A difficult Man to Love

by Elizabeth Lennox

  Arianna covered her mouth, trying to smother her laughter. “I’m not responding to that.”

  Hayden laughed as well. “I think you already have. But you haven’t answered my question. Will you work for me? Will you help build this nursery up to something bigger and better?” She paused. “I’ll admit, I’m good with plants and growing things. But I’m horrible about the business side of things. I’m terrible at telling people to pay up and, from what you’ve explained, even my pricing is wrong. Viktor says that my plant placement is wrong.”

  Arianna nodded as she looked around at the vibrant plants, but understood that they looked a bit chaotic. “I would agree with him. “I think you should frame the plants so that they are a bit more appealing. Right now, everything just looks…”

  “Disorganized,” Hayden filled in when Arianna was too kind to finish the sentence.

  Arianna laughed. “I suspect that you know where everything is, don’t you?”

  “Every last branch,” Hayden confirmed with a nod. “So?”

  Arianna hesitated and Hayden saw the excited gleam in her eyes, but then that light disappeared and the pretty woman shook her head. “You don’t want me.”

  Hayden watched her, noticed all the signs. This woman was a kindred soul. She knew that they would get along fabulously and, if she was right about the other things, Natalie and Kate would love her too. It would be wonderful to have another friend in the area. Someone who could help her grow her business as well. “I do. I want you. I’ll grow the plants. You grow the business.”

  Once again, Arianna grimaced. “I’ll show the resumes to Mr. Chenko.”

  Hayden grinned. “And I’ll tell him that I want to hire you.” Leaning forward, she admitted, “I told him off yesterday. You should have seen the look on his face!”

  Arianna stared at Hayden, shocked for a long moment. But then she laughed, still trying to cover the sound with her hand because she was slightly horrified. “Oh, I can’t imagine anyone telling off Mr. Chenko!”

  “It was the first time it has ever happened,” a deep voice came from behind them, causing both women to spin around, then look up at the intimidating figure of Viktor glaring down at the two of them.

  “Viktor!”

  “Mr. Chenko!” Arianna yelped at the same moment.

  Hayden was the first to recover. She stepped forward, putting herself in front of Arianna, almost as if protecting the woman from Viktor’s wrath. “If you are here to try and intimidate me further, you can just get right back in your fancy car and go away,” she told him, crossing her arms over her chest. But those arms dropped right back down to her sides when his silver eyes moved lower, glancing at her breasts and then back up at her eyes.

  “Viktor…” she started to say.

  His silver eyes snapped to hers and she stopped, forgetting whatever it was she was going to tell him. But then she sensed Arianna moving and stiffened her resolve. “I’ve found a business manager,” she announced. “Thank you for sending Arianna out here to talk with me. I think she’s perfect for the job.”

  Viktor’s eyes slashed to the woman behind his fiancée. “I’ll speak to her.”

  Hayden opened her mouth to argue, but Viktor lifted a hand. “You admitted yesterday that you’re not good at business,” he warned. “I will handle this. If she’s right for the job, then you can move forward. If not, she’s fired for taking advantage of you.”

  Hayden shook her head, already moving her arms wide, trying to protect Arianna from Viktor’s harsh words. “You won’t!”

  In reaction, he lifted a dark eyebrow, his lips quirking ever so slightly in amusement. Shocking even himself, Viktor actually explained, another thing he’d never done in his life. “You need a business manager who can stand up to the vendors and customers, both with a positive and firm manner. I will determine if your…candidate,” he clarified, pausing to look behind Hayden at Arianna, “is strong enough to handle the position. I will also evaluate her knowledge of any potential duties.” He moved closer, his eyes moving to her lips, causing Hayden’s body to tighten with awareness. “Is that acceptable, my dear?”

  Hayden wanted to smack him. She wanted to tell him to go to hell and leave her alone.

  But he was right. She didn’t know what kind of a person Arianna was. Just because Hayden’s instincts were telling her that Arianna was a kind, generous person with a strong sense of determination and resolve, that didn’t mean that she was right. Nor would Hayden know if Arianna had the skills to take over as a business manager.

  “Fine!” she replied, but her chin went up a notch higher. “But be nice!”

  Viktor’s body instantly hardened with her delicate defiance. She was still nervous around him. He could sense her trembling, even if he couldn’t feel it since he wasn’t touching her.

  But as soon as he dispensed with the woman behind his fiancée, he was going to show Hayden how turned on he was by her anger. Damn, she was gorgeous! Gone was the timid woman he’d met last month or even a few days ago. In her place was a beautiful lioness, determined to protect a woman she’d just met.

  Admirable, he thought. Wrong, since Hayden knew nothing of this Arianna woman, but still admirable. His resolve to marry this woman just increased. Hayden would convey that sense of loyalty to their children, he realized. And to him.

  “Give us some privacy,” he requested of Hayden, in what he considered a very gentle tone. Obviously, Hayden didn’t agree.

  “Say please,” she asserted, glaring up at him.

  Chert! He loved this new, determined woman! She’d been beautiful before. Delicate and too compassionate.

  Now?

  She was stunning!

  “Please,” he acquiesced, tilting his head slightly. He couldn’t wait to be done with this interview so he could carry his fiancée upstairs to her bed and make love to her. Over and over again! He wanted to praise her and bind her to him. He wanted that kind of loyalty by his side.

  He didn’t need love, he thought. He needed Hayden. He needed her loyalty and her sensuality.

  No man could ask for more.

  “Fine. Be nice,” she ordered, poking a finger into the middle of his chest. He grabbed that finger and lifted it to his mouth. Instead of kissing the tip, he nibbled gently, smiling when she gasped. Instantly, her whole demeanor softened, her body shifted. It was subtle, but he knew the signs of her arousal.

  “I believe you have a customer, my dear,” he teased and nipped her finger again.

  She dragged her eyes away from his and he chuckled when he recognized the reluctance. “We’ll talk once I’m finished here.”

  With that, he turned away, signaling to Arianna that she should follow him.

  For the next thirty minutes, he interrogated the brunette woman. He knew within the first thirty seconds that she would be perfect for the job. Not only did his woman like Arianna, but she was confident in her business and marketing knowledge.

  “Tell me your plans for turning this place around,” he asked. Well, demanded, but if Hayden inquired, he’d tell her that he was polite and considerate.

  Arianna’s golden eyes looked around, her lips pressing together. “From what I’ve learned so far, just from reviewing the financials, the garden center is profitable. The plants are priced a little low based off the investment costs, although they are strong and healthy and would, most likely, sell at a higher price. The collections aspect of her financials is the worst part. So, I would establish credit lines for vendors who are repeat buyers, but only with the ones that have paid on time or close to on time. The vendors who have been abusing Ms. Ferrant’s trust will not be given a line of credit. Cash in advance of delivery. I know of three who have abused this trust and would focus my collections efforts on those vendors initially.” She took a deep breath, then looked around. “Once the cash flow has improved, I would spend money on marketing, while at the same time, increasing the curb appeal. This area gets a good deal of passing traffic, but the plants are too far
back from the road to catch anyone’s attention. That’s free marketing that Hayden is losing. We need to capture that.”

  Viktor listened intently, impressed with the woman’s plan. She’d been assigned the task of bringing resumes out to his fiancée and, within only a few hours, already had a strong business plan in mind. The woman was perfect!

  “You’re hired,” he announced, interrupting her next round of suggestions. “For the next six months, you’ll be paid by me. You’ll provide financial data to me every two weeks. Set up the meetings with my assistant. I want a comprehensive marketing plan developed and on my desk by next week, complete with vendors and pricing strategy. I also want the names and debt amounts of every vendor who has bought from Hayden over the past three years. I’ll deal with the largest abusers myself,” he told Arianna with relish.

  The brunette nodded, scribbling down notes furiously as he tossed out other directions. But then he saw Hayden in the distance, talking with someone, and ended the conversation. “I want your initial reports on my desk by next Monday.”

  Turning, he searched the area for Hayden and found her with a man, laughing. Storming over to her, he stood directly behind her, just listening for a long moment.

  Hayden stopped mid-sentence, realizing that Viktor was close by. Too close, she thought. She’d just gotten her mind and body back under control after their last interlude. Now he was close again and…didn’t he have work to do? He’d spent so much time here over the past few days, overseeing her business and making sure no one was taking advantage of her. He ran an international empire! Why was he still here?

  “It’s time for dinner,” he announced.

  Hayden blinked, surprised and trying to catch up. “Dinner?”

  “Yes. I’m taking you out.”

  She pulled back slightly, crossing her arms over her chest. Just as she had earlier today, she dropped her arms again because his eyes immediately went to the V neckline of her shirt. “Stop doing that,” she hissed, not wanting anyone to hear her.

  But when she looked around, she noticed that all of the other customers had gone. And it really was late! Past closing time! Good grief, where had her mind been?

  “Um…I’m not…”

  “I’m taking you out to dinner, Hayden.”

  She sighed, almost laughing at his impatience. “Do you ever ask?” she suggested.

  “No,” he replied at once.

  She bit the inside of her mouth, trying not to laugh. “You should.”

  He leaned forward again, a mischievous sparkle to his silver eyes. “If I asked, you’d say no. So why bother?”

  She couldn’t stop her laughter this time. He was acting oddly charming in a dictatorial way. “Out of respect for my needs?”

  His eyes turned darker. Molten. “I fully respect your needs, Hayden. And if you would be so kind as to grab your bag, then I can assure you, all of your needs will be taken care of tonight.”

  Her breath caught in her throat. Oh, she wanted to lean towards him, to take what he was offering. But he was dangerous! Dangerous to…her mind and her heart. She couldn’t allow him to do this to her. He was taking over, making her think of him in ways that probably weren’t possible.

  “I can’t have dinner with you tonight.”

  “Why not?”

  She couldn’t think of a single reason, so she shrugged. “Because you filled my refrigerator up with food. So much food, it will spoil if I don’t start eating it.”

  “Fine.”

  She blinked, surprised that he was agreeing with her. “Fine?”

  “Yes, we’ll eat here tonight,” he announced.

  Immediately, he moved towards her house. Her silent house, she realized, grateful that none of the vendors were here now.

  Turning back to him, she stopped and stared. “What if I’m not hungry?”

  He laughed, his hands reaching out to pull her closer. “Then we will move on to the next activity on my agenda!”

  Her hands came up, automatically resting on his chest. When she realized what he’d meant by that, she wasn’t sure if she wanted to pull out of his arms, or press herself closer. At this point, and after the way he’d primed her body earlier today, it was a toss-up on which reaction would win out.

  In the end, she chose caution over adventure. “Dinner.”

  “Wise choice.”

  She’d already stepped out of his arms when he said that, so she turned around. “Why is that?”

  He pulled the back door of her house open, holding it so she could walk through it. “Because you’re going to need your strength tonight.”

  She walked over to the fridge and pulled it open, not sure how to respond to his words. He seemed so confident! And she was nervous all over again! Darn it, if he would just leave her alone, she could get her life back in order.

  Or if he would just make love to her, she wouldn’t have to make the decision on what to do.

  Did she want that?

  No, she wasn’t going to go blindly into the world. She never had allowed others to make decisions for her, so she wouldn’t start now.

  “How about chicken?” he offered.

  She turned around, peering at him over her shoulder. “Chicken?”

  He laughed softly, pointing to the contents of her refrigerator. “Yes, the meat right here in front of you.”

  Hayden turned back and located the package of chicken breasts. Taking them out, she stared down at them. “Um…I should warn you. I’m not a good cook.”

  He plucked the chicken out of her hands. “I am. You can watch and learn.” With that, he pulled his tie and jacket off, draping them over one of the kitchen chairs, then rolled up the sleeves of his tailored shirt. The expensive jacket and silk tie looked incongruous against the forty year old kitchen chair, which probably should have been tossed into a dump about twenty years ago.

  She slumped down onto the chair but he handed her vegetables. “You can slice, right?”

  Hayden laughed, but he only winked at her, handing her a knife. “Are you really going to trust me with a knife around you?”

  “Why wouldn’t I?”

  “Because I might be furious enough with you to stab you in the back.” She grabbed a cutting board and started slicing up the red pepper, eating about half of what she sliced because it had been so long since she’d indulged in a vegetable that looked this beautiful.

  He grabbed asparagus and yellow squash, handing those to her as well. “First of all, if you were to stab me, it wouldn’t be in the back. You’d be facing me. And you’d probably warn me of your intentions first, giving me enough time to plan my defense and counterattack.” He started pounding out the chicken breasts. “Furthermore, you aren’t going to stab me, because you’re a soft-hearted woman and the idea of violence makes you ill.”

  He was right, but she didn’t want him to know that. “You only think that.”

  He walked over to her, leaning against the table where she was working. “Hayden, you’re going to be my wife. Get used to it.”

  She laughed. “I’m not marrying you.”

  “Yes, you are.”

  They battled throughout the dinner-making process and she opened a bottle of wine while he stirred the food in a pan. She had no idea what he was cooking. She knew that it contained a lot of vegetables and chicken, but he added several spices that she didn’t recognize. How had he gained control of her kitchen so quickly?

  But he was funny and charming throughout the whole process. The wine probably helped too, but when the dinner was cooked, he served a huge portion onto her plate, and she ate almost all of it, more hungry than she’d realized.

  “And now, for the entertainment portion of the evening,” he told her as he lifted her out of her chair and onto his lap.

  She’d been wined and dined, the alcohol making her feel more relaxed than she had in a long time. “Oh? And what does that mean?” she asked, wrapping her arms around his neck. She never would have done that without the wine, she th
ought.

  His hands were already on her bottom and she wiggled, shocked to find him hard and ready for her.

  “It means that I’m going to make love to you until we can’t breathe, Hayden.” Standing up, he carried her in his arms up the stairs. Laying her on the quilt, he looked down at her as he unbuttoned his shirt. “Take off your clothes, Hayden,” he commanded.

  Shivering, she pushed up onto her elbows, the position thrusting her breasts forward. “I think I want you to undress me.”

  He growled, abandoning his own clothes as he tugged her clothes off piece by piece until she was naked. “Better,” he announced, pulling her to the edge of the bed. He didn’t stop until her body was pressing against his. “Even better,” he announced, leaning forward to kiss her. The kiss started off slowly, gently. And as he made love to her, she gasped and screamed, shocked at how easily he could make her feel things she’d never imagined possible.

  Chapter 6

  Hayden woke up feeling wonderful. Stretching out, she ran her hands towards the opposite side of the bed. When her fingers found only cold sheets, she opened her eyes. Nothing!

  Viktor was gone?! Again!

  Listening, she tried to hear something in the house; movement or any indication that he was still there. Maybe he’d just gone downstairs to make coffee…?

  She stilled, trying to listen. But there were no sounds.

  He’d left her again!

  Angrily, she threw off the sheets and stomped into the bathroom for a shower. Never again, she vowed! He wasn’t going to use her like this! She wasn’t just some sexual plaything that he could take out when he wanted sexual gratification.

  Angrily, she worked through the day, fighting back the urge to drive into the city and give him a piece of her mind. She blushed and remained at the house. Thinking about what had happened the last time she’d done that, Hayden decided that it was better to stay away rather than end up on the conference room table again…the things he’d done to her that day had been…