Chapter 4
Justin walked into the summer sun and let his eyes adjust to the brightness. His limo waited at the curb. He darted in between the moving human throng on the busy sidewalk and entered the car through the door that was being held open by the driver. A blast of cool air met him as he lowered himself onto the leather seat.
"How was lunch?"
Danielle sat across from him. Her long, slender legs crossed at the ankle. Justin didn't allow himself the pleasure of a sweeping glance up that tempting expanse of skin, although it was exactly what he wanted to do.
"It went well. We established useful business contacts for our endeavors here. The local businessmen anticipate expanding the horizons of Perth and see JK Holdings as a vehicle to accomplish it. I wish to make money and enhance the city, and I see their positive interest as a boon. Win-win for all parties." Justin unbuttoned his jacket and leaned back in the seat.
"Okay, a more important question." A wide smile spread across her face. "How was the food?"
Justin laughed and shook his head. "It had flashes of excellence, but the overall level was lacking. The front of the house had numerous issues that could be resolved with proper management. I could make it a gem. There are possibilities."
"Of course, you could. The question is do you want me to see if Le Château is for sale?" Danielle pulled her tablet out of her briefcase.
"You could put out feelers. We've got our hands full with the new endeavors here, but once the projects have advanced and are manageable, I'd give consideration to acquiring this property if the owners were interested in selling. The location is perfect for business district clientele."
Danielle made a few notes on her tablet. She stopped typing, grabbed a folder off the seat beside her, and held it out to him. "I've had a conversation with the realtor representing the property you’re interested in purchasing. The home is designated as ‘historically significant’, is in a restricted residential area, and it isn't zoned for a business. I contacted our Australian legal team and asked them about the zoning laws here. To boil down the four-page response in that folder, there hasn't been a precedent to allow for a waiver so it would be a legal tussle for us to present an argument that would suffice to amend the zoning. That’s a lot to go through to set up a bed and breakfast, but we've done it before and given time, we would most likely prevail." Danielle swiped at her tablet before she blinked up at him.
Justin's hand itched to push back a lock of hair that had slipped from her ponytail. He fisted his hand to keep from making that stupid move and looked out the window instead. Fuck, what was wrong with him today? It had to be the lack of sleep. He'd never had impulse control issues around her. Well, none that he couldn’t handle. He’d been interested in Danielle for years, but he'd never acted on it. Today, however, not acting was proving difficult.
"Justin?"
Her question returned him to the moment. "Excuse me? What did you say?"
"We could also purchase the property as a residential investment."
"No, cancel whatever you have set up with the realtor. I don't need another home, especially since I already have an apartment planned for the building we are renovating. The business idea was a late-night, jetlag-fueled inspiration. Thank you for tracking down the information."
He watched her tap out an email. She tugged her bottom lip between her teeth as she always did when she was concentrating.
"Are you okay?" Danielle's eyes traveled over him and damn him if he didn't like the sensation.
"I'm fine. I'm just tired. I couldn't sleep last night."
"That makes two of us. We should have ordered room service and had a movie marathon." Danielle threw the comment out as she worked on her tablet, not really paying attention to him.
Justin closed his eyes and let his head fall back against the seat. He allowed himself to imagine her feminine curves tucked against him on the couch. "Hmmm...I think I would have enjoyed that."
"Me, too. Maybe next time."
Danielle's soft voice did nothing to dissuade his mental mock-up of a night alone with her. The only thing that stopped his musings was the limo pulling over and stopping. Justin blinked open his eyes. Damn, sex and sleep were on his mind, not business. He leaned forward and rubbed his face. "What are we doing now?" He glanced out the window.
"Meeting with legal. Just a quick glance over the agenda shows they have a briefing on Australian labor law, the status of the work permits for our company and the people we are bringing in from your other businesses, and numerous other bits and pieces. The usual song and dance before we can start working. There were no issues red flagged, so that's good. They have three hours blocked, and then you have a meeting with your bankers. Same conference area. It shouldn't last long as they are just a conduit for the incoming funds, but, I'm sure this is their push to be more than a repository."
Justin dropped his head and rolled it, right to left, relieving the tension in his shoulders. He needed to get a grip. Her low, sexy voice running down the afternoon's agenda went straight to his balls, and that was unacceptable. He bit the inside of his cheek and winced. Enough. Time to focus on business, not his unrequited desires. "Right, let's see what kind of preference the banks can give us before we close that door."
Justin didn't wait for the driver to open the door but stepped out into the summer heat and extended his hand back to Danielle. Her hand was ice cold in his. He gripped her hand, covering it with his free hand. "You're cold?"
She gave a small laugh. "Freezing, but the tablets I took about an hour ago have kicked in, and I'm feeling almost human."
Justin stood on the sidewalk and looked down into her green eyes. She was tall, five-feet-nine-inches. Her beautiful green eyes and dark chestnut brown hair set her up as a magnet for every male eye. She wasn't classically beautiful. The spray of freckles that spanned her nose and the slight gap between her front teeth marred what could have been perfection, but it was those things, small things, that she didn't try to hide that drew him to her. She was different than the model-perfect type he usually dated. Year round she had a tan, but not the sprayed-on type. He could tell her skin had actually been kissed by the sun. Her nails were neatly trimmed, no fake coverings or fancy polishes. While she wore makeup, it wasn't enough to hide or mask the natural woman beneath it. In his world, she was exceptional and unique.
Justin dropped her hand as if it scalded him. Fuck, he needed to get through the day and get some sleep, before he did or said something he couldn't take back.
He moved to allow her to adjust her purse and briefcase before he put his hand on the small of her back and escorted her across the sidewalk into the building. It was a simple act he'd done many times before, but today he noticed how her waist fit against the palm of his hand, how the muscles in her back flexed against his fingers. He pressed his palm against her soft cashmere dress and felt firmness under his hand, not soft contours but a toned, muscled body. He removed his hand as he reached for the door. His fingers skimmed along her back and lower, over her gorgeous ass. The wayward touch was completely unintentional as her sudden stop at the door created the contact of his fingers. Her eyes darted to his with a questioning look. He carefully blanked his expression and opened the door. Danielle Grant was... an employee...and his friend. Fuck. He needed to drop the infatuated teenage angst. If he acted on his desires, he had far too much to lose when the relationship failed, and there was no doubt in his mind the relationship would end. She deserved better, and he wasn't foolish enough to alienate one of the few people he counted as a friend.
"As you can see the projections lead us to believe that if JK Holdings utilizes our line of credit..." Blah, blah, blah...
Danielle tried desperately not to roll her eyes. She'd heard this song and dance too many times to count. The things they needed to know had been covered two minutes into the presentation, but Justin was a consummate businessman, and he'd have the bankers eating out of his hand even when he told them he wouldn't be usi
ng their banks as anything but a local repository. She pulled out her tablet, held it in her lap and worked through her numerous emails. She glanced up at random points during the briefing, but nobody was paying her any attention. She opened her business email and dealt with the most recent issues and tabled the matters she needed to work through, acknowledging receipt of information and confirming commitments and meetings for the following week. That finished, she sat back and tried desperately not to fall asleep. The monotone drone of the speaker did little to keep her eyes open.
She swiped the face of her phone and hit her personal email account. The first email she saw made her glance around the room and move the phone so she was certain no one could see it. She hit the email and read the message:
Your request is confirmed. Be available 0800hrs, Saturday. We cannot wait.
"Are there any questions, sir?"
Danielle glanced up and hit the phone’s side to blank her screen then shot a look around the table. Please, no. No questions.
"Thank you, Mr. Woolworth. I believe I have all the information I need. I'll examine your numbers and determine if the potential profit would be within the margins we deem as acceptable." Justin stood, sending all the bankers around the table scurrying. Dropping her tablet into her briefcase, she picked up her purse and followed Justin, who stopped at each person to shake their hand and speak a few words, as he made his way out of the room.
She clutched her phone in her hand as if her grip could safeguard the email on it. The slice of fear and internal trepidation brought on by the email eradicated any scrap of fatigue. She followed Justin's wide back as he worked his way through the meeting participants. Saturday. The rest of this business trip had to go as planned or she was royally screwed.
Chapter 5
Danielle had been quiet, inordinately so, during the ride back to the hotel. Justin had attempted to draw her into conversation, but her distracted, vague answers stilted his attempt. He pretended to read his email as he thought back through the afternoon. What happened? His mind jolted to the incident at the door. Could the accidental brush of his hand over her ass be the reason? He closed his eyes and dropped his head back onto the seat. Fuck, he'd been so distracted by his attraction to her that he hadn't considered if the feeling was mutual. Had he misread her interest and misinterpreted her comments? Hell, he didn't know. It was probably fate biting him in the ass. He'd basically placed Danielle onto a three-tiered pedestal as employee, friend and possible lover. She'd long since been more than an employee to him. She’d been firmly entrenched on the friend tier...until this trip. For some reason, his mind had catapulted her onto the third tier, and fuck him if it didn't sting that she didn't return his attraction. It was best to acknowledge her distance and reel back his feelings. He needed some space and time to deal with the fact that he'd overstepped. She probably did too.
The car pulled into the drive at the hotel and stopped. He exited and allowed the driver to offer Danielle a hand out of the vehicle. She didn't notice or seem to care. Justin followed her through the lobby and hailed the elevator. The ride up was as silent as the trip across town.
Danielle stopped at her door. "I'll see you in the morning?" She flashed her keycard against the reader.
Justin stopped in front of his door. "No, not tomorrow."
Her head whipped up. Her eyes went wide and then narrowed. "Why?"
He shrugged. "Max and I need some time to work some issues that don't involve acquisitions. I'll need you to represent me at the closing with the title company tomorrow afternoon. The rest of the meetings I can handle with Max or Miranda. Good night." Justin pushed his door open and walked into his suite. The door closed behind him, and he drew a deep breath. He'd apologize for his errant touch when they got back to New York.
The phone in his suit pocket vibrated at the same time someone pounded on his door. Justin spun and opened the door without checking to see who was knocking.
"That is complete and utter bullshit. What did I do to get that attitude?" Danielle's face was flush with anger—the last thing he’d expected.
"You didn't do anything." Justin stepped back as she planted a hand on his chest and pushed him to the side as she strode past.
She clicked angrily past him on her heels and spun around glaring at him. "I'm not stupid, Mr. King. I've heard that tone from you. Usually when you're brushing off one of your many conquests. You do not get to treat me like one of your floozies!"
"Floozies?" Justin repeated the ridiculous word. The women he’d dated were career-minded professionals.
"Yes, floozies. I'm your friend. What in the hell was that?" She flung her arm out and pointed toward her suite. "Max drives you crazy with his hovering at meetings, and Miranda Tschetter will replace me over my dead body." Justin blinked as she growled out the end of the sentence. He opened his mouth to speak, but Danielle spun away from him and threw her hands up in the air. "What did I do? Did I miss something in the meeting? I wasn't paying attention to the bankers, but I never do. Did I embarrass you somehow?" She spun around again and put her hands on her hips. She drew up tall and lifted her chin before she spoke, "Don't clam up on me and pretend I'm not your friend. Tell me what I did, and I promise it won't happen again."
Justin ran his hands through his hair. Still standing in the small hallway leading into the suite, he dropped his hands and looked at her. Time to bite the bullet, King. "I'm sorry." He put his hands in his pockets and rocked forward onto his toes as he searched the Carrara marble floor for the words he needed.
"You better be. I deserve to be treated better. Now, why the dismissal?" Danielle kicked out of her heels and walked over to the couch, sitting down and tucking her legs under her.
Damn it, she wasn't making it easier. "I could tell you were upset."
"What? When?"
"In the car."
A surprised look flashed over her face before she shook her head, narrowed her eyes, and pointed at him. "You know I have had, like, two hours of sleep in the last forty-eight. I'm running on fumes, and so are you. There is something else. Something else that prompted you to act like that."
He walked into the suite and unbuttoned his suit jacket, as his phone vibrated in his pocket again. He ignored it as he sat down across from her. "I thought maybe I offended you and I was trying to give you some space." He glanced out the window. He didn't want to see the confirmation of his trespass in her expression.
"Justin, look at me." He drew a breath and swung his gaze back to her. The confusion clearly written on her face startled him. "What do you think you did that offended me?"
He looked down at his hands and steepled his fingers. "I accidentally..." hell, how did he say it..."copped a feel of your ass this afternoon as we went into the meetings." He lifted his eyes when she snorted.
She leaned back on the couch and shook her head. "You are always a perfect gentleman, Justin. I never thought for a second that touch was anything more than what it was, an accidental brush of your hand. Remember. I. Know. You. Besides, I am so not your type."
An explosive chuff of air burst from his lungs before he could stop it. God, she was exactly his type, and he'd just figured that out. How in the hell did he tell her?
She frowned. "Right? I know you aren’t interested in me. We're good. I need to order some food and go to sleep."
Justin blinked at her response. There was something off, a brittleness to her voice, as if she was talking politely to a stranger. She grabbed her heels and stood, heading toward the door. He shouldn't correct her, but he needed her to know how wrong her assumptions about him were. "You're wrong, you know."
She stopped and turned around. "About what, exactly?" Exhaustion dripped from her question. She looked defeated and small. Black circles under her eyes marred her light complexion.
"I am interested in you. I care about you." He'd probably said those words in some form or fashion to all of the women he'd dated, but after saying them to Danielle, he realized he'd never given weigh
t to them before.
She relaxed, her tense shoulders fell, and she smiled softly at him before she nodded. "I know. You're my friend. I care about you, too." She turned around and spoke as she went down the short hall. "I want eggs tomorrow morning."
Justin smiled at her parting shot. His confession hadn't been the liberating event he'd hoped, but knowing they were good and Danielle considered him a friend gave him hope.
The phone in his pocket vibrated again. He snatched it out and answered it without looking at the caller. "What?"
"Well, that is a hell of a greeting." The voice of his brother Jacob snapped him to attention.
"Hey, what's up?" Justin shook his arm out of his suit jacket, transferred the phone to his other hand and dropped the coat onto the sofa.
"Jason wanted me to get ahold of you after your workday ended and since I'm here, I was magnanimous and agreed—that and he'd fire me if I didn't." Justin laughed at his brother. Jacob was the clown among them. He laughed often and enjoyed life. "He had to go to a student-teacher thing at Reece's school, so he asked that I contact you." Justin glanced at his watch. It was obviously a late night or very early morning for Jacob. "He wanted you to know that what you discussed earlier is a moot point. Someone else has the information and he doesn't need you to do anything else for him." Justin grabbed his tie and loosened it with one hand. "Can I ask what in the hell he was talking about?"
"You could ask, but if Jason wanted you to know, he would have told you." Justin smiled as he yanked his baby brother's chain. As far as he knew, Jason hadn't let any of the brothers in on what he did for Guardian—not that Jason’s silence had stopped Jacob from suspecting. Obviously.
Justin Page 4