She took a seat in the chair he pulled out for her. Instead of paper plates, the table was set with gorgeous stoneware, jade in color. A large wooden bowl filled with fresh fruit salad made with mango, papaya, and pineapple from the local Dole plantation sat in front of them. Another bowl held pasta salad, and on a wooden cutting board was homemade Hawaiian bread.
“This looks delicious. But you didn’t have to go through so much trouble.”
Nicolas waved a dismissive hand toward the food. “You deserve to be spoiled.”
Embarrassed at her stomach’s rumbling reaction to the intoxicating smells, she smiled.
“It seems I am just in time to save your tummy from being starved. Eat, enjoy.”
She did. Despite being wary of him, Ruby felt comfortable, their rapport easy after all these years. They talked about their first time in Hawaii together and scuba diving.
“I forgot to tell you, Mickey sent the approval for my proposal. There was one minor change to be made to it.”
She eyed him. “Oh?”
He chuckled. “Relax cherie. He wanted to make sure you are part of the contract. He appears to be quite smitten with you.”
Her mouth opened and closed quickly. That’s what Michael wanted him to think. It was working.
He flashed a smile at her. “What? What man wouldn’t be infatuated by you? Those exquisite captivating eyes, mon petit chat.”
“I’m glad you find it amusing, Nicolas. I’m not sure I like being a pawn in someone’s business. I don’t like someone thinking they can buy me. It makes me uneasy. He makes me uneasy.” That was putting it mildly. Every time he touched her, her knees wanted to buckle.
“He seemed to handle your uneasiness just fine on the dance floor last night.” His knowing grin ruffled her.
“Not funny. I don’t like being handled. I don’t think I’ve ever had anyone come on to me like gang busters. It’s rather...unnerving.”
“Relax. You don’t have to take the job.”
She gnawed her lower lip in contemplation, tried not to appear overly eager about the opportunity. Blood pumping, her pulse accelerated. This was exactly as they’d strategized. “I didn’t come to Hawaii looking for a job. I’m sure you have other people that could do it. They’re probably already lined up for the contract.”
“No. That is not the case. This opportunity only recently came about, and Mickey is in a rush to get the job done. You would be doing me a great service. Afterwards, if you’re so inclined, we can discuss something more permanent.” Giving a careless shrug, he continued. “Besides, I already sent the contract for his signature with your name listed as the manager of the project per his request.”
“Nico! Are you crazy? You didn’t ask my permission. You had no right. What if he signs it and I don’t agree?”
He reached for her hand, kissed the palm, gave her a devilish smile. “There’s no chance of that, now is there?”
Ruby rolled her eyes, kissed Nico’s hand right back. “You cad. Why is it men always think they know how to play a woman?”
“Maybe because we do. So is it a deal?”
“Yes, it’s a deal, but only for this contract. We’ll discuss the future, later.” Much later. “Besides, I want to enjoy myself while I’m here. I’m not going to be a workaholic again.”
Pulling her to her feet, he wrapped an arm around her waist. “I will guarantee that. Let’s go see if the signed contract is waiting in my study.” He propelled her toward the office.
“Don’t you have a working office downtown?”
“No. I enjoy the surroundings of my home and the ocean. I’m more productive here than in a place with four walls and no view. There’s a separate entrance in case business associates come here. Most of the time I go to them.”
His office, down a hallway through the other side of the kitchen, was in a more secluded area of the house. With floor to ceiling windows overlooking the crystalline ocean, it was where Ruby would’ve put an office. A serene place, it would be very productive for work.
The customer reception room had two leather barrel chairs and a small table with a short bowl of flowers in it. A water bubbler sat in that area. Nico thought of everything. She also took note of the security system.
She walked around the room, getting the feel and the layout. Bookshelves lined the bottom half of two walls. The leather sofa and chairs were large. When she ran her fingers along the tops of them they felt as soft as butter. Nicolas would fit well in the chairs. She would get lost in them. The wood furniture was dark and masculine. Artwork of Hawaiian landscapes like Chinaman’s Hat and Hanauma Bay decorated the walls. His desk pushed back to one corner allowed him full view of the entire room and the outdoors. Everything appeared tidy and organized.
“Your office is astonishing.”
“I’m glad you approve.” He nodded, accepting her compliment. “I love this room, and spend more time here than I do in my living area.”
She ambled toward the desk where he stood, pushed herself up onto his desk, her legs dangling. “I can see why. So, is there a fax?”
The skirt rode up her thigh showing off tanned, muscular but sleek legs. He stared at her legs. “What? Oh, yes, of course there is a fax.” His gaze never leaving her, he pulled the fax from the tray, and started to read to himself.
“Well, is it a signed contract?”
“Yes. And a notice that Mickey will pick you up at six o’clock for dinner tonight.” He looked up from the fax into Ruby’s eyes. “This guy doesn’t waste any time. He wants the contract done in a big way to start on Monday. But I’d say he seems to want you almost more.”
“Hmm. Professionally that only gives me a day to learn what you’re doing and how you want to work together.”
“This guy likes to mix business with pleasure. Not my style, but...” He shrugged. “Do you want to have dinner with Mickey?”
“He appears to be a nice enough guy. I don’t care for his lack of invitation as opposed to a command. But I don’t think you’d work with him if he were slime. While we danced he told me to consider him my entertainment.” She grinned. “Maybe I will. What do you think?”
“I checked him out.”
“You what?”
“I did a background check on him and his company. It’s standard business practice, nowadays.” Opening a drawer, he pulled out a file folder, handed it to her. You want a synopsis?” She nodded ascent.
“He’s the sole proprietor of Financial Beginnings Investments. Age 32, never been married. His parents died when he was in college, no other relatives. He has a suite at the Outrigger Reef and owns a condo in Atlanta. His hobbies include scuba diving as you’ve already discerned.”
“He sounds great.”
“Yeah, too great,” Nicolas muttered.
The hairs on the back of Ruby’s neck tingled. “What does that mean?”
“Rien. The guy is in financial services. I do not trust those people. Besides, he might hurt you.” He caressed Ruby’s cheek and let his hand fall back to his side.
“I’m confused. You work with all kinds of financial organizations. Why do it if you don’t like them?”
“It’s the thrill of all that money, securing it from the average hacker, doing something most people can’t do.”
“ Nobody will hurt me...again.” She said the last piece under her breath, but Nicolas heard it. Pushing herself from the desk, Ruby started toward the windows.
“That guy you were engaged to must be an idiot to let you go. What did he do to make you call it off?”
“I’d rather not discuss it.”
He held up his hands. “Okay, I won’t push. Thomas didn’t seem like your type anyway. At least not the type I thought you had.”
She spun, pinned him with her stare, shooting gold barbs at him.
“I didn’t tell you his name.” She put out a hand. “You did a background check on me? Give me the damn dossier, Nicolas!”
Reaching into the same desk drawer he
’d taken Mickey’s file from, Nico pulled out a second file. He hesitated, but relinquished it to her.
“Is this it?” she demanded.
He nodded.
“How could you? You know me. I didn’t expect a friend to treat me like some potential employee, client, or lover.”
“I...I knew you when you were young and naïve. I haven’t seen or heard from you in years. You were requested, more than requested, commanded, on a new project of mine, therefore a potential employee. Maybe I wanted you to be a potential lover.” His mouth curved.
At his blatant admittance, her mouth dropped open. “I see. Well, I still don’t approve of snooping into my business.” Irritated with him, she thrust the file back at his chest.
“You could have asked. I would have answered and you would have gotten the same results, maybe more. What if I did that to you? How would you like it?”
“Depends.”
“On what?”
“It depends on whether it was because you wanted to snoop, wanted to become a potential employee or client.” Lowering his eyelids to half-mast, he continued in a seductive tone, “Or, because I was a prospective lover.” He looked at her, his unconcealed lust obvious to her.
Amusement slid into his grin, Ruby blushed, and threw her hands up in disgust. “Jeez, Nico.”
“Oh, relax. I won’t jump your bones. But I know someone who would.”
She smiled at him, her cheeks flushing even hotter. “Gee, thanks. I don’t think I’m ready for all this.” She shook her head. “You owe me. You need to square this with me.” His brow crooked up. “I want to do my own investigation, a search on you. Can I hook my laptop up to your network?”
Surprised by the request, his eyes widened. “You brought a laptop? I thought you were on vacation. Is this a test?”
She grinned. “You could say that.”
“Women!” He held his arms up in surrender. “Fine. Do what you have to do.”
She walked to him, placed a palm to his warm cheek. “Great. I’ll do it when I return from my dinner date.” Walking away, she gave him a lethal smile over her shoulder as she exited the office and padded toward her guest suite. “After I clean up you can show me your ocean and your boat.”
TWENTY
Michael pulled up in front of Nicolas’s home. There to collect Ruby for their date, his stomach jittered, uncertain if concern over Ruby living in the Frenchman’s estate, or the impending date with Ruby that caused it. Well, a working date. He felt as if he was in high school all over again, picking her up for the first time in their lives.
Back then he owned an old brown mustang with a cream colored vinyl roof. It had been a spur of the moment idea to ask her out and he’d been so nervous his hands had sweated when he went to knock on her door.
Even now, standing on the threshold of Nicolas La Rue’s extravagant home, about to ring the doorbell, his palms were wet. He had to rub them on his pants.
Nicolas opened the door to him, stepped aside to allow his entrance. “Mickey, come in. Ruby is still primping. I was just getting us something to drink. Can I offer you anything?”
“Thanks. Whatever you’re having is fine.” Shutting the door behind him, Nicolas crossed to a wet bar as Michael followed. “Beautiful home. Maybe I can get a tour sometime.”
“Merci.” Nicolas turned around, three margaritas on the rocks in hand, passed one to him. “Follow me. I told Ruby we’d have drinks on the lanai. That way she can make an entrance.”
Michael held the screen door to the lanai for him and the two margaritas then followed. He took a seat at one of the tables close to the water, his back to the house to get the full view of the property. Nicolas sat across from him. The sky started to show a hint of orange and pink on the horizon. “Stunning view.”
“No,” Nicolas said, and nodded in the direction of the house. Michael turned in time to see Ruby opening the door, headed toward them. “That’s a stunning view.”
They both stood, watched, soaked in the vision headed in their direction. She wore the proverbial ‘little black dress’.
A sleeveless, deep V-neck sheath, it ended several inches above her knees, allowed any man with eyes to take notice of her sensational legs. At the end of her superb legs, two-inch black strapless, toeless heels accentuated the definition of her stems. Every woman looked great in a pair of heels, but Ruby was the quintessence of what every woman wished she looked like, Michael thought.
Her hair loose, flames of red shot out from silky spun gold. When she wore it that way it had a ‘just had sex look’, all mussed and wickedly sexy. He wanted to take her to bed right now, see if he could muss it the right way. No need for hair products.
By the time Ruby made it to the table, Michael was salivating, and annoyed. Nico drooled like a dog in heat.
Her fire drew Michael in, a fact he realized and accepted at that moment, no matter the consequences, no matter if he burned. Staring at the red highlights of her hair that danced against the light, it seemed inevitable.
Michael held out a hand. She placed her delicate one in his. Gazing into her warm, sparkling eyes, he lifted her hand to his lips. He brushed a kiss on the inside of her wrist, and tasted her pulse. She shivered at the contact. “You put the sunset to shame.”
For fear her knees would give out, Ruby sat in the chair Nicolas pulled out for her. Michael had never said anything like that to her. Were his words for Nico’s benefit? Or hers? Did he mean them or was it an act? She wanted it to be for hers. She wanted him to mean them. At least she thought she wanted that.
“Thank you,” she said, acknowledging Michael’s compliment and Nicolas’s chivalry. In a desperate attempt to quench the heat smoldering inside her, Ruby sipped from her margarita.
“Nicolas, are we set to start work on Monday?” Michael asked.
“We’re ready.” Nicolas nodded in her direction. “I’m sure you’re anxious. All my clients are when they know they’re at risk as well as their customers.”
“I’m looking forward to getting the show on the road. I need to get my systems secured. Is there anything else you need from me between now and then?”
“No. Ruby and I will be doing some preliminary work tomorrow to get her prepped for the job.”
“You’re going to work on the weekend? I guess I’ll have to make it up to Ruby at dinner.” Offering his large, powerful hand, he displayed a wide grin. There was something sinister in that smile. “Shall we go? I want to make good on that dinner invitation.”
“I’m not sure that qualifies as an invitation in the truer sense of the words.” Accepting his hand, she stood. “But I’m ready.”
Ruby asked, “Nico, you’re sure you won’t join us?” Michael’s grip squeezed her fingers, causing her to wince. She eyed him out of the corner of her eye. Michael’s jaw line had tightened.
“I think I’ll pass, let you two enjoy the evening. I’ll secure myself in the study, do some work. I’m a night owl so seek me out when you return.”
Nicolas kissed her cheeks, instructed her to relax, have fun.
* * * *
Michael took Ruby to an out of the way Mexican restaurant. When they sat at their secluded table Michael ordered each of them a Cabo Wabo frozen margarita and an appetizer of ceviche, a mild white fish marinated in lemon and lime juices with seasonings and spices, served with tortilla chips.
Ruby wasn’t a big seafood fan, but she did, for some odd unknown reason, like ceviche and sushi. It was one of her inconsistent behaviors he found appealing.
While they munched on the appetizer, Ruby told him about her move to the Frenchman’s house.
“I have my own suite near the kitchen. Every room has a view of the ocean just like mom and dad’s. His home office is on the other side of the kitchen with a separate entrance.” Her enthusiasm evident in her presentation, her face lit up.
“What about security?”
“There’s a separate security system for the office area. I didn’t notice any sec
urity on the door to the office from the inside. No cameras that I could see, either.”
Ruby took a sip of her margarita setting the glass back on the table with deliberate care. She was apprehensive, not about him, but something was on her mind.
He leaned in and whispered, “What?”
She swallowed hard like whatever she had to tell him was stuck in her throat. Michael leaned back and waited.
“I got access to his home network.”
“What? How the hell did you manage that? Why did you do that?” With a flash of excitement from the news and fear, his heart raced.
“I found out he did a background check on you. And me. Can you believe that, me?”
“Of course he did, he’s a businessman.” He saw the twinkle of irritation as she narrowed her eyes.
“Oh, shut up. No matter what you two say, it’s not a normal business practice, unless of course it’s normal for criminals and funny government people.” She waved her hand. “Whatever, it’s not important. I used it as an opening. Nicolas gave me permission to log onto his network in order to perform my own background check on him. It’ll provide me an opportunity to look around on his system files and see what’s there. Maybe there’s some kind of evidence I can find and…”
“Are you crazy?” He cut off the rest of her response. “What am I saying? Of course you are.”
“Mickey…”
“No. You listen.” He rubbed his hands over his face. “This is not your damn job. You are to do as I say. And I say you do as we planned, nothing more, nothing less.” He took a deep breath, attempted to gather his composure and control his temper, then continued. “That means, install Illusion, your application that tracks the funds and makes him believe the monies were moved. Once it’s in place you let the professionals take care of everything else. That’s it. Nothing more,” he ground out through clenched teeth.
It Happens in Threes Page 21