Despite the fresh flowers everywhere, the hospital smell saturated his nostrils. The smell of death. Jack's insides tossed and turned as he leaned against the cool corridor wall, staring at the string of texts on his phone. First, the markets had tanked in Tokyo and now the catering company they'd hired for the party tomorrow night had declared bankruptcy. His events manager was scrambling to find someone new with such short notice.

His phone buzzed. "Keaton. What's the status?"

"I'm trying to scope out if there is still a deal space."

Jack gripped the phone tighter. Catering was the least of his worries. He needed this deal to close. "Pull it out of the weeds. Wow them with the big picture, the money to be made."

"Cell Corp executives are shaky. After failing to secure Stinson Studios, they're concerned you won't have the manufacturing capabilities to pull this off." The reminder of his loss to his ex-wife stung Jack more than he cared to admit. He tried to pass it off as part of doing business, and a part of him was fine with the company staying in the Stinson family, but his reputation had taken a hit.

"Remind the executives I am the CEO of the largest pharmaceutical company in North America. Production is not an issue. I can have a new facility up and running in less than six months."

Keaton paused. "I'll work on Smitty. He's always been pro this deal."

He better, thought Jack. Otherwise, Smitty's wife will be very unhappy when a certain illegitimate child shows up on her doorstep. Jack had done his homework and Smitty had the most to lose, so naturally, he'd targeted him first. "Make it happen." Jack ended the call without waiting for confirmation.

"Jack?"

He lifted his gaze to find the petite blonde he'd used to steady the nerves in his stomach back in Ximena's room, studying him. "Solana. Is something wrong?"

He hadn't been able to sleep last night and despite swearing he'd never step foot in this hospital again after his uncle's death, Jack found himself ordering George to take him here bright and early. There were 67 steps from reception to the elevator and he'd counted to 122 as the damned thing took forever to get to the third floor. He hadn't expected to feel the relief at seeing Ximena awake and healthy in her hospital bed. Nor had he anticipated the calm that washed over him when Solana entered the room.

He'd learned a long time ago to master or at least mask his inner turmoil. His uncle didn't accept cry babies in the Blackhorne family and he couldn't show weakness in the boardroom. Or any room. Reputation was a delicate thing and Jack had to keep his intact for the good of the company. One wrong picture taken by the paparazzi, one wrong opinion spewed on social media and everything his uncle and his father had worked for could go down the drain.

So he'd found ways to deal. Counting helped the best. Took his mind off the problem, took him out of the room. But sometimes you had to be in the room. He put his hands in his pockets to hide any shakes and tried to always remain seated. Standing led to pacing and sitting gave the illusion of being relaxed. The best technique he exploited was hyper-focusing on one object. Turns out most people couldn't handle being stared at. Or ignored. When a situation got tough, he focused on something in the room that had beauty in it. A piece of art on the wall, the curve of a water jug, a beautiful woman.

The most beautiful woman leaned against the wall beside him. "No. Nothing's wrong. Thanks to you."

He waved a hand at Solana. "I didn't do anything."

Fingers grazed his hand, landing on his forearm. "You did everything." Heat radiated from her touch and Jack got lost in her sweetheart face. Hazel eyes rimmed with bags from lack of sleep, a petite mouth devoid of lipstick, she still radiated a light like no one he'd ever laid eyes on. The warmth of her touch sank into his blood. He shifted on the wall to face her.

"How can I ever pay you back?"

Her words were soft, but her mouth formed into a hard line. She was serious. She hadn't come out here to see if he was okay, wasn't concerned about him. Why would she be? Solana didn't know him. This was about money. Of course it was. A nurse swished by and the aroma of antiseptic hit Jack, causing his stomach to swirl. He jerked his arm out of her grasp. "Not necessary."

"I think it is." Her now empty hand flew to her hip. "This isn't our first trip to the hospital. I know all this is expensive."

"I have enough money to cover it, sweetheart."

Just like her grandmother had moments ago, Solana crossed her arms and squared her shoulders. "I have money too."

"Happy for you. Keep it."

"But—"

"Can't you just say thank you and move on." This was frustrating. Didn't she have a grandmother to look after? Jack cast his eyes down the hall, hoping to spot Ethan. He could set Solana straight. But this time his friend was not there to help him.

"Maybe there's something I can help with instead?"

Jack raised an eyebrow and returned his gaze to the woman who was not letting this go. "Well... there's a closet over there with our name on it."

"Not happening." Solana glared. "Try again."

"Can't think of anything else." His phone vibrated in his hand, but he ignored it. Likely more problems. No one ever texted good news. "Unless you know a good catering company."

Solana popped off the wall, a glint in her eye. "Actually, I do." He hadn't exactly expected her to help. Still, she might have a lead he could use. "Bram's family owns a restaurant." The small balloon of interest in Jack's chest deflated. "The Sunset Street Diner. They also cater."

The last thing he wanted was owing anything to her hulking brute of a friend. Or boyfriend. He still wasn't sure what the man was to her.

The reports had come in this morning, and Abraham appeared generally clean. A few arrests, one for indecent exposure and another for disturbing the peace. The latter had been a party out of hand, disgruntled neighbour filed the complaint but later refused to press charges. There was mention of the family restaurant, but the investigator had yet to pull their financials.

A rapid succession of dings erupted from the device in his hand. The world was waking up and Jack had serious business that needed his attention. He scrolled through the texts. "I need more than tacos and tortilla chips. This is an internal product launch for employees. They expect a certain level of quality."

The screen slid sideways as Solana snatched his phone out of his hand. "Hey." Her delicate fingers stabbed at the screen before she passed it back to him.

"There. This is their menu." She pointed at the colourful words in a funky font. "Snooty enough for you?"

The site boasted fresh and authentic food guaranteed to satisfy everyone's tastes. A typical marketing pitch, but as Jack scanned the items, the food didn't look half bad. They had tacos, yes, but filled with Korean BBQ and lobster, among other things. Halibut ceviche, avocado tostadas, and a range of goodies caught his eye.

Jack considered his options. If they could come through, there were tax advantages for his company to hiring local and it often led to good press as well. At the last party, he'd heard complaints from the staff that the food was generic and dull. Probably because the catering company was cutting corners to try to stay afloat. Didn't work. Cheaping out never did.

He peaked up from his phone to find a smirk on Solana's face. "Can Abraham be trusted?"

Solana's smirk wavered. "Of course. And I'll be one of the staff."

Jack barked a laugh. "I've seen your server skills. Both nights I ended up drenched in alcohol."

"Not fair. You ran into me—"

"Yes, yes, this story again." Jack inched forward, the light reflecting off the molten lava stirring in Solana's irises. Goading her was so much fun. "You stick to it, sweetheart."

She opened her mouth to protest and the hair on the back of Jack's neck sizzled with anticipation. Nothing came out, and she snapped her lips shut. Disappointment settled in his stomach. So close to getting that fire going again. He needed another opportunity to stir up the embers and get what he craved. And not in this horrid hospital.

Two rapid vibrations of his phone told him his assistant was calling. She was under strict orders not to disturb him today unless it was urgent. Jack ignored the interruption, focusing on the woman in front of him instead. Working through the logistics of potentially owning Abraham a favour vs. what he could get out of it. How he could take advantage of the situation?

If Solana came to his building, there would be plenty of places to corner and coax her into fulfilling his fantasy. Like his office. He was a master at seducing women in that space. The image of laying her out on his desk sent a thrill up his spine. "Okay. Say I hire Abraham's company. I don't want him in attendance."

Her brow wrinkled. "Why not?"

There was no way he'd have that man cock block him again. The report stated the Fernandez family and the Monroe's had been neighbours for decades. Solana had obviously grown up with the man. The investigator couldn't find any evidence of a relationship beyond friendship between her and Abraham, but he knew what desire looked like, and Abraham was definitely interested in her. It was Solana's feelings for her neighbour, Jack wasn't sure about.

He needed more data. But he wasn't about to have Abraham around at the party. Jack wanted her attention fully on him, as it should be. No distractions. "Let's say he's not the right look for the event."

"Look?" Her brows tried to merge on her forehead. "You asshole."

"Don't hate the player, hate the game. This is a prestigious event and Blackhorne and Caldwell has to maintain a certain image. Your boyfriend doesn't make the cut."

"First, he's not my boyfriend." Little Jack cheered at her denial. This was the best news he'd heard all day. "Second, he's the owner's son. He has to be there."

"Does he want the business or not?" That made Solana's scowl softened. Yes, her loyalty to her friend was a fact he could exploit. "If so, I want you to run the whole thing."

"Me?" Solana's eyes rivaled saucers. "I..."

"You what? It can't be that hard. My ex-wife coordinated these things all the time."

"Well, I'm not your ex-wife." She tugged on the hem of her shirt. "I don't have any experience catering an event."

"You've worked in their restaurant, right?" Solana nodded. "It's like that, but bigger. I trust you." The words slid out of his mouth without thinking. He scrambled to cover them up. "You said you wanted to pay me back. This will make us even."

"Fine. I'll do it."

"Of course." He opened his contacts and handed his phone back to her. She looked at the screen and back at him. "You're my catering manager now. I need your number. You know... in case..."

"You have a catering question?"

"Something like that." He pointed at the phone, and for once, Solana did what he asked. Things were looking up.