Chapter 20: Chapter Twenty

“You came.”

Kennedi turned. “Alan, hi.” She’d been watching through Rasika’s glass double doors for him to arrive. Instead, he came in from the direction of the dining area. “You sound surprised.”

“I thought you might have been deterred from coming.”

Dissuaded by Trenton was what she was sure he’d meant. Taking a glance at her watch, she saw it was closing in on twelve twenty-one. “I didn’t know you were already here. I checked with the hostess for your name on the reservation, but she didn’t have it listed.”

“There was a slight mix-up. No worries. I have a table.” With his hand on the small of her back, he guided her to a table and pulled out the chair.

Taking a seat, she hung her handbag on the corner, then turned around to find his gaze pinned on her, admiringly in a way, and yet a hint of something else she couldn’t quite name rigid in the depths of his eyes. “Have you been here before?” She looked around the crowded restaurant to break the intensity of his gaze. “The food is really good.”

“I tend to stick to reliable steak and potatoes.”

“You don’t like Indian food? You should’ve told me. We can go somewhere else. Let’s find another restaurant.”

She started to rise, but he reached across and took hold of her hand, stalling her ascent. “It’s fine, Kennedi, really. I wanted time in your company. It doesn’t matter where.”

She settled back in her seat, though he didn’t release her hand right away. He even threaded their fingers as if they were longtime companions.

The waiter approached the table, prepared to take their orders.

“I’ll choose a dish for you.” It allowed her to free their linked hands.

Fashioning a grin, he inclined his head, his expression noticeably less frigid. She’d even say warm.

Familiar with the fare, she only glanced at the menu. “He’ll have Hyderabadi lamb bryan with basmati rice. I’ll have the mango shrimp with a side of mango chutney.” The waiter jotted the order and retreated. “You’ll like the lamb. It has a savory honey flavor.”

“What I like is a woman who takes charge and knows what she wants.” He planted his elbows on the table, hands clasped, his blue eyes probing deep. “Your beauty aside, I see why Shaw wanted me to stay away. He found a gem and doesn’t want to part with it.” A flash of harsh grooves slit his forehead, and his lips thinned. “He came to my office yesterday full of puff and demands. Trenton Shaw thinks the world taps to his drum, and the rest of us are expected to fall in line behind him.”

“You’re wrong about him,” Kennedi rushed out in defense. Well, Trenton could be controlling at times, and they might have their issues, but he was like no other man she’d ever met. She recalled the long list of Trenton’s charitable acts London Price had reeled off the other night and the fact that he didn’t have to bail her father’s company out of its financial mess—as well as her store. Yet he had. He deserved respect.

Just this morning, the balloon loan paid-in-full confirmation notice popped up in her email. And never did he boast about those acts of genuine altruism. No fanfare. But she could see Alan held a blatant disdain for Trenton.

“If that’s how you see him, then you don’t know him at all.”

“I know enough,” he muttered around a sip of his water.

Her furrowed brow mirrored his. Wow, talk about misguided contempt. “Well, you’re dead wrong.”

The hard angles in his jaw softened as he reached across the table and took her hands in his again. “Let me apologize. There’s some bad blood between Shaw and me, but it was rude to say those things about him to you.”

You think? She didn’t disagree.

Their food arrived. The rest of the conversation, thankfully, was free of Trenton bashing. Instead, they ate amid comfortable small talk.

“How’s the lamb?” she asked when the table became a touch too silent.

He gave a slight grin. “It’s surprisingly good.”

“I knew you’d enjoy it.”

“And you were right.”

More quiet. For the most part, when he wasn’t speaking about Trenton their conversation centered around nothing of real interest. She found herself smiling and nodding where appropriate so as not to show boredom when he went on and on about how he swam thirty laps every day to maintain muscle flexibility, and about some sort of home remodeling project. It took Herculean restraint not to glance at her watch.

Hmm, steel-blue eyes versus simple blue eyes? His are nice, but Trenton’s eyes are a mix of a perfect summer sky with swirls of storm clouds, exquisite whirlpools that tend to consume me. His lips are the softest I’ve ever kissed. And oh mercy, the sex—

“Kennedi?”

She blinked, drawn back to the table. “Sorry, what was that?”

“I said, would you like dessert?”

“No, thanks. I really should be getting back to work. Between running the office and my store, I’m swamped.”

“I understand.” He beckoned for the waiter and took care of the check.

Standing at her car, she offered him a friendly hug and felt the slow slide of his hand up her spine, the heat of his palm an unwanted intimacy. She fought not to flinch away from his touch and eased back. “Thanks for lunch.”

Taking her hand, he pressed warm lips to the back of it then held on, his thumb stroking her knuckles. “I hope I didn’t ruin my chances with you by mentioning Shaw. Maybe we could do dinner next time.”

Her attention jumped to the man exiting the driver’s seat of Alan’s car parked at the curb. He circled to the passenger side rear door, pulled it open, then stood erect, his stare at her eerily cold, never blinking.

“Would you have time later this week to meet?” Alan asked, drawing her gaze back to him.

“I’m afraid not. I’m working long days at the office with Trenton on a project, and I’m at my store late into the evenings.”

“Given Shaw’s behavior yesterday, is it safe to say that there’s more than business between you two?”

“It’s complicated.” Her feelings for Trenton were wrapped in complex emotions, and being out with Alan, in some weird, twisted and confused way, it felt as though she was betraying those feelings.

She’d used Alan to make Trenton jealous and felt terrible about it. The poor man carried envy on his shoulders by the bucketful.

“Given your history with Trenton and my business involvement with him as well, I shouldn’t have agreed for us to meet. I’m sorry.”

“I see.” A sudden coldness about the eyes roughened his clean-cut good looks. “It would seem Shaw spoke truthfully for once when he said he runs the show. That throne of his sits pretty high. Seldom does he climb down from it. Trust me when I say, he’ll take everything and leave nothing after the dust settles. I’d take caution if I were you.”

She blinked. His comment had been meant to pit her against Trenton, and it almost worked. “Your advice is unwarranted but thank you. As I said, given the circumstances with you and him, Chase Investments won’t be entering into any sort of business arrangement with Lange Industries.”

“Shaw’s a lucky man. One day his luck will run out.”

He’d smiled through those words, but it didn’t camouflage the deep-seated animosity he held, nor the fact that he’d only asked her out to best Trenton. She felt no scorn on her part; she’d in a way committed a similar offense against him.

Signaling her time to depart, she slipped behind the wheel. “Hope you have a good day.”

“You as well, Kennedi.”

Damn you, Trenton Shaw, for being right. Surely, he’d never let her live it down, which was why she’d never let him know it.

Kennedi entered Chase Investments to phones ringing that were answered within quick snaps as she went unnoticed on her stride to the executive suite. She stumbled, eyelids fluttering at what she saw on the other side of the glass: Hollie sat at a small desk, one that hadn’t been there before, outside Richard’s vacant office. Men and women whom she didn’t recognize strode about, talking on cell phones, and several huddled in small groups holding concentrated conversations.

She stepped over to Audrey who looked up from her desk as she spoke a few pleasantries into what appeared to be a new phone headset. Large eyes bright and cheerful, she tapped a button at her ear and came to her feet.

“Audrey, what is all of this?”

“Mr. Shaw has done some reorganization. Isn’t it great?” she praised as she waved a hand out at the horde of people. “Richard had things all screwed up. Three candidates have been interviewed for his position already today. Number four is in Mr. Shaw’s office now getting grilled.”

Kennedi gasped. “He’s been holding interviews?” And the new title Mr. Shaw’s office wasn’t lost on her.

“Yes, candidates have been coming and going since nine this morning.” Audrey glanced over at Hollie, and both she and Kennedi received a smile and a small wave in return as Hollie continued on her call through her headset. “Isn’t she nice? I really like her. She brought in these nifty headsets that Mr. Shaw requested. Now I’m hands free up to twenty-five feet,” Audrey remarked happily and looked around. “His people are here to help get the company back on its feet just as he said he would in the staff meeting.” She leaned in, whispering, “Gotta like a boss who keeps his word. Not too many CEOs like that out there.”

“Acting CEO,” Kennedi gritted, anger boiling the blood in her veins.

That throne of his sits pretty high. Alan’s words rattled in her head as she stalked to her father’s office and entered to find Trenton seated behind the desk. And damn it, that bright white smile of his conveyed a look of genuine glee to see her. Once again, she didn’t return the sentiment. Her attention shifted to the impeccably dressed African American man seated before the desk, then to Dominic in the chair beside him.

At the close of the door, the men came to their feet as she approached and placed her purse into the drawer, then circled back over and came in between the chairs. She didn’t look at Trenton, unable to without wanting to punch him in the throat. “Sorry I’m late.”

“Miss Chase, this is Elijah Davis. He’s applying for the managing director position,” Trenton said.

She shook Elijah’s hand. “Nice to meet you. Have you been in the role before?” Trenton handed her Elijah’s résumé, and it took everything within her not to snatch it from his outstretched hand. As she looked it over, her head sprang up. “You’re currently the managing director at Shaw Enterprise?” She slashed a perplexed look finally at Trenton, then back at Elijah.

“Yes, I currently manage Shaw Enterprise’s Midwest division out of Chicago, but I’m looking to move back to the East Coast. My wife and I are originally from D.C. When the notice went out in the company’s intranet that there was an opening out here, I considered applying. Dominic was aware I wanted to head back east and suggested that I come out and talk with him and Trenton.”

“I’d hate to lose Elijah on my team. The Midwest division has flourished under his leadership, but I understand.” Trenton rounded the desk and stood among them. “Elijah, thanks for coming out. Are you headed back to Chicago?”

“My wife and I decided to take the week to spend with family.”

Trenton nodded. “Work-life balance is very important.”

“Yes, it’s one of the many things I admire about Shaw Enterprise.”

“Chase Investments promotes work-life balance as well,” Kennedi supplied, feeling the need to say something to show she held some form of control.

Elijah nodded. “Trenton explained that the policies of his company have been incorporated here. That was great to hear. We have a special-needs daughter, you see, so it’s very important.”

Kennedi allowed a light smile past her simmering vein of anger. “Elijah, it was nice meeting you.”

“You as well, Miss Chase.” He left the room.

The moment the door closed, she headed to the adjoining bathroom on the other side of the room, needing a minute to cool her raging temper. Trenton was quick on her heels. “Don’t follow me unless you don’t enjoy breathing,” she snarled through tightly clenched teeth.

“It’s not my fault you chose not to be here to handle your business.”

She spun around fast, almost stumbling, and glanced over at Dominic seated on the front edge of the desk, arms folded across his suited chest, before glaring up into the infuriatingly composed face in front of her. “If you think your brother being here will stop me from calling you an ass, you’d be extremely mistaken.”

“Oh, trust me, I’ve learned that there’s only one way to stifle that tongue of yours.”

She heard Dominic’s low snicker. It only heightened her fury. “You did this out of spite…in your sick, controlling way to punish me for meeting with Alan. You bring in all of your people. You even interview your staff for positions at my company. What’s next? Am I going to walk in here and see the name Chase scraped off the glass door and Shaw in its place? Alan said you’d take everything and leave nothing after the dust settles. Was he right? It’s starting to look that way.”

A vein drilled along Trenton’s tight, square jaw. “He’s mistaken, and your anger is misplaced.”

“Oh, is it? You say I’m president and you’re only acting CEO, that we’re partners sharing the management responsibilities. Yet you undermine me at every turn.” Her voice lifted and she stepped close, standing at the very tip of her anger. “You’re not even supposed to be here this afternoon. You claimed you had meetings at your company today. There was no need to hold interviews at this particular time, and you know it,” she raged.

“I interviewed three people this morning who were not from my company. You’d know that had you been here. And I told you we have to fill the managing director position sooner than later, but you felt your date with Lange today was more important!” he barked back. “My purpose here is as I stated from the start—to get your company on solid footing and to see a profit while doing so. I have my people here to see to that happening. If your priorities are elsewhere, that’s on you.”

“I’m closing up my store, if you’ve forgotten…all because of you, I might add. I had work to do there this morning. Then I went to my lunch appointment with Alan for an hour and a half at most.”

“Nice dress.” His gaze dipped and lingered on the vee that offered a slight peek of cleavage. A hint of a frown surfaced on his otherwise smooth brow. “I’m sure Lange appreciated it.”

She lifted her chin on a rough huff. “Actually, he did. He asked me out to dinner.” Deep crinkles dented between those dark eyebrows as he came in close, so damn close she had to angle her head to meet his narrowed stare.

“You could’ve canceled. I told you we wouldn’t be doing business with Lange. Full stop,” he gritted. “There wasn’t a need to meet.”

Her glare tightened right back at him. “Cancel? You would’ve liked that, wouldn’t you? Beat him at his game.”

Dominic cleared his throat with loud exaggeration. “You two need to find a private suite somewhere for a couple of days to work off all of this pent-up, misdirected aggression.” Chuckling, he came to his feet and gestured over at the couch before sliding his hands into the front pockets of his slacks. “Over there looks comfy enough. I’ll vacate and lock the door to give you the room.” He started across the floor.

“No, don’t bother. I’m leaving.” Kennedi marched to the desk and grabbed her purse.

“Kennedi, you’ll stay right here,” Trenton demanded. “We have work to do. Our conference call with the investors is a week away and you’re nowhere near prepared.”

“What I need is time away from you! You don’t control what I do or who I choose to see.” She turned and walked out.

“You see what I’m dealing with here? This is the thanks I get for trying to turn this fucking company of hers around. Dom, you were right. I should’ve let the shit fold. Then where would she be?” Trenton stalked back over and dropped down in the chair behind the desk. “Her employees still have jobs because of me. But did you hear a thank-you? No.” He glowered. “She’s more interested in rubbing up with Lange than seeing to the needs of her company, but it’s my fault she missed the interviews.”

“Dude, come on. You know she was partially right.” Dominic took a seat on the couch. Relaxing back, fingers linked behind his head, he brought his feet up on the table in front of him. “You knew she’d be absent from the interviews because of her meeting with Lange. Hell, you insisted I have the candidates come in today. Bro, get real with yourself here.”

“I made clear to her we wouldn’t be doing business with that man. There was no need to meet.”

“Unless she’s interested in him beyond a business arrangement.”

Trenton scowled and snatched the stack of résumés from the desk. “Women. This is why I’m better off steering clear of every last one of them. They don’t appreciate a damn thing you do for them.” He looked at his brother. “That info William provided on Lange is legit, correct? There is absolutely no possibility it could be disputed?”

“It’s legit. Lange’s in deep with Vasilyev. You know William does his homework. What do you want to do?” Dominic sprang out of his relaxed pose and leaned forward, elbows on his knees, blue eyes eager. “After what he said to Kennedi about you, I say drown that motherfucker.”

Trenton most certainly would do just that.