Читать книгу A Lone Star Love Affair / Falling for the Princess: A Lone Star Love Affair / Falling for the Princess - Sara Orwig - Страница 8

Tony Ryder couldn’t suppress his jubilation.

It had taken years for him to acquire Morris Enterprises. Years—plus being in the right place at the right time.

Late at night, he had stepped off the elevator on the nineteenth floor of the twenty-story glass Morris building in downtown Dallas. Wall lights shed a softened glow in the empty corridor as he passed open doors. His father had made offers over the years for this company and never succeeded in acquiring it. Now one giant coup would make his controlling father back off. That made all the hours of work more than worth his efforts. Tony was growing as wealthy as his father and finally gaining the man’s respect.

Tony had grown more pleased with the offices from the lobby to the top floor. Strolling the empty hallway, he paused to look at framed awards mounted on the beige walls. Farther along was a glass-enclosed case of trophies for graphic arts achievements. He noticed the same director’s name on several awards and trophies. Moving on, he passed through open doors into a darkened office and switched on the light. He was in the graphic arts sector—a part of the company that he would change drastically. He intended to retain a few of the graphic arts people and offer the others generous severance packages, absorbing the remaining employees into his own public relations department.

He shut the light and continued along the silent, dimly lit hall, turning at the next open door into an anteroom. Light spilled inside from a doorway. Crossing the anteroom, Tony entered another spacious, elegant office. He stopped abruptly as a blonde looked up.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” he said, surprised and curious to find someone working after ten. His first thought was that he was looking at his most gorgeous employee. As she stood, his gaze drifted swiftly over her. In an all-business navy suit and matching silk blouse, she looked as if she had just arrived at work instead of putting in extra hours. Her blond hair was secured in a roll on the back of her head. He had the strange feeling of meeting her before, but he knew he would have remembered her. A sizzling current startled him. He was caught in wide blue eyes that darkened and mesmerized. Silence stretched until he realized they were entrapped in each other’s gaze. When she touched a paper on her desk, the spell broke.

“You’re working late,” he remarked.

“I believe you, too, are working late,” she replied.

He stepped forward to extend his hand across her desk. “Sorry, I’m Tony Ryder.”

“Isabelle Smith,” she said. “I know who you are.” Her hand was slender, warm, and should have been like other feminine handshakes. Instead, the electric current he had first experienced just at the sight of her, magnified. Startled by his intense reaction, he focused intently on her, momentarily immobilized by his reactions.

“I’m here because I had something to finish. You’re visiting rather late,” she said. “Looking over your new acquisition?”

While her voice was neutral, her eyes were cool and assessing. He sensed she did not approve of him.

“You’re right. And you’re the Morris graphic arts department director.”

“You’ve either done some homework about the business you just bought, or read the sign on my door.” She walked around the desk and motioned to a chair. “Please have a seat,” she said, taking a leather chair that was turned to face him. As she moved closer, he caught a whiff of exotic perfume. “I don’t know whether you actually get involved or have staff who do that for you.”

“I have staff, but I also want to be knowledgeable about my investments,” he said as he sat near her. She crossed her legs and he couldn’t resist one swift glance that made him want to look back for a thorough assessment. She had long, shapely legs. “I’m involved in whatever I own. What’s so urgent to keep you working this late when you know your department will be split up?”

“So the rumors are true,” she remarked, the frostiness in her tone increasing. “I intend to finish a few projects because we’ve already signed contracts. That won’t change with the new management. I feel I need to wind things up before you actually take charge.”

“You say that as if doomsday approaches.”

She shrugged a slender shoulder. “That seems to be your approach to your acquisitions. I’ve done my homework and you have a reputation.”

“Do I now?” he asked, amused. “Tell me what this reputation is.”

“Ambitious. Driven. What I might label ‘smash and grab.’”

He tried to bite back a smile. “I never thought of my actions in such a manner.”

“I’m sure I’m not winning kudos with my new employer, but I suspect it really doesn’t matter what I say. I imagine you’ve already made decisions about the direction you will go.”

“How would you describe yourself? You work far into the night. You’re a director. Ambitious? Driven?”

She smiled faintly. “Touché.”

“So we are both workaholics—there are rewards. Regarding the future of the company, I change only what I feel needs changing. As a director, you’ll retain a position if that relieves your mind.”

“‘A position’—but not necessarily a director? I know changes are coming. I have a feeling you’ve looked into my back ground.”

“So is your family patiently waiting at home?” he asked, having already noticed the absence of a wedding band. Her manicured nails were long. Everything about her looked precise, immaculate, professional. Keeping a barrier around herself, she was reserved with him. She made no effort to hide her resentment of his purchase of the company.

“I’m single. You make the news enough for me to know that you are, too.”

“The single life lends itself to becoming a workaholic. There are far less distractions.”

“You view a family as a distraction.” Even though she spoke in the same tone, her disapproval had obviously escalated.

“At this point in life, family is not for me, because I’m wound up in business. Evidently, not for you, either.”

She gave him a frosty smile.

They were lightly sparring, yet he experienced a scalding attraction that she seemed to also feel—an odd combination he had never encountered. Challenges were always interesting and she was definitely one.

“Do you often work this late?” he asked, enjoying talking to her. She was a beautiful woman, yet she wore the suit as if it were armor, hiding her figure. He rarely received such a cool reception from a gorgeous, single woman, much less one who was his employee. He couldn’t resist the urge to try to break through the puzzling wall she maintained. Was it all men? Or just him, because he had bought out her employer?

“Occasionally,” she replied, tilting her head. “Do you usually work this late?”

“If necessary. I haven’t seen the building and this is a good time to wander freely. It surprised me to find you working.”

“You bought this company sight unseen?”

“The building, offices and layout weren’t significant factors. It’s the people, the departments and what Morris Enterprises is involved in. I’m sure you know that.”

“Yet you’ll change the people and the departments.” Her voice held a touch of frost. Otherwise she sat still, poised, looking as if she discussed an ad campaign.

“Some things will change. I’ve just acquired three highly successful hotel chains, plus a restaurant chain and a trucking business. This will grow my business. Even as we absorb this company, I think we can enlarge Morris Enterprises. You’ve built this department significantly—Morris has grown since you came on board. You have an impressive record,” he said, recalling being briefed on Morris executives’ performance reports. He’d decided then that she held potential, but he would move her down the corporate ladder because she would be going into a larger company. In spite of the compliment, he could not get a smile from her.

“Thank you. No one seems to know when you’ll actually take over and begin changes.”

“Soon. When I do, I’ll interview the executives first,” he said, unable to resist another swift glance at her legs.

“This encounter can almost count as my interview. You’ve asked some direct questions and I’m certain you’ve formed an opinion.”

She was direct, straight-forward and not the least intimidated to be talking to the new owner of her company. She continued, coolly composed, yet along with their matter-of-fact conversation, he felt an undercurrent of awareness.

Amused again, he shook his head. “No, you’ll have your formal interview. This is just a late-night chat, nothing more.”

“Why do I think you’ve already made your decisions?” Big blue eyes stabbed into him.

“I can have an open mind. On the other hand—can you? Morris sold the company to me. I didn’t do any arm-twisting.” He couldn’t resist another brief glance at her long legs. What would she be like when she let down all the barriers?

“You came to him with an offer he couldn’t refuse and you knew he has been on the verge of retirement for the past three years.” This time she didn’t hide the frost. Her voice conveyed a cold anger.

“Can you blame me? This is a first-rate company.”

She looked away and he studied her profile, long thick eyelashes, flawless peaches-and-cream skin, a straight nose—looks that would be unforgettable. Again it crossed his mind that they had met before, yet how could he forget her? If he had met her, the recollection would come.

“If you’ll excuse me, it’s late. I think I’ll close for tonight,” she said, standing.

Amused that he was being dismissed by her, as he stood, he asked, “Can I give you a ride home?”

She shook her head. “Thanks, no. I have my car.”

“I’ll see you out. I’ve been all through the building.” He was unaccustomed to being brushed off by a woman where there was an obvious chemistry between them.

She smiled. “You don’t have to see me to my car. This wasn’t a date.”

“I know I don’t, Ms. Smith.”

“It’s Isabelle.”

“And I’m Tony to my employees,” he said. “I’ll walk out with you. Then I’ll know where to park when I come in Monday.”

“I think you can find the parking spot that will have Reserved on a placard in front of the best space in the lot,” she said.

He watched while she shut down her laptop and placed it in a bag that she shouldered. She pulled keys from the bag, switched off a desk light and turned toward the door. When he blocked her path, she looked up, wide-eyed.

“I wish now we’d met under other circumstances. You’re definitely annoyed with me,” he said.

“It won’t matter. You have many interests and a sprawling enterprise that has absorbed this one. We’ll rarely see each other. I hated to see Morris sold. You can’t blame me for that.”

“I think it’s more than the sale,” he said quietly, standing close enough to smell the perfume she wore. Her blue eyes were incredible, crystal clear, deep blue, thickly lashed. Glacial at the moment. When his gaze lowered to her mouth, he inhaled as he viewed full, heart-shaped lips, a rosy mouth that looked soft.

As he looked, her lips parted and he glanced into her eyes again. For an instant her guard had fallen and the look he caught was warm, receptive. It was gone in a flash as she gave a tiny shake while she passed him.

“It’s very late, Tony …”

Against all human resources training, he reached out and touched her arm. “I don’t have a policy against employees seeing each other off the job, dating, getting engaged or marrying.”

Again that surge of electricity sizzled to his toes as she looked up sharply with a flash of fire in her eyes. But just as suddenly, the fire died and whatever she had been about to say was gone.

“Where I’m concerned, it won’t matter.”

“No deference to your employer?” he asked quietly, fighting an urge to ask her for a drink.

“Tony, it’s getting late,” she whispered, and broke away. He had seen the pink rise in her cheeks. Why was she fighting him and so angry with him? He hadn’t moved her out of her job yet.

Puzzled over the degree of her animosity, he walked with her to the elevators. He pushed a button before she could reach it and they rode down in silence.

He could feel the barriers back in place, the chill in the air between them.

“I saw your ad campaign for the Royal Garden chain. It was well thought out and successful. Bookings jumped after the television ads started,” he said.

“Thank you from my staff and me. They did an excellent job.”

“Do you ever take full credit for anything?” he asked, looking at silky strands of blond hair wound in a roll and wondering how she would look with her hair unpinned.

“If I’m the only one to work on it. Otherwise, I don’t deserve to take all of the credit.”

“Will there ever be a time you can see me in any way other than your employer?”

“Of course. If I leave Morris, or if you do,” she answered sweetly, and he smiled.

When the elevator doors opened, he stepped back to let her exit. He fell into step beside her and they both greeted the night security guard before going outside. Tony crossed the parking lot with her to her car.

“I hope you give my company a chance,” he said. “I have the feeling you’ve already formed an opinion and have one foot out the door.”

“Not yet,” she said, as she clicked her key to unlock her car. While he held her door, she slid behind the wheel.

“I’ll see you next at the reception we’re having for the executives Thursday evening. You will attend, won’t you?”

“Certainly. I believe it’s mandatory unless one is in the hospital.”

“We all need to meet one another.”

She gave him a doubting look as if she didn’t believe a word he said.

“Good night, Isabelle,” he said, wishing he could prolong the time with her.

“Good night,” she replied.

When she started the engine, he walked to his car. As she drove past, her profile was to him and she never glanced around.

“Isabelle Smith,” he said, mulling over her name and the past hour. The only things he knew for certain were that she didn’t like him and she resented his buying out Morris.

He remembered another Smith he had known. She had been a freshman or sophomore in college and he had met her at a party when he had been on campus for a seminar. Her name hadn’t been Isabelle and she had been a carefree, fun-loving, sexy woman. It had been an instant hot attraction that ended in a passionate night together even though she had been a virgin. A blue-eyed blonde with a resemblance to Isabelle Smith, but only a slight similarity and one he dismissed as swiftly as it came to mind. Partying with him, Jessie Smith had been wild, friendly and filled with fun. She had constantly smiled until passion replaced her smiles. He hadn’t forgotten her and he didn’t think he ever would. He couldn’t recall her major or where she was from. Even though he had wanted to, he had never tried to contact her because she would have been too big a distraction in his life at the time. His focus had been on building his fortune. She had faded from his life, but never from his memory. That had been an unforgettable night. There was enough of a resemblance in coloring and name to give him the feeling he had met Isabelle Smith before tonight, but she definitely was no Jessie Smith.

His cell phone beeped, indicating a text from his sister.

As he climbed into his sports car, he paused to read her message. In minutes he headed home. When he entered his neighborhood, he slowed, driving beneath tall trees with thick trunks in one of the oldest areas in Dallas. Bare limbs interlocked overhead, bordering sweeping lawns of two- and three-story mansions. A high, wrought-iron fence surrounded Tony’s property and with a code he opened iron gates. As he wound along the wide driveway, he saw a familiar sports car parked at the front.

He pulled into his garage and entered his house, going straight through to open the front door. A woman with a mass of curly black hair and thickly lashed dark brown eyes matching his stepped out of the parked car and dashed toward his door. She crossed the illuminated wide porch.

He closed the door behind his younger sister. “Sydney, what brings you on the run at this hour?” he asked, smiling at her. He loved his sister.

“Dad. He wanted to see me tonight. I need to talk to you, Tony.”

“Sure. Let’s go to the family room. Want something to drink?”

“Cranberry juice if you have it.”

Several small lights came on automatically as they entered a large room that held comfortable leather furniture, a bar and a large fireplace. Tony crossed to the bar to get a cold beer for himself and juice for his sister.

As soon as he had a fire blazing, he picked up his beer and sat on a chair facing his sister, who sipped her juice. “Okay, let’s hear it. What’s Dad done now?” Tony asked.

“Tony, he’s pressuring me to dump Dylan,” she said, focusing worried brown eyes on her brother.

“So? Sydney, it’s your life. Do what you want,” Tony answered.

“It’s not that easy.” She looked away as if lost in thought. Her gaze returned to Tony. “Dad’s threatened me. If I marry Dylan, he’ll disinherit me.”

“Dammit. That’s drastic. He must have talked to my friend Jake’s dad who held such a threat over Jake’s head. Our dads are old friends and both control freaks. That’s where Dad got this idea of threatening you. It worked with Jake because he married.”

“That’s not all. Dad will stop all support and I’m on my own to finish medical school. I may have to make a choice between med school and Dylan. If I have to choose, Dylan wins. Worst of all, Dad will cut me out of the family completely. ‘Don’t come home’ and all that.”

“Mom won’t go along with any such ultimatum,” Tony said, losing his temper with his interfering father.

“She already has. For once, Mom sat in with us when he talked to me.”

“That’s serious,” Tony remarked, giving his sister his full attention. “I don’t think I’ve ever had Mom step in to back up Dad. I’m shocked.”

“Mom doesn’t like Dylan. She thinks he’s a nobody and will embarrass the family. Even worse, he’s an artist who had to put himself through college by relying on scholarships. It doesn’t matter to them that his grades are excellent or what it took to accomplish sending himself.”

“Graphic art is a respectable career,” Tony answered, thinking about Isabelle, although it had been years since he’d had any worries about his family having to accept a woman in his life. “This is partially why I work like crazy. He’s beginning to back off with me—especially since I acquired Morris Enterprises—because I’m going to make more money than he has and he can see it. Syd, I’m finally getting respect out of him.”

“I doubt if I can ever say that. I thought if I made it through medical school, I would, but I don’t think that any longer. If you’re sympathetic to me at all, it will only increase the tension between you and Mom and Dad. As for Dylan, he just isn’t from our circle of friends and his family is low income with blue- collar jobs. I’m afraid Dad will try every way he can to give Dylan difficulty. He’ll try to sabotage Dylan getting work, or staying with a company. He will try to keep him out of any family gatherings.”

“I don’t think so, Syd. He wouldn’t do that to you.”

“Tony, really,” she snapped, glaring at her brother.

“You’ll know in time. As for the other, I’m one-quarter of this family and I’m not cutting you out, so you can see me on holidays.”

“If you’re even in the country. Thank you for offering, though.”

“And don’t worry about med school. I can support you right now. I have the money and can easily and gladly do it. Just tell me how much and I’ll write the first check tonight,” Tony said, feeling as protective of his sister as ever. Seven years older than Sydney, he had spent his life looking out for her and being a buffer between his parents and her. They had always been close.

“I don’t want you to do that. I didn’t call you to get you to finance me.”

“I can afford it. I want to. End of argument.”

“Oh, Tony,” she said, her eyes filling with tears as she jumped to her feet to run and hug him. “You are the best brother in the whole world.”

“I can support you without missing the money.” He set down his beer. “I’ll get a check.”

“You don’t need to now. Dad hasn’t done anything yet.”

“Don’t wait until he does something. Let me give you a check and you put this money away. Open a new bank account Dad knows nothing about with a bank where no one knows him. This is a big enough city that you can get away from Dad’s scrutiny. The minute he cuts you off, you let me know and I’ll take up supporting you. In the meantime, you’ll have this to fall back on if you need it. I’ll be right back.”

She wiped her eyes. “You really are the best brother ever.”

He left to get a check, filling it out and returning to take it to her. She was back in the chair, her long legs tucked beneath her. When Tony handed her the check, she looked up with wide eyes. “Tony, this is enormous. I don’t need money like this yet.”

“Take it and do what I told you. This way you can open that new account and you’ll have money any time you need it.”

“I can’t take this much.”

“Syd,” he said sternly, giving her a look, and suddenly she smiled, folding the check.

“Thank you, best brother in the whole world.”

“You’re welcome,” he remarked dryly. “I’d talk to Dad, but we both know it will do no good. He’s stubborn and he’s a control freak. The only thing that Dylan can ever do to wring respect from Dad is what I’m doing—make as much money as Dad. I had a running start with influential connections, a top-notch education and family money. Dylan has none of that.”

“I know. He can never make the money Dad did, but I don’t care.”

“Have you told Dylan?”

“Not yet, but I will. I’ll miss my family, but at least you’re not cutting me out. It’s getting bad between Mom, Dad and me.”

“Sorry, Syd. Dad has really focused on you. For now, it’s you and not me.”

“He won’t bother you. I think you’ve thrown him for a loop with this latest acquisition. He wanted that chain for years.” She was quiet for a moment.

Then Tony said, “Since he found out about Morris, he hasn’t interfered in my life. I don’t think he ever expected me to make as much money as he does.”

“I wish I could and get him to stop meddling,” she said. “But my calling is in the medical field, not business. I can’t make the money I’d need to gain his respect and stop his interference.”

Tony squeezed her shoulder. “Do you really love Dylan?”

She turned wide brown eyes on her brother. “Yes. You’ve asked me before. Each time I tell you yes, I’m more certain and my love has grown stronger. I don’t care about the inheritance.

We’ll get along. I have faith in Dylan. His grades were tops. He has an excellent job with a big company and hopes someday to go into business for himself. Dad says Dylan is a nobody. Mom and Dad both want me to marry one of those boys I’ve grown up with, Paul, Jason, Will. I’m not in love with any of them. I don’t want to marry them and they bore me.” She waved her fingers at Tony. “Mom and Dad would like you to marry Emma or Darcy.”

“The day the sun rises in the west,” he remarked. “The folks haven’t said anything about that to me for several years. This past year Dad’s gotten quiet on all fronts.”

“You’re surpassing him in business and he never, ever expected that to happen. You can thank me, too, for taking their attention.”

“I definitely thank you.”

“I know Mom and Dad mean what they say. They both want us to have ‘society marriages.’ But I love Dylan and I’m going to marry him.”

“Let Dylan know what Dad has threatened. Fill him in so he knows exactly what it means. If Dylan still wants to marry you, then he’s been warned. Dylan seems to truly love you from all you’ve told me. I trust your judgment with him. The more he knows the more he’ll be prepared to deal with whatever our father does.”

“Tony, why do we have parents like this?”

“Look at my friends and their interfering dads—Jake and Gabe Benton, Nick Rafford. Dad’s no worse than theirs. When we were growing up, their interference was effective. Now, it’s not.”

“Thank heavens! I don’t want him running my life,” she said. “I’m meeting Dylan in thirty minutes, so I need to go, but I just had to talk to you.”

“Call whenever you want. You know I’m always here for you.”

“Thank goodness,” she said. “You always stand by me in a crisis and you’ve been there when I’m hurt.”

Tony smiled at her. When he could, he protected her from their parents’ interference, but it was impossible to always deflect their attention.

She finished her juice and jumped to her feet. “I better run. Thanks for listening. I feel so much better with your encouragement and support.”

“Sure. I’ll need yours sometime.”

She gave him a smile. “That will be the day. Whatever they throw at you, you manage to overcome. Tony, thank you so, so much.”

“Forget it. You’re there for me. You come talk whenever you want,” he said, draping his arm around her shoulders and giving her a light hug.

She smiled up at him, then her expression changed. “Tony, they’ll try to get you to sever ties with me.”

“Doesn’t matter. You know I’ll never do that.”

“Thank you,” she said quietly.

“Syd, I would think Dylan knows the graphic artists in the city. He probably knows the top one with Morris. Her name is Isabelle Smith.”

“I’ve met her at parties Dylan and I have attended. I don’t really know her except to say hi. We’ve talked a little. From what Dylan has said, she’s very good and he admires her work. They’re friends because of their mutual interest in art. Now she works for you. She’s gorgeous,” Sydney said, her eyes dancing. “Thinking of dating an employee?”

“I’m allowed. I’m just curious because they are both in the same field.”

Sydney laughed. “I’ll ask Dylan about her. Maybe sometime the four of us can go to dinner.”

“Syd—” he said in a threatening voice, and they both laughed.

“Watch out. You’ll get Dad on your case if you start seeing an artist. Actually, you won’t. I think you’ve stopped him cold as long as you don’t lose the fortune you’ve made.”

“It’s a damn big relief. You stop worrying so much. You and Dylan can weather Dad’s interference. If you’re really in love, it won’t matter what Dad does.”

“I hope not. He has a lot of influence.”

At her car Jake held the door. “Don’t pay too much attention to our parents. When Christmas comes, it may be a whole different story.”

“If it’s not, I can live with it. I can’t live with losing you.”

He smiled. “You’ll get along. And I’m always here for you. Take care, Syd.”

“Sure. Thanks for the check, but mostly thank you for being the brother you are.”

As he entered the mansion, his thoughts returned to earlier and Isabelle Smith. He wanted to see her again. He definitely would have an interview with her. Since he’d acquired Morris, three executives had resigned. He guessed from her frosty manner that she was going to resign, too. It was a plus-minus prospect. He wanted her to stay. On the other hand, if she didn’t, it might be less complicated to see her socially.

Now he was looking forward to Thursday evening’s reception more than before.