Toss Up (The Toss Trilogy)

by Craig, Susan

  “I told you. You’re thinking of selling out to the conglomerate.”

  Clearly, the rumor mill was efficient. Diana sat back down. “And if I am?”

  Carmichael’s face flushed with the intensity of his emotion. “And if you are, you’re turning your back on the five hundred-some people who work here.”

  As if she’d ever do that. But Carmichael hadn’t been with the company long. He didn’t know her. Diana glanced briefly at the papers on her desk, and permitted a small, slightly superior smile. She may as well add some accurate information to the rumors. “As it happens, you couldn’t be more wrong. I have Carbon Unlimited’s offer right here, and I find it to be more than fair.

  “They guarantee the jobs of all employees until our current manufacturing contracts expire.” The smile vanished as she leaned forward, her hands resting on the edge of her desk. “It took me six years of hard work, networking, and negotiation to put this company back in the black and attract such a favorable offer.”

  The sitting giant shoved a thick-fingered hand through his hair and leaned forward himself. His right hand fisted, cradled in the left, and his wilted business shirt strained across muscles too pronounced to be completely civilized. “You can’t do it.”

  “I not only can, I intend to.” She frowned at him, puzzled. “Why do you care? You’ve only been working here a month.”

  Thick caramel lashes flicked down and then lifted. “I’ve developed a new process for carbon rod pultrusion and I don’t want Carbon Unlimited to have it.”

  He had great shoulders. Odd to find the brain of an engineer in a body with shoulders like that, but how could he have a new process? “You were hired as a production engineer, Dr. Carmichael, not to do R and D. Did you develop this idea on my time, with company resources?”

  His eyes blazed again and his head drew back. “No. I developed the details while serving overseas.”

  Diana let his resentment bounce off her calm facade. “Why haven’t you mentioned it before?”

  He shifted in his seat. “I wanted to get to know the company… and the management… before I said anything.”

  Diana nodded in acceptance of the explanation. “Well, if your process is any good, you should have no problem finding someone to fund further development.” She stroked the smooth surface of her silver pen, considering. “I understand your concern and can assure you I don’t feel I have any ethical right to interfere with your ownership of the idea. If you’re afraid I’ll change my mind, or that Carbon Unlimited will try to claim it, have your lawyer draw up an intellectual property agreement assigning the innovations solely to you. I’ll be happy to sign it.”

  He stared at her, disoriented. Diana savored the moment. She had cleanly undercut his righteous indignation. Regally she rose, knowing he would follow. “Now if you don’t mind, I have work to do.”

  He stood, but instead of leaving, stepped toward her. Her hormones went on high alert, but she gave him the enquiring glance of a queen.

  “Ms. Lennox.” Now his deep voice seemed pitched to persuade, rather than intimidate. “I apologize for crashing in here like that. Please reconsider.” He stood with those massive shoulders relaxed, powerful hands at ease by his thighs.

  Diana pulled her gaze back to his face.

  “I don’t want to sell this process to the highest bidder. I want to own it, and I want to own the company that uses it.” He frowned slightly. “I had hoped to have a bit more time before approaching you, but the bottom line is this—I want to buy your company myself.”

  Diana’s eyebrows rose as her head tilted forward. “You want to—?”

  “I know you’re busy now,” he continued, cutting her off. “Meet me for dinner tonight—please—and do me the courtesy of looking at my proposal.” He took one long step back. “I’ll be at the Yorktowne, in the Commonwealth Room at seven.” He pivoted and left the room, closing the heavy walnut door behind him before she could frame a response.

  Diana stared a moment, mouth agape. Of all the nerve.

  As if he could—

  If he thought—

  Then she shut her mouth, smiling ruefully. Tempting as the thought was, it would be petty to stand him up. Besides, as far as she was concerned, their business was over, and the man looked good both coming and going. He was well worth running her eyes over for an hour or so. Not that he was her type—or she his—but still… Once again her lips curved upwards.

  Sitting down, she picked up the contract awaiting her signature. When she signed it, the responsibility for the employees of Lennox Incorporated, which had fallen on her when her father died, would lift from her shoulders.

  Freedom. The thought was intoxicating. She pushed aside guilty worries about the fate of her older employees—people who had been with Lennox from the beginning. Stop it. You’ve done well for them.

  It was true, she knew. Most would have six months or more to either find new positions or prove their worth to the new owners. She had driven a hard bargain on their behalf.

  Someone else could have the headaches—and the office, with its old-fashioned wood-sashed windows and institutional green paint. Even the ornate gilt frames hanging undusted on the wall deserved better than the uninspired artwork they presented.

  She grimaced. No, missing this place would not be a problem, but signing the papers could wait one more day. She set aside the contract, absently fingering the collar of her white silk shirt. Having dinner at the best restaurant in York was not a bad way to end a long week, and sharing the table with Dr. Carmichael and his warrior shoulders was a very minor annoyance indeed. I’ll enjoy a good meal, hear the man out, and be on my way.

  On the ground floor of Lennox Incorporated, Logan thrust open the main doors and stormed out of the aging brick building. Damn stupid woman.

  He slammed the door of his battered SUV, jammed his key in the ignition and twisted the engine into life. And damn stupid me, for bursting into her office like that. It put him at a disadvantage…gave her a reason to enjoy turning down his offer.

  No. He powered the Jeep Cherokee out of the parking lot and onto the narrow road running past Lennox Incorporated. That isn’t going to happen.

  Logan turned the SUV towards town. He hadn’t been happy to have to deal with a woman in the first place. Not prejudice, just personal experience being screwed over by man-eating career women. So he’d dug up some intel on her.

  Diana Lennox had been running Lennox Incorporated for the last six years—ever since her parents’ death in a car crash. By all accounts she was a good CEO, eliciting both loyalty and productivity from her employees. He’d noticed she seldom took suggestions, just listening politely before doing what she damn well pleased. He smiled to himself. The woman knew how to run a company, he’d give her that.

  Her factory met his requirements, and she was looking to sell—those facts had far outweighed his reluctance to deal with a female. Besides, there’d been no hint she was more than just another career-driven gender-neutral CEO. At the office, she wore conservative power suits and confined her thick raven-colored hair in an elegant twist. Classy, yes. Provocative, definitely not.

  So he hadn’t been ready for the sexual punch her response to his challenge had carried.

  She faced me down without turning a hair. Didn’t give so much as an inch. Just stared at me, cold as stone with those big brown eyes of hers. Nobody said anything about her being a man-eater, but damn, she made me hot. He’d been sorely tempted to wipe that cool look off her face with a hard kiss. Call me insane, I almost think I should have.

  He gave his head a quick shake and smiled. “Definitely insane.” Reaching Cumberland Road, he turned the Jeep towards the tiny, run-down farm that was his only inheritance. Strange that she should affect him that way. She was the kind of woman he normally avoided. Not my type at all. He sure as hell hadn’t expected their confrontation to rip through him like a lightning bolt—even if only for a second. His response had been primitive and surprising, re
flecting an aspect of his personality he usually had under complete control.

  Easing his foot off the accelerator for a moment, he let the SUV drift closer to the posted speed limit. The feelings she aroused in him didn’t fit the picture he’d formed of her. It intrigued him…she intrigued him.

  “Enough of that.” His information had obviously been incomplete.

  As far as he was concerned, the way she’d backed him down told the whole story. Now he knew what he was dealing with. Ms. Cold Chill Lennox was a no-holds-barred, game-playing professional woman. He was certain she wouldn’t hesitate to break a man’s heart or steal his soul if it advanced her career. He knew the type. Females like her couldn’t be trusted. A sane man stayed well clear of them.

  Pulling into the front yard of his dilapidated white frame farmhouse, Logan stopped the Jeep. Thinking back to the scene in the office, he winced, remembering how it had ended—his conciliatory tone and precipitous retreat. No matter. Don’t waste time worrying about early skirmishes. The real battle comes tonight.

  If he read Ms. Diana Lennox correctly, being elegant and well-bred was her stock in trade. She wouldn’t stand him up. When he presented his proposal, he’d see to it that she took it seriously. I’ll find a way to buy this company yet, he told himself. And any games that get played will be by my rules.

  Tossing the Caber is available on Amazon.com

  BOOK THREE OF THE TOSS TRILOGY:

  TOSSED and TUMBLED

  excerpt

  Tammy dug her keys out from the bottom of her bag and unlocked the door. Early morning clouds promised rain and left the lobby dark, but a rectangle of light shone into the hallway from Daniel Smith’s office. Drat. What’s he doing here?

  No matter. She could slip into her seat and get to work—he needn’t even know she was there.

  No.

  He might want to pretend she didn’t exist, but she wasn’t going to play along. One of them had to behave like an adult. She walked down the hall and stepped into his doorway to say hello.

  “Good morning” died before it left her lips as she stood and stared. Daniel’s desk lamp was on but he was asleep, his head pillowed on folded arms and his torso bare. A rumpled dress shirt hung over the back of one of the office chairs. In the lamplight his skin looked smooth and warm. Her palms tingled, wanting to glide over the firm muscles.

  Her gaze wandered over him, following the scrollwork of his tattoo. Broad arcs of black ran from the side of his neck, across his shoulder, and wrapped around his bicep. She stepped closer, tilting her head to follow the design as it swirled toward his chest, but her view was blocked. His scent drifted towards her, warm, male, and golden, like amber heated in the hollow of a hand.

  This is insane. Step away.

  Drawn to him beyond reason, her body ignored the command, and her gaze shifted to his face. A heavy shadow of beard darkened the side of his jaw. Long lashes rested upon his cheekbones, tempting her to touch. His lips looked firm and strong, like the lean, long-fingered hand stretched on the desk before his face. She imagined those fingers touching her flesh. Waves of contraction tensed her abdomen and her breasts tightened.

  Shifting his shoulders, Daniel muttered in his sleep.

  Tammy’s breath caught, and she backed away feeling her face burn. He would despise her even more if he caught her staring at him.

  Not that she cared what he thought. But discretion was appropriate in the workplace. As quiet as a ripple on a still lake, she tiptoed back to her desk and immersed herself in work.

  Coming soon to Amazon.com.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Susan Craig has been married to the love of her life “forever and not nearly long enough.” Scientist, teacher, pizza-lover, mom and writer of both fiction and nonfiction, she was raised in Missouri but has also lived in Illinois, Nebraska, and California. Susan currently resides with her husband and Tanner, the dog, in Austin, Texas.