“It sure was. You suddenly started talking to me about playing games and your mother, and I didn’t understand anything. What was that all about?” She took the opportunity to investigate a bit further.
“The situation leading up to all that is kind of personal—”
“You don’t have to explain if you don’t feel like it,” she interrupted. “In fact, it’s probably better you don’t. Boundaries and all.”
“No, it’s not that personal,” he said with a small laugh. “My mother is very ambitious and she’s obsessed with putting together a marriage that will benefit her own agenda. She ambushes me with blind dates all the time.”
Emily had seen Mimi Marshall once at an event she had organized for Marshall Resorts in Los Angeles. She was gutted to hear that the woman viewed her sons as tools to further her societal ambitions. She shook her head, unable to even imagine how it felt growing up in that environment and then not having a chance to escape it once you left the house and had a life of your own. Lucas and she were so lucky to have the parents they had. They had respected their children’s decisions and let them choose the path of their own lives, offering emotional, spiritual, and financial support as much as they could.
“So, you assumed I was another date sent by your mother?” The idea got a giggle out of her. She was, after all, the last woman that his mother would set him up on a date with. She wasn’t from a rich and powerful family. She was just a regular girl, and, considering what Logan said about his mother’s ambitions, Mimi Marshall probably had no time for people like her.
“When the waiter led me to your table, there wasn’t much else I could assume.” He shrugged.
That night, they stayed on the beach for hours talking about their families, childhood, and day-to-day lives. Emily found endearing the fact that Logan shared her strong faith in God and found inspiration and comfort in prayer. As they exchanged their ideas about life, she realized that what they had in common was much deeper than differences in their social background. Against her better judgment, she was letting her defenses down and letting Logan Marshall into her heart.
After he left her at her cabana, she looked out the window at his broad back and his tousled dark hair and suddenly felt saddened by the thought that that awkward first encounter in Aspen was the closest to a real date that Logan Marshall and she would ever get.
Chapter 9
Logan
That night Logan had a hard time falling asleep. All he could see were Emily’s sparkling hazel eyes, her full lips, and the dimples in her cheeks. He couldn’t help but wonder what would have happened if she had really been his blind date that evening in Aspen. Maybe he owed his mother a bit of thanks. She might not have meant to, but she had started him on his path toward Emily. Had they not had their moment together in Aspen, he might have been too consumed with work upon arriving in Portland to get close to her.
He couldn’t imagine Emily agreeing to any kind of plan his mother had cooked up, but if by some miracle she had, he would have probably apologized for his initial reluctance and stayed through the dinner, curious to get to know her better. There was something special, something real about Emily Taylor. The kind of real that he’d been longing for. He remembered their encounter at the beach that afternoon. With a sigh, he pictured her nestling her head into the crook of his neck. The scene in front of his eyes was so vivid that he almost felt the warmth of her skin pressed against his.
The image was shattered and the smile playing on his lips disappeared when his mother’s words echoed through his mind, sharp and sour. It had been over brunch, two days before the team left for Santa Barbara.
“What if it’s the poor girl who did it? She’d have so much to gain by selling our secrets,” she remarked dryly while chewing a slice of ham.
“Poor girl? Who talks like that, Mother?” Logan snorted at her words.
“Who do you mean?” Robbie added.
“That event planner from California. The latest addition to the executive team.” Mimi Marshall never showed much interest in the business side of their family empire, but she liked to affirm her status and stay informed on anything that might be relevant to her personal agenda by frequently visiting headquarters.
Robbie had emphatically denied that Emily Taylor could be responsible for the leak. Although Logan had just met her, something told him that it couldn’t be her. He never doubted his gut instincts about people.
“Think about it,” she went on. “No family name. No connections. She probably lives in a bad neighborhood. What can you expect from her?”
Logan hated his mother’s habit of talking about people who didn’t belong to privileged social circles in this tone. It seemed that, by showing contempt for others’ social background, she sought to bury her own memories of growing up in poverty and claim belonging to high society.
“That’s ridiculous, Mother,” Robbie protested. “Emily is nothing but loyal. I’ve known her off and on for almost three years.”
Logan had bristled at the “off and on” comment. He worked hard to give the impression that he wasn’t into commitment just to keep gold diggers at bay, but his brother was a notorious playboy. The thought that he had any sort of relationship with Emily made his blood boil.
“Is that how long you’ve known her?” Logan asked casually, not looking up at his older brother.
“More or less,” Robbie said distractedly. He was concentrating on his omelet and trying to keep it from sliding off his fork. “She was an event planner down at the Los Angeles Premiere property and really good at what she did. Her events and promotions always had high-value coverage and attendance because she built relationships with the socialites and their publicists. She knows who holds the power to draw others to attend events. The Premiere is still one of the most booked properties we have because of what Emily did.”
“What made you promote her to assistant VP?” Logan probed further. He was more than curious as to how Emily came on to Robbie’s radar, though he wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answer.
“The board suggested we create the position,” he said. “We have plans for big things in the next few years and right now most properties are given a marketing and PR team that stays with that property. The board wanted one for the company as a whole.”
“How many applicants for the role did you have?” Logan asked, wanting to be sure that she earned the job on her own merit.
He didn’t miss the look his older brother shot him, unsure about the reasons behind Logan’s interrogation. He was clearly confused, but Logan felt no need to explain his interest. He wasn’t even entirely sure how to explain it to himself.
“I can’t remember exactly, but I think there were about fifteen serious applicants,” he answered. “Both internal and external. It took six months to get through interviews and make our offer.”
“Was Emily recruited?” he asked, wondering if Robbie had singled her out.
Mimi smirked beside Logan. She obviously thought her son had bought on to her thoughts that Emily was a snake in the grass and quite possibly the one who betrayed the company. That wasn’t where Logan was going with his questions at all. He just wanted to better understand her ties to his brother.
Robbie shook his head. “She applied.”
Logan was relieved to hear that. He’d been trying to ferret out whether or not Emily Taylor and his brother had ever been a couple, and from everything he could gather, it had strictly been a business relationship. Just to test Robbie a little more, he asked about other team members to see if he paid as close attention to them too.
It turned out he did. Edward was a numbers whiz. He knew when to pressure a property manager into expansions or remodels and when to insist on refocusing marketing and advertising efforts. The woman, Bertha, was an HR genius and a master headhunter when it came to finding the right rising star chef to recruit to a resort.
Logan had to admit that Robbie had done a better job than anyone had given him credit for in rece
nt weeks. That didn’t change the fact that somewhere on that team was a mole who’d sold him out and jeopardized his position in the company. While it was true that Robbie had been immature and behaved irresponsibly for most of his life, it seemed that, when Logan had left the company, Robbie did what he was supposed to do and stepped up to lead. And despite all his efforts, everything fell apart unfairly. That was part of the reason Logan was so determined to help his brother solve the crisis. Robbie deserved to lead the company, and Logan was going to prove it. He just couldn’t figure out how.
“Have you heard from your father lately?” Mimi asked, her eyes darting between her sons.
Neither Logan nor Robbie said anything.
“He hasn’t sent me my check for the month,” she pressed. “I was wondering if you could help me?”
“I’ll forward some money to your account until he pays you,” Robbie said.
Logan massaged his temples and finally managed to stop replaying their family conversation in his mind. The memory of Emily’s smile calmed him down before falling asleep.
The next morning, Logan had been sitting in the lobby at one of the leather lounge chairs when Emily walked through the side doors that led to the beach-front cabanas. He stood and quickly intercepted her before she could make her way into the conference room.
“Good morning,” he said as she looked up in surprise.
“Oh, hello. Is everything okay?”
Her confusion made him grin. She had none of the false bravado of the other executives. There was nothing fake about her. She was effortlessly genuine, and it was so refreshing to him.
“You need to tell them,” he said sternly, though it was hard to look into her beautiful eyes and not smile.
He didn’t elaborate. His expression let her know that she didn’t need to pretend she didn’t know what he was talking about. She bit her lip and frowned.
“I don’t know—” she began, but he held up a hand to stop her.
“Look, I’ve been thinking about it, and it’s a great idea. They can make something amazing with it. They’re a talented team. All they need is a kernel of a good idea to get them started. It’s your idea and your perspective, so it needs to come from you.”
He was worried she was going to shut the idea down completely, and he didn’t miss the look of doubt in her eyes. He laid his hands on her shoulders and leaned his head toward her.
“You can do this. I believe in you,” he said, inhaling her sweet scent as he stood close to her. It was so hard to talk about business when all he wanted to do was press his lips to hers.
Finally, Emily took a deep breath, met his gaze, and nodded.
“Fine,” she said with a soft smile, staring into his eyes. “Thank you.”
When she didn’t look away, he couldn’t help but wonder if she was as wrapped up in the moment as he was. She was wearing a sleeveless dress. Touching her skin while holding her shoulders sent shivers down his spine. His heart pounded at the closeness of their bodies, and he fought the urge to caress her cheek.
When she marched into the conference room, it took a few moments for Logan to recover from their proximity and wipe the sheepish grin from his face. Emily was an amazing woman, and he asked himself if he should be rooting out the traitor or sending them a fruit basket. If not for the betrayal of that unknown employee, he would never have met Emily Taylor.
Chapter 10
Emily
Once Emily started talking about her proposal, she relaxed and laid out her idea for a rebranding campaign with passion and confidence. She spoke about pared down, chic accommodations and real food prepared by chefs who knew and loved local cuisine.
“…and it really should boil down to a simple, uncomplicated experience with real food, real people, and minimal distractions.”
Speaking of distractions, she struggled not to meet Logan’s gaze during the presentation, but she couldn’t help catching a brief glimpse of his face at some point. He nodded with a smile, looking almost proud, which made her heart skip a beat. Reluctantly, she forced herself to look away. If she hadn’t, she could never have gotten through it with his beautiful eyes distracting her.
When she finished, the room was quiet, and it felt to Emily as though all the oxygen had been sucked from it.
“All that authenticity talk is not so new,” Bertha snapped, her voice breaking the silence.
“Still, it’s quite interesting because it’s unprecedented not only for us as a company but also for our main competitors,” Logan jumped in to offer Emily support as she cast him a thankful glance.
“I think this could be a perfect shift for us,” Edward intervened. “The costs to build simpler, more modern resorts would be a fraction of what the megaplex would have required, and we can place them in strategic local-centric markets that favor local cuisine and artisans. Done the right way, this could be a major upgrade in our brand’s image.”
Nobody could guarantee that Emily’s vision would become reality. She knew that the board was going to make the final decision about which proposal would be accepted only after the traitor was removed from the company. But sharing her ideas and getting recognition from the top executives of the company felt good. She was grateful to Logan for encouraging her to make this step. He seemed like a kind of man who was sufficiently self-confident and successful to support and encourage rather than sabotage and belittle other people’s goals.
Emily and Logan ended up back at “their spot” on the beach later that evening as the sun was setting. Emily hated to admit that she had gone there specifically to see him. She couldn’t seem to stay away, no matter how hard she tried.
“Fancy meeting you here,” he quipped, and they chuckled together as they settled down on the sand next to each other.
Her heart started racing as he sat so close to her that their shoulders touched. Neither of them made an effort to put distance between them. The small gesture of intimacy felt just right.
“You did really well today. I’m thinking the next time you have a fantastic idea, you shouldn’t stand in your own way. Be proud. Be confident.”
Her cheeks warmed at the compliment. She turned her eyes away from him and toward the ocean.
“Thank you,” she said, barely above a whisper.
“I should thank you, actually. Your idea may save the whole company. I really believe we can make this work,” he murmured.
“So, will you?” she teased him, turning back to him and trying to keep her tone light.
“Will I what?” he asked, sounding distracted as he studied her.
“You said you should thank me.” She chuckled.
“Emily Taylor, thank you for saving me.” He grinned.
They both laughed at his words.
“You weren’t exactly a damsel in distress. You didn’t need me to save you,” she blurted out as she noticed a mischievous glint in his eyes. Before letting him reply to her quip, she quickly changed the subject. “I must say you’ve been a great leader. It’s rare to find someone who can remain so calm under the most critical circumstances and keep the situation under control at all times. The way you’re handling all this seems so effortless.”
“On the outside, it may look easier than it actually is.” He turned his eyes from her to the ocean. “Since I was a kid, I’ve been discouraged from showing my feelings. This can be useful both in business and your personal life if you’re surrounded by wrong people. But when the right person comes along, things change, I guess.” He shifted his gaze to her face and gently brushed a stray hair from her forehead.
She stared into his eyes and suddenly felt overwhelmed by the thought that she no longer cared what newspapers and websites had said about him. She didn’t care about her past heartbreak. For Logan Marshall, she would be willing to risk breaking her heart over and over again. He was worth it. Her breath hitched as she fought the urge to ask him what she’d desired to know since the day she found out who he was.
“Is it true that you don�
�t believe in love?” she asked, unable to resist the need to know. She wasn’t sure if she was trying to sabotage the moment or giving him a chance to deny it. She just needed to hear his answer. She had the feeling his next words might change both of their lives.
After puzzlement flickered in his eyes for a moment, he shook his head. “You read that article, right?”
“I did.” She inspected his countenance impatiently as she waited for him to confirm or deny it. It felt like an eternity before he spoke again.
“That’s not what I meant and, to be honest, that’s not even what I said.” He seemed interested in clarifying the issue for her, and she tried not to read too much into that. Still, a little voice in her heart told her that it was because she mattered to him.
“I was walking through the crowd, headed to the car that was waiting for me, and suddenly this woman pushed the recorder under my chin asking, ‘Do you have time for love in your life?’ or something like that. You can understand that I had no interest in discussing these things with her, and I simply said, ‘What is love?’ What I meant was that, even among those who claim to have found love, few of them actually know what real love is. Many relationships are about interest, security, habit, and physical attraction, but real love is rare to find.”
She listened carefully, and she felt her heart race as the words “real love” left his mouth. Since the day she saw him in the boardroom, she had told herself so many times that, even if she didn’t have trust issues with men, someone like Logan Marshall was definitely out of her league. But there he was, sitting so close to her that she could almost hear his heart beat and talking to her about the “right person” and “real love.” She decided to allow herself to hold on to the dream of Logan just a little while longer.
“Are you anxious to return to Chicago?” she finally asked, wondering how long she could live in this bubble with him, pretending that he didn’t have a life he was eager to get back to. Once the project was settled, she would likely never see him again.
Not Just Another Billionaire Page 5