Page 69 of His Rules

“Exactly.”

“Has Mr. Kane called yet?” It was bright and early Monday morning. My meager things were currently on their way to St. Louis and should arrive in three days. I’d managed to smirk the entire time I’d finished out my old job, even getting a nice bonus from my boss while his son had been standing just behind him.

And knew with certainty Nathan had seen my passionate kiss shared with a man so hot he cracked the sidewalk. I bit backa sigh yet found myself squirming in the chair while Sebastian looked cool as usual.

Actually, that wasn’t the truth. He seemed more relaxed. He wasn’t even wearing a tie. And of all things, the man was smiling.

“He emailed and mentioned he would call later this morning.”

“Maybe that’s because he was busy talking with your partner.” I thought for certain he’d fly off the handle, but his smile only grew bigger.

“I may or may not have instigated a different game of chess while you were shirking your duties in New York.”

He’d also managed to snag a sense of humor, albeit a dark one. I had to think about what he was telling me. “You asked Mr. Kane to call him. Didn’t you?” There was way too much excitement in my voice.

“I did. He was quite impressed with you and was only too happy to do so.”

“You’re really not going to tell me what you have in mind?”

He leaned forward and I’d be damned if he hadn’t replaced his once grouchy face with a mischievous one. The man had two distinct sides. “We’re spending today together. I hope you have no plans for tonight because I’m ordering in. After that, I may have a proposition for you.”

“A proposition?”

“Yes, ma’am. I didn’t get where I was in business without knowing a good thing when I saw it. As of right now, I own you.”

“You mean all my time at the office?”

His smile was deeply devious. “No, I mean all of you.”

Sebastian

What I’d told Kacey had been the truth, only I’d soft-sold the kind of man lurking underneath. I could be very conniving when and if I wanted to be. And right now, that’s what the situation called for. There was far too much at stake. My reputation. My wealth. Hell, even my entire family legacy.

Kacey had managed to inspire me, which was no small feat. I’d taken a couple of days to think things over, weighing the odds of starting almost from scratch. What I had in mind would either fail rapidly or be a complete success. There would be no middle ground.

“What are you up to, brother?” Steven asked as I pulled in through the gates in the country club our father frequented.

“What makes you think I’m up to anything?” I said as I threw him a quick look. I’d insisted he come with me. After thinking about the man he’d become, I was ready to give him a push. Maybe the real truth was that I needed him on my side. He was one of the few people I could trust.

“Because I know you. You asked if I had anything going on this afternoon and then proceeded not to tell me why. Then we end up at the country club of all places. We hate the club and always have. Is this an ambush?”

“Of sorts and yes, I loathe this place, but this is where he wanted to meet. Did you know our father has a serious gambling issue?”

He huffed. “Are you kidding me? Our father, the most disciplined man on earth?”

“The one and only.” I pulled the car in a close parking spot, turning off the engine. “What would you say if I asked you to go into business with me? Do not say no right away, and I’m not talking about the current situation.”

“Wait. Hold on. The last time I checked, you were already in business with Drake. Did I ever tell you I thought he was a snake?”

“He is a snake.”

“What happened?”

I heard the concern in my brother’s voice. Finally. “Let’s just say he’s trying to shove me out of the company I started. So far, he’s been fairly successful because I wasn’t paying close enough attention.” That much I was now certain of.

“Well, shit. What are you going to do about it?”

“Beat him at his own game then expand. What else?”

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