Page 13 of Bedding The Best Man (Bedding the Bachelors)

Leland took her hand in his and shook it limply. Brianne almost recoiled at how cool his hand was to her touch. As she looked him over, she could see why so many of the society matrons found him handsome, even though his too smooth skin—she definitely suspected Botox—made her feel slightly on edge. Rumor had it he had come to LA to make it as a movie star, and even she had to admit that it certainly wasn’t his looks that had kept him out of the industry. His surfer-boy blonde hair and magazine-quality features had many a woman swooning, and he used his beauty to his advantage. The grapevine had it that he’d enjoyed affairs with many of his clients over the years, especially the older society matrons looking for a bit of excitement in their dull, dynasty-enhancing marriages.

Brianne had always tried hard not to trade on her own appearance, or her family’s wealth or social status, for business. Nonetheless, she knew that many of her clients used her because of her family’s connections, in the hope she might be able to get her father or mother to attend her events. In turn, she’d made a point of keeping her family life and work life completely separate, and made sure her clients knew her family wouldn’t be on event guest lists. Leland, however, was more than happy to use whatever he could to advance his business, and had no qualms about crossing any lines of propriety or decency. If it moved and breathed it was fair game in his book, and connections were there to be exploited.

“Hello, Brianne,” Leland said smoothly as he released her handshake. “Always a pleasure.”

“Of course,” she agreed hurriedly, as she simultaneously resisted the urge to wipe her hand on her skirt. “What can I do for you?”

Leland settled himself into the seat Evie had just vacated and gracefully crossed his legs. “Please relax, Brianne! I’m not going to bite,” he said, gesturing to her desk chair.

She wasn’t so sure, and she was pretty certain Leland’s bite would be poisonous. After giving him a hard stare that would have felled almost anyone else in their tracks, she sat down.

Leland simply smiled.

“I’m here to talk to you about theLife and Societycontest,” Leland said.

Life and Societywas a high-society publication, and she was all-too-familiar with it; her family had been subjects in its pages for generations. They’d even published a blurb about her aborted wedding, which probably hadn’t been helping her business any.

One of the few good things the magazine did, however, was sponsor a contest every year that pitted two different charity fundraising firms against each other to see which one had more earning power. The winner got a glossy spread in the next month’s magazine, which provided more good publicity for a company than anyone could ask for.

Her heart started to beat a little faster.

“As you know, Premiere will be competing again, as we have for several years.” He paused again, presumably to let Brianne remember that not only had his company competed, but it had won every single time Leland had been chosen to compete. “But this year, we have a little problem.”

“Really, what kind of a problem?” she asked, trying to remain cool. She knew that Premiere was due to go up against Merrill Productions, a highly respected company owned by an acquaintance of hers, Jane Merrill-Birch. Brianne had put Lavish Events into the original pool of applicants, and had been named as the runner-up. “What’s the problem?”

“Well, Jane—I believe you know her well—has unexpectedly had to cease operations,” he said, that sardonic little smile still playing on his lips, clearly not upset about Jane’s business woes in the slightest. He sat coolly, waiting for the impact to hit Brianne.

Poor Jane, Brianne thought, even as she kept her expression blank. She would have to call Jane and offer her support—something she knew Leland wouldn’t bother doing. Then it hit her hard exactly what it was that Leland was here to tell her.

As the runner up, Lavish Events would be expected to step up and fill Jane’s place. It meant she would be going up against Leland, if she chose to take the challenge, and would have the chance to get her company back on track.

“So you want me to step into Merrill’s place,” Brianne confirmed, her heart hammering with nerves, and her mind racing with ideas of how she could beat this slimeball. She longed to take that self-satisfied smirk right off his annoyingly handsome face.

“You know that the contest provides amazing publicity for the winning firm,” Leland said silkily, “and, of course, it usually means more money raised for the charity in the end. Which is what we’re all about, after all!”

Brianne could see right through his empty words. His real motivation was as clear as a newly washed window. He was in it for himself, and if some charity made some money, well, that was a nice side benefit.

“Of course,” she smiled, humoring him. She’d learned enough from Coronado’s high society mavens over the years to pull off patrician coolness as easily as most people would pull off a sweater.

“Since you were the next best firm,” he said in a slightly derogative tone, as if he couldn’t quite believe it, “you’re up. If you want to be, that is. I’d understand if you didn’t.”

Brianne looked at him sharply. “And why wouldn’t I want to?” The publicity that theLife and Societyspread would give her was something she couldn’t put a dollar value on; it would finally catapult Lavish Events into the big leagues where it belonged.

“The unpleasantness with the wedding and all, of course,” Leland said, looking down his nose at her.

She had to admit she wasn’t surprised that, of all people, he was the only one to have voiced out loud what everyone else appeared to be thinking. It didn’t improve her opinion of him, of course, but at least he was ballsy enough to say it.

He sniffed the air. “Everyone would understand if you just weren’t up for it.”

She had to forcibly restrain herself from leaping across the table and grabbing his perfectly-ironed lapels. If one more person treated her like a fragile, suffering flower, she was going to scream. Instead, she tilted her chin just a little higher and smiled, flashing as many of her teeth as was physically possible.

“Not only am I up for it, Leland, but I relish the challenge. A full feature spread inLife and Societyis just what my company needs.”

“I’m sure,” Leland said. “But you’ll have towinthe spread first, which is highly unlikely,” he said.

He didn’t even bother to hide his sneer, and Brianne actually wanted to laugh at his supreme sense of superiority. She looked forward to wiping the floor with him.

“Leland, not only will I win, but you will be begging me to work for you—no, scratch that, you will be begging to workfor meonce this contest is done,” Brianne declared defiantly.

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