both here.”
Stephen and Parker stood, and the men all shook hands.
Brandon took the other chair facing Parker.
“So what do we have, Brandon?” Stephen asked, as he and Parker sat back down.
“Cassie Garrison is still refusing to deal,” Brandon stated matter-of-factly.
Stephen suppressed a snort of disgust.
At the reading of his father’s will two months ago, he, along with the rest of the family, had discovered John Garrison had fathered a daughter during an extramarital affair with Ava Sinclair, a local he’d met in the Bahamas.
On top of it all, it turned out that the daughter was Cassie Sinclair, the manager of the Garrison Grand-Bahamas hotel, and that she, along with the five legitimate Garrison siblings, had inherited shares in the family business.
Stephen’s lips twisted. Cassie Sinclair now chose to go by the name Cassie Sinclair Garrison.
Something had to be done.
So far, Cassie had resisted Parker’s overtures and refused to turn over her shares in the Garrison empire.
“She apparently just wants to be left alone to run the Garrison Grand-Bahamas,” Brandon said.
“No dice,” Parker responded.
Brandon sighed. “I’m not getting anywhere by phone. Frankly, our best option is if I go down there and try to negotiate in person for a deal to buy her out.”
Parker laced his fingers together. “I have no problem with that plan.” Parker glanced over at Stephen for his assent before looking back at Brandon. “We’re willing to pay—within reason.”
Brandon named what he’d offered as a reasonable price for Cassie’s shares, and Stephen’s hand flexed on his armrest.
“You lowballed her first?” Stephen heard himself ask.
“Of course,” Brandon said.
Stephen trusted Brandon like a brother. The Washingtons—Brandon and his father before him—had been the family legal advisors for years. Still, it was vitally important they get this problem with Cassie wrapped up soon and to their satisfaction. They couldn’t let the future of the Garrison empire rest with an unknown quantity—a potential loose cannon.
“And if she still refuses to sell after I approach her in person?” Brandon asked, voicing the question on all their minds.
“Everyone has their price,” Parker said grimly. “We’ll have to think about how much more we’re willing to offer.”
Stephen arched a brow. “Or we can borrow a page from the world of celebrity.” He looked over at Brandon. “When you get down there, why don’t you first see if you can dig up some dirt on Cassie’s past? It’ll give us some leverage to force her hand.”
Parker nodded thoughtfully. “With stakes like this, I’ll take any ammunition I can get.”
When Megan walked into Stephen’s office at Garrison, Inc., she had some design plans in hand. But more importantly, she had a decision.
Stephen stepped around his desk and strode toward her.
“I’ve drawn up some preliminary plans,” she said. “You can take a look at them at your leisure, and then we can discuss them. Anything can be changed, of course.”
He took the plans from her and dropped them on a nearby table. Then he shut his office door and braced his arm there. “Well?”
They both knew the real topic of this meeting.
She told herself she wasn’t afraid of him. She wasn’t afraid of the vast Garrison family wealth and influence. But she had to face reality.
She chewed her lip. “I’ve thought about your proposal.”
His proposal had been a far cry from her girlhood dreams, but those she’d buried along with their relationship four years ago.
“Good. I expected you to.”
She walked farther into the room, and he followed.
Stephen’s immense office had a view of the beach and endless blue water. His desk stood in front of floor-to-ceiling windows, and off to one side were a sofa and chairs arranged around a low table.
Like the rest of the hotel, the office was light and airy. The only thing she’d change was the abstract artwork. Though she was sure it was all very valuable, she’d prefer to see something less geometrical and more soft, maybe impressionist.
But more importantly, the view from Stephen’s windows said everything, and that she couldn’t change. She watched as a toned blonde walked past to head into the hotel.
She turned toward Stephen.
His too-handsome face gave nothing away.
Nervous energy thrummed through her. She rubbed a palm against her taupe linen skirt. “I’ve decided to accept your proposal.”
His eyes shot dark fire, and she could read the triumph in them. “We’ll have the wedding next weekend.”
Her stomach flipped over. “Next weekend? That’s not enough time!”
She’d thought she’d have more time to adjust to the idea of being Mrs. Stephen Garrison.
“You’ve already had four years,” he said in a clipped voice, as if he’d read her mind.
“A week is not enough time to plan a wedding—”
A grim smile slashed his face. “It is if we have it here at the Garrison Grand, where conveniently I’m the boss. In fact, I just put together Parker and Anna’s wedding in a short time.”
“I have a job I just started,” she began.
“You won’t need to do anything but show up.”
She stared at him doubtfully.
“Let’s seal the deal.” He looked at her innocently. “I hope that’s okay?”
Then before she could react, he pulled her into his arms, and his lips came down on hers.
First there was the warm pressure of his mouth, then he slipped inside, his tongue touching and coaxing hers.
Hot, sweet sensation flooded her, and a rainbow of colors danced behind her eyelids.
When he eventually pulled back, he gave her a heavy-lidded look. “Just like I remembered,” he murmured.
She touched her fingertips to her lips, feeling him there still.
Ordinarily, the stolen kiss might have sparked her ire, but under the circumstances, it reminded her of what she had to do.
She
