Play to Win (25 page)

“You know you hold your pinky up when you do that, like you're having a spot of tea.”

I burst out laughing, which is really hard to do with a mouth full of Mr. Happy. I turned aside, resting my cheek on his thigh as I giggled.

“It's like getting a
Downton Abbey
blowjob,” he said, adding a British accent for effect.

I giggled harder. “Now how am I supposed to go back to doing that now that you've made me laugh!” I complained.

“If you can't laugh during sex, when can you?” he asked with a shrug. Grasping me under the arms, he pulled me up until I was straddling him.

The feel of his erection between my legs stilled my laughter, though I was still smiling.

“You make me very happy,” I said.

“I try,” he replied. “And I think I can try a little harder.” Reaching between our bodies, he adjusted himself and lifted his hips, pushing his cock inside me.

“Mmmm, yeah, that'll do it.”

“Swear you'll say something if it hurts,” he said.

“I swear.” The pleasure far outweighed the twinge of discomfort from the stitches pulling a little.

And this was the reason I spent so much time doing squats and burpees, I thought, moving on top of him. It wouldn't do to be the first to wear out or succumb to a leg cramp.

It turned out, I didn't have to worry about any of those things. Parker could go all night, literally, but took it easy on me today. He waited until I came, yet again, before allowing himself to come, too.

Our lips were locked, tongues entwined, when he finally had to pull his mouth away to gulp more air, his orgasm wracking his body. I watched him, his beautiful face contorted in pleasure as he gasped my name.

I rested against him, our bodies slick with sweat, a satisfied smile on my face. This was bliss. This was happiness. Being with the man I loved beyond all reason, and knowing without a doubt that he loved me just as much.

Parker kissed the top of my head, then turned us, scooting down until we were lying back-to-front spoon style.

“Get some sleep,” he whispered in my ear.

“Stay with me?”

“Always.”

I
t was another week before I could go back to work, but I felt 100 percent better and was in a great mood. Parker and I had stayed over together either at his place or mine each night. He'd gone back to work for KLP and I'd even managed to get him to go easy on yet another new assistant. I was hoping this one would actually last longer than a week.

“Welcome back!” Carrie greeted me when I walked in. Jumping up from her chair, she rounded the counter to hug me tight. “I'm so glad you're all right.”

“I know, right? More excitement than
Cagney & Lacey
.”

“Isn't that show before your time?” she teased.

I shrugged. “I grew up with Mom watching that and
Magnum, P.I.
” I headed for my office and she followed me.

“Nothing wrong with Tom Selleck,” she said. “A girl's gotta have standards.”

I grinned, shrugging out of the light coat I'd worn today. Fall was hitting hard, which was fine with me. Curling up in front of the fire with Parker and a bottle of wine tonight sounded like heaven.

“Breakfast is on your desk and I'll grab you some coffee from the Starbucks across the street,” she said.

“Ooh, is it that pumpkin spice latte time of year yet?”

“You bet.” She winked. “Extra whip?”

“You know me well.”

I sat down at my desk as Carrie disappeared. There was a huge stack of paperwork, and I saw over a hundred e-mails in my inbox, but it felt good to be back at work.

I was in the middle of digging my way out from under the pile when there was a knock on my open door. I glanced up and saw Charlie standing there.

“Can I come in?” he asked.

“Absolutely,” I said with a smile. I was acutely aware that I'd been promoted—someone with much less experience than he—and needed Charlie's expertise. “I'm glad you came by.”

He closed the door and took a seat opposite me. “How are you feeling?” The lines on his face were creased in concern.

“I'm okay,” I said. “It wasn't an experience I care to repeat but from what I've been told, it could've been a lot worse.”

“True,” he said. “You and your dad are very lucky.”

Something about the way he said that made me frown, but I let it pass. “Charlie, I wanted to talk to you about Dad's resignation.” I took a deep breath. “I'm sure you expected to be the next CEO—”

“Don't worry about it,” he said. “You're his daughter. It doesn't surprise me.”

I smiled, relieved. “Good. I'm glad you're not upset. I really am going to need you while we transition.”

“Of course. I'll be glad to help.” His smile faded. “I got an e-mail this morning from our lawyers, and we need to discuss the collusion investigation.”

Alarm shot through me. “I thought that had gone away,” I said. “I spoke with them—”

“Steven may be dead, but once he woke that sleeping giant, it wasn't just going to go away,” Charlie said. “I'd expect a formal indictment to show up pretty soon.”

Fuck. Just when I thought fate was smiling on me and life decided to give me a break, it knocked me down and stole my lunch money.

“I don't even know how he found out about it,” I mused. That point had bothered me, but I hadn't spent much time analyzing it. I'd been busy healing from a gunshot wound. “I guess Jessie was the one that broke in here, but she didn't find the documents. Those were locked in Dad's office at the time.”

Charlie didn't say anything and I glanced at him. “Charlie?”

Our gazes met and something clicked. I gasped, stricken. “Was it…was it you, Charlie?”

His lips twisted just a fraction. “You always were smart, Sage.”

I gaped at him. “You betrayed my father? But…why?”

He snorted. “I knew the day you showed up that any chance I had of getting this company was down the toilet. It didn't matter that I've worked for him for decades, given my entire adult life to making this company a success and him a millionaire. I'm not
blood
.”

“You were his friend,” I said. “You gave confidential information to Steven Shea about this company?”

“Please,” he said contemptuously. “If that idiot would have been as smart as he was nuts, that would've been all he needed.”

I puzzled over this for a moment, my thoughts spinning. “You,” I breathed. “You were the one in the hospital room with Mom and Dad, on the phone.” At the time, I'd thought it was just another of Steven's lackeys. But it would have had to be someone who could get that close without arousing suspicion. And Mom wouldn't have thought twice about Charlie being in there. Charlie had been alone with my dad a number of times.

“Was it you?” I asked. “Was it Shea or you that arranged that hit on me and Dad?”

“Thought I could get rid of you both in one fell swoop,” he said. “Should've known it wouldn't be that easy.”

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. It was like I was inside a living, breathing nightmare.

“I've known you my whole life,” I said. “And you tried to kill me?”

“Did your dad ever tell you how we met?” he asked. I shook my head. “But I bet he's told you about how he was threatened when he first went into the business.”

“He said that my mom had car trouble one day and that a man had stopped to supposedly help her, but ended up threatening her instead.” When I'd asked Dad what had happened to the man, he'd said
I made him understand that messing with me was a bad idea
.

“I was that guy,” Charlie said.

I stared.

“Your dad showed up at my house three days later,” he continued, “and he knew everything about me, including the fact that I'd killed a union boss up in Detroit. Your dad's family, they know people everywhere, and he dug up enough information and witnesses to put me away for life. But he didn't give it to the cops. Instead, he offered me a deal.”

“Work for him instead,” I guessed.

“Yep. I've been at his mercy for decades, knowing that at any time he could turn me in. Not only for that, but for the shit I've done since.”

“It wasn't like that,” I said. “Dad wouldn't have done that to you.”

“It doesn't matter anymore. I'm done. And so's your dad.”

“You sonofa—!”

“Ah ah ah,” he interrupted, and it wasn't so much what he said but the gun in his hand that shut me up. “Let's keep it down, shall we?”

I clenched my fists. “What do you want?” I asked, my voice tight but even.

“Well, I hadn't intended for this particular cat to get out of the bag, but I should've known you'd figure it out. You always did have your mother's smarts.”

“What do you want?” I repeated. I was trying very hard not to look at the gun. My entire body had broken out in a cold sweat and I was shaking. The pain from when I'd been shot by Steven was still fresh in my mind, as was the fear and helplessness I'd experienced that night.

“Grab the checkbook, Sage. Let's go make a withdrawal. I've decided on an early retirement.”

I opened my desk drawer—

“Easy now,” Charlie said. “I'm old and I'm afraid my hands aren't as steady as they used to be.”

I let not an ounce of reaction appear on my face, though on the inside, I was freaking out. I was enraged, terrified, and on the verge of panic. Somehow, I had to pull myself together. Charlie had tried to have me killed. That wasn't quite the same as pulling the trigger himself, but desperate men do desperate things.

The company ledger was inside my drawer and I removed a check. Picking up my purse, I slid it inside and stood. “Let's go.”

“Ladies first.” Charlie put his hand holding the gun inside his jacket pocket, then motioned for me to go ahead of him. “Act natural,” he said as I opened my door.

“Of course,” I said bitterly.

We passed by Carrie's empty desk. The line at Starbucks must have been really long. I was both disappointed and glad she wasn't there. I didn't want anyone to get hurt, but I also didn't want to be shot again.

“And how much are you expecting me to withdraw?” I asked in an undertone as we approached the elevator.

“I think two million should be sufficient,” he said. “Besides, I couldn't carry any more than that.”

Always so practical, that was Charlie.

We stood in front of the elevator and when the door slid open, I sucked in a breath.

Parker stood inside, holding a bouquet of flowers.

He saw me and a smile broke across his face as he stepped out. “Hey, babe. You read my mind. Was just coming to see you, wish you a good first day back.”

I forced myself to smile. “That's so sweet. And thoughtful.” I wracked my brain for any kind of code word or phrase I could use to tell him what was going on…and came up empty. I couldn't risk Charlie suspecting something. Employees were around, as well as Parker.

Parker glanced to my right. “Charlie,” he said. “Good to see you, too.”

“Good morn—”

Parker moved so fast, he was a blur. One second Charlie was standing there beside me, the next he was flat on his back on the floor. I'd seen his head snap back when Parker's fist shot out.

Openmouthed, I stared at Charlie. His eyes had rolled back in his head, his mouth slack.

“Is he dead?” I asked.

“No, unfortunately,” Parker replied grimly.

I looked at him in astonishment. “How did you know?”

“I was talking to your dad this morning,” he said, “finishing up the final touches on the paperwork for the Sikes merger. He mentioned how he was glad he'd gotten to see Natalie again. How she'd really helped ten years ago when they—your dad and Sikes—blackmailed Leo Shea.”

“Excuse me?”

“They blackmailed him,” Parker repeated. “Natalie found out that Steven had killed a guy. Beat him to death. Leo was covering it up and Steven went to jail for a couple of years on a misdemeanor charge. Natalie told your dad about the murder and he was able to dig up enough circumstantial evidence to blackmail Leo. That's what made Leo back down. Not collusion.”

“But Charlie said—”

“Charlie didn't know,” Parker interrupted. “He manufactured evidence on collusion and planted it, figuring he could get away with it since your dad was in a coma and was the only one who knew the truth, that it was blackmail.”

“So when Dad told you that…”

“I put the pieces together and came straight here.”

I held up the flowers he'd given me, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah, those came out of the vase on the pedestal in the foyer downstairs.”

“I thought they looked familiar.”

The elevator dinged again and this time, Ryker stepped out along with two uniformed policemen.

“I got your message,” he said to Parker. He glanced at Charlie, still out cold. “Must've been your right hook. It's a real bitch.”

Charlie would probably agree…when he came to.

They searched and disarmed him, splashing some cold water on his face to wake him up before promptly cuffing him and leading him away. I watched the elevator door close on my dad's oldest employee, my stomach bottoming out.

“You okay?” Parker asked, putting his arm around my shoulders and pulling me close.

“Yeah,” I sighed. “It just sucks. I can't imagine what Dad's going to say. He and Charlie were close, friends as well as boss and employee.”

“Your dad's been around a while,” he said. “I doubt anything surprises him anymore.”

We had just turned to head back to my office when the elevator opened and Carrie popped out, breathless and holding two large Starbucks cups.

“You will not
believe
the line today!” she said, handing me one. “I think it was the barista's first day because she took absolutely forever. But I did get you a free scone.” She proudly brandished a little paper bag.

A free scone and a grande pumpkin spice latte, with extra whip. The day was looking up.