by Lucy Monroe
He picked up one of the pieces of red silk that had landed near where he sat. It was soft against his skin, but so light it weighed almost nothing. If he closed his eyes, it would be like it wasn’t even there.
Just like him.
Sometimes he thought if he closed his eyes long enough, he would cease to exist, fading into the cold mists that often surrounded his home.
Amanda mentally went over the game plan for her upcoming meeting with the president of Brant Computers as the elevator made its ascent.
She could barely believe her luck. When she had put the proposal for a friendly merger before the Executive Management Team at Extant Corporation, she hadn’t been sure they’d go for it. She’d been almost positive if they did pursue her plan, they would choose someone higher in the management hierarchy to negotiate terms.
That hadn’t happened. She’d been chosen over several colleagues to make the initial approach to Eric Brant. He had been receptive and the Executive Management Team had appointed her point man for negotiations.
Her boss had wanted her to take a team with her, but she had convinced him the rapport she had established with Eric could be undermined if other negotiators were introduced at this juncture. Daniel had acceded to her arguments, allowing her to make the trip to Port Mulqueen, Washington, to talk to the president of Brant Computers alone.
Her relief had been enormous since a representative from the company’s law firm had been one of the suggested team members. It was inevitable that she have business dealings with her ex-husband given that his firm handled all of Extant’s legal issues, but the last thing she wanted was for her first really big break with her company to depend on Lance Rogers’s cooperation.
So far, negotiations had gone very well indeed.
She watched the buttons light up as the elevator went past one floor after another without stopping to pick up further passengers. She willed each little circle to lighten and darken without the elevator stopping. She didn’t want any delays in her meeting with Eric Brant today, not even small ones.
She wasn’t nervous, not exactly. Just impatient. It was a honey of a deal. She couldn’t imagine Brant’s board of directors not going for it. Not once she’d gotten buy-in from the company president and that’s what she was here for. After his encouraging reaction to her first proposal, she wasn’t expecting a lot of resistance.
When the deal closed, she’d be one step closer to that position on the Executive Management Team she coveted. At twenty-six, she was the youngest female junior executive in the firm. Her goal was to be the youngest executive, male or female, and she was two years into a five-year plan to make that happen. Her plan would get a major boost when she successfully negotiated the merger with Brant Computers.
A smile of professional satisfaction hovered on her lips as the elevator doors slid open. She adjusted the strap of her purse over the shoulder of her ultraprofessional, favorite red blazer and tightened her grip on her briefcase before stepping out of the elevator. Taking a cleansing breath, she walked toward the semicircular desk in the center of the large reception area. Her two-inch heels made whisper soft noises on the carpet that seemed to fit with the soft music playing in the background and the almost silent clicking of the receptionist’s keyboard as she worked at her computer.
Amanda stopped in front of the desk and a blonde of indeterminate age turned to greet her. “Ms. Zachary?”
“Yes.” Amanda smiled.
“I’ll just call Mr. Brant’s executive assistant and let her know you’re here.”
The receptionist picked up the phone, dialed a number and spoke into the mouthpiece attached to her headset. As she listened to what was being said, her gaze flitted to Amanda and then back to her computer screen. “All right. I’ll tell her.”
She hung up the phone. “Mr. Brant’s earlier meeting has run over. If you would like to take a seat, his executive assistant will come for you when he’s finished.”
Amanda acquiesced with carefully concealed impatience, seating herself in an armchair on the wall opposite the elevator. She ignored the magazines laid out in an attractively arranged pile, in order to spend her time waiting in thought.
What was going on?
It could be that a meeting had legitimately gone overtime. The man was president of a major company after all. He could also be exercising psychological strategy in making her wait. But to what purpose? Her previous meetings with Eric had led her to believe he was as excited about the possible merger as she was.
Several minutes passed before an older woman in a dove-gray suit cut in classic lines approached Amanda. “Ms. Zachary?”
Amanda stood. “You must be Fran.” She had spoken to the executive assistant several times on the phone, but this was their first opportunity to meet.
The older woman’s mouth tilted slightly in what might be considered a smile. “Yes, won’t you come this way?”
Amanda got up and followed the other woman. They stopped in front of double doors, one of which was cracked open a few inches.
“What the hell is the matter with you, Eric?” The deeply masculine voice came out in even tones, but was laced with unmistakable anger. “This is a family held company. Merging with Extant would destroy everything our grandfather and fathers built here.”
“Nonsense.” Eric’s voice sounded conciliatory, but louder than the other man’s. “Look, Simon, you promised to give her a fair hearing and I’m holding you to your word.”
“I would have promised anything to get Elaine to turn off the waterworks, including listening to some snake-oil salesman’s pitch.”
“Our arguing upset my wife, and Amanda Zachary is no snake-oil salesman.”
Before the other man could respond, the executive assistant had knocked on the already opened door.
The voices ceased abruptly.
Fran pushed the door open. “Eric, Ms. Zachary is here.”
There were two men in the room. One stood in front of the windows so his face and expression were cast in shadow, but she could tell he was big, easily six-foot-two.
The other man wasn’t quite so massive. His sandy brown hair and engaging smile gave him a look of boyish charm, but his blue eyes glinted with unmistakable intelligence. “Thank you, Fran. We’ll take it from here.”
The other woman turned and left. For one completely insane moment, Amanda wanted to call her back. The brooding presence of the man by the window unnerved her.
Then Eric caught her attention by coming forward to take her hand. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Amanda.”
She shook his hand, being sure to grasp it firmly. “The pleasure is mine. I’m looking forward to our discussion.”
Or rather, she had been before this other man had entered the equation.
Eric released her hand and turned slightly. “Amanda, this is my cousin, Simon Brant. He’s in charge of research and development for Brant Computers. Simon, this is Amanda Zachary, the representative from Extant Corporation.”
Simon stepped away from the window and she got her first clear view of the man. She knew her negotiator’s smile had slipped a little, but she couldn’t help it. Simon Brant was a force of nature. Dark exotic looks mixed with a smoldering presence in a Molotov cocktail that set something on fire inside her, something she had been absolutely sure no longer even existed.
Desire. Hot. Molten. Unstoppable. And it washed through her body as if her receptors had forgotten, or never even known, that she wasn’t a very sexual person. She felt betrayed by her body. Now was not the time for it to rediscover long-dormant feminine hormones.
Everything important to her was on the line with this deal.
“M-Mr. Brant.” Great. She’d stuttered. She never tripped over her words, not since going through an endless series of speech therapy sessions as a child. However, she’d also never met a man who looked like a cross between a Scottish warlord and Apache chief.
She put out her hand and wished to Heaven she’d ignored the
urge for politeness when his big, warm fingers enclosed hers.
For the space of seconds, she didn’t speak. Couldn’t speak. Something elemental and downright terrifying passed from his hand to hers as he completed the shake.
“Ms. Zachary.”
“Call me Amanda.” The words slipped out, unbidden. She wouldn’t have taken them back if she could. It would be awkward to have his cousin calling her by her first name while Simon stuck with the more formal address.
He dropped her hand, his gray eyes roaming over her with tactile intensity. “Simon.”
That was it. Just his name, but she knew what he meant.
“Now that the introductions are over, why don’t we all sit down?” Eric’s voice sounded far away and Amanda had to force herself to decipher the words before nodding her agreement.
Despite the fact it was Eric’s office, Simon led the way. He waited for her to sit in an armchair across the room from Eric’s large executive desk. Eric and Simon sat at either end of the matching black leather sofa, with Simon taking the end furthest from her. She should have felt relief that his choice had given her a reprieve from his proximity, but the angle at which they sat gave him a clear view of her and vice versa.
It was an effort to turn her attention to Eric. “I didn’t realize your cousin would be joining us for the meeting.”
“It’s a family held company, Amanda.” Simon gave special inflection to her name. “I’m family and I happen to own a sizable chunk of the business.”
“I see.” She smiled tentatively. “But I had the impression from Eric that none of the other family played a principal role in management of the company.”
“That’s true.” Eric gave Simon a hard look. “I’m the president of the company and my cousin rarely shows interest in my day-to-day decision making.”
“I don’t call proposing a merger with one of our chief competitors your average day-to-day decision. Wouldn’t you agree, Amanda?”
He’d put her on the spot and, in all honesty, she couldn’t gainsay him. “It is a big decision, but certainly not one Eric has entertained lightly. We’ve been discussing the possibilities and ramifications of a merger for several weeks now.”
“It’s a pity I wasn’t brought in before this then, because you’ve wasted your time talking to my cousin. I’ll never approve what you propose.”
“You don’t own controlling interest in the company, damn it.” Eric glared at Simon.
“Neither do you,” Simon pointed out with a silky menace that sent shivers down the back of Amanda’s legs.
“What do you plan to do, make this a family war?”
Simon’s shoulders tensed infinitesimally and Amanda had the distinct impression that war was the last thing he wanted.
“Perhaps if you would allow me to present Extant’s proposal, there won’t be any need for bloodshed.” It was a weak joke, but Eric smiled.
“Great idea.”
Simon settled against the sofa cushions and kicked his denim clad, long legs out in front of him. He crossed them at the ankles, one booted foot resting on top the other. His arm stretched along the back of the couch, pulling the knit of his dark crewneck shirt taut over the well-defined muscles of his torso. He was the epitome of “relaxed.”
So, why did she get the feeling he was a tiger waiting to pounce on her unwary person?
One black brow rose. “I’m ready for you to begin, Amanda.”
She’d put up with all the patronizing from men she was going to tolerate in her lifetime during her marriage. She didn’t care how sexy this guy was, no one knew their job as well as she knew hers. It was after all, her life. And she was no snake-oil salesman as he would soon see. She gave him a smile meant to convey her confidence in what she had to say, and then launched into the initial proposal she’d given to Eric.
The smile would have knocked him on his ass if he hadn’t already been sitting down.
Man, this woman was hot. Beautiful. Built to stop a strong man’s heart, even if she did hide it behind a boxy jacket and long skirt that only hinted at the legs underneath. And she was the damn enemy.
Simon’s jaw set and he listened while a husky voice that could have played a starring role in his favorite wet dream told him why he should let his cousin go through with his plans to destroy their family held company.
All right, so she didn’t see it as destruction. Why should she? It wasn’t her grandfather’s dreams at stake here.
She was going on about the increased market share the two companies would enjoy once they were merged.
“Where did you come up with those figures?” he asked, interrupting her mid-flow.
He had to give it to her. She didn’t so much as frown at his rudeness, nor did she hesitate before explaining the marketing statistics she’d used to develop her proposal.
“What about the employees? I’m still unclear as to the effect this will have on overlapping human resources.”
He wasn’t unclear at all. It meant letting people go. Loyal employees that had a right to expect some loyalty back from the company they worked for. But he wanted to hear her say it. He wanted to see his cousin’s face when she said it. Didn’t Eric care?
She sat forward on the edge of her chair, her expression earnest. “Not unexpectedly, there will be a certain amount of employee attrition, but nothing on the scale of a major layoff.”
“What do you consider a major layoff, Ms. Zachary?”
“Less than five percent of the total workforce for both Brant and Extant will be affected.” She said it like she was expecting accolades for keeping the numbers down.
Eric sat there looking as if he thought laying off five percent of their workforce was no big deal.
Simon uncrossed his legs and leaned forward. “Do you realize how many jobs we’re talking about here? I’d be willing to bet that for the guy who loses his job, just one person let go seems pretty major.”
It interested him that she scooted back in her chair even though he was several feet away from her. “The computer industry is dynamic. Employees who have chosen their career in it understand that.”
“How would you feel if it was your job on the line, Amanda? Would you still be in favor of the merger?”
She blanched, actually flinching at the question. Her job clearly meant a lot to her.
He waited to see how honestly she would answer the question, but Eric intervened. “That’s not a fair question, Simon. This is about what is best for the company, not individual employees.”
Simon stood up, his patience disintegrating with his mood. “Maybe I think the company’s welfare is tied up with that of the employees.”
Eric ran his fingers through his hair, disturbing the usually immaculate style. “Calm down, Simon.”
“I’m not upset.”
Eric’s expression said he wasn’t fooled. Simon wasn’t shouting, but his cousin knew he was pissed. Big-time.
“Mr. Brant . . . Simon . . . you agreed to hear me out, I thought. I’m barely through the first point in my presentation.”
She had guts, and eyes the color of Hershey’s dark chocolate syrup that a man could happily drown in.
Nothing about this merger appealed to him, but the woman did. He’d listen, if for no other reason than to spend more time in her company, learn more about what made her tick. He sat back down.
“I’m here.” He turned to Eric. “But don’t you ever use your wife to manipulate me again.”
Eric’s relieved smile froze on his face. “It wasn’t like that.”
Suddenly, Simon knew it had been exactly like that. He’d been spouting off, but Eric had known Simon couldn’t withstand Elaine’s tears. He’d also known his pregnant wife was bound to be upset by their argument. “You son of a bitch, you brought it up in front of her on purpose.”
Eric had the grace to blush. “We’ll talk about this later.”
“Why? Don’t you want Amanda privy to family business? You seem pretty free with the idea of
handing over the family company to her.”
Eric’s eyes narrowed and the muscles of his jaw tightened. “I’m not handing the company over to her. I’m not handing it over to Extant for that matter. We’re talking about a merger, a friendly merger.”
“Eric is right. Brant Computers isn’t going to cease to exist, it’s going to be bigger than it has ever been.” She was leaning forward again and her blazer parted to reveal the thin white silk of her blouse.
Did she know he could see the shadow of the top swell of her breasts when she did that?
Somehow he doubted it. She seemed completely focused on business. It wouldn’t hurt him to do the same thing. He hadn’t had as much trouble with his libido since he was a fifteen-year-old wiz kid attending college with fully developed, sexually active women who had turned teasing into a national league sport.
“There may be a company left. Hell, you might even agree to keep the Brant name, but the company my grandfather founded and my father spent his life building will cease to exist, and all the soft-soap in the world isn’t going to make that any less of a reality.”
“I don’t think you’re looking at the big picture.”
“Maybe that’s because the picture of Brant employees standing in the unemployment line keeps getting in the way.”
She frowned at that. “Over the long term the employees will be better off because stability will be increased for both the companies.” She grabbed her briefcase and started pulling papers out. “If you just look at these long-term sales forecasts, you’ll see that the initial five percent of employee attrition will not only be made up, but there will be steady growth in the number of positions available within the merged companies.”
Simon looked at the papers, but all he saw were two exquisitely feminine hands with neatly manicured nails. He’d give his most recently acquired antique katana to have those delicate fingers on his body. He’d give the whole collection to have met this woman in other circumstances.
“Eric, trade places with Amanda. Presumably, you’ve already seen these numbers.”