Page 2 of Deal with Mr. Cruel

Jonas watched him walk away before letting out a deep breath. He hated how well Chad knew him and hoped he wasn’t as transparent to the rest of his employees. An office fling wouldn’t look professional. He couldn’t risk losing the respect he had built over the past year. Still, he couldn’t help thinking about Mae.

She rarely spoke to him and was sure to never be alone with him. Mae was always professional, but there was a coldness only he could feel. No one else seemed to notice. Most days, her curt attitude pissed him off, but on rare days, he felt a tinge of longing. Only once had he had the courage to set things right, but he hung up before he dialed the last number of her office extension. Several other times, he fantasized about calling her into his office to do more than talk.

Both ideas were impossible. He’d lost his chance years ago. He’d had her. Her mind, her heart, her body. She had really listened to him when he was in the throes with his father. Mae encouraged him and quietly cheered him on in the office. Jonas still remembered his fingers tangled in her hair, her lips parted against his, and her fingers trailing his chest. There were times he knew she wanted to tell him her feelings, but he never let her get that close.

The spark between them was sudden and strong, and then he’d extinguished it. He couldn’t let his feelings get away from him in an office romance. A distraction. A roadblock to success. These were all things he told himself as the weight of what Mae really meant to him started closing in. What they had was real, and it scared him.

So, Jonas had ended it. His sudden coldness had taken Mae by surprise. She didn’t say much, but he saw the sad understanding in her eyes. He was wrong, but his pride couldn’t take the scrutinizing eyes of his father, who didn’t believe in silly things like love. Jonas threw himself into his job and worked his way up the company. He convinced himself he didn’t need a woman when there was so much to accomplish. Deep down, Jonas didn’t want to be like his father, who had lost his mother due to his coldness, but it was the only way he knew.

“What do you think?” Wendy asked, her voice bringing him back to the present.

He looked at his secretary, who stood expectantly waiting for his response.

“You’ve really outdone yourself. Truly.”

“Everyone who is anyone is here,” she said, beaming.

“I can see. You even got Nate here.”

“It wasn’t easy. It looks like his girlfriend has pried herself away from him. Now’s your chance.”

Jonas looked toward the bar and nodded. He took the last sip of his whiskey and set his glass down on a nearby table.

“You’ve got this, boss!” Wendy whispered after him.

He did have this. He was one of the youngest CEOs in Boston. The city’s entire beloved sports team was in this room to celebrate him. He had a business proposal that was hard to refuse and would make him millions. Also, he could have—almost—any woman he wanted. In fact, he would go out to his favorite bar after this and take someone home.

Jonas started feeling like himself again as he made his way across the room. He smiled confidently as he passed employees who nodded and raised their glasses to him. A few patted his back. Despite the boost in confidence, he could still feel Mae. It annoyed him how constantly aware of her he was.

And how could he not be aware of her now? Her red dress was striking and made her stand out from the crowd of suits and ties. She stood directly in his path to the bar where Nate was scrolling through his phone. Jonas politely excused himself as he pushed gently through the crowd. As he got closer to her, his heart rate quickened. Mae’s back was turned toward him, and he sucked in a quiet breath as he brushed past her. The familiar scent of vanilla and lavender wafted up at him. He pushed away the memories that came crashing in.

From the corner of his eye, he watched her turn her head slightly and felt her gaze on him as he continued. The question of “what if” briefly entered his mind, and then he found himself face-to-face with Nate. Jonas composed himself. He wouldn’t let her get to him again. Not now. Not ever.

He cleared his throat. “Nate. Thank you for coming.”

Chapter 2

Mae

Pulling at her dress and willing it to be longer, Mae tried paying attention to her brother talk about his latest night out. She wondered why she had worn such a sexy dress to an office party, but deep down, she knew it was for Jonas. This whole party was for him, and here she was laughing a little too loud at her brother’s antics, trying to look comfortable. Trying to look like she was unbothered. Normally, Nico’s stories of drunken nights at parties and jumping off roofs into the pool would put her into mama-bear mode, but tonight, she was distracted. Distracted by Jonas in his navy suit, the chatter surrounding him, and this damn dress that kept riding up.

She almost hadn’t come. Spending an evening celebrating a man who broke her heart, although she’d never admit it, didn’t sound all that appealing. Nico’s lack of a date swayed her, though. She would much rather be on her brother’s arm than some girl who was into him for the wrong reasons. He was a conquest to many. A professional baseball player they could cross off their list, or worse, try to cling to for the fame and fortune.

Maybe she was too protective, although Nico would say she was harsh. He recently stopped introducing Mae to anyone new because she was too critical. She had to be. She was his big sister, and he didn’t have anyone else.

Their parents had passed away unexpectedly in a car accident ten years ago. She still remembered the red and blue lights flickering through the sheer curtains of the living room. The knock on the door. The policemen removing their hats and holding them in their hands. She had to steady herself against the doorframe. She had wanted to scream, but she held it in, and the loudness vibrated between the walls in her head.

At nineteen, Mae became her brother’s legal guardian. In their will, their parents had left them the house. It felt comforting to stay in the only place they knew, but it also felt sad because pieces were missing. It took every bit of strength for Mae to carry on. If she didn’t keep it together, who would? Not Nico. He was only fourteen and smack dab in the middle of adolescence. He didn’t handle their parents’ deaths well. The loss turned him upside down.

Mae had to keep it together for the both of them. During the day, she made sure Nico got to school on time, did his studies, went to baseball practice, and she cheered him on at every game. At night, she crumbled. She lay in bed, trying to sleep between her quiet sobs.

Through the years, they’d leaned on each other. Once Nico graduated from high school, he went to a state school on a baseball scholarship. He persuaded Mae to get her bachelor’s degree alongside him. She took online courses and earned her degree in sports marketing. While this wasn’t exactly her dream, she did what she could to stay close to her brother. After they graduated, she got a job in the sports business, and Nico made it to the Major Leagues. She still couldn’t believe they had made it out of such a dark period of their lives.

Looking at her brother, she was proud of him. She was proud of herself. Mae smiled at him sentimentally and took a sip of champagne.

“What?” Nico asked, taking a pause in his story and raising an eyebrow.

“Nothing,” Mae said with a shrug. “I guess I’m just proud of you.”

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