her hands in her lap. ‘Understood.’
WHAT THE HELL just happened?
Elise reeled as if she’d just been dragged upside down through an earthquake. Only she wasn’t sure whether she’d survived it or whether what felt like aftershocks were, in fact, another larger quake poised on the horizon, ready to flatten her.
She took another slow, steadying breath.
It was clear the man across the desk from her—the intensely masculine man, whose green eyes tracked her every movement like a spotlight searching for a flaw—was intent on rattling her. Why, she wasn’t exactly sure. She was here to help, after all.
Perhaps it was the air of mistrust fairly vibrating off him. Or her own blaring instincts about being in a predator’s presence that had produced his thunderous frown when she’d walked in.
Whatever it was, it’d ruffled her calm, which had in turn reminded her of the hell letting her guard down with a client had created just one short year ago.
Her palms grew clammy.
Reeling herself back in, she pushed the disquieting memories away.
Unlike last year, she’d chosen this commission herself. Alejandro Aguilar the man was an unknown quantity, but as CEO his reputation was stellar. She needed to bring her A-game because she couldn’t lose this commission.
Earning SNV’s contract would mean freedom from Jameson and her parents’ clutches. It was the visceral need for freedom that had eroded the temporary relief to be free of this man’s disturbing aura when he’d asked her to leave. It was what had halted her flight when every instinct had screamed at her to accept his cold, terse dismissal. And run.
The instinct still clamoured. But then so did the burning need to fulfil her duties to her parents and finally, finally walk away.
‘I understand completely,’ she reiterated, projecting a firmer voice.
‘Good. Now answer me this. Hypothetically, if a deal you were working on for a year suddenly started to fall apart, what would you attribute it to?’ he asked in that smooth, deep voice that transmitted right through to the soles of her feet.
‘That depends on who the other party is, although most eleventh-hour setbacks usually involve money.’
‘This one isn’t money related. I’m sure of it.’ A grim smile fleeted over his lips before his face hardened into a beautifully arresting sculpture she had a hard time dragging her eyes from.
In truth, everything about Alejandro Aguilar was insanely absorbing. From the square-cut jaw to the cheekbones that belonged on a Roman statue, to the broad shoulders, tapered torso and neat backside she’d glimpsed when she’d turned around mid-flight, his looks and aura were overwhelming enough to cause another shaky exhalation.
Silently, intensely, she repeated her warning mantra to herself.
Looks were deceiving; power and arrogant charm were stepping stones dangerous men used on their prey. Quite apart from her parents wielding those assets with almost lethal force, her own harrowing experience had taught her to be extremely wary of those qualities.
Marsha and Ralph Jameson had taken turns drilling into their only child that exploiting those elements were what would get her ahead in life. They hadn’t accommodated the notion that she wanted to live a different life. Had gone as far as to push her into a situation she’d barely been able to escape from unscathed, then derided her ordeal.
That, above everything her parents had subjected her to, still had the power to burn her raw.
Elise pushed the traumatic memory away and redoubled her efforts to focus. ‘If it’s not money, then it’s a competitor.’ He regarded her steadily. ‘But then you know that, too.’
He nodded. ‘Yes.’
‘So, the question is, what’s your competitor offering them that you’re not?’
‘Nothing,’ came the immediate, rigid reply.
‘Are you sure?’
One sculpted eyebrow rose. ‘Are you questioning the veracity of my due diligence?’
He was touchy. Extremely. Men like Alejandro Aguilar didn’t rise to lofty CEO positions of extremely successful corporations by being touchy. Men like him usually had rhinoceros-thick skins. Had she adversely demonstrated her wariness about being in the presence of another powerful man? Was she being overly sensitive?
The tense conversation she’d had with her mother before coming here had put her on edge. Marsha Jameson had wanted to spearhead the SNV commission herself, despite Elise having cultivated the initial contact with SNV’s PR department. Elise had stood her ground, a fact that hadn’t pleased her mother. It was another reason Elise had stopped herself from walking out of the door just now.
She wouldn’t...couldn’t blow it.
Inhaling slowly, she picked her way through the mine-infested landscape. ‘Of course not. But there’s nothing wrong with an extra pair of eyes.’ For some reason her statement brought an even deeper scrutiny of her face, his gaze holding hers with fierce control. She hastened to continue. ‘It is why you’re looking to hire an outside PR firm, isn’t it?’
He remained silent for a brief spell, his fingertips pressed together. ‘Your file says you specialise in US–Japanese commissions.’
‘Yes.’
‘This merger involves a Japanese company.’ He paused. ‘The Ishikawa Corporation.’
Elise’s heart missed a beat. The reason behind it was puzzling. It’d come sooner than expected, but he would’ve needed to trust her with some details in order to secure her help. That he’d done so mere minutes into the interview shouldn’t trigger such a response from her.
Yet the tiniest sliver of warmth curled through her.
To counteract it, she nodded briskly. ‘Give me an hour to do a little research...I mean a more personal research, and I’ll see if I can come up with something.’
His eyes narrowed. ‘You think an hour is all it’ll take to fix my problem?’ he taunted.
‘I won’t know until I try whether or not I can help you, Mr Aguilar. Let me try.’
‘You have half an hour.’ He nodded to the far side of his office, where two stylish studded leather sofas faced each other across a smoked-glass coffee table. ‘I’ll have Margo set you up with a laptop—’
‘There’s no need. I brought my own.’ Elise held up her briefcase and attempted a cool smile.
His scowl deepened. ‘I’d prefer it if those confidential details we spoke about don’t leave my building. Pass the test, and we’ll see about redressing your security access.’
The warmth evaporated. ‘Oh, right.’ She was irritated with herself for feeling stung
