My nerves are still high, but I feel a slight sense of relief. I did it. It’s over, and other than that hiccup it went just as I planned. No thanks to Mr. CEO. I start to look his way but then stop. I’m not going to give him the satisfaction. He almost ruined my presentation.
I make my way back to my seat as the announcer walks up to introduce the next speaker, being careful again not to trip in my heels. That would be embarrassing as fuck.
I wiggle my way through the row and back to my seat next to Eva. She’s looking at me with admiration as I sit down.
“See, what did I tell you?” she squeals in a hushed voice, pulling me into a soft embrace. “You did fantastic!”
“Thank you,” I whisper back. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”
Eva waves her hand as she releases me from our hug. “Nonsense. You had that in the bag before you even stepped foot on the stage. Hell, I wish I could speak like that in front of a large crowd. You’re a natural.”
“Job well done, Charlotte,” my new boss, Charles Hastings, chips in from behind me. I turn to face him with a grateful smile as he places a hand on my shoulder. Charles’s an older man in his forties with dark hair, greying at the temples, and a chiseled jawline that is beginning to lose its strength. He’s the type of man I’d be attracted to if I were into older guys. Or if I was about five years older, he definitely could get it. Except he doesn’t hold a candle to...
I try to push Mr. CEO out of my thoughts, but it doesn’t work. All I can see is his handsome face in my mind’s eye, his piercing gaze, his crisp suit and his full lips. All I can think about is how much I want to kiss them. Good God.
“Thank you, sir,” I say, trying to shake the man from my mind.
“No, thank you, Charlotte,” Charles tells me, patting me on the shoulder. “That was a wonderful presentation. You made our company look good.”
Seeing as how I was about to pass out from anxiety before taking the stage, I should be overjoyed that I’m getting such praise from my boss. But I can’t fight the urge to look over for the stranger.
My heart does a little jolt. His seat is empty. He’s gone.
I settle back in my seat feeling a pang of disappointment.
I try to focus on the next speaker as the slides change on the screen in front of us. But I can’t concentrate. I can’t shake the hold he has over me. And why? Why does he have such a strong effect on me?
I can’t tame the urge to look back over my shoulder. He’s not there. I swallow thickly and try to ignore all thoughts of him. I don’t even know his name.
But I want to. I’m woman enough to admit that I’m at least curious.
Chapter 5
Logan
“Why this one?” Trent asks me again. He’s been eyeing me since we sat down in the meeting room.
I settle back in the seat although it’s extremely uncomfortable and try to relax. I can’t wait to get out of here and take this damn jacket off. I feel restless now that I’ve made my decision. I have to wait and that’s something I’m not fond of. Patience has never been my strong suit. And I need this deal. I never need anything, but right now I do. Armcorp had better take my offer.
“It’s the best choice,” I answer simply, not giving anything away. He gives me a look laced with suspicion but closes his mouth and looks back down at the papers in front of him.
I take a long look around the plain hotel meeting room with distaste as I wait for the heads of Armcorp to arrive.
This room is small and the large table that nearly takes up the entire space and the chairs surrounding it are cheap. It’s nothing like the suite upstairs or my office back at Parker-Moore. I practically live there and I made sure it had every amenity I’d need. But this small square room… it’s lacking. The walls are a stark white and the thin carpet on the floors makes it feel even more inferior. I’m ready to go back to the comfort of my own building and business, and I’ve decided I’m taking my Rose as a parting gift.
“Armcorp looks like a ton of work. We should give them a year or two to see how well their new outreach performs.” Trent's right, and I can’t deny that. But I’m not waiting. I’ve made up my mind.
Watching her on stage created more conflict than I needed. She’s graceful and intelligent. But when we locked eyes and I felt the intensity of the spark between us, I knew I had to give in. She sealed her fate when her lips parted and she got lost in my trance. It’s one thing for me to be affected, but knowing I do the same for her makes this decision easy.
“We should wait, Logan. The board will-” I don’t care what argument he has. In fact, I know there are good reasons to wait or to go with their competitor. But I don’t give a damn. I’m not waiting anymore. I fucking want her, and I’m not going to deny myself. I don’t give a damn if I’m selfish. I’m taking her. And this is the first step.
“No, I want it now.” My voice is hard and the trace of annoyance causes Trent to flinch. I clench my jaw, wishing I could control myself. I need to. I pride myself on discipline, but when it comes to her, I feel like I’m losing it. Once I have her under my thumb, it will be easier.
Trent doesn’t say anything in return. He leans back in his seat and nods his head. Although I consider him a friend and I’m grateful for his advice when it comes to running this company, I’m the CEO and sole proprietor; what I want, I get.
As the thought registers, the door to the meeting room opens and we rise to stand from the cheap seats. I button my suit jacket and wait at the head of the table for Armcorp’s CEO, Scott Nathaniel Murphy. He’s accompanied by the head executive of sales, Mr. Hastings, and another man I don’t recognize; he has a pad of paper and a pen in his hand so I’m assuming he’s a secretary.
“Good morning, gentlemen,” Murphy addresses us with a firm handshake. He places his other hand on top of mine as our hands clasp and looks me in the eyes. He’s an older man and set in traditional ways. I admire that, at times. I give him a tight smile and take the head seat. I’m the first to sit, but the other men quickly follow suit.
“Thank you for attending this meeting on such short notice, gentlemen,” I say and clear my throat and prepare for a hopefully quick and agreeable contract.
“The pleasure is ours, Mr. Parker.” Murphy angles his seat slightly and says, “I was surprised to hear your offer is for silent partnership?” He says it as though it’s a question. I’m not interested in dismantling the business. I merely want control over it so I can use their sales division for my own benefits.
I nod my head slightly and reply, “It would certainly benefit us both… immensely.”
All the men nod their heads slightly in response, with the exception of Trent. There’s no hint of his usual smile on his face. The sight makes the corner of my lips itch to turn up into a smile, but I resist. This is business.
I clear my throat and begin to say, “Let’s get to the point and make this as easy a transaction as possible-”
Before I can finish, Murphy interrupts me by saying, “You’ll need to come up in price then.” I’m not used to being cut off, and I don’t fucking like it. But I’m more than willing to get right to the point. I’m also not surprised. In the proposal, I put in an extremely low bid, not so much that it would be insulting, but low enough that I have plenty of room to make a guaranteed profit. I’m the only buyer, so I can offer whatever the fuck I want.
“We had almost four million in revenue last year, and that’s only increasing.” I hold Murphy’s gaze as he does his best to give me a hard sell. I don’t care about this shit. I know his company inside and out, what I want is his counter offer.
“Revenue isn’t profit,” Trent says, speaking up for the first time. And it’s a very good point, but again, I couldn't care less.
“Our return on investment last year was nearly two hundred percent,” Hastings says as he sits forward in his seat. His suit already looks wrinkled from his posture. He steeples his fingers and continues, “The evaluation of the company two ye
ars ago didn’t account for our growing sectors. We’ve outgrown expectations while maintaining our cash flow.”
“That’s an excellent indication of budgeting, but that’s not what we’re discussing,” Trent says with a hard voice.
“Our profit margin is-”
“Minimal,” Trent interjects. He barely says the word, but it’s enough to stop Murphy in his sales pitch.
I keep my shoulders squared and stare straight ahead, unaffected by the tense air between Trent and Murphy. I will say it’s a nice change of pace for Trent to be the one heading the negotiation. Usually I’m the one who comes out looking like an asshole. Not that I matter much. It’s business. Always. I never take it personal, even if they do.
“A price?” I ask. It’s all I want. And frankly, I’m so anxious to ensure I have my Rose under my thumb that I need to be careful and not agree to the first number he spits out.
Murphy straightens his tie and shifts slightly in his seat. Finally, he gives me the answer I’ve been waiting for and says, “The board won’t settle for anything less than sixty million.”
They don’t even know their own worth. This is going better than I could’ve hoped.
Trent sits back in his seat and then looks at me. I can feel his gaze on me, but I ignore it. It’s the we’ve won look. I can practically hear him screaming, Take the deal!
“We’ll settle on fifty-five and your entire operations will relocate immediately. There’s a floor that’s prepared to accommodate your current staff and needs although it will need to be outfitted as the two of you see fit.”
I know the offer is lower than what he asked, but not by much. It’s a shit ton lower than what I anticipated paying. I could give him the sixty mil he asked for, but the old man is bluffing. No one in this business gives a bottom line price on the first offer. No one.
“And the cost of the outfitting?” Murphy asks with a raised brow. I resist the pull at the corner of my lips to smile. I know I’ve got him.
“Company expenses--of course, my company expenses.” He purses his lips and looks at Hastings.
“Do we have a deal?” I ask in an even tone. My face is neutral. I keep it that way for a reason. No emotions in business.
Murphy gives me a broad smile as he says, “We have a deal, Mr. Parker.” He reaches his hand out and I easily give him a firm handshake with my other hand on top of his. I finally allow the grin to show. She’s mine.
“You’ll have the files faxed to you in the morning, and I’ll see you on Monday.” I finally give him a nod as I rise from the table.
“Pleasure doing business with you Mr. Parker,” he says, releasing me from the firm handshake.
I force the smile to stay put and reply, “The pleasure is all mine.”
Trent follows my lead as I make for the door, leaving everyone else to do whatever the hell they want.
A sense of ease settles through me at the thought of Rose and knowing she’ll be in my building in only a few short days. That’s too long to wait, but it’s the best I can do in terms of business. For now, I’ll need to be patient and that may be a challenge. If anything, I can find her here and buy her a drink. I remember the way she looked the first night at the bar, the way she bolted.
A smile slips into place as I realize she won’t be able to do that now. I’ve got her now.
Trent gives me a hard smack on the back as we walk out of the room.
“You’re a shark, Logan,” he says with a smile. I huff a small laugh and try to push down the anxiety and unsettling feelings that are threatening to consume me. If only he knew my real reason. That would wipe the smile off his face.
Chapter 6
Charlotte
“I’m gonna fuck five hot guys tonight,” Hannah, one of my new coworkers, announces as she grins and leans back in the seat. She’s tipsy and happy and just joking around. And it’s infectious. She laughs as she fixes the straps of her black clubbing dress. I swear her D-cup boobs are about to pop out. But maybe that’s what she wants. “It’s five or bust!”
We’re driving in a corporate stretch limo up the Las Vegas strip. The girls--Eva, Hannah and Cary Ann--want to hit a couple of casinos and a few clubs before returning to our hotel rooms to retire for the night. I’m not sure I want to be a part of the excursion, but Eva convinced me to join in on the fun to keep up with appearances.
As the new girl, she didn’t want me to seem like a Debbie Downer to the others.
I wasn’t sure what to expect when we all piled into the limo, but I found myself quickly relaxing when I realized the other girls had quite the sense of humor. All of them seem down to earth and don’t take themselves seriously, which is a good thing. It makes fitting in with them easier.
Cary Ann, a petite blonde with platinum highlights, frowns. She’s seated across from me and is wearing a purple dress that is far too short, the hem rising so far up her legs that I think I can almost see her uterus. Cary jokes, “Only five? Why not make it ten?”
“Yeah,” adds Eva. She’s sitting next to me and she’s looking pretty hot in her red-hot halter dress and her dark red hair pulled into a sleek ponytail, if I say so myself. Her makeup is flawless and her eyes, which are framed by dark mascara and liner, look bigger than usual. “It’s Vegas, chica. Go big or go home.”
Hannah bites her lower lip, twisting her face into a serious expression. “I don’t know, guys. I’d definitely do ten guys if I could... but…” She trails off and shakes her head morosely.
“But what?” Cary Ann demands, leaning forward as the limo goes over a speed bump and we all jolt to the side.
Hannah pauses for a long moment before breaking out into a wide grin and howls, “I don’t know if I have enough holes!”
The girls scream with laughter. Even I have to join in. I really need a good laugh and a fun time after all the stress I’ve been through these last two weeks. The fucking breakup. The pressure from the presentation. The feeling of dread I feel about returning home and finding my boyfriend hasn’t moved out yet. Or worse, finding him shacked up in bed with Sarah.
I really need to just unwind and relax so I don’t have a nervous breakdown.
Despite Hannah’s rowdy boast, I know this group isn’t serious about hooking up with anyone tonight. Most likely, we’ll all have a couple drinks, flirt a little, maybe, and return to our rooms tipsy a few dollars richer or poorer.
I know I won’t be getting any action, I tell myself. That’s for damn sure.
“There’ll be none of that over here,” Eva says, doing a swirling motion with her hand around her lady bits.
Hannah frowns, messing with her bra. I swear her right boob almost popped out. I have to put my hand between my legs to keep from reaching over and pulling up the neckline of her dress. “Why’s that?”
Eva raises her head and says haughtily, “Because I have a loving boyfriend who can’t wait for me to get back home.”
Cary Ann snorts and drunkenly blurts out, “Please, he’s probably at home banging his side chick in your bed right now!”
“Okay!” Hannah reaches across her seat to high five Cary Ann, nearly popping out of her dress in the process, and the two girls burst into giggles. “You know what they say; a man is only as faithful as his options!”
Eva grimaces and glances over at me. I know what she's thinking. And she’s right. The joke makes me feel like shit.
Cary Ann pauses when she sees we aren’t laughing. “Did I say something wrong?”
I can’t respond. My throat is tight with emotion.
Eva comes to my rescue. “Charlotte’s going through a breakup,” she says quietly. Fuck, I hate this. I feel so damn uncomfortable.
Cary Ann’s face crumples into a frown and she reaches across the limo to place a consolatory hand on mine. “Oh honey, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
Tears burn my eyes and I swallow the lump in my throat. “It’s okay.”
“You sure?” asks Hannah. “I hate to think that we upse
t you.”
“I’m fine,” I lie, putting on a fake smile. “Really, you guys don’t have to walk on eggshells around me.” I wave it off.
“Okay, sorry,” Cary Ann repeats. I can tell she’s really mortified that she’s caused me unintentional pain.
“Don’t sweat it.” I look around and ask, “So what are you guys having to drink when we get to the club?” I want to change the subject and get the focus off me. As soon as fucking possible.
Hannah claps her hands together, causing her boobs to jiggle. “A bahama mama! 'Cause I’m a big, hot mama.”
“The walking dead!” Cary Ann squeals. “'Cause it’s my favorite show!”
“A blue Hawaii,” says Eva, “my favorite.”
There’s a moment of silence and the girls look at me expectantly.
“Bloody Mary,” I say, thinking quickly on my feet. Because I want to fucking murder Ian.
“Let’s hit Surrender first,” Cary suggests as the limo slows and we climb out. “I hear it’s awesome.”
“Hell yeah,” says Hannah. “I’m game.”
We make our way inside and I’m immediately enveloped by a pleasant tropical smell and the sounds of slots machine. It’s so bright, I have to blink a couple of times to adjust.
The noises, the lights, the flood of people, it’s all overwhelming. Sin City. This definitely looks like a place made for sin. I walk behind the ladies as they stride confidently to wherever they’re taking me. They’ve been here before and they’re acting like they own the place. I do my best to do the same and look like I belong.
I take my seat next to Eva and put my clutch on the bartop, taking another look around. This place is overwhelming.
Hard to Resist: A Collection of Hard to Resist Romances Page 35