скачать книгу бесплатно
His corner office overlooked Manhattan and she had to admit the view was spectacular. Two walls were mostly glass. Fine-grained wood covered the other two walls. The same type of wood had been used for his desk. Her artist’s eye couldn’t help but admire the craftsmanship.
While she took in the size and luxury of the room, Dominic walked over to another door and motioned her to enter.
The dining area was smaller than his office but equally well furnished. A table set for two awaited them. Expensive china, crystal water goblets and sterling silverware gleamed in the light.
“I’ve ordered our meal ahead of time. I hope you’ll approve of my choice.” He pulled out one of the chairs for her and once she was seated, sat across from her. “Would you care for wine with lunch?” he asked.
She shook her head. “I prefer iced tea, if it’s available.”
“Certainly.” He must have pushed some hidden button because a tall, slender man opened a nearby door.
“Yes, sir?”
“You may serve us now, Dimitrios. We’ll have iced tea.”
The man nodded and left the room, leaving them alone once again. Kelly had been in many social situations in her life, but she couldn’t remember one where she’d felt so awkward.
Dominic picked up his water glass and held it out to her. “I’d like to make a toast. May this be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”
Kelly had reached for her glass—not so much to join him in his toast, but because her mouth was so dry—when he spoke. Thank goodness she hadn’t taken a sip. Otherwise, his audacity would have caused her to spray water over everything.
She lifted an eyebrow and said, “A friendship, Mr. Chakaris? I hardly think so. I’m afraid I don’t know your reason for insisting on having this meeting. I’ve instructed the gallery to remove your portrait, which was the only thing I could think of to explain it.”
He paused with the glass halfway to his mouth. “I’m hoping you can satisfy my curiosity as to why I became a subject for your artistic endeavors.” He sipped from the glass, his gaze steady.
“Consider it an aberration. I’d lost my mother and was dealing with a lot of emotional stuff. Call it therapy if you will.”
Chakaris looked startled by her explanation. Before he could comment, Dimitrios entered carrying a tray of food. After setting their plates and tea in front of each of them, he asked, “Will there be anything else, sir?”
Chakaris scanned the table quickly before saying, “I believe we have everything. Thank you.”
Except an appetite, Kelly thought ruefully. She’d had some misguided notion that she would be able to answer his questions in a calm, unemotional manner. Instead, her stomach felt tied in knots and she could feel one of her tension headaches coming on.
After a moment she picked up her fork and took careful bites of her food, which tasted like ambrosia, melting in her mouth. Before she knew it, she had finished her lunch.
She’d been relieved that he’d chosen not to continue their discussion while they ate. Once they were drinking their coffee, Chakaris said, “Shall we go into my office? I’m intrigued to learn why you chose me to—er—help you deal with your grief.” He rose and politely pulled her chair out.
Kelly walked into the office and stood in the middle of the room, cupping her elbows in her hands. Instead of walking to his desk, Dominic strode to the other side of the room where there was a grouping of leather chairs and a sofa.
He motioned to one of the chairs. “Please have a seat, Ms. MacLeod. I’d like to know why you painted that damned portrait.”
Kelly dropped her arms and with a slight lift of her chin walked over to the chair and sat down. Only then did he take the other chair.
“What if I told you my reasons are private. Would you respect that?” she asked quietly.
He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he looked at her as though working out a puzzle. Finally, he replied softly. “You apparently felt no similar need to protect my privacy.”
He had a good point, she silently admitted. She wondered what to tell him. Stalling for time, Kelly said, “You should be flattered. After all, some women find you very attractive.”
He waved the remark away as though swatting a fly. “Don’t patronize me, Ms. MacLeod.”
Kelly was reminded of her response to Hal. Perhaps there was some truth in her adversary’s challenge.
Before she could decide how to respond, he said, “I’d appreciate hearing the truth.”
The truth. The truth had many facets. She wondered why she was stalling. This man’s ruthless determination to get whatever he wanted was legendary and he wanted the truth. She had no need to protect his feelings…if he had any.
Kelly squared her shoulders and looked him in the eye. “All right. Here’s the truth for you, Mr. Chakaris. I painted your picture in an effort to exorcise my anger at your methods of making money. My father’s death four years ago was the direct result of your ruthless business practices. My mother was never the same once he was gone. Thanks to you, I’ve lost both of them. So the portrait was an effort to deal with some of my anger and hatred of you.”
Chapter Three
N ick knew he had enemies. He’d had to fight hard to get where he was and he’d stepped on a few toes along the way, but he had never been accused of single-handedly destroying someone’s family.
There was nothing about Kelly MacLeod’s demeanor to make him think she was mentally unhinged and she obviously believed what she was saying.
The last time he’d seen her was a few weeks ago when he glanced around from a conversation to see her watching him. She’d immediately returned her attention to her friends.
If he’d known she was the artist of the infamous painting, he would have made an effort to speak to her.
Nick was a little disappointed that her interest in him was negatively based because she intrigued him.
He’d always dated tall brunettes with dark eyes. He would never have guessed that he would be attracted to a petite woman with vivid blue eyes and light blond hair. Yet he definitely was attracted to her and had been since the first moment he saw her years ago.
Kelly made no effort to speak. She appeared calm sitting on the edge of her chair so primly, her ankles crossed and hands folded, appearing as though their discussion was about the latest fund-raising event.
Nick leaned back in his chair. When he spoke, his tone was dry. “I have to say your unflattering portrayal of me was a unique way of expressing your rather violent emotions toward me.”
“Of course you would consider all of this a joke.”
“Not at all. What business did your father own?”
“The Angus MacLeod Company, started by my great-great-grandfather in the late 1800s. He converted the factory for military use during wartime. Afterward, he went back to domestic manufacturing. The factory had been in our family for years…until you decided to add it to your collection.”
At least he had something tangible to follow up on. He picked up the phone on the table by his elbow. When his assistant answered, he said, “Evelyn, please have the files on The Angus MacLeod Company sent in as soon as possible.” He hung up and looked at Kelly. “I’ll be better prepared to discuss this matter with you once I’ve seen the files. May I get you something to drink while we’re waiting?”
Kelly worried her bottom lip with her teeth. There was really no reason for her to stay. It was obvious he had no recollection of what he had done. Why wasn’t she surprised? she thought bitterly. Her throat was dry, she admitted to herself. With a brief nod, she replied, “Water, please.”
He stepped to a nearby wall and pushed a hidden button, causing the wall to move and reveal a well-stocked bar. Everything anyone could possibly want was at his fingertips.
He returned with a crystal glass filled with ice and water.
“Thank you,” she said, taking a sip.
He sat across from her once again and said, “Tell me about your father, if you will.”
“I know none of this means anything to you, but my father was an unusually gifted man. He had a keen appreciation of art and history and was an expert on sixteenth-century English writers. I could not have asked for a more nurturing, loving father.”
Dominic knew the kind of man she described. Many owners of family companies that were barely surviving were like her father. He wondered how to point out to Kelly that being an erudite man in no way qualified her father to run a successful business.
“He sounds like a fine gentleman, Kelly, but nothing you’ve said speaks to his business acumen.”
“He worked diligently at the factory his entire life. He was conscientious and did everything he could to make the business succeed.”
“Your father inherited a thriving business, is that correct?”
She stiffened. “Yes.”
“In general, I’ve found that many family-owned companies are run by a family member who has no idea how to run a business. You mentioned that your father’s interests lay elsewhere.” He paused, carefully choosing his words. “Without educating himself in the field of business, a person would have little concept of how to keep a company going. Perhaps your father was a hands-on owner. I won’t know until I’ve seen the file, but many owners in similar situations allow others to do the day-to-day supervision. A manager might suggest spending capital to modernize the business, but new technology is expensive. Perhaps your father allowed the business to continue without investing more money in it. Of course this is all speculation on my part.”
“My father was diligent about keeping informed. He wouldn’t have let the business run down. Yes, Mr. Chakaris, it is obvious that you never knew my father.” Kelly stood and walked to the wide expanse of glass that gave a bird’s-eye view of Manhattan, her arms gripped tightly against her stomach. Without turning, she said, “My father was a man of integrity. In addition, he was not a lavish spender.”
Dominic walked toward her, his hands in his pockets. “You’re welcome to believe that, of course, but it has been my experience that a home such as yours takes a great deal of money to own and maintain, not to mention the cost of your private schooling and a year abroad studying art.”
She spun around, startled to find him so close. “That’s another thing. You had no right to have me investigated. There is no way you could know about my education without prying into my life. I know exactly what my education cost, Mr. Chakaris, as well as the cost of maintaining my home. Once Dad was gone, Mom and I discovered how precarious our financial situation was. Knowing him, Dad wouldn’t have wanted us to worry about any of this, which is why he’d never discussed the business with either of us. Don’t you know that if I had known, I would never have continued my studies? I’ve had to live with that knowledge since he died. In order to care for us, he borrowed money from the bank. He took no money from the factory. He would never have put the factory into jeopardy.”
Nick clenched his jaw before he said something he might later regret. Her temper was finally showing through her icy demeanor but he refused to be baited by a grieving woman who didn’t know what she was talking about. He glanced at his watch, wondering where the hell those files were.
He was irritated with himself for having gotten into a discussion about a particular business of his before bringing himself up to date on it.
Finally, he spoke in a quiet voice. “I’m sure your father was a good man. Since I’m not interested in acquiring a business until and unless it’s obvious that it’s failing, my guess is that, despite his sterling qualities, he wasn’t able to keep his company going.”
There was a tap on the door and Nick turned away with relief. “Come in,” he said.
He was surprised to see Craig until he spotted the thick file in his hand. He lifted a questioning brow.
“Sorry it took so long to pull the file. The name’s been changed and we’ve owned it for several years.”
Nick didn’t look at Kelly. “That’s fine, Craig. Sorry to pull you away from your work.”
“No problem.” Craig left the room and Nick sat behind his desk. For reasons he didn’t quite want to admit, he half hoped to find that he had been wrong about this particular transaction. Not that it was his aim in life to destroy anyone. He owed no one an apology for rescuing failing businesses. He’d built his fortune that way and he was good at it.
He gave a mental shake and opened the file. Kelly continued to stand. With a silent sigh, Nick motioned her to one of the chairs in front of him. “Please have a seat. I need to scan this. It won’t take long, I promise.”
With obvious reluctance Kelly sat, watching him closely.
He read the summary of the shape the business was in when he took it over as well as the amount of money he’d paid for it.
Nick closed the file and looked at Kelly. She was watching him as though he were a wild animal about to pounce.
He considered himself a damned good negotiator. However, he’d never been in a situation like this one before. It was no surprise that Kelly MacLeod’s emotions were running high at the moment. He didn’t want to upset her further, but he also didn’t want to have her leave his office without knowing the facts.
“When we first heard about the MacLeod property, the place was no more than a month away from shutting its doors.”
She opened her mouth as though to object, so he handed her the Angus MacLeod company’s balance sheet for the last year before his firm took it over.
“It isn’t my intention to add to your grief by going into the details of this transaction. I accept that your father was devastated by the loss of his company. However, he would have lost it whether or not I bought it.” He glanced down at the file. “I don’t normally allow anyone other than my employees to look at files, but I’m going to make an exception this time.” He moved the file closer to her and waited while she looked over the documents inside.
He was bending over backward in order to show Ms. MacLeod that he was not responsible for her father’s losing his business.
There were documents in the file that reported the financial status of the company five years ago, along with copies of several promissory notes signed by her father at various times, using the business as collateral.
An itemized profit-and-loss statement for each of the five years before the company was taken over showed a steady and consistent loss of revenue.
As soon as she looked up from the file he said, “When I took it over, the business was worth very little. As you see, your father received more than a fair price for what was left of his business. What he chose to do with the money was his concern.
“I understand the pain of losing your parents, Ms. MacLeod, and you may have found some relief in finding someone you could blame. However, I will not apologize for my business practices. I had no control over your father’s choices, nor over his willingness to go deeper into debt when he knew he had a snowball’s chance in hell of being able to repay those loans. He made his choices and he had to live with them.”
Kelly rubbed her temple as though her head ached. “When he died,” she finally said as she continued to study the documents, “Mom and I thought we had a certain amount of financial security until I found out what had been going on.” She pointed to the documents. “He must have paid off those notes with money he received when you took over. We paid other debts with his life insurance policy.”
He said nothing more. The papers had upset her, that was obvious, but what was he supposed to do? Let her irrational assumptions continue without an attempt to point out the flaws in her thinking?
Finally, she looked at him and said, “In my own defense, I didn’t deliberately make the painting of you unflattering. I painted what I saw.”
He quirked an eyebrow. “What you saw from attending the same benefits and other social functions I attended? Without once attempting to speak to me or find out anything about me? You may have painted what you saw but only through the emotional filters of who you decided I am.”
“Perhaps you’re right. In any case, the portrait is no longer on display.” Kelly stood and moved toward the door.
Nick followed her. He hoped to lighten the mood somewhat and said, “I’ve been assured by those who know me that your portrait perfectly captured my personality. I have hopes that my ego will eventually recover from that rather lowering assessment.”
She turned and looked at him in surprise at his attempt at humor. He didn’t want her thinking of him as an ogre. He was merely a businessman who had done well by making decisions based on facts and figures, not emotions.
He reached the door first and swung it open for her. “I’m sorry that our first meeting was an adversarial one. I’d like to start over, if possible. Would you be willing to have dinner with me sometime when my business practices won’t be the topic of conversation?”
She looked him over dismissively before she replied, “I would enjoy having dinner with you Mr. Chakaris…as soon as hell freezes over.”
Chapter Four
T he next morning Kelly paused and stepped back from the canvas she was currently finishing. She was having trouble concentrating, which wasn’t surprising. She’d been rattled since she’d left Dominic Chakaris’s office.
The painting wasn’t going well. She decided to leave it alone before she did something irreversible to it. Kelly cleaned her brushes and afterward absently settled into one of the window seats.
The more she had listened to Dominic Chakaris calmly explain that his business tactics were reasonable and logical, the more upset she had become. She’d been unable to sleep much of the night for thinking about the cold-blooded way the man did business.
No wonder Hal Covington was concerned. Like her father, Hal had inherited his business. He’d done well, though, and she couldn’t understand why he was worrying about the possibility of his company being taken over. If Chakaris was being truthful, he didn’t go after successful businesses.
Despite her dislike of him, she believed him, mostly because he didn’t care enough about any of this to bother to lie.
Somebody needed to stand up to him, to show him that life was more than assets and liabilities. People were more important, something he seemed to ignore.
When she’d finally crawled out of bed this morning, she’d formed a plan of sorts. Supposing she did accept his invitation.
Could she see him again without revealing her aversion to him? What if she could help her father’s old friend by discovering whether Chakaris was considering Hal’s company as a potential acquisition?
She would have to think about that. Finding her way into the enemy’s camp could backfire. She had to decide whether the risks were worth it.
Kelly decided that if she couldn’t concentrate on her work, she would finish sorting through her mother’s belongings.
Several hours later she heard the doorbell ring. She glanced at her watch. It was after one o’clock. As far as she could recall, no one had planned to stop by today. Her curiosity drew her to the hallway overlooking the foyer and she watched as Bridget answered the door.
