The Dealmaker (Sex & Bonds 1)

He’s also supposed to be a total pain in the ass to work with. The kind of trader who’ll hurl obscenities in your face and publicly humiliate you for any error, big or small.

Still, hiring Theo is a huge, huge get for a small-ish southern investment bank like Atlas & Teton. I have no clue how Aiden convinced Theo to jump ship. The prestige and connections that come with working at a place like Felix Brothers is a big deal, as evidenced by several of their former CEOs becoming heads of the Federal Reserve. But I imagine the package Aiden offered Theo involved a shit ton of money in guaranteed bonuses—and the promise of a promotion.

My promotion. The one I was going to use to start a cultural revolution here on the floor.

The one Theo Morgan’s going to use to make more money.

Aiden’s completely blindsided me. How many times have I been passed over for money and promotions and opportunities in favor of men like Theo? How many times have I had to swallow my pride and pretend to be grateful when I’m thrown scraps from the table I should be sitting at?

By some miracle, I’m able to keep smiling and hold out my hand. Maybe Theo can afford to be a dick today, but I can’t. Not until I figure out what exactly is happening, and what my next move should be. “Theo. Welcome to Atlas & Teton. I’ve heard so much about you.”

Theo leans forward, his green Ferragamo tie catching on the edge of the table as he extends his arm. He curls his hand around mine, and I’m surprised to find his palm is dry but hot. That’s when I notice the barely-there pink flush creeping up his neck. I hesitate. No way is this guy nervous. No way. He’s practically a god in our world, and I’m . . . well, me. A big fish in a small pond, sure. But I’ve never had my name pop up in The Wall Street Journal.

I look back up to see Theo glaring at me with those icy, sharp eyes. His grip is firm on my hand, and I remind myself I’d be better served to think of him as a rival to be beaten, not a puzzle to be solved. I’ve learned the hard way that taking any kind of personal interest in a colleague is a bad idea.

“Hello, Nora,” he says. Again I’m surprised, this time by his slight southern drawl. “Sales or trading?”

“Sales.” I cut a glance at Aiden, who’s smiling. “Might I ask what brought you to Charlotte?”

Theo shifts in his chair. “I’m from the area.”

“Oh? Whereabouts?”

“North of the city.”

It’s all I can do not to get up and walk out. I’m trying to engage him in conversation, trying to thaw this weird vibe between us, but he’s giving me dead-end answers. “I grew up in Charlotte too.”

“Let me guess.” He narrows his eyes. “Eastover.”

“Myers Park, actually.”

“Close enough.”

I narrow my eyes right back. “What does that mean?”

“Nothing. I just know your type.”

Wasn’t I just trying very hard not to pigeonhole this guy as a “type”? And yet here he is, doing exactly that with no qualms whatsoever. I clasp my shaking hands, biting back the urge to tell this asshole he can go fuck himself. First he steals my promotion, then he’s a total jackass? “You know nothing about me.”

“Your dad happen to be Chuck Frasier?”

I blink. “Yes. Why?”

“I’ve heard of him. He was head of syndicate here at A&T, right?”

“Mergers and acquisitions, actually,” I say slowly, trying to figure out what Theo’s getting at. “He retired five years ago.”

“But not before he brought you on board.”

Ah. There it is. If only Theo knew how little interest Dad’s shown in my career, despite us working in the same field.

How little interest he’s shown in me, period.

“Having family in the business gave me a leg up, yes,” I say, choosing my words carefully. “But I’ve worked my ass off to earn my seat, and I’ve never, ever called in a favor or asked for special treatment. I let my performance speak for itself.”

“As do I.”

It’s all I can do not to roll my eyes. Gloves are off, no use playing nice now. “Your performance earn you a promotion to MD? I’m assuming Aiden offered it to you as part of your ‘welcome package’.”

“Nora,” Aiden warns. “You know I can’t share the details of our offer.”

I realize it’s the first time he’s spoken up since Theo and I started sparring. My heart sinks. As my boss—my friend—Aiden should have defended me; he knows how hard I work. Then again, I didn’t exactly give him an opportunity to jump in. And maybe he’s allowing me to defend myself because he knows I’m capable of putting Theo in his place. Aiden always has let me shine.