The CEO's Little Surprise Read Online Free Page B

instead and waved off her protest. “Not in the real world, honey. You need to get out more if that’s your best line of defense. Deals are done and undone across the globe based on exactly that. Companies don’t make decisions. People do and rarely are they united.”
    â€œFyra is,” she insisted. “We’re a team.”
    â€œI hope that’s true,” he said sincerely. “If so, then it’s in your best interests to convince them to sell. How would they feel about their CEO not honoring this lingering debt?”
    Her brows drew together but it was the only outward sign she gave that she’d heard the underlying message. This was business at its core and he was not leaving Dallas without that formula. It had become more than just about ensuring Fyra didn’t take any of his market share. GB Skin was number one for a reason and he liked being the top dog. His products should be the best on the market and Fyra’s formula would put him there—assuming it checked out like he thought it would.
    Not to mention that Cass’s stubbornness had piqued his.
    â€œThreats, Gage?” Her laugh thrummed through him. “You gonna tattle to my partners about how naughty I am?”
    He nearly groaned at her provocative tone.
    â€œNothing so pedestrian.” He shifted a touch closer because he liked the scent of her, tightening the cross of his arms. Just to keep his hands where they belonged. “I wouldn’t go behind your back to manipulate the other executives. This is your cross to bear, and I’m simply pointing out that you don’t want this on your conscience. Do you?”
    â€œMy conscience is quite clear, thanks.” Her gaze fastened firmly on his, she crossed her arms in a mirror of his pose, intentionally sliding her elbow across his. And then hung around, brushing arms deliberately. “I’ll take your offer to the others. Shall I show you the way out or can you find it yourself?”
    Heat flashed where they touched. “As you’re late for a board meeting where I suspect one of the topics will be the offer in question, I’ll see myself out.”
    She didn’t move, still partially blocking the open doorway. On purpose. So he’d have to slide by her like he’d done when he entered the room, to show she had his number and that whatever he dished out, he should expect to have served right back. It almost pulled an appreciative chuckle out of him but he caught it at the last second. Cass had grown up in many intriguing ways and this battle was far from over.
    No point in letting her believe she had a chance in hell of winning.
    So close to her that he could easily see the lighter colored flecks of blue in her irises, he palmed those cut-away panels at her waist like he’d been itching to do for an eternity and drew her against him. Yes, she was still as warm as he remembered and he ached to pull the pins from her tight blond chignon to let it rain down around her shoulders.
    He leaned in, nearly nuzzling her ear with his lips. Her quick intake of breath was almost as thrilling as the feel of her skin through the panels. Instead of pulling her toward him like he wanted to, he pivoted and hustled her back a step into her office.
    â€œTell the girls I said hi,” he murmured and let her go. Though where he found the willpower, he had no idea.
    She nodded, her expression blank. He was so going to enjoy putting a few more cracks in her newly found ice-goddess exterior when they next met.

Three
    C ass blew out the breath she’d been holding. Which didn’t help either her shakes or her thundering pulse.
    That hadn’t gone down quite like she would have hoped. She and Gage might be equals now but that hadn’t afforded her any special magic to keep her insides under control.
    But Gage had left and that seemed like a small win.
    Except now she had to go into that board meeting, where Trinity had most