Silver's Pawn: Billionaire CEO Boss Romantic Suspense (Silver Brothers Securities Book 2) Page 2

  The three long days and two sleepless nights since I’d run into the billionaire mogul at the burned club dragged as I waited to visit my mother. She’d likely look for a new place this time because it had been a while since her last move. To top off my great luck, my best friend’s baby was switching to solids, and, well… it wasn’t easy living with a one-year-old and a stubborn single mother.

  “Any chance you’re visiting your parents this weekend?”

  “Hath hell frozen over?” she snorted.

  A few colleagues chuckled as the top part of the microphone rod slipped out of the bottom and the Sergeant became a baton-twirling prelude to today’s weird day. Sergeant Dwayne regained his balance and held out the mike to our guest speaker, who lifted his hand in a tactful rejection.

  Of course Tristan Silver didn’t need a mike to command the room.

  “You’re going to have to tell them soon that they’re grandparents.”

  “I managed this long, I can make it until Foxy graduates.”

  I chuckled.

  “Why are you asking?” Her head flew to the front, then back to me again.

  “Sleep. I need sleep.” I rubbed my eyes.

  Laura’s baby hadn’t exactly been planned, but now that Fox was here, he was the best godson I could imagine. He was the best surprise Laura had ever received. My best friend made the perfect mom. Foxy’s cute giggles and dimpled cheeks made the sleepless nights worth it.

  Laura’s attention remained on Mr. Silver. “You’re going to nail him, aren’t you?”

  “Who? Him? What? No, it’s not like that.”

  It was totally like that. While I recognized Tristan Silver as a potential employer with access to secretive records, I also knew that he wasn’t the traditional employer. So if an opportunity to get the information I sought presented itself, who was I to challenge it?

  “Right. The toilet clogged again. Fox tried to flush a duck.”

  “Eww, why didn’t you get it out?”

  She twirled a pen between her fingers and looked out into space. “I have this problem called time management with a one-year-old. I tried the plunger, but it didn’t work. Thought I should let you know before the weekend.”

  “Thanks. Hopefully we can find a plumber before Monday.”

  Tristan Silver removed his suit jacket and hung it over the back of a chair. He rolled the sleeves of his white crisp shirt, and an image of me pulling the fabric apart to reveal his chest flashed in my mind.

  “How are we supposed to concentrate now?” Laura whispered.

  “I don’t know.”

  “I didn’t know you went for older men.”

  “Only the ones who age like fine wine. Close your mouth.” My gaze remained on the GQ cover-worthy stud. He crossed the floor in his sleek, tailor-made suit, minus the jacket, like Adonis. Yeah, I’d done my homework. Mister You shouldn’t hang around in dark basements was one of the most important billionaires in the country. Not that google was any help when I cross-referenced the SS logo on his cuffs. Silver Securities ensured the family’s private lives remained protected.

  A giggle echoed through the room, and his cheek brightened, complementing his tan. A group of officers in the front row covered their mouths.

  Silver’s calculated steps lengthened with confidence. He stopped by the Sergeant’s desk, pulled his hands behind his back, and spread his legs ever so slightly apart, facing the fully seated lecture hall. I swallowed hard. As he shifted his feet, the inseam of his pants touched a curve underneath his zipper.

  Oh my.

  “I don’t think that’s a gun in his pocket,” Laura whispered from the side.

  It sure wasn’t. I squeezed my knees together as warmth swooshed through my stomach. A memory of his arms around me, pressing me against that basement wall, slipped through my mind.

  Stop it!

  I pushed the hormones back into their cave. The opportunity mother always talked about was here, and it was time to take the bull’s horn. Or was it take the bull by his horn? It didn’t matter. I’d seen plenty bulls at our farm, and I would never go near one; but my mother was one of the smartest women in the world, so the least I could do was concentrate on Tristan Silver.

  “This is Mr. Silver from Silver Securities.” Sergeant Dwayne cleared his voice to camouflage his nerves. It was a rare sight to see him tense up like that. I’d thought about this moment for a long time, but now that it was here, I too didn’t know how to act, so I joined the rest of the squad in a long stare at the life-sized Ken doll as Silver slowly began scanning the seats, starting at the front row.

  Sergeant Dwayne took Mr. Silver’s indifference as an invitation to continue. “If you live in New York, you’ve heard of Silver Securities. The application on your desk is for a vacant position at this company, who rarely hires outside of the family. This is an opportunity to put your skills to the test, people.”

  Dwayne’s lifted tone didn’t phase Silver. In fact, the man appeared displeased, but he continued scanning the seats, from one officer to another, as if he were looking for someone in particular.

  Papers ruffled, and everyone’s heads lowered to the application. I kept my attention on Silver.

  Of course I had heard of Silver Securities. Everyone had heard of Silver Securities. The family-owned leading investigations and private security firm could be my ticket to freedom. A job at Silver Securities would give me the intelligence I’d been looking for. All access to supposedly deleted government data, which contained locations of fucking ex-cops who ruined mothers, daughters, and families. This job could bring my mother the justice she’d never received.

  But I’d always pictured the owner as a man in his sixties with gray hair, or at least sporting a respectable toupee. Tristan Silver’s hair had its own personality, lifting lightly to the air-conditioning breeze. The family kept out of the spotlight, and their rare appearances at fundraisers without cameras allowed for almost unheard-of privacy. With tools and the power of influence at their disposal, secrets could disappear forever.

  Silver lifted his gaze to the next row, the second below me. I took in his tense posture. The outlines underneath his suit suggested a yummy physique. By which I meant, strong. He definitely worked out, likely with a personal trainer who catered to every beautiful muscle sculpting his body, hugged by that tailored suit.

  “Drool, Allie. Wipe the drool off your face,” Laura elbowed me in the ribcage for the third time.

  I pulled my sleeve across my mouth just as his gaze reached the row below me. A sharp inhale from nerves stung my lungs. Most in the room were still busy with the application: heads down and pens gripped. They scribbled, while I kept still. Silver kept me still. What the hell was happening to me? My breath locked in my lungs and then released at the same time he exhaled. His gaze held steady as he scanned across the rows, crossing from one seat to another. A slight twitch pulsed on the side of his neck. He slid a finger between his throat and the tight shirt, releasing the top button. The sleek suit couldn’t be the attire of his choice. As comfortable as Silver wanted to appear, he stood out like a drop of black oil in white milk.

  Unexpected heat flowed up my body as I pictured him in shorts, perhaps jeans, and a T-shirt. The corner of my mouth twitched as one by one, his clothes came off while I undressed him in my mind. Silver’s skin boasted a natural tan tone. Though summer had passed a few weeks ago, a fresh layer of sun-kissed glow complemented his piercing hazel eyes. I thought it would be easier to look at him if I imagined he was naked, but it wasn’t. His toned physique screamed private trainer and spare time. The further my thoughts drifted away from reality, the harder my stomach tightened into a double knot, and my heart was beating like it was midnight and I was about to book a thief. I heaved in a breath and joined Silver’s unbroken stare over each person, awaiting my turn and counting down the seconds before my Christmas morning came on a Monday night in September.

  A voice of reason mumbled somewhere in the back of my head. My best fri
end was sitting beside me, but I couldn’t hear a word she’d said. Everyone else focused on the applications, while I just stared. They scribbled and embellished accomplishments in a quest for a job which Silver likely had already filled.

  His eyes finally came to rest on mine. He paused and held my gaze. For a moment, I thought I’d let my imagination go wild, but as his stare bore deeper into mine, I realized Silver was here for a different reason. Me.

  Shit. Shit. Shit!

  I lowered my head as he pointed me out to the Sergeant. Everyone turned around at the same time, and I quickly lowered my head like a panicked kid caught stealing gum. The one offense I’d racked up before following in my father’s footsteps as a cop would haunt me to my grave.

  Laura’s elbow in my ribs brought me back, and I looked up again. The moment between us had already passed. Silver turned his back to the class, whispered something to the Sergeant, and left.

  “Aren’t you going to apply?” My roommate and the bestie I more often had a reason to kill than live with elbowed me again.

  “Stop that. You know I bruise easily.”

  Silver didn’t strike me as the pen and paper or application type of guy. From my research, he was more hands on, and I would not waste an opportunity by filling out paperwork.

  “There’s not a woman or man in this room who wouldn’t like to work for that piece of meat.”

  Silver was a distraction I couldn’t afford, yet he had the information I couldn’t get elsewhere.

  “Was my gawk that obvious?” Laura’s instinct made her a brilliant partner. Sometimes she was too smart for her own good, and the same instincts that made her a great cop and a mother made her a stubborn ass. For instance, I’d tried to persuade her to tell the baby’s father about Foxy, but Laura was convinced he didn’t want children.

  “Do you think it’s a coincidence that you ran into his cousin a few weeks back? At that insurance company?” Laura’s voice hitched and her cheeks flushed red.

  “What’s the matter?” I asked.

  “Nothing.” She shook her head.

  “Liar.”

  “Well, nothing of importance for now. So? What do you think?”

  “I don’t believe in coincidences,” I whispered. I knew why I needed him, but I didn’t know why he needed me. I hadn’t stopped thinking about him since the night we met at the burned club.

  His hazel eyes gave nothing away. Most of our lecture hall drooled at the opportunity to work with Silver. I drooled to work with him, underneath him and over him.

  All over him.

  “Earth to Allie.” Laura elbowed me for the third time. At least the nudge was gentler, but that was probably because my rib ached so much already I stopped telling the difference three jabs ago. Either that or the acetaminophen I took earlier had begun working.

  My head flew up as Silver stepped back inside the auditorium. My pen slipped out of my grip and bounced on the edge of my desk. The echo was enough to draw his attention, and our gazes locked. His secretive stare held mine as he removed his jacket from a chair and put it back on.

  I tilted my head.

  Why me? What position is he hiring for?

  He turned around and headed for the door again. An officer caught Silver in the doorway. They shook hands and took their conversation out into the hall.

  I grabbed the application, crumpled the paper, and stuffed it in a pocket.

  “You’re not applying?” Laura asked.

  I would, but not yet. I wasn’t ready. I’d make the move once I knew my mother was safe.

  Frustration played with my head and heart for the rest of that day and the day after. Silver haunted me until he found me drowning in a delicious bottle of tequila. That was the night I realized this man could pawn my heart, and I’d let him, because I needed his help more than he needed mine.

  CHAPTER 3

  TRISTAN

  “Is Silver Securities not good enough for you?” I leaned against the bar. Allie Green froze in her seat and shut her eyes tight like I had caught her breaking the law. Her neck shrank like a turtle’s before she composed herself.

  She threw her head back, downing a shot of tequila like she wanted to drown. She looked even hotter in civilian clothes.

  Just… perfect.

  Silver Securities’ tactic to pawn women wasn’t my favorite, but it worked. It was our best chance to get our foot in the door and save Kendra.

  “Why do you say that?” She turned on her stool toward me. Her knee bumped against mine and ended up between my legs. A coy smile lifted the corner of her mouth. Her balance was off; her body swaying from side to side.

  “You haven’t applied yet. I hope you’re not driving.” I removed my leather jacket and set it over the chair.

  “And you care because?” The bravado flowed out on her tequila breath. The half-empty bottle waited on the bar beside her.

  “Because accidents happen when you least expect them, and drunk drivers kill people.”

  She stilled and tried reading my face. But years of practice had taught me to hide my scars well.

  “Are you my next mistake?” she asked, without missing a beat. She could definitely hold her liquor. Hiring Allie Green wasn’t supposed to be this difficult. She wasn’t supposed be this intriguing and playful. Young blood ran through her like a vibrant mountain spring. I’d expected… well, definitely someone not this: mouthy, strong, and beautiful. But if I played my cards right, she could be the right mistake.

  She waved her hand and nearly fell off her seat. “Don’t worry, Silver. I’ll call a cab.”

  “Well, at least you know who I am.”

  She chuckled and poured herself another shot. I swallowed hard as she threw back the liquor, then pressed her lips against a lemon slice.

  “Do you swallow all your shots in one gulp?” I closed the gap between my knees, trapping her leg, and leaned in.

  She smirked, like she’d been preparing to play my game her entire life, but didn’t know how to get to the finish line.

  What if I were her finish line?

  I shook off the unexpected thought. Her witty mouth brought my attention back to her liquor-swollen lips when she replied, “Yes, I always swallow well.”

  Like I hoped—mouthy and confident. Maybe she knew how to get to that finish line after all. I may have pre-judged the petite brunette who’d booked Gabriel Silver a few weeks back. She didn’t recognize him either, which meant Allie lived under a rock or we were that good. Security and intelligence had its advantages. Staying clear of social media and everything this world had forgotten about; civility and humanity flowed in the Silver blood.

  “Why didn’t you apply for the position at Silver Securities?” I asked.

  She bit her lip and fluttered her lashes, turning on every charm in the book. Her cheeks tinted with a rosy shade, and I nodded to the barman to remove the bottle.

  “You want me to be honest or give you a crappy answer? Actually, my honest answer is crappy.” She swayed from side to side. “I’m damaged.”

  I opened my mouth to object, but she continued. “I’m a strike. You know, like in baseball.”

  “You like baseball?”

  “No, but I know the rules. I played in grade school, but I remember rules. Rules are in my blood.”

  “Okay,” I laughed. Patience wasn’t my strength, but somehow I found all of it when I listened to her.

  “My first strike was arresting Gabriel Silver. You know—your cousin and partner at Silver Securities?”

  I held my poker face, which wasn’t easy when listening to her.

  “How would he feel if I worked for you?”

  “Gabriel Silver is the one who gave me your name,” I told her.

  “What?”

  “He won’t be an issue. We work from different continents. And once you hear my arguments—”

  “The second strike was when I broke every rule the night we met—you know, in that basement. I should have arrested you, but I didn’t. Why
would you want to hire a rookie cop who’d failed?”

  She reminded me of the scene of naked bodies and the fact that she’d stood beyond the group, mesmerized. Sexy. Hot and wanton. But that group wasn’t who we were after.

  “Is that what you think the teenagers were doing in that basement? Because all I saw was a consensual orgy, and young adults doing what they do best: party.”

  She lifted her hand, holding two fingers up. I had a feeling nothing I said had registered with Allie.

  “Number three.” She changed the fingers she was holding up from two to four and finally settled on the right number. “You’re too attractive. I mean, seriously. How do women go around not thinking ‘Whoa’ when they look at all that?”

  I coughed into my fist, clearing my throat. “Allie, believe it or not, you are the only woman who has had me this intrigued in a long time.

  A very long time.

  “I’m sure we can work together. I need you.” She went to grab the tequila bottle and noticed it missing. “You cut me off? Seriously? Is that how you want to play?”

  I growled, “I definitely want to play, Allie.”

  Shit. Had I lost my touch? “Allie, I need you sober. Fast.”

  “Aha! You need me sober to consent you to me and you.”

  “I need you sober because I want to hire you.”

  “But if you’re my boss”—she scanned me from the bottom up and smiled in that drunken-gooey way—“my hot, older, and mature boss, that would be incest.”

  I cleared my throat to get rid of the snicker.

  “Incest involves family members. If I’m your boss, you’re my employee.”

  “Correct!” She made a chiming game noise looked around for the bottle again.

  I sighed. “Why are you drinking, Allie?”

  “It’s a sad anniversary, and I don’t like being sad,” she pouted. Jesus, she looked even more innocent when she pouted. Her freckles popped and her eyes welled. She quickly brushed aside the threatening tear and shook off something horrid.