by Ava Miles
He uttered a derisive chuckle. “Usually. Now? Hard to call. Come on, I need to grab something to eat, and then I want to go out to the cottage. How was your day other than all of this?”
“Some things good. Others not so much. But my biggest victory was unexpected. Hargreaves used my first name today. Only don’t tell him I told you.”
“Your people skills remain nothing short of miraculous.”
She kissed him slowly on the lips. “They worked on you, didn’t they? I seem to remember a terribly grouchy executive at my door only last month.”
Was he heading back to grouch territory with all this doom and gloom? God, he didn’t want to go back to that. “We’ll try to keep him in the past. It might help if you kiss me again.”
Winding her arms around his neck, she tipped his head down to hers and gave him a thorough kiss, one that had him reconsidering a late meal. He deepened the kiss and thought about breaking his own rule about sex in the house.
When she started to unzip his pants, he realized she was of a similar mind. Eyeing the stairs, he decided no one was likely to come down. Usually everyone in the house was in bed by this time. No one would have any reason to venture all the way down here.
He was glad she was wearing a loose skirt. His mouth had watered as she’d rolled up her thigh-high stockings this morning, a tantalizing way to send him off to the board meeting. His hand found her center, and sure enough, she didn’t have anything on.
“You planned this,” he whispered, stroking her slowly.
“I knew where you’d come after parking your car,” she said, opening her legs wider. “I thought you might want to be alone with me. Plus, this is where we finished our assignment. I thought it apt for us to make love here.”
He hoisted her up onto his hips, savoring the tantalizing feel of her legs wrapping around him. “Full circle. I like the way you’re thinking.”
Kissing her deeply, he walked them over to the windows facing the ocean and pressed her against the glass after checking to make sure it wouldn’t be too cold for her skin. Then he looked her straight in the eye and penetrated her. She moaned, low and long in her throat, and then he started thrusting slowly in and out.
“I love you,” he said in a low voice.
“I love you too,” she said, tightening her legs around him. “Come with me now.”
When she raised her hands over her head, he grabbed them and held on tight. Their pace became frenzied, both of them meeting thrust for thrust. When she came, he pressed his mouth to hers to cover her moans and followed her over the edge.
Panting against her neck, he stared out at the ocean below. It was churning, the tide high. The world felt like that to him right now, and he didn’t know what to do to hold it back.
“I’ll make some calls tomorrow on your behalf,” she said, kissing him on the cheek. “If that’s all right with you.”
Her offer to help had something hot burning in the back of his throat. He didn’t need to ask who she’d call. Her connections were on point and strategic. “I’d love that. Thank you.”
“I promised to help you make Merriam Enterprises profitable again. That goal still hasn’t been achieved, so I hope you don’t mind extending my contract when I go into headquarters with you in the morning. I always finish the job.”
Pressing his forehead to hers, he was shocked to feel the burn of tears behind his eyelids. God, he had to be exhausted to feel this raw. “Done. Francesca, I—”
“You don’t have to say it,” she told him, cupping the back of his nape lovingly. “You don’t need to say it.”
“Yeah, I do. Babe, you can’t know how much this means.”
“My reputation is at stake too, after all.” Her voice was hoarse as well. “Can’t let people thinking I did a half-ass job.”
He imagined she meant it as a joke, but he realized it was true. Some industry analysts might genuinely feel that way. More weight settled over his shoulders. He had to make this right for himself and his family and employees, but he needed to do it for her too.
And he could. He would. With her support, somehow everything would be all right.
It had to be.
Chapter 20
Francesca went to the office with Quinn the next day, wanting to support him with her presence, and he’d offered up the conference room so she could make some calls. But she hadn’t been in there for more than a few hours when she heard the breaking news. It was shocking enough that she stopped what she was doing and immediately walked into Quinn’s office.
“The mayor of San Francisco has just declared a state of emergency in the city,” she said without preamble, prompting him and his brothers to turn their heads her way. “We’re going to need to find somewhere else to work. Draft a plan for Merriam Enterprises here and prepare one for the branch offices overseas to either work at home or close. It can’t be put off anymore, Quinn. Not after today.”
“But we don’t have a single case of the virus in San Francisco,” Quinn said, jerking on his tie. “Yesterday there was a dog-and-pony show in Chinatown encouraging everyone to visit, saying there was no cause for alarm.”
“Seems your mayor feels differently,” Francesca said. “You need to prepare people to work from home wherever possible. Flynn, I assume your tech team can help set that up. Trevor, given where things are going, you might want to halt oil production on the rigs for now. I’ve talked to a few people who are taking that approach.”
They were all staring at her. Except for Quinn, who was sitting back, an amused smile on his face.
“Sorry, did I overstep? That did sound rather—”
“Authoritative,” Flynn said, crossing and kissing her cheek. “I love it. Man, you’re an awesome team player. Bro, seriously, you have so scored with this one.”
Quinn’s eyes lifted to hers, and she saw the love and warmth in them. “I know it. All right, let’s get the plans drafted. Hell, closing down headquarters physically right now—”
“Will suck and make our job harder,” Trevor said, shaking his head.
But the tide was changing. The first case was announced in San Francisco the next day, and another county in California declared a state of emergency.
“I don’t think we can wait,” Quinn said as he sat with his brothers and Francesca at the round work table in his office. “Something doesn’t feel right. A few days ago, a senior official was encouraging travel to Chinatown. Then the mayor declared a state of emergency, and the very next day we’re hearing about an actual case. What’s going on behind the scenes?”
“We need to be proactive and make good decisions for ourselves and our people,” Trevor said.
“I agree,” Flynn said. “I’ve created a software program to do some data mining on the virus. We need to see the real numbers.”
“Numbers are only going to get us so far given there are so many countries, politicians, and international groups involved,” Francesca said. “I’ve seen countries quibble over lesser things. What we need to do is find a safe place to work, with good internet access. I would recommend somewhere remote. An urban center doesn’t feel right after everything I’ve seen in the news. I don’t think we need to worry about being in the same time zone as headquarters since your people work all over the world.”
“How about Ireland?” Trevor asked, resting his elbows on the table. “The Wild Irish Rose Inn has plenty of rooms right now since it’s low season. Becca’s had a few people cancel bookings already because of the virus. We have an in-house chef and lots of space. We could take it over.”
Francesca had checked out the inn online after hearing about it from others in the family, and it looked captivating. But it wasn’t her call. Quinn had his hand over his mouth, and she sensed his brother’s offer had touched him deeply.
“Also, it would ensure we can be on the same video conference calls together when needed,” Trevor added. “Plus, Buttercup.”
Clara had showed her the original video of Trevor fleein
g from the animal, and she’d laughed so hard she’d cried.
“That alpaca would be a boon right now,” Flynn said with a lopsided smile.
“It feels important for us all to be together,” J.T. said. “Caroline and I have been talking. If things worsen here like they have in Asia, museums will close. We won’t have anything to do, and I’m sure as hell not sitting home when I can help you with Merriam.”
Francesca grabbed Quinn’s hand under the table.
“You never could sit quietly when you were a kid,” Quinn joked, but his voice was thick. “I’d love to have your help. I’ve gotten used to it over the last month.”
J.T. gripped Quinn’s shoulder. “Yeah, I know you love me. Flynn, what about you and the family? I know you’re getting settled in Dare Valley right now and the girls have school.”
Flynn tilted his head back and studied the ceiling. “Annie and I have been talking about this. With the company still in trouble, her merger, and this virus… You don’t want to make a bad move here. I mean, hell, it would rip my guts out if Annie or the girls got sick.”
Tears burned in Francesca’s eyes. She thought of her father going to Italy. Even with their rancor, she didn’t want anything to happen to him. Beyond that, she hadn’t let herself think about the possibility of Quinn or one of the Merriams falling sick. Quinn squeezed her hand tightly, and she glanced at him. His mouth tipped up encouragingly, and she made herself smile back.
“Well, hell, man,” Trevor said, punching Flynn lightly in the shoulder. “Aren’t you worried about me? I thought we were close.”
Flynn uttered a harsh sound and let his head fall forward. “I wish I could laugh, Trev. Believe me, I do. Of course I worry about you guys. But I’m more worried about Mom and Dad and Uncle Arthur and Aunt Clara. From what China is reporting, most of the people who’ve died are elderly.”
“I wouldn’t call any of them elderly to their faces,” Trevor tried to joke again, but it fell flat.
“Sorry,” Flynn said, letting out an explosive breath. “This isn’t what we were talking about. Let’s get back on track.”
“We need to talk to the rest of the family,” Quinn said. “The others might not be as involved in the post-board issues, but we should still ask Caitlyn to join us. France had their first known death over a week ago, and being so close to Italy—”
“People are still traveling,” Francesca said. “Fashion week in Italy involves a lot of attendees from France.” She thought of her father again.
“The lavender farm is remote, at least,” Quinn said. “But I think we’re better off sticking together.”
“I agree,” Trevor said. “Beau won’t be going on the road for his upcoming concerts, one would imagine.”
Entertainment could come to a standstill. Again, the feeling of the surreal settled over her.
“What about Mom and Dad and Aunt Clara and Uncle Arthur?” J.T. asked, his brow knit with worry.
Quinn stood up and helped her out of her chair. “We ask them what they want to do. Should we call Michaela and Boyd, do you think?”
“I hate to interrupt their honeymoon,” Trevor said, rising as well, “but I’m glad they switched it to Wyoming. With Michaela being so ill only a few months ago, we need to protect her health at all costs.”
Francesca couldn’t agree more. People with weakened immune systems were one of the high-risk groups. “Maybe they should extend their honeymoon.”
“It’ll be like a love quarantine,” Trevor said, making another attempt at a joke. “They sure as hell won’t be traveling around the globe for a while.”
“I think we still ask them to come after their honeymoon,” J.T. said.
“We ask everyone, then,” Quinn said, turning to Francesca. “Will you ask Alice?”
She nodded. Usually she took a couple of weeks off between consultancies to clear her mind. She and Alice would jet to Paris or London for a much-needed break. Not now. She expected her friend already knew that, but they hadn’t talked about it yet.
As for the companies on her waiting list, she’d had a few inquiries on timing. There was a lot of fear in the market, especially since the Dow continued to decline. She’d told them her schedule was still occupied at the moment.
“All right,” Quinn said. “We should go to Mom and Dad’s now.”
The other Merriam brothers had driven in together, and she and Quinn had come in his car. “We’ll see you there,” she said. “I want a minute with your brother.”
After they left, he set his hands on her waist. “Why do I have an idea you’re about to tell me something I may not like?”
She laid her hand on his lapel, removing one of her hairs. She’d have to be more careful about kissing him in his business attire. “If you’re going to ask your family to come to the inn and help the company—as well as stay safe—you should have a role for your father. It would be hard for any man to sit on the sidelines and watch the business he’d poured his life’s blood into crumble. Your father might be retired, but he had pull with the market and he’s smart. I think you should include him.”
He pulled her to him. “All hands on deck. I suppose you’re right. J.T. is coming back on board. Why not him?”
“It doesn’t undermine you,” she said softly. “It shows strength and wisdom. Why wouldn’t you use an ace when you have it in your hand?”
Kissing her cheek, he framed her face. “You’re right. How about Aunt Clara? I was going to ask them to come anyway, and she’s the one who came up with the idea of spinning off the plant science division after we had trouble in Africa. At this point, I’ll take everyone’s help.”
“Within reason, of course,” she said, knowing sometimes more opinions were harder to manage. “Asking her for help is a wonderful idea. She grew up with the business at its glory. She’s also a canny woman.”
“Do you believe she and Uncle Arthur will come?” he asked, rubbing his brow. “They have family in Dare Valley too, and Uncle Arthur might not want to be so far away from them for an indeterminate amount of time. Especially at such a pivotal time. I imagine he’ll be tempted to help out some with his newspaper, retired or not.”
A light flicked on in Francesca’s head. It occurred to her that newspapers—news in any form—would only become more important in the months ahead. “You just gave me an idea. I’m going to look into the media sector and see if there are any companies we can cheaply acquire for your Speculative Ventures Initiatives. We might be able to add some profit quickly that way.”
“Because information will be more critical than ever in the months ahead,” Quinn said, kissing her flush on the mouth. “You sure you don’t want to be the CEO of SVI? You’re already thinking like it.”
She caressed his face to soften her answer. “Let’s keep my role as it is for now. But I’ll keep the possibility in mind.”
His face fell. “But you said you weren’t going to think about your future while working with me. I find I want it settled—for both of us.”
She did too, but she also knew better than to rush when so much was at stake. “So much is changing daily. Staying current needs to be our focus.”
“Our future doesn’t take second fiddle to anything.” He took her hands. “Not even business.”
And yet, business ran through their blood; it nourished the roots of their family trees. “We’re together, and I’m going to Ireland with you to work. The rest of it will unfold. We have to keep Merriam and everyone’s safety as our priority right now. Our future is here and now.”
His mouth twisted. “Here I’d envisioned everything would fall into place as soon as we finished our plan. That we’d be able to go away for a week somewhere with a beach. All of that seems impossible right now.”
“We’ll have time together in Ireland,” she said, holding him tightly.
But she well knew they had their hands full, and time was of the essence.
Chapter 21
What in the world were she and Arthur
going to do?
Clara wasn’t prone to sleeplessness anymore. Her restless and lonely nights before reuniting with the Merriam children and Arthur had disappeared. Until tonight.
A large contingent of Merriams was going to Ireland. Flynn and Annie had said they needed to think it through more. Clara and Arthur had been invited too, but they hadn’t decided yet. He’d been so drawn by the end of the family meeting, she’d told him to go to bed. His exhaustion had produced some uncharacteristic snoring on his part, and every deep rumble of it seemed to shake her heart.
What were they to do?
His family was in Dare Valley, and she loved them with all her heart. But her Merriam family had become more important to her than she’d ever imagined. Furthermore, Quinn had suggested he wanted her to contribute to keeping Merriam afloat with her “strategic business sense.”
How was she to refuse?
A loud snort sounded next to her, and Arthur rolled onto his side. His warm hands reached for her under the covers. She settled back against him, her mind spinning. His breathing changed and his hand left her and reached up to rub his face. Usually that meant he was trying to wake himself.
“You can’t sleep, huh?” he mumbled, kissing her neck. “God, I was out. Did I snore?”
She smiled in the dark. “It wasn’t displeasing. I envied you the rest.”
“Everything caught up with me,” Arthur said, his voice growing stronger as he woke. “As the young people might say, ‘shit got real.’”
“Yes, it sure did.” She squeezed her eyes shut. “What are we going to do? I wish we could be in two places at once.”
He rolled onto his back and tucked her against him. “But we can’t. If we leave, it would mean canceling your eightieth birthday party.”
“I know that,” she said, her heart aching a touch. “I’ll be with family, and that’s all that counts.”
His harrumph wasn’t more than a murmur. “So you want to go then—to Ireland.”