chapter one
Sydney Greene-Seymour rushed into the office of Pierce Brothers Construction, frantically calculating how she’d make up the twenty minutes she’d lost in morning madness. Her daughter, Becca, had insisted on wearing her hair in a French braid, then raced back to her closet to change twice before school. If she acted like this at six years old, what would happen when she reached high school?
Sydney shuddered at the thought. Juggling her purse, laptop, and briefcase, she dug for the key. She was a bit of a control freak when it came to running the office where she’d worked since she was sixteen years old, and she liked to arrive before everyone else started. Order was the key to dealing with chaos. Her life had been such a series of sharp turns and fear-inducing hills, her soul was soothed in the one place she could not only control but thrive in.
Her job.
And finally, she was ready to take it to the next level.
The office was quiet, immediately calming her. She dropped her stuff on her desk, then headed to the kitchen in a hunt for sanity.
Or, at least, some clarity.
The kitchen was high-tech, from the stainless steel refrigerator to the cappuccino maker, soda machine, and various vending machines. With skilled motions, she quickly brewed the coffee, then grabbed her fave Muppets mug and filled it to the brim.
Trying not to gulp the wicked-hot liquid, she sipped and breathed, bringing her focus to the upcoming presentation. After years of running Pierce Brothers as executive assistant and general office guru, she was about to make the pitch of a lifetime. It was time to take the next step and prove her worth.
It was time to be promoted to CFO.
And they had no idea it was coming.
Nerves fluttered in her stomach, but she ignored them. She walked back into her office with her coffee, her Jimmy Choo high heels sinking into the plush carpet. She’d dressed to impress in her designer Donna Karan apple-green suit and even managed to pin up her crazed curls in a semblance of professionalism. Her black-framed glasses added a flair of style and seriousness. After grabbing her flash drive with her PowerPoint presentation loaded, she quickly set up the conference room with her handouts and laptop, then brought in a tray of pastries from Andrea’s Bakery with a pitcher of water. Nothing wrong with a little bribing, especially when it involved sweets. She double-checked the room.
Perfect. She was ready. She picked up her mug for another sip. She’d calculated this quarter’s profits and could clearly show the margin of growth once she brought in this new—
“Morning.”
She jerked at the deep, cultured voice breaking into her thoughts. Coffee splashed over the edge of her mug onto her jacket. Cursing, she swiveled her head, her gaze crashing into whiskey-colored eyes that were as familiar as her own beating heart. Familiar yet deadly, to both her past and her present. Why did he have to be the one who was here first? The man possessed an inner alarm clock that detested lateness.
She still hated the little leap of her heart when she was in his company, but it’d just become part of her routine. Kind of like eating and breathing.
Anyone else would’ve brought a smile and a bit of chatter. But Tristan Pierce didn’t talk to her. Not really. Oh, he lectured and demanded and judged, but he refused to actually have a conversation with her. Not that she cared. It was better for both of them to keep their distance.
“You scared me,” she accused. “Why don’t you ever make any noise when you walk into a room?”
Those carved lips twitched with the need to smile. Unfortunately, her presence rarely allowed the man to connect with any of his softer emotions, so he kept his expression grim. They’d been dancing around each other for two years now, and still struggled with discomfort in each other’s presence. Well, he experienced discomfort in the form of awkwardness.
She experienced discomfort in the form of sexual torture.
“I’ll work on it.” He gestured to the new brown stain on her clothes. “Need help?”
“I got it.” Her body wept at the thought of him touching her, even for a moment. Down, girl. She grabbed a napkin, dipped it in water, and dabbed at her suit jacket.
“I didn’t realize we were having a meeting today. I have some appointments.”
“I rearranged your schedule. This is the only time that everyone was able to meet.”
“Another board meeting?”
“Sort of.”
He didn’t ask any other questions. He rarely did.
She tried to ignore the waves of masculine energy that emanated from his figure. He’d always been the quiet one of his brothers, but he never needed words or noise to make his presence known. When he walked into a room, everyone noticed—men and women. He held a demeanor of competence and power in a whole different way from his brothers, Caleb and Dalton. As the middle child, he was a peacemaker and able to make decisions with a confident quickness most admired but never duplicated. His thoroughness was legendary. Tristan was able to see a problem from all angles and attack it with a single-minded intensity and level of control. He’d once brought that same talent to the bedroom, concentrating on wringing pleasure from her body with a thoroughness that ruined her for other lovers.
She studied him from under heavy-lidded eyes. His suits were legendary—custom made from the best fabrics and cut to emphasize his powerful, lean body. Today he wore a charcoal-gray suit, a snowy-white shirt, and a vivid purple tie. Engraved gold cuff links. His shoes were polished to a high sheen and made of soft leather. He always reminded her of one of those jungle cats who prowled with litheness, amber eyes lit with intention, taking their time before deciding what to do with prey. His analytical mind was as droolworthy as his body. Hard, supple muscles balanced with a beautiful grace most men could never pull off. His hair was thick, perfectly groomed, and a deep reddish brown. His face was an artistry of elegance, from the sharp blade of his nose to his square jaw, full lips, and high cheekbones. Lush lashes set off eyes that practically glowed, darkening to an intensity that made a woman’s heart beat madly. He was beauty incarnate, a feast for the senses a woman could never bore of while spending the rest of eternity studying every angle and curve and drowning in his cognac gaze.
She’d once been that woman. Of course, that was centuries ago, before the ugliness between them sprouted from dark corners and swallowed them up whole.
Didn’t matter. She only dealt with Tristan for work now, though the past two years had been more difficult, as she was forced to spend so much time in his presence. Those five years after he’d moved to New York and been away from Harrington were hard, but she’d finally grown up. Become a mother and made her own niche in life, rather than waiting for him to dictate her wants and needs.
If only she weren’t still attracted to the man.
Already the room surged with the innate connection between them. Some things never disappeared. They’d always had chemistry. Now it was just a matter of accepting it as fact and ignoring it.
Most of the time she managed.
“Let me settle in. We’ll start in fifteen?” he asked.
“Yes, that’s fine.”
She turned away, discarding the napkin, and he left. She practically sagged in relief. Having him too close threw her off, and this morning she needed to be a poised, cool, confident professional.
Twenty minutes later, the team was assembled around the conference table. She tried to keep a smug smile from her face as they immediately attacked the tray of pastries, arguing good-naturedly over who got what and who saw which first. She’d decided on a sneak attack for her presentation. She knew these men well, and taking them by surprise would lower their defenses and allow them to really listen to her presentation without preliminary assumptions. The biggest problem with working for Pierce Brothers for the past decade was also her greatest asset.
She was like family. Unfortunately, this meant being treated like a little sister, which was also frustrating. She needed to convince them she was the best person for the job of CFO based on her business history. Not because of familial relations.
“Who called this meeting?” Cal asked between bites of his favorite cinnamon bun. “It wasn’t on my schedule originally.” As the oldest brother of the crew, he was the most no-nonsense, with a simple, rugged manner. He wore his usual uniform of old, ripped jeans, a white T-shirt, and work boots. His face was as rough as his appearance, from his hooked nose to his bushy brows and gunmetal-gray eyes, but he was always protective and held the wisest counsel she knew. He’d led the company along with his brothers when it was almost lost due to his father’s will, but now they stood together, bonded once again by affection.
“Not me.” Dalton had his legs stretched out and propped up on the opposite-facing leather chair. She held back a sigh at the lack of professionalism. “I have no issues to discuss.” As the youngest, he’d always been the wildest, and his woodworking talent was legendary. Stinging-blue eyes, long blond surfer-type hair, and an easy charm made women fall happily in line to warm his bed. Of course, now he was settled and in love with Raven. He’d grown and matured over the past year, and she had never seen him so happy.
They both looked at Tristan, who shrugged. Elegantly, of course. “I was told my calendar was rearranged just for this meeting.”
The final member in the crew, not related by blood, was Brady. He lifted his hands in the air. “Nope. Have no idea what this is about.” As the architect and a longtime family friend, he’d carved his own niche for himself in the company. With his dark Latin looks and commanding manner, he’d been essential to their success and easily held his own.
Time to gain control of this meeting and do what she came for.
“I did.”
All gazes turned and focused on her. She gave them a cool smile and flipped on her laptop so the first slide of her PowerPoint presentation flashed on the screen. After quickly distributing the stack of handouts, she stood at the head of the conference table. Already she took in Tristan’s fierce frown as he began flipping through the pages of her proposal.
“What’s this about, Syd?” Cal asked, finishing up his pastry.
“As you know, I’ve been working at Pierce Brothers a long time. I started as file clerk, worked my way up to secretary, then executive assistant. I’ve been in charge of accounting, marketing, and managing the office staff.”
Cal cocked his head. “You want a raise. You don’t need to hold a meeting for this. You deserve a pay bump.”
“I don’t want just a raise, Cal. I want to be promoted to CFO of Pierce Brothers. I want to be part of the board of directors.”
Dalton whistled. A grin curved his lips. “Man, this is gonna be good,” he drawled, taking a bite of a simple jelly doughnut.
Brady sat back in his seat, a thoughtful look on his face. Cal nodded, urging her to go on. She refused to glance over at Tristan. She didn’t need any negative energy affecting her presentation.
“I’ve been in charge of the accounts at Pierce Brothers for years, which goes beyond the standard accounts receivables and payables. Besides budgeting, I’m involved in negotiating with our local vendors for discounts and securing new jobs, and I have built solid relationships that keep productivity at increased levels. I’ve included a breakdown of the past quarter’s profit margin.” She brought up the graphs, which were also included in the work sheets. “As Pierce Brothers has evolved, the workload has doubled, and all of you are consistently in the field. I’ve been able to fill in the gap by being more involved in the design aspect. Three months ago, I secured a new contract with Grey’s Custom Flooring with a significant discount to our clients. I was able to do this because of my relationship with Anthony Moretti. Building up my main base of contacts keeps Pierce Brothers viable and able to keep offering unique materials to our clients.”
Cal tapped his pen against the desk. “I was impressed with Grey’s. The quality is top-notch, and they’ve been easy to work with. You did a great job.”
She gave a slight nod. “Thank you. I’d like to show you how those savings affected our bottom line.” She clicked steadily through the slides, breaking down each of her skills and leading up to the main event.
It was time to bring it home.
“I believe it’s time to move forward. We’re financially stable and ready to take on a bigger job with our redesigning and renovation projects.” Tristan glanced up, frowning. This was the delicate part of negotiations. She was stepping directly into Tristan’s territory, but it was time he realized what she could bring to the organization on her own. “I’ve been in talks with Adam Cushman. He’s been very interested in securing some homes in the Harrington area and on the lookout for an opportunity. I believe he’s finally found one.”
“Cushman?” Tristan narrowed his gaze. “He’s a big developer in New York City. I worked with him briefly. How is it you know him well enough to be involved in such a conversation without my knowledge?”
His voice was chilled, like one of those frosty mugs Raven used in her bar. Sydney fought a shiver, determined not to let him intimidate her. Not anymore. “If you remember, you were in a bidding war with him for the property on Allerton. He came into the office one day, but no one was here, so I took the meeting. You ended up winning the property, but he kept in contact with me regarding future opportunities in Harrington. We both hold a similar vision on developing more family-friendly homes with touches of unique design to court a solid middle-class income bracket.”
“What properties is he interested in?” Tristan flicked out the demanding question with a touch of impatience.
She gave a tight smile. “It’s there in the proposal you’re holding.” She clicked to the next slide of her PowerPoint, sketching out a block of houses. “He’ll be purchasing a total of eight houses on Bakery Street.”
Dalton stared at the screen, shaking his head. “Bakery? Those houses are in bad shape. Most of the tenants abandoned them, and no one’s been interested in renovation for an entire block.”
“Exactly.” She pushed the button for the next screen. “Adam has been able to purchase the entire lot and plans to renovate them all together, then flip them. This is the breakdown of approximate costs. We still need architectural proposals drawn up and design specifics discussed, but he’s on board and wants Pierce Brothers to take the job.”
Tristan studied the papers in front of him as if he were a lawyer about to take the bar exam. Brady scribbled notes in the margins, nodding. Dalton shot her a proud grin. It took everything she had not to smile back at his obvious admiration, but she kept her gaze focused on Cal.
“Ambitious,” he said slowly. “And brilliant. How’d you sell him Pierce?”
“I want to use local suppliers for the entire project. I convinced Adam to go local instead of using the main manufacturing plants. We’re concentrating on unique kitchen and bath features to appeal to middle income. Fenced-in yards, smaller-type decks, and appealing front porches for the lot.”
“Have you confirmed all our local suppliers will be on board with this?” Tristan demanded. “Many of them refuse to work with the bigwigs. They prefer local developers. Not city slickers, as they term them.”
“I’ve made initial contact and received definite interest. I’d meet with them and get everything in writing before moving forward.”
“Well done,” Cal murmured, still tapping his pen. “This is a huge job, Sydney. Do you have specifics?”
She clicked to the next screen, which showed an organized calendar of tasks, assignments, and proposed time slots. “This is the working plan, but of course it will be tweaked as we discuss further.”
“I would’ve appreciated a heads-up before this meeting,” Tristan clipped out. “I have another project in the works, and this will take up my calendar for the next several months. Why didn’t Adam reach out to me before this?”
She practically purred with satisfaction as she delivered the crushing words. “Because Adam wants me to lead this project. Not you.”
The men stared at her in slightly shocked silence.
She smoothly continued her pitch. “Adam trusts me. He knows I’ll retain his vision and be the main contact throughout the project. The only way he’ll give Pierce Brothers the job is if I’m in charge. And the only way I’ll agree to be in charge is if you promote me to CFO.”
Sydney snapped the laptop closed. The screen went dark.
“I need something more. I deserve this opportunity. I know we’ll need to hire another person to take over more office responsibilities, but I think Charlie may be interested. I know her primary love is doing renovation and rehab, but learning the business from the ground up intrigues her.”
Brady nodded. Charlie had come to Pierce Brothers as an intern, then slowly made her way to becoming indispensable for her skill in pulling apart houses and putting them back together. She and Brady had experienced their own fireworks, beginning with intense dislike and moving to grudging respect and then something much more. Though they seemed like opposites, they fit together perfectly, and it was obvious how in love each was with the other.
“Charlie actually mentioned she’d like to take on more work,” he said. “It’s definitely a possibility.”
“I have no problem hiring another person,” Cal said. “Securing this project could be a big asset, especially for the future.”
Dalton grabbed another jelly doughnut. “I think it’s amazing, Syd. Great presentation.”
“Thank you.”
Suddenly burning amber eyes pierced into hers. Tristan’s lips pressed together in a thin line of disapproval. “You giving us an ultimatum?”
She met his gaze head-on, refusing to flinch. Refusing to back down. “I’m giving you a proposal. A smart one. And I’ll be waiting for your decision. Adam wants to move quickly on this, so I’d like to be able to get back to him.”
“Fair enough.” Cal rose to his feet. “Give us some time to discuss. We’ll have an answer for you soon.”
She smiled. “I appreciate it.” Scooping up her laptop and empty coffee mug, she walked out of the conference room with her head held high.
She’d done it. Whatever happened next, she’d made her pitch and fought for what she deserved, for both her and Becca. After all these years in the background, she finally had her chance.
She intended to take it.