Hate to Love You Strong Brothers #4)

by Ajme Williams

  His jaw tightened as he turned to face forward in the elevator.

  We arrived at our floor, and made our way to the suite. Noah opened the door and let me in first. I was immediately hit by the beauty of the room. My gaze went to the window overlooking Hong Kong.

  Noah didn't seem to notice it all, as he tossed his computer bag on the couch and went over to the bar in the room and poured himself a drink.

  "Do you care which room you have?" I asked him

  He shook his head and then down to drink. "Knock yourself out."

  I rolled my eyes at him and then went over to the room on the far side of the living area. It had a large bed that I could probably sleep in in any direction and not have any part of me dangle off. When I went into the bathroom, I had to cover my mouth to keep from squealing at the glee of seeing such a large soaking tub. Certainly, it was built for two, not that I would ever be able to share it with anyone.

  As I went over to get a closer look, I saw that the hotel had a small bottle of bubble bath. I hoped that at some point during this trip that I would be able to make use of this tub. I would need it to relax, if the tension I was feeling already was any indication.

  5

  Noah

  There was no way I was going to survive this trip. I poured myself another drink and took the glass to the other bedroom in the suite thanking God that Andi at least had the foresight to get us a two-room suite.

  I'd known this trip with Andi was a bad idea the minute my grandmother suggested it, but I felt certain, based on Andi's attitude towards me, that I’d be able to keep my lustful feelings in check. And then on the airplane, she'd fallen asleep in the middle of her movie and pretty soon she had turned toward me, her head resting on my shoulder and then her hand placed on my chest. Of course, because I was such a horny bastard, I had wanted to take her hand and bring it down to where my groin was already semi-hard. Her sweet face with those luscious red lips did me in every time.

  It was hard not to see how much this trip delighted her, even though I got the feeling she was trying to hold back her excitement. It wasn't until we were in the car that she fully revealed how much she was in awe as she took in the sights of Hong Kong. It was a reminder to me of how fortunate I was. Here I was whining because I had a family that loved me and was trying to push me into something I didn't want to do, and yet they'd always been supportive of me emotionally and financially. Andi very rightly called me out on it, and it struck at the heart of me when she asked if I had ever earned anything in my life. The answer was a resounding no, but that was why I was trying so hard to break away from the family business. Completing this trip was going to let me do that. That is what I needed to focus on now and not think about Andi and how much I wanted to touch her.

  It was still in the morning and I was hungry, but I decided to wash away the long flight to help me wake up and then I would order coffee and breakfast from room service. Having seen Andi's expression in the car we drove through the city, I would have liked to take her out for breakfast, and then maybe on a tour of the city, but that's not what we were here for. Once we had breakfast, it would be time to work.

  Once in the shower, I pressed my hands to the wall and dunked my head under the spray to douse the thoughts I was having about Andi. I had half a mind to grab my dick and jerk it off, but it was better not to go there.

  Once I felt reasonably in control, I got out, putting on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. There was no reason why I had to wear a suit while I was working on a computer.

  After threading my fingers through my blonde hair deciding to let it do whatever the hell it wanted, I exited the bedroom to order breakfast. I stopped short when I saw Andi on the phone. She was doing what I had planned; ordering us coffee and breakfast. It wasn't a surprise to me that she would be organized and proactive in taking care of breakfast. No, that's not what had my dick going painfully rock hard. She was standing in only a towel, her fingers clutching it together over the swells of two very sublime looking breasts.

  Fuck. Shit. Hell. A litany of language went through my brain as it scattered to figure out how to respond. What I wanted to do was to go over and yank that towel from her body, but that wasn't an option. And the fact that it wasn't ticked me off. It wasn't right that I wouldn’t be able to drag my tongue over that creamy skin still damp from her shower. Or pull whatever pins were holding her up in loose tendrils. The sun shone over her and she glistened like a fucking angel. No, it just wasn't right.

  She hung up the phone and turned, stopping short when she saw me standing there.

  She tugged the towel up higher and tighter around her. "Oh, I didn't see you there. I thought you were in your room." She nodded toward the telephone. "I just ran out here to order some breakfast so we can get that out of the way and get to work."

  It was a conscious decision to be an asshole in this moment, because it was the only response that was acceptable.

  "What the hell, Andi. We were working here. This isn't some romantic getaway; this is a business trip. You can't go walking around practically naked. You need to be professional."

  She stiffened and for a moment I saw hurt in her eyes, but as usual she tucked that away. I expected her to lambaste me back, but instead she looked down and began to retreat towards her room, which only made me feel like a bigger asshole.

  "You're right, I'm sorry." She hurried back toward her room, shutting the door, and I regretted talking to her like that. I hurt her and I probably embarrassed her. The human part of me started toward her door to apologize.

  But then I stopped myself. It would be better that she thought I was a jerk. My willpower to resist her was holding on by a thread, so she needed to be the one to keep the distance between us, which she would do if she thought I was an asshole.

  To distract myself, I pulled out my phone and texted everyone that we had arrived and were settling in before we got to work. I also checked my email, but didn't see anything too important.

  Our breakfast arrived, and I moved the table near the window so Andi would have a view of the city as we ate. I had our server set the spread out on the table and then tipped him as he left.

  Andi still hadn’t appeared, so I tentatively went to her door and knocked. "Andi? Breakfast is here."

  I left it at that and went back to the table pulling off the plate covers to see what she had ordered. Andi was one of those people that seemed to always be able to anticipate what others wanted or needed. As I looked down on the breakfast of pancakes and bacon, I suspected that she had talked to my grandmother, who had told her that pancakes and bacon with lots of syrup was my favorite. There wasn't a single egg in sight, which was good because I had never really grown to like eggs. Along with our food there was a carafe of coffee and some orange juice.

  Because my mother had died when we are young, it had fallen onto my father to act as both, so he’d been the one to teach us manners, especially around women. One of those rules was not to sit before a woman at a meal. So, I remained standing at the table looking out the window waiting for Andi to come out, but my stomach was growling, and I was getting increasingly annoyed that she wasn't appearing. What was she doing in there anyway?

  When she finally exited her room, I once again felt like a dick. She was dressed in the same sort of outfit she would wear to work; a dark pencil skirt, a light filmy shirt, and her hair pulled back into a professional, albeit sexy bun. I couldn't decide if she dressed like that as a way to get back at me for being such a jerk, or if she really believed me when I told her we needed to be professional. But since I didn't want to revisit that moment, I didn't say anything. Instead, I held out a chair for her.

  "It looks delicious and I'm starving. How about you?" I asked as she sat and then I went across from her to sit in my chair.

  She nodded and gave a small hint of a smile that I suspected was forced.

  We started to eat, and the silence was awkward, making me miss our snarky banter.

  The best course was
to focus on why we were here. "Once we finish here, we can head down to the office to check out the systems down there. I’ll see if I can identify the breach and maybe trace it."

  "I've already arranged for a car to come,” she said stiffly and professionally across the table.

  I lifted my gaze up to her. "You're coming with me, aren’t you? You're the one that understands more of the operations."

  She nodded. "Yes, the car will be here in about 30 minutes for us and Phil Scheer, the man your grandmother put in charge over here, will meet us in person. He will give us a rundown of what’s happened so far. And he's promised to give you access to all the computers and all the personnel files so we can work to identify if maybe the culprit is somebody in-house, although he doesn't feel that that is the case. Margaret really trusts him, and I think we need to keep that in mind."

  I finished my pancakes and sat back to study her. "My grandmother trusts you, too."

  It was occurring to me just how much she did. My grandmother had been running this business since she started it from her dining room table before my dad was born. As the story went, she was trying to fix a broken sandal, and from that, she came up with an idea that eventually became a sandal line that had since grown into a complete shoe line.

  Granted, growing up, I never paid much attention to the people who worked with or around Gran, but thinking back, there was something about Andi that Gran had recognized as being special, and she’d taken Andi in, not just as her assistant, but like family.

  I wondered what Andi was going to do when Gran finally retired. Would she still be Gran’s assistant, arranging her travels and other social duties? Or maybe now that Ryan’s wife, Kellie, had a baby, Andi would be assigned to work as Ryan’s assistant.

  Something in my gut clenched at that thought, which didn't make any sense. There was no doubt that Ryan was completely devoted to Kellie. Not even a woman as smart and sexy as Andi would tempt him away from his wife. So, it made no sense why would bother me if that happened.

  It occurred to me that once Gran retired, that there really was nothing keeping Andi at Strong Incorporated, and maybe I could hire her when I started my own company. She certainly had the smarts and the skills. But I quickly dismissed that idea. I might be a horn dog, but I did respect boundaries, particularly ones that involved power. I couldn't be lusting after a woman that worked for me. It was bad enough to be lusting for her now even though technically, she didn't work for me.

  "I hope she does trust me. I admire your grandmother a great deal."

  I nodded, noting it might be the only thing that Andi and I agreed on.

  6

  Andi

  If I didn't already dislike Noah, I definitely would now. I was even more upset at myself because he’d been right. I should've gotten dressed, or at least put on a robe before running out into the living area to get my phone wearing only a towel.

  When he first came out and saw me, his eyes took a long thorough scan of my body, and he looked like he wanted to eat me up. That, of course, incensed me. But then his eyes narrowed, and he started chastising me, telling me that I was being unprofessional.

  I hated that he was right. Now, embarrassed and humiliated, I retreated to my room to get dressed. I noted he'd only been wearing jeans and a T-shirt, but since I worked for him now, and I needed to be professional I dressed appropriately in a skirt and silk shirt.

  When I finally came out for breakfast, I didn't want to look at him in the eyes, which only annoyed me because I was a strong woman.

  The initial part of breakfast was awkward, and I wished Noah would go back to teasing and poking at me because his quiet demeanour only served to embarrass me more.

  Finally, he started talking about the work we had to do here, and while I didn't completely relax, I did feel like I was on a more even keel.

  We finished breakfast and I went to get my purse so we could head down to meet Phil in the lobby. At the door, just before Noah opened it, he looked at me like maybe he was going to say something, but whether it was an apology or a reminder to be professional, I didn't want to hear it. So, I hurried out the door and to the elevator. He must've gotten the hint because he didn't say anything as we rode down.

  I was able to pick out Phil easily. He stood out no matter where he was because he was tall at about six foot four, and had a bald head. I remembered when Margaret had interviewed him for this position, he had said that he shaved his head when he started to go bald when he was in his twenties. But now in his late 50s he looked quite distinguished.

  Margaret had hired him partly because he had international business experience, but also because during his stint in the Navy, he was sent to the language school at Monterey and now had a very good command of both Mandarin and Cantonese.

  He smiled when he saw me and held up both his hands to take mine to shake them. "Ms. Walker. It's so good to see you again." He turned his attention to Noah. "And you must be Margaret's youngest grandson, Noah. She speaks very highly of you."

  Noah shook his hand. "I'm not sure I believe you, but okay."

  Phil laughed and it was loud and hearty. Another thing that Margaret and I had noticed and liked about him.

  “My car is out front ready to take us to the office."

  We all went with Phil piling into the car and he drove us the several blocks to the Strong Incorporated office. On the way Phil began filling Noah in on the situation and handed back some files to him to review as we drove.

  "Margaret is asking that we be very thorough. So those are our personal files, and there are also some of our vendor files as well. I'll be honest, I work with a really good group of people and I’ll be really disappointed if it turns out one of them is a part of this. But when we get to the office, you’ll have full access to everything you need and if you don't, let me know and I'll make sure you get it."

  "I appreciate that. And I know my grandmother does too," Noah said as he skimmed through the files. Then he closed them and handed them to me. "Maybe you could look at these as well. Pull up their personnel files and see if there's anything in there that might be suspicious."

  I wasn't sure that I liked spying on my colleagues, even if they were half a world away, but I nodded because I was loyal to the Strong family.

  When we arrived at the office, Phil introduced Noah to their head technical person for the office who led Noah to his own computer to begin to work. For someone I had always thought was such a slacker, Noah’s fingers flew across the keyboard, and letters and numbers zipped through the screen. I could only assume he knew what it all meant, but to me it just looked like a bunch of gobbledygook.

  "It's amazing to me than any of that means anything," Phil said, nodding to the screen.

  I laughed. "I was thinking just the same thing. You really are a nerd," I said to Noah. It felt natural to say it, and yet at the same time, once it was out of my mouth, considering how I'd behaved earlier, I wondered if he would chastise me again, as he would have the right to.

  "I prefer geek," he said without breaking his stride on the keyboard, his eyes holding intent on the screen. He stopped for a moment and leaned forward as if whatever was on the screen meant something to him and then he sat back. "I'm probably going to be here for a little while. Maybe you can go take care of some of that other stuff, Andi."

  I nodded and turned to Phil. "Maybe you and I can go have some tea or coffee, and we can talk a little bit more about the staff here and your vendors so I can do a little bit of more research on them."

  He nodded and led me to an employee lounge. He made me a cup of coffee while he brewed himself some tea.

  “You’re not a tea drinker, Ms. Walker?”

  I shook my head. “Only when I don’t feel well. You can call me, Andi.”

  He nodded. “The truth is, America hasn’t really mastered tea. Not like other countries.” He set a mug of coffee in front of me and then took the chair across from me.

  "How is Mrs. Strong holding up in all this?
" Phil asked.

  "Well, she's concerned, of course, but Margaret is a strong determined woman. Whoever did this will be found out and will be sorely sorry that they crossed her."

  He threw his head back as he let out a loud laugh. "I like that about her. There are a lot of strong, smart women in the world, but Margaret has that unique combination that adds empathy and humanity with the don't-get-in-my-way-or-I'll-kick-your-ass attitude as well."

  I smiled, because that was how I felt about Margaret too.

  Phil leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table as he swirled his tea cup in his hand. "I see a little bit of her in you, Andi. I think Margaret has high aspirations for you."

  I shrugged and looked down into my coffee because I wasn't quite sure what was going to happen when Margaret retired. She assured me that I would have a place with her, or in the company, but I didn't know what that was, or even if it was something I wanted. Maybe it was time for me to begin expanding my options.

  Phil wasn't the person to reveal this to though, so I pulled the stack of folders in front of me and began asking him questions about the people who worked for him here in the Hong Kong office. Between what was in the files and the gossip he was able to reveal, nobody stood out as being a potential traitor or to the company, but with Phil running the office, it was likely there were office dynamics that he didn't know about, so I would need to snoop around a little bit more. Still, I had to think that whoever was sabotaging Strong Incorporated in Hong Kong had to be somebody outside the business.

  After our discussion, Phil gave me a tour of the office and an overview of how the expansion was going as well as highlighting the supply chain and what was going on there. He was clearly on top of his game and dedicated to getting to the bottom of whatever was going on.