AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“No, this is the first time.” I smile. I plan to tilt the earth to make this woman mine. But I can’t tell her. I sink farther into my seat aching to touch her ebony skin.
I see her chewing on the inside of her jaw. I remain quiet. This is a sweet deal. I’m out of my mind to propose it. But I’ll do it to figure out why Harper. She’s beautiful, but there’s something about her.
Then out of nowhere, she says, "What does Business Negotiations 101 have to say about this type of deal?"
I drop my head to hide my smile. “Your goal is to always make the deal work for you. Bad deals pave the road to mediocrity. Fair deals, ones where all parties believe they have won, are the equivalent of finding a pot of gold, Miss Price.”
Are you my reward after all I’ve endured?
She nods. “I’ll talk with my business partners. I’ll call you tomorrow with my decision.”
By nature, I expect the best but plan for the worst and since most people find it hard to deliver unfavorable news face to face. "How about you meet me here at eight?"
Harper stands, tossing a bag over her shoulder. She extends a hand in my direction. I glance over at the calendar. Today is St. Patrick's Day and I'm hoping for a little luck. Don't think I've ever needed it before. My refusal to ever go back to living a life of poverty pads my resolve with enough fuel to outwork my competitors. And my resolve is the only luck I need, in business. But something tells me I’ll need more to stake any claim on Harper.
“Do you believe in luck or fate?”
"I used to. But I've experienced too many broken promises and grand carriages morphing into rotten old pumpkins."
I'm sucked into her kind eyes. Those types of eyes would make her a target. Eyes filled with curiosity and wonder and heat and I want her, in every way a man could want a woman…in my life and in my bed. And this reality shakes me to my core. She'll be a delightful reward.
“I’m sorry to hear that, Harper.” Lucky me, a little voice in my head confirms, and it's a done deal. I close her small hand in mine.
“Do you feel that?” I’m pleased when she nods. The current between us could power Las Vegas. It is unmatched. It’s raw and hot and blue lightning. “Harper, I plan to get to know everything there is to know about you. Deal or not.”
“I’ll see you in the morning.” Harper slips her hand away from mine and turns towards the door.
“You did good tonight, Harper.”
She turns back, her face bright. "Thank you, Liam. Good night."
“I’ll walk you out.” I motion towards the door.
“That’s not necessary.”
“It is, especially if I have a chance at convincing you to help me.”
She chuckles. “Do you ever give up?”
“Not when I want something.” Her eyes betray her as they move from my eyes and settle on my mouth, causing my chest to expand.
“How about we change the subject? Tell me about this roundtable.”
We walk and talk. I tell her about the roundtable at the beginning of the summer and the tasks left to do. The details are essential but her getting used to me is the goal. A man like me takes up space, I'm intense. I'm always on. My world is small, yet vast, it thrives in the details. And I want what I want when I want it. This is something Harper will have to learn about me, and in exchange, I'd gladly give my woman the world.
“This sounds like an ambitious undertaking.”
“It is. But I think it’s what we need to make WEJ known internationally.”
We stop beside her car. "I honestly never gave all of this much thought. I assume you're competing with other private carriers for privacy, exclusivity, and flexibility. And then there's probably pricing with the commercial carriers."
"Yes, there's more, but you're on the right track." I lean against the hood. Her mind is sharp, and we haven't covered the specifics yet.
“Why would your competitors be willing to meet with you?”
"Great question. We can actually help each other. Think of it like a union. We can work together to ensure our rights are heard. There are also a few carriers that we pass business back and forth with as needed."
For a moment we’re both assessing the other. “I’ll let you go. I have a meeting. Thanks again for hearing me out.”
