Page 5 of Succumbed

I turn and smile at the slim, impeccably dressed man standing by the front desk. “That’s me.”

“On time, at least.” He glances down and picks an imaginary bit of lint from his sleeve. “I’m Miles; I’ll be taking you back. Ms. Livingston will meet you in the conference room. Do you need water? Coffee?”

His expression suggests it would be best if we did not, in fact, need anything.

“We’re fine.”

He simply arches a brow and turns on his heel. I glance over my shoulder to find Dec close behind me, Shane guiding him forward with a firm grip on his shoulder. We follow Miles down an eerily familiar series of turns, arriving at the same conference room we’d visited on the single other occasion we’d been at Athena.

“Make yourselves comfortable,” Miles instructs as he opens the door. “Ms. Livingston will be along soon.”

“Thank you.” I slip past him and walk to the far wall to appreciate the view of the redwoods from the floor-to-ceiling windows.

It’s surreal to be back in the same room. I can still feel the apprehension roiling in my gut when our former business partner, Anne-Marie, mouthed off to Lex. I’d known who Lex was the moment she walked into the room–her presence alone took my breath away. But misplaced trust in my friend and partner had kept my mouth shut, even as I worried Anne-Marie had delivered a killing blow to our pitch before it even began.

I start to comment on the view and distract myself from the past, but a soft noise makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. She’s here. I turn slowly toward the doorway, my chest tight in anticipation.

“Well, this is unexpected.”

Lex Livingston stands at the entrance to the conference room in a fitted white pantsuit and black heels that make her legs look a mile long. Fuck, she’s even more stunning in person. Her energy alone commands the room, the three of us turning toward her like moths to a flame.

“I believe there’s been a misunderstanding.” She glances down at her watch, her light green eyes catching mine as they raise.

“No misunderstanding, Ms. Livingston.” I step forward, my hand extended. “It’s good to see you again.”

One sculpted eyebrow arches as she searches my face for a moment, taking my hand in a brief, firm grip. “I wish I could say the same.”

Her cool response lights a fire under my skin. That’s right, gorgeous. Never pull your punches, not even for me. “That’s fair. If you’ll give us a few minutes, though, we have a proposition for you.”

Her eyes flit to Shane, then Dec, before returning to mine. She seems as curious as she is wary.

“Very well.”

She steps into the room and takes the seat at the head of the table, the door closing behind her. It’s the same chair she sat in as Anne-Marie dug the proverbial grave for our fledgling startup.

“I’m Lincoln Wilde–”

“I know who you all are, Mr. Wilde. Yours aren’t faces I’d soon forget.” She leans back in her chair and crosses her ankles. “You have fifteen minutes. Don’t waste them.”

I tell my cock to simmer the fuck down as her eyes glint. “The last time we were here, things didn’t go as planned.”

A slight incline of her head is all I get in answer. Taking the seat nearest her, I press on. I can sense my brother and Shane settling around me, but I keep my eyes on her.

“We were idiots.”

Her eyes widen, surprise flickering. “Go on.”

My lips twitch, but I fight the smirk. “We should’ve stepped in when Anne-Marie, our former business partner, disrespected you. I own that mistake, and I apologize for it.”

She studies me for a moment, then her gaze slips behind me. “It’s been three years, gentlemen. As much as I appreciate the apology, I certainly hope it’s not the reason you’re here.”

“It’s not.” Shane’s deep voice fills the space.

Some of the tension leaves her as her gaze settles on him, waiting in silence for us to explain.

“Things have changed,” I go on. “The three of us formed a new company: Solum Technologies. We’ve evolved the sustainable building material we pitched to you before, and we think you’ll be pleased by the progress we’ve made.”

She drags her attention from Shane back to me. “You’re seeking investment for this new venture?”

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