Page 54 of Mr Nice Guy

“RJ’s waiting for you to start the BCN meeting,” Joseph tells me when I stride past his desk on my way to my office on Wednesday morning.

I stop short and just blink at him for a moment. “BCN’s tomorrow morning.”

He shake’s his head. “Nope. Wednesday.”

I groan. Fuck. How did I mess that one up? I rarely need reminding of what’s on my schedule, and I can’t even remember a time when I mixed up days or times of an important meeting. Clearly all my brain power has been taken up by something else recently…

“Right, thanks.” I pivot around and start walking in the opposite direction, toward the boardroom.

“Oh, hang on, Tanner,” Joseph calls after me. “Sullivan Stapleton—”

“No,” I growl, holding my hand up to cut him off. “Tell him no.”

I hear Joseph let out a sigh from behind me. I’m sure he’s just as tired of this merry-go-round with Monty Steele as I am.

I try not to cringe as I think of my conversation with Deacon last night. He told me all about his family, including his investment banker brother. That was my opening to say, “Oh, yeah, I know Sullivan—he and his asshole client won’t accept that ‘no’ means no.” But I didn’t take it. I felt like if I mentioned something I’d be putting Deacon in the middle, which I doubt he’d be comfortable with. Not to mention, I wasn’t sure I could talk about Stapleton without insulting him; and considering Deacon seems to be under the impression that his brother is some kind of sweet, fuzzy teddy bear I doubt he’d want to hear some of the names I have for him.

But now I can’t help thinking that staying quiet might not have been the best idea. If Deacon and I actually start dating then the truth’s bound to come out and I’ll look like a total ass.

I pause in my step as shock rolls over me.Dating?Did I actually just think that? I don’t—that’s not what I want…is it? I love spending time with him, and the sex is phenomenal; but I still haven’t figured out any of the stuff he told me to figure out. And we haven’t kissed since that first night at my penthouse.

I give a sharp shake of my head and continue walking, ignoring all the people in the office giving me curious looks. No, we’re not dating. Yet.

Yet?

Fuck. I hate my brain.

I breathe a sigh of relief when I get to the meeting, glad for the distraction from my whirling thoughts. But the relief only lasts a moment, because as soon as I enter the room, it dawns on me that Joseph was actually trying to issue a warning, not pass on a message. And I completely brushed him off.

“Sorry, I’m—” My words cut off as my gaze lands on Sullivan Stapleton sitting comfortably in one of the boardroom chairs. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

“Tanner,” RJ hisses at me, and I realize just how rude that phrasing must have seemed, particularly to Marion and Carter who don’t know how tense my dealings with Stapleton have been recently.

Even so, I want to know what the fuck he’s doing here.

“Pax invited me,” he says with a dazzling smile, reaching to his side to give Pax Greenwood a pat of acknowledgement.

My brows shoot up, because as far as I’m aware, Paxton Greenwood wasn’t invited to this meeting either. Scanning further down the table, I see another uninvited guest on Pax’s other side: Charlie Campbell. Why Pax felt the need to drag an overpriced corporate litigator to the meeting, I have no idea, but my confusion makes way for horror as I catch sight of the guy sitting next to Charlie. Skyler.

With his dark hair neatly styled and a pair of black-framed glasses on, he looks very different to the guy hanging out with Deacon at my penthouse last night. But it’s most definitely him.

When my eyes land on him, he gives me a wink that fills me with trepidation. Is he about to blurt out to the entire boardroom that I’m sleeping with his best friend? Or is he trying to reassure me that I have nothing to worry about?

I send an incredulous down the table at Marion and Carter. “I thought this was a developmental meeting? What the hell is the jock squad doing here?”

I hear a snort of laughter that’s quickly disguised as a cough, and when I shift my gaze back at the unexpected meeting attendees, I see Skyler wearing a bashful expression. I have to bite my lip to keep them from twitching in amusement; it’s difficult not to like this guy.

“I mentioned the proposal to Pax the other day and he expressed interest in being involved,” Marion says, shifting awkwardly in her seat as I fix my gaze back on her. “He’s been at the network for almost as long as you’ve owned it, Tanner. He could have some useful insight for this new…venture.”

I nod and turn my gaze back to Paxton. “I appreciate that, Marion. And I’m aware of how long Pax has been at BCN. I remember meetings like these where we developed his show. I don’t remember any veteran anchors attending. With a retinue, no less.”

Pax flashes me the dazzling smile that’s had BCN viewers charmed for fifteen years. “I’m just looking to stay abreast of things, that’s all.”

I quirk an eyebrow at him. “And you’ve brought along a litigator, an investment banker, and…” I pause when I get to Skyler. I’m not supposed to know he’s in law school, am I? “Clark Kent?”

Skyler doesn’t attempt to disguise his snort of laughter this time, earning him a quiet reprimand from Charlie Campbell. “Sorry, but he’s funny,” Skyler sputters.

“This is my paralegal, Skyler Mason,” Charlie says with a lazy gesture.

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