Nothing Ventured Read online

  Nothing Ventured

  by Kristen Luciani

  Blue Tulip Publishing

  www.bluetulippublishing.com

  Copyright © 2015 KRISTEN LUCIANI

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters, and events are fictitious in every regard. Any similarities to actual events and persons, living or dead, are purely coincidental. Any trademarks, service marks, product names, or named features are assumed to be the property of their respective owners, and are used only for reference. There is no implied endorsement if any of these terms are used. Except for review purposes, the reproduction of this book in whole or part, electronically or mechanically, constitutes a copyright violation.

  NOTHING VENTURED

  Copyright © 2015 KRISTEN LUCIANI

  ISBN: 978-1-942246-52-7

  ISBN 10: 1942246528

  To Lulu, my best girl and shining star.

  I love you so much!

  CHAPTER ONE

  THINGS SURE WERE DIFFERENT SINCE THE last time she'd competed in a place like this.

  Mia grunted as she ran toward the Golden Gate Arena in San Francisco, late as usual. The cool breeze fluttered through her thin tank top, but she'd left her jacket in the car. No time to go back for it now. Goosebumps popped up along her arms, having little to do with the chilly air. Today was her big debut, in more ways than one, and she had to deliver.

  Tip-off was in ten, and she needed to find her team… fast. Her shoelace flapped against the ground as she ran. Dammit! What more could possibly hold her up? It was bad enough her boss had asked her to pick up some paperwork about Blue Coat Capital's newest start-up investment, LazerShark. Their platform provided members with interactive access to all the hottest video games on the market. Advertising revenue had skyrocketed from their immensely popular celebrity athlete fantasy leagues.

  Her boss, Paul Emerson, had just invested two million dollars for a pretty small stake in the company. Even though it was pocket change for him, she knew he felt pretty confident it would go the distance.

  Mia bent to tie the shoelace, willing the frantic text messages from her colleagues to stop.

  A shiny, black Audi R8 careened around her into an empty parking spot, heat from the exhaust singeing the backs of her legs. The squealing tires screeched to a halt, shooting up a cloud of gravel.

  "Aahh! My eye!"

  The car door slammed, and the handsome driver ran over. "Hey, are you okay?"

  Mia squeezed her eyelids shut, but the burning sensation made her cringe. Something had lodged itself under her contact lens. The timing couldn't have been worse. God, she hated these lenses but it wasn't like she could play while wearing her glasses.

  The young man bent and put a hand on her shoulder. "Is something wrong?"

  "Yeah, I'm lamenting the fact that I'm partially blind right now!"

  "Oh, well, um, can I do anything to help?"

  "I think you've done enough. At least you didn't run me over to get this spot. So, thanks for that." She glared at him and jogged into the arena, shooting off a text to Alison, Paul's assistant. I'm here. Problem with my contact lens. Running to ladies'. See you in a minute.

  The young man chased after her. "Hang on, how did I do this, exactly? Am I missing something?"

  Mia scanned the ceiling signs for a restroom, not bothering to face him. "If you'd been driving like a normal person, I might not have taken a face full of gravel."

  "I'm not sure that's an accurate assessment."

  She snapped her head around, stiffening at the devilish glint in his hazel eyes. The goosebumps were back in force. "Really. And how would you explain it?"

  "I saw something I wanted and went for it."

  "Yup. With no regard for anything around you. Really responsible." She folded her arms. Her contact lens was still in desperate need of a good rinse but those deep-set eyes pulled her to him with the force of an electromagnet. One blink could extinguish the current flowing between them.

  "More like focused, but okay. Let's agree to disagree." He reached into his duffel bag and pulled out a bottle of contact lens solution. "How about a truce? You can rinse your eyes. It's brand new and unopened."

  Mia gritted her teeth. Why wouldn't he leave her alone? Hadn't she made it clear she wasn't interested in anything he had to say? Um, that would be a big fat no since she hadn't made any attempt to leave.

  "Look, I appreciate the gesture, but I'm good." She squared her shoulders and stalked to the ladies' room, fishing in her bag for some eye drops. Her hand came out empty, and she smacked it against her leg, the force stinging her bare skin.

  "You're sure you don't need my stuff? It's the kind of day when full use of both eyes would be beneficial, you know?"

  Jeez, he was still there? The guy just couldn't take no for an answer. Tears streamed from her right eye, and the clock was ticking. Her phone pinged again. Letting out a defeated sigh, Mia faced him with a loud sniffle.

  The young man flashed a knowing smile. "Take it. This is me attempting to make amends."

  "Thanks. This is me embracing the effort." Grasping the bottle, she cleared her throat. "I really appreciate it."

  "Don't worry about it. Good luck!" He trotted toward the main court.

  "But what about—"

  He spun around, jogging backward. "Keep it. It's the least I can do." With a little salute, he was off.

  Despite herself, Mia cast an appraising glance at the young man's retreating backside. Whoa, he was so… argh! Definitely not like Alex, her very safe and uncomplicated friend-boy. Besides, a high-pressure job at the most prestigious venture capital firm in the country didn't leave her with much downtime to lust after anything other than sleep.

  She hurried to the restroom to rinse the lens, groaning at her reflection in the mirror. A red puffy eye glared back. Sunglasses might help avoid curious stares.

  The arena was packed with the movers, shakers, and rising stars of Silicon Valley, northern California's hotbed for technology startups, all eager to prove their athletic prowess to colleagues and competitors for the annual Ballapalooza basketball tournament. Loud music blared from speakers positioned in the rafters, making the lacquered floor vibrate beneath her feet. Spirits were high and heckling was plentiful. This was going to be fun.

  "Mia!"

  Mia trotted in the direction of the voice, her sneakers squeaking on the freshly waxed floor. Alison Fitzgerald waved her arms over her head. She was clad in a tight tank top and shorts so skimpy they resembled a bathing suit bottom. Five-inch heels topped off the look. "It's going to be a little hard chasing after the ball in those shoes."

  "Please. I never play. I'm much more interested in where the networking part of the event may lead." She dropped her voice. "Fortunately for us, Silicon Valley is mainly comprised of guys. Be careful not to show anyone up today, okay, sweetie? We don't want to alienate any of these prospects. Some of them are due for a massive windfall!"

  "I'll do my best to satisfy all." Mia regarded her teammates. Since she'd only been with Blue Coat for a short time, there hadn't been many opportunities for socializing. Alison nudged her and pointed to a few nearby teams. "They're always stiff competition. Think you can take them?"

  "You'll need to adjust your expectations a little. It's been a few years for me."

  "Yeah, but it was for Tennessee, in the NCAA championship, which you won." Alison grinned. "We're all pretty curious to see if you've still got it."

  "I may have played a couple of pick-up games since then. You'll just have to wait and see." Players swarmed the floor, their dribbling and passing abilities less than masterful. Not a whole lot of elite athletes in the Valley. "Where's Paul?"

  "Oh, he's on the jet to New York. There was a meeting with som
e asset management client… or maybe it was a real estate developer?" She furrowed her brow and twirled a strand of blond hair around her pinkie. "I don't remember. Said it was pretty urgent, though."

  Alison was the worst assistant ever. She had her job because of the way she looked, and her primary goal was landing a soon-to-be-rich boyfriend. She'd told Mia as much on her first day. But Alison was cute and sweet and very willing to dish all the dirt to the newest member of the Blue Coat family. Mia had liked her right away.

  "So he's blowing off the tournament?"

  "That's why we're the best. Paul Emerson never misses a good business opportunity."

  Dan Harris, one of the senior associates, regarded Mia with a cold stare. "Not all of us made our claim to fame by rubbing elbows with celebrity athletes. Some of us built our reputations by spending hours poring over financials and dealing with neurotic partners."

  Her shoulders tensed. What an asshole. Every single success of her career could be attributed to sacrifice and hard work. Yeah, she'd fallen into some great roles, but they hadn't materialized out of nowhere. Things never came easy, but try to explain that to a jerk who thought she'd been given the world because of who she knew, not that she had any intention of setting him straight. It was none of his damn business, anyway. "We've all made choices. Some work out better than others, but I think we both know they're never guarantees for success."

  "Paul believes you're the second coming. Maybe that guarantee is closer than you imagine." Dan folded his arms, a deep scowl on his face. A stray basketball flew through the air, bouncing off his shoulder with a loud thud. He stumbled and swung around to lash out at the owner. "Ahh! What the hell, Camden?" Dan clenched his fists as a tall guy jogged over.

  Camden? Why did that name sound so familiar?

  Mia pulled off her sunglasses to get a better look. Holy cow. It was the guy from the parking lot. And he was… gorgeous. Tall, muscular, perfectly mussed light brown hair and eyes that could sear her insides with one fleeting glance.

  "Relax, Harris. Ball got away from me." Dan's handsome assailant winked at Alison.

  A look of sheer delight lit up Alison's features. "Chris Camden! It's so great to see you again. How are you?"

  Chris grinned. "Can't complain. It's been a pretty big week, huh?"

  Alison let out a high-pitched giggle. "It sure has! I hear a big congratulations is in order. Paul told us you guys accepted our investment offer. That's so awesome."

  "Thanks, we're really excited to be working with Blue Coat. I definitely see great things coming out of this relationship." His gaze lingered on Mia. "I don't think we've officially met." He held out his hand.

  Chris Camden… co-founder of LazerShark. Yum.

  Mia cleared her throat. "Mia Bradshaw."

  "Our new investment manager. Pleasure to finally meet you."

  With a tight smile, she grasped his hand. A jolt zipped through her, forcing a sharp intake of breath. "Likewise. Sounds like we've got quite a bit of work to do."

  "On the court or off?"

  She placed her hands on her hips and smirked. "Both."

  The announcer's voice boomed. "Blue Coat Capital, SunTech — you're up first! Come on guys, give 'em some love!" Cheering erupted in the stands while Swedish House Mafia blared over the speakers. Hell yeah, let the games begin!

  "Okay, guys, let's show everyone who's boss!" Alison clapped her hand on Mia's shoulder.

  Mia secured her ponytail and flashed a wide smile at Chris before taking center court.

  CHRIS WALKED BACK TO his team, eyes focused on Mia. She commanded the court, barely having broken a sweat since tip-off. Her teammates stumbled over themselves trying to keep up, but it was futile. Some of them looked like they needed oxygen masks just to follow the ball. Take them away from computers, and they were completely out of their element.

  "Chris Camden?"

  His head snapped in the direction of two voluptuous blondes clad in the tiniest shorts he'd ever seen. "The one and only."

  One of the girls giggled. "Hi, I'm Amber, and this is Harley. We just wanted to wish you luck today." Amber sidled closer and traced a path down his arm with a hot-pink-lacquered fingernail. "Maybe we can get together after the tournament. You know, to get to know each other a little better. We just love games."

  God, he loved his life.

  A sudden vibration interrupted the series of X-rated thoughts racing through his mind. "Sounds tempting, ladies. Can you give me a minute?"

  He grabbed his buzzing phone and sprinted over to the entrance to escape the noisy hoots and catcalls. His eyes drifted back to the court in time to see Mia grab the ball from one of the SunTech players. Swish! "Camden."

  "Hey, man, how's it going? You guys play yet?"

  Chris grinned and kicked at a pebble. "Jay, seriously? You're calling for a status update after you blew us off at the last minute? Partner or not, you relinquished your right to that info."

  James chuckled. "Listen, I'm sorry for leaving you guys in a lurch, but I won't apologize for the reason."

  "I'm sure I'll rest easier tonight knowing Jessica forgave you for being a complete jerk over the past couple of weeks, and that she's willing to take your sorry ass back while you desert us for the biggest tournament of the season. Don't worry about your company and your employees. Good old Chris is here to pick up the slack."

  "Anything else you want to pile on? Go for it. You can't possibly kill my mood."

  Chris glanced back at the court where Mia was poised for a three-pointer. Her tanned, lithe body defied gravity as she leapt into the air and sent the ball sailing toward the net. She flipped her glossy, dark ponytail as she took off down the court. His fingers itched to yank the rubber band from her hair, to watch those dark waves spill around her sun kissed cheeks. Never had he been so turned on by a girl dressed in Under Armour.

  "Well, let's see… I just met our new investment manager."

  "Mia Bradshaw? Really? How is she? Any good?"

  The muscles in her long, toned legs tightened with each step. He expelled a slow breath. Running his hands over that smooth, tanned skin, feeling those stems locked around him… oh yeah, she'd be plenty good. "Seems pretty cool. Time will tell if her vision and strategy match ours. She's also the secret weapon of the Blue Coat team."

  "What do you mean? I know Paul thinks she's the be-all and end-all—"

  "It has nothing to do with her alleged business acumen. She's by far the best player in this tournament. Hell, it looks like she's practically pro. She has these SunTech guys dragging ass all over the court. It's actually pretty comical."

  "Didn't you do any research on her at all? She led Tennessee to the NCAA championship two years in a row. She's got an amazing record."

  "Well, she's definitely still on top." Today, and hopefully one day in the not-so-distant future.

  "Don't even go there. Stay away from her. I can hear you drooling. She's our colleague now. In other words, off-limits."

  Chris shook his head. How the hell—

  "Got it?"

  "Yes, I understand… master. Gotta run. We're playing next, and I need to rally the team now that I've taken over as captain. Tell Jess I said hi. That is, if you manage to come up for air."

  With a glance back at the court, he witnessed Mia steal the ball from an opposing forward and leap for another three-pointer. Damn, she was sexy. And there was no law that said he couldn't admire the view.

  "THE CHAMPION OF THIS year's Ballapalooza tournament is… Blue Coat Capital!"

  The team whooped and cheered as they ran to collect their trophy. Mia couldn't help but laugh at all the fanfare. It felt good to play again, to lose herself in the excitement of the game. So many unexpected twists and turns had occurred since the glory days. At least for a few hours, she was free to relive those moments in her past. Dan caught her eye and flashed an icy stare before stalking to the restroom. What an ass. Weren't they on the same team?

  Alison jumped up and down, her heels
clicking on the polished wood floor. "You totally blew everyone away! Paul is going to be so psyched to find out we won the whole tournament!"

  "It's cool to claim the top prize, but isn't a big part of the day supposed to be team building?" She nodded to Dan's retreating back. "What's his deal?"

  "Oh, him. He's such an arrogant bastard. Fiercely competitive, too. He's probably just jealous because Paul idolizes you."

  "I wouldn't go that far…"

  "Oh yes, trust me on this. You're the top associate at the firm. Paul tells everyone. He's got you on all the best-performing companies, including LazerShark." She grinned. "That's my personal fave, anyway. Chris Camden is absolutely delicious, don't you think?"

  He was, without a doubt, one of the best-looking guys Mia had ever seen. "The way he looks is inconsequential to me. My main objective is to make money for our clients." She shrugged, averting her gaze.

  "Well, if his business sense comes anywhere close to how amazing his ass is, then you've got a certifiable gold mine on your hands." With a sharp breath, she dropped her voice and pointed. "Ooh, speaking of the devil…"

  Beads of perspiration morphed into tiny icicles melting down her spine. Jesus, hadn't she ever seen a hot, sweaty guy before? No, she decided, definitely not one who'd looked as good as Chris Camden.

  "Ladies, congrats. That was some landslide, huh?" He gave Mia an appraising glance. "Where'd you learn to shoot like that? You can probably give me some pointers."

  "You didn't look too bad out there. Don't be so hard on yourself."

  "Mia was practically pro at Tennessee." Alison flashed a toothy grin at Chris. "You guys didn't stand a chance."

  "It's really not a big deal."

  "Started on the varsity team as a freshman, led the Lady Volunteers to the Big Dance two years in a row, won both times, scouted by the New York Liberty." He ticked off her stats with a playful smile on his face. "Not a big deal? You're still sticking with that story?"

  Mia toyed with her ponytail. "Okay, so basketball's my thing. You found me out."