Entranced (The ROGUES Billionaire #1) - Tracie Delaney Page 0,34

The office was empty. “Grab me a coffee, would you?”

“Coming right up.”

I shut the door and sank onto my leather chair. Tossing the notes on my desk, I opened my laptop. I’d begun going through my emails when Elliot entered holding my cup of coffee.

“Got a minute?” he asked, setting it down on my side of the desk.

“Sure.” I pointed my chin at the chair opposite.

“I’ve come to say thanks.”

I raised my eyebrows. “For what?”

“I heard you took Athena along to the meeting with Charles Haworth this morning. Thanks for giving her a chance. It’s good for her to learn more about the business.”

“Who told you I’d taken her?” I asked.

“Athena.”

My pulse juddered. I schooled my expression and kept my eyes fixed on his. “Did she say anything else?”

“Only that she’d found the meeting fascinating and she hoped for similar opportunities in the future. See, she wants to learn. All she needs is for us to have some faith in her and give her some responsibility. She’ll flourish, I’m sure.”

“Indeed,” I murmured.

“So, how was the meeting?”

I shrugged. “Don’t think it’s got legs.”

“Really?” Elliot’s mouth turned down in surprise. “Why?”

Because Charles is a dick who wants to get into your sister’s panties. And I’ll commit murder if he achieves his aim.

“I didn’t get a good vibe from him. I don’t think he’s got the right level of professionalism.”

“That’s odd,” Elliot said. “You said he’d been great in all your interactions with him.”

“He tried to poach your sister. Offer her a job.”

Elliot’s eyes widened. “She never told me that.”

“It pissed me off to be honest. I mean, if he’d do something like that right in front of me, what kind of shenanigans would he undertake behind my back? I don’t want ROGUES to lose its top talent.”

“I get that,” Elliot said. “It’s still strange, though. Maybe I should give him a call.”

“Just fucking leave it, will you? This is my project, and I’ve decided to can it. Quit interfering.”

Elliot threw his hands in the air. “Whoa. What’s biting you?”

“Nothing,” I muttered. “Bad night’s sleep, that’s all.”

“You seem to be having a few bad nights lately,” Elliot said. “Maybe you need more sex. Why not give Lissie a call? She seemed like a nice girl.”

“Why is my sex life so interesting to you?” I snapped. “Anyone would think you wanted a tryout.”

Elliot burst out laughing. “In your fucking dreams, Stone. If I was going to swing that way, I’d pick someone far hotter than you.”

Despite the shitty start to the week, I grinned. “Bullshit. You’d be punching above your weight, Bancroft.”

Elliot snorted. “Yeah, yeah. Listen, why don’t we go for a drink tonight, maybe shoot some pool. I think your sleep problems and crappy mood is because you’re working too damned hard. You’ve been burning the candle at both ends for far too long, Ryker. Something’s gonna snap if you don’t let off steam soon.”

He was right. I did need to let off steam—in the form of getting his sister into my bed.

As that wasn’t about to happen, I’d have to find other ways to manage my growing frustration. Shooting pool wouldn’t cut it, but neither would sitting here bemoaning shit I hadn’t yet figured out how to fix.

“Sounds like a plan.”

11

Athena

After the longest week of my entire life, Friday finally came around. I’d seen Ryker on three occasions since he kissed me then abandoned me in his car. On each occasion he’d studiously ignored me, refusing to even shoot a glance in my direction. The other day, I was at lunch with Claire, one of my coworkers in the IT department, and Ryker walked into the company restaurant. He caught my eye, his brow furrowed like he was constipated. Then he scowled, spun on his heel, and marched back out.

Fortunately for me, Claire had her back to him, meaning she missed the entire exchange, and I didn’t have to scrabble around for an explanation as to why the boss seemed to hate me, especially when he also happened to be my brother’s best friend.

But every time I thought about the kiss, my brain went all fuzzy, and I couldn’t concentrate on anything else. After seven years pining for another bite of the cherry, so to speak, I’d finally gotten my wish—and then Ryker ran out on me. I’d lost count of the number of times I almost stormed up to his office to demand an explanation, but then I’d stop myself. What if he wasn’t alone? What if Elliot was in there,