Crude Intentions

Chapter 7: Sealing the Deal

Garrett Cole cradled his bruised wrist, his face a cocktail of pure humiliation and unadulterated rage. He looked at Theo, whose arm was still clamped like an iron band around Charlie’s waist, anchoring her firmly against his side. He looked at Ms. Mae, who was already sliding Apex’s predatory contracts away from her family.

"You think you can just buy your way out of a legal acquisition, Vance?" Garrett hissed, backing toward the diner exit. "The paperwork is filed. Charlie’s entire data history belongs to us. If she uses one line of that title research for Vance Energy, I’ll tie her up in litigation so fast she won't see the light of a courtroom for a decade."

"Then I’ll buy the court," Theo fired back, his voice deadly calm and entirely serious. "Get out of my sight, Cole. Before I forget we're in public."

Garrett spat on the linoleum floor, shoved the diner doors open, and stormed out into the humid night. The overhead bell chimed a pathetic little farewell as his dually roared out of the parking lot.

The silence in the cafe returned, but the air was different now. The thick, suffocating tension between Charlie and Theo was practically vibrating.

Charlie took a slow, deliberate breath, highly conscious of the fact that Theo’s fingers were still dug into the denim at her hip. She cleared her throat, tapping his forearm. "You can let go of the merchandise now, boss. The snake has left the building."

Theo paused, his dark eyes dropping to where his hand gripped her waist. Slowly, almost reluctantly, he released her, though he didn't take a single step back. He stood close enough that she could still feel the heat radiating from his damp shirt.

"Well," Ms. Mae broke the silence, a slow, appreciative grin spreading across her wrinkled face as she adjusted her glasses. "I’ve been going to this cafe for forty years, and that is the best free entertainment I’ve ever seen. Charlie, honey, your new boss is a bit loud, but he certainly knows how to clear a room."

"He’s not my boss, Ms. Mae," Charlie started, her face flushing. "He was just—"

"I am her boss," Theo interrupted smoothly, pulling out a pristine, expensive fountain pen from his pocket—apparently the only thing on him that hadn't touched the mud. He slid it across the table toward Ms. Mae. "And if you sign with Vance Energy tonight, Ms. Mae, I personally guarantee that Charlie will oversee every single square inch of your family’s land. No deductions. Gross proceeds. And a signing bonus check will be hand-delivered to your porch by noon tomorrow."

Ms. Mae looked at the pen, then looked at Charlie. "Is the title clean, Charlie? Can we trust him?"

Charlie looked at Theo. He was watching her, his arrogant facade stripped away, leaving only a raw, intense sincerity. He was a corporate shark, yes, but he had just put his body between her and a threat without a second thought. And more importantly, his contract was fair to her people.

"The title is clean once we execute the trust waivers," Charlie told her softly. "And yes. You can trust the contract."

Ms. Mae nodded once, picked up the pen, and flipped to the signature page of Vance Energy’s original proposal. Within two minutes, all three Henderson heirs had signed on the dotted lines.

Ten minutes later, Charlie and Theo stepped out onto the gravel parking lot of the diner. The humid night air was heavy with the scent of rain and wet earth.

"Head of Land?" Charlie asked, stopping under the buzzing yellow parking lot light. She crossed her arms, looking up at him. "Exclusive southern operations? That was a nice parlor trick in there, Vance, but I don't appreciate being used as a prop in your d**k-measuring contest with Apex."

Theo stopped, turning to face her. The neon light caught the sharp angles of his jaw, highlighting the sweat and grit on his skin. He looked rugged, exhausted, and incredibly handsome.

"It wasn't a trick, Charlie," he said, his voice dropping into that low, gravelly register that made her stomach do flip-flops. "I don't make fake job offers. Bob’s brokerage was small-time. You're too brilliant to be running titles for a man who sells his soul the second a rival company waves a checkbook at him."

"You don't even know me," she whispered, her heart starting to race.

"I know you completely dismantled my company's multi-million-dollar legal strategy in forty-five seconds," Theo murmured, stepping into her space until the tips of his yellow muck boots brushed against her leather work boots. He reached out, his long fingers gently catching her chin, forcing her to look up into his dark, burning eyes. "I know you didn't blink when I tried to steamroll you. And I know I’ve never met a woman who looks as beautiful covered in mud as she does holding a title abstract."

Charlie’s breath hitched. The proximity was intoxicating. She could smell the rain, the expensive cologne, and the raw, unyielding gravity of him. Her gaze drifted down to his lips, and for a second, she thought he was going to lean down and bridge the final inch between them.

The bright headlights of a sleek, spotless black Escalade swung into the parking lot, cutting through the darkness and breaking the spell. Theo’s assistant had finally tracked his phone's backup GPS.

Theo slowly let his hand drop from her chin, though his thumb lingered for a fraction of a second against her jawline.

The driver hopped out, sprinting over to open the back door, his eyes widening in absolute shock as he looked at his billionaire boss’s disheveled, mud-soaked appearance. "Mr. Vance! Sir, we’ve been looking everywhere—the roads were washed out—"

"Get the contract files ready in the back," Theo ordered, his corporate voice snapping back into place effortlessly. He turned back to Charlie, a dangerous, thrilling spark returning to his eyes. "We have a long night ahead of us, Head of Land. We need to draft those family trust waivers before the courthouse opens at eight AM."

Charlie looked at the luxury SUV, then back at Theo, a slow, defiant smile playing on her lips. "My rate just doubled, Vance."

Theo chuckled, a rich, dark sound that vibrated right through her chest as he gestured toward the open door. "Get in the car, Charlie. You can charge me whatever you want."