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A thin gentleman, wiry with dark hair and horn-rimmed glasses, came into the office with his coat over his arm and a black briefcase in his hand. His black suit was impeccable. He came to Eva’s desk and gave her a light smile. “Is Mr. Madison in, please? I’m Gregory Davenport.”
She narrowed her eyes slightly. “Do you have an appointment?” she asked, knowing full well that he didn’t.
“No ma’am. I’m sorry; I don’t. I was his father’s assistant. It’s necessary that I speak with him, if he isn’t too busy.” The man looked honest, and she gave him a warm and welcoming smile.
“Please have a seat, and I’ll check in with him.” The man sat, placing the briefcase between his feet, his hands clasped around the handle, and he cast his eyes downward.
Picking up the phone, Eva spoke quietly into it, telling Derrick who had come to see him. A moment later, she hung up the phone again and looked at him. “You’re welcome to go in, Mr. Davenport.”
He gave her a nod and thanked her before striding through the door into Derrick’s office, and then closing the door behind him.
Derrick rose to his feet and extended his hand. “Gregory, it’s nice to see you. I guess this is a bit of a surprise. What can I do for you?”
Gregory shook his hand and sat down. “Well, I’ve com
e because while your father took excellent care of me after he passed, and I no longer work for the company as an employee, there is a final matter which he set to Mr. Levinson and myself to handle once he was gone. When that task is completed, I will be in full retirement, but until then, there is one last piece of business that I am looking closely after. It has to do with you and with the Van Buren family.”
Derrick nodded. “Yes, I’ve spoken with Franklin. He told me all about my father’s plans for Felicia and me to marry and for the two businesses to become one.” He sighed and frowned slightly, and Greg saw it, his dark eyes watching him like a hawk.
“I see. What exactly did Franklin tell you?” he asked pointedly.
Derrick shrugged. “Pretty much just what I’ve said. He told me that the two of them had been planning to combine our businesses, our estates, and our families for most if not all of our lives, and that it was what my father wanted more than anything, to have me marry Felicia and join it all together.”
Gregory nodded. “Very well.”
With a slightly lowered brow, Derrick leaned forward and looked closely at Gregory. “Is that what you know?”
Gregory pursed his lips and gave his head a subtle shake. “I am not here to tell you what I know; I’m here to find out what you want to do. Your decision determines my work. What is it that you are going to do about that situation?”
Leaning back in his chair, Derrick folded his hands into his lap and gazed back at Gregory. “Well, after Franklin spoke to me and gave me my mother’s wedding ring to give to Felicia, I went to see Felicia, and I asked her to marry me. She said yes. So, I guess we’re officially engaged, and that’s as far as it’s gotten.”
“Is that what you want to do?” Gregory asked, his eyes locked on Derrick.
“It’s what my father wanted, and I want to do what my father wanted me to do. I don’t feel that I can let him down,” Derrick replied quietly.
The corner of Gregory’s mouth twitched and turned down slightly. “Very well,” he said again. Derrick could see that there was a lot more going on in the man’s head than he was saying.
“What is it that you know? Won’t you please tell me?” Derrick asked, leaning forward again.
Gregory looked away from him for a moment. “All I will tell you is that my work is incomplete, and it will remain so until your decision is final. It is up to you to choose what you want to do.” He hesitated, and then he added, “I’ll say this as well, Derrick. Your father was very good to me, and it is my honor and privilege to take care of this last task for him. I am dedicated to seeing it through the way that he wanted me to handle it. I am as glad to serve you and assist you as I was to work for him. I’m here to help you with anything that you need, if you ever need my help. So is Levinson.”
Derrick thought of their family attorney. “I haven’t really seen much of Levinson since the funeral.”
“And you won’t, at least not until he is needed. We’ll be keeping close tabs on you, so please let me know how things are going, and how the wedding is progressing. It’s important to keep me in the loop on that. Have you set a date for the ceremony?” he asked, looking as if he didn’t like asking it.
“No, there is no date set yet. We only just got engaged. I imagine that Franklin will want it to happen soon. He seems to be looking forward to it quite a bit,” Derrick said, waving his hand dismissively.
“Yes, I’m sure he is,” Gregory said, turning his head away. “Well, please let me know as soon as everything is settled, and it’s important that you let me know when the wedding happens.” With that, he stood up and extended his hand to Derrick again.
“Until then, it has been a pleasure meeting with you. Thank you for your time, Derrick. It’s good to see you again. My best to you.” He looked as if he meant it, and Derrick felt glad that he had come in. It was healing for him to see someone who had worked so closely with his father.
Gregory left, and a little while later, Eva walked into Derrick’s office with a file, which she handed to him. “This is from the Forsythe’s,” she said with a smile. “You’re going to need it for your meeting with them later today.”
He was looking exceptionally sexy that day, she thought to herself, with his jacket hanging up behind him, sitting in his chair with his button-up shirt and a silk tie and silk vest on. It did nothing to hide the muscular physique beneath the material, and she was appreciative of it while trying not to be obvious about looking at him.
He raised his eyes from the screen of his laptop, and she watched with warming cheeks as his gaze stopped at her ankles and slowly rose up her figure to her eyes. She could see that he hadn’t intended to take her all in that way, as his attention had been focused on his work and he had only meant to look over at her, but there was also no hiding the fact that when he did look at her, nothing else was on his mind but her standing before him as she was.
She loved the way that it felt, seeing him staring at her body the way that he did. She had dressed for him, as she did every day, and it was a payoff in satisfaction that she could see him appreciate it. Warmth began to spread through her belly and her heart as he finally took in her eyes and her mouth.
