The Alpha's Touch Boxed Set (14 Book Bundle)

by Taylor, Tawny

  Chapter Six

  Entering the darkened conference room, Alex was surprised to see how far into the presentation Nora had already progressed. Standing before a screen displaying multiple images, laser pointer in hand, she paused her narrative long enough to nod. Alex glanced at the Carters, sun-bronzed as ever and dressed in stylish golf gear, sipping mugs of aromatic coffee and grinning with matching laser-white smiles.

  “So good to see you again, Alex,” Logan said, rising to shake Alex’s hand.

  “Same here,” Alex said, reaching over to shake Grace’s hand.

  “You look as lovely as ever, Grace,” he said, catching her fingers carefully.

  “You always were such a charming bullshitter,” Grace replied with her usual-gut punch humor.

  Alex glanced at Nora, patiently waiting to continue.

  “Please,” he said, sliding into a chair beside Grace. “Let’s continue. I think you’re going to be very pleased with Nora’s ideas.”

  Nora cocked an amused eyebrow and continued her witty and razor-sharp narrative. As the slideshow continued at a brisk pace disallowing even a moment’s mental lapse, Alex realized that she had evolved the campaign far from children’s signature golfing hats into a complete clothing line stylish enough to rival existing designer competition. Alex noted Nora’s attention to detail and quality in each item down to the stitching of the shoes and whimsical colors and designs for gloves.

  It was evident by the Carters’ reactions that they were beyond pleasantly surprised.

  Not only had they laughed several times at some of Nora’s clever twists to something as mundane as socks and sweatbands, they appeared to be on the verge of erupting into applause. Alex couldn’t help but feel a pang of envy at the enthusiastic manner in which the couple paid attention to Nora.

  Nora paused on the last slide summarizing the entire concept line. Displayed on the screen, Alex realized that her ideas were more than unique, they were absolutely brilliant. If the presentation was the result of something Nora quickly threw together, he could only wonder what her full attention was capable of producing. While he had worked with many talented people over the years, none approximated Nora’s obvious gift.

  “So,” she said, pausing to make eye contact with Logan and Grace, “as you can see, by presenting a complete line suitable for boys and girls, you’re focusing more on an interchangeable, stylish pro look for children rather than more childish styles. This will certainly appeal to the boy or girl that doesn’t necessarily want to look like a Saturday morning cartoon or the latest box office villain, but who takes the game as seriously as their parents and wants to look mature and sophisticated.”

  “I love it!” Logan cried, startling Alex with his booming voice. “Best ideas I’ve ever seen! You took our seed of an idea and transformed it into a giant redwood. Well done, Nora!”

  “This is far above what we expected,” Grace said, beaming a megawatt smile. “Your concepts are amazing! Have you designed children’s wear before?”

  Nora shook her head. “No, but I’ve always approached creativity with the same eye regardless of the subject. Practicality and aesthetics can apply to almost anything.”

  “Remind me to hire you to redecorate our guest house,” Grace said. “I can only imagine what you could with that.”

  Nora laughed, the musical resonance of her voice somehow affecting Alex’s endorphins. If Nora was a drug, he was ready to become a junkie.

  “Well, I did help out with redecorating my parents’ home,” she said. “My designs were better than the company my mother was thinking of hiring, so we saved a fortune and went to Mauritius instead.”

  Sure beats Cabo... Alex thought to himself.

  “Well,” Logan said, “you’ve definitely sold us.”

  Wow... Alex thought, trying to match Logan’s smile, even though the envy gremlin prodded him in the ribs a little too enthusiastically.

  “Excellent presentation, Nora,” he finally said. “I think the Carters are ready to sign.”

  “You got that right,” Logan said.

  Nora smiled. “Thank you,” she said. “The goal here is to set your clothing line apart from the rest.”

  “Which you’ve certainly done,” Grace said, pausing to check her phone. “Nora, I’m afraid we have another meeting we can’t postpone. Can we reconvene later to discuss the next step?”

  “I’m free for the rest of the day,” Nora said. “Call me when you’re available.”

  Grace and Logan rose and warmly shook her hand.

  “I don’t think we need to waste anymore time,” Logan said. “Grace and I both like what we see. Why don’t you prepare documentation for us to sign when we return?”

  “I’ll get started on it straight away,” Nora said.

  “It’s going to be a pleasure working you,” Grace said, turning to leave.

  “Alex, will we see you later?” Logan asked.

  “Yes,” he said, feeling very much like the wallflower at a school dance. “I’ll be available all day as well.”

  “Look forward to seeing you both later then,” Grace said as she and Logan walked out of the conference room.

  “Seems as though you rocked their world,” Alex said as Nora started clearing up and opening the blinds.

  “I wouldn’t say that,” she said. “All I did was provide them with what they needed to make their campaign rise above the competition. It’s quite simple once you identify the objectives.”

  She paused as she gathered the coffee cups on the tray. “Alex, do you mind if I’m completely open with you?”

  Oh, oh...

  “Of course,” Alex said, “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  Nora smiled with a touch of skepticism. “You’re the heir to an advertising dynasty that’s made more headlines than any of your competitors. Why would you even be surprised by what I just did? After all, this is our chosen field of work. It’s not because I’m a woman, is it?”

  “Nora, please,” Alex said. “Remove that thought from your mind. Stone Advertising is not and never will be a boy’s club. If anything, I’m beyond impressed, only because of what you’ve accomplished on your first day. If honesty is what you want, then I have to say I’ve never seen such a performance from a new hire.”

  “I’m glad to hear that,” Nora replied. “I’ve never had the patience to deal with either office politics or outdated attitudes.” She paused, as if considering her words. “I’ve also made it a point to keep my personal life out of the office. It never mixes.”

  “I totally agree,” Alex said through a smile that was feeling a little too stretched.

  “Anyway,” Nora said, glancing at her phone, “I need to get to legal to start the paperwork. Hopefully they can get it done by today.”

  “Why don’t we go down together?” Alex asked. “I can introduce you...”

  “Really, Alex, you don’t need to put yourself out,” Nora said, heading for the door. “I know you’re busy with the Langley campaign. Besides, this will give me a chance to scope everyone out. I prefer to deal with doers rather than cruisers and I can tell quickly enough who those are.”

  Alex followed her out of the conference room, his gaze inadvertently following the assertive movement of her luscious ass. For a moment he envisioned two fluffy mounds of meringue that he simply wanted to sink his face into and lap like a starving cat.

  Nora pressed the elevator’s illuminated call button. “Has your father already left for D.C.?” she asked, busily entering dates into her phone’s calendar.

  “Yes,” Alex said. “He’s back Friday, but you can contact him any time if you need to.”

  “That’s fine,” she said. “I’ll call him when I get back from legal. Did you have anything to add regarding the Carters or the campaign?”

  The elevator opened. Facing Alex, Nora did not notice Tisa, dressed in a fire engine red dress tight enough to raise a five-bell alarm, inside the elevator.

  Snared by Tisa’s l
ivid gaze, Alex barely had time to register the sight of her angry face when Nora stepped into the elevator, her attention distracted by a text on her phone.

  Tisa emerged at the same moment on dangerously pointed stilettos, her catty glance at Nora unnoticed.

  “I’ll have to catch you later, Alex,” Nora said as she pushed the button to the thirtieth floor. “The Carters are stopping by right after lunch.”

  “Keep me posted,” Alex said, watching the door close with relief.

  He turned to Tisa just as her hand made stinging contact with his face. The slap resonated loudly. Shocked, Alex grabbed his left cheek, his frantic glance around the corridor revealing no one else around.

  “Tisa,” he said. “What the hell was that for?”

  “You know very well what it’s for!” Tisa spat, hands on hips.

  “Keep your voice down,” Alex said. “If you have anything to say, we’ll talk in my office.”

  With a huff, Tisa stalked off. Alex followed, hoping prying eyes weren’t following the drama. He covered what he hoped wasn’t a handprint on his face, and kept his distance so that they wouldn’t be seen to be walking together. Tisa’s unannounced appearance had completely thrown him off balance. It was only fortuitous timing that had prevented a cat fight. Tisa had never come up to his office before, and he silently cursed Margarita for no doubt cluing her cousin in about Nora.

  Tisa turned on Alex as soon as he closed the door. Her musky perfume shouted almost as loudly as her voice, and suddenly everything about her, from her revealing dress to her pouting red lips and matching nails, gave him a headache. How had he even considered her sexy? Compared to Nora, Tisa was a squawking parrot to Nora’s cooing dove.

  “So you think you’re going to fob me off to your mejor amigo?” she said.

  “What are you talking about?” Alex said, feigning innocence.

  “You disappear after the wedding and don’t bother to call me? You don’t think I figured it all out when Rick called?”

  “I spent the weekend at my parents,” Alex said. “Got heatstroke after running around like a fool at the reception. Didn’t hit me till later.”

  A chink of sympathy appeared through Tisa’s armor.

  “You weren’t feeling well?”

  “No, Tisa, I wasn’t. You can call my mother if you need to verify that.”

  Tisa stared sheepishly at the fading mark on Alex’s face.

  “Oh,” she said. “I thought you asked Rick to take me to Montego Bay.”

  Alex mustered a wounded expression. “If Rick asked you then it’s no surprise,” he said. “He’s been wanting to approach you for a long time.”

  “Rick?” Tisa said. “Verdad?”

  Alex sighed contritely. “He asked me not to say anything. Didn’t want to make this into some kind of competition.” He paused for effect, gauging Tisa’s softening expression. A little more nudging, and he’d be out of hot water. “Frankly, Tisa, I think he’d be a better match for you.”

  He walked toward his desk and sat with a serious expression. Tisa followed with a worried look, the lioness tamed, claws retracted. In a way, her unscheduled appearance might have been the best thing that could have happened. If he was going to break it off with her, now would be the perfect opportunity.

  “What do you mean, Alex?” Tisa said in her kitten voice.

  Alex made a show of scrolling through the Langley presentation, pausing now and again to meaningfully frown.

  “It’s time for me to start focusing on work again,” he said. “I have to get my head back into the game. This isn’t high school, it’s business, and I’ve let the reigns slacken a bit too much lately. I’m not going to disappoint Dad and everything he built.”

  He gazed earnestly at Tisa. The more he looked at her, the more he realized that she and Rick would actually make a far better couple. Rick was an heir to old Texan oil money; work wasn’t an issue for him, it wasn’t even a word in his vocabulary.

  “I think you should give Rick a chance. He’s talked about you many times but only recently did he finally admit his feelings for you.”

  “Rick?” Tisa said, the ramifications slowly sinking in.

  Alex held his breath. It was coming. Any moment now...

  Tisa’s faint, assessing smile did not go unnoticed by Alex.

  “I didn’t know,” she said. “I always had eyes for you, querida.”

  Alex shrugged modestly. “I know we’ve been close, Tisa, but sometimes we have to make sacrifices. Rick’s my best friend. I told him to follow his heart and do what he had to. If he reached out to you...”

  He let the words dangle.

  “I’ll leave it to you, Tisa,” he said. “We’re all adults. The choice is yours.”

  Tisa managed to look flattered and crestfallen.

  “I’ve always thought Rick was muy caliente,” she said.

  “What did you tell him?” Alex asked, more than curious himself to know what had transpired.

  “He said he was going to spend some time at the villa and asked if I wanted to come along,” Tisa said. “I thought about it for a moment because it’s so close to home, but I told him it wasn’t a good idea because I was with you.” She smiled apologetically. “I thought you were trying to get rid of me.”

  “I hope you didn’t tear into him, Tisa,” Alex said. “He is my best friend.”

  “Not quite,” she hedged, “but I wasn’t too happy.”

  While Alex assumed there would a need for some damage control, for now managing Tisa was more important. He glanced at his watch and rose.

  “Tisa, I’m sorry, but I really have to get to work. I suggest you call Rick and apologize. This isn’t how I intended things to happen between us, but I think it’s better this way.”

  Surprisingly silent, Tisa merely stared at him. Alex could literally hear her mental debate. Old money, no attachments, multiple homes...

  “I understand,” Tisa said. “I guess I didn’t handle it too well.”

  Checkmate...

  “Maybe you should call him?” Alex said, walking to the door and opening it.

  Tisa hesitated, then approached the door. She cast Alex a contrite smile and stepped out.

  “I’ll let you know what happens,” she said.

  Alex smiled. “I’m sure it will work out just fine,” he said, closing the door. “Have a great time, Tisa.”

  *

  Sagging against the door, Alex uttered a sigh of relief as he heard Tisa’s clicking heels retreat to the elevator. Waiting a few more moments, he peered cautiously out the door to find her gone. Today, at least, he had avoided collateral damage. Hopefully, Rick would follow through on his promise, but knowing Tisa and her jalapeño hot temper, only time would tell.

  He returned to his desk and tried to focus on the Langley Luxe campaign. His earlier blaze of energy and creativity had abandoned him, and his motivation lagged like a deflated balloon. Determined not to be derailed, he continued to review the slides until he felt the stirrings of creativity stumble from his mind. A few tweaks here and there, and the presentation was finally reaching a point where he could think about bringing in Miles Langley and his team.

  Alex leaned back in his chair and gazed at the presentation with a sense of pride. The old saying about not keeping a good man down certainly applied, and now he felt that familiar buzz slowly course through his veins. If Nora thought her presentation to the Carters kicked ass, Alex’s presentation would be a contained tsunami. Browsing through his calendar, he was in the process of deciding on some time slots when he heard a knock at his door.

  Glancing up in alarm, a horrifying vision of Tisa entered his mind before he realized she never would have bothered to knock.

  “Come in,” he said, more than relieved to see Nora walk in.

  Watching her move with an alluring combination of efficiency and femininity fascinated Alex. There was no pretension or artifice about her, unlike Tisa, or many other women he knew who moved like tanks, their gaze
s sweeping their surroundings like swiveling cannons in search of approval and envious looks.

  “Anything wrong?” Nora asked, noticing Alex’s glazed expression.

  “Nothing,” Alex said, “just thinking of scheduling in the Langley Luxe presentation within the next few days.”

  Nora smiled brightly. “That’s fantastic, Alex! Imagine if we could tie off both this and the Carter campaign around the same time.”

  “That would be awesome,” Alex said, literally hearing the wheels turning inside Nora’s head. “What’s on your mind, Nora?”

  “I’m thinking we should make a simultaneous announcement,” she said. “Wait until the ink is dry on both contracts and then blitz the media.”

  Alex laughed. “You’re starting to sound like Uncle Ben,” he said. “Bring forth the longships and raise the battle axes!”

  Nora grinned. “I was quite taken with the Scandinavians when I went on that midnight sun cruise. Delightful people. I’m not sure I’d have run away had I been a damsel watching a horde of tall, hunky blond men charge toward me.”

  Pause ... rewind ... a touch of jealousy there, Mr. Stone?

  “Though I haven’t spent as much time as I’d like in Scandinavia,” Alex said, quickly changing gears, “I feel like I have thanks to my uncle. Remember what’s in store for us when he returns.”

  Nora burst into laughter. “My God, Alex,” she said. “I can so imagine your uncle charging from a longship brandishing a sword and bellowing battle cries.” She paused. “But then, he’s probably already participated in all those re-enactments. I’m surprised he doesn’t speak Norwegian ... or does he?”

  “Hei, er mitt navn Bennett,” Alex said. “He started lessons recently. He wanted to write the wedding vows in Norwegian but Juliette wouldn’t have it. It was her idea for the Renaissance wedding, by the way. My uncle wanted a Viking ceremony but she wouldn’t have it. Wanted something more…elegant.”

  “Oh, my,” Nora said. “That certainly conjures up some interesting images. She perched on the edge of Alex’s desk and gazed appraisingly at him. “Your family really is quite fascinating. I feel like I’m part of a Broadway production.”