It was definitely him last night.
And my heart kicks against my ribs while my stomach flutters at the handsome photo of him going about his day like a normal person.
Only, he’s not normal. He’s one of the best male drivers after Colton Donavan. And I can’t deny I find him more than attractive.
Bad news.
Heartbreaker.
Kayden Mercer.
4
Kayden
Fucking ridiculous.
I was meant to race today, to forget the threats that came from the phone call, and then she walked in and fucked my world over. Pushing my bedroom door open, I step into the darkened room and make a beeline for the shower. Once inside, I turn on the taps and strip off while the steam billows in the vast room.
The cool tiles underfoot send shivers up my spine, and when I step under the spray, the heat prickles my skin. Placing both palms on the wall in front of me, I drop my head, allowing the water to massage the tight knots in my shoulders. I wanted to lose my cool with the board. I want them all fired and build a team I can trust, who I know will have my back, but I know it’s a bad idea. Some of them are good at what they do, they know the business, but the fact that they want me out has me rethinking everything.
My life has become a shitshow. All I’m waiting for now is my mother to call and tell me what a bad job I’m doing with the company. She never wanted to step up and be CEO. Her focus is on spending the money that comes in, but she has no desire to work for it.
Years of allowing Dad to do everything has ensured her laziness skyrocketed, and even now, she’d rather spend her days lounging in the sun than to ask about how things are going. But make no mistake, she would’ve heard through the grapevine that something is going down.
Perhaps I should call Sadie tonight. Maybe she will be able to stop my thoughts from raging out. But when I picture the blonde, I feel nothing. No stirring of desire like I used to. That shocks the shit out of me. I used to enjoy having women throw themselves at me. I basked in the attention they offered and the ease with which they would spread their legs.
But after my interaction with a certain tanned beauty, my mind is on her and nothing else. The curly hair, those pouty fucking lips, and her curves. God, she has the most delicious figure I’ve ever seen. Her tits, even though they were hidden by her sweater, I knew they were a little more than a handful from the night I gawked at her at the party. And I was fucking gawking.
Perfect.
However, it’s not only her physical appearance that captured me. It’s the fucking sass in her words. She has fire, which comes across even though she is shy. I can tell she doesn’t allow herself to be spoken down to. And that earned my fucking respect.
I didn’t lie to her earlier when I said I wanted to see her ride. The thing about it is, I want her on my dick. Perhaps a quick fuck with her will ease my tension, but something tells me she’s not one of those groupies.
I know Colton won’t tell me anything about her after my reaction earlier. But what he said makes me consider her. When he asked me if I liked her, I wanted to refuse immediately, but the memory of her in a hot tub, her shocked expression when we finished the race, and the thought of watching her bounce on my dick had me second-guessing myself.
Yes, I do want her.
I can’t deny it.
But I know she’s going to be a hard nut to crack. With her personality and me already fucking up what perception she has of me, I doubt she’ll even give me a chance.
I don’t know why I thought her being female was the issue. It was the fact that I never lose. Since I got behind the wheel of a car the first time till the moment I did today, I’d never come second. But with her shoving me off the top podium, even though it wasn’t a real race, I felt the sting, and I took it out on her.
I lather up and quickly rinse off before killing the spray and stepping out of the shower. It doesn’t take long for me to get dressed and head into the living room to find my phone ringing.
The moment I see the name on the screen, I groan. I consider briefly if I should ignore it, but I know if I do, she’ll only keep calling.
“Mom,” I answer, shutting my eyes because I know what’s coming.
“Kayden, I’ve heard whispers from the social circles. What is going on with Mercer Industries? You know your father built that from the ground up. He would be so disappointed in you for allowing it to fall through the cracks like this.”
“Mom, please,” I beg, but I know it’s no use. Once she’s got her mind set on making me feel terrible, she won’t give up until I lose it and tell her to leave me the fuck alone. As much as I love her, she’s not the nicest person to be around. Which is also why I’ve never taken a woman home.
If my father were still alive, I would’ve done it no problem, but the moment I step foot in that house with someone who isn’t what my mother deems perfect, I know it will only end in tears.
“I just want you to be responsible.”
“I know what I’m doing. Can you please just allow me to make my own choices? It’s not like you want to take over or help in any way,” I bite out, my jaw ticking in frustration as I sigh when I realize I should’ve been nicer. But she always does this, has my blood boiling within seconds of talking to me.
She doesn’t speak for a long while, and I wonder if she’s just going to hang up on me. There’s no chance of that happening because when she wants to make a point, she’s not going to let it go. “Your father wanted that business to be passed down through generations. The fact that these men want you out clearly shows you’re not doing a good job. If you’re even doing the job at all.”
I’m tempted, so fucking tempted, to hang up, but it’s my mother. One thing Dad always taught me was to respect her, to respect women in general, and that’s when the guilt of what I did today eats away at me. The way I spoke to the woman who kicked my ass, how I lost my cool, wasn’t right.
I’ll make it right tomorrow. I’ll apologize, and hopefully, she can see past the asshole she met today and realize I’m not that bad.
“I’m going into the office tomorrow; I’m going to call a meeting, and I will talk to them. Feel free to attend. You do know where the office is, right?” The snark in my voice is ice cold, but I don’t feel guilt for it because I know it won’t even bother her.
The one thing I learned about my mother is that she’s an ice queen when she wants to be. Her feelings can be turned off so easily sometimes I wonder if she’s even human at all. Perhaps that’s where I got that side of me from.
My father was always a gentle, affectionate man. With me, he did have a stricter side, but for most people around him, they saw him as the kind man he was.
“This is your legacy,” she snaps. “I expect you to run it properly.” And then she does hang up, and I know I won’t hear from her again until she’s heard from those assholes. I’m going to make sure they listen to me tomorrow because I’m no longer a kid. I’m a grown-ass man.
Sighing, I set my phone on the counter and make my way to the fridge and pull it open to find a bottle of water. Twisting the cap, I take a long swig and try to calm myself.
There’s nothing I want more than to relieve some stress, but if I call Curtis or Pax, I know it will end in a late night. And that’s not something I can afford. Grabbing my phone again, I type a long email to the board, adding each member and hit send. Then, to add to that, I send through an invitation to a meeting at the office which will take place in a few days.