Page 15 of If You Give a CEO a Chance

“You heard me. That outfit”—I motion to her hoodie and shorts—“isn’t suitable for my private chef. Not to mention it’s the middle of winter.”

Am I being unreasonable? Possibly. Do I regret it? Not in the slightest. Fallon just arrived, and she’s already pushing all of my buttons. It could have something to do with watching her nearly face-plant onto the floor, and the fact that I’m even worried about her well-being just pisses me off more.

She tosses her head back, letting out a dry laugh. “Nope. Not happening, Mr. Hotshot. My wardrobe isn’t up for debate. I’mhere to cook, not to conform to some archaic notion of what qualifies as professional attire, least of all when I’m off duty.” She jabs a finger into my chest. “If your ego can’t handle not being in control, that’s your problem, not mine.”

Ready to move on from this conversation, I say, “I have a conference call, I’ll be in my office. That and my bedroom are off-limits, are we clear?”

When she firstarrived at the apartment, I showed her around as we waited for the movers to arrive. I let her know which rooms were off-limits and pointed out the security cameras in the main living areas and my office.

“Crystal,” she retorts sharply.

“Do me a favor and leave the space exactly how you found it. I refuse to live in a disaster zone.”

“Got it,boss.”

When I join the conference call, my brothers, Cash and Dylan, are already waiting.

Dylan is the chief financial officer for Stafford Holdings, and Cash is the chief operating officer. It’s rare for all of us to be in the same room during meetings since Dylan works from home in Aspen Grove most days, and Cash is managing our European division from London.

“This is a first,” Cash says with a smirk. “Usually, I’m the one running late.”

He’s the fun-loving, carefree brother and the life of any party. When we were kids, he was in an accident that left him with a jagged scar on the left side of his face, spanning from his ear tohis chin. My mom was worried it would affect his confidence. Spoiler alert—it had the opposite effect.

“Hey, big brother.” Dylan greets me with a nod. “I spoke with Mom earlier, and she said the big move was today. How did it go?” He attempts to hide his amusement but fails miserably, a grin spreading across his face.

“It’s not funny,” I deadpan. “She coerced me into letting Fallon move in. I figured she’d show up with a duffle bag and a couple of suitcases at most. I was wrong. The movers were here for two hours.”

Cash busts out laughing. “Oh, this is too good.”

“Will you cut it out?”

“Not a chance. You were Mom’s accomplice in scheming to get Everly and me together, so this is your well-earned karma.”

After reconnecting in Vegas led to an impromptu wedding, I convinced Cash and Everly to stay married during the merger of Stafford Holdings and Townstead International, the company Everly’s father owned. Their fake marriage quickly became real, and now they’re happily married and living in London.

“Earth to Harrison.” I snap my attention to the computer screen to find Dylan waving at the camera. Cash covers his mouth in an attempt to suppress a snicker.

“Enough,” I scold them.

Dylan rolls his eyes. “You know, brother, I recall being this bothered with Marlow when I first met her, and look how that turned out.”

She moved in next door to Dylan and stepped up to help care for his daughter, Lola, as her nanny. It didn’t take Dylan long to fall for Marlow, and they recently got engaged.

“Just because you’re both in relationships doesn’t mean I want the same thing,” I grumble.

That’s not true.

There was a time when having a family of my own felt like the ultimate dream. My parents’ love story was inspiring, and I grew up believing I’d find someone to share the same spark of magic they shared.

However, the knowledge that I would someday be the successor to a global empire has loomed over me since my dad dropped the bombshell when I was ten. Long before I fully comprehended what that meant, I carried the weight of our family’s legacy on my shoulders that my siblings didn’t have to.

Hockey became my way to escape the pressures of my future. After high school, I chased my dream of playing professionally, a rebellion against the life that had been laid out for me. But I was faced with a heavy dose of reality when I had to abruptly quit after my first and only season. I was forced to make a choice: work at Stafford Holdings, and prepare to one day take over as CEO when my dad retired, or make one of my brothers sacrifice their ambitions. The decision wasn’t hard. I traded my freedom for theirs, and I’d do it again in a heartbeat.

“You have to admit it was clever of Mom to suggest Fallon stay with you,” Dylan says with a twinkle in his hazel eyes.

“Sure, except it’s not her house that’s being invaded,” I mutter.

“Oh, please, we both know Mom has other intentions in mind,” Cash adds.

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