Exposing the Bad Boy (10 page)

Winking, I reached for the wide doors she gestured at. “So far, it's been a lovely start.”

The hallway was short, a second set of doors splayed open at the end. Through them, I saw an office lit up like a Christmas tree. Sunshine filled the place, making it glow. There, sitting behind the exact sort of desk I'd expect from a man who ran a company this big, was Corbin Mathews.

I knew it was him, even before he stood and offered me a hand. “Pike Moss,” he said, grinning. “I'm Corbin. Nice to finally meet you.”

“Same.” I clasped his palm, then settled into the chair he pointed at. “Fancy office. Must cost a fortune.”

He snorted into his fist, bemused. “You're blunt. I like that. Yes, this whole place bleeds money. But,” he said, twirling a finger idly. “Isn't that just LA?”

I slid deeper into the chair. “That's my experience, yeah.” Everything about this situation was out of my element, but my face didn't show it. After all, Maximal wanted
me.
I had all the power here. “It seems weird,” I said softly.

Corbin arched an eyebrow. “What does?”

“Talking about money bleeding away.” My grin was subtle. “It's like shouting out your weakness, when you're supposed to be swaying me to your side with the
promise
of money.”

Spreading his hands on his desk, Corbin considered me—then laughed. “Bleeding money would be a problem if we weren't drowning in it.” Leaning back, he crossed his legs. “Now, let
me
be blunt; we both know the cash isn't what drew you here.”

“No,” I agreed, “But I'd be lying if I didn't say it helped sweeten the deal.”

Flashing his teeth, Corbin reached into his desk. The stack of papers he slapped in front of me had a significant weight. “I like a man who gets to the meat. Okay, so here's the situation. You sign here, and you're agreeing to become the face of whatever product we throw at you. Soda, chips, pink fuzzy sneakers—anything.”

He's not as charming as Ellie,
I thought idly.
Speaking of which...
“Is Miss Cutter not going to be joining us?” I asked.

Corbin hesitated, his fingers wagging a pen. “She doesn't normally sit in on the contract signing, no. Why, would you prefer her to be here?”

Yes.
“No,” I said flatly, reaching for the documents. “I can handle this. It's fine. So, I work for you, and you'll what—have me selling candy while I jump from buildings?”

His chin bobbed. “Exactly. We'll design your gear so that you're advertising for us, or whoever we need. It'll be a lot of work, don't get me wrong, but you'll get lots of perks.” He started counting off on his fingers. “Money—as you mentioned—free swag from companies, all your travel will be paid for, as well as... extras.”

“Extras?”

Corbin gave me a lingering stare; a look meant for the boy's clubs of old. “You're going to move around a lot. It gets lonely. The best of us suffer from the stale ache, I'm sure a young man like you can expect similar feelings.”

I didn't stop my false smile. “I've never lured women to me with money, Mr. Mathews.”

“Oh, of course not. But how about the drinks? Your company at clubs while they enjoy your celebrity status?”

Shaking my head, I flipped through the pages, reading as I went. “I never had to buy women before. I don't plan to indulge now. Keep that perk to yourself.”

“Women will treat you different once you're famous, Pike. It might not be obvious they're there because of the money, but... That's just the facts.”

Just the facts.
I imagined it, for a moment; dousing shrieking fans in tequila, watching the crowds of them hanging off of me because they smelled cash. Would that happen? Would everything—everyone—change that much?

Will SHE treat me different?

Burying the thoughts, I scanned the contract closely. “It says I'm on the hook to work for you for six years. What if I want out early?”

He tapped the pen, rolled it over to me; I snatched it. “There's a quick-cut stipulation. You can get out early, but it'll cost you a large sum of money.”

I'd found the paragraph about it. “Five hundred thousand dollars? Jesus.”

“We'd rather you fulfill the contract.”

“Me too,” I chuckled dryly. It was a harsh penalty, but six years—it wasn't so long.
And it isn't like I'd stop jumping in that time.
Never, if I had any say. So what was so bad about committing to years of paid jumps, travel, and fame?

He'd
hate me for this, sure, but...

He isn't here to judge me,
I reminded myself. It was my life, and I had to take control of it. No one had ever swayed me from my path before.

Except for her.

Ellie had pushed me right into this office.

Glancing up, I saw Corbin was watching me expectantly. “Well?” he asked, suddenly quiet in the too-bright room. “What do you say?”

With languid, intentional curves, I signed my name on the last page. “I guess I say... when do I start?”

Corbin instantly relaxed into his chair. Reaching across, he beamed and shook my hand for the second time. It was brisk, vigorous. “How does Tuesday sound?”

Tuesday? That was only four days away. “You guys move fast.”

“Honestly, I was hoping to have you signed and ready faster. You gave us a bit of a run around, Pike.” His wink was supposed to be friendly, but I sensed his irritation. “I was relieved when Ellie called to say you'd be coming in to make it official. I phoned my guys in Dubai yesterday morning to arrange the shoot.”

Wait.
If he'd called in the morning, that meant...
Ellie told him I was in before we even did the skydive. What a cocky little sneak.
Her confidence was flooding my core with a new appreciation for her.

I noticed I was smiling, so I rolled with it. “Sorry for the wait. Just wanted to make sure this was something I was up for. Miss Cutter was very... convincing.”

Corbin crinkled his lips together, voice low. “Huh. Was she, now. I did impress on her that I wanted her to do whatever she could to get you on board. She must have taken that to heart.”

And my mood soured, quick as that last jump—no, quicker. “How do you mean?”

He studied me closely, shuffling the contract. “I think that came out wrong. I only meant to say that we both wanted you here, and she had free reign to make that happen. You did go out to the World's Antenna, correct?”

My nod was wary.

“Right,” he went on. “We arranged for your jump that night—which was amazing, by the way. Oh! And the new helmet, that was another gift.” Standing, he cracked his back, smoothed his dark suit jacket. “Pike, we're here to give you whatever you need. We want you to be happy. If I can do it with my money, or Ellie can manage it with... other skills...”

Other skills.
That sentence burned. I didn't think she'd done anything suspicious, but now, I wasn't sure. Watching him face away, his shoulders highlighted by the bright sun, I let my attention roam to the city-scape. The rich, blue sky reminded me of the skydive.

Then it hit me.

Corbin doesn't know about that.

Why else would he not mention it? He listed all the other ways Ellie had, apparently, 'won' me over.

Don't get bitter about this,
I warned myself.
You knew what she was trying to do.
Still, I was haunted by Corbin's words. What skills did he think Ellie had used on me?

Clearing my throat, I rose to my feet. He turned, smiling at me like it was a brand new day. I said, very slowly, “Miss Cutter was very convincing. But I'm getting the impression you think she did something she shouldn't have, in order to get me in your door.”

He didn't react. The man was still as stone. “Oh, no. You misunderstand. She was allowed to do whatever she wanted. Ellie is my best recruiter, Pike. She's never disappointed me—I didn't think she'd break her streak with you.” Fingering his shiny, gelled hair, he sighed. “If you're worried about her getting in trouble for sleeping with you, let me assure you, that isn't—”

“Sleeping with me?” I laughed.  “That's how you think she won me over? By fucking me?”

He folded his arms behind his back, joining my surprised laughter. “I just assumed—when you turned down all the typical perks, there had to be something else.” Lines spread over his forehead. “You're saying you two didn't...?”

Heat swirled, low in my gut. The smell of grass and sun and sweat flooded my memory. We
hadn't
fucked, but yesterday... out in that field...

We'd come very close.

“No,” I said, tightening my jaw. “We haven't.” Suddenly, a spark of righteousness rolled through my spine. I wanted to defend Ellie from whatever sordid implication Corbin was making about her. I didn't know why I gave a shit.

I
wanted
to fuck her—I was hungry for the taste of her mouth again. But this was different. His words were corrosive to my mood. “Miss Cutter never did anything like that. She was very professional.”
Tempting.
“And pleasant.”
Decadent.
“And understanding.”

Damn, the way she writhed under me...

Corbin's shoulders slid lower. “Now I'm curious. How
did
she convince you to sign with Maximal, then?”

Stepping towards the door, I hesitated. My answer wasn't the full truth. “She promised me that your company could take me anywhere I wanted. That I could jump from any location in the world.”

“That's correct,” he said, his smile finally showing again. “Let me promise the same. We really can take you anywhere, Pike. Now that you're with Maximal... the world is yours.”

Mine.

He spoke with saccharine-sweetness. “You name it, and we'll get you where you want to be.”

Shutting my eyes, I listened to another voice—one from so long ago.

There's one place I want to jump from, more than anything. Some day, we'll do it together.

Gripping the doorknob, I squeezed harder than I needed to. “Thanks. It was nice meeting you, Mr. Mathews. Guess I'll see you Tuesday.” I didn't wait for him to answer; I slid outside, the echo of the hall welcoming after the claustrophobic vibe of that office.

Inhaling until my lungs groaned, I took a moment—just standing there with no one else around. On the walls, I saw photos of other athletes. People snowboarding, surfing, and a few dirt bikers.

Maximal really did have the power to make anyone a star.
Even me.
I'd signed the contract, but it still didn't feel real. If this were a movie, there'd be some triumphant music blaring as I walked down the hall.

Instead, there was only my soft breathing.

The things Corbin had said about Ellie, they still cut at me. I didn't consider myself an easily angered person, but sitting there, I'd been struggling with the desire to rise up and knock him in the teeth.

He thought she'd slept with me so that I'd sign the contract.

Whatever he suspected about Ellie, he was wrong. I'd been the one making the first moves on her. That night—even if it had been to protect us both—I'd initiated the kiss. She'd been baffled, I could tell from her wide eyes.

Ellie was tempting me... but she wasn't doing it on purpose. I was sure of that.

Ruffling my hair, I strolled back into the main lobby. The receptionist, Becky, peeked up at my appearance. “Hey!” she shouted, waving me over. “How did it go in there?”

“Fine,” I said, not wanting to elaborate.

Her eyes narrowed behind her lenses. “You look a little warm. Here.” Reaching down, she lifted a bottle of water into view. “Have this. We keep a ton around for clients and stuff.”

Smiling gratefully, I took the water, cracking it open. “Thanks.” Downing a large mouthful, I breathed out in relief. The liquid was refreshing; I'd been more uncomfortable than I realized. Eyeing the wide room, I leaned on her desk. “It's kind of quiet in here, isn't it?”

“Well, unless we're hosting an event, not much happens here besides paperwork.” She propped her elbows on the desk. “All the fun stuff happens off site.”

Sliding my tongue on the edge of the bottle, I grinned. “Huh. Like what?”

Becky was fixated on my mouth; I knew that look. “Oh, you know. The recruiters like to entertain potential clients—like yourself—at parties, clubs, shows, that stuff. It can get wild.”

“I'm not a 'potential' client anymore,” I teased her.

“Right, right, sorry,” she giggled.

“Wild sounds nice. How wild are we talking?”

Something sparkled in Becky's eyes. “Pretty insane.”

“So you've gone to some of this stuff?”

Blushing, she gave me a wide smirk. “Of course. It's part of my job to help. Besides...” Her fingers, painted a lovely pink, slid over to brush my forearm. “It's really fun. A perk. You know?”

I was getting tired of hearing about all the 'perks' Maximal provided. Escaping Becky's wandering hand, I said flatly, “I can imagine.”

Her teeth glowed. Leaning away, she fished around in her purse. “I know you'll be gone for a bit—Dubai, right?” I nodded, and she went on. “Here, take my number. When you get back, I can show you what
wild
really means.”

I started to speak, but another voice rose up behind me. “Pike?”

Startled, I spun. I knew that voice well, but my senses weren't prepared for her presence.

Ellie stood a few feet away, dressed in black leggings and a pair of jean shorts that drew my eyes to her rounded hips. I was already imagining how I could get them off of her with my teeth, and I hadn't even said hello yet.

She adjusted her purse nervously—why was she nervous? “Are you here to sign the contract?” she asked, flicking a quick look over my shoulder at Becky.

“He already did,” the receptionist piped up.

“Oh.” Her lips slid low; I hungered to make them pucker with a kiss.

Pushing off of the desk, my fingers wiggled briefly at Becky. “She's right, I'm trapped now.” Sliding close to Ellie, I hooked my thumbs in my belt, smiling at the way she stood a bit taller. “Want to show me around, Warden?”

Ellie's sharp features smoothed. I was becoming addicted to that smile. “I didn't drag you here in cuffs.”