Page 7 of Masters of the Game: Colton

“Yes, Alvie?”

“Ms. Perkins has arrived, Mr. Masters,” his fifty-something-year-old administrative assistant stated professionally over the phone’s intercom system.

“Please send her in.” Colton stood and adjusted his tie, trying to ignore the butterflies in his stomach. They shouldn’t be there, but then, no woman affected him the way Kelly did.

After a week of wondering how he would react upon seeing her again, he had awakened that morning with a renewed mind, clear resolve, and a confident spirit. By the time he had showered, dressed, and left for the office, his optimism had been elevated, and he’d been ready to deal with the day.

Now he was dealing with damned butterflies .

When his office door opened and Kelly walked in, he couldn’t take his eyes off of her. The first time he’d seen her, she had taken his breath away. The same thing was happening now. She had his full and undivided attention.

“Kelly.”

“Mr. Masters.”

The other three times he’d seen her since that night two years ago--all at weddings--she’d been wearing attire for the occasion and looked simply beautiful. But there was nothing simple about her looks.

Today she was wearing her hair up in a style he figured was meant to look professional, yet it put to advantage the gracefulness of her neck, and the beauty of her dark lashes that fanned a pair of stunning brown eyes.

His gaze then focused on her mouth. Whenever he’d seen her lips, they’d been painted a hot red.

Now they were a modest shade of pink. But the fact that she’d toned down her lipstick didn’t stop him from remembering how those lips had felt pressed against his.

Her outfit was an emerald green business suit, coordinating print blouse, and matching green pumps.

Why did she have to look so damn gorgeous?

He knew that while some corporations had shifted the focus from ‘dress for success’ to ‘dress for comfort’ which created a more relaxed working environment, Masters Unlimited hadn’t been one of them.

However, even though she was dressed professionally, she wore her clothing with an air of sensuality that he felt in every cell of his body.

He looked into her eyes. She was a strikingly beautiful woman.

Regaining his composure, he crossed the room to her and extended his hand. “It’s good seeing you again.”

The moment their hands touched, he felt it--a deep, stimulating awareness that nearly shook him to the core. When her gaze flew to his, he was certain she had felt it as well. Colton wasn’t sure how long they stood there, their hands still entwined, when there was a knock on his door.

The sound quickly brought him to his senses, and he released her hand. “Come in.”

His administrative assistant entered. “I just wanted to let you know that Ms. Perkins’ office is ready.”

“Thanks, Alvie.” He could still feel the heat of Kelly’s touch on his hand as he slid both into the pockets of his slacks. When Alvie left, closing the door behind her, he looked back at Kelly.

“It’s good to see you again as well, Mr. Masters.”

He wondered if that was true, since the last time they’d seen each other, she had deliberately avoided him. He also noted she refused to call him by his first name. “Mr. Masters is too formal. Please call me Colton.”

She nodded. “All right. Colton.”

His name on her lips always sounded good. “Please have a seat,” he said, indicating the chair in front of his desk.

“Thank you.”

“When did you arrive in town?” he asked, moving around his desk to take his own seat.

“Yesterday, around noon.”

He nodded. “And how are your accommodations at the St. Laurent?”

“Extremely nice. But then Monica told me they would be. She’s stayed there a few times before.”

He smiled, nodding. “And how is Monica?”

Colton could tell his question about her sister relaxed Kelly somewhat, which was his intent.

The last thing he wanted was for her to feel uncomfortable around him.

“Monica is doing fine. She only has one more year before she completes her PhD, and she’s happy about that.

She and Landon plan to start a family as soon as she graduates. ”

He’d gotten to know Landon through Cortez and liked him. “I believe they will make great parents.”

“I agree.” Then, after a brief pause, she said, “I understand you’ll be an uncle in a few months.”

Colton couldn’t hold back his huge smile.

“Yes. Tez and Victoria told us their news a few months ago, and I’m thrilled for them.

The baby will be my parents’ first grandchild, so it’ll likely be spoiled rotten before it can walk.

” He chuckled and then added, “I’m not sure what is going on with Kennedy and Victoria.

First, they get married on the same day, and now they’ll be having babies within days of each other.

It wouldn’t surprise me to find out they’ve already booked adjoining rooms in the hospital. ”

Kelly grinned, showing her dimples. That was a turn-on for him, and he shifted in his seat to ease the ache behind his zipper. “Unfortunately, it’s not that easy, Colton. The baby decides when it’s ready to make an entrance, not the parents.”

“Well, if things happen the way I predict, don’t say I didn’t tell you so.”

She held up her hand in a three-finger salute, smiled, and said, “Scout’s honor.”

Colton eased back in his chair, recalling how he’d always enjoyed conversing with her, which helped calm the initial tension between them, when, for whatever reason, he hadn’t wanted to let go of her hand.

It had felt so right in his. “Congratulations on landing this account, Kelly. I know you’ll do well. ”

“Thanks, Colton.”

He was tempted to say there was no reason for her to thank him.

Upon Lake’s instructions, his administrative assistant had forwarded KP Consulting Agency’s file to him.

Kelly’s clientele was impressive. In just two years, she had been awarded contracts by several notable corporations.

Her consultations provided detailed strategies for companies to reach their goals and often exceeded them.

She’d also assisted in streamlining several companies’ business operations.

She was a wiz at guiding new businesses to a competitive level in a remarkably short time.

That was impressive for a staff of four ─three women and one man.

Her reviews were phenomenal—it was easy to see why Lake had chosen her.

Not that he’d ever questioned his cousin’s choice.

If nothing else, when it came to Masters Unlimited, Lake only worked with the best, and it showed.

Last year, they were named one of the most successful marketing and advertising firms in the country.

“Now, let’s get down to business,” he said. Hopefully, any awkwardness between them would soon pass.

**

They weren’t getting to business a minute too soon, Kelly thought, watching Colton pick up a stack of folders off his desk.

Her gaze moved to his hands, and she was reminded of their earlier handshake.

It was evident that they’d both felt something.

If his administrative assistant hadn’t knocked when she had, they might still be standing in the middle of his office, her hand still clasped in his.

Kelly thought back to the moment they’d first been introduced at the Bennetts’ double wedding three years ago. When they’d shaken hands then, she’d noticed the texture of his skin. It had been thick but not rough, smooth but not soft. She had noticed the same today.

She’d heard that you can tell a lot about a man by his hands, things like their personality, health, and the type of work they did. She could only imagine how those hands would feel holding her, touching her, his fingers running through her hair, up her legs and thighs, and--

“Kelly?”

She blinked. “Yes?”

“I was saying that my administrative assistant has prepared these preliminaries for you to review regarding the things we’ll need in either location.”

Kelly nodded, not believing she had allowed her mind to go to an unprofessional place when she should have been giving Colton, and not his hands, her absolute attention. Leaning forward, she accepted the stack of folders, fighting hard to ignore the brush of their hands in the exchange.

When she’d entered his office and saw him in his business attire, she hadn’t imagined him without clothes. Instead, for a quick moment, she had imagined how much fun it would be for her to undress him. She moaned at the thought.

“Did you say something?” he asked, raising his brow as she eased back in her chair.

Dang! She’d done it again. “No, I didn’t say anything.”

He nodded. “Your office, which is down the hall, is ready. After you come up with the pros and cons of both locations, a trip to both cities will be necessary.”

In a way, that would be good for her, since she liked visiting both LA and New York City.

And thankfully, it would put a little distance between them.

Every time their gazes met, a flutter of awareness inched up her spine.

Feeling the need to keep the conversation moving, she said, “When a major corporation considers relocating to a particular town, it’s considered a possible economic boom.

I project that Masters Unlimited will employ at least three hundred people.

More than likely, a third will transfer from your Boston and Orlando offices, and the other two-thirds will be hired from the local communities.

That’s a lot of jobs to boost the economy of whatever city we select. ”

She broke eye contact with him and glanced at the folders in her arms. It was better to stare at them than at him.

They couldn’t rev up her desire like he could.

“I’ll make sure the two cities’ economic development agencies provide packets for us to review.

Hopefully, they will offer perks and amenities to sway us to consider their city. ”

Colton nodded. “That’s good.”

He stood and came from behind his desk. “Alvie is my administrative assistant, but while you’re here, she’ll be yours, too.”

She nodded. “Thank you,” she said, standing as well.

She had been in Colton’s presence long enough and felt the need to escape.

Like she’d done at Sebrina’s wedding. She’d known each and every time he’d walked toward her, and she’d intentionally walked away.

“I’d like to get started reading this, Colton. ”

“Then please come with me.” Before opening the door, he stopped and turned to her. “By the way, I’m leaving town tomorrow morning for New York, but I will return on Wednesday. Let’s plan to have dinner at five.”

“Dinner?”

“Yes. I’ll need you to update me on your ideas once you’ve read the information. I have a virtual meeting with Lake on Thursday morning, and I want to apprise him of where we are in the process.”

“Yes, of course,” she said. Kelly knew that she had to stop looking for anything personal in his suggestions. She was here to do a job—one she was undeniably qualified to do. Still, she couldn’t help feeling a bit sad. They could have been so good together.