Contract To Marry

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‘I was referring to your company.’ For the life of her, she couldn’t figure out which demon prompted her to add, ‘I don’t know enough about you yet to make that sort of judgement call.’

He ignored her jibe. ‘Tell me more.’

‘Most employees need to feel valued but, more importantly, they need to care enough about their job to want to excel at it.’ She paused to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear, wondering if she had the courage to say exactly what she thought the problem was. ‘From first impressions, I don’t think your staff feel that way.’

‘Why?’ A frown creased his brow, adding five years onto his age and reinforcing what she was about to say.

She took several unladylike gulps of champagne, needing every ounce of fortitude she could muster. ‘Bottom line? They’re taking their cue from you.’

His frown deepened and she resisted the impulse to sink into her chair—or, better yet, slide under the table and slink out of the fancy restaurant. ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’

She exhaled, unaware she’d been holding her breath. ‘Well, you seem to be a bit stuck yourself.’

‘Stuck?’ His eyebrows shot upward and, if she wasn’t treading on such delicate ground, she would’ve laughed at his comical expression.

Crossing her fingers beneath the tablecloth, she continued and hoped to God she still had a job by the end of this. ‘You intimidate people. The way you look, the way you dress, how you carry yourself, all screams “unapproachable”. And if you don’t enjoy your work, how do you expect your staff to?’

She waited for the explosion. Heck, she would’ve given him a verbal spray if he’d had the audacity to tell her all that to her face after only one meeting. Instead, he leaned back, folded his arms and fixed her with a glare.

‘I can see where that psychology degree comes in handy. Now that you’ve analysed me and the company, how do you propose to sort the problem out?’

She quelled the nervous flutter within her gut. Whenever he looked at her like that, she couldn’t think straight. Something about the deep blue of his eyes had her focusing on all the wrong cues, starting with how she could lose herself in their depths.

‘That’s easy.’ She managed a smile, hoping it didn’t look more like a grimace. ‘We start at the top and work our way down.’

‘Now, that sounds like an interesting proposition.’ His eyes brightened with an almost imperceptible gleam which she recognised as interest and her heart thudded in response. For someone who appeared stuffy at first glance, he sure knew how to turn innocent words into innuendo.

‘I’d prefer to think of it as challenging. After all, you don’t strike me as the type of man who takes to change very well.’

‘I’m that easy to read, huh?’ He leaned forward, the simple act lending an immediate intimacy to the moment.

‘Call it intuition.’ She picked up the menu, needing to do something with her fiddling hands and distract her attention from his probing gaze.

To her amazement, he reached across the table and plucked the menu from her hands. ‘Let’s finish this discussion before we order. What needs to be done to turn this situation around?’

I need to run a thousand miles away from you and those damn eyes.

Maybe taking this job hadn’t been such a good idea! Sure, she was desperate for business, not to mention that wonderful commodity that made the world go round, but was it worth feeling this flustered, this unsure of herself? She’d never lacked confidence, therefore this guy’s ability to undermine her with a single glance was more than disconcerting. It was downright frightening.

‘How about I present a business plan to you over the next few days and we take it from there?’

‘But you mentioned starting at the top. I assume you meant with me.’

She nodded. ‘I have a few ideas but I’d like to interview some of your staff to get a general feel for the place before I present my plan. That’s how I usually work.’ A small white lie but she had no intention of letting him know this was her first real assignment. Besides, she’d honed her own business plan to the nth degree and knew she could handle anything her new boss had to dish out. Within reason.

‘Fine.’ He handed her the menu. ‘I look forward to hearing this master plan of yours.’

She sighed in relief, though it was short-lived.

‘Just remember, Fleur. I’m expecting big things from you. And I don’t like to be let down.’

‘You don’t need to worry,’ she said, knowing that she’d be doing enough of that for the both of them.

Darcy turned the key in the lock, surprised to find the front door to his house open. He could’ve sworn he’d locked it when he left earlier that evening. Maybe the thought of having dinner with Fleur had rattled him more than he’d anticipated?

However, as he entered the house and heard the pounding bass reverberating through the hallway, he knew why the door was unlocked.

He took the stairs two at a time, torn between wanting to hug his wayward brother and throttle him for being away so long. Sean’s bedroom door stood open, explaining the ear-splitting noise from some heavy-metal band Darcy had probably never heard of.

‘Hey, bro; long time, no see.’ Sean jumped up from the bed, piece of pizza in one hand and a beer in the other, a wide grin plastered across his face.

Darcy turned down the volume before answering. ‘Is that what you call three years? A long time?’

Sean’s smile slipped a notch. ‘Come on, man. Don’t be so…parental. Aren’t you glad to see me?’

The familiar anger surged through Darcy’s body, rooting him to the spot. He’d raised Sean from the age of eleven yet the passing years hadn’t instilled maturity into his brother. Sean had never recognised the sacrifices Darcy had made in raising him, preferring to see him as some sort of ogre rather than a caring brother who’d been thrust into the role of parent at too young an age.

If anything, Sean still lived the life of a carefree boy and it irked Darcy more than it should. Why should he be the one to always shoulder all the responsibility? Now that his brother was thirty years old, surely it was time he started acting like it?

‘Two phone calls in three years. Don’t you think I’ve earned the right to be concerned?’

Sean shook his head and took a swig from his beer. ‘I can see you haven’t changed much.’

‘Neither have you.’ Darcy clenched his fists, surprised that the years away hadn’t matured his brother. He still spoke and behaved like a wayward teenager, from his smart mouth to his taste in music. ‘So, how long are you staying around this time?’

Sean shrugged, as if he didn’t have a care in the world. ‘Who knows? I might hang out here for a while, see what Melbourne has to offer these days.’

‘How’s the cash situation?’ Darcy resisted the urge to cringe; as much as he tried, he couldn’t shake the role of a worried father, probing his son for scraps of information about his life. He knew Sean didn’t like it and he sure as hell wished he could stop it. However, it had been a habit for almost twenty years and he’d be damned if he stopped caring now.

‘Stop worrying, bro. Is it any wonder you’ve got grey hairs?’

‘I have not!’

‘Sure you have. You’ve got one, right about there.’ Sean threw the pizza crust back in the cardboard box and walked towards him, pointing to Darcy’s temple. ‘Yep, I see it. Actually, it’s more white than grey.’

‘Brat!’ Darcy swatted Sean’s hand away and finally smiled, allowing a glimmer of affection to show in his eyes.

‘Yeah, I’ve missed you too, bro.’ Sean enveloped him in a bear hug and Darcy returned it, slapping his brother on the back.

Once they’d broken apart and looked away, unsure how to break that awkward pause that inevitably accompanied men embracing each other, Darcy headed towards the door. He stopped on the threshold and looked back, happier than he’d been in a long time. ‘It’s good to have you home, Sean.’

Sean grinned, the same cheeky grin he’d had as an eleven-year-old. ‘Good to be back, even if I have to look at your ugly mug!’

Darcy pulled a face and turned away, wondering what Fleur would think if she could see him now. He’d managed to forget about their interesting evening once he’d entered the house, though the memory of her now resurfaced.

She’d looked incredible in that black dress with the neckline cut high enough to be classy yet low enough to entice. He’d been impressed, from her sleek hair—it must’ve taken her at least an hour to straighten those gorgeous curls he’d admired when they first met—to her sequined sandals and everything in between. In fact, he’d had a hard time keeping his mind on the conversation when his attention kept wandering to the ‘everything in between’.

Though he had gained one pertinent fact. The lady thought he couldn’t lighten up.

Well, he would show her.

CHAPTER THREE

THANKS to her psychology background, Fleur always analysed any date with a male, from the way he’d looked at her to what he’d said, and unfortunately her date with Darcy sent her analytical brain into overtime.

Date? Where had that come from? He’d taken her on a business dinner, not a date, and the sooner she remembered that the better.

So what if he’d plied her with fine food and wine, asking personal questions to appear as if he was genuinely interested in her? She knew what he’d been playing at—any boss worth his weight would interrogate a new employee like that, especially one who was investing so much time and money into saving his ailing company.

It wasn’t his fault that her overactive imagination had taken flight and read more into it. Despite her best intentions to appear professional, her guard had slipped several times and she’d actually found herself responding to him like a woman, not an employee. Not that he hadn’t encouraged her a tad; she could’ve sworn she glimpsed desire in his eyes several times, and each time her body had betrayed her with a hot rush of anticipation that still left her slightly breathless.

Thankfully, she hadn’t seen much of him since dinner two nights ago. Whenever she’d been interviewing his employees, he’d been holed up in his dreary office or off on some buying expedition, giving her free rein within the office and some control over her peace of mind.

However, she’d known it wouldn’t last and today she had to present her completed business plan to him, a situation which should’ve thrilled her yet didn’t. She’d done a thorough job and should be proud of herself—however, how did she tell him the truth without denting the man’s ego in the process? Or worse yet, stirring his wrath to the point where he might fire her?

She’d dressed to impress, knowing that presenting a front would be the first step in calming her nerves. However, the minute she walked into Darcy’s office and he looked up at her with that all-seeing stare, she wished she’d chosen something more conservative than the bottle-green skirt that skimmed her knees and the matching jacket which gave a glimpse of black camisole underneath.

‘Coffee?’ he offered.

She shook her head—she was wired up enough already!

‘How’s the plan looking?’ He gestured towards the uncomfortable seat and she knew that would be the first piece of furniture to go.

‘All done.’ She resisted the urge to tug her skirt down as she sat, knowing he watched her every move.

He sat back, a smirk playing around the corners of his mouth. ‘Let me have it.’

She stared at his lips, wondering how she could’ve judged them as being thin that first day they’d met in the café. He had great lips and the longer she stared at them, the more curious she became to know exactly how they might feel plastered against hers.

He leaned forward and reached out for the cup of coffee on the desk in front of him, allowing her valuable time to recompose herself whilst he took a sip. So much for playing it cool. Focusing on his lips had set her body on fire and she hoped her raised temperature didn’t reflect in her fiery cheeks.

She cleared her throat. ‘Before I present this, I need to know if you’re ready.’

‘Ready and raring.’ He smiled, sending her heart hammering as she glimpsed a spark of desire in his eyes.

Looking at the documents in her hands, which shook slightly as she rearranged the papers for the hundredth time since they’d come off the printer that morning, she wrenched her attention back to the task at hand. ‘I’ve prepared this plan with one aim in mind and that’s to get your business back on track, as you requested. In doing this, I’ve spent time with most of your staff, who are more than loyal, yet I managed to read between the lines.’

‘Oh?’ The smile faded, only to be replaced by the frown that intimidated her.

Quelling her nerves with effort, she continued. ‘Your team have a genuine love of their jobs, they have a shared purpose and trust in the company’s mission statement and are keen to see progression within the organisation.’

‘But?’

Trying to stall for time, she placed the documents on the desk and clasped her hands in her lap, wishing he wasn’t so darn intuitive. She’d given him all the positives first, yet, being an astute businessman, he’d known she’d left the most important information out.

‘It’s not enough.’ She looked away and focused her attention on the dull picture behind him, of a sailing ship battling murky waters. Yet another indication that this dreary office needed an overhaul.

‘Tell me, Fleur. I want to hear it all.’

She braced herself for a possible eruption and stared him straight in the eye. ‘You’ve lost your spark. I get the feeling that your employees are having a hard time appearing interested in their work when the boss walks in here every day and looks like he’s shouldering the weight of the world.’

He ran a finger around the inside of his collar, as if her statement along with his tie were choking him. ‘Continue.’

‘Though they didn’t say it in as many words, I knew what they were implying. It’s difficult to appear perky when you trudge in here as if it’s the last place you want to be.’ She spoke in a rush, trying to get the words out in a hurry and thus prevent him from interrupting and shredding the last of her resolve to tell him the truth. ‘And it isn’t just your attitude. Take this office, for instance.’ She gestured around her. ‘It’s dull and lifeless. Anyone who sets foot in here would want to escape ASAP.’ She wriggled back in her seat as if to prove a point. ‘Me included. I hate this chair!’

‘Are you quite finished?’

She flushed, his icy tone scaring her more than she cared to admit. ‘Here. It’s all documented.’

He took the report from her and threw it on his desk, adding it to the growing pile of paperwork already stashed in his in-tray. ‘I’ll read it later. So, now that you’ve discovered the problem, what’s the solution?’

He planted his hands on the desk and towered over her, the thunderous look on his face intimidating her more than the quietly controlled fury in his voice.

‘I teach you how to have fun.’

Darcy sat down in his chair again, stunned by Fleur’s solution to his business problems. She stared at him with those wide chocolate-brown eyes without blinking and, with a jolt, he realised she was serious.

He laughed, a bitter sound that echoed through the room. ‘You’re kidding, right? You want to teach me how to have fun?’

‘That’s right.’ She nodded, almost dislodging the weird bun arrangement perched precariously on top of her head. He preferred her hair loose and swinging across her shoulders the way she’d worn it at dinner or, better yet, curling seductively around her face like the first memorable time he’d seen her.

‘Let me get this straight. I need to learn how to have fun?’

She blushed again and he had a strong urge to reach across the desk and cup her cheek in his hand. ‘More like you need to loosen up and remember what it was like, perhaps?’

He stifled a grin. Though she hadn’t told him anything he didn’t already know, he’d been surprised that his employees felt that way about him. He knew he’d lost his spark, feeling as if he was just going through the motions most days. He wished he could be more like Sean, able to shun his responsibilities and travel the world in search of the next best thing. But he couldn’t. He’d seen his father do that and look how that had ended, with both his parents dead in the process.

So he trudged along, throwing himself into his work yet knowing that he’d become more and more introverted along the way. He rarely socialised, dated or went out any more, unless it pertained to business, and it obviously showed. All work and no play had definitely made him a dull boy—with a woman like Fleur around, maybe it was time to change all that?

‘OK, let’s say for argument’s sake that you’re right. How are you going to get me to loosen up?’ Darcy couldn’t wait to hear this.

She fiddled with the top button on her jacket, drawing his attention to the hint of black camisole underneath. And just like that, Darcy knew exactly how his delicious new employee could help him loosen up while simultaneously chastising himself for fantasising about the unattainable.

For that was what Fleur was—he couldn’t dare let himself get close to her, for she was the epitome of every characteristic he’d schooled himself to avoid: brash, daring to be different, needing to break out of a mould. She was just like Sean and his father and he’d be damned if he ended up like them. Living for the moment ended in pain and he’d learned to block out anything—or anyone—that could instigate that emotion.

‘You need to have fun. I’m going to show you the ropes.’ She stood and gathered her bag and laptop. ‘Meet me out the front of this building at eight tomorrow morning. And wear something casual.’

He watched her stride towards the door, admiring her slim legs and the way her skirt hugged her butt, wondering how both would feel beneath his hands.

‘But tomorrow’s Saturday,’ he said, wondering if she thought he was such a sad case that they needed to get started on her plan immediately.

She stopped, hand poised on the doorknob. ‘So? Or would you prefer to start tonight?’

He glimpsed the challenge in her eyes, curious to know more and ready to face what she had in mind. ‘The sooner the better.’