I should have been happy. I should have been relieved that there was no evidence of an affair between the CEO and Laila, yet something wasn’t quite right. My thoughts traveled to the video conference call we’d just had and the things Katelyn had said. I had seen the way he looked at her, looked at me. Stefan Miller hadn’t caught everything and if he was as good as his reviews suggested, I wondered why.
I grabbed my phone and called him.
He answered in an instant. “Miller.”
“Is this all you could get?” I demanded looking around the room. “Pictures of them flirting in Paris?”
Stefan laughed gruffly. “First of all, I dare you to call my business phone again addressing me as if I’m one of your buddies.”
My mouth snapped shut.
“Secondly, I’m in the business of uncovering what exists, not creating situations where they don’t.” He grunted. “You should be happy. Your little girlfriend is as clean as a whistle, and apparently, Dylan Hamilton has better things to do than to concern himself with a subordinate.”
I thought about Miller’s words, unconvinced. “Fine,” I said closing the file. “So, what do we do now?”
“Close the investigation,” he suggested.
“You’ve only been on the case for a week and a half,” I reminded him. “We’re not closing the investigation.”
“Do you have another twenty-five hundred dollars to shell out?”
“I can manage your fees, Mr. Miller,” I said. “The fact is, I won’t be satisfied until I have concrete evidence of Dylan Hamilton’s indiscretion, and if you can’t get it, I’ll have to find someone else who will.”
I was waiting for Miller to say something in his defense, but he remained silent. Then he chuckled. “You seem pretty sure about this. So sure, I wonder why you even need my services.” Miller grunted. “Alright, Mr. Hanson. I’ll expand the investigation and push a little more, but you have some things you need to think about.”
“Like what?” I asked.
“Like why you’re so hell-bent on trapping Laila Renaud.”
“I don’t want to trap her,” I denied.
“So it’s Dylan Hamilton you’re after? The man with the plan? The man for whom you want to work?”
I gnawed at the inside of my mouth until I would be raw.
Miller chortled. “I’ll be in touch.” He hung up.
I stared at nothing and then pulled the phone away from my face. Miller had asked tough questions, and it bothered me that I didn’t know the answers. What was I trying to do? Did I want Laila back, or didn’t I? Did I want the job at Hamilton Associates, or not? The answer to both questions was a resounding yes, but I couldn’t reconcile my behavior with what I knew I wanted.
My cell phone buzzed in my hand with Katelyn on the other end. I sighed and answered.
“I’m sorry,” I apologized. “I’ve kept you waiting for fifteen minutes. You’ve probably already ordered.”
“You’re right, I have,” she confirmed. “But I got take out and brought it back to the office. There’s no one in here. Everyone has left for lunch. I was thinking we could spend some time together. You know, just you and me...”
In an instant, my groin raised, and I looked at my lap once again.
It had been months since I’d been with a woman. I hadn’t wanted anyone but Laila, but my body was responding to Katelyn. Her teasing mannerisms and obvious attraction to me were increasing my curiosity. She had made it clear that she was up for a tryst. The stress of trying to understand Laila was weakening me and now I wasn’t sure I could resist my primal urges.
“You still there?” she purred into the phone.
“Yeah,” I said. “I guess I’ll see you in a few.”
I could feel her grin slap me through the phone. “I guess you will. Everything will be ready when you get here.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Dylan
‘Us’
Max whooped and hollered, spinning around with a glass of champagne in his hand. A portion splashed over the edge of the glass and he laughed hysterically.
“She did it,” he shouted. “The girl did it! She walked into that boardroom and she sold those men our product. They won’t be meeting with Japan any time soon.”
Bullman opened another bottle of champagne and the cork popped clear across the room, hitting the wall.
I smiled, but my insides were tight. I hadn’t spoken to Laila since the video conference call. We’d been avoiding each other. This morning, in the hours before the presentation, I’d called her room and she hadn’t answered. We’d all agreed to meet for breakfast, but she hadn’t shown up. While everyone was eating, I’d gone to the front desk and called her.
“Where are you?” I asked when she answered.
“I’m preparing for the presentation,” she said. Her tone was flat. “There were so many changes I had to make, I figured it’d be best for me to stay in my room and re-familiarize myself.”
“Laila,” I groaned and scrubbed the back of my neck. “Sweetheart, I know you’re upset about yesterday’s meeting and we can talk about it later. Right now, I’d like for you to come and have breakfast. With the team.”
Silence.
“Yes, sir,” she said and hung up.
Now, she was standing in the corner of the room with an untouched glass of champagne in her hand.
“Laila Renaud,” Max bellowed, “you were spectacular today. You owned it and you sold it, just like Ryder Hanson said you should.” Max poured champagne into outstretched glasses and spun around to face me. “Dylan, she speaks French. She did the entire presentation in French. Did you know she spoke French?”
“Max, maybe you should pack the bottles away. It seems as though you’ve already had enough.”
“Bah,” he grunted, waving me off. “Did you see their faces, Dylan? They were mesmerized.”
Laila shifted uncomfortably in the corner and I pinched the bridge of my nose. Max was drunk, and only God knew how long it would take for him to finish talking about how great Laila had been today.
I decided to engage him. Perhaps he’d stop talking. “She was phenomenal,” I agreed. “She got in that boardroom and knocked their socks off.” I paused. “Like we knew she would.” I tried to catch her eye, but she refused to look at me. My heart disintegrated.
“Let’s hire her, Dylan. Let’s make her a permanent part of the team.” I could smell the alcohol on his breath. “She’s done more in two months than all of the most recent hires have done since they started working at the firm.”
I looked over at Laila who was talking to one of the secretaries. The last thing I needed was for her to catch wind of this conversation. Things were already tense and my thoughts about what Max was saying would not make it any better.
I pulled Max to the side, but he continued, “Imagine the future, Dylan. The girl has brains and passion. We cannot afford to lose her.”
“I agree,” I said. “She has brought a lot to the table and will be commended for all she has done. Let’s talk about it later.”
“Later?” He squinted in confusion. “Dylan, Laila Renaud just made us two and a half million dollars. If that’s not proof she can get the job done, then I don’t know what is.”
I sighed, wishing the conversation would end. “I’m not minimizing her talent,” I said. “All I’m saying is that perhaps right now is not the appropriate time or place. We already broke protocol by bringing her on,” I reminded him. “Let’s not jump more than one gun. Right now, I’d like to focus on celebrating our accomplishment.”
“Dylan – ”
“Max.” Our conversation was over, as far as I was concerned.
Max grunted and walked away, heading over to Bullman, where he would, no doubt, continue his drunken diatribe.
My eyes followed him and then fell upon Laila. She was wearing a tailored pants suit that hugged every curve she owned. Her hair was arranged in ringlets, which she’d pinned up in various sections
. My heart was swollen with love and adoration for her. I wanted to touch her in the worst way. Seeing her in full-throttle action today had made me stiff with desire. Thoughts of the times we had spent together bombarded me, yet I couldn’t ignore an aching feeling in the pit of my stomach.
I hadn’t liked her interaction with Ryder Hanson during the video conference call. It was charged, and I wondered if there was something more to their relationship, something she hadn’t told me about, despite my asking.
My jaw tensed at the recollection.
We needed to talk.
Soon, the party was moving to the hotel bar as the effects of the numerous bottles of champagne were starting to manifest. The clan made their way to the party scene and Max turned back into the room where Laila and I stood in our respective corners. “Are the two of you coming?”
Laila cleared her throat. “I would love to but think I’m gonna head to bed. I’m exhausted. Besides, we’re moving early tomorrow.” She grabbed her purse.
“But the party is just starting,” Max tried to convince her.
“Miss Renaud, perhaps you could burn the midnight oil and party with us. After all, we’ve made a major accomplishment today,” I suggested in an attempt to appease Max.
Laila looked at me, her eyes hard and steady. Then she looked at Max.
“Okay,” she conceded with a smile. “I’ll change into something more comfortable and be down in thirty minutes.”
Max winked at her and backed out the room. The door clicked closed.
Laila looked at me and then headed for the exit.
“We need to talk,” I said. I swished my champagne around in my glass before throwing it against the back of my throat and setting the glass firmly on the counter.
Laila froze, but she rolled her eyes in my direction.
I regarded her for a second, before shoving my hands into my pockets and approaching her. I wanted to accost her. Two days had passed since we’d been intimate, and my body yearned for her. I wanted to throw her against the wall and make love to her, but there were more pressing issues at hand.
“I was proud of you today,” I whispered dipping my head close to hers. “You were amazing.”
“Was I?” she responded.
I inhaled. “Laila...”
“Because I didn’t feel amazing when you allowed Ryder to throw me under the bus yesterday in that meeting, and I sure as hell didn’t feel amazing when you didn’t support my position regarding the presentation.”
My neck whipped back. “What are you talking about?”
“Dylan, if you’re going to act like what happened yesterday is unimportant then – ”
“What happened yesterday was me being the CEO of Hamilton Associates,” I said. “What happened yesterday was me keeping my promise that I wouldn’t treat you any differently despite our relationship.”
“Our relationship...” she spat the word out.
“Our relationship,” I repeated. I shrugged. “That’s what you wanted, isn’t it?”
“I didn’t want a relationship with you. I told you that from the very beginning.”
“I’m not talking about that,” I responded, though my heart crushed hearing her words. I lowered my voice, trying to bridle my emotions. “I’m talking about the fact that you didn’t want special treatment. You said you wanted to make it on your own and that’s what I’m allowing you to do. Ryder had valid points in yesterday’s meeting, Laila. If I’d ignored his suggestions, I would have been doing the very thing you asked me not to.”
She stared at me. “So, do you value Ryder more than me?”
I hissed my teeth. “Come on, Laila. I never said that.”
“Admit it, Dylan,” she insisted. “You think that Ryder Hanson is more valuable than I am. He’s the golden boy, and I’m just the girl you brought on because I had passion and fervor; because you believed you’d be able to get me in your bed.”
“What?”
“You heard me,” she said through tight lips.
I glared at her, the muscle in my jaw twitching. “Do you want to know what I think?” I said taking an angry step towards her. “I think you value Ryder Hanson more than you value me.”
Now it was her turn to display shock. “What in the world are you talking about?” she demanded.
“Laila, do you think I can’t see the chemistry between the two of you? You told me there was nothing going on.”
“And I told you the truth,” she came back.
“So how do you explain the fireworks that go off when the two of you interact?”
Laila held her hands up in my face. “I don’t have time for this,” she muttered. “Send my apologies to Carter because there’s no way I’m going downstairs to celebrate anything with you.” She spun on her heels and stormed towards the door, but I grabbed her arm.
“Tell me,” I insisted.
“Tell you what?”
“Is there something going on between you and Ryder Hanson?”
She stared at me, her mouth pressed into a straight line. “I told you that there is nothing going on between Ryder and me!”
“Do the two of you have history?”
She swallowed. “A long time ago, but – ”
“Do you still have feelings for him?”
“Dylan, no, I...” her head dropped, and when she raised it, her eyes were firm and watery. She ripped herself out of my grasp. “You can’t do this,” she said. “You’re not allowed to spin this thing and make it about me when it’s all about you.”
“You’re wrong,” I said. “It’s about us.”
“There is no us,” she shouted.
I stared into her face, wide-eyed. My eyes stung with restrained emotion.
Her voice softened. “There never was an us. You used me to make you some pocket change and I let my guard down. I allowed myself to believe that I could have both and now it’s obvious that I never could.”
“You sound ridiculous, Laila. I don’t need you to make my pocket change. I can do that with my eyes closed. What I need is for you to be in love with me the way I’m in love with you.”
She balked. “You’re not in love with me, Dylan.”
“I’m hopelessly in love with you,” I countered. “You are all I think about. I wake up every day thinking of ways to make you happy. I’m living to make you smile.”
She stared at me, saying nothing, so I shrugged as if she wasn’t destroying me. “You know what? You can have it.”
“Have what?”
“Everything,” I spat. “You want a fulltime position after you graduate? You’ve got it. You want the goddamn corner office, Laila? I’ll give it to you.” I lowered my shaking voice. “Whatever you want, I’m willing and able to do. You’re the one who forced me to make promises to you, promises which I respected,” I added, “but promises you’re now punishing me for.” I straightened my posture. “You have this idea in your head that we can’t coexist, but it’s not true. I can be Dylan Hamilton and you can be Laila Renaud, but it can also be we.” I swallowed. “All you have to do is say oui.”
Her shoulders shook, tears cascading down her cheeks.
I took tentative steps toward her and pulled her into my arms. “Say oui, Laila.”
Her eyes were cold. Her body was inflexible. I was losing her, and it was the last thing I wanted. I bent my head to kiss her, desperately needing to connect with her. The scent of her hair as I buried my face in the crook of her neck enveloped me. My hands dropped to her waist and I pulled her closer. “Sweetheart please... just say yes.” I kissed her mouth and she melted into me.
“Dylan, no,” she mumbled, turning her face away from me. “I’m not doing it anymore.” She stepped away and pulled the ring off her finger. She shoved it against my chest.
I swallowed. “What are you doing?”
“You said you’re willing to give me everything, but I don’t want anything, including this ring. I should never have opened myself up to you,” she berated herself. “
I was supposed to come here and make my Papa proud. All I’ve done is disgrace his name, and my name, and – ” She choked on tears.
“Sweetheart, no,” I tried to reassure her. “Laila. I know we can work it out. Please, let’s just try.” I took her into my arms and buried my face in her neck.
Tears poured onto her face as she tried to pull away from me, but I couldn’t let her go. If I did, I knew she would run and probably never come back.
That was something I couldn’t afford.
Her body was tense, but I squeezed her and whispered into her ear. “Give me a chance, ma belle fille,” I begged. I choked on thick emotion. “Say oui, Laila.”
Her frame relaxed, and I captured her in a desperate kiss. Her mouth opened to receive me as her body pressed against me.
Unexpectedly, the door flew open and Laila ripped away from me. We both spun around, shocked to see Max standing at the edge of the suite holding two champagne bottles. The smile on his face inverted and his eyes turned as wide as saucers.
“Dylan ...” Max said.
Laila glared at me, fire burning behind her corneas. She turned to face Max on stiff heels. “Mr. Carter, I apologize, I ...” she stuttered.
“What in God’s name...” he stared at me. “The intern, Dylan?”
Laila burst past him and ran out of the room.
I stumbled after her, past Max, who slowly backed away. “Laila, wait,” I called down the hallway, but she disappeared around the corner.
My face tightened. I slammed my hand against the wall. My head dropped, and my hair fell into my burning face.
“Dylan...” Max approached me slowly. “Tell me it’s not true,” he begged. “Tell me you haven’t been sleeping with the intern.”
I glared at him and stomped to the bar. “I need to be alone,” I ordered. “Please leave.”
“Dylan – ”
“Now!” I shouted.
Max’s mouth tightened and then he walked out of the door slamming it behind him.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Oui: A BWWM Romance (The French Connection Book 1) Page 14
