DESCRIPTION
There are two loves in my life: money and women.
What can I say? I’m a simple man.
Unfortunately, my passions make it hard to behave, and the board of directors in my company is getting nervous.
America’s most eligible bachelor just bought the biggest lingerie fashion company in the country, Cupid’s Arrows.
The message from my advisors—don’t look at any of the models sideways.
You’ve got to be kidding me. Do they realize who I am?
But I behave… until the top model walks in the room.
She’s my personal challenge poured into an hourglass figure.
I’m hurting in all the best ways. Best part? She makes me second-guess everything I thought I knew about what I wanted in life.
All of a sudden, one night isn’t enough. Not with her.
It’s a hands-off situation though. My hands off her. And it’s not working.
It would seem that cupid has shot his arrow, and he used my heart for his practice round.
Introduction
Well hey there! Thank you so much for grabbing one of my books. I sure hope you love it.
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Introduction
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DEDICATION
To Jacob Parker. Weston & I are crazy proud of you for starting your own stories, baby. You’re the best valentine in the world. You’re my best friend. I couldn’t and wouldn’t do life without you. Weston loves you too. Ha!
Ali & Weston Parker
CHAPTER 1
STORM
She had a racing stripe up the back of her sheer black nylons. I didn’t know who she was, how long she’d worked for me, or what she did at Thornton Enterprises, but I did know that I wanted to see the end of that stripe.
The woman stood with a leather folder clutched to her chest in one hand and a piping hot cup of black coffee in the other. She listened to the office receptionist, Anita, as she spoke about her two young sons weeping when she dropped them off at preschool this morning.
The woman with the mysterious line up the back of her legs smiled sympathetically. “I know how you feel, Anita. When my oldest started going to daycare, he was a screaming ball of raw feelings, but he had nothing on the breakdowns I had when I got back in my car.”
Anita nodded sympathetically. “The guilt is incredible.”
I moved up beside the woman in the nylons and gave them both my best Thornton smile. “Any boy with a brain in his head would bawl his eyes out to have to part with either of you charming ladies.”
Anita laughed and shook her head, her blonde curls dancing against her flushed cheeks. “Good morning, Mr. Thornton. Have you had a chance to meet our newest addition to the human resources department?” She gestured to the woman in the nylons. “Mr. Thornton, this is Julie. She’s one of our Happiness Champions.”
Julie finally turned to me, revealing full lips, an upturned nose, and wideset cat-shaped eyes. She extended her hand. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Thornton.”
“Nice to meet you as well, Julie. With a smile like yours, I’m confident you’ll be an excellent HC.”
An HC at Thornton Enterprises was responsible for ensuring job satisfaction within every department of the company. When my father ran the business, such things were unimportant to him, but after his passing and my acquisition of all of his assets, including the business, I’d wasted little time making positive changes.
I understood the changing ways of the world in a way my father never could. He couldn’t be bothered to try to get inside the heads of his people. All he cared about was the bottom line. Therefore, the only minds he cared to protect and ensure were healthy were those of the board of directors. I, however, saw the value in ensuring that every member of my team, regardless of their role, had access to everything they needed for job satisfaction.
Three years ago I’d proposed the Happiness Champion role to my board of directors with the help of some of our HR people. They pushed back, but I had expected resistance and refused to back down. After just one year of implementing the program and following through with what our Champions told us we needed to do, our turnover rate was lower than ever and we’d cut costs on new hires.
The board never acknowledged the success of the program.
It didn’t matter. I hadn’t done it for them. I’d done it for the people who busted their asses every day.
Julie pulled her hand back and fidgeted with the zipper on her leather folder. “Everyone warned me you were a bit of a smooth-talker.”
“By everyone do you mean Anita?”
Anita clicked her tongue. “Just looking out for my fellow women, Storm. You can’t fault me for that.”
I shook my hand out and made a hissing sound as if burned by her words. “Ouch.”
Anita rolled her eyes. “Don’t pity him, Julie.”
Julie giggled and tucked her hair behind her ears. “Um, I don’t suppose you could show me to the HR department, Mr. Thornton? This office is bigger than my college.”
With a slight bow of my head, I offered her my arm. “Absolutely. And please, call me Storm.”
Her lashes fluttered as she gazed up at me. “Storm.”
The sharp cough and clearing of a man’s throat made Julie jump and me turn, coming face to face with the chairman of my board of directors.
“Storm.” Garrett’s voice cut deep and scathing. “You’re needed in the board room. Anita, please escort our new Happiness Champion to her department. Storm, walk with me.”
Begrudgingly, I stepped back from Julie, offering her a sincere apology with my hand pressed to my chest. “I’ll come find you later, Julie. I want to make sure you’re having no trouble fitting in.”
I winked and Julie giggled.
Anita rolled her eyes at me for the second time that morning before ushering Julie away.
Garrett folded his thick arms over his chest.
“Lurk much?” I began walking to the board room.
Garrett caught up to my strides. “She’s off limits.”
“Who?”
“Don’t play coy with me, Storm. With your reputation, you can’t go around hooking up with newly hired employees. What if she’s a plant? What if she works for one of those slutty magazines always publishing nonsense about you and the company?”