Fascination: (Billionaire Venture Capitalist #9): A Friends to Lovers Romance Read online

  I’m really frustrated lying here in the hospital. I’m beginning to think that they’re putting meds in my IV to make me sleep. I feel like all I do is sleep when the nursing staff isn’t checking my vitals and interrupting me for one test or another. I have appointments with a dietitian, a physical therapist, and multiple doctors to do all sorts of activities to get me back to my life.

  I struggle to explain to them why I need to get out of here, but they don’t listen or try to understand. I know my health depends on these things, but I also have over a hundred people who depend on me for a paycheck. I need to return to work for them.

  My phone keeps ringing and pinging with texts, asking work-related questions. Mason, what do I need to do about this? and Mason, so-and-so wants to know X. If I don’t respond, it becomes overwhelming.

  Sitting in this low-lit room, I marvel at how much I deal with in a day. I know it must be stressful for the team to be missing their leader. It doesn’t help that Dillon is out, too. That only leaves Cameron and Sara, who are swamped with their jobs of keeping us going, but not great with dealing with the day-to-day. Thankfully, we have Quinn in place who’s really acting as my number two.

  Quinn recently joined the partnership. I dated her years ago when we were in grad school, and I’ve always thought she was the smartest person in our class. She worked for one of our competitors and knows this business better than anyone. She has tremendous instincts, and I trust her to keep the boat afloat.

  Chapter three

  CeCe

  My private line rings. Few people have this number, so I answer. “Caroline Arnault.”

  “Hello, beautiful.”

  My stomach drops. My ex-boyfriend Tim Carpenter always crawls out of the woodwork when my love life crashes and burns on the gossip rag pages. It’s taken him a week to call me. I was hoping he’d lost interest. I’d block his calls, but he’s also CEO of the world’s largest cosmetics company, Cosmetics, Inc., and I sometimes need his help.

  “Hello, Tim. What’s up?”

  “No need to get grouchy since your man went off with a porn star.”

  I so want to hang up on him. He’s a true lesson in patience. “I’m okay with it. We’d been limping along for a while.”

  “He was limp, huh? You know I’m happy to take care of you. I’m never limp when I’m with you.”

  Gross. I shake my head and roll my eyes. No, he wasn’t limp, but he was best at getting himself off and then rolling over and leaving me to finish myself. “I’ll keep that in mind.” If I don’t change the subject, I know I’ll say something I’ll regret. “How are things at the big cosmetics conglomerate?”

  “We’d still love to have Metro Composition Cosmetics under our umbrella. Think of all the doors we can open for you.”

  No more than I can open for myself. It may take me a bit longer, but I still have control, and when they made their last offer, they were going to phase out the nonprofit work we support. That was a no go for me. “That’s certainly tempting, but we’re busy getting ready for our fourth year at Fashion Week.”

  “You don’t need anyone do you?”

  “Apparently not.” I do, but I’m not going to admit that to him.

  “I say this because you know I adore you, but you need to be more vulnerable. What can a guy offer you that you don’t already have? You’ve got your shit together; you’re a billionaire; you run a wildly successful business—don’t tell my board I said that—and you have parents who adore you and shower you with support and a twin brother who is your surrogate boyfriend.”

  “Trey’s a surrogate? I’ll be sure to tell him.” That’s actually really funny.

  “When you need a male perspective, you call him.”

  He’s right, I do. I know Trey will always be honest with me, and he knows my business and truly knows all the weaknesses and insecurities I have. Plus, I trust him. I don’t trust Tim. “You’re right, but I also have a cadre of men I talk to, and you’re one.”

  “You always know how to sweeten someone up. We need to have lunch soon. When will you be in New York?”

  “Fashion Week is in four months. I’ll see you then.” I know he was hoping I’d ask him to fly in, or that I’d move heaven and earth to go see him. I did that once, but he’s too selfish a friend and a lover, so I’ll never do that again.

  “Fine, but if you need an itch scratched, I hope I’ll be your first call.”

  I chuckle. Not a chance. “I’ll let you know. Have a great day.”

  “You, too, beautiful.”

  When I hang up, there’s a knock at my door, and it’s Evelyn, my vice president of operations, my number two, as I think of her. I know that if I were to go hide away for months or even years, she could manage things just fine here. “Do you have a minute?”

  “Always. What’s up?”

  She tosses a group of ad slicks on my desk. They are designed and sent out to prospective editorial staff for coverage, the industry’s version of a press release. I quickly see they’re from a Chinese competitor. My stomach drops. It is their fall line of colors complete with eye shadows, nail polish, and lip colors. I look at Evelyn in shock. “Where did you get these?”

  “They were sent to my contact at Desire magazine.” She crosses her arms in front of her, looking defiant and upset.

  I study the names of their colors, and they are exactly the same as our names for our fall line we’re on the verge of launching. I look up at her. “Holy shit!”

  “Exactly. Who the hell leaked our information to them?” Evelyn demands.

  “This can’t be. This must be a hoax. Are you pranking me?” My heartbeat accelerates and perspiration drips in my cleavage.

  “I wish I were. What do we do?”

  How is it possible that SHN has a problem and now we do? I’m not 100 percent sure what I need to do, but I do know a few things. “We need to get the FBI involved. This is espionage. Trade secret theft.” I continue to shuffle through the ad slicks, looking at what they have. Their logo and cases are eerily similar to ours, so they’ll be going after our customers and our small but growing market share. Holy shit. My mind is racing, and I can’t help but see my company circling the drain. “I want you to pull all our research and our meeting notes. I want a list of who had access to what. I want to know who left us and when. And damn it, anything else you can think of.”

  She nods. “I’ve started that. I’ll get it all to you quickly.” She gets up to leave. “We can recover from this.”

  I nod. Evelyn can recover. She’ll be nabbed up by Tim and one of his cosmetic companies. For me, it won’t be quite so easy.

  I fight back the tears. I won’t go down easily. I’m going to fight this.

  I pick up my phone and text my brother.

  Me: 911. Call me when you can.

  It’s seconds later when my personal line rings. “Is everything okay?” Trey asks when I pick up.

  “No.” I tell him about what we got from Desire. “What do you suggest I do?”

  “We need to reach out to the FBI. Is Mason able to string a good conversation together? He might have some great ideas for you.”

  “Excellent point. I was thinking the same thing, but his mother is in town, and needless to say, she’s a force unto herself.”

  Trey laughs. “Good luck with that. I’ve heard about her. Mason is the center of her universe.”

  “As I understand it, he’s all she has.”

  “Doesn’t matter. Call him and see what he says.”

  “I was going to head over in a few hours anyway. I can go now.”

  “Baby sister, I know this is devastating, but you are going to come out of this just fine.”

  “Thanks. I hope so. Love you.” It doesn’t feel like it right now. Everything is flashing before my eyes. Financially, I’ll personally be fine, but I worry about my team. The majority of cosmetic companies are based in New York, and most of my team won’t be able to move. My stomach turns somersaults. How did I not see th
is coming?

  “Love you, too.” We disconnect our call.

  Tim was wrong. I am vulnerable, and I do need people—I just don’t need him. I bring up Mason’s number and call.

  “Hey,” he croaks.

  “How are you doing today?”

  “I’m doing okay. My mom hasn’t arrived yet. I’m so sorry she ran you off yesterday.”

  “She didn’t, and I know she’d just flown in. I’m sure she was worried about you—we all were.” There are a few beats of silence. “I’ve had something come up here at Metro Composition. Can I stop by and talk to you about it? I need some of your expertise.”

  “Of course. I don’t think my mom will be here for a few hours, but even if she is, I can set her up with a personal shopper at Nordstrom to keep her busy.”

  “Would you mind? This is a big deal.”

  “Is everything okay?”

  “I’m not sure. Can I come over now?”

  “Absolutely. Mom’s staying at the Fairmont. I can have a car pick her up for a day of shopping. She’ll be thrilled.”

  “I have a personal shopper at Nordstrom who I highly recommend. I can get that set up.”

  “Okay. They won’t let me go anywhere, so I’ll be here. You can save me from the daytime soap operas and talk shows.”

  “Thank you, Mason. Can I bring you anything?”

  “I’d love a real cup of coffee. But, I meet with the nutritionist this afternoon, and I have a feeling that caffeine and salt are no longer in my diet.”

  “We’ll find something you can enjoy. I’ll call Jennifer at Nordstrom and get something set up for your mom. See you soon.”

  We hang up, and I quickly dial Jennifer’s personal cell phone.

  “Hello, Caroline. Will I be seeing you soon?”

  “You always send me the best things; I don’t even have to come in.”

  “Well, I’ve seen some of the things you’ve been photographed in, and they didn’t come from me, but they’re amazing pieces.”

  “It helps to do the makeup of some pretty awesome designers at Fashion Week.”

  “One day I’ll get to Fashion Week. That would be Mecca for me. How can I help you?”

  “I need a favor. I need to meet with a friend who’s stuck in the hospital, and his mother has arrived. I was wondering if I could send her over to you this morning and you could take good care of her.”

  “Of course. I’d be happy to. What time would she be coming in?”

  “She’s staying at the Fairmont. I know you’re close enough that she can walk, but I’ll arrange a car to take her over to you. How does eleven sound?”

  “Perfect.”

  “I’ll call you back if it doesn’t work for her, but her name is Janice Sullivan Harris.”

  “I’ll be waiting for her arrival at the Market Street entrance.”

  “Thank you, Jennifer. I appreciate your help.”

  I call the Fairmont. “Janice Sullivan Harris, please.”

  I’m put through quickly. “Hello,” a muffled voice answers.

  “Hi, Janice. This is Caroline Arnault.” She’s silent. “We met yesterday in Mason’s hospital room?”

  “Oh, yes. I remember. I took a sleeping pill, and my brain’s not working well. Is everything okay with Mason?”

  “Yes, he’s just fine. Maybe a bit cranky since he can’t have coffee, but he’s doing okay. I thought you might enjoy spending the day with my personal shopper at Nordstrom, so I set that up for you today.”

  “You set me up with your own personal shopper?”

  “I did. Her name is Jennifer, and she’ll be expecting you at eleven. Would that work for you?”

  “Yes, of course.”

  “She’ll meet you at the Market Street entrance. I’ll send a car to pick you up, and you’ll be well pampered today.”

  “Thank you so much! My Mason is single, you know. And he’s crazy about you.”

  “I’m crazy about him, too, but I think we’re good as friends right now.” Before she can go on trying to play matchmaker, I say, “So I’ll confirm that you’re going to meet Jennifer at eleven.”

  “Yes, thank you, Caroline.”

  “Enjoy your time. She has an amazing eye.”

  I end the call and text Mason to let him know what I’ve set up and that I’m on my way.

  I grab the ad slicks and head out the door, calling out to my assistant as I go. “Christy, I need to run out. Please cancel my meetings today. I’ll be on my cell phone. I’m not sure when I’ll be back.”

  “No problem.”

  I take a rideshare across town to the hospital, and just as I arrive, I see a woman in colored scrubs walk into Mason’s room. I hang back outside the door and listen.

  “Hello, Mr. Sullivan. My name is Wendy, and I’m your nutritionist.”

  “Nice to meet you.”

  “Mr. Sullivan, your cholesterol is slightly elevated, but your weight is… perfect.”

  She’s flirting with him, and the hair on the back of my neck stands straight up. I stand outside the door and listen to the conversation while checking emails on my cell phone. Emerson has sent me a fabulous picture of her with Liam curled up on her shoulder. She’s titled it “Exhaustion.” I love it, and I tell her as much.

  “Mr. Sullivan, you must work out a lot,” the nutritionist coos. “You’re so muscular. I bet you have a washboard stomach, too.”

  Oh good grief. I roll my eyes.

  “You’re quite young to be having a heart attack. You need to eat vegetables, whole grains, fruit, nuts, and seeds every day. Aim for two to three servings of fish and other seafood per week. No more fast food for you.”

  “I don’t eat much fast food and already do all that you’re suggesting. I drink a lot of coffee, and my afternoon snacks tend to be peanut butter crackers.”

  “Maybe you should trade out the peanut butter crackers for some raw almonds, and please limit your coffee intake. No sugar drinks.”

  “Okay. Thank you.”

  “Here are some helpful pamphlets about how nutrition affects your heart. If you ever need any help, here is my card. I’ve put my personal number on the back.” She giggles, and now I know for sure she’s flirting.

  “Great. Thank you.”

  I use that as my cue to walk in. “Hey, Mason, how are you doing today?” I walk over and kiss him on the cheek. I know it’s like a cat marking her territory, but does she really need to flirt with him while he’s recovering?

  She shrinks back, my point taken. She’s cute, and under normal circumstances, I bet she’d be a great match for a single guy, but not Mason.

  “Okay, then. I guess I’ll be going,” she says and waves, but Mason doesn’t notice. I hate that she makes me jealous.

  I watch her walk out. “Washboard stomach?”

  He shakes his head with a grin. “Do you want to see? I didn’t show her.”

  “Hey, you already told me you’re single. Go for it.”

  If he agrees, I’ll be crushed.

  “Why would I go there? I told you someone already has my heart.”

  “You did, and you were ready to spill the beans when your mom came in.”

  “She always had impeccable timing.” He smiles at me but doesn’t continue.

  “Well, let me tell you why I’m here.” I hand him the Chinese company’s press slicks and then our mock-ups.

  “I like these. I particularly like the packaging. What’s the difference between the two?”

  “Absolutely nothing, and that’s the problem.”

  He looks at me, clearly confused.

  “These are from a Chinese competitor.”

  He looks down at them again. “They have the same names?”

  “Exactly. Someone has breached all of our trade secrets and has probably sold them to a competitor, making the last six months of work completely moot. This kind of theft could break Metro permanently.”

  He looks up at me. “Oh, Ces, I’m so sorry.”

  I fight
back the tears. “What do I do?”

  He looks them over carefully. “I think we reach out to the FBI and also start an investigation with Jim Adelson’s company.” I know that Jim runs Clear Security and has been running private security and investigations for us, the biggest being our mole and hacker issue.

  “Does he work with companies other than high tech?”

  “He must.” Mason has picked up his phone and already dialed Jim. “Jim, this is Mason.” He’s silent a few moments. “Yes, I’m at San Francisco General.” Mason reaches for the photos. “Jim, the reason I’m calling is that Caroline Arnault’s company, Metro Composition, had someone take their entire fall line and sell it to a competitor. We need your help.” He listens again and then says, “Jim, I’m going to put you on speaker. Mind you, we’re in a hospital room and need some discretion.”

  Mason puts the phone down in front of him. I close the door to his room for a modicum of privacy.

  “CeCe, I’m so sorry to hear about this,” Jim says. “Tell me what you know.”

  I walk him through the comps we received from Desire and wait for his response. Mason reaches for my hand and gives it a comforting squeeze. That little move makes my heart race.

  I told his mother the truth—I’m crazy about him. I know when he tells me who he’s given his heart to, I’ll be devastated, but until then I’ll hold out hope for a future with Mason.

  “Let’s do this. Can you come into my office?” Jim asks me.

  “Yes. I can come right now if that works.”

  “Give me an hour. I need to make a few calls.”

  We hang up, and I look at Mason. “Thank you. I’m sorry to burden you with this when you aren’t quite 100 percent.”

  “Like I said before, you’re saving me from the daytime talk shows and soap operas. They don’t even have SportsCenter.”

  I cover my face with my hands. “You know this may very well close our doors, right?”

  “You can fight this CeCe. I know you can.”

  I stand to leave. “I’ll keep you posted. Your mom will probably spend most of the day with Jennifer. If she has a budget, we should let her know.”