Page 15 of Rival Desires

Fury got down to brass tacks. “Alright, can you manage Nadine Seaworth while I’m gone? I can’t exactly juggle keeping you knuckleheads in check and looking out for Rose at the same time.”

Oh, the classic guilt trip. It never failed with me. “Alright, alright. I already told you yes. Hand over whatever dirt you’ve got on Nadine. I might not have your suave moves, but I can ace a pop quiz like nobody’s business.”

Fury pushed a file across his desk with a knowing smirk. “That you can, my friend.”

I grabbed the folder, eager to dive into it in the comfort of my office, where I could scribble to my heart’s desire. At least I wasn’t crushing on Nadine. That would’ve been a whole other can of worms. She wasn’t someone I fantasized about having earth-shattering sex with in my car. Or in a dressing room where I could catch a glimpse of her naked and...

Whoa, boy.

“You’ve got this, Cory,” Fury encouraged me. “I wouldn’t pass the baton if I didn’t think you could run the race.”

“Yeah, I hear you,” I replied, not entirely sold but trying to sound like I was.

“Just stick to your strengths, like numbers and strategy. That’s your wheelhouse.”

“As long as you’re not going to suggest I picture her naked, I’ll be alright,” I said, half-joking.

Fury let loose a belly laugh. “Oh, hell no. You remember what happened when Blaze tried to play wingman for you back in junior high, right?”

How could I ever forget that disaster? I was trying to work up the nerve to ask Jessica Maverick to the dance, and Blaze’s brilliant plan was to have me picture her in the buff. I was so freaking nervous that I puked all over her shoes instead.

“Cory, you’re a pro,” Fury said, all serious now. “Treat her like any other client. We don’t need you turning on the charm. Just show her how sharp that brain of yours is. Convince her she needs someone likeyoumanaging her finances.”

It sounded like a solid plan. “Alright, I can handle that,” I said, heading for the door. “Got a lot to study for.”

My cousin already had his eyes on the screen, no doubt scouting the gossip pages for potential leads.

Back in my office, Warner’s eyebrows shot up when he saw me, but he caught on quickly when I told him to clear my schedule.

As soon as I was alone, I scribbled a to-do list on a sticky note.

Go through Nadine Seaworth’s file with a fine-tooth comb.

Schedule a meeting for Monday.

Learn everything there is to know about her.

Spend the weekend cooking up the perfect pitch.

It should be a piece of cake, right? But then again, baking a cake isn’t always a walk in the park.

“Pull yourself together, McCrae,” I mumbled. “No room for mistakes this time.”

This was my chance to make things right. Failure wasn’t in the cards. I’d show Nadine Seaworth what I was made of and swoop her in before Rylee Palmer could even get a whiff.

It was time to roll up my sleeves and get to work.

TEN

Rylee

My team had been pulling all-nighters for a solid week, cooking up some killer game plans to lure in a few clients from Gracen & McCrae. Their hard work seriously paid off - we didn’t just land one, but two sparkling new accounts! I was stoked about their determination, but let’s be real, these wins were just the appetizer. Cory was about to find out, big time, that he’d made a huge mistake fucking with my world in every sense of the word.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I was hell-bent on making sure he knew that no one could knock his socks off like I could. I wanted to play mind games with him and throw him off his game, both in the boardroom and outside of it.

But let’s be honest, just thinking about him - those piercing eyes, that sharp jawline, the memories of his touch - had me feeling more keyed up than ever. I couldn’t deny his magnetic pull on me, no matter how hard I tried.

The pressure was getting to me. My shoulders were so tight I thought I’d get a crick in my neck. I had to force myself to slow down, take a few deep breaths, and just chill out.

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