Merger to Marriage (Boardrooms and Billi - By Addison Fox Page 0,46
just like that, he was ten again, helpless to fight the avarice and self-indulgence that fueled his mother’s life.
She had the power to ruin everything he’d worked for—and would take a greedy, selfish sort of joy while she was at it. “What do you want?”
…
Holt slammed the lid of his laptop closed and stood to pace his office, well aware that round two with his mother had turned sordid and nasty. The standard ebb and flow of daily email would have to wait until he calmed down enough to form coherent thoughts.
He’d dealt with his mother before and he’d deal with her again, the initial shock fading as he worked out a strategy. What he couldn’t erase was the very real concern that she’d hurt Mayson and their child in the process. He cared for her, more than he’d ever cared for anyone, but could he give her what she needed? Although she hadn’t come out and said it, he knew she longed for a marriage that was more than a business transaction, more than a convenience because life had gotten messy.
Could he make her happy?
His background was an embarrassment he’d spent his adult life attempting to correct, and he knew his mother would be ruthless in her quest for financial backing. He preferred to think he’d not gotten many traits from Eloisa Turner, but the one they shared in spades was determination and perseverance.
And he was determined not to expose Mayson or their child to that sordid past.
A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts and Mayson breezed in, a bright, vivid counterpoint to the ugliness of his day. It was as if he’d conjured her up from his thoughts, and he crossed to her, pulling her into his arms. He had to assure himself she was real. Solid. As he pulled her close, he pressed his hand to her stomach, imagining the life growing there.
For the briefest moment, she sank into his arms, her acquiescence evident. And then she stiffened as if the moment had never been. “I got a call from Sarah Craddick a little while ago.”
He pulled back, keeping her in the circle of his arms, but she broke free. Her need for distance was more than evident as she stepped away from him. “What did she say?”
“That she and Teddy were delighted to join us for dinner and she wanted to set up a time that worked for all of us.”
“What did you tell her?”
“That I needed to confirm your schedule. Then I spent a half hour asking questions about her daughter’s upcoming wedding and barely listened to a word.”
“Look—”
He broke off as she whirled on him, her movements full of barely restrained fury. “How dare you do that? Put us on display like that? And to close a damn deal.”
“It’s not like that.”
“What’s it like, then? Explain it to me.”
The moment was slipping away from him and he wasn’t sure how to bring it back on track. Yes, he’d used his relationship with Mayson to butter up Craddick, but he needed that deal. Needed to make things right. Add on the very real news that they were getting married and he saw no reason to pretend otherwise. “Teddy called me to have lunch. Wanted to go over my proposal and is practically sold on the idea. I suggested we go to dinner to iron out the last few details.”
“You can’t do that over a boardroom table?”
“He’s made a point of how he wants his business associates to be friends.”
“So you dangled me.”
“I didn’t dangle anything. As my wife, you’ll be expected to join me at events and functions. It’s how business gets done.”
She squared her shoulders and he saw determination in every line of her body. “I know how business works, and I’m well-aware that entertaining is a part of it. But I want you to admit that’s not why you invited Teddy to dinner.”
“It’s all the same.”
“No, it’s not. You used me as an asset to close the deal.”
“You’re my partner, Mayson. We’re going to be a team, and I need you to get on board with that.”
“No, I don’t need to get on board with anything. And I’m certainly not going to marry you. This merger idea is no longer on the table.”
“You have to marry me. We’re agreed this is the right path. The right choice for both of us and for our child.”
It was just like her parents all over again. Why hadn’t she seen it sooner? Why hadn’t she