‘We’ll soon see when I read the proposal you’ve concocted.’ The man puffed out his ample girth. ‘It had better impress me, or you can forget any chance of a sale. I’m only considering this move. Haven’t decided yet.’
‘Whatever decision you make will be respected.’ But they both knew Hardy’s trophy wife had run the company into the ground since he’d bought it for her.
‘Hmph.’ Andrew Hardy’s gaze narrowed. ‘Fashion can be a fickle business, might well turn around of its own accord before too long.’
‘Anything’s possible.’ Zach tried not to show his disbelief.
When Hardy spotted Lily, his demeanour changed. Predatory interest rose in the florid face. ‘And who might this beauty be?’
Mine. The thought was instantaneous. Unsettling. Possessive. Outrageous, because he and Lily had met only hours ago. ‘Hardy, this is Lily Kellaway, my assistant. Lily, meet Andrew Hardy.’
The words fell from his mouth with bland disinterest. But his body growled, a rumble of warning deep within, and his gaze communicated that warning to Hardy. The man’s eyes widened, then narrowed as he absorbed the silent message.
‘Nice to meet you. I hope you enjoy your time with us today.’ Lily’s smile didn’t reach her eyes. With her free hand, she pushed a folder towards the man’s mid section.
The aggressive heat in Zach eddied away. She hadn’t been taken in by Hardy’s façade, had recognised something in the known womaniser that made her cautious.
‘You’ll find the proposal for your business in there.’ Lily waggled the folder. ‘You might care to take your seat and peruse it while lunch is being served.’
She was as cool as green salad. Zach suppressed a grin as Hardy stepped back to clasp the folder. A moment later, he had moved on.
They took their seats at the table. Lily sat at his right, and it felt as though she belonged there.
‘Now that they’re all seated, can you name them again for me, please?’ She turned her face to his. ‘Start with the person on my left and work your way around the table. Don’t leave anyone out.’ Her notebook rested on her knee, her pencil at the ready once again.
If he hadn’t seen her hand clenched around that notebook, he wouldn’t have known she was anything less than utterly confident. The knowledge that she was uneasy, a little uncertain, only made her more human in his eyes, more appealing.
Zach lowered his head to murmur the name and a short description of the business of each person. She scribbled it all into her notebook, and nodded now and then to show she was keeping up.
He could brush her ear with his lips, and he doubted anyone would notice. His breath soughed across the object of his thoughts. She shivered, gave a soft gasp and looked up into his eyes.
So responsive. His gaze moved over the honey-gold hair, then shifted to her mouth, to kissable lips and a short, straight nose. To blue eyes the colour of deep tropical seas beneath a hot sun. Without conscious thought, he supplied the final name and relevant details.
She noted the information in her book, released her breath on a choppy sigh and leaned back. ‘Thank you. That will make it easier to match up any comments I need to record.’
Did she know that her eyes took on a dreamy hue when she looked at him? Not avaricious or predatory, like Rochelle’s, but something soft, almost vulnerable, and definitely sexy.
‘Now, you wanted to know about the menu.’ Lily’s lashes fluttered as she whipped out a hand-written sheet of paper Zach had watched her garner from one of the waiting staff when she’d first entered the room. She dropped her gaze to the sheet. ‘We discussed a few options, but what I chose in the end was seafood cups and mini beef-and-vegetable pies for starters…’
‘Which gives us a chance to sample both red and white wines.’ Zach no longer wanted to hear about the menu. He let his gaze linger on her. He wanted to kiss her instead.
She outlined the rest of the menu, and looked into his eyes. Warm spots of colour formed on her cheeks, but she only murmured, ‘Your wine bill will be sky high. I thought you’d want the best.’
He dipped his head. ‘Money is no object in this exercise.’
The guests perused their proposals while the meal was set out. Lively discussion ensued. Zach did his best to throw himself into it and put thoughts of Lily Kellaway’s soft skin, and his desire to touch it, out of his mind.
‘Once a proposal is accepted, it’s handed to one of my team of experts.’ He leaned forward as he explained the procedure to the man seated across the table from them. ‘They either supervise the buy-out, or move straight in to manage the re-shaping if it’s a share situation. No time is wasted. We’re about making things work in the fastest, surest way we can.’
Over the entrées and a fine Sauvignon Blanc, Lily scribbled into her notebook, and picked at delicate prawns and Tasmanian scallops. Zach answered questions, parried comments and told himself he was doing well.
But all the while he was aware of her. In every break in discussions, his gaze went to her unerringly.
He looked at her now, and felt each bite of food she took explode on his own tongue, wanted to meld those tastes in exploration of her mouth. ‘You chose the caterer well. Is it one I’d know?’
‘Possibly not.’ She glanced at the group discreetly situated at the far end of the room, then looked at him again. ‘They—they’re sort of like a galloping garçon. Zippy little van, go anywhere in a hurry. Several local offices have used them.’
‘And you know this because you phoned other secretaries, rather than going at it blind and ringing restaurants and caterers first. Clever.’
Clever, determined, so eager to do her work well, that he couldn’t stop himself from wondering if she’d be equally as enthusiastic and unwavering about pleasing a man under the enveloping cloak of a long, sensual night. It wasn’t a question he should be considering.
But his praise brought her gaze back to his face with startled gratitude.
‘I have to—I try to think outside the box.’ She made it sound like an impediment, and hurriedly took a taste of saffron-rice paella, closing her eyes to savour the sharp, tangy fragrance and taste.
Despite his best intentions, his lids drooped as he watched her enjoy the food.
‘Mmm.’ She glanced at her plate. ‘I have to admit, this is very pleasant.’
He ate salade de boeuf with buttermilk mash, and noted the fineness of her bone structure, the delicate shoulders beneath the blazer. His body twitched. Yes, this was pleasant—in a torturous sort of way.
Her attention focussed on him. The colour in her face deepened, and she looked quickly away again.
‘You’ve done a good job with the lunch, Lily.’ He tried to bring his thoughts back to business. Was it to be like this any time they got closer than the width of a desk away from each other? ‘If the rest of your work for me is equally as professional and useful, I’ll be very pleased, indeed.’
She straightened
