Page 8 of Greed
Grace rarely asked for anything, so when she’d called for a favor to help her boyfriend, Evan Lazarus, Lilo knew she had to help. Grace had always supported Lilo and stood by her during her difficult breakup with Donnie. As it turned out, the favor was easy for Lilo to grant. All she needed to do was hand in Evan’s brother’s resume and the executive almost fell over their feet to book him in for an interview. Apparently he had access to some new fandangled news automation software that would triple productivity and increase sales.
The Lazarus family were synonymous with fame and ambition in Cardinal City. The eldest, Parker Lazarus, ran a multi-million dollar—possibly billion dollar—tech company. One other brother was a movie star… Tony Lazarus, and she was sure another brother was head chef at the Michelin–starred restaurant Heaven. Wyatt Lazarus, that was his name. There were more family members, but Lilo couldn’t quite remember them.
Memories flashed before her eyes and she was instantly transported back a few months to when she’d lunched with Grace at Wyatt’s restaurant. Grace had been trying to sink into her seat to hide from the imposing and hard-to-miss men as they walked into the room. The Lazarus women at their table had been absolutely stunning, and the men… Parker Lazarus, Tony Lazarus and… the man she popped the gum on.
Griffin. His name was Griffin.
Even his name sounded like something imposing out of mythology. A majestic beast, part eagle and lion that protected treasure—her coffee pod—and crushed metal beneath his savage grip.
Bev’s eyes widened as she took in something over Lilo’s shoulder, then sat in a rush.
“Definitely not a schmoe.”
Lilo turned to find the man in question standing behind her with a steaming mug of coffee and looking at her vision board with curious eyes.
He’d removed his sweater and replaced his blazer—no bubblegum in sight. The hard set of his jaw and flared nostrils hinted at the displeasure still riding him. He was about to say something confrontational. She tensed.
He calmly put the mug on her desk. “I don’t want your coffee.”
“Oh. Okay.” That wasn’t what she expected. “But it’s not my coffee. You got it first. Finders keepers, remember?”
“No. You were right. You got there first.”
Were they going to argue about whose coffee it was?
“But I ruined your sweater,” Lilo added diplomatically. “So you should have it. I’ll pay you for the sweater, of course. Just hang tight while I get my checkbook out of my bag.”
Her hands trembled as she retrieved her satchel and opened the flap. Dread coated her insides. The last thing she wanted was to write a check. It meant asking her father for help, and she wanted nothing to do with him. She shouldn’t even still carry her old checkbook around.
“No.” Griffin’s loud voice rang out in the office and people glanced over. Realizing the unwanted attention, he dropped his tone. “I don’t want payment for the sweater.”
He had to take payment. She wouldn’t be able to look him in the eye if he refused. Every time she’d see him in the halls, she’d think about how she ruined his sweater. She owed him something.
“Consider us even,” he added, then elaborated: “You also referred me for the job.”
Lilo blinked. He knew who she was?
“So, I owe you nothing, and I want nothing from you. Let’s leave it at that.”
He shoved his hands in his pockets and strode away.
Chapter Four
Griffin strode into his new private office, refusing to believe what his body screamed at him: that woman was his mate.
Heat suffused his pores along with the lingering scent of blueberry gum laced with something inescapably feminine. It made every muscle, every sense, every nerve, raw in his body. His shirt scratched, and his shoes felt too small for his feet. Tugging his tie, he sat at his desk and forced his lungs to breathe at an even pace.
Even if she was—irrelevant—he was in perfect control.
He didn’t need a mate. Especially not some bubblegum-popping, rambling woman who probably had no idea what a real statistic was, even if she did like facts. He raked his fingers through his hair, messing up the style.
Fact: Being near her screwed with his equilibrium. He didn’t care if his tattoo said he was balanced. He knew how he felt, and his emotions were in turmoil. How could that be good?
Fact: He couldn’t afford weakness—just touching her blocked out all sense of greed in the building.
Fact: She distracted him, and that was dangerous. When she had her hands on him, he couldn’t breathe from the intensity of his irrational desire for her.
It was illogical how all sense of normalcy disappeared the moment they’d made contact. It was like he’d entered the Twilight Zone. His lungs had seized. His heart had pounded, and he’d sweated profusely. What was worse, her natural scent under that infernal bubblegum made him so aroused he went rock hard instantly. He’d never been more grateful for a woman getting flustered and fleeing in his life. He knew Evan said he’d felt something similar around Grace, but it all still sounded so ridiculous to Griffin.
