Page 24 of Reckless Kiss

Perhaps that was because she used a different name altogether.

I slid my phone out of my pocket and pulled up the file I’d pulled together for tonight. Since there was so little on the daughter she was a footnote on the last page.

Rosalind Esmeralda Nicolai Brown, 30, occupation unknown, location unknown.

Below that was a blurry picture from the ‘90’s, but knowing now who it belonged to? It was most certainly a much, much younger version of Esme.

Since I had no other helpful information, I slid my phone back into my pocket and made mindless conversation with the people beside me. An investment banker on my left and another agent from Prime Management on my right.

The whole time I watched Esme. She sat quietly. Answering questions from her brother and Marie, but no one else. She looked uncomfortable and nervous. Now that I was past my shock it was easy to see that it was more than her clothes that were different. The confident, easy going,needywoman I took to my bed was gone, replaced by a wary woman. On the defense. Someone ready to attack.

It got my hackles up and this warm—no,fiery—sensation began to boil inside me. For some reason it made me want to sit even taller than my six-foot-two frame. I watched everyone, ready for what? I didn’t know.

Esme tensed as a tall, well-dressed man strode into the room and stood at the head of the table. The room fell silent and I finally understood why Marie, Esme, and everyone else didn’t like Edmund Brown.

He was evil.

You could feel it in the air, see it in his eyes. He was one of those people you justknewon instinct wasn’t right. I resisted the urge to grab Esme and run for the nearest exit.

“Good evening. Thank you for joining us tonight. I’m Edmund Brown.” He gave a small wave of his right hand and forced a smile that looked completely unnatural onto his lips. It came out more like a snarl than an actual smile, like someone had told him smiles made people feel more comfortable. It was a tactic I used all the time—introduce myself, make a deprecating joke, smile warmly. It put people at ease and made them feel comfortable around you, even when they didn’t know you.

I was neither at ease nor comfortable right now.

If anything, I was very, verynotat ease.

“As the new owner of the Renegades I wanted to introduce myself to the community of professionals I’d be working with now that we are based in Tampa, and to give you and opportunity to meet me and my family.” He turned to his right. “My son William Brown is Vice President of the Brown Global Corporation and will be very involved in the day-to-day operations of the team once we’re fully integrated.”

William stood, doing the practiced tie-tuck and half bow. His smile was genuine, his laugh forced, but pleasant. “It’s very nice to meet you all. I’ve enjoyed the conversations I’ve had so far and look forward to getting an opportunity to meet the rest of you personally before the end of the night.”

He returned to his seat as Edmund turned to his left and held his hand out to Esme. “And my daughter, Dr. Rosalind Brown. Her team involvement will be minimal as she is busy working with the university.”

Esme bristled and her eyes brightened with an angry fire.

Interesting.

“However,” Edmund continued, “as a member of this family, shewillbe involved.”

More fire.

She didn’t acknowledge her father’s statement and I saw that exact same fire ignite in Edmund’s eyes. They might not like each other—or rather, they mighthateeach other—but they were most certainly father and daughter.

Edmund rumbled on about Renegade dynamics, team building, and the future, all while salads were brought in and placed before us. Marie was right, Edmund was using every buzz word in the book short ofsalary capandcontract negotiations.Those words he, mysteriously, managed to leave out.

We would have our work cut out for us in the coming weeks.

“Now, please enjoy the first course,” he said as he finally sat.

I couldn’t tear my eyes away from Esme. Rosalind.Esme.She barely touched her food. She ignored the man beside her completely. My god she was beautiful. That was a simple truth that plagued me no matter how hard I tried to turn my attention back to the dinner and the people beside me. I couldn’t shake the desire to run my fingers through the dark silk of her hair, wrap it once around my hand and make a fist. I couldn’t ignore the flashes of soft skin that tickled my memory, or my need to run over it once again, to grab her hips and sink inside her.

I swallowed an enormous gulp of bourbon, shook my head, and forced myself to ignore her full red lips. I would not get another ring around my cock tonight so why even bother with the torture?

It was a full dinner with every course imaginable. For a moment I wondered if I’d slipped down a rabbit hole into a historical novel of some sort. I hadn’t attended a multi-course sit-down dinner in...ever.

By the time the dessert course was finally served my ass had fallen asleep and most of the table appeared to be three sheets to the wind, what with the special wines served with most of the courses and the cocktails we all brought to the table with us.

After another self indulgent speech, Edmund Brown “dismissed” us to mingle with after-dinner cocktails we didn’t need and, most likely, to use the inebriated state of the group to procure a combination of information and favors.

Seeing how the night was going, and keeping in mind Marie’s warnings, I’d only sipped from each glass that appeared before me. I wasn’t stone cold sober but I also wasn’t more than slightly buzzed. Probably more buzzed than I’d like to admit because moments later I was alone with Marie asking aboutRosalind.

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