The CEO's Little Surprise Read Free

Trinity, Harper and Alex so soon after locking horns with the offspring of Satan. Who was here strictly because of a leak that never should have happened.
    Well, she’d have to get her wild swing of emotions under control. Now. It wasn’t as though she didn’t already know how she felt about the leak—sick, furious and determined to find the source. They’d not only lost a potential competitive advantage, until they figured out who had spilled, there was also no guarantee the same person wouldn’t leak the secret formula—or steal it.
    But five minutes was scarcely enough time to settle her racing heart before waltzing into a room with her best friends, who would see immediately that Something Had Happened. They’d probably also realize “Something” had a man’s name all over it.
    Working with people who’d held your hair when you drank too much and borrowed your clothes and sat with you in a tight huddle at your grandfather’s funeral meant few secrets. Most of the time, Cass appreciated that. Maybe not so much today.
    In the bathroom, she patted her face with a blotting cloth and fixed her makeup, which was equal parts wardrobe and armor.
    No one saw through Cass when she had her face on—with the right makeup, no one had to know you were hurting. The philosophy born out of the brokenness Gage had left her with had grown into a multimillion-dollar company. Best Face Forward wasn’t just the company tagline, it was Cass’s personal motto.
    No man would ever put a crack in her makeup again.
    Fortified, Cass pasted on a cool smile and exited the bathroom. Only to run smack into Fyra’s receptionist, Melinda. Her wide eyes spelled trouble as she blurted out, “There’s an extremely persistent man at the front desk who seems to believe you have an appointment with him.”
    Gage. When she’d said make an appointment, she meant for later. Much later.
    Her not-so-settled nerves began to hum. “I don’t have an appointment with him. I have a meeting.”
    â€œI told him that. But he insisted that you’d scheduled time with him, and he drove all the way from Austin.” Melinda lowered her voice. “He was very apologetic and sweet about it. Even asked if there was a possibility you accidentally double booked your appointments.”
    Did his audacity have no end?
    The stars in Melinda’s eyes were so bright, it was a wonder she could still see around Gage’s charm. Well, Cass didn’t suffer from the same affliction. “When have I ever done that?”
    â€œOh, I know. Never.” Her shoulders ducked slightly. “But I...well, he asked if I’d mind checking with you and he just seems so sincer—”
    â€œWhy is Gage Branson in our reception area?” Trinity Forrester, Fyra’s chief marketing officer, snapped, her short, dark hair nearly bristling with outrage. Since Trinity possessed the main shoulder Cass had cried on back in college, the statement was laced with undercurrents of the “hold me back before I cut off his fingers with a dull blade” variety.
    Cass stifled a sigh. Too late to have Melinda throw him out before anyone saw him. “He’s here with a business proposition. I’ll take care of it.”
    As the woman in charge, she should have taken care of it in the parking lot once she’d figured out he wanted her formula. But he’d been so... Gage , with his wicked smile. He fuzzled her mind and that was not okay.
    This was strictly business and she would die before admitting she couldn’t handle a competitor sniffing around her territory.
    â€œThat’s right.” Trinity crossed her arms with a smirk. “You take care of it. You toss him out on his well-toned butt. Shame such a prime specimen of a man is riddled with health problems.”
    Melinda’s gaze bounced back and forth between her employers, clearly fascinated by the exchange.