The Ceo's Little Surprise

His amused tone rankled but she just smiled and silently dared him to do his worst. “Branding. We put incredibly careful thought into every single aspect of this business. Seems like I had a mentor once who taught me a few things about that.”

He grinned in return and didn’t acknowledge her sarcasm. Nor did he say a word about her outstretched arm, choosing to humor her and enter first as she’d meant him to, but he didn’t miss the opportunity to brush her, oh, so casually. She pretended the skin he’d just touched wasn’t tingling.

“Yeah, we did have a few lively discussions about business strategies,” he mused. “Branding is why I drive a green Hummer, by the way.”

Cass had decorated her office with the same trademark Fyra deep purple hue, down to the glass-topped desk and expensive woven carpet under it. He took it all in with slightly widened eyes.

“Because you want everyone to see it and think GB Skin has zero environmental consciousness and its owner is obnoxious?” she asked sweetly before he could make a crack about her decor.

Sleek and modern, the offices had been decorated by an expensive, trendy uptown firm. It had cost a pretty penny, but the results had been worth it. This company was hers, from the baseboards to the ceiling and she loved it. They’d moved to this building three years ago, once Fyra posted its first annual revenue of fifty million dollars. That was when she knew they were going to make it.

She’d do whatever she needed to do in order to keep her company alive.

He laughed as he slid into a purple chair and then swept her with a pointed once-over. “You know the name of my company. I was starting to think you didn’t care.”

How did he manage to make understanding the competitive landscape sound so...personal? It was a skill he’d clearly bargained with the devil to obtain.

“I’m good at what I do. Of course I know the names of my competitors.” Cass remained standing near the door. Which she pointedly left open. “You’ve got your appointment. And about three minutes to tell me why you didn’t take the no I gave you earlier and run back to Austin.”

Casually, he swiveled his chair to face her and waved a hand to the empty chair next to him. “Sit and let’s talk.”

She didn’t move. There was no way she could be in close quarters with him, not on the heels of their earlier encounter when he’d barely breathed on her and still managed to get her hot and bothered. At least by the door, she had a shot at retaining the upper hand. “No, thanks. I’m okay.”

“You can’t keep standing. That tactic only works if you inflict it on someone other than the person who taught it to you,” he said mildly.

The fact that he saw through her only made it worse.

“Really, Gage,” she snapped. “Fyra’s executives are waiting in a boardroom for the CEO to arrive. Cut the crap. Why are you here?”

His expression didn’t change. “The rumors about your formula are true, right?”

She crossed her arms over the squiggle in her stomach. “Depends on what you’ve heard.”

“Revolutionary is the word being thrown around,” he said with a shrug. “I’ve heard the formula works with your natural stem cells to regenerate skin, thus healing scars and eliminating wrinkles. Nanotech at its finest.”

She kept her expression schooled, but only just. “I can neither confirm nor deny that.”

Her lungs hitched as she fought to draw a breath without alerting Gage to her distress. The leak was worse than they’d assumed. When Trinity had stormed into Cass’s office yesterday to show Cass the offending blurb in an online trade magazine, she’d read the scant few lines mentioning Fyra’s yet-to-be released product with horror. But it could have been so much worse, they’d assured each other. The trade magazine had few details, especially about the nanotechnology, and they’d hoped that had been the extent of the information that had traveled beyond their walls.

Apparently not.

It was a disaster. Full-blown, made even worse by Gage’s arrival on the scene.

Gage watched her carefully, his sharp gaze missing nothing. “But if my intel is correct, a formula like that might be worth about a hundred million or so. Which I’m prepared to pay.”

Oh, no, he had not just dropped that sum on her. She shut her eyes for a blink. Money like that was serious business, and as the CEO, she had to take his offer to the others for due consideration.

But she knew her friends. They’d agree with her that the formula was priceless. “I told you, the formula isn’t for sale.”

He stood suddenly and advanced on her, clearly over the power play she’d instigated by standing by the door. The closer he got, the harder her pulse pounded, but she blinked coolly as if lethally sexy men faced her down on a daily basis.

“It’s smart business to consider all opportunities,” he said as he leaned against the doorjamb not two feet from her. “If you sell, you don’t have to worry about little things like FDA approval and production costs and false-claim lawsuits. You just roll around in your millions and leave the hard work to someone else.”

The scent of clean forest and man wafted in her direction.

“I’m not afraid of hard work,” she stated firmly as she fought to keep from stepping back, out of the line of his masculine fire. It was a battle of wills, and if she fled, he’d figure out how much he truly affected her.

The man was a shaman, mystical and charismatic. One glance, and she’d follow him into his world of hedonistic pleasure. Or at least that had been true in college. She’d learned a few tricks of her own since then, along with developing a shield around her fragile interior.

His gaze held her captive as he reached out and tucked a chunk of hair behind her ear, his fingers lingering far longer than they should have.

“What are you afraid of?” he asked softly, his expression morphing into something almost...warm.

You. She swallowed. Where had that come from? Gage didn’t scare her. What scared her was how easily she forgot to control her emotions around him.

This cat-and-mouse game had veered into dangerous territory.

“Taxes,” she muttered inanely and ignored the way her pulse raced.

When was the last time she’d been touched? Months and months. She’d developed a reputation among single men in Dallas as a man-eater and unfortunately, that just made her even more popular as men vied for her attention so they could claim victory. Mostly she just shut them down because the whole scene exhausted her.

And she couldn’t lose sight of the fact that the reason she chewed up men and spit them out was staring her in the face. He was very dangerous indeed if she’d forgotten for a second the destruction he’d caused.

And that’s when it hit her. She was handling Gage all wrong.

This wasn’t college and Gage wasn’t her mentor. They were equals. And he was on her turf. That meant she called the shots.

If he wanted to play, she’d play.

* * *

Once Gage had tucked the errant lock of hair behind her ear, he’d run out of legitimate excuses to have his hands on her. Which didn’t keep him from silently running through a litany of illegitimate excuses.

“Gage,” she murmured throatily and the base of his spine heated. “The formula’s not for sale. I have a board meeting. Seems like we’re done here...unless you’ve got a better offer?”

Her eyelids lowered to half-mast and she didn’t move, but the sensual vibe emanating from her reached out and wrapped around him, drawing him in. Those cutaway panels at her waist would fit his palms perfectly and with any luck, the mesh inserts would allow him to feel her while fully clothed. The thought sent a rush of blood through his veins and the majority of it ended up in a good, solid erection that got very uncomfortable, very fast.

“I just might have something in mind,” he said, his vocal chords scraping the low end of the register. God, she’d even affected his voice.

Down boy. Remind her why the formula is for sale...but only to you.

Yeah, he needed to get back on track, pronto, and stop letting her get into his head. He dropped his hand but leaned into her space to see about turning those tables on her. “You’re doing amazing things here, Cass. I’m proud of what you’ve accomplished.’

Wariness sprang into her gaze as she processed his abrupt subject change. “Thank you. I’m proud of what the girls and I have built.”

He crossed his arms before an errant finger could trail down the line of her throat. Because his lower half wasn’t getting the message that the goal here was to get her hot and flustered. Not the other way around. “Remember that project I helped you with for Dr. Beck’s class?”

That was before they’d started sleeping together. He didn’t recall being so magnetically attracted to Cass back then. Sure he’d wanted to get her naked. But at twenty-four, he’d generally wanted women naked. These days, his taste was a bit more refined, but no woman he’d dated over the years had gotten him this hooked, this fast.

Of course, he never looked up his old girlfriends. Maybe any former lover would affect him the same. But he couldn’t imagine that would be true.

Her eyes narrowed a touch. “The project where I created a new company on paper, complete with a marketing plan and logo and all of that?”

“That’s the one,” he said easily. “You got an A plus, if memory serves. Except you didn’t do that alone. I was right there every step of the way. Guiding you. Teaching you. Infusing you with CEO superpowers.”

In fact, he’d done such a good job, here he was smack in the middle of her corporation negotiating over a Fyra product that was better than his. He appreciated the irony.

An indulgent smile bloomed on her face and he didn’t mistake it for a friendly one. “Nothing wrong with your memory. As much as I’m enjoying this trip down memory lane, if you have a point, now would be the time to make it.”

“Your success here...” He waved a hand at her office without taking his eyes off her. “Is amazing. Your C-suite is unparalleled. But you didn’t get here without me. I’m a big factor in your success.”

“Yes, you are,” she agreed readily. Too readily. “You taught me some of the most important lessons I’ve learned thus far in my life. Fyra’s business philosophy grew 100 percent out of my experience with you.”

She blinked and undercurrents flowed between them but hell if he could figure out what they were. Regardless, it was a great segue. Exactly what he’d hoped for.

“I’m glad you agree. That’s why I’m here. To collect on that long-outstanding debt.”

“Oh, really?” Her head tilted slightly as she contemplated him. “Do tell.”

“You know what I’m talking about. Without me, Fyra might never have existed. You might never have achieved your goals, particularly not to this degree. Don’t you think turnabout is fair play?”

“Hmm.” She touched a finger to her cheek. “Turnabout. Like I owe you for what you’ve done. That’s an interesting concept. It’s kind of like karma, in a way.”

“Kind of.”

But he didn’t like the comparison, not the way she said it. Karma was rarely a word used in the context of reward. More like you were getting what you deserved.

“What I’m saying,” he interjected smoothly before this conversation went in a direction he didn’t like. “Is that I want to buy your formula. My role in your success should be a factor in your decision-making process. In all fairness, you do owe me. But I’m fair, too. I’m not asking you to give me the formula for old times’ sake. One hundred million dollars is a lot of tit for tat.”

He watched her as she filtered through his argument, but her expression remained maddeningly blank.

“Here’s the thing, Gage.” She leaned in, wafting a whole lot of woman in his direction. “You did teach me and I’m grateful. But you must have been sick the day they taught corporate structure, so I’ll clue you in. Again. I’m a quarter owner in Fyra. We’re missing three-quarters of the decision makers, none of whom owe you a thing. I’ll take your offer for the formula to the board and we’ll consider it. Period. That’s how business works.”

Her mouth was set so primly, he had the insane urge to kiss her. But they were just getting into the meat of this and he needed to hone his focus. Not lose it entirely.

So he grinned instead and waved off her protest. “Not in the real world, honey. You need to get out more if that’s your best line of defense. Deals are done and undone across the globe based on exactly that. Companies don’t make decisions. People do and rarely are they united.”

“Fyra is,” she insisted. “We’re a team.”

“I hope that’s true,” he said sincerely. “If so, then it’s in your best interests to convince them to sell. How would they feel about their CEO not honoring this lingering debt?”

Her brows drew together but it was the only outward sign she gave that she’d heard the underlying message. This was business at its core and he was not leaving Dallas without that formula. It had become more than just about ensuring Fyra didn’t take any of his market share. GB Skin was number one for a reason and he liked being the top dog. His products should be the best on the market and Fyra’s formula would put him there—assuming it checked out like he thought it would.

Not to mention that Cass’s stubbornness had piqued his.

“Threats, Gage?” Her laugh thrummed through him. “You gonna tattle to my partners about how naughty I am?”

He nearly groaned at her provocative tone.

“Nothing so pedestrian.” He shifted a touch closer because he liked the scent of her, tightening the cross of his arms. Just to keep his hands where they belonged. “I wouldn’t go behind your back to manipulate the other executives. This is your cross to bear, and I’m simply pointing out that you don’t want this on your conscience. Do you?”

“My conscience is quite clear, thanks.” Her gaze fastened firmly on his, she crossed her arms in a mirror of his pose, intentionally sliding her elbow across his. And then hung around, brushing arms deliberately. “I’ll take your offer to the others. Shall I show you the way out or can you find it yourself?”

Heat flashed where they touched. “As you’re late for a board meeting where I suspect one of the topics will be the offer in question, I’ll see myself out.”

She didn’t move, still partially blocking the open doorway. On purpose. So he’d have to slide by her like he’d done when he entered the room, to show she had his number and that whatever he dished out, he should expect to have served right back. It almost pulled an appreciative chuckle out of him but he caught it at the last second. Cass had grown up in many intriguing ways and this battle was far from over.

No point in letting her believe she had a chance in hell of winning.

So close to her that he could easily see the lighter colored flecks of blue in her irises, he palmed those cut-away panels at her waist like he’d been itching to do for an eternity and drew her against him. Yes, she was still as warm as he remembered and he ached to pull the pins from her tight blond chignon to let it rain down around her shoulders.

He leaned in, nearly nuzzling her ear with his lips. Her quick intake of breath was almost as thrilling as the feel of her skin through the panels. Instead of pulling her toward him like he wanted to, he pivoted and hustled her back a step into her office.

“Tell the girls I said hi,” he murmured and let her go. Though where he found the willpower, he had no idea.

She nodded, her expression blank. He was so going to enjoy putting a few more cracks in her newly found ice-goddess exterior when they next met.

Three

Cass blew out the breath she’d been holding. Which didn’t help either her shakes or her thundering pulse.

That hadn’t gone down quite like she would have hoped. She and Gage might be equals now but that hadn’t afforded her any special magic to keep her insides under control.

But Gage had left and that seemed like a small win.

Except now she had to go into that board meeting, where Trinity had most definitely told the others who Cass was meeting with. So she would have to give them the whole story, including his ridiculous offer for the formula.

Of all the nerve. Telling her she owed him the formula because he’d given her a few pointers once upon a time. Oh, she owed him all right, but more like a fat lip. Fyra’s success had nothing to do with Gage.

Well, the broken heart he’d left her with had driven her for a long time. But she’d succeeded by her own merit, not because he’d mentored her.

If anyone decided to sell the formula, it would be because it made sound business sense. Like she’d told him. She squared her shoulders and went to her meeting in the large, sunny room at the end of the hall.

The other three women in the C-suite ringed the conference table as the governing forces of the company they’d dubbed Fyra, from the Swedish word for four. Alex Meer ran the numbers as the chief financial officer, Dr. Harper Livingston cooked up formulas in her lab as the chief science officer, Trinity Forrester convinced consumers to buy as the chief marketing officer and Cass held the reins.

All three of her friends looked up as she entered, faces bright with expectation.

“He’s gone. Let’s get started.” Cass set down her phone and tablet, then slid into her customary chair.

“Not so fast,” Trinity said succinctly. “We’ve been sitting here patiently waiting for juicy details, remember?”

They’d all been friends a long time. Juicy details meant they wanted to know how she felt about seeing Gage again. Whether she wanted to punch him or just go in the corner and cry. What was he up to and had they talked about their personal lives?

She didn’t have the luxury of burdening her friends with any of that because they were also her business partners. There was no room at this conference table for her emotional upheaval.

“He wants to buy Formula-47. Offered one hundred million,” she said bluntly. Better to get it out on the table. “I told him it wasn’t for sale. That’s the extent of it.”

Harper’s grin slipped as she wound her strawberry blond ponytail around one finger, an absent gesture that meant her brilliant mind was blazing away. “That’s hardly the extent. What’s the damage? Did he hear about my formula from the trade article?”

“No.” Cass hated to have to be the bearer of bad news, but they had to know. “His information was much more detailed. Which means the leak is worse than we thought.”

Hearing her own words echo in her head was almost as bad as a physical blow.

“What’s wrong?” Trinity asked immediately, her dark head bent at an angle as she evaluated Cass. “Did Gage get to you?”

Dang it. It had taken all of fourteen seconds for the woman who’d been Cass’s best friend since eleventh grade to clue in on the undercurrents. That man had put a hitch in her stride and it was unforgivable.

“I’m concerned about the leak. That’s it. Forget about Gage. I already have,” she lied.

Trinity’s eyes narrowed but she didn’t push, thank God. Gage’s timing was horrific. Why had he waltzed back into her life during such a huge professional catastrophe?

Alex, the consummate tomboy in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, fiddled with her ever-present pen, tapping it against the legal pad on the conference table in front of her. “A hundred million is worth considering, don’t you think?”

Instantly, Harper shook her head so hard, her ponytail flipped over her shoulder. Trinity and Cass scowled at Alex, who shrank under the heat of their gazes, but didn’t recant her traitorous statement.

“Worth considering?” Cass’s stomach contracted sharply as she took in the seriousness of Alex’s expression. How could she be talking about selling so coolly? To Cass, it would be like selling her own child. “Are you out of your mind?”

“Shouldn’t we consider a lucrative income stream when it’s presented?” Alex argued. “We can’t categorically dismiss that kind of paycheck.”

They could when it was coming out of the bank account of the man who had destroyed Cass. Didn’t that matter?

“Wait just a darn minute, Ms. Moneybags.” Harper rounded on Alex, who shrank a bit under the redhead’s scowl. “Formula-47 is my baby, not yours. I spent two years of my life perfecting it on the premise that we’d hinge our entire future strategy around the products we can create from the technology. If we sell it, we’re giving up rights to it forever for a lump sum. That’s not smart.”

Alex tapped her pen faster against the legal pad. “Not if we retain rights and structure the deal—”

“No one is structuring deals,” Cass broke in. “I only mentioned it because you needed to know. Gage’s offer will vanish instantly if the leak shares the formula’s recipe. And since we still don’t know who it is, we have to focus on that first.”

Alex firmed her mouth and nodded. “That’s true.”

“What did our lawyer say?” Trinity asked, raising her eyebrows as Cass blinked at her. “Didn’t you just come back from Mike’s office?”

“God, I’m sorry.” Cass slid down in her chair an inch in mortification. Gage had wiped that entire meeting out of her head. “Mike doesn’t think we can involve the police yet. The article didn’t contain enough detail and wouldn’t stand up in court as proprietary information. He advised us to file for FDA approval immediately, in hopes that will stem future information from being released prematurely. Until we find the leak, we can’t be too careful.”

She had to regain control now. Gage wasn’t a factor. Period.

“I’m not ready.” Harper shook her head mulishly. Careful and thorough might as well be tattooed on her forehead alongside her credentials, a valuable trait in a scientist who created the products with Fyra’s label on them. “This is our first product that requires FDA approval. We can’t rush it.”

“So our lawyer gave us advice we don’t plan to take.” Pradas flat on the ground, Trinity leaned on the table. “What else do we have on the agenda that we need to get busy shooting down?”

“The leak is the only thing on the agenda,” Cass said firmly.

Alex zeroed in on her. “What’s your plan for fixing this problem, then?”

“I’m still working on it.”

“You’re working on it.” Alex’s sarcastic tone couldn’t have conveyed her disbelief any more clearly. “You mean you don’t have something laid out already?”

Cass froze her muscles, a trick she’d perfected over the years. She refused to let on that Alex’s words had pierced her through the chest.

Alex’s point wasn’t lost on her. Cass should have a plan. But didn’t, which was the last thing she’d admit to these women who were looking to her for leadership. “I’ve got some ideas. Things in the works.”

“Things?” Trinity repeated incredulously.

Trinity and Alex glanced at each other and foreboding slid down Cass’s spine. She was losing her edge. And everyone knew she didn’t have a blessed clue how to handle this problem.

“I said I’ll take care of it,” Cass snapped and then immediately murmured an apology.

She couldn’t believe how the meeting had deteriorated, how much it hurt to have Alex on the other side of these critical company issues. There were fractures in Fyra she hadn’t known existed. Fractures in the relationships with her friends and business partners that scared her. Was Alex disputing her ideas because she had lost confidence in Cass’s ability to run Fyra?

And what was with that look Alex and Trinity had exchanged? Did they know Cass had lied about how much Gage had affected her? And Trinity hadn’t defended Cass, not when Gage’s offer had come up and not when Alex had attacked Cass for her lack of a plan.

It all rubbed at the raw place inside that Gage had opened up.

Cass cleared her throat and forced her CEO mask back into place. Emotions had no place in a boardroom, yet she’d been letting them run rampant thus far. It was much harder than she would have expected to shut it down given all the practice she had.