Jami. What's up? I'm on my way to a meeting.”
”What's up? That's the question, isn't it? What happened at work?”
The last thing he wanted to do was recount his humiliating meeting with the board of directors and their subsequent ultimatum. But when his tenacious pit bull of a sister wanted information, she wouldn't rest until she got it. It's what made her a good attorney and also a pain in the a.s.s.
”Fine.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. ”I met with my board, and basically they said I need to increase revenue or I'm out.”
The expected gasp on the other end of the line never came. Of course not. He was talking to his no-nonsense, all-business sister. ”So what's your plan? You do have a plan.”
”I do. I've been trying to get the company to diversify our talent for a long time. And now suddenly they realize we're behind the curve and need to step it up,” he explained.
”And...”
”I signed a band called Demon Hill that might have some potential. And I've found a local heavy metal band that's on the cusp of hitting the big time. I'm going after them-without the board, because they'll just f.u.c.k the deal up. They're already trying to micromanage the developmental deal with Demon Hill.”
”And?”
”And what?” Mason blew out a breath. ”I gotta go, Jami. I'll talk to you later.”
”I know you're not telling me something.”
G.o.d, how she irritated him with that sisterly sixth sense bulls.h.i.+t. Except she was right, but he wasn't willing to talk about Kevan. Or what he'd learned about Kevan and her connection to his band.
Finally, she said, ”We'll talk about it later, okay?”
”Sure. Love you. I'll call you later.”
”You better. Love you too,” she said before hanging up.
Yeah, he was still processing his night with Kevan Landry. In truth, he'd considered taking her to breakfast. Maybe even asking her on a real date, hoping for a repeat of their s.e.xual acrobatics.
He laughed into the empty room. The hollow sound bounced off the slate-colored walls. A date. What a joke.
When he'd gotten up after dawn in search of water, he'd seen a printout on Kevan's kitchen counter of her pitch to Manix Curse's management. The same band he'd gone to the Tiki Torch the night before to sign. Never one to panic, he was surprised at the myriad of scenarios that had flooded his s.e.x-fogged mind. Had she targeted him after reading that d.a.m.n ”Most Eligible Pacific Northwest Bachelors” article in the paper last month? That was ridiculous. He'd been the one to pursue her, zeroing in on her the moment she'd walked into the club.
In the end, it hadn't mattered what had brought them together. The pitch on the counter had served as a reminder to keep his head in the game and only proved his need to refocus on the work, like always. Without work, without his success as a star maker and top earner for GEM, what else was there?
The momentary distraction of Kevan could have easily cost him the band and maybe even his job. The stakes were too high to worry about her hot body. h.e.l.l, had she known he was pitching to Manix today? Maybe her game had been to make him lose concentration. As he stuffed his laptop into his briefcase, he shook his head, attempting to dislodge thoughts of her and turn his attention back to the pitch. He wasn't easily bewitched. Success was the only option, and s.e.x with a quirky rockabilly vixen did not factor into that equation.
As Kevan maneuvered her ancient Volvo into the nearly empty parking lot of the n.o.b Hill area, a much nicer section of Portland than her sad, little dilapidated Belmont apartment, she reviewed the plan in her head. This was a shoot-it-all, go-for-broke, play-to-win gamble. And she had to win.
Hopefully, she still had an icicle's chance in Hades to get this deal done. For all she knew, one of her compet.i.tors had already swooped in and stolen her band. Maybe this was a ”thanks, but no thanks” kind of meeting. Anxiety flowed through her belly like a bubbling lava river.
Shaking off her nerves and any thoughts of the morning's disappointments, she pulled the door open and stepped into the clean but aging office building where Joe ran his business as an accountant. Kevan's eyes watered as she stifled a yawn. Looking and acting sleepy was not a good way to start this meeting. Another reason why last night had been such a bad idea and why it was probably good that Mason, the love-'em-and-leave-'em a.s.shole, had left.
She pushed the door closed and turned toward the desk in the small reception area. Dammit. She should have known better than to take a man home. Thank G.o.d she hadn't made him breakfast. She made it a practice to cook only for Bowen and close friends. Never for someone she dated. Well, not that what she'd done with Mason actually qualified as a date.
Laura, Joe's a.s.sistant and an acquaintance from high school, met her with a wide-open grin as she struggled to stand and waddle forward. Kevan stood transfixed, gawking at Laura's gigantic round belly before the woman wrapped her in a hug. Warmth grew in the dark cavern of Kevan's heart and battled for s.p.a.ce next to the ugly jealousy already mounting. She buried her uncomfortable feelings and smiled.
”d.a.m.n, girl, when are you going to have that baby?”
Laura blushed and wobbled back to her desk and plopped back into her chair. ”I know, right? She still needs to bake another three weeks. Paul and I are so excited. How have you been?” Her lowered tone made Kevan wonder if Laura had heard the gossip about Ethan. Didn't matter. He was the past. And Laura's glow was contagious. Kevan's stomach settled, and her muscles relaxed. The pure adoration in Laura's eyes when she'd mentioned her husband gave Kevan hope. Even if she never found love, she was glad for some it was real and tangible.
”I'm so happy for you guys.”
And she was. They deserved to be happy. Laura and Paul were a couple years ahead of Kevan in school, so they'd never been close, but she'd watched them battle so much to be together, with her wealthy parents doing everything to get rid of her ”white trash” boyfriend. Kevan was pleased that someone from her part of town had made it out and found love. And a family. There were years they had struggled with multiple jobs so he could get through school, but finally their dreams were coming true.
Kevan's heart tightened. Their happily ever after, though, highlighted how lonely her own life had become. No matter. It was time to nail this gig and save her company. Definitely not the time to start feeling sorry for herself. Again.
”So, they're already in the conference room. You can go on back.” Laura smiled and winked. ”And then you can tell me who the new hottie is when you're done.”
New hottie?
Who was she talking about? Kevan smoothed down her soft black pencil skirt and arranged her fitted silk blouse and trim jacket. With a deep breath, she shook off the dark clouds of doom she'd been dragging around all morning.
Move forward, cupcake. That's what her mom had always told her and Bowen.
She knew this band, and they knew her. This could be the perfect partners.h.i.+p for both of them. In addition, signing the band would give her access to a much higher-level clientele as Manix Curse grew in popularity and, thus, build her client list. She just needed to convince them that her plan was better than GEM's or Argyle's plans. Because it was.
No pressure. I got this.
Straightening her spine and leveling her shoulders, she marched through the conference room doorway. Bolstered by her inner bada.s.s pep talk, Kevan added a confident swing to her hips. At exactly the same moment, her s.h.i.+ny new shoe caught on the short pile carpet, snapping her head back and throwing her body forward. Instead of a graceful entrance, she flew through the air toward the floor. Closing her eyes, she braced for the inevitable impact and connected with something solid. She smelled fresh soap and mint.
”Are you okay?” That voice.
Her heart sank into her gut, and the hair p.r.i.c.kled on the back of her neck as she opened her eyes and rolled her head up to look up at her rescuer. She glimpsed the concerned expression of a serious, but gorgeous-like so f.u.c.king beautiful-man with glowing hazel eyes. And just stared. What the h.e.l.l was he doing there?
Mason.
”Are you all right?” he asked again. One corner of his mouth turned up as if slightly bemused by her puppet flail.
Against her will, she felt the warming between her legs from the rumble of his voice. Pulling her upright, he slid her body up against his. Not only was she staring at Mason, but her traitorous body leaned into him. With her b.r.e.a.s.t.s pus.h.i.+ng against his lower chest and his erection growing to attention at her belly, her thoughts drifted back to their morning and night together. Why was she such a klutz around this man? And why the h.e.l.l was he here in Joe's conference room? Did he work with Joe?
But then he smiled his light-up-the-room smile. ”I've got you, darlin'. Don't worry. I won't let you fall.”
And his magic spell solidified into gla.s.s and shattered into a million little pieces. Dark realization slipped through her mind with blinding clarity. He was the compet.i.tion.