Cat Schield - With Love From Las Vegas

“He said no. He claims he wants to return part time so he has something to occupy him besides golf.”

And once he came back to the company, Brandon would undermine Sebastian at every turn until he got fed up and stepped down. Bile rose in his throat. He should have known his father would pull something like this.

“You need to talk him out of it.” His mother put her hand on his arm. Her blue eyes widened with concern. “I almost lost him a year ago. He promised me we’d travel and make up for all the years he wasn’t around.”

Brandon’s twelve-year affair with Nathan’s mother had taken a severe toll on his wife. Sebastian had often wondered what bargain his parents had made that had kept them together and had convinced his mother to raise her husband’s illegitimate son.

“As much as it benefits both of us for Dad to stay far away from Case Consolidated Holdings,” Sebastian said, “I’m not sure how I’m supposed to stop him from returning to work.”

“Talk to him. Make him understand that you’re doing a wonderful job running the company.”

His mother’s optimism made Sebastian shake his head. Her husband rarely thought about anyone’s needs besides his own unless forced to do so.

“He showed up for the leadership summit, and I’m sure he intends for it to appear as if he’s still in charge. He took Lucas Smythe golfing and probably spent the entire round badmouthing my leadership abilities. You don’t seriously believe anything I say will sway him, do you?”

Sebastian refused to battle his father this week in front of all the executives.

“Do what you can.”

With those words, his mother left to shower and change for their lunch. Sebastian was staring at the Vegas strip when Missy emerged from her room.

Her expression shifted from cheerful to uncertain when she spotted his frown. “What’s wrong?”

“Did you have a fun morning with my mother?”

“As a matter of fact I did.” Missy crossed to the table he’d been working at all morning. “Are you mad because I had fun or because it was with your mother?”

She set her cell phone down and used her finger to spin it. Today’s outfit of jeans and a snug white T-shirt had about the same effect on his libido as the sexy black dress she’d worn last night. Russet waves, still damp from her shower, rested on her shoulders, turning the cotton fabric transparent.

Sebastian spied the straps from her simple white bra. It frustrated him that everything about her turned him on. How was he supposed to maintain a professional relationship with her when all he could think about was lifting her onto the conference table and checking her for tan lines?

“She’s been lecturing me on taking advantage of you,” he muttered, stepping near enough to touch her. Keeping his hands to himself tested his control, but he triumphed. “I thought I told you to leave it alone.”

“You told me not to say anything to your father or Lucas Smythe.”

He barely heard her. She’d interpreted his words literally to defy him. His annoyance with her behavior had yet to run its course.

“Only you didn’t set things straight. You spun a story. An outrageous story.”

“Not so outrageous,” she said, her full lips drawn tight. With her impudent chin cocked at a belligerent angle, she concluded, “I’d just broken up with my boyfriend. It’s not so hard to believe I got tipsy celebrating my birthday and hit on you, but you were the perfect gentleman and turned me down.”

“And if I turned you down, how exactly did you explain why you were in my suite wearing my shirt?”

“Because I was naked when I climbed into bed with you.”

Vivid images of exactly that leapt into his thoughts. Even without his eyes closed the evocative memories tormented him.

“I told you not to interfere.” He gripped the back of a chair to keep from throttling her.

“If I hadn’t, Lucas Smythe wouldn’t know that you’d never take advantage of any employee, drunk or sober.” For good measure, she added, “Your mother promised to help me straighten out the misunderstanding.”

“There was no misunderstanding.” Sebastian knew Lucas Smythe would never believe such a ridiculous story. Who in their right mind could resist a naked Missy? “But now it looks like I’m making excuses for my behavior.”

His sharp tone eviscerated her composure. She set her hands on her hips. Her brow puckered. “Can’t you trust me to handle this?”

“No.”

“This is just typical of you.”

She’d never had the nerve to criticize him before. Apparently an abundance of sexy curves wasn’t the only thing his assistant had been keeping from him.

“What do you mean?”

“If you’re not the one in control of a situation, you don’t think it’s being handled correctly.”

Her accusation fell on deaf ears. If she’d hoped to stir his temper, she’d taken the wrong tack. He’d heard it all before. Being the one in control had led Case Consolidated Holdings to higher profitability and kept his personal life calm and peaceful. He wasn’t going to surrender the power without a down and dirty fight.

“That’s what makes me successful.”

“In business maybe.”

He smirked at her. “What else is there?”

“There’s your personal life,” she retorted, her color high. “Maybe if you didn’t have to be in charge all the time, something wonderful might happen.”

“Are you referring to last night when I let you set the terms for that ridiculous bet?”

Head held high, she blew out air with a disparaging noise, but her hunched shoulders told a different story. “I’ll bet the only reason you agreed to the wager in the first place is because you thought I’d lose.”

“Haven’t you learned that bets between us don’t work out?”

“Maybe not for you,” she said, her voice losing much of its vigor. “But I don’t regret what happened between us.”

“I can’t say the same.”

“So, if you had to do it all over again?” She spoke slowly as if the weight of the words made the question hard to ask.

“I’d have left you home.” Why deny it? If she hadn’t come, he never would have been sucked into her rebellion. Never would have made love to her. And he certainly wouldn’t feel like a poker player down to his last dollar.

“I’m sorry you feel that way,” she said, her brisk tone almost masking the throb in her voice. “For what it’s worth, I’m glad I came. I’m glad we spent the night together. It made me realize that Tim was right. I have been preoccupied with you ever since we started working together. Without these past two days I would be questioning my decision to quit. Now, I’m confident I made the right decision.”

“You didn’t. We’re a good team.” Sebastian barely recognized himself reflected in her eyes. She was right about him needing to control everything. He liked his life neat and without distractions. Until yesterday, she’d understood. “I’m not giving up on persuading you to stay.”

She looked surprised. “We’ve done nothing but fight.”

“We’re not fighting. We’re on opposite sides of an issue we both feel strongly about.”

“How is that not fighting?”

He lowered his voice. “I don’t want to fight with you.” No indeed. He wanted her in his arms, surrendering to his kisses. The realization infuriated him. He shoved his hands in his pockets to stop himself from reaching for her.

Her body lost its stiffness. “I don’t want to fight with you, either.”

“How can we come to an understanding?”

“You could let me get on with my career and give me a glowing recommendation.”

“Or?” he prompted.

“There is no or.” Her lips formed the saddest smile he’d ever seen. “I think we both know there’s no going back from what happened.”