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“So, you really are the guy who wants to buy my father’s company,” she says. “I have researched you, or, well, your company. You have a reputation for aggressive acquisitions.”
Hearing that fills me with pride, and I’m sporting a wide smile as I nod. “Best way to grow, wouldn’t you agree? That’s what you’ve been doing for the past year, too. I’ve been quite impressed by your achievements, Madison.”
I know she won’t be able to resist my charm, and convincing her to sell will be so much easier once she finds herself in my bed, properly fucked, pleased and content in my arms. I will no longer be the asshole who wants to take her company away from her, but instead I’ll be her confidant, a person she trusts with her life—and her business.
The expression on her face tenses. “What do you want with Medinex Solutions? Why are you so keen to make us part of your so-called empire?”
“You’re the best when it comes to prosthesis technology, and I hear you’re planning to adopt a new 3D printing method, soon?”
She really is the best. I don’t even have to beguile her cute little head with lies.
But Madison just rolls her eyes. “Well, yes, if my uncle doesn’t boycott that plan. He doesn’t get it. He thinks that investment is a waste because he doesn’t trust 3D printing. He never even did his own research. He’s just against it because he has prejudices against things he doesn’t understand, things which are new.”
“But the same is not true for you?”
Her brows curl into an angry grimace. “What do you mean?”
“Why are you so against selling?” I ask. “I’m planning a collaboration with the army, to provide soldiers with orthoses for combat injuries. A worthy cause, don’t you think?”
“Oh, yeah, right, because that’s why you’re doing it,” she retorts. “Don’t spin your bullshit here. You just want to expand and grow your own wealth like everybody else.”
“I’m not like everybody else,” I tell her. “You’ll realize that soon enough.”
She actually blushes when I add a coy wink to my words. I can’t believe how well this is going.
“And it’s true that I want to grow, but I can’t do that without you,” I insist. “Yes, this buyout would be profitable for me in the long run, but it would also help to build something truly awesome. I believe in 3D printing just as much as you do.”
“We’re not selling,” she mutters. Her lips are pressed into a thin line when she looks up at me. “I think you should leave.”
She’s tough. Because she has to be. I can tell by the little tremors in her shoulders, how hard this is for her, and how much weight she is carrying, and how much all of this is stressing her out. I’ll have to be careful not to turn into another source of stress in her life.
“I agree,” I say, finally pushing the button for the elevator.
She’s still standing next to me as the doors slide open, her arms crossed in front of her chest and an intense look on her face. Even under the circumstances, I can’t get over how fucking beautiful she is, so strong and determined.
And she’s obviously very smart and capable. She had to be if her father decided to leave the company in her hands, despite her young age.
She is making things a lot more complicated than I had expected.
Luckily, I enjoy a good challenge.
Chapter 9
Madison
I’m still riled up from our conversation, my thoughts tangled in a web of frustration and conflicting emotions. The memory of his confident smile and his piercing gaze lingers in my mind. It’s infuriating that he thinks he can just waltz into my life and my company, acting like he has the right to dictate its fate.
But beyond the anger, there’s something else I’m struggling to admit—the fact that I can’t stop thinking about him. I’ve never been this flustered by a man’s presence. I’ve worked so hard to act practical and level-headed, and allowing myself to be attracted to someone who’s set on buying my father’s company is anything but practical.
He left when I told him he should, but his departure didn’t feel like a final goodbye. That’s fine with me; there’s a twisted part of me that wants to see him again, to unravel the enigma that is Chase. As dangerous as that path may be.
Thank God, he’s not here today. I looked for him when I entered the dojo, as if I wanted him to be here today. Which, of course, I don’t. If anything, I need a break from him.
I’ve been submitting one guy after another, barely giving them a chance to even react to my vicious attacks. I know I should go easier on blue belts like the one I’m grappling with right now, but the thought of having to tame myself just enrages me even more.
“Dammit!” the guy hisses underneath me, his face pressed against the mat, while he manages to tap the floor with his one remaining hand. His other arm is locked in a tight and unforgiving hold in my hands.
We’re both breathing heavily when I let go of him, and he regards me with an annoyed look while climbing back into a seated position.
