Money Man (King Maker 1)

“He wants to screw me again,” I corrected.

“My point. He didn’t think you were boring,” she said.

“Maybe.”

I got up. It was getting late and I needed to get to bed. I had work in the morning.

“You should see Kalen again.”

I stared at my well-meaning best friend. “I’ll think about it.”

“Maybe fun with the hot Scot will break you out of your funk over the kinky Scott.” I rolled my eyes at her play on words. “Even if you don’t, the fact that Kalen wants you should cleanse you of no good Scott’s excuse for being a straight-up asshole.”

I wanted to believe her, but it was hard.

“Maybe…” I said.

I’d thought Scott was my future. Now he lived in our house with the woman he’d cheated on me with. I couldn’t think about that if I wanted some sleep. I headed for my bedroom and tried my best not to dwell over the sex god who made my pulse race just by looking at him. Tomorrow was a new day. I needed to focus on my career and not sex, which had gotten me in trouble more times in my life than I liked to think.

My alarm blared, reminding me that I had a job. Getting out of bed wasn’t easy. I felt almost drugged. I pushed through all the undecided feelings I had about seeing Kalen. Now was the time to make a name for myself in my chosen career and I couldn’t afford to be late. It was my first day on a new assignment, and first impressions couldn’t be taken back. I needed to impress the senior I’d be working under as well as the partner-in-charge.

In conservative slacks and top, I left after eating a bagel and drinking a steaming cup of tea. Lizzy hadn’t been up. Then again, she owned her own art gallery and set her hours.

I barely made it on the train before the doors closed. Luck was on my side that morning, and I was happy to find that the car wasn’t overly crowded.

My destination was already mapped as I’d done all the necessary background work on the client. Independence, which was mandated in order to perform an audit, meant I’d researched the CEO and board of directors to ensure that I didn’t know anyone on a personal level.

The CEO was a stern-looking man who reminded me a lot of Lizzy’s father, handsome but imposing. The board was composed of an older, hardened crew of people with long and impressive resumes.

Ready as I’d ever be, I arrived fifteen minutes before scheduled time at King Towers, one of the largest buildings in Manhattan in the heart of the financial district. It took five minutes to get through security and procure my new badge, but I was on the seventeenth floor, with ten minutes to spare.

Only, it appeared I was the last to arrive. So much for making an impression.

I pushed through the doors of the conference room we’d been assigned to and stumbled to a stop. The room lacked a view except for the wall of windows into the hallway. The oval table held a dozen chairs or so. But it was the man who stood that captured my attention.

“Bailey, I’m glad you could make it.”

There before me, with sleeves rolled up as if he’d been at work for hours, stood my ex, Scott.

He proceeded to introduce me to the other team members, Anna, Jim, and Kevin. Though I’d plastered a smile on my face, I was in no way calm about having Scott there. It appeared he was the senior-in-charge.

I shouldn’t have been surprised, considering his father was a partner in one of the largest firms in the world. I wanted to believe that I’d gotten my job on merit, but the truth was, being engaged to Scott probably helped. Scott had denied that when I’d asked, but it always bothered me.

“Bailey.” I glanced up to see Scott way too close. When had he moved? “Can I talk to you a minute?”

Our colleagues pretended not to be interested in what we were saying, but they weren’t doing a very good job.

I nodded and stepped out into the hall. It was a good thing the conference room was tucked away in a dark corner. There wasn’t anyone milling around outside.

“Why are you here?” I hissed.

I’d hoped never to see him again.

He’d worked in the Boston office while I finished my degree. But once I graduated, we’d planned the move to New York. One of the firm’s larger offices was here, which offered more opportunity for advancement. I thought it would be rare for our paths to cross with several hundred employees in New York alone. It appeared I was wrong.

“The senior assigned to this engagement was reassigned. I was brought in last minute,” he said. That explained a lot. “I didn’t see it as a problem since we are no longer together.”