“Yes, let’s,” she said. “I’m going to make a list of every event I need you at for the next three months. You jot down your schedule, as well.”
“Before we do that, shouldn’t we make sure that your investors are on board?” he asked. “Or did you anticipate that it would just be yourself?”
“Um, yes, of course,” she said. “Let me see what you have. I think an investment group would be better, but I’ll ask my dad.”
He handed her his prospectus and she started going over it, making notes off to one side of her notepad. He watched as she flipped through the prospectus and the profit-and-loss sheet. Finally she sat back. “Okay I think you’ve got a solid plan here. I’m not sure why you weren’t able to secure investment on your own.”
“Me neither,” he said.
“I wanted to sort our part of the arrangement out first, but I think my dad is going to need some time to look into this. So let’s get him in here and we can discuss that. Regardless of his opinion, I will be investing in your run.”
“Why?”
“Because you are going to help me out,” she said. “I like a man who honors his word, and from what I’ve read in this document, you are qualified and know what you’re doing.”
“I’m not looking for handouts.”
“You’re not getting it. I’m not a passive investor. I’ll be looking for updates quarterly.”
“You will?”
“Yup, but don’t worry, you’ll be hanging out with me a lot so I can keep up to date,” she said, with a wink. She pushed her chair back and stood up, but he stopped her with his hand on her wrist.
That electric tingle went up his arm again and his touch drew her off balance. She started to fall and he caught her and steadied her as he stood up. “I don’t want you to think you’re the boss.”
“Why not? I clearly am. I’m going to work up an employment contract for the next three months for our personal arrangement,” she said. “And we will have the investment contract separately, okay? You were right. I don’t want my dad to know about this. It would be better for everyone if it seemed like you were into me.”
“I am,” he said.
“Perfect, keep that up,” she said. “I’ll go get my dad.”
“Not yet,” he said.
“What? Why not?”
“Because you’re giving me credit for being a much better actor than I really am,” he said, putting his hand on her waist and waiting to see if she pulled away.
She didn’t. Instead she tipped her head to the side, watching him with those wide brown eyes of hers. She nibbled on her lower lip as she waited, and he was struck again that she was two very different women. Strong and confident in business, a little shy and reserved personally. Which of course made a certain kind of sense when he thought about her asking to hire him for the weekend.
“I’m not sure this is a good idea,” she said, putting her hand on his chest. But she didn’t push him away.
“Why not?”
“We’re pretending to be a couple,” she said. “I don’t want to blur the lines.”
“We have to make it look real,” he said. “If you push me away when I touch you, no one will buy the act.”
She nibbled her lower lip again and he bit back a moan. She turned him on like no one he’d been with in a long time. But he was here for business. Which was part of the point he’d been trying to make to her. They had to appear to be lovers even though they were strangers.
He’d also been determined to make his own path and that had sometimes led him astray, but he had to be honest, this detour was the most interesting one he’d found himself on. Pretend boyfriend/lover to a lifestyle guru...who knew?
Four
“So, my daughter tells me you’re putting together a group of investors for an America’s Cup bid. I read Ellison’s book. That’s a risky venture,” Hal Collins said. He wasn’t a tall man, but he carried himself as if he were. There was a sharp intelligence in his gray-blue eyes and a hint of the warmth that Zac had glimpsed in Iris’s. He also recognized where Iris got her confidence and backbone.
“Yes, sir,” Zac said. “I’ve been on two teams since I graduated from college and have a lot of experience and knowledge.”
He’d been in the boardroom with Iris for what felt like hours and now her father was here to determine if investing in Zac’s America’s Cup bid was viable.
“Good to hear,” Hal said. “Why are you striking out on your own?”
“The honest answer?”
“Always,” Hal said.
“I don’t take orders well. I know how to win but when you’re cashing a paycheck and not the man footing the bill, not everyone will listen. I’m tired of coming in second,” Zac said. Hal reminded him a bit of his brother Logan, who would have asked the same sort of questions. Zac knew he had to prove himself to Hal and he was willing to do that.
“Understandable,” Hal said. “I don’t take orders well either. So how do you know Iris?”
He glanced over at her where she sat a couple of seats away from him and her father. Her eyes widened. They hadn’t finished working out the details of the “favor” she wanted from him. “We’re dating, sir. I think you should know that I started dating Iris before I knew she was your daughter, so in no way did that influence me.”
Hal glanced at her. “I thought you were seeing someone else.”
“I was, Dad, but that ended. Zac and I just met and hit it off,” she said. “This isn’t about my personal life. It’s about a pretty solid investment. You are always urging me to diversify.”
Hal looked like he didn’t want to let the relationship questions go but he just nodded. “This is a risky investment, but from what I’ve read, I think you might be worth the risk. I need to do some more research, and I’m not sure when you need an answer?”
“The sooner the better. I have already started the design process and I have two team members, but I’ll need to recruit more. To be successful in an America’s Cup bid, the longer we have to train and prepare the better we will be.”
“Fair enough,” Hal said. “I should be able to have an answer for you tomorrow. Iris, will you still need the conference room?”
“If you don’t, then yes. We’re discussing a few details about our schedules,” Iris said.
Hal seemed surprised that she’d choose a business setting for a personal matter and Zac knew they were going to end up answering more questions, so he just stood up. “Sorry, that’s my fault, sir. I don’t live in Boston and didn’t want to suggest she go back to my hotel room to talk or to her house. As Iris mentioned, we’ve just started dating.”
“I like that. The other guy was too pushy,” Hal said, standing. Iris stood too and smiled at her father as he left the room, carrying all of Zac’s financial information with him.
Zac realized he should have mentioned his father and his own fortune and made a quick decision. “I need a private word, Mr. Collins.”
Iris seemed surprised and he wondered if she thought he was going to tell her dad about the offer she’d made him. But he just smiled as reassuringly as he could at Iris.
“I need to return some calls. I’ll wait in the reception area, Dad.”
Iris left the room as Hal sat back down.
“Are you August Bisset’s son?” Hal asked.
“Yes.”
“Why haven’t you mentioned this to Iris?” Hal asked. “I’m not sure keeping this kind of secret is a good idea.”
“It didn’t come up, but I’m planning to tell her. As you know my family owns Bisset Industries and I have a large investment portfolio of my own. I’ll be putting up some of my own money but I need outside investment.”
“Why don’t you just go to your brother and ask him to invest?” Hal said.
Zac wasn’t surprised that Hal knew his brother
, Logan, was the CEO of Bisset Industries. “I don’t like the strings that come with that. I need to be free to do this on my own. I’m not saying I won’t answer to investors, but when it comes to doing business with family...it’s difficult.”
“I’ve heard it can be,” Hal said. “Thank you for telling me. I think you’d be safe telling Iris, but my wife has warned me not to interfere in either of my daughters’ relationships.”
“That’s probably good advice. I will tell her but thought you might find it odd when you start doing your research and realize I didn’t mention it,” he said.
“Makes sense. I have a few investors who like long shots and can take the hit if we lose money. I was thinking of a five to six person investor group. We’d form it as an LLC and you would work for us. I know Iris wants to invest in you and you could put your money in through the LLC too,” Hal said.
“That sounds like the right approach. And I’ve been working on a new cutting-edge design for the fin that I think we might be able to monetize after the race,” he said.
“Good to know. I think we can at least get the ball rolling this week once I’ve done a bit more research,” Hal said. This time when he stood, he held his hand out to Zac.
He shook the older man’s hand, realizing that Iris had given him exactly what he’d been looking for. So he was going to have to give her what she’d asked for from him.
“I’ll let Iris know we’re done,” Hal said. “I look forward to seeing more of you, Zac.”
Hal left the room and Zac walked over to the window, staring out at the city. He felt just as hemmed in as he always did when he was on the land, but this trip had been full of the unexpected. And he definitely couldn’t complain.
* * *
When Iris left the conference room, she rescheduled KT and Stephan for the next morning at seven o’clock, then went down the hall to the patio area. It was surrounded on three sides by glass walls. She looked out at the city, pretending that this was a normal day. But it wasn’t. She had been on a roller coaster since she’d gotten that text from Graham.
Her phone pinged and she saw that it was a text from Adler. Her best friend, the bride-to-be. It was a photo of two martini glasses, captioned, Saving one for you.
She texted back that she needed a drink or two.
Adler’s response was immediate. You okay?
Yeah. I’ll tell you all about it when I’m on the island. Won’t be with Graham at the wedding... I’m too basic for him. Whatever, right?
He’s a dick. Are you sure you’re okay? Want to chat?
Can’t at the moment.
She hesitated.
Believe it or not, I met a guy.
Good. Tell me more.
He’s cute, really bright blue eyes, and he has a bit of stubble. You know, normally I’m opposed but it suits him. Also he kissed me, and it was way hotter than anything I’ve experienced before.
Sounds perfect. Are you bringing him to the wedding?
Yes. Is that okay?
It’s fine. Can’t wait to meet him. Text me after drinks and let me know how it went.
Will do.
Bran cleared his throat and she looked up.
“Your father said he’s done speaking with Mr. Bisset and you can rejoin him,” Bran said.
“Thank you. We shouldn’t be much longer.”
“Your father pays really good overtime so it’s not a problem if you are,” he joked.
She followed him back into the office area and then went down toward the conference room. On the walls of the hallway were photos from the different companies her father had invested in over the years. Some of them included her father as a younger man and in many of them her mom was by his side.
She felt a pang deep inside of her.
It wasn’t that she needed a man to complete her or that she was less than without a guy at her elbow. It was that she wanted a partner. For some of the companies in the photos, she clearly remembered her father struggling to decide to invest in the firm and how her mom had been his sounding board. She knew the stakes because they were in it together.
Iris wanted that. She’d thought that Graham would be that kind of guy. He hadn’t shied away from the social media aspect of her career, he liked that she made more money than he did and he’d been nice to have at events and functions. Despite being douchey at times, Graham was very good at a cocktail party. But he hadn’t been right for her. She’d sort of sensed it from the first but then she’d put her misgivings aside, preferring to ignore the bad stuff and focus on the good.
But she’d deceived herself.
She wouldn’t do that with Zac. He was really going to be just for show, and as much as her heart ached at the thought of that, her mind and her bruised spirit applauded it. How many hits could her soul take before she just turned into... Leta. As much as Iris loved her mentor, she’d had six failed marriages and was very cynical toward the opposite sex.
“Iris?”
She turned toward the conference room where Zac stood in the doorway. She smiled at him. “Just taking a stroll down memory lane. So much of my family is built into Collins Combined that it’s hard not to sometimes feel nostalgic.”
And envious, she admitted to herself. But then she straightened her shoulders. She wasn’t big into feeling sorry for herself. She tucked her phone into the pocket of her dress and turned toward him. “Let’s get down to business on this, shall we?”
“There’s nothing more to discuss,” he said. “I’ll do what you’ve asked. I think it’s fair. Your father is offering more than I’d expected from you when you suggested this exchange.”
As much as she wanted to hear that news, she had to be sure he understood what she wanted. “Let’s go in the conference room and make sure we both have the details the same.”
He stopped her as he walked by him. With his hand on her upper arm, she looked up into his eyes and felt that heat running through her at his touch. She had to get this under control. Hadn’t she just realized that by lying to herself she’d end up broken? She had to stuff the attraction way down. She’d put her own personal needs and desires aside when she’d started on this path and it needed to stay that way.
She’d built her empire from showing people what they wanted to see and not by being herself. It was too late to change now. She didn’t want to lose what she’d built and she had a feeling not keeping strict boundaries with Zac could spell trouble.
“I think we should only be touching when we’re in public,” she said. “Let’s go inside and address this.”
“Address what? You want me to be your—”
She put her hand over his mouth to stop him from saying anything else as she noticed her father’s assistant coming out of his office.
Zac arched his eyebrows at her as she flushed and drew him into the conference room, closing the door firmly behind them and leaning back against it. She let her tingling hand drop from his mouth. She wasn’t normally such a touchy person.
“Well, angel face, that was definitely touching.”
* * *
Zac could see the conflict in her. There was something about her that was deeply sensual, yet she seemed to prefer to keep it hidden. It was there in her appearance. Her hair was pulled back low on her neck, her clothing was sensibly feminine and conservative, which only made her sensual mouth and her figure stand out more because there was a natural grace and femininity in every move she made.
“What did Dad say?” she asked.
“He’s interested in putting together an LLC of five or six investors. You’d be one.”
“Good. That works for me. Please, sit down, Mr. Bisset,” she said.
“Is this the part where you explain that you’re the boss?” he asked as he moved to one of the chairs. He wanted to tease her and see if he could find his way past the bow tied at her neck and ma
ybe loosen up that hairstyle, but he needed to finalize their agreement more. He wanted to know the boundaries and parameters because he was ready to get back to his team and start the wheels in motion. He had no doubt that once Hal started researching both himself and his yacht-captaining career, he would get behind him. And even if he didn’t, Zac had decided he’d fund the run himself. That was what Larry Ellison had done. But part of the reason Zac had hesitated to do that was ego. He wanted to know that others believed in him. So that his run was more about proving something to himself than to the world.
“It is,” she said. “So here’s the schedule for the wedding. I think those four days will be the most intense part of this. Then I just need a few dates after. As I suggested earlier, at first we’ll do a couple a week, and then I have my book and product launches and you’ll be doing your boat stuff, so we stay long distance—a long-distance couple.”
He almost smiled at the way she cut herself off from saying lovers. It amused him that she was...well, the way she was. He should mention he knew Adler but she was on a roll with her requirements so he decided to let it ride for now.
“Okay. For the wedding, I’ll be your guy at all of the events. We can hold hands, kiss and do whatever else you think we should.”
“Thank you for that. But maybe we should set a limit on the kissing—once a day,” she said.
“No. We should both be acting the way we would in a real relationship if we’re going to sell it. Your dad is way too savvy not to notice if we just kiss once a day. We need to be ourselves.”
“Believe it or not, that is me,” she said.
“Well it’s not me,” he countered. “This has to seem like we’re both real people. I can’t be someone you made up.”
“And yet you are,” she said testily.
“Having second thoughts?” he asked her.
“Yes. And third and fourth. And it all comes back to you.”
He scooted around so that his chair faced hers and pulled her closer to him. “The only way this is going to work is if we are a team. We have to have each other’s backs. If we’re both playing our own game, it will show to everyone who we meet.”
Her One Night Proposal (One Night Book 4) Page 4