One-Click Buy: November Harlequin Presents

by Susan Stephens

  ‘In a close-knit environment that’s certainly true,’ Cryssie ventured. ‘But the staff are really happy here—happy with their lot.’

  She hoped he was getting her message: that he shouldn’t start making a clean sweep through the firm, upsetting everything and everybody.

  ‘Our previous discussions have made my meeting now with you unnecessary,’ he went on coolly, ‘but I thought it might look strange not to ask you to come in as everyone else has done.’

  But of course, Cryssie thought—don’t let’s forget our big secret!

  He looked up then, and added, ‘So that will be all, for the moment.’

  Looking at her, as she sat with her hands clasped anxiously in her lap, suddenly made him want to say something to reassure her. But instead he got up abruptly, indicating that the meeting was over.

  Cryssie waited for a second before throwing discretion to the winds. ‘I…we…are all very anxious to know what your plans are, Mr Hunter. No one feels safe. Will we all have our jobs next year?’ She swallowed. Why was she bothering to ask him? she thought. Wasn’t he just the sort of employer she’d vowed never to work for ever again? But for the moment she couldn’t afford to be choosy! She needed the money!

  He moved across towards her and looked down into her upturned face. ‘We do, naturally, have plans for the company,’ he said smoothly, ‘but at this stage it would be unwise to say anything.’ He placed a hand briefly on her arm, feeling her tremble perceptibly. ‘Hydebound must change course—must develop and move on. Every company must, or die. You should know that. Something has to happen here. The firm cannot linger on, getting more and more into debt.’ He paused. ‘But try not to worry too much. You will all be informed in plenty of time as to if and when you are likely to be affected.’

  Cryssie shook her head forlornly. ‘It’s not a good season of the year to have this kind of upheaval,’ she said, rather stupidly. ‘I for one can do without it.’

  ‘I’m sorry about that,’ he said dryly. ‘I can see that I must improve on my timing.’

  And that was that. Cryssie went back to her office no wiser. It was possible that some of them would be retained—but what of the rest?

  Cryssie found it hard to stop her eyes filling with tears. But was that surprising? She was tired and confused…but mostly confused…at the rollercoaster of her emotions.

  Rose, who was packing up to go home, looked at her curiously. ‘What’s up with you?’ she asked. ‘He wasn’t unpleasant, was he?’ She picked up her bag. ‘I found him very charming—though not particularly forthcoming. Meeting us all was a mere formality, wasn’t it?’

  ‘No, he wasn’t unpleasant,’ Cryssie said. ‘But I feel sure something’s afoot that’s not going to suit everyone.’

  ‘Why—what’s he been saying?’

  ‘Only that all companies must move on. I don’t know what he actually meant by that, but I’m pretty certain that where he’s concerned there’s no sentiment in business.’ She turned off her computer and turned to the older woman. ‘Oh, Rose, I just wish that the Lewises were still here and that everything was back to normal! And I really, really, really wish that Jeremy Hunter didn’t exist at all!’ she added emphatically.

  ‘Hark at you,’ Rose said. ‘Never mind—he’ll probably keep us on. Especially if we keep on the right side of him. Men like him enjoy having submissive females around to massage their massive egos.’

  ‘Well, as far as I’m concerned he’d better not hold his breath,’ Cryssie said, switching off the light.

  Meanwhile, as he stared moodily out of the window, his hands thrust in his pockets, Jed Hunter’s mind was working overtime. The woman had made the point only too well that disruptions to her life were unwelcome—well, she’d better get used to it, he thought. But there was one important detail to be sorted first…He had to find out just what kind of female she really was. Was she as impervious to male attentions as she appeared? Or was her coolness, her deliberate coolness with him, an act? His eyes narrowed as his mind went back over the events at the Laurels. Then his lip curled ever so slightly. He’d find out—sooner rather than later!

  CHAPTER FIVE

  IF SHE’D thought that her life was going to resume some sort of normality, Cryssie was in for a shock. A few weeks later Jed called her into his office, barely looking up as she sat down.

  He finished what he was writing, glancing at her covertly from beneath his dark eyebrows. He couldn’t stop himself remembering the night that she’d lain in that big double bed, so fast asleep, with her lashes—surprisingly long, as he’d taken the time to notice—fluttering now and again as she breathed and dreamed. He was beginning to feel irritable with himself at the number of times she was creeping into his thoughts—and not always in a business sense either!

  Now, he flipped his pen down on the desk. ‘Cryssie, things are going to move faster than I thought,’ he began. ‘I wanted you to be the first to know about it.’

  Cryssie swallowed, trying to stem the ripple of anxiety that ran through her. The tone he was using didn’t sound as if the news was good. He came straight to the point.

  ‘I…we…intend winding Hydebound up,’ he said flatly. ‘The building is to be demolished to make way for a big hotel.’ He waited for her to say something, but when she just stared at him unbelievingly he went on quickly. ‘I wanted you to know first,’ he said again, ‘before all the rumours and chit-chat begin—which they undoubtedly will, because the planning application has already gone in to the Council. I shall call a meeting tomorrow to tell the rest of the staff.’

  ‘Do you mean that the firm…that Hydebound…will cease to exist…will die?’ Cryssie’s voice was no more than a horrified whisper, and in spite of himself Jed felt a pang of discomfort. Then he pulled himself together. This was business. He was a businessman!

  ‘I realise this is not going to be pleasant for everyone,’ he said calmly. ‘But it can’t be helped. We shall therefore not be accepting any more orders, but will naturally honour those already in hand.’

  He paused, noting that her hands trembled slightly, and that a deep, rosy blush had begun to sweep over her features. But her green eyes were bright and candid, and she returned his gaze unflinchingly.

  ‘I think that the orders should be finalised by March or April, and I envisage a complete shutdown by June. All the staff will be paid up to then, with final redundancy bonuses added at the end.’ His tone was clipped and formal. ‘In the meantime, everyone will be entitled to look around for other employment. And there will be some opportunities in the new place. I’ll help where I can.’

  He picked up his pen again and twirled it between his fingers.

  ‘I’m relying on the co-operation and goodwill of the staff—yours, too, Cryssie. You’re obviously a very popular member of the team, so perhaps you can help there. Pour oil on troubled waters.’

  Huh! So he thought she’d try and make things easy for him, did he? Bail him out! Cryssie felt almost frozen to the spot, but she finally found her voice again. ‘So. We’re all finished, then. Redundant. And you’re going to kill off a family firm that’s traded happily for almost half a century.’

  He nodded. ‘That’s about it,’ he said, unperturbed. ‘And I can assure you that the new enterprise will be very good for the town. Good for the local economy.’

  For a long, timeless moment complete silence reigned.

  ‘You unspeakable pig,’ she said, her voice deadly quiet.

  ‘I beg your pardon?’ His tone was equally deadly, and there was no hint of warmth in those dangerously seductive eyes as he returned her gaze.

  ‘What an absolutely vile, horrible thing to do! To wipe us off the face of the earth to satisfy your materialistic lust! Who says the town needs another hotel? There are two already!’

  ‘Yes, and they’re as out-of-date as Hydebound is,’ he replied curtly. ‘Visitors are always complaining that there’s nowhere decent to stay. So I’ll put that right. It’ll be upmarket, with a s
wimming pool and other leisure facilities. In just the right place—here, on the outskirts of town, with plenty of space for car parking, countryside all around. It couldn’t be better!’

  ‘Oh, yes—for you, perhaps!’ Cryssie almost shouted at him. ‘But do you realise how many lives you’re affecting—what this will mean to us?’

  ‘Don’t be so dramatic, Cryssie,’ he said firmly. ‘Those young enough and able enough will find other work—and, as I said, I’ll do all I can to help. There will be hotel jobs going when the time comes—and that’ll be sooner than you think.’

  ‘But many of the staff here are craftsmen—not hotel workers! What sort of a deal would that be to them?’

  ‘In today’s world we must all be flexible,’ he countered. ‘And if they apply to Latimer’s I’ll see they’re given every consideration. People can’t expect to have a job for life, for heaven’s sake!’

  Cryssie was finding difficulty keeping herself under control. Any liking she might have had for the man had completely disappeared.

  ‘People have mortgages to pay!’ she flared, her eyes bright with indignation. ‘How dare you take it upon yourself to decide whether they might or might not be able to keep roofs over their heads! They are expert at their jobs, and—’

  ‘So why, then, has Hydebound been running at considerable loss for years?’ He paused, and looked down at her for a second or two. ‘No firm can sustain itself on good workmanship alone. Many other things have to be considered. Just look at the distance from town, for a start…there’s no passing trade, and passing trade is vital. Yes, there is a certain client base, but that’s diminishing rapidly because everyone, everyone, likes a bargain. People are shopping where it’s cheaper. And don’t forget the mail-order problem…just another headache for retailers.’ He ran a hand through his hair. ‘I know that this has been a wonderful family firm, and has done well in its day, but that day has passed. You can’t survive on love, luck and thin air. Which has been what the Lewises have done for too long. Business is business, Cryssie. Dog eats dog in this world, and profit is what the world exists on!’

  By now he was nearly as worked up as Cryssie, his voice rising sharply, and he turned away from her, irritated at her angry response and his own reaction to it. Of course he’d known from their very first encounter that she was intensely loyal to Hydebound, and to her colleagues, but if she thought that anything she said now would make him change his mind, she was fooling herself. When he set out to get his way he always succeeded, and nothing and no one would change that!

  He saw that her shoulders had slumped, and her hand was across her mouth to stop herself from crying. He broke the silence, which was heavy with tangled emotions.

  ‘The reason I asked to see you,’ he said, more quietly, ‘is that I want to retain you as my personal assistant. It’ll be hard work, which will take you away from home sometimes, and that may be a problem for you, but—’

  ‘No, thanks! And I wish to hand you my resignation now! Cryssie cried defiantly. ‘I’m not used to working for ogres—however successful!’ She marched over to the desk, looking frantically for something to write on, and he followed her, gripping her arm with a ferocity that frightened her.

  ‘Stop! Don’t be so ridiculous!’ he said, raising his voice again. ‘Hear me out—for God’s sake, Cryssie, calm down!’

  ‘Calm down? I’ve never been calmer in my life!’ she retorted angrily. ‘Just find me a pen and…the back of an envelope will do! I’m finished here! I’m the first one out!’

  ‘No, you are not,’ he said sternly, still gripping her tightly. ‘Listen to me! What you decide in the next few minutes may affect you for the rest of your life! I’m offering you the best chance you’re ever likely to have! I want you to stay here and pour oil on obviously troubled waters until the last orders are completed. And after that to be my right-hand woman. And I’m trebling your present wages as an incentive.’

  That last remark made Cryssie hold her breath for a split second. Treble her wages, had he said? To think of that sort of money being at her disposal was the stuff of unlikely dreams. But her hesitation didn’t last long! He was not going to buy her off like that!

  She stared up at him, and by now they were so close that she could actually hear his heart thudding against his chest, matching the agonised throbbing in her own.

  ‘Keep your job, Mr Hunter,’ she said, trying not to shout. ‘And keep your money! Money isn’t everything in life.’

  ‘It is in business, you little idiot,’ he said, and suddenly his arms were around her waist.

  He dragged her towards him, forcing his mouth over hers, the full weight of him almost making her knees buckle. Completely amazed, Cryssie felt her lips part in shock, and the moist warmth of his tongue against hers. And then there was no other sound in the room except the pounding of her heart in her ears. No other sensation except the awareness of his masculinity, the overpowering thrust of his body against hers, and after a split second’s realisation as to the enormity of what was happening to her, all Cryssie’s forthright determination seemed to desert her. To be held tightly, like this, was strangely comforting, even under these circumstances, subduing her volatile expressions of anger and resentment, and she automatically leaned into him, the smell of his hot flesh reaching her nostrils, arousing her senses so that for this particular moment in time she was, once again, under his complete control.

  How long they remained in that very intimate position Cryssie could not afterwards remember, but eventually he released her, with a sigh that was more like a shudder, and held her away from him, visibly upset at his unusual lack of self control. When he spoke, his voice was harsh.

  ‘I advise you, very strongly, to think carefully about what I’m offering you.’ He drew his lips together in a forbidding line. ‘I do not do such things lightly,’ he added tersely. He didn’t look away from her flushed face, and the green eyes that seemed to have become as wide and wild as a cat’s. ‘Don’t be impulsive,’ he repeated. ‘I need you—not just here, for the immediate future, but for our other companies elsewhere. I’ve been looking for someone for a long time—a woman with a head on her shoulders, a clear mind, and opinions she’s not afraid to express. Do you understand what I’m saying?’

  ‘Why don’t you ask Rose?’ Cryssie asked, trying desperately to keep a grip on herself, on her fluctuating emotions.

  ‘Why should I want an over-made-up grandmother—a “yes” woman?’ he demanded, and Cryssie was fleetingly surprised that he’d even noticed Rose’s thick orange foundation and gash of red lipstick. ‘I want someone to challenge me sometimes—perhaps to make me see things in a different light!’ He shook his head angrily, annoyed that he was having to persuade her to see things his way. ‘Women like you are rare. You’re the person I want, and I’ll make sure you have a good package.’

  Cryssie listened quietly to all this, glad of the chance to reconnect with her self-control. Then she said, ‘Well, so far I haven’t managed to make you see things in a different light,’ she said, trying to keep the sarcasm from surfacing.

  ‘Cryssie—the Lewises were ready to file for bankruptcy. Surely you must have realised?’

  Cryssie had to admit that she’d had no idea things were that bad.

  ‘I’ve at least saved the brothers from that ignominy,’ Jed went on. ‘I’ve settled all their debts, including their tax and VAT, so they’ve been able to leave with their heads held up, because all the town knows is that they’ve sold out and retired. Perfectly natural after forty-five years of popular trading.’ He looked down at her, waiting for her to say something. ‘And,’ he added, ‘I’ve paid well over the odds for Hydebound, because it’s the land that I’m interested in. It’s a very valuable site, and it’ll be money well spent.’

  By this time Cryssie’s role as provider for the family had reasserted its importance in her mind and she hesitated. ‘So…you need me—’ she began, and he interrupted her.

  ‘Yes. And you need me
, Cryssie.’ He paused, ready with the knock-out blow. ‘And Milo needs me. Or he needs my money. As I’ve said, you can count on a more than favourable salary for as long as you want it. Life will be easier—a lot easier—for the family. Doesn’t that make any difference?’

  It made all the difference! And they both knew it. Cryssie groaned. ‘No one will ever speak to me again,’ she said. ‘When they find out that I’m the only one to be given future employment. How can I cope with that? We’re all friends here!’

  ‘You’ll cope with it by not saying a word,’ he replied evenly, now totally Mr Big, ready with all the answers. ‘You’ll be here for the next few months, as will everyone else, and there’s no need for anyone to know a thing until the heat has died down. After that—well, who knows what will happen?’

  ‘If the plans for the hotel go through—’ Cryssie began, and he interrupted again.

  ‘Oh, they’ll go through,’ he said at once, and Cryssie shot him a quick glance. Of course they would—if Mr Jeremy Hunter said so! ‘The hotel will be up and running on this site in eighteen months—or less, if I get my way.’

  You’ll get your way, Cryssie thought. Mr Unstoppable!

  But he was right about the most important thing in all this, and her common sense prevailed. She knew that for Polly and Milo’s sake she couldn’t refuse this once-in-a-lifetime offer. But she still could not fathom why she was his choice of personal assistant. There must be many whom he’d be proud to be seen with, who could provide exactly what he needed. Finally, she turned to look up at him, her mouth firm.

  ‘Then…I accept your offer,’ she said, in a tone of regret, and she watched the slow smile of conquest cross his elegant features. And that irritated her, because she knew that he had won.

  ‘Thank you, Crystal…Cryssie!’ he amended quickly. ‘You won’t regret it.’

  ‘I sincerely hope not,’ she said pertly. She hesitated. ‘I’d better go, or Rose will wonder what on earth you had to say to me.’