Unspoken Bundle - Box Set Books 1-6

by Danes, Ellie

  “Any chance you talked to him, or saw what he was drinking, who he was with? Jacob, you really are helping me out big time with this. I’m going to owe you.” I slowly rubbed my arm and coyly looked at him.

  “Um, yeah. He was here with this girl, I think he was already buzzed when he got here though.” Jacob looked around the room.

  “You mean Macie Hicks? John was here with Macie that night? And they were here to meet with you? I mean, that how you saw them? That’s what he told me.”

  Jacob rocked back and forth uneasily and bit his lip. “What’s this about?”

  “Jacob, It’s like this. John has said some things that certainly make it look as if Macie is to blame for the trouble he’s in. We’re just trying to get things straightened out. If you can just—”

  “It figures that jerk would do that to her. He’s definitely not good enough for her. I told her that when she was here that night. That ass John wasn’t supposed to be here, he’s always around her. I was just trying to make things right.” Jacob’s eyes narrowed and small beads of sweat formed above his lip.

  “You were trying to make things right with Macie? How so?”

  “John came on to her when he was working at my parents’ house. He made it look like she was some sort of slut. I confronted her and we ended up getting into an argument, but we made up. Then my mother started on her later that week. I stood up for her, I stood up to my mother. I love Macie, she isn’t supposed to be with that jerk.” Jacob clenched his fists on the table and the vein in his neck protruded slightly. I saw Reese begin to slide from his booth as I gave a very slight nod, warning him off.

  “I’m sure that was tough.” I tilted my head slightly and stared into Jacob’s eyes. “Did you two work things out? Are things better?”

  “No, not yet. I’m sure if John hadn’t shown up things would be a lot different right now. She’s only with him because of the baby.”

  I could feel my eyes get bigger and tried to control my initial reaction. John and Macie had both mentioned that they didn’t say anything about the baby, but somehow Jacob was aware of the pregnancy. “What were you two planning to talk about that night?”

  “I don’t really see how that’s any of your business, or how it’ll help you with whatever it is you’re doing with John.” Jacob leaned back and cross his arms again.

  “Have you spoken to Macie since then, Jacob?”

  “No, she won’t take my calls. She doesn’t answer my texts.” Jacob shook his head. “It was John that caused all of these problems, stuck his nose into something he shouldn’t have, ruined what I had. Eventually she’ll see that. I’ll make things right.” Jacob looked over his shoulder toward the bar. “Look, I need to get back. Hopefully you got what you needed. Enough to keep that jerk out of here and away from her.” Jacob slid out of the booth and looked back at me. “The drink’s on me, maybe next time you’ll get that splash of something in it.”

  “Maybe. Thanks, Jacob.” I slid out of the booth and headed toward the door. “I’ll meet you at the car,” I whispered to Reese without stopping as I passed.

  “Seems someone is a little obsessed with his ex-girlfriend,” he said when he joined me,

  “And has no love for John,” I added. “I didn’t think that Jacob knew about the her being pregnant, but it seems that isn’t the case.”

  “Do you think it’s his?”

  “No. I think if it was she’d be with him. He’s from a family with money. I think if she were really that type of person she’d be with him whether it’s John or Jacob’s baby. One thing’s for sure: Jacob isn’t as innocent as he’s letting on. He certainly didn’t plan on John being there that night.” I leaned back against Reese’s car and watched people entering and leaving the bar. “I hate to even say it, but we need to talk to the Harritans.”

  “You know that’s not going to go over well with your father…and besides, we really don’t have a reason to.” Reese’s stubbornness prevailed.

  “We do have a reason. Whatever was said between Jacob and his mother about Macie, and whatever happened between Macie and Louise Harritan, may give us some insight as to what Jacob was planning to talk about that night with Macie.” A strong feeling filled my gut, as if I knew there was a lot more going on here than anyone was letting on.

  “I’ll leave it to you to break that news to your father then.” Reese chuckled and got into the car.

  I closed my eyes and wished it was already the next morning, when I would be whisked away to the west coast.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  I barely slept at all that night. I tossed and turned, anxious about leaving work and about what I was going to have to face when I returned. I wondered what this weekend was actually going to entail for Cain and I. I mentally checked off everything I had packed into my suitcase and carry-on. As much as I wanted to wear comfy clothes for the long flight, I knew that Cain and I would be heading directly from the airport to his meeting. It left little time for us to freshen up let alone shower and change.

  The driver picked me up from my apartment at four in the morning and I wondered why I had even tried to sleep; I’d managed a total of forty-five minutes. I had decided to stay at my apartment to get some more packing done, do a load of laundry and prepare as best as I could for the trip. I remembered the sexy lingerie and panties I had packed, as well as the small white bikini I had wanted to wear for such a long time. I had hoped this weekend would allow time for some serious fun and relaxation.

  Cain took the slightly more casual approach, wearing a grey power suit without a tie. It was amazing seeing him waiting for me in the car as I slid across the warm leather seat and kissed him. “Finally, we’re escaping together. It actually feels like I’m going on a vacation.”

  Cain smiled and placed his large, warm hand on my leg. “Just wait. Once we get through the meeting this afternoon it will be a true vacation. I don’t know about you, but I could definitely use a little R and R.” Cain leaned his head back against the seat as the driver finished loading my bags. “Hopefully we’ll actually make it outside of the room.” Cain’s flirty smile made me laugh but I didn’t have enough energy to respond. Instead I grabbed his hand and leaned back into the seat, resting my head on his shoulder.

  It had been a long time since I had travelled first class and the first time I had ever travelled with a boyfriend. The big leather seats swallowed me up as Cain and I sipped our champagne. His notes for the meeting were sprawled on the tray before him and he looked like he was studying for a college exam.

  “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you prepare for a meeting. I mean, not one like this. It’s sexy.” I reached over and touched Cain’s hand. “What if things don’t go the way you want or expect?”

  Cain smiled and put down his glass. “Jennifer, I never expect anything. I believe things are going to happen. I set my sights on something and just know they will work out.” Cain’s gorgeous blue eyes reflected the clouds outside the window. “Like us. From the moment we met.”

  “You mean in the elevator?” I giggled.

  “Well, I’ll admit, I did think your were gorgeous, but it wasn’t until that night in the restaurant that we really met. I felt that connection…and I knew things were going to work out, no matter what.”

  “Wow, I never knew that. Seems I’m learning a lot about you.”

  “I thought you were a people reader?” Cain chuckled. “I figured I was an open book.”

  “Not even close. There are plenty of things I don’t know about you, but maybe that’s what this weekend is about…a weekend of firsts and learning new things about each other.” I felt a renewed closeness with Cain as we stared at each other. The butterflies I had felt when we first met were making a reappearance. I loved that feeling.

  Cain leaned across the armrest and kissed me. “That sounds like a perfect weekend to me…but first, we need to knock out this little bit of business.”

  “Ok, so what do you want me to do?”

&nb
sp; Cain handed me a stack of papers that contained the pictures and backgrounds of the executives of the company we would be meeting. He provided a little background on the company itself and its competitors, and then he briefed me on exactly why he wanted this company so badly. Over the course of the eight-hour flight, I learned everything I could about each person I would be meeting. I felt as if I were getting ready to walk into the biggest trial of my life, but it was Cain that was taking all of the risks. As I listened to Cain talk passionately about the company, his strategy and future business plans, I gained a new found respect for just how smart and busy savvy he was.

  * * * * *

  The weather in San Diego was a warm seventy degrees and I found it difficult not to want to find a sunny spot with a cold drink, but I knew there would be plenty of time for that later. We arrived at the Spaldwick building in Midway, which sat across the street from the beach. The three-story building was constructed from mirrored glass and prominently displayed the Evergreen Limited logo on the top floor.

  “Jennifer, are you ready for this?” Cain grabbed my hand, squeezed it, and kissed me.

  “I am. Just remember, Cain, I’m not your girlfriend in there. Don’t treat me any differently to anyone else in your company. It will show you’re weak.” I smiled at him. “You’ve got this.”

  “No…we have this.”

  The boardroom was located on the top floor of the building, overlooking the ocean. Every detail was accounted for and the company was definitely putting out their best impression. A handful of executives were waiting in the room, all of whom I remembered from the sheets I had studied earlier. I watched as each person introduced themselves to Cain and then to me. I watched their facial expressions, their hand gestures—even how they shook each person’s hand. It was clear who was in charge and who was attending the meeting purely for show and to account for numbers.

  We finally took a seat around the large oval conference table as Kristoff Petersen, the CEO of the company, began the meeting. He had prepared financial statements and a packet that he provided for Cain and I. While I wasn’t accustomed to reviewing financials, much of the information reminded of the initial case I had started my career with; Cain’s case.

  Kristoff quickly rattled off sales figures and market shares as his chief financial officer provided supporting slides on the large display. Occasionally he would glance toward the end of the table, making eye contact with the others in the room, and the quiet executive at the end of the table who had introduced himself as Gerard Riley.

  “Mr. Parker, as you can see, Evergreen is the leader in the distribution business. We own the technology and we supply most of the market with the systems they use. We are very strong financially, and there is no one else like us out there. I built this company from the ground up over the last thirty years and I’ll be honest, I’m just not interested in selling.”

  Cain leaned forward in his chair and smiled, his eyebrows slightly raised. “Mr. Petersen, I appreciate your time and all of the information you’ve shared with us over the last thirty plus minutes. It has been…” Cain searched for the right word as he looked around the room. “Enlightening.”

  “Well, thank you, Mr. Parker. I am very proud of what we have created here. This is a great company.” Kristoff nodded as he looked to give credit to the others in the room.

  Cain pulled an envelope from inside of his suit pocket and placed it on the table. “Mr. Petersen, I believe you will find this more than a fair agreement and offer.” Cain slid the envelope across the table.

  “I’m sorry, Mr. Parker, I think you may have misunderstood what I said earlier. We aren’t interested in selling right now.” Kristoff left the envelope sitting in the middle of the table and leaned back, rubbing his chin.

  Cain stared at Kristoff and then looked at me, his brow furrowed. He rubbed the back of his neck and closed his notepad. “Miss Dunning, what do you think?”

  I contained my smile as I met Cain’s stare and then looked around the room. “Mr. Petersen, I’m sure you are aware, Mr. Parker is very serious about the offer he has extended, and I’m sure you can appreciate that there are other investments that he is pursuing at this time.”

  “I do, Miss Dunning, but like I said—”

  “Mr. Petersen, I am sure you are very busy. You have a lot going on. You are running a multi-million dollar company, and I can tell you’re passionate about this business, but even more so about the people that are running it.”

  Kristoff nodded in agreement.

  “You wouldn’t have allowed Mr. Parker to come all the way out here, or prepared those presentations, shared important information like you have and have asked Mr. Riley—who I presume is your attorney, based on his expensive suit—to sit through this meeting, if you weren’t really interested in selling.” I realized as I finished my rant that there was a very good chance I had ruined the negotiation for Cain, but I kept my eyes fixed on Kristoff’s.

  The room was silent and Kristoff hadn’t moved. He sat still, legs crossed and his hand on his chin. He held my stare and then looked across the table at Cain, who was also motionless. The faint sound of the air conditioner turning on was the only noise that could be heard as Cain leaned back in his chair and allowed the tense silence to permeate further.

  Cain finally leaned forward and looked around the room, taking time to make eye contact with each person. “Mr. Petersen, I surround myself with extremely smart and savvy people, much like you do. My intention for this company is only the best, but there is only so much time I can spend on trying to make this happen.” Cain paused and looked at me as I made a few swipes on my tablet.

  “Mr. Parker, I’m sorry to interrupt, but you do have another meeting we need to get to.” I closed the tablet and quietly began packing things up.

  “Mr. Petersen, you have my offer as it stands today. I can be reached on my cell all weekend, but the number in the offer is reduced by ten percent every day, and if I don’t hear from you before my flight on Sunday I’ll be moving on.” Cain stood and extended his hand to Kristoff.

  “Thank you, Mr. Parker. We will take it into consideration.” Kristoff slowly stood and extended his hand to shake Cain’s.

  Cain smiled. “If not, no hard feelings. I just purchased your competitor. This was a way to double your company size and market share.” Cain gathered his things and we left the conference together. “Great job!” he whispered under his breath.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  The gorgeous warm weather of San Diego kissed my face as we exited the Spaldwick building and slid into the waiting limo. Cain slid in behind me and immediately gave me a long, soft kiss. “Amazing job, Jennifer. I wish you were by my side at every meeting like that. It was like having my own—”

  “Mind reader?” I laughed.

  “Exactly!” Cain chuckled along. “I don’t think it could have gone any better.”

  “Do you think he’ll call?” I still felt the high from the meeting. It was a rush I hadn’t felt from anything business related before.

  “Most likely. I think you nailed it. You had him pegged, and quite honestly, those are things I wouldn’t have picked up on. Normally I would have spent time negotiating or just walked away. But let’s not worry about it. If he calls, he calls.” Cain shrugged and reached for a bottle of champagne that was waiting on ice.

  “But you said this had to go through. You made it seem pretty dire.”

  “Every deal is important and dire to me. It’s how I run my business. If he doesn’t sell, I’ll just compete with him, but that’s not likely something he wants to worry about. He’s getting older, he’s built a great company, and he wants to retire. This is the best option for him.” Cain poured a glass of champagne and handed it to me before pouring one for himself and cradling the bottle into the ice. “To us!”

  The taste of the cold bubbly tickled my nose and throat but went down entirely too smoothly. I kicked off my expensive Stuart Weitzman shoes and laid my legs across
Cain’s lap. He slowly rubbed my legs and moved his hand up to the hemline of my skirt, only for me to smack his hand away in a playful manner. “You have to wait until later!” I laughed. “Remember? I’m not your girlfriend, at least until I change out of these clothes.”

  “Well, we’re in luck, because we’re almost there.”

  I straightened up and slipped my feet back into my shoes as the limo pulled onto the hotel property and weaved through the winding road lined with palms, grass and flowers until it finally came to stop at the main entrance. Valets and bellhops ran around helping guests with their luggage and cars.

  “Mr. Parker, welcome.” A young valet quickly opened the door and extended his hand to help me out of the limo. The smell of the ocean air blew through the open lobby doors and the feel of luxury and relaxation took over.

  I looked at Cain and smiled. “So they know you here?”

  “I’ve never been here before, but he probably knew who I was from the name on the dashboard of the car.” Cain pointed at the white name card sitting half cocked in the window.

  We quickly checked in and were escorted to the top floor of the resort. Cain had spared no expense for the Presidential Suite that overlooked the ocean and white beach below. The entrance of the suite was covered in Italian marble that reflected the orange and blue glow coming from outside. The spacious living area was lined with expensive white linen couches and glass tables and I was tempted to lie down, but the outside called for me. A wall of glass doors opened to a sprawling balcony that provided an excellent view of the already setting sun.

  “It’s gorgeous, isn’t it?” Cain kissed the back of my neck as he wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me close. “The perfect start to the perfect evening.”

  “Mmm, it is. Thank you for this; for all of this. You have no idea how much I needed to just get away from it all.” I spun to face Cain. “I know I’ve been difficult this last—”

  “Forget about it. This is a time for us to not worry about all of that.” Cain pulled me closer and kissed me. “Come, I have something to show you.” Cain grabbed my hand and pulled me into the large master suite. White lilies and roses filled the room and candles were lit throughout, their glow complementing the slowly setting sun just outside the large window. Cain smiled and led me into the large en-suite, toward the shower that was large enough for at least ten people. Water fell from the rain heads in the ceiling as the candles flickered.