JALYNN

Saison is one of the most sought-after restaurants in San Francisco, and just from the decor, I can see why. Broad redwood beams and trusses support a cathedral ceiling while clusters of potted trees and frosted glass doors align the exterior.

Austin escorts me into the restaurant and to a table in the center, overlooking the open kitchen. I’d think a family as powerful as the Sextons would want a corner spot, away from prying eyes. According to Austin, the table placement is by design.

“Missy loves to be the center of attention,” he says as he pushes my seat into the table. “She also likes to be fashionably late, so everyone is watching when she walks into the room.”

“Is that why you took the scenic route, getting here?”

“That, and I like the way your legs look, curled up in my passenger seat.”

My body ignites from the way he runs a smooth hand along my thigh. I’m fighting the chill of gooseflesh when Missy and Edward Sexton appear at the entrance of the restaurant and walk toward us.

There’s no denying that Missy Sexton is a gorgeous woman. Bleach-blonde hair that’s ironed straight and contoured makeup that would make a Kardashian jealous. Around the office, she wears provocative power suits. Tonight, she went for straight sexy in a skintight white dress, exposing cleavage. Lots and lots of cleavage.

“Austin, you brought a date?” Missy says in a stunned tone as she approaches the table. “How quaint.”

An older gentleman with salt-and-pepper hair and eyes as dark as Bryce’s appears behind Missy. I recognize him from my internet research of Austin. The man before me is the great Edward Sexton.

“I’m surprised to see we have company,” Edward says as he takes the seat next to mine.

“Edward,” Austin says curtly.

I’m surprised to note he hasn’t stood to greet Missy or shaken his father’s hand.

As the maître d’ pushes Missy’s chair in, Edward’s eyes slowly graze up and down the side of my body, right down to the straps of my heels. Austin’s hand gently squeezes my leg and pulls me into him.

“Are you going to grace us with the name of your guest, or are you going to sit there in silence?” Edward says.

My hand finds Austin’s, and we lock pinkies. I turn to him and offer him a small smile.

“This is my girlfriend, Jalynn. Jalynn, this is my father, Edward.”

A small gasp of surprise escapes my lips. Missy cocks her head in condescending amusement.

“It’s nice to meet you,” I cordially say to Edward.

The waiter interrupts our introductions to take our drink orders.

“Cranberry and club,” Austin tells the waiter.

“You’re not drinking?” Edward asks, baffled.

“I’m driving,” Austin says with a sarcastic tone.

Missy laughs. “When has that ever stopped you?” she says to Austin and then turns to the waiter. “Bring a bottle of Dom Pérignon. It looks like we’re celebrating.”

“Celebrating what?” Austin hisses.

“Your new relationship. Jalynn, you’ll have a glass, won’t you?”

“No,” Austin says at the same time I reply, “Yes.”

Austin turns to me with a raised brow and tilt of his jaw. “I thought you didn’t drink?” he whispers into my ear.

I lean into his ear. “I don’t, but I have a feeling this dinner with your family is gonna make me want to start.”

He gives me a light kiss on the cheek. “Bottoms up, baby. If it’s okay with you, I’m gonna stick to the virgin variety.”

My heart swells lightly at both the term of endearment and the fact that Austin is not drinking, which I’m starting to learn is a big deal. My cheek is still tender from the kiss when I look over and see Missy’s narrowed eyes sending laser beams across the table at me.

“You two are cute,” she says, but it actually feels like she’s saying the complete opposite. “So, tell us, Jalynn, what do you do for a living?”

I turn to Austin and pinch my brows together, wondering if Missy has no idea who I am or if she’s just playing a game with me.

“I’m Bryce’s assistant,” I answer.

Her eyes widen, and her injected lips create an oval as she places an elbow on the table and points a finger. “You’re writing me an exposé.”

Shit.

“Yes, I am.”

“What kind of exposé?” Edward asks, seeming aloof.

“It’s fascinating really. The world of underground street racing,” she explains to Edward, who doesn’t seem to have any idea what she’s talking about. “There’ve been so many accidents and a recent death in the area because of one. It’s a shame no one has arrested any of the orchestrators. If convicted, that’s three months in the county jail.” Her focus roams from Edward to Austin and back to me. “You’re supposed to have an in with the races. I was surprised when you volunteered at the meeting, but now”—she laughs a little and sits back in her seat like she’s just turned on a great show—“I get the whole picture.”

Our drinks arrive, and Missy’s eyes don’t leave mine as the waiter pours our champagne. The clinking of forks on dishes of patrons, waiters serving, bus boys clearing, and chefs busying themselves in the kitchen provide an eventful backdrop around our otherwise motionless table.

The waiter steps away from the table, and Missy raises her glass. “To new friends.”

Edward follows suit with his eyes roaming back down to my legs. “To new friends.”

Austin grabs his glass of juice and soda and gives a silent salute while I grab the stem of my flute and repeat awkwardly, “To new friends.”

“Now that we’re here, are you going to alert me of the purpose of tonight’s dinner?” Austin leans back and places his free hand on the table. His other is still holding on to mine.

Edward responds, “I was hoping it would be with you and your brother. There’s business to discuss, and while I’m sure your dinner companion has many assets, being privy to Sexton family dealings is not something she should be exposed to.”

I blink at the backhanded compliment and try not to feel insulted.

“Anything you have to discuss with me, you can discuss in front of Jalynn,” Austin states.

Edward smirks. “There isn’t much I plan to discuss with you without your brother present.”

“That’s right. The heir and the spare. Why speak to the pawn when the king holds all the cards?”

Edward lets out a deep laugh and smiles. “Don’t take it so personal, Austin. Business hasn’t ever been your strong suit.”

Austin isn’t smiling back. “It may not be, but I’m better than you. You spent you career sitting behind a desk with a fancy nameplate while your real wife did all the legwork.”

I can sense Edward reconsidering having his table in the center of a bustling restaurant. His face still bears that smile, but his eyes are beady. “I built this company just as much, if not more, than your mother did.”

“Bullshit, Dad. I was a kid, but I wasn’t an idiot.”

“You sure about that?” Missy says as she takes a sip of champagne and looks around the room, probably wondering if anyone has noticed her presence.

Austin’s hand is still holding mine, but the grip has loosened. He widens his legs and tilts his chin in defiance as he speaks toward Edward, “Let me tell you something about my dear old dad. He was the chief operating officer when he forgot to pay the printing press, so they gave away our reservation, and my mother wound up missing her best friend’s wedding while she scrambled to edit a magazine because we could only get a printing date three days before we were supposed to go to print.”

“The trials and tribulations of running a magazine. That was before we had our own printing unit. One I secured for us, by the way,” Edward states matter-of-factly.

“With mom’s inheritance from Grandma and Grandpa. You bought that and those hair plugs on your head.”

Edward’s smile drops. “You’re getting funny, young man.”

“We almost went bankrupt when he decided the magazine business wasn’t fun enough, so he decided to buy a branch of tanning salons in the Bay Area,” Austin speaks directly at his father with a raging glare, like he’s playing a game of chicken.

“They were misvalued,” he defends.

“It almost cost us our magazine. Lucky for you, Mom was just getting into digital.”

“And the business exploded because I had her buy the Standard,” Edward says.

“The business almost died because you were too busy fucking everything that walked through our office. How many women did you have to pay to keep quiet about your affairs?”

“Watch it, Austin,” Edward threatens.

Austin doesn’t seem to care. “Did Mom know you were fucking Missy when she died?”

Edward’s cheeks rise to his eyes. It’s not a smile. It’s a face of indignation. He sees Austin racing toward him, and instead of veering to the side, he’s going to drive straight at him. He leans forward and shows no mercy.

“You want to give your little friend here a crash course in Sexton family knowledge? Why don’t we talk about the fact that you were at a party instead of helping your mom like you were supposed to that day? That’s why she was speeding to her appointment. If you’d just done your part of the fact checking, she’d still be here. But, no, Austin does what Austin wants.”

Austin’s hand falls from mine. It’s still on my thigh as I look over at him and see his clenching jaw protruding from the side of his face.

Edward continues, “While Bryce was doing his part around here, this one was in college, screwing every coed from here to Cabo San Lucas. Didn’t see him for four years. When he graduated, he came home for my and Missy’s engagement party, and the next day, he joined the fucking military. You want to talk about the heir and the spare? The king and the pawn? Bryce has taken his responsibility since the day your mother died. You have run away from responsibility at every cost. Serves you right for getting hurt the way you did. You’re no hero.”

The look in Edward’s cold eyes is not one of a man who is merely defending himself. It’s that of a ruthless elite who will stomp on anyone in his path. Even if it’s his own son.

I have known Austin for only a few weeks, but one thing I can guarantee you is, he is no liar. Now, I have no doubt that his father is all of those things Austin described and more.

“How dare you,” I say in a low tone to the man sitting beside me. “I don’t know you, Mr. Sexton, so with all due respect, forgive me when I say you are the most ignorant man I have ever met. And I was raised in a trailer by an alcoholic who liked to beat on children, so, yes, I have quite the experience.” My gaze wanders up onto Edward’s wrist and the Rolex resting comfortably in its obnoxious sapphire glory. “Austin is the reason you can wear a forty-thousand-dollar watch and buy your wife diamonds. I might not have worked at Sexton Media long, but in that time, I have yet to see or hear of Edward Sexton. What I have witnessed is the son you so equally dismissed as skirting from his responsibilities work to the bone to close deals and secure one of the most sought-after interviews in the country.”

“A few hours in the office hardly counts as to the bone,” Missy replies out the side of her mouth.

“A simpleminded man would take a day to do what Austin could accomplish in an hour. A dense woman would have her assistant do it,” I spit.

Edward lets out a low laugh that’s not really a laugh. It’s the most condescending sound I’ve ever heard. “You must be keeping this one up nice.”

“I don’t need to be kept by a man. I only choose those who are worthy.” I grab hold of Austin’s hand and grip it tight into mine. “A teenager who goes to college is hardly someone skirting from their responsibilities. A grown man who expects an eighteen-year-old to go to work to cover his slack is.”

“Watch it.” Edward seems to have forgotten his need to keep that fake smile running on his face for the sake of appearances.

I don’t stop. “A man who enrolls in the military to fight for our country is heroic. A man who wants to sell his business because he has no idea how to run it is a coward.”

This gets Edwards attention. “How do you know about the sale?”

“Your wife likes to talk,” Austin chimes in.

“I have every right to have you fired,” Missy says to me with a downward mouth.

Austin squeezes my hand as he stands up to his stepmother. “Try it, Missy.”

“You don’t want to try me,” she states coolly.

But Austin doesn’t seem to care. “If your threats were valid, you would have accomplished something already.”

“And for your first course …” The waiter is back with a huge tray and starts setting plates before each of us.

I think back, confused, only to realize we never ordered. The Sextons must preset everything. Regardless, it doesn’t matter.

“We’re not staying.” I stand from my seat, and Austin rises with me.

“You can’t just get up from the table like that.” Edward shifts as he looks over his shoulder.

Austin places a hand on my back. “If there’s one thing you need to know about Jalynn, it’s that she doesn’t take kindly to orders.”

“You tolerate that?” Edward sounds disgusted.

To my surprise, Austin grins. “I don’t just tolerate it; I fucking love it.” He places his other hand on me and runs his fingers down my arm as he escorts me away from the table. “Come on, baby. Let’s get out of here.”

“Where are we going?”

“To a race.”