Alpha Billionaire Series
Love to Hate You Chapter 6

NASH

I arrive early for the Monday morning meeting and it's strange being back at TB Tech. In a weird way, it almost feels right. I shake my head, not understanding why it would, and follow the receptionist into the massive conference room where several board members already sit. They immediately stand up to shake my hand and my eyes are instantly drawn to the far end of the oak table where Charlie talks to a partner. For a moment, our gazes meet, and I can't help but frown. The last two years have been kind and she's far more attractive than I remember. I kept thinking the same thing at the funeral on Saturday. Her honey-blonde hair is pulled back into a low twist and she looks slim and elegant in a black pantsuit. Those blue-green eyes of hers assess me closely and she frowns right back. Adjusting my tie, I walk along the edge of the table, closing the distance between us. F**k. When did she get so damn pretty? All I remember is a harpy who made my life miserable. But this woman looks like some kind of blonde bombshell who walked in straight off the red carpet.

My heart thunders in my chest and when I reach her, neither of us says anything for a moment. It's almost like we're meeting for the first time. Mark Jenner, the board member, standing beside her clears his throat.

"I'm sorry for your loss, Nash," Mark says.

"Appreciate it." We shake hands and my attention returns to Charlie who looks like a beautiful ice queen. "Charlie," I say.

"Nash," she returns smoothly, voice betraying no hint of emotion. Calm, cool and collected, like always. But something in her aquamarine eyes' flashes.

"I know this situation isn't exactly comfortable, but I hope we can work through it and everyone can get on the same page," I say.

"And what page is that exactly?" Charlie asks.

"The one that puts TB Tech's best interests first," I clarify. Her lips look glossy, and I can't drag my eyes away.

"For some of us, that's always been our first priority," she says.

It's a dig directed at me for leaving but I choose to ignore it. I'm going to try really hard to be the bigg

*g man here. Even if it kills me.

"The rest of my family should be here soon," I tell them. Turning, unable to look at those plump, juicy lips any longer, I grab a Styrofoam cup of coffee off the table. There's a whole assortment of muffins and donuts, but I ignore them. All I need is the dark, hot caffeine thrumming through my veins and drowning out this weird feeling that hits me when I look at Charlie.

Attraction? It can't be. There's no way I can be attracted to the shrew who used to drive me crazy. Sneaking a peek at her, I study her hand laying on the conference table. She has long, elegant fingers, no rings on and her perfect nail beds have a clear coat of shiny polish.

No ring.I think it's safe to assume she isn't engaged or married. Like me, she probably devoted all of here working and not dating or trying to make a relationship work. Work has consumed my life and Charlie and I were very similar in that aspect. Of course, things change.

My gaze travels up her black sleeve, over her shoulder and to the creamy expanse of her neck and collarbone visible in the open neckline of her white shirt. No necklace. Just smooth, soft-looking skin that begs to be kissed and licked. Her jawline is firm, cheekbones high and nose straight.

Why didn't I remember how pretty her profile is? Or how her eyes are the shade of aquamarines? Like two bright gems the color of the sea. When my dick starts to swell, I can't fucking believe it. I drop down into the nearest chair and blink stupidly. What is happening? How in the hell can I be attracted to Charlie Langley, ball-crusher extraordinaire? How is it even possible? All I have of this woman are bad memories. I shift, trying to get comfortable, and it's nearly impossible. Especially when I catch the lightest whiff of vanilla. Oh, Jesus. No doubt about it. My mind and my d**k are on two different pages right now.

Charlie Langley always had the exact opposite effect on me and my jewels. The moment she opened her mouth, they shrank up and tried to hide from the shrillness. But, now, everything has changed. I have no idea why, though.

This complicates things and is so unexpected that the speech I had prepared to give to the board and my siblings evaporates. Just dissolves away and I replace myself trying to get a glimpse of Charlie's a*s when she turns sideways. Of course, it's perfect.

I'm completely thrown by what's happening right now. It's like she put some kind of voodoo spell on me or something. The overwhelming draw I feel toward her is unexplainable. I mean she's always been pretty, I guess. But that was overshadowed and diminished by the fact that she drove me insane.

A couple of minutes before 10:00 a.m., Tanner and Sawyer arrive. I introduce them to everyone and it's hard not to miss the look of appreciation that flashes in Sawyer's eyes when I present Charlie to him. Annoyance prickles through me and even though she remains cool as always, Sawyer's gaze heats up.

"Why don't you have a seat? Over there," I say, directing Sawyer away from her and to the other side of the table. My wild military brother can be a huge fucking flirt and that's not why we're here or the impression I want to make with the board right now. Sawyer rolls his eyes but walks around the table, a smirk curving his mouth. I don't know what the hell is so amusing but the further away he is from me and Charlie, the better. I pull her chair out and nod. "What do you say? Should we get started?" I ask her. She blinks, almost looking surprised that I asked her opinion, or maybe because I pulled out her chair, and damn her lashes are long. They practically touch her eyebrows. "Aren't we waiting for two more?"

"Yeah, but no telling when the twins will show. They kind of do their own thing and will get here eventually. No point in making everyone else wait, though."

"Okay. Then why don't you have a seat," she suggests and pointedly looks down at the chair I pulled out for her. "I'll get us started."

I bite back a reply. There she is the old, domineering Charlie. But instead of annoying me, something about the way she takes charge turns me on. "Great," I answer and sit down. No one needs to see the growing evidence in my pants. Again, she looks slightly floored that I hand her the reins. Why? I wonder. Was I always such a controlling a*****e that I needed to start every meeting first and throw my weight around?

Yeah.If memory serves me well, I guess I kind of did.

Well, people can change. Besides, I need a few moments to get my thoughts back in order and remember what the hell it is that I had planned on saying. I also need to refocus and stop thinking about how good Charlie smells and how damn long her legs look. And stop wondering how they'd feel wrapped around my waist.

Aw, fuck. This isn't good. I have never been so distracted in my life and I need to get it together because today is a big day.

"Good morning," Charlie says. She stands at the head of the table, and I realize that I'm on her right-hand side. No wonder she didn't want to sit here. She's not about to relinquish her position of power.

I can hear the authority in her voice as she speaks, and she's grown a lot in the last couple of years. I recognize her confidence and the ease with which she addresses the men in front of her. She's not intimidated and it's clear this woman can hold her own in the testosterone-driven tech world.

It's weird but a little part of me is enjoying her little speech. That is until she gets to the part where she says she's basically better qualified than me to be President when the three months is up.

Wait, what?

My head snaps up and it's at that moment that Crew and Sierra decide to show up. I stifle a sigh, tell them to sit and make a quick introduction. They immediately dig into the muffins without a care in the world.

"Are you finished?" I ask Charlie. I'm pissed off that she's already showing her claws. For some strange reason I thought, very briefly, that we might be able to work together. I need to stop mentally undressing her and get my head in the game. "For now," she murmurs.

I wait for her to move over, relinquish her spot at the head of the table, but she doesn't and instead pulls up a chair and sits. There's no missing that spark of challenge in her eyes. Fine. She wants to do this, then let's do it, I think.

"Gentleman and ladies," I add for Charlie and Sierra's benefit, "despite how I left TB Tech, it's a pleasure to be back. It took some time and distance away to realize how important this company is to me. It meant everything to my father, and I know our relationship wasn't always perfect, but I'm back and I plan to take his company to number one. I know it's what he would've wanted and let's face it..." I look right at Charlie. "I love a good challenge. In fact, I can't resist it."

Her eyes narrow.

"With that said, I plan to be here and reacquaint myself with the day-to-day operations. It's important that we're all on the same page-"

"You mentioned that you wanted to put TB Tech's best interests first," Charlie interrupts. "Care to share any of your plans on how you intend to do that?"

I turn my body toward her, looking down at her, and she shifts in her chair. "By listening. It's a skill I learned during the past two years, and I plan to put it to good use. I want to speak with everyone who works here and whatever you're currently doing, I want to do it better. The best way to accomplish that is with employee and client input."

Charlie bristles and re-crosses her legs in the opposite direction. "Sometimes too much input muddles things," she says and crosses her arms. "Makes things more confused and murkier than they need to be."

"Kind of like your face right now," I tease. Shock fills her face and those stunning aquamarine eyes narrow. "What?"

I lean down, closer, and in a low voice say, "You've got a storm brewing behind those eyes, Charlie. Better lock it down."

Her mouth drops open in a perfect "O" then snaps shut. For a brief moment, I stare at those pouty, glistening lips of hers and wonder if the gloss tastes like anything. Strawberries, maybe?

Standing back up to my full height, I straighten my sleeve and then look back over at the board and my useless siblings who all appear bored out of their mind. Except Tanner. He's actually listening to what we're saying.

"So please feel free to stop by my office and talk to me about anything. My ears are open and I'm anxious to know what we can do to make this place better in every possible way. I expect the next three months' transition will go smoothly especially with Charlie's help." I look back down at her and, wow, she is not happy. "Know that my siblings and I appreciate the warm welcome and we plan to keep this ship running. Hopefully better than ever before. If the board doesn't have any questions for me, my brothers and sister are going to talk further now."

Crew looks up from stuffing a half-eaten donut in his mouth and makes a face. Sawyer sighs and Sierra looks on the verge of falling asleep. Tanner merely nods.

"No questions. Yet," Mark Jenner says and stands up. The rest of the partners follow suit, and we all shake hands. Charlie shakes their hands as well and walks with Mark to the door. After saying goodbye, I expect her to shut it behind her and give us some privacy. Instead, she surprises me by closing it and walking back over to address us all.

"I hope I can briefly interrupt," she begins, and I notice Sawyer sitting up straighter in his seat. Traitor. "I'm Charlie Langley and, first off, my condolences. Despite his genius, Thomas wasn't always smart when it came to his children. I witnessed it firsthand," she says and glances at me. Visit Job n i b .com to read the complete chapters for free. "Despite that, I know he meant well, and he loved this company. More than anything, I want to stress that the success of TB Tech is my main concern and priority. It always has been and will continue to be so while I'm Interim President and hopefully after."

And hopefully after...

She thinks I'm going to can her;l realize. Suffer through the next three months with her attempting to call all the shots and then boot her out the door with a generous severance package. I'm not going to deny it- the thought has crossed my mind. A few times. But after seeing her today, I'm not so sure that's a possibility anymore. Something about Charlie Langley has me too jazzed. Excited in a way that I haven't been since...

Hell. Since ever.

If she doesn't fight me every step of the way while Interim President, I'm seriously considering keeping her on and promoting her to a partner. I'm also curious if maybe we can replace some other, more creative uses, for that sharp tongue of hers.