Singapore Fling with the Millionaire

by Michelle Douglas

  He sent her a lopsided smile. ‘You should meet her in person.’

  Uh...no, thanks. Denise Cooper-Ford had retired earlier in the year, passing the reins of CEO to James. It was why his apparent niceness had thrown her. She’d expected James to be more like his mother—driven, ruthless, cold and calculating...a shark. Denise’s ruthlessness had been legendary. There had been something almost admirable in her single-mindedness. It occurred to her that Denise was probably a tough act to follow.

  Or she could have James all wrong. It wouldn’t be the first time she’d made such a mistake. James could simply be better at presenting a friendlier and more genial image than his mother. He could still be a wolf in sheep’s clothing. While it had been a relief to not be immediately bludgeoned with all the reasons she should sell Beach Monday to Molto Arketa when she’d disembarked from the plane, it’d be foolish to trust him.

  And none of that changed the fact that if his offer to meet with him in Singapore had come at another time, she’d have refused it. Her desire for a temporary break—the childish desire to run away from it all—had made her jump at the chance. In her eagerness, had she given him the wrong impression and led him on? Led his company on, she amended.

  Pressing her hands together, she turned to face him more fully. ‘James, I’m really sorry, but I feel like I’m here—in Singapore,’ she clarified, ‘under false pretences.’

  Nothing in his gaze changed, but his eyes roved over her face and a prickle of awareness shifted through her. It was disconcerting to be the focus of his full attention. Just for a moment her breath became tangled in her throat, knotting her chest. It occurred to her then that his tactics might be even more lethal than Denise’s. She really, really needed to stay on her guard.

  Dragging her gaze away, she swallowed. A pretty face wasn’t going to sway her. She wasn’t letting another man take advantage of either her talent or her good nature to further his own agenda. If James thought he could seduce her into either compliance or submission, he was in for a nasty shock.

  Get over yourself, Christy. Stop being so sensitive.

  James hadn’t made any kind of move—or hinted at making one. The tightness in her chest loosened. She didn’t have to trust the man, but she shouldn’t be immediately casting him in the role of villain either.

  ‘I’m going to need to unpick that statement a little,’ he said now, almost apologetically. His disinclination to offend or distance her made things inside her soften despite her best intentions.

  ‘Always give a person a chance. Try and expect the best rather than the worst.’

  They were words her mother always used to say to her when she’d been growing up. She pulled in a breath and nodded. After Lewis it’d been hard not to tar every man with the same brush. It wasn’t fair to project all of that onto James.

  Expect the best.

  She pulled in a breath. She’d try. ‘Unpick away.’

  ‘You are Christy Minslow, right, and not her identical twin sister sent here on her behalf?’

  That made her smile. ‘I am she. I don’t have a single solitary sibling, I’m afraid.’

  ‘And you are still currently the owner of a business called Beach Monday?’

  She stared at the majestic waterfall that fell from the roof of this extraordinary indoor forest and nodded.

  ‘And you do mean to visit the new Orchard Road store MA is opening so you can see first-hand how we plan to showcase your designs if you decide to sign with us?’

  She swallowed and nodded again. Molto Arketa was like that waterfall—huge and magnificent—while she felt as insignificant as a single droplet of water.

  He remained silent after that and she dragged her gaze back to his. A frown had appeared in his eyes. He had beach-blue eyes—eyes made for smiling and fun. And it seemed wrong that he had to chain them behind perfect suits that diluted their essence.

  ‘I’m sorry, but I don’t see how you can feel you’re here in Singapore under false pretences.’

  ‘I’m going to put this bluntly—and I don’t wish to offend you.’

  ‘Taken as a given. And appreciated.’

  She had to fight the quick smile his words sent rising through her. ‘The thing is, ethically, MA’s and Beach Monday’s brands don’t align. I could never sell Beach Monday to a company that—’

  She broke off, not wanting to be downright offensive.

  His lips twisted. ‘Who rapes the land and screws its overseas labour force while its shareholders grow fat on the profits.’

  ‘Um...yes.’

  ‘Correction, Christy, our current strategic visions don’t align, but I’m planning on changing that. It’s my top priority. The culture you’ve created on a micro-scale is the kind of culture I want to incorporate large scale at MA.’

  Yeah, right, and he had a bridge he wanted to sell her. And big pink elephants floating through the stratosphere were about to become the next trendy mode of transport.

  She paused, and then pulled out her phone. ‘Pink elephants,’ she dictated. And then sent James an apologetic grimace as she stowed it away again. ‘Sorry. Inspiration isn’t always convenient and—’

  He waved her apology away.

  She didn’t want to have this conversation, but the sooner it was over, the better. ‘Look, I know you think I’m going to sign on the dotted line.’ The words blurted out with an appalling lack of finesse, but she hated prevarication. ‘I feel guilty because I feel I’ve led you on. I get two weeks in Singapore and you get...well, I expect you’re going to get nothing.’

  Molto Arketa can afford it.

  Not the point!

  ‘Have you made a definitive decision to reject MA’s offer?’

  She thought of all the hours she’d spent over the last two years with her accountant, and the public relations firm she’d hired, not to mention all the hours dealing with manufacturers and wholesalers. She recalled again her shock and disillusion at discovering that her office manager, Rosa, had been stealing from her. It’d been the last straw.

  A weight bore down on her. The fact of the matter was she had so little time any more to spend on what she truly loved—designing. The money MA was offering was tempting. Very tempting.

  ‘If I assure you that everything I’ve just told you is true—that I’m determined to make significant grass-root changes at MA?’

  If that were true...

  She pulled in a breath. ‘No,’ she said. ‘If that’s true then...no.’

  He didn’t reply immediately, as if her words had given him pause. ‘Has another company made you a more attractive offer?’ At the shake of her head he continued. ‘So at the moment you’re trying to decide if you’re going to sell Beach Monday to me or if you’re going to continue running the business yourself?’

  ‘I’ve pretty much decided to sell my company.’ It’d been confronting over the last two years to discover how much she loathed the business side of things. It was equally confronting to discover she didn’t trust anybody enough to take over the management of Beach Monday to free her up to focus on the design side of things either. Something had to give. But what?

  ‘It’s now just a choice of who I decide to sell to.’ She glanced at him. ‘I’ve had offers from other companies.’ Companies whose practices were more in keeping with Beach Monday’s. ‘It’s just that your offer to come to Singapore was...persuasive,’ she finished with a weak shrug.

  Her words made him smile—a crooked half-grin that jolted her pulse. ‘It was supposed to be persuasive. Christy, I understand you’re keeping your options open, but it’s evident to me that MA is still in with a chance. In your mind that chance might only be slim, but I’m confident we have a lot to offer you.’

  Unfortunately, so was she. But she couldn’t just think about herself here. She had women in remote communities throughout the world relying on the busines
s she sent their way. Their needs had to be taken into account too.

  ‘You say you get two weeks in Singapore. In return, though, Molto Arketa gets the opportunity to pitch to you. That’s all that’s expected here. As far as I’m concerned, you’ve met or are planning to meet the terms of our agreement. I knew this wasn’t a done deal just because you agreed to come. I was simply hoping a trip to Singapore would sweeten the deal. I’m happy to pay for your time so I can go over in detail all the reasons I believe you should sign with MA.’

  He made it sound so reasonable. Maybe it was.

  ‘Christy, your beach umbrellas are works of art. We love your designs—your sarongs, beach bags and espadrilles. Your products align perfectly with our resort wear. As you already know, we’re prepared to pay very handsomely for the privilege of buying your company. We’d also be delighted if you’d come to New York and join our stable of designers. You’d have the opportunity to make a name for yourself there that’ll be recognised in the most exalted circles.’

  He named a salary that had her gulping back an automatic expletive. It couldn’t be denied that working for MA would look ridiculously impressive on her CV.

  In the next moment her heart dipped again. What about Molto Arketa’s appalling record when it came to issues of social equity and labour-force exploitation, though? Those things mattered to her, and she needed to know he was paying more than lip service to the issues at hand. Earlier in the year MA had been lambasted in the media. She might long to sell Beach Monday, but was she really prepared to go against her own moral code and sell out to a company like MA?

  Absolutely not. She’d rather sell for a lower sum. Or she could make changes to Beach Monday’s internal structure so she could focus on what she loved. That thought, though, made her feel exhausted so she pushed it away.

  ‘There’s a lot to consider,’ James continued. ‘Obviously you need to decide what’s right for you, but there’s time for you to explore your options.’

  She forced herself to meet his gaze and nod.

  ‘And you’ve no need to feel guilty about taking your time in coming to that decision.’

  He was doing his best to reassure her and she appreciated it. ‘You make it all sound so reasonable.’

  ‘Why wouldn’t you think it’s reasonable?’

  ‘I wanted to get away. Things have been crazy back home. So I jumped at the chance of two weeks in Singapore.’

  ‘That’s just serendipity. It doesn’t make you beholden to me. I jumped at the chance of two weeks away too. My board of directors have been driving me insane.’

  Yeah, but the primary difference was that he’d come to Singapore to work. She’d used the trip as an escape.

  Still, he was right. Just because she’d agreed to come to Singapore didn’t make her beholden to him. Somewhere along the way she’d lost perspective. Glancing at the man beside her, she couldn’t imagine him ever losing perspective. ‘Why have they been driving you insane?’

  ‘Apparently I’m too young and hot headed. Too full of new-fangled ideas. They’ve been trying to keep me on a tight leash and—’

  He broke off as if surprised he’d said the words out loud.

  Sympathy welled at the bitterness she sensed beneath the calm exterior he projected. If what he’d said earlier about changing the culture at MA was true then he had a heck of a fight on his hands. It was all she could do to keep from squeezing his arm to offer him encouragement. At least she didn’t have a board to answer to.

  James was proving quite a revelation. She hadn’t expected him to be so kind and understanding. Still, she guessed berating her or becoming impatient wouldn’t help his end goal.

  She stared at the waterfall and reminded herself that none of this was personal. It was just business.

  Heat flooded her cheeks then and she had to suppress a groan. She could hardly have been described as businesslike today, could she? She searched her mind for a plausible excuse to explain what must appear to him to be completely erratic behaviour. ‘I’m sorry; I’ve been terribly unprofessional. The thing is, I haven’t had a holiday in, well...’ she fought a grimace ‘...years.’

  He stared and then smiled that pulse-jolting smile that had the breath catching in the back of her throat. ‘Well, there you go. That’s a point in MA’s favour. The money we’d pay for Beach Monday would provide you with the means to have a very long holiday if you wanted.’

  She laughed. Because he said it lightly, like a joke, so laughter was expected, but they both knew the truth of his words.

  ‘And,’ he continued, ‘if you did join our team of designers there’d be fringe benefits like annual leave, not to mention overseas travel.’

  Which sounded divine. The practical, selfish part of her urged her to snap the offer up and sign on the dotted line. It was the path of least resistance—the easiest thing to do.

  ‘But if it’s years since you’ve had a holiday, then you must be worn out.’

  Her more noble self reminded her of the links Beach Monday had forged with village cooperatives around the world, reminded her of the charities Beach Monday supported and the difference she was helping to make in the world. All of that meant more than money and rest.

  ‘And nobody makes their best decisions when they’re running on empty and in danger of burning out.’

  She glanced at him. Why wasn’t he taking advantage of that? His mother certainly would if she were here and still at MA’s helm. Except... She could be wrong, of course, but she was starting to think there was more to James than just a cold-hearted businessman.

  She bit back a smile. Maybe he was only a shark when he dressed the part. In which case it’d be in her best interests to find ways to keep him out of his suits.

  Heat suddenly scorched her cheeks. Dear Lord, not like that. She meant finding ways to keep him in casual clothes. Not...not naked! Perspiration prickled her nape and she lifted her hair off the back of her neck. She needed to keep her mind on track.

  He raised a quizzical eyebrow at whatever he saw in her face and she rushed into speech in the hope it’d hide the source of her confusion. ‘Why do you care if my decision is a bad one or not?’

  He folded his arms. ‘You’re expecting me to ruthlessly railroad you into signing with MA.’

  She didn’t bother denying it. ‘Seems a sensible assumption to make.’

  ‘Which means you think the bottom line—profits for MA’s shareholders—is what matters most to me.’

  ‘Isn’t it?’ Wasn’t that where his loyalty should lie?

  ‘And you think that said bad decision for you—as a result of me putting pressure on you—would be to sign the deal.’

  He was a hundred per cent correct.

  ‘While I think the opposite is true. I think signing with MA is the smart decision.’

  She didn’t ask him why—she already knew all the arguments.

  ‘So when I voice concern that you’re too exhausted to make a good decision, I’m worried you’ll make a bad decision and not sign with MA.’

  His words made her blink.

  His mouth tightened as if he read her momentary confusion, and had registered her suspicion. ‘One question if I may, Christy. Why—?’

  ‘I’ve a question for you first,’ she inserted, refusing to allow him to run this show. ‘What is more important to you than your shareholders’ profits?’

  ‘Professionally?’

  She nodded. She didn’t want to know what mattered to him personally.

  ‘I want MA to adopt ethically sustainable practices. The same kind of practices Beach Monday has incorporated so seamlessly. Like I said earlier, that’s my top priority.’

  ‘Since when? MA hasn’t exactly been known for its progressive attitude on such issues.’

  ‘Since I became CEO.’

  That was news to her, and too convenient
for her to credit. And she didn’t care how suspicious and uncharitable that made her.

  ‘I believe MA’s shareholders can take a minor hit on their profits in the interests of social justice. What’s more, I think it’s the only way forward. If MA doesn’t start incorporating changes like this now, it’ll have an impact on the company’s bottom line in the future. It’s the financially savvy decision to make, as well as the moral one.’

  Now that sounded far more believable. But she didn’t trust it. For too many years now profits had been MA’s primary focus, not people and certainly not moral codes and ethical standards.

  ‘May I ask my question now?’

  She nodded.

  ‘Why, when you have all the splendour of Singapore at your fingertips, did you come here to have your private argument with yourself?’

  The grimace she gave was almost comical, but nothing about Christy or what she’d said since he’d sat down beside her had made James want to laugh.

  ‘The truth of the matter is...’ The delicate line of her throat bobbed as she swallowed. ‘Until I decided what I was going to do—whether I was going to leave or not—it didn’t feel right to let myself enjoy anything beyond the airport.’

  He wanted to swear.

  ‘Like I said. I felt like I was taking advantage of you.’

  He wanted to swear and not stop. Damn it all to hell!

  He wanted her to enjoy herself. He wanted her to revel in the royal treatment. Not tie herself up in knots. He needed her to relax enough so he could show her exactly how he meant to transform MA into a company she’d be proud to be associated with. He’d missed neither her scepticism nor her suspicion when he’d outlined his plans for MA, and if he couldn’t find a way to get her to unwind, every instinct he had told him their negotiations would end in failure.

  And that was an outcome he refused to consider.

  What would his mother have done in this situation?

  His lips twisted. She’d do exactly what Christy had expected of him—take advantage of her exhaustion and put immediate and intense pressure on her to sign. It was true that he could follow his mother’s example.