Chapter 2 The reunion

COLT

The Corporate Dinner was in full swing when I walked in. Dean was the first person to spot me.

"Wardrobe Malfunction?" he asked as he hugged me and patted my back.

"No." I replied, withdrawing from the hug, and brushing down the lapels of my suit.

"This is a work function, Colt." He said through gritted teeth, his grip tightening around his champagne glass. "I understand that a necktie is asking too much from you, but showing up shirtless, really?"

"It's a free world, older brother." I looked away, adjusting my leather gloves. "Who is she?"

"What? Are you seriously changi.." But his words died when his eyes found her.

The mystery woman had obviously knocked the breath out of him.

Everyone was staring at her now. And that meant a lot, because the people in this room, by virtue of their net worth, had seen all the beauties the world has to offer.

But this one had us all staring. She did not smile, simply tilted her head, acknowledging the attention and greetings thrown her way.

She was confident. The kind of confidence only a beautiful woman who was aware of her effect on men had.

And this provoked me. Her arrogance needled me. I wanted to dominate her.

"Colt?"

I turned to see Dean whispering with his executive P. A. "You'll not believe who she is?"

"Who?" I raised my brow and Dean smiled. For the first time in years, something piqued my interest besides biker rallies.

"That woman is Olivia la Rose."

"What?'

"I know." Dean rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

I turned my eyes back to her, finally recognizing the older couple walking beside her. The Auclairs.

"Why did you not tell me she would be here today?" I whispered urgently.

"Regret showing up shirtless now?" Dean turned a victorious smile to me.

"Never been happier with my decision," I said, a small smile stretching my lips, and Dean laughed. A real laugh, not his phony corporate one.

"I see someone is feeling confident," He said as the MC took the podium again.

He led me to our table as everyone settled into their seats. The whole party fell into the background as soon as I took a seat.

My eyes found Oliva La Rose. Her glowing skin and those siren eyes held me hostage. She whispered to her family just once, then fell silent, unsmiling.

As the clock ticked, my curiosity swelled till I was downright restless. I was ready to cross the room and speak to her when she got invited on stage.

She stood up, and smiled for the first time.

I heard an audible gasp beside me, and turned to see one of our company's directors sporting a boner beneath the table.

I grinded my jaw and squeezed my knees when she began to speak. Her words made no sense to me. Not with that deep, breathy voice.

Her sentences, slow and controlled, hypnotized everyone. Olivia La Rose was dripping sex... stirring dark emotions within me.

As she gave a vote of thanks to all the collaborators on her company's latest product, I could only think of what her moans sounded like.

By the time she was off the stage, I was sweating, and my blood pressure had spiked. She gave a small nod to the crowd as they stood up to clap at the end of her immaculate speech.

Every single man's eyes were pinned to her form as she made her way back to her seat. She moved like an exotic cat, all hourglass, her peachy ass mocking us from beneath her silk dress.

"Come brother. We have a meeting with the Auclairs," Dean said, standing up.

"We do?" I shot up from my seat, and winced at the excitement I heard in my own voice.

But Dean seemed too preoccupied to notice.

I frowned. Was he nervous about meeting her? Although I could not blame him, I swaggered past him nonetheless. I could never feel intimidated by a woman.

I walked past her family and stopped before Olivia La Rose by the champagne fountain.

"That was a stimulating speech." I said close to her ear.

She did not jump, did not blush, but turned around slowly to look at me.

I inhaled. She was even more beautiful up close. But she had no smile for me, and her eyes were cold as ice chips.

"I'm Colt Theodore Fletcher, Group CEO, Quiver Corporation." I stretched my hand out.

"Mhmm," was her response, not taking my hand.

My brows furrowed in confusion. What manner of rudeness was this? My lips opened to scold when hers bared a smile.

I began to relax again but she said,

"Mr Dean Fletcher.", and walked past me with a sweet smile.

My eyes involuntarily closed to the smell of her hair shampoo. When I opened my eyes again, she was hugging my brother. From the surprised look on his face, I knew they were not previously acquainted.

Why then was she cold to just me?

"Miss Olivia," Dean welcomed her hug, smiling like a godforsaken monkey.

His eyes caught my glare, and he softly disengaged from her. "Have you met Colt?" he asked.

Oliva La Rose turned around, her eyes sweeping the full length of my body and stopping at my exposed abs.

Good. No woman could ever resist that.

"Yes." She said, looking away. "Is that Jacob and Co?"

Dean smiled brightly, raising his wristwatch like a child showing off his toy truck. "Just had to get me one. How did you recognize this?"

"CLASS is easy to recognize." She said in a soft voice, glancing at me.

I blinked as if she had just slapped me. Was she calling me classless?

At that point, her family joined us. And while everyone exchanged pleasantries, I stared at her, seething.

Right now, I wanted nothing more in the world than her legs shaking beneath me, crying out my name and calling me daddy.

I knew I could do it.

The bedroom was the only place to dominate such an arrogant woman. I needed just one chance, and I was determined to get it anyhow.

She turned her eyes to me that second, and my heart stopped beating, illogically terrified that she had heard my thoughts.

"Colt?" Dean said, and my head swiveled in his direction.

"The Auclairs asked when would be a good time."

"For what?"

Dean's brows came together in irritation. The older Auclair woman gently touched my arm.

"My dear boy, our families had a legal agreement that the Auclair daughter would marry the Fletcher son." She smiled. "But your daddy just had to go ahead and birth two sons."

"And we do not believe in a polyandrous agreement," Her husband quipped.

The lady swatted his arm playfully.

"So our Olivia would have to choose between both of you," the woman continued.

I blinked in surprise, staring at everyone. No one had told me any of this.

Before today, Olivia La Rose was just a name to me. She was the sharpest woman in the industry, the Auclair heiress who made business difficult for the rest of us with her inventions every damn quarter.

She had to marry one of us?

"This weekend is fine," Dean said, giving me the stink eye for remaining silent. "We'll meet you at our resort?"

"Fine by me," Oliva La Rose said, winked at Dean, and walked away.