Enticing the Ex Signed Paperback

Brett Grayson finally knows what he wants to do with his life, but just as his company launches negotiations with a flagship department store, the woman who broke his heart shows up representing the company they need—and everything he still wants.

If Regan could forgive herself for the past, then maybe she’ll find success in her future with a major fashion retailer. But she never got over what she did to her one true love, so when she sees her ex-husband’s name listed as the lead developer on her next project, she wonders if she pursued the right dream?

Despite their undeniable chemistry—they’ll have to fight their way through past pains to explore sinful nights. When their once-in-a-lifetime business deal falls apart, will they lose their second chance at happily ever after?

“It’s good, right?” Brett paced the open floor plan of Fifth and Fifth’s top suite while his younger brother perused the proposal he’d drafted.

Derrick sat back and stroked his chin. “It is. You’re right to choose Munro. Spring City isn’t ready for standalone Prada or Chanel, but Munro will cater to their clientele and offer more accessible brands to the rest of the population. They are the perfect intersection of premium and affordable luxury.”

Brett grinned. All his life he’d paled in Derrick’s shadow. He’d never been as motivated as his baby brother, and had no desire for power and money, big city living, fast cars, or sex-craved women. 

Well, maybe the sex-craved women, but what healthy male wouldn’t want that?

Although, to be honest, he’d only ever wanted one woman and had even married her weeks after graduation, happy to work nine-to-five in the factory and build a life with her. But his version of a happily ever after and hers had been completely different. 

Guess they should’ve figured that out before eloping.

“You did a good job on this proposal, too, highlighting all the positives and negating the negatives, presenting Munro with hard market analysis and impressive profit margins. They’ll have no reason not to bring their store to Fifth and Fifth.” Derrick stood up and offered his hand.

Brett clasped it and pulled his brother in for a hug. “Thanks, man, for everything.”

“I think you’ve found your calling.”

“I’ve enjoyed the construction, coordination of contractors, vendors, and tenants, but I’m not keen on the financial side of things. They’re a pain in the ass, actually.”

Derrick shrugged. “To each his own—you were made to be a general contractor. The only thing I would add is a cover letter with a personal invitation to Munro’s VP of strategy. Offer them a few days in Fifth and Fifth’s corporate apartment to give them a chance to see why this is a good business move and prime market for their goods.”

Brett nodded. “Good idea.”

“Who’s the guy, again?”

“Tim McKinsey.”

“Never heard of him.” Checking his watch, Derrick frowned. “Shit, I’ve got to go. Jessica’s meeting me at the calligraphers.”

“You’re really getting married, huh?” Brett shook his head. It’s not that he didn’t like Jessica, because he did. She was a great woman, and although Derrick and Jessica had a rough start with a lot of restarts, she seemed to know who she was and what she wanted. 

To Brett that was key to a successful relationship, as his own failed attempt was a result of two immature adults who had no idea who they were, much less what they wanted out of life. Once they started figuring that out—or more importantly, she figured it out—their relationship had been forfeited for bigger and better things. 

He was still bitter she chose a big city career over him. Not that he’d ever made her choose, because she’d never even asked his opinion. She’d just left one day, leaving him in a three-bedroom house full of furniture he’d built for her and decorations she picked out. A week later, he’d gotten a Dear John letter, and six months later the divorce papers arrived. 

And that, as they say, was that.

“Yeah, man. I can’t wait to call Jessica my wife.”

Brett returned Derrick’s big smile. Whenever his brother talked about his fiancée, a shit-eating grin spread across his brother’s face. The man actually glowed. Brett could remember feeling that way, but that was a long time ago. “That’s good, little brother. I’m happy for you.”

Derrick pocketed his keys, pausing as he waited for the elevator. “Whatever happened with the auditor? Did you ask her out?”

Ah yes, the cute IRS auditor who interviewed Brett a few months back. He shrugged. “We went out a few times. Nice enough woman, but not exactly what I’m looking for.”

“Still looking for Regan, huh?”

“What can I say? I have a type.” Brett gathered up the paperwork, not really wanting to talk about his ex-wife. For the most part, his family hadn’t bothered him about her over the years, and Derrick hadn’t been around at the time, anyway.

“That’s not a type. That’s a very specific someone who’s been gone a long time. Do you have any idea what happened to her?” The elevator bell announced its arrival.

Brett shook his head. “Nope. Haven’t heard from her in twelve years, and I doubt I ever will.”

* * *

“Can you come into my office?” Regan looked up from her computer screen to find Tim’s head hovering over her cubicle wall.

“Sure.” She locked her computer and followed Munro’s VP of Strategy to his corner office overlooking the Navy Pier and Lake Michigan. Gray skies promised a cold and wet trip home tonight. Pretty much miserable, like every other Chicago winter day. 

She could handle the snow, but it was the bone-piercing chill the water lent to the air that made her hate life.

Or maybe it was being away from the only place she’d ever considered home?

“What’s going on?” Regan took the seat across from Tim’s desk as he got comfortable on the other side.

“Where are you from?”

She shrugged. “I was a military brat, so I’ve lived all over. Why?”

“I got an interesting proposal and was wondering if there was any relation.”

“Where?”

“Spring City, Colorado.”

“No kidding?” Her stomach twisted at the name of the only place she’d ever considered home. “Who’s the proposal from?” She couldn’t imagine any of the Grayson’s propositioning Munro, unless they wanted to build furniture for the stores, but that was a bit too aggressive for the family-run factory.

“BDG LLC. Signature block is a Brett Grayson.”

She sucked in her breath. No way her ex-husband would head a business large enough to proposition a corporation like Munro. What the hell was he up to? Did he know she worked here?

“Are you related?”

Regan shook her head. “No.” Technically, she spoke the truth, considering they divorced almost twelve years ago. 

Tim steepled his fingers, giving her a shrewd assessment. “If that is the case, then I have an opportunity for you.”

“What opportunity?” She’d been stuck in her cubicle for five years, running numbers and conducting market research and whatever else he tasked her to do. But she was bored and restless, and Tim knew she needed a new challenge. 

Only it did not bode well for her that this opportunity was coming on the cusp of a proposal from Brett Grayson. Could she contact him again, after spending so many years off his radar? She’d always felt it was the only way to protect him from the pain she’d caused them both.

Twelve years had passed. Would he be remarried by now? Would he have children? The thought twisted a knife in her heart, which was plain stupid. She had no right to be jealous, especially after what she’d done.

Tim continued. “I’m on vacation starting Monday. Upon first look, I’d deny this proposal based on the location alone, but BDG LLC is also owned by Derrick Grayson, and his business sense is well respected. It’s worth hearing them out.”

Regan wasn’t sure how to feel about this. On one hand, this was the first time Tim had offered her a chance to do more than research, but seeing Brett would rip her heart out all over again. Could she go around Brett and get straight to Derrick, avoiding a huge confrontation? 

Ugh. Why hadn’t she changed her last name?

“Not a problem. I take it you’d like me on a plane next week?”

Tim nodded and pushed a file folder across the desk. “This invitation comes at the perfect time. Checking out downtown Spring City between Thanksgiving and Christmas will give us a feel for the economic power Derrick Grayson claims. I’ll have Cathy make the arrangements.”

She stood and grabbed the file folder. “You have a vacation to prepare for. I’ll take care of it. You can count on me.”

Tim smiled and gave her a mock salute. “I know I can. You’ve got a bright future, and I know it’s been slow-rolled, but have patience. You’ll get there.”

Nodding, she gave Tim a smile and ducked out of his office.

Back at her desk, Regan thumbed through the proposal. Brett and Derrick had done their homework. If their projections were correct, Munro would fit in perfectly at Fifth and Fifth. But it was a big if. Everything was still in the finalizing stages, and much of their approach depended upon the success of another portion of the plan. If the university didn’t champion the outreach programs to entice corporations to set up shop in the technology park, then Spring City’s average salary wouldn’t rise, and consumers wouldn’t be able to afford the products Munro offered. 

Could her little town have really grown up so much in the twelve years she’d been away? Of all the places the Army had stationed her mother, Spring City had been the only one to feel like home. Maybe that was because Regan had lived there the longest? Or maybe because it was the only time she’d felt like she was a part of a normal family. 

Her parents divorced before she was three, and because her father was also career army, he lived all over the world during her childhood. She spent some summers and the occasional holiday with her father, but considering her parents deployed a lot, she spent a lot of her childhood with her grandparents in Nebraska.

Only when her mother got orders to Spring City, Colorado—where her father was also stationed—had she gotten her first taste of normal. Her mother’s last assignment reduced her travel to minimal, and miraculously, her father had also taken a staff position which minimized his overseas travel. They still traveled, but they coordinated their parental duties, giving Regan a stable family life. 

She moved to a new high school mid-freshman year and graduated with her class. Previous to that, Regan had never made it more than one year at a school before moving on. Of course, most of the time the school was on an army post, so all the kids had been used to it.

Resultantly, Regan wasn’t great at forging lasting relationships. It’s not that she felt people were temporary. In her experience, you came to know that people grow, change, and move on, so you shouldn’t get your heart caught up in someone who could leave tomorrow. 

While her parents and their spouses had provided her a new normal, what really made Spring City feel like home was her time spent with the Graysons. They were a family unit unlike one she’d ever experienced before. A loving, tight-knit family, with four kids so close in age, competition and bickering were normal. They could pick and prod at each other all day, but God help the outsider who picked a fight with one Grayson, because they’d be facing all four in a matter of minutes. 

There’d been a time when she’d been a part of the family, included by Evelyn and Alisha, pestered by Derrick and Carter, but loved by Brett. 

Regan blew out a big breath. How was she going to not only step foot in Spring City again but also come face to face with any member of the family she’d walked away from?

If she had to face them, she’d rather take them by surprise. That way they wouldn’t have time to assemble the mobs and pitchforks.

Pulling up Munro’s travel site, she found the perfect flight arriving Monday afternoon. 

She opened her email, switched to Tim’s account—a privilege she’d maintained from her days as his administrative assistant—and typed out a response.

Mr. Grayson - 

I found your proposal interesting and accept your invitation to tour Fifth and Fifth in person this upcoming week. Due to other commitments, I will arrange my own transportation and lodging and meet you at your office on Tuesday, December 2.

If this doesn’t work for your schedule, please let me know and we can coordinate as needed.

Respectfully, 

Tim McKinsey, VP of Strategy, Munro Corporation

She got an email response within an hour, telling her how important Munro’s presence at Fifth and Fifth was to BDG LLC.

Mr. McKinsey - 

We’re delighted to receive you Tuesday, December 2, at 500 Fifth Ave, Suite 1500, Spring City, CO. How does 9 a.m. work? 

Attached is an itinerary.

V/R,

Brett Grayson, BDG LLC Managing Partner

Regan reviewed the agenda, and wow, they were going all out.

They’d start at the office but had brunch reservations at 10:30 at Castilla’s Reserve and Resort. Castilla’s was a famous resort nestled against the mountains bordering the west of Spring City. It was over a hundred years old, beautiful, and discretely catered to high-powered and famous clientele from around the world. She and Brett had merely walked the grounds a half-dozen times, but had never eaten there, nor spent the night.

Then they would tour the university, the business and technology park, then back downtown for dinner and drinks. The following day was a meeting with the mayor, as well as the city planners and chamber of commerce. The Graysons were doing well to garner the city official’s undivided attention.

Regan shook her head. So, this was what being courted felt like? No wonder Tim didn’t give up these opportunities lightly. She took a deep breath, her fingers trembling as she typed out a response.

Mr. Grayson - 

9 a.m. is perfect. See you then.

Regan purposely left the signature block off this time. It was bad enough she was hiding behind Tim’s name to get into Spring City undetected. She didn’t need to add any more to the deception.