A Win-Win Proposition

Missy was the first to move. “Hello, Brandon. Good to see you.” She held out her hand to the former CEO and looked startled when Brandon not only took her hand, but also leaned forward to kiss her cheek. While Sebastian watched, she wrapped herself in professionalism as if she wore a business suit instead of a man’s shirt. She then extended her hand to the second man. “I’m Missy Ward, Sebastian’s assistant.”

“Lucas Smythe.”

Lucas might be seventy and happily married, but that didn’t stop his gaze from roving downward over Missy’s gaping neckline and bare legs.

“We’ve spoken on the phone.” Missy’s only sign of discomfort was the hot color in her cheeks as she stepped back from the door. “Won’t you gentlemen come in?”

“Hello, Sebastian,” Brandon called, noticing his son for the first time. “Look who I found in the lobby.”

“Dad, what an unexpected surprise.” And unwelcome. “Good to see you, Lucas.”

Even more than getting caught with a half-naked Missy in his suite, the appearance of his father knocked Sebastian off balance. What the hell was he doing here? And with Lucas Smythe? Brandon had been against the purchase of Smythe Industries from the start. Not that he had a say in the way Case Consolidated Holdings was run since his retirement nine months ago. Still, this hadn’t stopped him from popping into the office to say hello and lingering to voice his opinion of how his sons were running things.

Sebastian advanced past his assistant to shake hands with Lucas, making sure his body blocked Missy, giving her a chance to fade backward.

“Glad you could join us this week.”

“Glad to be here,” Lucas replied, his attention edging past Sebastian. “I’ll admit I’ve been a bit curious how you run things. Want to make sure my company’s going to be in good hands before I sign her over to you.”

Strong in his opinions about professionalism in the workplace, Sebastian now looked like a hypocrite. The fact that Missy had quit before they’d had sex didn’t make the situation any easier to stomach. Debaucher of female employees was not the image Sebastian wanted to portray.

“Have you eaten?” Sebastian asked as a waiter arrived, pushing a cart loaded with covered dishes into the room. “Looks like there’s plenty of food.”

“I’ve already eaten,” said Lucas, his gaze following Missy as she disappeared into a room Sebastian hadn’t noticed yesterday.

They were sharing the suite?

Giving the appearance of being oblivious to the undercurrents in the room, Brandon followed the waiter. “I’ll take a cup of coffee.”

“Of course.” Frustration engulfed Sebastian.

Uncharacteristically, he wanted to offer an explanation for Missy’s presence in his suite and her attire, but his father’s smirk and Lucas’s frown told Sebastian they’d already formed opinions.

With ruthless determination, he banned Missy from his mind, slamming the door on his personal life so he could concentrate on the business at hand.