Your Alluring Love (The Bennett Family 6)

Horowitz shrugs. I’ll never understand why some people feel the need to measure their power in office size. The way I see it, it’s the grown-up version of measuring dicks.

His assistant strolls in, smiling at me and dropping some papers on his desk. Horowitz eyes her ass the entire time. Nearing his fifties, and with more belly than hair, Horowitz is the very definition of a sleazeball. Most women in the network avoid being alone w

ith him. He’s not stupid enough to hit on them because he’d have a lawsuit on his hands, but he makes them uncomfortable.

“Why did you want to meet?” Horowitz asks after she leaves. He drops in his leather chair, prompting me to sit opposite him. I choose to stand. “Your contract for London hasn’t come through yet. Unless you changed your mind?”

“I haven’t changed my mind. I want to discuss two other things. One, my assistant, Clara, won’t be coming with me to London. I want to make sure she gets a good job within the network. She’s hardworking and an organizational talent. She took on a lot of producing responsibilities too, lately. She’ll be an asset to anyone.”

“Always looking out for your team, eh?”

“That’s who I am.”

“We’ll find her something. What was the second thing?”

“I have a recommendation for the Delicious Dining show.”

“I’m listening.”

“It’s a restaurant that will open in two weeks, run by a brother and sister who have experience in the industry. It’s posh and focuses on local specialties.”

“Name?”

“Blue Moon. Run by Alice and Blake Bennett.”

“Any relation to Bennett Enterprises?”

“The founders’ siblings.”

“Isn’t Blake Bennett the playboy the tabloids loved to pick on? Not sure he’d be such a draw in viewership.”

I forgot how much of a pompous prick Horowitz could be.

“Do you have a severe case of memory loss, or are you trying to sweep under the rug that you were a trust fund playboy who only got his shit together when he was in his forties?” I ask. “Hypocritical much?”

Horowitz bursts out laughing, plunking his fist against the table. “Ah, you never pull punches, Nate. We need more people like you.”

Early on in my career, people warned me that my big mouth and no-filter attitude would stand in my way, but I was never one for brownnosing. I call it like I see it, even with people who sign my paychecks.

“Alice Bennett owns two other restaurants. They’ve been listed in the Top 10 locations in San Francisco many times.” I rattle off the names of the locations, and they get his attention.

“I’ve been to both. They are excellent.”

“You could spotlight those on the show too.” I launch my pitch, using all the information I got on Saturday. Whenever Horowitz raises an objection, I fight it. In my experience, when you want something, you have to push relentlessly. And I want this for Alice.

“This could turn out great.” Horowitz crosses his fingers on top of his head, leaning back in the leather chair. “I even saw Alice Bennett when I ate there. She’s one hot piece. How much does she want this feature? Enough to sleep with me?”

Just like that, I see red. “You so much as proposition her and you’re going to have a problem with me.”

Alice can hold her own against just about anything, but I’ll be damned if I’ll let her deal with this moron.

“Ah, you’re tapping that.”

“I’m not.” Walking right in front of his desk, I push my knuckles on the glass surface. He pushes his chair farther from the desk as if fearing I might grab him by the collar. “The Bennetts are old family friends of mine.”

“Your territory, got it.” He’s clearly intimidated. Good. He doesn’t make any more unprofessional remarks about Alice for the rest of the meeting.

My thoughts, on the other hand, are not professional at all. For years I’ve kept my fantasy in check when it comes to her, but after Saturday, there’s no going back. That wicked woman will be the death of me. Everything about her calls to me: her fire, her energy, her sassy and sinfully hot mouth. I almost kissed her on Saturday but stopped myself just in time. One kiss would never be enough, and seducing her is out of the question. She’s practically family, and I’m leaving.