Kitabı oku: «True Love», sayfa 3

Chapter 4

The Conrad International Hotel was known to be one of the most luxurious in China, and Shayla could see why. It was evident that it was designed for both the business and leisure traveler. All the hotel's guest rooms had sweeping views of the Hong Kong harbor, Victoria Peak, and the city's skyline.

The panoramic view outside her window was nothing short of majestic. Shayla had been surprised to discover she was housed on the executive floor and that her suite was across the hall from Nicholas's. In fact, the only three suites on the floor shared a huge lobby that also served as a sitting area. She fell in love with an oversize bathroom tub that just seemed to be calling her name.

She decided to take a long leisurely bath and relax. She doubted Mr. Chenault would need her services today. Surely he would have pity on her and give her this day to rest and recover from jet lag. Maybe not, she thought when the phone rang.

Walking across the room, she picked it up. "Yes?"

"How was your flight, Ms. Kirkland?"

Shayla's heart thudded in her chest. Nicholas's voice was deep and husky. Against her will she remembered his features, seeing them clearly in her mind, especially his gold eyes. She tightened her hold on the phone, knowing she had to get a grip. "My flight, Mr. Chenault, was nice, although it was rather long. Luckily I had some interesting reading material to pass the time."

"The report on the Ling Deal?"

"Yes."

She heard his soft chuckle. "Not what you'd preferred to read, I'd imagine."

Shayla couldn't keep from smiling. "No. Not even close."

"I see. But you did complete it?"

"Yes."

"Good. We have a meeting with the Hong Kong people first thing in the morning. The meeting room is on this floor."

Shayla nodded. "Is there anything else I need to know?"

"Yes, and I'd like to go over those things with you. How about if we get together for a business dinner tonight?"

Shayla was quick to pick up on the fact that he'd made it clear that it would be nothing more than a business dinner. "All right. There are a few things I need clarification on."

"Will seven o'clock be a good time for you?"

"That's fine. Should I meet you downstairs?"

"No, I'm right across the hall. I'll walk over and escort you down."

"All right."

"I'll see you then, Ms. Kirkland."

Shayla wanted to check her appearance one more time before Nicholas Chenault arrived. The dress she had chosen to wear had been deemed a "must buy" by her aunt. Even with the generous discount she had received, it had cost plenty. But then, she thought as she looked in the mirror and saw how the soft material fit her body, it had been well worth every cent she had paid for it. In fact, Aunt Callie had made sure everything she had brought along with her was first class.

Because her aunt had always owned a clothing store, Shayla had been blessed to grow up having nice clothes. She had been the envy of most of the girls in high school and college with her stylish, chic, and sometimes expensive wardrobe.

She glanced back at her reflection in the full-length mirror, hoping the dress was not too sophisticated for a business dinner. Deciding that it wasn't, she turned away from the mirror. At the same time, there was a knock on her door. She smiled. Nicholas Chenault evidently believed in being on time. Good planning.

Seeing no reason to invite him into her hotel room, Shayla grabbed her purse and the envelope containing the Ling report from the table and walked over to the door. She took a deep breath before she opened it.

The deep breath got caught in her throat. Nicholas Chenault stood before her, displaying everything that was male. He was dressed in a gray suit, every part of him sensuous and sexy. His eyes appeared to be a liquid gold, and held hers within their depths. Then his gaze began moving over her slowly, beginning at the crown of her head and ending at the tips of her shoes. His eyes captured hers again, trapping her gaze. The huge lobby outside her door seemed to shrink before her eyes as the image of him became larger, almost bigger than life. She tried suppressing the hot sensations that shot through her body, frazzling her nerves and playing havoc with her mind.

She forced herself to breathe, then breathe again, when she realized that the attraction was mutual. The look he was giving her said as much. The sensuous vibes flowing between them were thick as deep fog.

Although she wasn't overjoyed about the sexual tension radiating between them, she wasn't put off by it, either. After all, business or no business, he was man and she was woman…and certain things were just unavoidable. Physical attraction between the opposite sexes was one of them. However, it could be controlled, which was what she intended to do.

She watched as Nicholas Chenault's mouth tightened. Evidently he wasn't overjoyed with the prospect of being attracted to her any more than she was about being attracted to him. Then she noticed a sudden softening of his mouth, and decided he'd reached the same conclusion that she had. This attraction between them could be, and would be, controlled. They were professionals. This was a professional evening, and they would handle it as such. She had a very strong idea that he had no more intention of getting caught up in a personal involvement with her than she with him. He was her boss and she was his employee, and while they worked together they would handle themselves accordingly.

They both relaxed somewhat. Without saying a word they'd somehow reached an understanding.

She decided to be the one to break the tense silence. "Mr. Chenault, I'm ready."

He straightened and stepped back when she walked out of her room and closed the door behind her. "You look nice, Ms. Kirkland."

"Thank you." She couldn't help but note how close he was as they walked together to the elevator. The heat between them still simmered. When they entered the empty compartment and the doors shut behind them with finality, every muscle in her body was on edge. So much for thinking she'd be able to relax around him now that an understanding had been reached.

"Did you take a nap?"

Shayla blinked a couple of times before Nicholas's question registered in her hazed mind. "Yes."

"Good. It helps with jet lag."

It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him that jet lag was the least of her problems. They continued their ride down to the eighth floor, where the restaurant was located. When the elevator stopped and the doors opened, they stepped out quickly, needing to be out in the open and around others; needing to breathe again and get their minds back on track.

"This way," Nicholas whispered close to her ear as he captured her elbow in his hand. His touch sent sparks flying all the way from Shayla's head to her toes. She wondered if he had felt them. Taking a quick glance up at his face, she saw his mouth had tightened. It was a dead giveaway that he had.

They kept walking, ignoring passersby's whispered comments that the two of them made such a striking couple. Some of the comments were spoken in Chinese, and Shayla hoped Nicholas had not understood them.

They finally reached the entrance to the elegant restaurant. As they stood together and waited for the host to seat them, Nicholas leaned over and whispered, "I hope you like Chinese food." A smile tilted his lips.

Shayla couldn't help returning his smile-it seemed to be contagious. "There's a Chinese proverb, Mr. Chenault, that says, ‘Food is heaven-especially when it's Chinese,’" she whispered back to him.

His smile widened. And so did hers.

Nicholas knew he was in trouble as they followed the host to their table. Shayla was wearing "that" perfume again, and the scent of it was driving him insane. It was the same scent she'd worn the day of the interview-sultry, seductive. It was meant to captivate, dazzle, bewitch. It was working on him full force.

He took a deep breath when he pulled the chair out for her, inhaling deeply and forcing his mind and his body to get a grip. He could hardly think standing this close to her. He quickly stepped back and took his own seat.

"So, you like Chinese food?" he asked for lack of anything else to say.

"Yes." Then, leaning over the table toward him so as not to offend their host, who was busy opening their menus, she whispered in a serious tone, "But I like Japanese food just as much."

Nicholas could not stop the deep chuckle that escaped his lips. He'd been right. Shayla Kirkland had an amazing personality. He waited until the host had left after pouring their wine before saying, "I must personally apologize for whisking you away from Chicago on such short notice. I do appreciate your coming. Your help with the negotiations will definitely be needed."

Shayla raised a curious brow. "Why is that? I thought this was basically a done deal, with only a few loose ends to tie up. The report I read on the plane alluded to that."

Nicholas smiled. "We're hoping that's true. But as a businessman I've learned to always look for surprises in the last stages of negotiations. One of the men who'll be at tomorrow's meeting has never attended any of the others. It's my understanding he's a smooth Chinese businessman, and someone I need to watch out for. I also understand he doesn't care much for doing business with Americans."

Nicholas sat back in his chair. "That's enough discussion of business for now. We'll resume that after we've ordered dinner. Can you suggest something for me to try?"

During dinner the conversation between Shayla and Nicholas centered more on the professional than the personal, and the mood was comfortable.

"I hope this last-minute trip to China didn't upset your significant other," Nicholas said smoothly, taking a sip of wine. He was abruptly shifting the subject matter, and they both knew it.

Shayla lowered her lashes, attempting to hide her surprise. Up until that moment, he hadn't inquired about anything having to do with her personal life. She lifted her gaze to meet his. "I don't have a significant other, unless you want to count my Aunt Callie, who's my mom's younger sister. She's all the family I have, and the only person who's important to me."

Talking about family reminded Shayla of the reason she was involved with Chenault Electronics in the first place. Deciding to shift the topic of conversation back to business, she said, "So, what do you think our chances are of the Ling Deal being closed tomorrow?"

Shayla stepped into the huge bathtub, submerging herself in the hot bubbly water. The heat felt nice, and the bubbles smelled good. She leaned against the back of the tub and closed her eyes, remembering how well the night had gone. Except for the time Mr. Chenault had asked her about a significant other, the conversation had remained strictly business.

But still, that hadn't stopped her from appreciating his good looks. It had been hard sitting across from him feigning absolute nonchalance when she'd been attuned to every aspect of him. Everything about him had been sensuous: the way he drank his wine, the way he ate his food, even the way he held his eating utensils. But nothing was more sensuous than the way he lifted his eyebrow when he didn't quite understand something. His lifting that brow did things to her insides. It had been so hard for her to keep a firm grasp on her impulses.

She had to hand it to both of them. They had handled things extremely well when they read a fortune cookie message that said, "Your destinies will be entwined from this moment on." They'd shrugged it off without making any comment about it. Later when he had escorted her back to her room, he had remained professional and businesslike. He had turned and quickly walked across the huge lobby to his suite.

But now, back in the privacy of her own suite, in the intimacy of her bathroom, Shayla wanted to indulge a little in fantasy, knowing nothing would ever come of it. That would make it easier to get down to business tomorrow. She needed to get thoughts of him out of her system. The information he had divulged at dinner about the Ling Deal indicated that he had put a lot of his company's funds into it, not to mention those of his financial backers. His hopes were high about this deal going through. Setting the Ling Deal into motion had connections to another project he had in the works, a project he'd avoided discussing with her. She couldn't help but wonder what it was. But still, without knowing it, Nicholas Chenault had placed in her hands a way to destroy him financially. And she could do so as soon as tomorrow. She could effortlessly ruin things for him at that business meeting in the morning.

But she didn't want to think about that. She wanted to fantasize. For just a few exhilarating moments, she wanted to pretend he was not her enemy, that he was her lover-a lover like no other, which wouldn't be hard to imagine since she'd never had a lover. For just a few moments, she wanted to wonder how things could be with him.

Closing her eyes, she could imagine his long experienced fingers caressing their way from the peaks of her breasts to the heels of her feet, making her whimper-a little like she was doing now, just thinking about it. She could imagine the feel of his kiss, hot and moist as it captured her mouth with frantic hunger-a hunger that she reciprocated.

Shayla opened her eyes. Fantasizing about the enemy was a lot less harmful than sleeping with the enemy, which was something she would never do. She was on a mission, and because of it Nicholas Chenault would suffer.

When she got out of the tub and began toweling dry her body, she did not feel good about that thought.

Nicholas couldn't get Shayla out of his mind. Unbelievable, he thought.

He had spent practically the entire evening with her discussing the Ling Deal, yet he'd hungered for her as he sat across from her, soaking in her beauty, inhaling her scent. He wasn't sure how he had managed to last through their meal. Never in his thirty-two years had he wanted a woman so much.

The last thing he needed was a distraction from the business at hand. At tomorrow's meeting he had to stay focused. There was more than just his money at stake. Three men he admired and respected were counting on him. They had combined their monies with his because they had faith that he could make it work. They believed in the mangolid chip that his company had developed as much as he did. Closing the Ling Deal was just one part-a very major part-of the big picture.

As Nicholas prepared for his shower, he knew he had to do whatever it would take to put Shayla Kirkland out of his mind.

Chapter 5

The following morning Nicholas discovered that putting Shayla out of his mind wouldn't be easy. The woman had too much of a sensuous draw about her. He wasn't the only one to pick up on it. When she walked into the meeting room, looking completely businesslike and professional, every man took notice. Her presence demanded their attention.

Paul had arrived very late the night before. Standing beside Nicholas, he whispered, "I can see why temptation was nipping fast and furious at your heels. She's a good-looking woman."

Nicholas frowned. For some reason he did not like nor appreciate the male attention being lavished on Shayla. "Let's get this meeting underway," he grumbled, ignoring Paul's soft chuckle.

"Feeling the sharp bite of primitive male possessiveness, Nick?"

The look Nicholas shot at Paul spoke volumes. He then shifted his attention from the older man back to Shayla. As efficient as she was beautiful, she had not waited for him to make introductions. A born diplomat, she was making her way around the room, speaking in fluent Chinese and conducting herself with culturally acceptable decorum. It was easy to see that the businessmen were just eating it up.

"Didn't I tell you she'd be an asset to us?" Paul asked, smiling. "Look how easily she's working that group."

Nicholas nodded. They both knew that it was expected for Westerners doing business in China to have a mastery of the given language. Although Nicholas's knowledge of the language was limited to a few words, Shayla, who was representing his company, was laying it on very smoothly with her vast knowledge of it.

He also observed her exchanging business cards with each man present. He knew from past experience that in China the exchanging of business cards was like shaking hands. It was part of the business etiquette. He had forgotten that major detail, and wondered where Shayla had gotten the cards. His company had not yet printed any for her.

By the time Shayla had made it over to where he and Paul stood, Nicholas was completely overwhelmed with her, as the others were. "Ms. Kirkland, I'd like you to meet Paul Dunlap, head of security at Chenault."

Shayla's gaze quickly left Nicholas and looked into the eyes of the tall handsome man standing beside him. She remembered the name from her mother's diary. He had been the security person to uncover Thomas Jordache's plot, and had brought it to the attention of Alan Chenault, resulting in her mother's firing. Knowing what she knew about the man, Shayla forced herself to offer her hand to him and pasted a smile on her lips. "Mr. Dunlap."

Paul took the hand in his. "Ms. Kirkland, welcome to Chenault Electronics." With his observant gaze, he studied her. "You look somewhat familiar. Have we met before?" he asked, releasing her hand.

Shayla quenched the panic that rose inside her. She hoped there was nothing about her that reminded him of her mother. Surely he couldn't remember that far back. "No, Mr. Dunlap, I don't think we have," she heard herself saying. "Unless we saw each other when I came in for my interview. Perhaps it was then."

Paul nodded as he continued to study her. "Perhaps."

Not wanting to give the man time to dwell on it, she said to Nicholas, "Everyone is ready to begin. How do you want the seating arranged?"

"Whichever way is comfortable for them."

Shayla nodded, agreeing with Nicholas's decision. Often, Chinese people saw Westerners' quick decisions as signs of suspicious behavior. It was imperative to be patient in any business negotiations with them. "I think that all of us sitting around the table will work out fine. Paul needs to sit on your left side, and I'll sit on your right."

Nicholas nodded, deciding not to ask why she'd suggested such an arrangement. He did want to ask her one thing before they began. "The business cards. Where did you get them?"

"After I went to bed I thought about the importance of having them. I got back up and used the computer in the office next to my suite to make them. I hope you don't mind."

"No, I'm very glad you thought of it. We don't need to get things off on the wrong foot." He glanced across the room at a Chinese gentleman standing alone near the window. "I take it you've met Mr. Ho Chin."

Shayla nodded. "Yes."

"We need to be cautious around him. He's the one I was talking about last night. The one who could sway the negotiations another way."

Shayla nodded again. She almost wanted to tell Nicholas that Mr. Ho Chin was not the only one who could sway the negotiations. She had the ammunition to destroy him herself, and that was her intent.

"If you're ready, Mr. Chenault, we can get things started."

"I'm ready."

Shayla walked off to deliver that statement to each man in the room.

"There's something about her that's familiar," Paul said to Nicholas as they moved forward to sit around the table.

Nicholas raised a brow. "Perhaps you saw her photo in her personnel file. I'm sure one was there when your department did their background check."

Paul nodded, his gaze still on Shayla. "Perhaps."

When the golden opportunity presented itself for Shayla to ruin Chenault Electronics, she discovered she couldn't do it.

Negotiations were tense, and had been all morning. They were going into their fifth hour, and what had seemed like a done deal earlier was anything but that now. All because of Mr. Ho Chin. There was something about him that Shayla didn't like, and she found herself wanting the deal to go through just so Nicholas could best the man. His arguments were nothing more than stalling tactics, and everyone in the room knew it. Up until this hour, the other Chinese businessmen in the room were still leaning toward closing the deal, but now things didn't look quite that way. Mr. Ho Chin was trying to discredit Nicholas in the only way he knew, and that was to question his sincerity in doing business with their country.

Shayla shook her head. None of this made any sense. True, the Ling Deal would be good for Nicholas's company, but it would also be good for the Chinese people. Ever since the sovereignty of Hong Kong had reverted back to China, the people of the Republic were trying to catch up in ways of advanced technology, and were doing an astounding job of it. What Nicholas was proposing in his plan was to put them on top, escalating them to a higher playing field than even Japan.

"May I try something, Mr. Chenault?" Shayla whispered, when it appeared the talks were momentarily at a stalemate.

"Anything is better than nothing," Nicholas grumbled softly for her and Paul's ears only.

Nodding, Shayla began speaking fluent Chinese, addressing her words to the men sitting across from them. They fully understood what she was saying, if their expressions were any indication. Nicholas frowned, wondering what she was saying to them. Whatever it was had their rapt attention. And whatever it was made Mr. Ho Chin not a happy camper. He suddenly spoke up in a loud voice, and Nicholas could tell he was angry about whatever Shayla was saying.

Keeping her voice soft and even, Shayla acknowledged Mr. Ho Chin's comments before turning to address the entire group again. After a few minutes, one of the other Chinese gentlemen began speaking. Shayla nodded, smiling. She glanced over at Nicholas and smiled again. Then she gave a reply to the man.

"What in the world's going on?" Paul had leaned over and whispered the question to Nicholas. "What's she saying to them?"

Nicholas shrugged. "I have no idea. She could be giving away the company, for all I know."

"Aren't you going to stop her?"

"No, I'm going to follow my gut instincts and trust her."

Paul lifted a brow. That might be Nick's inclination, but it sure wasn't his. Although he had pushed for her hiring, she had not worked for the company long enough to develop any sense of loyalty. This was just her second day on the job.

A part of Nicholas, the one ruled strictly by business sense, knew he should try to figure out, as best he could, just what Shayla was saying. But he was too caught up in listening to the sound of her voice as she spoke to the men. He doubted she realized it but her voice sounded soft, husky, and sexy. She might not be aware of it, but every man in the room was.

When the Chinese gentlemen at the table all nodded their heads except for Ho Chin, Nicholas knew he had to know what was going on. Before he could ask, Shayla turned to him. "All right, it's over."

Nicholas frowned, clearly not understanding. "What's over?"

Knowing that a few of the men in the room, Mr. Ho Chin especially, could understand the English language, Shayla chose her words carefully. "The negotiations. Everyone is ready to sign."

Nicholas felt his head spinning. "To close the deal?" he asked, incredulous.

"Yes."

He shook his head, clearly dazed. "But how? Why? What did you say to get them to change their minds?"

Shayla reached across the table and captured Nicholas's hand in hers. To everyone observing, it was definitely not a businesslike gesture. Nicholas lifted his eyebrows, wondering what she was doing. Instead of pulling his hand back, as he had an inclination to do, he decided to let it stay put. According to her earlier announcement, the deal was about to be closed. Somehow she had placed the ball back in their court, so he was willing to let her continue to play it as she saw fit.

"I explained things to them, Nicholas," she said softly, meeting his eyes.

"What things?" Nicholas asked, still not comprehending. The look in her eyes pleaded with him to pretend that he did, and he hadn't missed her calling him by his first name.

"I explained why you had turned down Mr. Ming's invitation to the dinner party Friday night."

Nicholas lifted another brow. He knew why he had turned down the man's invitation to dinner-he intended to be on a plane headed back to the States on Friday. "Really? And just what did you explain to them?"

"I explained that you and I had made personal plans, and that you thought you would be disappointing me if you were to break them. However, in light of everything, I assured Mr. Ming that we would be honored to change our plans and attend the dinner party at his home."

She smiled tentatively at him, staring into his eyes. "Trust me on this one, sweetheart."

Nicholas blinked at her term of endearment. He then met her stare head-on. "I am, darling."

As if grateful for that, Shayla released his hand and turned her attention back to the gentlemen and gave them a smile that made all of them blush, except Mr. Ho Chin. She then placed the documents to be signed in front of them. Each of them signed, even Mr. Ho Chin, although he did it grudgingly. Nicholas was more than anxious to put his own signature on the paper.

With the business concluded, the men stood and walked out, leaving only Shayla, Nicholas, and Paul in the room. When Nicholas was sure the gentlemen were inside the closed elevator and couldn't possibly hear a thing, he turned to Shayla. "What the hell was that about?"

Shayla let out a deep sigh as she began gathering up the papers from the table. "That, Mr. Chenault, was about saving face. When Mr. Ming invited you to a dinner party at his home Friday night, you turned him down, not realizing the repercussions."

Nicholas frowned. Before he could ask the question, Paul did. "What's wrong with not going to the man's house for dinner?"

Shayla met Paul's inquisitive gaze. "Everything. In China, an individual's reputation and social standing are based on the complex concept of saving face. By turning down a dinner invitation to a Chinese associate's home, you can cause that individual to lose face simply because you're not available, or evidently think he's not important enough for you to make yourself available. To save face for him, as well as for yourself, if you can't accept the invitation you must apologize for not being able to do so, then propose an alternative plan that is palatable to the person who extended the invitation. Although you apologized for not being able to attend the function, you did not offer an alternative solution."

Nicholas shrugged. "I didn't know."

"Evidently you didn't, and your lack of knowledge was what Mr. Ho Chin was using to get the others to back out of the deal. He was trying to make it seem that you had intentionally delivered Mr. Ming an insult. He was carrying it a little bit further, too, by claiming you had no knowledge of their culture, and it would not be wise to do business with your company."

"So what did you tell them?" Nicholas asked quietly, trying to absorb it all.

"When I saw what Mr. Ho Chin was trying to do, I simply explained to the other men that you and I had recently gotten engaged, and that you wanted to get back to the States to look for a ring. That way I made them think that love had caused your thoughtlessness, not intentional rudeness."

Nicholas looked at her for the longest time, not saying anything. Paul, he noticed, had covered his mouth to smother his laughter. "Let me get this straight. You told them you and I are engaged? To be married?"

Shayla shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other under Nicholas's intense stare. "Yes. I had no choice. I could have told them you were in a hurry to get to some other woman back in the States, but that would not have soothed them. They had met me and were impressed with my command of their language and customs and culture. They figured that as your future wife, I would make up for what you lack. And when I told them we would change our plans and attend the dinner party, that clinched things and took the wind out of Mr. Ho Chin's sails. Without any other argument, he had to go along with everyone and sign the papers."

"You seem to have understood the situation well," Paul said, clearly impressed.

"I did. Believe it or not, most Asians credit blacks with understanding their culture better than whites, especially in the field of literature. They feel we're quicker to understand and appreciate the value of their writing, and take it more seriously. Howard University has a history of publishing books by Asian-American authors."

Both Nicholas and Paul nodded at what Shayla had told them. After taking it all in, Nicholas couldn't keep from beaming. He was more than happy that the Ling Deal was closed, and was extremely happy that Shayla's ingenious thinking had pushed things through.

"I'm curious as to what they'll think when the two of you don't get married," Paul said, still clearly amused.

Shayla met Paul's grin. "They'll think nothing of it. They're aware that Americans break engagements all the time."

She then turned her attention back to Nicholas. "I hope your remaining in this country for another day won't pose a problem for you, Mr. Chenault-or for your significant other back in the States."