Her Alpha CEO

Chapter 5

Tuesday passed in a blur for Brian, who was too busy implementing his plans to thwart his brother’s industrial espionage to worry about his upcoming date with Nina.

He did, however, take the time to send her a message wishing her a good day and telling her he was looking forward to seeing her the next night. He was gratified to receive a response a few moments later, reciprocating his comments.

It was interesting to note that as much as Nina was always at the back of his mind, and as eager as he was to see her again, he wasn’t driven to maintain contact with her. His previous encounters with women, of which he’d had a few, had always consisted of a frenzied bout of passionate texting, followed by s*x that lasted a month or two, before his interest waned. He’d discussed it with Jen before, and she’d told him it was perfectly normal to be interested due to lust, but that love was an entirely different matter.

Brian jerked back from his desk in shock. He couldn’t be in love with Nina Jacobs, could he? It simply wasn’t possible. They’d only just met. While he’d never been an inconsiderate lover, he’d never really thought of himself as the committing type. Love was a foreign concept in his life, at least, romantic love.

He’d never been the least bit interested in settling down with a woman. Still, he’d never felt this slow-burning desire for anyone before. Nina aroused him physically, but more than that, she played with his emotions and his mind. She was a puzzle, and he wanted to solve her.

That was it, not love. Once he’d figured her out, he would grow tired and move on, the same way he always did with women. It was natural, and although the thought saddened him, he was relieved to be able to justify his fascination with Nina.

Turning back to his computer, he logged into his emails. Sure enough, there was one from his team, advising him of the merits of changing the marketing and bringing the release date forward. They’d been punting the release of New Moon Rising to the public for six months. Changing the date now would be a disaster.

Release dates were carefully timed to coincide with periods which market research indicated were most favorable for buyers, and he was reluctant to change it. Only one of his team members recommended doing so, and it was the same team member who had worked on the mirrored puzzles Les had picked up.

Not only was Kyle Hemsworth a spy, but he was a saboteur as well, and that wouldn’t go down well with HR. The only issue now was proving it beyond a doubt so that the company could charge him with the criminal offence. Not that Brian thought it would necessarily come to that, but he knew that he would need to set an example.

He was a lenient boss as long as the work was done, the deadlines were met and the quality of work was exceptional. If that didn’t happen, he was hell on earth for the poor guy who didn’t meet his expectations.

Jen had often told him that he had too much of Dad in him, but the old man had known what it took to make a business successful, and he’d grown Guidice Games from a small startup company, to the billion-dollar corporation it was today. While the company had grown, the ethics that Martin Guidice had instilled in his staff and his children remained firmly in place, and the loyalty of staff was always rewarded above and beyond the norm.

With a sigh, Brian shut down his computer. That’s why it was so hard to consider Hemsworth a traitor. He’d been treated just like one of the other employees, rewarded generously for his hard work, and treated fairly when he didn’t perform to the standard expected of him. Which had only happened once, according to the records HR had sent to Brian on his request.

It made no sense for him to betray the company he worked for, unless Tristan had offered him a sizeable sum in order to do so. He would have to find a way to investigate his brother’s methods and stop him implementing them again in the future.

For now, though, it was time for him to take a look at his plans to knock the socks off Nina Jacobs at their date the next evening. He fully intended to pull out all the stops, and the first thing he planned to do was to gather intel on her favorite dining places and book out the restaurant.

He was halfway through implementing the plans, when he stopped. Nina had already been to his house, and she knew how wealthy he was. But not once in all the time they’d spent together had she indicated that it mattered to her. If anything, she’d seemed loathe to accept his wealth as commonplace. She’d invited him for dinner at her house, cooked him a homely but delicious meal, and hadn’t expected him to contribute more than a bottle of wine.

It was highly unlikely that she would be impressed by ostentatious displays of wealth, and where Brian had used them to great effect with previous relationships, this was another reminder of how different Nina was from other women he’d dated. While she may be appreciative of the comforts his wealth afforded, it was unlikely that she would be grateful for it.

Which meant that he wasn’t quite sure what to do to impress Nina. In fact, he’d hit a dead end in his plans, and with no one else to turn to, he snatched the phone from his desk, and dialed his sister’s number.

She answered distractedly and Brian had a moment to wonder if he was disturbing her, before he decided that his needs were more important than anything Jen might be doing.

“I need your help.”

“With Tristan?” Jen sounded puzzled.

“No, not with Tristan. With Nina. I’m taking her out tomorrow night, and I was halfway through planning an extravagant affair with booking out a restaurant and hiring a band… you know, the usual. When it occurred to me that Nina may not be the sort of woman to appreciate extravagance like that.”

“Well, well, well. It seems my dear brother may finally be learning how to understand women. Will wonders never cease?” Jen chuckled.

“Mock me all you want, Jen, but I need your help. I don’t know what to do, and it’s really important that I impress her.”

“Ah, you’re no fun when you’re lovesick. Bring me food and I’ll tell you how to woo your young Miss Jacobs.”

“I’ll be there in twenty minutes. Your usual burger okay?”

“Perfect.”

Brian hung up the phone and ordered takeaways for collection. He’d pick up the food on the way to Jen’s house. As he left the office, he felt the thrill of adrenaline pumping through his veins. No woman had ever made him feel excited about planning a date, but it seemed that Nina was right; she wasn’t most women.

*****

The next morning, Nina received a message from Brian, telling her to dress for dancing that evening. She wasn’t sure whether they were actually going to go to a club, but she spent the day discussing outfits with Lisa, and debating the merits of stilettos with the heels she’d bought when she’d taken up ballroom and Latin dancing.

Eventually, they decided that she would dress in a silver thigh-length dress, that hugged her cleavage before flowing down her legs. The bodice was decorated with sequins and the back was open, with just a few straps holding it in place. Nina hadn’t worn it since the last dancing competition she’d entered, but she was relieved to see it still fit. Her strapless bra matched her skin tone, so she wasn’t concerned about it showing at the back. Her silver stilettos glimmered in the light, and while elegant, they were still more comfortable than some of the other shoes she owned.