mumbled under her breath.
He offered her a brief glance as he reached for his briefcase and pulled a stack of twelve black folders from it. “I would like to offer an alternative that is viable,” he stressed, walking around the table to place a report before each of the ten board members flanking the table and then Alessandra sitting at the end opposite him.
She took it from him with a hard stare.
He came to stand next to his seat at the end of the table. “Anyone with an iota of business acumen could ascertain—”
“Enough of the insults, Alek,” Alessandra requested calmly.
He feigned confusion. “Insults?” he asked.
“Yes, less of them and more of your proposal is all that I’m asking,” she said.
Only the fire in her eyes revealed her rising ire at him.
“Do you need a moment?” he asked, his tone mocking as he egged her on.
Her mouth tightened into a thin line and her jaw was clenched so tightly that he was sure she could bite a nail in half with ease.
Alek cleared his throat. “The interest of ADG would be better served with a move into commercial aviation,” he said.
“Commercial aviation,” Alessandra snapped, tossing the folder on the table where it spun like a top until it hit against a board member’s glass of water.
“Yes,” he answered, his gaze leveling on her. Her annoyance with him caused her eyes to shine brightly. He forced himself to look away from her as he felt his usual cool composure wane. When did she become so beautiful?
“And we’re supposed to believe this is not just a last-minute stunt to gun for my venture idea?” she asked coldly.
“Yes.”
Alessandra swore, and then winced in regret. Such language wasn’t appropriate, no matter the impetus.
The chaotic energy around them seemed to whip loudly in the air with the force of lightning.
“Really?” Alek asked, his tone scolding.
“My apologies, but as you all can see nothing has changed between Mr. Ansah and me since our last meeting in this boardroom five years ago,” she explained, her tone calm and composed.
The board members and the secretary taking the notes stirred in their seats as Alessandra and Alek cast each other cold glares.
“Very unprofessional, Alessandra,” Alek said with a smugness at her losing her equanimity. He wasn’t finished. “The boardroom is no place for histrionics.”
She jumped to her feet and stalked down the length of the table with the board members’ heads all turning to follow her. “Histrionics?” she spat, as she pointed her finger into his chest.
“This board does not have time for your trivial pursuits, Alessandra,” he countered, looking down to take in her brown eyes lit with the fire of her anger.
“Nor your inept attempts at trying to capture the queen in a chess game you’re not fully equipped to play,” she said coldly.
Alek reached up and lightly captured the finger she pressed into his chest into his hand. “When it comes to business, you’re no queen, my dear,” he said, his voice low in the small space between them as he instinctively stroked her soft palm with his thumb.
His eyes squinted in surprise when he thought he felt her shiver.
She snatched away from his grip and stepped back from him. “Then why are you so intimidated by me?”
Alek threw his head back and laughed wholeheartedly. “Me? You? Intimidated?” he said in between chuckles.
“Enough!” Aldrich said, jumping to his feet.
Alek and Alessandra looked to the older man, his thin lips still quivering in frustration and his face now reddish with annoyance.
“Do you think your fathers would be proud of your behavior?” he asked, his English accent clipped.
“Yes,” Alessandra answered unequivocally. “Yes, I do.”
Alek looked disbelieving.
“My father wanted me in this position. He believed I could handle this position. And I have proven—even at the detriment of my own personal happiness—that I can thrive in this position,” she said, stalking back to her seat. “And so, if it means standing up for myself to this archaic-minded jackass and his chauvinistic mind-set then, yes, I believe my father is in heaven not only standing up and applauding, but wishing he could interject and give some more of the same.”
Alek’s eyes darted to the up-and-down motion of her breasts as she deeply breathed through her anger at him. His desire stirred. This woman who defied him with such fire and authority was not the mousy little Alessandra of the past. This was a different woman. And he wanted her with an intensity that surprised him. He bit back a smile as he calmly unbuttoned his blazer and reclaimed his seat.
Aldrich gave them both stern looks as he took his seat. He had been with the conglomerate since the early days and both thought of him as a family friend. It was respect for him, his position with the company and his friendship with their fathers that stopped the sparks flying between them.
“Do you both have companies in mind set up for an acquisition to become a subsidiary of ADG?” another of the board members asked.
“Yes. My team and I have been narrowing the field for the past couple of months in preparation for this being my first major act as co-CEO. As shown in the reports I gave you all, we have a strong contender,” Alessandra said.
“Alek?”
“Yes.”
“Liar,” she mouthed at him.
That tongue on the dip of her bottom lip thing is really hot.
“I believe it would only be viable to explore one of these suggestions at this time,” Aldrich said, looking from Alessandra to Alek. “The majority vote of the members of this board would constitute the breaking of a...tie.”
Alek’s and Alessandra’s eyes locked across the distance.
He blinked and looked away from her. A craving to kiss her wouldn’t release him.
Aldrich cleared his throat. “I suggest you both present your full proposals at next month’s meeting and we will hold a vote to settle the matter once and for all.”
His fellow board members gave approving nods.
“Fine,” Alessandra said, picking up her pen to rotate it between her slender fingers.
Alek remained silent. He was stunned the board was even open to her proposal. And in truth, during her presentation they had been attentive. Respectful, even. It’s time to get more acquainted with Miss Dalmount.
Over
