“We’re having a luncheon meeting at Pulse. The subject for the article I gave you is on the agenda. Love to have you there. I think your input would be invaluable.”
Erika thought again of the article outline he’d left for her. The subject fascinated her. She’d peeked at it at least a half dozen times after he’d left her office. Temptation slid through her like an evil serpent. “I don’t know. Like I said, I’m very busy this afternoon.”
“You could scoot out after the discussion about the article,” he suggested.
He made it too easy. “Okay. As long as you under stand that I’m staying at HomeStyle.”
“Great. I’ll see you at noon,” he told her.
Erika walked into the Pulse meeting room a few minutes early. Furnished with a large wooden table set with seven lunch boxes from a local deli-bakery, the room emitted a let’s-get-busy feeling.
“Very nice choice, Lena,” Erika said to Gannon’s assistant.
Lena, a young married woman who was the mother of twins, beamed. “When Gannon told me you were coming, I made sure there was decent food. Inside the box there’s a chicken-salad sandwich, spicy vegetable soup, a fruit cup and a slice of lemon pound cake.”
“You’re a woman after my own heart. Wouldn’t you rather work for me?” Erika joked. “I’m so much easier to please than he is. And I don’t bark.”
“Who says I bark?” Gannon asked from behind Erika.
She cringed at being caught talking about him at the same time she felt a shot of adrenaline at the sound of his voice. His voice had always affected her that way, sent her heart and hormones off to the races. She definitely needed to rein in her response to him. “Coffee, please,” she mouthed to Lena, then turned to face Gannon. “Good morning. Your assistant has arranged a lovely spread for the meeting.”
His killer Irish eyes were a bit too sharp for her taste this morning. And why did she always forget how broad his shoulders were?
He glanced at the table, then returned his gaze to Erika. “Yes, she has. She resisted fast food when I told her you were coming.”
“Bless you, Lena,” Erika said and accepted the piping-hot coffee Gannon’s assistant offered her.
“You weren’t trying to steal her away from me, were you?”
“Just making her aware of her options,” Erika said with a smile.
“Who says I bark?”
“Everyone,” she said without batting an eye.
He glanced at her coffee. “Black?”
She nodded and took a sip.
“Hmm. Black coffee…coming in late this morning…Did you have a late night last night?”
“Nope.” That was true. She’d come home early and fallen into bed as a result of one too many martinis.
“Out with the deadly duo?” he quizzed, speaking of Jessica and Paula.
She’d revealed far too much of her personal life to him during their affair and she didn’t like his reminders. “As a matter of fact, yes. How’s your family?” she asked, turning the personal questions on him.
He paused and shook his head. “Same as ever.”
“That’s about as vague as you can get,” she said, studying him.
He leaned closer to her, making her heart jump. “You’ll learn more if you rejoin the Pulse team,” he told her in a low voice as four more people entered the room.
Michael Elliott, editor in chief of Pulse and Gannon’s father, entered the room and extended his hand to Erika. “Good to have you back. We’ve missed you.”
“It’s good to see you, too, Mr. Elliott,” she said as she shook his hand.
“Erika, glad you’re back,” Jim Hensley, chief copy editor, said as he entered with the rest of the department heads.
“Great to see you,” Barb said.
Howard gave her a thumbs-up.
The greetings felt good. A couple of minutes passed while Lena provided everyone with coffee and a bottle of water.
Michael called the meeting to order. “Let’s get to business. Gannon, you go first.”
“I’d like to start with the baby story since Erika tells me she’ll need to cut out early. Erika, what are your thoughts?”
“I suggest incorporating several points of view. A scientist, a couple who have chosen their baby’s sex, outlining the procedures and costs involved, and a couple who considered choosing their baby’s sex but changed their minds. It would be interesting to learn which sex is chosen most frequently. And at-home techniques that do or don’t work.”
“I like it all,” Michael Elliott said. “And you’re the one to do it.”
Erika blinked. “Excuse me?”
“Since you’re moving back to Pulse,” Gannon’s father said, “you should take the lead on this. It’s going to be a major story with possibilities for awards. You’re perfect for it.”
Erika tossed a questioning glare at Gannon.
“That’s exactly what I thought,” he said. “We have a contact for the scientist, but knowing you, you have your own. You always found the most amazing contacts and got the best quotes.”
“Hey,” Barb said, “if you keep talking about Erika like she walks on water, you’re going to make the rest of us feel like hacks.”
“She does walk on water, doesn’t she?” Howard said, wearing a deadpan expression.
Erika glanced at Gannon and felt a sliver of suspicion. This meeting was way more warm and fuzzy than the meetings she remembered from a year ago, and while Michael Elliott gave the occasional pat on the back, he’d never been one for effusive praise.
If Gannon had pulled his father and three of Pulse’s top power brokers in on seducing her back to the team, something had to be up. Something she hadn’t been told. Something big.
“You guys are too good to me.” She glanced at her watch. “Time for me to go back to HomeStyle land. It was great seeing all of you.”
Gannon stood. “I need a quick word with Erika. How about if everyone starts on lunch?”
“No problem,” his father said. “Don’t take too long.”
Lena handed Erika’s lunch box to her. “Don’t for get your lunch.”
Erika couldn’t prevent a smile. “Spoken like a true mom. Thanks.” She walked out the door, feeling Gannon directly behind her.
He pulled the door closed and she rounded on him. “There seems to be some confusion.”
“What confusion?” he asked, his face revealing nothing.
“Your father, along with other staff members, appears to have the false impression that I’m rejoining Pulse.”
“Admit it, Erika. You can’t resist the baby story. You want to be back on Pulse so bad you can taste it.”
“The baby story interests me, but it’s not enough to bring me back to Pulse.”
“Then what is?” he asked, surprising her again with his wide-open offer. “We need you on the team more than ever. Name your price.”
Three
Gannon allowed Erika thirty hours to think about what he could do to bring her back to Pulse. The negotiation process was turning out to be tougher than he’d planned. In the past, although he’d appreciated Erika’s originality and adventurous attitude on the professional end, he’d always thought of her as cooperative.
Even at the end of their affair, she hadn’t fought him when he’d abruptly broken off with her. He still felt a twinge about it. He’d always been scrupulous in avoiding office affairs. Lord knew his grandfather frowned on anything that bore even a hint of scandal. Gannon knew the reason he’d risen to his present position so quickly was because he’d embraced the Elliott family work ethic by skipping vacation for two years and be cause he’d built a reputation of integrity.
Erika had been his one slip. Her combination of natural beauty and willingness to take chances and succeed had caught his attention. He’d never met a woman he could talk with more easily. At the same time, he knew about the kick of fire beneath her black suits and businesslike attitude. He’d seen her naked, felt her body against his, fe
lt himself sink inside her, into an oblivion of pleasure.
He felt himself harden at the memory and swore under his breath. He adjusted his tie and opened his office door to find his father on the other side.
His father looked at him quizzically. “Bad time? You headed somewhere?”
“Just wrapping up a little negotiation. What do you need?”
His father gave a short laugh. “Funny. You looked like you were gearing up for battle.”
“Nothing I can’t handle,” Gannon said and shook off a ripple of discomfort.
“I’m knocking off early to take your mother to dinner.”
Gannon did a quick mental calculation. “Let’s see, it’s not your anniversary, her birthday or your birthday. What’s the occasion?”
His father frowned at him. “No need for a special occasion,” he said but pointed to the slight bulge at his middle. “She’s trying to get me to cut out some of my takeout.” He lifted his eyebrows. “Having a wife wouldn’t be a bad idea for you either.”
Gannon shook his head. “I’m married to my job. I’m married to winning the competition so you’ll be the new CEO of EPH.”
His father smiled and squeezed Gannon’s shoulder. “You’re a formidable opponent, Gannon. I’m glad you’re on my team.”
Even though Gannon was thirty-three years old, he still appreciated a pat on the back from his father. “Wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“Okay. Don’t stay too late or your mother will fuss at me.”
“Enjoy your meal and give Mom a hug from me,” Gannon said and headed toward the elevators. “Good night.” He stepped inside and punched the button for Erika’s floor. Seconds later the doors whooshed open and he walked to her office.
Her assistant had already left, so he knocked lightly on her door.
“Come in,” she called.
Gannon stepped inside her office and watched her hold up one finger as she talked on the phone. He nodded and pulled the door shut behind him. He approved of the comfortable but businesslike room. Erika’s touches of individuality made it interesting without being fussy.
Down deep Gannon felt the drag of fascination with her. She was perfectly groomed, with curves in all the right places. Unashamed of her height, she wore heels without batting an eye. She rarely attempted to tame her riot of long brown curls. Her hair suggested a wild streak, one which he’d experienced intimately.
She hung up the phone and met his gaze. “Sorry. That was the nervous producer of a new decorator makeover show we’re featuring.”
“You reassured him,” Gannon said.
She nodded and lifted her wrist to look pointedly at her watch. “He should be good for fourteen hours. Have a seat.”
Good sign, he thought. At least she was willing to talk this time. Unbuttoning his jacket, he pulled the chair closer to her desk and sat down. “What do you want?”
She met his gaze for a long, level moment that ricocheted through his system. “First, what is behind your determination to get me back at Pulse? I’ve been at HomeStyle for a year. You didn’t make a peep when I left. Why the big rush now?”
“Circumstances have changed. I can tell you why, but I’ll need you to keep it confidential,” he said.
“Of course,” she said.
He knew firsthand that Erika could keep a secret. She’d been as discreet as he had been when they’d been involved. “My grandfather has decided to step down and he has chosen an odd way of determining his successor. The four top magazines of EPH will compete against each other during the next year. The editor in chief of the magazine with the highest in crease in sales proportionally will become the new CEO of EPH.”
Erika stared at him speechless for a long moment. “Wow,” she finally managed and nodded. “So you, of course, are determined to see your father be CEO.”
“That’s why I’m willing to give you a raise, a promotion and whatever else I’m capable of giving to get you on our team.”
She gave a half smile and glanced away. “In that case, this is what I want,” she said and opened the folder to the photos for the baby article he’d shared with her days ago.
She wanted the article? This was too easy, he thought with a surge of victory. He leaned back in his seat and waved his hand toward the folder. “We have a deal. The article’s all yours.”
“I’m not talking about just the article, Gannon. Yes, I want the article. I also want a baby.”
Gannon stared at her in confusion. He shook his head. “I couldn’t have heard you correctly. You said you wanted a baby?”
“You heard me. I want a baby.”
“What does that have to do with me?”
Erika stood. “You have excellent genes. I want them for my child.”
The woman had gone insane. Totally, he thought. He shook his head and opened his mouth to tell her she was crazy, but she raised her hand to stop him.
“Just listen. It really won’t be that difficult for you. We can sign an agreement. I won’t expect financial or any other kind of support. All I want is your sperm. We don’t even have to go to bed. You can donate it at a lab oratory. I’ll even buy the girlie magazine. All I want is your sperm,” she repeated.
He gaped at her for a moment of intense silence, then stood. “You’ve lost your mind. Why do you want me? Why don’t you find some other guy? Get married?” he asked, although the prospect of Erika getting married didn’t sit well.
“I told you. You’re tall, intelligent, no diseases. Great genes. If I’m going to have a baby, I need to get pregnant soon.”
“Why? Plenty of women wait until late in their thirties to get pregnant.”
“I can’t,” she said, and he saw the edge of desperation in her eyes. “My doctor told me I have a condition that affects my fertility and the longer I wait to conceive, the less likely I’ll be able to. I’ve always wanted a child, so I need to do this now.”
The strain in her voice made his gut knot. “What about adoption?” he asked.
“I looked into it. It’s expensive and takes forever.”
Of all the requests he’d expected when he walked into Erika’s office, this one didn’t even come close. He raked his hand through his hair. “I don’t see how—” He broke off when he saw the combination of stubborn de termination and desperation on her face. “I’m going to have to think about this.”
She nodded. “I understand. Let me know when you decide.”
“Would you consider working part-time for Pulse while I decide about—” he cleared his throat “—donating my sperm?”
She looked at him for three seconds. “No.”
“But I can guarantee an increase in your salary, a promotion over your last tenure with the magazine, in creased visibility. How can you turn that down?”
“I want a baby. You won’t have to do that much to help me. Your donation is a deal breaker. And I want a contract.”
Gannon swallowed an oath. What had happened to sweet Erika during the last year? She’d grown a spine of steel. Lord help him. “I’ll get back to you,” he said shortly and turned toward the door.
“Thanks, and good night to you, too,” she murmured from behind him.
He strode to the elevator, mentally swearing every other step of the way. He punched the elevator button and shook his head. How in hell could he make this kind of deal? He could see the discussion he would hold with his attorney now. If he found out, his grandfather would have a cow.
Gannon had been told by both his father and grand father that he needed to set an example of unimpeachable discretion and integrity. How could he possibly explain this to his family, let alone the rest of the world? He walked out of the elevator and headed for his office, giving a distracted nod in response to a copy editor’s greeting.
Entering his office, he closed the door behind him and loosened his tie as he walked to the window. Staring down at the city lights, he rested his hands on his hips, his mind sorting through a dozen possibilities. Just because Erika h
ad made a bizarre request didn’t mean he didn’t still want her on the Pulse team. There had to be a way around this.
Seemed like old times, Erika thought as she walked into the quiet cocktail bar miles from the office. She and Gannon had met in countless bars just like this one during their affair. Far from the office, quiet, not trendy. Something inside her twisted at the memory, but she ingnored it. She hoped this place made good martinis.
Glancing around, she caught sight of Gannon standing as he waved her toward his booth. She walked to ward him feeling a slight jump in her stomach at the sight of him. It was a sin the way the man looked just as good at the end of the day as he did at the beginning. His clean-shaven jaw and the scent of cologne had made her dizzy in morning meetings. She’d found his five-o’clock shadow ruggedly sexy during the evenings they’d worked late. After the first time he’d left her breasts red from the friction of his jaw against her skin, he’d made a point to shave. She remembered how having his passion directed solely at her had made her giddy.
She told herself not to feel that way.
“Thanks for coming,” he said, motioning her to the other side of the booth. Ever the gentleman, he took his seat after she did. “How was the traffic?”
“Busy as always. I’m glad I caught my cab before it started to sprinkle.”
“I have a hired car tonight. I can give you a ride home if you like.”
“I may take you up on that.”
“Would you like dinner?” he asked, giving her a menu. “Maybe an appetizer and a drink,” she replied, eyeing the shrimp.
“Appletini still your favorite?” he asked with a grin that was a little too sexy and knowing for her comfort.
She shook her head. “Peach with champagne on top.”
He raised his eyebrows. “A change?”
“I’ve found I like a little fizz,” she said.
The waiter approached the table and Gannon gave her order, then his own. “Whiskey,” he said. “And buffalo wings. Hot,” he added.
“Hope you’ve got your antacid handy,” she said, un able to prevent a grin. “I hear that as people age their stomachs become more sensitive.”
Dynasties: The Elliotts, Books 1-6 Page 3