by Layla Hagen
“No, it was a gift order. Sender is a guy named...” He paused, checking a list on his phone. “Harrington.”
My pulse quickened. I took the bottle from him, inspecting it closely. I was bursting to know more details. When had Liam ordered the bottle? Had he scheduled the delivery just as I was about to leave? I didn’t make the delivery guy stay to question him. By the looks of his bulgy backpack, he had lots of stops to make.
The second he left, I grabbed my phone and headed to the back room; the front was packed with customers, and I didn’t want to be in the way.
The front of the shop was very elegant, with velvet couches and golden light fixtures. We were determined to make lingerie shopping a pleasant experience for everyone. Girls transitioning to womanhood, adult women embracing their sensuality, or mothers learning to feel sexy again. We had something for everyone, and we were proud of that.
We’d redone the back room a few months ago because we spent a lot of time here playing around with customization options. The room was windowless, so we had half a dozen lamps in the corners as well as spots in the ceiling. It was also where we kept part of the inventory, so black metal shelves lined the walls.
The silky terracotta carpet was the centerpiece, along with the two dark-green armchairs and the ottoman. This room might not have windows, but it had plenty of life. We’d hung paintings everywhere, so you didn’t even notice the lack of natural light at first.
I wasn’t even trying to tone down my grin as I typed.
Tess: You sent me a bottle of champagne???
Liam: Yes.
Tess: Why?
Liam: I don’t know. Impulse. I wanted to surprise you.
Tess: You certainly did. I was just about to head out to meet Skye.
Liam: I know. You said you’re meeting her at six.
Wow, he was so thoughtful!
Liam: Maybe also a gift to get in your good graces. Easier to make you tell me all about your inappropriate habits next time.
Holy shit, he was being flirty again. It was so much easier to resist flirting back over the phone than face-to-face. He was going to be our business partner. There was no place for anything else. Besides, the way my relationships were going, the chances of the next one going bust were at 99 percent.
Liam: What are you doing now?
Tess: Working on more customization options.
Liam: Want to send me pictures?
I burst out laughing, shaking my head.
Tess: I’m trying them on myself.
Liam: ...
Tess: Liam!!!!
He didn’t reply, so I sent another message as I sat down on the round red velvet ottoman, crossing my legs.
Tess: I meant that in a fierce tone. Does it translate into writing?
Liam: Not really. I’m picturing you trying on merchandise.
Heat spread through me like wildfire, from the top of my head all the way to the tips of my fingers and toes.
Liam: I know it’s risky territory, but I like you, Tess. You’re driven and determined and the most interesting person I’ve met in years. Kind, warm. And you’re sexy as fuck.
Oh wow. I read his message a few times until every word sank in. I had no idea what to reply, so I decided to tease him.
Tess: You’re still not getting pictures.
Liam: I didn’t think you’d change your mind on that. I was just being honest.
And precisely because he was honest, I was completely on fire. I swear my panties just combusted. I rose to my feet, too jittery to sit.
Tess: Thank you :)
Instead of replying, he called me. I hesitated for a few seconds, because I wasn’t sure how hearing his voice was going to tame the heat, but he was our investor. I had to find a way to work with him.
“Hey,” I said.
“Believe it or not, I actually meant to text you about business.”
I could hear the smile in his voice, and I couldn’t help but grin. “You don’t say.”
“So now I’m calling.”
“Think that will improve the situation?”
“I don’t know, Tess. We’ll see.” After a beat, he added, “I want us to get to know each other better. I know it’s best not to mix business and pleasure, but I can’t help myself. I’m crazy attracted to you, and I think it’s mutual. Am I wrong?”
“No,” I admitted. Butterflies were roaming in my belly. “But I’m not sure we should...do anything.”
“Think about it, okay?” His voice was relaxed, and I was thankful he was letting me off the hook, because I needed time to process this.
“Okay. I’ll email any questions we have about the contract.”
After hanging up, I looked at the bottle and hugged it to my chest.
I was in an excellent mood. We had a reputable investor wanting to work with us. I had a bottle of our favorite champagne. What was there not to be happy about?
Celebrating milestones was a religion in my family. I’d always insisted on that. We all had hurdles to overcome, so good things needed to be enjoyed and celebrated.
I headed to Ryker’s place. Skye was meeting us there. Since my brother worked on Wall Street, we wanted his input on the contract. He’d know if the terms were fair.
On the way, I received a message, and I scowled at the phone when I read it.
Kevin: Think I’ve got a shot at this?
Attached was a picture of a gorgeous blonde.
Kevin was the owner of a food truck not far from our store. We met a few months ago when I bought lunch from him. I thought we clicked, so in a typically overoptimistic Tess fashion, I asked him out. He turned me down gently, saying I wasn’t his type and that we were better off as friends.
Ever since, he kept in touch—more often than not asking for advice with women. I toyed with the idea of just ignoring him, but really, I didn’t want to be rude. He’d been honest. But looking at the picture, I couldn’t help but ask myself, What does she have that I don’t? It stung.
Tess: I don’t see why not :)
There, that was a good reply, and it didn’t invite more conversation.
He didn’t send anything back, thank goodness.
My brother lived in a gorgeous apartment not too far from Soho, on the fifty-fourth floor of a skyscraper. I was excited to see my niece Avery again and to give her the gift I purchased for her in Nolita. I took it out as I stepped off the elevator, smoothing the pretty pink wrapping paper and the bow.
Ryker opened the door. My brother was a mountain of a man with permanently rebellious hair and dark-blue eyes that broke their fair share of hearts before he settled down with Heather.
He pointed at the package. “Hey, Sis. What’s that?”
“A present for Avery.”
“She’s not here. Heather took her out for dinner. You can leave her present, though. I’m sure she’ll be happy.”
I pouted, holding the package to my chest along with the bottle as I stepped inside. “But I like watching her when she gets her presents.”
That was one thing I loved about kids. They didn’t hold back anything. It didn’t matter if they were overjoyed or throwing a temper tantrum.
I gave him the package, though.
“Send me a pic when you give it to her, okay?”
“Sure.” Ryker laughed, guiding me inside the living room.
I toed off my shoes in the foyer before zeroing in on the couch, where Skye was sitting all alone. “And you didn’t bring my nephew?”
“No, I thought we’d need all brain cells to focus on the contract.”
I sighed, resigning myself to getting no cuddle time with Jonas or Avery today. I placed the champagne bottle on the table and sat next to my sister. That was when I realized she was running her hand all over her face and through her hair. She only did that when she was worried or annoyed.
“I haven’t had time to read it. Something wrong with it?”
I’d been elbow-deep in all sorts of duties at the store. Skye didn’t ans
wer. I looked between her and Ryker, who was sitting in the armchair opposite the couch.
“Nothing wrong. I just don’t think you’ll like it,” he said.
My stomach bottomed out.
“Okay, should we go through it, or you want to sum up what I’ll dislike first?” I asked.
“I’ll start with the good points. They don’t ask for a percentage of your company, just a percentage of profits. I don’t think you’ll get a better deal from any investor.”
I frowned. “We knew that already. It’s why we chose them as our potential investor. So what’s the problem?”
“They want a lot of decision power. More than I usually see in this type of alliance. It’s understandable, but it’s unusual. I for one wouldn’t have a problem with it, but I know you two like to be in control.”
That was an understatement. Skye and I both worked full time when we opened the online shop, and we only quit our previous jobs once we opened the brick-and-mortar store. We’d done everything from prototyping to online marketing ourselves.
I looked over Skye’s shoulder at the laptop. Over the next two hours, we dissected every section of the contract. My mood just kept plummeting.
“Liam did say they’re open to negotiation,” Skye said, chewing on her lower lip.
I gripped her hand, squeezing it reassuringly.
I’d been the one who convinced Skye years ago to go into business with me. There was a reason my family nicknamed me “the hurricane”: when I put my mind to something, there was no stopping me. I talked Skye into it, and now I felt responsible for making this work. I didn’t know what to say though, because our dream of expanding was slipping through our fingers. No way could we agree to these terms.
“Tess, we have sixty-five points we want to discuss. I don’t see how we can reach an agreement.”
I was tempted to just reject the deal, because these negotiations would likely take time, and we didn’t have any to spare.
“Okay, I’ll send him an email with our comments, asking for an appointment,” I said.
I sent the email right away, keeping my fingers crossed that he would want to meet soon.
“Come on, girls. Let’s go out to dinner. My treat. You two need something to cheer you up,” Ryker said.
“Have I told you I love you recently?” I teased, getting up from the couch and kissing his cheek.
“Only a couple of times.”
“We planned on ordering a cheese platter,” Skye said.
I vehemently shook my head. “No, that’s for celebrating. Let’s not spoil that by turning it into comfort food.”
Needless to say, we hadn’t opened the champagne.
To my astonishment, Liam emailed before we left the apartment.
Liam: I can see you and Skye tomorrow at eight and discuss your worries.
“Perfect,” Skye said when I read her the content. “Works for me.”
I emailed him back right away.
Tess: We’ll be there.
I tucked the phone in my bag, determined not to be swayed tomorrow by those baby-blue eyes or his sexy-as-hell ass. I planned to keep it all business.
“Okay, it’s all set. We’re meeting him tomorrow.”
“Let’s take our dear brother up on his offer, then,” Skye said.
“Yes. Hey, here’s a thought. Why don’t we go to the same place Heather took Avery? Think they’re still there?”
“For sure,” Ryker replied.
“Perfect. That way I get to see Avery too and give her the gift myself. I need extra cuddles tonight.”
Chapter Eight
Liam
The first thing I did upon arriving at my office the next morning was download the document Tess had sent me on my computer. I’d only read her email last evening, asking for a face-to-face meeting. I stared at the PDF, scrolling to the end of it. Sixty-five comments. They were roasting our ass worse than anyone we’d done business with.
I tapped my fingers over my desk. I had a bad feeling about this. Mentees who wanted to negotiate every line of the contract were a time-suck. But I wasn’t prepared to let go of Tess without a fight.
“Not of Tess, of Soho Lingerie,” I corrected myself. This was about bringing in another solid company for our portfolio.
There was no time to go through all the comments, but I started reading them anyway. At five to eight, Dexter poked his head inside the office. I hadn’t even heard him come in. The brownstone had been empty when I arrived at seven.
“Liam, Tess is here.”
“Just Tess?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, show her in. Thanks.”
I stood up, pacing around my desk.
When Tess stepped into my office, I couldn’t help drinking her in. Her body was just perfection. She was wearing a black skirt and white shirt that were snug around her generous curves. Is she wearing one of their sexy-as-hell designs? I couldn’t ignore the way her curves looked in her pencil skirt or how damn attracted I was to her.
This was one of the reasons why I kept my personal life separate from business. Yes, personal chemistry was necessary for a good business relationship. But when I said chemistry, I meant being on the same page, not wanting to kiss her until she moaned every time I saw her.
But I wasn’t going to fight my attraction to her any longer. I already knew I wanted her. “Good morning, Tess. Is Skye joining us too?”
“No. She was supposed to, but her son wasn’t feeling well this morning, so she went to the doctor with him.”
“I hope it’s nothing serious.”
“She doesn’t think so.”
“Let’s sit. Do you want any coffee? Water?”
“I’m good, thank you. Let’s get straight to it.”
She’d barely sat down when she took a stack of papers out of her bag. A second later, I realized it was the agreement with all sixty-five comments. She wanted to go through every point in person.
This woman was killing me.
“I want us to clarify the points I marked,” she said the second I sat down.
“Tess, going through all those comments will take hours. I only have forty minutes.”
She stared at me, pressing her lips together. “Then why did you agree to this meeting?”
“I hadn’t opened the document when I replied. I assumed there were a few big things you wanted to negotiate. I like discussing delicate issues in person. I told you we don’t invest in companies; we invest in people. We believe in interpersonal relationships, in building trust and having the right chemistry.”
I was sure that would earn me points, even charm her a little. It didn’t. She glanced down at the stack of papers.
“Well, personal chemistry or not, a contract is what dictates the terms of a collaboration.” She tapped her pen against the papers, looking back up at me. Her eyes were full of fire and determination. She wasn’t going to ease into this.
I pinned her with my gaze, letting her know I could play just as tough.
“Those are standard terms in this industry but also negotiable.”
“That’s exactly what I’m here to do. Negotiate.”
“Tess, I’ve read the first twenty comments. Your position isn’t that of someone who wants to negotiate. It’s of someone who doesn’t want an investor at all.”
She straightened up, rolling her shoulders. “I just want a fair deal,” she said after a beat.
“You think I’m out here to scam you?”
Her determination faltered for the first time, vulnerability replacing it. I was on to something that explained her overly defensive behavior. I wanted to get to the bottom of this.
Every instinct in me wanted to move to the other side of the table and sit next to her, to touch her and reassure her in every way possible, but I didn’t want this to turn personal. Not yet, anyway.
“No, I don’t think that,” she replied softly.
“Talk to me, Tess. Did someone try to scam you before?”
She sighed, crossing her fingers in her lap. “In the early days, yes. And then a few years ago, an investor was interested in us. He pulled out at the last moment, and we’d already promised our suppliers that we were growing our business, and as such, they prepared for more orders. Needless to say, it gave us headaches.”
And no doubt it left them with a sour taste too.
“Tess, I’m not here to make false promises or scam you.”
“I think you’re out to maximize your profits.”
“Everyone who pursues business is. Profit maximization does not come at the expense of the entrepreneurs.” I looked her in the eyes. “Tess, why don’t we schedule another meeting, one where I can allot a few hours and where Skye can attend as well?”
“Okay.”
“Also, I’ve noticed that some of your comments are about legal lingo. I can give you the number of our lawyers, or you can ask one you trust. That way, we save time and focus on the important points.”
“We have a lawyer in the family. I’ll arrange for that.” She nodded, rising from her chair.
I wasn’t ready to end this.
“Tess, I have a proposition for you. Let’s grab breakfast together. No talking shop, just getting to know each other.”
“Why?”
“I want you to trust me, and we’re not going to get there just by negotiating.”
“Well, that’s true. This is going even worse than I imagined.”
“How did you imagine it?”
“Never mind.”
“Tess, every time you do that, you make me even more curious. You know that, right?”
She gave me a small smile, and I took that as a good sign that we were moving from enemy territory to a more neutral place.
“You were saying about breakfast?”
“I know a few great places nearby.”
She nodded, placing the stack of papers in her bag.
I led her out of the office right away, not wanting to give her time to reconsider. Putting a hand at the small of her back, I guided her down the corridor.
“Wait, didn’t you say you only have forty minutes?” she asked.
I leaned in, bringing my mouth to her ear, clamoring to be closer. “I’ll clear my schedule for you, Tess.”
