by Desiree Holt
Hammered
Desiree Holt
Second in the Erector Set series.
Alex McMann is putting his MBA to good use running the business end of the construction company he owns with his brothers. He’s flown high and wide through the female segment of every geographic area in which the company has a presence, and now he’s ready at last to settle down. When he meets Olivia D’Angelo, CFO of one of their client companies, he’s sure he’s found The One.
Olivia is sharp, she’s smart, she’s sassy and she challenges him both in and out of the bedroom, where the sex is hot and plentiful. Just one problem. She has her own issues and isn’t looking for anything permanent. Alex has to convince her that he’s enough to satisfy her for the rest of her life!
HAMMERED
Desiree Holt
Chapter One
The elevator pinged softly, the doors whooshed open and Alex McMann stepped out into the plush reception area for Concordia. Just the one name. Concordia. But everyone recognized it and the villages it built. He tried not to be impressed—after all, he’d been in some pretty fancy offices—but this one outdid all of them. Quiet, understated elegance that shrieked money. No muddy shoes in here.
A woman with stylishly upswept blonde hair, who looked as if she been dressed at Saks Fifth Avenue, was working at a semicircular desk made of polished cherrywood, head bent over what she was doing. But the sound of the elevator registered belatedly, she lifted her head and gave him a smile he bet she spent hours practicing in front of a mirror.
He forced himself not to run his finger around his collar or brush a hand over his hair, habits that denoted nerves. McMann Brothers Development was no penny ante company and after all, he’d been asked to a meeting here. He hadn’t come begging for an appointment. Still, hammering out a contract with Concordia would move them into a whole new class of developers. This was the giant step they’d been working toward. If it panned out.
“Do not fuck this up,” his brothers told him when he left the office. “Whatever they want, if we get the contract it will push us into a whole new level.”
“Do you want to wipe my nose and check behind my ears?” he asked with a sarcastic edge.
“Just go,” Josh told him.
“And call the minute you’re out of the building,” Tyler added.
“Sure, sure, sure,” he called grumpily over his shoulder.
So now here he was, hoping he was thoroughly prepared for this meeting. He knew—they all knew—that Concordia was famed for the award-winning villages they built all over the world. A portfolio the McMann brothers hungered to be included in.
“You’re Mr. McMann, right?” The woman’s voice was soft, modulated.
“Yes, ma’am.”
Ma’am? Was he a schoolboy?
She picked up the receiver on her desk and spoke softly into it, then smiled at him again. “Jennifer will be right out to get you,” she told him.
Okay. Jennifer. He stood with his briefcase, trying to wait without fidgeting. Then a door opened at the far end of the hall and the woman of his dreams walked toward him. If this was Jennifer he might hang around after hours. It wasn’t just his cock that wanted to stand at attention. He felt his heart drop to the bottom of his feet then bounce back up into his throat.
Jesus, Alex. Get your shit together.
She was of medium height, but that was the only thing medium about her. Hair the color of deep auburn hung to her shoulders in loose waves. And though she was dressed in a tailored blouse and straight skirt, the material of both was soft and did little to hide curves that made his mouth water. Her heels added three inches to her height but she didn’t teeter on them as many women did. She had an air of supreme confidence and he wondered exactly what Jennifer did that she exuded such poise and assurance.
When she reached him, she extended a graceful hand. “Mr. McMann? Jennifer was handling something for us so I came to fetch you myself. Olivia D’Angelo.”
“Alex McMann.” He grinned. “But then you know that.” When he shook hands with her electricity zinged between them. She felt it, too, her eyes narrowing just a tiny bit. He held on to her hand a millimeter of a second too long, loving both the strength of her grip and the soft skin of her palm.
“Indeed I do.” She eased her hand from his, her lips curving in a tiny but mischievous smile and lights dancing in her hazel eyes.
Oh yes. This woman was temptation on a plate. He wondered what she looked like without those clothes, hair spread out on a pillow—
“Mr. McMann?” Her words shook him out of the erotic reverie he had momentarily fallen into. “Let’s go. Everyone’s waiting for you.”
What was the matter with him? He was supposed to be here on business—and very important business—not pleasure. He held his briefcase in front of him, just in case his stupid dick decided to intrude and tried to control the sudden heavy thudding of his heartbeat. But as he followed her down the hallway he was mesmerized by the sway of her hips as she walked. Oh yeah, he was in very big trouble here. And about to enter what could be the most important meeting of his life.
Nice going, dickhead.
She opened a heavy oak door and ushered him into a conference room where nine men and women waited for him, studying him curiously. Some were dressed in business attire, others more casually. Alex figured those were the ones who checked on job sites. Construction and electrical engineers. He didn’t let their casual attire fool him. To sit at this table you had to be sharper than a tack.
A man at the closest end of the table rose and held out a hand to him.
“Alex? I’m Frank Vincent, president of Concordia.” Vincent was a broad, muscular man of medium height, in a suit Alex estimated cost him close to three thousand bucks. His salt and pepper hair and matching moustache set off the deep green of his eyes. Shrewd eyes that Alex was sure missed nothing.
He waved a hand to indicate the assembled group. “This is my executive staff. And your guide, Olivia, is my chief financial officer.” He smiled. “Don’t let the fact that she’s a woman give you false idea. She’s a shark with numbers and eats people for lunch at the negotiating table.”
Chief financial officer? A shark? Alex hoped he did a good job masking the shock that jolted through him. He didn’t know which part of his body she affected more—his brains or his balls. But he took the vacant seat Vincent indicated, removed a pen, yellow pad and brochure from his briefcase and waited for the man to proceed.
Leaning forward on his forearms he gave Alex a businesslike smile. “I’m sure you boned up on the history of Concordia before this meeting. If you didn’t then you’re not the man I want to talk to.”
“I did my homework,” Alex acknowledged, working to keep his voice as noncommittal as the other man’s. He had come here prepared for anything, he thought. Except Miss CFO. She was sitting directly across from him and he worked hard not to let her distract him. But he was completely, acutely aware of her presence.
“So you know we build worldwide and our signature is the concept of the villages we build.”
“Yes. I’ve read up on several of them.” He shifted in his chair. “Forgive me but you’ve worked exclusively with Montgomery Associates and Lifetime Concepts up until now. It isn’t that I’m not flattered but where do I—we—McMann Brothers Development—fit into the equation?”
Vincent’s posture was that of a man totally at ease but Alex was sure there wasn’t a relaxed cell in the man’s body.
“I’ve had a good working relationship with both firms but sometimes people get too comfortable in a situation. We want to try some new ideas, maybe even something outrageous but that presented us with a couple of problems.”
“And they would be?”
“I think Lifetime Concepts h
as gotten a little too, how shall I say it, complacent in their designs. You have to change with the times. People’s tastes change. They want something new. Something different. We’ve been discussing the situation from all angles.” He waved a hand to indicate the people at the table. “We’ve decided it would be more advantageous for us to have both design and construction in one house. The kind of thing McMann Development provides.”
“Dan Tuturo. Vice president of current projects,” spoke one of the men at the table. “I was the one who recommended you to Frank. I played golf with three of your very satisfied clients and what they had to say piques my interest.”
“So Dan and I took a tour of some of the properties you’ve developed, big and small, and we agreed we’d like you to take a crack at what we’ve got in mind,” said Frank Vincent.
Every muscle in Alex’s body tightened and his nerves tried to crawl up the inside of his skin. Ever since he’d gotten the call to meet with Concordia he’d asked himself a million questions. Why them? Why now? How had they come to Concordia’s attention? McMann Development was no small potatoes but they were David to Concordia’s Goliath. And everyone in the business knew not to bid on their projects because they’d been in bed with two other companies forever.
But here it was, the way into the promised land.
He cleared his throat, trying not to break into song and dance. After all there was a long way to go yet from discussion to contract.
“Thank you. My brothers and I appreciate it.”
“We’ve all read your brochure and discussed your background. But I think we’d like to hear how and why you all got into the development business and what your goals are.”
For the next hour Alex gave them chapter and verse about himself, his brothers and their company. They grilled him about everything except what kind of underwear he wore before they were finally satisfied. There was no question about the fact that these people got where they were by being thorough with every tiny detail. There was a pitcher of ice water in front of him and he refilled his glass often. He wished for a double shot of bourbon instead but that was for later.
At last they were finished. He had a hard time not releasing a breath of relief.
“I think we’ve got what we need here for now,” Frank Vincent told him. “What I’d like you to do is set up meetings with Dan so he can explain fully what we want on this next project and with Livy so she can explain how the accounting works and how we like things costed out. That okay with you?”
Livy?
“Of course. I’ll do it before I leave. And thank you for this opportunity.”
Everyone rose and, as they left, shook hands with Alex. Said they looked forward to working with him if everything played out right.
“Come on by my office,” Dan told him. He nodded at the space next to Alex. “Livy can point you in the right direction.”
“Thank you. I’ll do that.”
Then it was just him and Olivia. No, Livy. When he looked at her she was grinning at him.
“Well, you made it through the first meeting without too many scars,” she chuckled. “What did you think?”
“I think Concordia is an excellent company that knows exactly what it’s doing.”
Now she laughed out loud. “How very politically correct of you. Well, come on. Let’s get you to Dan’s office before he gets his shorts in a wad. And I’ll show you where I am at the same time.”
So,” he said as they walked along, “you’re really the CFO for all of Concordia?”
He could have smacked himself. What a stupid thing to say. And totally un-PC. But she’d mesmerized him from the moment she came out to greet him. He felt like a tongue-tied teenager.
Beside him he sensed her stiffen.
“Olivia, I’m sorry.”
“Think nothing of it. I get asked that a lot. Yes, the company lets me oversee all its financial operations. I have the right to vote, too.” She stopped in front of an open door. “Here we are. I’m sure Dan’s waiting for you. I’m three doors down across the hall. I’ll see you when you’re finished.”
She walked away from him, her hips still swaying but her back ramrod stiff. He had to force himself not to follow her.
Dan Tuturo spent most of an hour outlining the next concept Concordia wanted to build. It would be a complete village like the others, only this one would blend the history of the West with contemporary living. Even the commercial centers would have appropriate architecture. He gave him the specs on what percentage would be residential, what commercial, what open space, everything they would need to do a preliminary proposal. Alex took notes the entire time, his fingers nearly cramping from writing.
“Well,” Dan said, rising from his chair, “I think that should do it for now. You’ve done villages before so you know what’s expected. This is just a little larger is all. Let’s set up an appointment for a month from now. Will that give you enough time to get some preliminary ideas down?”
“Of course.” They’d do it or kill themselves trying.
“All right, then. Livy show you where her office is?”
He nodded.
Tuturo grinned. “Good luck.”
“Is that a warning?”
The other man nodded. “She may look like a piece of fluff but don’t be fooled. She’s more cutthroat than a pirate. Especially when it comes to guarding someone else’s money.
“Thanks. I’ll heed your words.”
At Olivia’s office he introduced himself to her assistant, the gatekeeper in the outer office.
“Oh yes. She’s expecting you. Right this way.”
She knocked once on the closed door to the interior office then pushed it open. “Mr. McMann’s here. He looks a little shell-shocked after an hour with Dan so be gentle with him.”
He heard her musical laugh. “Oh, I’m sure Mr. McMann’s a tough survivor. Bring him on in.”
He stood in her doorway. “Is it safe to come in? I’ll apologize again for my stupid remark if you’d like.”
“Not necessary.” Her mischievous smile was back in place. “Come in and sit down.”
As he seated himself in the plush chair in front of her desk he wondered if she wore that look like a mask, sort of a defense against the world that saw her as either a hardass bitch or a pushover. Or maybe coming across as a playful imp disarmed the people she discussed finances with. Well, forewarned was forearmed.
If only he didn’t feel that emotional tug that had blindsided him, the last thing he’d expected.
He crossed his legs, resting one ankle on the opposite knee, unbuttoned his jacket and leaned back in the chair. He normally was the soul of propriety in these meetings, but Livy D’Angelo broke the mold for CFOs and he needed to be one step ahead of her. So he let his eyes roam slowly over what he could see of her above the desk, stopping at full breasts caressed by the silk of her blouse. His gaze traveled slowly upward, taking in the slender neck, the trim shoulders, the rich auburn hair framing an oval face with eyes the color of emeralds. Dark lashes casting shadows on creamy skin. The light scent of her perfume floated past his nostrils and he had to stop himself from taking a deep breath.
Hold it, asshole. This is a business meeting. And what adult man falls in love in five minutes? We just met, for crying out loud. She’ll think I’m a nut.
But just as he mentally kicked himself in the ass he noticed that Livy was giving him the same kind of slow assessment. Her eyes took in his body the same way he’d looked at hers. A hint of humor tugged at the corners of her mouth before something else flashed briefly in her eyes. He realized with a shock that she was affected, too, and doing her best to cover it with humor.
Holy shit!
“I suppose we should get down to business,” she said, breaking the thick silence. The smile still played around her lips. “That is why you’re here, right?”
“Yes.” He shook himself loose from the inappropriate thoughts banging around in his skull and put on what he hoped was
his formal business face. He pulled out the same yellow pad and pen from his briefcase he’d used in the meeting and looked across the polished cherry at Olivia. “Where do we begin?”
* * * * *
“How did it go? What do you think?”
“What are they like to deal with?”
Alex had called as soon as he pulled out of the Concordia parking garage to tell them the meeting had gone well and he’d give them details when he got back. But Josh and Tyler were waiting for him in the reception area and followed him to his office, attacking him with questions. He laughed as he tossed his briefcase and jacket on the low table against one wall.
“What is this, third grade? You’d think we never had a chance to bid on a job before.” He dropped into the chair behind his desk, rolling up his sleeves.
“Not one like this,” Josh reminded him. “Is it a project I can sink my teeth into?”
“Oh yeah. You’ll love this one. Everything went well. They loved the presentation and they want us to take it to the next step.”
And I think I fell in love.
They waited impatiently while Alex dragged out his yellow pad then listened intently as he went over his notes.
Josh’s eyes flashed with excitement. “Blending the contemporary with the historical and basing it on the West. Holy shit!”
Alex could see him mentally rubbing his hands with glee.
“I say we celebrate,” Tyler said. “Man, this is the cream of the crop.”
“No celebrating yet,” Alex reminded him. “We haven’t gotten the contract. Only an invitation to bid and show them what we can do.
“And I need to get going on some research,” Josh added. “We all do.”
“I’ll get these notes typed up and review them tonight.”
“If you want to come by my place I’ll defrost some steaks and we can brainstorm,” Tyler told them. Josh, you think Ness would let you out for the night to play with us?”
Josh made a face. “I’m married, not in prison. Not with my sweet wife.” His mouth curved in a foolish grin and eyes glazed over. “As long as we don’t run too late.”
