“I haven’t seen you in years. I’m sorry to hear about your father.”
Rupert Hemmings was one of my father’s biggest competitors for over thirty years. When a scandal sent his company into bankruptcy, he decided to start asking my father for financial aid. Like I said, my father was the good guy, so he helped him. But when I took over the company, I put a stop to it and had him pay back the money he owed.
There’s no place in business for family and friends.
The old man isn’t doing bad for himself either, he had more than enough money to pay us back. If I remember rightly, he made the call from his yacht in the Maldives. Had his PA do the transfer. Safe to say old man Hemmings had his priorities in all the wrong places.
“No, it has been a while… I don’t think I saw you at the funeral.” Not that I’d know if he was there or not, but something tells me he wasn’t.
“Uh, no, I was away. Business trip.” He shrugs glumly.
“Ah, of course.”
“Lowell!”
I turn as a hand slaps me on the back. Cooper Hemmings greets me with his signature over the top pretentious smile. The prick hates me, and I hate him.
“Cooper.” I nod.
“Have you heard the news, Mason?” Rupert asks. “Cooper will be taking over the firm as of next year.”
“No way?” I recoil in shock, a smile tugging at my lips.
“Yeah.” Cooper glares at my obvious smirk.
“Well good luck to you, Coop.” I tip my chin up. “I look forward to seeing what you’ve got.”
He places a hand on his father’s rounded shoulder, tipping his chin as his lip curls. “I have one of the best to learn from.”
“Indeed.” I give him a tight-lipped smile.
Cooper and I went to college together. He flunked his final year and had to stay behind to repeat. The prick never got over it.
“What’s this I hear about Montgomery taking over theSavale account?” Rupert asks. “Anthony always worked with them.”
My eyes flick to his, then back to Cooper and I wonder if they are intentionally trying to piss me off. My hands clench in my pockets, the need to punch the smirk off Cooper’s face too strong.
“Gentlemen.”
I whip around, my eyes landing on Nina.
Everything drifts the fuck away.
Every thought of my parents, my business, and the pricks who bait me, it all disappears, my world stepping up and carrying me away.
Every word I have in my brain seems to die before they can pass my lips. And it’s a good thing because they wouldn’t be coherent.
She’s wearing a black lace dress. It’s tight to her body and barely covers her tits. It’s too fucking tight and leavesnothingto the imagination.
Fuck!
Ellis sits on Nina’s hip, wearing a tux that matches my own. He throws himself at me and I gladly take him.
“Mase,” she says softly, gripping my arm with her dainty hand. “Sorry we’re late.” To anyone watching on, it would seem like a simple apology. But to us, it’s Nina placing the shield up and telling me she’s here.
I fucking adore this woman.
Cooper steps forward. My eyes are trained on him from the moment he takes the first inch towards her. “Who’s this delicacy?”
