Thalia Lake - Choosey Lovers

by Unknown

  Mr. Di Amato pulled her chair out and seated her. Shane wanted to seat Satra, but Di Amato beat him to it. He wanted a closer smell of her perfume. It was light but very sexy and alluring.

  She got the vibe that Mr. Di Amato was a big time player back in his day. The very thought made her chuckle on the inside because, even though he was older, there was no denying that he was quite handsome and no doubt a heartbreaker in his younger years.

  Once everyone was seated, Mr. Di Amato, in his slight Italian accent, said, “Mr. Lucas speaks very highly of you.”

  “Mr. Lucas is very kind, and I’ve learned a lot from him. I’m also glad we’re able to meet in person. I’ve heard many wonderful things about you and Mr. Evans.”

  Satra began to list some of their major accomplishments, which impressed both men. Satra looked at both men while she spoke, but spoke more directly at Mr. Di Amato. Shane’s eyes were intense and hard to read. He was studying her and admiring her at the same time. It was as if he was looking right through her with those dark eyes of his.

  It was now Mr. Di Amato’s turn to speak. He crossed his leg and leaned back in his chair with his hands neatly resting in his lap. “I know this business venture is very important to Grayson and to his firm. He’s been trying to get me to bite for the past three years. However, I want you to tell me how this will benefit me.”

  BINGO! That’s the question Satra was waiting for. She straightened up even more in her chair and leaned forward on the table. Shane noticed how her eyes lit up and the way her smile beautifully spread across her face, once again showcasing those sexy deep dimples of hers. He loved the way her hair framed her face. Her nose was cute and as perfect as a button, and her lips… damn those lips! They were so full and juicy looking. They begged to be kissed, and he wanted no more than five minutes alone with her and those lips. He bet they were as soft as rose petals. Shane knew five minutes would never be enough. He could probably spend a lifetime kissing those lips.

  God, man. Get a hold of yourself! Do you know how sappy and horny you sound right now? This is a business meeting! Shane chastised himself as he took a sip of his ice water. Focus…. Just don’t focus on her lips. He gave his full attention to Satra again, and just couldn’t help himself. God, she’s beautiful.

  That was a fact that was very hard to ignore. Everything about her was simply beautiful, and she carried herself with such a graceful, regal air. She was feminine, which Shane loved, but he could tell that there was a toughness to her as well. You had to be tough to be in this line of work.

  “The benefits for you and your firm are numerous, Mr. Di Amato. Allowing Lucas and Daniels to partner with you will not only triple your revenue but also get your company’s name out to the rest of America and Europe with our various connections. You will be able to tap into other markets and resources that you may not have thought of tapping into before. Some of these avenues are listed for you on page seven of the proposal along with the projections.”

  Satra gave them a moment to look over what she had directed them to. Mr. Di Amato reached inside of his suit jacket to pull out his reading glasses. She glanced at Shane Evans and noticed a slight nod from him as he looked over the numbers. Mr. Di Amato, however, gave no indication of whether he was impressed or not.

  As he turned the page to continue reading, he asked Shane, “What are your thoughts on the numbers?”

  Shane put his file down on the table, looked at Satra and said in his deep voice, “The numbers and projections look good… very good. Lucas and Daniels are being very generous with this offer.”

  Satra was getting excited, but it wasn’t because of what Shane said. It was because of that deep, sexy, almost gravelly voice that came out of those full lips of his. His deep, rich voice vibrated through her entire being, and she felt tingly and turned on.

  This can’t be happening. Not now! And why him? Aww hell! Who am I kidding? I’ve always been a sucker for a man with a deep voice and dark features, but when he looks like Shane Evans and has a deep sexy voice to match, stick a fork in me. I’m done!

  Satra smiled appreciatively at Shane and took a sip of her water before turning her attention back to Mr. Di Amato.

  “If I may say, you won’t find a company with more integrity and honor than Lucas and Daniels. We are one of the most highly respected firms in the U.S., and that’s due to the hard work ethic of Grayson Lucas and Mitchell Daniels. I’ve never worked with people that I admire more than these two gentlemen. Our track record over the years and list of clients speak for itself, but in the end, Mr. Di Amato, it’s a win-win situation for all involved, but especially for you. The ways in which we can help each other are limitless. I know you wouldn’t be where you are if you didn’t believe in taking risks. Everyone thought it was risky for you to take over Donaldson Corp., a floundering company that was millions of dollars in the hole, but you proved them wrong, and now Donaldson Corp is a billion dollar company. Your acquisition of Tellecheck & Myers was also deemed risky, and, quite frankly by some, stupid, but once again, you proved the naysayers wrong, and now it too is on its way to becoming a billion dollar corporation with markets in London and Italy. Take that same risk with Lucas and Daniels, and I promise you won’t regret it.”

  Both gentlemen were thoroughly impressed. Satra did extra research about Mr. Di Amato and his business acquisitions some time ago and held on to it in case Grayson would need it. These were deals that weren’t widely known about, but she knew. She wasn’t even sure if Grayson knew of them, but Satra had very reliable sources that kept her in the know regarding their competition and anything else she wanted to know.

  Shane said nothing but looked at Mr. Di Amato. He could tell that his boss, for the first time in a long time, was speechless. Whenever Frank Di Amato was speechless, he was either very impressed or very unhappy. There was a twinkle in Mr. Di Amato’s eyes as he regarded Satra. She’s beautiful but also very smart. Lucas and Daniels have a future star on their hands. He only hoped that Lucas and Daniels enjoyed her while they had her because he had plans of his own.

  Satra sat in the quiet nervously. Uh ohh… The old man’s wheels are turning. This can’t be good.’

  Shane knew what was on his bosses’ mind, and he knew it involved Satra more than sealing this deal with Lucas and Daniels. Satra’s heart was beating a mile a minute in anticipation of Mr. Di Amato’s decision. Please say yes! Please say yes! she screamed over and over in her head.

  Mr. Di Amato took a long sip of water before he simply said, “Where do I sign, young lady?”

  Satra hid her jubilation well as she smiled, directed him to the last page of the proposal and pointed to all the places he needed to sign. He took a very expensive gold pen out of his suit jacket and signed in all the places she indicated. Then he took his reading glasses off and sat them on the table.

  “I look forward to working with you more in the very near future, Ms. Sinclair. Grayson is very lucky to have you, and I hope he’s doing all he can to keep you part of his firm.”

  I knew it, Shane thought to himself. He’s going to try to steal her away from Lucas and Daniels.

  Shane couldn’t blame him. She was smart, well prepared, and clearly took her job very seriously. And boy was she a pleasure to look at. Shane had encounters with beautiful women all the time at business meetings and other social functions, and they usually used their beauty more than their brains to seal deals. Her beauty is natural and he bet she was more beautiful without any makeup. Yes, he noticed it all, and he liked everything that he saw.

  “Thank you, Mr. Di Amato. I look forward to working with you and Mr. Evans as well. And yes, Grayson is taking very good care of me.”

  She ended her statement with a small wink and a smile. Satra wasn’t stupid. She knew very well what Mr. Di Amato was getting at with his last statement. She also knew his track record for wooing employees from his competitors. There’s no way she’d betray Lucas and Daniels after all they’ve done for her. They were like fami
ly to her and had too much respect for them to even consider leaving them. Besides, the money she was making at that firm was nothing to sneeze at. She was bringing in six figures, and she’d earned every penny of it.

  Smart girl, Shane thought to himself when Satra winked at Mr. Di Amato.

  “Well, I don’t know about the two of you, but I’m hungry. Let’s order some dinner and wine and enjoy the rest of our meeting,” Mr. Di Amato said as he summoned the waiter, who was quietly waiting in the corner, to their table. Satra had only eaten at this restaurant for lunch, so she didn’t know what the dinner menu offered, let alone what to order. She got her menu and was even more clueless because it was written in Italian with a few English subtitles.

  After a few short minutes, Mr. Di Amato asked, “Are you two ready to order?”

  Two pairs of inquiring eyes were on Satra, and she felt stupid for not knowing what to get. “I’m sorry. I’ve never eaten here for dinner, and I can’t read Italian,” she said apologetically.

  “No worries,” Shane said smoothly. “Would you trust me to order for you? I promise you’ll like it,” he said as he flashed his million-dollar smile. Her stomach did flip flops at his smile and the soft beckoning tone he used. Any other woman would have melted at his feet at his first hello. Surprisingly, Satra managed to not be added to that statistic. But that smile of his almost did her in.

  Keep it together, girl. “I’ll trust you,” Satra said smiling back at him as she handed her menu to the waiter. For some odd reason, she felt like flirting with this man. Maybe it was because she felt he was flirting with her, and was he? Or maybe it was the way he looked at her, the way his eyes challenged her with its hidden meaning. There couldn’t be a more inappropriate time to flirt with a new business partner, so Satra quickly pushed the urge to the side.

  “I feel a ‘but’ coming,” Shane said with a questioning eyebrow raised, his gorgeous smile no longer on his lips. Satra noticed that he was no longer smiling and how his eyebrows furrowed.

  Don’t tell me he’s some egomaniac who hates to hear ‘no,’ Satra wondered to herself. A cloud of disappointment came over her. Right when I thought I finally met someone who was drop dead gorgeous and normal. Silly me.

  For some reason, Shane needed her to trust him. He knew it was irrational to feel this way towards someone he had just met and really didn’t know, but for some odd reason with Satra he needed her trust.

  Satra finally spoke as she sat back in her chair, “There’s no ‘but.’ I trust you.”

  She didn’t know what exactly was happening between them. There was definitely some flirting happening, albeit subtle, and a tug of war or sorts with trust. She didn’t know where all of this was coming from, but she decided to go with it. Maybe it would help her to ignore her sweaty palms and her nervous stomach – all due to Shane Evans.

  She found herself anxious as she waited to hear what the handsome, self-assured man would order for her. Mr. Di Amato said nothing but simply enjoyed the show as he pretended to be engrossed in his menu. He, being a man, knew full well that Shane was flirting with Satra. Shane was usually very serious, and stone-faced at these kinds of meetings, especially with women. He was always so conscious of his reputation and name that he made it a point to be nothing but professional at all times, no matter how beautiful the woman may be. There was something about Satra Sinclair that made Shane throw that rule out of the window the moment he laid eyes on her. I can’t blame him, Mr. Di Amato thought to himself.

  “The lady will have…” and Shane began rattling off her dish in perfect Italian, his eyes never leaving Satra. Never in her life had she experienced anything so… sexy. To have a gorgeous man speak in fluent Italian in such a deep sexy voice while looking her in the eyes the entire time was enough to make her panties wet…and they were definitely getting moist.

  “Si… Excellent choice,” Mr. Di Amato chimed in after Shane finished.

  “You’re going to love what he ordered for you, Satra,” Mr. Di Amato assured her with a big smile of approval.

  Satra loved the way Mr. Di Amato said her name with his Italian accent.

  Their eyes were still locked when Satra said, “I sure hope so.”

  Shane then placed his order, and from what Satra could make out, he ordered the same thing for himself. Then Mr. Di Amato placed his order in perfect Italian, and the waiter scurried away.

  “So tell us more about yourself, Ms. Sinclair. Am I correct in saying ‘Ms.’?” Shane asked, clearly for his own knowledge.

  “You are correct. And what would you like to know?” Satra asked with an eyebrow slightly arched. She was challenging him to see just how personal he’d get with her, and Shane gladly accepted the challenge. She needed the distraction from the very erotic moment they shared moments ago.

  His eyes never leaving hers, he continued, “Where are you from? Where did you go to school? What are your interests outside of work?”

  There’s no beating around the bush with him, Satra thought to herself. She admired his straightforwardness.

  Slightly smiling at the fact that he accepted her challenge, Satra answered, “Well, I’m a Midwest girl, originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, born and raised. All of my family still lived there. I did all of my schooling back home at Marquette and UW-Madison. Work is what brought me out to New York five years ago, and I’ve been here ever since. I love sports, so I’m all about Wisconsin sports; the Packers, Bucks and the Brewers and Badgers. I was a tomboy growing up. I played a lot of sports with my brothers, played a little basketball and ran track in high school and college.”

  Looking at this beautiful, feminine specimen sitting before him, Shane would’ve never thought she had a tomboy bone in her body. For some reason, he imagined her being the head cheerleader, the prom and homecoming queen. Basically the prettiest, most popular girl in school who excelled at everything. That’s what I get for judging a book by its cover, Shane thought. He was very intrigued with this woman, and it irritated him. This wasn’t like him at all. Normally, Shane was able to keep things professional and his feelings in check. All of that went out of the window the minute his eyes connected with Satra Sinclair’s, and it bothered him – a lot.

  Mr. Di Amato had a smile on his face. He too was thrown for a loop at Satra’s disclosure.

  “You are full of surprises, Ms. Sinclair,” Mr. Di Amato chuckled.

  “I hope they are pleasant surprises for you.” Satra smiled. “There’s definitely more to me than business deals and suits,” Satra said matter-of-factly.

  “I think most men can appreciate that in a woman,” Shane offered.

  Focusing on Shane’s last statement, Satra cynically thought of how she had yet to find a man that shared her interests and wasn’t intimidated by her career or the money she made. Perhaps she didn’t invest enough time in finding the right guy. Maybe she kept falling for the wrong ones. So many of her close friends were already married with children, and here she was still single and not really looking to mingle. She wanted to share her life with someone eventually, and would love to have the kind of marriage that her parents and Grayson and Maggie have. There was also a big part of her that was scared. Her heart was shattered, and her trust was broken in the worst way about three years ago, and she swore she wouldn’t let that happen again. The only way not to have your heart broken is to not fall in love, and so far she hadn’t.

  Dinner finally arrived and just in time. Everything looked and smelled wonderful as the waiter set Satra’s steaming plate in front of her. It was rotini pasta in a red sauce filled with all kinds of wonderful Italian sausage, chunks of chicken breast, shrimp, and lots of mushrooms, tomatoes, squash and other vegetables. Satra knew she wouldn’t be able to eat it all, but she definitely wanted to try. She had a side Caesar salad with light dressing, freshly baked Italian bread and wine that Mr. Di Amato chose for the table. Satra didn’t know much about wine, but she knew what he chose was very expensive, and it tasted divine.

  After her
first bite of the pasta dish, Satra was in heaven. She closed her eyes in sheer pleasure, and Shane’s breath caught in his throat.

  “I told you,” Shane said smiling before taking a bite of his own.

  “This is beyond delicious,” Satra crooned.

  “Here, try some of mine,” Mr. Di Amato offered. He pushed his plate toward her, which had a medley of seafood in a creamy Alfredo sauce. Satra wasn’t big on Alfredo sauce, but after tasting this delicious dish she was sold.

  “Oh wow, that’s delicious too,” Satra said in amazement. The savory food seemed to explode on her palate, and the seafood was so fresh and delectable.

  “Have more. I have more than enough to share,” Mr. Di Amato offered.

  “Oh no, I couldn’t. I’ll be eating off of this for the next two days myself, but thank you,” Satra said pointing to her plate with her fork.

  The rest of the dinner went by very smoothly. They enjoyed general conversation on a variety of topics from world events to the stock market and even sports. Satra felt more relaxed and at ease…at least with Mr. Di Amato. There was something about Shane Evans that kept her pulse racing and her palms sweaty. Those intense brown eyes for starters. They felt like they were looking into her soul and reading every thought in her mind. He had a way of looking at you so intensely but somehow making you feel at ease. He had long dark lashes that sometimes shielded his eyes and thick dark eyebrows. Satra was also a sucker for dark features on a man and he definitely had them. His jaw line was strong and square, which exuded power and confidence, and he had a cute dimple in his chin. His lips were full and very, very kissable. His smile was simply beautiful. It was that sparkly old Hollywood smile, reminiscent of Clark Gable and Cary Grant. He also had dimples, which made his smile even more irresistible.