Page 1 of In a Bind

Chapter One

Zane

Aidan satup in the passenger seat with a yawn that could rival that of a male lion out on the savanna. The car waddled back and forth with his weight as he adjusted the seat upright.

"Did you have a nice nap? By the way, you snore like a fucking bear. Couldn't even hear my music through the clamor."

"I don't snore." Aidan reached between his feet and picked up the bag of potato chips he'd been devouring before he dozed off. "Are we almost there? I'm hungry as that snoring bear. There better be some good food at this weekend house party. And good drinks. And hot women."

"If you're done with your wish list . . ." I pointed up the road to an ornate pair of tall iron gates. "According to my phone, we've arrived." Carter Bonneville was one of our biggest investors. Without him, Plaything would never have gotten off the ground. I had met him at a business dinner and somehow managed to woo him into taking a chance on the company. It had paid off for him. Not that he needed any more. He was the sole heir to the Bonneville fortune, a fortune that had been around since the nineteenth century. The Bonnevilles had been into everything from railroads to oil and even real estate. According to Carter, all his ancestors had been born with the Midas touch. Everything they invested in turned to gold. Carter was no exception. After listening to my pitch, he invested a good pile of his money, money which seemed to have been filled with that mythical Bonneville magic. This weekend Carter was celebrating his sixtieth birthday at his three hundred acre ranch. We'd all been looking forward to the party.

I pulled up to the intercom and gave my name. The gates swung open in dramatic fashion.

Aidan stared up at the gates that were at least fifteen feet tall. "Just like the fucking pearly gates leading to heaven."

I laughed. "And that's how they got the phrase 'richer than God'." I drove my Audi up the long, endless driveway, assuming that somewhere at the end of the journey there would be an actual house. As long as the driveway was, every bit of it was lined with blooming purple Jacarandas. Part of the way up, white fencing that seemed to stretch halfway around the world came into view.

I pushed my sunglasses up on my head. "We must be getting closer."

"When are the others coming?"

"Trey said he and Georgie will be up later this afternoon. Chase wasn't sure if he and Macy were going to make it at all. The grand opening for her bakery is next weekend, and he was going to help her set things up."

Aidan shook his head. "I still can't believe Chase settled down enough to date one woman. And Trey—shit—something tells me he'll be proposing to Georgie by Christmas. Guess that just leaves you and me to keep the rest of the women on the planet satisfied. Or at least the single women at this party."

"Yeah, well Carter has been hinting at me to ask out his daughter Mindy. He thinks we'd make a great couple. She'll be here for the party."

Aidan shifted in his seat to look at me, and the car moved side to side. "Shit, guess your weekend won't be fun after all. Have you met her?"

"Once, at a cocktail party. She's pretty but she's one of those typical socialites, snobby and dull. No spunk. Not my type at all."

"Exactly what is your type?"

I thought about the question. No clear answer came. "I'm not completely sure, but I'll know it when I see it. Or her, I should say."

The mansion came into view. It was just as we'd expected, massive and imposing with a touch of country and a whole lot of elegance. Expensive cars and limos had already filled the parking area.

Aidan looked over at me. "Lucky for you, it's a big place. Maybe you can avoid her. And there's always the real possibility that she won't like you anyhow. You're not exactly a lady killer. Then you won't have to worry about it."

"Thanks. And you guys call me the team asshole."

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