Page 8 of Masters of the Game: Colton

“Are you ready to close the deal, Mr. Sharpe?” Colton asked the man sitting behind the huge desk.

He and the man had played this cat-and-mouse game long enough.

Typically, it was not a COO’s primary role to pursue or personally manage accounts, but this wasn’t just any potential client.

This was Richard Sharpe, a man who had more money than he knew what to do with.

The kind of client that Masters Unlimited liked courting.

The older man was a shrewd businessman, and after several months of trying to convince him how much better his numerous entities could be with Masters Unlimited handling the marketing end of things, Sharpe still hadn’t come on board.

He had been a referral from Cobra, who’d been the man’s wealth and asset manager for a couple of years now. His brother had warned that the way to handle Richard was to never let the man have total control. No matter how much you wanted his business.

The older man leaned back in his chair and eyed him speculatively. “You’re nothing like your brother.”

Colton didn’t know whether to take that as a compliment or an insult. “Cobra and I are very different people. And if you were to meet our older brother, Cortez, you’d see just how different brothers can be. We are triplets, not clones.”

Richard smiled. “Yet you do have a sharp tongue like Cobra, although I think Cobra’s is sharper. He would have told me where to go a long time ago. He’s not afraid of me, and he won’t hesitate to stand up to me. I like that.”

Colton lifted a brow. “And you think I won’t stand up to you?”

The man’s chuckle echoed in the huge office with massive wall-to-wall windows that showcased the Manhattan skyline.

“There’s no doubt in my mind that you will, but you’ll do it differently.

Definitely with a little more finesse than Cobra.

Like the snake he was named for, he never hesitates to use his venomous tongue; especially when I give him a hard time. ”

Although Colton knew that Cobra and the old man often butted heads, they had a genuine fondness for each other.

So much so that their relationship had gone beyond business.

Cobra and Richard often played chess every Thursday night--a game Richard had taught Cobra to play, and now Colton’s brother was practically a master.

According to Cobra, Richard’s only family was a granddaughter who’d decided to tour France, the country where her mother was born, after she’d graduated from college.

Richard’s only son had married a French woman, and the two, who had been frequent partiers, had been killed when their mini yacht capsized during a storm.

Both had known how to swim but had been too drunk to do it.

That had left Richard to raise their twelve-year-old daughter--a granddaughter he had spoiled rotten.

“To answer your question, Colton Masters, the answer is yes, I’m ready to close the deal. And I look forward to working with you.” The man chuckled and added, “Although I’m not sure how I’ll survive being handled by two Masters.”

A few hours later, Colton returned to his hotel room feeling on top of the world.

Getting the Sharpe account was a major coup.

The man had a lot of entities under the Sharpe Corporation umbrella, and he’d surprised Colton by turning them all over to Masters Unlimited, not just the two Colton had pursued.

He was just about to pick up the hotel phone to order dinner when his cell phone rang. It was Cobra. “Hello.”

“Congratulations. Richard just shared the good news. I knew you could pull it off.”

“Thanks, and I appreciate the connection. I’d admit there were times I wasn’t too sure.”

“Like I told you, behind Richard’s bluster is a heart of gold. Now, if he would only get some control over his granddaughter. She’s going to drive him into an early grave.”

“You’ve met her?”

“No, and I hope I don’t any time soon. She’s been living in Paris for the past two years, and the times she’s returned to the States to visit him, I’ve been away on business. But enough about the Sharpes. How did things go when you saw Kelly?”

“Better than expected.” There was no reason to tell Cobra about the butterflies in his stomach or the intense attraction they’d both felt.

“That’s good. So, what’s next?”

Colton lifted a brow. “What’s next?”

“Yes, what’s next with you and Kelly?”

He rolled his eyes. “Nothing is next with me and Kelly, Cobra. Our relationship is strictly business. And I intend to keep it that way.”

“Well, at least the two of you can finally have a relationship, even if it is just a business one. And just so you know, there’s no reason that a business relationship can’t morph into something else later. Especially since she’s finally started to date again.”

“Who told you that?”

“I prefer not to reveal my sources. But she made that decision before getting the contract with Masters Unlimited. I wonder if she’ll change her mind now, though. This contract is a big deal for her agency. I’m sure she won’t do anything that might jeopardize it.”

Colton frowned. “What Kelly does with her life is her business. But she claims she can’t multi-task.”

Cobra chuckled. “I recall a time you thought that you couldn’t either. Then you finally realized it wasn’t about multi-tasking but finding a balance that works for you. Multi-tasking isn’t for everybody, and there’s nothing wrong with being focused.”

“There’s a lot wrong with it when your dedication to your work leaves you with no room for a social life,” Colton said.

“Speaking of social life, I’ve noticed you haven’t dated anyone in over two years. Hmm…not since you met Kelly.”

He wasn’t surprised his brother had put two and two together, but at this point, he didn’t really care.

More than a few times, he’d been tempted to reach out to her but had decided against it.

He wanted to give her time to do what she felt she needed to do to succeed.

In that regard, he was sure that, too, had been the right decision.

The fact that they were working together now was sort of mind-boggling.

It was strange how things fell into place at times.

“You’re right, Cobra. I haven’t dated since that night with Kelly, nor have I wanted to.” He didn’t want to think about what that could possibly mean.

Deciding to change the subject, he said, “I’ll be in your neck of the woods next week. Lake narrowed down the choices to New York or LA, and Kelly and I plan to check out both places thoroughly.”

“I’m sure either city will be an advantage for you, since I’m in New York, and Tez lives in LA. And once our niece or nephew arrives, I’ll likely spend much of my free time in LA anyway.”

Colton could hear the excitement in his brother’s voice. He knew the feeling because he felt the same way. In the same way their parents couldn’t wait to be grandparents, he and Cobra couldn’t wait to become uncles. They talked for a few more minutes before ending the call.

He glanced at the hotel room’s door when he heard a knock. Crossing the floor of his suite, he opened the door to find a uniformed member of the hotel concierge’s staff standing there with a bottle of wine, a wine glass, and a card.

“I was asked to deliver this to you, sir,” the man said, handing all three to Colton.

“Thanks.” After giving the man a tip, he closed the door, placed the wine and glass on a nearby table, then read the card.

“Congratulations! I knew you could do it! I am proud of you.”

Lake

Colton smiled. Getting that Sharpe account was a big feather in Masters Unlimited’s cap, and he felt pretty damn good about it. It was times like these when a part of him wished he had someone special to celebrate with. His thoughts shifted to what Cobra had said about Kelly.

Had she finally accomplished enough that she could let loose a little?

And what Kelly considered serious dating?

Then again, did it really matter? Their relationship was strictly business.

But did it have to be? And if what he’d told his brother was true, then why did the thought of seeing her again tomorrow fill him with unexplainable joy?

Colton was about to open the bottle of wine when his business cell phone rang. He crossed the room to pick it up and saw the call was from Sherelle Telfair. Had she heard about the Sharpe deal and was calling to congratulate him as well?

He’d always liked Sherelle and knew that personal issues regarding her mother’s health had been the reason she’d fallen behind in her work.

It had been hard for Sherelle to stay focused, and who could blame her?

Lake had suggested that she turn the account over to someone else and take paid family leave to spend time with her mom.

She had assured him that wouldn’t be necessary.

Unfortunately, in the end, not only did she mishandle one of their biggest accounts, but her mother died a few months later.

“Hello, Sherelle.”

“Colton, I tried to catch you at the office, but Alvie told me you were out of town on business.”

“That’s right. I’m in New York. What do you need?”

“Before leaving for Europe, Lake told me of his decision to open a third office. That’s wonderful.”

“Yes, it is,” he said, hearing her excitement.

“I’m arriving in Boston this week for the junior executives meeting. I’d love to meet with you and Ms. Perkins to see how I can assist.”

Colton understood her anxiousness in wanting to work on the project to regain her good job standing.

However, before he agreed to bring her on, he wanted to discuss it with Kelly.

“When I return to Boston tomorrow, Ms. Perkins and I will have a meeting. One of the things we’ll discuss is whether or not she’ll need any assistance. ”

“Okay. Thanks, and take care.”

“You do the same, Sherelle.”

After ending the call, he wondered how things were going with Kelly. There was nothing wrong with checking in to make sure things were going smoothly. He drew in a deep breath, knowing he was only fooling himself. More than anything, he just wanted to hear her voice.

**

Kelly pushed away from her desk, rubbing her eyes.

She’d been reading nonstop practically all morning, even skipping lunch and breaks.

It was time to give her eyes a rest. Standing, she walked over to the window and looked out.

Downtown Boston was beautiful this time of year.

She’d been to Boston before, a few years ago, when she and her college roommate had flown here for a Beyoncé concert.

They hadn’t had much time to enjoy the city then, and she hoped she’d have the opportunity to see more of it this trip.

She turned when she heard the intercom beep on her desk. Quickly crossing the room, she pressed the button. “Yes, Alvie?”

“I have Mr. Masters on the line.”

“Please put him through.”

After hearing the click, she said, “Yes, Colton?”

“How are things going, Kelly?”

The sound of his voice, deep and throaty, sent a spike of heat through her.

This was the first time they’d talked on a phone, and she had to admit, he sounded too sexy for words.

Swallowing deeply, she answered, “Things are going well. I’ve managed to get a lot of reading done, and made plenty of notes. Tomorrow, I will start making calls.”

“Good. I’ll go over everything with you at our dinner meeting tomorrow,” he said.

“Sounds good.”

“By the way, one of the junior executives at the Orlando office, Sherelle Telfair, is available to assist if you need help with anything.”

“I appreciate the offer, but my office staff will take care of anything I need.”

“Great. I’m just about to make reservations for dinner tomorrow. Are you allergic to anything?”

“No.”

“Any kind of food in particular you like?”

“I like it all.”

“Sounds like you aren’t hard to please.”

“I’m not,” she said, fighting hard to keep her voice normal. They were still talking about food, right?

“I’ll pick you up at six then.”

“There’s no need for you to go out of your way, Colton.

Just tell me which restaurant we’re going to and I can meet you there,” she said.

Thank goodness she’d thought of a way out of that.

She’d never ridden in the same car with him, and she could just imagine how intimate that would be.

A jolt of sensual energy rocked her at the thought of them confined in such close space.

“It won’t be out of my way. I live six floors above you.”

Kelly blinked in surprise. “You live at the St. Laurent?”

“Yes. In one of the penthouses on the executive floor.”

She’d hadn’t known that. “Okay, I’ll be ready at six.”