by Angelo, Judy
Because at this corporation, his newest acquisition, there were questions to be answered and a major mystery to solve.
The fact was, Richard had shared a serious concern with him. Someone was embezzling company funds. Despite record sales of luxury vacation packages the company had shown no increase in its cash balance over the previous year. Something fishy was going on. But without real evidence, Richard had been loath to start making reports to the police. And so he’d begun doing his own investigation, checking the company books at nights when everyone had gone home. And then had come the disaster that had rocked him back on his heels. Cancer.
Now it fell to Rock to figure out what was going on. That had been at the forefront of his mind when he’d met with the employees and he’d paid close attention to every one of them, from the vice president of sales, Dennis Laing, to his sales agents, and from the financial controller, Sean Johnson and his team, to the human resources manager, the marketing representatives and the receptionist. And, of course, his own executive assistant, Dana Daniels.
Although, where Dana was concerned, Richard seemed to have gotten it in his head that she was above suspicion, something about having recruited her right out of college and being a mentor to her.
Rock had no beef with that but that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to investigate her just as thoroughly as the rest of the staff, no matter how distracting she was.
And she was distracting, with unreadable eyes of an intriguing color, a cross between hazel and violet. Amethyst, maybe? If you could describe eyes like that. He liked the way she wore her hair, letting it fall in soft waves down her back, the tendrils framing the softness of her cheeks. But it was the pout of her lips, so determined and defiant, that got him. The set of her mouth spoke of an impudence that was nothing short of provocative. And despite the fact that he wasn’t much of a movie buff and never followed the Hollywood crowd, he couldn’t help but notice her resemblance to Angelina Jolie.
As he remembered their first meeting Rock could not help smiling to himself. Ready to get down to business, he’d declined the receptionist’s offer to walk him to Richard’s old office and there he’d seen her, back to him, and even though he could not see her face he could read her defiance in her rigid stance - her back straight and her shoulders square.
And then when he’d heard her defiant declaration he’d known immediately he was in for a rough ride. This woman would be no pushover. He could see…and hear…that.
But no matter how strong-willed she was, she would fall in line soon enough. She’d better. He was here on a mission – to rescue the company from the parasite that was sucking it dry. And he would let nothing, not even a beauty like Dana Daniels, stand in his way.
Because he would find the culprit. He had absolutely no doubt about that.
CHAPTER TWO
“Claire Francis, don’t you dare sit in that chair. You know that’s my favorite spot.”
Dana marched, tray in hand, over to the table by the fish aquarium. It was so relaxing, watching the Clownfish and Angelfish and Guppies as they floated in the lightly bubbling water.
Claire laughed, her blue eyes sparkling with mirth. “Here comes big, bad Dana with fire in her eyes.” She plopped her lunch tray onto the table and waved a hand. “Join me. I’ve been wanting to connect with you all week, anyway. Your timing is perfect.”
Dana grinned as she slid her tray to the spot across from Claire. “I never could bully you.”
Claire laughed and reached for a French fry as she sat down. “And why should I let a little pipsqueak like you bully me? You’re half my age.”
“And twice your size,” Dana retorted, laughing with Claire. The diminutive woman had been like a mother to her since she’d started at the company four years earlier and they had a close relationship that many in the company envied. Claire was the public relations manager for the firm, and it was largely due to her efforts that the company had done so well over the last few years. Richard French never ceased to sing Claire’s praises and Dana was one hundred percent in agreement with him.
“On a diet?” Claire cocked an eyebrow at Dana’s tray on which all she’d placed was a salad and a small bowl of tomato soup.
Dana shook her head as she reached for the spoon. “I just didn’t feel like having lasagna today. I need to petition our new boss. We need more options in this lunch room.”
“Glad you brought up the subject,” Claire said and leaned forward. “I’ve been dying to ask you about him,” she whispered. “What’s Rockford St. Stephens like? He’s been with the company two weeks now and I’ve only seen him twice, once at that staff meeting he held the day after he arrived, and another time in the hallway.” She gave Dana a mock glare. “Are you deliberately keeping him in the executive suite, all to yourself?”
Dana rolled her eyes. “Please. Does Rock look like someone I could hide away against his will? He’s no Richard French, I can tell you that.”
Claire cocked an eyebrow. “So it’s Rock, is it? No Mr. Stephens? You always used to say Mr. French even when I said Richard.”
“That’s different. Mr. French was almost like…my uncle. But with Rock it’s different.” Dana shrugged. “And anyway, he was the one who told me to call him Rock.”
Claire slid back in her seat and folded her arms. “And you still haven’t told me what he’s like. Is he the bear we met at the staff meeting, or did he tone it down once he got to the executive suite?”
“No, he’s a bear,” Dana said, dousing the glimmer of hope in Claire’s eyes. When she saw her friend’s look of horror she laughed. “Okay, maybe I’m not being totally fair. He hasn’t been around long enough for me to give him that title.”
“He’s been here two weeks,” Claire said with a frown. “That’s more than enough time for you to form an opinion.”
“Sure, if he’d really been here all that time.” Dana stabbed at her lettuce.
“Meaning?” Claire gave her a pointed look.
“He’s hardly been around.” Dana couldn’t keep the hint of peevishness out of her voice…which was weird, seeing that she’d told herself it had been a blessing to have the executive suite to herself all this time. “Since that day he held the staff meeting he’s been in all of four days. I swear, the man must be moonlighting as an airline pilot, he’s gone so much.”
“Well, he did say this is just one of the many companies he runs.”
“But still…” She paused, realizing it was beginning to sound like she missed him. And how could you miss a man…a boss…you hardly even knew?
“So, apart from being drop dead gorgeous and tall to boot, what’s he like?” Claire put up her hands before Dana could protest. “Based on your four days with him, I mean.”
“To tell the truth, he’s not as bad as I thought he’d be. Before I even met him I was prepared to hate every bone in his body.” Dana gave Claire a rueful smile. “Turns out I misjudged him-”
“Hey, there, lovely ladies. May I join you?”
They looked up to see Jason Blake, tray in hand, smiling down at them. Dana gave Claire a quick glance then almost rolled her eyes. Just what she needed – Jason and his chatter. He liked her – he’d made that very clear – and he seized every opportunity to be in her presence. But she’d made it equally clear that she didn’t like him. Not like that, anyway. Much good that had done her. Persistence was Jason’s middle name.
“Feel free,” Claire said and jerked her head toward the empty chair.
As Jason laid his tray beside hers and plopped down in the seat, Dana gave Claire a quick glare, but then she softened her glance. How could she blame Claire when any other response would have come across as rude?
“So how’s it going, Dana? Haven’t seen much of you lately.” Jason reached for the ketchup bottle and gave his French fries a good dousing in the red stuff. “New boss keeping you super busy, huh?”
“I’m always busy,” she said then dipped her head, feigning intense interest in her sala
d.
“Don’t worry,” he said as he sprinkled salt all over his fried chicken. “I’ll put in a good word for you. I’m not scared of Rockford St. Stephens.”
Yeah, right. One look from Rock and Jason would be shaking in his shoes. They were such a contrast, these two men. Where Jason was of medium height and slender, with a shock of jet-black hair and dark-rimmed glasses that made him look like a young professor, Rock was strong and solid and very much the corporate executive, exuding power from his very pores. She could never be interested in a man like Jason, so indecisive and immature, a man she could twist around any finger she chose. But Rock, on the other hand, would be a serious challenge to a woman who was used to having her way, and that would make things all the more interesting. Not that she had any interest in him, mind you. She was a professional and thoughts of a romantic rendezvous with her boss had never crossed her mind.
Yeah, right. She almost smiled as she remembered her body’s reaction at their first meeting – and at every meeting thereafter. Racing heart, sweaty palms, shortness of breath, difficulty concentrating – if a sexy man hadn’t been in the room she would have sworn she was having a panic attack. And who could blame her? Any red-blooded girl would react the same way to Mr. Tall, Dark-Blond and Incredibly Handsome.
“Jason’s waiting,” Claire said, pulling her out of her reverie.
Dana blinked. “For what?”
“Your answer,” Jason said, looking slightly annoyed. “Do you want to go to The Jade Palace with me or not?”
“Not.” She didn’t even have to think twice. He’d asked her out for what seemed like a hundred times and her answer was always the same. “I don’t date co-workers.”
“Well, it’s not really a date,” he said, pleading his case as he always did. “I’m hosting a reception there, to celebrate the acquisition of a brand new client. A major one.” He turned his eyes to Claire as if for support. “Make her understand this is a business event and not a date.”
“Oh, no, you don’t,” Claire said with a chuckle. “Leave me out of this.” She dropped her eyes to her plate and tucked into her meal, effectively dismissing him.
With no help coming from that end, Jason had no choice but to turn back to the object of his interest. “Dana-”
“No,” she said, her voice cold. “And don’t ask me again.” So she was being a bitch, but anybody who knew the whole story would totally understand. Jason had been pursuing her since he’d joined the firm seven months earlier and he just would not let up. Within a few weeks of meeting her he’d asked her out maybe five times and she’d finally given in. It was only a lunch invitation and she was tired of the cafeteria food, anyway.
Big mistake. Once they got back to the office he’d begun gloating all over the place, dropping hints to his work buddies that they were an item. She’d had to nip that rumor in the bud real fast and after that she’d avoided him like the Black Death. But, little by little, as the months passed, he tried to worm his way back into her good graces. Well, it wasn’t going to work.
He fell silent and Dana almost sighed in relief. She knew it was a temporary reprieve because, before the week was out, he’d be asking again. But for now she was grateful she’d deflated him enough where he’d leave her alone, at least for the rest of her meal.
Quickly, she finished her salad then tackled the small bowl of soup. She could feel Jason’s eyes on her even though she was deliberately avoiding looking in his direction. As he ate he made small talk with Claire but that didn’t fool Dana one bit. He wanted to continue the conversation with her but he wasn’t stupid enough to do it in front of Claire who would gladly be her witness if she charged him with harassment.
All done, she placed her spoon on the tray. “See you later, guys,” she said brightly. “Got to get back to work.”
Jason jerked his head up, a look of disappointment flashing across his face. “What’s your rush? St. Stephens isn’t even in today.”
“No matter,” she said with a shrug as she stood up. “I’ve got work to do.”
“I’ll swing by-”
“Don’t bother,” she said, cutting him off.
“Will you just listen?” His voice was sharp, clear evidence of his exasperation. “There’s something I need to discuss with you, about Finson and Sons. That’s the new client I wanted you to meet at the reception.”
Dana tightened her lips but then she sighed. She couldn’t very well keep avoiding Jason. He was part of her work team, after all. No matter how annoying he was, she couldn’t let her personal peeve prevent her from providing him with whatever professional support he needed.
“Okay, you can stop by for a short while,” she said grudgingly. “Come by at two. I’ll see if I can help you then.”
With a quick smile and a nod to Claire she turned and headed to the front of the cafeteria where she deposited her tray on the counter. Then she hurried out of there before Jason thought of an excuse to call out to her.
Back in the executive suite Dana soon forgot all about Jason Blake and absorbed herself in her work. Rock had left more than enough assignments to keep her busy for the rest of the week and it was only Tuesday. He’d come in the day before, met with her for over two hours, trying to get up to speed on all aspects of the business, and then he’d given her a long list of things he needed done. He’d even told her to prepare a profile on each of the thirty-eight employees of Premier Holdings, including herself – from their roles and responsibilities, to their number of years with the company, to their previous employment history. Why he didn’t just speak to the human resources manager, she had no idea. She’d hinted that Sylvia would be able to provide him with the information but it was like talking to a stone. Or, in this case, a Rock. He’d insisted that the briefing should come from her…as if she didn’t have lots of other work to get done.
He’d left again that afternoon, not even showing her the courtesy of telling her when he’d be back in office. He was an ‘in again, out again’ boss and it was beginning to get on her nerves. She’d almost told him that some semblance of a schedule would be appreciated but then she’d held her tongue. She hadn’t started the job search yet so now was not the time to be cheeky.
She was busy typing the profile on Sean Johnson, the financial controller – a real sourpuss and a bore – when there was a knock at the door. She glanced at the clock on the computer screen. Two o’clock on the dot. Well, Jason was nothing if not punctual.
“Come in,” she called out.
At her invitation the door opened and Jason pushed his head around the door. “Ready for me?”
She swiveled round in her chair. “I’m all yours.”
Jason grinned. “I like the sound of that.”
Dana almost scowled but then she caught herself. She’d walked right into that one. She couldn’t blame Jason for taking advantage of her slip.
“Have a seat.” She jerked her head toward the vacant chair and watched as he stepped into the room and began to pull the door shut behind him.
“Leave it open,” she said quickly. “It’s a little bit stuffy in here.” That was what she told him but she had an entirely different reason for giving him that instruction. An open door would discourage Jason from getting too comfortable in the intimate enclosure of the executive office. And with a man like Jason, the less encouragement he got, the better. He shrugged and approached her desk but Dana didn’t miss the way the sparkle in his eyes dimmed at her words. Well, it served him right for yearning for something that wasn’t ever going to happen.
“So what can I do for you?” she asked, as he settled into the chair. She hadn’t been lying when she’d told him she had a lot to do today. She wanted to handle his issue and have him gone as soon as possible. Of her to-do list of eleven items she was all the way at number three…with most of the day already gone.
Jason leaned forward and laid a folder on Dana’s desk. “Can you look at this for me? It’s my presentation to Finson and Sons. I really want to im
press them.”
Dana pulled the folder toward her and flipped it open. There were about a dozen sheets of paper in it, the miniatures of six PowerPoint slides on each. She leafed through. “Seems okay to me,” she said with a shrug. “And besides, you’ve presented our company to new clients lots of times before. Why are you so nervous about this one?”
“Because this is the biggest account I’ve ever handled. This one account is worth over a million dollars, Dana. I can’t afford to lose them.”
“You can’t lose what you don’t have yet,” Dana began but when she saw the look of worry on Jason’s face she relented and gave him a smile of encouragement. “I know this is important to you, Jason, and to the whole company, but I honestly don’t see why you’re so worried.”
“But I’ve never had a client that’s so exacting. They want to know everything, and in detail. Some of the stuff I don’t even know myself.”
Dana frowned. “Like what?”
“Like a five-year ROI analysis based on our financial experience in the marketplace and our leasing contracts over the last five years. They’re wary about signing the lease without having their finance people look into the money-making prospects, especially on an island where politics can have a major impact on profit potential.”
Dana grimaced and nodded slowly. “They’ve done their homework, that’s pretty clear. They’re asking for a lot, but who can blame them? Seven figures is a lot to commit to one project.”
“And that’s why I need your help.” Jason shifted forward on the seat. “I need as much information as possible, real numbers from our historical data. I have to convince them that this is a great deal.”
She bit her lower lip, deep in thought, then she tapped her pen on the desk. “I think I know where we can start. I’ll pull some historical data from my computer archives but I also have a file of information that should be helpful.” She got up and turned toward the file cabinet but then she paused. “There’s just one thing,” she said as she looked at Jason who was relaxing in the chair, looking relieved.
