‘We can always get a second bottle.’
‘In which case you’d have to carry me home, and that would be seriously inappropriate considering we’re in business negotiations.’
He shook his head. ‘For the next six days you’re on holiday.’
She smiled before turning back to the view. As he’d promised, it was spectacular. It felt as if she could see all of Singapore from up here, and the beauty of the place stole her breath. When she’d first emerged onto the Marina Bay Sands’ rooftop terrace she hadn’t been able to speak. The view had filled her heart to almost bursting. ‘Have I mentioned how amazing this view is?’
‘Once or twice.’ Those blue eyes danced but in the gathering dusk they looked more midnight than noon.
He’d said she was on holidays, but the moment she’d walked into his store this morning all holiday breeziness had fled. ‘I’m not wanting to be difficult, but are you trying to deflect me from asking any more questions about the vandalism?’
He sighed and set down his glass. He did it with such an easy elegance envy gathered beneath her breastbone. He had beautiful hands and—
Sudden and explicit images rose in her mind, images of those hands on a woman’s body—her body. Her breasts tightened to painful sensitivity and she could barely catch her breath.
Stop it!
‘It’s true I’d like to take your mind off what you saw at the store today. I wish I’d insisted on you taking your walk around the marina.’
She refused to look at his hands.
‘But you showed a lot of pluck, Christy.’ She met eyes full of warmth and admiration. ‘I’d not have blamed you for histrionics and tantrums.’
No way was she telling him that after she’d left the store she’d gone back to her apartment and cried for ten minutes straight. ‘I sometimes think I’m a failure as an artist,’ she confided. ‘I completely missed out on the drama-queen gene.’ She sipped more of the gorgeous wine, memorising its flavour, wondering if she could somehow capture its taste in a design. ‘And I was impressed with you too. You were calm and very kind.’
‘I felt neither. But you and Lien didn’t deserve me stomping around venting or shouting.’ He pulled in a long breath. ‘Okay, I understand you need to talk about what happened this morning. So tonight we talk about it and then draw a line under it, agreed?’
Could she do that? She needed to know if a potential vendetta against MA could impact on Beach Monday. She might loathe the day-to-day running of her company, but she loved Beach Monday. She’d do whatever was necessary to protect it.
She glanced at the lights of the city shining before her, at all of the twinkling and sparkling on the bay. Fixating on the vandalism, though, wouldn’t do any good. She met his midnight gaze again. ‘Will you keep me informed if the police discover anything?’
‘I promise.’
‘Then...agreed.’
His lips pursed. ‘I don’t want to upset you—’ she waved his concern away ‘—but why are you so sure MA is the target? Are you sure you don’t have any jealous ex-lovers or resentful colleagues who’d want to sabotage you?’
She snorted. ‘The boyfriend got what he wanted so there shouldn’t be any resentment from that quarter,’ she said before she could think the better of it.
He stared at her for a long moment. ‘But there is on your side.’
It was more statement than question, and she winced at how bitter she must sound. The truth was she did resent what Lewis had done. Deeply. She wasn’t letting anyone use her like that again.
She waved his words away. ‘It’s ancient history, and it’s far from flattering. I’ve no desire to revisit it, but I can assure you there’s no reason an old boyfriend of mine would do anything to hurt me. As for fellow artists or other colleagues in the business.’ She paused to think, racking her brain. ‘There are no toes I’ve trodden on or any vendettas I’m aware of. And as for anyone who cares for me who might try and take matters into their own hands to persuade me to follow a particular course of action...’ She shook her head. ‘They just wouldn’t.’
The confidence that laced her words and the conviction in her gaze sent an unexpected wave of loneliness sweeping through James, making him feel suddenly empty. What must it feel like to have such confidence in your community of family and friends, to truly believe they had your best interests at heart?
Get over yourself. His parents had given him so much. He knew his mother loved him. So what if she loved MA more? As for his friends... If he suddenly announced he was retiring to the Californian hinterland to become self-sufficient would they still be his friends? Not that he had any intention of doing such a ridiculous thing, of course, but that wasn’t the point.
He glanced back at Christy. Her trust and confidence weren’t universal, though. What had she meant when she’d said her ex-boyfriend had got what he wanted? His hands clenched, betraying an inexplicable desire to strangle something. Today had shown him that Christy was the kind of woman who put others’ needs before her own, who did her best to make things better. She wasn’t selfish, she wasn’t self-involved, and she wasn’t some princess expecting the royal treatment.
He hated the thought of someone taking advantage of her.
And she saw him as someone with that same potential. The realisation left a bitter taste in his mouth. He had to prove to her that he was trustworthy. He had to prove to her that MA would treat her designs and her vision with every respect and make her a star. He had to prove to her that he meant it when he said he planned to incorporate progressive strategies into MA’s future policies.
Warm brown eyes met his gaze again. ‘That’s why I think the perpetrators are targeting you rather than me. I know I’ve been featured in a couple of industry magazines and won a couple of awards, but I’m still small fry. MA is in the big league.’
He was saved from having to respond when their food arrived. When they’d first taken their seats, Christy had barely been able to drag her gaze from the view to peruse the menu. She’d finally turned to him, all at sea. ‘I’ve no idea what to choose. Every single thing sounds amazing.’
‘Do you like seafood?’
‘Love it.’
‘As I’m familiar with the menu, would you like me to choose?’
‘Yes, please. But no appetiser for me, thank you. I’ll have a main and if I’m still hungry I might be wicked and have a dessert.’
He didn’t know why, but the exchange had made him smile. He’d chosen the grand seafood platter for two. She stared at it now and visibly swallowed, her eyes wide. ‘I think you just knocked dessert off the menu.’ She leaned towards him as if to make sure no one could overhear her. ‘This looks amazing,’ she whispered.
He stared at the food spread before them and frowned. It really did.
‘Do you eat like this all the time?’
He nodded because...yeah, he did. ‘I mean, not all the time, but a lot of the time.’
‘Nice.’ She selected a couple of oysters and put them on her plate. She pronounced them utterly delicious and then peeled a shrimp. ‘So do you have any business rivals who’d like to sabotage you, or any grumpy colleagues at MA?’
‘Yes.’
Her hands stilled. ‘In your own company?’
Her face fell and for the briefest moment a tiny part of him agreed with her—it should bother him that, professionally at least, some people wished him ill. When had he become hardened to it? ‘It’s a dog-eat-dog world in business, Christy. I’m a major shareholder plus I’m the CEO, but it doesn’t mean I’m popular with MA’s other shareholders or the board of directors. Everyone is jockeying for position and power. I’m the youngest CEO in the company’s history by quite some way and it’s created resentment in more than one quarter. It doesn’t help that I’ve not been backward in criticising the status quo either.’
‘Wow, so you r
eally know how to become Mr Popular, then.’
He wasn’t interested in winning a popularity contest. What he wanted to do was keep the promise he’d made to his father, and that meant making changes to MA’s internal policies and the company’s stance on economic sustainability. If those changes weren’t made—and soon—MA would be in danger of becoming extinct, of sliding into oblivion. That wasn’t happening on his watch. Still, it occurred to him now that he might’ve had more success if he’d taken a gentler approach. He ground back a sigh. It was too late now.
Christy ate her shrimp, frowning. But then, as if she couldn’t help it, her face lit up. ‘This is some of the nicest seafood I’ve ever eaten. Try some.’
He demolished several oysters, trying to ignore the fact that in several cultures they were considered an aphrodisiac. And doing what he could to ignore the way her silk shirt—a vibrant orange that should’ve clashed with her hair but didn’t—dipped into a tantalising vee, highlighting the curve of her breasts. He swallowed a generous mouthful of wine hoping it would dampen the heat building inside him.
‘What about jealous ex-lovers?’ she asked.
He shook his head. He only ever dated women who were as cold and unattached as him.
‘Good. You shouldn’t date anyone who’d do crazy stuff like that.’
Her words made him smile. ‘The problem with that, though, is you don’t know they’re crazy until after you date them.’
‘True. I think following your instincts, though, is generally a pretty good guide.’
What did her instincts tell her about him?
‘So...of these rivals who’d like to hurt you or your business, does anyone specific spring to mind?’
He huffed back a sigh, but rested his elbows on the table and met her gaze squarely. ‘Who else besides MA has approached you? Who else wants to sign you?’
She named two well-known companies.
‘It’s conceivable that someone on either of their teams would try and kibosh any deal happening between you and me.’
Her gaze narrowed. ‘But?’
‘I can’t imagine Ms Falconi stooping to something like that. As for the Portollinis... The youngest son is reckless, but his father would eat him alive if he pulled a stunt like that.’
‘So, there’s some honour among thieves?’
He smiled at her word choice, and reached across to place a piece of perfectly cooked salmon onto her plate, before placing a second piece on his own. ‘Is that how you see us—as thieves?’
She helped herself to the salad before passing it across to him. Her nails were short and unpainted, and he wanted to drag each finger into his mouth and suckle it, to stare deep into her eyes, letting his questing tongue tell her what else he’d like to do.
The collar of his shirt tightened about his throat. He had to stop fantasising about this woman. There was too much at stake to consider a dalliance with Christy. She was nothing like the women he normally dated. She’d play by different rules.
Are you sure of that?
Well, of course he wasn’t. But it was beside the point. He wasn’t having an affair with a woman he was doing business with. End of story. It was a recipe for disaster. He had too much riding on this deal to mess it up.
‘Would you stoop to something nefarious to gain an advantage over a business rival?’
Her words were like a bucket of ice, which was exactly what he needed. He searched her face, tried to find the reason she’d ask such a question. ‘No.’
Her eyes plumbed his just as intently, as if drilling into his very soul. Eventually she shrugged. ‘It’s probably crazy, but I think I believe you.’
He slumped when she turned her attention back to her plate, some unknown tension inside him relaxing and letting him breathe again.
‘What about your mother?’
Everything snapped tight again. ‘What about her?’
‘Would she stoop to such tactics?’
In a heartbeat. Loyalty prevented him from saying as much. ‘As she’s now retired that’s hardly a consideration.’ The way Christy’s brows rose at his words, though, told him that as far as she was concerned it was definitely still a consideration.
They ate in silence. James tried to concentrate on his food, tried to appreciate it the way Christy did, but he couldn’t seem to manage it. He was too aware of her.
‘Can I ask you something?’
He glanced up to find her staring at him, a frown in her eyes. For no reason at all, his mouth dried. ‘Sure.’
‘Why are you so interested in issues of sustainability and the environment now?’
There was a note of criticism, of scepticism, in her voice that stung. He set his knife and fork down with a snap. ‘It’s not sudden. I’ve been lobbying the board on the issue for years.’
‘Then why didn’t you make your opinions public? Why haven’t you been openly critical of MA’s policies and agitating from the inside?’
His hands clenched. He hated this—hated that she had every reason for her lack of faith...her disapproval. ‘It was agreed, from the inside, that MA needed to provide a united front.’
‘Because, they weren’t issues your mother deemed important.’
His mother had been an old-school type of CEO. ‘During my mother’s reign she was primarily concerned with securing shareholder profits and steering the company into more stable waters.’ Christy opened her mouth, but he forged on. ‘I know that sounds cold and clinical, but she came in as CEO at a tricky time and she had to fight hard not only to earn the board’s respect, but to bring the company out of very rocky waters.’
Her eyes narrowed. ‘I’m not criticising your mother on a personal level.’
Yes, she was. And he couldn’t really blame her.
‘I’m aware of how highly she’s held in business circles.’
‘Exactly. But I’m confident a change of leadership and a change of direction are now called for. The company’s profits are beyond reproach and our market share is stable. It’s time for the powers-that-be at MA to turn their attention to other things. I’m confident I can make the board see the sense in working towards a more equitable arrangement with our suppliers and labour force and to take a more ethical approach to the environment.’
His words did nothing to melt her scepticism. He tried a different tack. ‘Why are you so interested in my mother anyway?’
‘Because she’s a legend. Not just at MA but in the industry. I’m not convinced that anyone can walk in and just overnight change the culture at a company where she’s held sway for more than twenty years. You might have the intention of doing exactly that, and I applaud you for it, but I’m less than convinced your board of directors will support you. In fact, I have a feeling they’ll shackle you at every turn.’
It wouldn’t do to underestimate this woman’s perspicacity. Look at what she’d just done. In encouraging him to talk about MA, she’d discovered all of the obstacles in James’ path for achieving his vision for the company. She wouldn’t sign his contract until she believed he could achieve all that he promised. She might don the ‘uniform’ of a free-spirited artist, but she had a keen intelligence and he couldn’t afford to forget it.
His board would shackle his every attempt if he couldn’t get them onside, but he had faith in his ability to change their minds. He was far from beaten. ‘I think you underestimate how good I am at my job and how persuasive I can be.’
Her eyebrows flew up towards her hairline, and then she swallowed and glanced away.
Christy was going to be key in helping him get his board onside. Her industry contacts and links, her know-how, would help him transform MA, while her status and prestige as one of the brightest new designers on the scene would convince the majority of the board of the efficacy of the new approaches he wanted to implement. Win-win. ‘I’m confident I can achieve
all that I want to, but I’m not going to pretend it’ll be easy.’
‘Okay.’
‘MA no longer needs to take such an uncompromisingly profit-focused line. Financially the company is doing very well. What’s needed now is visionary leadership and I’ll do whatever necessary to prove to the sceptics and disbelievers that I can provide that leadership. I’m determined that MA won’t be left behind on issues that matter.’
‘Good for you.’
She still wasn’t convinced, but she’d given him this time in Singapore and he’d find a way to prove to her he could accomplish all he promised. ‘Okay, enough about me. Tell me why you started up your own company. Was it something you always wanted to do?’
She picked up her cutlery again. ‘Ever since I was a little girl.’
‘Why?’
He needed to find out why, and then he needed to find out why she wanted to sell a company that was on the brink of international success. He needed to find out what she wanted and then he had to give it to her...in exchange for signing his contract.
CHAPTER FIVE
‘I’M NOT AVOIDING your question,’ Christy said an hour later when they were once again strolling by the waterfront, waiting for the laser show to start. The promenade was lined with people enjoying the warm spring night, the eateries and nightspots teeming, adding colour and merriment.
She felt Jamie glance at her, but she didn’t turn to meet his gaze, didn’t want him to read her vulnerability because, of course, she was avoiding answering his question.
Why had she started her own company?
The simple answer was that she hadn’t understood the reality of running a business. She’d been wearing rose-coloured glasses when she’d been dreaming that dream. Back in high school and university the idea had seemed like utter perfection—what could be better than being your own boss, right?
Singapore Fling with the Millionaire Page 7
