“Is this how you repay my loyalty, Blake?” Victoria sat straight as an arrow in her blush pink suit, legs crossed at the ankles and her hands clasped in her lap. She’d chosen to meet for lunch at a private club on the outskirts of the city.

“Loyalty? You act like you’re not getting anything out of this, Victoria. Is this an act of altruism?” I appreciated her assistance in securing the first twenty-five percent of shares of OAA, but I didn’t owe her my loyalty.

She sniffed as though the thought of what she’d done was now distasteful to her. Right. “This is business Blake, but there is a place for loyalty.”

“I’m not tying myself to your daughter, Victoria. Let it go.” If it meant that much to her, she should have gotten that promise before selling me the shares.

“For heaven’s sake, she’s a beautiful, well-bred woman, not an albatross!”

She was also vain, shallow, beautiful and ditzy. Spent more time on her appearance than she did doing anything else. “She is also a wild child with a penchant for always making the worst possible decisions in life.”

“Which is why she needs a man like you.”

“Not happening, Victoria.” I sat back and folded my arms, barely noticing the other diners in the large, dark room. “If that’s your condition, there’s still time to reverse the sale of the shares.”

“There’s no need to be hasty, Blake. All I ask is that you give Christianne a fair shot. She’s beautiful and with the right partner, she could become the kind of wife of a man who is going places.”

I laughed. “I don’t need her for that, and no offense, but she’s not exactly the wife I’d want on my arms.”

“That’s unfortunate,” she sniffed and immediately I was on edge. Her brown gaze drifted past my shoulder and I didn’t need to turn to identify the latecomer as soon as the loud clacking sound of her heels on the marble floor. That teetering cadence that belonged to women who wore heels that were too high and dresses that were too short. “I was certain you’d see sense.”

“If you think this ambush is going to accomplish anything, think again.”

“Hi Mom! Blake,” Christianne leaned in and tried to kiss me but I tilted back, away from her and that cloying perfume that gave me an instant migraine. “I haven’t seen you in forever. You’re a stuffy old bore now.”

“Yeah well, some of us have to make our money.”

She smacked my arm. “Don’t be mean.” Her lips jutted out in that fake pout to go along with the baby voice that women thought were sexy but really it was just plain creepy. “So what are we talking about?”

“Business,” I said the same time Victoria answered.

“Your future.” She arched a brow, daring me to break the cardinal sin that people like her lived by. Thou shall not be rude. Ever.

Christianne turned to me, blue eyes lit with dollar signs and vibrant red curls framing her face. “Finally ready to make an honest woman out of me, Blake?”

“Not at all, Christianne. We were discussing business. Your social life, is your business.”

“Oooh,” she clapped excitedly, “an open marriage!”

I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose. “I’m not marrying you, Christianne. We are not dating or fucking. We are nothing,” I told her, sliding a look to Victoria to make sure she also got the hint.

“Party pooper.” Another pout pushed her bright red lips out and this time she added a whine. “Well if he’s not gonna put a ring on it, why am I here Mom? Marina’s jet is leaving for St. Bart’s at five.”

Victoria sighed heavily, as though the weight of the world was on her shoulders and gave her daughter a dismissive flick of her hand. “Go. Have fun, honey. Be safe.”

Suddenly, she brightened. “Thank you, Mommy! I’ll call you when we land, love you!” Christianne popped up out of her seat and dashed off, heels smacking on the hard floors at an increasingly faster pace.

“Don’t ambush me again, Victoria. I appreciate your help, I really do, but I’m not signing away my life to your wayward daughter. Cut her off, make her get a job or anything that might make her a useful human being.” I stood and stared at her before leaving, disgusted.

No one ever said a hostile takeover would be easy or for the faint of heart, but it was already becoming a farce. But this was what I had to do. Peak Adventures needed it. Desperately.

I called my driver and smiled. Now that I had a quarter stake in OAA, I had every reason to drop by the offices. Take a look around.

Maybe grab some alone time with the sassy new CEO.

* * *

“Are you certain about that, Anderson?” Poppy stood at the windows looking out over downtown Portland and the Willamette River, her long curvy body framed by the early afternoon sun. One hand was on her hip and the other hung at her side. When she nodded, her head turned every so slightly, giving me the perfect glimpse of the pink in her hair as it caught the sun. “Yes, thank you. That is very helpful.” Her voice had a smile in it, then she laughed. “Yeah, it’s kind of a headache but you’ve managed to put my mind at ease.” She spoke a few more niceties on the other line and ended the call.

“Poppy, we meet again.”

She turned slowly, both hands fisted at her hips by the time she fully faced me. “Blake, what are you doing here?” She sounded tired, like maybe she’d lost a bit of her shine. It might have made me an asshole to think it, but if she felt overwhelmed by her responsibilities then I could buy the company for a lot less than the shares might end up costing me.

“I came to see you, of course.” She rolled those blue-green eyes only this time there was no amusement in them.

“Why are you really here, Blake? I don’t have time for your games today.”

My smile faded at her tone and I stepped inside her office, shutting the door behind me. “Is everything all right, Poppy?”

“Please, don’t act like you care.” She dropped into her seat and removed the vibrant green blazer she wore, running a hand through her long sable waves as she let out a long sigh.

Everything within me said to argue with her and tell her that I did care, because for some reason I did. But she wasn’t in a listening frame of mind right now. “Does that mean you don’t want to talk about what’s wrong? I’m a great listener.” Her answering scoff said more about what she thought of that idea than any words could have.

“No thanks, I can handle it on my own.” Her gaze slammed into mine and I thought I saw a hint of something hard and cold in her eyes, but just as quickly as it came, it was gone. “Did you come by for something?”

“I was in the neighborhood and I figured I’d come by to see if you had plans for dinner this evening?” It wasn’t the right time to tell her I now owned a piece of her company. She knew it was coming but after that smoking hot kiss last week, it didn’t sit right with me.

She continued to rub her temples. “I plan to eat dinner this evening. While I work.”

“Want some company?”

She laughed. “Its not OAA work so I know you wouldn’t be interested,” she said. Her words held a hint of sarcasm. And a bite.

But I noticed that wasn’t a no. “So seven? Eight? I’ll bring some top shelf tequila.”

Her lips twitched. “I do have a fondness for it, but I have to finish this project tonight and I have a feeling you intend to be an unignorable distraction.”

“I’m willing to put forth the effort if you are.”

She shook her head but she could do absolutely nothing about the smile on her face. “Seriously? Fine,” she sighed. Come at eight-thirty and you can stay no later than ten, got it?” I smiled and she shook her head and pointed at me. “And no kissing,” she hissed. “No work talk, either.”

“No mouth kissing or no kissing at all?”

Her gaze couldn’t meet mine and her skin turned a lovely shade of pink. “None at all.”

Interesting. I’d have to store that information away for a later date. “I look forward to changing your mind.”

She stood and walked over to the door, hand slowly grasping the knob. “I have a few things I need to take care of and I’m sure you have work to do too.”

I was being dismissed again. And as much as it annoyed me, it also impressed the hell out of me. “Nothing that can’t wait, but I will get out of your hair.” The mention of her hair, long and wavy, made my fingers itch to run through it again, let it spill through my fingers while I kissed her breathless.

“None of that,” she said, pointing at me but that husky sound of her voice gave away her true feelings. “No more of that, I said.”

I laughed as I stood, advancing on her as she backed up against the door. Right where I wanted her. “But more is the best part. In fact,” I told her, twirling a long lock around my forefinger as the fruity scent of her hair wafted up my nose, “hearing you beg me to give you more is going to be my favorite part, I think.”

She shivered under my touch. “No,” she said instead.

“Oh yes, Poppy. For now though, I’ll leave you with this.” This time instead of cupping her face, I speared my fingers through her hair and tilted her head so that when our lips touched, I could devour her as deeply as I wanted to. I wanted more, a hell of a lot more than a chaste kiss in her office but for now it would have to do.

She licked her lips when ours separated like she couldn’t get enough of me and damn if I didn’t go back for another taste. “We should stop,” she said without much fire behind her words.

“Yep,” I told her and kissed her again, listening to that breathy moan that sent flames straight to my cock. “We will. Eventually.” She smiled against my mouth and let me drink from her sweet mouth until I had my fill.

As it stood now, I was no where near having my fill of her.