Executive Desires (The Blake Boys Book 10) (7 page)

“I liked that I couldn’t pick them out of the crowd until that guy tried to turn Dante into a pretzel.” She laughed.

“I’m all yours. Where are we off to?” He held out his arm for her to grasp.

“Just one thing. We’re going to have to get you out of that tux.”

“Will this involve a walk of shame later on in the evening?”

“Follow me.” She grinned.

* * *

Summer thought the party was going exceptionally well, especially after Dante had his arrogant ass handed to him. Not that she couldn’t have handled him herself, she thought it was sweet of Bo to come to their defense. She’d been dealing with men like that for the longest time, and Dante’s attempts to make her feel grateful that he’d decided to work with them fell flat.

Being around Bo felt familiar and comforting. She didn’t have to keep her guard up for anything nefarious because he was a stand-up guy. He looked downright sinful in his tuxedo, his good looks magnified by the elegant clothing, and his clean-shaven face was even more handsome now that he wasn’t hiding it behind a beard.

She took Bo’s hand and headed for her sanctuary: a game room designed specifically for her. This was her quiet place where she enjoyed testing her skills so she could stay a step ahead of the competition.

“Welcome to my world.” She hit a button and two panels opened up on the wall to reveal a massive big screen television and a console that rose up from the floor.

Bo whistled. “Holy cow.”

“Every game currently in our catalog and in the conception stage is loaded into this console.” She pulled her hair back into a makeshift bun and took off her shoes. “Do you play games?”

“I prefer to be direct.”

Summer smiled. “Do you play video games?”

“I don’t look like I know how to play?” He raised an eyebrow.

“No, you have this subtle geek vibe going on and you have a lot of cool toys in your apartment, but I didn’t want to assume.”

“Well, you are correct. I can proudly say I’m third in the tournament we have going at the ranch. Seth’s football game is addictive.”

“I hate to give kudos to the competition, but I love the graphics on that game.” She handed him a headset. “You pick.”

“Let’s see.”

Summer watched as Bo continued to hit the cursor on the screen. After five minutes she started getting a little antsy. He settled on Street Dreams, a racing game, which was no surprise.

“Just because you know a pro racer doesn’t mean you have the advantage,” she huffed.

“OK, Waverly. You’re about to get schooled in the art of racing. I have to warn you, I can get pretty competitive. I ordered an arcade-style racing game to practice on so I could beat Tyler, the reigning champ on the game we have at the ranch. It’s the best five grand I ever spent.”

“I thought I was bad.” She shook her head. “Pick a name speed demon.”

Summer rolled her eyes when he typed in the user name Hot CFO 69.

He winked at her. “Let’s get this party started.”

“First.” She walked up to him and slid the tuxedo jacket off his arms. He smelled good; she detected a hint of sandalwood. It was earthy and intoxicating. “Let’s get you out of this.”

“You have a thing about things being in their proper place,” Bo mumbled as he flexed to get out of the jacket.

“Kind of.” She smiled. “I like things neat and in order. It drives my family crazy, but it helps me relax.”

“So.” Bo pulled on his bow tie until it unraveled. “This won’t mess with your concentration, will it?”

“I don’t care if you strip down naked and cover yourself with honey; my mind is a steel trap when it comes to winning.” She put on her headset and pressed play.

She got off to a good start and left Bo in the dust. She got into to it and was trash-talking him, then glanced over when she didn’t see his car in her rear view mirror. She looked on the right side of the screen to see Bo was still at the starting line.

“Hey, I can’t have decent bragging rights if you don’t get in the game.” She pouted.

Bo gave her a boyish smile. “I’m still thinking about the honey.”

* * *

Autumn didn’t expect that by the time she was free to flirt that Bo would be missing. She asked around and it was Tom that informed her that he’d gone off somewhere with Summer. That meant he was in her sister’s private game room. Of all the things to do with a hot man, getting him to play videos games should have been last on the list. Still, a leopard didn’t change its spots, and Summer was still the uber geek she’d been all her life. Autumn wanted to show her appreciation for Bo putting Dante in his place. He’d made several apologies after he’d sobered up. She didn’t think he was sincere, but he’d been put in his place in a very public arena. She informed him that one more misstep and she’d get their lawyers to dissolve that contract and look for another soccer star. He’d agreed that there would be no more funny business.

Autumn snagged a bottle of champagne and two flutes and climbed the steps, certain she was about to rescue Bo. She opened the door to find Summer and Bo playing one of their virtual dancing games. She could tell they were on level eight. They were both sweating, trying to keep up with the music, but more importantly they looked like they were having a good time. She put the bottle and glasses down on the table and joined them. So much for seduction tonight.

* * *

Bo couldn’t believe they’d played most of games in the NuWave catalog, including a heated dance off in Ballerina Battle. He knew she was surprised at his skills; he was doing his best to impress her. She even shared an idea for a new game. The premise of Corporate Hijack was that a businessman starts a normal day heading to work and mistakenly gets kidnapped. He’d have to escape and navigate his way through the mean streets of a criminal enterprise to get back to his office. The concept sounded wonky until she described the scenarios he’d be put through before the game could be won. Then it sounded like fun, and by the end of the minipitch he was hooked. He offered to help her test it if it ever went into production.

He turned to see Autumn standing by a table. She seemed a little pissed that she’d missed out on the fun but said the night had been a huge success. The ladies were ready to leave around midnight. By the time they made it back home, Summer had retreated back to her distant self and Autumn was talking a mile a minute. The chattier sister asked him in for a nightcap but he declined. They each gave him a kiss on the cheek and bade him a good night.

Bo looked at his phone, which he’d put on silent mode when he was in the private gaming room with Summer, to find he had a few missed calls and text messages. There was one from Wyatt. He didn’t want anything specific, but it was nice that he’d reached out.

He’d had fun tonight. He washed his face and changed into a T-shirt and pajama bottoms, looking forward to getting some rest. Tomorrow was Saturday and he was hanging out at the ranch. It was two in the morning when his body was finally relaxed enough to fall asleep. He was drifting off when he thought he heard his doorbell. When the ding-dong sounded again, he got out of bed, hoping everything was OK. Who on earth was visiting at this hour? Nothing good ever happened in the middle of the night.

He opened his door to find one of the ladies standing there, dressed in a T-shirt and a pair shorts. Both of them had curly hairdos this evening, but the woman before him had her hair in a ponytail. It was late and his brain couldn’t process the subtle differences he was beginning to learn about them. She stood there and didn’t say a word.

“Is something wrong?” He reached up and touched her face.

No, something was definitely right. Bo braced himself when she reached up and grabbed his hair to bring him closer to her and kissed him. He put his hands on her waist, pulled her inside the apartment, and shut the door. Their tongues met playfully at first, but she kissed him with such ferocity he thought she was going to devour him. Bo backed her against the wall and reached under her shirt to caress her breasts, the lacy fabric of the bra was soft but not as soft as her skin. She returned the sentiment by pulling his T-shirt over his head, throwing it on the floor, and caressing his pecs. His cock got hard and his breath hitched when she pushed him against the wall and kissed him on the face and nipped his ear and along his jawline. When she rubbed him through the thin material of his pajama bottoms, he grasped her butt and pulled her flush against his erection. She wrapped her legs around his waist and moaned when he sucked on her nipple through the material of her T-shirt. He didn’t want to stop, but he had to get to the condoms quick. They were in his bedroom, so he started walking, with her legs still locked around his, down the hallway.

Suddenly she broke away from him, opened his door, and fled back into her own apartment. He made sure she was safe inside before he closed his door and banged his head against it.

He wouldn’t be getting any sleep tonight.

* * *

Bo thought he’d dreamed last night, but it had felt too damn good for it not to have been real. When he’d answered the door, that was the last thing he’d expected to happen, but he was glad it had. The electricity between them had sizzled as they’d explored each other; he’d never experienced a connection like that with a woman. The only thing left to do was find out which sister came over to his apartment last night. He took a quick shower, threw on some clothes, and walked across the hall. Here goes nothing. He knocked lightly on the door and the sister that answered was wearing yoga pants and a T-shirt and had a pedometer strapped to her arm. It had to be Summer.

“Good morning, Summer. Late night, eh?” He searched her face for a reaction.

“Good morning, Bo. I didn’t think you’d be up this early.” She motioned him into the apartment.

Yes! He got her name right on the first try, but she didn’t move one facial muscle at the late night crack. He made a mental note never to play poker with her.

“I feel like I could run a marathon.” He smiled.

She smiled back. “You gave me the workout of my life. We’ll have to do it again.”

Ah ha! He was positive it had been Summer until Autumn appeared.

“I can’t believe you bored him to death last night with virtual dancing.” Autumn sauntered into the room wearing short shorts and a tank top with a bowl of cereal in her hand. “There are better ways to pass the time with a man.”

Bo swallowed the huge lump lodged in his throat. Why did he think getting to the bottom of this erotic dilemma would be a breeze? Ok, he’d take another tack. He’d simply throw out an invitation to the symphony. Isabelle was performing next Saturday and he’d already told her he’d attend. The sister who visited him last night would surely accept the invitation.

“I was wondering since we had such a great time last night, maybe we can do it again. Would you like to join me next Saturday night at the symphony? Tate’s wife, Isabelle, is a violinist, and I have tickets to her performance. We can make a night of it. There’s a really nice restaurant inside the concert hall; we could have dinner afterward. So what do you say?”

It looked as if Autumn was about to say something, but she clammed up. Summer was fidgeting with the pedometer and wouldn’t make eye contact. Then suddenly it happened. It was as if they were talking to each other through telekinesis. The sisters nodded at each other then looked at Bo.

“Sure.” The sisters said in unison.

“Great. Uh… It’s a date.” Bo’s heart thudded against his chest as he went back to his place. Well, that worked like a charm, he was right back where he started. Considering his options, it wasn’t really a predicament. Spending time with both of them was the only way to get closer to the truth. Because of one of was dangerously close to capturing his heart.

* * *

Bo Senior sent a text asking him to pick up a special hot sauce he liked at a store in Dallas before he came to the ranch. He missed him and couldn’t wait to drop off the present his mom made for his father at the pottery class.

Bo made his trek out to the ranch in record time. He rode by the construction sites for the houses and was pleased with the progress. It reminded him of the summer Bo Senior had wanted to add a room to the house and recruited the boys to do it. At first he thought his dad was nuts to want his non-mechanically-inclined son to build anything. But he’d learned so much about construction and the materials, and it had been fun hanging out with the guys who had designated him project manager. His father didn’t fuss that it took them all summer to complete it. He had a feeling there was a hidden lesson in there.

“Hey, Dad.” Bo stepped over Rowdy, who was taking a nap in the kitchen doorway.

“Well, if it isn’t my son the stud.” Bo chuckled as he dissected a fish with a boning knife.

“I see you did some
actual
fishing in between poker hands.”

“A real man can do both. So how was Albuquerque?”

“Still in New Mexico. Mom sent you a present.” Bo pulled the decorative vase out of the gift bag and placed it on the counter. His father’s eyes lit up at first, but then he went back to cleaning their dinner.

“That’s nice. How is she?”

“She’s still a fireball with her projects and fundraisers. She took me to a pottery class, that’s where she made the vase. She asked about you.”

“Did she want to know if I was dead?” Bo Senior grinned.

Bo raised an eyebrow. “She wanted to know if you were seeing anybody.”

“As if she cares. Is she on marriage number four yet?”

“No, as a matter-of-fact she’s taking a break from finding her next husband. Why do ask? You gonna stop the next wedding at the altar?” He shook his head. For two divorced people, they sure liked keeping tabs on each other.

The front door opened. “Bubba, you here?”

It was Channing and Tyler.

“Just follow the smell of fish guts,” he yelled back.

“Bo, Daddy said he’s gonna start grilling in an hour, so you better get a move on with the main course.” Channing opened the fridge, looking for something to drink.