Marco wanted to bring up the complete breach of contract, not to mention his own personal rules, but considering she “fired” him before they had this wonderful tryst, he decided against ruining the mood for the sake of his integrity. If he was honest with himself, only his rules were broken, not his professional ethics.
Caressa’s eyes moved to meet his with a bit of disappointment in her gaze. She lifted from him, slipping the robe around her body. “You’re rehired, but under one condition.”
He resisted the urge to laugh. “What would that be?”
“I still want you to keep me safe for the event,” she replied as she continued to kiss his lips. “Once we’re done there, I want you to return to your duties for my father.”
“Why would you do something like that? You’re not going to find anyone in the business better than me.”
“You can’t be my lover and my bodyguard,” she replied. “We’ve already complicated things, and as wonderful as it was, I don’t deal in grey areas. I’d rather fuck you than employ you.”
Marco stared into her eyes for a moment, trying to find something that he swore wasn’t there. He wanted to find a reason not to accept the new terms she’d stipulated, but the truth was that he couldn’t find one. She was right. He didn’t have to like it, but he wasn’t in a position to argue.
“You’re the boss, Caressa,” he replied as he picked her up and carried her to the master bedroom. “Once you’re settled in bed, I’ll take my leave.”
“I didn’t say you could leave, Marco.” The grin betrayed her conspiratorial plans. “I may just want some more of you before the plane takes off in the morning. Besides, we’ll have plenty of time for you to ensure the locale is secured and I won’t have to keep our bidders waiting.”
Chapter 10
Caressa and Seth hit the ground running, with Marco providing security in the periphery. They attended a black-tie event hosted by a cognac magnate who decided to host a celebration in Ixelles, one of the more affluent areas in Belgium, in honor of the success of his expansion into India. His company had a ribbon-cutting ceremony earlier in the day, and this was the nightcap portion of the program.
“So, show me the lay of the land,” Seth remarked. “Who are we supposed to be dealing with?”
“In due time, Seth,” she said. “I’m trying to get a feel for who’s here, too. When I see them, I’ll point them out to you. I promise.”
Caressa had been buying up small blocks of stock in two major players she’d been worried about over the past couple of years: Bernard Louiseau and Vosges Haut-Chocolat. It wasn’t enough to attract attention, but enough to secure the leverage she needed if the occasion called for it.
She hadn’t informed her father of her strategy but noticing that change in the industry meant having controlling interest could mean the difference between holding their own in the industry or suddenly becoming a subsidiary instead of a leading chocolatier. Between those two companies and Quelle Series, she would have to ensure her moves were deliberate and swift.
She had seen the veiled attempts at a hostile takeover coming for a while now, and she shared her concerns with Seth long before they’d almost become intimate, but she wasn’t prepared to disclose how she would address those concerns tonight. She needed to see all the players before springing her plan into action.
The moment they entered the estate, Seth was on sensory overload. He’d never seen so much visual and aural stimulation as they moved through the crowd, meeting and greeting people from as far away as Japan and as close as London, as the path led them to the massive deck and even more impressive courtyard. From there, they had an advantageous view of the guests below.
Seth continued to survey the landscape, noticing the approving glances upward at his boss’s revealing attire. He noticed her approving grin at all of the attention, but he fumed on the inside. While he’d been briefed that she’d chosen the little black dress for its ability to draw attention to her well-sculpted figure, his possessive streak was winning the battle over his sense of logic and business sense.
Caressa looked at her second-in-command and reveled in his discomfort, thankful that she decided against indoctrinating him into the Mile-High Club. Marco had managed to provide a temporary calm to some of those urges, but she was already primed for another round. Having two men at her potential beck and call was enough to cause her whole body to emit a sensuality that was needed in this type of environment.
She dismissed her musings as the two persons whom she’d been in constant contact with during the meetings caught her attention. She stopped Seth in mid-stride. “They’re here.”
“Then, there’s no need in keeping them waiting,” Seth replied.
“Agreed. Let’s not keep them waiting.” She motioned for the bidders to join them on the deck. She flagged down one of the waiters who had a tray of wine and picked a glass for herself to consume as she made the introductions. “Seth Stillmore, I would like to introduce you to Dane Jeffers of Bernard Louiseau, and this is Chelsea Parsons of Quelle Series. These are the two remaining bidders to make the pitch to partner with Sidaná.”
Seth’s eyes were drawn to the striking Swiss woman, whose eyes possessed the most luminous shade of blue he’d ever seen. She, in turn, stared at him with the desire to consume a seven-course dinner and no patience to wait to dine. He took Chelsea’s hand in his and kissed the back of her palm. “I’m looking forward to your presentation.”
“Mmm, such a gentleman,” she purred. “I can’t wait to show you everything we have to offer. I believe Quelle Series would be the perfect partner for Sidaná Chocolatier, based on what Ms. Sidaná explained in the earlier meetings.”
Chelsea’s gaze remained fixed on Seth, which sparked a smile from Caressa as she enjoyed the nonverbal seduction between the two.
“I imagine you’ll love the new elixir we’ve prepared for tonight,” Chelsea stated.
“Well, the Swiss have always rivaled the Germans when it comes to their appreciation for dark chocolate,” Seth commented. “I’m sure Mr. Jeffers would have no issues in making his pitch in a more informal environment.”
Caressa flashed a smile in Dane’s direction as she took his arm. “Well, I would say this will be a rather interesting sequence of events. Seth, make sure that Mrs. Parsons allows you to enjoy the samples she has for you, and I’ll be sure to do the same with Mr. Jeffers. We can compare notes and come to a consensus in, say, ninety minutes?”
Marco took his place by Caressa’s side as the suggestions were being considered. He looked at Seth before turning his attention to Caressa to whisper his concerns. “I would prefer a detail be assigned to you both since you won’t be in my immediate purview. Caressa, I’ll still have audio contact, but I won’t have eyes on you. I’m not comfortable with this arrangement.”
“I’m sure things will go smoothly on both our ends, Marco,” Caressa retorted. “Your team vetted the final bidders, and you stated there were no red flags to be concerned over. If anything comes up on either end, we will hit the panic buttons. Otherwise, things should be fine.”
A glance in Dane’s direction left Marco in a difficult position. “I must insist on having someone with you, Caressa.”
“Unless you have a compelling reason why you feel so strongly about this, I suggest you inform me now,” Caressa persisted. “Otherwise, I’d prefer to handle the negotiations without a shadow.”
“Very well, Ms. Sidaná, you’re the boss,” he said, his tone more agitated than usual. “I’ll be in close proximity to where you’re negotiating, with the comms open and my listening to every word being said. The same goes for you, too, Mr. Stillmore.”
“Very well, Mr. Salazar, but keep your ears trained for the slightest inkling that Ms. Sidaná needs assistance,” Seth requested as he took Chelsea’s arm in his. “See you in ninety minutes.”
Chapter 11
Caressa kept her wits about her as Dane ushered her into one of the private dining rooms, a
way from the noise of the other guests so they could get better acquainted. She needed an edge, something that would give her the leverage she needed. The way Dane continued to leer at her made her wish she could reconsider her decision to negotiate without an attaché present. As much as she felt a partnership would benefit both companies, she did not want to come out on the short end of that merger.
She gave a nervous smile as he placed another glass of wine in her hand, avoiding any attempts to be within arm’s reach of him. She wasn’t sure what it was that disturbed her about him, but something didn’t set well with her.
She maintained her distance as he tried to break the ice forming between them. “So, where are you from, originally? Your accent has me at a disadvantage of sorts. Usually, I can tell right off the bat.”
“I should make you guess, but considering we don’t have much time, I don’t mind indulging your query.” She took a sip of the wine, closing her eyes for a second to get her head together before speaking again. “I was born in Eritrea, but I currently live in London, where Sidaná’s headquarters is located. I travel quite a bit in search of opportunities to enhance the company portfolio.”
“Ah, I see,” he said, looking over the rims of his glasses. “And do you search for opportunities of another ilk?”
“Such as?”
Dane stepped closer to her before he replied, “Well, you are from an area known for its women taking a more subservient role when it comes to affairs of the heart—and flesh.”
“I order people around all day, including my security detail, which I have directed to give me some space as a courtesy in our negotiations. I would say that I buck the trend when it comes to my home country and their antiquated belief system,” Caressa countered. “I don’t think you’ve done your due diligence if you think that whole routine where I’m supposed to be one way in the boardroom and the polar opposite in the bedroom defines who I am.”
Dane didn’t flinch, evidently still convinced of his ability to read her body language. “You may be a force to be reckoned with inside your company, but you can’t deny that you’re a woman. A very exquisite woman at that.”
A lecherous grin spread as he continued to dissect her. “No matter how much you want to, your baser instincts rise to the surface when you’re around a man like me.”
“Oh, is that so? And how should a woman like me respond to a man like you, Sir?”
Caressa tried to push aside her irritation over his bravado. “Should I be swooning over the fact that you’re well put together? Or perhaps I should be telling you how enticed I am by the mere sight of you?”
“Well, are you?”
“A lady never gives up her advantage.”
“I wouldn’t mind finding out how to gain my own advantage,” he quipped.
“Keep going down this path, and you’ll have a hard time finding anything more,” she warned.
“You’re absolutely determined to prove you’re not a typical woman. I already know you aren’t; otherwise, I wouldn’t have made the play to partner with Sidaná on this new venture of yours,” he uttered. “But I will admit, to partner with you in and out of the boardroom is an intriguing prospect, too.”
Caressa raised an eyebrow, trying to figure out where that angle came from. “This should be good. Alright, you have me intrigued a bit. Tell me more about this partnership you’re envisioning.”
Dane leaned against the edge of the dining table, giving her body the once over before he began his pitch. “You seem to be a woman who has always been on top of things. First-born, or possibly an only child, and you were used to getting your way. You were probably valedictorian in high school, Magna Cum Laude at University. Am I getting warm?”
Caressa gave no indications whether he was in the ballpark. She gave a slight hint of surprise, tipping him off that he should continue with his Holmes-esque assessment of her character.
Taking her silence as affirmation, he continued. “You decided after University that you would start at the bottom of your father’s company, to keep anyone from thinking you were being handed the keys without the first clue of how things worked. Deep down, you didn’t want to show any weakness while you were in the trenches, and you kept that wall around you, even when you don’t need it anymore.”
Caressa kept her arms folded and legs crossed tight. What is it with Western men and their assumptions about women born from the Middle Eastern region? “Go on.”
“You may not like being told what to do, and you prefer to be in control,” he mused, “but relinquishing control can be quite the liberating experience for some people.”
“You definitely sound like you speak from experience.” Caressa had already tuned him out, dismissing every word he stated—or any prospect of doing business with his company. “Is there something you should be telling me?”
Dane huffed. “If you’re insinuating that I might enjoy giving control to someone, you’d be mistaken.”
“Oh, so it’s good for the gander and not for the goose?” She let out a haughty laugh. “You’re no fun at all. Can we at least get to the proposal you’re pitching so we can make this worth my while?”
“Oh, I’m plenty of fun, but I will be loads more once you’ve told me that I have permission to move forward with the truffle expansion you’re planning.”
“Why would I do that?” she challenged. “You’ve neither said, nor done, anything to persuade me otherwise.”
“And what can I do to persuade you?”
“You’re the expert on all things Caressa Sidaná, I challenge you to find a solution.” She gestured toward the other end of the table. “I’ll be over there awaiting your answer.”
Chapter 12
Dane closed the distance between them, staring into her eyes like he was searching for the lost city of Atlantis. “Do you want me to kiss you? To possess you?”
“What I want is for you to explain to me why I should choose you to partner with instead of Mrs. Parsons,” she countered, plucking his fingers from her arms.
Caressa had gotten to the point where this was boring her. He was so far off base that she had no choice but to find the first exit from these negotiations. Maybe I should have kept the negotiations consolidated. I could have at least enjoyed the flirting while Chelsea was pitching the proposal to Seth.
Dane’s voice snapped her out of her head. “Our liqueur is the superior product, but you already knew that, Caressa. That’s why we’re here talking instead of you watching me obliterate the competition. Now, you didn’t answer my question. Do you want me to kiss you?”
“No, I don’t.”
He frowned. “Then, why are we here?”
“Honestly, it was a mistake splitting the meeting up like this, and I see that now.” Caressa sighed as she took another sip of the white wine she nursed in her hand. “I’m inclined to return to a group proposal with the other company so Seth and I can make a better decision.”
“So, your play was to tease me, even though you’d made up your mind about which way you wanted to go before we even got to this point?” Dane flexed his fingers, glaring at her. “Who the hell do you think you are?”
“A woman who knows what she wants, both in the boardroom and in the bedroom. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to the party,” she replied. “We’re done here.”
“You’re just like your mother.” Dane grabbed her arm to restrain her. “She was just as unnerving as you are. I should have dealt with her then the way I should deal with you now.”
That statement froze Caressa in her tracks. “What do you know about my mother?”
“I know all about your family, Caressa. We almost had you once before, before your father moved the family to London and put security teams on you,” Dane growled as he recounted history—a history of which Caressa was not fully aware of. “I had so many chances to take you when you were younger. Girls like you fetched a pretty penny on the black market.”
Caressa’s eyes widened, abject f
ear gripping her as different memories flooded her mind. “There’s no way you could have. That’s not possible.”
“Oh, but it was.” Dane kept his grip tight, almost bruising her arm. “When you were ten, your father ran afoul of the ruling political party in Eritrea. He wanted to do business with the Armenians and the Ethiopians and expand beyond the borders. That was something the family could not allow. Some of us decided the best way to get Vijay to change his mind was to take what he loved most—his dutiful wife and his precious baby girl. Killing him would have been what he wanted.”
Caressa twisted her arm away from Dane, her eyes wild with a mixture of fear and indignation. “The family? You have no idea of what you’re talking about. My family would have never sanctioned something so heinous. Who the hell are you?”
“I’m your uncle, Caressa. Your uncle Bilal,” he uttered. “And yes, for the good of Eritrea, we would do anything—even getting rid of family.”
“My father told me you died in the war.” Tears of anger flowed down her cheeks as she struggled to compose herself. One phrase rang in her ears as loudly as a church bell. “You tried to kidnap me? Why?!?!?!”
“Your father needed to be taught a lesson.”
“What lesson? Ethiopia and Eritrea are at peace now. What could you possibly hope to gain present day?”
“Well, ruination of our father’s life’s work is a small consolation for the way I was shunned from the family for my views on the war.” Dane lunged toward Caressa, missing her arm in an attempt to contain her again. “And having you as my personal sex slave would have been a bonus, too. I’ll just have to settle for killing you.”
Marco burst through the door in the next moment, his scowl conveying the anger over Dane’s aggression. He walked toward them, taking no time to ask questions.
The next series of moves left Dane on his knees grasping his crotch as Caressa pulled him close, connecting her knee with his pelvic region. A few more elbows and kicks to his chest and ribcage and Dane dropped like a ton of bricks to the floor. The howling could be heard for more than a few minutes as he writhed in pain.
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