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want his mother pushing available females at him while he searched.

      “Just me.” His mother offered him an off-center grin. “I had a few things I wanted to discuss with you.”

      Sebastian raised his eyebrows. “Such as?”

      “Missy told me what happened last night.”

      Annoyance tightened his gut into stone, but Sebastian decided to play dumb and see just how much she’d told his mother. “She told you she quit?”

      “She told me she had too much to drink while celebrating her birthday and threw herself at you but that you were too professional to take advantage of her.” Susan’s eyes narrowed. “That’s a lot of bull, isn’t it?”

      “I’m not going to discuss it.”

      “Is that why she’s quitting?”

      “No.”

      “Sebastian, I don’t know what to say.” And yet she continued talking. “This isn’t like you.”

      On that they both agreed. “I’m still not discussing this with you.”

      His mother kept going as if he’d never spoken. “She has a boyfriend. Did you think for one minute how much trouble this will create between them?”

      “They broke up.”

      “So, she was on the rebound.” His mother tried for stern, but something sparkled in her eyes. “Oh, Sebastian. How could you take advantage of her in such a vulnerable state?”

      He could clear his name by revealing that Missy had been the one to proposition him, but he refused to defend himself at the risk of her reputation.

      Before he could answer, his mother changed her line of questioning. “What are you going to do about Kaitlyn?”

      There was nothing to do about Kaitlyn. His mother had it in her head that he was involved with her. That couldn’t be further from the truth. They were casually involved, emphasis on casual.

      Sure, marriage to Kaitlyn made sense in a lot of ways. They attended the same charity galas and came from similar backgrounds. She would fit seamlessly into his life. But most important, he needed someone that soothed his spirit, not aggravated it. And Kaitlyn possessed a tranquil quality, rare among women. She’d make an ideal wife.

      That made him question why, when he pictured a woman living in his home and sharing his bed, he imagined her with red hair.

      “Kaitlyn and I are friends, Mother. Nothing more.” Tired of being on the defensive, Sebastian changed topics. “Why are you and Dad here?”

      His mother held his gaze for a long moment before answering. “He regrets retiring and wants to return to work.”

      Annoyance kicked Sebastian in the temple. A sharp pulse began in his head. “As CEO?”

      “He said no. He claims he wants to return part time so he has something to occupy him besides golf.”

      And once he came back to the company, Brandon would undermine Sebastian at every turn until he got fed up and stepped down. Bile rose in his throat. He should have known his father would pull something like this.

      “You need to talk him out of it.” His mother put her hand on his arm. Her blue eyes widened with concern. “I almost lost him a year ago. He promised me we’d travel and make up for all the years he wasn’t around.”

      Brandon’s twelve-year affair with Nathan’s mother had taken a severe toll on his wife. Sebastian had often wondered what bargain his parents had made that had kept them together and had convinced his mother to raise her husband’s illegitimate son.

      “As much as it benefits both of us for Dad to stay far away from Case Consolidated Holdings,” Sebastian said, “I’m not sure how I’m supposed to stop him from returning to work.”

      “Talk to him. Make him understand that you’re doing a wonderful job running the company.”

      His mother’s optimism made Sebastian shake his head. Her husband rarely thought about anyone’s needs besides his own unless forced to do so.

      “He showed up for the leadership summit, and I’m sure he intends for it to appear as if he’s still in charge. He took Lucas Smythe golfing and probably spent the entire round badmouthing my leadership abilities. You don’t seriously believe anything I say will sway him, do you?”

      Sebastian refused to battle his father this week in front of all the executives.

      “Do what you can.”

      With those words, his mother left to shower and change for their lunch. Sebastian was staring at the Vegas strip when Missy emerged from her room.

      Her expression shifted from cheerful to uncertain when she spotted his frown. “What’s wrong?”

      “Did you have a fun morning with my mother?”

      “As a matter of fact I did.” Missy crossed to the table he’d been working at all morning. “Are you mad because I had fun or because it was with your mother?”

      She set her cell phone down and used her finger to spin it. Today’s outfit of jeans and a snug white T-shirt had about the same effect on his libido as the sexy black dress she’d worn last night. Russet waves, still damp from her shower, rested on her shoulders, turning the cotton fabric transparent.

      Sebastian spied the straps from her simple white bra. It frustrated him that everything about her turned him on. How was he supposed to maintain a professional relationship with her when all he could think about was lifting her onto the conference table and checking her for tan lines?

      “She’s been lecturing me on taking advantage of you,” he muttered, stepping near enough to touch her. Keeping his hands to himself tested his control, but he triumphed. “I thought I told you to leave it alone.”

      “You told me not to say anything to your father or Lucas Smythe.”

      He barely heard her. She’d interpreted his words literally to defy him. His annoyance with her behavior had yet to run its course.

      “Only you didn’t set things straight. You spun a story. An outrageous story.”

      “Not so outrageous,” she said, her full lips drawn tight. With her impudent chin cocked at a belligerent angle, she concluded, “I’d just broken up with my boyfriend. It’s not so hard to believe I got tipsy celebrating my birthday and hit on you, but you were the perfect gentleman and turned me down.”

      “And if I turned you down, how exactly did you explain why you were in my suite wearing my shirt?”

      “Because I was naked when I climbed into bed with you.”

      Vivid images of exactly that leapt into his thoughts. Even without his eyes closed the evocative memories tormented him.

      “I told you not to interfere.” He gripped the back of a chair to keep from throttling her.

      “If I hadn’t, Lucas Smythe wouldn’t know that you’d never take advantage of any employee, drunk or sober.” For good measure, she added, “Your mother promised to help me straighten out the misunderstanding.”

      “There was no misunderstanding.” Sebastian knew Lucas Smythe would never believe such a ridiculous story. Who in their right mind could resist a naked Missy? “But now it looks like I’m making excuses for my behavior.”

      His sharp tone eviscerated her composure. She set her hands on her hips. Her brow puckered. “Can’t you trust me to handle this?”

      “No.”

      “This is just typical of you.”

      She’d never had the nerve to criticize him before. Apparently an abundance of sexy curves wasn’t the only thing his assistant had been keeping from him.

      “What do

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