Still clutching the letters from the colleges, she opened the door and walked into Duncan’s office.
The space was even larger than his condo. Big windows overlooked the shipping yard on one side and the lobby on the other. Apparently this particular king enjoyed looking at his empire.
His desk was practically big enough for a plane to land on. There was a grouping of sofas in one corner and a conference table in another.
The man himself sat looking at a computer screen. He tapped a few keys, then glanced at her and raised his eyebrows.
“An unexpected pleasure,” he said as he stood and walked around the desk.
He looked good. Too good. She’d seen him in his tailored suits before, so that wasn’t anything she couldn’t handle. Maybe the problem was less than twelve hours ago, she’d been in his bed and they’d both been naked. They’d slept in a tangle of legs and arms, only to awaken and make love again.
He stopped in front of her. “Everything all right?” he asked. “You look pale. Don’t you feel well?”
Apparently unable to speak, she thrust the letters at him, then managed to find her voice. “You did this, didn’t you? I won’t even ask how you got the information to make the payments. It was the twins, wasn’t it? You talked to them.”
One corner of his mouth curved up. “I thought you weren’t going to ask.”
She shook the papers. “This isn’t funny. You can’t go around doing this.”
“Helping people? I would have thought you would approve. Aren’t you the one who told me it would be easier to actually be nice than to hire you and pretend?”
“What?” She dropped her arm to her side. “Duncan, why did you do this?”
“Because I could. Are you the only one who gets to be nice?”
“Don’t be reasonable.” She was tired from lack of sleep and felt the beginnings of a headache. “It makes me uncomfortable.”
His smile faded. “That’s not what I wanted. It’s just a check, Annie. Don’t make it into anything else.”
“A big check. Two big checks.” She glanced around to make sure they were alone, then lowered her voice. “We had sex. You can’t buy me stuff.”
The humor returned. “Most women would tell you the opposite. That after sex is when the buying begins.”
“Maybe. If we were dating. But we’re not. We have an arrangement. A deal. This isn’t part of the deal.”
“You’re complaining because I’m giving you more?”
No. She was worried that if he was nice, if he was approachable and kind, she wouldn’t have a chance of getting out of this with her heart in one piece.
The truth slammed into her and it was all she could do to stay standing. Of course. Why hadn’t she realized it before? Duncan was a force of nature and she was just a regular person. He was rich and strong and powerful and unlike anyone she’d ever known. She’d been in trouble from the second they’d met.
“I…” She swallowed. “You didn’t have to do this.”
“I wanted to.”
“It will make things a lot easier. Thank you.”
He moved close and cupped her face in his large hands. “Was that so hard?”
“No.”
He was going to kiss her and she was going to let him. It was already too late to try to protect herself. The best she could do was see this to the end and pray she wasn’t totally devastated when it was over. A test of strength, she thought. A trial by fire.
His mouth moved against hers in a way that had become familiar. There was always the taking, but it was tempered somehow. Maybe by her own hunger, her need for him.
She released the papers and let them fall to the floor so she could wrap her arms around his neck. He drew her against him and she went willingly. The kiss deepened. Passion swept through her. Now, she thought, burning with hunger. She wanted him now.
She squirmed to get closer and felt his arousal, thick and hard against her belly. It would be so easy, right here on his big desk. The one in the room with all the windows. Where anyone could see or walk in.
He drew back and looked into her eyes. “Reality check.”
She nodded. “There are a lot of people all around.”
“At the time, the windows seemed like a good idea.”
Now it was her turn to smile. “And today?”
“Not so good.”
He kissed her again, more lightly this time. Then he released her.
She stepped away reluctantly. He picked up the papers she’d dropped and handed them to her.
She folded them and put them in her purse. “Thank you for doing this. It really helps.”
“You’re welcome.” He put his arm around her and guided her to the door. “My uncle Lawrence wants to meet you.”
“I’d like to meet him, too.” she said. Maybe find a moment to ask what Duncan had been like when he’d been younger.
“How about Sunday for dinner? My place?”
“I’d like that.”
She’d like a lot more, she thought as she made her way back to her car. A chance to make this all real. A foolish wish, she reminded herself. Duncan had been clear about what he wanted from the beginning. From all that she knew, he wasn’t the kind of man who changed his mind about anything.
After Annie left, Duncan found it difficult to refocus on work. The report on his computer was a lot less interesting than it had been before she’d stopped by. He found himself wanting to go after her. Maybe take her to his place for the rest of the afternoon…and the evening. But he had meetings and something inside him warned him that he would have to be careful. He didn’t want her reading too much into their relationship. He appreciated all that Annie had done and didn’t want her getting hurt.
At four, his assistant buzzed to tell him a Ms. Morgan had arrived for their meeting. Duncan glanced at his calendar, then frowned as he couldn’t place the name. Someone from accounting, the note said.
“Send her in.”
Seconds later a short, fifty-something woman walked in and smiled shyly. She wore her hair short and had on a drab suit and sensible shoes.
“Ms. Morgan,” he said, pointing to the chair on the other side of his desk.
“Thank you for seeing me, Mr. Patrick.”
The woman had a folder in her hands. She looked both determined and nervous.
When she was seated, he offered her coffee, which she refused. She cleared her throat.
“I talked to Annie at the Christmas party,” she began. “She’s very nice and when I mentioned I had some ideas about making a few changes, she encouraged me to come talk to you.”
Typical, he thought, both annoyed and unsurprised. “Annie is a big believer in communication,” he said shortly.
Ms. Morgan swallowed. “Yes, well, I thought about what she said and decided to make the appointment. I’m a CPA, Mr. Patrick. I wasn’t sure if you knew that. I’m required to take continuing education every year. I recently attended a class on depreciation.”
“Rather you than me,” he murmured.
She flashed him a smile. “It was more interesting than it sounds. There have been several changes in the tax code that could have a big impact on the bottom line. If I could just show you.”
She opened the folder and passed over several pages. They went over them, line by line, as she explained how they weren’t taking advantage of new classifications and schedules. The small changes were significant when applied to his large fleet of trucks.
“The tax savings alone is well into the high six figures,” she said twenty minutes later.
“Impressive. Thank you, Ms. Morgan. I appreciate you bringing this to my attention. I’ll speak to the vice president of finance and make sure these changes are implemented.”
His employee beamed. “I’m happy to help.”
She was. He could see it in her pleased expression. He’d always been one to manage through fear and intimidation. He’d never nurtured anyone, preferring to do it himself rather than be
part of a team. Growing the company had required him to change his style. Entrepreneurs either learned how to work in a large organization or their companies stayed small.
But while Duncan had learned the lesson, he’d never liked it. Now, watching Ms. Morgan gather up her papers, he saw the benefit of encouragement. Maybe Annie was right. Maybe he should talk to his employees more. Trust them to do the right thing. Reward good behavior. What was it she’d told him? Set limits and reinforce them often.
“You’ll be getting a check for ten percent of the savings,” he said.
Ms. Morgan blinked at him. “Excuse me?”
“You’re saving the company a lot of money. I appreciate that. You’ll share in the benefit. It’s a new policy. I want to encourage people to offer suggestions that either grow the business or save us money. If we implement the idea, that employee gets ten percent of the increase in sales or the savings.”
The color drained from her face. “But ten percent of that amount is nearly my year’s salary.”
He shrugged. “That makes it a good day.”
She opened her mouth, then closed it. “You’re sure?”
He nodded.
“Thank you, Mr. Patrick. I’m—I don’t know what to say. Thank you. Thank you.”
She rose and hurried out. By the time she got to the door, he was pretty sure she was crying.
When he was alone, Duncan leaned back in his chair. He felt good—like he’d done the right thing. Maybe it was possible to find the occasional win–win scenario, he thought as he turned back to his computer. He began to type an e-mail to his chief operating officer, explaining the new policy of giving employees ten percent of saving or sales increases. Maybe someone in PR could leak the memo to the press. That should go a long way to getting him off the meanest CEO list.
After that, he would move forward with his plan to buy out his board and run the company himself. The way he liked—answering to no one. Although he would keep the new policy. Not for Annie, he told himself. He’d keep it because it made business sense.
Eight
Annie knocked on Duncan’s front door. She was more nervous than she had been before their first date, but this anxiety had nothing to do with Duncan. Instead she was about to meet his only living family member—Lawrence Patrick—and she desperately wanted the older man to like her.
She’d brought a Bundt cake and two DVDs, but wasn’t sure about either. Maybe she should have brought her cousins or Kami to be a distraction.
The door opened and she saw a tall, handsome, older man with graying hair and eyes that were exactly like Duncan’s.
“You must be Annie,” the gentleman said. “Come in, come in. I’ve been waiting to meet you, but Duncan has insisted on keeping you all to himself. Probably because he knows I have a way with the ladies.” Lawrence winked at her, then gave her a warm smile that melted away her nervousness.
He took the cake container from her and sniffed. “Do I smell chocolate? My favorite.”
“I’m glad. It’s lovely to finally meet you,” she said, closing the door behind her.
“And you, young lady. I’m hearing very good things about you. My nephew isn’t one to speak well of others, so you must be something special.”
Duncan strolled toward them. “Come on, Lawrence,” he said with a resigned sigh. “Let’s wait at least ten minutes before you go telling Annie all of my flaws.”
His uncle chuckled. “All right, but no longer.” He turned to Annie. “Duncan has a teleconference with China in a few minutes. We’ll have plenty of time to get to know each other while he’s tied up.”
“I look forward to it,” she said.
“Great,” Duncan muttered, but there was humor lurking in his gray eyes and he pulled her close for a brief kiss. “Don’t fall for the old guy’s charm. He’s had decades of practice with the ladies.”
She laughed. “Maybe I like a man who knows what he’s doing.”
“Sassy,” Lawrence said. “I like that.”
They went into the great room. Annie pulled out one of the DVDs she’d brought. “I saw this and couldn’t resist.”
Lawrence stared at the cover, then started laughing.
Duncan shook his head. “You’re encouraging him.”
Annie set the copy of the movie Rocky on the coffee table and settled on the sofa across from Lawrence. The older man took a comfortable chair, while Duncan sat next to her.
“Rocky was a southpaw,” Lawrence told her. “Left handed. They’re a special breed. A lot of fighters don’t want anything to do with them. They can’t adjust. A great boxer knows how to think, how to anticipate.”
Duncan stood. “I’m going to get ready for my call. Feel free to doze off, Annie. Lawrence loves to talk.”
“I’ll be telling her your secrets,” Lawrence said.
“I have no doubt.”
Duncan went into his study. Lawrence barely waited for the door to close before saying, “I know about the deal you have with Duncan. Why you’re helping him.”
“Oh.” She hadn’t been expecting him to say that. “My brother has some problems. This seemed the only way to get him help.”
“I’m not saying it’s a bad thing. But you’re not acting like someone doing a job. Are you that good an actress?”
She looked down at her lap, then back at him. “No. I’m not. I like Duncan. He can seem really hard and distant, but I don’t think that’s who he is. There’s kindness in him. He’s a good man.”
Lawrence nodded slowly. “Not too many people see that side of him. They believe the press. It takes strength to take a failing business and grow it into an empire. He did that. He fought his way out of his circumstances.”
Circumstances Annie didn’t know much about. “I know you helped raise him,” she said.
“The blind leading the blind,” Lawrence told her. “My sister was a flake. She was a lot younger than me—a surprise baby. Our parents were so happy to have another child. They adored her. She was spoiled, always getting her way. After they died, she took her half of the money and disappeared. A couple years later, she came back pregnant. Wouldn’t say who the father was. I’m not sure she knew. She had Duncan, then took off again. That’s how it was, the first dozen or so years of his life. She would come and go. It broke his heart.”
Annie looked at the closed study door and wondered about the little boy who had been abandoned over and over by his mother.
“When Duncan was eleven or twelve, he told his mother to either stay or go. She had to pick. I think he was hoping she would choose to be a part of his life. Instead she disappeared. He never mentioned her again. I got word a few years later that she’d died. I told him. He said it didn’t matter.”
Hiding the pain, she thought sadly. Because it had to have mattered. First his mother had betrayed him, then Valentina had. Duncan had learned difficult lessons from the women who were supposed to love him. No wonder he didn’t let anyone inside.
“I was hard on him,” Lawrence admitted. “I didn’t know anything about raising a kid. I took him to the gym with me, taught him to box. He was set on college, which confused the hell out of me, but he made it. Got a scholarship and everything.” There was pride in his voice.
“He’s a good man, and a lot of that is because of you,” she said.
“I hope so. You know about his ex-wife?”
She nodded.
“There was a disaster. I never liked her and I’m glad she’s gone, but now I worry Duncan won’t ever settle down. He needs a family. Someone to come home to.”
Not a very subtle message, Annie thought, wishing it were a possibility. “Duncan was very clear,” she said. “This is a business relationship, nothing more.”
“Is that what you want?”
A simple question with an easy answer. “I’m not the only one who gets to decide.”
“Maybe not, but you can influence him.”
“You’re giving me too much credit.”
“You�
��d be surprised.”
If only, she thought. After all he’d been through, she wasn’t sure Duncan would ever be willing to give his heart and she couldn’t settle for anything less.
“I hope he finds someone,” she said.
“Even if that means someone other than you?”
“Of course.”
Lawrence stared at her for a long time. “You know what? I believe you. Which makes me hope things work out. Don’t give up on my nephew, Annie. He’s not easy, but he’s worth it.”
Before she could say anything in response, the study door opened and Duncan came out.
“You about done telling her all my secrets?” he asked his uncle.”
“No, but we made a good start at it.”
Duncan chuckled. “Glad I could help. Ready to watch the movie?”
“Sure.” Lawrence winked at her. “While he’s playing with his electronics, let me tell you about the time I beat a southpaw. It was back in ’72. Miami. Talk about a hot day.”
Duncan groaned, putting the DVD into the player.
“I don’t mind,” Annie said honestly. “Were you the favorite?”
Lawrence grinned. “Honey, I was practically a god.”
Annie shelved her heart-to-heart with Lawrence as her commitments with Duncan took center stage. The following Monday, she attended a party at an art gallery that featured stark modern paintings that were beyond confusing. The single tiny red dot on the snow-white canvas was the least of the strangeness. There was a collection of black paintings. Just black. Apparently they were supposed to represent bleakness, and as far as she was concerned, the artist had done a fine job.
Wednesday night was a charity fund-raiser with an auction of ornaments painted by celebrities. Duncan bought a beautiful tree done by Dolly Parton. For Lawrence, he claimed, but Annie wondered if he might have a little crush on the singer himself. Tonight was a dinner at the Getty Museum in Malibu. Duncan was picking her up at five, which meant she had to be home no later than four so she could get ready. She was nearly on time, a positive sign. Then she felt the telltale uneven thudding that signaled another flat tire.
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