Page 199 of The First Taste
He’s not wrong about my method. I do like to snag girls with money. It’s just easier to pay them and know that our relationship is transactional. He just isn’t up to date about the whole Honor situation.
“Is there something that you want from me? Or can I get back to going about my business?”
He rolls his eyes. “You are no fun. I just came to say that I was at a board meeting this morning and your personal stock price is dropping like a fucking stone.”
I shoot him a glare. “If I make you acting CEO, will that embolden you to get the fuck out of my kitchen?”
The smile drops away from his expression. “Seriously?”
“If the company needs it? Yes. I’ve been on autopilot mode for weeks. Might as well make you the CEO…” I pin him in place with a glare. “I swear to god, Lucas. If you fuck this up, I’ll take it out of your hide.”
His hand flutters in the air between us. “No need for threatening me. IndicaTech is as much my baby as it is yours.”
I flap a dismissive hand at him. “Fine. I’ll step down while my attentions are divided between Indica and the NYB.”
He screws up his face. “Please tell me that you aren’t just going to dump the whole Jack Schwartz problem in my lap.”
I give him a thin smile. “No. I’ll keep working on that.”
“Good. I don’t know any other kind of blockchain technology that exists that is as powerful as Schwartz’s.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “If it were easy, I would have done it by now.”
He licks his lips, about to fire back his response. But luckily at that moment, a loud chime begins to sound.
I turn my head toward the panel on the wall, which is currently lit up. Walking over to it, it press the intercom button.
“Yes?”
A video screen turns on, Honor’s face smiling seductively to the camera. “It’s me, Cal. Let me up.”
Her shortening of my name — calling me Cal — sends an ugly shudder down my spine. The only person that has ever called me that is Anita.
“So it is Honor,” I hear my brother mutter behind me.
I glare back at him. “I told you, I’m not sleeping with her.”
I do need to talk to her, though. Pressing the intercom button again, I say, “Come up.”
I turn to find Lucas heading out.
“Wait,” I call to him. “I don’t want to be here alone with her. Honor has already filed three lawsuits against NYB for ageism and sexual harassment. It would be better if there was a witness here.”
Lucas turns to me, his eyebrows rising. “Uh… sure,” he says with a shrug. He squints. “It’s really not her, then.”
Shaking my head, I pour myself a cup of coffee. Lucas fixes himself one too.
Then we stand, sipping the steaming brew, and wait.
It doesn’t take long before the elevator chimes. I lean over and press a button, allowing the elevator doors to open. The sound of heels clicking on stone grows closer and closer.
I look at Lucas, nodding toward the living room. He follows me in, still sipping his coffee, his expression perfectly blank.
I swing open the front door. Honor gives me a sultry grin, her blonde hair falling in waves over the top of her black trench coat.
“Hey Cal,” she says playfully. She wrinkles her nose, stepping closer. Her lips are slicked with bright red gloss. “Are you going to invite me in?”
I squint. “Do I have a choice?”
