Without Limits: Austin (Rugged Riders Book 4) (6 page)

“I’m in no state to ride your bike.”

“I drove my car.” He didn’t miss the fact that she’d never answered his question.
“What record?”

Zaira chuckled softly against his throat sending carnal sensations down his spine. “Just drive me home.” She lifted her face close to his and pressed smooth, chilly lips against his cheek. “I’ll tell you when we get there. After you…unwrap me. And take me…”

He swallowed dry air. A hard-on pulsed behind his zipper, but he walked with his vixen in his arms down the single row of cars lining the curb contemplating his options.

They reached his Porsche and he helped Zaira inside before jumping in on the driver’s side. No other words were spoken as she propped the seat back and succumbed to her fatigue. She looked so beautiful, even after consuming an undisclosed amount of liquor. But he wasn’t that type of man. He didn’t take advantage, especially not with someone he cared about. He wanted her—badly. But he wanted the real Zaira Wright, quick temper and all.

B
eing freelance had its drawbacks
. Zaira knew this first hand. There was an advantage to it—she set her own hours and showed up for work when there was actually work to do. The disadvantage was that she was on call. Most of time that meant scheduled meetings and appointments with only a moments notice. Like the one starting in fifteen minutes…

The elevator bell dinged each time it progressed a level. The noise only aggravated her migraine more, and the headache pill she’d taken prior to leaving her condo did nothing to ease a massive hangover. What was she thinking when she agreed to go to that initiation party with the girls last night? How would she have known that her father would call an impromptu Monday afternoon meeting?

The elevator finally came to a stop on the fifteenth floor and corporate offices of Svelte Technologies. Zaira stepped into the main lobby and was promptly greeted by the receptionist at the desk.

“Zaira,” Patrice called out. “Nice to see you again. Are you working a late shift tonight?”

“Hi, Patrice. No, not tonight.” Zaira approached the desk and placed her briefcase on the black marble floor. “I was scheduled to be off today, but I’m here for the one thirty meeting. It’s in the main conference room, right?”

“Let me check.” She scanned the computer briefly before looking up again. “Actually the re-organization meeting is in your father’s office. I’ll let them know you’re here.”

“Thank you.” Zaira said her farewell to Patrice, and then used her pin to enter the main suite.

Since when did her father call private impromptu meetings?

Zaira bit the inside corner of her lip. The last time they discussed business on short notice, the conclusion was an addition to Svelte’s product line. During the transition, she nearly doubled her working hours at the office. Maybe her father had even more plans to increase her workload.

She greeted a few people along the way, passing the rows of cubicles and offices. She had a good working relationship here with her colleagues for the most part. But the majority of the people didn’t see her as the temporary accountant who worked odd hours to make up for the current vacancy in the CFO office. They saw her as the only daughter to the owner of the company.

The door to her father’s office suite was closed. Behind it, she heard the voice of her father and one other in room. She knocked softly at the door.

“Come on in,” her father called.

With keen curiosity she pushed the door open. The first person she saw was her father’s smiling face as he sat behind his large oak desk. There were three chairs directly in front of him. One was empty. One was occupied by Marcus Brooks, Svelte’s CEO. She recognized the third person as Trent Stone just as she stumbled inside the office. Her insides tightened and warmth fanned across her body. Zaira tried to hide her surprise and muster some semblance of composure, but she was truly struggling inside the four-inch stilettos she wore. Last night’s encounter with Trent at the house party suddenly came back to her. Even now she couldn’t remember much between them leaving the party and right now. Damn, she couldn’t even remember how she’d gotten into her bed last night. Since all her clothes were still intact when her buzzer went off this morning, she figured nothing out of the ordinary had went on between her and Trent. Or had it…?

“Zaira, you’re right on time.” Her dad held his hand out toward the empty seat. “Marcus, Trent, and I just got back from lunch. You’ve had lunch already, haven’t you?”

There was a small Cuban cafe on the first level of the building that served the most delicious sandwiches and wraps and the best
Cafecito
. Dad knew she loved to eat there on her days in the office.

“Yes.” This was half of the truth. The apple and bag of chips she ate on the way here hardly qualified as lunch, but she didn’t need to explain that she was still recovering from a late night out and a hangover.

The men stood as common courtesy as she took her seat. As Zaira got comfortable and crossed her legs, she caught Trent’s gaze and his quirky grin. It dawned on her that he knew a lot more about what happened last night than she did.

“We’ve known each other for years, so I won’t worry about all the formalities.” Her dad rested back in his big leather chair as he spoke and linked his fingers together. He smiled. “I finally have a team of my most trusted to take this company to the next level.”

“You do?” Zaira asked.

She’d known that her father was looking to hand the reins to someone else. It was all he ever talked about these days. He’d recently invested in a newer start up, and thus couldn’t devote as much time to Svelte as he wanted to. She’d told her father long ago that she felt she needed more training and seasoning at her current firm before agreeing to work with him at Svelte on a full time basis. Plus her father had always known that working for one company had never been her priority. She much rather preferred to outsource her work at many different companies.

“That’s why you’re here. You’ve done a great job with stepping into the temporary CFO role when it became vacant. You worked many overtime hours and know this company from the inside out. In fact, you are the
only
person that knows me and this company from the inside out. Zaira, I wanted you to take the role, but you’ve already made it clear that you won’t have it.”

She sighed. “Dad, we talked about this. I will do whatever it takes to keep this company alive and striving, but a CFO position is not my calling. Not right now. Taking the role here would restrict me from gaining the experience I need in other industries. Virtually everyone in this city who’s anyone knows that you’re my Dad. I don’t want a handout and I don’t want it to appear that way either.”

“She’s most definitely your daughter. A Wright, no doubt.” This came from Marcus who sat in the last chair on the right.

Her dad chuckled. “Yes, she is.”

Zaira smiled, but definitely wanted to get to the reason for her presence. And Trent’s, for that matter. “And about this new team…?”

“Yes. A new team and a younger generation to steer the company. I’ll still serve on the board for the immediate future, but like any growing company we need a firm organizational structure. Our last CFO didn’t work out. It took several months of recruiting and interviewing, but we do have a new CFO…Mr. Trent Stone.”

“What?” Zaira uncrossed her legs and scooted to the edge of her chair.

Everyone in the room looked back at her with a puzzled look their face.

“You chose him?” Zaira’s mouth hung open in shock. Had her father completely lost his mind? As far as she was concerned, the only thing Trent was interested in doing was betting and gambling for a living.

Trent cleared his throat and she could see him shifting in his seat as her ass grew hot with indifference in her own chair.

“Zaira, what’s the matter with you?” her father asked, his expression growing stern. “Do you have a problem?”

She shook her head. “I don’t have a problem myself—”

“—Well then, if you don’t have a problem—”

“—he has the problem.”

Loyd Wright sat up straight in his chair. “Would you like the position then?”

“No.”

“I don’t have time for games, Zaira. This isn’t personal. This is about business, time, and money.” Her dad’s deep voice echoed in the office. “We can have any personal discussion you want over dinner at my house, but we will not have it here. Don’t bring any personal shit up in this office.”

“Dad!”

“This better be about business,” her dad stated.

“Past CFOs have had degrees, certifications,” she blurted without thinking.

Dad pounded his fist on the desk. “I don’t give a fuck what past CFOs have had. They’re not here today.”

“You said—”

“—My list of…”

Zaira and Trent spoke at the same time.

“Go ahead, Trent,” her father said.

“It seems I have to prove myself all over again to your daughter, Loyd. It would take a few more hours to go over every top level position I’ve had without a degree under my belt.”

Zaira bit into her bottom lip unable to counter him back. She knew it was true. A man that once had a gambling addiction had risen from the bottom to the top more than once. He was a self-made millionaire and most everyone knew it.

She finally turned to address him. “Who's to say you won’t up and leave after a year like you’ve done all those other companies and go somewhere else?”

“Who’s to say I won’t?” Trent retorted, his eyes darkening in challenge and his lips coming together, silent and waiting for her response.

She couldn’t give any. Her tongue wouldn’t move and her lips wouldn’t obey. The man had some kind of powerful edge on her. How? And why?

“Every day in the business world, top level management changes constantly,” her dad spoke. “Many times this is for the good of the company. Times change for the better and so should techniques and strategies that aren’t working.” Her dad sat back in his chair. “I’m embarrassed that you challenge my decision and that you act out like this in front of my R.R. brothers. I have no sons. You won’t step up. The men you see in this room are the men who will take my place when I am gone, Zaira. I could be gone tomorrow. I could be gone in twenty years. Do you have anything else to say, young lady?”

Zaira swallowed.

“I trust Trent to do this job and he’s said he will and he’s already accepted.” Her dad picked up a pen and began writing on his pad. “What I need you to do is hand the reins over to him.”

“Fine. I’ll gladly do it.”

“But first…mentor him in the position and assist him as it is beneficial to the company. You will share your knowledge about this company before your assignment is over with Svelte. I looked at your contract with Thompson and Theago and you have about a month left. That should be adequate time to show Trent the business and financial model. If we need to extend the contract to get you paid correctly, we will.”

“Dad, you’ve got to be kidding me?”

Dad looked up from his pad. “I’m scheduled to be in Italy for an extended period of time. Do I need to cancel this business trip because you can’t act like a business professional?”

“No, you don’t, but what about Marcus?”

Marcus coughed on the other end.

“We’ve already discussed this. Marcus volunteered, but I’ve handed my duties down to him while I’m away. He’ll have his hands full.”

She shrugged. “Well, then…everything has been decided without me. Why did you need me in here today anyway?”

“You failed to check your voicemail. I called you twice inviting you to attend our first meeting. There was no answer.” Her dad said, and then turned his attention back to the notepad.

This time it was Trent who cleared his throat.

“I had a long night,” she said, deciding to accept her defeat here today. “I apologize for the way I’ve acted here.”

“Maybe you should get a good night’s sleep tonight,” her dad suggested. “Let’s call this meeting adjourned. Everyone take a break if you need it and I’ll see you in the morning before my flight leaves.”

Before anyone could address her, she scurried out of the office without even looking back. Her fate had already been decided, but no matter how calm and nonchalant Trent appeared, she couldn’t even manage to look him in the eye.

She’d acted like a complete fool twice in less than twelve hours in front of him. She didn’t bother checking out at the receptionist desk as she swiped a vacant elevator just as another person walked off of it.

Grabbing her phone, she immediately used the speed dial feature. She tapped her heels waiting for her best friend, Tanya to pick up.

“Hi Zaira!” Tanya was always cheerful these days.

“Girl, you will not believe! Ugh!” Zaira squeezed the phone tightly in her palm.

There was a pause. “I think I know what you’re talking about,” Tanya said softly on the other end.

“What? You do?”

“Doesn’t this have something to do with Trent and the CFO position? Because Marcus and I talked last night.”

“Why didn’t you tell me? I wish I had known before I walked up in there like a dimwit.” Zaira ran her fingers through her hair. “And why didn’t you come to the party? We missed you.”

“We got caught up at his house…and the next thing we knew pizza and a few movies sounded way better than getting smashed at an R.R. party especially with my classes the next day.”

Zaira released an exaggerated sigh. “Are you free tonight, anyway?”

“Yeah, girl. Let’s do dinner. We need to catch up.”

“See you then.” Zaira stuffed her cell in her purse and exited the elevator as it reached the parking garage level.

T
he lunch hour
rolled around fast the very next day. Before Zaira knew it, she had spent the whole morning finalizing reports for one of the partners at her firm. She procrastinated about going to Svelte to discuss the state of the company with Trent, but it was either sooner or later.

Dad had called her this morning before taking his flight out to Italy. And once again, he expressed his aggravation over the way she acted at the meeting. Not even her mother, who usually understood her, agreed with Zaira. Now it was time to face Trent, the man whom she both adored and hated.

It only took about thirty minutes to get to Svelte’s headquarters from her midtown condo. Living in the city had its advantages and disadvantages. Being a hop, skip, and a jump away from several of the companies she did business with was an obvious plus.

When she reached the office that now belonged to Trent Stone, there was no one inside. She walked in anyway, placing her briefcase on the edge of the desk.

Zaira could tell that he’d been working here today because several objects were moved since the last time she’d sat in the big black comfy leather chair which faced a window that looked out over the bustling freeway. The desk was clear except for his laptop, monitor, and a desk phone. The daily calendar she referred to whenever she was there was already turned to the current date with hand scribbled notes written across it.

She looked toward the door again thinking that he would barge in at any moment and find her standing over his desk. The lights had been turned down and she wondered if he had called it a day and gone home even though they’d agreed to meet here at this hour.

Zaira walked behind the desk and pulled out the desk drawer. That bastard had even rearranged her pens and notepads to his liking. She bit the inside corner of her lip and pulled out his chair.

That’s when she saw the sticky note on the corner of the monitor with her name on it.

Zaira
, it read. Meet me at
Cafe Gusto
.

It was as if he’d known she’d not only come straight here looking for him, but also come close enough to his desk to see the personal note.

Zaira could have caused more problems by declining and going back home, but she decided she’d take her Dad’s advice and exclude her personal views from the business union between he and Trent Stone.

She made her way to the cafe and found no problems spotting Trent at a small table near the back corner. His attention was on the tablet in front of him. There was a water glass and an espresso mug on the table too. He must have heard her approach because he rose immediately just as she neared him.

“Zaira.” He smiled and a dimple appeared on his right cheek. There was a light dusting of five o’ clock shadow along his jawline. His hair was trimmed short and pulled back away from his face. His six foot four frame towered over her as he pressed his palm against the middle of her back, helping her into her chair.

“Hi Trent.”

“Had a great day so far?” he asked, his dark eyes searching her face.

“Time flew by actually, but no major hiccups just yet.” She fiddled with the menu, trying to think of numerous ways to explain her actions from yesterday. Who was she fooling? The memory of acting out yesterday was something she wanted to forget. “How was your first official day on the job?”

“Not bad. The company and financials are in pretty good shape. I went over some of the reports and you’ve done an amazing job of keeping things in order.”

She blushed. “The last CFO kind of just up and left, so I tried.”

“Zaira, I’m going to cut to the chase.” He scooted his chair close to hers and touched her forearm where it lay next the menu. His fingers felt like warm velvet against her skin. “We have some personal issues to solve before we talk business.”

“What personal issue is there to solve?” she asked.

He quirked one thick, dark eyebrow. “Why do you hate me so much now?”

She shook her head. “I don’t really hate you.”

“Then why are you giving me a difficult time?”

She shrugged. “I was shocked at the news. My Dad interviewed dozens of candidates but he never mentioned you.”

“That’s because he never interviewed me. We talked over dinner about a month ago and he offered me the position outright. I couldn’t accept it at the time.”

“You were working as the controller at another company last I heard.”

Trent nodded. “I resigned to take the role at Svelte. One thing I didn’t expect was your disagreement to me working for your father.”

“I like looking out for my family.”

“And that means…?”

“You know very well what it means. Your reputation is well known.”

“Your father has no problems with my reputation.”

“He doesn’t know the half it,” she retorted.

“We’re R.R. brothers. He knows me much better than you think.” He sat back in his chair, studying her intently. “Are you talking about my past business ventures?”

“You mean your past as a professional gambler?”

He chuckled. “You’ve given it a name. I like that. So I made my money as a gambler when I could do nothing else. Why does that scorn you?”

“My dad can’t question what he doesn’t know about. You still gamble. You’re a womanizer. You’ve destroyed not one, but two marriages. Doesn’t that say something about your ethics and character?”

Trent’s eyebrows slanted downward and his lips parted. Before he could reply, the waitress approached them.

“Sir, I see your guest has arrived. Are you two ready to order now?”

“Water and an espresso shot, please,” Zaira replied.

“Anything else for you, sir?”

“No, thanks.” Trent’s tone was dismissive.

The waitress jotted something down on her pad and left them alone again.

“You’ve been misinformed, Zaira.”

“Are you trying to tell me that you’ve never cheated?”

“I make legit money now.”

“Do you find joy in dating married women?”

Trent leaned forward. He was so close that she could smell his aftershave and breath in his husky-scented cologne. “Do you really want an answer to that question?”

“Just answer the question,” she whispered back.

“My answers are little more complicated than you think. A yes or no won’t suffice.”

“Well, it’s a good thing I have a few more hours before quitting time.” She glanced at her wristwatch, and then folded her arms across her chest. “Would you like to spend it talking about personal issues that
cannot
be resolved or about Svelte’s financial reports which
can
be resolved?”

“I multi-task pretty well, but this arrangement would be a little one-sided if we continued this way, don’t you think?”

“What do you mean?”

“Let’s make deal.” He sat upright in his chair, throwing a challenging glance her way. “I will answer
any
question you want…any questions at all…”

Zaira’s chest tightened and her head swirled with curiosity. He must have known that her interest was piqued by his character and impetuous ways. In the past, their level of bonding had never breached the intimate surface—even though she had wanted it to. They hung out with the same crew for the most part. She was the daughter of an R.R. leader. He was an influential R.R. member…

Despite those ties, they kept their relationship friendly. Of course Trent Stone was hot, attractive beyond reasonable measures, and his body was an instant chick magnet, but so were hundreds of other men in this city. He succeeded at a lot of things and she’d never witnessed him breaking under pressure.

She smiled sweetly. “Any questions…?”

“Any.”

“I guess you have conditions.”

“I’m an open book. You ask, I answer. I give you an assignment, you do it.”

“What?”

The waitress chose that time to bring back her espresso and water. With a devilish grin, Trent sat back in his chair and watched her hold her response.

“What do you mean?” she asked when the waitress was out of earshot.

“For the next few weeks or for however long your dad has extended your contract, you will work at my discretion. Is that clear?”

“Ugh, you—”

“You made yourself clear in the meeting yesterday. I will demonstrate for you how a man without a degree can lead a successful accounting department. And I will solicit your help as needed.”

Zaira’s temper was growing hotter by the second. “That’s not what my Dad hired me to do. I’ve been in that position for months—”

“—and you declined your dad’s offer to take the job permanently,” he interjected.

“I’m supposed to show you how it’s done,” she said, sternly.

His smile had widened and he showed off his pearly white teeth. “Change of plans. You are to assist me as beneficial to the company. I will lead. You will assist.”

She exhaled deeply. “What are you trying to prove, Trent?”

“I’m only trying to sweeten the deal, Zaira. Agreeing to answer whatever questions you have about me makes this arrangement both fair and equal. So, do we have a deal or not?”

Feeling a bit defeated at the moment, Zaira sat back in her chair and crossed her legs.

Sometimes men thought they had the world in the palm of their hands and could control any woman to do their bidding. Men were quite simple, and that was a fact. They needed their egos stroked and a sense that they were always in charge. Trent was no different. He loved being in charge. She could see this in the way he sat with a quiet strength in his chair. She could detect this in the way most every woman around their table stole glances at him. Her dad would’ve never hired a weak link, even if he were the most loyal and accomplished R.R. brother around. Loyd Wright didn’t make foolish decisions; her dad saw something in Trent Stone. Something he obviously kept from her.

Nonetheless, Trent had offered her something in return for her assistance. A chance to learn him both inside and out. What she saw now and in the past was the Trent on the surface. She longed to understand him and how a boy that grew up in a homeless shelter could rise to become a well-lived, successful man. There was no doubt a lesson to be learned about life…

“Deal,” was her reply.