Authors: Stephanie Julian
Smiling up at him, she noticed how his gaze traveled from her head to her toes and
back up again. His smile held an appreciation she’d not seen there before.
A quick glance at Tyler showed no jealousy. “Thank you. And you look amazing. These
people won’t know what hit them.”
Greg bowed his head then looked at Tyler with a raised brow, though he didn’t say
anything. The men apparently knew each other well enough that they didn’t need words
to communicate.
Kate wasn’t sure she wanted to know what they’d been thinking, especially if that
look had anything to do with her.
As Greg pushed through the doors, she realized they weren’t the first to arrive. A
few couples mingled at the bar on one side of the beautifully decorated room.
Less than half the size of the ballroom, this room had a breathtaking view of the
atrium garden.
She knew Tyler had personally designed the indoor garden, so when he excused himself
to handle a question from one of the staff, she wandered over to the glass wall.
Though it was still technically winter outside, the atrium burst with color. She had
no idea what most of the plants were, but they looked tropical.
“You’d never realize Tyler had such a flair for the dramatic, considering how conservative
the man appears.”
Startled, Kate looked up.
The man standing next to her had a slim build, fair hair, and a handsome face.
And a smile that made her think he had an ulterior motive for talking to her.
Before she could say anything, he stuck out his hand. “Mark Vasser. Nice to meet you.”
She took his hand with a smile. If this was a friend of Tyler’s, she didn’t want to
get off on the wrong foot. “Kate Song.”
“Beautiful name. I don’t believe we’ve met before. I’m certain I would have remembered.
Where are you from, Kate?”
“Adamstown. And you?”
“Right here in Philadelphia. My family’s company is considering investing in Greg’s
film. Do you know Greg?”
“Only casually. What business is your family in, Mr. Vasser?”
“His family enjoys eating up companies and spitting them out, doesn’t it, Vasser?”
Behind her, she felt the solid heat of Tyler’s body. Turning to look at him, she could
tell he didn’t like the man standing in front of her.
Not that Tyler showed any outright disdain. His expression was pleasant, though he
wasn’t smiling. But when he put his arm around her shoulder, she felt the stiffness
in his body.
She took another, closer look at Mark. And knew there was something going on here
that she had no idea about.
**
Tyler couldn’t believe the bastard had the balls to show up in his hotel.
But then Mark had always had enough bravado to get him through any situation. That
had never bothered Tyler before. In fact, he’d admired the man for it.
But now, with Mark’s father pressuring Tyler’s father to sell the GoldenStar chain
of hotels to him, it made him want to strangle the man.
Mark’s smile held only a trace of snark as they shook hands, though he watched carefully
as Tyler tucked Kate into his side. She fit as if she belonged there and he had a
momentary caveman moment when her arm curved around his back.
Which Mark didn’t miss, if Tyler read his grin correctly.
“Actually, our company gives options to corporations that have become bloated or have
overextended themselves. We can buy the entire company or we can buy pieces.”
They were corporate raiders, in Tyler’s opinion. They came in and sold off bits and
pieces of companies, no matter the cost to the individuals.
Which wasn’t exactly true or fair.
Tyler didn’t have a problem with Mark. The person he had an issue with was his own
father. Mark just happened to be the nearest target at the moment.
“Well, that sounds like something that would go straight over my head.” Kate laughed,
giving his waist a squeeze as if she thought he needed comfort. What he needed was
her.
“In that case,” Mark said, “I’ll change the subject. How long have you and Tyler been
seeing each other?”
“We’ve known each other for a few months,” Kate answered before he could think of
what to say. He wasn’t sure what she’d want him to reveal. Which is how he knew his
brain was totally messed up. “We met at the New Year’s Eve party.”
“Lucky man. I was at that party. Too bad I didn’t see you first.”
“I wasn’t exactly looking for a man that night. Tyler happened to be too interesting
to ignore.”
“Interesting, huh?” Mark’s grin widened. “Now I really am fascinated. You’ll have
to tell me more about it after our meeting next week, Tyler.”
He bit back what would have probably been a profane and anatomically impossible suggestion.
“I doubt we’ll have time then. I’ll see you around, Vasser.”
Mark nodded, his expression still cocky, but Tyler knew he should cut the guy some
slack. It wasn’t his fault Tyler’s father was playing head games to get what he wanted.
With Kate tucked to his side, he made his way across the room to a quiet corner where
he tried to stuff all those out-of-control emotions back into a deep hole. He didn’t
want to think about business now. He had Kate for the weekend and he didn’t want anything
to screw with that.
“Tyler, is everything okay?”
He didn’t want to lie to her, but there were too many ears listening to anything he
might say.
“I’m sorry, Kate.”
“For what?”
“For Vasser dragging you into the middle of business.”
Her eyes widened. “That was business?”
He gritted his teeth. “That was an ambush.”
She paused. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“No.” Grimacing, he shook his head. “Not now.”
With a sigh, he raised a hand to run it along her hair hanging in a sleek sheet down
her back. Just the feel of it against his skin managed to calm him.
Probably didn’t want to think about that too closely.
“And I’m sorry again. Kate.” He waited until she looked up at him, dark eyes solemn,
then he leaned down to speak into her ear. “I can’t get into it now. And tonight,
I plan to devote to enjoying you. But I promise I’ll explain. Later.”
He felt her shiver, saw the way her gaze warmed when he talked about later.
And hoped like hell later came a lot sooner.
**
“Would you like to come to the Salon with me for a little while? I need some time
to unwind.”
Two hours later, Tyler felt like a pull toy that’d had its string yanked a few too
many times.
Vasser’s presence at the reception had put him on edge.
Considering the events of the past week, he felt justified in feeling unsettled. But
the only way he knew how to bring himself back into balance involved methods he wasn’t
sure Kate would be comfortable with.
But he was sure as hell going to ask.
With a slight smile and a nod, Kate agreed. They took the elevator in silence to the
fourth floor.
He could tell she knew something was bothering him, but so far she hadn’t pushed.
Growing up with his mom, never knowing what kind of mood she’d be in, had taught him
to always expect the unexpected. He’d managed to hold it together most days, but there
were some he couldn’t. It hadn’t been until he’d been older that he’d found a way
to cope.
And a woman who allowed him to use her to cope.
Damn, that made him sound like a total asshole.
But Mia had understood, he thought as he opened the door to the Salon and ushered
Kate inside. Mia had known about his innermost fears. The ones he’d been able to conquer
with her help.
You mean with her submission.
“Would you like another drink?”
“I could do with some water.” Kate’s voice sounded a little rough, a little deeper
than normal. “I don’t think I’ve made as much small talk in the past year as I did
tonight.”
At the bar, he shot her a glance over his shoulder as he put ice in a glass then poured
water into it. “I have to say, I think you might have turned a few people into investors
who might not have been. You’re extremely compelling.”
“When I believe in something, I have no problem promoting it. And Greg’s idea for
the documentary is impressive. I really like the way he wants to use the proceeds
to fund the foundation to get more arts education into schools. It’s something that’s
sorely lacking.”
He should’ve known she’d find Greg’s proposal worthwhile. And he would have if he
didn’t have all this other shit clogging his brain.
Christ, how self-absorbed was he?
Since he’d already had enough alcohol, he got a 7UP for himself and then returned
to Kate, sitting by the fireplace on the love seat. Since the fireplace burned actual
wood, he squatted down to light a match to the kindling and paper already set beneath
the logs and watched until he was sure it’d caught.
When he looked up, he found her watching him, an intent expression on her face.
“Are you going to tell me what’s going on with you? If you don’t want me to know then
say that. But don’t lie and tell me nothing’s wrong.”
Her straightforward approach made his lips curve in a slight smile as he sat next
to her on the love seat. He didn’t reach for her and drag her onto his lap like he
wanted. Instead, he turned so he could rest his back against the armrest and look
directly at her.
“My father is considering selling his shares in the GoldenStar chain to Vasser’s company.
The deal would include the original hotel my grandfather built here in the city. Dad
told me if Jared or I don’t take over his seat on the board, he has no reason to keep
it. I thought he was beyond playing these games.”
And there was the fury he couldn’t keep contained. It rose up like bile, threatening
to choke him.
“Maybe he wants to retire.” Kate’s eyes had narrowed, watching him closely. “I’ve
never heard you mention any cousins or aunts or uncles. Isn’t there anyone else to
take over?”
“No. My parents were only children. No cousins, no aunts, no uncles.”
“So you and Jared are his only heirs?”
When she put it like that, he saw how it looked from her side. That Glen Golden wasn’t
really manipulating his sons into doing what he wanted. That this could be the only
logical solution to a problem that didn’t have an easy answer.
But his father was only in his midfifties. He still had at least ten years to go before
he even thought about retirement.
But Mom’s health hasn’t been great lately, has
it?
“Yeah, we are,” he answered. “And my mom’s had some complications with her medication
recently.”
Or was there something else going on that neither of his parents wanted to tell them?
Either way, Glen Golden was playing an angle. He had to be. There’s no way he would
have ever sold the chain out of the family.
“Is her condition life-threatening?”
Kate’s quiet question had his spine straightening, but he didn’t hear avarice in her
voice. Many women in Philadelphia society would love to get their greedy nails into
whatever gossip they could uncover and spread through their circles. Some women prided
themselves on how much pain they could cause.
Kate’s tone held genuine compassion.
“It depends on the day.” He took a deep breath and allowed her into one of his deepest-held
secrets. “She’s bipolar. Has been as long as I can remember. Growing up, it’d get
so bad, she’d be confined to her bedroom for weeks. Then she’d go months without an
episode. And then she’d break again and be out of touch for a month.”
“I’m sorry.” Two simple words, but they eased something inside him. “But she’s doing
well now?”
“As far as I know. Which is why this move of my dad’s seems like a ploy. He’s always
wanted me to take over the chairmanship. Hell, I was groomed for it for years. And
then Jared came up with the idea for Haven and we knew this is what we wanted to do.”
“But you don’t want to lose your grandfather’s legacy, do you?”
“Granddad left Jared and I enough money to build this place. We own the majority of
the stock, although we do have a few investors. But no one can take it away from us.
It’s ours. Still . . .”
He’d never considered that his dad would sell the chain. It’d never even occurred
to him.
“You don’t want to see the chain get sold off, but you have your life, your own properties.”
“The spa is a huge undertaking. I don’t even think Jared knows how big. In this economy,
we could lose every cent we stick into it.”
“Or it could be a huge success as people begin to spend again. You and Jared made
a success of this hotel in one of the worst economic climates. I have no doubt you
can do the same with the spa.”
His lips curved in an unexpected smile. He never really thought of Kate as having
an optimistic streak. Her snarky attitude had led him to believe she was a pessimist.
And yet, here she was, trying to lift his spirits.
And making his cock stiff.
“Do you want to be chairman of the board, Tyler?”
He thought about his answer for several seconds, not really sure he wanted to talk
business right now. He wanted to strip her naked, bend her over the double-sided,
black leather horse in the far corner of the room, and fuck her until he couldn’t
think straight.
But that wasn’t all he wanted to do with her.
He wanted to talk to her, have her listen to what he said, and hear her opinions.
He and Jed had way too much history with their father to see this situation clearly.
And as much as he appreciated Greg’s advice, his opinion would be colored by his knowledge
of the situation.
The horse wasn’t going anywhere and they still had hours before daylight.
“It was all I wanted as a teenager. It was why I got straight As in high school and
college so I could go to Wharton.”
Her smile had a mischievous curve to it. “Wow, I knew you were smart but . . .” She
shook her head. “All you need is a cape and a pair of black-rimmed glasses to complete
the image. And little red tights.”