Читать книгу Modern Romance Collection: January 2018 Books 1 -4 - Dani Collins - Страница 13

CHAPTER FOUR

NATALYA ENTERED THE ADE reception and was met by a personable young woman who moved forward to offer a polite greeting.

‘Natalya?’ A hand was extended, which Natalya accepted.

‘Marcie,’ the blonde enlightened by introduction. The smile was genuine, which helped ease any preconceived tension. ‘I’ll take you through to your office suite.’

A comfortably large room, Natalya perceived, executive fittings, new state-of-the-art electronic equipment.

‘Louise is your assistant, whose office is to your right, separated by a shared lounge,’ Marcie offered with a smile. ‘I’ll introduce you, when we’re finished with the tour.’

So far, so good.

‘Alexei is at the industrial plant today. His office is to your left, accessed via his assistant’s office, and their shared lounge.’

A reprieve, Natalya accorded, aware the day just became a little better.

Space, lots of it with room to move. Comfort, synchronised professional privacy...and far different from her father’s former set-up.

Introductions completed, Marcie indicated Natalya’s office. ‘I’ll provide a brief overview of Alexei’s schedule for the current week, and answer any questions you might care to raise before I leave to take a mid-evening flight back to the States.’

Efficient, capable and very clear re the CEO’s schedule. One which Natalya reluctantly admitted appeared daunting.

Did the man sleep?

Not a wise thought, given it led to imagining if anyone shared his bed, and, if so, whom?

So what do you care?

You hate him, remember?

Focus, she admonished.

‘I’ve printed out notes you may find helpful.’ The attractive blonde bestowed a conciliatory smile. ‘I’m confident you’ll be fine.’

Natalya was sure she would be even if it killed her. For no way would she permit Alexei Delandros to have any reason to find fault with her performance.

As to her emotional heart...it was guarded in self-imposed lockdown. Deliberately sought, to regain a sense of purpose. Sure, she’d indulged in a social life, even flirted a little...if you counted a pleasant smile, intelligent conversation, light laughter.

Did anyone see beneath the façade? Detect her broken heart had been figuratively stitched together, never to be torn apart again? Healed, resolute, as she fought for contentment...and thought she’d achieved it, until a few days ago when Alexei Delandros reappeared on the scene and any pretence of contentment went out of the window.

Worse...unless she was wildly wrong, he’d deliberately taken advantage of her father’s misdeeds to place her between a rock and a hard place.

Damn him.

He sought to play hardball?

Then so would she.

‘Are you okay with that?’

Marcie’s intrusion wrenched Natalya back into the here and now.

Schedule, overview. ‘Got it.’ At least she thought she had, and, failing that, there was Plan B... Marcie’s printed notes.

Besides, she knew the electronics business well. Her father’s list of contacts was on speed dial, and saved in her computer’s email address file.

How difficult or different could it be?

* * *

Different, Natalya discovered soon after she entered the offices of Alexei Delandros Electronics the following morning.

Absent was the relaxed, almost laid-back atmosphere generated during her father’s regime. Instead there was a fast-paced vibe as she passed through Reception. The receptionist’s usual warm friendly smile was absent, replaced by a slightly harried look, and Natalya arched an eyebrow in silent query, only to receive an expressive eye-roll in return.

Alexei Delandros was in the building, and obviously bent on ensuring everyone followed a high-powered work ethic.

Which indicated she should merely offer a smile in return and walk on through to her office...instead she paused to indulge in a brief post-weekend chat.

Staff camaraderie had always been an important factor during Roman Montgomery’s reign...

At that moment her smartphone buzzed and she retrieved and answered it, only to hear Alexei’s secretary’s voice.

‘Natalya. Mr Delandros expects you in his office.’

Now...was an unspoken directive holding a slightly ominous tone.

‘Two minutes,’ she advised patiently, and fluttered her fingers at the receptionist before heading down the corridor.

A brief stop off in her office to deposit her bag and laptop, then she collected her iPad, breathed in deep and tapped on Alexei’s door.

She could do this...and fervently wishing otherwise wasn’t going to change a thing.

So ignore the man, smile, be so efficiently professional he’ll have no cause for complaint.

Easy in theory...difficult in practice when all it took was a glance at Alexei’s arresting features for her heartbeat to quicken. Worse, the sudden spear of sensation arrowing deep within her belly.

What was with that?

Her body out of sync with her brain. Granted, her polite smile didn’t waver as she met his impenetrable expression.

The dark superbly tailored three-piece business suit, crisp dark blue shirt and perfectly knotted silk tie did little to tame the predator image.

If that was Alexei’s aim...he’d unequivocally nailed it.

Cool, professional, remember? ‘Good morning.’

One eyebrow lifted slightly. ‘Your lateness is an oversight?’

Natalya checked her watch. Three minutes past eight. ‘My usual start time is nine,’ she managed civilly.

‘I gather you failed to check your smartphone for messages...or your laptop?’

She had. Last night. Not this morning.

‘Twenty-four-seven contact,’ Alexei reminded her.

‘Ultimatum,’ she corrected without missing a beat, ignoring the silken warning apparent in his dark gaze.

He rested back a little in his chair and regarded her with a steady appraisal. If she was bent on a confrontational path...he was a few steps ahead of her.

‘Written into your employment contract and specifically drawn to your attention during Friday’s interview.’

Tough. While she had every intention of being the quintessential PA, and polite in the presence of others, any pretence when they were alone went out of the window.

She was something else, Alexei conceded as he took in her groomed appearance, the smooth chignon, skilfully applied make-up, red lipstick which matched the jacket she wore over a pencil-slim black skirt.

He experienced an urge to ruffle her composure, to dig beneath the professional façade. Then what? Rattle her cage?

His body stirred with sensual adrenalin, unwanted and inconceivable, but there. A need to pull her close and ravish her mouth...to remind her of what they’d once shared.

To what end? Play it forward to rumpled bed sheets and hot sex? Simply to satisfy an urge?

Evidence he unsettled her could be detected in the fast-beating pulse at the base of her throat, the edge of tension whenever he entered her personal space.

He had never aimed for the grab-and-conquer method with a woman. Mutual attraction and mutual need were his requisite for sex.

Natalya? Why this instinctive feeling there was a missing link? One only she could provide?

Patience. And time...the latter of which he had plenty.

Alexei indicated the structured curve of studded leather armchairs. ‘Take a seat. I’ll outline the day’s schedule.’

Extensive, Natalya breathed as she noted appointments, calls to be made, two afternoon meetings to arrange...and lunch with a business associate.

‘Book a table for one o’clock,’ Alexei instructed, naming a restaurant with inner harbour views and known for its excellent cuisine. ‘Contact Paul, my driver, and arrange to have my car waiting outside the main entrance at twelve forty-five.’ His eyes didn’t waver from her own. ‘Naturally, you’ll accompany me.’

Hadn’t she attended many business lunches with her father? So why would this be any different? Professionalism ruled as she held his gaze. ‘It would be helpful if you could reveal who’ll be joining us.’

‘Elle Johanssen and her PA.’

Natalya maintained a polite expression. Eleanor, or Elle as she insisted on being called, held a reputation for winning, by whatever means it took. Those among the business sector who’d parried with her and lost were known to refer to the woman as Hell-Jo...an unflattering but self-explanatory term.

Elle Johanssen, the noted ball-buster, locking heads with Alexei Delandros?

A woman associate with whom Roman Montgomery had refused to do business following one scalding episode that had left him red-faced and publicly humiliated.

Lunch should be interesting, to say the least.

She could do this, Natalya assured herself silently a few hours later as she rode the elevator with Alexei to the ground floor.

So why did she feel conscious of every breath she took, together with an incredibly heightened awareness that threatened to destroy her hard-won composure.

He radiated male sexuality, too much for any woman to ignore. Especially her, having known how it felt to be possessed by him. Sensual heaven...and then some.

Even now, when she had every reason to hate him, he still held the power to affect her emotions.

Five years...during which time she’d attempted to convince herself she was over him...disappeared like mist beneath rays of the sun.

Not good. Not good at all.

So much for self-survival skills.

And this was only day two in her contracted employ.

So...suck it up.

Which she did. Although there was a moment when Alexei indicated they share the rear seat of the chauffeur-driven limousine.

A deliberate ploy to unsettle her?

Who could tell?

She could analyse it to hell and back, and still not arrive at a definitive answer...so why even try?

The key being to adhere to the rules...a faultless PA during business hours, amenable and highly professional, even if it killed her, for no way would she allow him to glimpse so much as a chink in her emotional armour.

Consequently Natalya entered the restaurant at Alexei’s side, where the maître d’ offered a deferential greeting and led the way to their table.

Not the bar, which had been her father’s preferred starting point. Or, she perceived in retrospect, where Roman plied his guests with alcohol before adjourning to a table where he ordered fine wine with no regard to cost. By which time, business, as such, became a secondary consideration.

Elle Johanssen made her entrance a fashionable five minutes late, offered a faux smile, apologised briefly as she slid into the seat politely held for her to grace it, and took control by ordering wine.

A female shark baring her teeth, Natalya mused, all too aware of the woman’s reputation for shrewd deals tailored to her advantage.

In a contest of strong wills, Elle most often won out, her gritty formidability legend. So, too, was her intolerance for fools.

Natalya sat still, aware, alert...and prepared to watch the play between two business titans, each of whom were determined to win.

A little wine, which did nothing to soften Elle’s forceful tactics...and the wheeling and dealing began.

It was quite something to watch, as Alexei simply listened while Elle outlined her terms, declared them non-negotiable...only to stiffen defensively as Alexei discounted all but one of them, before stating his terms.

Stalemate.

‘You’re new in town,’ Elle dismissed haughtily, only for Alexei to qualify,

‘But not new to business dealings.’

‘My terms cannot be bettered.’

Alexei merely lifted an eyebrow. ‘I disagree.’

‘Really? By whom? A firm who’ll use a superior to broker the deal, then pass the client on to a less experienced staff member?’

‘No.’

Natalya saw Elle’s eyes narrow in speculation. The ADE Conglomerate was huge. To have Alexei as a client would be a very large feather in the woman’s cap.

It would be interesting to tell which card Elle would play.

‘Then there is nothing more to say.’

Alexei’s shoulders lifted in a negligible shrug. ‘So it would seem.’

The word-play game had just moved up a notch.

A waiter delivered their entrees, which were eaten in supposedly companionable silence.

Was this the final act in negotiations, and, if not, who would concede?

Natalya’s money was on Elle, given it was Alexei who held the power.

Conversation during the main course centred on world economics, a subject in which both Alexei and Elle were well-versed.

Dessert was declined, and Alexei chose not to linger over coffee, stating the meeting concluded.

That was it?

Unbelievable.

Alexei indicated Natalya take care of the bill with ADE’s corporate card...which she did, following him from the restaurant to witness Alexei’s limousine sliding to a smooth halt at the kerb.

It was then Elle moved a few steps to his side.

‘Have your lawyer email me a copy of your terms.’

Alexei didn’t miss a beat. ‘There’s no point.’

‘I’m prepared to consider a few adjustments.’

Really? Natalya mused as she heeded the faint pressure of Alexei’s hand at the back of her waist as Paul appeared and opened the limousine’s rear door.

Alexei refrained from making any comment as he followed Natalya into the rear seat and gave Paul instructions to leave.

‘Checkmate?’ Natalya offered with a tinge of cynicism, and incurred his measured glance.

Wednesday morning there was a courier delivery from Elle Johanssen containing an amended list of Alexei’s terms. All of which, with the exception of three relatively minor clauses, Natalya noted, had been accepted.

‘Return to sender,’ Alexei instructed within minutes of perusing the document. ‘With an attached letter rejecting the amendments, reaffirming ADE no longer require her services.’

Natalya keyed the relevant words into her iPad, glanced up and caught his slightly raised eyebrow.

‘The three clauses are quite minor.’

Alexei’s gaze was impossible to discern. ‘I was unaware I requested your opinion.’

Was it her imagination, or did the room temperature suddenly drop a few degrees?

‘You were present when Elle Johanssen requested a list of my terms,’ he reminded. ‘My parting statement to her was clear, was it not?’

‘Perfectly. But she’s...’

‘Playing me.’ His eyes seared her own. ‘Something I refuse to allow anyone to do...under any circumstance,’ he added in silky dismissal.

Okay, duly noted. Natalya collected the paperwork. ‘I’ll ensure this is returned today.’

‘Via courier.’

Natalya inclined her head. ‘Of course.’

‘No further input you’d like to add?’

She didn’t miss a beat. ‘Nothing you’d want to hear.’ Not the best exit line...yet there was a small degree of satisfaction in having had the last word.

And in doing so, she failed to see Alexei’s lips quirk with mild amusement.

Natalya Montgomery was the antithesis of the carefree young woman he’d once known. Now she rarely smiled in his presence, which shouldn’t concern him, yet it did, for he could too easily recall the way her voice would subside into a husky purr as he pleasured her. The sweet slide of her mouth when she caressed his body, teasing, tasting with such delicacy it drove him mad...until he took control, and it was she who gasped as he used his mouth to trace a tortuous path to the apex between her thighs, edging them gently apart to savour the acutely sensitive clitoris, using his tongue to drive her wild with need as she begged for his possession. And cried out as he moved over her and surged in deep as they both became swept up in the throes of a passion so intense there was only them...devoid of sense of time or place. So completely lost in an acutely sensual climax.

Alexei had contemplated for ever, his ring on her finger, a home, children...the complete package.

Only for everything to suddenly and inexplicably change.

Alexei leant back in his office chair and idly took in the cityscape, brilliantly clear on a mild summer morning. Beyond the many varied buildings the sky and sea appeared to meld as one.

The past couldn’t be changed. There was only the present, and the future. Together with a plan...one he was determined to win.