Filthy Headlines by Cassie Mint
Teaser: Beach Baby
“No.” My assistant Jackson flinches, but honestly, he should be used to that word from me by now. I’m known all across the city as a hardass. I demand only the highest quality work in my company. “This is unacceptable. Do it again. And do it right this time.”
I watch, bored and irritated, as the younger man gathers the files off my desk with fumbling hands. His fair hair sticks up where he’s run his hands through it, and his cheeks are stained pink.
Perhaps I’d go easier on him if he weren’t so damn privileged, but this guy has been handed every possible gift. Summers at the Hamptons. An ivy league education. I suppose when his father arranged this job for him, he thought it would be easy.
Too bad. If he wants to keep this spot, he’d better earn it.
God knows no one handed me anything. Everything I have, I bled for. I sacrificed and worked endless hours, clawing my way up as soon as I left foster care. And now I own the top property development company in the city.
Good. Great.
It’s empty, a snide voice whispers in my head. You built all this—and for what?
“Get out!” I slam a palm down on my desk, and Jackson jumps a foot into the air. He snatches up the last folder and high-tails it out of my office, the glass rattling in the door as it bangs shut behind him.
I scrub a hand down my face, sucking in a deep breath. In my cavernous office, the only sound is the rasp of my throat. Through the sparkling windows, the city is spread out beneath me, hungry and restless.
My heartbeat calms.
I shouldn’t have done that. Oh, well—another gift for HR.
My chair scrapes over the rug as I push to my feet, rounding my desk to pace along the windows. It’s no use. I’m distracted. Bored. I need a new project—a new challenge to conquer. I turn and face out over the city streets, hands clasped behind my back as I let my mind wander.
This is how I work. How I have my best ideas. I let my mind drift, and in return… it hunts down our prey.
My eyes track over the paved sidewalks, the sky scrapers jutting up towards the clouds. My company put more than a few of them there, but now when I look at them, I’m not moved.
It’s all so gray. So soulless. I need something different. Something new.
A flash of color catches my eye: the turquoise ocean, twinkling in the distance.
Yes.
Yes.
When was the last time I went to the beach? And more to the point—when has my company ever done a coastal development? Energy surges through my veins, and my grin is savage as I begin to pace again. My shoes drum against the floorboards—a new war beat.
A beach side complex. A hotel, maybe, or a casino. Something daring. A big fuck you to this damned voice whispering in my head.
Perfect. I pull my phone from my pocket, and hit dial. Jackson’s ‘Yes, sir?’ is filled with dread.
“Order the car. I’m going out for the afternoon.”
Jackson sounds far too happy when he gushes, “Yes, Mr Black! At once. Of course.” I consider reaming him out again, but this flash of inspiration has put me in too good of a mood. Instead, I hang up without another word and turn to stare back out at that strip of shining blue.
Uncharted territory. That’s what that coastline is.
Somewhere new to explore.
And conquer.
* * *The car floats through the traffic, a sleek sanctuary of cool air and tinted windows. I peer through the darkened glass, stroking my bottom lip as we wind through the coastal streets.
Perhaps a shopping mall?
No. No, there’s no prestige in malls. Besides, there are already hundreds of shops lining these streets, their mannequins staring blindly at passersby. I need to build something different, not more of the same.
I need to make my mark.
The regular flashes of blue between the buildings makes my heart pound. Why the hell haven’t I done this before? Stepped out of my tower of steel and chrome, and come into this other world? When I crack the window, salt air swirls inside. I snake out my tongue and taste it.
I’m so wrapped up in the clamor of pedestrians and the riot of colors that I almost miss her. Almost don’t see her at all.
A glimpse of icy blonde hair. A shapeless pink tunic, blown by the breeze against a narrow waist.
“Stop the car.”
My legs are clumsy as I shove the door open, lurching out onto the sidewalk. Car horns blare, but I barely hear them.
Where is she?
She was… she was just here.
For a sickening moment, I think I dreamed her. That my constant overwork has finally cost me my mind. But then the crowds part, and I see her again.
She’s… perfect.
I need to meet her.
Stumbling footsteps carry me forward, before I shake myself and stride with confidence once more. My driver calls something to me, but I tune it out with everything else.
Nothing matters. Only reaching her.
The sun beats down, warming the back of my neck and baking the sidewalk. My shirt and jacket are ridiculous for this kind of heat, but when was the last time I left a space with air conditioning? My angel must be hot, too, in that awful pink tunic. It’s a uniform of some kind, the material stiff and unflattering, and my fingers itch to tear it off her.
She should wear only silks. Only the finest fabrics. And she should be away from this heat, kept somewhere cool and comfortable…
She rounds a corner, ducking into an alley between a tattoo parlor and a hair salon. With a final glance around, I follow.
The alley stinks. Trash bags are piled high, cooking in the heat, and letting off a sickly smell. I cover my nose with my sleeve, scowling as I pick my way past abandoned furniture and a closed nightclub doorway.
I haven’t smelled something like this in years. Not since I got out of this life, fighting and scraping my way to a new beginning.
I breathe through my mouth, following the girl. When she’s mine, she’ll never breathe foul air again either.
The alley stretches on surprisingly far. So far that I peer up at the buildings on either side, trying to find my bearings. The noises of the crowded street fade away, until there’s only the quick thump of my footsteps. Way ahead, light blonde hair bounces, catching the sunlight as she walks, but she doesn’t turn around. She hasn’t noticed me yet.
Dangerous.That’s the first thing I think. Any psycho could have followed her down here. And there’d be no witnesses, no one for her to call for help—
Unacceptable. She’ll have a bodyguard. Maybe two. And anywhere she wants to go, there’ll be a car and driver ready for her. She’ll never be in this risky position again. I almost call out to her, chastising her for taking this dangerous path, but then she slips out of the alley and disappears from view.
My heart surges into my throat. I move faster, almost running as I burst out of the alley behind her.
And lose my breath.
This beach… fuck.
Sparkling white sands. Palm trees waving lazily overhead. Turquoise waves, lapping gently at the shore. The sounds of the city are completely gone, and it’s like stumbling into another world.
How is this here? How is it so empty, and not packed with tourists?
It’s forgotten somehow. That’s the only explanation. It’s a miraculously hidden patch of land. And not just any land, but the most stunning beach I’ve ever seen—and I’ve traveled the world on my private plane.
It’s…
It’s a developer’s dream. The Holy Grail.
I swallow hard, staring out at the water until my eyes go dry. There’s no alley stench out here—only briny sea air and the soft cry of gulls. A movement in the distance drags me back to myself, and with a jolt I remember how I got here.
The girl. She’s strolling barefoot along the sand in the distance, her white sneakers dangling from one hand. As I watch, she tosses them down then shimmies her gray leggings down. Tugs her tunic over her head and drops it on the heap.
Smooth, creamy skin. Slender limbs and small curves. Pale blue panties and a polka dot bra. My mouth goes dries than the beach as I watch her run into the waves. She dives under the water, her joyful whoop carried back to me on the breeze.
Every instinct in my body cries out for me to join her. To tear this goddamn suit off and run into the surf by her side. But… she doesn’t know me. I’m just some strange man who followed her through an alley. Who watched her take her clothes off without a word.
Fuck.My legs are already moving, carrying me back into the shadows of the alley. I missed my chance. If I greet her now, I’ll scare her, and that would be unacceptable.
You know what else is unacceptable? The way I linger for a few minutes longer. The way I palm my cock through my suit pants, rock hard and straining toward her, hissing between my teeth as I watch her cut through the waves.
This girl… she’s a miracle. And she brought me here—brought me exactly what I need.
This beach is perfect. Developing it will be my crowning achievement. And while I work here…
I’ll make her mine.
* * *Beach Babyis out now! Get lost in that summer haze…
