Some Like It Ruthless (A Temporary Engagement) (21 page)

“The only way I’m canceling my meeting is if I think I’ll be too busy.”

“You’re going to be too busy.”

“With work.”

He growled and pushed at her until she toppled onto the bed. He crawled after her, running a finger down the edge of her bra.

He said, “You’re serious about Western Oil?”

“I’m looking for money, Cole. They’re making it. You’re making it.”

“And if I keep you busy enough? What’ll you give me in return?”

She cocked her head. “You mean besides keeping Western Oil out of it? What do you want?”

“I’ve already got you in bed, so that’s out.”

“I could always stop sleeping with you.”

“Could you?”

She raised an eyebrow at him and told herself definitely, no question about it.

Maybe.

He grinned and lowered his body onto hers, his jeans rasping against her skirt, his bulge sliding up the front of her thighs.

She said, “You’re going to wrinkle my skirt.”

He murmured, “I’ll take it off in a minute. After we’re done negotiating.”

She whispered, “I thought we were done negotiating. You keep me so busy, making so much money, that I won’t even think of anyone else.”

He slid a hand beneath her, slowly pulled the zipper down, and kissed the side of her mouth. “No one else. Ever again.”

She raised her hips off the bed so he could slide her skirt off and he said, “And you can stay out here with me during the week.”

She laughed, shaking her head. “No. No way.”

“Why not? You can work out here just as well. There’s phone, internet. No distractions.”

There was one gigantic distraction.

He smiled as if he could read her mind. She unbuttoned the front of his jeans, sliding her hand inside, cupping him.

She said, “You don’t think I’m going to be a distraction?”

“You’re going to be the best kind of distraction, Maggie. The very best kind.”

Cole listened to Maggie’s heart gradually slowing, his head cradled on her chest, her legs around his waist. He hadn’t gotten his jeans all the way off and his legs were straight out behind him, his weight resting fully on her.

One of these days he was going to take his time. Go slow. He might have to tie her up, hold her down to do it.

He was looking forward to it.

Cole’s cell phone rang and he groaned before rolling off her, reaching for it.

He listened, shooting his eyes to Maggie. “All right. I’ll be there in a minute.”

He hung up and said, “Did you bring Tanner with you? Had him wait in the car until you buttered me up?”

She raised her eyebrows at him. “Of course I did, Cole. I frequently
butter up
people for my brother-in-law.”

He wiped himself down, pulled his jeans back up. “Well, he’s here.”

“I guess today is Monday.”

His lip curled. “Harwood. You could have told Tanner there was no way I’m dealing with Harwood, saved him the trip.”

“Well, he is out here. Maybe you could listen to him.”

“It’s a firm no about Jackson Harwood, Maggie.”

“Then find him something else.”

Cole pointed a finger at her. “You’re not going to ask me to take Tanner under my wing.”

“We had a deal, if you remember. You agreed to give the Beaumonts time to get their money together. A few years too late but you can still help Tanner.”

His stomach rolled at the reminder. She wasn’t going to forgive him for that, no matter what kind of a deal they’d made. Never let him forget. He snarled, “How?”

She shrugged, scooting to the side of the bed. “Give him what he wants. A piece of some pie.”

“Should I give him a piece of the pie I was just going to give to you?”

She grabbed for her skirt, turning from him and shaking it out.

He headed for the bathroom and she choked out, “Yes. Give it to Tanner.”

He stopped, turning back around to stare at her back. He cursed the small space and sat back down on the edge of the bed so he could get closer. He grabbed her around the waist, turning her towards him, pulling her between his legs. Her jaw was clenched and he said, “What are you doing?”

“I’m trying to make something right. I owe him.”

His eyebrows shot up. “Are you being
selfless
?”

She looked down her nose at him. “It’s not an affliction.”

“It is to a Caldwell. It is to a cold-blooded competitor.”

“I’m not a cold-blooded competitor. I’m fair. I’m a lady.”

He snorted. “Oh, baby. You’re no lady.”

“Excuse me?”

“Your mother was a lady. Your sister is a lady. You. . . are your father’s daughter and he was no gentleman.”

“You don’t think my father would have tried to right a wrong? A wrong against someone he loved?”

It hit Cole and his head snapped back, his stomach churning.

He stared at her, knowing he couldn’t keep it off his face.

She leaned down toward him, saying softly, “He’s my brother-in-law, family. I love him like that.”

She rested her forehead against his. “Only like that.”

She’d loved Tanner back when, hadn’t seen what he really was, had been blind when it came to him. Which wasn’t to say that Tanner was worse than anyone else. It was just Maggie had strict rules, rules that Tanner didn’t even know existed. She couldn’t love someone like that.

Couldn’t love someone who didn’t play fair.

Cole closed his eyes.
He
hadn’t played fair, he’d broken their contract. And he wanted her to forgive him, when that went against everything she thought the world should be like.

He said softly, “You haven’t forgiven me yet, have you?”

She didn’t say anything, didn’t move, and he opened his eyes to find her looking at him.

She pulled away. “I’m not going to just give you my forgiveness, Cole. You have to work for it.”

“I didn’t realize I was going to have to bend over for it.”

She sat on his lap, wrapping her arm around his neck. “I’m not asking you to bend over.”

He murmured, “I like you in my lap but it makes me nervous.”

She murmured back, “Good. To both.”

“You’re not going to drop this, are you?”

“He needs help, Cole.”

He said, “And are you going to wait for me out here until I’m done with him?”

“No. I’m going into town. I have a meeting.”

“No, you don’t. I have enough pies for the both of you. You’re going to be too busy for other partners for quite some time.”

She raised his chin so he was looking in her eyes and not down at her chest. “And you’re not talking about sex here, right?”

“That, too.”

She nodded at him, standing back up, stepping into her skirt.

She said, “I owe you a kick in the balls. For calling me baby.”

“Put it on my tab.”

“We’ll have to settle eventually.”

“And I will put it off as long as I possibly can.”

She smiled a ball-shriveling smile at him. “And I will save it for when I’m really mad at you.”

He ran his hand down the back of her skirt, began pulling the bottom of it up.

He said, “You know I like it when you’re scary.”

“I know you have Tanner waiting.”

“He can wait another minute or two.”

Maggie said, “He’s been waiting twelve years. And I have a meeting to cancel.”

“You sure you didn’t plan this with Tanner?”

“I’m really trying hard here not to be insulted.”

He sighed and pushed her away. “Okay. I’m going before you put another kick on my tab.”

She grabbed his shirt, pulled him back to her. “Thank you, Cole. For Tanner.”

“Those aren’t the words I want to hear.”

She kissed him, smoothed out the wrinkles she’d put in his shirt, and said, “I know.”

Cole found Tanner waiting for him, looking ashy and a little shaken. Cole waved him into his office, not saying a word.

Paul said under his breath, “Sorry, boss.”

“If she needs anything, get it to her,” and Paul nodded.

Cole closed the door, sat down behind his desk.

He was going to have to work with Tanner fucking Beaumont. Cole had a feeling Maggie knew his balls were wrapped around her finger, ring or no ring.

Cole said, “I think we need to get something out of the way.”

Tanner nodded, took a deep breath. “I’m sorry.”

Cole tapped his desk. “For what?”

“For jumping you. Getting you expelled.”

Cole nodded slowly. And then he started laughing. He turned his chair around to look out the window, to hide the epiphany he’d just had.

He’d never hated Tanner for the beating. That had put fuel on the flame but it had started before that. Tanner watching his friends jump Cole and beat the shit out of him hadn’t been anywhere near the first shot.

Because Cole had already hated him. Hated the way Maggie looked at him.

Hated that she’d never looked at Cole like that. That she never would.

And now that she didn’t look at Tanner anymore, that driving need to squash him was gone.

He was still a pompous shit, though. They weren’t ever going to be best buds.

Cole said, “Right. Consider it forgotten.”

He kept looking out the window, fighting himself, not wanting to say those words back.

“Tanner. . . what I did. To your family.” Cole cleared his throat. “I wish I could change it. Go back and choose differently.”

He turned back to find Tanner looking confused. Cole stood, walking around the desk, waving Tanner at him.

Tanner froze, then said, “You want me to take a swing at you?”

“It’s overdue.”

Tanner threw a hand in the air. “Well, now I don’t want to. You just ruined it for me. I’ve been waiting years to slam my fist in your face and you just ruined it.”

Cole said, “Are you drunk?”

“No.”

Cole looked down at Tanner’s hand, at the shaking. Tanner closed his fist, put it back in his lap.

“High?”

“I’ve quit drinking.”

Cole raised one eyebrow. “Since Friday?”

Tanner nodded, closing his eyes. “Got to start sometime, right? Got to change something.”

Cole thought that starting after a big bender was probably a hard way to do it but maybe there was no easy way.

He grabbed a cold bottle of water from his mini-fridge, handing it to Tanner and leaning against the bookcase, crossing his arms.

Tanner looked at the bottle and slowly said, “Thanks.”

Cole cut to the chase. “I know why you’re here and I’ve got bad news for you. I’m not working with Harwood for any reason.”

Tanner looked back up and Cole said, “Saw him last night at the gala.”

Tanner nodded.

Cole said, “And I don’t care if he’s printing money. I don’t want to see the man, hear his name again, ever.”

Tanner’s shoulders drooped slightly. “Well. Then.”

He looked into the water bottle, the silence lengthening, then straightened in his chair. “And what about anybody else?”

Cole had to give the man credit. He just kept getting back up.

Cole thought for a minute and then he smiled. “You know what? I do have business with Harwood. I need a go-between.”

Tanner leaned forward in his chair, excitement clear on his face.

Cole shook his head. “I’ve seen the contracts you signed for Caldwell Holdings. I’m not giving you any authority to go out on your own. First time you overstep, you’re out.”

Tanner nodded.

“I’ll tell you exactly what terms I want. If you can get better than that, you can keep the difference.”

Tanner’s brows knitted together. “Why? Why would you do that?”

“One, because I hate Dallas. Hate everything about it and if I never have to rub shoulders with any of those sharks again I will die a happy man. You’re one of them, don’t think I don’t know it.”

“Maggie, too.”

“It has not escaped my notice.”

Tanner chuckled. “Ginny asked why I didn’t stand up for Maggie. Protect her. I told her there was no need. Maggie can take care of herself.”

No, there was no need. But there was want. Cole
wanted
to protect her, smooth her path.

That she was going to give him shit for doing it wouldn’t stop him.

He paused, wondering just how mad Maggie was going to be when she learned of this, and said, “This is confidential. Specifically from Maggie.”