Conflict of Interest

chapter 3


Kenzie stepped off the silent elevator. A wall of glass stared back at her, the frosted name RINSLET telling her she was in the right place. A black-lacquered desk was visible from the hallway, and the leather chairs and coffee table in the front lobby of the office matched.

The girl behind the desk looked up and smiled as Kenzie approached. The receptionist was a stark contrast to her surroundings, in jeans and a baggy tee that hid any figure she might have had. “Good morning, can I help you?”

Kenzie didn’t know what to think of the place, but she kept her confusion off her face. “I’m Mackenzie Carter, I have an eleven a.m. appointment with Mr. Johnston and Mr. McAllister.”

“Of course.” The brunette gestured toward the seats. “Someone should be right with you.”

Kenzie perched on the edge of one of the overstuffed chairs, not wanting to sink in and have her pencil skirt slide up. The personalized snippets of her presentation skipped through her thoughts. She had printouts in her bag in case she needed paper visuals, her laptop was ready to hook up to a projector if they had one, and she knew her pitch backward and forward.

She crossed her legs and drummed her fingers on her knees, letting her attention trip around the room. Not that there was much to see. Prints that were mostly primary colors hung in black squares on white walls. The screaming coming from somewhere deep within the office was interesting. She wasn’t sure if it was cheering or cussing. Or both.

A movement caught her attention. A glimpse of brown, spiked hair as someone rounded the corner, walking backward, attention on a short blonde keeping him company. It couldn’t be him. There were a lot of well-built guys with brown hair. Her fingertips and lips pulsed with unformed memories from Saturday. There was no way. Why would coffee-shop guy be here?

He turned, and her stomach flipped. It was Mr. G4M3G0D himself. She had to clench her jaw to keep it from dropping open. He’d tossed a sport jacket and black tie over his T-shirt—his version of dressing up maybe?—and he wore it better than should be legal.

His eyes met hers, and she pasted a smile in place. He raised an eyebrow and took a step toward her.

The petite blonde—she had to be at least a foot shorter than him—grabbed his arm and spun him away. The woman wrapped her arms around his neck. He returned the hug, lifting her off the ground. When he put her down, she gave him a quick peck on the cheek and then whispered something in his ear.

Kenzie would have felt awkward spying on the intimate moment if ambivalence weren’t racing through her veins. So much for fantasies of picking up where they’d left off when she returned his jacket. Guilt smattered her disappointment. She shouldn’t even be wishing for another morning with someone else’s guy, but that didn’t stop her imagination from teasing her.

“Ms. Carter?” A deep baritone startled her, and she spun to face a man who must have come from the other side of the office. “I’m Zach Johnston. Thanks for making time for us this morning.”

She stood to shake his hand. He wore a pressed Oxford and beige slacks, and even made the ponytail of pale hair at the base of his neck look slick. He radiated composed and car salesman. But not used cars, she’d give him that much. Only high-end ones.

She took his offered hand, impressed at the firm, but not aggressive, handshake and warm grip. “Not a problem, Mr. Johnston.” She made sure her smile was genuine. “I just hope I can help.”

“Call me Zach, or this is going to get old fast.” His expression stayed pleasant. “Scott.” He only half turned away from her to angle himself toward coffee-shop guy.

Getting no response, he frowned and turned completely toward Mr. G4M3G0D. “Scott,” he said louder. “Are you two done?”

Mr. G4M3G0D pulled his attention from the petite blonde the second time Zach called his name.

“My fault.” The shorter woman broke away from Scott. She flashed Kenzie an apologetic smile, squeezed Zach’s hand and gave him a kiss on the cheek, and then made her way toward the elevator.

Kenzie’s gut sank. This was her potential client? The guy who made his jacket-covered, Linux T-shirt look like something that belonged in a GQ photo shoot? The gorgeous stranger who had haunted her thoughts all weekend?

“This is Ms. Carter,” Zach introduced them.

“Kenzie, please.” She extended her hand. His grip was firmer than she remembered, sending a pleasant tremor through her. She pushed the thought aside. This was business, he was probably attached, and that had been a one-time thing. Or really not even a thing.

“Beautiful name.” Scott’s smirk was the same as she remembered. “Shall we?” He stepped aside and gestured.

If he was going to pretend it had never happened, she could do the same. Whether or not she wanted to shake the frigid shell, a potential client wasn’t the right place to do it.

They led her toward a conference room, once again with a glass wall, leaving it fully exposed to the world. A round table sat in the center of the room, and there was barely enough space for the four chairs around it. The seats were like almost everything else in the office so far: black, overstuffed, and straight out of a catalog.

Scott gestured to one. “Have a seat.”

She sat across from them, mentally summoning the appropriate version of her pitch for the intimate setting and planning marketing and media visuals to pluck from her bag when the time was right. She told her nervous energy to stop, that this was just any other presentation. But it wasn’t listening.

She exchanged a few more pleasantries and then dove into her pitch. The impassive faces staring back at her were unnerving, but she’d been through it before. Potential clients who thought they had the perfect poker face and wouldn’t let on whether or not they were impressed until all was said and done.

She explained who her clients were, some of the better-known executives she’d worked with, everything she knew from heart but could make sound enthusiastic and genuine.

And then Scott laid his arms on the table and dropped his forehead on top.

Zach elbowed him.

Scott jerked upright again, one eyebrow raised, and slumped back in his seat.

Kenzie clenched her jaw but kept talking. Part of her wanted to walk out right then. There was no way she was getting—or wanted—this contract, but pride wouldn’t let her give up. She had to at least put on a good show.

*

“Blah, blah, blah.”

That was all Scott heard. He watched her talk, pink-glossed lips accentuating every word with perfection. He struggled to keep his expression neutral as his thoughts drifted to what she could do with those amazing lips.

Like every other person they’d seen that morning, she was reciting a bunch of meaningless tripe that only made sense if someone wasn’t paying attention.

Which, at that point, he was trying not to do. She looked good, though. Her suit highlighted every curve at least as well as her jeans had. He could still feel her slender figure under his hands. Hear her breathing, her gasps. He blinked and shook his head, forcing the memories away, and tried to focus on the presentation again.

But it wasn’t as much fun as the fantasies. This professional version of her was everything he’d been afraid she was before they’d talked. He dropped his head into his arms.

Zach elbowed him sharply.

Scott rolled his eyes, leaned back in his chair instead, arms crossed, and exhaled. “Is there a reason you haven’t kicked this one out yet?” he whispered.

“I’m sorry, is there a problem, gentlemen?” Ice lined Kenzie’s question.

Zach’s lips drew into a thin line.

“Not at all. I was hoping you could answer a question for me.” Scott gave her his biggest grin.

Her smile didn’t look as happy. “Of course.”

He’d asked everyone else the same thing and had yet to get a satisfactory answer. “Tell me something about your company we can’t get off the website.”

She paused, her fingers twitched on the table, and then her smile slid back into place, and her blue eyes locked on his. “We go above and beyond to get the job done. We can make even the most dysfunctional couple look like happily-ever-after to the press, if that’s what’s required.”

Scott blinked. He hadn’t been expecting that. She didn’t mean him and her, right? Talk about conflict of interest. His eyes never left Kenzie’s. “Good to know, but not what we’re looking for. I’m sure you saw that when you prepped, and I can tell you’re well-prepared.”

A hint of pink crept over her face, and her cheeks relaxed, smile becoming more genuine.

So the person he remembered was still in there under the ice. The right compliment could win the professional her over. “Let’s try this again. What can your company do for us? What, out of this vast sea of boredom that is destined to be the rest of my day, do you bring to the table that no one else does?”

“Me.” There was no hesitation in her reply.

Good point. She was exactly what he wanted.

“Excuse us.” Zach grabbed Scott by the arm and yanked him into the hallway. “What’s the deal with her?”

“We like the same kind of coffee.”

Zach shook his head and tugged on the door, latching it shut. “Did you meet her at The Roasting Company or something?”

“Yup.” Scott let more of the memories tickle his thoughts. “But that’s not the point. It doesn’t matter that she’s hot. Whatever happened was two days ago and completely irrelevant.”

“So something did happen. That’s why she’s been half glaring at you, half swooning, since she walked in.”

Had she been swooning? Scott grinned. “Maybe.”

Zach exhaled loudly and rolled his eyes. “Swear to me you won’t use whatever it was as an excuse to make this entire thing not work.”

Scott was tired of the badgering. Not that he had any intention of cooperating with anyone they brought on. “You’re not honestly thinking of hiring her, are you?”

Zach smirked. “She’s exactly what you need.”

Scott bit back a growl. “I almost slept with her.”

“Almost isn’t worth anything. You’ll find an excuse for every single person we bring in. At least her, you talk to. She came highly recommended, and it’s obvious she’s good at what she does.”

Scott rolled his eyes, but he wasn’t as disappointed as he expected to be. At least she’d be a fun distraction, and maybe he could get her to forget work long enough to finish what they started. He kept his creeping excitement from his voice. “Fine.”

Zach was already heading back down the hall. “Let her know. I’ll cancel the other appointments. We’ve got better things to do.”

Scott couldn’t hide his pleasure as he slipped back into the room and took the seat across from Kenzie. “Sorry about that.”

“No problem.” Her demeanor didn’t give anything away.

That sucked; he was going to have to change that. Professional and prepared was one thing, but unyielding was completely unacceptable. Maybe acknowledging the elephant in the room would help. Besides, if he couldn’t make her smile genuine… He wanted to see that flush again.

He leaned in, hands clasped and resting on the table, and voice low but distinct. “Saturday was killer, and I’m sorry I had to cut things short.”

Her brow creased, voice flat. “Of course.”

So much for breaking the ice. He leaned back. “I see. Am I the only one who enjoyed myself?”

A waver disrupted her stern tone. “Mr. McAllister—”

“Scott,” he corrected her.

She barely paused. “As far as this presentation is concerned, those two people in that coffee shop are not the same as the two people sitting here. Or at least one of them isn’t. If you’re not interested in my services—my publicity experience—then I’m not sure why you’re wasting my time.”

Still not afraid to speak her mind. Still absolutely intriguing. “I never said I wasn’t interested.”

“No, but your demeanor through the entire meeting did. I’m not surprised you’re looking for outside help, but you’re going to have to be ready to change before it will do you any good.”

There was nothing to change, but the conversation would be over if he told her that, and he wasn’t ready for it to end. “And you’re the person who could help me do that if I were to admit I had a problem?”

“I could be. As long as you understand if anyone were to think you hired me because of what may or may not have happened between those two people who weren’t us, it would devastate my career. I’m not interested in that.”

Wow she was tough. That was sexy. And mildly irritating. “So no kissing and telling. I can do that.”

“You’ve already told your business partner.”

He glanced behind him at the closed door. “Zach doesn’t count, he knows everything about me. And apparently he thinks that gives him license to choose my keeper for the next few months. The job is yours if you’re not afraid of the challenge.” He couldn’t help slipping the last line in. Something told him she was exactly the opposite of afraid of challenge. That she’d jump on the chance.

Her mouth twisted in thought. “I’m in on one condition.”

Damn that was a good look for her. “I assume there will be several conditions. Put it in the contract and we’ll negotiate.”

“You may not want this in the contract.” She brushed an invisible strand of hair from her face. “The blonde in the lobby—your girlfriend or his?”

He studied her, curious about the question. “You’re jealous?”

Her flush grew. “Hardly. I understand you’re doing this for business reasons, but frequently that intersects with people’s personal lives. I don’t care what you do in your spare time as long as you keep it out of the news, but if you’re dating someone who doesn’t know how fast and loose you play with other women, I need to know if that has to be spun in a positive light when she finds out and dumps you.”

Wow, okay, he hadn’t expected that. He bit back a chuckle when he realized she was serious. He’d wanted to make the conversation more pleasant, not less so. “First of all, fast and loose? You approached me. Second, I’m two hundred percent single.” He drummed his fingers on the table. “Rae’s not my girlfriend, she’s Zach’s fiancée. We’re close, but I swear on my next game not crashing and burning at release that we’re just friends.”

She tilted her head to the side, studying him for a moment. It accentuated her neck. Soft, kissable … yeah, this was going to be fun.

“All right. You’ll have the contract this afternoon. As soon as it’s signed, we can talk,” she said.

He couldn’t hide his grin as he stood. “Looking forward to it.” Keeping his investors happy, being able to skirt their lame-ass edict, he was definitely looking forward to it.