“Then why did you feel the need to tell me off Saturday night?” His head cocked to the side.
“Because you have a girlfriend and you’re out having sex with other women behind her back. That’s why. You’re a total douchebag!”
“I don’t have a girlfriend. The woman you saw me with was my sister, Sammi. The ballet was an early birthday present for her.”
“Oh.” I slithered into the chair across from his desk. “I didn’t know.”
“How would you? You didn’t even give me a chance to explain that night. You flew off in a tizzy like the psycho woman you are.”
I sat there with a narrowed eye, feeling like a complete idiot.
“I apologize for that. And for the record, I’m not a psycho. I just don’t like men who cheat.”
“Whether or not you’re a psycho has yet to be determined. You never answered my other question. Why are you here in my office? How the hell did you even find me?” He leaned back in his black executive chair.
“My name is Laurel Holloway and I work for the Seattle Times. We’re creating a magazine called Daily Fusion and I was sent to interview you for it. Self-made millionaires under the age of thirty-five. But I didn’t know that was you fucking me in the bathroom at the airport.”
“You just randomly show up for interviews without even calling or scheduling one?”
“I called, and your secretary told me you don’t do interviews.”
“I don’t.” His brow raised. “So, if you already knew that I didn’t do them, why are you here?”
“Because it’s my job, Mr. Coleman. And by the way, little Miss Tamara out there specifically told me that you were out of town until last night, yet you were on my plane right after I called.”
“I came back early and forgot to mention it to her. So as far as she was concerned, I wasn’t coming back until last night.”
“Then how did you get the tickets for the ballet for your sister if you weren’t supposed to be back until last night?”
The corners of his mouth curved upwards. “You’re quite inquisitive.”
“I’m a journalist. It’s my job.”
“I purchased them when I came back. Her birthday isn’t until Wednesday. But, since I got back from my trip early, I wanted to take her. She’s been talking about it for months.”
“My sister told me the tickets had been sold out for weeks.”
“I have connections, Miss Holloway.”
“Of course you do.” I smirked. “I should’ve known. All rich men like you have connections.”
“Is that such a bad thing?”
I shrugged. My father always had connections like that, so I guess I wasn’t surprised when he told me that. We sat there and stared at each other for a moment, silence filling the air in the room.
“There are plenty of self-made millionaires in the world under the age of thirty-five. Why me?” he asked.
“How the hell do I know? All my boss told me was they took a poll and you were one of the top two.”
“Who else was on the list?”
“Craig Pines, owner of Rosie’s in Los Angeles.”
“Really? I’ve eaten there. Excellent food. So that’s why you were in Los Angeles. You interviewed him. Didn’t you?”
“I did.”
“And how did that go?”
“It went great. Craig was very open and accommodating,” I replied in a smug tone.
“I bet he was.” A sly smirk crossed his face.
My legs wouldn’t stop trembling no matter how hard I tried to make them. They definitely remembered what it felt like to be wrapped around his muscular body.
“Okay, Mr. Coleman, why don’t we get down to business?”
“You can call me Wyatt.” He smiled. “As much as I would love to get down to business with you, I’m afraid I can’t. I have a meeting in about ten minutes that I need to be at. Are you still staying at that Airbnb you were so excited about?”
“No. I checked out of there this morning.”
“Then where are you staying?”
“The Surrey.”
“Ah. Expensive taste. The Seattle Times sure pays a pretty penny for their employee’s travels.”
“Eric, my boss, isn’t happy about it, but I do as I please.”
“Yes, I get that impression. I’ll tell you what, I’ll pick you up at your hotel around eight o’clock for dinner and we’ll discuss things. Maybe you can persuade me to do an interview after all.” He smirked.
My legs tightened, for I knew damn well what he meant.
“If you’re insinuating that I need to have sex with you to get the interview, you’re sadly mistaken, Wyatt.”
“Coming from the girl who fucked a total stranger in the airport.” He grinned.
“That was a one-time thing.” I pointed at him. “We weren’t supposed to see each other again.”
“But we have, twice now. We’ll discuss it more later over dinner.” He got up from his chair, walked over to me, and extended his hand. I quickly dismissed it because I knew if I placed my hand in his, that would be it.
“Thank you for wanting to help me from my seat, but I’m capable of getting up on my own.”
He didn’t say word. He just flashed a devilish smile as he walked over and opened his office door.
“After you,” he spoke. “By the way, please apologize to my secretary.”
“Fine.” I rolled my eyes as I walked out of his office.
“Oh, before I head to my meeting, I’m going to need your phone number just in case something comes up.”
“Of course you do.” I rattled off my number as he put it in his phone and then walked away.
I turned and looked at Tamara, who sat there with a confused look on her face.
“Hi, I’m Laurel Holloway.” I extended my hand.
“You’re the one who called a few days ago about interviewing Mr. Coleman.” She lightly shook my hand.
“I’m sorry about my little story earlier. I just needed to get in to see him.”
“So, what you said wasn’t true?”
“No. I’ve never met him before until now.”
“Oh. Okay. Well, I’m happy that was all false.”
I headed down the hallway with a smile across my face. What I wanted to tell her was that we indeed did have an encounter, but it was completely mutual and welcomed.
Chapter Twenty
I walked out of the building, grabbed my phone from my purse, and facetimed George.
“Hey there.” He smiled.
“Oh my God! You are never going to believe what just happened.”
“You got the interview with Wyatt Coleman?”
“I don’t know yet. He’s taking me to dinner tonight. Sit down.”
“Why?”
“George, just sit down!”
“Okay. Okay.” He took a seat behind his desk.
“Wyatt Coleman is the man from the plane!”
“Shut the fuck up, Laurel! The one you fucked at the airport and then told off at the ballet?”
“Yes. Imagine the look on my face when he opened his office door.”
“Holy shit. What happened?”
“The girl he was with at the ballet is his sister. He took her there as an early birthday present. He told me he doesn’t have a girlfriend and is taking me out tonight.”
“Why do I get the feeling that he won’t give you an interview unless you sleep with him again.”
“Exactly, and he kind of hinted at that. Telling me that maybe I can persuade him.” I narrowed my eye at my phone.
“Be careful, Laurel. This guy had a real effect on you. Something I’ve never seen since we were in college.”
“I know. I’m not having sex with him. He can forget it. I hated myself and how I felt after the first time. That person wasn’t me.”
“If you want my honest opinion, I believe it was you. He brought out feelings in you that you buried so deep all those years ago.”
“What
ever, George. We had sex one time and that was it. You can’t develop feelings for someone after one time.”
“I hate to break the news to you, darling, but you can, and you did. Don’t try to backtrack now or deny it.”
“Ugh.” I put my hand up to the screen.
“Where are you walking to?”
I looked around. “I don’t know.” I laughed. “I still have the day, so I think I’m going to do some shopping. Maybe find a new dress for dinner tonight.”
“Put it on the company card.” He grinned. “It’s all for business. You need to look sexy to get that interview.”
“Good idea! I’ll need you to back me up when Eric threatens to fire me.”
“No problem.” He laughed. “Listen, I have to go. Call me tonight after you get back to the hotel and let me know how it went. If I don’t hear from you, I’ll know you spent the night with him.”
“I’m not going to.”
“We’ll see.” He smirked. “Love you.”
“Love you too.”
I made my way to Bloomingdales and found the perfect dress for tonight. An asymmetrical ruffled sleeveless dress that sat above the knee in a color called Nautilus. It wasn’t too fancy or too casual. The best part was that the black stilettos I was wearing earlier matched perfectly. As I was sitting in the back of the cab on the way to the hotel, my phone dinged with a text message from an unfamiliar number.
“Looking forward to seeing you this evening. In case you haven’t figured it out, this is Wyatt.”
“Considering you’re the only person who has asked me out for tonight, I knew it was you. I’m looking forward to getting that interview.”
“Is the interview all you’re thinking about? Because I’m thinking about other things we’re going to do.”
“Aren’t you just a horny little devil. How long has it been since your cock has been buried deep inside a woman’s warm and wet pussy?”
I grinned as I hit the send button.
“Fuck, Laurel. Stop it. I’m in a meeting and now my cock is rock hard.”
“You started it, big guy. I’ll see you at eight. Don’t be late. If there’s one thing I can’t stand about a person is their inability to arrive on time for something. And by the way, you might want to put that hand to good use before you pick me up.”
He didn’t respond, but I didn’t expect him to. When I arrived back at the hotel, I hung my dress in the closet, kicked off my shoes, and lay down on the bed. Just as I shut my eyes for a quick nap, my phone rang, and it was Eric.
“WHAT!” I answered.
“Excuse me, but why are you lying on the bed? Shouldn’t you be at Mr. Coleman’s office getting that interview?”
“I was already there. It turns out that Mr. Coleman is the man from the airport.”
“The one you had sex with?”
“Yes.”
“Excellent work, Laurel. You’ll be getting that interview. But why aren’t you still at his office?”
“He had a meeting. He’s picking me up at eight o’clock for dinner.”
“Good. Am I to assume you aren’t flying back to Seattle tomorrow?”
“I don’t know yet. It all depends on how things go tonight.”
“Well, just so we’re clear, I’m expecting you back here on Wednesday. So, work your magic tonight.”
I rolled my eyes. “I need to go. My anxiety is in full swing right now.”
“You don’t have anxiety, Laurel.”
“You know what, Eric, you’re right. But I do seem to get it every time your face appears on my phone screen. Now, I need to nap.” I hit the end button.
I lay there, staring up at the ceiling while visions of Wyatt played in my head. What the hell was it about that man I couldn’t get off my mind? Maybe it was the way he was so confident. He was so sure of himself and not afraid to show it. I first noticed it that day at the airport when he led me to the bathroom and again in his office. As sexy as he was, he lost a couple points for accusing me of stalking him.
Chapter Twenty-One
It was seven fifty-five when I turned off the light in the bathroom and slipped into my stiletto heels. I was curious to see if Mr. Coleman would be on time. If not, he’d lose another point. Seven fifty-nine and there was knock at the door. My belly started to flutter as I walked over and opened it, trying to hide the gulp that erupted in the back of my throat when I saw sexy godly man standing there.
“Damn. You’re sexy.” He grinned as his eyes devoured me from head to toe.
“Thank you. You’re looking mighty fine yourself there, handsome.” I smirked. “Come on in.”
“Thanks. Are you ready?” he asked as he stepped inside.
“I just have to grab my purse. Where are we going?”
“I made a reservation at Marea. I hope you like Italian and seafood.”
“I love Italian and seafood.” I smiled as I grabbed my purse from the desk.
He opened the door for me, and when I stepped out into the hallway, he took hold of my arm and wrapped it around his. I glanced at him with an arch in my brow.
“What? I want everyone to know you’re mine, at least for tonight.” He winked.
My belly did a triple flip and my heart added a few extra beats. This was going to be a long night. We stepped out of the hotel and there was a black limousine waiting at the curb.
“Yours?” I asked.
“Of course.”
His driver opened the door and I climbed inside and Wyatt scooted in next to me. The privacy window was up, so I lightly tapped on it.
“Yes, ma’am?”
“I’m Laurel, and you are?”
“Ryan.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Ryan.”
“You as well.” He nodded before putting the window back up.
“Was that necessary?” Wyatt asked.
“Was what necessary?”
“Introducing yourself to my driver.”
“Of course, it was. Frankly, it was rude of you not to do it yourself.”
“Are you always this outspoken?” His eye narrowed at me.
“Yes, I am.” The corners of my mouth curved upwards.
“I didn’t feel it was necessary to introduce you to him.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t know. Why are you making this a big deal?”
“Because Ryan is a person too. He’s not just your driver and he should be introduced to those who ride in your vehicle. My father used to do the same thing and it drove me insane.”
“Your father had a driver?”
“Yes. He still does. His name is Franklin and he’s super sweet.”
“And what exactly does your father do for a living?”
“Owns and operates Holloway Capital.”
The look on his face turned to shock.
“You’re kidding me. You’re the daughter of Jefferson Holloway?”
“One of his daughters. Why do you look so shocked?”
“Holloway Capital is a major financer for a lot of our projects.”
“I’m not surprised.”
“I’ve met with your father on several occasions. Why aren’t you working for him?” he asked as the limo stopped in front of the restaurant.
“Because I’ve always wanted to be a journalist. Plus, I need to be as far away from my family as possible.”
As soon as we were seated, our waiter walked over to the table and filled our glasses with water.
“Good evening, Mr. Coleman. It’s a pleasure to see you again.”
“Good evening, Jean. This beautiful woman sitting across from me is Laurel Holloway.”
“Good evening, Miss Holloway.” He nodded.
“Good evening, Jean.” I smiled.
“May I start you off with a glass of wine?” he asked.
“We’ll have a bottle of your 1983 Dom Perignon P3 Moet & Chandon,” Wyatt replied.
“Excellent choice, sir. I’ll get that right away for you.”
“I’d
say ‘excellent choice’ too at twenty-seven hundred dollars a bottle,” I spoke.
“A beautiful woman deserves only the finest champagne.” He smiled.
“I love how you’re trying to butter me up for sex. Did your hand get a good workout today?” I smirked.
“Like I said earlier, outspoken. You seem to be very interested in my hand wrapped around my cock. Maybe later I’ll have to perform for you.”
Jesus, the thought made my panties wet. Time for a subject change or I was going to jump across the table and devour him. Jean walked over to our table, poured our champagne, and then took our order.
“That won’t be necessary.” I took a sip of my drink. “So, I’m going to get down to the nitty gritty of things. Why is a man like you still single? It’s obvious you can have any woman you want.”
“True. I can have any woman I want, and that’s the point. Why settle for one flower when you can have your very own garden full of them?” He held up his glass.
Wow. In all the years that I’ve met, known, and dated men, I’d never run across someone like Wyatt Coleman. I sat there with an arch in my brow as I stared at him.
“What? It’s the truth. Now it’s my turn. Why is someone like you single? You’re absolutely gorgeous, strong-willed, and career-oriented. What’s your story, Miss Holloway? Why hasn’t some man snatched you up?” His eye narrowed.
Jean, our waiter, walked over to our table and set our plates down in front of us.
“I hope your champagne is satisfactory,” he spoke to Wyatt.
“Ask Miss Holloway her thoughts.” He smirked.
Jean turned his eyes over to me.
“The champagne is wonderful, Jean.” I gave a light nod.
“Very good. I’ll be back to check on you soon.”
After he walked away, Wyatt picked up his fork.
“You haven’t answered my question yet.”
“First of all, I don’t let any man snatch me up. And second, I’m single because I’M my favorite person.” I smiled.