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“It’s my favorite department,” he added, pressing the elevator button for the fourteenth floor. “But don’t tell anyone. I tell them all they’re my favorite.”
She smiled behind her fingers, her eyes lighting up. He longed to take her hand and interlace his fingers with hers, but he maintained his composure and stood silently beside her as the elevator lowered. Finally, with a ding, the doors opened and the scent of coffee hit them like a tidal wave. A techno version of some classical song played loudly from one of the offices and cheers echoed down the hall. Emily glanced up at him in shock, her pink lips parting slightly. It was such a change from the rest of the floors.
“Yeah, I know.” He raked a hand through his hair and grinned. “Try as we might, we can’t keep them contained. It’s like a zoo down here.”
He led her down the hall into the open conference room where several team members stood, analyzing graphs displayed on a giant TV screen. They clapped all at once and cheered, as if they were a basketball team getting ready to run onto the court. Then, the meeting dissolved and they filed out of the conference room and back to their offices, smiling as if they’d each just won the lottery.
“Mikey, my man,” Smithy called, wheeling toward him. He held up a fist and Michael bumped it with his own. “Things are looking up, up, up. Dude, we couldn’t be more blessed.”
“Emily Sevenson, I’d like to properly introduce Kevin Smith,” Michael said with a smile, placing a hand on her lower back. His skin sizzled from the brief contact. “He’s the brainiac behind the Spark app. Everything you see here is because of him. I’m just the checkbook.”
“Call me Smithy,” he replied, holding out a hand to her. “Sorry about the way we met last time. I should’ve kept my mouth shut. But according to my mother, I was brought into this world without the ability to be silent for one single moment. The poor lady has the gray hair to prove it. Please forgive me.”
Emily shook his hand and smiled nervously, biting her lower lip. “Nothing to be sorry about. I should apologize for the way I jumped down your throat.”
Smithy waved a dismissive hand. “Bygones. And besides, we owe a lot of this success to you. Spark wouldn’t be the app that it is today without your family’s legacy. Here, let me show you.”
He wheeled toward the TV and grabbed a tablet from the wall. With the click of a few buttons, he pulled up a line chart that shot dramatically upward.
“See, these are our quarterly projections. Spark is taking over the market. We expect that by Christmas, one in three smart phones will have it installed. It’s only a matter of time before everyone fills out an application. We’ve harnessed the power of curiosity by allowing people to sign up and fill out their information for free. Then, we show them their matches. Once they sign up, they can contact them. It’s been an effective sales tool.”
Smithy went further into detail as Emily stared at slide after slide of graphs and charts. Michael couldn’t help but allow his gaze to settle on her, reveling in the small signs of amazement on her face. Smithy had blown her away, just as Michael expected. Maybe, after this, he could convince her to take the check back. It was rightfully hers. Every cent.
He’d personally mailed it, without a return address or a note. He knew that she’d never accept it with an apology attached. At the time, he thought she’d simply cash it and that would be the end. He never dreamed it would cause that stunning woman to march into his office only days later. If he’d known that, he would’ve sent it ages ago.
“So, you see, we’re doing quite well,” Smithy said, finally placing the tablet back in its holder on the wall.
“More than quite well,” Michael added with a smile. “You’re blowing it out of the water. And that’s thanks to you, Emily. It really is.”
She parted her lips slightly and gazed up at him, her cheeks tinged with pink. He searched her face, hoping for a sign that she had changed her mind. That the idea of Linex Investments wasn’t so repelling to her anymore.
“Michael, we need to talk.”
He swallowed when he heard that familiar low voice, the hairs on the back of his neck standing straight up. Turning toward the conference room door, his eyes took in the sight of his father studying them, his face impassive. He wore an elegant black suit and a pair of Alexander McQueen’s banded leather loafers. Holding his wrist up, he glanced pointedly down at his Rolex and raised his eyebrow.
“Of course,” Michael replied in a low voice. “But first, I’d like you to meet Emily Sevenson.” Once again, he placed a hand on her lower back, if only to shield her from the cold northern wind that had swept into the building. “Emily, this is my father, Henry Knight.”
Henry nodded curtly. “Ms. Sevenson. Now, if you’ll please, I need to speak to my son.”
Michael clenched his jaw, recognizing that tone of voice.
This wasn’t good.
Chapter Thirteen
“Smithy, would you mind showing Emily to your office?” Michael asked, gritting his teeth.
The conference room had gone suddenly cold and he couldn’t help but notice the sudden absence of music thumping down the hall. It was as if the entire floor had withdrawn into their fox dens, waiting for the threat to pass.
“Sure thing.” Smithy eyed Henry Knight standing in the doorway and then offered his arm to her. “Shall we, my lady?”
“Michael...” Emily squeezed his arm and looked up at him, concern washing over her face.
His heart melted at the sight. She must have retained some feelings for him, despite how badly he’d messed up. Here she was, concerned about him after he’d practically committed espionage. He really didn’t deserve a woman like her.
“I’ll come find you when I’m done,” he said, trying to comfort her with a small smile. “Hopefully, before Smithy convinces you to take a ride in his new van. I’m really not sure who approved his driver’s license.”
Smithy huffed as Emily smiled and took his arm, allowing him to wheel her toward the door, past Michael’s father. With one final look over her shoulder, she disappeared into the hallway.
