“If Saffron acquired your confections division, I would do my best to maintain the standards of quality and innovation your brand is known for. With Saffron’s funding and focus behind the line, it could only get better. I can absolutely promise you that I’d do everything in my power to make it as painless as possible for you to let it go.” It was a small concession, but it was all she could offer. Her mission wouldn’t change just because she understood his hesitation.
“I plan to do everything in my power to prevent ever having to rely on that promise.” Richard was calm, pleasant enough, but the steely look in his eyes told her she’d be in for a fight if she moved forward. “Once we land, it’s back to business as usual as far as I’m concerned.”
“So we’ll go our separate ways and pretend this weekend never happened?” It would be a shame to never again find her way into Richard’s bed, but it was for the best.
“I don’t see any way around it. We want different things and as appealing as I find you,” he swept an open gaze up and down the length of her body, “we have to keep our distance. That’s all there is to it.”
“Well, then it was fun while it lasted. Just know that I’m not going to stop trying to get what I want.” Her determination was rock-solid, but she softened her tone with a smile. “I’m sure you understand.”
“I do, and I’m sure you understand that I won’t give an inch on this.”
She finished her drink and gave him a cool smile. “Then I guess we’re on the same page.”
Chapter Five
Her acquisitions team sat around a mahogany conference table, the air conditioning whirring softly in the background and very nearly lulling Yvette to sleep. Nothing had been the same since that one crazy night three weeks ago. Anything could set her imagination off, the mention of Las Vegas, seeing Morgan Confectioners candies on store shelves, catching the scent of soap. Soap. If she closed her eyes, she could almost feel his hands on her, sliding over her curves, covering every inch of her body in that shower. Steam floated around them as hot water pelted her back, exotic fragrances swirled around them in the thick air.
“Yvette?” Her department head’s voice drifted into her consciousness, clearing the steam and toppling her out of her little fantasy. The woman at the head of the table stared at her over the tops of her eyeglasses, an annoyed look on her face.
Had she fallen asleep? Was she drooling? Did she make an embarrassing noise? She refilled her glass with ice water and took a long drink, determined to wake up and focus. She straightened her charcoal pencil skirt over her thighs and sat up straight as she turned her attention to the table.
Clearing her throat, she attempted her most professional, competent tone. “I’m sorry. What was that?”
Her co-workers tittered, and a hot flush crept into her cheeks. A quick swipe across her face assured her that she hadn’t been drooling. Summoning her inner professional, she faced the department head and listened intently. “Yvette, I was just asking you for an update on the Morgan Confectioners progress. The last time you briefed us, you’d met with Michael Morgan, but that was before the conference. Anything new to report? Have you made any headway?”
Anything new? You could say that. “I was able to meet Richard Morgan informally in Vegas, but he’s adamantly opposed to our proposal. I believe that he has a great deal of influence over his father’s decision-making, but ultimately, Michael Morgan still has the final say. At this point, we might consider reviewing our strategy to strengthen our position. It doesn’t seem likely to pass if Richard has anything to say about it.”
“Have you made contact with anyone at Morgan since your meeting with Richard?”
Yvette hesitated. Not only had she agreed that she and Richard would keep their distance, but after hearing him speak so passionately of his devotion to the company, she wasn’t as inclined to absorb it into Saffron. He cared for Morgan Confectioners in a way nobody else ever could. It was part of his history, a tie to both his childhood and his mother, something knitted into the fabric of his soul. Trying to convince him to give it up now felt wrong and ugly—almost predatory.
“I sent brief notes to both Michael and Richard to thank them for meeting with me and to keep the door open for future discussion.” She scanned her calendar. “Let’s see, that was a little over three weeks ago, and I haven’t heard from either of them. It’s my opinion that we need to revisit our game plan. Any further attempts to engage them will likely be seen as intrusive. They have our complete offer. If I contact them again before they respond, I’ll just be repeating myself.”
Her boss’s eyes narrowed. “So what you’re telling me is that it’s been almost a month since you’ve made any kind of progress on this account?”
Yvette shifted uncomfortably, but spoke firmly. “I felt that until we have something new to discuss, continuing to contact the Morgans would not be well-received. I think it would be wise for me to meet with the mergers and acquisitions team to freshen our strategy before approaching them again.”
“Very well. I’d like to see something on the calendar immediately. The longer this drags out, the less likely we are to come to an agreement.”
“I also think we should have a tentative list of alternative companies ready for research, should the Morgans ultimately turn us down.” Yvette would do her job, would approach this assignment with the same professionalism as any other account, but she knew more about the players than usual. How much could she reveal about Richard’s motivations without compromising herself?
The department head looked irritated, but agreed. “Fine. Compile it and send it to my office. I’ll keep it until our attempts with Morgan Confectioners are exhausted.”
Grateful to be out of the hot seat, Yvette gathered her files and calendar, ready to disappear into her office. The hint of a nagging thought persisted, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. Tate, her assistant, met her in the hallway as she left the meeting, pressing message slips into her hand and briefing her on new developments. She listened with half of her attention, searching her brain for the source of the nagging thought as they strode down the hall towards her office. He continued to talk and set a stack of folders on her desk as she sat down.
“Would you bring me a coffee? I’m never going to make it through the afternoon at this rate.” She smiled up at Tate from her desk chair, determined to focus. He nodded and disappeared from the doorway, leaving her alone in the silent office.
Soft sunlight filtered in between the slats of her blinds, and the muted chatter and bustling of a busy workday beyond her walls floated through the room. Yvette had created her office space with such care, wanting to project an image that was both professional and welcoming. Some of her male colleagues decorated their offices as though they were reliving their college days, with basketball nets attached to doors and toys littering their shelves. She wondered how something similar would go over in her office, if she hung posters reflecting her teen interests or had dolls perched on her shelves. The playing field would never be level, and she had to make her peace with that, had to protect her professional image in a way her male colleagues didn’t. Her office space urged people to come in, to sit and stay while she worked her magic. The artwork was pleasing, soothing, and her candy dishes were always full. The plush chairs sitting opposite her desk tended to lull visitors into relaxation while she spoke, making them more amenable to her requests.
Tate returned with her coffee, fixed exactly the way she liked it, and she wrapped her hands around the warm mug. “Thank you so much, you’re a lifesaver. I was drifting off in the meeting and will never make it through the afternoon without a little caffeine.”
“You got it. Is there anything else?”
She knew there was something she was missing but simply couldn’t think of it. “No, I guess that’s it for now. Thank you.”
Left alone, she sipped her coffee, expecting to savor it and enjoy the aroma. Instead, nausea gripped her and she reached for the small garbage c
an at the side of her desk. A couple of deep breaths and a moment later, the urge subsided and she sat back in her chair, grateful that she hadn’t been sick in the conference room. She needed sleep, and badly. Since the trip to Vegas, stress had been her constant companion, and sleep eluded her, which likely explained the drowsiness and nausea. She never felt well when she missed too much sleep. Between failing to close the deal with Morgan Confectioners and succumbing to her lust for Richard like some kind of hormone-crazed teenager, it felt like she was losing control of her life. Like she was someone else lately.
Pushing the coffee cup away, she pulled out her calendar, prepared to tackle her work with renewed enthusiasm, to regain her sense of competency. Ready to put thoughts of Richard behind her and focus on things she could control, she jiggled her mouse to wake up her computer. As she scanned the dates on her calendar, noting meetings and deadlines, the nagging thought that she was missing something resurfaced, then crystallized. Her period was late.
She was never late; this couldn’t be. It was only a week, but it was late enough to set off alarm bells. Her radiation treatments had made it impossible for her to become pregnant, hadn’t they? But she’d never been this late before. Best to find out for sure. Nothing would be accomplished until she knew, so she left early and headed for the nearest drugstore.
• • •
Richard held a finger up as his assistant, Chloe, leaned around his doorframe. The conference call was winding down, but he had asked for no interruptions and her impertinence irritated him. She bit her lip nervously and stepped inside the office, closing the door silently behind her. She shifted from one leg to another, obviously waiting for an opportunity to relay some urgent message. He finished his call without rushing, sat back in his chair, and spread his hands before him.
“Yes, Chloe, what is it?” He didn’t bother to keep the irritation out of his voice.
“Sir, Yvette Cruz from Saffron Sweets is here to see you. I told her that you were unavailable, but she insists that she speak to you. I don’t think she’ll leave.” Chloe glanced at the door, looking ready to dart out.
He sat up. “She’s here?”
Chloe nodded and took a step back. Yvette had honored their agreement of no contact for almost a month after they said goodbye at the airport. She hadn’t so much as emailed him about the acquisition. During that time, he had made it his mission to eradicate all thoughts of Yvette Cruz from his mind. By burying himself in work and spending any free time he had left over at the gym, he told himself he had managed to release the memories of that night. He had almost forgotten the way her skin felt beneath his hands, the exquisite pleasure he took in unpinning her hair and watching it shake loose around her slim shoulders, and the unbearably satisfying weight of her perfect breasts in his hands. He told himself that he could scarcely remember her delectable vanilla scent, the taste of her on his tongue, the delicious sound of her throaty laugh. No, she was a threat to his business and he didn’t want any part of her. Not even her shapely curves, her lush backside, or the exquisite depths of her mouth. Yvette Cruz was officially off his radar as far as he was concerned, so when the phone calls started coming from her office last week, his assistant was given strict orders to refuse all her efforts to connect.
“What does she want?”
“She won’t say, sir. She’ll only speak directly to you.” Chloe seemed stuck between following Richard’s directives and admitting Yvette to his office just to put an end to the uncomfortable tension.
He briefly considered having Yvette removed by security, but that seemed a bit extreme. Besides, he doubted that even that would dissuade her. She was clearly a woman on a mission, and he could make her leave today, but she’d surely continue to return until she got her audience. He refused to admit that a part of him wanted to see her again, longed for one more night with her even.
He sighed; what good was an assistant who couldn’t even keep unwanted visitors from darkening his doorstep? Having seen Yvette in action, though, he knew that Chloe was no match for her. She had won him over when he was determined to stay far away from her after all, and he wasn’t a man who was easily persuaded. Might as well see her and get it over with.
“Fine, see her in.” Surely the surge of adrenaline was his body’s way of preparing for potential battle, not anything to do with attraction.
Visibly relieved to be dismissed without further discussion, Chloe scurried out of the office so fast she nearly tripped over her own feet. Yvette walked in, and he could instantly tell that this wasn’t a professional visit. Something was different about her. The confident gleam in her eyes was gone; the sexy sashay was missing from her step. She was still achingly beautiful, reminding him of an exotic jewel in the crimson dress so fitted it could have been painted on her delicate frame, but there was more. Something in her had changed, and he saw a vulnerability that hadn’t been there before.
“Come on in and have a seat.” He indicated the chairs in front of his desk and watched as she crossed the room to sit down. She seemed to be carrying herself differently. The change was probably indiscernible to most people. Most people weren’t as unwittingly attuned to her as he was, though. Most people didn’t spend days and nights distracted by thoughts of her.
“I’m sorry for barging in like this, but you haven’t returned any of my calls.” She held her head high, and her voice was clear and confident.
“We have nothing more to talk about. Our agreement was to have no further contact. I thought you understood my reasoning, even if you didn’t agree with it. As much as I enjoyed our time together, we simply can’t be together.” He was thankful for his desk, glad to have a solid barrier between them. He wanted nothing more than to reach out and touch her, and that would most certainly send a mixed message.
“I realize that—”
He held up a hand to cut her off. “I can’t stop my father from taking meetings with you, but I was dead serious when I said that I would do everything within my power to keep him from selling to Saffron. There’s nothing that will convince me to change my mind. Quite frankly, I’m surprised that you would go to such lengths to continue on this course.”
“I haven’t met with Michael again. I need to speak with you, and only you.” Her increasing frustration was evident. Her eyes flashed in irritation, her gorgeous mouth was set in an impatient line. She was sexy even when she was flustered.
“Like I said, there’s nothing more for us to discuss. I’m sorry that you came all the way over here, but my assistant will see you out.” He leaned over his desk to buzz Chloe. He needed to get her out of here before he gave in to the desire to keep her close to him.
“I’m pregnant!”
Richard stopped, his hand frozen in midair above the phone. For a moment, time stopped, and he was chilled to his toes. Realizing that his mouth was agape and his hand was hovering over his desk, he relaxed and took a beat to compose himself. “Congratulations.”
“It’s yours.” She sat back in her chair and watched for his reaction.
“What?” He sputtered. “I used a condom!” Not many things ruffled or even surprised him, but this was a first. The news coupled with her potent effect on him shifted his balance and disrupted his usual calm competency.
“Sure, the first time, but not after that. Listen, I know that this is a shock. It was for me too, so I don’t expect you to process this immediately. I certainly didn’t.”
“Didn’t you tell me you can’t get pregnant? How do you know it’s mine? How can you even be sure this soon?” He heard his voice climb by at least an octave, and he knew he sounded as panicky as he felt. With great effort, Richard calmed himself down. He would handle this news like he handled everything else, with authority.
“I haven’t been with anyone else, that’s how I know. You’re the father, and there’s no doubt about it. Until it happened, I truly thought that I couldn’t get pregnant after my radiation. I thought that motherhood was the one dream I’d have to let go,
and I thought that I had, but then—” she paused. “I was having all these symptoms, and it started adding up once I checked the calendar. I finally decided to take the pregnancy test just to rule it out, even though I didn’t think anything would come of it. If I hadn’t caught it early it could have been weeks before I noticed, since that was the last thing I expected. The possibility of pregnancy wasn’t even on my radar. I honestly was as surprised as you are, and quite frankly, this is nothing short of a miracle as far as I’m concerned.” Her eyes shone under the office fluorescents, and her hands were clasped tightly in her lap, her knuckles white.
“Well, what do you need? Do you need money?” He scraped a hand across his chin, realizing too late how heartless he sounded. He needed to put an end to his spiral towards panic, but his tone was bordering on cruel, and that was wrong. This was a surprise, but he wasn’t the kind of man who treated news of this gravity with such callousness. Richard gave himself a mental shake and cleared his head. He was not this kind of man. Her lip quivered almost imperceptibly, and he regretted the casual dismissal in his tone even more. She was a corporate threat, but if he were honest with himself, she wasn’t the seductive danger that he previously assumed her to be. She wasn’t an actual enemy; it was just in his best interest to stay far away from her. He rose and walked around his desk to take the seat next to her.
Love Connection Page 6