The CEO's Little Surprise(2)

Back to business, then.

He grinned and reined in his thundering pulse. Going toe-to-toe with  Cass was such a turn-on. Smart, sexy women who didn't take any crap had  always floated his boat. "Am I that easy to read?"

Cass laughed in his ear, a throaty sound he instantly wanted to hear  again. "I'm afraid so. Sorry you've wasted your time. The formula is not  for sale."

All right, then. Cass needed persuasion to see how his tutelage had launched her into the big leagues. He'd anticipated that.

"Of course it isn't. Not to the rest of the world. But I'm not one of  the masses," he reminded her. "I'm not unreasonable. I'll pay fair  market value."

He turned his head at just the right angle to almost bring their lips  together. The pull between them was magnetic, and he nearly forgot for a  second that he'd instigated this sensual tease to get him closer to his  goal-the formula.

She didn't flinch, holding herself rock steady. "You think you have  special rights because of our former relationship? Think again."

His element of surprise hadn't worked to catch her off guard and, for  some reason, that made her twice as attractive. Or maybe the unexpected  draw had come about because they were equals now. It was an interesting  shift in their dynamic he hadn't expected, and it was throwing him off.

So he'd up his game. Gage had never met a woman he couldn't charm. When  he wanted something, he got it. "That's no way to talk to an old  friend."

If he moved an inch, they'd be touching. He almost did it, curious if  she still felt the same-soft, exciting and warm. Except he had the  distinct impression Cass was all business and little pleasure these  days. And that she wasn't interested in mixing them up.

"Is that what we are?"

There came that sexy laugh again and it did a powerful number on his  already-primed lower half. She really shouldn't be so intriguing, not  with his agenda and the lost element of surprise. But all of that  actually heightened his sense of awareness, and he had a sharp desire to  get under her skin the same way she'd managed to get under his.

"Friends. Former lovers. At one time, mentor and student."

"Mmm. Yes." She cocked her head. "You've taught me a lot. So much that  I'm running a successful company I need to get back to. You'll excuse my  rudeness if I request you make an appointment. Like anyone else who  wants to talk business."

All at once, her heat vanished as she pulled away and clacked toward  the entrance to her building. Ouch. He'd been relegated to the ranks of  "anyone else."

He let her go. For now.

There was no way a former pupil of his was going to take away even a  single point of his market share, and he'd pay handsomely to ensure it.  But one had to do these things with finesse.

Remind her of what you've done for her. Remind her how good it was.

The voice in his head was his own conscience. Probably. But sometimes  he imagined it was Nicolas guiding him from beyond the veil. A big  brother's advice in times of need, which usually led Gage down the path  of living life to the fullest. Because Nicolas couldn't.

The philosophy had never steered Gage wrong before.

He wasn't about to stop listening to sound advice now, especially when  it aligned with what he wanted. Cass clearly needed a good, solid  reminder of how tight they'd been. So tight, he knew every inch of her  body.

Your best strategy is to use pleasure to influence business.

Nicolas had spoken. And that pretty much solidified Gage's next steps  because that genie wasn't going back in the bottle. He wanted her. And  her formula. If he did it right, one would lead to the other.

He gave her a good five minutes and went after her.

Turnabout was fair play in love and cosmetics.

* * *

Hands shaking, Cass strode to her office and checked her strength  before she slammed the door behind her. That would only invite questions  and she had no answers for why her entire body still pumped with  adrenaline and...other things she'd rather not examine.                       
       
           



       

Okay, that was a flat-out lie. Gage Branson was the answer, but why  seeing him again so severely affected her after all of this time-that  she couldn't explain.

God, that smile rocked her to the core, even all these years later. And  his still-amazing body had been hidden underneath casual-Friday dress,  when it should clearly be on display in a pinup calendar. He'd always  had the messiest, most casually cut hair that somehow managed to look  delicious on him. Still did. Oh, yes, he was just as sexy and  charismatic as he'd always been and she hated that she noticed. Hated  that he could still put a quiver in her abdomen. Especially after what  he'd done.

Breathe. Gage was just a guy she used to know. Put that on repeat a  thousand times and maybe she'd finally believe it. Except he wasn't just  a guy from college; that was the problem.

Gage Branson had broken her.

Not just her heart, but her. Mind, body and soul. She'd fallen so hard  for him that the splat hadn't even registered. Until he casually  declared their relationship over, and did she want the clothes back that  she'd left at his place?

Nine years later and she was still powerless to move on, unable to fall  in love again, incapable of forgetting and far too scarred to forgive.  And that's why her hands were still shaking. Pathetic.

The only positive was she felt certain Gage hadn't picked up on her  consternation. God forbid he figure out how greatly he'd affected her.  Emotions had no place here, not at work, not in her personal life. No  place. That's the most important lesson she'd learned from her former  mentor. Thankfully, he'd taken her advice to make an appointment without  too much protest, giving her much-needed regroup time.

Her phone beeped, reminding her she had five minutes until the meeting  she'd called would begin. Five minutes to put her thoughts together  about how Fyra should handle the leak in the company. Someone  reprehensible had publicized Harper's nanotechnology breakthrough before  they'd even gotten FDA approval or a patent. Five minutes, when she  should have had an hour, but didn't because of the car wreck on Central  and the surprise appearance of the man who'd laced her nightmares for  nearly a decade.

And maybe a few need-soaked dreams. But he didn't have to know about that.

Great. This was exactly what she needed, a come-to-Jesus meeting with  Trinity, Harper and Alex so soon after locking horns with the offspring  of Satan. Who was here strictly because of a leak that never should have  happened.

Well, she'd have to get her wild swing of emotions under control. Now.  It wasn't as though she didn't already know how she felt about the  leak-sick, furious and determined to find the source. They'd not only  lost a potential competitive advantage, until they figured out who had  spilled, there was also no guarantee the same person wouldn't leak the  secret formula-or steal it.

But five minutes was scarcely enough time to settle her racing heart  before waltzing into a room with her best friends, who would see  immediately that Something Had Happened. They'd probably also realize  "Something" had a man's name all over it.

Working with people who'd held your hair when you drank too much and  borrowed your clothes and sat with you in a tight huddle at your  grandfather's funeral meant few secrets. Most of the time, Cass  appreciated that. Maybe not so much today.

In the bathroom, she patted her face with a blotting cloth and fixed her makeup, which was equal parts wardrobe and armor.

No one saw through Cass when she had her face on-with the right makeup,  no one had to know you were hurting. The philosophy born out of the  brokenness Gage had left her with had grown into a multimillion-dollar  company. Best Face Forward wasn't just the company tagline, it was  Cass's personal motto.

No man would ever put a crack in her makeup again.

Fortified, Cass pasted on a cool smile and exited the bathroom. Only to  run smack into Fyra's receptionist, Melinda. Her wide eyes spelled  trouble as she blurted out, "There's an extremely persistent man at the  front desk who seems to believe you have an appointment with him."

Gage. When she'd said make an appointment, she meant for later. Much later.                       
       
           



       

Her not-so-settled nerves began to hum. "I don't have an appointment with him. I have a meeting."

"I told him that. But he insisted that you'd scheduled time with him,  and he drove all the way from Austin." Melinda lowered her voice. "He  was very apologetic and sweet about it. Even asked if there was a  possibility you accidentally double booked your appointments."

Did his audacity have no end?

The stars in Melinda's eyes were so bright, it was a wonder she could  still see around Gage's charm. Well, Cass didn't suffer from the same  affliction. "When have I ever done that?"