Page 1 of Risky Business

HAWK

“Are you fucking kidding me?” I slam my hand down on the desk and watch my sister wince. She should know better than to hit me with this shit first thing on a Monday morning.

“Oh, come on.” Raven drops into the chair facing my desk and shakes her head. “Stop being a pain in the rear.” My younger sister glares at me. “Since Bent retired, we need another band on our books.” Now, it’s my turn to wince. The thought of the biggest band any record company could ever sign retiring is still a painful memory. “And these girls could be the next big thing.” I’m not sure another big thing is in the cards for us. While our record label is one of the most successful, the industry is changing and we’re having trouble keeping up.

Inked Knight Records has been in our family for over fifty years. Of course, it was called Knightley Records until my brother, Falcon, and I both left the military and decided to come home to take over the business from our retiring grandfather.

Granddad Leo had signed tons of strong acts throughout the years, and the company was thriving while his health was failing. We took over the helm, changed the name, and the rest is history. Well, sort of. Within two years, we’d signed Bent to an exclusive deal and the band’s popularity soared. The business arrangement solidified our hold on the record industry.

Over the years, Bent’s popularity grew while we signed several more popular bands and artists. When our little sister graduated with a degree in marketing, we convinced her to join the family business. She’s been instrumental in our continued success.

A year ago, the lead singer and founding member of Bent, Bender Valentine, blindsided me. He’d had enough of the nomadic lifestyle and was ready to retire. He announced his retirement and quit touring within a few months.

“There’s a rumor going around that Pussycat Rebellion is really good.” My sister has a knack for finding successful groups. Her business acumen is top notch and I trust her judgment, but I’m not in the mood to deal with a new group right now.

“Then go check them out and let me know after you’ve listened to them.” I sigh, realizing I’m not going to win this argument with my stubborn little sister.

“I have,” Raven smiles, knowing she’s got me, “and I was impressed.” Fucking hell. “So, you need to give them a chance.”

“Why didn’t you just start with that?” I ask and watch Raven smirk. I’m familiar with the expression; I see it in the mirror every morning. “Send Josh the details and I’ll see what I can do,” I tell Raven, knowing my assistant will help me find excuses to delay the inevitable.

“I have a better idea.” Raven claps her hands together and I know I’m in trouble. “I’ll arrange for you to meet with their manager, Tia Jamison.” I rub my bottom lip, trying to figure out why that name is familiar. “She works for Saunders Management,” my sister adds, and it suddenly all makes sense. Riley Jamison is a whiz with public relations. She owns Saunders Management with her husband Cash. They have three grown children, and I’m betting Tia Jamison is one of them.

“Fine.” I need to get this over with. “Talk to Josh and arrange a time for me to meet with her.” I’ll give the young Jamison five minutes, and then I can tell my sister I tried.

“It just so happens that I’m having lunch with Tia today. You can come along and meet her. I already checked your schedule and you’re all clear.” I should’ve known my sister would play dirty.

“You win.” I sigh, knowing my persistent little sister will never give up once she has her mind set on something. “When and where?”

“Tony’s Steakhouse at noon.” She practically skips to the door. “We’ll be waiting for you.” Great.

The rest of the morning flies by, and before I know it, the intercom on my desk rings. “This is your thirty-minute warning.” Josh’s voice echoes around my office, causing me to regret installing that fucking intercom system.

“Thanks,” I mutter before grabbing my jacket to head out the door. I ignore the feeling that something is about to happen as I rush down the hallway, telling myself it’s time to get this shit over with so I can move on with the rest of my day.

“Have a good lunch,” Josh calls to me as I walk past his desk and glance over at the little fucker.

“One day, I’m going to make good on my threat to fire your ass,” I growl, but we both know I’m lying.

“But that day isn’t today.” He rolls his eyes as I step onto the elevator. We both know I couldn’t survive without him. Josh runs a tight ship and keeps us all in line.

Traffic looks like hell. I decide to grab the company car instead of driving myself. That’s a decision I come to regret almost immediately. I glance down at my watch and realize I’m going to be late if this driver doesn’t speed up. He’s hit every goddamn bump in the road and barely missed two pedestrians. “I’m running late,” I tell him. “Can you hurry up?” And maybe pay attention to the fucking road, I add silently.

Next time, I’ll grab my own SUV out of the garage instead of taking a company car. The driver grumbles something under his breath while picking up speed. He stops in front of Tony’s Steakhouse with three minutes to spare. “I’ll find my own way back to the office,” I tell him. Hell, walking is preferable to letting that asshole drive me.

When I step inside the restaurant, the hostess smiles at me. “Please follow me,” she states when I tell her who I’m meeting, then she leads me through the darkened restaurant. We step around a corner, and I see my sister sitting at a private booth in the back.

As I step close to the table, I take a blow right to the chest. The darkened room blurs around us as I stare down at perfection. The curvy dark-haired angel sitting across from Raven blows my mind. Onyx waves fall wildly around her delicate, heart-shaped face, and I notice dark auburn streaks running through her thick curls. Her steel gray eyes meet mine, and she smiles shyly. My heart melts while my cock jumps, watching her sharp, white teeth sink into her plump bottom lip. Suddenly, my dress pants feel way the fuck too small.

“Hawk.” My oblivious sister smiles at me before pointing to the luscious woman. “This is Tia Jamison.” Raven frowns as she turns to point at me. “Tia, this is my brother, Hawk.”

On autopilot, I extend my hand to the beautiful woman. Our palms meet, and electricity blasts down my spine. I watch her pale throat as she swallows, and I realize the little kitten is affected, too. Thank God, I’m not experiencing this craziness alone.

“Mr. Knightley.” Even her voice is stunning. My blood heats as tingles run across my overheated skin. I barely resist the urge to throw her over my shoulder and rush for the door. Shaking my head, I attempt to get a grip on my skyrocketing emotions while wondering if I’m losing my mind.

My knees weaken. “Please, call me Hawk,” I manage to mutter before sliding into the booth next to Tia. She’s wearing a tiny black dress stretched across her abundant curves. Her silky tanned thighs catch my attention as her delicate floral fragrance surrounds me. My cock hardens uncomfortably but I ignore the pain. This girl just changed my entire fucking existence. And I’m not going to question my good luck.

Once we get through this fucking meeting and lose my sister, I plan to make a few things very clear to my little kitten. She’s mine, all mine, and her luscious curves are for my eyes only. No more short, tight goddamn skirts. I wonder if she’ll agree to head-to-toe coverings? I shake the crazy thought away and attempt to listen to the conversation going on around me.

My sister chatters on, filling the uncomfortable silence surrounding us while I stare at the stunning beauty. My mind whirls with plans to keep her, and I’m pleasantly surprised when I’m able to make somewhat appropriate responses. “Tia represents Pussycat Rebellion, and I know you’ll love them. They’re playing at the rock festival in Daytona this weekend,” Raven rattles on before nudging my foot under the table. I momentarily snap from my stupor and glance around the table. Both women are staring at me, and I wonder what I missed. “I asked if you’d like to hear their demo,” Raven grits out through clenched teeth.

“Definitely.” An idea suddenly flashes through my mind as I remember her words from a few moments ago. “Why don’t I go to the festival with Tia, and I can hear them in person?” I glance over at my future wife and smile. “We can talk after the performance.”

I leave out the part where I plan to make her mine before we return from Florida. She’ll figure it out on her own at some point.

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