by Maya Blake
‘Thank you for seeing me, Mr Aguilar. I’m Elise Jameson.’
He took her hand, noted the soft but firm grip, the smoothness of her skin, the spark that travelled along his palm, and released her.
‘I’m aware one of my employees suggested we may be interested in your services, but don’t you think it was a touch foolish to just present yourself here? You could’ve wasted the entire day,’ he stated in a voice he knew was clipped.
Her eyes, which were more tilted and vivid in real life, widened a touch, before she blinked back her composure. ‘You say foolish, I say impeccably timed,’ she replied coolly.
He lifted a brow. ‘Are we to disagree so soon? You think that bodes well for our potential working relationship?’
Her shoulders tensed infinitesimally. ‘Pardon me for being forward, but if you require a yes-man or -woman who’ll jump at your every suggestion, then perhaps Jameson isn’t the right fit for you. Sycophancy isn’t in our remit.’
He noted then that, although her accent was American, her features bore a hint of an Asian heritage, making her beauty even more enthralling. He also noted his own faint amusement with irritation. Rounding the desk, he approached the tray laden with coffee and bagels and poured his fifth cup of espresso. ‘Coffee?’
‘No, thank you. I’ve had my daily allotment. Any more and you’d have to prise me off the ceiling.’ One corner of her crimson-painted mouth twitched and Alejandro found his gaze tracing the full curve.
Striding back to his desk, he gulped down half of his beverage. ‘In that case, sit down, Miss Jameson, and tell me what is in your remit.’
She took the time to unbutton her jacket, giving him a glimpse of the jade-coloured silk top beneath and a shadowed cleavage before she sat down.
‘Normally, it works the other way round. You tell me what you need PR-wise and we advise you how to achieve it, sycophancy not included, of course.’ Another smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.
Over the scent of ground coffee beans, he caught the faintest hint of her perfume. Crushed berries mixed with an elusive spice. Unique. Captivating. He caught himself inhaling deeper to chase the scent and gritted his teeth.
‘We seem to have skipped a step or two in the traditional interview process, so perhaps we should go with the flow here.’
She blinked. ‘I could go with the flow. Except I’m not even sure where the river starts, Mr Aguilar. Wendell Grant was equally cryptic when he called and asked me to come here. Sadly, cryptic won’t cut it if you need my help.’
‘Since I haven’t decided whether I do or not, I’m not going to go into the specifics of a highly confidential deal.’
Her mouth tightened a touch before she smiled her insincere smile. ‘If you’re worried about confidentiality, our impeccable record speaks for itself.’
‘Be that as it may, until you’re officially hired, I prefer to practise a little...restraint.’
Her gaze locked with his for a long moment. Then she nodded. ‘As you wish. So let’s talk hypotheticals. What can I do for you?’
A frown tugged at Alejandro’s brow. She was intelligent. And she was saying all the right things. But he couldn’t shake the feeling something else was going on beneath the surface.
‘How old are you?’ he asked.
Her eyes widened. ‘Why is that relevant?’
Alejandro folded his arms, mildly disturbed by his own question. ‘Is it a state secret?’
‘Of course not.’ Her gaze dropped to his desk. ‘But you have my file right there in front of you. You’ve read it so you know my age. If I wanted to lie to you about anything—which I don’t, by the way—lying about my age would be the stupidest one to start with, don’t you think? And other than to catch me out in a lie, I’m not sure why—’
‘Do you always answer a simple question with a diatribe?’
Beneath the make-up, heat flushed her cheeks. Her nostrils flared a touch before she blinked back her composure.
‘I’m twenty-five. As it says in my file,’ she returned acerbically.
‘How long have you worked for your parents?’ Again a question he hadn’t anticipated asking.
Her mouth compressed. ‘Since I graduated university at twenty-one.’
Alejandro studied her silently. To her credit, she didn’t fidget.
Unfolding his arms, he rested his elbows on his desk. ‘I don’t think this is going to work out, Miss Jameson. Thank you for coming.’
First came a look that closely resembled relief. Followed by surprise. Then her lips parted as shock set in. ‘Excuse me?’
‘If you can’t see your way through answering a few simple questions without getting emotional, I don’t see how you can deal with the hard stuff. Margo will see you out.’
She started to get up. Halfway through the act, she dropped back down. ‘This is some sort of trick, isn’t it?’
It was Alejandro’s turn to be surprised. He regained his senses quickly. ‘I’ve been working on a deal that is determined to fall apart at the last minute. Trust me, wasting time with tricks is the very last thing on my mind. Goodbye, Miss Jameson.’
Shadows and questions swirled through her hazel-gold eyes. Her lower lip twisted, as if she was gnawing it from the inside. Eventually she rose, her fingers clamped around her briefcase, her jaw angled with stubborn pride.
Without a word, she turned away from his desk. In that moment, Alejandro wished he’d also turned away. The sight of her trim waist and voluptuous backside triggered another onset of libido-tugging.
He gritted his teeth.
The timing and circumstance of this attraction to her were abhorrent enough to send him to his feet. He’d vowed a very long time ago never to mix business with pleasure when another deal had disintegrated because of a fleeting liaison with a competitor. He’d been young and foolish enough to imagine one would not affect the other. Although the incident had only temporarily slowed down his meteoric rise, Alejandro had learned the lesson well enough to keep his affairs private and brief.
Dragging his gaze from the shapely legs heading for the door, he strode to the window and stared at the view. Lake Michigan didn’t offer much solace. Like a lead domino falling over, Elise’s image, the feel of their palms touching, the silkiness of her skin, tumbled through his mind. Even the sound of the door shutting barely created a ripple in the sizzling awareness gripping him.
What the hell was wrong with him today? First he’d cracked open the vault of memories he’d vowed never to revisit. Now he was getting hot under the collar because of a woman who should barely register on his radar?
He shoved a hand through his hair and turned around.
Elise Jameson was standing before his desk, her eyes square on his.
‘Unless I’ve grown senile in the last five minutes, I’m sure I told you to leave.’
She exhaled slow and steady. Alejandro was certain it was a composure-gaining technique. He had a feeling he’d need one of those before the day ended.
‘You did. But I’m still here. The way I see it, you’re either going to hire me or we’ll never see each other again. So I need to say this. I wasn’t being emotional. I just didn’t see the point of wasting time with questions to which you already had answers. And yes, my...irritation could’ve been kept on a tighter leash. Give me another chance and you have my word it won’t happen again.’
‘What it are we talking about, just to be certain? The irritation or the emotion?’
The whitening of her knuckles on her briefcase was the only sign that his question had further irked. ‘Either. Both. Whichever you wish.’
He leaned back in his chair. ‘Because I’m the boss?’
‘Because you’re the boss. Once you hire me. But allow me to say one last thing before you make up your mind.’
‘Yes?’
‘I’m good at my job. You’ll get nothing but the best from me. I promise.’
He shrugged. ‘That’s a good speech. But it’s just a speech. I also
don’t deal in promises.’ Promises were easy to make and easier to break. He’d learnt that lesson with shocking frequency as a child.
Her gaze swept down for an instant before rising again. ‘Finish the interview. Whichever way you want. Then make up your mind.’
The urge to dismiss her was strong. The urge to have her stay was stronger. Alejandro stepped back from examining why. This whole day had been askew from the start.
‘Very well. Sit down, Miss Jameson. But let me make one thing clear.’
She sat back down. ‘Yes?’
‘I never play tricks. I abhor subterfuge of any kind. Remember that before we go any further.’
She nodded and folded her hands in her lap. ‘Understood.’
CHAPTER TWO
WHAT THE HELL just happened?
Elise reeled as if she’d just been dragged upside down through an earthquake. Only she wasn’t sure whether she’d survived it or whether what felt like aftershocks were, in fact, another larger quake poised on the horizon, ready to flatten her.
She took another slow, steadying breath.
It was clear the man across the desk from her—the intensely masculine man, whose green eyes tracked her every movement like a spotlight searching for a flaw—was intent on rattling her. Why, she wasn’t exactly sure. She was here to help, after all.
Perhaps it was the air of mistrust fairly vibrating off him. Or her own blaring instincts about being in a predator’s presence that had produced his thunderous frown when she’d walked in.
Whatever it was, it’d ruffled her calm, which had in turn reminded her of the hell letting her guard down with a client had created just one short year ago.
Her palms grew clammy.
Reeling herself back in, she pushed the disquieting memories away.
Unlike last year, she’d chosen this commission herself. Alejandro Aguilar the man was an unknown quantity, but as CEO his reputation was stellar. She needed to bring her A-game because she couldn’t lose this commission.
Earning SNV’s contract would mean freedom from Jameson and her parents’ clutches. It was the visceral need for freedom that had eroded the temporary relief to be free of this man’s disturbing aura when he’d asked her to leave. It was what had halted her flight when every instinct had screamed at her to accept his cold, terse dismissal. And run.
The instinct still clamoured. But then so did the burning need to fulfil her duties to her parents and finally, finally walk away.
‘I understand completely,’ she reiterated, projecting a firmer voice.
‘Good. Now answer me this. Hypothetically, if a deal you were working on for a year suddenly started to fall apart, what would you attribute it to?’ he asked in that smooth, deep voice that transmitted right through to the soles of her feet.
‘That depends on who the other party is, although most eleventh-hour setbacks usually involve money.’
‘This one isn’t money related. I’m sure of it.’ A grim smile fleeted over his lips before his face hardened into a beautifully arresting sculpture she had a hard time dragging her eyes from.
In truth, everything about Alejandro Aguilar was insanely absorbing. From the square-cut jaw to the cheekbones that belonged on a Roman statue, to the broad shoulders, tapered torso and neat backside she’d glimpsed when she’d turned around mid-flight, his looks and aura were overwhelming enough to cause another shaky exhalation.
Silently, intensely, she repeated her warning mantra to herself.
Looks were deceiving; power and arrogant charm were stepping stones dangerous men used on their prey. Quite apart from her parents wielding those assets with almost lethal force, her own harrowing experience had taught her to be extremely wary of those qualities.
Marsha and Ralph Jameson had taken turns drilling into their only child that exploiting those elements were what would get her ahead in life. They hadn’t accommodated the notion that she wanted to live a different life. Had gone as far as to push her into a situation she’d barely been able to escape from unscathed, then derided her ordeal.
That, above everything her parents had subjected her to, still had the power to burn her raw.
Elise pushed the traumatic memory away and redoubled her efforts to focus. ‘If it’s not money, then it’s a competitor.’ He regarded her steadily. ‘But then you know that, too.’
He nodded. ‘Yes.’
‘So, the question is, what’s your competitor offering them that you’re not?’
‘Nothing,’ came the immediate, rigid reply.
‘Are you sure?’
One sculpted eyebrow rose. ‘Are you questioning the veracity of my due diligence?’
He was touchy. Extremely. Men like Alejandro Aguilar didn’t rise to lofty CEO positions of extremely successful corporations by being touchy. Men like him usually had rhinoceros-thick skins. Had she adversely demonstrated her wariness about being in the presence of another powerful man? Was she being overly sensitive?
The tense conversation she’d had with her mother before coming here had put her on edge. Marsha Jameson had wanted to spearhead the SNV commission herself, despite Elise having cultivated the initial contact with SNV’s PR department. Elise had stood her ground, a fact that hadn’t pleased her mother. It was another reason Elise had stopped herself from walking out of the door just now.
She wouldn’t...couldn’t blow it.
Inhaling slowly, she picked her way through the mine-infested landscape. ‘Of course not. But there’s nothing wrong with an extra pair of eyes.’ For some reason her statement brought an even deeper scrutiny of her face, his gaze holding hers with fierce control. She hastened to continue. ‘It is why you’re looking to hire an outside PR firm, isn’t it?’
He remained silent for a brief spell, his fingertips pressed together. ‘Your file says you specialise in US–Japanese commissions.’
‘Yes.’
‘This merger involves a Japanese company.’ He paused. ‘The Ishikawa Corporation.’
Elise’s heart missed a beat. The reason behind it was puzzling. It’d come sooner than expected, but he would’ve needed to trust her with some details in order to secure her help. That he’d done so mere minutes into the interview shouldn’t trigger such a response from her.
Yet the tiniest sliver of warmth curled through her.
To counteract it, she nodded briskly. ‘Give me an hour to do a little research...I mean a more personal research, and I’ll see if I can come up with something.’
His eyes narrowed. ‘You think an hour is all it’ll take to fix my problem?’ he taunted.
‘I won’t know until I try whether or not I can help you, Mr Aguilar. Let me try.’
‘You have half an hour.’ He nodded to the far side of his office, where two stylish studded leather sofas faced each other across a smoked-glass coffee table. ‘I’ll have Margo set you up with a laptop—’
‘There’s no need. I brought my own.’ Elise held up her briefcase and attempted a cool smile.
His scowl deepened. ‘I’d prefer it if those confidential details we spoke about don’t leave my building. Pass the test, and we’ll see about redressing your security access.’
The warmth evaporated. ‘Oh, right.’ She was irritated with herself for feeling stung by the implication that she wasn’t trustworthy. But then hadn’t she experienced a similar feeling towards him moments ago? Wasn’t she even now kicking herself for continuing to be mesmerised by the sheer depths of raw sensuality oozing from him?
‘Is that going to be a problem?’ he enquired.
Realising she’d been staring at him for a fistful of heartbeats, she pinned on another smile and rose. ‘Of course not. I’m ready when you are.’ She headed for the sofa to the sound of Margo being summoned, but the tingle between her shoulder blades and down her back indicated he was watching her. Keeping her movements fluid, she set her case down and removed her jacket before choosing the seat farthest from his desk.
Only then did she risk another g
lance in his direction.
His head was bent over a document, two fingers tracing the words downward as he speed-read. As with everything she’d noticed about him so far, the action was unmistakably absorbing. To the point where she was in danger of appearing like a hormone-engorged groupie at a rock concert!
She exhaled in relief when Margo knocked and entered. The laptop she set before Elise looked custom-made and top of the line.
After she departed, Elise opened it and stared down at the wallpaper that depicted the majestic Sierra Nevada mountain range in Spain. In the middle of the screen, the SNV logo blinked its request.
‘Is there a problem?’ Alejandro asked coolly.
‘Yes. This requires a password.’
He rose with smooth animal grace, document in one hand and his tiny espresso cup in the other. Pausing at the tray, he refilled his cup, then crossed the room to her.
The notion that she’d unwittingly invited him closer sent equal amounts of chagrin and wariness coursing through her. Her senses jumped as he reached for the laptop. Elegant fingers flew over the keyboard and then he handed it back.
Expecting him to return to his desk, she stared dry-mouthed as he picked up the document and cup, relaxed against the sofa, and crossed one leg over the other.
Elise had always thought that men who sat that way were a little too in touch with their feminine side, but there was nothing even remotely feminine about Alejandro Aguilar as he lounged with almost predatory indolence and flicked through the papers in his hand.
‘Unless you intend to prise your answers from my subconscious, I suggest you get on with it, Miss Jameson.’
Heat flared into her cheeks for the third time in less than an hour, eliciting a thorough self-loathing for her inability to curb her jumpy reactions.
Dragging her focus back to the laptop, she settled it on her lap and went to work. Her initial searches produced run-of-the-mill information about the Ishikawa Corporation Alejandro most likely already possessed. She sent three quick emails to trusted sources in Kyoto and Osaka, delved deeper into the company history, then traced the genealogy of the founders.
