by North,Leslie
He rolled his eyes. Daisy was already a thorn in his side. Kid gloves were the last thing on his mind. “So now that you and Stephen are madly in love and happily married, you think Nathan should be as well?” he grunted.
“He’s your brother. Don’t you want him to be happy?”
“Nathan was affected during the break-up, but he’s good now. It seems to me that the faster we get this over with, the better.”
Angie snorted. “I know you don’t like to deal with people like Daisy, but we’re talking about your brother’s happiness. The very least you can do is struggle through it for his sake.”
“So what do you want me to do?” he muttered in frustration.
“I told you. I want you to handle her with kid gloves.” She smiled. “I thought the meeting went well, and I liked your input.”
“Great. And if you would leave me alone now, I’ll be happy to share that input with others,” Gabe said as he nodded to the door.
“Okay, I get it. You’re kicking me out. Type up your notes, but remember what I said. Kid gloves. This isn’t as your CEO, Gabe. It’s as your sister-in-law.”
“Out,” Gabe snapped. “Damn it to hell, you’re like a broken record. I got it. Kid gloves.”
She chuckled and quietly shut the door behind her. Gabe focused on his computer screen and tried to find some peace. But his mind was jumbled with everything. Daisy and her protesters. Angie and Stephen. Stephen and Nathan. The sooner he dealt with this Daisy thing, the better off he would be.
Frustrated, he grabbed his cellphone and texted Nathan.
Give me her number. I want this over with now.
Three hours later, Gabe was finally in a groove. He was responding to emails, and tomorrow, he would finally get a coveted meeting with the owner of a beachfront property. And it wouldn’t be on company business.
“Mr. Maxfield?” Gabe frowned. His secretary sounded far more nervous than usual. “Security is here with a Daisy Levine. She swears she has a meeting with you.”
Gabe frowned still more. He had specifically told her that he’d meet with her after business hours. At a coffee shop. What was she doing here now? He almost told Sarah to send her away, but since Daisy was here, he might as well get it over with.
“Send her in, Sarah.”
“With security?” she asked. He could hear the question in her voice. Kid gloves, he reminded himself.
Dammit, Angie! “You can send the security guys away. I don’t think we’ll need them for this meeting.”
Soon the door was flung open, and Daisy walked in with a crooked smile on her face. She looked back over her shoulder to send a smug look at Sarah.
“Shut the door, please,” Gabe said, irritated. He knew from first-hand experience how loud Daisy was, and he didn’t need the whole department to overhear their conversation. As she slammed the door shut, he reached down and pulled out a file. “Next time, I’ll ask you to shut the door quietly.”
Daisy slumped in a chair and stared at the file. “What’s that?”
“This is Daisy Levine,” he said as he tapped on the folders. “Did you think if you got here early, I’d be unprepared? Sorry to disappoint.”
She scowled, and he knew that he was right. “You look like you’re prepared for everything. I bet you were a freaking Boy Scout,” she grumbled.
“I was not. But I am equipped to handle all the issues that my company faces. And Daisy, right now you’re an issue. So let’s handle it.”
She rolled her eyes, and for a moment, he became distracted. She looked completely out of place in his up-scale office. As she slumped in the sumptuous padded leather chair, his eyes lingered over her body hugging jeans and tank top. Going for bravado, she said, “So, tell me all the juicy details. What does that file say about me?”
“Not as much as I would like,” Gabe admitted. “A year ago, you graduated with a master’s in environmental science. You’re a smart woman, Daisy. Which is why I can’t understand why you joined Restore Eden a month ago. Before that, you were acting on your own. Restore Eden is known for their aggressive tactics. Why would you join them?”
Daisy waved her hand in the air. “Our section isn’t like that. We’re all about peaceful protests and media coverage only, anything to raise the profile of our cause. But don’t think that means that our protests won’t disrupt your offices. I won’t stop until we get enough signatures on a petition to get the government involved.”
Gabe leaned back and folded his arms. “Daisy, we don’t do anything illegal here. No matter how many signatures you get, the government can’t step in to do anything because there is nothing to be done. We obtain all the right permits to legally dispose of our waste.”
“Then you won’t mind if I see your company records.”
“All of our permits are available for public viewing at the county record’s office,” Gabe said, pinching the bridge of his nose and taking a deep breath as he tried to stay patient. Kid gloves, he reminded himself. “That goes for all the cities where we undertake contracts.”
She leaned forward and gave him a coy smile. “And the records that aren’t available to the public? The ones that itemize all your waste? Can I see those files too?”
He had a mind to hand them over to her, but he could picture Angie’s disapproving frown in his mind. She obviously wanted Nathan and Daisy to work things out. If he negotiated his terms with Daisy right, he could get both his peace of mind back and Angie off his case if he helped get Nathan and Daisy back together. Hell, Nathan could certainly use a few turns in the sack to help him loosen up.
“I tell you what,” Gabe said as he shut the file with a snap. “You’re not wrong. Your protests are wrecking my mornings. If you will promise to hold off on your protests, then I’ll give you access to our files. And by files, I only mean the files that pertain to our waste management and energy programs. You won’t be allowed access to our contracts or on-going deals.”
“And I’ll have permission to share those files with the media?” Daisy said quickly.
Gabe nearly choked. Media? He was going to kill Angie. Still, Duncan Enterprises didn’t have anything to hide, and Nathan had been working on the latest drive to make the company greener and more environmentally responsible. Maybe the media attention would be a good thing for the company.
“One month,” he said quietly. “You’ll have access for one month, and you’ll hold off the protests.” Four weeks should give him plenty of time to close the deal he’d been working on, and he’d need as little distraction as possible when he drew up that contract.
“One month,” she said with a smile. “This is going to be fun.”
“I’ll have a contract drawn up that you’ll have to sign. Daisy, the deal is for you. It’s not for your whole group. If any members of Restore Eden show up on this property to disrupt anything, I will call the police and the contract will become null and void. Is that clear?”
She nodded eagerly and tugged on her braid. Gabe felt an immediate reaction as he watched her twirl the thick strands around her fingers. “Four weeks. Only me. Got it.”
“Be back in the morning to sign the agreement,” he said as he pushed down the unaccustomed jolt of lust. He was doing this for Nathan. The sooner Daisy was out of his hair, the better off he, and the company, would be.
As she was about to walk out the door, “And Daisy.” He waited for her to face him before he continued. “Curb the attitude. This is a potential win for both our organizations. There’s no need to be antagonistic.”
He expected a round of insults from her but instead, she gave him a confused look and nodded.
“We did it!” she squealed when she got in the car. Daisy was alone, but it didn’t make the announcement any less thrilling. There were several wins today. The first was that Duncan Enterprises agreed to work with her, and by working with her, they would be working with Restore Eden. This would be the first step in proving that Restore Eden had what it took to make a difference.
At least, she wouldn’t have to work with Nathan. She hadn’t seen him since he’d moved back, and she wasn’t sure how he would feel about her working with his family’s company. It was the driving force behind their break-up. Part of her felt a sense of relief, but working with Gabe wasn’t much better. Although she had been involved with Nathan for several years, she spent no time with the rest of the family and what she knew of them came from Nathan and it wasn’t good.
Despite the animosity that existed between father and sons, Gabe remained with Duncan Enterprises unlike Stephen and Nathan, and didn’t balk when Duncan picked Angela Lopez over him for CEO. Daisy couldn’t help but wonder if that would make a difference in the coming month.
Would Gabe really want to help a company that passed him over?
Nathan had pictures of his brothers, but they didn’t do them justice. They had always been attractive. Those flashing blue eyes always took her breath away, but there was something dark and intense about Gabe. Daisy didn’t know if she was attracted to him or terrified of him.
Snagging her phone, she started to call Jordan but then hesitated. She didn’t need to call him every time something happened. This was her gig, he worked for her. When Restore Eden suggested that she have a seasoned activist on her team, Jordan was at the top of their list. She had heard rumors that his tactics often tended toward the guerrilla side but he got results and that’s what she wanted.
She didn’t only want to work for Restore Eden. She wanted to grow a completely new branch that could really change San Francisco, maybe even beyond.
“I could change the world,” she whispered to herself. She had always believed that she could get there, but Jordan wasn’t wrong about her. A year ago, she was radical. Not as radical as Restore Eden, but normally she would be pushing the protest against Duncan Enterprises.
Still, she knew that Gabe would never have extended the invitation to work with them if it wasn’t for Nathan. At least that counted for something.
“Jordan,” she said into the phone. “We’re a go. Not only that, but we have a contract to look through some of the company files. We’re going to make a difference, Jordan. We’re going to do this, and we’re going to do it legally.”
“A contract?” Jordan muttered. She heard the heaviness in his voice and winced. Was Jordan already high? She rolled her eyes. Hells bells.
“Yes, a contract. Binding. One month.”
“You going to be working with Nathan? That could work. You can get under his skin and use your relationship to expose something…”
“Jordan,” Daisy interrupted. “First of all, we’re not exposing anything. We’re working with Duncan Enterprises so we can find their environmental weaknesses and help fix them. Second, I’m not in a relationship with Nathan, and I’m not working with Nathan. I’m working with Gabe.”
“Gabe?” Jordan asked in surprise. “Why? He’s Senior VP, but his focus is real estate. We want construction and design.”
“Stephen Maxfield isn’t around enough, and I need to keep things professional. Gabe Maxfield is nothing if not professional. Relax. His specialty might be real estate, but he has access to everything in that company. We’re gold, Jordan.”
He grunted. “Fine. But I want you to keep your eyes peeled. Gabe is known for his silver tongue. I’ll contact headquarters and let them know.”
“No. I’ll call them,” she said with a frown. “I run this section, Jordan.”
“Of course,” he said smoothly. “Old habits. So what do you want me to do?”
“I’ll have him email me some files later today. I want a team to start combing through them. They’ve come forward to say that they’re making changes, and I want to make sure that they’re not blowing hot air.” She glanced up at the building, and frowned.
Gabe was staring down at her from the window of his office. Was he keeping an eye on her? “I’ll talk to you later, Jordan. Try to lay off the pot until we get through this. I need you at your best.” She disconnected the call before he could reply, and she sat and watched Gabe.
If he thought he was intimidating her, he had another think coming. She didn’t know how Gabe wanted to play this, but she had a feeling he had been pressured into it. And if Jordan was right, and he really did have a silver tongue, then she would have to up her game.
She would show Gabe Maxfield that Daisy Levine was more than her past. She wanted a better future for everyone.
4
Daisy glanced around the four walls of the conference room and tried not to fidget. She was ridiculously nervous now that she was inside Duncan Enterprises. Despite her push for Nathan to do more for the company, she found these four walls unnerving.
She sat halfway down a long ebony table that was so highly polished she could see her reflection in it. As she leaned over and looked at herself critically, she tugged at her braid. For as long as she could remember, she had intertwined the locks of her thick dark hair so that it stayed out of her face. She was a low-maintenance kind of woman, and it worked for her. But as she waited for Gabe Maxfield to make an appearance, she couldn’t help but feel like the braid made her seem a lot younger than her twenty-six years. She almost took it out but then she stopped herself.
What did she care what Gabe thought about her? This wasn’t about him or even her. This was about the environment. It was about the world her generation was creating to leave to the next. She needed to keep that in mind.
The glass door opened, and Daisy straightened. The movement swung her chair around, and she stifled a cry of surprise and grabbed at the table to steady herself. To her dismay, she realized that she’d left fingerprints on the surface. As nonchalantly as she could, she tried to wipe the surface with the sleeve of her shirt.
Gabe was dressed much like yesterday, and no doubt, the day before that. This suit was a little darker, and he was wearing a white shirt instead of a blue one. Both outfits looked good on him, but she couldn’t help but wonder what he wore when he wasn’t at work. Did he only wear suits? Were they the only clothes he had? Did he go to bed in them?
Hells bells, she didn’t need to be thinking about Gabe Maxfield in bed. She had a job to do and he was the older brother of her ex-boyfriend. She didn’t mind messy. There were times when she actually liked messy, but she was a professional. She needed to maintain boundaries.
Without warning, a memory popped into her head. Nathan had returned from winter break, and he was airing out all his frustrations.
“Duncan drives me nuts. I want to help, but he keeps shutting me out. And Stephen’s not much better. He’s more like Duncan than he realizes. And Gabe…well, he’s just Gabe. He likes order, and what I keep proposing is too much change for him. Still, he’s a good guy. He’s probably the best Maxfield in the family. Or maybe he’s the worst because he’s nothing like the Maxfields.”
“Daisy?”
She blinked and noticed that Gabe was staring at her. “Sorry,” she muttered as she rose from her chair. “Lost in my own thoughts.” She reached out and shook his hand. It was firm, and she couldn’t help but notice that his skin was calloused. How would a businessman get calloused hands? How rough were those laptop keys?
“Not a problem.” Gabe frowned. “Is your lawyer running late?”
“Do I need a lawyer?”
He shook his head. “Daisy, you should always have a lawyer present when you sign a document. Legal jargon can be confusing, and I need you to realize…”
Daisy snorted. “You’re kidding, right? I have a master’s degree in environmental science, and I’ve been protesting for different causes for years. I’m well aware of legal bullshit when I see it. So if you’re thinking of pulling a fast one on me, you can think again. Hand over the document.”
Gabe smiled a little as he pushed the papers across the table. For a moment, she was caught up in that smile, but he pulled a pen from his jacket, clicked it and she was jerked back into reality. Business. Professional. Hells bells, she was acting wors
e than the blonde bimbos that Jordan liked to use to gain maximum attention from the media. She was relieved to see that her hands were steady as she grabbed the document and looked it over.
The agreement stated exactly what they’d talked about yesterday. There seemed to be no loopholes for her to wiggle through and it was entirely fair to her. With a shrug, she reached for the pen and signed her name in giant loopy letters.
With a steady eye on her, Gabe grabbed the pen and signed his own name, neatly, precisely. “Done. Now, I’m busy for the rest of the day. So is Nathan. We’ll get in touch with you about some scheduled tours of our worksites, and I’ll have the files we mentioned ready for you to peruse.”
“Nathan?” she asked in alarm. “I don’t need to see Nathan.”
Gabe relaxed back in his chair and narrowed his eyes. “Yes, let’s talk about Nathan. We didn’t get around to it yesterday. I think we both know that the only reason you’re targeting this company is because you heard that Nathan was back in town. His priorities at the moment are organizing the architecture and design department, but he has been pushing to make some changes regarding our energy usage. Some of our new buildings are going to reflect that. So, if you’re here to drag his good name through the mud, you should know that I’m prepared to retaliate. If you mess with one Maxfield brother, Daisy, you mess with them all.”
Daisy swallowed hard. “I knew that Nathan was back in town, and I’m not here to hurt him. Our relationship ended because of the actions that I took, and I have accepted that. Protesting against Duncan Enterprises was not my idea. Jordan was the head of the project, and once this branch is settled, I’ll be taking over. I’m hoping to run things differently.”
“If you’ve come to terms with the end of your relationship, then why exactly are you afraid to see Nathan?” Gabe asked quietly.