“You’re right. I should stop complaining. But this show…”

“It’s a great PR opportunity. The world has seen you like a wild animal who can’t control his temper. No offense.”

“None taken.” I force a grin to my face. “But give me a break. One incident like this in a decade and a half of owning the company. It’s not bad.”

“It is bad,” Jack counters. “Just because it’s not as serious as you doing this every day, it’s still a big deal.”

“I don’t see how going on some sex show is going to help.”

“It’s not a sex show. It’s called CEOs in Love. All you have to do is smile and be friendly and not lose your temper. Five women will each have the chance to become your one true love. It’s cheesy as hell. But who knows… maybe you’ll finally find the woman you’ve been looking for.”

I suppress a groan. “Telling you about that was a mistake.”

A few years back, Jack and I had gotten drunk together at a meetup with some of our old Marine pals. I rarely drink otherwise, but when I’m with the men old habits kick in. Toward the end of the night, we were hanging around on the balcony of my hotel room, just me and Jack, and I told him something I’ve always kept secret.

I told him how no woman has ever ignited a primal want inside of me, how no woman has ever triggered that fierce possessive fire that tells me she’s going to be the one for me.

No woman has ever made me feel the need to own her, to claim her, to be with her for the rest of my life.

Jack laughed and told me I was living in a fairytale if I thought that was ever going to happen. He loved his wife, he loved his kids, but it wasn’t like he’d been struck by lightning the first time he saw her.

I dropped the subject, but my best friend enjoys reminding me of it from time to time. Probably to rub it in, like any good friend does.

He grins. “Maybe. I was just shocked you were such a romantic. Twenty years I’ve known you, and I never would’ve guessed.”

“It’s not that. It’s just… I don’t know how to explain it.”

“Does it have anything to do with what happened when you were a kid?”

I turn back to the window, looking down at the city, remembering when I was a broke kid with no idea how I was going to make my mark on the world. It still awes me that I’m up here, with all the money a man could wish for, and with all the responsibility that comes along with that.

“Sorry,” Jack says a moment later.

“It’s fine.”

There’s a pause. I feel Jack watching me, but I keep my gaze on the city. I don’t like to think about what happened when I was a child, about the blood and the screaming and the hell and the pain.

I unclench my fists with an effort.

“Think of your employees,” Jack goes on. “I know you’ve got no interest in this show. But if we don’t fix this PR situation…”

“But by the time the show airs, it’ll be too late.”

“No, that’s the thing. The gimmick is its shot live.”

“Doesn’t that make you nervous?” I joke. “What if some motherfucker tries to shove a camera down my throat again?”

“Bro, you can act like you don’t give a damn. But we both know you’d die before you let this company collapse. We both know you care more than pretty much any CEO alive about protecting the livelihood of your employees. I was there at Reed Capital, remember when they tried to fuck with the pension funds.”

The memory makes anger boil in my veins. “No one has the right to play with pension funds. That’s just not acceptable.”

“And you never give yourself a bonus, just your salary.”

I grunt. “My salary is more than most people could even dream of. I don’t need to shower myself with bonuses on top of that.”

“So we both know you’re going to do this show.”

“Is it going to help the company?” I ask him flatly. “I know you. You’ve worked out every possible angle. You’ve probably got charts and graphs coming out of your ass. Focus groups and the whole thing. So, in your expert and well-researched opinion, will appearing on this show help protect the employees?”

Jack looks at me firmly. “Yes.”

I groan and walk over to my desk, dropping down.

Jack follows. “I’m guessing that’s not the answer you wanted to hear.”

“I’m not sure I can fake interest in these women. That’s the problem.”

“They’re all very attractive, apparently. One is a beauty pageant winner. Another is a swimmer.”

I swallow my words. I was about to tell him I don’t give a damn how conventionally attractive they are.

Tags: Flora Ferrari Romance
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