Читать книгу The Night Before Christmas: Naughty Christmas Nights / The Nightshift Before Christmas / 'Twas the Week Before Christmas - Tawny Weber - Страница 14

6

THE MAN WAS pond scum. Worse, he was sexy pond scum disguised as temptation. And he was so damned sure he was going to sweep in and snag the contract. Hailey ground her teeth, still pissed. A good night’s sleep might have helped, but she’d spent the night having erotic dreams of Gage, covered in sexy pond scum that looked a lot like his Grinch fur.

Damn him.

There was no way she was letting him take this contract from her. No way in hell.

Hailey stepped into Rudy Rudolph’s office riding high on a righteous anger, a double caramel latte and the feminine confidence only great lingerie and a new pair of shoes could offer.

The black leather of her double-strap Mary Janes was a perfect contrast to her red tights and purple knit slip dress. She’d offset the aggressive colors by pulling her hair back in a loose braid, letting tendrils curl around her face. As accents, she’d assured herself. Not for something to hide behind.

“Miss North, welcome.”

“Call me Hailey,” she told the bald little man for the tenth time. Her smile stiffened when she saw that Gage was already there.

Not only there, she noted, narrowing her eyes. But there, cozied up in the seating area by the window. Right next to a buxom redhead who looked as if she ate sexy guys for breakfast and snacked on the more adventurous ones for dessert.

Hailey’s fashion eye took in the woman’s expensive dress, a Zac Posen cloque in gunmetal, paired with a droolworthy pair of matching Louboutins. You couldn’t begrudge the woman’s excellent taste. In clothes, shoes or—Hailey noted as the redhead reached over to lay her hand on Gage’s wrist—in men.

“Have a seat, Hailey. Can I get you a drink?”

Gage and the redhead still ignoring her, Hailey refused Rudy’s offer, her fingers gripping her leather portfolio bag’s handle so tight she was surprised the stitches didn’t fall out.

“Cherry,” Rudy called as he ushered Hailey across the room. “Here she is. The owner and designer of Merry Widow Lingerie, Hailey North. As you can see, she’s just as fetching as her designs.”

The redhead rose, a slow sinuous move that in the end had her towering over Hailey’s petite frame. It was easy to see why Rudolph wanted her as the face of his spring campaign. She was the embodiment of smoldering sexuality.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Bella,” Hailey said, her words stiffer than she’d like. Because Gage was giving her that smug look, she told herself. Not because the woman had just been touching a guy Hailey herself wanted to lick like a melting Popsicle.

“I love your designs,” Cherry said, her trademark voice husky and low, more suited for a dim, smoky bar than a business meeting. But her smile was genuine, and her grasp warm and friendly as she took Hailey’s hand. Not to shake. Just to hold for a second, as if making a connection while pulling her over and gesturing that Hailey take the seat next to her. “You create the most romantic celebration of femininity I’ve ever seen. I’m awed.”

Oh.

Her throat tightened. It was enough to make a girl cry.

“And such a contrast to the raw power of Milano’s designs,” Cherry continued, sliding into her chair with a boneless sort of grace. “Also a celebration of the female form, but with a very different message.”

And that was enough to make a girl want to throw things.

For once, just once, Hailey wanted to be the clear choice. The one someone wanted most. But hey, a lifetime of coming in second, third and fourth best taught a girl a few things about sticking with it.

So she kept her big smile in place and sat, not nearly as gracefully, beside Cherry.

“If you don’t mind my asking, which do you think suits you best?” Hailey heard herself ask. She barely refrained from biting her lip to try to snap the words back. She’d planned to be charming, persuasive and subtle. Like her designs.

But Cherry didn’t seem offended. Instead, she laughed and gave a noncommittal shrug. “I’m a multifaceted woman. Choosing isn’t a simple thing. Much, always, depends on my mood.”

Hailey almost pointed out that her designs suited a variety of moods, while Milano’s only suited the kinkier ones. But this time she managed to keep her mouth closed.

Instead, she—finally—let herself look at Gage.

His dark eyes were aimed right at her, a small smile playing over those sexy lips. As if he were looking into her mind and poking through her plans and ideas, preparing to blow them all to teeny-tiny pieces.

Yet, she still wanted him.

If she closed her eyes, she could still taste that kiss. Could still feel the touch of his fingers against her skin. Remember the scent of his cologne, the feel of his hair.

No, no, no. The man was a shark, she reminded herself. Not Prince Charming. He’d eat her up in one bite.

An idea which really shouldn’t turn her on.

“Let’s get started, shall we? Cherry’s expressed her preferences between the other choices.” Rudy went on to name the lines Cherry had chosen.

Hailey almost jumped out of her chair to do a happy dance when Vivo wasn’t among them. They were all strong designers, but none so out there that her lingerie wouldn’t complement them. Of course, none were so conservative that Milano’s wouldn’t work, either. But Hailey was going to ignore that for right now.

“Yours is the final line Cherry needs to review before we settle on the spring lineup,” Rudy continued. Playing waiter with a dapper flair, he set a Plexiglas tray on the small table centered between their four chairs, motioned to the coffee, tea and juice as if encouraging everyone to help themselves.

When nobody did, he snagged a Christmas cookie shaped like a reindeer, bit its head off and gestured with its body. “I’d like the two of you to give a final pitch. Tell us why your design is perfect for Cherry Bella and Rudolph department stores.”

“Ladies first,” Gage said before Hailey could do more than take a nervous breath.

She gave him a look, intending to say something—anything—that’d put him in his place and let him know that he wasn’t running this show.

But the second her eyes met his, her brain shut down. She hated that. But her body—oh, her body—it loved the results. Big-time.

Her heart did a little dance in perfect time with the nerves swirling around in her stomach. She could stare into his eyes for hours. Days, even. Nights would be even better. She wanted to see those eyes heat again, darken with desire and smolder with passion. Like they’d done when he’d kissed her.

She wet her lips, remembering his taste. The texture of his mouth. The sweep of his tongue.

“Hailey?”

“Hmm?” She blinked. Then she blinked again, her eyes widening in horror before she ripped them from Gage to focus on the man with the giant checkbook and the key to her future. “I’m sorry, what?”

“Why don’t you go ahead and make your pitch.”

She wanted to suggest that Gage go first instead. She wanted to ask for a bucket of ice. She could barely think straight with her brain locked in horny mode. But they were all gazing at her expectantly and she didn’t want to make waves. Or worse, look as though she wasn’t grateful for this opportunity.

Deep breaths and don’t look at Gage, she instructed herself.

Okay, then...

She’d spent all night obsessing over this. Now that it was time to pitch it, she hoped like hell she’d obsessed in the right direction.

“Clearly you have two very strong lingerie lines to choose from,” Hailey said, starting her pitch by offering Gage her first smile, then going right back to trying to pretend he wasn’t there. “The question is, which one do you think is going to garner the best publicity and success for both Rudolph department stores and for Cherry Bella?

“Your theme for spring is A New You. Your strategy is to inspire makeovers, redos and taking chances. And where better to begin such a journey than with how a woman feels about herself. Lingerie goes beyond physical support. It provides emotional support. The right lingerie inspires a woman to believe in herself. It validates her femininity. Merry Widow Lingerie is more than a fashion statement. It’s an empowerment statement.”

Hailey paused, gauging their expressions. The interest in Rudy’s combined with the agreement in Cherry’s was great. But it was the concern on Gage’s that rocked her. With that as encouragement, she continued her presentation. She pulled out graphs and sales figures, passed around a few samples of the merchandise in all its frothy lace beauty and put her entire heart into the pitch.

“It really comes down to messaging,” she wound up. “What message do you want to send women, and what message do you think women will respond best to? I think you’ll find that romance, with its empowering belief in love and happy results, will be a stronger selling point.”

Pleased with her speech, and that she could sit back down and pretend she wasn’t nervous enough to hurl, Hailey offered Rudy and Cherry a warm smile. Then, her body boneless, she slid into the chair next to Gage’s. As soon as she did, he stood. Clearly he wanted to erase her impression as quickly as possible from the others’ minds.

“Since it’s just the four of us, let’s be honest,” Gage said in a persuasively amused tone. “We all know what sells. Especially when it comes to lingerie.”

“And that is?” Cherry asked, clearly not willing to let him take the easy way through his pitch.

“Sex. Empowerment and emotions are all great between the pages of a book or at a self-help seminar. But nobody thinks that when they are buying lingerie. What women, and more importantly men, are thinking about when they look for lingerie is sex.”

Hailey’s mouth dropped open. It took her a solid five seconds to force it closed.

He’d thrown her under the bus. For the first time since she’d seen him all wrapped up in that green fur costume, she wanted to kick him. Gage wasn’t the Grinch, she realized. He was a flat-out shark. A shark standing there in a very expensive suit, looking as though he owned the whole damned world.

“Now, as sweet and appealing as Merry Widow’s lingerie is, let’s face it...there’s nothing that says sex like black leather.” To emphasize his point, Gage lifted a presentation board from his portfolio and continued his pitch. Hailey barely heard him, though; she was too busy focusing on the photo of a leggy redheaded model swathed in leather and holding a microphone, a blatant play to Cherry.

To try to keep from hissing at being dismissed as sweet and appealing, as if those were stupid things, Hailey shifted her gaze toward Rudy and Cherry. Were they as disgusted by the hard sell as she was?

Her stomach sank.

Instead of disagreeing, Rudy was nodding away, his eyes on the leather-clad model’s photos and his tongue practically draped over his tie.

And Cherry... Well, she was staring out the window, her expression as far away and morose as the gray clouds engulfing the bridge.

Gage just kept on pitching, reiterating and reframing the presentation he’d offered ten minutes before. He alternated between numbers that seemed to make Rudy drool and flattery that, thankfully, Cherry wasn’t paying much attention to. Instead, the woman looked pensive as she stared out the window.

Her teeth clenched, Hailey wanted to yell no. They were smart business people, weren’t they? Shouldn’t this decision be based on an overall logic? On what fit best for the line? On the designs that’d appeal to the widest demographic?

As Gage finished his pitch, sliding the cover over his presentation board and taking a seat, Rudy’s decision was clear on his face. Hailey’s heart sank into her very cute shoes. He was clearly a man who’d made his fortune thinking a little south of logic.

“Well, thank you both. This was a very informative morning,” the older man said. “Why don’t we break for lunch now so Cherry and I can discuss this, and we’ll notify you by this afternoon of our decision.”

Her stomach plunged into her adorable shoes fast enough to make Hailey nauseous.

He was going to choose Milano. Despite the fact that Cherry had overruled his preference, Vivo’s shoe designs, he was still going to pick the ugly leather.

And that would mean the end of Merry Widow Lingerie.

Oh, sure, she could eventually get a job doing design elsewhere. Maybe. But what about her employees? Her clients? Her dream?

She took a deep breath, trying to accept that she couldn’t change the man’s mind. She couldn’t jump up, stomp her feet and insist he choose her. She’d tried that a few times over the course of her life, and had always been the one standing there alone with sore toes.

But...

She couldn’t just let it go.

“Wait,” Hailey cried, halting everyone midrise, their butts four inches from their chairs. Rudy and Gage frowned, but Cherry sat right back down, her expression warm and encouraging.

“I think he’s wrong. Gage clearly has a strong grasp of basic marketing. And he’s right. Sex Sells 101 is often an effective advertising ploy.” She paused, letting the emphasis on the word ploy sink in. “But is that really what you want? A ploy? Gimmicks only go so far, don’t they?”

She addressed that question to Cherry, who suddenly looked very tired. As if all this talking had sapped her energy.

“Gimmicks have their place,” Cherry said, her shrug indicating that their place was nowhere near her.

At her words, the men settled back in their chairs. Gage’s expression was guarded, but Rudy was watching his muse like a hawk.

That was her hook, Hailey knew. No matter how much Rudy might want to see women prancing down his runway come February wearing tiny strips of leather and stilettos, he’d defer to what Cherry wanted.

“Sex sells.... In this case, it’d sell to a very specific market. But you want to make this year’s debut extraordinary, don’t you, Mr. Rudolph? This is the first year you’ve ever built a line around a person rather than a theme.”

“That’s true. Although Miss Bella hasn’t signed the agreement yet,” Rudy said with a jovial sort of laugh that did nothing to disguise his concern over that detail.

“Once I know exactly what I’d be representing, I’ll make my decision,” Cherry said, her words friendly but firm, with just a hint of impatience. “My image, and my personal comfort levels, must be in sync with anything I do.”

“Which is why Merry Widow is perfect for you,” Hailey said, leaning forward and clasping both hands on her knees. “It’s a line that focuses on the image of romance, of the ultimate in feminine empowerment, while ensuring you feel so real you can’t be anything but comfortable.”

Out of breath, Hailey forced herself not to grin. She was proud of herself. That’d sounded pretty awesome.

“I beg to differ,” Gage broke in. His tone was smooth-as-silk friendly, but the look in his eyes was diamond hard. And, Hailey noted, just a little surprised. Obviously he really hadn’t expected her to be any sort of competition. Just a bit of fluff, like her lingerie.

He turned to Cherry, charm oozing from every pore. Hailey wanted to hate that he could do that. But who could blame a man for being fabulous at what he did? She just wished he could be fabulous somewhere else.

Like in her bedroom.

“Miss Bella, you’re a very sexy woman. Gorgeous, talented and not one to shy away from using both of those as a platform for your voice. Much like Milano Lingerie, you’re distinctive, strong and bold. If anyone can showcase feminine appeal and edgy allure, you can.”

Gage leaned closer to the torch singer, letting his smile widen, and laid a hand on the arm of her chair. He didn’t touch her; he just suggested an intimacy, a connection.

Hailey had to actually clench her butt to the chair to keep herself seated. She wanted to leap out of her seat and smack his hand away.

You’d think her stomach would be too crowded already with nerves, panic and hurt to have room for one more nasty, balled-up emotion. But there it was, jealousy in all its hairy ugliness. “There is a lot to recommend both lines,” Cherry said slowly, her gaze shifting back and forth between Gage and Hailey. “I’m not sure which I feel best fits my image.”

“Isn’t a better question, what message do you want to send by wearing the line?” Hailey asked before Gage could jump in with another one of those devastatingly effective innuendos. “Do your songs, does your image, equate to sex? Or to romance? Lingerie is about more than the physical act. It’s about intimacy.”

When the redhead’s brows drew together as she considered that, Hailey took a deep breath and, ignoring her natural abhorrence for aggressive pushiness, plunged on.

“That’s what it all comes down to, after all. Sex, which is strictly physical satisfaction. Or romance, which invokes the emotions, the mind and the imagination.”

“There’s plenty of imagination in sex,” Gage said, finally dropping his charming facade to frown at Hailey. “Sex sells for a very good reason. People like it. People want it. Sex, in leather lingerie, will appeal across the board to men and women alike. Fluff might get a few women’s attention, but it won’t get the men’s.”

“Women buy more lingerie,” Hailey pointed out.

“To appeal to men,” he countered.

“Romance sells much better than sex,” she argued. “It sends a more empowering, desirable message and will bring in a wider customer base.”

His hands loosely clasped between his knees, Gage leaned forward. He was still many feet away, but it was as if he’d moved right into her space. As if he were intimately pressing against her. Hailey’s breath caught. Her body heated. She bit her lip, trying not to squirm and damning him for being able to trigger such intense sexual awareness in her body.

“Sex outsells romance. Just check the internet stats.”

“Porn?” Hailey dismissed with a sniff.

“Pays well,” he countered.

“Is that what Rudolph department stores is selling? Or are they focused on creating an exclusive image?”

“They’re selling a trend.” Gage’s tone and expression were pure triumph. As if she’d just set him up to make the perfect point.

Hailey glared. She wanted to kick him for looking so smug over there, wearing his brilliant marketing-wizard face.

“Well, this has been a great meeting,” Rudy interrupted before they could get to the eye-poking and name-calling portion of their argument. “The two of you have presented us with some very good reasons to consider either line. Both have great merit. But of course, we can only feature one.”

Hailey ripped her gaze from Gage’s smug, sexy grin to look at the man who could make or break her future. Suddenly she wanted to cry. She could see it, the decision on Rudy’s face. She’d got so close. She’d done her best and jumped way outside her comfort zone to argue for her designs. And he was still going to go with Milano?

She looked away, blinking fast to clear her burning eyes. The decorations lining the wall caught her eye. Awards. Trophies. Photo after photo of Rudy winning this or that. Many of them, she noted through narrowed eyes, at poker tournaments.

“Why don’t we make a bet,” she heard herself say.

“What?”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Ooh,” Rudy intoned, rubbing his hands together and leaning forward. “What kind of bet?”

Hailey licked her lips, not having a clue what kind of bet. She tried to think over the roaring sound of panic rushing through her head. Taking calming breaths to try to overcome her horror at the temerity of challenging Rudolph. This man could break her. Wasn’t leaving on good terms, with a possible order of future lingerie, enough? She’d made a good contact, and she’d garnered enough press and attention to possibly pull in more sales.

But a few sales and orders weren’t going to be enough to get a loan the size she needed to save her business.

So stomach rock tight and nerves dancing, she wet her lips and forced herself to smile.

“Well, the question really comes down to which will be a stronger selling point for your spring line. Sex—” she bit off the word, letting it hang there for a second, then gave a deep sigh before adding “—or romance?”

Gage gave her an arch look as if to say, didn’t we already cover this? Determined to get her point, whatever the hell it was, out before he interrupted and took over again, she sat up straighter and tilted her head toward Cherry.

“Miss Bella can sell either. But the true question is, which one will have the widest appeal? Which one will send customers clamoring for the latest in Rudolph Exclusives? And,” she added triumphantly, “which one will enhance Cherry’s reputation and image in a way that benefits her career, as well?”

“I’m hearing the repeat of your sales pitch, but I’m not hearing a bet,” Gage murmured.

“We each get two chances to prove our point. Sex or romance. Then Mr. Rudolph and Miss Bella decide which they think really offers the most to their prospective images.”

“How do you propose we do that?”

She had no freaking clue.

But she wasn’t going to let him know that.

Instead, Hailey fluttered her lashes and offered up a smug smile of her own.

“I have so many ideas, my challenge will be narrowing them down.”

“We do have to get moving on this,” Rudy started to say, his words drawn out and hesitant as he tried to read Cherry’s reaction. “It can’t go on for too long.”

Trying not to let on how desperate she was, Hailey cast her mind around every idea, every argument, every possible persuasion she could offer that might get him to agree. She had nothing. Biting her lip, she looked at Cherry. The other woman didn’t really want to parade around in a leather bikini, did she? It would probably chafe something horrible.

“I can give it a week,” Cherry said, her eyes on Hailey. “At that point, I’ll be able to let you know which lingerie line I prefer. And if I’m going to take your offered position as spokesmodel.”

* * *

SON OF A BITCH.

Gage couldn’t figure it out.

He’d been right there, in the winning position. They all knew Rudy was going to go with Milano.

That contract, and his freedom, had been in the palm of his hand. He’d felt bad, just a little, about playing to his strengths as hard as he had. Hailey was sweet, and clearly a talented designer. But she didn’t have that killer edge that made the difference between success and luck.

Then, just when he was ready to pull out his pen and sign the contract, the pretty little blonde had outflanked him. Again. How the hell did she keep doing that? He didn’t know if it was deliberate, or if Hailey was just lucky.

But now thanks to her, instead of heading up to Tahoe and mapping out the details of his brilliant kick-his-brother’s-ass-and-prove-he-was-the-best business plan, he was going to be stuck pimping sex wrapped in leather for two weeks?

No way.

“I don’t have another week available to negotiate this project,” he said, shifting his body so he was facing Rudy. Not so much to cut the women out of the discussion as to keep Hailey from his line of sight. If he didn’t see her, he wouldn’t get distracted and she couldn’t work her sweet magic. “And I thought you said you wanted your people moving on the advertising before Christmas. That means you don’t have time to waste, either. It’s not like they can whip up a brilliant campaign in a couple of days.”

“You think this is a waste?”

Gage kept his grimace to a twitch, smoothing out his expression before he gave Cherry a warm smile. Her expression didn’t budge. She was clearly a woman who expected to be catered to, which meant he’d just made a major misstep.

“I think your time is valuable, and that you must have more important things to do for the holidays than play...” He paused, then hating himself but knowing it had to be done, he gave Hailey an arch look. “What is it you wanted us to do again?”

She wet her lips, the move making the shell-pink flesh glisten. His own mouth watered.

He’d offered her an out yesterday. A chance to pick up a solid bevy of new clients, all ready to order. If she was as desperate as that look in her eyes indicated, she’d have grabbed his offer with both hands. She had to know her tiny company didn’t stand much of a chance against an enterprise like Milano. He’d checked into her business this morning before the meeting and she wasn’t heavily in debt or having obvious issues.

So it came down to one thing. There was only one reason she could have refused his offer and was pushing this silly bet idea.

Pure stubbornness.

“Maybe once we know how you think this bet will work, we can figure out the timeline,” Rudy said, his tone pacifying. Not to Hailey, Gage knew. But to the lush, redheaded torch singer.

“Maybe we should just—”

“My thought is that Gage and I each take turns planning a scenario that we feel showcases the image our lingerie will offer. Mine would be to show you how romance would enhance both your reputation as a trendsetter and fashion icon, Mr. Rudolph, and the sensual image Miss Bella’s built over the last few years, as well.”

She tilted her head toward Gage, a lock of baby blond hair sliding over her cheek, reminding him of how soft it was. How it’d felt to tilt her face up to best receive his kisses.

Shake it off, man, Gage told himself, actually twitching his shoulders. Don’t let her get to you again.

“And what do you suggest my scenario would be?”

“Whatever situation you think would best showcase the message your lingerie brings to the table, of course.”

What message did leather panties suit?

A strip club? Bondage basement? Adult video store?

Hell, maybe she had a point.

From the look on her face, she knew it, too.

And so did Rudy and Cherry, Gage noted.

Crap.

“Not a problem,” he lied smoothly.

“I like this idea. A lot, actually. And it’ll only take a week,” Cherry said with a languid wave of one hand, a walnut-sized diamond flashing in the morning light as she dismissed Gage’s tight schedule. “But I’ve commitments, so my time is scarce. You’ll have to plan these little tableaux for evenings when I’m not performing.”

They all looked to Rudy, who ran one long-fingered hand over his bald head as he gauged Cherry’s expression. When he saw her determined interest, he sighed and gave a shrug.

“Okay, then. Cherry performs four nights this week, if I remember correctly.” At her nod, he continued. “That gives you three to choose among. Figure out the details and let us know by five this afternoon. If at any time either of you fails to create your scenario or in any way drops the ball, the contract goes to the other person.”

He waited a beat, then stood, putting an end to the meeting.

Gage waited for the pleasantries to wind up and for the old man to escort Cherry from the room. The minute they hit the doorway, he turned on Hailey.

Damned if she wasn’t adorable. Even through his irritation, all he could think of was how cute she was. And remember what she’d tasted like.

“Well, it looks like it’s not quite over yet.” Her voice was filled with bravado, but she’d chewed off her pretty pink lipstick and her eyes were wary. As if she wasn’t quite sure what he was going to do now that they’d lost their buffer.

What he wanted to do was slide his hand up those smooth red tights, right under her skirt, and see if they were the kind that went to the waist or just to the top of the thighs. He wanted to touch her, to warm himself against her sweet little body again.

But mostly he wanted to tie her to his bed, where she couldn’t cause him any further trouble. Except, he acknowledged as he shifted from one foot to the other, trouble to the fit of his slacks.

“You know what you’ve done, don’t you?” he said, keeping his words quiet in hopes that the anger wouldn’t come through. If the way her eyes widened as she leaned backward was any indication, he didn’t succeed.

It didn’t stop her from lifting her chin and giving him a so-what look, though. “I did exactly what I came here to do. I did my best to get this account.”

Gage laughed. Couldn’t fault her that.

“Sweetheart, you’ve got us double-dating.”