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“Certainly looks that way,” she murmurs, without looking at me.
I can’t stop thinking about what her uncle mentioned during our last phone call. He made it clear that Madison was more than just the typical heiress. She’s the one responsible for the company’s innovations, the future-minded thinking that’s driving it forward. I’m more impressed by her the more I learn about her.
“Then why are you here?” she probes, an eyebrow raised at me. “Doesn’t look like you’ll be joining us for class.”
“No, I’m just leaving,” I say. “I told you about my interest in private lessons with Raymond. We just had our first one.”
She doesn’t respond to that, but just looks at me, piercing me with a cautiously expectant look on her face.
“I’ve been reading a bit more about Medinex Solutions. Looks like you’re quite the force behind all those innovations,” I say. “You’re definitely more than just a pretty face.”
She raises an eyebrow, a mixture of surprise and skepticism in her gaze.
“Is that supposed to be a compliment?” she asks.
“I’m just being honest, Madison. Forward-thinking is something I can get behind. It’s exactly what makes your business so competitive.”
“Try telling my uncle that,” she laments. “And stop calling me by my name, I know what you’re trying to do.”
“Is that so?” I ask, and she takes a visceral step back when I come closer. “What do you think I’m trying to do?”
Her cheeks darken, and I notice her knuckles turning white, as her grip on the strap of her bag tightens. Then she sighs, and for a moment, the walls seem to drop between us. There’s a genuine curiosity in her eyes, a glimpse of something beyond the tough exterior she wears like armor.
“If you think you can charm your way into this buyout, you’re gravely mistaken, Mr. Keaton,” she says—and the way her voice carries my name gets to me in a way I did not see coming.
This girl is fucking trouble, I knew it. I can’t keep my head straight when I’m faced with her.
She doesn’t retreat this time when I get even closer to her, minimizing the distance between us until my face is so close to hers that our lips almost touch. Her breathing turns erratic, and I can sense her delicious fight for composure.
“Why do you think that’s what I’m trying to do here?” I say in an ominous whisper. “Business is business. I’m just exploring new opportunities. And trust me, I know when I find a good one.”
She studies me for a moment, seemingly assessing the sincerity of my words. I can almost feel the wheels turning in her mind as she processes this information, while I slowly withdraw from her.
“You’re not going to let this go, are you?”
“No, I’m not.”
“Did you talk to my uncle again?”
I hesitate, then admit, “Yes, I did.”
Her eyes widen, as she sucks in a sharp breath of air, but before she gets to explode on me, I add, “But only to let him know that I’m not going further with this without including you, the CEO. In everything. I agree that what he did was wrong, and—quite frankly—unprofessional.”
“Yes, it was. And you should know that he’s not the one who has the last word in this.”
“I’m aware of that now,” I tell her. “I wasn’t aware of a lot of things coming into this, but I am now.”
I know I’m not going to convince Madison by upping my offer or anything like that. Money is not what she’s after. Which is why I have to gain her trust in other ways. And after what her uncle told me about her, I now have a pretty good idea of what my next step should be.
She will look at me through different eyes when my plan is enacted. I’ll no longer be the evil asshole trying to take her father’s legacy away from her. She will be at my feet, just like every other woman who piqued my interest in the past, and soon enough, her affection for me will cloud her mind and impact her decision-making in my favor.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” she wants to know, a deep line separating her brows.
“You’ll see,” I retort, already taking a few steps away from her. “I think you have a class to get to.”
I wave her goodbye, relishing the flustered look that spreads across her pretty face, as she watches me walk away.
Chapter 13
