Falling For You

by Nicole Taylor

  FALLING FOR YOU

  Nicole Taylor

  Copyright © 2020 by Nicole Taylor

  All rights reserved.

  ISBN: 9798651823086

  No portion of this book may be produced or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other – except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the author.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, organizations, places, locales or to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and beyond the intent of the author.

  Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

  Cover design by Bookcover4u.

  Acknowledgments

  Paul, my husband, best friend, and number one fan, thank you for being a great sounding board for my ideas and reading every chapter of my manuscript. You define a supportive spouse.

  Mum, Beverly, Crystal, Frances, and Donna thank each of you from the bottom of my heart for the invaluable editorial assistance you rendered.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Epilogue

  Chapter 1

  G abriel Walsh took a sip of his mineral water, his eyes never leaving the woman with whom he had once considered himself hopelessly in love.

  He hadn’t expected to see his ex-fiancée here tonight, but perhaps it was fortuitous that he had. There was a matter of great import he was anxious to discuss with her.

  “Don’t tell me you’re still pining after Dot Judd.” His brother Patrick drew alongside him.

  Ignoring the comment, Gabriel glanced over at his brother. “Where have you been? You told me you were going to get a drink. That was over twenty minutes ago.”

  “I ran into an old flame of mine. Now back to your old flame, Dot Judd. I didn’t know she was going to be here tonight. Did you?”

  Gabriel shook his head. “She’s collecting the posthumous award on behalf of her father tonight.”

  Dot’s father was Jonas Judd, the late electronics guru who had died late last year of a massive heart attack.

  “She is something to behold,” Patrick observed.

  “She’s alright.”

  “Just alright!” Patrick looked at him skeptically. “Come on, Gabriel. Just because she left you doesn’t mean you should deny the truth. That woman is a ten.”

  Gabriel laughed a little. “I’m serious. These days I’m less interested in a woman’s looks than I am her character.”

  Patrick shook his head, and a sly smile played around his lips. “If that’s the case, why did I catch you staring at her?”

  “I was thinking about how I will approach her. I plan to make her an offer for JJ Inc.”

  “Her father’s company? Did she tell you she wants to sell?”

  “No, but I intend to make it worth her while to do so.”

  “You know that we are heavily in debt. Are you sure you want to do this right now? In a year or two, when we begin to realize a profit from some of our projects, we’ll be in a stronger financial position.”

  “We don’t have the luxury of time, that’s the problem. Already the sharks are circling. Before you arrived, I watched at least five CEOs approach Dot to chat. They might have simply been offering their condolences on Jonas’s death but I believe there was more to it than that. They are trying to tease out her interest in selling.”

  Patrick was silent for a few minutes. Eventually, he said, “The loan for the construction project has taken our debt service ratio to the edge. Even if we sought a loan right now, I don’t think any bank will entertain us.”

  Gabriel ran a hand across his chin. “Perhaps we can consider other sources rather than banks.”

  Patrick was thoughtful, then he said. “There is one option we can explore.”

  “What’s that?”

  “We can invite investors to join in purchasing. I know some people who are very liquid right now and are looking at investing.”

  “I don’t want an investment partner, Patrick. I want capital to purchase JJ Inc. An investment partner is going to want to buy shares, which will give them a say in our enterprise. I want none of that.”

  Patrick was contemplative for a moment. Gabriel appreciated this aspect of his brother’s character. He could be irresponsible and immature at times, but when it came to the area of finance, he was a whiz. That was why he had placed him in charge of the company’s finances.

  “The only other option I can think of is private lending sources,” Patrick said.

  “Who are they?”

  “They are people who are willing to lend you money directly. They don’t require shares in the enterprise. They just provide money and expect to be repaid by certain terms. There is this broker called A.L. Finance. They match clients with the lender to suit their needs.”

  “Who are these people? How legitimate are they?”

  “Quite legitimate. I know a few people who have borrowed this way and have had positive experiences, but I can get more details for you.”

  “Do you think they will be willing to lend to us given our current financial situation.”

  “That’s the beauty of them. They aren’t as rigorous as banks.”

  “What’s the catch?”

  “The term period tends to be very short, between two and five years. They only lend up to 65% of the amount, and the collateral is either real estate or fixed assets.”

  “What’s the maximum lending amount?”

  “I think it’s up to $50 million, depending on the value of your assets, but I can double-check that.”

  “What are the interest rates like?”

  “One percent per month, interest-only.”

  Gabriel nodded. It sounded as though there was some hope for them, although the repayment period seemed very tight. It shouldn’t be a problem, though. His housing development project was well underway. When he completed construction and was able to sell the homes, he would have sufficient cash to pay off the loan to purchase JJ Inc.

  “All right. I’ll await further information from you on these private lenders. I also want you to get the finance team to assess how much JJ Inc. is worth so that I can make Dot a reasonable offer. We might be able to scrape together at least the ten percent deposit before we start negotiations.”

  Patrick placed his drink on a nearby cocktail table and made notes on his phone. Then he picked up his glass and scanned the room.

  Suddenly he groaned.

  Gabriel glanced at him. “What’s the matter.”

  “I can’t believe she’s here.”

  Gabriel trailed Patrick’s gaze and realized the ‘she’ he was referring to was Leiliana Lamport of Lamport Holdings Inc.

  Gabriel had only ever seen her in photos. He paused to watch her now.

  She was an attractive, elegant woman with long dark blond hair. She wore a white pantsuit, and when sh
e raised her hand to take a sip of wine, a sparkling diamond tennis bracelet caught the light of the chandelier.

  “She’s lovely,” Gabriel commented.

  Patrick shook his head. “This from the man who was just going on about only being interested in a woman’s character. Well, if that is the case, you do not want to get entangled with the likes of her.”

  “Have you had dealings with her?”

  Patrick’s reddening face suggested that he had not recovered from an encounter with Miss Lamport. “You remember I accompanied mother to a charity ball in New York last month. Well, Leiliana Lamport was there. She was standing all alone in a corner. Feeling sorry for her, I asked her to dance. I have never made a worse mistake in my life. The woman looked at me with such scorn you would have thought I’d made an indecent proposal. Then she said in that haughty voice of hers, ‘Get your hand off me, you drunken fool!’”

  “You touched her? And you were drunk. Patrick, you need to conduct yourself a little better.”

  Patrick straightened his back and glared at Gabriel. “I was not drunk at all. I had just one drink. And I touched her because she was looking away from me and I was trying to get her attention. You’re missing the point entirely. She was brutal for no reason at all. And I’m not the only one either. I shared my experience with some friends, and they told me she has a reputation for handing men their testicles on a silver platter.”

  Gabriel bit his lip to keep a burst of laugher from escaping. He didn’t think Patrick would take being a source of amusement too kindly.

  He couldn’t believe that this lovely creature could be all that Patrick had described. Just as he was about to open his mouth and say so, Leiliana Lamport turned her head, their eyes met, and he was instantly rendered speechless.

  It was as though time suspended somehow, and he and Leiliana Lamport were the only two people in the room. He couldn’t say how long they stared at each other, but it felt like a while. There was just something about this woman. Something about the bold, timeless look in her eyes that seemed to reach deep inside him and take hold of his heart.

  “Are you listening to me?”

  Patrick grabbed Gabriel’s arm. The spell was broken. Gabriel blinked and turned to Patrick, but for a moment, he couldn’t form a coherent thought to save his life.

  “I’m going over to Dot to say hello. I haven’t seen her since you two were dating.”

  Gabriel looked down at his watch. “Suit yourself. I need to go to the men’s room before the ceremony begins. Excuse me.”

  ~*~*~*~

  Leiliana Lamport declined the server’s offer of an avocado and olive tapenade and discreetly glanced at her watch. As much as she was enjoying her discussion with this group of businessmen, she couldn’t wait for the evening to end. Following the exhausting last few months spent completing the acquisition of an Italian footwear company, Leiliana was beginning to experience fatigue.

  The previous three weeks, in particular, had been grueling. Even though she had repeatedly told herself to relax and delegate more when it came down to the crunch time, she had been involved in every aspect of negotiations.

  Happily, it had all turned out well in the end. The business was another lucrative jewel in her family’s corporate crown, and she had played an essential role in that. She had told herself that she would take a much-deserved break. Instead, a day after closing the deal, she was here tonight to present the Lamport Innovation Award at the annual Innovation Awards. This year the awards were being held at the lavish Four Seasons Hotel in Paris. They were at the pre-cocktails before the banquet dinner, which would precede the announcement of the awards. Across the room was a plethora of high-level executives from an expanse of sectors, including manufacturing, energy, information, and services.

  The awards were prestigious awards handed out by the business world to those deserving businesses that had led the way in one area or another. A few years ago, Leiliana had convinced her father, Lord William Lamport, to contribute the Lamport Innovation Award. It was a coveted award that included a substantial cash prize to the winner to help grow their business. Customarily, Leiliana used the event as an opportunity to discover new companies to acquire. This time she simply hoped to be able to stay on her feet long enough to present the award. Duty concluded, she would board the waiting company jet and return to London.

  Leiliana had been called an overachiever by some people. She studied hard throughout her school life, eventually emerging valedictorian of her financial management class at Cambridge University. When other girls her age were reading Vogue and Vanity Fair, she had her nose stuck in Forbes and The Wall Street Journal. She worked hard at her family’s business, researching emerging industries, analyzing business trends, doing forecasting, risk analysis and projections. She launched companies, acquired companies, and sold companies. She ate breathed and slept business. People assumed that she was a hard business woman driven by a desire to win at all costs. This wasn’t the truth. Instead, she was driven by a desire not to mess up.

  As Lamport Holdings’ first female CEO in waiting, she always felt the need to prove her capability and competence. Every success seemed to confirm that she was indeed worthy. Every failure called it into question. Sometimes she wondered when it would be enough to say she had done all she could. Would the day when she would ease up the pressure on herself ever come?

  Laughter rang out, and Leiliana glanced to her left. It was Dot Judd. Leiliana watched her thoughtfully for a moment. Ever since Jonas Judd’s untimely death, she had been monitoring how the price of JJ Inc. stock had dipped for a few months. Shareholders seemed to wonder about the future of the company now that its lead innovator was no longer alive.

  Leiliana knew that this state would not continue for long. JJ Inc. developed, manufactured, and supplied electronic components that were known for their durability and integrity. The company had four manufacturing facilities throughout the United States and scores of retail outlets. It continued to grow through the development of new products and technologies.

  Lamport Holdings Inc. had a subsidiary, Lamport Electronics, that was struggling in this competitive area. Leiliana’s plan was to acquire JJ Inc. and merge the two operations. In this way, Lamport Electronics could benefit from JJ Inc.’s innovative product design and development, and JJ Inc. could profit from Lamport Electronics’ global market reach.

  She wondered if Miss Judd could be persuaded to sell. Even though she managed to make a living from product endorsements and various other ventures, surely she wouldn’t be averse to additional money to support her lifestyle.

  One of the men standing beside Leiliana, Elijah Smith, touched her arm. “I’m thinking of expanding my business.”

  Elijah was the owner of a hugely successful company that acquired and sold ornamental fish. He was a past winner of the Lamport Award for Innovation. What made his journey so impressive was that the man had catapulted a hobby of keeping fish in an aquarium at home into a million-dollar business.

  “Really?”

  “I’d like to discuss my ideas with you if you can spare me an hour or so of your time.”

  “Certainly. Feel free to call me anytime.”

  He smiled and squeezed her arm.

  “I really appreciate it, Leia.”

  “You know that it’s no bother, Elijah. Anything for you.” She had said the last three words carelessly and regretted them a moment later when a hopeful look leaped into Elijah’s eyes.

  “Anything?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.

  She held up a forefinger. “Anything within reason,” she said in a cautionary tone that he caught immediately.

  He laughed. “Of course. That’s what I meant. I’ll call you when I get back to London. I really need some guidance on this business idea.”

  Leiliana smiled, inwardly glad that Elijah had taken the hint and backed off his attempt at flirtation. He was a good looking man with his impressive height, broad shoulders, thick reddish-brown hair, and g
rey eyes. She knew that if she gave him half a chance, he would feel emboldened to pursue her, but she simply wasn’t interested.

  She had once fancied herself in love. But the object of her affection had proven himself to be a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Since then, she had not been interested in repeating that experience. She had buried herself in work and chosen to focus on what she knew was her area of strength. Business wheeling and dealing. And, at 27, she felt no yearning to get married like many of her contemporaries. In fact, she was beginning to think that she could happily remain single for the rest of her life.

  Leiliana recalled now that part of the Bible where the apostle Paul had extolled the virtues of singlehood. At the time when she had first seen the passage, she had been a young, naïve girl who believed in true love’s first kiss and all that jazz. She had been sure that the apostle Paul’s declaration that it was better to remain single certainly couldn’t work for 99% of the population. Now, though, she could relate.

  Indeed, being single afforded her freedom that her married friends and relatives didn’t have. She could spend her time to suit herself. There was no man to tell her she was spending too much time dealing with this or that. She was free to devote time to her work and causes.

  As conversation swirled around her, Leiliana casually glanced around. Suddenly, her eyes met those of a man staring at her from across the room, and Leiliana felt as though she couldn’t look away. He was an extremely handsome man of impressive height and breadth. He had thick, black hair, and piercing eyes. Most striking was that in a room of black-suited men, he stood out as an iconoclast in his royal blue suit, white shirt, and rose pink paisley tie.

  Leiliana felt an inexplicable yearning to know this man. She was about to approach him when, in the next moment, he broke eye contact.

  Running a hand down her neck, Leiliana turned back to the group. She feigned interest in the conversation but heard very little. She kept thinking of that handsome stranger and how strongly she had been tempted to introduce herself to him. But what would have been the point of that? She had no interest whatsoever in romance.