“I need to buy back my family’s share of the company from you,” he continues. “We need to come to an arrangement.”
“I already named my price.”
“That is going to take time,” he tells me, “and there might be other interested parties. You aren’t the only one who bought into the company.”
“I assumed I wasn’t,” I say smoothly. If he only knew. “Have you spoken with Adair?”
“I don’t know what happened between you and her in the past,” he says, “but it’s clear that we’re going to have to come to another arrangement. I can’t force her to do something she refuses to do.” He doesn’t seem to understand why she’s not taking orders. The MacLaine men, obviously, haven’t gotten any less narcissistic in the last couple of years.
“I’ve always gotten the impression that Adair is quite pliable when the incentive is right.” Malcolm doesn’t wield the same control over her as their father did. Pointing this out will only whittle away a bit more of his confidence in himself. The trick with breaking something strong is to weaken it first rather than waste your energy smashing it outright.
“She hates you.” He stares at me as though willing me to disprove this. “I, on the other hand, like you. I wasn’t sure at first, but you might be just what the company needs—if we could come to an arrangement. A merger, perhaps. ”
I don’t flatter myself that he’s reversed his opinion of me. A MacLaine never thinks highly of anyone that’s not their own blood. He can’t find the information he needs to make a play. I made sure of that. I’m here because he’s feeling desperate. He’s no closer to figuring out who the other investors are—no matter what he says about their interest. Malcolm is so busy looking for other players, he doesn’t see that I’m the dealer. I fed him his hand. He can’t bluff me.
“You might be surprised about me and your sister,” I say to him. “We got a chance to talk at the gala.”
The phone on his desk buzzes, and his secretary’s voice pipes into the room. “Your sister is here.”
Right on time. It’s not a coincidence that I wound up here at the same time as Adair. I’d texted her this morning to set a date for our first public appearance as a “couple.” She’d told me she was busy—a meeting with her brother, she said. She’d think about it. Faking a relationship might have been her plan, but her hesitation tells me she’s questioning it. I hadn’t expected her to dangle herself like a piece of meat over my head, but now that I know she will, I can’t resist the opportunity. I won’t allow her to back out of our arrangement now.
“Show her in.” Malcolm watches me as the door opens. He’s trying to read me, but he doesn’t speak my language.
“You wanted to talk to me,” Adair says haughtily. She storms past me without realizing I’m there and plants her hands on the desk, sticking her round ass in my face in the process. My view instantly improves. “We have to have official meetings now?”
“When it comes to business,” he says in a warning tone.
“Everything’s business. I don’t see why we can’t just talk about it at the dinner table,” she says.
“It will have to wait, regardless,” Malcolm says, motioning to me.
She glances over her shoulder casually, freezing when our eyes meet. There’s a moment of confusion in those emerald orbs, quickly followed by accusation. She knows she’s been played. “Sterling!”
“I stopped in to chat with your brother.” Rising, I unbutton my jacket with one fluid motion. “But I confess, I really came to see you.”
My honesty is so surprising she stands in shocked silence long enough for me to cross the few steps to her. I act without hesitation, knowing that even a moment’s pause will blow this. Before she processes my proximity, I curl a hand around her waist, pull her to me and crush my lips against hers. The kiss lasts longer than I intend. Maybe because I caught her off-guard, so she doesn’t fight it. Maybe because I hadn’t expected to enjoy it as much as I do. I know she’s poison, but she tastes like honey, and I linger on those sweet lips. When I break away, her mouth falls open.
“There’s no point keeping it from your family,” I say to her. “They’ll know soon enough.”
Knitting my fingers through hers, I turn my attention back to Malcolm. He looks like he’s already planning the wedding.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t wait until tonight to see her,” I say.
“You two have plans?” He looks to her for confirmation.
I step in before she can conceive a cutting remark in response. “Yes, we have an official date this time. I’m afraid it’s going to be a little less extravagant than a gala, Lucky.”
The corners of her eyes narrow ever so slightly. The lie. The old nick name. I’m pressing all her buttons and she’s got to go along with it—but Adair has always been an excellent liar. She slips into the deception with ease, gesturing
