Romantic Acquisition Page 0,27

saw what had been ordered. There was braised beef with au gratin potatoes, asparagus with creamy hollandaise sauce and three bottles of wine.

Carlo handed everyone a white plate and the foursome loaded up their plates with the gourmet meal. They ate and talked around the coffee table, sipping the excellent wine and throwing out the pros and cons for buying, and turning around the morale of Jamison employees.

They brainstormed for over an hour, coming up with a plan of action. By ten o’clock, Carlo looked at Jeff. The two men sent a silent signal and nodded.

“Okay, the deal is still on, at least until we discover any other issues,” he said.

Kate looked astonished. “You mean, you were about to call off the whole deal because of this issue?”

“Yep. Taking on employee morale is not a small task. Employees who are unproductive make a company unprofitable.”

“Yes, but…” Kate stammered. She didn’t want ATI to buy out Jamison’s, did she? She was against this sale. Why had she just saved the deal?

Carlo understood what she was struggling against. “Yes, I’m the enemy. Now, so are you.” He had a very satisfied look on his face.

Suddenly, Jeff clapped his hands. “Well, I don’t know about you guys, but I have a demanding boss who expects me to work early in the morning. I need to get some shut eye,” he said and stood up. “Sarah, I’ll drive you back to the office so you can get your car.”

“Thanks,” she said and stood up, rushing out of the penthouse.

Kate watched in astonishment as Sarah, her wonderful and supportive Sarah, quickly walked to the door. As the doors shut on the two of them, Kate caught a snippet of intimacy between the two.

“Well, I’ll be…” Carlo said, shaking his head as he too, watched the two of them leave.

“They’ve only known each other for a day!”

Carlo looked at Kate’s lovely face. “We’ve known we were meant for each other ever since the first moment we met. You’re just putting obstacles in our way,” he said and moved closer to her.

Kate didn’t want to start that again. It was too hard to think when he was so close. “Can you drive me back to my car?” she asked.

“Is that really what you want?”

“Yes,” she said and didn’t look up at him. She took her purse and waited for him.

Carlo sighed deeply. “Okay. Enough for one night,” he said and took his keys off the table.

They drove back to the office in silence. Kate was caught up in her confusion and inability to understand how two people who had just met could be so non-challant about starting a relationship. What was wrong with her? What was she missing?

Kate didn’t want to think. She didn’t want to feel. Thinking meant considering that she was inadequate in some way. Feeling meant confusion and frustration. She settled for numbness.

Carlo drove her to her car but as she reached for the door handle, he stopped her with a simple touch. He didn’t say a word but placed a very soft, very gentle kiss on her lips.

Kate stared back at him for a full minute. The kiss was devastating. What did he want from her? What did she want from him?

She didn’t want to think. She pulled the door open and got out, then almost fell into her own car, driving home in a trance.

Chapter 3

“We’re flying out to Houston today,” Carlo said through the phone. “Pack a bag and meet me at the airport in an hour,” With those terse words he hung up the phone.

Kate stared at the dead receiver, confusion on her face. What had he said about Houston? Why were they going to Texas? Weren’t the reports he needed right here in the headquarters office. She sat up and tried to focus but her mind took its own sweet time in coming together.

Once the message sunk in, she let her head fall back onto her pillow and she stared up at the Kelly green ceiling. “What am I doing?” she said and pulled the lime green sheet and yellow comforter over her head. “I can’t go to Houston with that man,” she groaned, burying herself in her comfortable, warm bed.

After a few minutes, she realized that her curiosity was keeping her from going back to sleep so she threw the covers back. With a heavy sigh, she pulled herself out of bed and forced her feet to carry her to the bathroom. It was still dark outside, but