A Proposal Worth Millions

by Sophie Pembroke

  Yeah, nothing like the Azure at all.

  They were led through to the elevators by one of the several concierges, then up to the restaurant on the top floor. Their table, Sadie was hardly even surprised to note at this point, was right by the window, looking out over the town of Kuşadasi and the ocean beyond.

  She wondered if she could see the Azure from there...

  ‘So, what do you think?’ Dylan asked, after the waiter had taken their wine order and left them to peruse the menu.

  Sadie shook her head. ‘The Azure is nothing like this.’ And, quite honestly, she wouldn’t want it to be. Yes, the Paradise Grand was impressive, and luxurious—but it wasn’t her dream. Or Adem’s.

  ‘That’s because this place is brand-new,’ Dylan said. ‘Shiny as the day it came out of the box. That’s what some customers want.’

  ‘But not all.’

  ‘No, not all.’ He leant back in his seat, looking out over the admittedly glorious view. ‘But before you decide what your customers want, you need to know what you want. If it isn’t this, fine. But what is it? What do you want the Azure to be? What makes it special to you? What’s the big dream?’

  Wasn’t that the million Turkish lire question? The one she knew she should know the answer to already.

  But she didn’t. Because it had always been Adem’s dream, not hers. She’d gone along with it, listened, been supportive, helped where she could...but she couldn’t say what the goal was or the vision, because he’d held all that in his head. All she had were the plans he’d left behind and they’d already established that they weren’t enough.

  ‘Adem wanted...’ she started, but Dylan shook his head.

  ‘I’m not interested in what Adem wanted for the place. If you truly want to save it, to give it a new future against competition like this, it has to be your dream. Not his.’

  Sadie stared at him, knowing he was right but still not knowing the answers.

  How could she admit to him that her commitment to the Azure had more to do with memories of the past than the future?

  * * *

  Watching her, sitting across the table in that beautiful dress, her shoulders bare and her skin golden in the candlelight, Dylan wished heartily that this could be what it must look like to outsiders—a romantic meal for two. But he was in Turkey to do a job—to help her. And he couldn’t let his personal wants get in the way of her very urgent business needs.

  Not yet, anyway.

  Still, seeing her struggle to answer what should have been the first question he’d asked on arrival, he wished more than anything that wasn’t the case.

  ‘I... I don’t know,’ Sadie finally admitted, the frustration in her expression showing him exactly how much those words had cost her.

  ‘Okay. Try this,’ he said. ‘Imagine yourself at the Azure in five years’ time. How does it look? What’s its best features?’

  ‘Five years...’ Sadie’s eyelids fluttered closed as she considered. ‘Finn would be ten.’

  Finn. He’d asked her to think about the business, and she’d instantly thought of her son. Dylan frowned. What was he missing here?

  ‘Sadie,’ he said, and her eyes flew open again. His gaze locked onto hers, and he knew this was his best chance to get at the truth. ‘Tell me honestly. Why do you want to save the Azure?’

  ‘For Finn,’ she said, the words coming so quickly he knew she hadn’t had to think about them at all. ‘Because it’s the only thing left of his father that I can give him. It’s Adem’s legacy.’

  A noble reason, but Dylan knew it wouldn’t be enough. She had to want it for herself, too. ‘What about you?’

  ‘I... I love the spa. That was always my place, my dream. But the hotel...it was all Adem.’ He’d suspected as much, but from the relief that shone out of Sadie’s face he had a feeling this was the first time she’d admitted to herself that, in truth, she didn’t really want to be there. ‘To be honest, without him there, some days it’s hard to remember why I stay at all.’

  ‘Sadie...’ Dylan’s heart clenched at the loss and confusion in her voice. No wonder the place was crumbling all around her. A project as big as the Azure needed love, not just obligation. It needed passion, not just vague enthusiasm. It needed what Adem had felt for it, and Sadie obviously didn’t.

  ‘I shouldn’t have said that.’ Sadie shook her head, as if she could wipe away the words with the movement. The waiter arrived with their wine, and she took a large gulp the moment he’d tasted it and it had been poured.

  ‘Are you ready to—?’ the waiter started.

  ‘Another few minutes, please.’ Neither of them had so much as looked at the menu yet. Besides, he wasn’t going to let Sadie use ordering food as an excuse to drop this line of conversation. Not when there was so much more to say.

  As the waiter backed unobtrusively away, Dylan fixed Sadie with a determined look. ‘You were saying?’

  She took a deep breath before answering. He wondered if that was a sign that what was coming was a lie. He wasn’t used to Sadie lying—or perhaps he’d just never noticed her lies before.

  ‘The Azure is a wonderful hotel,’ she said. ‘It has huge potential, plenty of history and an awful lot going for it businesswise. But more than that, it’s our future—mine and Finn’s, I mean. It’s my son’s inheritance. And I’m committed to saving it.’

  ‘Even though it’s not your dream?’ She didn’t understand. Sometimes commitment wasn’t enough. Sometimes commitment made people miserable, made them yell and scream and cry—until they just gave up on it and walked away, like his father had done.

  He really didn’t want to see that happen to Sadie.

  ‘Only little girls believe that dreams will come true.’ There was a scathing note in Sadie’s voice, but Dylan ignored it. Because he knew different.

  Sadie had believed in dreams once. He’d seen it in her eyes the day she’d shown him her engagement ring for the first time, and again on her wedding day. The first time she’d held out her baby son to meet him. She’d believed in happily ever after, in possibilities and greatness, even if she’d wanted them all with another man.

  Finally, he’d found something about new Sadie he didn’t like as much as old Sadie.

  He sighed. How to make her understand? ‘Look. I could give you all the money your current business plan calls for. I could help you come up with a new plan and fund that instead. I could bulldoze the Azure and rebuild it from the ground up, if you decided that was what you wanted. But none of it will make a bit of difference if you don’t want it enough.’

  ‘I just told you I—’

  ‘Commitment and obligation aren’t enough,’ he interrupted her. ‘You’re not a multinational conglomerate, and you’re not trying to build a heartless, soulless place like the Paradise Grand. The Azure is about charm, heart and home—those are its selling points. The personal touch. And if it’s not home to you, if you don’t love it...’ He shook his head.

  ‘So you’re saying you won’t help me.’ Sadie straightened her cutlery beside her napkin and avoided his gaze.

  ‘I’m not saying that,’ he said. ‘But I want you to really think about what it is you want, whether the Azure truly is your home, before we go any further with this.’

  It was a risk—both personally and professionally. He was testing her commitments to the past and, knowing how she’d felt about Adem, it was entirely possible she was going to send him packing. So, yeah, big risk.

  But he knew it was also the right thing to do. The only thing.

  As the tension stretched between them he reached for his menu and opened it.

  ‘Come on, let’s order. That very discreet and professional waiter over there has been hovering for at least the last ten minutes.’

  Sadie nodded, and turned to the first page of her
own menu, but he wasn’t sure she was actually reading it at all. Instead, she looked completely lost in thought.

  Dylan just hoped that they were good thoughts.

  * * *

  Sadie ate her meal in silence and, for once, Dylan seemed content to let her. Maybe he knew she had too much to think about to make conversation at the same time. Or maybe he was just preoccupied with whatever message had flashed up on his phone. Either way, he didn’t seem particularly interested in her.

  So much for her thoughts that tonight might be more than just business. She really should have known better.

  The worst part was admitting that, for a moment, she’d hoped it could be something more. That maybe, just maybe, this might be a chance for her to start moving on. To follow Rachel’s advice and get back out there. A totally out of character, one-night stand to reboot her chances at romance. Just this once.

  Dylan was the king of short-term flings. If she wanted something short and sweet to kick-start her new life, he’d be perfect. As long as they could be upfront about what it was and wasn’t, and could keep it separate from business.

  But it seemed that nothing trumped business for Dylan.

  As she finished up her last mouthful of dessert—which was, she had to admit, delicious—Sadie pushed the plate aside and prepared to call time on an altogether depressing evening. Not only had she completely misread Dylan’s intentions, the more time she spent at the Paradise Grand, the more convinced she became that the Azure could never be anything like this.

  ‘Do you have a car booked back to the Azure,’ she asked, ‘or shall I get the concierge to call us a taxi while we pay for dinner? They can take a while on busy nights.’

  Dylan looked up from his phone and grinned. ‘Sorry, am I ignoring you?’

  Sadie shook her head. ‘I’m just thinking about getting back to work.’

  ‘Actually, there’s one more thing I want to see here first.’ He slipped his phone back into his jacket pocket and smiled again, slower this time. Sexier. With his full attention on her, Sadie couldn’t stop the warmth that seemed to cover her skin under his gaze. Really, who could blame a girl for getting ideas when he looked at her like that?

  ‘What’s that?’ she asked, but Dylan was already standing.

  ‘Let me settle up here,’ he said, eyes dark with promise. ‘Then you’ll find out.’ He flashed her one last smile as he signalled the waiter over, and Sadie swallowed despite her suddenly dry throat.

  Get a grip, Sadie, she told herself firmly. She was imagining things. He’d made it perfectly clear that tonight was about business only. Nothing he did next would convince her otherwise.

  Or so she thought, until he led her out of the restaurant to the elevator, stopping at the twelfth floor and pulling out a room key card.

  ‘You got us a room?’ she asked, as he slipped the key card into the lock and, with a flash of green, the door fell open. He stood aside to let her in, and Sadie entered, staring around her. ‘A room with champagne. And rose petals. And chocolates.’

  Okay, maybe she hadn’t been entirely imagining the vibes. After all, who booked a hotel suite complete with built-in seduction supplies if they didn’t have plans other than business for the night?

  In a split second Sadie made her decision. Even the fear and anxiety burning through her veins couldn’t compete with the rising tension between them. For twelve years she’d wondered what it would feel like to kiss Dylan Jacobs—and since the moment in the elevator after their night on the town that curiosity had grown beyond all reasonable proportions.

  He wanted her. What more proof did she need than rose petals on the coverlet and champagne chilling beside the huge king-sized bed? Maybe he’d just wanted to get business out of the way before they moved on to the more...personal part of the evening. She could understand that, even if she wished he’d shared his plans with her earlier. Except she’d never have concentrated on work if she’d known she had this waiting for her.

  And, God, why was she still thinking?

  Sucking in a breath, she turned, only to find Dylan right behind her. Her hands came up automatically to rest against his chest and she looked up to see heat in his eyes. No doubt at all, he wanted this too.

  ‘You booked us a room.’ Her voice barely sounded like hers—it was too breathy, too sultry.

  Dylan nodded, his gaze fixed on hers like she held all the power here for once. Sadie kind of liked it.

  Seizing the moment, she stretched up onto her toes, bringing her mouth just millimetres away from his, savouring every moment. ‘Good idea,’ she murmured, and leaned in to kiss him.

  From the moment their lips touched, bliss filled Sadie. Every inch of her body fizzed from finally, finally kissing Dylan Jacobs. And she knew, in her heart, that this was right—that she could move on, that there was a future for her beyond always being a widow. That she was still a woman, too.

  Until Dylan stepped back, breaking the kiss, his hands on her upper arms holding her away.

  ‘Sadie...no, I’m sorry...’

  Normally, the sight of Dylan lost for words would have amused her. As it was, it just enraged her.

  He’d ruined her fizz.

  ‘If you tell me you booked this room to compare it to the Azure...’

  ‘I didn’t ask for the champagne and stuff!’ He waved an arm around wildly, encompassing the room. ‘They must have...misunderstood.’

  ‘Just like me.’ Sadie bit the words out, too furious to say more.

  ‘No! I... It’s just, this needs to be business first between us, Sadie.’

  Because everything was, for him, wasn’t it? Nothing mattered more than the next project, the next shining opportunity. Certainly not her.

  ‘Of course.’ With a deep breath, Sadie gathered the tattered remains of her dignity around her, and gave thanks that she hadn’t wasted her best red dress on this disaster of an evening. ‘Well, I think I’ve seen all I need to here. If you’ll excuse me...’

  She didn’t care if he had a car booked or plans to look through some slideshow on the Azure’s future. Sadie was going to the bar, drinking one more glass of wine to wipe away this evening, then getting a cab back home, where she would go straight to bed. No champagne, no rose petals, no Dylan. Alone.

  ‘Sadie, wait.’ He tried to grab her arm again, but she dodged him.

  ‘I’ll see you in the lobby in the morning as normal,’ she said. Maybe if she pretended nothing had happened tonight, he’d forget—like she had, apparently, after that wedding so many years ago. ‘We’ve got plenty of work ahead of us.’

  And that was all. Just work.

  CHAPTER TEN

  THIS NEEDS TO be business...

  Sadie woke with the same words echoing in her head that she’d fallen asleep to, and a familiar burn of embarrassment coursing through her body.

  What on earth had she been thinking, trying to kiss Dylan? Maybe she could just blame the wine.

  Lying back against her pillows, she ran through the night before in her head. The part before everything had gone crazy and wrong. There had to be something she could salvage from her utter humiliation.

  The business message had certainly got through loud and clear. So, how did she show him that she was back to work mode today, and that last night had been a minor blip? What had he told her she needed to do to live up to the luxuries of the Paradise Grand?

  The other hotel had certainly been impressive, she had to admit, and the food almost as good as the Azure’s. But it didn’t feel homely or comfortable...

  Suddenly, Dylan’s words came back to her.

  ‘The Azure is about charm, heart and home—those are its selling points. The personal touch. And if it’s not home to you, if you don’t love it...’

  Maybe he had a point.

  In fac
t, she decided as she headed for the shower, even if last night hadn’t been exactly what she’d been hoping for, maybe it had given her something more. Not another notch on Dylan’s bedpost, which in the cold morning light she could only agree was a good thing. She’d lost her mind, briefly, but she was back in control now. This was all a business proposal—not a fantasy romance or a glimpse of possibilities that never really were.

  Instead, he’d given her a way to prove to him, once and for all, that he should invest. All he wanted to know was that this place truly was her home, her passion.

  And she knew exactly how to do that.

  Suddenly, the day didn’t seem quite so hopeless.

  She met him in the lobby as usual, knowing he’d clocked her casual dress immediately. His eyebrows rose, just a touch, as he smiled a greeting at her. Was that nervousness she saw behind his eyes?

  ‘So, boss lady, what’s the plan for today?’ Boss lady. He really wanted to make sure she didn’t forget this was business, didn’t he? Well, that was just fine by her.

  ‘Have you eaten breakfast?’ she asked, too focussed on her plan for small talk.

  ‘Sort of.’ His forehead crinkled up a little in confusion. ‘Some fruit and cereal. I wasn’t all that hungry after last night’s feast. Why?’

  ‘Perfect,’ she said, ignoring the question. ‘You don’t want a heavy stomach for today’s activities.’

  ‘Now I’m really intrigued,’ Dylan admitted.

  Sadie flashed him a bright, fake smile. ‘Good. Then follow me.’

  He’d seen the whole hotel on their tour on the first day, so by the time she’d led him down the stone stairs and towards the corridor to the spa he’d already figured it out, which shouldn’t really have surprised her. He was a bright guy.

  ‘A spa day?’ he asked, a hint of incredulity in his voice.