Читать книгу Modern Romance October 2016 Books 5-8 - Ким Лоренс, Kate Walker - Страница 11
ОглавлениеBENJAMIN CARTER SAT in a high-backed leather chair in a corner of the private members-only club. The lighting was artfully dim, and the atmosphere was hushed and exclusive. Warm golden lights and flickering candles added to the sense of rarefied privacy. Cigar smoke curled into the air from another dark corner, adding an exotic aroma and diffusing the light.
The club promised absolute discretion, which was specifically why he’d chosen it. And now Ben looked, one by one, at each of the other three men who had joined him at his table. At his request.
Sheikh Zayn Al-Ghamdi—the ruler of a desert kingdom rich in oil and minerals, whose wealth was astonishing and control absolute.
Dante Mancini—an Italian renewable energies mogul whose charming, handsome exterior hid a rapier-sharp intellect, business acumen and a sarcastic tongue that could strip paint from a wall—as Ben had discovered during one particularly acrimonious deal years before. Right now he wasn’t exuding charm; he was glowering darkly in Ben’s direction.
And, last but not least, Xander Trakas—the Greek billionaire CEO of a global luxury goods conglomerate. He was cool and aloof, with strong features that gave nothing away. Ben had once told him grudgingly that he should play poker if he ever lost his vast fortune and needed to win it back. Which was about as likely as a snowstorm in hell.
Ben might not rule over a desert kingdom, or half of Europe, but he ruled over Manhattan with his towering cranes and the deep pits he forged out of the ground in order to build new and impossibly ambitious buildings.
The tension around the table was palpable. These men had been his nemeses for so long—and each other’s—that it was truly surreal to be sitting here now. What had started out as minor infractions during various deals over the years had escalated into entrenched warfare, with each recognising in the others formidable adversaries to be defeated and vanquished. The only problem being that each one was as successfully ruthless and stubborn as the other, so all they’d ever achieved was a series of tense stalemates.
Ben sensed that Dante Mancini in particular was about ready to bolt, so he sat forward. It was time to talk.
‘Thank you all for coming here.’
Sheikh Zayn Al-Ghamdi’s dark eyes were hard. ‘I don’t appreciate being summoned like a recalcitrant child, Carter.’
‘And yet,’ Ben pointed out, ‘you’re here.’ He looked around. ‘You all are.’
Dante Mancini drawled, ‘And the prize for stating the obvious goes to Benjamin Carter.’ He lifted his heavy crystal glass in Ben’s direction and the dark liquid inside shimmered with golden opulence, reflecting the decadent luxury of the club around them. He downed his drink in one and simultaneously gestured for the waiter. He caught Ben’s look. ‘Tempted to drink something stronger than water, Carter?’
Ben fought down the urge to rise to Dante’s jibe. He was the only one of them not indulging in the finest single malt whisky one could buy outside of Ireland and Scotland.
He looked pointedly at the others. ‘Gentlemen, as fun as it’s been over the last decade, squaring up to each of you, I think you’ll agree that the time has come for us to stop giving the press an excuse to pit us against each other.’
Xander Trakas looked from Ben to the other men and sighed. ‘He’s right. The press have targeted us all, one by one, and what started out as a few salacious gossipy pieces in that rag Celebrity Spy! have turned into something much more serious. While I believe we’re responsible for the stories that end up in those rags due to our own lax PR, I draw the line at spurious claims of excessive partying, revolving bedroom doors and, most damaging of all, conspicuous absences at the office.’
The Greek tycoon’s face hardened with displeasure. ‘The fact that I’ve been pulling all-nighters in the office when they say I’m out partying is infuriating. I lost out on a lucrative contract last week because of doubts about my competence. It’s gone too far.’
Dante Mancini made a sound of grudging agreement. ‘I’m about to lose out on a deal because they want someone with “family values”—whatever that is.’ He took a healthy sip of his refreshed drink.
The fact that Dante Mancini and Xander Trakas were still here and agreeing with each other told Ben more effectively than anything that he’d done the right thing in asking them here this evening—and also that they had a very real threat on their hands.
He said, ‘We’re being reduced to caricatures, and these exaggerations of our private exploits are becoming too damaging to ignore. I can handle walking onto my construction sites and having my men rib me about a kiss and tell, but when gossip and innuendo starts to affect share prices and my professional reputation that’s unacceptable.’
Trakas looked at him and there was an unmistakable gleam of mockery in his eyes. ‘You’re not trying to imply that your ex-lover made it all up, Carter, are you?’
Memories of lurid headlines—The hard man of construction is just as hard in bed!—made Ben snap back, ‘Her story was as real as your infamous little black book that divulges the names and numbers of most of the world’s most beautiful women. What was it they said, Trakas? Still waters run deep?’
Trakas scowled and Mancini scoffed, ‘As if Trakas has the monopoly on the most beautiful women. Everyone knows that I—’
A cool voice cut them off, ‘If we’re quite finished with the dissing contest, perhaps we can discuss how to get ourselves out of this mess. I agree with Carter: it’s gone too far. This adverse attention is not only affecting confidence in my leadership, but also my business concerns. It’s even affecting my little sister’s chances of the marriage she wants, and that is unacceptable.’
They all looked at Sheikh Zayn Al-Ghamdi, who had sat forward. The dim lighting made the lines of his boldly handsome face stand out harshly. They were all dressed in classic black tuxedos except for Mancini, who was bucking the trend in a white jacket with his bow tie rakishly undone.
It reminded Ben of the function they’d just come from and he said grimly, ‘It’s not just our business concerns...or our families.’
Mancini sat forward too, frowning. ‘What do you mean?’
Ben glanced at him, and at the others. ‘The director of the charity came to me this evening and told me that if this media furore doesn’t disappear she’ll have to remove us all as patrons. She’s noticed an adverse effect, with less tickets sold and people not showing up.’
Dante Mancini cursed colourfully in Italian.
The Sheikh said ruminatively, ‘So that’s why you asked us to come and meet you?’
Ben nodded. ‘I think we can all agree that the last thing we want is for the charity to suffer because of us.’
The charity in question was the only thing that linked them all, outside of pitting their wits against each other during business deals, and its function was the only time of year when they were all in the same room at the same time, which invariably caused much media interest.
The Hope Foundation focused on giving funds to young kids—girls and boys who were from disadvantaged backgrounds and showed an aptitude for business and enterprise.
Dante said now, ‘Carter’s right. We can’t bring the charity into this mess.’
For the first time Ben had to recognise a sense of kinship. They all genuinely cared about the same thing, and it was slightly disconcerting when he’d depended solely on himself for so long. It wasn’t entirely unwelcome—almost as if a burden had suddenly been lightened.
And then Sheikh Zayn’s cool voice said, ‘So what the hell is the solution?’
Ben looked at him, and glanced at the others. ‘I’m guessing that, like me, you’ve consulted with your legal teams and realised that it isn’t worth the added publicity to sue Celebrity Spy!?’
They all nodded.
Ben went on, his voice as grim as the faces around him. ‘Issuing a statement will also get us nowhere; we’ve gone beyond that point. If we do that it’ll look like we’re backtracking, trying to defend ourselves.’ He sighed volubly. ‘The only solution is for us to be seen to be cleaning up our acts—comprehensively and for the long term. Unless we do, I don’t think it’s going to go away. If anything, they’ll only start to dig deeper, and I can assure you that I for one have no desire to invite further scrutiny.’
Dante’s gaze narrowed on Ben. ‘You don’t want people being reminded that your rags to riches story isn’t entirely accurate?’
Ben’s whole body tensed and he glared at the man. ‘I’ve never hidden my origins, Mancini. Let’s just say I’ve no desire to have old history raked over again. Just as I’m sure you’d prefer not to invite a spotlight onto your own family background?’
Ben was referring to the way Dante was so zealous about guarding his family’s privacy—which could only mean he had something to hide.
After a tense moment the ghost of a hard smile touched Dante’s mouth and he lifted his almost empty glass in the air. ‘Touché, Carter.’
Sheikh Zayn interrupted tautly, ‘I think we can all appreciate not wanting to attract even more attention, for whatever reasons we may have.’
Ben was aware of Xander Trakas shifting uncomfortably to his right, evidently ruminating on the skeletons in his own closet.
A brooding silence descended on the group for a moment and then the Sheikh said with a grimace, ‘I agree with Carter that cleaning up our personal lives seems to be the only viable solution. As much as I’ve tried to avoid it, I know the only thing that will restore my people’s faith in me will be a strategic marriage and producing an heir to the throne.’
Ben was aware of the collective shudder that seemed to go through all of them. With the utmost reluctance, he had to admit, ‘After discussions with my PR advisor and my solicitor, I’ve come to a similar conclusion.’
Dante said, with evident horror, ‘Marriage? Do we really need to take such drastic action?’
Ben looked at him. ‘Even I can see the benefit in marrying someone suitable. It will restore confidence and get the press off our backs. It’ll also restore trust. I’ve found myself in numerous social situations where clients’ wives have made their interest all too obvious, much to the anger of their spouses. It’s only a matter of time before a deal falls through because of petty jealousy—or, worse, the belief that something happened.’ Ben looked around the other men. ‘We’re being seen as threats, in more ways than one. And that’s not good.’
Dante’s irritation was obvious. ‘You said someone suitable—what is suitable? Is there such a woman?’
Sheikh Zayn answered, with all the confidence of a man who came from a society where arranged marriages were commonplace. ‘Of course there is. A woman who is happy to complement your life...a woman who will be discreet and loyal above all.’
Dante raised a brow. ‘So, genius, where do we find this paragon of virtue?’
For a moment there was silence, and Ben tensed again, suspecting that Dante Mancini had gone too far. Sheikh Zayn was a head of state, and used to far more reverential exchanges.
But then the Sheikh threw his head back and laughed, long and hard. When he looked at them all again he said, ‘Do you know how refreshing it is when someone speaks to me like this?’
The tension that had been pulled taut between them ever since they’d all sat down seemed to relax perceptibly.
Dante smiled and gestured with his glass towards the Sheikh. ‘If you would finally agree to discuss alternative energies with me, I’ll disrespect you as much as you want.’
Sheikh Zayn’s eyes flashed with rare humour. ‘Now, that is an offer I could consider.’
Ben cut in. ‘As warm and fuzzy as this cessation in hostilities is, we need to focus on the fact that we’ve agreed that promoting a more settled front is the way to deal with this situation. And for that we need to find women who are happy to marry us quickly and conveniently. As Sheikh Zayn said, women we can trust, who will be discreet. Loyal.’
Dante Mancini’s smile faded and he said darkly, ‘You’d have more luck finding a leprechaun riding a unicorn down Fifth Avenue.’
They contemplated that silently for a few seconds, and then Xander Trakas said quietly, ‘I know someone.’
They all looked at the man who, Ben realised, had been suspiciously quiet up till now. ‘Who?’ he asked, intrigued.
‘A woman. She runs a very discreet dating agency aimed specifically at people like us. She knows our world inside out—’
‘Who is she to you?’ cut in Dante. ‘An ex-lover?’
Xander glared at him, not looking so aloof now. ‘That’s none of your business, Mancini. Just trust me when I say that if anyone can set us up with the right women, she can.’
The Italian mogul held up a hand. ‘Fine—keep your pants on.’
Ben, who’d been absorbing all this, looked to Sheikh Zayn. ‘Well?’
The Sheikh looked as if he’d prefer to sign up to a knitting class, but he finally said heavily, ‘I think it might be the best option... If we’re doing this, time is of the essence—for all of us.’ He punctuated that with an expressive look at each of them.
Dante eventually said, with palpable reluctance, ‘Fine. I’ll take her details but I’m not promising anything.’
Ben held out his phone to Xander Trakas and tried to ignore the sensation of his collar tightening around his neck. ‘Put her number in there. I’ll call her next week.’
As Xander added the contact details to Ben’s phone Sheikh Zayn sat forward and said, with another glimmer of wry humour, ‘Do you know, I’ve actually forgotten what it was that set us off against each other in the first place...?’
Ben quirked a rueful smile. ‘I think we have to admit that perhaps we liked being adversaries too much to give it up.’
Xander put Ben’s phone down on the table. He held up his glass. ‘Well, then, maybe it’s time to concede a mutual defeat for the benefit of a bigger victory. Restoring faith in our reputations, which in turn will restore confidence in our businesses and profit margins. Because, as we all know, that’s what’s most important.’
Dante Mancini lifted his glass and drawled, ‘Hear, hear. To the start of a beautiful friendship, gentlemen.’
Ben looked around at each of the men and thought that in spite of the slightly mocking tone of Mancini’s words something had shifted here tonight. These men were not foes any more. They were allies and, yes, possibly even friends.
Ben raised his glass to join the others. Nothing was going to get in their way now. Not even the women they would take as their convenient wives.
