Vengeful in Love

The silver gray of his eyes sparkled in the candle glow as he looked at her, like lightning reflected on diamonds, and their beauty caught her by surprise, made her mute. She felt herself flushing again and was grateful for the dim light inside the restaurant.

He placed his forearms on the table and rested some of his weight on them, the movement bringing his large shoulders in close. “So… Ready to bombard me with documents and PowerPoint presentations?”

“Well, now that you mention it, I do have some printouts for you in my bag. I also sent you a soft copy.” She reached down, glad for the distraction. Why did he make her so nervous and flustered and excited all at the same time? She’d had her share of handsome, sophisticated dates. The boarding schools she’d attended were full of the scions of wealthy and influential families, many of them European aristocrats. And the Halls circulated among the crème de la crème of society. It came with the family history of producing governors, senators, and diplomats.

“Work can wait.” He waited until she had sat up again, her hands empty, before he said, “I’m really hungry.”

The way his eyes darkened as he spoke made her mouth dry. She’d better snap out of it soon before she did something stupid. He was talking about food.

“Let’s start with some wine,” he said. “Is there anything in particular you’d like?”

Shaking her head, she gave him a bright smile. “I’ll leave the selection up to you.”

Alex didn’t bother to consult the wine list. He raised a finger, and a waiter materialized at their table. Alex murmured his choice. The waiter disappeared just as discreetly as he’d appeared. When he returned with a bottle of Perrier-Jouët, she gave Alex a questioning look. He answered it with a mysterious smile and waited until the champagne was uncorked and poured.

“To your promotion,” Alex said, raising his flute.

Natalie blinked. “I’m sorry?”

“Someone has to replace Vivien, and I’ve decided you’re the best candidate. Congratulations.”

She automatically clinked her flute with his and took a sip. The cool bubbly vintage slid smoothly down her throat and warmed her.

Placing her glass on the table, she debated how she should feel about this unexpected turn of events. Part of her was thrilled, but another part was cautious at the unorthodox way Alex had given her added responsibilities. Every DDE employee was formally evaluated in July and promoted—if there was a promotion—in September. Her coworkers might see the way Alex looked at her and draw erroneous conclusions.

And there was the disconcerting matter of her reaction to him. His effect on her was far more potent than the champagne, and she was fairly sure people around them could tell she wasn’t immune to him, which would further fuel the gossip.

Alex smiled. “I drop in on various divisions and streamline their operations every so often. A sudden shift in resources isn’t that unusual, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

Natalie added perceptive to the list of qualities she was discovering about him.

“So, would you like to talk to me about your expectations?” she asked.

“No. That’ll be Ethan’s job.”

She frowned. “Ethan?”

“The executive from the London office. He’ll be replacing Ralph.”

“Oh.” She wondered where this was heading. Was this a congratulatory dinner? If so, wouldn’t it have been more appropriate to wait until after her new boss’s arrival?

“I don’t think I’ve ever worked for a British man before,” she said.

“Actually, he’s American. I sent him to London to familiarize himself with our European operations and also to help straighten out some problems we were having there.”

“Sounds like you trust him quite a bit.”

“I do. He’s a good man, and I think you’ll like working for him.” Alex took another drink of champagne, the corded architecture of his neck clearly visible above his collar and tie as he tilted the glass back.

She fidgeted idly with the flute stem, putting it between her thumb and index finger and moving her hand up and down the cool, smooth length of the elegant column. His gaze dropped to follow the movement, the eyelids lowering. She could sense something change in him, an elemental need surging up from somewhere underneath the polite layers of civilization, and it made her acutely aware of her femininity. The air in the restaurant seemed to grow hotter and thicker. How could a man she’d known for less than a day have such a powerful effect on her?

Thankfully, their waiter reappeared and shattered the hypnotic spell. They both ordered steak and a few side dishes, but while she had a small filet mignon, he ordered the largest slab of beef on the menu, an enormous porterhouse.

“I want it so rare it moos on the plate,” he said, and the waiter nodded.

When the waiter vanished, Alex turned his full attention back to her. “So tell me… How did a woman like you end up with a name like Hall?” There was a slight emphasis on the you and the Hall that might have been offensive, but he was smiling easily. His eyes went to her ring finger. “You aren’t married.”

Her personal life was one thing she didn’t want to discuss with anyone, especially the CEO of her company. Most especially one who somehow was making her think of tangled sheets. But how could she not answer without appearing rude?