“I have two younger brothers, but they weren’t ready to step up and take Dad’s place. Edward Hurst sure as hell wasn’t president material. Also my dad made arrangements with the board before he died to appoint me president if I agreed. So, I didn’t have much of a choice. I couldn’t watch the business he built go down. My mom had a really hard time after Dad’s death too. It was better that I was close.”
“That’s so selfless.” My heart melts at his confession.
The waiter arrives with our food and the conversation takes a less serious tone. We talk about our siblings and families. I explain how close I am to the whole Barnes family and Max is surprised to learn Marshall Barnes is my lawyer and Laci’s dad. He knows him through business connections.
Watching him closely, I decide everything he does is sexy. The way his Adam’s apple bobbles when he drinks, the way he wraps his mouth around the fork, the way he laughs through the conversation. Suddenly my body gets hot.
My mind unexpectedly swarms with sexy thoughts of the man in front of me. He never mentions a girlfriend or wife, and I’m too afraid to ask. I mean really, it’s none of my business.
“Stella?”
“Hmmm?”
“Are you okay? You look lost?”
Need to think of a quick save. “Yes, sorry, my mind drifted. I was thinking of a very important question.”
“And that is …”
“Are you a Yellow Jackets fan?”
He stares at me with a blank look and then starts laughing. His laugh is rich and loud and his whole body shakes. The noise causes a few people to look over but he continues. I can’t help but giggle along with him.
“I am indeed a Yellow Jacket fan, seeing as I went to Georgia Tech. But I am also a Bulldog fan since both my brothers attended UGA.”
“How’s that possible? They’re like mortal enemies.”
“Not really.”
“I guess I can’t say anything because when my dad retired, he taught engineering at GT for a while. We went to some of the games.”
“Good to know you’re a football girl.” He winks at me.
“Absolutely, I had no choice.”
“You surprised me with that. It felt good to laugh.”
His expression is filled with amusement.
“Mr. McCoy, I think I’ll continue surprise you.”
“There is no doubt, Stella, and I look forward to it.” The tone of his voice changes and his look makes me wonder if we’re talking about the same thing.
Dinner was torture. Sitting so close and not being able to touch her drove me crazy. The minute she spoke, my dick got hard and stayed that way. She licked her plump, perfect lips several times, which caused my balls to actually throb. Mentally I pictured running my tongue over every inch of them, nipping until she whimpered. It wasn’t lost on me when her eyes glazed over and she zoned out for a second. I could only hope it was thoughts of me that put that starry look on her face. When she giggled, the sound flowed through my whole body with a sense of peace. I wanted to do was pull her across the table and slam my mouth to hers.
I felt the attraction the minute she walked into my boardroom, but tonight it was more. Getting to know her, listening to her talk, watching her expressions, all of it intrigued me. Relief washed over me when she confirmed she was single. I decided right then to continue my pursuit. Chris gave me shit when I explained the intensity of our first meeting, but after he met her, he saw it too. When he told me to go after her or he would, my mind was made up. Business or not, I want to know more about her. In just the short amount of time I’ve spent with her, she’s turned me inside out. Her drive and devotion is refreshing. Everything about her screams sincerity. I’ve watched her closely, paying attention to her expressions and energy. It makes me happy to know that every time I touch her, she reacts. When I dragged my fingers across her hand and her breathing changed, my pulse started racing. There’s a definite connection between us.
She’s an exquisite woman. In my life, it’s rare to find genuine people. I already knew most of the stuff she told me about herself because of the background check I ran. Trust is uncommon in my position. Hell, I can only count six people I trust. My gut told me Stella was legitimate, but it was smart to be sure she wasn’t a mole being paid to help bring the company down. Also, I’d made a stupid decision before using my dick, and am still paying for it.
I didn’t exactly want to create the reputation that surrounds me, but there was no choice. It took time, three years to be exact, but I finally had set a plan in motion to gain back the company my dad died trying to save.
Edward Hurst is responsible for the death of my father. The actual cause may have been a heart attack, but it was the betrayal and deceit that caused it. He thinks he has me by the balls, but he’s got another thing coming.
This JOS situation finally has the board listening to me. I wasn’t kidding when I told Stella this would be a lot of work. But in the end, it will be worth it. I’ll finally have the company out from under Edward Hurst and be rid of him forever.
“Laci!” I scream from my office trying to find my notes. Max will be here in a few minutes and I want to finalize some things before presenting them.
“They’re in the top left drawer,” she answers, walking in. I look at her and regret my outfit choice this morning. She’s wearing a pale blue jersey dress with silver accents. Her blonde hair is pulled up in a high ponytail and hangs in waves. The blue of her eyes stands out against the fabric. One look at her and Max will probably never look at me again.