I ran a hand over my armrest, imagining myself being flung through the ceiling like a cartoon villain. Would the building spit me out like a human cannonball? Wouldn’t I crash into the ceiling?
Calix gestured toward me. “Look at her face! Tell me that’snotthe face of a woman who wants an emergency eject option!”
I tried to smother my grin, knowing that I had five sets of eyes watching what I was about to say, even if my brother wasn’t wrong.
Van leaned in and whispered, “Just imagine accidentally hitting that button before orgasm.”
I blinked. Immediate mood killer.Immediate.I shook my head while Van gave Calix a victorious look.
Calix sulked, but I steamrolled ahead. “Nova, I also agree with you. For the re-opening, we need more guards, not just for security, but optics. Guests need to feel safe.”
Nova smirked at Calix like she’d just claimed the final word.
“But,” I added, “I don’t need them long-term. Just a few days… and not a whole army. Maybe a quarter of what you proposed.”
This time, Calix huffed a pointed laugh in her direction. Working with my siblings was always a flip of a coin. Either the cunning, ruthless bosses came out or the people I grew up with shined through. We just brought that out of each other.
Then inspiration struck.
“Hey, what if we made them part of the décor?” Turning my head to Calix, I explained, “Camouflage their bodies with magic and stick gold masks on their faces, almost like they were masks hung on the wall. It would make the members feel like they were being watched, making it a little mysterious and sexy.”
Calix tilted his head, considering. “That… could actually work. We could finish everything on our side by tomorrow night.”
Nova nodded. “I can get that number of men here on time.”
Excitement bubbled in my chest. “Great! Van, how much of the talent is coming back?”
“All of them.” He smiled down at me, eyes shining with smug satisfaction. “They were just waiting for your green light.” My heart grew, and for once, I didn’t mind his silentI told you so.
“And the members?” Instead of getting my hopes up, I made myself expect a drop in the numbers. I was confident that I could bring them back up again.
He chuckled. “We lost a few, but membership’s actuallyupthree percent. Apparently, the thrill of almost dying mid-orgasm was such a hit, some of them ran out and told their friends it wasthe best sex of their lives. A few of our ‘maybe’ clients signed on immediately.”
I leaned back in my chair—carefully, just in case. You never knew with Calix. He was sly about sneaking in the things he really wanted.
“Diamonds.” I stared down at my desk, already envisioning the glamour and sparkle. “For the re-opening. Limited-edition masks for one night only. White base, laced with a unique diamond design. Only those who sign up get one, either to take home or stash in their lockers with their original masks.”
Spinning toward Van, I rushed out, “We need a news blast now, a glittering invitation saying exactly that. Also, open all rooms at base price. No upcharges. One night only. Cut-off to sign up is noon tomorrow. That gives us just enough time before the ten p.m. opening.”
He was already typing everything out on his tablet. He was such a good right hand.
“We need to keep the momentum up, no dead time. Call in more mages and tell them we’ll pay double to meet the timeframe.”
“Got it.” He nodded then glanced up and hesitated. “Are you… doing a special performance?”
The room didn’t go silent, but the shift in attention made it feel like it had. Every man around me focused on my answer like it would shift the earth beneath them.
Normally, I’d want to put on a grand show, eating all that attention up, but not while the situation with Glen was still a mess. Not to mention the mate situation hanging over my head like a guillotine. It was just too much.
“No. Opening night is for the members. To honor their loyalty and trust.”
Van tried, and failed, not to smile. Around the room, I caught the same look on the others’ faces. Smug satisfaction. Selfish bastards.
“All right, with all that figured out,” Calix leaned forward, voice edged in authority, “the rest of you need to scram. I need to talk to my sister.”
Ras’ fingers, which had been tracing slow circles on my back, paused, then tightened.
Calix’s eyes narrowed directly on him, sharpening into a glare.
