COPYRIGHT 2016 MAGGIE DALLEN

Cover Design by Ashley Ruggirello

Edited by Mary-Theresa Hussey

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CHAPTER ONE

IT WAS A butt-dialing disaster of epic proportions.

It happened as Lacey scrambled to gather the last of her belongings from the hotel room. She’d said goodbye to her boss an hour earlier after wrapping up with their Chicago client, and he’d wished her luck, assuring her once again that she was ready to handle a client on her own.

Lacey sucked in a deep breath. Not just any client. Newsom Industries was one of the biggest clients her firm had ever landed. It was only out of sheer luck that all of the other consultants were already booked and the plum job had landed in her lap. “You’re ready for this,” she muttered to herself.

Her boss’s parting words had become a sort of mantra as she threw her belongings into her luggage. “You’re ready for this. You’re ready for this.”

And then it happened.

While leaning over to pick up a pair of undies, she somehow managed to sideswipe her phone. She grabbed it out of her back pocket and stared in horror as the screen lit up with Lawrence Newsom’s name.

Lawrence Newsom III, as in the grandson of Lawrence Newsom, Sr., and the heir apparent to his family’s private jet empire. As in, her next client.

She moved to hit the “end call” button, but she was a second too late. A deep voice on the other end said “Hello?” just before her finger hit its mark and the phone was silenced.

Oh God. She’d hung up on him.

Which was worse, butt dialing your new client or hanging up on him?

Lacey debated calling him to apologize. No, that would make things worse. She’d just forget about it; he would never know it was her. She went to turn off the offensive piece of technology when it happened.

She did it again. One of her fingers barely grazed the screen—the stupid, overly sensitive screen that was now lighting up again. She jabbed the “end call” button.

Why had she let her roommate talk her into buying a new phone? Her old one was a piece of junk, but it never ever became possessed by the devil, unlike this new device.

Tentatively, and with the utmost care, she reached over to turn off the phone and stick it in her bag. For a moment she thought she’d willed the phone to ring. But no, someone was calling her. He was calling.

Maybe he knew it was her. Maybe they’d given him her cell number as well, and he’d programmed it into his phone. Unlikely.

Maybe she should answer—explain the situation. She grimaced at the thought of such a terrible first impression. No, she would just let it go. Ignore, ignore, ignore.

But as the phone’s ringtone pierced the air for a third time, panic set in. One more ring and her voicemail would pick up. He’d hear her chipper message saying, “Hi, you’ve reached Lacey Ames.”

He’d know it was her; she had to pick up. She hit the answer button and opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. What was she going to say?

She drew in a deep breath, but he spoke first.

“Hello? Who is this?”

Lacey’s mouth opened and closed as she struggled to come up with something—anything—to put an end to this call.

He sounded impatient when he spoke again. “I know you’re there, I can hear you breathing.”

Something like a squeak came out of her throat before she fumbled for the off button. She was panting as though she’d run a marathon.

Now is not the time to panic. Think, Lacey.

She would call him. That was the only answer. Even if he didn’t have her number now, he would soon enough. She had to come clean.

She took a deep breath and reached for the phone. She jumped when it let out a dinging noise. It was a text. From him. Her sweaty palms fumbled to find the message.

“Who is this?”

She started to type in an explanation. Then she deleted it. She was on revision number three when the phone dinged again.

“I figure there are three options: #1 You’re a stalker #2 you’re a secret admirer or #3 you got the wrong number.”

Yes, yes, number three! This was her out. She’d tell him it was a wrong number and he’d drop it. This whole ridiculous episode would be over.

She scrambled to type #3 and hit send.

Oh no. Oh no, oh no, oh no. This could not be happening.

She tried to stop the message from sending and moaned in horror when her phone made a swishing noise that signaled the text had been sent.

In her haste, she had mistyped. She’d hit the ‘less than’ symbol just below the pound sign. She watched in horrified fascination as the phone transformed ‘<3’ into a bright red heart emoticon.

This could not be happening.

Lawrence Newsom called again. No doubt to threaten his lunatic admirer with a restraining order. She answered and hung up. Five minutes later as she rushed out of the hotel room, she answered and hung up again.

By the time she arrived at the airport she had hung up on Lawrence Newsom a total of six times and was in a perpetual state of fear that her phone would ring again.

This was ridiculous. She couldn’t keep this up forever. What if he called when she was in the shower or fast asleep? He’d get her voicemail and assume that his new public speaking coach was a full-blown crazyface.

She would disconnect her number. That was it. She would get a new number. But then her family and friends would have no way of reaching her. Her overprotective parents would have the National Guard hunting for her if she fell off the face of the earth.

“Miss, this way please.” The driver who had dropped her off ushered her into a small waiting room in a hangar set apart from the main terminal. A beautiful man was already in there. Beautiful was not often a word she associated with men but in this case, it was fitting. He was long and lean, stretched out in a low-slung chair by the door. He had black hair and dark skin and the sort of features that sculptors loved.

When he glanced up at her, she had to remind herself to breathe. Those eyes. They would have been a lovely shade of green on any face but set against the bronzed skin of a Greek god— they looked unreal.

“Are you Lacey?”

She nodded and let go of the handle of her suitcase. It promptly toppled over. If she was going to keep up this traveling saleswoman routine, she should invest in a good set of luggage.

“Here, let me help you,” the god said.

Beautiful and polite? He had to be gay.

He maneuvered her lopsided suitcase so it was leaning against the wall and gestured toward the seat across from his. “You might as well get comfortable. We may be here for a while. No flights are taking off until the snow lets up.”

“Oh.” She watched him turn his attention to the phone in his hand and wished she could think of anything interesting to say to hold his attention. Not for the first time, she had to marvel at the bitter irony of being a public speaking coach who was forever at a loss for words.

“So do you, uh…do you work for Newsom Industries?”

That earned her a half-smile and quite possibly the most adorable dimple in the universe. “Yes. I wear various hats there. Today I’ll be the pilot flying you to New York.”

She nodded like an idiot. She assumed he would turn to whatever it was on his phone that was entertaining him but instead he stuck it in his pocket and shifted so he could lean back in his chair.

Lacey fingered her own phone in her hand. Not even the presence of a god could keep her from the persistent fear that Lawrence Newsom would call again and get her voicemail.

“You waiting for a call?” He nodded toward the phone in her hand.

“Um, sort of.”

The sound of the pilot’s phone ringing broke what was about to become an awkward silence.

“Yeah, this is Alex,” the pilot said. Whatever the person on the other end said annoyed him because the Greek god pilot frowned. Was it possible he was even more beautiful when he frowned?

He muttered a curse that made Lacey shift in her seat uncomfortably. “Is everything okay?” she asked once he’d hung up.

He stood and picked up the overnight bag at his feet. “There’s another storm heading our way. We’re not going anywhere tonight.”

He slung his bag over one shoulder, grabbed the handle of her suitcase and started walking out of the office.

“Wait, where are we going?”

He glanced over his shoulder and watched as she chased after him—not an easy feat in three-inch heels. “I’m taking you to the hotel. We should get there before the storm hits.”

They caught the driver in time and hitched a ride to the city. Alex spent most of the car ride on the phone with someone at office headquarters giving details about their predicament.

The pilot seemed severely put out by the change of plans but Lacey could barely conceal her relief. She was excited about the prospect of soloing with her first major client but she was also a ball of nerves. Now she had one more evening of respite before she was thrown to the wolves.

She looked at the phone in her hand, which had been silent since she’d reached the airport. Lawrence Newsom seemed to have given up on his quest to figure out the identity of his stalker and hopefully it would all be forgotten by the time she arrived in New York the next day.

***

“What do you mean, there’s only one room left?” Lacey was aware that her voice had entered the shrill territory and took a deep breath. The bored looking woman at the front desk looked unfazed by Lacey’s distress.

Lacey pasted on a smile and tried a different tactic. “I stayed here last night. Can’t I have that room? Room 601?”

The woman didn’t even pretend to check the computer. “That room is currently occupied. The only room available is the penthouse suite.”

“We’ll take it.” Alex came up behind her and slapped his company card on the front desk. He looked amused by the look on her face. If everyone found her as funny as this guy did, she would quit her job and become a stand-up comic.

“Relax,” he said. “It’s a suite. I’m sure there are plenty of places to sleep. Besides, I just called around and all the hotels near here are booked solid with stranded passengers in the same boat. We’re lucky to get a room at all.”

Lacey gnawed on her bottom lip. “But a penthouse suite? That’s so expensive…”

“The company is paying for it, remember? And it’s on my expense account, not yours. If anyone gets in trouble, it’ll be me.”

That thought only made her feel worse. Twelve years of Catholic schooling had left her with a decent education and an overly developed guilty conscience.

Apparently Alex misconstrued her concern because he leaned down so he could look her in the eye and gave her a reassuring smile. “Hey, I’m a good guy, I promise. I won’t lay a hand on you tonight.”

Lacey’s cheeks burned as a delicious image of a half-naked Alex flashed through her mind. She thought he must have read her mind because he winked and leaned in closer so the front desk attendant couldn’t hear. “Unless you want me to.”

He was joking. She knew he was joking. But that didn’t stop her stomach from doing a nervous backflip.

She followed him into the elevator and down the hall to the suite, nervous at the thought of sharing a hotel room with a perfect stranger.

The suite was huge. Enormous even. But it only had one bed. An enormous king-size bed, but still just one bed. Lacey stared at it as though hypnotized by the down comforter’s floral pattern.

Alex walked past her, tossed his bag on a leather recliner and flopped onto the bed. He crossed his arms behind his head. “So which side do you want? Left or right?”

His teasing grin was too cute not to laugh. “Very funny.”

He sighed in mock sadness. “Fine. I’ll take the couch.”

Lacey perched on the end of the bed and looked around her. What were they supposed to do now? It was still early to go to sleep. What did two strangers do when they were stuck alone in a hotel room together? Watch TV?

“Want a drink?”

Alex walked over to the mini-bar and held up two tiny bottles of vodka.

Lacey’s nod was so emphatic she nearly slid off the bed. Yes.

The first drink went down quickly and went straight to Lacey’s head. “I think I’m going to head to the restaurant and grab some food. Do you want to come?”

The restaurant was packed. A harried hostess informed them that it would be a twenty-minute wait. “We’ll just wait at the bar,” Alex said.

And that was the end, as far as Lacey was concerned. An hour and two cocktails later, they were still waiting to be seated and she was far more than two sheets to the wind. But she was having fun. Oh, was she having fun.

“So, let me get this straight,” Alex said. “Up until six months ago you were working as a waitress at a bar in San Francisco?”

Lacey slurped up the last sip of her drink and nodded. “That is correct.”

“And now you’re a life coach,” he finished.

Lacey giggled. “I’m not a life coach, just a public speaking coach.” She rolled her eyes. “God, no one in their right mind would want me as their life coach. I can’t even get my own act together, let alone someone else’s.”

Alex seemed to be studying her. “You seem to be doing all right for yourself.”

Lacey leaned in so she could whisper in his ear. “It’s all a ruse.”

He threw back his head and laughed. “What part?”

Lacey opened her arms to signify everything. “All of it. Me. My job. I’m a total fraud.”

“Can I let you in on a secret?” He leaned in and she moved to meet him. He was so close she could feel his warm breath on her cheek. “Everybody feels that way.”

Lacey laughed. “I don’t believe it.”

He just shrugged as though it was a given.

“Even you? Do you feel like a fraud?”

He rolled his eyes. “All the time. It’s all about faking it ‘til you make it.”

She narrowed her eyes and studied his face. He couldn’t be much older than her. Maybe mid-twenties. But he talked like he was much older. Like he had life experience.

He popped a peanut into his mouth. “So why did you become a public speaking coach if you don’t like it?”

“It’s not that I don’t like it. I really do like it, oddly enough. I like helping people. It’s just... I fell into it, you know? I graduated from college and had no idea what I wanted to do. I mean, I was a Theater major with a minor in Art History. There isn’t a wealth of opportunities out there for someone with that background.”

Alex nodded and signaled to the bartender for another drink. “So you started waitressing.”

“Yeah. Mainly because that’s all I knew how to do. I waitressed all throughout high school and college and after four years getting a degree, that was my only marketable skill.”

“But you didn’t like it.”

Lacey scrunched up her face as she pondered that question. “No. It’s not that I didn’t like it. I was good at it. And I worked with friends.” She shrugged. “It was fun.”

Even she could hear how nostalgic she sounded. She didn’t normally get teary eyed over her old job but today that job sounded heavenly. She was so tired of feeling out of her league. Tired of feeling like she was acting all the time. Tired of feigning confidence she didn’t feel. She was tired of feeling like a fraud. At that moment, she would have been relieved to have the comfort of her old bar.

Her phone rang, startling her out of her moping. She fumbled for her phone, which hadn’t left her sight since this morning’s epic disaster. It was her mom. She let it go to voicemail. She’d call her in the morning.

“Who are you avoiding?”

Alex was watching her. Those beautiful green eyes seemed to take everything in. “Come on, Lacey. It’s obvious you’re waiting for someone to call. Is it him?”

He gestured toward her hand and for a moment she looked at it in confusion. The ring. Her grandmother’s antique diamond ring. It was still on her left ring finger. It was a trick one of her bartender friends had taught her when she’d been hit on one too many times to count. It was an easy way to say no without hurting anyone’s feelings.

Lacey was terrible at saying no. And then when she’d joined the consulting firm it had been even more useful. Not only did it keep colleagues and clients from hitting on her; it also gave her some credibility. She was young and she looked it. But being engaged seemed to give her an air of maturity. The lie had spread quickly in the company.

“Oh. Um…” she was about to tell him the truth, that she was single and the ring was just another prop for the charade that was her life. But then her phone rang again. She jumped in her seat and grabbed it. It was just an alert that her mom had left a message.

“Oh come on, it’s killing me not knowing. Who are you hiding out from?”

So she told him. Whether it was the cocktails or just the fact that she needed a friend to confide in, she told him the whole ridiculous story of her butt-dialing disaster. When she started he almost interrupted her with an odd smile on his face. But by the time she was done, he was doubled over with laughter.

“It’s not funny,” she wailed, but she was laughing too. His laugh was contagious. “Seriously, what am I supposed to do?”

He sat up and tried to stop laughing. “Okay, okay. What should you do? Why don’t you just change your message so that it just says what number the caller has reached. Take off the personal setting.”

Lacey stared at him for a moment. “I’m an idiot. I can’t believe I didn’t think of that.”

“Hey, I’m the master of avoiding calls.”

“I bet.” She changed the settings and ignored him when he asked what she meant by that. What she meant, of course, was that he was clearly a player. He must be swatting women away constantly.

When she finished with the phone and was finally able to shove it out of sight, she turned to him with a grin. “You saved my life. Or my job, at least.”

He gave a little bow. “My pleasure.”

“Okay, now it’s your turn.”

“My turn for what?”

“What’s your story? How did you become a pilot?”

“I joined the US Air Force straight out of high school.” He shrugged. “I’ve always been into planes and flying, I’ve never wanted to do anything else. When I got out of the military, I was offered a job with Newsom, and I took it … for better or worse.” He’d muttered the last part while tossing back half a glass of whiskey.

“Don’t you like your job?” she asked.

He seemed to think that over for a minute as he finished off the glass. “I love the flying; it’s not that. It’s just…there are some other parts of the job that I can’t stand.”

“Like what?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Administrative stuff, I guess. There’s a lot of red tape and a corporate side to it that I never signed up for.”

Lacey nodded. “I think you’re lucky.”

He raised his eyebrows at her.

“I do, I think you’re lucky. You’ve always known what you wanted to do, and now you’re doing it. That’s awesome.”

He rewarded her with one of those killer dimples. “Yeah, I guess.”

They were leaning in toward one another in the loud, crowded room, their elbows brushing on the bar and faces mere inches apart. Time seemed to stop, and Lacey completely forgot there were other people around.

“You’re gorgeous, do you know that?”

Her breath caught in her throat. She shook her head, which made him smile. The air around her seemed to thicken, and she couldn’t quite catch her breath. She couldn’t look away from those eyes, which were at the moment studying her lips. She licked them self-consciously and saw his eyes darken with desire.

She should stop this. She should pull away.

He closed the distance between them and kissed her. Softly, gently. His lips were firm and warm and so tender it brought tears to her eyes. No one had ever kissed her like that. Like she was precious. Breakable. Like she was the only woman in the world.

When he pulled back, they were both breathing heavily. The bartender set down two more drinks, and they both sought refuge in the sharp sting of the alcohol.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I shouldn’t have done that.”

Because they worked for the same company? Or because he wasn’t that into her? Maybe he had a girlfriend somewhere.

He gestured toward her left hand with a self-deprecating laugh. “I don’t typically hit on women who are taken.”

Dammit. She toyed with the stupid, fake ring and tried to figure out how much she should tell him. “This, uh…” she gestured toward her ring. “It’s not real. I mean….” Her brain was so fuzzy from the drinks she didn’t know how to explain. She sighed and finished, “It’s complicated.”

He nodded and reached over to trace a finger over her hand, sending shivers up her spine. She wanted this more than she could ever remember wanting anything.

“Maybe we could just forget about who we are and where we work. Just for tonight.” She couldn’t believe those words came out of her mouth but the moment they did, she knew it was the right decision.

His gaze focused on her with an intensity that would have been frightening if it wasn’t so hot. He wanted this just as much as she did.

He signaled for the check without breaking eye contact with her. “Do you still want to wait for dinner?”

She shook her head. “I’m not hungry anymore.”

The elevator ride up to their floor filled with heightened anticipation. Her stomach clenched in nervous excitement as the floors passed by. He reached out and clasped her hand in his. She felt a surge of pure electricity at the innocent gesture. She had never been so aware of another person’s presence. She could feel the heat from his body and smell his masculine scent, a heady mix of soap and shaving cream.

They were quiet as they walked to the suite and she waited for him to key in. She would have done it herself but knew that her hands would shake too badly.

The door hadn’t closed behind them before they were in each other’s arms.

“Oh God, I’ve wanted to do this from the moment you walked into the hangar,” he groaned. His lips moved urgently over hers, and when she parted her lips, his tongue darted inside. Lacey moaned as she clung to his shoulders and arms, desperate to touch him.

He pulled her against him so her breasts were crushed against his hard chest and she moaned again. Her limited experiences with sex were tepid, awkward affairs. Nothing at all like this furious desire that made her lose all mental faculties as her body took on a mind of its own. She wriggled against him, aching for more.

They half stumbled, half fell into the bed. Alex leaned over her, his dark face cast in shadows as he searched her gaze. “Are you sure you want this? It’s going to complicate things tomorrow.”

She nodded. “I want this.” The words came out in a hoarse voice she barely recognized. That was all he needed. His lips moved from her mouth to her neck and she arched against him as his hands moved over her breasts and stomach. She was busy trying to rip off his shirt so she could feel his bare chest. He stilled above her for a moment when she finally made contact with his skin. She looked up to see what had made him pause and realized he was struggling to maintain control.

That knowledge unleashed a part of Lacey she hadn’t even known existed. The girl next door was replaced by a wanton vixen. He wanted her. Bad. She moved her hands over his chest and trailed kisses over his neck and shoulder, reveling in his groans of pleasure.

She let out a squeak of surprise when he captured her hands and flipped her so he could return the sweet torture. Slowly, with infinite care, he unbuttoned her blouse. By the time he was done she was practically panting with impatience. She thought she might scream if he didn’t touch her.

And then he touched her and she gasped with pleasure. He cupped her breasts through her lacy bra. When he covered her nipples with his lips, her hips bucked and she was panting with ecstasy.

“Please, don’t stop,” she pleaded.

Alex moved lower, trailing kisses over her stomach and thighs. When neither of them could stand the teasing any longer, he helped her shed what was left of her clothes and positioned himself over her.

“Are you sure?”

Lacey was surprised and touched that even now, when they were both drunk on desire, he still gave her an out.

“I’m positive.”

When he thrust inside her, she lost all form of conscious thought. Her head dropped and she met him thrust for thrust until she came apart with an earthshaking climax.

CHAPTER TWO

LACEY WOKE FIRST and tiptoed over to her purse to check her work emails. There was one from her boss that made her stomach sink in horror. He’d given Lawrence Newsom her cell number this morning so he could reach out to her to reschedule their meeting.

What were the odds that he wouldn’t recognize the number? Slim to none. She curled up on a lounge chair in the corner and watched Alex sleep as she weighed her options. She had to come clean; there was no other way around it. She just hoped he found it as amusing as Alex did.

She took a deep breath and started to dial. Time to bite the bullet.

As the phone in her hand rang, Alex’s phone vibrated on the nightstand. Half awake, he muttered something before turning over to reach for it. Lacey looked back and forth between her phone and his in confusion. No. No, it couldn’t be.

But then he answered the phone and muttered a hello that echoed in her ear through the speaker on her phone. Embarrassment and horror warred with anger as the pieces clicked into place.

If she hadn’t been so hurt and humiliated she might have laughed at the look on Alex’s face as his sleep-addled brain made the same connection seconds later.

“Wait. Lacey, I can explain.”

She was halfway to the door, and she whirled around so quickly she nearly fell over.

“You can explain? Are you or are you not Lawrence Newsom?”

“Lawrence Alexander Newsom the third, actually.”

“You’re unbelievable.” She wished her voice wasn’t shaking, and her eyes weren’t tearing up as she said it.

“Lacey.” That was it. He said her name. She heard it just before she walked out and slammed the door behind her.

A few minutes later she found herself standing in the lobby in a ratty T-shirt, pajama pants and a serious case of bedhead. She was also missing her luggage.

Well, crap. Now what was she supposed to do?

She ignored the curious stares as she plopped onto a chair in the corner of the lobby. Her brain refused to work. Rage and adrenaline rushed through her veins, making her hands tremble and her stomach churn. She was dangerously close to sobbing. She’d always had a tendency to cry when she was pissed, which only ever added to her frustration during arguments.

It’s hard to sound tough and be taken seriously when you’re crying like a baby.

At some point she was going to have to go to the room to get her belongings. But there was no way in hell she was going through with this job.

Her blood boiled at the thought. How could he have kept a straight face as she’d poured out her insecurities about her new position? She slapped a hand over her mouth and groaned as she remembered the way he’d guffawed when she’d told him about the butt-dialing incident. The man was inhuman. He must have been laughing at her.

Until he’d slept with her. He’d stopped laughing just long enough to use her.

Trembling fingers punched the numbers for her manager’s office. First order of business was to cancel the Newsom gig. Then she’d go upstairs, get her belongings and give Lawrence—or Alex—a piece of her mind.

And maybe she’d punch him in the throat while she was at it. It was a possibility.

“Lacey, bad luck getting stuck in the storm like that.” Her boss, Rick, didn’t believe in greetings.

“Yeah, it wasn’t ideal. Listen, Rick, I’ve got some bad news. I’m going to have to cancel on the Newsom job.”

A deafening silence followed that announcement and Lacey dropped her head in her hands, cringing as she imagined the look on her boss’s face. Theirs was not an office where you said no to a job. Not if you wanted a job to return to.

“Oh? And why’s that?”

She cleared her throat. Why hadn’t she rehearsed a lie? She scrambled for something good.

“Death in the family.”

Another silence. Lacey bit her lip to keep the verbal diarrhea at bay. She hated silence, particularly on the phone.

“I’m sorry to hear that, Lace. Was it someone in your immediate family?”

“No.” Lacey couldn’t bring herself to lie about something like that. Not only did it seem evil, but there was no way she could keep up a lie like that. A fake fiancé was one thing, but a dead mom?

Rick heaved a sigh. “Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news but the company policy is you only get time off if it’s immediate family.”

Her boss missed her look of disgust.

“Besides, the big boss himself requested that you be his consultant,” Rick added as some sort of consolation. Lacey had a mental flash of their head boss at the main office. She hadn’t thought he even knew who she was. Maybe she was making a name for herself at the company after all. “Mr. Crowley specifically requested me for this one?”

Rick’s derisive snort was her answer. “Lawrence Newsom, Jr. asked for you.”

Lacey’s blood ran hot then cold. “He did?”

“Yeah, just this morning. He called a couple of minutes ago and said you two had met and hit it off. He doesn’t want anyone else.”

She gritted her teeth to keep from angry crying into the phone.

Rick clearly misinterpreted her silence as capitulation and he continued with his argument of why she had to see this job through. He adopted his best buddy-buddy tone and dropped his voice. “Listen, Lace, you know the company’s policy. You’re still in the six-month probation period. If you had a little seniority, maybe I could pull some strings but as a probie …”

You’ll lose your job. He didn’t say it but he didn’t have to. She’d heard all the strict lectures during training and had heard the horror stories of newbies who lost their shot at a good career thanks to one stupid screw-up. Did she want to be the next newbie screw-up story? More important, did she want the jackass upstairs to be the reason she was out of a job and up to her eyeballs in debt?

No. The answer was most definitely no.

“Fine,” she bit out through gritted teeth. “I’ll do it.”

“That’s my girl. Now go get yourself to the airport. Lawrence said he’d have a pilot waiting to fly you out as soon as the weather clears.”

Her nostrils flared as she swallowed that last bit. He’d known she’d say yes once he put the pressure on her boss. The arrogant son of a bitch.

“Lacey, let me explain,” Alex started the moment she walked into the hotel room.

She waved away his words and scrupulously avoided staring at his bare chest. His tanned, hard, perfectly sculpted chest. “I don’t want to hear it, Lawrence.”

He winced at the use of his given name. “Please call me Alex. My grandfather is the only one who calls me Lawrence.”

She walked past him, ignoring his attempts to stop her as she gathered her belongings which were strewn around the room—clear evidence of their one-night-stand the night before.

He heaved a sigh and ran a hand through his dark, tousled hair. “Lacey, please let me explain. If we’re going to work together—“

“Let’s get one thing straight,” she said as she snatched up a pair of panties from the nightstand. “I am not coming back for you; I’m doing this because it is my job. I need this job, as you well know, and I’m not going to let one drunken mistake with a giant asshole ruin everything.”

She saw him open his mouth to speak and cut him off before he had the chance. “This,” she gestured wildly around the room. “This will never happen again. Is that clear?”

The nod he gave her could only be described as sheepish, but the smile he was holding back was enough to bring on the tears of fury with a vengeance. “I mean it, Alex. This was a one-night thing. If I’d known who you were ...”

He took a step closer, so he was in her personal space. “You what? You wouldn’t have slept with me? You wouldn’t have had fun? Wouldn’t have spilled all your deep, dark secrets?”

He was mocking her. Teasing her. She could feel the tears of anger welling up despite every effort to hold them back.

Alex saw them too and his reaction was almost comical. He was a deer in headlights in the face of a woman crying. His tone lost all of its teasing and he reached out a hand to touch her arm. “Hey ... hey. Don’t do that. Don’t cry.” He looked terrified as he forced a joking tone, clearly trying to make her smile. “Last night wasn’t that bad, was it?”

She opened her mouth to respond but couldn’t get past the lump in her throat. She swallowed thickly, and he leaned in, concern written all over his face. She fought to get words out through gritted teeth. “You. Are. An. Asshole.”

They were silent on the way to the airport and soon Lacey found herself sitting across from Alex in the same waiting room where they’d met less than twelve hours before. She was wearing the same no-nonsense black suit and her battered luggage sat beside her. The only difference was, this time she was intimately acquainted with the hottie who sat across from her and her head was throbbing from a killer hangover.

She was determined to ignore the elephant in the room. Pretend the night before had never happened. That was the only way she would get through the next two weeks with her sanity intact.

She watched Alex fidget in his seat until he clearly couldn’t take the silence any longer. “So, about last night,” he started.

Lacey narrowed her eyes and shot him a withering glare. Clearly he had not gotten the memo that last night had never happened. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“I just want you to know, I never meant for it to go that far.”

She inhaled sharply. So this was her fault? Was he implying she’d thrown herself at him? Or that she was easy? “Neither did I,” she bit out.

“Yeah, I know.”

She saw his eyes flicker to her left ring finger before he looked away. She’d completely forgotten about the ring. Just like she’d forgotten all about it last night. She mentally fast forwarded through their conversations and came to the realization with a jolt. She had never gotten around to coming clean about the ring. As far as he knew, she was engaged. And yet he’d still slept with her. She hadn’t known her opinion of Mr. Lawrence Newsom could sink any lower. On top of lying about his identity, he’d also slept with a taken woman. He was a liar and a cheat.

Oh, she sure knew how to pick ‘em. She let out a derisive snort and his gaze shot to her face.

“What?” he asked.

“Nothing.”

He rolled his eyes. “Oh come on, are you not going to speak to me for the remainder of your contract? What kind of public speaking lesson is that going to be?”

“I will speak to you when my job requires it, nothing more and nothing less.” She sounded like a bratty child, even to her own ears.

He sat there watching her with those gorgeous green eyes. It was impossible to read what he was thinking, and she could only hope that her poker face was half as good. She could hear the seconds tick by on the clock behind the unmanned desk, keeping time with the hammer that was pounding her temples. They’d been told they would be taking off within the hour, and so far she felt as though they’d been stuck in that little room for days.

“Don’t you want to know why I called your boss and requested that you stay on this job?”

She pursed her lips. She did want to know. Of course she did. But she refused to give him the satisfaction.

“Don’t you want to know why I didn’t tell you that I’m your boss?”

“You’re not my boss,” she snapped. “You’re my client. The company I work for is my employer; you are merely another job.”

I’m such a fraud. I have no idea why they hired me in the first place. She heard her words from the night before reverberating in her skull. Why couldn’t she have kept her mouth shut for once in her life?

If Alex was remembering her admissions of ignorance and failure, he didn’t let on. He ran a hand through his annoyingly perfect hair. How was it that he still looked perfect while she felt like she’d been run over by a truck? She didn’t have to look in a mirror to know that she looked just as bad as she felt.

“That’s exactly why I didn’t say anything,” he muttered.

“What?”

He leaned forward in his chair and looked straight into her eyes. “That’s the reason I didn’t tell you right away that I’m Lawrence Newsom. I didn’t want you to treat me like the client. I didn’t want to be ‘Mr. Newsom’ last night. I just wanted to be Alex and hang out with the beautiful, funny woman I was lucky enough to be stranded with. And that started before I knew you were the one calling me.”

Lacey felt her cheeks warming from the compliment and made a point of studying her hands in her lap. She would not cave that easily. He had lied to her and let her sleep with him knowing that she didn’t know the truth.

He let out a heavy sigh. “I know that’s not a good excuse. But you’ve got to admit, you would never have let your guard down if you’d known who I was.”

“Exactly,” she said. “I would never have acted like that if I’d known.”

He had the good grace to look ashamed. “I know. I’m sorry. I did intend to tell you. My full name and about the calls. I just—I just—”

Whatever excuse he was about to give was cut off by an airport employee who poked his head into the office and signaled to Alex that he was needed. He left, and Lacey found herself staring after him like a puppy dog as she waited all alone.

She found herself trying to complete Alex’s unfinished sentence. Why didn’t he tell her? Did he forget? Was he too drunk to care? Had he been so caught up by the incredible sexual tension that he couldn’t remember his own name?

Not that his explanations would have made anything better but she was curious to see how he’d try to rationalize his terrible behavior.

Not that he could.

But she really wanted to see him try.

CHAPTER THREE

ALEX WAS RELIEVED to be sitting in the cockpit next to his co-pilot, where he was mercifully out of eyeshot of Lacey’s brutal glare.

He’d made women angry before, but he’d never felt like this. Maybe because he’d never acted like this before. From the moment he woke this morning, he’d felt the cold teeth of guilt gnawing at his insides.

What had he been thinking? He hadn’t been thinking, not with his brain. He’d never meant to let it get that far. But he was having so much fun, and he’d known what would happen if he’d come clean. The longer he’d waited, the harder it was to own up to the truth. He’d told himself he’d tell her in the morning.

He grimaced at the memory of her expression when she’d discovered his true identity. He never wanted to see that look again.

He couldn’t let her leave like that. He’d had to make things right. So he’d done what his father and grandfather would have done—he’d abused his power as the head of a Fortune 500 company and all but demanded she stay on the job. And be by his side for the next two weeks.

Oh, he was most certainly going to hell for this one.

Not that he was the only guilty party here. He had to remind himself for the millionth time that the ring on her finger was no cereal box prize. What had she said when he’d called her on it? It’s complicated. Riiight.

Complicated or not, she was wearing another man’s ring. Another dose of guilt for him but nothing compared to what she must be feeling—unless she was a cold-hearted bitch. He remembered the way her eyes lit up with laughter as she poked fun at herself. No, he couldn’t believe she could ever be cruel. So maybe some of her fury was because she was mad at herself? He flinched again at the memory of that look.

Maybe not.

The flight from Chicago to New York City was smooth and he never heard a peep from his angry passenger. He hoped she was sleeping it off. Maybe she’d wake up in a better mood. Unlikely, but a guy could hope.

By the time he’d finished with his business and disembarked, Lacey had already left the plane and gotten into the limo which was now waiting for him. He opened the passenger door and slid into the seat across from her.

“Hello again.” He flashed her a smile he’d been told was charming. Irresistible even. All he got in return was a withering glare. Her wild blond curls were pulled into a neat bun, and she looked more gorgeous than ever.

He saw her wince when he slammed the door shut and smothered a grin. He cleared his throat to speak, still not entirely certain how he was going to talk his way out of this mess, but he was determined to try. She was beautiful, smart and quite possibly the most enchanting woman he’d ever met. There was no way he could live with himself without at least explaining his behavior. He hated the very idea that she thought of him as a duplicitous, entitled ass. And how could she not after the way he’d acted? At the very least, he had to ask for her forgiveness. But before he could even open his mouth, she had tipped her head to the side and closed her eyes. It looked for all the world as though she were fast asleep.

Several seconds went by as he watched her, his mouth still open, ready to speak. But how could he wake her? She looked so goddamn beautiful and innocent when she was sleeping. Anytime she wasn’t glaring at him, really.

They reached the hotel in record time. Her head snapped up the moment they came to a stop, leaving him to wonder if she’d been sleeping at all or if she’d just been pretending to avoid speaking to him. That thought made his jaw clench. He’d never been able to pass up a challenge.

“So I’ll be seeing you later this afternoon then?” he said as she attempted to slide gracefully out the door. Not an easy feat in a slim cut skirt and heels.

She looked to him, seemingly surprised that he’d spoken to her. Well she’d better get used to it. They were going to be working together side by side for the next two weeks. The thought made him inexplicably happy.

“Shall I send the car for you?” he asked.

She shook her head. “Don’t bother, I can walk. I’ll just drop off my things and freshen up, and I’ll meet you there.”

He had to hand it to her. For someone who had just been through all the ups and downs she had been through over the past twelve hours, she was remarkably composed. Almost too composed. Where was the furious spitfire he’d seen this morning? Where was the funny, carefree recent college grad from the night before? Or the passionate, sexy young woman from last night?

Alex leaned in his seat with a grin. So far he’d seen four different sides of his new consultant, and for the life of him, he couldn’t figure out which one he liked best.

Lacey took her time settling into the hotel and getting ready for the office. She was in no rush to see Alex again, let alone face the daunting first day at a new job. And not just any new job—this would be the biggest client she’d worked with yet and the first that she’d handled on her own. She’d spent the first few jobs shadowing Rick, absorbing every detail of the way he acted around his clients. She’d learned all of the course materials during intensive training sessions, but the shadowing portion of her training was far more valuable. Anyone could memorize the course material—the hard part was learning how to act. How to handle the mark, as Rick like to call them. Through watching her boss, she’d tried to figure out how to act—no to be—confident, yet understanding; tough but pleasant. It was all about building up the client’s ego while calling out their biggest flaws.

It was a tightrope act, and there was no one better than Rick. “Make the mark feel confident and in control,” Rick would tell her.

Confident and controlling, that shouldn’t be a problem with Alex.

The mere thought of his name brought an image of his gorgeous eyes and that sexy smile. Those hard, toned abs. And his hands. Holy cow, those hands. Large, rough and calloused, unlike her ex’s. Ethan was a wannabe artist who’d never done a day of hard work in his life. After years of bartending and waitressing, her hands had felt like Brillo pads next to his.

Alex on the other hand—he had manly man hands, if that was even a thing. And he knew how to use them. A jolt of jealousy shot through her as she wondered how many women he must have slept with to have such skillful hands.

She added a final bobby pin to her hair to keep it in place and studied her reflection. In a well-tailored skirt suit and sensible heels, she looked the part of a successful executive, but she couldn’t help feeling like she was on her way to audition for a role in a courtroom drama. She felt ridiculous.

It had been more than six months since she’d quit her job at O’Reilly’s Pub but it felt like yesterday. She could only imagine the remarks she’d get from the regulars and the guys in the kitchen if she walked into the bar looking like this. They probably wouldn’t recognize her without a well-worn T-shirt and a messy ponytail.

But this was who she was now, she reminded herself. For the time being at least. Until she got fired.

No. She would not go down that path. She refused to psyche herself out right before walking into the lion’s den.

She squared her shoulders and raised her chin and tried out a deadly serious stare in the mirror. That was the look she’d use on Alex when she gave him the speech.

She’d come up what she was going to say during the flight and rehearsed it on the seemingly endless drive from the airport to the hotel. Now she could rattle it off in her sleep.

She planned on being calm but firm as she explained that while she might not like him personally and that she abhorred his actions, she was there to perform a service, and she would see it through with the utmost professionalism. And that she expected him to do the same. Their interaction over the next two weeks would be business, nothing more and nothing less.

The walk from the hotel to the office was annoyingly short. Lacey had been looking forward to a nice refreshing stroll to clear her head and get her game face ready. But three short blocks later she found herself gazing up in awe at the glass and steel skyscraper that housed Newsom Industries. She swallowed a familiar wave of nausea and strode through the giant glass doors of the airy, plant-filled lobby.

She was absurdly self-conscious of the loud clicking of her heels on the linoleum floor as she approached the security desk. She gave her name and ID to a burly security guard, and he picked up a phone and dialed a number. He muttered a few words, hung up and told her, “Ms. Bernstein will be down in a minute.”

Several minutes later a lanky brunette in her early thirties strode toward her in the lobby with her hand outstretched. “You must be Lacey Ames. I’m Dawn, Mr. Newsom’s assistant.”

Dawn’s smile was genuine, and she seemed completely comfortable in her skin. Lacey liked her. More than that, she sensed she’d found an ally.

“Mr. Newsom is waiting for you, so I’ll take you to him first and then we’ll sort out your security clearance and company ID later.”

She glanced over her shoulder, and Lacey summoned an agreeable smile. Her mind was still stuck on one thing. She followed Dawn into an elevator and asked, “When you say you’re Mr. Newsom’s assistant, are you referring to Lawrence Newsom senior or—“

“Oh, yes. Sorry, I should have clarified. I work for Lawrence Newsom senior, and he wants to meet you first. Then you’ll be meeting with Alex—er, Lawrence Newsom the third. Everyone but his grandfather just calls him Alex.”

Well, at least that was one thing he hadn’t lied about.

The elevator silently rushed them to the top floor and opened with a ding. Lacey swallowed a flurry of butterflies that attempted to exit her stomach as she followed Dawn through a tastefully decorated lobby with a plush Oriental carpet and a smiley receptionist whose greeting was almost too perky.

“Welcome to Newsom Industries, Miss Ames.” The girl could not have been much younger than Lacey, but there was something about her wide eyes and bubbly personality that made her seem like a teenager.

She smiled at the friendly girl before following Dawn further into the office and down hushed hallways with glass walls. She passed office after office, glancing in at the employees like they were animals at the zoo. She kept waiting to see Alex behind one of these desks, but his office must have been in a different area.

At the end of the hallway, Dawn ushered her into a large conference room. “Make yourself comfortable. I’ll just let Mr. Newsom know you’re here.”

Lacey kept herself busy by pouring a glass of water from the pitcher at the head of the table and perusing the magazines that were laid out on a counter nearby. So the grandfather—the grand poobah himself—wanted to see her. That was oddly encouraging. Having met Alex, it was hard to imagine just why he would need a public speaking coach. He was so not the timid, self-conscious type.

But now it made sense. Her being here was his grandfather’s idea. A little added security that his grandson would succeed. She might be new to the business world but paranoid, overprotective family members were her forte.

All she had to do was give Alex a bit of gentle prepping—the standard “keep eye contact and don’t say the word um” speech—and reassure his nervous grandfather that it would all be okay.

Easy peasy. If she played her cards right, there was every possibility she would be on the next flight home to celebrate her success with her best friend and then head off to her new assignment.

“So you’re the woman who’s going to transform my grandson into a leader.”

Lawrence Newsom’s booming voice seemed to echo off the walls. She spun around to find herself face to face with an older version of Alex. Though he sported wrinkles and gray hair, the old man had the same piercing green eyes and the sharp features of a Roman soldier.

“Hello, Mr. Newsom. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

He lowered his eyebrows as he took in her appearance. “You look awfully young.”

The look he was giving her now was nothing short of a challenge. He doubted her abilities. He didn’t think she was the right person for this job. Understandably. She was young, inexperienced and had absolutely no right telling anyone what type of cereal they should be eating let alone how they should address their board of directors.

But this was her job. And Lacey had never backed down from a challenge.

She lifted her chin and gave the older man her best poker face. “I may be young, Mr. Newsom, but I know what I’m doing.”

His challenging stare lost a bit of its aggressiveness. Clearly he hadn’t expected her to have a backbone. “Your employers did say you’ve had quite a bit of success so far. How long have you been working as a consultant, Miss Ames?”

“Long enough to understand that what you really want to know is whether or not I can deliver results.” She noted the old man’s surprise with satisfaction. It was one thing for her to doubt herself and to feel incompetent but she absolutely hated it when anyone else hinted that she might not be up to a task.

“All of the consultants at Ackland have been well trained in the company’s methods. I’m sure a man such as yourself did his homework before hiring us. You must know the kind of results you can expect.”

Mr. Newsom nodded in acknowledgment and pulled out a seat. It was only as she watched him slowly struggle into the chair that she remembered she was speaking to a man who was well past his prime.

He gestured for her to take a seat across from him. “You’re right, Miss Ames, I’ve done my research. I’ve heard all about your company’s failproof methods. But I have a hard time believing that my grandson will fall into the same category as every other client you and your colleagues have worked with in the past.”

“No, of course not. Each client is different. Our methods vary depending on the individual’s circumstances but we always—“

“Have you met my grandson?”

“Yes, sir. He was the pilot for my flight out here.”

The older man nodded as though she’d just told him more than she knew. She felt heat creeping into her cheeks at the memory of the night before and ordered her mind to stop before she gave herself away.

“Of course he was flying,” the old man muttered.

“Excuse me?”

“Nothing, nothing. Tell me, how does all of this work? Where do we start?”

“We start every client off with the same initial review so I can get a good feel for what kind of work needs to be done. I’ll film your grandson as he gives a short speech in front of a small group of friends and colleagues.”

She could see Mr. Newsom about to interject and hurried on. “I’ll then review the footage with your grandson so we can go over what he needs to work on. After this initial review, I will confer with my colleagues to custom-tailor Alex’s training program.”

He nodded slowly. “All right. But I want you to keep me informed of his progress every step of the way. The board meeting is in two weeks, Miss Ames, and I need Alex ready. The future of my company and my employees relies on it. They need to be confident in my choice of successor or the board will elect someone else to run the company that I built from the ground up.”

He hesitated for a brief second. The hesitation was barely there, but she noticed. “I need you to turn my grandson into the man I know he can be. Not just for my sake--this is not just my vanity speaking here. There are members of the board who would steer this company in the wrong direction. They don’t share my feelings of loyalty to the employees or to the community. There is a lot riding on Alex right now, Miss Ames.”

Lacey met the old man’s stare. “I understand, Mr. Newsom.”

He studied her a moment before giving her a brisk nod that signaled the end of the conversation. He struggled out of the chair and made his way to the conference room door.

“Wait here, I’ll send Alex in so you can get started with your work.”

Lacey let out a giant exhale once the door shut behind him. No pressure. Just the fate of a company and all of its employees. No sweat. Lacey wiped the moisture from her palms and took deep, steadying breaths. First things first.

Alex was on his way to meet her and before anything else, she needed to give him the speech she’d been preparing. She wouldn’t be able to concentrate on work with memories of their night together muddling her brain every time he looked in her direction. She had to deal with the aftermath of last night first and foremost. She needed to set some ground rules. Then she could worry about the fate of the company.

She downed her water as she waited for Alex to walk through the doors. She would be calm, cool and collected. Once she got this speech over with it would be all business all the time. She took a deep breath and glanced at the clock. She needed him to come in soon, while she was still riding high on the false confidence she’d donned for Mr. Newsom’s sake.

One of the first rules of the job that Rick had taught her was fake it ‘til you make it. She’d rolled her eyes at the time but over the past six months that rule had been the single most important factor in her success. She’d walked into this building acutely aware of her inexperience and feeling totally out of her league. But that little show she’d put on for the old man had left her with a rush of self-confidence. It wouldn’t last long so she needed to take advantage of this feeling while she could.

The door opened, and Alex walked in. Lacey had to remind herself to breathe. Why did he have to look so good all the time?

He’d changed into a dark gray suit that fit perfectly, highlighting his broad chest and narrow waist. His dark hair was slicked down, and he looked for all the world like the business tycoon his grandfather wanted him to be. Maybe this gig wouldn’t be so tough after all.

“Hey, Lace.”

She felt her shoulders stiffen at the casual use of her nickname. This was it. It was ground rules time.

She opened her mouth to launch into the well-prepared monologue but was interrupted by the door opening again. This time it was a young-looking Indian man with a brilliant smile that stretched from ear to ear. He slapped a hand on Alex’s back before making himself comfortable in one of the chairs at the table. Alex looked just as surprised at his sudden entrance.

“Hey man, what are you doing here?” Alex asked.

“Your grandfather sent me in. Aren’t you gonna introduce me?” He was flashing Lacey that mega-watt grin.

“Uh, yeah, sorry. Raj, this is Lacey Ames. She’s the consultant my grandfather hired to prep me for the board meeting. Lacey, this is Raj. He works in accounting.”

Raj leaned over the table to shake her hand and rolled his eyes, doing a perfect imitation of Alex. “He works in accounting. Please, man, is that the best you can do?” He turned to Lacey. “Alex and I have been friends since kindergarten. His dad hired me right out of college. And yes, I do work in the accounting department, but I swear it’s not nearly as boring as it sounds.”

Lacey laughed. “I don’t think it sounds boring at all. Everyone knows that numbers are sexy.”

“Alex, I think I found the love of my life.”

Before Alex could respond, the door opened again. Dawn and the receptionist filed in. Raj took it upon himself to make the introductions.

“Lacey, have you met Dawn and Heather?”

“We met when she first got here,” Heather said. She made a beeline for the coffee carafe, which in Lacey’s humble opinion was probably not necessary considering the amount of perky energy the girl was already exhibiting.

“How’s the first day going?” Dawn asked.

“So far so good, thanks. Did Mr. Newsom ask you two to come in as well?”

Heather nodded. “He said you and Alex needed our help.”

So this was how it was going to be. Clearly Mr. Newsom was the hands-on type. Alex was the only one who seemed to be out of the loop, so she explained what the first exercise was and watched as the blood drained from his face.

“So you want me to just ... give a speech? Right now? In front of everyone?” His look of horror would have been funny if her career wasn’t on the line. If he was this freaked out over giving a short talk in front of his friends, how terrified must he be of performing in front of a group of powerful men and women who would decide the fate of his career and his family’s legacy?

Maybe this job wouldn’t be such a cakewalk after all.

Oh, good Lord. He was so much worse than she could ever have imagined. There was a moment of stunned silence when he finished. Lacey tried to gather herself and think of something diplomatic and encouraging to say in the face of a public speaking disaster.

“That was—er—you were—“ she started.

“A jerk,” Dawn chimed in. She shrugged and gave the room an apologetic look. “Sorry, but it’s true.”

“Dude, how’d you get that stick so far up your butt?” Raj added.

Heather let out a little snort and slapped a hand over her mouth to contain the giggles.

Lacey bit the inside of her cheek. Hard. This was not the time to laugh, even if it was a little gratifying to see Mister Too-Cool-for-School squirming in front of his friends. She had a job to do, and that meant being supportive. But also honest. Sometimes her job was impossible.

“You were stiff.” She finished her initial statement as though the others hadn’t spoken. She kept her eyes on Alex, who was scowling at the room in general. “There is room for improvement, but I think we’re off to a great start.”

All three audience members burst into laughter at the obvious lie.

Oh yeah, this job was going to be so much harder than she’d thought.

CHAPTER FOUR

OFF TO A great start? She’d been lying. He knew she was lying. She knew she was lying if the bright red spots on her cheeks were any indication.

Alex gulped half of his beer. The hotel bar was practically empty. Too late for the happy hour crowd and too early for after-dinner drinks. There were only a couple other patrons at the bar, and they seemed just as content to stick to themselves. A perfect refuge for his battered ego.

His beer sloshed a bit when he set his glass down with too much force. What had he been thinking to sleep with the woman who was supposed to stop him from humiliating himself? She was probably enjoying his agony. And she had every right. He was still kicking himself for not telling her sooner. But if he had, would he ever have gotten the chance to see Lacey with her hair down? Probably not. And he most certainly wouldn’t have seen her without her clothes on.

The memory of her lying naked in his arms was enough to suck the air from his lungs. He threw back another gulp. Despite the hatred she was clearly spewing in his direction, he still couldn’t bring himself to regret their night together. He’d had a glimpse of heaven, and now he was in hell. But it was worth it.

He tried to signal the bartender for another drink, but the guy was too engrossed in a conversation with another patron about football to notice. Maybe it was for the best. He’d had way too much the night before. He’d only come in for one drink—a little hair of the dog and a well-earned luxury after his afternoon in front of the peanut gallery.

And tomorrow it would start all over again. That thought made him drain the last of his beer in desperation. He couldn’t handle the thought of two solid weeks of facing his biggest fear. All in the hopes that he could learn to be everything his father was. Talk about an exercise in futility. His grandfather clearly knew it was pointless. But what was the alternative? Let Marcus get control of the company? He couldn’t let that happen for his grandfather’s sake. Or his father’s. Like it or not, he was the company’s only option. He was the last resort.

For the millionth time that day, Alex cursed fate for stealing his father away from the life he’d been groomed for—from the life he deserved.

Alex was ready to start yelling for the bartender’s attention when he was distracted by the sound of the door leading to the hotel lobby closing. He glanced over and saw Lacey standing there. She was staring at him with her mouth slightly open as though she wasn’t sure whether or not she was going to speak.

Lacey was adorable when she was surprised.

Then her eyes narrowed, and she stalked toward him in her high heels. Uh oh. She was equally adorable when she was angry—but she was also a little terrifying.

Hands on hips, she stood beside him, so close he could smell the soft floral scent of her shampoo. “Are you following me?” she demanded.

Alex leaned away in surprise and looked around the nearly empty bar pointedly. “If I were following you, why would I be here first?”

He watched her cheeks turning pink. She really was charming when she was flustered.

“Well then what are you doing here at my hotel?”

“It’s not just your hotel, I’m afraid. I’m a guest here as well.”

It was a struggle not to laugh as he watched Lacey fume over this piece of news. “But why? Don’t you live in New York? Don’t you have a home here?”

Now it was his turn to recoil in surprise. Were those tears in her eyes? Oh God, had he made her cry? Again? Pure panic setting in, he made a move to pat her shoulder but stopped when she turned away to ask the bartender for a glass of wine.

“No Cosmos tonight?” he teased.

He was rewarded with a scowl.

“Oookay. Too soon to joke about last night. Duly noted.”

Whether it was his conciliatory tone or the appearance of a glass of wine, Alex was relieved to see that there were no signs of tears in her eyes, and her scowl had faded to a look of mild annoyance.

She slipped onto the barstool beside him and took a sip of her drink. “So seriously, what are you doing here?” she asked.

“Seriously, I needed a place to stay. I don’t have a place in the city.”

This was partially true. He probably could have gone and stayed at his father’s place. It was left to him in the will but he hated the idea of stepping foot in that apartment. There were too many memories waiting to devour him.

“This just happens to be the only decent hotel within walking distance of the office so, for the time being, this is home.”

“Oh.” She seemed to be studying him as she took another sip. “That’s kinda sad.”

He felt his lips twitching into a smile at the reluctant display of sympathy.

He wanted to be friends with this woman. He wanted to be able to laugh like they had the night before. At the very least, he wanted them to be able to work well together. He wished there was some way to dispel the awkward tension that had come between them ever since she’d discovered his true identity.

Maybe there was.

He saw her open her mouth to speak and cut her off. “Listen, Lace, there’s something I’ve meant to say.”

She clamped her mouth shut and gave him a nod to continue.

“I am sorry about last night. I swear, I never intended for things to get so out of control. I never meant to lie to you or put you in an awkward position.” He paused for a moment to rub a hand over his eyes. He saw her take a quick, nervous sip from her glass. “I would like it if we could put last night behind us,” he continued. “It’s obvious that I have a lot of work to do over the next couple of weeks, and I need you, Lace. I need your help. Could we please put last night out of our heads and put business first?”

Lacey was watching him, her beautiful blue eyes wide with surprise. She gave a jerky nod. “Yes, I think that’s a great idea.”

She raised her glass to his and grinned. “To business.” He clinked his glass against hers and tried to smother the free-fall feeling in his gut that her smile seemed to trigger.

There was a moment of silence as they sat beside one another, unsure of how this new business relationship should commence. Alex made a valiant attempt to push aside all images of an incredibly gorgeous, and extremely naked Lacey in his bed. Like trying not to think about a pink elephant, the more he tried, the more he saw the fantastic sight until he was so thoroughly aroused, he thought he’d have to race up to his room for a cold shower.

He cleared his throat loudly, startling Lacey and a stranger at the other end of the bar. “So, my little speech today,” he started. “Just how bad was I?”

Lacey’s mouth flapped open and closed a couple of times as she struggled for a diplomatic answer. He held up a hand to stop her. “You can stop being so polite. I know I sucked.”

She breathed out a little sigh of relief and gave him a sympathetic look. “You were pretty bad,” she agreed.

They both started to laugh, and the tension eased considerably. He saw her shoulders drop, and she propped her elbows on the bar. This was the most natural and relaxed he’d seen her since the night before.

Nope. He was not going there. No thinking about the night before.

When she turned to him, she was wearing a look of determination. “I don’t want you to worry. Your performance today might not have been the best, but that’s why I’m here. You’ll be ready in time, I promise.”

Her confidence was mildly reassuring. He still wasn’t convinced, but it was nice to hear that someone else was. “So I take it you know about the board meeting?”

She nodded. “Your grandfather told me.”

Alex felt his jaw clench. He could only imagine what his grandfather had to say about the upcoming disaster. “What else did he tell you?”

Lacey was watching him with open curiosity, and he tried to relax his death grip on the new pint of beer in his hand.

“He said it was crucial that you were a convincing leader when it came time for you to address the board in two weeks.”

He gave her a sideways glance. He had a feeling she was leaving out some parts out of kindness. There was no way his grandfather hadn’t made a comment about how ill-equipped he was to be taking over. About how it should have been his father and not him who was addressing the board.

“I’m not ready,” Alex said. The admission seemed to come out of his mouth of its own accord.

“You will be.” There was no doubt in her voice and she looked stubborn as hell.

“In two weeks?”

“Yes, in two weeks. Less than that, in fact. We’ll have time to spare. Despite all of the things I may have said last night, I am good at my job, Alex.”

Her cheeks had turned a deep shade of pink at the mention of last night. He leaned over and lowered his voice to a near whisper. “I thought we were going to pretend last night never happened.”

She rolled her eyes and shook her head in annoyance. “I know, I know. I just—I need you to know that. I need you to know that I’m good at my job. You can trust me.”

He swallowed a joking retort. She looked so incredibly sincere, it would have been cruel to laugh it off.

“I do know that, Lace.” She looked unconvinced. “My grandfather only ever hires the best, so the only logical conclusion here is that you are the best.”

That made her smile, which in turn made Alex foolishly happy.

“So then you believe me that I can make you ready in time for the meeting?”

He rolled his eyes and groaned melodramatically. “Not unless you’re a miracle worker.”

“Just call me Mother Teresa.”

He laughed. “Maybe if I had more time, but two weeks? You’ve got to admit, we’re cutting it pretty close.”

“Can’t you push back this meeting”

“Not unless we want the board to start doubting our stability.” At her look of confusion he explained, “My grandfather’s health has been failing. It’s not a secret but ever since my dad died ... my grandfather never fully recovered.”

She reached out a hand and laid it on his arm in sympathy. “I’m so sorry about your father.”

People had been telling him how sorry they were for the past six months and he always just waved them off, but Lacey’s soft words seemed to cut right through him. He felt a surge of pain as though he’d just buried his father all over again. He took a long sip of beer to hide the onslaught of emotion.

“You know it was supposed to be him, right?” The words came out of his mouth unbidden. But she should know the truth—her reputation was at stake here too. What should have been a no-brainer of an election was now a gamble, and it was all riding on him.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

Alex turned to face her. “My dad was supposed to be the one standing before the board at the next meeting, taking over the family business. He’d been groomed his whole life to take over. The board loved him, the employees worshiped him ... He was supposed to be the next leader of the company.”

He turned away from the empathetic sadness on Lacey’s face.

“You know, Grandfather and my dad always talked about me taking over the company one day. One day. As in, many years from now.” He let out a loud sigh; he couldn’t believe he was pouring his heart out like this, but it felt good to voice the thoughts that had been eating him alive. “It wasn’t supposed to happen like this.”

He was acutely aware of the fact that Lacey’s hand was still on his arm. He wanted to reach out and cover her hand with his own. He wanted to lean into her and pull her against him. He wanted—

“No.” Her quiet voice stopped his mind from wandering into dangerous territory.

“Excuse me?”

“No, this isn’t the way it was supposed to happen,” she said. “But it’s the way it happened. So now we have to deal with it.”

He looked over in surprise to find the sympathetic look replaced by stubborn conviction. She leaned in closer until her face was right in front of his. “Let me ask you something. Do you want this? Do you want to be the president of Newsom Industries?”

Alex stared at her for a moment. No one had ever asked him that question before. Hell, he’d never asked himself that question before. He thought about his father. About learning to fly. He thought about the countless hours he’d spent in his grandfather’s office as a child and of the countless more he spent at his father’s side as a teen. He thought of the employees who’d known him since birth and their families who counted on them.

“Yes. I want this.” Hearing the words came out of his mouth, he knew they were true—and terrifying. He had so much to lose. But it was also solidifying somehow. He had a purpose. He had an aim. And it wasn’t just for his grandfather or even his father. This was what he wanted.

Lacey’s smile was so proud, for that one moment, he felt like the king of the world. He put his hand over hers. “Thank you.”

She glanced at his hand on hers, and he saw telltale color creeping into her cheeks. He was very aware of how close they were. All he had to do was lean over a couple of inches. Her lips parted as though she could read his mind. The air seemed to thicken, and all he could think about was narrowing that gap between them.

She jerked away from him, nearly toppling the bar stool in the process. He reached over to steady her, but she shied away from his touch. She quickly downed the rest of her glass and threw some money on the bar.

“It’s been a long day. I think I’m going to head up to my room.”

She was halfway to the door by the time she’d finished talking.

***

Lacey held her phone to her ear with one shoulder as she unpacked her luggage.

“He said it first,” Lacey repeated, her tone laced with significance.

“I still don’t get it.” Morgan, her best friend and roommate, was crunching on chips on the other end of the line. “I thought you wanted it to be strictly business with the Greek god.”

Lacey sighed. “I did. I do. But I wanted to say it first,” she whined.

She had been all set to give Alex the speech earlier today but was cut off by the sudden appearance of the impromptu audience. When she’d seen him alone at the bar, she was ready to give him a proper talking-to. But then he’d gone and done the unthinkable—he’d given her the speech.

“Um, no offense, but I think maybe you’ve lost it.”

“Thanks a lot.”

“I still don’t get why you don’t just enjoy the hottie while you’ve got him. I mean, it’s not like you’re getting a ton of action at home.”

The very thought of having a hot and heavy affair with Alex was enough to make her heart race.

“I love your cat and all,” Morgan continued, “but if you spend one more night snuggling with Sam, I’ll have to start referring to you as my crazy cat-lady roommate.”

Lacey opened her mouth to argue but couldn’t. Her friend was right. She’d been so exhausted from all the training and traveling over the past six months that when she was home in San Francisco, all she wanted to do was stay in. She hadn’t had a proper date since the breakup with Ethan. No wonder her reaction to Alex had been so over the top. Her body was clearly starved for attention.

“It’s tempting. Believe me, it’s tempting.”

“So what’s the holdup?”

Lacey sat on the edge of her bed. “Because this is my job. I kind of need it to live, you know?”

“You could always work here again. You know Jimmy would rehire you in a heartbeat. The dude thinks you hung the moon.”

Morgan was a waitress at the same bar where Lacey had worked until six months before. At moments like this, when she was alone in a hotel room, going back to her old life sounded incredibly attractive. But if she did that, if she gave up now, she just knew she would be stuck at that bar forever.

Okay, maybe not forever, but she couldn’t expect another dream job opportunity just to fall into her lap. The universe had given her a shot. She had to see this through. She had to prove to her company and her clients that she had what it takes to be a professional consultant.

But what if she didn’t?

“Lace?” Morgan’s voice at the other end sounded worried. “You know you can always come home, right?”

Lacey flopped on the bed and smiled up at the ceiling. Morgan had been hinting that she should quit since the day she’d joined Ackland. She couldn’t understand why Lacey was pushing herself to be something new, somebody different.

“Thanks, Morgan, but I think I’m pretty good at this job. And I like it ... most of the time. I need to see this through.”

She could practically hear Morgan rolling her eyes. She was not a fan of corporate America and couldn’t imagine why stability and a reliable income were so important to Lacey. But then, Morgan came from money and hadn’t grown up with the constant fear of being broke.

And Alex? He clearly never had to struggle for money but still… she’d seen the look in his eyes when he talked about his family’s company, and she’d recognized it. Despite his background, or maybe because of it, he had drive.

“Alex wants to run his family’s company. He deserves to have a fair shot at this election.” Her words gave her a buzz, like the adrenaline rush she’d felt on her very first day of training when she’d first realized she had a knack for this job. “I can help him,” she said with new confidence. “He needs me.”

“Fine,” Morgan said. “But if you change your mind, Whiskey Bob will be psyched to see you.”

Lacey snorted with laughter at the reminder of one of the more eccentric barflies. “Gee, thanks. I’m heading to bed. Give Sam kisses for me and don’t forget his medicine.”

“Okay, but just remember—you are not a nun. Now go get some action while you can.”

Lacey hung up and clicked on the TV. Maybe some mindless shows would take her mind off of the gorgeous man who was rapidly becoming an obsession. Hair down, wearing an oversized T-shirt and having a late night chat with her BFF, Lacey felt like herself for the first time all day. She felt sane—except for the way she was reacting to Alex.

Even as she’d complained to Morgan, she knew she was being ridiculous. She should be glad that Alex had been the one to broach the subject, and she should be relieved that they were on the same page. And she was. Sort of.

Lacey groaned in frustration and rolled over in bed to bury her face in the pillows. Two weeks. She just had to keep her head in the game for two weeks. Then she could go home and overanalyze and obsess to her heart’s content. But for now, she had to make sure they kept their distance, no matter how tempted she might be to let her guard down.

He’d agreed to keep their relationship strictly professional, and so would she. It would just be so much easier to do if she didn’t keep imagining him naked.

CHAPTER FIVE

“SO YOU want me to, uh ... just start?” Alex was manhandling the cue cards and shifting from foot to foot, looking like a little kid called to the front of the classroom. She fought a laugh and instead ended up pursing her lips and blowing out her cheeks a bit like a puffer fish. But she didn’t laugh.

Pull it together, Ames. He’s never going to take this seriously if you don’t.

Adopting her best schoolmarm tone, she crossed her arms and leaned against the conference table. “Cue cards are your best friend. Learn to love them.”

He glanced at the cue cards and up at her with a look of disbelief. “You think these are going to help?”

“If you have cue cards in your hands, you’ll never flounder.” Was that her voice she was hearing? It sounded like Ms. Malcott, her third-grade teacher.

The scowling schoolmarm act seemed to be doing the trick, however. He shifted a couple more times, toyed with the cards a bit, and started.

She tried to keep her expression neutral whenever he glanced up from the cards to see her reaction. Following company protocol, Lacey had sent an evaluation to Rick and a couple of other team members for their feedback. Ackland prided itself on being a collaborative team environment. “We’re in this together,” they’d told her over and over again during training. “You’re never alone with Ackland.”

Oh yeah? Where were they now while she was trapped alone in a room with a man who made her salivate and whose problems were so much worse than anything she’d seen before?

Every other assignment she’d been on, and even those she’d shadowed alongside Rick—the clients all had the same issue deep down. Lack of confidence. Every client hid it in a different way but once you knew what to look for the root of all their problems was clear. Low self-esteem was the common denominator.

Once you determined that cause and the myriad of ways the client tried to hide their fears, it was fairly easy to come up with an individualized program that would build up confidence and help the clients overcome their fears.

But then there was Alex. If his issue was with self-confidence then he hid it better than anyone she’d ever seen. If anything, when he started talking in front of a crowd, or just her as the case may be, he seemed anything but vulnerable. He seemed downright cocky.

Maybe it was his military training, but when he began to speak, his spine went ramrod straight, his voice took on the tenor of a drill sergeant, and he not only made eye contact, he glared down his audience as though they were enemies at the front line. She wouldn’t have been overly surprised if he’d whipped out a weapon and demanded that she surrender.

She’d said all of that in her memo to Rick and the team, but she still hadn’t heard about what course of action to take. Maybe Rick was just as stumped as she was. Whatever the reason, she certainly wasn’t feeling like part of a team. She was feeling incredibly alone and way out of her league.

“So what did you think?” Alex’s voice brought her back to the present. Crap, he was already done.

She made a production out of stopping the video recorder and fiddling with the buttons to stall for time.

He kept talking, justifying himself. “I made eye contact. And I spoke loudly enough, right? That’s what they say you’re supposed to do, right?”

“Mmmhmm,” Lacey murmured. “That is what you’re supposed to do. But you may need to take it down a notch ... or three.”

Alex’s brows drew together in a scowl that would have been frightening if she didn’t know better. And she guessed the board members didn’t know better.

“How well do you know these people? The board members who will be voting on whether or not you succeed your grandfather?”

He seemed taken aback by the change of conversation. “Not well. I mean, I’ve met a few of them over the years when I would visit the office when I was in town but—“

“You’ve never interacted with them outside of the office? Never been to a company function or anything like that?”

“No,” he drawled, clearly confused by her line of questioning. “Do you think that I should have?”

Before she could respond, his grandfather walked in unannounced, followed closely by a harried-looking Dawn.

“Alex has to leave his lessons for a while.” Lawrence Newsom’s command left no room for argument.

Dawn explained in a far more pleasant manner, “Jessica Wingate is here.”

Alex’s eyes widened in surprise and Lacey looked from him, Dawn and the old man for some explanation. But it seemed Lacey had suddenly turned invisible at the mention of Jessica Wingate’s name.

“Tell her I’m on my way,” Alex said to Dawn, who raced out of the office to do just that. Alex straightened his tie and ran a hand through his hair before following close behind. Only Lawrence stayed and he looked as though he would chase after them if his old body allowed.

“Pardon me, but what was all that about?”

Lawrence looked surprised to find her still standing there. “There will be time for lessons later. Right now, it’s more important that Alex meet with Jess.”

Feeling rather offended by the way she and her work had just been casually dismissed, she felt compelled to argue. “Actually, sir, there is not a great deal of time for ‘lessons,' as you call them. Not when the board meeting is less than two weeks away.”

The old man made to leave the room. “Yes, well, that can’t be helped.”

“Can’t it? It seems to me, you have the power and the ability to postpone the announcement.”

Lawrence turned his gaze to her and Lacey fought a surge of nerves at the cold glare. “Young as you are, I’ll assume you are not overly experienced in the politics of the boardroom. Is that correct?”

Lacey gritted her teeth to keep from answering him with a sarcastic comment. She hated it when people threw her age and lack of experience in her face. She gave the old man a curt nod, and he folded his hands in front of himself in a show of exaggerated patience. “Well then, you’ll just have to take my word for it, won’t you?”

He turned to leave. “Mr. Newsom, your grandson needs more time.”

That stopped him in his tracks. He faced her with an enigmatic smile. “I told you the timeline, young lady, and I was promised results. I expect you to see through your end, or I will see to it that you’re no longer a consultant for Ackland. Am I making myself clear?”

Flushed with anger at the obvious threat, Lacey clenched her fists to maintain a calm demeanor. “I understand, Mr. Newsom. I just thought you should know that Alex is not like other clients I’ve worked with. He doesn’t suffer from the typical difficulties—”

“Well then don’t treat him like you would every other client. Use any means necessary. I don’t care what you do, just make sure he’s ready to take his position at the head of the board by the time the next meeting comes around. Is that clear?”

“Very.” Lacey watched Mr. Newsom walk out of the room as his words echoed in her ears. Use whatever means necessary.

Maybe it was time to think outside the box.

A plan was starting to formulate. She needed to get permission from her boss at Ackland before she went off course but for the first time since she arrived at Newsom Industries, she was starting to feel optimistic about her assignment.

Laptop tucked under one arm, she went off in search of an empty office that she could use while Alex was in whatever meeting his grandfather felt was so important it meant interrupting their session.

She stopped by Heather’s receptionist desk. “Do you know where I could work without disturbing anyone? Are there any offices free?”

The young girl led her down a different hallway, past another row of glass-walled offices. Most were filled with the typical sights—suit-clad strangers typing away at computers. But Lacey paused before one, her heart momentarily caught in her throat.

Alex was sitting at the desk and a woman—a young and incredibly attractive woman—was leaning toward him. Lacey stopped just long enough to take in the scene. The woman had long auburn hair and the features and build of a supermodel. Tall and slim, she had one hip perched against the side of the desk and a possessive hand on Alex’s arm.

Partly because she was afraid of being caught and partly because Heather called out to her, Lacey kept walking until the receptionist motioned for her to enter an empty office.

Lacey moved behind the desk and thanked Heather for her assistance as she set up her laptop.

Heather was about to walk out of the office when Lacey stopped her. “Hey, Heather, that woman who was here for a meeting with Alex—”

“Jessica Wingate?”

“Yes. Is she, uh—is she—”

Heather raised her eyebrows at Lacey’s awkward stuttering. “Is she Alex’s girlfriend?” she supplied.

Lacey let out a breath. “Yes. Is she?”

Heather rolled her eyes. “Who knows? The two of them are always off and on, it’s impossible to keep track.”

Lacey tried to return Heather’s smile despite the fiery green jealousy that was threatening to tear her from limb to limb.

He is not your boyfriend. He is not your boyfriend. Her new mantra didn’t help to ease the rage. Once Heather left she turned to deep breathing techniques. When that didn’t help, she pulled her cell from her handbag and dialed up the one person who could talk her down.

“Whoa. Easy tiger. I thought you said it was a one-night fling.” Lacey could hear the busy bar crowd in the background as Morgan talked.

“Now is not the time to play dumb, Morgan. Obviously, I like this guy, all right? Are you happy now that I’ve admitted it?”

“Yes, actually. So now what are you going to do about it?”

Lacey groaned and dropped her head into her hands. “There is nothing to do about it. Like him or not, it doesn’t change my circumstances. If anyone found out, I’d be fired.”

“So then, don’t let anyone find out.”

Lacey rolled her eyes at her friend’s nonchalant attitude. Like having a secret affair was an everyday occurrence for her.

“And it may not matter anyway because he might have a girlfriend who’s cozying up to him in his office as we speak.” Her mind rushed to their night together and an entirely new surge of anger had her spitting nails. “And if he had a girlfriend when we— ew. God, what a jerk.”

There was a long pause on the other end of the line. “Wait, so are we back to not liking him now? I’m confused.”

“Me too,” Lacey wailed.

Alex seemed to appear out of thin air in the doorway, startling her so badly she nearly dropped her phone. “Morgan, I’ve gotta go. I’ll call you later.”

“You better tell me what happens with the Greek god or I’ll tear your—”

She hung up on her friend and turned a bright smile to the Greek god in question. “Hey, what’s up?”

He gave her an apologetic look. “I’ve got to, uh, run out for a quick bite with an old friend. Is it all right if we pick up where we left off tomorrow?”

Old friend? More like hot piece of ass, but yeah, sure, why not? We’re all just friends here.

She forced a smile and gestured toward her computer. “Go for it. I’ve got a lot of paperwork to catch up on anyway. I’ll see you in the morning.”

She wished she could smack the gorgeous grin from his perfect face.

“Thanks, Lace. I’ll see you later.”

Lacey eventually stopped fuming long enough to send off an email to her immediate supervisor outlining her untraditional ideas.

Her cell rang less than a minute later. “Don’t do it.”

“Hi, Rick.”

“Seriously, Lacey, I’ve seen this happen before. New hires are so eager to prove their worth that they discard the tried and true methods Ackland taught them and try to be all ... original.”

Rick made “original” sound like a dirty word.

“But Alex’s situation is different,” Lacey started.

“Who’s Alex?”

“Alex is Lawrence Newsom, the third. That’s what he prefers to be called.”

“Uh huh.”

Lacey could just imagine her boss on the other end, typing up an email while ordering at a restaurant and reading the newspaper. The man took multi-tasking to the extreme.

“He’s different, Rick. He’s not like the other clients I’ve worked with.”

“Yeah, sure, kid. They’re all special, right? Everyone feels this way about their first solo gig. Everyone wants to break new ground and go the extra mile—make a name for themselves with the bigwigs at Ackland.”

“That’s not what I’m—”

“But the truth is, kiddo—all of these jobs are the same. They’re high-level executives who have fragile egos. They need to have their hands held and to learn a few tricks so they’ll feel like they’ve accomplished something.”

“Yeah, but—”

“Ackland has been coaching executives for decades, the system has been proven time and again. You know that.”

Lacey shifted in her chair, chafing at her boss’s condescending tone.

“Just stick to the script, Lacey. Go through the methods and techniques with him and give him all the encouragement he needs.”

“I will, but I think—”

He hung up before she could say what she thought. Rick had no more time for goodbyes than he did for hellos.

She started to see replies from her “teammates” in her inbox and soon found out that everyone on her team shared Rick’s opinion. Stick to the tried and true method that Ackland promoted.

Were they right? Was she just another overly enthusiastic newbie who wanted to make a name for herself? Possibly. And was Alex just another executive, albeit a young and hot executive, who just needed to have his hand held?

No.

Oh, who was she kidding? It wasn’t like she was objective when it came to Alex. And her colleagues at Ackland had far more experience than her; that was why she needed their permission, right? It was exactly at moments like this that she was supposed to defer to the senior members of her team.

But they’re wrong. They don’t know Alex like I do.

She had a flash of Alex and Jessica looking cozy as could be in his office. Oh yeah, you know him really well. So well you didn’t even know he had a girlfriend when you slept with him. Hell, you didn’t even know his full name when you slept with him.

Lacey’s groan sounded loud in the empty office. Even if her instincts were right this time and Alex was different, she couldn’t risk her job over it. Besides, she trusted Rick’s expertise far more than she trusted herself at this point. She gave a sigh and resigned herself to teaching the course as it was written, which meant typing up Alex’s individualized lesson plan for the following day—a variation of Ackland’s generic program.

CHAPTER SIX

THE CONFERENCE ROOM looked like a battlefield by the time lunch rolled around the next day. Lacey and Alex squared off across the table. Alex wore a scowl of frustration and it was all Lacey could do to keep her patience.

“Let’s try it again.” She pushed the cue cards across the table but he made no move to pick them up.

“This is useless. We’ve gone over this a million times.”

Twenty-one times, but who was counting? Lacey drew in a deep breath and pretended to consult the binder that was open before her. He was right, they’d covered every lesson in the book to no avail. The problem was, he was technically correct. He’d said it himself the day before—he had learned to maintain eye contact, had overcome any urges to fidget through years of military service and had taken Lacey’s advice to modify the speech so it was clear and concise. But he still sucked.

Once he stood before the audience—or, in this case, Lacey—he seemed to become another man altogether. Gone was the mischievous, charming and confident young man she’d met at the airport. In his place was an uptight prick with no soul. It would have been fascinating to watch the total transformation if both of their jobs weren’t on the line.

“Let’s start from the beginning,” she said, flipping the binder to the first page with more eagerness than she felt. She resolutely ignored his loud sigh of exasperation.

“All right, let’s review who you will be addressing. It’s important to visualize your audience. Focus on what it is that they want to hear—what they need to hear.”

Alex rubbed his temples as he listened to her and Lacey couldn’t help but take pity. He looked tired and frustrated.

“I know who will be there,” he said. “The board. They’ll be there to judge every word out of my mouth and to see how I compare to my grandfather and father.”

Lacey’s heart ached at the look of defeat on his face when he spoke the blunt words. She wished she could deny it. She wished she could take away his frustration, but she couldn’t. She’d never met the board members, she had no idea what they wanted from Alex.

“Tell me about them,” she said, closing the binder and shifting her attention to Alex.

He seemed to relax a bit at her conversational tone. It seemed they both needed a break from lessons. He gave a half-shrug. “What do you want to know? They’re a bunch of old stiffs in suits.”

“Who are the key players? There have to be some who have more influence than others. Maybe some who have more ambition than the rest? Someone who is vying for your seat?”

“That would be Marcus Brandt. He’s the newest addition to the board and he’s made it clear that he wants to be president.”

Lacey blinked in surprise. She hadn’t realized Alex faced direct competition. “Does he stand a chance?”

Alex shifted in his seat. “If it were my father who was giving this speech as we’d all anticipated? Marcus wouldn’t stand a chance in hell. My father was the obvious choice to take over for my grandfather.”

“What do you think of this guy? Do you think he should be president?” she asked.

Alex looked surprised at the question. “I’ve never met the man so I can’t speak for his character. I do know that he has the experience for the job. He’s run companies before and has developed a reputation for being cutthroat. Doing whatever needs to be done to run a successful, profitable company.”

“Meaning ...”

Alex sighed. “Meaning massive layoffs.”

Lacey watched as he wiped a hand over his eyes. He looked exhausted. She couldn’t imagine how much pressure he felt to save the day—for his grandfather and for the employees who relied on him.

“Who else is competition for the position?”

Alex shrugged. “No one, as far as I know. Arthur Wingate is the most senior executive on the board but he was my father’s friend and ally. He’s always made it clear that he wasn’t interested in running for president.”

“Wingate?” she repeated. “As in Jessica Wingate?”

Alex seemed surprised that she knew the name. Clearly he too had forgotten that she was in the room when the other woman had arrived.

“Yeah, she’s Arthur’s daughter.” There was awkward silence as Lacey resisted the urge to grill Alex on his relationship with her.

“I see.”

His eyes met hers and he looked like he was going to say something. She didn’t want to hear it. Before he could speak, she hurried on. “So let’s start from the top, shall we?”

Alex surprised her by leaning across the table and covering one of her hands with his own. The feel of his skin was almost her undoing. A table sat between them, but the simple touch somehow felt more intimate than she could bear. She stared at their joined hands as though transfixed as a heavy silence fell over them.

“Lacey—”

“Don’t.” Lacey pulled her hand from beneath his with more vehemence than she’d intended and stood, putting more distance between them.

She turned her focus to gathering up the handouts and pens that were scattered across the table.

“I want you to understand. I want to explain.” His voice directly behind her came as a shock. She hadn’t heard him get out of his seat. Now he was so close, she could feel the heat of his body.

She whipped around. “There’s nothing to explain. We both made a mistake.” She saw his eyes follow her hands as she toyed with her ring. It was a nervous habit but she knew that he would read into it. He probably thought she was racked with guilt just like he seemed to be.

Well, she may have been a fool to sleep with him, but at least she wasn’t a cheat.

His jaw clenched, but he gave a short nod. “You’re right. We agreed to let the past stay in the past. My apologies for bringing it up.”

Alex’s voice was stiff and emotionless, and Lacey felt her heart plummet at his capitulation. She’d almost hoped he’d try a little harder. She wanted him to explain it all away. To tell her that this Jess meant nothing to him and that he only had eyes for her. But she’d told him not to, and he was respecting her wishes. Whether she liked it or not.

It was for the best. Finding a man was not a priority in her life. Creating a career for herself—that was the goal here. She had to prove to everyone, including herself, that she could be responsible and committed.

Sleeping with a random stranger while stranded? That was the move of a young, flaky recent grad, not a professional. There was no more room for error. She needed to be a better person, a more responsible person. Passion and romance would just have to wait.

Dawn poked her head into the conference room and broke the tension. “Alex, your grandfather is looking for you. He’s in his office.”

Alex never took his eyes off Lacey. “I’ll be right there.”

Lacey met with Alex again shortly after lunch and had just as much success as they had that morning. They studiously avoided all personal conversation and repeated the same tedious exercises they had that morning. When he was called away again for a meeting with the account team, Lacey was relieved.

With no client to coach, she headed to her makeshift office and started in on the paperwork. Ackland was big on paperwork. Everything had to be documented, right down to the tiniest detail.

She was glad for the distraction when Morgan called. “So how’s the hottie job going?”

“Horribly.”

Morgan gasped. “Don’t tell me—you totally slept with him again, didn’t you?”

Lacey rolled her eyes. “No, I didn’t sleep with him. I told you; we’re keeping it strictly professional.”

Morgan let out a snort of disbelief. “Yeah, good luck with that.”

Great, even her best friend didn’t think she had what it took to be professional.

“I’m serious, Morgan. I’m only here to coach him. And I can’t even do that right.”

Morgan was silent for a moment on the other end. “Okay, what’s up? You sound like someone killed your cat.”

Lacey let out of huff of frustration as she explained the situation to Morgan. “I’ve tried every trick in the Ackland playbook, and it’s not working. He’s not getting any better. He’s not like every other case, but my bosses can’t see that because they’re not here.”

“Exactly. They are not there,” Morgan interjected. “How will they know if you go off book?”

Lacey started to protest, but Morgan cut her off. “You said it yourself. You are there; they are not. You know this guy. And you’re good at what you do. Ackland wouldn’t have kept you on this long if you weren’t a good coach. Maybe it’s time you trusted your gut and did it your way.”

“But if Rick found out, I could lose my job.”

Morgan’s voice was dry. “And if you keep doing what you’re doing and Alex fails in front of the board?”

Lacey sucked in a deep breath. “I’d lose my job.” And worse, much worse, Alex would lose his birthright and the company and all of its employees would suffer as a result. There was too much at stake here to worry about getting in trouble with Rick.

Morgan was still prodding her on the other end. “All Rick and the other bosses care about is that you succeed, right? I mean, what do you have to lose?”

Nervous excitement swept through her as Lacey pondered the possibilities. “I could still continue with Ackland’s lessons,” she reasoned. “And implement my own exercises on the side. They couldn’t fault me for going above and beyond, right?”

“Right,” Morgan said. Lacey could hear someone calling her friend’s name in the background.

“Sorry, Lace, I’ve got to get to work. But don’t give up, all right? You got this, girl.”

“Thanks, Morgan.”

Lacey hung up and got to work but as her fingers filled in the necessary blanks in Ackland’s tedious forms, her brain was formulating a new plan.

She was just about done with the mundane paperwork when Dawn came into the office at the end of the day. “A bunch of us are heading to happy hour at a bar down the street. Care to join?”

Hell yes.

“Sounds good. Just give me a minute to finish up.”

The bar was halfway between the office and her hotel, and it was packed when she walked in with Dawn and Heather. Raj waved to them from a crowded table in the back.

“Looks like the gang’s all here,” Lacey said.

“Friday happy hours are kind of a tradition at Newsom,” Heather explained.

The three of them squeezed into a booth with two other assistants who were already several drinks in.

Lacey was dying to get the gossip on Alex and Jess, and there was no better outlet than drunk employees. She was trying to figure out how to bring up the topic when Heather did it for her.

“Did you guys see Jess at the office the other day?”

Everyone, it seemed, had an opinion about Jess and her sudden appearance at the office. “I can’t believe she just showed up like that,” one assistant said. “I hope he kicks her to the curb.”

Her friend took a sip of her Appletini and rolled her eyes. “You’re just saying that because you’ve got the hots for Alex.”

“No,” the first girl argued. “I just don’t want to see him get hurt again.” Her friend, Dawn and Heather all stared at her in disbelief until she relented with a giggle. “Okay, fine. And because I have the hots for him.”

“Who doesn’t?” her friend said.

Lacey could sense the topic was about to turn to hot guys in general, and she didn’t have nearly enough information to satisfy her curiosity. She took a quick sip and asked, “So what’s the deal there? I take it they have a long history?”

“High school sweethearts,” Dawn said with some authority.

“They split up when they went off to college, and they’ve been off and on ever since,” Heather added.

“They were together when he joined the air force,” Dawn said.

“Yeah, and then he went away, and she broke his heart,” Heather finished.

Lacey bristled at the thought of Alex pining away over the lanky supermodel. “And you guys know all this because…?” her voice trailed off in a question.

All eyes turned to Dawn, who blushed and offered an apologetic shrug. “I hear things.”

Heather turned to Dawn. “Mr. Newsom must be over the moon that Jess is back on the market.”

Dawn rolled her eyes. “You have no idea. It’s all he could talk about today.”

Well, that explained Mr. Newsom’s willingness to have Alex skip his lessons. Why work for it when you can sleep your way to the top? Lacey couldn’t believe she hadn’t made the connection earlier. Was she so blinded by her feelings for Alex that she couldn’t see his true motives when it was right in front of her face?

Lacey set her glass down with more force than she’d intended. She saw Heather’s eyes widen at the sight of something over her shoulder. “Oh my God, you guys, stop talking.”

In one movement, every woman at the table turned toward the door in time to see Alex and Jess walk in. They weren’t the only ones who stopped and stared. It wasn’t every day two stunningly gorgeous people walked in as if they’d just stepped off a runway.

Lacey turned away quickly. She didn’t want to be caught gawking. So when she heard Alex’s voice right next to her, she nearly dropped her drink.

“Hey guys, you remember Jess.”

Everyone but Lacey said hi to their old pal, Jess. Alex had the good grace to look slightly uncomfortable as he turned to Lacey.

“Jess, this is Lacey, the consultant I was telling you about.”

Jess smiled and offered her hand. “Nice to meet you. I hope Alex isn’t causing you too much trouble.”

Lacey laughed politely at Alex’s expense and tried to hide the toxic anger that was making pleasant chitchat extremely impossible. Jess, with her gorgeous hair and perfect face, had a hint of an English accent, like Madonna or Gwyneth Paltrow. She also had the air of a possessive girlfriend.

The consultant I was telling you about. What did that mean?

Jess’s possessive air seemed to slip a bit when she caught sight of the stupid ring that was still on Lacey’s finger. “Wow, what a beautiful ring. When’s the big day?”

All eyes were on her. Dawn and Heather looked particularly excited. Oh no. Oh no, oh no, oh no. How to get out of this? Oh, you see, I just use it as a prop. I’m actually very single and lonely but I’ve never learned how to say no.

“We haven’t set a date yet.” The lie slipped out easily. Too easily. There would be an avalanche of questions coming her way and she was so not prepared.

“What’s his name?” Dawn asked.

Yup, she should have seen that one coming.

“Sam.” She said the first name that came to her head and tried unsuccessfully to avoid Alex’s probing stare.

“How did you and Sam meet?” Heather was watching her with sweet, innocent eyes. Lacey wanted to kick her under the table.

“Well, um ...” She had a vision of her cat Sam meowing up at her from the Dumpster behind the bar. “He was a customer at a restaurant where I used to work.”

A hysterical giggle threatened to escape, and she took a quick gulp of her drink. Was she pretending that her cat was her lover? Yes. Yes, she was. Thank God she hadn’t named him Mr. Pickles.

“Did he come out to New York with you?” Dawn asked.

“No, he’s in San Francisco.” She shrugged and offered a rueful smile. “He couldn’t get out of work.”

Please, please, please do not ask what he does for a living.

Jess scooted into the seat beside her and gave her a sympathetic look. “That must be rough. Long-distance relationships can be so difficult.”

She saw all of the assistants glance not so subtly in Alex’s direction to see his reaction to that statement. After all, hadn’t it been the distance that broke him and Jess up in the first place? If he felt any reaction to the comment, it didn’t show. He pulled up a chair next to Jessica and offered to buy a round at the bar.

All of the women except for Jessica placed their orders with Alex.

“I’m afraid I have to make it an early night,” she said.

Lacey swallowed bile as she watched Jessica place a possessive hand on Alex’s knee. “Think about my offer, all right?”

Alex just nodded.

Offer? What offer?

“And please reconsider Daddy’s invitation to the club this weekend,” Jess continued. “He would love to spend some time with you. And it would mean so much to me.”

Lacey looked away from the intimate moment going on beside her. She was going to be sick. He was involved with someone else. Someone who is clearly in love with him. Did he feel the same way?

Jessica caught her by surprise when she swung around to face her. “Please tell Alex he should join my father at the club. Maybe he’ll listen to you.”

“The club?” she repeated.

Jess started to gather her jacket and purse to leave. “My father’s country club. He adores golf. He and his buddies go every weekend to golf and hang out in the sauna. I know it’s not exactly Alex’s cup of tea, it would be such a great opportunity for my father to get to know him better.”

She flashed Alex a brilliant smile before turning to Lacey who was clearly her new partner in crime now that the knowledge of Sam proved she was no competition. “It would be impossible for my father not to love him once he gets to know him better. And a positive endorsement from my dad would go a long way during the election.”

Lacey had a flash of how this could tie in with her own plans for Alex. “Absolutely. Alex should go to the club with your father,” she said with a little more enthusiasm than was called for. She saw Alex’s eyes shoot to her in panicked surprise. Clearly he was not a fan of this plan.

Jess, on the other hand, rewarded her with a little side hug. “See Alex? Even your consultant agrees.” She turned to Lacey, “I knew I could rely on you to talk sense into him. He can be so stubborn sometimes.”

Lacey gritted her teeth. She hated the knowing way Jess spoke about Alex. Like she knew him better than anyone. Like he was her boyfriend. She fought another spasm of insane jealousy and forced a smile as she watched Jessica put on her coat to leave.

“Oh, and you’ll come too, I hope,” the annoyingly beautiful model said.

Lacey blinked up at her in surprise. “Um ... what?”

Alex jumped in. “Of course she will. This will be a great way for her to meet some of the board members.”

She looked over to see Alex smirking at her behind Jess’s back.

She smiled at Jessica, ignoring Alex’s taunting look. “I’d love to join you.”

CHAPTER SEVEN

ALEX PUT JESSICA in a cab and returned to the bar, where Lacey still sat with Dawn and the others. He was dying to get her away from their prying eyes. He wanted to explain about Jess. He’d seen the look on her face when Jessica put her hand on his knee. He’d had to resist the urge to swat it away. He wasn’t entirely comfortable with Jessica’s sudden renewed interest in him but for Lacey to see that was unbearable. She’d looked ... hurt. And he couldn’t stand to see her in pain.

But then again, she was the one with a fiancé at home. Why should he feel bad? She’d made it clear she wanted nothing more than a business relationship. Maybe friendship, if he was lucky.

Alex placed an order at the bar and watched Lacey interact with the others. Her face lit up with laughter at something Heather said, and he felt like he’d been punched in the gut.

Good Lord, she was amazing. Stunningly beautiful, but more than that. So much more. She was genuine and passionate and she had a glow that made anything and everything around her light up when she was around. Including him. Did everyone feel this way around her or did she just have this effect on him?

He scowled at the bartender who handed him a drink as a dark thought crossed his mind. Sam probably felt that way every day.

Alex made the rounds among the employees, catching those he knew and introducing himself to the newbies who’d been hired on since his last visit. That had been nearly six months ago, just after his father died. He’d left after a blowout fight with his grandfather and had kept himself busy flying since then. Any excuse to stay away—from the memories and from the expectations. But his grandfather’s call two weeks ago had changed all that. There was no running and hiding anymore. It was time to step up to the plate.

Even if it meant failing in front of everyone and going down in a ball of flames.

Despite his best efforts to distract himself, Alex couldn’t keep his eyes from wandering to Lacey. He watched her sip her drink, laugh along with the others and watched as everyone at her table listened intently to the story Lacey was telling. Whatever it was, she was very animated. Her hands were flying around wildly and in the end, everyone around her was doubled over laughing.

Alex wished he was sitting at their table. When she made a move to leave, he did the same, saying a quick goodbye to the group of accountants he’d been talking to at the bar.

He met her at the door and swung the door open for her, causing her to jump in surprise.

“What are you doing?” she demanded.

He feigned innocence. “I’m holding the door open for you like a proper gentleman.”

“Why?”

“Because that’s the way I was raised.”

She rolled her eyes. “I mean why are you leaving with me?”

He gestured for her to walk through the door. “You’re letting the cold air in.”

She walked outside with a huff, and he followed behind her. “Why are you following me?” she asked.

She sounded cranky and tired, and somehow it seemed to Alex that she was sweeter than ever. How did she make cranky seem cute?

“I’m not following you; I’m walking you home. We’re headed to the same destination, remember?”

“I can walk myself home.”

“I’m sure you can, but if you don’t mind, I’d like the pleasure of your company. You’re just so charming this evening.”

He saw the corner of her mouth twitch in amusement at his sarcasm, but she didn’t let up. “What will your girlfriend think if she hears we left the bar together?”

So that was it. Warmth spread through his chest. He loved that she was jealous. It was with a bit of reluctance that he let her in on the truth. “I don’t have a girlfriend.”

“That’s not what it looked like tonight.” She waved a hand in the direction of the bar.

“We used to be together, but we’re not anymore.”

“That’s not how it looked tonight,” she said again. This time, she said it through gritted teeth and Alex looked over in horror to see tears brimming in her eyes.

He stopped in his tracks. “Are you crying?”

“No!” She stopped as well, and he reached out and placed his hands on her shoulders, helpless in the face of tears.

“Lace, I didn’t mean to hurt you. I swear, if I’d known—”

“I’m not hurt, you idiot. I’m just mad,” she said, her voice choked as she clearly struggled to fight back the tears.

His heart ached. He never wanted to see her cry again.

She broke out of his grip and kept walking toward the hotel, practically stomping in her high heels. He scrambled to say something that would make things right.

“Jess and I, we’re not a couple. Not anymore. I mean, maybe she wants to get together but this is just about business for me.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, he realized how bad it sounded.

Lacey stopped walking and spun around to face him. “Nice, real nice. So you’re just using her for her connections?”

“No, it’s not like that. She knows the score. But she wants to help me. And my grandfather insisted that I hear her out. You’ve got to admit, I need all the help I can get with this election.”

The look of disgust on her face made him wish the earth would open up and swallow him whole.

“Anyone with eyes can see that she still has feelings for you. And the fact that you’re using that to get ahead in business is despicable.” She jabbed a finger at his chest. “Does she know that you slept with someone else two nights ago? Have you been stringing her along this whole time?”

Alex sucked in a deep breath. Anger warred with frustration. Jess had ripped his heart out and stomped on it all those years ago. And now she was back. And she was offering to help him get everything he wanted. He knew her well enough to know that she was in it for herself, but if it meant he could make his grandfather happy and save the company, he didn’t have much of a choice. He would take any help he could get, even if it came from the ice queen who’d broken his heart. It wasn’t like she could do it again. His heart was safe—from Jess, at least.

But Lacey was still glaring at him, accusations in her look. Who was she to judge him? And the idea that she was sticking up for Jess, of all people. That was too frustrating for words. “You have no idea what Jessica is like,” he said. “Believe me, you don’t need to worry about her. I guarantee she has her own agenda—she always does.”

Even he could hear the bitterness in his voice and he latched on to the anger. “Besides, where do you get off being all offended by my having an ex-girlfriend in the picture when you have a fiancé at home.”

She flinched at the word fiancé before turning away from him again. “You don’t understand. Sam and I. We’re not—I mean, we’re not really—”

He held up a hand to stop her from continuing. “It’s complicated. I get it.”

Alex didn’t want to hear it. He didn’t want to be the shoulder she could cry on about her boyfriend troubles. There was a man in her life; that’s all he needed to know.

She looked like she was going to say something more but she didn’t.

“It’s complicated between Jess and me, too. So can we lay off the accusations for a while?”

Lacey pursed her lips as she considered that and gave a jerky nod. “I suppose.”

They both started walking again, and Alex resisted the urge to wrap an arm around her shoulder. “So we’re good? The truce is on?”

She gave him a grudging smile. “It’s on.”

“Fine. Then maybe you can explain to me why you threw me to the wolves.”

She raised a questioning eyebrow.

“Why do you want to see me humiliated on the golf course?” he explained.

“Are you such a terrible golfer that you’d be willing to pass up an opportunity to schmooze with Wingate and the other board members?”

“It’s not that. I’m pretty good at golf.” He fidgeted with the zipper of his jacket. He was uncomfortable just thinking about the next afternoon.

“So then, what’s the problem?”

He shrugged. “It’s just not my scene. My dad was buddies with all those guys, but that’s not for me.”

That was the first time he’d spoken about his dad in casual conversation since he’d died. Somehow, with his death, Lawrence Newsom, Junior’s name had become taboo.

Lacey was eyeing him oddly. “You don’t fit in at the club?”

His eyebrows skyrocketed at that understatement. “With a bunch of old guys sitting around in a steam room and smoking cigars? Not exactly.”

Her pondering glance turned mischievous.

“What is that look for?” He caught the hint of a naughty smile. “And why am I suddenly scared? Lacey, what are you planning?”

She let out a laugh that could only be described as evil. “You’ll see.”

The next morning Alex walked to the hotel restaurant for breakfast, only to find Lacey waiting for him in the lobby. He’d barely taken two steps before she grabbed him by the arm and started leading him toward the front door.

“Where are we going?”

“You’ll see.”

One of the company cars was waiting for them at the curb, and the driver took off without a word. Clearly he was the only one out of the loop.

Lacey sat beside him staring straight ahead. She was business casual with khaki slacks and a pale blue V-neck sweater that clung to her curves in the most amazing way. Her blond curls were pulled up into a loose bun, and it took every ounce of willpower Alex possessed to stop himself from leaning over and pressing his lips against her exposed neck.

She was engaged. How many times would he have to remind himself of that fun fact before it stuck? Knowing it had been one thing, but hearing her admit to it and discuss the details last night at the bar—she might as well have punched him in the gut.

Worse, he’d had to stand there and pretend that he was happy for his new consultant as she prattled on about her precious Sam.

Sam.

“Are you all right?” Lacey had glanced in his direction and was watching him with concern.

“I’m fine, why?”

“You looked disgusted or something.”

Alex forced a smile. “Just curious to see what you’re up to. I mean, if you wanted some one on one time with me, all you had to do was ask.”

His over-the-top eyebrow wiggle had the desired effect. She rolled her eyes and looked away but not before letting out a little giggle that warmed his heart. He was glad he could make her laugh.

“Seriously, where are you taking me?”

Her smile was mischievous. “If I tell you now, it’ll spoil all the fun.”

He pretended to size her up. “Why do I get the feeling I’m not going to like this surprise?”

Her grin grew wider until her dimples showed and the look in her eyes went from mischievous to downright scary.

“Oh come on,” he moaned. “I thought the truce was back on.”

The car started to roll to a stop and she gathered up her things. Her tone was alarmingly chipper. “It is. This is for your own good.”

Alex got out of the car and stared up at the building before him. “I don’t get it.”

Lacey started walking up the steps that led to the elementary school. “What’s there to get? It’s a school.”

Alex had to jog to catch up to her. “Yeah, but what are we doing here?”

“Business tycoon and military hero Mr. Lawrence Newsom the third, has kindly offered to volunteer with the school’s weekend daycare program.”

Before he could wrap his brain around the words coming out of her mouth, Lacey whipped around to face him, and Alex found himself inches away from her. He could just reach his hand out and touch her. He could lean in ever so slightly and feel her lips beneath his own.

He saw her lips part, and her eyes get a slightly dazed look that he knew and loved. She wanted it too.

The sound of high-pitched kids’ voices coming through an open window effectively killed the moment.

Lacey cleared her throat and pulled at her sweater, apparently unaware of the fact that she was only drawing attention to the killer body underneath. “Ready to go in?”

“Wait, what? Why?”

She ignored the question, instead giving him an imperious look. “You should be grateful—do you have any idea how difficult it was to get this gig at such short notice? Luckily for you, one of Heather’s friends works here.”

“Lacey, tell me what we’re doing here.” But she was already halfway to the door, leaving him no choice but to follow after her. She strode down the hall and let herself into a classroom filled with tiny seats, miniature desks and a lot of little people.

“Lace, what are we doing here?” he hissed.

The teacher, an older woman at the front of the classroom, greeted them with a warm smile. “Ah, here are our guests. Kids, say hello to Mr. Newsom.”

“Hi, Mr. Newsom.” The classroom rang out with little voices shouting his name. He smiled at the room in general and tugged insistently on Lacey’s arm until she was forced to face him.

“What are we doing here?”

Her smile was dazzling.

“Mr. Newsom, how come penguins don’t fly?”

One hand was firmly clapped over her mouth to keep from laughing as she watched Alex struggle to come up with an answer. What had started off as a talk about airplanes and what it was like to be a pilot had quickly turned into a Q&A session about flying in general, and it was rapidly devolving as Alex bravely attempted to keep up with the sudden changes in topic.

Lacey struggled to compose herself. The video would be useless if she was shaking too hard. She was pretty sure that when she and Alex reviewed the footage later, there would be no denying that those were her squeaks of laughter coming from behind the camera. But he would just have to get over it. That was the whole purpose of this exercise, right? Help Alex to loosen up—get him to act naturally in front of an audience. And oh, what an audience.

“Mr. Newsom, did you ever see Santa Clause flying with his reindeer when you were in the sky?”

It was too perfect. She just hoped it helped. She’d come up with the idea the day before. He had all the tricks down pat. His problem wasn’t that he was scared in front of a crowd, it was that he was scared to be himself in front of a crowd. It was Lacey’s job to get him to loosen up long enough so he could charm the socks off the board.

Her mind drifted to their first night together and the way he’d teased and flirted with her until she didn’t know if she was coming or going. Oh yes, the man was a charmer. Now if he could only use his powers for good instead of evil.

She watched Alex say his goodbyes to the classroom full of kids and to the teacher, who looked as though she was more than a little smitten by the Greek god who’d sauntered into her classroom and entertained a group of little hellions.

Join the club.

Lacey had felt her heart do somersaults at the sight of Alex interacting with the children. It was impossible not to imagine what he’d be like as a father one day. She let out a heavy sigh. He’d be an amazing dad.

After a mental reprimand about how Alex was a client and off limits, she put on her best consultant face and pulled Alex away from his new fan club.

“You were magnificent,” she said.

Alex was staring at her as though she’d grown a second head as she led him toward the front door and out into the sunlight.

“What. Was. That?”

She didn’t know whether she should laugh or cower in the face of his anger.

Laughter won out. “Oh, come on. Don’t tell me you didn’t have fun.”

Alex rolled his eyes in answer. “Did that little exercise have a point or are you just hell bent on torturing me?”

Lacey thought she saw a flicker of real concern. He couldn’t possibly believe she could be so vindictive that she’d abuse her position to take her revenge. She needed him to trust her if her coaching was going to work.

Alarmed, she placed a reassuring hand on his arm and then immediately removed it as the jolt of pure sexual heat shot through her body at the simple touch.

Not touching, she looked up at him with the most sincere and serious expression she could muster while standing in a hallway decorated with crayon colored portraits and doilies made out of construction paper. “There is a point to this, I promise. Just wait until you see the video I took of you. The way you were talking in there…” she shook her head at a loss for words. “Night and day from your practice speech the other day.”

Lacey was disheartened to see that he was still watching her as though she had lost her mind. “Well yeah,” he said, using the same tone he’d used with the kids. “Because they’re children.”

“And you’re not intimidated by children,” she explained for him.

He rolled his eyes again. “Of course not.”

“Exactly.” She turned to walk to the car and heard him spluttering in frustration behind her.

Once they were settled in the back seat, the driver started the car, and Lacey continued her explanation. “You need to learn how to loosen up in front of a crowd,” she said. “You need to learn to relax. Be yourself.”

Alex groaned and thrust his hand through his hair. “You don’t get it, Lace. These people ... these board members ... they don’t want me to be myself. They want me to be my father. Or better yet, my grandfather.”

Lacey leaned toward him. She wanted to shake him to make him see how ridiculous he was being. “They do want you,” she said, a little louder than necessary. Whatever it would take to get that message through his thick skull. At his look of blatant disbelief, she added, “They just don’t know it yet.”

He groaned again and shut his eyes.

Lacey considered his noble profile and the gorgeous lashes that fell against his elegant cheekbones. How could this man—this god—not realize his own power? Not a power derived from being handsome and charming—although that didn’t hurt—but his innate ability to be a leader. He was a kind, generous, honest to a fault leader. It boggled her mind that he had led his squadron into the most dangerous territory in the world, but he didn’t believe that he could lead his family’s company.

Good thing he had her. That was her job. To make him see that he could be his own brand of leader. He didn’t need to be a carbon copy of his father or grandfather to earn the board’s trust and allegiance.

Eyes still shut, Alex said, “I suppose I should thank you.”

“You should?”

He opened his eyes just enough to cast her an amused glance and for a moment, Lacey was sure the bottom had dropped out of the town car. She was falling. Oh, Lord, how she was falling.

Their eyes locked and the atmosphere changed in a heartbeat. Lacey felt her lips part as she struggled to breathe normally. When had the car gotten so hot?

“Lace.” Alex murmured her name before reaching out his hand and softly caressing her cheek. Slowly, as though afraid he might spook her, his hand moved to the back of her head, and he gently pulled her toward him as he leaned in.

Lacey moved as though in a trance. The rational part of her brain screamed in protest as her lips met his in a searing kiss. His tongue teased her lips until she surrendered and allowed him full access, effectively silencing any remaining rational thoughts.

His mouth was heaven. For a brief, beautiful moment, her whole world was entirely filled with blissful sensation—the scent of his skin, the feel of his firm lips moving against her and the hot surge of desire that left her panting for air.

A car horn brought their kiss to a jarring halt. Lacey pulled away, horrified by her utter lack of control. She was slightly gratified to see that Alex looked as flustered as she felt.

“We can’t—” Lacey started.

“I know.”

“You’re my client and I—”

“Lace, I know. I get it.” Alex ran a hand through his hair and sucked in a deep breath.

Lacey fidgeted with the hem of her sweater in the awkward silence and tried to ignore the painful ache between her thighs.

Alex cleared his throat. “What were we talking about?”

“Um ...” Lacey’s brain struggled into action. “I believe you were thanking me for something?”

“Right. I was going to say I should thank you for saving me from an afternoon at the club with Arthur and his cronies.”

“Yeah. About that ...”

Alex followed her gaze out the window and saw that they were in the Lincoln Tunnel, headed out of the city.

“Where are we going now?”

“The club.”

Alex cast a confused look at her and then his watch. “But the golf game already started. They’ll be halfway through the course by now.”

Lacey nodded, absurdly pleased with her planning. She’d spent ages on the phone with Arthur’s assistant the night before, wheedling information out of her on his routine and schedule. The assistant finally caved, most likely so she could get on with enjoying her Friday night and forget all about her boss for a couple of days.

“You’re going to miss the golf game. That’s the point.”

“To be late?”

“You won’t be late. You’ll be there in time.”

“For what?”

“The steam room.”

For the millionth time that day, Alex looked at her as though she’d lost her mind. “What is wrong with you? Do you just lie in bed at night and think of ways to torture me?”

More like, lie in bed and be tortured by thoughts of him. But she wouldn’t admit to that out loud.

Alex was still griping about her shanghaiing techniques when the town car pulled up in front of the country club. He looked almost desperate when he turned to her. “Please tell me, what is the point of this?”

Lacey consulted the clock on her phone. They were right on time. “Arthur and the others should be wrapping up on the golf course right about now. Which means that you’ve arrived just in time to join them in the steam room.”

“I’ll ask you again. Why would I want to sit in a steamy, hot room with a bunch of nearly naked old men?”

“Because it is practically impossible to be intimidated by a bunch of nearly naked old men.”

Alex blinked at her, clearly at a loss for words.

“Think about it,” Lacey continued. “Can you take someone too seriously after you’ve seen them naked, red-faced and sweaty in a public place? This is just one more step to help you overcome your completely irrational sense of insecurity about these men.”

“Aren’t you forgetting something?” At her blank look, he said, “I’ll be practically naked too, remember? The rule applies both ways, doesn’t it? They’ll never look at me the same way again either.”

“Uh, no.” Lacey eyed him up and down meaningfully. “You are so not a flabby old dude who sits at a desk all day. Believe me, you won’t embarrass yourself.”

“How do you know?”

Lacey tilted her head to the side and gave him a knowing look. “Been there, seen that, remember?”

Alex’s lips curled up into a smug smile. “So you thought I was that impressive, huh?”

She pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes. Lacey could feel the heat rising in her cheeks the mere memory of his bare chest. But she didn’t need him to know the effect his naked body had on her.

She led the way into the club and gave him a gentle shove in the direction of the men’s changing room. “Go get ‘em, tiger.”

Lacey maintained a no-nonsense expression, despite the desire to laugh out loud at Alex’s pathetic puppy-dog look that he cast over his shoulder every few feet as he headed toward the locker rooms.

Once he was safely inside she let out the laugh she’d been holding in.

Holy hell, please let this be worth it or he’ll never forgive me.

CHAPTER EIGHT

LACEY HAD CHECKED her emails and was flipping through a magazine in the club’s lobby when she heard a familiar voice calling her name.

“Lacey? Is that you?”

Lacey looked up and forced a smile. She should have known. “Hi, Jess.”

Jess looked around her in puzzlement. “What are you doing here? We thought you guys weren’t coming. Is Alex with you?”

“He’s in the steam room. He felt terrible for missing the golf game but wanted to try to catch them before they left.” It slipped out of her mouth with alarming ease. She was turning into quite the liar.

“I’m so glad you convinced him to make friends with my father.” The gorgeous young woman was beaming at her and Lacey tried to match her enthusiasm. The lithe model wrapped her arm through Lacey’s and led her toward the bar. “Come with me, I’m waiting for Daddy so we can share a ride home. Trust me, we could be waiting a while. He and his friends are worse than girls when it comes to getting dressed.”

Lacey followed her newfound BFF into an elegant oak-paneled bar. They sat at a small table overlooking the green, and a white-clad waiter was at their side instantaneously.

Jess ordered an iced tea and looked over at Lacey inquiringly. When she nodded, Jess said, “Make that two.”

As soon as the waiter walked away, Jess leaned over the table. “I’m so glad you got through to Alex. He can be so stubborn sometimes. Tell me, what did you say to get him here.”

Lacey bristled at the other woman’s insinuation that she had somehow manipulated Alex. Like he was a puppet to be maneuvered.

Granted, she had tricked him into coming. But that was beside the point.

“I didn’t say anything,” Lacey said. She tried to look the picture of innocence. “It was all Alex’s idea.”

Jess looked surprised but pleased. “Really? Huh. Maybe he’s finally coming to his senses.”

The waiter placed their drinks in front of them, and Lacey toyed with the straw. “How so?”

Jess took a small sip of her drink. “Don’t take this the wrong way—because I’m very glad that you’re here to help Alex with his image. But let’s face it. You can’t work a miracle in a matter of weeks. And that’s what Alex needs.”

Lacey struggled to keep calm in the face of the other woman’s condescending tone. “Surely his case isn’t so dire.”

Jess leaned back in her seat, a knowing smile on her face. “You and I both know that Alex is a great guy. And he’ll make a great company president some day. But he’s just not there yet.”

At Lacey’s lack of a response, Jess continued. “I’m sure that by now you know that Alex’s grandfather had been grooming his father to take over as president for the last decade. And Alex was supposed to follow the same path. He was supposed to have years to become the kind of leader a global corporation needs.”

Lacey felt a stab of pain on Alex’s behalf. Hearing it put that way, it was no wonder Alex felt as though he’d never live up to his father’s legacy.

“So you don’t think Alex is up to the challenge?”

Jess’s smile was smug. “Of course I do—with a little help from his friends.”

“And that’s where you come in,” Lacey said.

“That’s where we come in. It’s obvious that Alex listens to you. It’s understandable. I mean, you’re an objective outsider. It’s no wonder he values your perspective.”

“Thanks.”

Jess continued uninterrupted. “Which is why he’ll listen to you if you tell him he should let me help him.”

Lacey nearly choked on her drink. “And how exactly would you help him?”

“Daddy listens to me and the board listens to Daddy.” Jess gave a helpless shrug. “With a little assistance from me and my father, we could turn this risky election into a sure thing.”

Lacey tried not to let her disgust show. “You could do that anyway, couldn’t you? I mean, you said it yourself. Your father listens to you. Why not put in a good word for Alex right now? No strings attached.”

Jess’s smile never faltered, but some of the chumminess was gone when she answered. “Alex and I have known each other since we were little kids. Did you know that?”

Lacey shook her head. Where was this going?

“We were always close, and our fathers were the best of friends. It was understood that we would get together, even at a young age. Everyone was so happy when we became an official couple in high school.”

And then you dumped him when he went off to serve his country. But Jess skipped over that part.

“I want to get us on track,” Jess continued. “I want Alex to take his rightful place as the head of the company ...”

Her voice trailed off and Lacey filled in the blanks. “And you want to take your rightful place by his side.”

Jess’s eyes narrowed at the sharp tone. “Exactly.”

There was a brief silence as Lacey tried to figure out what sort of response was expected after such a blatant confession of her selfish motives.

Jess sighed and let the pleasant façade slip. “Look, I don’t care if you like me or not. I don’t need your approval. But I do need your help.”

Lacey’s eyes widened in surprise at that. “I’m here to help Alex get this position on his own merit. I’m not here to meddle in his personal life.”

Jess’s laugh was humorless and ugly. “No, you’re here to help Alex win the presidency. Period. No one cares how you do it. If you’re smart and have any ambition, you’ll do whatever it takes to ensure Alex’s success. And whether you like it or not, I am his best bet.”

Jess beckoned to the waiter for her check and turned to Lacey with a brilliant smile, as though the last several moments had never occurred. “It was so inconsiderate of me to keep you here. You must have tons to do on your day off.”

“That’s all right; I have to wait for Alex—”

“There’s no need.” Jess tilted her head and smiled graciously. “My father and I can give Alex a ride when they’re done. You go on and take the company car back to the hotel. You deserve a little downtime; no one expects you to work around the clock.” When Lacey hesitated, she added, “I insist.”

A little while later, she found herself in the town car heading to the city. Alone.

***

Lacey had been right. Alex threw his towel into the laundry bin and headed toward the club’s main lobby. He couldn’t wait to tell her that she had been one hundred percent correct. About everything, from the pudgy pastiness of the majority of the board members to the fact that being in that bizarre environment would help his self-esteem.

That hot little box of a room had leveled the playing field. Wingate and two other board members were in there when Alex walked in and though they’d been surprised to see him, they were happy he’d decided to join them. They all knew him since he was a kid and he’d always thought of them as untouchable. Powerful, high-class men who deserved the utmost respect. But those titans of industry were hard to be scared of sitting there with a little white towel covering them. Even Arthur Wingate, who was normally so cool and collected—the epitome of debonair sophistication with his slicked back blond hair and tailor-made suits. In the cloying hot air of the steam room he’d looked like a buffoon with his red face, disheveled hair and pasty, flabby exposed body.

Oh sure, they’d still called him “son” and ”kiddo” but in this context it didn’t so much make him feel young as it made them seem old.

Alex wasn’t naïve enough to think that this would cure all of his problems. He still had a long way to go. But the image of those men sitting there half-naked would be in his head forever. Whether he liked it or not.

Lacey was nowhere to be found in the lobby. He was about to check the bar or the pool area when Jess called out to him. After giving him a kiss on each cheek, she explained that she’d sent Lacey back to the office and that she would be giving him a ride to the city.

Trying to dismiss his disappointment that Lacey had left without him, he thanked Jess for the ride.

“Oh, it’s no trouble at all. Daddy should be out at any moment. I’m sure you’re both starving. What do you say we all grab a bite to eat first?”

“That’s a fine idea.” Arthur Wingate came strolling out of the dressing room at that exact moment and beamed at his daughter. “Why, this will give the three of us a great chance to catch up a bit. Don’t you think, son?”

Alex scrambled to think of a reason why he couldn’t possibly stay for dinner but was at a loss. The only thing left to do was make the most of an unpleasant situation. And he’d heard the restaurant at the club made a killer steak. “Sure. Sounds good.”

Jess insisted that the dinner be purely sociable and refused to allow either man to discuss business, which helped Alex to relax during the first course. At least he wouldn’t be grilled on first quarter earnings revenues or the next shareholders meeting. Although that didn’t stop father or daughter from gossiping about the other board members. Alex made sure to keep his mouth shut and his ears open as they aired their friends’ dirty laundry.

“…but of course Marcus’s new wife— Alex, you remember Marcus don’t you?” Jess asked.

Alex shook his head. “I haven’t had the pleasure.”

Wingate looked concerned. “That’s right. I believe he was elected to the board while you were overseas. And then he was away when your father passed. It’s a shame you haven’t gotten to know him; I have a feeling the two of you would get along like gangbusters. Don’t you think so, Jess?”

Jess still seemed to be recovering from shock after learning he didn’t already know this legendary Marcus.

“I have a brilliant idea.” Eyes sparkling with excitement, she announced, “I’m throwing you a party.”

“What? Why? No. I mean no, thank you.” But Alex’s refusal was drowned out by her father’s booming voice which was praising her wonderful plan.

“That’s a great idea, sweetheart. It’ll give all the board members a chance to get to know the prodigal son—er, no offense, son—in a nice, casual environment.”

Jess was nodding excitedly, and Alex sat and watched in bewilderment as the father and daughter went into a whirlwind of party planning, railroading him every time he tried to utter a protest.

It was settled. Jess would host a cocktail party at her father’s house that Friday. Alex, scrambling to come up with a conflict, blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “I can’t make it on Friday.”

They both turned to him with a look of surprise. Alex was fairly certain they’d forgotten he was at the table until that moment.

“Why not?” Jess asked.

“Er, Friday night the employees have a happy hour.” He saw the Wingates share an amused look and barreled on. “I think it’s important at this point to show the employees that I’m part of the team. Get to know them outside of work.”

Jess gave him a blank look and then shrugged. “Fine. Invite them. Invite whoever you want. The more the merrier, right Daddy?”

And just like that, Alex’s last, and most feeble, line of defense was effectively shot down.

Alex bid father and daughter goodbye and ran into the hotel lobby. He didn’t stop to overanalyze his actions before stepping into the elevator and pressing the button for the sixteenth floor. Lacey’s floor.

His heart was racing with adrenaline and a newfound optimism. For the first time since he’d discovered he was expected to take his father’s place, he was beginning to feel confident. Maybe he could pull this off after all ... with Lacey’s help.

He knocked on her hotel room door, practically bouncing on his toes as he mentally rehearsed how he would thank her for what she’d done for him. But when she opened the door, clad in a robe and her damp curls loose around her shoulders—all words got caught in his throat.

She was staring up at him in surprise. She wore no makeup, just a rosy glow from the shower—and Alex was certain she’d never been more beautiful.

The silence stretched on for a moment too long, and she raised her eyebrows expectantly. “Did you want something?”

“I-uh-I—”

Lacey’s look of surprise turned to amusement as she watched him flounder for words. “Do you want to come in?”

He shut his mouth and nodded. Once inside, he turned to face her. “I just wanted to say thank you. For everything.”

Her sudden smile knocked the air straight out of his lungs and left his brain an addled mess for the second time in as many minutes.

“So I take it the steam room was a success?”

He returned the smile and did his best to avoid looking down. He was willing to bet she was naked beneath that robe. He took a deep breath and willed his mind to focus on anything else.

His agony must have shown on his face because Lacey was watching him with concern. “Alex, are you all right?”

“Yeah, I uh—I just need some air.”

She took a step closer, and he smelled the warm, clean scent of her skin. It was his undoing.

“Oh God, Lace, you are so beautiful.” It came out in a rush of air and was met with stunned silence.

He saw her cheeks flush at the compliment, and she seemed unsure of how to respond. “Thank you.”

Alex ran a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have come here.” But he made no move to leave. He couldn’t bring himself to turn away, not when she was standing there, so close he could reach out and touch her.

Her breathing was ragged. She licked her lips and pulled her robe closer around her body. She felt it too.

“Lacey, do you want me to leave?”

If she said yes, he would leave without argument, without protest. Please don’t say yes.

“No. Yes.” She shook her head in frustration and threw up her hands. “I don’t know.”

Alex resisted the urge to reach out to her and pull her into his arms. He tried to command his rational mind to work. “Is it because of Sam?” he asked. The thought that she was in love with another man was enough to make Alex’s fists clench in rage. But he wouldn’t push her if she truly was committed to Sam. He would not be that guy.

Now it was Lacey’s turn to fumble for words. “No, it’s not that. Sam is not—I mean, Sam and I, we’re not—”

“I swear to God, Lace, if you say ‘it’s complicated—‘” he started.

Lacey let out a rush of air. “We’re not together.”

He stared at her as she paced back and forth in front of him. “What do you mean? Did you call it off? When did this happen?”

Lacey raised a hand to stop his questions. “I don’t want to talk about that right now. Just know that Sam and I are never going to be married.”

He had to stop a torrent of questions that were dying to escape. The details could wait. Just knowing that she wasn’t going to marry another man was enough. The relief was overwhelming. She was free to be his. Elation rose in his chest at the very thought.

“What about you and Jess?”

Her question put a momentary pause on his joy. He knew what Jess wanted. And what his grandfather and her father wanted. His gaze swept over the sweet, caring, stunning woman before him.

Well too bad for them, because Alex knew what he wanted.

“There is nothing between us.” He grinned at the look of relief on her face.

“But today at the club she said—”

“I can only imagine what she said,” Alex interrupted. “But it doesn’t matter. I don’t want to be with her again. When I was young, I was an idiot. I couldn’t see how selfish she was or how fickle. But now, after everything I’ve been through, I can’t not see that side of her. You know?”

Lacey nodded. “She could be useful for the election, though. She made it clear that she could ensure your victory.”

He took a step closer until she was mere inches away and studied her face. “Do you think I need her help?”

The insulted look on her face was more heartening than any pep talk. “Of course not. I know you’ll win this election. You deserve this position, and you’ll prove that to the board.”

“With your help,” he added.

Her grin was cocky as she planted a hand on her hip. “Well, of course with my help. You’d be hopeless without me.”

He laughed as he pulled her into his arms and cupped her cheek with his palm. “You know that’s true.”

She was soft and warm pressed against his chest, filling a void he hadn’t known existed. He traced a forefinger down her cheekbone and over her lips, watching as her eyes grew heavy with desire.

He let one hand slide down her back to press her bottom closer against him as his lips found hers in a kiss that made him forget his name. Her tongue flickered against his lips, and he groaned in sweet agony as he captured her mouth with his own and slid his tongue along hers.

The feel of her pressing against him, trying to burrow closer against him was almost enough to push him over the edge. His mouth trailed along her neck, and he heard her gasp for breath when he parted the robe, baring her beautiful round breasts.

She moaned his name when his lips followed his fingers down to her rosy nipples. He nipped and suckled as she writhed against him, her hands burrowed into his hair.

The hotel telephone ringing brought them to a jarring halt. Lacey wriggled out of his grasp and pulled her robe tightly across herself, covering her naked body. They were both panting and Alex ached to pull her into his arms but the ill-timed phone call had brought them both into reality.

“We can’t do this,” Lacey said. Her voice was breathy and her expression pleading as she faced him.

Alex cursed under his breath and turned to pace the room, hoping the movement would help to alleviate the desire that was still pumping through his body.

“Why not?” he challenged. “We’re two consenting adults. Neither of us in a committed relationship, at the moment at least,” he added with a nod toward her ring finger.

“That’s not the only thing standing in our way and you know it.” Lacey had turned away from him and was rifling through a drawer looking for clothes.

“If it’s Jess you’re worried about, I thought you agreed I could win this thing on my own.” Alex hated the insecurity he heard in his voice. He hated how much he needed Lacey to believe in him. But he did. He could face Wingate and the rest of the board with confidence if he knew that Lacey trusted him to do this. He needed her by his side.

He let his breath out in a rush of relief when she spun around with a look of impatience. “I know you can do this on your own.” She stalked toward him, impatience clear in every movement. “Listen to me, Lawrence Alexander Newsom. You are more than qualified to lead this company and to take responsibility for the employees and their future. Understood?”

He nodded meekly in the face of her drill sergeant pose and the rude pointer finger that was shoved in his face.

“Then what’s the problem?” He watched with regret as she slipped a pair of panties on beneath her robe and reached for a pair of jeans.

“The problem is, you can win this election on your own, but you can’t afford to make any enemies. You can’t afford to alienate your biggest ally or turn this into some competition where Arthur Wingate and his daughter are out to sabotage you.”

Alex opened his mouth to protest, but she held up a hand to silence him. “Let’s face it. Jess wants you. And while I don’t think you should play along with her game, I also think it would be incredibly stupid to piss her off. Hell hath no fury and all that.”

Alex walked toward her, but she had turned so she could slip into a bra and T-shirt.

“I can handle Jess.”

Fully clothed, she turned to face him, and the sad look in her eyes was enough to assure him that this was just as difficult for her. “Jess isn’t the only problem,” she said. “My job and my reputation are at stake. I can’t afford to risk it all over some physical attraction.”

Her words stung as though she’d slapped him across the face. “Is that all this is for you?” he asked. “You think this is just physical?”

Lacey looked away and had the good grace to look embarrassed. “I don’t know what this is. And neither do you.”

“That’s the point; we haven’t had a chance to figure this out.” He tipped her chin up, so she was forced to look at him. “I know there’s more to this, Lace. There’s desire, yes, but there’s also an understanding. A connection. I’ve never experienced anything like it before.”

Lacey’s eyes grew misty and he saw her lower lip tremble at his frank admission. “Me neither.” Her voice was so soft he could barely hear her.

He brushed a stray curl out of her face and leaned in so his forehead was touching hers and their lips were so close he could feel her warm breath on his cheek. “So what are we going to do?”

He felt her shrug. “I don’t know.”

She sounded so forlorn, he wanted to pull her into his arms and never let go. “Meeting you has been the only good thing that’s happened to me since my father died.”

The admission seemed to surprise her. He looked into her eyes. “I know the timing is off, but I don’t want to let this go. I don’t want to let you go.”

A slow smile spread across her face and lit up her eyes.

“Let’s make a deal,” he said. “We’ll keep it strictly professional until the election and after that, no matter what happens, we give this thing between us a fair chance.”

After studying him for a moment, she gave a little nod. “Yeah, okay. It’s a deal.”

Alex felt like he’d just won the Olympics. They had a shot. He would have an opportunity to show Lacey how amazing she was and how much she meant to him. Life was good.

“There’s one problem, though,” Lacey said.

Alex felt his heart plummet at her look of disappointment. It was Sam. She wasn’t ready to move on. “What is it?”

“I live in San Francisco, and you live in New York,” she said.

Alex stared at her in surprise for a moment before laughing with relief. She scowled up at him. “It’s not funny,” she protested.

“It kind of is,” he said. “You do remember that I’m a pilot, right? And that my family owns a fleet of private jets?”

The blush that spread across her cheeks as she bit her lip to keep from laughing was almost too cute to bear. “Oh yeah. I forgot about that.”

He leaned down so his lips were close to her ear—and dangerously close to her lips. “Lace, if you think three thousand miles could keep me away from you, you’re crazy.”

CHAPTER NINE

ALEX HAD TAKEN Jess up on her offer to invite anyone and everyone he wanted to the cocktail party she was throwing in his honor. Which meant, he’d invited the entire fifty-person New York City branch of Newsom Industries. Which meant, the party was all anyone could talk about that week.

“So who are you bringing as your date?” Raj was half buried in the break room refrigerator looking for the last can of orange soda.

“No one. This is a networking event for me, remember? I’m only going to make nice with the board members.”

It was a partial truth. If Alex had his way, his charming public speaking coach would be his date. But they’d both agreed that would be a terrible idea. He could only imagine Jess’s reaction if he showed up to the party that she was hosting with another woman on his arm.

He’d managed to evade Jess since their meeting at the country club. It hadn’t been too hard since he had legitimately been working around the clock. Between catching up on the company’s current status with his grandfather and Lacey’s barrage of lessons and practice speeches, he hadn’t had time to socialize with anyone. He’d only seen her when she’d stopped into the office to say hello or bring him lunch and even then, their little chats had been interrupted by urgent phone calls and meetings.

He wasn’t a monster. He’d felt guilty every time he’d seen Jess—kissed her on the cheek, let her believe that there was a chance they would get together. Not that he thought her heart would be broken if she knew the truth—that he would rather date a tarantula than get involved with her again—but because he knew he was leading her on.

He’d heard enough gossip from their mutual friends and could read between the lines when talking to Jess to know that she’d recently been dumped by the man of her dreams. A guy who was her social equivalent, wealthy and handsome, by all accounts. It wasn’t exactly great for his ego to realize that he was her backup plan—the guy she could count on to love her if all else failed. But he could still understand that she was disappointed with life—with the hand she’d been dealt.

And now he was playing her just like she’d always played him. He supposed it was karma, but that logic didn’t thaw the guilt that ate at him every time she was near.

It wasn’t like he was professing his love or making promises he didn’t intend to keep. But he wasn’t being upfront with her either. He was letting her believe what she wanted to believe because it served his purpose.

He should be better than this.

But it was almost over now. He just had to make it through the weekend with no confrontations or upsets, and he might just stand a chance at defeating Marcus for the position of president. Step one, get through tomorrow night’s party.

“What about you, man? Are you bringing anyone?” Alex asked.

His outgoing friend turned shy. Alex’s eyes widened. “Uh oh. What’s that look about?”

Even beneath his friend’s dark skin, he could see his skin flush with embarrassment. “It’s nothing. I just—I was thinking about asking Heather.”

“Heather? As in, sweet and friendly receptionist Heather?”

Raj nodded. “It’s a dumb idea, right? I mean, she’s probably already got a date.”

Alex tried to hide his amusement. He’d never seen his friend crush on someone before. He suddenly felt like he was back in middle school. “No, man, I think it’s a great idea.”

Raj’s eyes lit up. “You do?”

“Yeah. I mean, what’s the worst that can happen?”

Raj gave him a look that told him he was an idiot. “Uh, she could say no. And then I’d be forced to see her every day and feel like a complete and total fool every time I bump into her.”

Alex slapped his buddy on the back. “Right. But I mean, other than that.”

They both burst out laughing just as Heather came into the break room, followed closely by Lacey.

Alex stopped laughing as the air was sucked out of his lungs. It was the same situation every time Lacey walked into a room. His heart rate quadrupled and all the oxygen seemed to leave the atmosphere.

“What’s so funny?” Heather asked.

Alex saw his friend freeze up at the question. Raj must truly have a thing for this girl. He cast a glance over at Lacey who was grabbing a bag of chips from a cabinet over the sink. He could totally relate.

“We were just talking about the party tomorrow,” he said.

Heather’s eyes lit up at the mention of it. “Oh my gosh, I’m so excited. I got the most amazing dress at this half-price sale, and I’ve been dying to wear it.”

Alex saw his opportunity to help his friend out. “Are you bringing anyone?”

Heather made a face of disgust. “No, the guy I was dating turned out to be a total loser. Looks like I’ll be flying solo.”

Alex shot his friend a telling look, and Raj took the cue. “Hey, Heather, I was planning on going alone too. Maybe we should go together.”

Heather’s face lit up like a Christmas tree. “That would be great! What time do you want to meet up?”

Raj shot his friend a grateful smile as he led Heather out of the break room and continued with their party planning.

Lacey was leaning against the counter popping chips into her mouth. “That was a nice thing you did there, Cupid.”

Alex grinned. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I just gave a little nudge.”

Lacey laughed. “I’m glad somebody did. Those two needed a good shove in the right direction.”

“You knew there was something going on?”

She rolled her eyes at his apparent obtuseness. “Oh please, you could cut the sexual tension with a knife every time they come within three feet of each other.”

He moved nearer, so he was leaning against the counter beside her, almost touching but not quite. He lowered his voice so they couldn’t be overheard by passersby in the hallway. “Do you think people say the same thing about us?”

He could hear her breath catch, but she didn’t turn toward him. “If they do, we’re doing something wrong,” she said.

It was killing him. Not holding her in his arms was agony. Having her close by at all times but never being able to kiss her or touch her—it was torture. She seemed to be reading his mind. “It’s almost over, you know. The finish line is just around the corner.”

Alex dropped his head and let out a sigh. The board meeting and election were scheduled for Monday morning. By the end of the day Monday, it would all be decided. His future and the future of the company.

No matter what happened with the election, at least he and Lacey could finally be together. They were finally going to get a chance at being a couple.

“I wish you could be my date tomorrow night,” he said. The words slipped out before he could stop them.

Lacey finally turned to look up at him. She gave him a wistful half-smile. “Me too.”

He resisted the urge to brush a curl from her forehead but instead leaned on his elbows. “I have an idea.”

She raised her eyebrows in question.

“Let’s talk about Monday night.”

She laughed. “You mean, how are we going to celebrate your success?”

“No, I mean, what are we going to do on our date?”

Lacey’s grin was infectious. “Well, let’s see. We should go somewhere with champagne so we can toast your new position—”

“Or drown my sorrows if I lose,” he finished.

She narrowed her eyes in feigned anger. “I don’t want to hear that kind of talk, mister. After all the work you’ve put in to becoming this company’s next great leader, there’s no way you’re going to lose.”

“Whatever you say, coach.”

He loved the faith she had in him almost as much as he loved her. Over the past five days of being able to look at her and talk to her and not touch her, he’d realized how important she was beyond the physical. He’d accepted that what he felt for this woman was nothing short of love. Something he’d never experienced before. He could only hope that once this election was over he could put all of his effort into convincing Lacey that she felt the same way. He couldn’t let himself think of the alternative.

***

“Oooh, Lacey’s got a boyfriend,” Morgan said in a sing-song voice.

Lacey rolled her eyes and cinched her cell between her ear and shoulder as she dabbed on moisturizer before bed. “Seriously? How old are you?”

“Lacey and Alex sitting in a tree ...” Morgan’s giggle came through the line like she was in the same room. For the first time all week, Lacey was talking to her best friend and roommate on Morgan’s night off, which meant she was most likely curled up on the couch in her ratty old flannel pajamas and cuddling Sam.

“I’m homesick,” Lacey said.

“Oh please, don’t give me that. You’re having the time of your life with your new boy-toy. Admit it.”

Lacey couldn’t stop the dopey grin that spread across her face as she thought about Alex. “Yeah, he’s pretty great. But I still miss you and Sam.”

“Mmm-hmm,” Morgan teased. “I bet. We don’t stand a chance against the new boyfriend. What are we calling him again? Oh yeah, the Greek hunk.”

“It’s the Greek god,” Lacey laughed. “And he’s not a boyfriend yet.”

“But he will be.”

“Maybe,” Lacey said. She considered her reflection in the mirror and forced away romantic daydreams. “Right now I need to focus on my career.”

“Right, sure.” Morgan’s voice dripped with sarcasm.

“Morgan, this means a lot to me.” Sometimes the fact that her best friend was still living their college life made her feel like they were in two different worlds. This was one of those times.

“Listen, Lace, I get it. I know this job means a lot to you. I’m just sayin’, why can’t you have your cake and eat it too? Why can’t you have both?”

Why can’t I have both? The words lingered in Lacey’s head long after she hung up the phone. As she finished getting ready for bed the thought took root, and there was no denying the wellspring of hope that bubbled up inside her.

She would be on her best behavior for the remainder of her contract. But once this election was over, what was stopping them?

Lacey ordered her brain to stop fantasizing. Now was not the time for romance, there was still a lot of work to be done. And something told her that Alex would not like the next exercise she had in store.

In fact, if he was still speaking her by tomorrow afternoon, it would be a miracle.

They’d agreed to share a car to the office the next morning but Lacey planned to make a stop on the way. It was their last day to practice—and Lacey’s last chance to break down the remainder of Alex’s insecurities. She knew what needed to be done. But it wasn’t pleasant.

“What are we doing here, Lace?” Alex’s tone held a hint of warning.

Lacey swallowed her hesitation and led the way into Alex’s father’s apartment building.

She stepped into the elevator and turned to find him watching her warily. “I don’t want to go up there.”

Lacey’s heart went out to him, but she remained silent until he eventually joined her inside the elevator, stabbing the button for the fifteenth floor— his father’s floor—with more force than necessary.

They watched the numbers tick by overhead. When they’d reached floor ten, Alex finally spoke. “I don’t know why we’re doing this.”

Lacey glanced at him. “Do you trust me?”

“Of course.” He said it so quickly her heart did a little flip in her chest.

“Then believe me when I say that you need to do this.”

She let him lead the way to the apartment. Lacey waited patiently as he took a deep breath, then another, before reaching for his keys and letting them both in.

After what felt like an eternity of watching Alex roam around the apartment, looking at pictures and touching knick-knacks that cluttered the shelves and end tables, he finally spoke. “I haven’t been back here since he died.”

“I know.” When he looked over in surprise, she shrugged. “I pay attention.”

He gave her a half-smile, a hint of amusement in an otherwise grief-stricken look.

She moved toward him. “I didn’t bring you here to torture you, I swear. And this isn’t some ploy to make you a better speaker.”

When she reached his side she grasped his hand, and he squeezed it in return. “I just think…”

She cleared her throat and shoved away the fear that she was overstepping her boundaries. Someone had to be honest with him; someone had to push past his defenses and help him to move past the barriers that were keeping him from embracing this presidency with the fervor she knew he felt. “I just think you need to say goodbye,” she said.

His eyes met hers and the pain was unbearable to witness.

Before he could speak, she hurried on. “I know you’ve grieved for your father, but I think…I think stepping up and taking this role is difficult for you to accept. The role was supposed to be his. I think you’re hesitating because it would mean that his death is real. That he’s really gone and he’s not coming back—not for the company and not for you.”

He turned away from her. Now she’d done it. She’d crossed the line, and now he would push her away. He’d hate her for presuming to know anything about him or his father or—

“You’re right.”

His soft-spoken words were a relief, but they also tugged at her heart. His back was still to her and she wanted to go to him. Wrap her arms around him from behind and rest her cheek against him. Let him know she was there for him without speaking.

She shouldn’t. It would break every professional rule in the book. But she did it anyway.

An hour later, they sat side by side on the couch. They were largely silent, except for Alex’s occasional story from his past or memory of his father that had them both laughing and, in Lacey’s case, wiping away tears.

It was good. It was healthy.

“It was just the two of us, you know?” Alex said. “My mom ran off when I was little, so it was always just the two of us. My dad and I against the world.” He had one arm around her shoulders as they listened to the low hum of the refrigerator.

She nodded. “I do know, actually. That’s how my mom and I always were.”

He pulled away so he could look at her and she realized he was waiting for her to continue.

With a little shrug, she told him the whole, not-so-pretty story of her childhood—from the divorce, to her father remarrying and losing interest in her, to her mother’s constant struggle to put food on the table.

“She got pregnant with me when she was young. She never had a chance to figure out what she wanted to do with her life or start a career. It was always one dead-end job after another.”

His hand stilled in the middle of stroking her arm. “So that’s why this job at Ackland means so much to you?”

She rolled her eyes. “Yes, Freud, I imagine that has something to do with it.”

He laughed and pulled her closer. “I’m glad we came here. Thank you.”

“I’m glad you’re glad,” she said. “But now we’d better get to the office, you still have a lot of work to do.”

She ignored his groans and pleas for mercy as she led the way out of the apartment.

***

Lacey was laughing so hard her stomach hurt.

“I’m not kidding, Lace, give it to me.” Alex had her pinned against the conference room table that afternoon, one arm around her waist as he reached for the remote control in her outstretched hand.

Video footage of Alex reading to kindergarteners played out on the TV at the front of the room. “It’s a learning tool,” Lacey insisted, but the fact that she was giggling as she said it didn’t help her cause.

Alex scowled at her, but there was laughter in his eyes as he reached for the remote. “You are cruel,” he growled.

“Cruel but effective,” she said. And it was true. They had worked hard that week on various ways for Alex to harness the natural charisma and confidence he exuded outside of the boardroom.

They’d made real progress. At the end of every lesson, Lacey would videotape Alex’s speech and would go off to her office to review the footage and make notes on what areas he still needed improvement. She’d sent the most recent tape to Rick back at Ackland headquarters and had been pleased, but not surprised, that he and the team agreed with her assessment—Alex Newsom had come a long way.

They both heard the door opening behind them but neither turned to see who it was. Dawn was always interrupting their lessons to fetch Alex for his grandfather. Lawrence Newsom Senior’s every spare moment was spent trying to cram facts into his grandson’s head. He was trying to do the impossible—fit decades’ worth of life experience into two weeks. Every time he returned to her after these meetings, her heart ached at the weariness she saw in his eyes. She’d overheard enough of their conversations to know that his grandfather was merciless in his judgment and criticism of the younger man.

“Dawn, tell the old man he can wait,” Lacey said. “Alex and I aren’t done.”

“Oh, you’re done all right.” The old man’s gravelly voice was like ice water in Lacey’s veins. She hurried to distance herself from Alex who had spun around to face the old man.

“Grandfather, what are you doing here?”

Lawrence Newsom stalked into the room, his eyes narrowed as he took in the scene before him. Lacey had a feeling those eyes didn’t miss much.

“I came to see how your lessons were coming along.”

She watched as Alex fidgeted like a little boy in front of his grandfather as she struggled to overcome her embarrassment.

The old man’s watery blue eyes turned to her, and she lifted her chin stubbornly. Yes, they were caught having fun, but it wasn’t as though they were doing something inappropriate. She and Alex hadn’t crossed the line into impropriety once since their little chat in her hotel room. There had been some flirting and a whole lot of fun, but no kissing and certainly no sex. Not that it wasn’t on her mind every minute of every day. She was counting the seconds until the election.

“Mr. Newsom, I’m glad you could join—” Lacey started.

“Lawrence, please go to my office. The CFO is waiting to brief you on last quarter’s results.”

Alex shot Lacey a comical look of horror behind his grandfather’s back as he moved toward the conference room door. Lacey smothered a grin, all too aware that the old man was watching her every move like a hawk.

Once they were alone, the silence was unnerving. Lacey cleared her throat. “Mr. Newsom, you’ll be happy to know—”

Mr. Newsom started to speak as though she’d never opened her mouth. “I understand that you have a job to do here, Miss Ames. And I believe my team and I have been extremely cooperative with you and your unique methods.”

“Yes, sir,” Lacey agreed. “You have been most accommodating.”

It was the truth. He had watched from the sidelines as she led Alex through her personalized versions of Ackland’s program—one that was far from typical. He never intervened, even when he walked in on one of Alex’s training sessions that involved him giving a somewhat ludicrous speech about the danger of sugar consumption to the admin team in the break room.

“I’ve given you this freedom because I have seen the results. Your boss at Ackland gives me regular updates on the status of your training.” Lacey stared at the old man in surprise. Rick had never mentioned that he was in contact with the elder Lawrence Newsom.

Mr. Newsom regarded her with a look of amusement. “Your employer seems unaware of some of your more outlandish tactics, but I’ve kept my mouth shut because the only thing that matters to me is the result. And your unconventional methods appear to be working. That’s all that matters.”

Despite his domineering demeanor, Lacey had the distinct impression that she was being complimented. “Thank you, Mr. Newsom.”

His eyes narrowed and he took a step closer. “I don’t want you to get the wrong idea, Ms. Ames. I am pleased with your work, but that does not mean I don’t see what’s going on beneath my nose.”

Lacey blinked in surprise and struggled to think of an appropriate response to the vague insinuation. “I don’t think I know what you mean.”

The old man’s chuckle was humorless. “Don’t play dumb with me. You might be blonde but no man with half a brain would call you dumb.”

Lacey’s shoulders straightened and her spine stiffened involuntarily at the old man’s accusatory tone. “What are you saying?”

“I see the way my grandson looks at you and the way you look at him. I may be old but I remember what it’s like to be young. And I recognize a workplace romance when I see one.”

Lacey cursed the heat that rushed into her cheeks. She was sure that only made Lawrence Newsom more convinced than ever that she was guilty. “I’m afraid you are mistaken, sir. There is no workplace romance. Not between Alex and me, at least.”

He waved away her protest. “Please don’t take me for a fool.” Lacey opened her mouth to protest but he cut her off. “In any other circumstances, I would be happy to see my grandson settle down with a lovely, intelligent young woman like yourself.”

Lacey’s mouth parted in disbelief. There was no way they were having this conversation.

“But?” she prodded.

“But now is not the time.”

Lacey had an idea where this was going and her hands clenched into fists at her side. “Why not?”

“You know as well as I do why not.” His temper was beginning to flare as well. But Lacey couldn’t let it go.

“Because of Jess. You want them to get back together,” she said.

“I want what’s best for my grandson and this company. And in this case, that means the support of Arthur Wingate.”

Lacey couldn’t hide her disgust. “Wingate will support Alex because it’s the right thing to do.”

The old man’s bark of laughter gave her a start. “You’re so young. So naïve. Yes, in the perfect world, Arthur Wingate and all the other board members would vote for Alex because it’s the right thing to do. But in the real world, they will vote for the person who can give them what they want.”

Lacey’s jaw dropped at the man’s cynicism.

“Wingate wants his daughter to be happy and Jess, unfortunately for you, has decided that what she wants is to be Mrs. Lawrence Newsom, the third.”

“And you’re all right with that? You’d be happy to see your grandson marry a woman he doesn’t love for the sake of the company?”

The old man leaned against the conference room table and for the first time, Lacey noticed how tired he looked.

“Of course that wouldn’t make me happy,” he said. “But I don’t have a lot of time left, and I need to look out for my employees. Alex understands that.”

“That’s what Alex wants too,” Lacey said. “He wants to lead this company and ensure the jobs of all of its employees. But surely marrying Jess Wingate isn’t the only option.”

“It’s the safe option. It’s a sure thing. It’s what Alex needs.”

Lacey struggled to keep calm. She drew in a deep breath. “Mr. Newsom, I know you’ve lost your son and for that, I am truly sorry. But please remember that Alex also lost his father.”

Lawrence Newsom looked shocked, but she forced herself to continue. “What he needs is for you to believe in him. Alex needs your trust more than he needs your guidance right now. He needs for you to be his biggest champion rather than his toughest critic.”

The old man looked like he was going to protest but Lacey kept going. She was on a roll. “Making a commitment to a woman he doesn’t love may be the safe way to ensure he wins the election but at what cost? Do you want him to be the kind of leader who doubts his leadership abilities? Or one who questions his own integrity?”

Dawn’s sudden appearance in the doorway saved Lawrence Newsom from having to respond. It seemed he was needed immediately for a conference call that had started several minutes earlier.

He left the room without a backward glance, and Lacey slumped into a chair. His sudden exit might have saved her job—for the moment at least. But there was no guarantee that he wouldn’t call her into his office to fire her the moment his call was through. And she couldn’t blame him.

She dropped her head into her hands with a groan. Did she just confront the CEO of a world renowned corporation over the way he treated his grandson?

“What was that all about?”

Lacey hadn’t heard Dawn enter the room, but now she was perched in a chair across the table from her looking eager for gossip.

“What do you mean?”

Dawn rolled her eyes. “Oh please. I could hear your voice from the end of the hall. So tell me, what did the old man do now?”

Lacey rubbed her hands over her face. “We had a difference of opinion.”

“About?” Dawn prodded.

“Alex’s future and the best way for him to win this election.”

“Ah. So it was about Jess and how he wants them together.”

Lacey’s head popped up as she turned to look at her new friend who was grinning at her. “Don’t look at me like that,” Dawn laughed. “I’m an executive assistant. I see everything that goes on around here.”

“Okay, Ms. Know It All, what’s your opinion? Do you think Alex should get back together with Jess for the sake of the company?”

Dawn shook her head. “Of course not. Nobody wants to see Alex miserable. Not even Mr. Newsom.”

“But he just said—”

Dawn waved away her protest. “Yeah, I can only imagine what he said. But trust me, I work with him day in and day out. He’s not as tough as he’d like to believe. He wants his grandson to be happy.”

“So then why is he pushing this? Why does he want him to take the easy way out?”

Dawn’s smile was sad. “Because he’s scared.”

Lacey considered the other woman, unsure of what to make of this new revelation. “Scared of what?”

Dawn threw her hands up. “Scared of losing control of the company, scared of dying, scared of losing someone else he loves ... take your pick.”

Lacey rolled her eyes and groaned. “Great, so you’re telling me I just yelled at a lonely, scared old man?”

“Pretty much.” Dawn stood and patted Lacey’s shoulder. “If it makes you feel any better, I’m sure he had it coming.”

As if Lacey’s day wasn’t bad enough, that afternoon while Alex was being held hostage by his grandfather, Lacey had a run in with the she-devil herself.

“Lacey, I’m so glad I ran into you.” Jess was making a beeline for her as she neared the elevator banks. It had been a long morning and all Lacey wanted was a minute to herself to get some fresh air and a bite to eat.

She tried to force a smile. “Hi, Jess, what brings you to the office today?”

Jess’s heels clicked as she crossed the hallway. “I dropped by to see if Alex was free for lunch but it seems he’s stuck in a meeting.” She pursed her lips in a pouty face that made Lacey’s stomach turn.

“That’s too bad.”

Jess’s eyes skimmed over her from head to toe. “That outfit is just adorable on you.”

Lacey looked at the pinstripe pantsuit she’d paid way too much money for. Adorable was not the look she’d been going for. “Um, thanks.”

Jess’s face brightened. “Maybe you and I could grab a bite together since Alex is tied up.”

Why on earth would we do that? But Jess seemed to be back to her old chipper self after the not-so-pleasant chat at the club a few days earlier. She supposed whatever had transpired between Jess and Alex after she’d left the club had been enough to convince her that Lacey was no threat.

“I was just going to grab a quick sandwich at the deli downstairs and eat it in my office,” Lacey lied. “I’ve got a lot of work to get done.”

The other woman’s eyebrows raised in surprise. “Your office? I hadn’t realized you’d moved in.”

Lacey looked up in surprise. Or maybe Jess hadn’t quite come around. “I’m temporarily using an empty office. Just until my contract ends.”

Jess’s smile was brittle. “And when is that?”

“After the election on Monday. Unless they want me to stay on during the transition.”

Jess followed her into the elevator. “I can’t imagine that will be necessary.”

Lacey stared up at the numbers above the elevator door as the floors flew by and took a deep calming breath. She would not engage in a petty fight with this woman. The words came out anyway. “I don’t believe it’s up to you.”

The silence was tense, and Lacey glanced over to see Jess watching her with narrowed eyes. Gone was any pretense of pleasantries.

“I’ve talked to your employer at Ackland, you know.”

Lacey’s mouth dropped open at that. “What? Why? Wait, you talked to Rick?”

Jess looked amused by Lacey’s flustered response. “No, not Rick. I believe his name was Mr. Crowley.”

Lacey could only stare at the other woman now as the elevator came to a stop and the doors opened with a ding. Mr. Crowley was the big boss. He was her boss’s boss’s boss’s boss.

Jess had already exited the elevator, and Lacey stumbled to catch up. “Why?”

Jess looked amused. “You don’t think I’d trust Alex’s future success to just anyone, do you? I’m extremely invested in his future since I plan on sharing it with him.”

Lacey had to hustle to keep pace with Jess’s long strides. She found herself following the other woman out the front door of the building and past the deli where she was supposedly grabbing a sandwich.

She reached a hand out to grab Jess’s arm, bringing her to a halt. “What did you tell him?”

The tall stunner looked at her with a mix of amusement and disdain. “I didn’t tell him much. Mostly, I asked questions. And the answers were fascinating. This job is quite a step up for you, isn’t it? You’ve come a long way from waitressing.” Lacey wished she could slap the smirk off Jess’s face. “But he assured me that you have been well trained and have had great success on the other projects you’ve been a part of.”

Lacey swallowed down her panic. Okay, maybe this wasn’t a disaster after all.

“He did seem interested in your methods, though,” Jess added as she turned to continue walking.

“What did you tell him?”

Jess shrugged. “Not much. I just passed along what I’ve overheard.” She flashed Lacey a saccharine-sweet smile. “But don’t worry, honey, he and I both agreed that we’d support any means necessary as long as it gets the job done.”

We? Lacey didn’t know whether to laugh or scream at the woman’s nerve. Through clenched teeth, she matched the other woman’s smile. “I hadn’t realized you were such an expert on public speaking.”

Jess laughed. “Of course I’m not. But I am an expert on Alex. I know what he needs. And right now, that seems to be you.”

She stopped short to face Lacey, seemingly oblivious of the annoyed passersby who she’d cut off mid-stride.

“But that ends with the election. Is that clear?”

“What’s your point, Jess?”

“My point is this—I am tolerating your presence for Alex’s sake. My father and his grandfather seem to believe he’s doing quite well with your particular brand of coaching.” The word coaching came out as a sneer, and Jess heaved a deep breath before continuing. “But don’t believe for one moment that I’m not keeping an eye on you. I’ve seen the way he looks at you and the way that you look at him—”

“We’re not—” Lacey tried to interject.

“Oh, I know you’re not. And you never will be. Alex might be angry with me at the moment. He’s still hurt over things that happened in the past. But I’m good for him. He needs me, and he knows it.”

“If that’s the case, then why am I such a threat?”

Jess raised an eyebrow as though impressed that Lacey had stood up to her. “You’re not a threat, sweetie. You’re a distraction. You may be a useful distraction at the moment, but I don’t want you to get the wrong idea. You don’t have a future with Newsom Industries, and you don’t have a future with Alex. Is that clear?”

“Jess, Alex and I are just—”

Jess cut her off with a dismissive wave of her hands. “Please spare me the excuses. Save those for your fiancé, if you still have one when you return to San Francisco.”

Lacey’s eyes widened. Was this woman seriously threatening to ruin her fake engagement? She knew she should be furious but the image of Jess outing her to Sam her cat was just comical. But Jess’s next words drained any humor from the situation.

“At the moment you don’t have a future with Alex, but you have a very promising future with Ackland, from what I understand. All it would take is one word from me for that bright future to come to a jarring halt. Don’t jeopardize that over some infatuation.”

Lacey’s mouth open and shut as she struggled for words as Jess strode away and got lost in the crowd.

Lacey wasted no time getting Rick on the phone. If her job was in danger, he would know. As usual, Rick seemed to be waiting for her call. “Don’t get your panties in a bunch, blondie.”

Lacey swallowed the rude retort that sprang to mind. “Did you know that Jess Wingate called Mr. Crowley?”

“Yeah, he called me the minute he got off to ask what the hell was going on over there.”

The anxious knot in her stomach grew ten times bigger.

“Nothing, I swear.”

“I believe you, and that’s what I told Crowley. I told him you were a consummate professional and that you can’t help it if you happen to be a looker as well.”

Lacey rolled her eyes. “Thanks.”

“Look, kid, I’ve been on your side since day one with this. Even when you went off script, I’ve had your back. I’ve reassured the higher ups that you know exactly what you’re doing.”

“Thanks, Rick, I appreciate—”

“Don’t screw it up.”

Lacey opened her mouth to respond but was cut off by the dial tone. Fantastic.

“Right,” Lacey muttered to herself. “No pressure.”

CHAPTER TEN

JESS’S WORDS WEIGHED on Lacey for the rest of the afternoon. The bubble of optimism and romance she’d been happily living in had popped.

Lacey didn’t hear Alex come up behind her. She was pouring herself a cup of coffee from the carafe on a side table when she felt him. He was so close she could feel his breath on her neck, and she cursed her body’s sudden and intense reaction.

“So about Monday night,” Alex said. “I figure we’ll start with a celebratory drink at—”

Lacey spun around and stopped him with an upheld hand. “Stop it.” She couldn’t take it. For the last hour he had been charming and sweet and wonderful, and it was driving her crazy.

He blinked in surprise at her serious tone. “What’s wrong?”

There it was. The question he’d clearly wanted to ask but hadn’t. Until now. She struggled for a moment, wanting to tell him everything that Jess had said and all about her job being in danger, but this was not the time. He had problems of his own. He couldn’t be distracted by Jess or her career or anything else, for that matter. She could vent all she wanted after the election on Monday. After that, Jess would have no say over Alex’s future or her career.

Unless Jess decided to get revenge.

Lacey’s heart ached as she stared at the gorgeous man before her. Who was she kidding? Even if he won the election, the moment they started dating, Jess would do everything in her power to ruin Lacey. Jess was not a gracious loser; it didn’t take a psych major to figure that out. What would she do if she knew that she’d lost her bright shining future to Lacey? She would do whatever it took to make her miserable. And all it would take is one word about wrongdoing or the slightest hint that her relationship with Alex was anything less than businesslike, and she would be out on the street. Or at least, back at the bar. And if she and Alex were a couple, Jess’s rumors about an illicit affair in the workplace would be completely vindicated.

So basically, even if Alex won, they still lost. The unfairness of the situation made her want to cry. Or throw the coffee carafe against a wall.

Alex was watching her with concern. “Hey, are you all right?”

God, he was gorgeous. The tender look in his beautiful green eyes was almost her undoing. He reached out a hand and cupped her cheek and she jerked away.

“We can’t,” she said.

He was watching her with concern, but he gave her a little grin. “I know, I know. I have to wait until Monday.”

Lacey winced and shook her head. He didn’t get it. Was it possible that he didn’t know how vindictive and jealous his ex was?

“Hey, what’s going on? What happened since this morning? I thought we agreed that after the election on Monday—”

“That what? Suddenly all of our problems will magically disappear?” Lacey hated the bitter edge to her voice, but she couldn’t stop it. She despised the fact that her future happiness was in someone else’s hands. She hated that she was being forced to choose between the career of her dreams and the man she loved.

Loved. The very thought of the L word made Lacey’s body turn numb. She blinked up at Alex as he continued to study her, concern written all over his face.

“Lacey, whatever’s wrong you can talk to me about it. You know that right? We can figure this out, whatever it is.”

For a moment she couldn’t respond. Her brain had latched on to that one word and couldn’t let go. Was this love? Oh holy cow. This could not be happening. She was in love. She had finally met someone she could spend her life with. This was it, standing right in front of her. What she’d been looking for since she’d read her first fairy tale about happily ever afters. She had found her prince.

And he was off limits.

The prince in question reached out to clasp her shoulders, cocking his head for a better look at her face. “What is it? What’s happened that you’re not telling me?”

Lacey struggled with what to tell him. Much as she wanted to spill her guts and let him tell her it would all be okay, she couldn’t do it. Because it wasn’t okay. Whether or not he won the election, she would have to choose between this man and her career. It wasn’t fair.

“There’s nothing to talk about,” she said, swallowing the words that threatened to spill out. “You need to focus on the election. No more talking about us until this is all over, all right?”

He studied her for a moment, his expression a cross between disbelief and concern. He dropped his hands from her arms and for a moment Lacey thought he would drop it.

“No,” he said.

“Excuse me?”

“We’re going to talk about this now.”

“We can talk Monday,” she insisted.

“No, it can’t wait.” He crossed his arms in front of his chest, looking remarkably like a small child about to stamp his foot.

“Why not?”

He rolled his eyes as though she was deliberately obtuse. “Because the promise of Monday night is the only thing getting me through all of this.”

Lacey’s breath caught in her throat at the simple, sincere confession. “That’s ... sweet.”

“It’s not supposed to be sweet; it’s just the truth. I like you, Lace. A lot.” He reached out a hand to grab her hand but she jerked away.

“Stop being so nice to me,” she said. As soon as she did, she realized how ridiculous she sounded. If he was a child about to stamp his foot then she was a toddler having a temper tantrum. Perfect, two children making a decision that would affect the rest of their lives.

“Sorry,” he mumbled, the grin tugging his lips belying his words.

She spun around to face the side table where her coffee cup sat waiting. Her back to him, she let out a sigh. She tried not to jerk away when his hands came to her shoulders, gently sooothing the tension between her shoulder blades.

The feel of his hands made it impossible to remember what she was so angry about. How could anyone be angry when muscles were being turned to putty? The temperature in the room seemed to go up by twenty degrees as his hands moved along her back and arms, working their delicious magic.

“Tell me what’s wrong, Lace.” His breath was warm against her cheek. It took everything in her power not to turn her head to the side and let her lips find his. She could forget all of her troubles with one kiss from this man.

But that would not solve anything. She moved slightly away from him and he dropped his hands.

“Look, Lace, I know we’re in a difficult spot, but once this election is over—”

At that, she spun around. So quickly he took a step from her in surprise. “When the election is over, what? We’ll get together and live happily ever after?”

Alex was staring at her in surprise, but she barreled on.

“Do you think Jess will just step aside and let you go?”

Alex reached for her again, trying to pull her into his arms. “Jess has no hold over me. I want you. I only want to be with you.”

Lacey felt tears stinging her eyes. That was exactly what she wanted to hear. It meant everything—and nothing. It didn’t solve anything.

“And I want you,” she said, all of the fight drained from her voice. His eyes lit up for one moment before she continued. “And you’re right, she doesn’t have a hold on you. And that’s great. But she’s got a hold on me.”

Alex looked like he’d slapped across the face. “Did she say something to you? Did she threaten you?”

Lacey sighed and turned from the caring, kind man who just wanted to make everything better. There were some things not even a Greek god could fix. “She made it pretty clear that if you pick me, she’ll spread the word that we’ve been having an affair this whole time.”

“But we’ll tell them—”

“It won’t matter, Alex. Ackland has a strict policy about workplace romances, and it would be my word against hers.” He looked like he was about to argue and she held up a hand to stop him. “Don’t you see? I’m starting to make a name for myself in this company. And even if they don’t fire me right away, the rumors would be out there. People would talk.”

“I know, I get that. But what we have—”

“What we have is attraction. We have amazing chemistry, and for all we know that’s all we have. I’ve known you for what, not even two weeks? What we have is not worth giving up my future and everything I’ve been working toward.”

He looked stunned and for a moment, Lacey wished she could take back every word.

“I’d never ask you to give up everything for me.” His words were nearly her undoing. But then she was caught up in another wave of bitter anger at her situation. It would be easier to cut all ties now, she told herself.

“No, you wouldn’t. But that’s what I’d be doing if I saw this thing through.” She waved her arms between the two of them. “And you wouldn’t be risking anything. It’s not fair.”

He shook his head, clearly at a loss for words. Good. Maybe she could get out of here without crying.

“I can’t give it all up for you. I won’t. It’s not worth it.” Her parting words seemed to echo in the conference room as she hurried toward the door. She couldn’t risk looking back.

***

Alex sat at the hotel bar for hours that night. He nursed drink after drink, hoping to see a curly haired blonde walk in to join him. He’d tried calling and had sent her more texts than he could count. He’d even gone to her room and knocked on the door, waiting with one ear pressed against the door like the desperate lovestruck fool that he was. But if she was there, she kept perfectly quiet until he left.

He should have some pride. She had walked away and made it clear that she didn’t want him to follow. She’d all but told him she didn’t care about him.

Not enough, at least. Not enough to take a chance on them.

Not enough to risk everything. For the hundredth time that day, Alex cursed himself for the hypocrite he was. Who was he kidding? Would he give up everything for her? If the tables were turned, would he turn away from his family’s company and from the career of a lifetime to give their relationship a fair shot?

Yes. The answer came simply enough. Until he really thought about—thought about the opportunities that he’d miss out on, the chances he’d lose out on to make a difference in his life and the lives of his employees. Suddenly the answer wasn’t nearly so simple.

So who was he to judge Lacey’s reaction? She worked hard and had been given a shot to make a name for herself. And he was asking her to give that up for him.

It’s not worth it.

He winced at the memory of her parting words and took another gulp from his glass. Maybe she was right.

Maybe it wasn’t meant to be. Maybe they were star-crossed lovers doomed to live apart for the rest of their days. He groaned as he drained the rest of his drink.

Or maybe he was a hopeless romantic and was more inebriated than he’d thought.

His glass hit the bar with a loud thunk that had the bartender and several patrons looking his way. He tipped his glass in acknowledgment and they looked away.

Tomorrow would be his last official day working with Lacey. He had one day to talk with her and laugh with her before it was all over. Then they’d go to Jess’s party where he’d pretend to talk to his friends and colleagues when in reality he would spend every second looking at her and trying to catch glimpses of whatever conversation she was having. With someone else.

The thought was infuriating. He wanted to be her date. He wanted to wrap his arm around her for all the world to see and spend every moment listening to her gorgeous laugh and watching every emotion under the sun cross over her expressive, adorable face.

This time he ignored the bar patrons’ stares as he set his glass down with more force than necessary. He would have her, dammit. Maybe it was the whiskey, but Alex felt a surge of determination unlike anything he’d ever felt before.

If there was one thing that Lacey had taught him these past two weeks it was that he was a fighter. That he needed to stand up for what he wanted and fight for it. And goddammit, he wanted Lacey. He wanted her in his life more than he’d ever wanted anything. Being with her was better than flying, better than traveling the world…hell, it was far better than running a company.

He would fight for her. He didn’t have a solution yet but he would find one. There was no way in hell he’d let an ex-girlfriend dictate who he would or would not see. Who did she think she was, anyway? He knew Jess, and he knew how ruthless and stubborn she could be when she wanted something. But he also knew how determined he could be when there was something he wanted.

Jess didn’t stand a chance.

But what if Lacey doesn’t want you to fight for her? The voice in his head was unwelcome and he scowled into his glass, vaguely aware of the wary looks he was getting from the bartender.

He shoved the errant thought to the side. He would just have to convince her that he was worth taking a chance on. That they were worth it. He would just have to convince her to believe in him.

He was already convincing the board and his employees to take a chance on him, why not add one brilliant and sweet consultant to the list?

When he paid his tab and headed toward his room that night, he was a man on a mission. He would convince Lacey that they were worth a shot and he would do anything necessary to fight for her. He would move heaven and earth to protect her from his ex. And he would gladly go to hell and back to keep her in his life.

Tomorrow, he vowed to himself as he flung himself onto his neatly made bed. Tomorrow he would talk to her and he would fix everything.

But that conversation would have to wait. Lacey was in a no-nonsense mood when he arrived in the conference room the next morning, slightly the worse for the wear if her appraising look was anything to go by.

“Lace, we need to talk,” he started, but he was cut off by Lacey’s hand in his face. She was waving for him to head to the front of the room, where a stack of note cards sat. He groaned aloud at the sight of the video camera in the rear of the room, its little red light flashing a warning that she was already recording.

“Lace,” he tried again, but the weary look she flashed him was nearly his undoing. And that’s when he noticed how pale she looked and how puffy her eyes were. She looked as though she hadn’t slept a wink. Her red-rimmed eyes made his heart ache. She’d been crying.

“Not now, okay?” she said, her voice little more than a whisper.

If she had screamed and yelled, it would not have been nearly as effective. That pitiful plea was more than he could bear.

“We have one more day, and we need to take advantage of every moment,” she said. He opened his mouth to protest but she made a gesture for him to begin.

Alex looked at the card on top and opened his mouth to begin. “Ladies and gentlemen of the board—”

He was cut off by a distraught looking Dawn who rushed into the room. “There you are. I’ve been looking all over for you.”

Alex pushed himself away from the counter, dread filling his gut. “What is it, Dawn? What’s wrong?”

Dawn’s eyes were filled with tears, but she still had the calm exterior of a truly experienced corporate assistant. “It’s your grandfather. He was taken to the hospital. He collapsed on his way to work this morning.”

Alex straightened and moved into action. Years of active service in the military had trained him how to function efficiently in crisis mode. “Dawn, call for a car to pick me up out front and take me to the hospital. Don’t alert the rest of the staff until I say so. Understood?”

Dawn gave a short nod and turned to do as she was told.

He heard Lacey running to keep pace beside him as he headed toward the elevator banks. “Hold on, I’m coming with you.”

They rode to the hospital in silence. Alex stared out the window and watched the buildings go by. He could not lose his grandfather now. Not yet. It felt like yesterday that his father passed away; he couldn’t bear to lose anyone else he loved. And despite all their problems, he did love his grandfather. He just hoped he had time to tell him.

He needed his grandfather. The company needed his grandfather. There was no way he could run the company on his own. Not yet.

He found himself saying a silent prayer as they veered through traffic. When Lacey’s hand reached over and covered his, he grasped it and held on tight, thanking whoever was in charge for bringing her into his life. He held on tight, and he planned on never letting go.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

LACEY HATED HOSPITALS. But then, who didn’t?

The clock on the waiting room wall said she’d been there for an hour, but it felt like years. She’d had nothing but time. Time to think about every cruel and dishonest word she’d said to Alex the day before. Time to remember the look on his face when she’d told him he wasn’t worth it. Time to tear up over the sheer panic that had filled his eyes when Dawn told them his grandfather had been rushed to the hospital.

He’d covered it up quickly enough and had turned into the efficient leader that he was, but Lacey had seen it. She’d seen the scared little boy underneath.

Lacey said another silent prayer for Lawrence Newsom, Sr. She wasn’t overly fond of the old man but she would give anything if Alex could go a little while longer without losing someone else that he loved.

Including her. Lacey got up from the waiting room couch and paced the narrow room. He hadn’t told her he loved her. But he did. She knew it just like she knew that she loved him. The connection between them had never just been physical, despite everything she’d said.

She loved him. That revelation had kept her up half the night, tossing and turning. Love. She’d always thought that when she fell in love for the first time, it would be easy. Maybe she’d watched too many romantic comedies growing up, but she’d always assumed that she’d meet some cute guy, fall in love, get married and live happily ever after.

The fact that she might sleep with a relative stranger find out he was her client, fall head over heels and then be forced to choose between him and her career? That thought had never even crossed her mind.

She sat up straight when Alex walked into the room looking weary and exhausted.

Her heart ached at the sight. When she walked toward him he opened his arms, and Lacey stepped into them without thinking. His solid warmth beneath her cheek was heaven.

He dropped his head so his face was buried in her hair. “Thank you for being here.”

“Of course. Where else would I be?”

She held him tight as though she could physically give him her strength. “How is he?”

Lacey could feel him sigh. “Not good. The cancer spread and he’s worse than he’d let on.”

“Was he awake when you went in there?”

“Yeah.” Even his laugh sounded tired. “He was barely conscious, but all he wanted to talk about was business. He’s terrified that his collapse will weaken my bid for the presidency.”

Lacey moved to look up at him. “Do you think that’s true?”

He shrugged. “Maybe. I’m sure a lot of my supporters on the board have been under the assumption that my grandfather would be the puppet master pulling my strings if I took over. Knowing that he’s—” Alex cleared his throat. “Knowing that he’s—they may have a change of heart once they realize he won’t be running the show much longer.”

Lacey looked him in the eye. When she saw the pain there, she couldn’t help but reach out a hand to stroke his cheek. “Hey, it’s going to be okay. You’ve worked so hard; you’ll win this on your own merit.”

She could see his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed. “I hope you’re right. Lace, this means so much to him.”

“What about you? Is this what you want?” It was the second time she’d posed the question, and she had a feeling she was the only one who ever bothered to ask. She studied his face as he contemplated it. For a moment, she wondered what she would do if he said he no longer wanted this.

What would she do? Would she try to convince him that he did so that she could look good in the eyes of her company? It didn’t even warrant consideration. No, of course she wouldn’t. If Alex decided to walk away from his grandfather, his family’s company and the Wingates, she would help him pack and cheer him on as he got into the cockpit where he clearly felt at home.

Even though it would mean she had failed—at least in the eyes of her employers at Ackland. She would rather he be happy. That was her choice. She chose him.

The realization was like a lightbulb going off. In one split second an unbearable weight lifted from her chest and despite everything—the smell of the hospital, the weary sadness in Alex’s face, the looming board meeting—she was unbelievably and overwhelmingly happy.

She’d made her decision. She chose this man.

Alex’s voice brought her back to the present. “I want this,” he said. He spoke with a conviction that was undeniable and she felt a swell of pride. “I want this for me and for my father and for him.” He jerked his head toward the wing where his grandfather was sleeping.

“Why do you want it?” she pushed.

“Because I want to see my family’s vision become a reality. I want to see all of our employees prosper, and I want to be a part of it. I was born and raised within that company, and I know where its future lies.”

Lacey beamed up at him. “Bravo. My pupil is now the master.”

He laughed, but she hurried on. “I’m serious. If you talk like that at the board meeting, there’s no way you won’t win. They need to see how much you want this and how much you care.”

He lifted a brow as he studied her. “You certainly have a lot of confidence in me. Funny, I didn’t think you cared.”

One corner of his mouth was lifted in a smile, but it wasn’t hard to read the hurt that lie beneath his teasing words.

“Alex, I—”

He held up a hand to stop her. “Don’t. It’s okay; I get it.”

“I’m sorry,” she finished. She looked up into the green eyes she knew so well and let him see what she was truly feeling. “I’m sorry,” she said again. “I didn’t mean what I said.”

He was studying her and whatever he saw must have convinced him because a grin spread across his face and he pulled her into his arms.

She rested her cheek against his chest and listened to the steady beat of his heart. “I’m sorry,” she said again.

He held her away just far enough so he could meet her gaze. “I never expected you to give up everything for me. You know that, right?”

Lacey nodded.

“We’ll figure out a way to be together that doesn’t put your career at risk,” he continued. “I promise we’ll find a way.”

For a moment, Lacey believed him. If there was anyone who knew how to get his way, it was this charming Greek god standing before her. But she had to say it anyways, she had to let him know what he meant to her.

“It doesn’t matter,” she said. At his confused look, she reached a hand out to lightly stroke his cheek. “I choose you.”

It felt so good to say the words out loud. But the intensity in his eyes was nearly her undoing. The tender, awed look of love returned.

He shook his head, “No one is asking you to choose.”

Lacey smiled up at him. “I know, but I thought you should know. I pick you.”

“You’ve worked so hard; I would never—” Now it was her turn to cut him off. She stood on her toes to plant a kiss on his lips.

His arms tightened around her, so she was firmly wedged against him. So close she could feel the evidence of his arousal.

“Really?” she teased. “Here? Now?”

He leaned in so their lips were tantalizingly close. “I can’t help it. You’re so hot when you’re giving motivational speeches.”

She laughed and as he wiggled his eyebrows at her. “Easy tiger, now is not the time. Monday night, remember?”

He groaned in mock misery. “Fine. A few more long lonely nights. I suppose I can wait.”

“How noble of you,” she teased as she disentangled herself from his embrace. “I better get going and you should too. You need a nap and a shower if you’re going to be presentable at the party tonight.”

He dropped his head with a moan. “I almost forgot. I’ve got to make nice tonight, don’t I?”

“Just be your wonderful, loveable self and you’ll do fine.”

“You’ll be there tonight, right? I need you by my side.”

Lacey smiled. “I wouldn’t miss it.”

She turned to leave, but he caught her hand and pulled her back. His expression was unusually serious. “Lacey, I—”

“What is it?”

“Thank you for being here. Thank you for everything. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

Her heart was lodged in her throat. “Alex,” she sighed. Before she could say more, he leaned in and slowly, tenderly captured her lips with his for a heartbreakingly sweet kiss.

Hours later, Lacey was putting the final touches on her makeup when there was a knock on her hotel room door. She hurried to open it and when she did, she nearly melted into a puddle on the hotel room floor.

Alex leaned against the doorframe, tall and lanky in a perfectly fitted suit. His hair was unusually tame and for the first time since she met him, he was completely clean shaven and looked as though he’d stepped directly off the cover of a magazine ad for an obscenely expensive cologne.

The lopsided grin was the icing on the cake. Lacey lifted a hand to the corner of her mouth to make sure she wasn’t drooling. She wasn’t, thank God.

He was staring at her with unabashed admiration and Lacey could feel the jolt of desire right down to her toes.

Or was that the narrowed toes of her stiletto heels making her scream in pain? Nope, definitely desire.

“You look gorgeous,” he said.

She resisted the urge to fall into his arms. Three more days. She could wait two more days. “What are you doing here?” She glanced down the hallway as though spies were hiding behind the potted plants before pulling him into her room.

He reached out for her, but she slapped his hand away.

“What. Are. You. Doing. Here?” she repeated as though speaking to a child.

He gave her a weary look. “Escorting you to the party?”

She narrowed her eyes at his charmingly boyish look. It was his company they were trying to save here. His career. One would think he could manage to think with his brain for a little while longer.

“No,” she drawled. “You are most definitely not escorting me anywhere.”

She pointed toward the door. “We’re trying not to rock the boat, remember? We’re trying to keep everyone happy until the election is over. Or have you forgotten?”

He rolled his eyes, but his sheepish grin gave him away. “Fine, I’m not here to escort you, I’m here to give you a lift.”

She raised one brow in response.

“We’re carpooling?”

She scowled.

“Oh, come on. We’re saving money. It’s the frugal thing to do.”

She gave an unladylike snort.

“We’re saving the environment?”

Lacey shook her head in disbelief. She grabbed his arm and started leading him toward the door.

“Oh, come on. This is ridiculous. We’re coworkers and friends. I think we can manage to split a cab without offending anybody.”

Lacey caved—partly because he’d made a semi-decent point but mostly because, despite her urgent shoving, she hadn’t managed to move him an inch toward the door.

“Fine. Wait here.”

When she walked into the bathroom to put away her makeup bag, her hands were shaking with nervous energy. You’d think this was her first date.

This was not a date. She widened her eyes and made a face in the mirror. For the love of God, somebody had to remember that tonight. It had damn well better be her.

The taxi rolled to a stop in front of a luxury apartment building on the Upper East Side. “I can’t believe you’re doing this,” he said.

Lacey checked her lipstick in the cab’s rearview mirror. “You’re the one who insisted on splitting a cab.”

He rolled his eyes. “So now I’m stuck sitting in a cab by myself all night?”

The cab driver cast them a look over his shoulder. “No offense, man,” Alex added. The driver gave a curt nod.

“Not all night, just for fifteen minutes. That will give me plenty of time to say hello to everyone before you arrive. No one will ever know.”

“That we split a cab,” Alex finished. He threw his hands up in mock horror. “Scandalous.”

“We can’t take any chances. Not tonight. Not until—”

“Monday. Yeah, I remember.”

She leaned over to plant a quick kiss on his cheek before sliding out into the cold, misty night. The doorman let her in, and she found herself in a cavernous, marble-lined foyer that smelled like old money. “This way, ma’am.”

If the foyer was impressive, the Wingates’ penthouse suite was mind-blowing. Lacey had met her fair share of rich people, but she’d never seen wealth like this. The collection of art on the wall was better than any gallery she’d ever seen and every piece of furniture looked as though it belonged in a museum.

“There you are,” Jess greeted her with a magnanimous smile before air kissing her cheeks. “We were all beginning to wonder where you were.”

She made a point of looking behind Lacey as though expecting to see someone else walk through the door. “Where’s Alex?”

Lacey shrugged and said a silent prayer that she’d insisted on making him wait in the cab. Jess was all smiles as she led her further into the apartment where crowds of Newsom Industries employees and board members were already gathered. But Lacey saw through Jess all too well by this point. She was no more fooled by her smiles than Jess was fooled by the fake pearls around Lacey’s neck.

Jess was out for blood.

Lacey knew the exact moment that Alex walked through the door. The entire atmosphere in the penthouse shifted as he made his way through the crowd. He made everyone happier, lighter, more confident and relaxed. He was just so naturally charismatic. Lacey smiled as she sipped her drink and listened to Heather and Raj debate the merits of living in a penthouse versus owning a mansion in the suburbs.

He was a born leader. And he was hers.

For the next hour, she and Alex circled one another in the room as they made the rounds. They studiously avoided speaking to one another, but every time their eyes met, they spoke volumes.

They were so close. Once he won the election—and there was no doubt in Lacey’s mind that he would—they would be free to be together. They would be free to explore their feelings and to make a real go of it. Lacey shivered at the thought. She’d never felt this way before—not even about her ex-boyfriend.

That had been kids’ stuff. That had been an infatuation, a hint of what was to come. She cast a quick glance across the room and watched Alex listening intently to a woman from accounting who was talking his ear off.

Her heart did a flip flop at the sight of his kindness. This was so much more than an infatuation. This was the real deal.

Lacey started at the sound of Jess’s voice behind her. “May I have a word?”

When Lacey turned around, Jess was still all smiles—for the sake of the people around them, no doubt—but her tone was crisp and businesslike.

This could not be good.

“Of course,” Lacey said, and she followed the other woman through the crowd and into a darkened hallway where the party ended and the private residence began. They walked past several closed doors before Jess ushered her into a dimly lit office with dark wood furniture and the stuffy feel of an Ivy League library.

Jess gestured for Lacey to take a seat but she remained where she was, close to the doorway with her arms folded across her chest. She was in no mood to play along with Jess’s charade.

“What is it, Jess?”

The other woman dropped the smiling hostess routine and turned to face her with a cold, hard glare. “I was so sorry to hear about Alex’s grandfather this morning.”

Lacey blinked in surprise. She hadn’t realized the other woman knew about Mr. Newsom’s trip to the hospital. Alex had done everything in his power to keep it under wraps.

She waited warily for the other woman to make her point.

“I felt so sorry for Alex. I mean, it can’t be easy for him to see his grandfather like that, especially after everything he’s been through this year with his father’s death.”

Jess toyed with a paperweight on the desk, and Lacey had the sinking feeling that she was being toyed with as well. Get to the point already, she wanted to shout. But she remained quiet.

“I wanted to be there for him,” she continued. “After all, Alex is one of my oldest friends and I’d like to think we’re well on our way to recapturing the relationship we once had.”

Lacey’s eyes narrowed. Talk about melodramatic. Jess was performing a one-woman play for an audience of one. She was losing patience fast. “So?”

Jess’s head snapped up, and she shot her a look of annoyance at the interruption. “So,” she drawled. “Imagine my surprise when I showed up at the hospital to comfort the man I love and there you were … in his arms.”

Lacey’s stomach sank. “Jess—”

“Don’t.” Jess had been leaning against the desk, but now she stood straight, hurt and anger evident in her gorgeous features. “I don’t want to hear it.”

She moved to stand in front of the desk, directly opposite Lacey. For a brief moment, Lacey felt a flicker of guilt. Jess was clearly angry but more than that, she was hurt. She was disappointed. She was in love with Alex and he didn’t love her back. Lacey hated to even imagine how that would feel.

“He didn’t mean to hurt you,” she said. Her voice was soft and for a moment, she thought she saw Jess’s anger fade. “We didn’t mean to hurt you,” she added.

At that, any sign of softness flew out the window, and Jess’s expression hardened. “Of course you didn’t mean to,” she snapped. “Because I made it very clear what would happen if you interfered.”

Lacey sucked in a deep breath. She was sick and tired of Jess’s threats. She was officially over it. “I don’t care.”

Jess’s eyes widened in surprise.

“I don’t,” Lacey continued. “It’s sad and pathetic that the only way you think you can get Alex to love you is to threaten my career.”

She saw Jess’s eyes narrow dangerously, but she didn’t care. Anger had replaced any feelings of sympathy she might have had.

“I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone as selfish as you,” she said. “You say you care about Alex? Well then do what’s best for him. Wish him well. Support him and his choices. That’s what love is. What you feel? That’s not love, it’s not even friendship. You just want to control him and have everything you want just the way you want it.”

Jess raised one brow. “Are you finished?”

“No. You are a spoiled brat, and you don’t deserve Alex.” There was a pregnant pause as the two women faced off. Lacey let out a huff of air. “Okay, now I’m finished.”

Jess stood there considering her, a pitying look on her face. “It’s hard to believe you can’t see what a hypocrite you are.”

Lacey’s head snapped back as though she’d been slapped.

“You say I’m selfish, but I’m not the one standing between Alex and his dreams for the future. I’m not the one messing with his family legacy.”

“Neither am I,” Lacey bit out between gritted teeth. “I’m helping him get everything he wants and deserves. I’m helping him get it all on his own merit. He’ll get it all his way and on his terms. Not yours or your father’s. Not even his grandfather’s.”

Jess shook her head in disbelief. “Are you deluded or are you really that naïve?”

Lacey dropped her arms and turned to walk to the doorway. She’d had enough. Turning to face the other woman, she said, “You know what, Jess? I don’t care anymore. You want to trash my career out of some bizarre sense of vengeance? Go for it. I’ll take my chances that my work speaks for itself. But it won’t make any difference in the long run. You still won’t have a chance in hell with Alex.”

Jess’s eyes widened in surprise, but Lacey wasn’t through. “So stop with your threats already. If you’re going to rat me out to my employers, just go ahead and do it.”

Jess studied her for a moment, and a slow, wicked smile spread across her face. “I already did.”

Lacey’s stomach dropped as the wind went out of her sails. “What?”

“What’s the matter, Lacey? Not so sure that your ‘work’, as you call it, will be enough to save your job?”

Lacey couldn’t think of a response. Her mind was too busy racing through her options. What had Jess said? Maybe she could call Rick and explain the situation. He would believe her word over a stranger’s, wouldn’t he? And when Alex won, it wouldn’t matter.

“What did you tell them?” she demanded.

Jess’s eyes widened in mock innocence. “Just the truth, sweetie. That I was concerned your relationship with Alex was…inappropriate. From what I gather, Ackland does not look kindly on romances in the workplace—particularly between consultants and clients.”

“But it’s not true,” Lacey said. “We’ve kept it professional.”

“For now,” Jess finished. “Do you think I’m stupid? I know there’s something between you. Whether you’re sleeping together now or waiting until the election is over, it’s all the same.

“Even if Alex wins the election, it won’t make a difference,” Jess continued. “I’ve been assured that your contract with Ackland has been terminated. Effective immediately.”

Lacey thought she might throw up. She had worked so hard. She’d been given this one shot and she’d screwed it up. She shut her eyes at the thought. It wasn’t over yet. She would call Rick, she would explain the situation. She would beg if she had to.

For now, she just had to get away from Jess without losing her lunch.

“Fine,” she managed to say despite the roiling pit in her stomach. “I hope you’re happy. You do realize, however, that now you won’t stand a chance with Alex. You may have hurt me but you’re no closer to winning Alex’s love.”

She didn’t stick around to see how her words affected the other woman. She spun around on her heel and stumbled down the darkened hallway toward the loud, cheerful sound of a successful party in progress.

She saw him across the room chatting with Arthur and two of his buddies who Lacey assumed were on the board. He looked comfortable and in his element as he chatted up the older men. She’d done her job.

She was headed toward the door, hoping to escape unnoticed. She could talk to Alex tomorrow when they were alone. If Jess was right and she was out of a job, the only consolation would be that she and Alex no longer had to hide their relationship. That was something.

She had almost reached the door when she heard Alex call her name. “Hey, where are you going? The party just got started.”

He looked so happy and energetic, she didn’t have the heart to let him down. “I’m just not feeling all that well,” she said.

He studied her with concern before taking her by the arm and leading her outside to a terrace that sported an amazing view of the city. The night air was balmy and promised rain but for now, it was perfect. The city lights were a romantic backdrop and the sounds of music from inside just added to the ambiance.

He turned to face her and she was suddenly very aware that they were alone. The distance between them was nothing. His eyes darkened with desire and he leaned down to kiss her. Only a potted palm stood between them and the curious eyes of their colleagues. They shouldn’t do this.

But when his lips touched hers, she forgot all about what they should or shouldn’t do. For one heavenly moment she forgot all about Jess and her job and the fate of the company. For one deliriously delicious moment, she let herself savor the feel of his warm, strong lips against hers. She breathed in his scent and let her hands rest against his hard chest.

For one moment, everything was perfect in the world.

The sound of a particularly loud laugh inside broke them apart. Alex heaved a heavy sigh and took one step to the side. She offered a wry grin. “Monday night, remember?”

He groaned and tilted his head. “Why does that sound like an eternity right now?”

“Because it is,” she said. “But on the bright side, it looks like you’re wowing the bigwigs in there. Not that I expected anything less.”

He pretended to straighten his tie and gave a cocky sniff. “I’ve been told I can be quite the charmer.”

“Oh yeah? Who told you that?”

His lopsided grin made her smile in return. She could have stood there grinning like a doofus all night long with her guy, but she was becoming all too aware that the longer they remained outside, the more suspicious Alex’s absence would seem. Her job might be in the Dumpster, but that didn’t mean he should throw his out the window.

He caught her worried glance toward the terrace door and took another step. “I guess that’s my cue to go back to being the life of the party.”

She shook her head in mock exasperation. “Always so humble.”

He stopped just before the door and turned to fix her with a look that made her heart stop. “Have I mentioned that you are breathtakingly gorgeous tonight?”

She pretended to consider the question. “You know, I don’t believe you did.”

His wink was over the top and made her laugh out loud. “You’re an unforgettable, traffic-stopping, out of this world knockout.”

She laughed, and he turned to walk in the door but just before he shut the door behind him, he added, “And I just might be the luckiest guy in the world.”

Game over. Lacey didn’t believe in swooning, but if there was ever a time when she thought that word might be appropriate, this was it.

Despite everything that had happened between her and Jess, she felt like she was walking on air.

That feeling transported her through the crowd as she said brief goodbyes to her new friends from the company and straight out the door where a doorman graciously offered to flag her a taxi.

She was grinning to herself in the lobby when the elevator doors opened with a ding behind her. She turned, half expecting to see Alex pop out demanding one last kiss before she headed home.

But it wasn’t Alex, it was Arthur Wingate, looking debonair in a stately, older gentleman kind of way. Temporarily forgetting that she hated this whole family, Lacey found herself matching his enormous grin with a pleasant smile of her own. He strode up to her, his voice booming in the marble, cavernous lobby. “Leaving so soon?”

Lacey was about to respond with a vague, pleasant excuse for her abrupt departure but he had reached her side and cut her off with a quiet voice. “Might I have a word before you go?”

Lacey’s smile faded. Uh oh, here we go.

She let him escort her outside, where the wind was picking up as thunderclouds rolled overhead.

“I understand you had words with my daughter tonight.” Arthur’s look was grave and filled with concern. Could it be that he was out here to make amends on his daughter’s behalf?

Hope flickered and immediately sputtered out as he continued in a calm tone, his expression still filled with regret. “I’m afraid my daughter has a lot to learn about boardroom tactics. You see, she still believes in playing nice.”

Lacey’s jaw dropped. That was playing nice?

He draped an arm across her shoulder as he led her toward a taxi that the doorman had stopped. The doorman was holding the door open for her, ready to bundle her into the vehicle and send her on her way.

Arthur’s voice was deep in her ear. “You see, my dear, what my daughter failed to mention is that I have absolutely no loyalty to the Newsom family.” She stopped in her tracks, forcing him to stop beside her. He looked into her face with a friendly look of amusement. “Don’t look so shocked, sweetheart. This is business, that’s all. I’m loyal to the company and to the shareholders—nothing less, nothing more.”

Lacey was so shocked by his sudden outburst of honesty, she didn’t even blink as the first raindrops fell against her cheeks.

“I had planned to run for president myself, you know. But then Marcus stepped in and Alex decided to man up and, well,” he gave a self-deprecating shrug, “I decided to do what I do best—pick the best horse to win and back it.”

Lacey, unsure of where this was going, allowed herself a brief moment of hope. “And you decided that Alex was the best bet for the company?”

He shot her a look that told her she was a fool.

“I always back my family, first and foremost. To be honest, I don’t think either man deserves to run this company, but Alex is likable and bright enough to know that he needs people like me to do the heavy lifting. He needs someone like me to make the hard decisions.”

Lacey swallowed the bile that rose in her throat. This man was disgusting. He was a snake.

He wasn’t finished. “Family above all, that’s my motto. And when my daughter decided that she wanted young Alex to be her husband, I couldn’t think of a better idea. He would be a shoe-in for the position, with my backing. She would get her trophy husband, and I would get my puppet president. Everybody’s a winner.”

His teeth sparkled white in the darkening light. This man truly was the devil.

She had to clear her throat before she could speak. “Why are you telling me this?”

He looked surprised. “Because you’ve gone and ruined that plan, sweetheart. And that’s just not going to fly.”

“I haven’t done anything,” she started to protest.

“Oh, you’ve done your fair share.” He graced her with a conciliatory smile. “But don’t worry, I don’t hold grudges like my daughter does. No, I just want what my family deserves and what we’ve set our sights on.”

“You want Alex to marry your daughter?” she asked. She didn’t know whether to be horrified or amused. “Sir,” she said, finding her voice again, “do you happen to know what century we’re in? You can’t just choose who you want for your daughter and make it happen. It doesn’t work that way.”

The older man seemed unperturbed by her mocking remarks.

“Let me make this clear, Miss Ames. I have no problem changing allegiances at this stage in the game. In fact, it would be quite fun.” His look of amusement spoke volumes.

“But why?”

“Because, my dear, I am the one who should be leading this company. I have stood by Alex’s grandfather for more than a decade. Head of this company is my rightful position. I would be happy to stand in the background and run this company through Alex, for my daughter’s sake, but that is not the only option. And if she gets nothing out of this deal, well then, I may have to rethink my options.”

Anger warred with fear. “I don’t care for threats, Mr. Wingate.”

He laughed loudly at that. “And I don’t make threats. You should know that.”

“What do you want?”

He raised a brow in surprise. Clearly he hadn’t expected her to cut to the chase. She did her best to maintain a calm exterior despite the overwhelming anger and fear that left her perilously close to bursting into tears. Or losing her lunch.

“What. Do. You. Want?” she repeated, proud of the way her voice didn’t shake.

“You gone, of course.” He was so matter-of-fact, they might as well be talking about the weather.

“Of course,” she repeated under her breath.

He gave her a condescending look. “It’s nothing personal, my dear. In fact, I think you’ve done wonders for the boy. You clearly know your stuff.”

He looked so genuine, she didn’t know whether to laugh or scream at the compliment. “Uh…thank you?”

“If it were up to me,” he continued, his thick drawl thicker than ever. “I would never have ruined your chances at Ackland. But Jess…” He shrugged and gave her a knowing look that said daughters, what can you do?

“No, you just want to ruin Alex’s career,” she said.

He looked surprised again at the bitter tone of her voice. Well, gee golly, she must’ve left her manners back at the plantation. Not for the first time, she wondered where on earth this man got his southern drawl.

“Now don’t be so mad, my dear. That boy will be just fine in the long run. He’s not ready for the challenges that come with running a business. He’s not ready to make the tough decisions.”

“But you are,” she finished for him.

“That’s right.”

“So if I don’t leave Alex, you’re going to back Marcus?”

He shook his head with a rueful laugh. “Oh no, that young man is far too unpredictable. There was never a chance of me backing that horse.”

“Of course not. You just want someone you can control.”

He gave her a warning look—the type a principal might give a student who’d been naughty. “I want someone I can teach.”

He continued as though he didn’t hear her snort of disbelief. “Alex will make me a fine son and one day, he’ll make a great leader. When I explain to the rest of the board how sickly his grandfather is, I’m sure they’ll agree that the most responsible thing I could possibly do, for Alex and for the company, is to run the business while he gets his footing.”

“You’re trying to convince me you’re doing this for him?” Her shout was drowned out by a crash of thunder overhead.

He ignored her outburst as he peered up into the night sky. “You better get home, little lady. We can continue this conversation in the morning.”

True to his word, Arthur Wingate arrived at her hotel room bright and early. Lacey was awake when he knocked—she’d never gone to bed. She’d struggled with her options. It all came down to one question—she knew she was willing to risk her career to give them a chance…but was she willing to risk his?

She was ready for Arthur when he arrived. She’d spent hours agonizing over the letter she would deliver to the older man.

She looked out the window as he read it, she had no desire to see his expression as he gloated in her misery.

She heard him fold the paper when he was finished reading and turned to see him slip it into the envelope. “Well done, my dear. This should do nicely.”

It would do the job. Nicely was not the word she’d use for it. It was a Dear John letter—there was nothing nice about it. She’d struggled to find an explanation Alex would believe for her sudden change of mind. Eventually she’d decided to put to use that stupid lie about her broken engagement.

In her letter to Alex she explained that trying to be together was too much of a risk to her career. She told him that Sam had reached out to her and wanted to make a go of it and she had decided to give their relationship another try. All lies. But those lies would do the trick. He’d believe them.

He would go on to win the election, and she would go home to Sam, her cat, and her job at the bar. She’d start over, and she’d make her way into the career of her dreams. Not with Ackland, perhaps, but there had to be other opportunities out there. Maybe she could convince Rick to write her a letter of recommendation.

She hadn’t received final word about her termination, but she’d come home the night before to find an email from Rick saying that they needed to have a talk—face to face—as soon as she was back in San Francisco. Something told her Jess wasn’t one for idle threats, and it didn’t take a genius to read the writing on the wall.

Arthur was moving to the door—his business here was done. Lacey could get on with her packing and make some excuse to Alex about why she was out of touch for the weekend. Life would go on.

Arthur was about to open the door when she stopped him. “Remember, you promised not to give him the letter until after the election. And you gave your word, you’ll continue to back him.”

“As long as you stay away,” he finished with a smile. “I remember. And I always keep my word.” He made a gesture that was half bow, half tip of an imaginary hat and walked out the door.

CHAPTER TWELVE

ALEX COULDN’T WAIT for this day to be over. He’d been up since the crack of dawn, his stomach a ball of knots. He fidgeted with his tie and stuck his head out of his office doorway and shouted down the hall.

“Heather, have you seen Lacey?”

She shouted, “No, boss, she hasn’t come in yet.”

“Where is she?” he grumbled to himself. He hadn’t seen her all weekend—but that had been his fault. He’d taken his grandfather out to their house in the Hamptons for some rest and relaxation. Not that it had done much good. His grandfather was officially the worst patient in the history of medicine.

He’d spent most of the weekend harassing Alex about his speech and lecturing him about business affairs. He’d texted Lacey on his way out of town letting her know he’d be off the radar for a couple of days and she’d texted back wishing him luck with the patient from hell.

She’d said she’d see him when he got back and that was the last he’d heard from her. He thought at the very least he’d see her this morning for one last pep talk before the big meeting, but she was nowhere to be found.

Instead, it was Dawn who came in to make sure he was ready. She helped him fix his tie and listened as he went through the speech one last time.

Finally Heather walked in to the office, with Raj in tow like a little puppy following his master. “Showtime, boss,” Heather announced.

Raj clapped him on the shoulder and steered him toward the door. His little posse of cheerleaders followed him down the hall to the conference room but he entered the lion’s den on his own.

Two extraordinarily nerve-wracking hours later, it was over. The election was over, and he had won by a landslide. He hurried out of the conference room, absently shaking hands and accepting congratulations on his way.

The speech itself had been a bit of a blur. After the countless hours of practicing with Lacey, the words had come out of his mouth of their own volition, and his body and tone oozed warmth and confidence like a well-oiled machine.

All their work had paid off. When Marcus stood to make his bid for the position, he’d ended up looking like a whiny schoolboy pleading for a spot on the varsity team.

He’d never stood a chance. Even Arthur, who’d been prepared to stand up and speak on Alex’s behalf, had remained quiet. His support hadn’t been necessary. Alex had won the election all on his own—and by a landslide.

His friends were waiting in his office, and he was soon surrounded by well-wishers patting him on the back and cheering for his success. He smiled and laughed, but he was only half listening. He was too busy looking around for Lacey and checking his phone and emails for some message from her.

Dawn finally clued him in. “Lacey called to wish you good luck,” she said. “She said to say she’s sorry she has to miss your victory celebration.”

Alex’s brows drew together in confusion as he accepted the envelope she handed him. Lacey wasn’t here? The thought didn’t seem to register in his brain.

Why wasn’t she here? This was just as much her success as it was his.

He waited until his friends left before opening the envelope. He hadn’t made it halfway through the letter before the ground dropped out from beneath him. The voices around him faded to an echo as he read the words that broke his heart.

He wanted to crumple the letter into a ball and toss it into the garbage can. He wanted to scream and shout and get on the next plane to San Francisco. He wanted to kiss her more than anything in the world.

How was it that he had won everything he’d set his sight on and lost the only thing that mattered? Every bit of joy he’d felt at winning the election drained from his body. It meant nothing if he couldn’t share it with Lacey—the woman who had helped him become the man this company deserved. The woman who saw the best in him and who believed in him when no one else had.

Or had she?

Had all of her faith and confidence just been part of her job? Had she been faking it all along?

He saw her clear blue eyes and heard her infectious laugh. No. He could never believe she could be so manipulative.

But then … what did he know? There was so much they never discussed. So many topics they’d agreed to talk about after the election. Like Sam.

“Are you all right, man?” Raj asked. He and the others were passing around glasses of champagne, and he was holding one out to Alex with a look of concern. “You look like you’re going to kill somebody.”

Now Dawn and Heather were staring at him with concern as well. “Dude, your face is purple,” Heather said.

Alex forced himself to inhale and push away the murderous thoughts he was harboring toward Sam. He took the glass from Raj and lifted it in the air. “To a new day,” he said. If anyone noticed how fake his smile was, they were too polite to comment on it as they clinked glasses.

When his office line rang, he nearly shoved Raj aside to lunge for it. It was Lacey, it had to be. She was calling to tell him it was all a mistake.

That fleeting hope was extinguished in a heartbeat as he heard his grandfather’s personal nurse on the other end. There was no confusing that heavy German accent for anyone other than Helga.

“Your grandfather wishes to see you,” she said. Her thick accent and low voice issuing a command rather than passing along a request.

“Of course. I’ll be there at once.”

Dawn offered to give him a ride to his grandfather’s penthouse so he could get there quickly. The only other person in the world who cared as much as Alex did about the election’s outcome deserved to hear the good news in person.

“Well, of course, you won,” the old man grumbled when Alex burst into the apartment announcing the results. But his grandfather’s rare smile softened the words.

“I’m proud of you, Alex.”

For a moment, Alex thought he’d heard wrong. Then, as if that rare and heartfelt moment had never happened, his grandfather resumed the role of the grouchy patient that he’d been perfecting since his doctor had ordered him to bedrest.

“So why didn’t your girlfriend come with you? Is she still mad at me for meddling in your personal business? Well too bad. It’s my job to meddle; that’s what grandfathers do.”

Alex tried to force a smile and change the subject. He didn’t want to talk about Lacey at that moment. He was too afraid of what he might say or do if he let himself dwell on the fact that he would never see her again. That she was no longer a part of his life. The thought was unbearable. “I thought you didn’t approve of Lacey and me.” He moved to sit on the side of his grandfather’s bed. “I thought you wanted me to get back with Jess.”

His response was almost inaudible, but Alex caught it. “Well, maybe I was wrong.”

“Excuse me?” His grandfather made a show of rolling his eyes, but Alex continued. “My ears must be deceiving me because I know you didn’t just admit to being wrong about something.”

His grandfather had the good grace to chuckle at that. “Well, maybe I was. I’m not proud to admit it, but even the best of us can be challenged by our fears from time to time.”

“And you were afraid that I couldn’t win this election on my own.” The words were out there and Alex wished that his grandfather would refute them, but they both know it was the truth. But how could Alex fault his grandfather for not having faith in him when he hadn’t had faith in himself?

“You’re right. For a little while all I could see was the boy who loved to race up and down the stairwell while your father and I conducted meetings. I was so caught up in my own fears about the company’s future and….well, dying…that I couldn’t see the man standing right in front of me. A man who more than deserves to be a leader in our company. A man whose father would be so very proud if he could be here today.”

The tightness in his throat made it nearly impossible to speak. “Thank you, Grandfather. That means the world to me.”

Looking uncomfortable at his outpouring of emotion, his grandfather waved away the thanks and reached for his water glass. “So where is the lively young woman who knocked some much-needed sense into me?”

Alex raised a brow at that. What had Lacey said to his grandfather? But the old man was waiting for an answer. He cleared his throat a bit and started rearranging the blankets at the end of the bed.

“It seems we were both mistaken on that one, I’m afraid. She’s gone home. We’re over.” He let out a short, humorless laugh. “We’re over before we’d even begun.”

There was a long silence before he looked up to see his grandfather staring at him in horror. “Are you telling me you just let that young woman walk out of your life? Forever?”

Alex blinked at the old man stupidly. He suddenly went from feeling like an accomplished grown man to a wayward child. “It’s not like I had a choice, Grandfather. She doesn’t want to be with me. She told me so.”

The old man’s face was growing so red with anger, Alex started to fear for his blood pressure. “I don’t believe it. I don’t believe it for a second that the passionate young lady who stood up to me—to me—on your behalf doesn’t have those feelings. If Lacey isn’t in love with you, I don’t know what love is.”

Alex’s mouth was hanging open by the end of the tirade. “Grandfather, I—”

“If you let her walk out of your life, you’re an idiot. A good-looking, intelligent moron, if you ask me.”

“But she said—”

“That woman sees you more clearly than you see yourself. She believes in you and trusts you and would give up everything for you.” His grandfather was shaking his head in disbelief. “And you just let her walk away?”

“I didn’t ‘let her’ do anything,” Alex shot back. “She went all on her own. I didn’t even know she’d gone until this afternoon.”

The old man’s eyes narrowed. “So she didn’t tell you why she was leaving to your face?”

“No, she left me a letter.”

His grandfather threw back his head with a bark of laughter. “Lawrence, my boy, if you let her walk away without at least trying to fight for her, you are no grandson of mine.”

Alex’s mind was racing as he tucked and untucked the blanket at his grandfather’s feet. “You think I can win her back?”

“I think any woman who had the guts to stand up to me would have the nerve to tell you she didn’t love you to your face.” He paused and gave his grandson a knowing look. “If she truly meant it.”

For the first time in hours, Alex felt a flicker of hope. He was filled with a new resolve. He could talk to her, convince her that she was making a mistake. He could prove to her that Sam would never love her like he could. He could never make her as happy as Alex because that was what Alex wanted more than anything in the world. Her happiness.

Maybe she’s happier with Sam. The wayward thought was almost enough to weaken his resolve but he shoved it out of his mind. That possibility wasn’t even worth considering. He loved her more than anyone or anything in the world. They belonged together.

And he would make her realize that. If she still refused to give them a chance, at least he’d know that he’d tried.

“Grandfather, I’ve got to go. I’m sorry, I’ll—“ The old man was already shooing him out the door.

“Go, go. And for the love of God, don’t screw it up.”

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

ALEX WAS EXHAUSTED by the time he arrived at Lacey’s apartment building. He hadn’t told her he was coming. At the time, he’d told himself he didn’t want to give her a chance to turn him away before he spoke. But now, standing there poised in her doorway, he was having second thoughts.

What would she think when he showed up on her doorstep without so much as a word of warning?

That he was a stalker. Who wouldn’t? This was the worst plan he’d ever had. He was still staring at the knocker, debating whether or not he should walk away when the door opened.

He drew in a deep breath, a mixture of nerves and excitement at war in his chest as he prepared to see the woman he loved.

He found himself staring into the red-rimmed eyes of a sniffling brunette who was at least a foot taller than Lacey and with far less curves. “Who are you?” he asked. Not exactly his most gracious moment.

The girl’s teary eyes widened. “Who am I? Who are you?” She looked at her door pointedly. Oh right, he was the stranger here.

Before he could answer, a light seemed to go off in her eyes. “No way. No. Way! You’re the Greek god.”

“Excuse me?” He could have sworn he heard her say Greek god. “I’m the…what?”

She shook her head and he had the distinct impression she was smothering a smile. “Never mind. What are you doing here?”

He shifted uncomfortably under the woman’s watchful stare. “Uh, does Lacey Ames live here?”

“She’s my roommate.”

Ah. “You’re Morgan.”

“The one and only.” She struck a funny pose in the doorway.

“And you’re Alex,” she said. Something about the way she said his name made the heat rise to his cheeks. It was slightly sing-songy as though at any moment she would start chanting “K-I-S-S-I-N-G.”

How much did she know about him? What had Lacey told her? He tried to look past her into the apartment, but she was completely blocking his view.

“Is she here?”

Morgan looked like she was debating how to answer that question. Oh God, she totally thought he was a stalker.

“Look, I’m not here to cause any trouble. She told me about Sam and I just wanted a chance to—”

She cut him off with a gasp and he was a little relieved. He wasn’t sure how he was going to finish that sentence. He wanted a chance to…what? Win her back? Plead his case? Inform her she was making the biggest mistake of her life by returning to a man she might or might not love?

Morgan was still staring at him in surprise. “She told you about Sam?”

Alex ran a hand through his hair. He hated that name with a passion. That one syllable word was like a drill going through his brain. Sam.

“Yeah, she told me. That’s why I’m here. Look, Morgan, I just need to talk to her…” His voice trailed off when she stepped to the side and gestured for him to come in.

Her eyes starting tearing up as she led him along a long, narrow hallway cluttered with bookcases and errant shoes. “It’s sweet of you to come,” she said is a wobbly voice.

He cleared his throat. “Yeah, sure. I mean, of course.”

What was he missing here?

“Uh, so is Lacey here or…?”

Morgan gestured for him to sit on an overstuffed couch that barely fit in the teeny-tiny living room. From where he sat he could see into the open kitchen—even tinier than the living room—and into the open doorways of two large closets that were apparently being used as bedrooms.

If Lacey was here, she was very clever at hiding.

“Lacey’s with Sam right now,” she said. She blew her nose before continuing. “She’s picking up his ashes from the crematorium.”

The air left Alex’s stomach with a whoosh. Oh, dear God. Sam was dead? The man he’d spent the past two weeks wishing was dead was truly dead?

He was a monster.

“Maybe I should go.” He made a move to pull himself out of the quicksand-like confines of the couch but Morgan stood in his way.

“No, please don’t go. Lacey will be so psyched to see you.” At his questioning look, she added, “I swear.”

Half out of his seat, Morgan gave him a gentle shove and he found himself swallowed up once again by the giant cushions. Before he could protest any further, they heard the front door slam and an extraordinarily disheveled Lacey walked into the room.

She stopped short at the sight of him, and Alex hesitated between offering to leave and rushing to her side so he could comfort her. What role was he supposed to play here? There wasn’t exactly a Miss Manners chapter on how to comfort your lover when her fiancé dies.

He should never have come.

Her eyes were so wide as she took in his presence in her living room with those unblinking, tear-filled eyes that as always seemed to be looking right through him directly into his heart.

Who was he kidding? He could never stay away.

There was a tense silence that had Morgan backpedaling out of the room in an exaggerated tip-toe move that would have made him laugh if he wasn’t staring at the woman he loved grieving over the man she loved.

“I’m so sorry for your loss,” he finally said.

Lacey sniffed. “Thank you. What are you doing here?”

Not exactly the warm welcome he’d been hoping for but then, what could he expect?

“I-uh-I…” Somehow it seemed disrespectful to mention his real reason now. He’d never met this infamous Sam, but if Lacey cared about him, he deserved better than to have some stranger swoop in and declare his love to his fiancée while she was supposed to be grieving. Guilt over the countless names he’d called the poor dead guy was gnawing at his guts.

He ignored the question. This was not the time. Lacey needed him more than ever and he would be there for her. He would put aside all of his desires and needs and be the man she needed.

He took a step toward her and gently placed a hand on her shoulder in friendly camaraderie. “How are you holding up?”

She blinked at him like he was speaking Chinese. Damn, she was probably still in shock.

Her brows drew together in puzzlement. “Morgan told you? About Sam, I mean.”

He nodded. “Yeah, she told me.”

“And…you’re not mad?”

“Mad?” Now it was his turn to look confused. What kind of selfish bastard did she think he was? “Of course I’m not mad. I’m just sorry you have to go through this.”

“Thanks,” she sniffled. She gave a little shrug and let out a self-deprecating laugh as she swiped a hand over her puffy eyes and blotchy nose. “Most guys would say I’m overreacting. I mean, it’s not like I didn’t see this coming.”

“You did?” Alex’s head was spinning. How long had she known that her fiancé was dying? Is that why she’d stayed with him. Is that what this was all about?

Or had she just been running away from her problems when she’d been with him? The thought was a punch in the gut. Maybe he had just been a distraction—something to keep her mind off the man she truly loved who would be leaving her forever.

“How long have you known?”

Lacey moved past him to flop onto the couch. He watched her tiny frame get swallowed whole by the cushions. “Oh, about a year. The vet said he was lucky to live this long. I mean fourteen years is pretty old for a cat.”

The silence that filled the room was deafening as Alex felt the full force of the truth smack him across the face.

“Sam is just a cat?” The words came sputtering out of his mouth before he could stop to think. He watched Lacey’s eyes fill with horrified anger.

Oh yeah. He’d just said the exact wrong thing.

“Just a cat? Just a cat?” She was grieving here and all he could say was “just a cat?”

Lacey heaved herself from the couch and crossed her arms in front of her chest. She clutched on to the anger—it was so much more preferable to the helpless loneliness she’d felt at the sight of him in her home.

“I’m sorry,” he said, looking as though he might hurt himself in his attempt to remove the foot from his mouth. “I didn’t mean that. I didn’t. I’m sure your cat was very important to you, it’s just that I thought Sam was…”

His voice fell off as his eyes narrowed.

Uh oh. Lacey felt the blood rush to her cheeks. “Oh yeah,” she said. “I meant to tell you.”

“Oh yeah? You were going to tell me? When? Before or after you ditched me for a make-believe fiancé?”

“I didn’t—”

But he wasn’t done. “You let me stand here like an idiot thinking you were grieving over the man you love. You made me feel guilty for hating some guy who doesn’t even exist.”

“I thought Morgan told you,” Lacey said. Even to her own ears, it was a lame excuse.

She watched him warily. What was he doing here?

He’s come to win you back. She fought the desperate surge of joy that thought brought. She couldn’t let that happen. She’d already decided she couldn’t ruin his future. She wouldn’t.

“Why did you lie to me?”

She’d never heard his voice so gruff, and the pain she heard was nearly her undoing. She opened her mouth once, twice, but no words came out. She struggled to come up with a lie that would be convincing. But as much as her brain begged her to lie, her heart was pleading for her to tell the truth. She let herself imagine what would happen if she went to him and let him wrap her in his arms and tell her it would all be okay.

“It’s not a hard question, Lace.” His smile was bittersweet. “Just tell me the truth. If you don’t want to be with me, just say so. I can take it. But please, don’t tell me any more lies.”

She drew in a deep breath. “I can’t be with you,” she said. The words felt like shards of glass in her throat. Don’t do this.

He took a step to the side, his face as white as a ghost. “You can’t or you won’t?”

Lacey studied the wine stain on the rug at her feet. She heard him sigh as he turned from her to pace—not an easy feat in her tiny living room. She glanced up to watch him. She was torn in half. Part of her wanted to prolong this agony so that she could keep him near her a little while longer. But another part of her just wanted him to leave so she could stop pretending that she wasn’t heartbroken as hell over having to give up the first and only man she’d ever truly loved.

That thought had her sniffling all over again. Oh man, she must look like a wreck. One look at her reflection in the TV confirmed it. Red and blotchy, she looked like something out of a nightmare.

Which made it all the more impressive and painfully sweet that Alex was looking at her like she was the most stunningly gorgeous woman in the world.

“Tell me why, Lace. Give me one good, honest reason why you’re not even willing to give us a shot, and I’ll walk out of here and leave you alone for the rest of your life.”

Don’t do it, don’t do it, don’t do it. Lacey forced herself to think about Arthur Wingate’s threats—everything he would take away from the man she loved. A man who deserved success and who shouldn’t be held back because he had the bad luck to fall into bed with the wrong woman.

She straightened her back and willed the tears to stay away for just a little while longer. “You know how important my career is to me,” she said. It was his turn to watch her pace around the room. She just needed to stay close to the truth and play on his insecurities.

“I never meant to hurt you, Alex, but when push came to shove, I just couldn’t walk away from the career opportunity that Ackland has given me.”

He was studying her closely, and she did her best to keep her expression blank. Just a little while longer. She just had to keep it together for a few minutes longer and he would be gone and she could cry until there were no more tears left to shed.

“So you chose Ackland then?”

She nodded, avoiding his hawk-like stare. “Yes, they offered me a promotion. A-and I couldn’t turn that down. After all the trouble Jess caused by calling my boss’s boss...” she gave a little shrug as she trailed off.

“So they gave you this promotion in exchange for giving up on me.”

There was a disturbing lack of emotion in his voice and when she looked up it was to find him watching her with a mix of confusion and…amusement? That couldn’t be right.

“Tell me about this promotion,” he said, leaning against the countertop that divided the living room from the kitchen and acted as a makeshift dining room table and bookcase.

Damn it. She had strayed too far from the truth, and now she had to make up a story about some fabulous new gig she’d scored. When oh when would she ever learn that she was a terrible liar?

“Well, I start next week. They gave me a new client…” Her voice trailed off as his gaze mocked her. She could feel the heat rising to her cheeks.

“What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Like what?”

“Like I’m lying.”

His eyebrows shot up. “I never said that. I just find it interesting that Ackland gave you a promotion right after firing you.”

Lacey gaped at him, her surprise quickly turning to anger as he burst out laughing at her. “You think it’s funny that I got fired?” She placed her hands on her hips. “It’s your fault I was fired, you know. You could, at least, pretend to be sympathetic.”

He stopped laughing long enough to walk over to her and pull her into his arms. “I’m not laughing because you were fired.” He reached out a hand and gently pushed a stray curl behind her ear.

She swallowed the lump in her throat. “Then why are you laughing?”

He gave her that cocky, half-smile that made her want to smack him and kiss him all at once. “If you were lying about the promotion, then you’re lying about everything. I’m almost positive that you do want to be with me, Lacey Ames. In fact, I think you’re dying to be my girlfriend.”

She tried not to laugh as she rolled her eyes. “You’re too cocky for your own good.”

“And that’s what you love about me,” he teased.

“I don’t—”

“You do.” He pulled her closer so she could feel the heat radiating from his body. She was inches away from being pressed against him, happily cradled in his arms. So close but so far away.

“You do,” he said again. “You love me.”

She let out a sound between a gasp and moan, but he kept talking, his voice firm with belief. “You love me,” he repeated. “And I love you. More than anything.”

She struggled to find her voice, but it was impossible to fight the overwhelming emotions his words stirred up in her.

He loved her. He loved her. Nothing in the world seemed as important as that monumental realization. For a moment, the rest of the world did not exist. The only thing that mattered was this man standing before her. This man who loved her.

He took her silence as acquiescence and nothing in the world could bring her to stop him as he leaned in slowly to capture her lips with his own.

“Mmm.” Lacey couldn’t help the blissful sigh of surrender as he kissed her like she was the only woman on the planet.

He pulled away for a second, just long enough to tell her he loved her again. Now that the words were out there he said it over and over in between kisses and nibbles and long, frustratingly clothed caresses.

“I love you, too.” The word slipped out in a whisper, and they both froze.

“Say it again,” he said.

Lacey let out a sigh. “I love you, Lawrence Alexander Newsom the third.”

He pulled away slightly so he could look into her eyes and cupped her face in his palms. “So then what is the problem?”

Lacey let it all come out. All of her lies exposed and their words still ringing in her ears, she caved and told him everything—about her initial lie about Sam, the threats Jess had made and finally, the vow that Arthur Wingate had made on her last night in New York.

By the time she was done he looked so furious she thought he might burst a blood vessel. After pacing the room while cursing Arthur, Jess and their entire bloodline many times over, he turned to her. “You should have told me,” he said.

Lacey shrugged. “I wanted to protect you. I don’t want to be the reason you fail—I won’t.”

For a moment, he looked at her like she was crazy and then he started to laugh. He took her hands in his and pulled her close. “I have spent the past two weeks hearing you go on and on about what a great leader I am and how I am the one who should be heading this company. Was that all a pack of lies?”

Lacey frowned, “No, of course not. I meant every word.”

He leaned down to rest his forehead against hers. “Then trust in me, Lace. Believe that I can defeat Arthur Wingate at every turn. Know that we have nothing to fear.”

Lacey was silent for a moment.

“The only reason I won today is because you had faith in me. From the very beginning, you believed I could win this election and prove to everyone that I’m the best leader for the company. If you have faith in me, I cannot fail. So tell me, do you still have faith in me?”

Lacey’s heart had melted into a puddle and she gave him a wobbly smile. “I do.”

“Good. Then let’s go to New York and kick some Wingate ass.”

Lacey’s head fell back as she laughed. “I’m in. But what are you going to do? What are you going to say?”

Alex opened his mouth to speak and then stopped, apparently stumped. “I have no idea,” he said with a laugh. “But luckily for me, my girlfriend is a world-class coach.”

He drew closer. “We’ve got a couple of hours before the plane is ready. Why don’t you show me your apartment?”

She looked around her tiny home pointedly before turning back to him. “The only room you haven’t seen is my bedroom.”

His wicked grin took her breath away. Leaning over, his lips brushed against her ear sending a shiver down her spine. “Then let’s start there.”

EPILOGUE

LACEY WAS RUNNING late. Again. Like always.

“Lace? My love? My one and only?” Alex’s teasing voice called from the living room.

“I know, I know, I’m coming,” she shouted. She shoved clothes into her new luggage—a Christmas present from Alex. He’d decided that if she was going to travel as much as she was—which was a lot between her new coaching business and her long-distance relationship—she needed luggage that didn’t topple over every five feet.

But sadly, new luggage did nothing to calm her nerves. The executives she was working with these days weren’t as high up the food chain as Ackland’s clients, but they were her clients. So far her business had been building steadily thanks to word of mouth, but the company was still new. She was still terrified of blowing it.

And missing her first meeting would definitely be blowing it.

When she finally finished packing and rolled her bag into Alex’s living room, her breath caught in her throat. There were times she wondered if she’d ever get used to his good looks or if she’d find herself gasping with unadulterated desire in the nursing home.

He moved toward her to take the luggage from her. “What were you doing in there?”

She squared her shoulders and sniffed. “Preparing for my meeting.”

“Liar. You were spoiling Freddy with treats.” Dammit. She’d been caught. Freddy, an adorable cocker spaniel, had been Lacey’s Christmas present for Alex.

“How did you know?”

He held up his cell phone. “You butt-dialed me…again.”

“Oh, for the love of…” her grumbling trailed off as he pulled another cell phone out of his back pocket.

“New phone. It has flip cover since you can’t seem to manage touch screens.”

She rolled her eyes at his teasing. “Yeah, but every once in a while it comes in handy.”

It was Alex’s turn to roll his eyes as Lacey smirked. Because it was true. Her butt-dialing had saved the day.

All hell had broken loose when Alex returned to New York—and to Newsom Industries—with Lacey at his side. They both knew the Wingates wouldn’t sit idly by so they were on guard. But no one had foreseen how Arthur Wingate would shoot himself in the foot.

Like the snake he was, Arthur chose to attack Lacey when she was alone in her office at Newsom. Or at least he thought she was. He hadn’t realized she was in the midst of a telephone interview with a Wall Street blogger. Thanks to her ridiculously sensitive, mind-of-its-own, infuriating phone, the blogger had heard every word of Arthur’s rampage. And he’d promptly printed what he’d heard.

It had all worked out for the best…for once. But still. Lacey pocketed the new phone with relief and turned off the devious device for good.

“You ready?” she asked. Alex was going to join her on this trip and visit the Newsom Industries office in Houston.

“Almost.”

She looked up in surprise to see Alex shifting nervously, wiping his hands on his jeans in a gesture she’d come to know well. Before she could ask what was wrong, he reached into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out a set of keys.

“I know it hasn’t been long and we’re both focusing on our careers at the moment but….”

Lacey held her breath.

“Lacey Ames, will you move in with me?”

A burst of giddy joy left her temporarily speechless and he barreled on. “I know you love San Francisco but we could visit. You could see Morgan whenever you want. But I want more of you. I want to spend every moment I can get with you. Whatever you’re willing to give—”

She cut him off with a kiss. She paused long enough to say, “Yes” before leaning in to kiss him senseless.

When they came up for air, he grinned at her. “Yes? That’s it? I thought you were supposed to be a speech expert, and all I get is a one-word answer?”

Lacey was laughing as she pulled him in for another kiss. “Oh, shut up and kiss me.”

“I have to tell you, that’s terrible advice from my coach…”

She cut him off with a kiss that had him groaning, his hands pulling her to him until they both forgot about the plane that was waiting and the meetings that were scheduled.

Oh yeah. She was going to be late

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

MAGGIE DALLEY IS a big city girl living in Montana. She writes romantic comedies in a range of genres including young adult, historical, contemporary, and fantasy. An unapologetic addict of all things romance, she loves to connect with fellow avid readers.

What the critics say about Maggie’s work!

"What an absolutely delightful romantic romp....The Accidental Engagement is such a lighthearted, simply fun read. I could easily picture this as a romantic comedy movie...I would definitely recommend this for anyone who loves to... well, fall in love. Indulge yourself and enjoy."

—KEEPER BOOKSHELF

"A fun read, I recommend The Accidental Engagement for any romance reader looking for something sweet."

—HARLEQUIN JUNKIE

"I loved every minute of this story and couldn’t put it down until the very last page...I can’t wait to see what Maggie Dallen has in store for her other characters...Maggie Dallen is now on my must-read list."

—EYE ON ROMANCE

LINKS & OTHER WORKS

Facebook: facebook.com/MaggieDallenAuthor

Twitter: twitter.com/Mag_Dallen

Website: maggiedallen.com

Check out Maggie’s other books:

ROMANTIC COMEDIES

Accidental Engagement: amzn.to/1VjtKqi

Accidental Boyfriend: amzn.to/1SbXMve

HISTORICAL ROMANCE

Love’s Imposters: The Setup: amzn.to/1Nl96h9

STEAMPUNK

Rogue Debutante: amzn.to/1VO5Rpl

Table of Contents

COPYRIGHT 2016 MAGGIE DALLEN

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

EPILOGUE

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

What the critics say about Maggie’s work!

LINKS & OTHER WORKS