by Alexia Adams
Parts of his body that had no business clenching tightened at the sound of her sultry voice.
“About that. I’ve just had a call about a family emergency. I’m afraid I’m going to have to reschedule.”
Her eyes flashed and she didn’t bother to hide her annoyance. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
He waited for her to stamp her foot. Instead she balled her hands into fists. “Is this some kind of despotic power play? Make me come down here in the middle of the night and then cancel on me? I thought you had some honor, even for a pirate.”
He pulled himself up to his full six foot two and crossed his arms over his chest. No one questioned his honor. “I do not make up family emergencies.” He flashed his phone at her; the screen still showed his mother’s name and that the call was on hold.
Helen’s eyes widened. “I’m so sorry. Truly.” She hesitated a moment, then looked him full in the face. “But I still need to meet with you and discuss Bertram Industries.”
He glanced again at his phone. Talking with his mother could take ten minutes, or it could take an hour, and was not something he could do with an audience. Then the rest of the day was packed with back-to-back meetings. He was due to fly out at 9:00 p.m. However, he could delay that and return to New York on a later flight. “I could meet you tonight after seven or very early tomorrow morning,” he said.
“I have something going on tonight and tomorrow that I can’t miss.” She closed her eyes for a moment and put her fingers on her forehead. When she looked at him again he could see her determination. “How serious are you about honoring your promise to meet with me?” Her blue-eyed gaze pierced him.
“I always live up to my promises.”
“Then will you come with me tonight? My brother, David, has demanded that our friends and I come up to Russian River for the weekend. If you’ll drive up with me after your meetings, we can discuss Bertram Industries in the car and then you can return to San Francisco tomorrow morning and fly back to New York.”
“It sounds like a family event. I don’t want to intrude.” There was something in her eyes, a hint of worry, a shadow of fear, which stirred the protector in him. He tamped it down.
“I don’t know what it is—my brother didn’t elaborate. If you don’t want to stay at the house there are plenty of hotels. But Liam’s place is pretty huge so you’ll be comfortable there as well.”
Simon had to unclench his jaw to ask, “Liam?”
“William Manning of IWC Security. He’s my brother’s best friend and our neighbor. We call him Liam.”
He breathed again. It didn’t sound as though Helen had a personal relationship with the man. Besides, he’d wanted to meet with William Manning for a few months now, but their paths never crossed. This could be a prime networking opportunity, more business.
“All right. I’ll rent a car. Will you meet me here at seven? I assume you’ll be able to get a ride back to San Francisco with your brother or friends.”
“Yes, that shouldn’t be a problem. I’ll see you tonight.” With that she turned on her heel and strode from the hotel. Simon stared after her until a cramp in his hand reminded him his mother was still on hold.
Crap. This day was already out of control and it was only four in the morning.
…
Helen escaped onto the dark sidewalk; a cold breeze off the bay chilled her and she wrapped her arms around herself. What was it about Simon Lamont that made her act impulsively? Why, oh why, did I invite him up to Russian River? She had no idea what her brother had in store. What if it was totally embarrassing? This was David, after all—and she’d just invited her nemesis to witness her potential humiliation.
Okay, she wouldn’t despair. Not yet. She could work it to her advantage. Simon would be on her turf, with her friends to back her up. And he’d have a hard time dismissing her when he was trapped in a car with her for two hours. The thought of being side by side with Simon in close confines sent a rush of heat through her.
She had promised to fight for her colleagues’ jobs. Some of them were nearing retirement and would have a difficult time finding other employment. Gladys, the HR manager, had just taken in her three grandchildren while her daughter was in rehab. Derek, the purchasing clerk, recently discovered that his wife had cancer and had planned to use his accumulated holiday and sick leave to care for her without the stress of having to find a new job. Others were in states of financial distress, and they were all her friends. Helen couldn’t let them down, let the company be ripped apart, because she had a weird attraction to Simon.
Sighing at her predicament, she called for a taxi. After hanging up from the cab company she saw another message from her brother on her phone. He said he was only reminding her about the weekend and how important it was to him that she be there. She hoped he didn’t care if she brought a guest with her.
To take her mind off the gorgeous Simon, she concentrated on her brother. David had always been an oddball, and having unconventional parents hadn’t helped either of them in school. Helen had tried to fit in by dressing like the other girls and pretending she didn’t have an IQ that would have allowed her to skip several grades in one go. She’d played dumb, getting marks just good enough so she didn’t stand out.
Then one Saturday, when her parents were out protesting something, David had the high school football captain over to tutor him in math. When her brother had gone out to get them some soda, because all they had in the house was raw milk, the jock decided he’d give Helen a lesson in biology. Despite her protests that she didn’t want him to touch her, he claimed her provocative clothes said otherwise. Even all these years later, she wrapped her arms tightly around herself.
Dragging in a deep breath she forced herself to remember the rest—the torn clothes, the rough hands, the bruising. If David hadn’t come home in time, the jock would have raped her. As it was, he’d ripped off all her clothes and humiliated her. However, it was the lasting damage that had been the real assault. He’d left her a shattered shell, a girl afraid to become a woman.
Afterward, she’d no longer denied her true talents. She put everything into her academic work and finished high school a year early, meeting the enrollment criteria for MIT with ease.
She’d hoped once she made it to college, a different environment, she’d be able to put the assault behind her. However, the few dates she’d gone on had ended in disaster. As soon as the guy had put his arms around her and leaned in for a kiss she’d had a panic attack. So she’d hidden behind her frumpy clothes and put her energies into her work. Now even that was in jeopardy.
She wouldn’t be a victim any longer. If it meant putting her fears aside so thirty people could keep their jobs, then that’s what she’d do. After all, it wasn’t as though Simon was likely to take her in his arms and try to kiss her. Even though a tiny part of her wished he’d try.
As the taxi pulled up, she glanced back inside the hotel. Simon was where she’d left him, sitting on one of the reception chairs, his head in his hand, the other clutching his phone to his ear. She reached for the taxi door and he looked up and straight at her. His expression was like a pirate who had spent his entire lifetime searching for a treasure, only to find the chest empty.
Another shattered life.
Chapter Three
The sun was low on the horizon when Helen once again stepped through the doors of Simon’s hotel. The rustling of her skirt sounded like a rushing stream hurtling toward a waterfall. She felt out of control, her brain and body at odds with each other. Part of her wanted to retreat to the safety of her sheltered life; another part wanted to taste the adventure in Simon’s smile.
She wore another one of her new outfits, a 1950s-inspired pale blue dress, with a full skirt, Peter Pan collar, and capped sleeves. Mandy had said Helen resembled Grace Kelly when she’d tried it on. So that afternoon she’d gone to the salon and had her hair brushed and curled until the style fit the era of her outfit. It would probably only last a
nother hour, but for the moment she felt pretty. And it helped her to float into the hotel, trailing a small overnight bag behind her.
“May I take your bag, miss?” The bellhop appeared at her side.
Victory; she’d transitioned from ma’am to miss.
“No, thank you, I’m not staying. I’m meeting a guest.”
She scanned the lobby for Simon’s tall form. If he left her in the lurch again so help her she’d march up to his room and clothes or no clothes, make him listen to her. Her heart began to race and a hot flush swept down her body when she remembered his partially clad form. The bing of the elevator doors opening brought her back to reality. Simon emerged, still wearing his suit from the morning; however, his tie had disappeared and he’d undone the top two buttons on his shirt. She swallowed, hoping to hold back the blush she could feel ready to take over her face.
His gaze raked her and a surprised smile played on his lips. “You look different every time I see you.”
“Better each time, I hope.” Her face heated like a sunlamp had turned on. She needed to forget his incredible body that accelerated her heart rate, and his crooked smile that made her melt, and his British accent… Damn, this so wasn’t helping.
“Intriguing each time. I wonder which woman is the real you?” His voice had dropped and sent a shiver through her. He was impressive enough from a business point of view. She wondered what he’d be like in an intimate relationship, not that she would ever find out. Perhaps that would be the better deterrent to her fantasies, if he had a real woman already in his life.
“Your wife or girlfriend isn’t upset you won’t be home now until late tomorrow?” She turned toward the door so he couldn’t read her face.
“I have neither. No one to care if I come home tomorrow or not.”
Helen glanced at him, but couldn’t decide if it bothered him.
“What about your mother? You said this morning you had a family emergency. Do you need to go home to deal with it?”
“Are you having second thoughts about me accompanying you to Russian River? I don’t want this to be awkward for you.”
It was probably her nerves overreacting to the thought of the next two hours when she’d be inches from Simon, but Helen couldn’t repress the laughter that bubbled up in her throat, erupting into a full-bellied laugh. Several people turned in her direction and smiled as she tried to get herself back in control. “I think we passed awkward way back at our first meeting,” she managed at last.
Simon relaxed. A huge smile lightened his face, making him almost seem human. “It was definitely memorable.” The corner of his mouth twitched and Helen had to remind herself that he was the enemy.
“Keep your sense of humor handy. I’ve got no idea what’s going to happen once we get to Liam’s place. I apologize in advance if the situation becomes uncomfortable. My brother’s a bit quirky. But this seems to be the only time we have to discuss Bertram Industries, so I’ll have to risk whatever outrageousness he has planned.” She’d tried to call David to warn him she was bringing a business acquaintance, but her brother’s phone was turned off. Knowing his absentmindedness, she hoped he turned it back on and listened to her message before he arrived.
“I can’t tell if you love your brother or what?” Simon led her toward his rental car parked at the curb. He hoisted her bag into the trunk next to his, then opened the passenger door for her.
She waited while he pulled into traffic before answering. “Oh, I definitely love my brother. I’m used to him, though. He’s a hacker, a computer programmer. He sees the world in code, right and wrong, and doesn’t believe in political correctness. If he has an opinion, he says it, doesn’t matter what everyone else thinks. Good or bad, you always know where you stand with David.”
Simon nodded and guided the car through the early evening traffic. “So, aside from your brother, who else will be there tonight?”
“Liam and Lorelei. Liam is David’s best friend and technically his boss. They live in the apartment across the hall from us. Then there’s Jason and Mandy. Jason is Liam’s personal chef. Mandy is his fiancée and also Lorelei’s friend, and mine, too. Liam and Lorelei got married a couple of months ago and Jason and Mandy just announced their engagement.” Which left her as the woman without a man. At least she had David, her plus one at any official event she needed to attend.
“Seems like a close-knit group,” Simon said. He sounded almost nostalgic.
“We’re pretty tight. Do you do a lot with your friends?”
He hesitated, and Helen wondered if he was going to answer. She tried to remind herself this was supposed to be a business discussion.
“No, not really. I’ve been preoccupied with building my business empire. I haven’t had a lot of time for socializing.”
“Pity. I think it’s very sad to create something and then have no one to share it with. Even disappointments are easier to take when you’ve got someone to complain to.”
“Relationships take emotion, and emotion takes time, which is better spent on business. I believe it’s easier to go it alone,” he said.
Helen stared at him. Could he be serious? Looking at his glacial expression, she believed him. An urge to bring him back to humanity overcame her. She put her hand on his arm. “Easy isn’t always best—basic engineering motto. Does this have something to do with the phone call from your mother this morning? You never answered when I asked if it was something you needed to deal with.”
The silence went on for so long she didn’t think he’d answer. “My mother’s phone call only served to emphasize that people are unreliable.” A muscle pulsed in Simon’s jaw.
“I’m sorry you feel that way. In my experience, people, good people, are the only true constant.”
He took one hand off the steering wheel and placed it on hers that was still on his arm. The intimacy of the moment, in the dark car, sent a shock wave of longing through her. Simon seemed to be surprised by the current that ran between them as well. He drew in a deep breath.
“Perhaps we should talk about the reason we’re here. You know the Bertram sale is practically a done deal. It’s in the hands of the lawyers now. Unless there is some unforeseen change of circumstances, I take over in a few weeks. I’m not sure what else there is to discuss.”
Helen was relieved at Simon’s change of topic. “Yes, and I—we, the employees—have no objection to your ownership. But I want to discuss you running Bertram as an autonomous division rather than slicing and dicing us. We can be profitable, with the right management.” Thank God her brain had rebooted. She’d actually sounded professional and not antagonistic. Thirty people depended on her. She shifted in her seat to watch Simon’s face. Aside from a few quick glances in her direction, he kept his eyes focused on the dark highway.
“I don’t need an engineering company. I intend to license the patents out and collect royalties. The royalties I can make off the fuel cell project you recently finished will be enough to cover the cost of acquisition alone.”
“What about the employees?” A little desperation was creeping into her tone, and she tried to control her emotions. How could he be so cold and calculating about the livelihoods of thirty people?
“I don’t need them. I already have a patent and licensing team who will oversee the integration of the Bertram portfolio.”
“Many of the Bertram staff are in their fifties. It’s going to be difficult for them to get other jobs.”
“That’s not really my concern—”
“It’s mine. Look, I’ve written a proposal as to how Bertram could be run and fit into your portfolio of companies. You, personally, wouldn’t have to do a thing except rake in the profits. Just read it and give us a chance.”
He looked at her then, seeming impressed at the vehemence in her tone. “I’ll read your proposal.”
“With an open mind?”
“I’ll do my best.” He gave her a tight smile before turning back to the road. “You know, Helen, I thi
nk you could persuade the devil to turn good. I’ve never let someone sway me from a course of action once I’ve made a decision. You have your work cut out for you, but if anyone could do it…”
Helen swallowed. It all rested on her.
“I’ve never been to this part of California. It’s wine country, right? Do you have a favorite vineyard?” Simon changed back to a friendly tone. Did the guy have a switch somewhere? Robot mode on/off. At least talking about wine and the scenery didn’t require much brain input, and she managed to carry on a fairly rational conversation until they got close to their destination.
“We’re coming near to Russian River. Want to give me some directions?” His deep voice interrupted her musings.
She directed him to Liam’s house and heard his whispered, “Nice,” as the house came into view.
David’s car wasn’t in the drive, so it didn’t look as though he’d arrived yet. It was so like her brother to summon them all and then make them wait.
…
Simon followed Helen up the cement steps to the front door. Rather than knocking or ringing the bell, she simply pushed it open and walked in. He still rang the bell when he went to visit his parents, and he’d grown up in the house.
They left their cases by the door and followed the sound of voices and laughter into the kitchen. One man wearing chef’s whites was arranging a platter of appetizers. Another, taller man, who could pass as a stunt double for Hugh Jackman, stood with his arm around the shoulders of a pretty brown-haired woman perched on a barstool. Must be William Manning, or Liam as Helen called him. Whoever he was, he did a double take when he saw Helen.
A second dark-haired woman occupied the other stool. The chef playfully slapped her hand as she reached for one of the appetizers, then popped one in her mouth as she protested. Must be Mandy, the chef’s girl, Simon assumed. Catching sight of Liam’s face, Mandy swiveled on her stool before launching herself at Helen.
“Helen, you look stunning. I love what you’ve done to your hair.” She kissed Helen on both cheeks before turning to him. “You must be Simon. Welcome.” She then proceeded to kiss him as well.