by Katie Dowe
Nicole shook her head.
“Sometimes, you make me despair,” she told him, and they settled down to work in companionable silence, and some banter.
At least her work was fun when the dinosaur left her alone. She might have to follow his orders, but at least he didn’t breathe down her neck all the time.
Soon, Nicole found herself looking forward to the lunch meeting. It would be fun to meet Max Daniels.
She had done her homework properly, as she always did. She knew that he had inherited a small brewery and pub, and turned it into one of the top breweries in the world. She also knew that he had Irish roots on his mother’s side, and considered that his heritage. A lot of his work seemed to be a tribute to his grandfather.
Somehow, she didn’t think his grandfather would think much of this new ale.
But Nicole did like good beer, and she knew that their stout and lager were excellent. Every time she wished she could go on a vacation, she found herself at the pub attached to the original brewery and spending far too much money on far too many pints.
It was fun. It was always fun, though it wasn’t quite Fred’s cup of tea. But he understood why it appealed to her so much, and he always came along. She loved how they always played folk music, and made sure that it was Irish without being clichéd.
That should be the theme of everything they made. This whole seasonal ale thing seemed like a marketing gimmick. It might be because she was in branding, but she had recognized that immediately. They had found themselves being overtaken by competition among younger people, and they had decided to follow the trend instead of bucking it.
Still, even when you follow a trend, even if your product wouldn’t appeal to most people who knew anything about it, it could still be a success with the right branding. It could still be done well, and you could tap into the market that enjoyed the novelty and the trendiness of it.
Of course, she had never been part of that particular segment of the market. But she did recognize it, and she knew that it could work, and work well.
If only she didn’t have to be saddled with the dinosaur’s ideas.
At 12:30, she shut down, got her files together and headed out, waving goodbye to Jeff, who was tearing his hair out trying to figure out a brief that Dino Derek had gotten for him. It made no sense, he screamed, but Nicole ignored him.
As Nicole drove up to the restaurant, she wished he had chosen to meet at the pub. She would’ve loved an excuse to spend some time there, and listen to what he had to say about his grandfather. Shawn O’Connor had passed away a few years ago, but before that, even if he had retired, he used to spend quite some time at the pub. She would’ve loved to meet him.
Maybe the grandson, who was definitely very handsome, had also inherited some of his charm.
For some reason, thinking of him that way made her nervous.
“Shake it off, Richards,” Nicole told herself as she parked and made her way to the restaurant.
No sooner had she given her name before she was ushered to a private booth.
VIP treatment, thought Nicole wryly. It would be nice to get used to that. But she wouldn’t want to get used to being kept waiting. Her time was worth something, too.
Might as well get some work done, thought Nicole, and got her tablet out. She’d just opened a document when she felt a shadow fall across her. She looked up and couldn’t help the sigh that escaped her lips.
Really, Max Daniels was gorgeous – far more gorgeous than his photos suggested. He had dark, curly hair that was the perfect length to lend his face boyish charm.
And boy, what a face. It looked like the gods had been feeling very generous when they put him together. Those eyes were a deep, dark blue that sparkled. The jaw was strong and the chin stubborn. The nose was regal. His dark eyebrows were straight and gave his face the seriousness that his grin immediately erased.
But there was definitely an air of authority about him. He was friendly and nice, but because he chose to be. He never forgot his power. She could see that.
Nicole couldn’t have stopped her eyes from drifting down his body if her life had depended on it. She took in the broad shoulders, the strong chest currently in a turtleneck, the flat stomach, the slim hips and the long legs in perfectly tailored trousers.
Hot damn, the man was mouthwatering.
When her eyes went back to his face, she noticed that the grin had become wider. He had a heart-stopping grin.
And she had been caught staring.
Nicole got up.
“No, please, sit. Ms. Richards, right? I apologize for being late. I was detained, obviously. I trust you were made comfortable?”
Nicole nodded.
“Great. So, I’m Max Daniels, and I’m definitely looking forward to working with you.”
He returned the favor by sweeping her body with his eyes, too. She could hardly take offense since she’d done it first. But it did fluster her.
Right, honesty was the only way to go under the circumstances. Undercurrents always ruined a working relationship, in Nicole’s opinion.
“Please, call me Nicole. I apologize for my rudeness, Mr. Daniels. It’s just that you’re the most beautiful man I have ever seen. I guess you’re used to getting that reaction of disbelief when you materialize in front of unsuspecting women,” said Nicole, a teasing note in her voice, a smile playing on her lips, as she got to the end of the little speech.
Nicole watched as the grin turned into a guffaw, and he laughed. His laugh was as attractive as the rest of him. Too bad he didn’t have the brogue, thought Nicole. That would’ve made him just perfect.
“You are definitely the first to tell me so quite so frankly. I guess false modesty has no place here. But I’m afraid I can’t take the credit for what my genes blessed me with. I’ll be sure to thank my parents, though. They’ll be tickled.”
Nicole grinned, at ease now. There really was nothing like honesty. Most people didn’t give it a shot before they resorted to lying and hiding.
“Now, Nicole, please, call me Max, too. Since you’re obviously an honest woman, tell me. Do you like beer?”
Nicole nodded.
“I think your brewery has some of the best beer I’ve ever had. Only the Guinness can touch your stout, and that’s perhaps because of its history. I do like your original pale ale, too. I’ve spent quite some time at your pub. The original one, I mean. It’s wonderful.”
Those intense blue eyes warmed at her sincere appreciation.
“Thank you. Now tell me, what do you think of the new ale that your firm is doing the branding for?”
Nicole hesitated. Sometimes, the truth could turn around and bite you in the ass. She really didn’t want to be bitten in the ass.
She took a deep breath and decided to go for it.
“Max, I’m sure the new ale will appeal to people who like seasonal ales. I’m more of a… classics kind of girl. I would prefer a full-bodied stout or a dark ale, or a pale one if I want something lighter, any day of the week. But judging by the market and the surveys we’ve done, I’m in the minority. Marketing to people like me wouldn’t get you much.”
Max sat back, intrigued. That had been an excellent answer. She had shown him that she had good taste, and that she was good at her job, with a few simple and well-chosen words. She had also shown him that she was honest, and fearless. It took serious balls of steel to tell a billionaire client that you didn’t like the product he wanted you to sell.
He liked Nicole Richards, decided Max.
“It looks like we’re on the same page, then,” said Max.
Nicole heaved a sigh of relief. That could’ve backfired very drastically. The relief made Nicole smile at him, but not a polite smile – a real one, the kind that made men look twice, and then again, just to be sure that she was real.
Max felt as if his heart stopped for a moment when she smiled at him like that.
“I’m very glad. Now, your team was very thorough with the details
that you provided, but I do need more. Mr. Anderson believes in being very thorough with his details before he deals with the details of a campaign. He pays attention to every word, every color, every image, believe me. So this might turn out to be pretty boring and annoying, but I need to do this. You could go through the questionnaires I’ve made and delegate some of it, if you like.”
Max sat back again and smiled.
He had hired Anderson’s because of his reputation, and because of a recommendation from a friend. Their pitch had been good, but it hadn’t been excellent. But if they hired people like Nicole, they had to be good. She was obviously competent enough to handle anything necessary.
But he didn’t want to delegate. Max wanted to see Nicole again, and he wanted to see as much of her as he could.
“I could delegate. But I would rather not, if that suits you, Nicole. I’d rather deal with you directly.”
Nicole was a bit more flustered now. Who wouldn’t be, when that gorgeous man looked at you like you were the only woman in the world?
“Mr. Anderson will be leading this project personally, so I will only be carrying out his orders, mostly. He’ll be the one coming up with the ideas, and so on.”
Max had a moment of misgiving, but he shrugged it off.
“That’s fine. You can be our liaison, in that case. That is why he sent you to meet me today, right?”
He did have a point, figured Nicole.
“But of course.”
“Great. So, we will cover as much as possible now, and then we’ll go out for a drink. How does that sound?”
The faintest prickles of warning made themselves felt. Going out for a drink didn’t sound like work. It sounded like a social engagement.
“I’m sure that would be fun, Max, but I have a date tonight. I’m meeting my boyfriend for dinner. Of course, if our work takes longer than expected, I will cancel, but I’d rather not cancel to have drinks.”
There, she had handled that smoothly, hadn’t she? She’d let him know that she had a boyfriend, and she had done it without being disrespectful, or pricking his ego.
She had been perfectly professional, too.
Max looked thoughtful.
“Do you have a date with this boyfriend of yours tomorrow night?”
“No,” said Nicole, before she could stop herself.
“Great, then we can get started today, and go on tomorrow evening. I think I know a few places you would enjoy much more than this restaurant. I didn’t know what to expect when I decided to meet you here, and I had a meeting here already, anyway.”
Nicole was a bit taken aback. She had been perfectly clear, hadn’t she? But she couldn’t turn him down again. You don’t turn a billionaire client down twice, especially after you made it clear that you’re in a relationship.
“Of course, we can do that. I’ll make sure that I’m available for you whenever you need.”
The quick flash of his grin nearly made her blush.
Now, why had she said that? Nicole chided herself for the choice of words.
But it was true enough. She would make herself available to him whenever he needed her, as long as it was about work.
“There are quite a few things where I would like to get your opinion. Apart from the seasonal ale, there’s something else that I’m considering, and I think your input would be quite valuable there.”
Max leaned towards her and Nicole felt like her skirt, her blouse, her very skin was too tight. His turtleneck stretched across his broad shoulders and made her want to run her hands over him.
She was nearly drooling over him, and it looked like there was no off switch inside her as far as the effect of Max Daniels was concerned.
“Of course, but first, we do need to get this done,” insisted Nicole.
Max sighed and pulled a face that made Nicole laugh.
“All right, if we must work, we will. But after we finish this, you will give me half an hour to talk about something that has absolutely nothing to do with this seasonal ale.”
The look of distaste on his face as he said the last bit made her grin.
“If you dislike that ale so much, why did you pay for it to be made?”
Max gave her a rueful smile.
“The way of the world, I’m afraid. We all have to make compromises, even if that’s the last thing you want to do. Are you happy with everything you do?”
That segue into her personally was so neat and so smooth that Nicole barely noticed it.
She leaned forward, feeling as if she could open her soul to him.
“Maybe not. But we’ve got to do what we’ve got to do. I know I’m doing what I’m good at, so that helps, a lot. Sometimes, everything around it doesn’t. Aren’t you doing what you’re good at? You must be. You built a small brewery and pub up into so much more. I’m sure your family is very proud of you.”
Max smiled.
“My family isn’t very focused on success. At least, not the way you mean there. They want me to be happy, more than anything. They’re honestly quite amused that I find work so much fun. You know, not just the pulling a pint and chatting at the bar, though I’ve done that a lot. I mean planning, investing, hiring, improving… Well, building, I suppose.”
Nicole smiled.
“Sounds like you’re very lucky to have the family you do.”
The conversation turned to his grandfather, and Nicole was so engrossed that she didn’t even notice, until much later, that the questionnaire had been forgotten.
Chapter 3
Nicole was shocked when she saw that they had been talking for two hours. The questionnaire, thought Nicole in dismay.
“Max, I’m so sorry but I’ve overshot the time you’d given me today, and the questionnaire…”
Max grinned, and Nicole felt her heart stutter again. Really, it shouldn’t be allowed, thought Nicole. It was bad enough that he had the perfect family and the perfect business. Did he have to have the perfect face, too?
And he was an excellent conversationalist, too. She never lost track of time like that. Her time was always accounted for. It had to be, with how much she worked every day. She’d never get to see Fred at all if she didn’t keep track of everything.
Fred, thought Nicole with some guilt. She had spent a couple of hours with a beautiful man, and not thought about Fred except when she had made herself tell Max about him. Even that had seemed like a grudging admission, now that she thought back.
“Don’t worry about it. It’s the one you’d sent to Noel earlier, right?”
Nicole nodded. Noel, Max’s admin in charge, had seemed to Nicole to be a bit scarily efficient. He had wanted all of it cleared through him.
Max grinned again. Nicole thought some of her brain cells might be scrambled, with all of that buzzing and crackling from his grins.
“Well, if you send something to Noel, you can usually rest assured that it’s been taken care of. As far as the details are concerned, Noel is a whiz. You can ask him anything under the sun, I think, sometimes.”
Nicole relaxed again.
“So he’s like your Jeeves?”
“I wouldn’t call myself a gentleman,” quipped Max.
Nicole laughed.
“If Bertie Wooster is the definition of a gentleman, I’d say that’s to your credit.”
Max looked delighted.
“You like books!”
It sounded almost like an accusation.
“I’m afraid half my apartment has been taken over by books. I read everything, but Wodehouse was my favorite for a long time. I learned how to speak the Queen’s English thanks to Wodehouse, though I can go back to my Queens drawl any time. Helped me get my job, to be honest.”
Max nodded, still looking like he’d discovered Santa Claus.
“What else do you like to read?”
Nicole shrugged.
“I read just about everything. I’ve been on a Jane Austen kick lately. When I’m frustrated with life, I read Jane Austen and re
mind myself that it could always be worse. I could be stuck marrying a silly, self-important curate.”
“You become more fascinating by the minute, Nicole,” said Max, and he looked as if he really meant it. He almost made Nicole feel shy.
“You don’t know how much I regret this, but I must leave you now. Can I have you taken wherever you need to go?”
Nicole shook her head, though she wanted to say yes. Max was fascinating. He knew so much about so many places. He had been to so many places she had only dreamed of ever seeing. He had told her about camping in the Amazon, and Nicole had been fascinated. Of course, she no longer remembered just how the conversation had turned to camping in the Amazon. But the man intrigued her.
“No, I’m fine. I need to get back to the office and finish quite a bit of work. This questionnaire will keep me busy for a few hours.”
Max got up, and instead of walking away, moved closer to her and leaned on the table.
“You do know what they say about all work and no play,” he teased her.
Nicole laughed, but it wasn’t the hearty sound it usually was. It sounded breathy and sexy.
“I’ll keep it in mind. I don’t think there’s any danger of me turning into a dull girl.”
“I don’t think there is, either. I’ll see you tomorrow evening?”
Nicole nodded, mesmerized as he moved closer to her.
For a moment, Nicole thought he might be about to kiss her. For one long moment, she wanted him to, before she snapped herself back to reality.
Reality didn’t seem so appealing.
“Tomorrow evening,” said Nicole, trying to make her voice sound firm and decisive. But she had to swallow hard before she could find her voice.
That rather ruined the impact a bit.
She watched him walk away, and she couldn’t help noticing that he had a very nice ass.
Great, thought Nicole. The man really was the complete package.
That made her wonder what his package was like.
Shit, not good, thought Nicole. She wasn’t supposed to wonder about other men’s packages when she had Fred waiting for her at home.
“Shit,” she said, this time out loud.
She had spent so much time with Max that she would now have to work late. That meant that she wouldn’t be able to make it to dinner with Fred that night.
