Equity (Balance Sheet #3) (14 page)

With
The Wall Street Journal
splayed out in front of me like a tablecloth over my desk, I flexed it, causing it to fold halfway. Despite how easy it was to get an e-subscription, I enjoyed the feeling of a real newspaper in my fingers. I lifted it up, creating a half barrier between me and the empty chairs in front of me in order to read an article lower on the page.

I felt scarred by my night with Bailey. Touching her had only opened a wound and created more of a need for her particular kind of bandage. It hadn’t been a total shock to see her. I knew the Lass had been back in the states through my daily updates from my security team. Unfortunately, I hadn’t known she’d be there. After reading the first report of her in Dublin, I stopped reading the details of her day. It felt intrusive. More than that, I needed to get her out of my head. So I only read the summary information about her location and status.

Alas, I also didn’t read the up-to-the-minute reports on her. Otherwise I would have known she was at that restaurant. The fact was I’d chosen that particular place for my dinner meeting on purpose. It wasn’t near a subway stop and was away from downtown. That made it highly unlikely I would run in to her. Fate obviously had other plans. Not needing a reminder of what I’d done, I’d skipped over this morning’s report that detailed what happened to her yesterday.

Briefly I’d considered seeing if our tryst had been noted and opted not to. As far as I knew, they didn’t spy on her every move. They just ensured she safely made it place to place because they considered the current threat level to her in the yellow zone. That translated to cautious and didn’t require her to have a bodyguard at her side.

It was looking more and more like the other party or parties involved with skimming money from my company might not have a vested interest in Bailey. My security team thought it was likely that her supervisor acted as a lone wolf in respect to her kidnapping. Once I knew who had taken her, I’d informed them of the interest he’d shown towards her. The fact that she’d brought his scheme down coupled with his attraction to her had most likely caused him to mentally break. At least that was the consensus of law enforcement and my security team.

A mental image of seeing Bailey last night blurred the words I’d been reading. Her hair like woven threads of fire around her lovely face had made me momentarily tongue tied. Even after so much time, I’d been struck by her beauty in a way no other woman had before her. She had starred in many of a daydream of late and I had been powerless against my need to have her. In fact as that memory faded, a fantasy of her on my desk with her head thrown back as I pumped into her took its place. My desk phone buzzed dissolving that vision with an alert that my assistant was about to speak.

“Mr. Glenn.” I could almost see my most valuable employee with her jaw clench based on the way she’d said my name in a clipped tone. What’d pissed her off? I’d almost asked. She was normally unshakeable. “There is a woman here to see you.”

The only
woman
my normally stoic assistant referred to with a snarl was Kinsey St. Claire. I started to regret my arrangement with the woman. She probably decided that since I had avoided her phone calls all day, she would show up. Most likely she’d brought her dress for tonight’s engagement to make sure I coordinated with her.

“Send her in.”

My shield went up as I converted my face to a bored expression after depressing the intercom button. Kinsey was a stunning woman and knew it. She was also forward, a bit brash, and incredibly annoying when she wanted to be.

“Don’t forget you have an appointment in ten minutes.” I was certain that was a subtle way my assistant let Kinsey know she didn’t have an appointment. I chuckled to myself, keeping my head down, and tried to finish reading the article I’d begun.

The door opened and closed. When I didn’t hear the
click click
of heels against the hardwood floor, I lowered the paper. The crinkling effect shattered the silence of the room.

Before me had to be an apparition. It felt more like a dream than reality. Still, my mask of indifference was the armor I needed. She stalked towards me with her red hair fanned over her shoulders against the neutral tan trench coat she wore.

She looked like she wanted to cut my balls off, which was probably why my assistant sounded ticked. No doubt she’d informed Bailey that she couldn’t see me without an appointment. My dick would have hardened at the idea of Bailey’s determination to get to me, if it wasn’t already like granite at the mere sight of her.

“Why are you here?” I asked, grateful my voice
was not betraying my need for her. In fact, her steps stuttered and halted for a second at my apathy before she continued her pursuit.

“Why do you think?” She tried to sound mad, but it came off kind of cute. “You show up and fuck me only to walk away.”

“What did you expect, a commitment?” I laughed like that was ludicrous and it was. I watched her face fall.

For all her bravado, Bailey didn’t have a mean bone in her body.

“You should go back to Bethesda.” I watched as she processed that information. She worked in DC, but lived in an apartment north of the city in Maryland. “Yes, I know exactly where you are. If I wanted you, I would have come for you.”

I waited for her resolute mask to completely shatter. I waited in vain. Bailey had a trump card even I couldn’t have expected.

“I call bullshit,” she stated. A finger slid from her neck all the way to the belt of her coat. She undid it with the quickness of a professional. When the fabric parted, milky white skin was displayed.

“Lass,” I said in a strangled voice. I followed the line of uncovered skin from the base of her neck to the curve of her breasts with unrevealed nipples. Even though I couldn’t see the rosy buds, I had enough pictures in my head to imagine them hard and begging for my mouth.

“I know you still want me like I want you.” Her voice sounded smug.

There were many things I could have said with my cock straining in the confines of my pants. There were truths I could impart as an honest man. But a vision of Bailey and Turner, which hadn’t rescued me last night, came to my defensive today.

“I had an itch. I scratched it yesterday. You should cover yourself up before you embarrass yourself.” I sounded cold even to myself.

I watched as her hands shook while she defeatedly began to button her coat. Her lip trembled slightly and part of me wanted to apologize. The other part wanted her far, far away. I couldn’t get her out of my head if she was this close.

“Hey, your assistant wasn’t at your desk,” a voice said from behind Bailey.

To the left of her, I saw my next appointment come through my door. Bailey’s coat wasn’t yet secure. I would have asked the guy to step out for a second if I hadn’t caught the changed expression on Bailey’s face. She stopped buttoning and quickly tied the coat closed with the belt. She turned and, to my horror, she strode forward and circled her arms behind his neck.

“Bailey,” he said. And how in the fuck did he know her? With my fist at my side, I found myself standing. I didn’t remember moving from my seat.

He and I had attended Wharton together in Pennsylvania. However, I didn’t get the impression Bailey had left her family compound that often. So how did he know her?

“Brian, I didn’t think I’d ever see you again.” Her voice nearly purred and was very unlike the tone she’d used with me.

“It is a small world. How do you two…” He paused. I knew the moment he put it together. “You’re Kalen’s Bailey.”

She looked ready to protest and I stopped stalking towards the two. My office had become larger since he put his hand around her waist. It was taking far too long for me to reach them. With murder on the brain, I started to wonder where I could hide his body.

When I’d gotten within three feet of them, Bailey recognized the look on my face. She stepped out of his hold. I smiled, knowing I’d trained her well.

This all apparently happened too fast for Brian. He was still putting into words what was a part of my past to notice her retreat.

“You’re the Bailey who discovered the embezzlement,” he said with a finger pointed in her direction.

“How do you two know each other?” I interrupted because I needed to assess his threat level. And not the threat to her safety, but to his.

“We met in Ireland. Her hair had been black,” he said to me. “I think I like it better red.” This time his words were directed to her. His eyes darkened with what had to be sexual desire. If he only knew I was considering ending his existence, would he continue on the path he was on?

It may have been that I was within striking distance that he finally asked, “Are you two together?”

Automatically and in unison, Bailey and I both said, “No.” Which was a lie. My heart hadn’t given her up. The proof of which was that I had already devised a half dozen ways I could kill him without him making a sound in just a few seconds. My brain, however, knew better.

“That’s great then,” he said, with far too much jubilant delight. “Maybe you could help me out?” I no longer existed. He was giving her his full attention.

She turned and faced him, effectively pushing me out of the conversation. Hell, I should have left my office to give them privacy for all they seemed to notice me being there. Jealousy was going to drive me insane.

“I know this is short notice. My date for tonight canceled because she has the flu. Would you do me the honor of going out with me tonight?”

“She—,” I began.

“I’d love to,” she answered. Just when I was sure I’d have to say something to remind them of my presence, she turned and smirked at me. She didn’t catch my irritated glance because she strode over to my desk, her coat parting between her legs as her strides became more purposeful. I was keenly aware that she was naked underneath. She was lucky Brian didn’t get the view I did. The idea that Brian would have a shot at touching her made my molars grind.

When she sat in my chair, my mind wandered to what I could be doing to her on my desk. I rather relished the thought of having her spread before me while I feasted on her wet pussy.

“You look great in that chair,” Brian said.

“She does,” I heard myself mutter. Neither was paying attention to me because Brian continued without missing a beat.

“I bet you’ll make an excellent CEO one day.”

“Thanks.” Her smile lit up the room in a way that made my heart race. She plucked one of my business cards from my desk. She marked the front with quick slashes. She quickly wrote words on the back. Then she stood. She brushed by me on her way back to Brian. She handed him my card with her information on the back.

“This is my number. Call me and I’ll text you directions to where I’m staying.”

“Seven,” he said after a heavy swallow. Had he gotten a glimpse of her nakedness? I took another involuntary step forward.

“I’ll see you then,” she said.

Her eyes never looked back to me as she strode out my office and my life.

“Lizzy,” I said desperately into the phone. “What’s the security code?”

“Security code for what?”

I shook my head. “I’m here in New York at your door and the thing is beeping at me.”

“Oh shit, you’re in New York?”

“Lizzy,” I chided not wanting to have cops show up at the door.

She rattled off some numbers and I punched them in. “Where are you?”

“I’m in Chicago. If I’d known you were coming, I would have stayed in town.”

“I didn’t know I was coming,” I admitted.

“What’s going on?”

“Where’s Violet?” I asked ignoring her question. Kalen had flustered me. My whole plan of seducing him and given him the brush-off backfired. Who knew the world was so small that I’d run into Brian?

“She’s here with me. Hans had a photo shoot.”

“What’s going on, Bailey?” Lizzy asked again.

A heavy sigh left my chest. Then I told my best friend everything. Violet was on speaker, making it only once I had to explain.

“Sorry, Bails,” Violet chimed in. “He’s an asshole. You should have stayed with Turner.”

“Turner never called me,” I reminded her.

“They’re both asses,” Lizzy said. I smiled because she always had my back, even if it was my sister getting digs in.

I knew Violet meant well. “You’re right,” she said. “I’m sorry, Bails. I love you. And I thought Turner was the right guy. But none of this is your fault. You can’t help who you love.”

“Thanks Vi,” I said. “I love you too. How’s Matt?” I had to tease her back even if I was still rattled.

“She’s so blushing,” Lizzy said.

We talked for a bit longer before I had to get ready for my date. It was good I hadn’t officially moved out of Lizzy’s apartment. I still had some clothes I could wear in the closet. Freshly showered, I’d just stepped into my dress when a knock came at my door. Brian was early, was my first thought.

I tried to reach the zipper but couldn’t. It sucked again Lizzy wasn’t here. The knock came again. I headed towards the door.

“I’m sorry,” I said, opening the door but stupidly not looking at the person behind it. Giving Brian my back, I said, “Do you mind zipping me up?”

The door clicked closed before a hand cupped my shoulder and the other touched the small of my back.

“Kalen,” I breathed because there was no mistaking his touch.