by Louise Bay
I had to pretend this was just another game. But this was the first time I was going into a meeting where losing would be personal. “Right, I think I have everything,” I said as I headed toward her.
“They’re in the boardroom,” Karen said as we walked side by side down the corridor lined with gray carpet tiles.
Boardroom made the room sound grander than it was. It was just the bigger of the two meeting rooms we had.
It’s just a game.
“How many came?”
“Two,” Karen said. “There’s Mr. Westbury, who you were expecting, and his assistant who looks like he just started shaving.”
I could do this.
I clasped my hand around the cool metal handle of the conference room door, took a deep breath and entered.
“Gentleman.” My smile froze as I took in the face of the man standing in front of me.
It was the man who had made me come three times last night.
The man whose fingers I still felt digging into my ass.
The man’s whose cock had split me in two and filled me with pleasure.
His eyebrows raised and he smirked as he held out his hand. It wasn’t just my smile that had frozen, I was blocking the door and Karen was behind me. I shook off my surprise and took his hand.
“Ryder Westbury,” he said, his index finger making a small circle on the inside of my wrist. “Good to see you.”
I pulled my hand away. “Scarlett King, Finance Director,” I replied. “And this is my colleague Karen Chung.”
I knew Ryder’s assistant was speaking but I couldn’t hear what he was saying through the booming in my ears. I was putting all my energy into not screaming How the fuck did this happen? at the top of my voice.
“We were expecting Cecily. Is she coming?” Ryder asked. That accent. No wonder it was him that I decided to end my period of celibacy for.
We took our seats on opposite sides of the oval table that was almost too big for the room.
“Cecily asked me to take this meeting. We’re equal shareholders, after all,” I said as I opened my tablet and began tapping and swiping, trying to appear engaged.
How was I meant to negotiate against a man who’d seen me naked?
Watched me come?
I glanced at Karen. Should I admit I knew Ryder? But then I’d have to explain how. I picked him up at a bar last night. He’s the second man I’ve ever had sex with. And he’s incredible in bed. Right, let’s negotiate.
No, I couldn’t say anything. But I’d have to tell Cecily after this meeting.
Jesus, wasn’t the whole point of a one-night stand that you’d never have to see the guy again?
“Where do you want to start?” Ryder asked. He smoothed his hand down his tie and I couldn’t not think of the hard abs beneath his fingers. The man looked like he spent most of his life in the gym, so where did he find the time to run the Westbury Group? “I’ve brought some comparative analysis to help you understand our offer.”
To help us …? Who in the hell did he think he was dealing with?
I leaned back in my chair. He thought we didn’t get it? Maybe he thought we were just women fucking about with girlie products.
“What is it, Mr. Westbury, that you think we don’t understand, exactly?”
He glanced at me, then at Karen and then back at me. “I just wanted to make sure you had some context. Wanted you to see the valuations that this type of business is going for in the current market.”
“You think we haven’t done our research? I’m happy to run through our process if that would make you feel more comfortable.” I smiled. Sarcasm was always a core skill of mine. “We’ve compared your offer with other valuations in the marketplace. We’ve conducted a discounted cash flow analysis. We’ve also examined key economic data for the strength of this sector over the next five years. We understand what the business is worth.”
Ryder grinned and sat back in his chair, mirroring my position. “I’m just trying to be helpful.”
The way he said it, with the authority of his English voice, I almost believed him. “Well, we appreciate it,” I replied. “But we can work out the context of your offer just fine.”
“That’s great. As I said, just trying to be helpful.”
Trying to be helpful, my ass.
“And as I said, we appreciate it. But your offer doesn’t work for us. We have a vision for the company and we believe we’re the right people to execute it.”
“I understand,” Ryder said. Last night he’d looked at me as if I was the only thing in the universe—I hadn’t remembered how dark his eyes were. “And that’s why we want you both to stay on.”
“As employees,” I said.
He nodded, drawing my attention to the angle of his jaw, enhanced by the light that was coming in from the window behind him. God, he was good looking. I wasn’t sure if it was because I didn’t know him well, but compared to my ex-husband, he seemed more masculine, more sexual. Even sitting across from me fully clothed, all I could think was how the contours of his body looked under his suit.
I glanced up to find his eyes trailing down my body. Was he imagining me naked, just as I was imagining him?
“Well, as you know, Cecily doesn’t want to give up the entirety of her shareholding and neither do I. As founding partners, we believe the business will be well served by us retaining an equity stake.” I raised my eyebrows as Ryder slid his gaze back to mine and realized he’d been caught out staring at me.
Instead of being embarrassed, he just grinned. What a player.
“And it makes sense for you, because it will keep us motivated as we will have real incentive to ensure that Cecily Fragrance has the best possible future.”
The silence that followed was uncomfortable but I wasn’t in the business of making Ryder feel good. Not this morning anyway. Last night had been a different story.
“I’m going to be honest with you,” Ryder announced as he shifted in his chair.
My heart began to thunder. He wasn’t going to say anything personal, was he? I’d kick his ass if he mentioned last night.
“In my experience, it doesn’t work to have the founders of a business retain an equity share. They don’t understand that they aren’t the ultimate decision-maker. There’s not enough of a shift in stature. And that leads to an unhappy relationship between the founders and the investors that takes up time and energy better directed toward the future of the business.”
The way the words tumbled out of his mouth, gravelly and considered, made me shudder. Each syllable he spoke seemed to be said with care and attention and made American accents seem dismissive and lazy. He was good at what he did.
“So, I’m going to make a very good offer. And it will be as far as I can go.” He took no notice of Karen. All his focus was on me and every atom of my body pulsed in response. “I’m willing to pay you both a very generous salary to remain with the business, but ultimately, if you want to walk away, I understand and can accept that.”
That was his concession? That we didn’t have to stay? That was exactly the opposite of what we wanted. We wanted more involvement, not less.
Before I had a chance to speak, he continued. “I think you should talk to Cecily and think about it carefully. It’s very generous, as is the cash offer. And I know that the loan repayment is due shortly and that the other offer you have is considerably less attractive than the one I’ve presented. So please, take some time to think about it.”
His chair scraped across the carpet as he stood. That was it? Our meeting was over? No discussion?
The four of us stood. And Ryder pulled out a business card. “Call me when you’re ready to agree.” He held my gaze as I snatched the card from his hand.
“We’re very disappointed this is the position you’re taking—”
“Brett,” Ryder interrupted me and turned to his assistant. “Please will you excuse us? Karen, perhaps you could show Brett to the lobby?”
What a
n arrogant piece of work. The last thing I wanted was to be alone with him. I was keen to forget I knew him outside of this meeting.
We stood opposite each other as Karen and Brett left the room. “Scarlett,” he said as the door closed; his voice was soft. Personal.
I stared out the window but didn’t reply.
“It’s good to see you again.”
How did I respond to that? It was too good to see him. But not like this. Not when he wanted to take my company away from me.
“I had a really good time last night.”
Really? He was being so inappropriate.
I looked him in the eye. “Ryder, you’re here on business. Let’s keep this professional,” I snapped.
“Please, just give me a few minutes.”
“Professional,” I reminded him.
“Okay,” he said. “Let’s talk business.”
I slumped into my chair. “I thought you’d said all you had to say.”
“I want to level with you.” He leaned forward, his forearms against the table, his hands clasped together. “Cecily Fragrance isn’t going to get a better offer. If you don’t take it, those loans will be called in and you could lose the entire business.”
I tilted my head. “Thanks for the explanation of our financial situation. You know, some of us know what we’re doing around here. I’m not stupid and neither is Cecily.”
“I know you’re not stupid. But you’re bound to be emotional about this business. You helped found it. It’s understandable. You built it into a great brand,” he said in a cool, even and oh-so-sexy voice I could bathe in. But I needed to stop focusing on his accent and timbre and understand the words. “I need you to be rational. To understand that this is a really good offer for you both. You need to take it.”
I didn’t want to take the deal. But it wasn’t because I wasn’t rational. It was no accident that Cecily and I had created a thriving business. We were good at this. We just had a cash flow problem which was an issue for lots of rapidly expanding businesses. On top of this, I loved my job and it was daily evidence that I was more than my ex-husband thought I was—more adventurous, more entrepreneurial, more risk taking. He never thought I’d be running my own business.
“What’s the alternative?” Ryder asked. “You go under?”
“I told you, we have other offers,” I said. None of them would pay off our loans in full, which we had to do. The Westbury Group’s offer was the only viable one.
“But they’re not as good as mine.”
“How do you know?” Christ this man was a piece of work. I supposed there had to be a downside to being hung like a horse.
“It’s my business to know, Scarlett. I know a lot of people in this town.”
He was bluffing. There’s no way he knew the terms of the other offers we had.
“I know enough to know that mine is the best offer.”
“If you’re right that we’re being emotional, then you can’t solve that with cash. You need to let us retain a stake.”
He was shaking his head before I’d even finished my sentence. None of the signs looked good. There didn’t seem to be any room for us to keep shares.
Fuck.
“Your offer shows that you know this business is a good investment. So, pay off the loan. Take a minority shareholding with new loans and we can repay your investment at a more reasonable rate of interest. Cecily and I created this business. We know what we’re doing.”
He was still shaking his head. “It requires a different approach to take it to the next level. We’d have to completely change the way you distribute and what the company should be aiming for.”
“Fuck you,” I said. “You have no idea what I’m capable of. Think about it and then call Cecily.”
“You don’t want to deal with me?” he asked, pulling back in his chair.
I flipped shut the cover of my tablet. “I can’t negotiate with you. It’s not right. You should deal with her.”
“Because of last night?”
I nodded and the edges of his mouth began to curl up. “I’m crazy from lack of sleep today,” he said.
I rolled my lips together, determined not to grin. “Yeah. Me, too.”
“But it was totally worth it,” he said.
“That’s because this is just another deal for you. For me it’s my whole life.”
“Your whole life?” he asked.
Was I being over-dramatic? I loved Cecily Fragrance. I’d been so used to my marriage being the center of everything that the divorce had left a huge hole. My job had taken that slot. I loved the people I worked with. It felt like I was hanging out with friends all day. And having such direct responsibility for all these people’s livelihoods was rewarding. I hadn’t realized work could be so much fun.
I drew a circle on the table with my index finger. “It’s important to me. That’s all.” It felt like a life raft I was clinging to.
“I like that passion in you. But you’ll still have a job.”
“It’s not enough.” I stood and he followed my lead.
I looked up at him from under my lashes. Jesus, did he have to be so goddamn handsome? “I won’t change my mind, Scarlett. My terms are my terms. I want all of Cecily Fragrance or none of it.”
“We won’t change our minds either,” I replied.
His arm twitched as if he was about to reach for me. Perhaps then he’d tell me to open my legs. My cheeks heated at the memory. Last night, I’d just done it and it had been such a relief. It felt good to give up some control.
His eyes were hooded and his gaze heavy as it wandered down to my chest and then back up. What was he thinking?
He shoved his hands into his pocket. “I have to go. You’re making me hard.” He stalked over to the door.
Had I heard him right? Was I really capable of making a man like him lose focus like that?
“It’s been good to see you,” I said, ignoring his confession. There was a part of me that wanted to suggest we see each other again. Maybe a cocktail after work.
I resisted.
I wasn’t about to be turned down twice by him.
Six
Ryder
“Did you close the Cecily Fragrance deal?” John asked, coming toward me as I walked through the glass doors into the reception area at Westbury Group. My meeting with Cecily Fragrance hadn’t turned out how I’d expected. Not least because I’d run into Scarlett.
“Do I not give you enough to do that you have time to greet me as I come back from my meetings?” I wasn’t about to admit to the entire company that I still hadn’t closed Cecily Fragrance.
“I was going to the restroom, you dick, but I take it that’s a no.”
“Well, careful you don’t piss away the rest of your IQ. Come find me when you’re done.” I marched past him toward my office.
I wouldn’t normally have been affected if someone I’d fucked sat across me at a business meeting, but it had only been a few hours. I could still feel Scarlett’s soft ass under my fingers, still had her scent in my hair.
I’d frozen when I’d seen her enter the room. It took me a few seconds to work out what was going on.
Normally I passed out and slept like a baby after a great lay. But despite being the best since I could remember, Scarlett had kept me awake. And it wasn’t just because she was in my bed. Even after she’d gone I’d not been able to sleep. I’d been thinking about her and her contradictory mix of nerves and familiarity. I’d vowed at five thirty this morning that the next woman I slept with, I’d only fuck if I knew nothing about her. Scarlett had left too many unanswered questions. I’d rather know nothing.
Even seeing Scarlett again hadn’t allowed me to ask the questions I wanted answers to. Instead it just raised new ones. Why did she like her job so much? Where had she worked before? Where had she gone to college? Had she been a good student?
I closed the door to my office and emptied my pockets—my mobile, my wallet and my keys—onto my desk. My pho
ne lit up as it clunked against the wood showing three missed calls. I swiped it open. It was my grandfather’s lawyer. He was working with me to try to find a solution to the biggest problem in my world at that moment—Frederick’s inheritance of my company.
I hoped he’d found a way out.
I dialed him back immediately.
“Ryder, thanks for calling me back,” Giles said.
“No problem. You have good news for me, I hope.”
A fraction of a second too long passed for it to be good news.
“I did warn you.” More silence. Fuck. “I’ve spoken to the top barristers. The trust is very clear. I’m sorry.”
“There must be something we’re missing,” I snapped.
“But I think there is a very simple solution.”
My heartbeat spluttered against my chest. I knew it. There was no way I was going to lose control of Westbury Group.
“You need to find yourself a wife,” Giles said.
I groaned and rested against the side of my desk. “Well, unfortunately, life’s just not that simple.”
Even when all my friends from college and I were playing the field in our twenties, they’d all given themselves a deadline of thirty or thirty-two—thirty-seven in Jim Hassleback’s case—to settle down, get married and have kids.
I’d never given myself a deadline.
Never seen a wife and kids in my future. I knew I liked women too much to limit myself to one. Last night had been a reminder. Scarlett had been unexpected. I’d not been looking for anything and it had been incredible. Imagine if I’d had a wife back at home? I couldn’t deny myself a beautiful woman like Scarlett. And I wasn’t a man who would cheat on his wife. I kept my promises.
“Darcy mentioned she thought Aurora would be willing,” he said. Jesus, there was no escaping my sister’s interfering. Aurora was sweet and attractive and no doubt she’d make a wonderful wife but that wasn’t what I wanted.
