Home > My One And Only (Very Irresistible Bachelors #5)(4)

My One And Only (Very Irresistible Bachelors #5)(4)
Author: Layla Hagen

They needed a much better online shopping experience and a second brick-and-mortar store to keep up with the demand, if nothing else then to house the inventory they were powering through.

“Thank you both for the presentation,” I said. “We’d known most of your numbers from the application you sent, but let me just reiterate that they are impressive. You have a very solid business. Today was just about hearing your pitch in person. We’re going to get back to you in a few days with our answers and all you need to know about the next step.”

“What would the next step be?” Tess asked.

“We invite you to a dinner where we all get to know each other in a more informal setting.”

David spoke up. “We like to get to know the owners personally. Everything has to click; otherwise, working together will be difficult.”

“Okay, well, thank you for your time today,” Skye said. “We look forward to hearing from you.”

While the two of them gathered their laptops and other belongings, I couldn’t help but stare at Tess’s ass. Damn, the woman was killing me with those curves.

When she turned around, she caught me looking and cocked a brow. Fuck. I didn’t want her to think I wasn’t taking this seriously because of the encounter in the bathroom...or that I was a perverted asshole.

Neither was true.

Usually, I was far better than this at separating business from personal interests. I didn’t get involved or even check out the applicants in a sexual way. Period. It was a strict rule, and I lived by it. I had no idea why it was so hard for me to control myself when it came to Tess.

Her shoulders were a little slumped as she and Skye left the auditorium.

I made a split-second decision.

“Let’s take a five-minute break.”

Becca nodded.

David shrugged. “Again?”

“I’ll be right back” was all I said before I rose from my seat. I caught up with Tess at the building’s entrance hall, where everyone could store their personal items in a locker. She was just putting the laptop in her bag, and she was completely alone.

“Tess,” I said.

She looked up in surprise, slinging the bag over her shoulder. “Hey. Did we forget something inside?”

“No.” I walked closer until I was standing right in front of her. “I just wanted to talk to you for a second.”

“I’m listening.”

There was no other way to say this, so I just laid out all my cards. “You might have caught me checking you out.”

Tess gasped as color flooded her cheeks. Fuck, her reaction to me was cute.

“Might have?” she challenged in an amused tone.

“I did. Several times. I promise you I’m not an asshole. And none of it will impact the way we judge your application. I want you to be certain of that. I’m usually on my best behavior at work. It’s just...very difficult to keep my thoughts straight around you. I don’t know why.”

“Possibly because you saw me in my bra this morning?” She was smiling now. Damn, she was even more beautiful like this. She was far more relaxed than she’d been inside.

“And without it.”

She gasped again before starting to laugh. “I thought you said you didn’t see anything.”

“I was just putting you at ease. Or trying to.”

“You failed. I was on edge the entire time.”

“I could tell that by your body language,” I admitted.

Her eyes widened. She cleared her throat. I leaned in close enough that I could smell her perfume. It was fruity and sweet but also had a hint of something spicy. She licked her lower lip before exhaling sharply. Stepping back, I pointed toward the front door.

“I don’t want to keep you any longer. If all goes well, I hope to see you at the get-together.”

“And you’ll behave there?” she teased.

“I’ll try.”

“Just like you tried to pretend you didn’t see me half naked?”

“I’ll try a little harder. Forgive me if I fail. You make a...lasting impression.”

Her mouth opened in an O, and she shook her head before walking past me. I couldn’t take my eyes off her as she left the building. That swing in her hips was going to be the death of me.

Fantastic. I’d come out here to put her mind at ease, and I ended up flirting with her. Way to go, Harrington.

I’d tell myself that I’d do better during the get-together evening, but I didn’t like lying to myself.

 

 

Chapter Three

Liam

For the rest of the day, we listened to twenty more pitches while my mind kept wandering to a specific lingerie business. In the afternoon, we headed back to our offices, located in a brownstone we rented on the Upper West Side. We converted the original kitchen into a welcome area. The interns worked in an open office arrangement in what used to be the living room. David, Becca, and I each had a huge office on the upper floor. The meeting room was in the basement.

We all decided to head up to the rooftop, which was the best part of the building, to discuss which of the businesses we’d invest in. Everyone loved to come up here for the fresh air, and since we weren’t on a high floor, there was no wind. This September was chilly, but because of the taller buildings surrounding us, we were pretty protected from the elements up here. Every time I was inside one of New York’s high-rises, I felt like I was suffocating. I didn’t need a great view from fifty stories above. I needed to be able to step out whenever I wanted to clear my head.

Becca, David, and I each had two interns on our teams. One of my interns, Dexter, brought up some refreshments for everyone as well as my stress ball—it’s what kept me sane. When we all sat on the rattan armchairs scattered around, I asked the interns to give us their top three picks. All of them mentioned Soho Lingerie. We only had four other fashion companies in our portfolio, each tackling their market with an innovative angle.

After the interns finished giving us the rundown, they headed downstairs to their desks, but Becca, David, and I stayed upstairs.

They weren’t just my business partners but also my best friends. We all met fifteen years ago when we were interning on Wall Street after college. In our spare time, we worked on an app for personal finance called InvestMe. A huge bank bought it for a lot of money. We held consultant roles on the app’s management team for a while, before it became obvious that we weren’t needed. We created the fund because we had a lot of cash and a burning desire to work with business owners. This fund was our pride and joy, and the three of us worked nonstop to turn it into a success. We’d been doing this for ten years now, though at thirty-six, we were still as motivated and hungry for success as we’d been at twenty-six.

Back then, there had been four of us. We’d taken another of our best friends on board, Albert. He hadn’t had any money to invest, but he was brilliant, a true innovator. So brilliant in fact that it took us years to discover what he was doing behind our backs. Let’s just say we don’t talk about him anymore.

“So after listening to all of them, I still think we have way too many excellent applicants. A good problem to have, but still a problem,” Becca said. Though we were shaded by the taller buildings, the sun shone through the cracks. It was a beautiful day to be outside.

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