One Last Mistake: A Billionaire Romance (The Ironwood Billionaire Series Book 3) Read online

  “I think I smelled you before I saw you,” he muttered. “Sit down.”

  I took a seat across from him.

  “Now, as you know, a lot of changes are about to happen in this company,” he said, finally looking up from his papers. “And there's a lot that you and I need to discuss, so I hope that you're able to pay proper attention over the next few hours.”

  “I am, don't worry. Can I just get a coffee though? I could use a bit of caffeine to perk me up about now.”

  “I'll bet you could. Tell Linda what you want.”

  He dialed Linda from the phone on his desk and then handed the receiver to me. I told her what I was after, and she assured me it would be here shortly.

  “All right, while you wait for that, I can at least tell you about one important order of business,” my dad said. “As you know, I fired our marketing director. Phil, however, happened to find me a new one, and he was pretty fast about it. I had a look at this girl's resume—”

  “It's a girl, huh?” I remarked with a wolfish grin.

  He stared at me, narrowing his eyes. “Yeah, it is, and don't you get any ideas about her now, you hear?”

  “Relax, Dad, I'm kidding. Go on.”

  “It's no time for kidding,” he remonstrated. “Anyway, the new woman comes with fantastic recommendations and a resume that's perfect for what we need, especially considering the direction in which we're looking to expand.”

  “All right.”

  “So, you're fine with that?”

  “It's fine by me. We really needed a new marketing director, and if you've managed to find one who fits, that's perfect.”

  “Good. Well, let's move on to the next issue then...”

  * * * * *

  I finished up my time at work around four hours later, and by that stage I was feeling pretty damn exhausted. The coffee had perked me up for a while but after the effects of the caffeine wore off, I was crashing hard.

  I told my dad I'd be heading out and relaxing. He didn't look too happy but couldn't say much as I'd already taken care of everything I needed to take care of the day before. I'd put in some very long, hard hours the previous day precisely because I had wanted to go out late and cut loose. See, Dad? I'm not totally irresponsible.

  “Remember, I want you at the company conference two hours early tomorrow night,” said my dad as I was leaving. “We'll have more stuff to discuss then.”

  “Don't worry, I'll be right on time. I always am.”

  He nodded grudgingly. He didn't approve of my partying, but I never let it interfere with my work or make me late or anything.

  “Yeah, you are,” he said reluctantly. “Well, go on then, get outta here. I'll see you at the conference.”

  I headed out and figured that I needed a decent meal to get my energy levels up and to fight off what remained of my hangover. I stopped a cab and directed the driver to an Indian restaurant I’d always enjoyed. On the way, I texted my buddy, Jake Davis, to see if he wanted to meet me. He responded he’d be there in ten minutes.

  Ten minutes later I walked in. Jake already sat at one of the tables. He and I had been close friends from the time we were in high school.

  “Hey, man,” Jake said with a grin, calling out as soon as he saw me. “Perfect timing! Looks like the universe has brought us together. Come on over, buddy, pull up a chair.”

  I walked on over and sat down at his table. “Hey, Jake, how's life treating you?”

  He nodded, smiling. “It's all good, man. Whew, no offense, bro, but you're smelling a little like a whiskey bar.”

  I chuckled. “I had a bit of a night out last night.”

  “And you didn't manage to fit in a shower and a change of clothes between last night and now? It's already pretty late into the afternoon you know.”

  I shrugged. “I haven't been back to the Ironwood since yesterday.”

  He cocked his head and raised an eyebrow with mock severity. “Now, now, Kyle, didn't we talk about not sleeping on the sidewalk?”

  We both chuckled.

  “All right, seriously though, buddy, where did you end up sleeping?”

  “Take a wild guess,” I said with a wolfish grin.

  He nodded knowingly, smiling. “Ah, I see. So, who was she? Did you at least get a name?”

  I nodded. “Meredith. Took me forever to remember it though, as easy a name as it is. I was pretty wasted last night.”

  He nodded. “Well, sounds like you had a great time, even if it does mean you have to stink like an unwashed bar.”

  A waiter came over, interrupting our conversation. I ordered my favorite meal and Jake did as well.

  The waiter left, and Jake gave me a piercing stare. “Don't you get tired of it, Kyle?”

  “Tired of it?”

  “You know. Just going out and drinking and partying, and having one-night stands, and then never seeing these girls again. I mean, sure, I can see the appeal. It's what I used to do, too. And sure, you're rich, powerful, and good-looking enough to be meeting hot girls. But don't you find yourself wanting something a little more fulfilling than all these one-night stands and casual sex?”

  I wanted to answer right away that no, I didn't want anything more than that, and that I was perfectly contented living this kinda playboy lifestyle but then I thought back to earlier this morning, when I had had the chance to duck unseen out of Meredith's place and never speak to her again, or to stay, and spend a little more time with her.

  And I had chosen to stay. I still couldn't say why but I had. I had wanted more. With her.

  “I'm not sure,” I eventually answered.

  “Well, I can tell you, man, since I started dating Judy, I just feel a whole lot better. It's a powerful, intense thing, being in love, and dedicating yourself to another person, and making their happiness paramount. It changes everything. You should try it sometime.”

  As he was saying this, my thoughts kept drifting back to Meredith, and for some reason, I imagined us doing things together – couple things, dates, long walks. No, no, that was crazy. What on earth was going on here? It was ridiculous to be thinking about this kind of stuff with a person I'd met once and had a one-night stand with. More importantly, she didn't seem to want to ever see me again anyway.

  I sighed.

  “Maybe one day I'll try it. But not today. Not anytime soon, in fact. Anyway, screw it, I don't want to talk about this stuff anymore. Let's talk about something else.”

  “All right, but you know what, it just might happen to you sometime, even if you don’t think you’re ready for it.”

  Chapter 5

  Meredith

  “So, Meredith, you've got the job.”

  I wanted to jump and scream with joy but, of course, I didn't. While I was brimming with excitement, I managed to maintain a calm tone on the phone.

  “That's great news, Phil! I'm very happy to hear that.”

  “You were a perfect fit, as I suspected. The CEO took one look at your qualifications and work history and told me to hire you. He'd like very much to meet you before the company conference tomorrow evening, which you're expected to attend, by the way.”

  Oh, wow, this was suddenly getting very busy. Meeting the CEO? Company conference? It was a lot to have on my plate, but I could handle this.

  “Sure thing on both counts,” I said. “Just tell me where and when, and I'll be there with bells on.”

  “Great. That's just the kind of attitude that makes me glad that I was able to convince Ronald to hire you.”

  “Ronald?”

  “Yes, Ronald Williams. He's the CEO. Fantastic man to work for.”

  “I look forward to meeting him.”

  “And he's looking forward to meeting you. Like I said, he's a great guy to work for, although, just between you and me, you may not really get to experience working for him for too long.”

  That sent a sudden shiver of alarm rushing through me. What did he mean by that? Was I only being hired for a trial period or someth
ing? Or only for a once-off job? We hadn't spoken about anything like this, and I had been pretty sure that when Phil and I had spoken about the job it had been about a permanent position. A million thoughts were suddenly rushing through my mind, and I found myself momentarily lost for words.

  “Um, I'm sorry but I'm not too sure what you mean, Phil,” I said warily.

  “Oh, of course, I'm sorry, I forgot to mention that when we spoke. What I mean is just that some substantial changes are underfoot at the company. Don't worry, it's got nothing to do with you or your position, you're entirely safe. But some important things are being shuffled around, people are being moved around, and Ronald is retiring. Don't tell anyone though; it's a secret that he's going to break to the rest of the company tomorrow evening. Just act as surprised as everyone else when he says it, all right?”

  I breathed out a sigh of relief. “Uh, yeah, of course, I'll pretend I'm totally surprised.”

  “Good. Ronald is busy in a meeting right now, and his PA tells me he will probably be busy in that meeting for at least the next few hours. I can't give you a time to come in just yet but are you able to keep the afternoon free?”

  “I've got nothing planned for the day,” I replied, “so, yeah, I'll keep my afternoon open.”

  “Great. I'll give you a call a little later to let you know what time to come in.”

  We said our goodbyes and I put down the phone, grinning like an idiot. This was the best news I’d had in a while, and I had to share it. I dialed Ella up right away.

  “You got the job, didn't you?” she squealed.

  “I did!” I exclaimed, almost giddy with glee. “Phil just called me back to let me know that I got it!”

  “Woohoo! That's amazing! I can't say I'm surprised though; you were such a perfect fit for the job. They would have been stupid to not hire you. But hey, now, so you're no longer unemployed, huh? In fact, you've got a pretty damn amazing job now!”

  “I do! And I feel great! Over the freakin' moon!”

  She laughed, and I could hear from her tone that she was happy for me. “We're going to have to go out and celebrate.”

  “Not like we did last night, though,” I said. “I don't think I could handle any more partying, at least not until next week!”

  She chuckled. “Yeah, I'm all partied out, too. It's a lot different when you're twenty-nine.

  “Jeez, yeah, back in college we could party until five in the morning, do shots, and dance all night and then get up and feel totally fine the next morning. Now we need like, what, two days to recover?”

  She laughed. “You're making us sound like old women! But yeah, no more partying, not for a few days anyway. But how about lunch?”

  “I can do lunch,” I replied. “I have to keep my afternoon free, because I'm supposed to be meeting the CEO then but yeah, lunch should be fine.”

  We decided on Poncho’s at noon. Ah, this was great. I was so happy to have gotten this job! I got out of bed and headed over to the bathroom to shower. Despite how happy I was at getting the job, though, something was bugging me. I just didn't feel like everything was right.

  I stood in my bathroom door for a while just thinking about this.

  No, no way. That couldn't be it.

  But why did he keep popping into my head? Come on, it was nothing, it was a one-night stand, and both of us knew and understood that it was a one-off. I didn't want a relationship, so why was I feeling like I really wanted to see him? Like I was missing him? This was totally strange.

  “No, Kyle,” I muttered, “I'm not going to let you get under my skin. And I'll bet that you don't even want to be under my skin. You’re probably off chasing another girl already.”

  And he probably was. I didn't know that much about him but from what I could tell from how he looked and the six-thousand-dollar suit, and two thousand-dollar shoes he wore, he was rich and likely powerful. And, of course, that, combined with the fact that he was young, extremely good-looking and shredded like a professional MMA fighter, meant that he was very likely a playboy type who spent his free time chasing after models and actresses and getting them into bed. He had probably forgotten me entirely by now.

  I forced myself to push thoughts of him out of my mind. It wouldn't do me any good to get hung up on a guy like that.

  I got undressed, stepped into the shower, and allowed the hot, powerful jets of water to blast any thoughts and distractions from my mind. I was about to start a new job, one that was going to demand every ounce of concentration and mental focus I possessed, and getting distracted and hung up on stuff outside of work wasn't going to do me any good.

  “Focus, Meredith, focus,” I whispered to myself as the steam rose in swirls around me.

  * * * * *

  “Let's sit outside on the deck,” suggested Ella.

  “Yeah, it's a lovely day out,” I replied.

  “Just you two?” asked the waitress.

  “Yeah, just us.”

  “All right, you can take a seat out here and I'll bring menus.”

  We went outside and found a table.

  “So, are you excited?” asked Ella, smiling. “When do you start?”

  “Definitely excited. Well, there's this meeting with Ronald Williams later this afternoon – he's the CEO – and then there's a big company conference I have to attend tomorrow night. Apparently, there's going to be a couple of substantial changes at the company, although whatever those changes are is being kept pretty hush-hush at the moment.”

  “Ooh, it sounds like you're coming in at a very interesting time.”

  “Interesting, yeah,” I replied. “A little intimidating, too. I mean, I haven't even been to the offices yet and it feels like I'm already being thrown into the deep end.”

  “You'll handle it just fine, though. You thrive under pressure. You always have.”

  “True, but that doesn't make it any less scary!”

  Just then the waitress arrived with some menus. We ordered drinks and then began looking through the menus. Before we could continue talking, however, I saw Ella looking behind me, and her eyes widened with surprise.

  “Heads up, coming this way!” she hissed urgently.

  I turned around, at least partially prepared for a surprise, but even that didn't quite prepare me for the sight of Connor walking up to me.

  “Meredith!” he said with a broad smile on his face. “I knew it was you!”

  I hadn't seen him in person since we had broken up. I’d seen the photos on MyFriends and everything but that didn't prepare me for the surprise of seeing him in the flesh. He was looking kinda chubby; he seemed to have put on a good twenty pounds, maybe more, since I had last seen him. And since he was already a heavyset guy, the extra weight wasn't doing him any favors.

  “Oh, hey, Connor,” I said, forcing a smile and hoping that I wasn't looking too awkward. “How are you?”

  “I'm really good,” he said. “Just got back from Thailand yesterday. Had an amazing time! I still have a few more pics of our vacation to upload. I put some up on MyFriends last night, did you see them?”

  “No, I didn't see anything like that,” I lied.

  “Oh, it was just, like, so amazing. We can't wait to go back. The beaches, just this white, powdery sand, and the bright and clear and warm tropical water. It really is paradise over there.”

  “I'm glad you enjoyed it,” I commented, hoping he didn't pick up on the slight tinge of envy evident in my voice.

  “Oh, we did, we had a really awesome time. And the next vacation we're going on is to Europe. I bet you’re wishing now that you hadn’t dumped me.”

  “Um…” I didn’t know what I could possibly say to that. Sure, I felt lonely sometimes, and I was tired of him trying to compete with me like this. But wishing I hadn’t dumped him? Nope.

  He leaned forward. “And I'll let you in on a little secret...”

  “Oh, yeah?” I asked without any trace of interest.

  He grinned smugly. “I'm going to ask An
nie to marry me. I’ll propose to her at the top of the Eiffel Tower. And we're so in love, I just know that she's going to say yes. I can't wait!”

  “Wow, uh, that's great, Connor. I really hope that she does say yes.”

  I couldn't help but wonder if he could detect the insincerity in my tone. I suspected, though, that even if he could, it wouldn't really matter that much to him. He came here to speak to me to rub all of this in my face. I had dumped him, and now he wanted to show me that I had made a huge mistake, that I was the one who was losing out now that he was doing all this romantic stuff with his new girlfriend. Well, his little revenge quest here, or whatever this little performance was, wasn't going to affect me. Instead of feeling envious, I was feeling sorry for Annie. If she said yes, she would be stuck with this selfish bozo for life.

  “She'll say yes. I just know it,” he said with a smug, self-satisfied grin.

  “Well, good for you,” I said.

  “Thanks. So how are you doing?” He leaned back and gave me another smirk. “You seeing anyone these days, or are you still single?”

  “Oh, I'm dating someone,” I replied. The lie slipped out before I could stop it.

  Across the table, I heard Ella stifling a gasp of surprise. I hoped that Connor didn't notice.

  “Really?” His smile fell. He hated feeling one-upped like this, which made the lie worth it. “Who's the lucky man?”

  “His name is Kyle,” I said, “and he's a business executive. Very serious guy, but he's fun to be around.”

  “Oh, yeah?”

  I could see jealousy twisting the corners of Connor's mouth into a weird little forced smile.

  “Yeah. He’s a great guy.”

  “He’s a hottie, too,” Ella added. “I met him last night.”

  “Well, uh, good for you,” Connor said, maintaining that weak travesty of a smile all the while. Was it just me, or had he sucked in his stomach a little? “Anyway, it was nice bumping into you but I gotta run now. See you around.”

  “See you, Connor. And I hope she says yes.”

  “She will. I just know it.”

  He turned around and walked briskly back into the restaurant. As soon as he was gone, I turned and looked back at Ella. Her eyes were wide with surprise.