The Ceo's Little Surprise

“I just might have something in mind,” he said, his vocal chords scraping the low end of the register. God, she’d even affected his voice.

Down boy. Remind her why the formula is for sale...but only to you.

Yeah, he needed to get back on track, pronto, and stop letting her get into his head. He dropped his hand but leaned into her space to see about turning those tables on her. “You’re doing amazing things here, Cass. I’m proud of what you’ve accomplished.’

Wariness sprang into her gaze as she processed his abrupt subject change. “Thank you. I’m proud of what the girls and I have built.”

He crossed his arms before an errant finger could trail down the line of her throat. Because his lower half wasn’t getting the message that the goal here was to get her hot and flustered. Not the other way around. “Remember that project I helped you with for Dr. Beck’s class?”

That was before they’d started sleeping together. He didn’t recall being so magnetically attracted to Cass back then. Sure he’d wanted to get her naked. But at twenty-four, he’d generally wanted women naked. These days, his taste was a bit more refined, but no woman he’d dated over the years had gotten him this hooked, this fast.

Of course, he never looked up his old girlfriends. Maybe any former lover would affect him the same. But he couldn’t imagine that would be true.

Her eyes narrowed a touch. “The project where I created a new company on paper, complete with a marketing plan and logo and all of that?”

“That’s the one,” he said easily. “You got an A plus, if memory serves. Except you didn’t do that alone. I was right there every step of the way. Guiding you. Teaching you. Infusing you with CEO superpowers.”

In fact, he’d done such a good job, here he was smack in the middle of her corporation negotiating over a Fyra product that was better than his. He appreciated the irony.

An indulgent smile bloomed on her face and he didn’t mistake it for a friendly one. “Nothing wrong with your memory. As much as I’m enjoying this trip down memory lane, if you have a point, now would be the time to make it.”

“Your success here...” He waved a hand at her office without taking his eyes off her. “Is amazing. Your C-suite is unparalleled. But you didn’t get here without me. I’m a big factor in your success.”

“Yes, you are,” she agreed readily. Too readily. “You taught me some of the most important lessons I’ve learned thus far in my life. Fyra’s business philosophy grew 100 percent out of my experience with you.”

She blinked and undercurrents flowed between them but hell if he could figure out what they were. Regardless, it was a great segue. Exactly what he’d hoped for.

“I’m glad you agree. That’s why I’m here. To collect on that long-outstanding debt.”

“Oh, really?” Her head tilted slightly as she contemplated him. “Do tell.”

“You know what I’m talking about. Without me, Fyra might never have existed. You might never have achieved your goals, particularly not to this degree. Don’t you think turnabout is fair play?”

“Hmm.” She touched a finger to her cheek. “Turnabout. Like I owe you for what you’ve done. That’s an interesting concept. It’s kind of like karma, in a way.”

“Kind of.”

But he didn’t like the comparison, not the way she said it. Karma was rarely a word used in the context of reward. More like you were getting what you deserved.

“What I’m saying,” he interjected smoothly before this conversation went in a direction he didn’t like. “Is that I want to buy your formula. My role in your success should be a factor in your decision-making process. In all fairness, you do owe me. But I’m fair, too. I’m not asking you to give me the formula for old times’ sake. One hundred million dollars is a lot of tit for tat.”

He watched her as she filtered through his argument, but her expression remained maddeningly blank.

“Here’s the thing, Gage.” She leaned in, wafting a whole lot of woman in his direction. “You did teach me and I’m grateful. But you must have been sick the day they taught corporate structure, so I’ll clue you in. Again. I’m a quarter owner in Fyra. We’re missing three-quarters of the decision makers, none of whom owe you a thing. I’ll take your offer for the formula to the board and we’ll consider it. Period. That’s how business works.”

Her mouth was set so primly, he had the insane urge to kiss her. But they were just getting into the meat of this and he needed to hone his focus. Not lose it entirely.

So he grinned instead and waved off her protest. “Not in the real world, honey. You need to get out more if that’s your best line of defense. Deals are done and undone across the globe based on exactly that. Companies don’t make decisions. People do and rarely are they united.”

“Fyra is,” she insisted. “We’re a team.”

“I hope that’s true,” he said sincerely. “If so, then it’s in your best interests to convince them to sell. How would they feel about their CEO not honoring this lingering debt?”

Her brows drew together but it was the only outward sign she gave that she’d heard the underlying message. This was business at its core and he was not leaving Dallas without that formula. It had become more than just about ensuring Fyra didn’t take any of his market share. GB Skin was number one for a reason and he liked being the top dog. His products should be the best on the market and Fyra’s formula would put him there—assuming it checked out like he thought it would.

Not to mention that Cass’s stubbornness had piqued his.

“Threats, Gage?” Her laugh thrummed through him. “You gonna tattle to my partners about how naughty I am?”

He nearly groaned at her provocative tone.

“Nothing so pedestrian.” He shifted a touch closer because he liked the scent of her, tightening the cross of his arms. Just to keep his hands where they belonged. “I wouldn’t go behind your back to manipulate the other executives. This is your cross to bear, and I’m simply pointing out that you don’t want this on your conscience. Do you?”

“My conscience is quite clear, thanks.” Her gaze fastened firmly on his, she crossed her arms in a mirror of his pose, intentionally sliding her elbow across his. And then hung around, brushing arms deliberately. “I’ll take your offer to the others. Shall I show you the way out or can you find it yourself?”

Heat flashed where they touched. “As you’re late for a board meeting where I suspect one of the topics will be the offer in question, I’ll see myself out.”

She didn’t move, still partially blocking the open doorway. On purpose. So he’d have to slide by her like he’d done when he entered the room, to show she had his number and that whatever he dished out, he should expect to have served right back. It almost pulled an appreciative chuckle out of him but he caught it at the last second. Cass had grown up in many intriguing ways and this battle was far from over.

No point in letting her believe she had a chance in hell of winning.

So close to her that he could easily see the lighter colored flecks of blue in her irises, he palmed those cut-away panels at her waist like he’d been itching to do for an eternity and drew her against him. Yes, she was still as warm as he remembered and he ached to pull the pins from her tight blond chignon to let it rain down around her shoulders.

He leaned in, nearly nuzzling her ear with his lips. Her quick intake of breath was almost as thrilling as the feel of her skin through the panels. Instead of pulling her toward him like he wanted to, he pivoted and hustled her back a step into her office.

“Tell the girls I said hi,” he murmured and let her go. Though where he found the willpower, he had no idea.

She nodded, her expression blank. He was so going to enjoy putting a few more cracks in her newly found ice-goddess exterior when they next met.

Three (#ulink_486ad311-bf01-5754-a490-01867fff2dd3)

Cass blew out the breath she’d been holding. Which didn’t help either her shakes or her thundering pulse.

That hadn’t gone down quite like she would have hoped. She and Gage might be equals now but that hadn’t afforded her any special magic to keep her insides under control.

But Gage had left and that seemed like a small win.

Except now she had to go into that board meeting, where Trinity had most definitely told the others who Cass was meeting with. So she would have to give them the whole story, including his ridiculous offer for the formula.

Of all the nerve. Telling her she owed him the formula because he’d given her a few pointers once upon a time. Oh, she owed him all right, but more like a fat lip. Fyra’s success had nothing to do with Gage.

Well, the broken heart he’d left her with had driven her for a long time. But she’d succeeded by her own merit, not because he’d mentored her.

If anyone decided to sell the formula, it would be because it made sound business sense. Like she’d told him. She squared her shoulders and went to her meeting in the large, sunny room at the end of the hall.

The other three women in the C-suite ringed the conference table as the governing forces of the company they’d dubbed Fyra, from the Swedish word for four. Alex Meer ran the numbers as the chief financial officer, Dr. Harper Livingston cooked up formulas in her lab as the chief science officer, Trinity Forrester convinced consumers to buy as the chief marketing officer and Cass held the reins.

All three of her friends looked up as she entered, faces bright with expectation.