Reyona just wanted to get the meeting with the client over with so she could start her day as planned.
"It must be something very important if he was willing to wait despite no assurance that he would see me," she thought as she awaited him.
A slight knock preceded Charlotte's entrance. "He is here, ma."
"Oh, alright," she said as she turned from the window. "Come in, s... you?" she asked in surprise as she saw the man behind her secretary. His hateful smile was creeping its way onto his face already.
He stepped forward confidently and took her free hand in a firm handshake "It is a pleasure meeting you again, CPA Lanoth," he said professionally, the earlier smile gone from his face.
The bitter taste of the coffee got even more bitter in Reyona's mouth when she saw the slight raising of his brow with his back to Charlotte, who was looking at the two of them in confusion. She realised that even while seeming professional, he was silently daring her to act like the professional that she was.
The bastard deliberately used her official title.
She looked down to see that he still had her hand clasped between both of his. Was that her imagination, or was he rubbing slightly over... She snatched her hand away from his as dignified as possible. She turned to Charlotte.
"He is Mr. Rohan? The one who had been waiting for me?" She asked, and the latter nodded.
"Is there a problem, ma?" Charlotte asked
"No, it is fine," Reyona said dismissively. "Here, she handed over her half-drunk brew to Charlotte. "Get rid of that."
"Yes, ma," Charlotte said before inclining her head slightly towards the man who stood with an amused look on his face that had Charlotte wondering if she had made a terrible mistake. "Should I make..."
"No," Reyona said decisively, and she refused to be affected by the snicker she heard from behind her. She knew he was the one trying to cover his laughter. She did not care. This was her turf, and she would be damned if some Italian-suit-wearing rogue would come into it to make her feel small.
"Mr. Rohan will be leaving soon, so that won't be necessary at all," she said to Charlotte.
The latter knew that something did not add up about the man who was already moving around the office as if he were trying to memorise the details of the decor.
She nodded at her boss "I will be right outside, ma," she said.
Reyona smiled. "I will call you if you are needed. Thank you, Charlotte, she said, and the latter left.
"If that was not a show of loyalty, I don't know what else to call it," Maxwell said as he turned to her. "What did she think I was going to do anyway? Have my way with you in your office. As tempting as that might sound, I wouldn't do that... unless you want me to, of course," he added.
Reyona felt her insides go tight from his statements. Annoyance filled her system at his arrogance, and she was befuddled by the uncharacteristic warmth that suffused her system as well.
"I wouldn't give him satisfaction," she thought to herself as she saw the twinkle in his eyes that made her know that he deliberately wanted to get a rise out of her. She forwent the meeting space reserved for customers and returned to sit behind her desk. She was not about to be forced into going over the decor of her office, as he was doing at the moment, like a vigilante. She did not care if he approved or not. She would just wait for him to...
"As much as I appreciate your interest in the aesthetics of my office, sir,. I do not have all the time in the world. What are you doing here?" She snapped at him.
"Tut tut tut," he said as she turned back to her with that roguish smile that kept her insides in place. "That is no way to talk to a client, CEO Lanoth, don't you think so? I think I have heard great things about this company too. I guess none of those reviewers had ever had to deal directly with the owner," he said in contemplation.
"Just treat him as you would an unreasonable client," she thought firmly to herself before pasting a smile on her face. "Kindly come and have your seat, Mr. Rohan. I am delighted to have you here today. I would appreciate it if you could help minimize your stay here; please, I have other things to do."
Maxwell laughed out loud "Insincere, but I will take that," he said as he came to sit in front of her. Reyona ignored the way his eyes travelled over her. She couldn't ignore the heat that seemed to chase after the path that his eyes took, and she wondered if she was coming down with fever, as she suddenly felt feverish when the mint and spice smell of his cologne wafted to her nose.
"You are welcome to ReyDexter."
"You don't have to use the sales exec pitch tone with me, Reyona. I know just how capable you are."
"It is Mrs. Lanoth to you," she said sternly as she raised her wedding band to light. "I am sure this is visible enough, sir. You calling me by my name is neither professional nor did it say anything about how I may help you," she said sternly, deciding not to worry about how he had learned about the name. The internet could, after all, turn what was supposed to be private into public property.
"Yeah, it is clear enough," he said with a contemplative look. He leaned back against his chair. "Just how binding is it, though?"
Reyona couldn't believe the nerve of this man. Did he mean what she thought he meant? The audacity made her speechless for a while before she swallowed the hot words that wanted to spew out of her and right onto his spiffy, Italian suit that fitted like sea cond skin and made it almost impossible not to notice his lean, fit build.
She stood up from her chair when he only continued to give her a steady look with a small taunting smile at the corner of his mouth. "I am afraid that you will have to leave, Mr. Rohan. We love to indulge our customers, but not when they have nothing to do. I am sure we can't help.
He cleared his throat. "I have something I need taken care of," he said lazily, and Reyona had to draw on all her patience so as not to snap at him and get on with it.
"I am here because of my sister."