He had a job to do.
A corporation to take to the top.
Tonight had been the first step towards making that happen. Business as usual.
Now who was lying? He might have finagled an invitation to theSeabornevent tonight but once he arrived and locked wits with Ruby, business had been replaced by the prospect of pleasure.
Wicked, decadent, all-night-long pleasure.
He wanted her.
He pulsed with it.
And what Jax Maroney wanted, he usually got.
Another thing he could thank dear old dad for. He learned from a young age that if he demanded, he'd receive. Denver had been a soft touch. A dad to pick him up from school and take him to the footy and play cricket in the park. A dad to coach him from the sidelines and help with science projects and fix his bike. A dad to beat at wrestling and build a tree house and go camping with.
Denver had done it all, always making time for him. Not that he'd been totally spoiled, but his parents had fondly indulged their only child.
Which made their emotional defection the harder to comprehend.
Denver had been an amazing dad. Kids had been jealous, and Jax had been proud. People flocked to Denver Maroney and he milked his popularity. Before proceeding to milk people's hard earned money thanks to Jackie's contacts, culminating in embezzling millions that landed him in jail.
Jax's fingers curled into tight fists and he thumped the couch's armrest.
Damn Denver. Damn him to hell.
With a stack of paperwork waiting, and employee performance evaluations to do, the last thing he felt like doing was ruminating on the evening and how, thanks to his father's reputation, he'd failed to make inroads in his takeover bid.
But the woman at the centre of his plans had succeeded in piquing his interest. He'd heard of Sapphire Seaborn by reputation, had expected to lock wills with a take-no-prisoners businesswoman.
What he hadn't expected was to be enthralled and challenged by a smart-mouthed blonde with more bravado than he'd credited her with. When she'd discovered his identity, and later heard his offer…man, she'd been magnificent, all riled and defiant.
He got hard just thinking about it.
Sadly, he wasn't at liberty to follow the demands of his libido, not when Ruby Seaborn had what he desperately wanted.
These days, when he wanted something, he took care of it himself.
Acquiring the Seaborn mine would be no different.
Chapter 8
Ruby had spent three days with theSeabornaccountant poring over spreadsheets until her eyes stung.
Figures weren't her forte, yet she'd listened, learned, and hyperventilated. No matter how hard they juggled and reassigned, they couldn't create miracles. UnlessSeabornhad a sudden influx of cash or cut costs in major areas of the business, they'd be bankrupt soon.
She knuckled her eyes, hating the futility of tears. She'd never been overly emotional but dragging around this burden had her on the verge of crying all the time. So the last thing she felt like doing on a Saturday was attend the races, but a competitor had invited her to their launch and, not wanting to appear churlish, she'd agreed to go with head held high.
IfSeabornwent under, better to go out with a bang than a whimper.
She swanned through the marquee at Flemington Racecourse, air-kissing acquaintances, greeting industry peeps, fake smiling and making idle chit-chat like a pro.
How Sapphire did this on a regular basis, she'd never know. Stepping into her sister’s shoes showed Ruby why Saph had burned out, considering she had to schmooze constantly,alongside her CEO duties. Not to mention the secret her sister had lugged around for months—that no matter what they did, the company they loved would end up bankrupt.
The thought of her broken sister, and how little Sapphire had trusted her to help, brought a lump to Ruby’s throat and she grabbed a Chardonnay from a passing waiter and edged towards the balcony overlooking the lush green course, desperate for fresh air.
She dragged in several deep breaths, grateful when the tightness in her chest eased. Taking a sip of wine, she glanced back at the crowded room.
