Chapter 3

Ryan

I woke to an arm across my face, and that might not be a bad thing if I could remember the name of the woman it belonged to. Heather? No— Hannah. Holly? Fuck. Heather had been last week. I started to wonder if I should sneak into her bag to check her driver’s license, but it didn’t really matter one way or another, it was the last time I’d see her, and she got to stay longer than most. I usually rushed them the same night, and it was rare for one to wake up at my house. The problem was I'd had too much to drink, which wasn’t like me, but I’d been so upset over that whole environmental deal that Jason and I had gone out for drinks and dancers.

“Hey, time to wake up, Holly. Let’s go. Get on up.” I shook her gently, and she woke up frowning.

“Did you just call me Holly?” Her eyes narrowed, and her lip curled back as if she could expose fangs. She had looked so much better through my beer goggles in the dim lit club, and now her face looked like an old shoe, her skin wrinkled from the sheets and bloated from sleep. The way she pinched her brows tight didn’t do anything for her either. “My name is Haley, asshole.” She rolled out of bed and got to her feet, her fake tits swinging unnaturally as she reached down and gathered her clothes. At least the position made her ass look pretty good, but then she stood up. Pancake.

I got to my feet as she stormed out and headed for the bathroom. Thankfully there was a used condom on top of the trash so that I wouldn’t be seeing Holly— Haley again. No baby for me. I scratched my head wondering if I still had it wrong.

I jumped in the shower and washed the stink of the night off of me. Twenty minutes later I was straightening my tie in the mirror wondering if I needed a shave. My eyes carried a couple of dark circles that I hoped would be gone by noon, and I raked my hand through my hair, using paste to keep it perfect. I wasn’t metro or anything, but I liked to look good. I grabbed a power bar and some coffee on my way out and headed to work.

Gina was waiting for me when I arrived. “Mr. Walker, don’t forget you have that meeting this morning. Those two women from the environmental agency will be stopping by.”

“Thanks for the reminder, Gina. Has Jason been in this morning?”

A soft blush rose to her cheeks. “He’s in your office.” She turned and went to her desk, and I wondered what that was all about.

I opened the door to my office and went inside to find Jason looking bright-eyed and fresh-faced. “Why do you look like the cat that ate the canary? Are you flirting with Gina again?”

“Not intentionally. You know it happens. I can’t help myself. Why do you look like the man who got run over by a dump truck?” He raised a brow and gave me a sideward look.

“Last night’s lay was a bed hog.”

“She spent the night? Holly was gone by three a.m.; you know the rules man, never let them stay past three, especially when you’re rich enough to pay for a cab ride home.”

I returned the sideward glance. “I thought I was with Holly? There were two Holly’s?”

“You were with Haley. Holly was my date, and she was a real wildcat in bed. I still have the scratches down my back. I take it my night went better than yours.” I gave him a withering glance.

“I’m going to have to have to kick you out of here soon, and I think I’m going to enjoy it.” I eased back in my chair as the phone rang. Gina buzzed in warning me it was my father.”

“Shit, let me take this.” Jason was already headed for the door.

“I’ll catch you around lunch when you’re feeling less bitchy.” He gave me his dopey grin and snapped his fingers at me as he left.

I waited for the door to shut and answered. “Good morning, Dad.”

“Son. Your mother wanted me to remind you about dinner on Sunday, but that’s not why I called. I wanted to check on you and make sure you got the memo from Donahue. He sent over a list of things we’d like for you to go over with the environmentalists today.” I hadn’t planned on going over anything with them in depth. I paid people for that.

“I can get Johnson on that. I’ll have Gina send it—

“No! You’re the one who has to take interest. It paints a better picture and shows that the company is interested enough that the CEO is taking this bull by the horns.”

“Are you serious? I don’t know anything about that stuff. That’s why I pay people with degrees.”

“You know you’re brother was always eager to learn, to go that extra mile and here you are not even wanting to pull this company’s ass from the fire! If you don’t take charge and fix these environmental issues the government can and will shut us down!” My head was pounding like someone was holding a jackhammer to it. I winced with every word. I hated it when he yelled at me.

He’d never yelled at David that way, not his first-born and golden child, nope, he kissed his ass. Me on the other hand, I had always been invisible until he needed someone to blame.

“I’ll handle it.”

“See that you do, and personally. Don’t pass this off to someone else. It’s too important, Ryan.” My father only used my name when he wanted to drive the point home. Any other time I was son and most times it surprised me that he even claimed me at all.

Gina tapped on my door and opened it a crack. “Mr. Walker, you’re morning appointment has arrived.”

“I’ve got to go. They’re here. Like I said, I’ll handle it.” I slammed the phone down as the door opened across the room.

The first woman who entered was about my age with mousy brown hair and more freckles than she knew what to do with and enough makeup for two hookers. She wasn’t unattractive, quite the contrary, her eyes were very pale brown giving her an exotic look, though she seemed to try a little too hard for my tastes. But the next woman, a slender green-eyed beauty with auburn hair, was a knockout in her tight black pencil skirt. Naughty environmentalist? Who knew? She smiled, and my breath hitched as my cock hardened. Whoa boy.

“Hello, ladies.” I held out a hand to the first woman, and she promptly took it. “I’m Ryan Walker, and you are?”

“Jana Jones and this is my colleague Megan Stephens.” I let go of Jana’s hand and took Megan’s. Apparently tree-huggers today weren’t how I thought they’d be.

I’d imagined little frumpy dumpy girls who hadn’t had a date in their lives, not two young women who looked like a pair that Jason and I might pick up in a club. Well, maybe a bar.

I offered them a seat and then turned my attention back to the first woman, “So which of you lovely ladies will I be working with? I was under the impression there’d be just one of you.”

The one woman blushed, and I was just about to form the impression that these two would be a couple of pushovers when the other one cleared her throat. “You’ll be working with me, Mr. Walker.” Her brow raised, and she gave me a challenging stare. I was so turned on but knew right away this one wasn’t going to be easy.