Boardroom Sins

From then on, they’d still challenged each other, in class and outside, but they couldn’t stop themselves from giving in to their desires and enjoying private moments in public and semipublic spaces around campus. And that had gone on throughout their MBA program until she’d gone off to New York. “It doesn’t matter how it happened.”

“Okay, then how is she going to react when she sees the takeover bid on her desk on Monday morning?” Alana asked.

Brett didn’t want to admit to his friends how much seeing her again had affected him, and how much his own reaction had surprised him. He had to fight the discombobulation that had come from being near her tonight, and even though he could still smell her on his fingers, taste her kiss on his lips, he’d immediately shifted back into business mode. Survival mode. When it came to work, he could overcome any feelings to focus on the business. He’d done it before, and he was goddamn sure he could do it again.

But he smiled, trying to appear more confident in his resolve than he felt. “It doesn’t matter how she reacts,” he told her. “It’s business.”

CHAPTER THREE

YAWNING, REBECCA SAT back in her father’s—no, her—chair, and picked up the take-out paper cup that had contained four full shots of espresso only ten minutes ago. She’d taken a sip. It hadn’t been enough. She’d needed more, and she gulped it down, completely draining the cup. The fear that she may need to go back to the lobby café was real. The coffee had done nothing to keep her awake, and she didn’t think there was any amount of caffeine or makeup that would make her look or feel like a human being this morning. She hadn’t slept in two nights, not since Mayor Thompson’s party, and it was all Brett Collins’s fault.

With a sigh, she dramatically threw her head back and swiveled around in her chair to face the back wall as she remembered how it felt to have him kiss her, touch her again. She’d gone five years not being with him. And she thought she’d rid herself of that ghost, but no. Just one word, one touch, one kiss, a mind-altering orgasm against Mayor Thompson’s terrace wall was enough to bring back the college-aged girl who had made a mistake... Hell, dozens—hundreds—of mistakes because of some weak, hormone-crazed moments during her academic career. Times when she’d hated the man in front of her, but she couldn’t help herself and had bent to his every desire, and bent him to hers.

She touched her fingertips to her lips, and they still burned with the feel of his mouth on hers. She’d spent half a decade trying to banish him and his devilish hands and wicked kisses from her mind, and she thought she’d been successful. Yet there was no way to quell the feeling that she wanted nothing more than to take the night further. But part of her still held back. Pushing him away had been the right thing to do, even though her body had screamed at her to comply.

She huffed out a frustrated breath. One moment of weakness had made it all come back at her like a backdraft in a fire. She burned for him, needed him, craved his lips, his fingers, the bulge of his cock that she’d felt pressed against her belly, as he held her close, his hands bringing her to a shattering orgasm. She gripped the arms of her leather chair and she clenched her thighs together. He’d been an amazing lover. They’d learned everything, experimented together, and she didn’t think she would survive being with him when he had five more years of experience literally under his belt.

A knock on her door startled her, and she whipped around in her chair to face it.

“Come in,” she called, not sure if her legs were sturdy enough to stand.

Her assistant, Amy, walked into her office, holding a stack of envelopes. “I’ve got your mail here, and a courier just dropped this off.” she said, holding up an envelope.

“Thanks so much,” she said, accepting it with a tired smile.

“You doing okay, hon?”

“I’m tired. I didn’t sleep well last night.”

“Need some more coffee? I was just about to head down to get some for myself.”

Rebecca smiled. “That’d be great. Thanks!” When she was alone in her office, Rebecca tackled the large stack of mail on her desk. There were some invites to corporate functions, some junk mail, but it was the envelope that had been couriered, which bore a return-address label for Collins/Fischer, that caught her attention. Using her letter opener, she sliced open the envelope.

Her mouth dropped when she read the letter enclosed, and she knew that it had also gone out to the rest of the shareholders at Daniels International. It was a takeover bid. Brett was initiating a hostile takeover of her father’s company.

Shock and rage made her fingers curl over the paper, crumpling the edges. She pushed away from her desk and stood. She couldn’t let Brett get away with what he wanted to do to her company, the one her father had worked his ass off to build. She’d told them that Daniels International was done playing games with him and Collins/Fischer. She slammed her fist down on her desk, unable to staunch the curse words that flowed past her lips.

He’d been irritating her for weeks. Now she was angry.

* * *

Brett and Alex sat in Brett’s office on the top floor of the BH, the office building that was owned by The Brotherhood. Their mugs of coffee had long since cooled as the two of them discussed the next move in the takeover of Daniels International. They were pleased. Things had moved quickly already, and he had his amazing partners and their teams to thank for it. He and Alex had settled on a very generous offer for DI’s shareholders. They’d been willing to go far enough above market price so that the shareholders wouldn’t be able to refuse, and they’d already been contacted by quite a few of them. It would be only a matter of time before Daniels International fell under the umbrella of The Brotherhood, and they would then move on to dismantling the next, and then the next, until Collins/Fischer was the only firm in town. They were on a mission, and once they were on track, they wouldn’t be deterred. At least, if he kept telling himself that, he might be able to convince himself that was the only reason he was doing this.

Although Brett had told his secretary he didn’t want to be interrupted, she buzzed through on the intercom. “Mr. Collins,” she started, “I have Rebecca Daniels on line one. She says it’s urgent.”

Brett grinned and looked at Alex. She would have gotten her mail and their tender offer already. He couldn’t wait to hear what she had to say, and part of him wanted to hear her beg him to spare her company. “Put her through,” Brett responded. He kept the phone on speaker as the call was patched through.

“Rebecca, hi—”

“Just what the hell do you think you’re doing?” she demanded over the intercom, interrupting him.

“Rebecca, please calm down,” Brett said in an attempt at placating her.

“Please, go fuck yourself!” she retorted. Brett and Alex both widened their eyes in surprise at the vitriol in her words, but she wasn’t done. “So what’s your plan here? You make me come and then take over my business?” Brett shot a quick look at Alex, who raised an eyebrow, trying to hide his smile. He didn’t try that hard. His friend was clearly enjoying the show.

Brett reached out to pick up the phone receiver, to allow them a little privacy, but Alex swatted his hand away from it. He wanted to keep listening. “It’s just business, Rebecca,” Brett said. “It’s not personal. It’s a strategic move for our own company. This sort of thing isn’t unheard of.” He stood, unsure of why he was putting space between him and her voice on the intercom.

“This is plenty personal,” she said, her voice cold. “But you know what, don’t bother explaining any further. You should hear this, though. There is no way in hell you’ll get your fingers on any part of my father’s company, or me, again. Have a nice day,” she said before the phone call disconnected.

“Well,” Alex said with a smirk. “She certainly hates your guts. Interesting.” He sat back, suddenly serious. “Why don’t you tell me what’s really behind this takeover? There is some personal shit here, isn’t there?”

Brett returned to his desk and sat down. He clenched his fists and hoped that Alex didn’t see the tremble in them. He was angry. Angry she still had the power to affect him, like she had years earlier. Sure, the past few months had been interesting—invigorating even—to have his former rival back in town pushing his buttons. But if their encounter the other night had told him anything, it was that she was a distraction big enough to throw him off course—and Brett had come too far and worked too hard to let that happen. He’d created a life for himself around specific things: his work, his business goals with The Brotherhood, staying fit, keeping up with his parents... There was no room for anything else. Certainly not for Rebecca Daniels, one of the few people who made him feel vulnerable and exposed—or at least she had once in college. He couldn’t let it happen a second time. “There’s nothing to tell,” he told his friend.

“And what about that part about making her come?”

“Would you believe me if I called it female hysterics?”

Alex guffawed. “I definitely would not.”

Brett sighed and sat back in his chair. “Okay, we had a bit of a moment at the party the other night. But business has nothing to do with that. Sure, the idea of a takeover occurred to me somewhat spontaneously. The plan started forming in my head when she left. But I know what I’m doing here. It’s business as usual, regardless of anything that Rebecca and I had.”

Alex looked unconvinced. “Jesus Christ, man. We’ve initiated a multimillion-dollar takeover to get back at a girl you used to hook up with in college? Who just happens to be sitting at the CEO’s desk?”

“That’s not it.”

“Then tell me, what is it? Do you want to start seeing her again? Because if you do, this is one hell of a way to get her attention.”

Brett’s blood burned in his veins. White-hot. “No. I’m definitely not looking to start seeing her.” Although he did extend an invitation for her to visit him at the club. He’d be lying to himself if he didn’t admit that he was looking forward to seeing her there.

Brett was a man who didn’t deal in feelings. And as anger, ambition and desire all raged within him, he had no idea which would be victorious. He just knew that her appearance threw something inside him completely off-kilter and he needed her gone again. If there was nothing keeping her in Vegas, she would surely leave. Getting rid of Daniels International would send her packing back to New York or anywhere else. He didn’t really care.

Using every ounce of strength, he reined in his emotions, holding them back with a firm hand. “The timing looks suspicious, I know. But I’ve had my eye on this type of thing for a while,” Brett lied easily to his friend, something he’d never done before. “This move is what’s right for us, and you know it. It’s part of our overall vision for The Brotherhood.”

Alex stood and faced him, challenging. His friend was a strong, imposing man, and he had a slight height advantage over Brett. “I just want all the information, before you put our business and our names—and The Brotherhood—on the line.”

“You have nothing to worry about. I know what I’m doing.”

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