Chapter Two

Nathan

Nathan’s phone buzzed like an angry hornet on the leather seat. Nathan didn’t even glance at it. He kept his eyes on the road. Snow flurries danced in front of his headlights as he sped along the dark road toward the ski resort.

The heated seats kept him more than comfortable. The engine hummed with power as he shifted into a lower gear to accelerate up the mountain road. Behind him, two black SUVs struggled to keep pace with his silver all-wheel drive Ferrari.

The phone continued to buzz and he continued to ignore it as he focused on speed and taking the turns. He pushed harder, taking the icy turns just a little bit faster. The car slid, but he stayed in control.

He was on vacation now and there was no way he was going to let anyone ruin that for him.

It had been a rough month. He needed this.

He took the corner and the ski resort came into view. It was only then that he stopped driving like a madman. Blue Aspen Resort and Spa was one of his favorite places to ski. He’d skied nearly every continent, yet Blue Aspen Resort always felt like home. He loved the powder on the mountain and the warmth of the hot springs. Just driving up and seeing the resort entrance lowered his blood pressure.

Nathan swung his Ferrari into the valet parking and stepped out. The sun had set and the snow was coming down in big fat flakes that stuck to his hair. He took a deep breath in of icy air and smiled.

The two SUVs squealed into the valet line behind him. From the passenger side came a very large, and very angry looking man. He looked a little pale and clammy.

“Told you the Ferrari would handle just fine,” Nathan told the man with a shrug, striking a nonchalant pose leaning against his car.

Gregory glared at Nathan as he approached. “That was not fun.”

“Hal’s an excellent driver. He managed that pass like a champ.” Nathan couldn’t help but grin. He’d pushed his Ferrari to the limit on speed through the mountain pass. The two SUVs with his personal security had struggled to keep up.

Gregory stood in front of Nathan, glaring down. Nathan wasn’t a short man, but standing next to Gregory, he certainly felt like one. Gregory was nearly seven feet of pure muscle and strength. Nathan was fairly sure Gregory could kill a man with a single finger. Special Forces tended to teach those kinds of skills.

“You ride with Hal next time then,” Gregory told him. “That was awful. I hate it when you drive like that.”

Nathan grinned up at his bodyguard. “You said the Ferrari couldn’t handle it. I just needed to show you that it could.”

“No, you just wanted to push the limits,” Gregory replied. He shook his head like a tired parent. He sighed. “You need a coat.”

Nathan chuckled and reached into the car. He pulled out a long wool peacoat and slid it over his shoulders. “Happy?”

Gregory didn’t look amused.

“Let’s go check in,” Nathan said with a grin. He tossed his keys to the valet and headed inside. This was on of the few places that Gregory let him lead. The security risk was low here. It was another perk of staying in Blue Aspen. They were used to keeping celebrities and wealthy patrons safe and comfortable.

Nathan stepped inside and admired the Christmas decorations. He’d had his house in upstate New York mimic the style here: warm and contemporary. No gaudiness, just elegance. He didn't have a tree, though. He didn't see the point.

Two women stood at the check-in desk speaking with the receptionist. Nathan knew he could waltz up and demand service, but he didn’t feel the need to be a dick. Besides, it sounded like they were nearly done.

He took a position a respectful distance away from the desk where it would be apparent he was next in line.

“Excellent. If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to let me know. Please enjoy your stay here at Blue Aspen.” The receptionist smiled at both of them. “Do you need any assistance with your bags?”

“I think we’re okay. Thank you,” replied the woman with a dirty-blonde ponytail. She bent over and picked up her duffle bag, swinging it over her shoulder.

And then turned and walked directly into him.

He wasn’t used to not being seen. Nathan was usually the center of attention everywhere he went. She looked up at him, her green eyes going wide.

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” she said quickly, stepping back and just barely avoiding running into her friend.

“No harm,” he replied, chuckling to himself. She was pretty, with freckles across her nose and dotting her cheeks. They were nearly obscured by the blush quickly filling her cheeks, but they were still there. He found he rather liked them.

The woman quickly hurried off, following her friend to the elevators. Nathan chuckled to himself. Although the woman was embarrassed, she didn’t know who he was or she didn’t care. If she had cared, she would have said something. Or grabbed her friend and at least giggled.

He was the CEO of Paradigm Technologies and a billionaire.

Another perk of Blue Aspen was that his celebrity status didn’t matter. Everyone was a celebrity here, even if they weren’t. He wondered if maybe she was an actress or a model, but not a traditional one. She was on the shorter side and definitely nowhere near Hollywood skinny. She was definitely pretty enough, though.

“Good evening. I’m here to check in,” Nathan said, walking up to the counter.

“Of course, Mr. Reed. We have your usual suite prepared to your specifications. There’s a bottle of Dom Perignon chilling in the foyer as our gift to you.” The receptionist smiled and slid a card across the desk for him. “Is there anything I can send up for you?”

Nathan pocketed the card. “No, thank you.”

The woman smiled as Nathan turned around. His security team was already bringing in his things. They would have the smaller rooms adjacent to his. The warmth of the lodge finally permeated the wool of his coat and he took it off, carefully folding it over his arm.

“You left your phone in the car.” Gregory handed him the phone. Six new calls.

“You know you could have just thrown it in a snowbank,” Nathan told him. “I’m not talking to them.”

Gregory chuckled. “I know. But it’s fun to watch the veins on your neck pop out every time it rings.”

“I thought you were supposed to be watching out for me,” Nathan replied. “That’s not watching out for me.”

“No, that’s just watching you,” Gregory replied. “I've got to get my kicks somehow.”

“You’re a terrible bodyguard,” Nathan said, putting the phone in the pocket of his jacket.

“Yeah, but you’d be dead and bored without me.”

Nathan shook his head slowly as they walked to the elevators together. “Remind me to fire you later. Or at least dock your pay.”

“I’ll get right on that.” Gregory checked the elevator before Nathan got on.

Nathan had no intention of firing Gregory. If anything, he’d give the man a raise. Gregory was more friend than employee at this point.

The phone buzzed and danced in Nathan’s pocket. He reached in, hit the button and put it to his ear. It was Lucy, his secretary.

“What?” It came out a little harsher than he intended.

“RentTech,” Lucy said without preamble. “Nathan, I have news on RentTech.”

RentTech was Paradigm Technologies latest acquisition. As CEO, it was Nathan's idea to purchase the small company, but unfortunately, RentTech was turning into a money pit. Nothing seemed to go right. The board of directors for Paradigm was not pleased with their CEO or RentTech.

“I can fix it,” he told her. “They just need a little more time-”

“Nathan.” Lucy's voice was firm as she cut him off. “The board sold it this morning. RentTech's gone.”

Nathan staggered slightly, his hand going to the wall to support him. “What?”

“That's why I've been calling you,” Lucy explained. “I know you're on vacation this week, but you deserved to know. RentTech is gone.”

“Damn it.” He slammed his hand hard on the wall. All the work these past few months. He'd put everything into fixing RentTech and making it a successful part of Paradigm Technologies. Granted, there had been precious little success. RentTech was a disaster.

“I'm sorry, boss,” Lucy said gently. “I know how much this meant to you. I know you put your reputation on the line for this.”

Nathan closed his eyes and counted to five. “Well. It's done then. Time to work on something else.”

“Enjoy your weekend,” Lucy said. “I have things ready for the next company we've purchase. It's Elements Computer Technologies. I already did the legwork while you focused on RentTech. This next one will be a success. Promise.”

Nathan nodded. He owed Lucy big for this. He'd focused all his energies on trying to salvage RentTech even when the board said to drop it. Lucy had managed his other responsibilities for him in the mean time. Things like preparing for another company to join Paradigm's umbrella.

“Thanks, Lucy.” Nathan sighed.

“Just give me a good bonus later,” she told him. “Have fun at your party tomorrow.”

She clicked the line off and Nathan stood staring at his phone.

He'd failed. He should have felt devastated. Crushed.

And he did, but there was also a relief. No more stupid inane meetings. No more frantic emails that everyone else seemed to ignore. Sometimes he wished he didn't have this job. But then that would mean the money would stop. He couldn't let that happen. Money was everything.

He used to create technology. That was how he'd gotten into the tech world. Why Paradigm had hired him all those years ago. He'd risen to the top of the company, but he didn't create or innovate technology anymore. Now, he just managed it. It was starting to drain on him.

“You okay?” Gregory asked. Nathan had forgotten the man was still there.

“Fine.”

Gregory grunted.

“What?” Nathan asked as the doors opened. Grunts were an entire language for Gregory.

“You're not fine,” Gregory said. “You look like you need a drink.”

“RentTech. It's gone.” That's all Nathan needed to say.

Gregory grunted again.

Nathan looked over at him. “What? Tell me.”

“You really want my opinion?” Gregory asked him. He checked the hallway before letting Nathan off the elevator. The suite door was open with Hal standing in front of it. That meant Hal had checked it and it was safe.

“I do,” Nathan told him as they both entered the suite. Hal stayed outside by the door.

“The RentTech mess was awful,” Gregory said simply. “The sale to Paradigm was always about the money, not the company. It was a bad match. It wasn't for you. You did everything you could. The board gave you a shitty job.”

That was basically the opinion Nathan had come to himself about the rocky results of the company purchase. It was good to hear someone else say it. “Why do you say that?”

“The past month has been hellish working for you. It's made you short-tempered. You're unhappy. You're exhausted.” Gregory shrugged. “These aren't good things for you.”

“Yeah, but RentTech was supposed to make me a lot of money,” Nathan countered. “It would have been worth it.”

“Says you,” Gregory replied. “It didn't look worth it from where I'm standing.”

Nathan sighed. Money was always worth it. Money was everything.

“My advice to you is to take this weekend. No work. Don't talk about it, don't think about it,” Gregory said. “Give yourself a break.”

“That's kind of the plan,” Nathan replied.

“You say that, but then you work.” Gregory crossed his arms and looked at Nathan. “You always work and it makes you miserable.”

“What do you mean?” Nathan went to the bottle of Dom and popped the cork. He offered the bottle to Gregory, but the bodyguard shook his head. He was working.

“I don’t want you to take this the wrong way, Boss,” Gregory said slowly. “When you deal with RentTech, you’re short tempered. You don’t joke with the boys. You don’t smile as much. That week the board made someone else handle things, you wouldn’t stop whistling and humming. Drove poor Hal bonkers.”

Nathan poured himself a glass of champagne and sipped thoughtfully. “It drove Hal bonkers?”

“You were off key. The guy has perfect pitch.”

Nathan chuckled.

“I’ll try not to hum this time.”

Gregory grunted again.

“What?”

“Don’t do this again.” Gregory frowned. “You work too hard. You need a girl. Or a guy. But someone. You need more in your life than just work and money.”

That was more work advice than Nathan had ever heard from Gregory. The man must really be worried about him.

“Here.” Nathan handed Gregory his phone.

“What do you want me to do with this?” Gregory asked. The phone looked tiny in Gregory’s massive hands.

“Throw it in a snowbank. Give it to the less fortunate. Melt it down and make art. I don’t care.” A sense of freedom started to wash through him. “It’s my weekend off.”

Gregory set the phone on the ground and stomped it with his heel. The entire thing shattered.

“Wow. I didn’t think you were going to take me literally.” Nathan took another sip of champagne. “I feel better already.”

Gregory grunted.

This time, Nathan just shook his head and poured another glass of champagne. He was on vacation now.