AllFreeNovel
Share Us
My eyes feel enormous. ‘I can’t let you do that.’
‘This is purely business,’ he explains quietly. ‘Like any other investment I make. I’ll have lawyers handle the contracts, the payments. I’ll be as hands-off as you want. In fact, you won’t even know I’m there. The money will be real though, and you can start using it immediately to expand your objectives. Isn’t that what you want?’
It’s everything I want and he knows it, but damn it! ‘Why are you doing this?’
‘Because I think you’re sitting on a gold mine and unlike you I am motivated by commercial success.’
Something bristles. He’s reminding me so much of Dad right now, talking to me in a way that has me instantly revolting. I shake my head, turning away from him, my hands pulling my shirt back on quickly—this does not feel like a conversation I want to have while I’m wearing just a bra.
‘Jessica, I know you seem to find the idea of profiting from your initiative distasteful but, like it or not, that’s the situation you’re in. Anyone who buys the app will have those expectations. The difference is, I have no interest in asserting any directional control over the day-to-day operations—or the big-picture operations, for that matter—of what you’re doing. I would leave it to you, completely.’
‘I’m not even going to talk to you about this,’ I say, feeling a sudden burst of inexplicable anger. ‘I feel completely ambushed.’ And I do, but that’s not why I’m so angry. I can’t put my finger on it but dark emotions whirl through me.
‘That wasn’t my intention.’
‘You should have warned me.’
‘Did it really not occur to yo
u that I would be thinking about this?’
‘Of course it didn’t! We’re two people who are having sex. I don’t care that you have all this.’ I gesture around his palatial penthouse. ‘All this goddamned money and power. I just like sleeping with you. I definitely don’t want you feeling like you have to sweep in and come to my rescue, like I can’t make a good decision unless you come to the party and help me.’
‘I don’t think that. How can you hear what I’m saying and extrapolate a lack of faith from it?’ He stalks back into the kitchen and pulls a thick pile of papers from a drawer, then carries it to me. ‘Look at this.’
I flick the first page angrily then pause as I see my company’s name, and corporate information—profits for the last three years are listed, countries of operation, tax details.
The name of a well-known finance firm is printed on the bottom.
‘You had an analysis done?’
‘As would anyone who’s seriously looking to buy.’
He’s right but that doesn’t make this feel any less weird. I push the papers towards him.
‘This is too bizarre. It’s mixing everything up. We’re not about business. And we’re not about anything beyond Christmas. If we’re business partners I’d have to see you again—’
‘And you think we wouldn’t be able to control ourselves?’
‘I didn’t say that.’
‘We’re two adults, aren’t we? Are you really incapable of separating the business from the personal?’
He’s making me feel about an inch tall. He’s making me feel...like my dad does, like Simon does, like every bloody alpha male like him always does. He’s taking my business, my blood, sweat and tears, and taking over completely. And seeing him in the damned Santa tie makes me feel like I want to cry because I came here in such a great mood, I was so looking forward to seeing him, and now I just want to disappear and pretend the last ten minutes never happened.
‘I need to think about this.’ Ice drips from my words.
He expels a breath then smiles. ‘Okay. What would you like to do while you think?’ He wiggles his brows. ‘Because I have some ideas.’
‘No.’ My voice is cutting. His smile drops. ‘I need to think about this alone.’
His own face assumes a mask of businesslike resolve. ‘Did you want to have your wine on the balcony while I organise dinner?’
I’m pretty sure he’s not misunderstanding me. He’s just going to make me say it aloud. ‘I’m going to go back to my place to look at my options.’
His own tone is quiet and calm, non-threatening and reasonable. ‘You don’t even know what I’m offering.’
‘The amount doesn’t matter.’
