by Sienna Snow
I grabbed the phone and dialed. “Hey Mil, what’s up? I’m walking into the building.” I rushed through the doors and headed to the elevator Kerry had waiting for me.
“Arya, what’s the point of having a cell phone if you never keep it on?”
“I placed it on silent when I got tired of all the calls from reporters. What’s the big fire?”
“Arya, you need to be prepared. There are a few developments with the merger. I can’t say much more but stay calm. I have to go,” Milla whispered into the phone.
Leave it to Mil to sound cryptic and then hang up.
“What’s going on, Kerry?” I questioned.
“From what I understand, there were more people at the meeting than anticipated. I only saw our crew and Ms. Dane with a few of her colleagues. We expected other new team members, but they hadn’t arrived. However, Ms. Dane did seem quite agitated. I’m not used to seeing her simmering.”
Carmen simmering? She was the most poised woman I’d ever met. Something big was up if both Milla and Carmen were upset.
Lucky for them, the ice queen has arrived to save the day.
I hated the nickname the media had given me, but keeping my emotions out of business had helped me succeed. How else would I have survived the aftermath of South Africa without pretending I didn’t feel anything?
The elevator dinged, and I rushed out. It was too late to worry now. I walked toward the conference room door and stopped. The smell I’d never forget lingered in the air: spiced cologne, crisp linen, and soap. My heart clenched. Five years of separation, and I still recognized his scent.
Oh God, he wouldn’t dare.
Milla and her bad omens. My hand trembled as I clutched the strap of my bag and the other steadied my stomach. Maybe I should turn around and head to my office. I shook the possibility from my head. Never show weakness. I wasn’t the vulnerable woman I used to be.
“Arya, are you okay? Your face is pale. Do you want me to get you anything? Water?”
Kerry’s words snapped me out of my stupor. “I’m fine, Kerry, don’t worry. Let me take a moment before I give up official control of my baby to someone else,” I lied.
I took a deep breath, opened the door, and entered the filled conference room. The tension bombarding me was thick enough to cut. Milla’s worried expression and Lex’s angry one spoke volumes.
I smiled at Carmen and the few members of her team I recognized and moved toward Milla and Lex. I couldn’t bring myself to look at the other end of the table. My skin prickled. His presence overpowered the room.
Get yourself together, girl.
Maybe if I ignored him, I wouldn’t have to acknowledge his existence.
“I apologize for the delay. Please continue,” I announced in my most professional voice.
Remember to fake it until you make it.
Lex gestured to the seat next to him. “Arya, we decided to wait for you to begin. Ms. Dane has informed us of a few changes to our original plan. Due to other project commitments she will be stepping aside, and Mr. Dane will be replacing her.”
What? Without a second thought, I glanced at the other end of the table as I sat down. Emerald eyes stared back at me. Damn him and those eyes. My heart pounded as if it would explode out of my chest.
Stay calm, Arya.
Lex moved his hand to my back, trying to give me comfort.
The last time I’d gazed into that face was through tears. I was in South Africa on a service trip to transport technology to female-run communities, and Max was there working through his own private demons, including the murder of his father. Today, at thirty, he looked almost the same, just a bit harder and more enchanting.
“I don’t believe that would be the best course of action given the transition plan we worked with Ms. Dane for the past two months to create. She’s an integral part of our strategy and implementation,” I interjected without my voice quivering.
Max smiled and held my gaze. “I’m sorry to disappoint you, Ms. Rey, but Carmen departs for Europe this afternoon. That leaves me as your only option. I’m confident you and your team can get me up to speed in no time.”
I bet the cocky bastard planned this from the beginning. Why would he do this?
I ignored his challenge and turned toward Lex. “Is it possible to place the merger on hold until these new circumstances are ironed out? I want to make sure these surprise changes aren’t a regular occurrence. Besides, I’m not sure Mr. Dane possesses the stamina or the time to understand the nuances of the technical aspect of this transition.” Man, I sounded seriously bitchy.
Lex seemed surprised by my remarks as well. He shook his head, but before he could speak, Max interjected, bringing my attention back to him.
“Ms. Rey, as I’m sure Mr. Duncan, your head legal counsel and adviser, will inform you, there is no placing anything on hold. We signed and executed the contracts yesterday. You’re stuck with me for the long term.” Another smile touched his lips as he scanned my face and quirked a brow. “I promise to be your number one student and study everything you require me to learn.”
My breath hitched. I’d said those exact words during our first night together many years ago.
Damn, he’d backed me into a corner. If I continued arguing, everyone would see my personal issues with him. Fine. If he wanted a crash course, he was getting one.
“Well, Mr. Dane, if we’re to be stuck with you, as you’ve said, then welcome and get ready to catapult into the world of security-technology development. Don’t expect much sleep over the next few weeks.” I smirked.
Before he could respond, I delineated all the transition specifics in as much technical detail as possible.
Five hours after the meeting began, I escaped to my office for a few moments of quiet. I threw my jacket on the sofa, unpinned my bun, letting my hair cascade down, and kicked off my heels as I stepped onto my soft pink silk rug. Walking to the oversized windows with views of the city, I leaned my head against the cold glass. I’d accomplished so much in the past few years, but a few hours in Max’s company turned me back into an unsure and uncertain twenty-three-year-old.
I closed my lids and attempted to hold back tears. Why hadn’t I gone with my first instinct and rejected the offer?
Because you’re a moron.
No matter what Lex or my legal team told me, my gut had screamed there was a catch. No company offered a deal this accommodating. Now here I was, back with the object of all my fantasies and the source of all my pain on a day-to-day basis.
I slid my hand down to my stomach as the agony of loss filled me. I opened my eyes at the sound of the wind picking up and the snow falling in sheets. Desiring a little warmth, I wrapped my arms around myself and rubbed the chill from my shoulders. At least in a few hours I’d be back in California with my aunt.
A knock sounded on my door, and I turned around. My breath hitched when I saw Max leaned against the frame inspecting me.
In five years he’d grown more handsome. Chocolate-brown hair, tanned skin, and piercing green eyes accented his impeccably chiseled face. His lean and honed six-foot-two physique filled out his tailor-made suit to perfection. Tabloid pictures didn’t do him justice. His minimally spiced cologne and his natural crisp scent infused the room, making my knees weak. I bit back a moan as I remember the way he’d smile when I’d sniff his neck every morning after his shower. A time when I held nothing back from anyone.
“Ahh, there’s the Arya I used to know and still crave,” Max crooned as he strolled into my office. “The all-business, polished, and cold Ms. Rey doesn’t suit you.”
“A lot has changed in the past five years, Mr. Dane.” I couldn’t keep the panic out of my voice. Why was his sheer presence so unnerving?
Max quietly approached me next to the window. I continued watching him and waited for him to break the silence. His commanding and authoritative aura wrapped itself around me as I resisted the compulsion to lower my head and wait for his command. I couldn’t b
e near him right now. Years of building myself up, and within a few hours in his company, I was ready to throw everything away.
His expression remained completely unreadable as he studied my face. Then he reached up and did something I wasn’t expecting: He ran his fingers along my jaw and over my mouth.
I inhaled sharply, taking in his intoxicating scent, and forced back the desire to lick my lips. A brush of need scorched across my skin, and goose bumps appeared in its wake. His slightest touch aroused every sense in my body, and I prayed he hadn’t detected my reaction. But of course, he noticed.
“You’re as beautiful as ever, Arya. However, I prefer you with little or no makeup. It’s obvious Milla has gotten her hands on you.”
I stepped back, a little offended, though not sure by what—his words or my response to them. I calmly walked over to my desk and sat, the heat from his touch still lingering on my face.
I still wanted him. Dammit.
I picked up a report Kerry had left me and attempted indifference to his presence.
“It won’t work with me.” Max sauntered across the room and took the chair opposite my desk.
I leaned forward and glared. “What is that supposed to mean?”
A dark brow arched, and his mouth relaxed into a grin.
Damn that smile. It made him appear years younger and breathtaking. Memories of what those lips had done to me flooded my system. My pulse accelerated, and my already sensitive nipples strained against my blouse.
He leaned back into the chair. “The ice queen routine you’ve been playing. I’ll admit you fooled me. During the meeting, you handled my presence with complete and cold disinterest. Your reports and diction were methodological. You epitomized the picture of a ruthless tech mogul, the same image that leaves the tabloids and business analysts confused as to how you inspire unparalleled devotion and loyalty. Then toward the end of the meeting, when you called Carmen’s assistant aside and gave her a birthday present for her daughter, I recognized it as an act.”
Shit. No one was supposed to see that.
“Believe what you want, Mr. Dane.” I held his gaze. “We all change, some more than others. Aren’t you the one who once said, ‘We are the sum of all our life’s experiences’? I am the ice queen, as you said, due to mine.”
I pushed back from the table and moved to lean against the front of my desk. “Out of curiosity, how long have you planned on taking over Carmen’s role in this merger? I find it more than a small coincidence that you’re available to oversee a one hundred and fifty billion dollar deal your sister spent over six months negotiating?”
Carmen wouldn’t betray me, would she?
“This plan was in the making for over five years, Arya. We have some unfinished business to resolve. If orchestrating the merger of our companies was the only way to do it, so be it. I’ve done nothing to undermine the future of either organization.
“So you know, Carmen never knew of my plans. She only found out a few days ago, and by then there was nothing she could do to change the direction of what I’d set in motion. She has never forgiven me for the situation in Cape Town. For a while, I thought I’d lost the trust of my sister, as I’d lost Lex’s friendship. She’s always loved you, even when you distanced yourself from her.”
For a brief moment, I closed my eyes at his words. Trust him not to lie. He never pulled punches before, so why would he start now? An overwhelming desire to smack him coursed through me. I needed to get away before I started screaming.
“Well, if we’re finished with this lovely conversation, I must ask you to leave. I’m already late for my flight. I will see you and your team in a week.”
Max stood, not saying anything, and walked toward the door. I followed and waited for him to exit. He abruptly stopped and pivoted. “Say hello to your aunt for me.”
“How do you know where I’m going?”
He took a strand of my hair and twirled it around his finger. “Oh Arya, I know more than you believe. If you hadn’t spent the last five years hiding from me, using your pit bulls to keep me away, we would be in an entirely different situation right now.”
He tried to get in touch with me? What did he mean by “pit bulls”?
“Okay, I’ll bite. Where would we be?”
If he didn’t stop touching me, I’d lose all of my composure. I pushed his hand away from my hair, but he caught my wrist instead. “We’d be married and making love every day with a few children in tow. I made the worst mistake of my life by letting you go. I won’t make the same mistake again.”
CHAPTER THREE
Ms. Rey, it’s time to wake up. We are approaching your aunt Elana’s house.”
I wasn’t aware I had fallen asleep until James called my name. I surveyed my surroundings as I gained my bearings. Wow, what a quick sixty minutes from the airport. I still felt groggy and needed more time to power back up after such an exhausting trip.
Nine hours after my scheduled arrival, I finally reached Monterey. Hazardous weather due to an unexpected heavy snowstorm caused severe delays for all aircraft out of Boston’s Logan International. The airlines canceled most commercial flights, leaving stranded passengers everywhere.
Agreeing to a last-minute strategy meeting for a new billion-dollar security software I was developing for the government didn’t help the situation. Plus, it wouldn’t have looked good telling a top government official that I couldn’t talk shop because I was worried about the storm and the possibility of the airport shutting down.
Lucky for me, Lex and Milla had convinced me to buy a private jet, and my flight was delayed only until ground crew de-iced the runways and reopened.
I sat up in the back of the limo and attempted to press the wrinkles out of my clothes. No use; the folds were set. Oh well, I planned to change into pajamas as soon as I arrived home anyway.
Finally, Aunt Elana’s house came into view. The beautiful two-story stone and stucco house with Spanish tiles was majestic, surrounded by gardens and views of the ocean from almost every window.
Growing up, neither Aunt Elana nor I ever conceptualized a house on the beach hovering in our future, let alone a thirty-thousand-square-foot mansion on Pebble Beach’s exclusive 17 Mile Drive. I bought the property for Aunt Elana after Milla and I “officially” made it big. It was the least I could do to repay everything she sacrificed for me.
I sighed and then giggled. “Almost there. I feel like a kid who can’t wait to get home. Isn’t it crazy how much we’ve accomplished in five years?”
James glanced at me through the rearview mirror with a slight grin. “It’s been a privilege being on this journey with you. Plus having my own little house on the property is an added bonus.”
“How else could I get you to keep up your tough adamantine appearance while having a scorching hot love affair with my aunt?”
James visibly reddened.
“I’m teasing. You and Aunt Elana deserve a little happiness, even if I don’t understand all the secrecy.”
“It isn’t proper, Ms. Rey. We are from two different classes. Your aunt deserves so much better, but she chose me.”
“Aunt El couldn’t care less what others think. We didn’t come from the upper crust, you know.”
“I am well aware of that. Nevertheless, the situation is complicated.”
I growled inside. Superfrustrating couples surrounded me. Between Lex, Milla, Aunt Elana, and James, the urge to yank out my hair would leave me bald.
“James, I’m only saying this because I love both of you. Aunt Elana doesn’t care about your past. It doesn’t matter whether you were a mobster in your youth or a trash collector as long as you love her.”
“I have never doubted your aunt’s feelings for me. I hope to one day be worthy of them. Maybe soon I will be. Why don’t you put on your shoes? We will be at the front door soon and your aunt will be eager to see you.”
Nice change of subject.
I hiccupped a little in anticipation of seeing Aunt
Elana, the only person who ever loved me unconditionally. It never mattered that we didn’t share one ounce of blood; I was her child, and that was it.
James had barely pulled into the driveway when Aunt Elana ran out the front toward us. Man, the woman never aged; she was as gorgeous as ever, with luxurious black hair and flawless honey-gold skin, accented by rich chestnut eyes.
Excited to be home, I opened the door and jumped out.
“Oh, meree bachchee is home. Come here, sweetheart.” She spread her arms, and I couldn’t help but rush into her waiting embrace. Her soft jasmine scent enveloped me, making it easy to allow a little emotion free.
“I missed you so much.” I held her tightly and let a few tears fall on her shoulder.
She stepped back and gave me a concerned look. “Now what’s this? It hasn’t been that long since you were home. Come on. Let’s get you inside. First food, then once we’re alone, I want to know who I have to smack for making you sad.” She gestured toward the pool house as the sound of laughter floated into the air. “I think Carmen and Milla are half drunk.” We climbed the stairs into the house.
“Huh? I thought Carmen left for Europe today, and Milla wasn’t arriving until tomorrow.”
“I’m not sure of all the details, but Milla and Lex had another argument, and she decided to abandon him and come tonight. As for Carmen, she found someone else to take over her project. Milla and I thought it would be nice if you and Carmen got to know each other again, without the distraction of the past.”
I scowled. I knew she meant well, but I was already working on mending my relationship with Carmen. I didn’t need any added help.
“Don’t glare at me like that, young lady.” Aunt El reprimanded as she guided me toward the kitchen. “Carmen isn’t to blame for what happened with Maxwell. You were the best of friends during school, and you both could use someone with similar losses.”
I flinched as guilt filled me. How could I have forgotten what Carmen went through over the past three years? Her fiancé died amid a hostage situation in South Africa at the education foundation she had founded. A month later, she lost the baby she had been carrying. For more than a year, no one heard from her or saw her. When she got word of our request for bids, she was the first to approach us and worked with us to settle the deal.