Chapter One
Ethan Seaborn stared out the window of his office in downtown Orlando, his boots crossed at the ankle and his shoulder propped against the window frame.
He glanced at his watch, noticing it was just after noon. Billy should have been back an hour ago.
Billy Franklin had worked for Seaborn Industries since Ethan had found the young man pickpocketing near the downtown civic center.
Ethan had never seen anyone with the kind of skills Billy possessed.
Curious and slightly entertained, Ethan had watched Billy pick the pockets of his unsuspecting victims for a good half hour before deciding to test the kid’s abilities.
He’d sauntered up next to the kid, turned his back, and allowed the wolf inside him to surface. There was no way the kid would have been able to pick Ethan’s pocket undetected. And yet, he nearly had.
The corner of Ethan’s mouth lifted at the memory of Billy’s face as Ethan reached back with lightning speed and grabbed onto Billy’s hand.
Instead of turning the kid in, Ethan had offered him a job. That had been ten years ago, and Billy remained a loyal employee to this day.
Shaking off his trip down memory lane, Ethan strolled over to his desk and pressed the intercom button on his phone. “Any news from Franklin?”
Marla, his overly ambitious secretary, promptly answered back. “Nothing as of yet, Mr. Seaborn. I’ll let you know the minute I hear anything. If I even do. You know how Billy can be.”
“That’ll be all,” Ethan concluded, promptly shutting her down.
Marla Kemp had worked for Seaborn Industries for a little over two years. Ethan managed to tolerate her nosy tendencies and assertive ways by avoiding any personal interaction. He would have dismissed her long ago were it not for the efficient way she handled her job.
Ethan had allowed Marla to kiss him during last year’s Christmas party, and had regretted it since. She’d become clingy, pushy, and had overstepped her bounds on more than one occasion.
In his defense, he’d had far too much to drink and hadn’t reacted until her lips were firmly planted on his.
Setting things right hadn’t been an easy feat for Ethan, either. But he didn’t date women who worked for him. No matter how beautiful they were. And Marla was definitely pretty, with her long blonde hair, dark, blue eyes, and red lips. A bit too thin for Ethan’s taste, but no less attractive.
His phone buzzed, pulling him out of his musing. He reached over and pressed the intercom button. “Yes?”
“Billy’s on his way up,” Marla announced in a soft, seductive voice.
Ethan instantly picked up on her flirtatious tone. “Send him in.”
Taking a seat behind his giant oak desk, Ethan propped his booted feet up on its wooden surface and leaned back in his chair.
The door opened. Billy strode into the room, after closing the door softly behind him. “Sorry, it took me so long, but old man Steinberg wasn’t alone. I had to wait for him to crawl off a redhead in a short skirt before I could slip into his office.”
Ethan continued to stare at Billy without speaking.
“Okay,” Billy murmured, taking a seat across the desk from Ethan. “So, here’s what I learned. The Mercedes Benz dealership in downtown Orlando has gone bankrupt. Mack Steinberg has put in a bid with the bank for the inventory. A pretty hefty bid, too. He stands to make a hell of a lot of money on resale.”
Steepling his fingers beneath his chin, Ethan narrowed his eyes. “What kind of time are we looking at?”
“If no one outbids him, Steinberg will own the business by the end of next week.”
Ethan rubbed at his chin. “So, next Friday?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Did you happen to get the contact number to the person Mack is dealing with at the bank?”
Billy half stood and pulled a piece of paper from the pocket of his jeans. “Does a rocking horse have a wooden dick?”
“I never had a rocking horse,” Ethan tossed back, accepting the scrap of paper Billy offered him. “Good job, Billy. I’ll take it from here.”
Billy stood to go. “If you need anything else before tomorrow, keep in mind I have a date tonight.”
The corner of Ethan’s mouth lifted. “The redhead that Steinberg was slobbering on?”
A laugh burst from Billy’s throat as he made his way to the door. “Even I have standards.”
“Such as they are,” Ethan shot back.
Billy opened the door and turned to face Ethan once more. “No plans for the night?”
Ethan glanced at his watch. “I have some business to attend to that could run on into the night. But if I can get out of here in time, I’m supposed to make an appearance at a fashion show later this evening in the ballroom of the Hilton.”
Billy’s eyebrows shot up. “A fashion show?”
“I know,” Ethan growled, getting to his feet. “Shoot me now.”