His gaze locked to hers. "No, she works for me." She slowed her chewing and swallowed.
"I guess you could fire her."
"I could, but she's the best executive we have right now."
"Business always wins out, doesn't it?"
"Why are you so driven, Olivia?"
"Why are you?"
He pushed his salad to the side. "My older brothers push me to succeed. I could have joined them, but I never wanted to just tag along behind them. I wanted to succeed at something I did on my own."
"And so now you have. You're one of the youngest CEO's in the country. You pulled Dolby into the twenty-first century. Pulled it from a bottom feeder right to the top of the market."
"And in doing so, I may have made Dolby the biggest target in our market. Now you're ducking the question."
The waiter came to retrieve the salads.
"Could we have some house red wine, please?"
"Of course," the waiter replied with a slight smile.
"I hope you don't mind, I saw you nursing red wine at the Gala."
"No, I don't mind."
He watched her and waited.
She sighed. "Okay, I guess were alike in wanting to accomplish something on our own. I didn't want to follow along either. I knew I would never be satisfied being someone’s trophy wife or little woman, even if I managed to have a career on the side. I want something substantial of my own. Eventually that means my own company, but I have a lot to learn before then." His eyes, so intent on her now, were mesmerizing. They made it difficult to concentrate. Luckily their wine arrived, breaking the mood and the waiter poured a taste for her. She took a sip, and with a subtle motion, ran it around her mouth before approving. "Very nice, thank you."
"You've probably always had people underestimate you. Makes you want to prove them wrong doesn't it?"
"Yes, but over the years I’ve found it can be an advantage to be underestimated."
Tyson smiled. He had to force himself not to reach over and touch her. Those luscious full lips of hers. Kissing her could cause a man to lose his senses.
The pasta arrived and Olivia smiled.
"I didn't realize how hungry I really was. This looks and smells wonderful."
Tyson took it as a sign she was finished talking about herself. Which was fine, he didn't like talking about himself either.
By the time they arrived back at Dolby he'd decided something.
"Come by my office around two tomorrow. We'll discuss strategy before you meet with Matasuki."
"All right. Do you want Jerrod to come to?"
"No, leave him out of this. Matasuki is your client."
"He's supposed to go with me tomorrow."
"I'll take care of him, you don't need him. He'd just try to take credit for your success anyway."
"I'll see you tomorrow then. Thank you for lunch, and believing in me. It means a lot."
"You have a meeting in five minutes. I didn't know if I should cancel or not," Tyson's secretary said as he reached his office.
"I'm here. I just have to make one call." He sat in his chair and pulled the card from his pocket. "Brian, Tyson Grant. I want you to do some work for me."
Isamu leaned back on the sofa and casually flipped through the file on Olivia Grayson. She was definitely a talented woman. He closed his eyes and envisioned her bound. The door opened and he reluctantly glanced over.
He made sure she saw the annoyance in his eyes as she carried in the tray.
"Your tea and favorite cakes."
She bowed and began to back away.
"You're here now. Pour the tea. Any news on funeral arrangements for Yasimoto?"
"Not yet." Head down, she poured his tea and handed it to him, choosing not to make eye contact. It was not her place to speak unless he asked her to. She wanted to please him, in any way he wished. She'd done everything he ever asked of her. For a simple gesture of affection, she would do it all again. Yet, she'd realized long ago, it wasn't her love he wanted, it was her devotion. Anymore, she wasn't even sure he was capable of love. Not in the traditional sense anyway.
"What of Paul White?"
"We believe he's being helped, but in a city so large..."
"He'll surface. Have you made the arrangements I asked for?"
"Yes, she will be here early tomorrow morning. Why this time, Isamu?"
He flashed a look and Kimiko immediately regretted the question, bowing her head."
"Leave me," he demanded.
"I'm leaving. Can I get you anything before I go?" Linda asked.
"Actually, I'm going home too."
Linda pinned her chin back. "Are you sick?"
Olivia chuckled. "No, I just don't want to start anything else."
"Okay, just checking. This makes twice we’ve left together in the entire time I've been your assistant and they were both recently."
Olivia gathered her things. "Since the Gala is over, I have a bit more time and I think I deserve a break."
"Yes, you do. I'll see you tomorrow then."
Olivia picked up her cell and in two clicks had dialed a number and now waited. "Hey, I'm heading home. I have to stop at the market. Can I make you dinner?"
On the other end of the call, a big smile lit up Brian's face. "That sounds great, Liv. I'm going to be here a while, but I should be able to be at your place around seven."
"Perfect, I'll see you then."
She took a taxi to the market closest to her apartment and browsed the aisles. Italian for lunch, so she passed that by. Keep it simple. Steak, baked potatoes, and Caesar salad. Nice wine. How about making her famous baked fudge for dessert? She was out of nearly everything. In the wine aisle she looked at several.
"I heard that's a very good year."
She turned and caught herself before her mouth sagged open in surprise, finding Adam Stein standing next to her.
"What are you doing here?"
"Since it's a store, I'm shopping."
She looked past him and around. "So where's your cart?"
"I just started."
"Sure you did." She put the bottle of Cabernet in her cart. "Nice seeing you again."
He followed her. "What did I do?"
Olivia shrugged. "Nothing, but be Adam Stein. Our competition and my boss's brother."
Adam frowned. "He told you?"
"It came up." She kept walking and he kept following.
"I know you're going to be tough competition. I didn't..."
Olivia stopped, and swiveled around. "Getting Matasuki is exactly what I'm going to do." Her gaze narrowed. "You have, of course done your due diligence."
Adam scowled at her. "Of course."
"Good, then you know everything you need to know. See you around, Adam."
Adam stood dumbfounded in the middle of the produce aisle. Did he know everything he needed to? Did his team? No, she was just messing with his head. He paid for his wine and settled into his car. Shaking his head, he pulled out his phone.
"Eric, I've got a feeling we've missed something on this Matasuki thing. Get the files from Nate and check them again, use some other sources, dig deeper. I don't want to get into the meetings unprepared, or be surprised by something."
He tossed the phone on the passenger seat and started the car. She’d been in his head since that night. He thought about her all the time. He'd never encountered a woman like her and she’d left him without saying another word. No, 'it was great, call me', nothing. Several times already he'd used the remembered images of that night to get himself off. Maybe it was just ego. No woman had ever left him willingly before. The Mercedes’ tires screeched as he turned sharply into the garage and then again as he jerked it to a stop. He had to force his gaze not to linger at the spot where he'd taken her. Grabbing his phone and the wine, he walked to the elevator.
Olivia's mind wandered. The sounds and sights of the city blurred as Adam's face flashed in her mind. She closed her eyes, replaying the way his hands and breath had
felt on her skin.
"We're here miss," the driver said, jarring her reluctantly back to reality.
She paid the cab fare and tip, taking her packages, left the cab. Marvin opened the door as she approached.
"You can have us pick up anything you need, Olivia."
"I know. I just didn't know what I wanted. Thank you, Marvin."
Setting the bags on the kitchen counter, she sighed. How did everything suddenly get so complicated? After showering and changing she checked the clock. Nothing she was making would take very long. She placed the wine in the cooler and curled up on the sofa with her laptop. Maybe she’d missed something in the files Paul had sent. Something she could use. Scrolling down the files she noticed some embedded links. She hovered the mouse over them, jumping at the knock on the door.
"Brian, you're early."
"I can go and come back."
He turned as if to go and she chuckled, grabbing his arm. "Don't be silly. Come in. I expected, if anything, you'd be late, that's all."
He grinned as she pulled him inside.
"I want to show you something. I was just looking through the files Paul sent me. Look at this. I hadn't noticed them before, did you?"
Brian squinted as she held up the laptop, finally taking it from her and walking with it to the bar.
"No I didn't. You didn't click on them did you?"
"I was about to when you knocked on the door."
"Good, remember what I told you about links? That reminds me. I have a link I would like you to send to Matasuki. If you can get an email address directly to him, it would be perfect, but as long as he is connected somehow, it will still work. Don't use any of these until I have them checked out. The link I’m having you send to Matasuki contains an embedded file that will insert itself in the hidden program files on a single computer and wend its way through the system to the mainframe, where it will run in the background undetected. With it we will be able to do some sophisticated surveillance. The links you found may do the same thing. Leave them to me."
Olivia walked up beside him, curling her arm around his waist. "I do remember now. You're pretty handy to have around."
He twisted to face her. "I am good with my hands."
She lifted her chin, moving in until she felt his hot breath, and ever so gently pressed her lips to his. He caressed her back as the kiss heated and became deeper.
She opened her mouth to him, caressing his tongue with hers, in long strokes.
He moaned, and broke the kiss. He gazed down at her lovely face, and kissed her lightly again. It was then he realized something startling. He'd missed her.
"I decided on steak for dinner. I hope it’s okay," she said as she moved away.
"Sounds great, really great actually. How was the rest of your day?"
"Okay. It was hard to concentrate on anything after our meeting. I can't help thinking there's something I’ve missed." She pulled the steaks out and then reached for a pan. "There's wine," she said, gesturing to the cooler under the bar. "Maybe you can help me forget all that."
He picked a bottle out of the wine cooler. "I'm certainly willing to try, Liv."
Olivia smiled and pictured the possibilities, while seasoning the strip steaks.
Heating the pan she asked. "How do you like your meat?"
He grinned. "Well tended to, and medium rare."
"Mmm, again we agree."
Brian watched her prepare the steaks.
"You know, for two loners, this feels awfully comfortable. Being together, I mean."
The corner of her mouth turned up in a lop-sided smile. "It's nice, isn't it?" She glanced over, his smoldering stare boring into her. Her stomach twisted. She wasn't sure the feeling was from passion, or from fear. Was she letting him get too close?
Brian looked away. She knew he’d noticed the change in her expression. Remembering where the cork screw was, he pulled it out, opened, and poured the wine. It was obvious to him, someone had really hurt her. He knew, because it'd happened to him too. Stepping closer, he handed her a glass.
"Is there anything I can do to help?"
She accepted the glass, and felt his fingers brushed lightly up her arm. Her skin tingled from his touch and she could barely manage not to groan. Knowing how perceptive he was, he was talking about more than dinner.
"You're doing just fine." She set her glass down and stepped into his arms, lacing hers around his neck. "I'm skittish, you understand. We enjoy each other don't we?"
"Yes, we do. You're right, I understand. We'll take it slow."
She kissed him. God, he tasted good. A hint of wine lingered on his lips.
"I better attend to that meat," she said, stepping away.
"Oh yes, the steak." He actually snickered.
"Why don't you get the salad fixings out? I was thinking Caesar, but I have everything for a garden salad if you'd prefer."
"Garden salad sounds good. Knife, cutting board?"
Olivia pointed him in the right direction. And decided as she watched him assemble the salad ingredients that even the way he chopped vegetables was sexy. This was bound to turn out badly, but in the meantime, she was going to enjoy him. 'Try not to sabotage this, Olivia' she told herself.
"What kind of dressing do you want me to make?"
"You make your own dressing? Still can't figure out why you're single."
"I could say the same thing about you. How about ranch?"
"Sure. Well, for one thing, a lot of men aren't interested in a strong woman." She shrugged as she turned the steaks. "And I guess I’ve already mentioned it's hard for me to trust."
"We both have trust issues. Olivia,” he paused long enough that she turned and looked at him. He’d stopped working and was looking at her with an intensity that made her shiver. “You can trust me."
"Thank you for saying that."
He placed his hands on her arms and turned her toward him. "I mean it. You. Can. Trust. Me."
"You mean it right now. Steaks are done."
Brian sucked air in through his teeth. "Ouch."
"I'm sorry. I don't mean to hurt you."
"I'm a big boy. I like the fact you're up front with things. I'm interested in your opinion."
Olivia's eyebrow arched. "My opinion is what attracted you?"
He grinned. "Okay, you got me there. But as I get to know you, I find you're even more attractive to me than you were. God that sounded a lot less corny in my mind."
Olivia chuckled. "Come on, let's eat."
Brian's phone buzzed. "Yeah, Jimmie. Okay, record everything and go over the tapes. Call me back if you find something I need to know right away. Otherwise I'll see you in the morning." He glanced to her.
"Our contact. The one following Matasuki's mother just came in."
"Maybe you should go."
"They can handle it."
Olivia slid into her seat. "I have to tell you, Brian. I'm really getting into all this stealthy, spy stuff."
"You're a natural, Liv. Did you always want to do what you're doing?"
"No, I was going to raise horses, be a rock star, or something. I'm learning right now. I want my own business."
Brian carved into his steak. "What kind of business? Something like Dolby?"
"No, nothing like Dolby. Entertainment of some kind. How about you, Brian?"
He shrugged. "I always wanted to work for myself. I've always been a nerd, a techie. I was the kid who always had his nose in a book. The one asking annoying questions, getting beat up and shoved in lockers. Until I started to grow."
Olivia swallowed and nodded. "That could be my story. No one paid much attention to me at all, until I started to....blossom."
"You sure did. Where was home then?"
"San Diego."
Brian's phone buzzed again. "Sorry." He listened and his forehead pinched in a frown. "It's okay. He's not our problem anymore."
"Paul's gone. My guys lost him in the park."
Olivia leaned back, droppin
g her fork. "All of this is so bizarre. His behavior is something I never expected. None of this is."
"I hope he wasn't right about Matasuki wanting him dead."
Chapter Nine
Brian kissed her. "I should go home tonight. I've got a really early day tomorrow."
She stroked his face, both of them still heated from their passionate coupling. She kissed him, but didn't protest. He waited. He'd hoped she'd relent and ask him to stay anyway.
"I'm meeting Matasuki tomorrow at four, at the Plaza."
The mere thought of this meeting made him so anxious his heart started to pound hard against his chest.
"I'll have something for you in the morning. Don't leave before I see you." He twisted out of bed and walked toward the bathroom.
Olivia watched his tight body posture and then followed him. She wrapped her arms around his waist from behind as he waited for the shower to heat and kissed his shoulder.
"It feels really nice to have someone worried about me. Thank you."
The feeling of her body pressed to his had his cock twitching to life yet again. He just could never get enough of her.
"I do worry about you." He turned, hugging her close kissing her forehead. She looked up at him through her thick lashes and he was lost. Smiling enticingly, she softly trailed her fingers down his arm, grasped his hand and backed into the large shower."
"We may not get very clean."
He grinned. "Clean is over rated."
Kissing her hard this time, he pushed her back against the cool marble; she dragged her calf up his leg, hot water pinging across their skin. She reached down, sliding his hardness up and down her slit before placing it at her entrance. Brian grabbed her raised leg under the knee, and supporting her leg in the crook of his elbow, drew her open. He thrust forward, sheathing himself to the root in one motion. Breaking the kiss with a gasp, he threw his head back, luxuriating in the feel of her tight pussy, and of her nails raising trails of red welts across his back.
Their hips ground together. Olivia moaned, her hard nipples rubbed over his chest as he thrust into her. He slowed his movements, adding a sensual twisting motion that almost drove Olivia over the edge. He moved in and out of her, as the steam billowed around them. “Olivia, open your eyes, I want to see them as you cum.” Locking eyes as they pounded together, her hands moved down his body and over the tensed cheeks of his butt. He moaned and Olivia saw his pupils dilate fully. She used her toned vaginal muscles to first clamp down and then did an ever increasing rhythmic pulsation around him. She watched as he tried to hold back and saw in his eyes when he gave into his building orgasm. He growled loudly. They came at the same time, staring into each other’s eyes. Olivia's vision dulled, and her eyelids slipped closed. Her leg started to shake, and he held her close as he slowed his movements.
Corporate Ties (Silken Ties Book 1) Page 11
