Atonement (The Partners Book 1), page 4
“I bet he didn’t. The cocky ones never do. So is he old and gross like Mr. Banks? Did he get all red-faced and sweaty?”
“I wish,” I mumble into the phone.
“What do you mean?”
“You know those romance novels you read? The billionaire ones? He’s like that.”
“How would you even know? You don’t even read them.”
I snort. “Yeah, because I prefer to keep myself prepared for serial killers. But T, remember when we lived together all you did was talk about them. I have a pretty clear idea of what they look like from your overactive imagination. Seriously, Google Bastian Montford.”
“My imagination is not that overactive. And there is no way he is. There is no man on earth that is as hot as those… oh my god…” She trails off.
“God T, he is so fucking sexy. Like I could barely take it. I had to keep squeezing my thighs together as we argued because all I could picture was him dragging me onto his yacht and taking me on the deck or pushing me up against the glass windows of his hotel and having his way with me. And I would pretty much do anything with that man.” I groan into the phone. “I’m so fucked. And an idiot. I researched so much in those four hours I had before meeting him but never did I think to look at a picture of him. I should have prepared myself. I just hope he doesn’t stay here too long and goes back to Paris. I can’t deal with looking at him all day and dealing with his grumpy ass.”
“Sorry, Cam. But I would not mind looking at that all day even if he is an asshole. Do you think he has a six-pack or an eight-pack underneath that shirt?”
“Don’t you have a husband with an eight-pack? Stop drooling over my boss!”
“Oh honey, I am going to keep drooling over him. You will have to keep me up to date on all the sordid details of your relationship.”
“Really, T? He’s my boss. There will be nothing dirty happening between us.”
She makes a noncommittal noise into the phone. “So where are you staying, and how long? And can your boss buy me a plane ticket to come see you?”
I laugh into the phone and tell her all about the hotel and my job and the intensity of what I have to do. She gets mad when I tell her there is no way he is buying her a plane ticket.
We laugh and joke around until my dinner shows up and the butler brings it out onto the terrace.
“I’ll talk to you soon, T.”
“Bye, Cameron. I miss you so much. Keep me posted on all the dirty things you do with your boss.”
“You’re ridiculous.”
“You love me.”
“I do.”
I hang up the phone and sit down to eat. The flavors of the amazing food melting on my tongue.
Despite Bastian Montford being an asshole, I could get used to this, I tell myself as I settle into the outdoor sofa and sip on champagne, watching the night sky.
4
Bastian
I hang up the phone, walk over to the bar in my office and pour myself a drink. The last few months have been a constant headache since Matías got caught sticking his hand in business he shouldn’t have been. I told him time and again to stay out of the underground. Step away from the darkness. But he was too eager, too curious and now he is paying for crimes he shouldn’t be paying for.
I sip on my Dalmore scotch and step out of my office and across the dark hall to the terrace. My need to smell the sea vital after my last phone call. I barely make it past the floor-to-ceiling curtains when I hear Lucas say my name.
“Bastian.”
I turn to face him, stepping back inside. “I thought you would have retired for the evening. It’s been a long day.”
“I wanted to check in on you after I heard that call you were on.”
I sip my scotch, watching him over my glass. “Eavesdropping?”
“Looking out for your well-being, sir.”
I pinch my brow. “Don’t call me sir, Lucas. I need at least one person to treat me like a normal man.”
He chuckles at that. “You are far from a normal man.”
I look at him, training my eyes to not give away the pain. “And most days I don’t mind that. But days like today,” I sigh as I turn toward the open balcony doors. “Weeks and months like the last few, I wish things were different. I wish I was just a businessman running a business.”
Lucas clears his throat. “As far as I am concerned, that’s all you are.”
I nod even though my eyes are trained on the endless sea in front of me.
“You gave her your brother’s office.”
“Yes,” I respond nonchalantly.
“All the other PR companies you hired, you had work from the conference room.”
I take another sip of my drink, letting the flavors of oak and vanilla slide across my tongue.
I hear Lucas take a few steps closer to me. “You have a different feeling about this one?”
I look over at him. “Like what?”
“That perhaps she might work out.”
I sigh into my glass. “I’m not keeping my hopes up.”
“Then why give her an office?” he questions me.
I take another sip of the amber liquid, swishing it around my mouth.
Lucas folds his arms over his chest. “I know you find her attractive.”
I don’t answer him because we both know it’s true. Cameron Wilder is gorgeous, wild, enticing. And very dangerous.
“You could fuck everything up if you fuck her.”
I stare out into the ocean, my voice stern. “You are out of line, Lucas.”
“I’m just saying what needs to be said, sir. We need her. The missing piece to get—”
“I’m well aware.”
“Sleeping with her will—”
I turn to him, my jaw tight. “I just said I am well aware, Lucas.”
We stare at each other. Two strong-willed people facing each other down. I know he’s right. He always is. Part of the reason I keep him around.
“I just want to make sure we are clear on everything.”
“Crystal. You can go now.” My voice is stern, rough.
“Sir, I—”
“Leave.”
He nods and heads to the door.
“I have a meeting at eight in the morning tomorrow. Please be here by seven.”
He nods once more before leaving.
I refill my scotch before I make it out to the terrace and take a seat in the dark, my eyes flickering to the stars.
I need to listen to Lucas. He is not just my bodyguard but my right hand. My eye of reason. The one who will take a bullet for me. And he has.
I know he is right. I need to be careful around Cameron Wilder. She has the power to destroy everything.
But for some reason, I cannot get her out of my mind. When I first laid eyes on her I knew she was trouble. The way her sheath dress clung to her body, the skirt bordering on being almost too short for business. Her long, lean tan legs, striking in the heels she wore. Her platinum hair pulled high into a ponytail. I pretended I wasn’t thinking about wrapping it around my wrist and controlling her head as she sucked on my cock. And then when she stepped into the SUV and took off her sunglasses, her striking blue eyes reminded me of home.
But that wasn’t what made me realize how dangerous she was. It was her bite. Her energy. Her confidence.
No one has ever talked back to me the way she has. Interrupted me. Questioned me.
She walked a very thin line by being so reckless.
But I am on the other end, taking the bait.
I sip my scotch, willing my mind to stray from her. But it’s impossible when I hear her laughter on the wind.
5
Cam
I turn up my music as I dance around the office barefoot. I’ve been here five days. Five grueling days of recruiting and interviewing while I still made broad plans of how we can tackle this project and get Montford Hotels on the right page.
Luckily, I’ve been able to concentrate since I haven’t seen Bastian Montford since the first day. And ever since Tacoma put those thoughts in my head all I can think about is if he does have a six or eight-pack underneath those formfitting suits he wears.
I’ve talked to him on the phone twice. His voice enough to make me lightheaded. I am getting closer to nailing his accent down. I think. Somewhere between French, British, and Spanish. Although, I try not to think about his voice because it’s just as sexy as his face. Especially when he gets angry, which I think I have made him more angry over the past week than pleased. But I am doing my damn job so he can suck it.
I interviewed all the people on his list and I found a few promising candidates. But I felt like I needed someone stronger. Someone that could learn from me and take over as head of PR for the Montford Hotel Group when my assignment is over.
So I searched high and low. Found some potential people and flew them out for interviews. I narrowed down the ones I liked then told Bastian to interview them. He was pissed. Said he didn’t have time in his busy schedule and that I was supposed to stick to the list he gave me. I told him that we needed someone better. He growled at me, literally growled at me then hung up. Parker called me back a few minutes later with a few times Bastian was available. And as I knew it would turn out, he thought my candidates were a better fit for the company.
I’ve also been calling him Bastian in my head all week. The way his name rolls off my tongue is like sex. It feels too stuffy calling him Mr. Montford in my head.
I shuffle some papers around on my desk and go to grab a file from the cabinet along the wall when “9 to 5” comes on.
I pump my arms toward my legs as I dance around the office singing along, “working nine-to-five, what a way to make a living…”
I twirl around and stumble over my feet when I see Bastian standing in the doorway. The door I had locked. I was smart enough to find the switch that blacked out the glass so no one could see me dancing around.
He steps into the office, shutting the door behind him, a look of derision on his face. I ignore him and skip around the desk, still humming along to Dolly.
“Is this what I am paying you for? Dancing and singing when you should be working?”
I stop dancing and look him in the eye. “You aren’t paying me. My company is.”
“But I am paying your company for your services.”
I put my hands on my hips. “And my company pays me enough to let me dance and sing when I want to.”
He steps toward my desk and walks up to me. I forgot how tall he was and since I am not wearing shoes, he towers over me. He leans into me, his body too close to mine as he reaches behind me. My breathing picks up at his proximity. Our chests are almost touching and his intoxicating scent of earthiness and sea is making me dizzy.
The sounds of Dolly are cut out abruptly and I realize he leaned over to shut my music off. He steps back as quickly as he stepped into my space.
“Do you remember why I hired you?” he asks me, the grit in his voice even better in person than on the phone.
I fold my arms over my chest and snort. “You did not hire me. You hired my company. And from what I recall you were not happy I was yet another woman that came in to save your ass.”
His lip curls at my words and I can’t help but smirk. I find too much entertainment in pissing this man off.
“You are not saving my ass—”
I hold up a finger, cutting him off. “Mmm. I kind of am.”
He brushes my hand away and steps into my space. “I do not appreciate being cut off.” I go to speak, but he takes another step toward me. “You think you can come in here and take over. Run this company how you best see fit but remember you still work for me. I am your client and what I say goes. Any decision you make needs to be approved by me. I don’t care if you think it’s what’s best for the company. It gets run by me.”
“I did run things by you. Yes, I did go outside to find talent, but I still ran it by you, Mr. Montford.”
He runs his hand through his gelled-back hair, disheveling it in the process. He walks over to the window and looks out over the sea, sighing. “I expect a report on my desk on Monday morning with your weekly strategy to get this company back into a positive light.”
“I don’t have a team yet and I would prefer if I had a team to review it with and bounce ideas off of.”
He turns toward me, his hands sliding into his pockets. “Then I suggest you see if they can start tomorrow.”
I open my mouth but can’t find the words.
He walks to the door. “We have an open-door policy here, Ms. Wilder. I suggest you don’t lock the door unless you are in an important meeting.”
I glare at him.
“And one more thing. No country music.”
I laugh. “Are you telling me what I can and cannot listen to?”
He nods. “I despise country.”
Well, I despise you.
“Excuse me, Dolly isn’t just country. She is a queen and should be respected like the royalty she is.”
He shakes his head at me as he opens the door. “Monday, Ms. Wilder.”
I collapse on the outdoor terrace with a martini in hand. It’s been a long weekend. I think I’ve slept four hours since Friday. It’s nearly midnight on Sunday.
Parker came into my office on Friday afternoon asking how he could help after Bastian went on a tirade in his office. He laughed when he said he’s never seen Bastian get so worked up over someone before. And told me that maybe I should keep stepping on his toes because he finds it entertaining. When I said it will end up with me being fired, Parker just shook his head saying that Bastian couldn’t fire me. It’s too close to his deadline and I’ve done more work in the last week than anyone else and that he couldn’t afford to lose me.
I did go to Bastian, despite not wanting to cave to his demands, to ask for sizable signing bonuses for the PR team. He approved and it helped me get the three people I hired in the office the next day.
We spent the weekend tirelessly working out a strategy that would make the biggest impact on Montford Hotels. And it’s a solid plan. One that Bastian cannot say no to. Even Parker read it over and said Bastian would approve.
I learned that Parker has worked for Bastian for the last ten years. He’s spent more time with him than he did with his ex-wife. I felt bad when I asked about her and learned he got a divorce because he spent too much time with Bastian. But he said it was for the best. He still gets to see his daughters every weekend when he isn’t traveling with Bastian.
I look up into the sky as I sip on my martini. It’s nice to see stars again. I only imagined the stars when I was in New York. The city lights too bright to see anything besides smog. I miss New York. I miss the sights and sounds. The life you could hear beating through the city at all hours of the day. But I know I am making the right move for my career.
My whole life I’ve battled with myself. I’ve always been the pretty face in the family not the brains. When I was younger, I didn’t care so much but then my dad spent so much time focusing on my sister as she got her law degree I felt left out, pushed aside. My mom didn’t care what I did, she was always supportive of any path I took. But as I grew older, I realized she was more than happy with me being a housewife. She really meant a trophy wife. For the last ten years, since I was eighteen, she has been trying to match me up with sons and cousins of her socialite friends.
I don’t want to be the pretty face anymore. I want to be the one my parents talk about in praise for my personal successes. That’s why this job is so important to me. I need to prove not just to my parents but to myself that I am worthy of success.
Now I need to prove it to Bastian too.
“Cheers!”
I knock my martini glass against those of the PR team I hired and Parker’s. It was a long grueling weekend for all of us and we all felt the need to celebrate. Since Bastian approved the strategy we proposed, we all decided to go out for a drink.
Well, he approved almost all of it except for the gala I threw in. He said no galas. But I will find my way to get the gala approved. He needs to be more present. The public needs to see the responsible brother. The one who will revive the appeal of Montford Hotels. I just need time to get under his skin. Although, I don’t know if that is a good idea with Bastian Montford.
We are sitting in a swanky bar in downtown Saint Tropez. The revelry in the city picking up as the sun sets along the harbor. As the night goes on the lights in the bar dim and the bass of dance music starts to hit my ears.
“Is there a club around here?” I ask Parker.
He points upstairs. “It can get pretty wild up there. But it’s a Monday. We all work tomorrow.”
I smirk at him and down the rest of my martini. “Wild is my middle name.”
Andrew, one of the guys I hired for the team, laughs out loud. “I would never have guessed.”
“What?” I ask, bringing my hand to my chest in an overexaggerated flourish at his sarcasm.
“Don’t get me wrong, you are one hell of a hard worker. But even in the last three days of working with you and the way you seem to go against everything that Mr. Montford would approve, I could only imagine you are a bit more free-spirited.”
I look around the table at the others I hired, Celine smiles over her wine glass. She is the one I think could be head of PR for Montford Hotels. Marie blushes as she nods at me.
“Well then, let’s move this party upstairs.”
Andrew lets out a woot while Celine and Marie laugh. Andrew leads the way to the back of the bar, where the staircase leads up to the club. We climb the steps and enter through a doorway where the beat of the music gets louder.
“I’ll grab a round of drinks,” Celine says, and Marie follows her to the bar.
“I’ll grab the table,” Andrew says.
I go to follow Andrew, but Parker’s hand lands on my arm. “You sure this is a good idea? There is a lot of work that needs to be done. And even though you may have the work ethic to work through a hangover, I don’t know about them.”
