Love me if you dare Read online

  “So, are you going to make we wait until after we’ve eaten?”

  “I am sorry, Charles. I never intended for you to find out about it like this. I wanted to talk to you as soon as I arrived, but with all the preparations and negotiations with Crayon … it was more important.”

  He sighed and rubbed his eyes tiredly. “From what Forrester said, it sounded as if you and he … are you getting married?”

  “No! He was just being his frustrating, obnoxious self! It’s my dad’s testament. He gave me forty percent of the company shares, my mom five and the balance of fifteen percent to Nicolas. He already owns forty percent. There was a condition. I ha …” She swallowed hard.

  Charles took her hand resting on the table in his and squeezed it gently. “Go on.”

  “I have to be an operational Director in the company and accept the shares. If I don’t, all the shares in his estate, sixty percent will be opened on the stock exchange and the company will be lost to us.”

  “What about Forrester? I read up on him. He has more than enough equity to buy the rest of the shares?”

  “That was the other part of the condition. He is not allowed to buy them. According to my uncle, all the shares will be lost to my father’s biggest enemy. I … I cannot allow that to happen. No matter how much I hate that he is ruling my life from his grave!”

  “But this is ridiculous! I am sure you would be able to fight this in court! Conditions such as those can’t be legal?”

  “I agree, but I also know Nicolas. He would oppose any application I made; it could be stretched out for years. And in the meantime the shares will still be open for sale on the stock exchange. There would be no guarantee that he will be able to get them back.”

  “What does that mean to our partnership, Samantha? Are you going to pull out of it? After all we have been through? After everything we have achieved?”

  “No. No, I don’t want to! I have thought of a possible solution, and the merger with Crayon in South Africa might just make it possible. That is, if you will agree with it.”

  “You want to run the operations there? You are a partner, Samantha! You can’t just become an operations manager there!”

  “That is not what I wanted to suggest. We have been opening branches all over, and will still open more over time. I thought if we split the responsibilities of the North from South, I manage South, you North, and we can get together anywhere every quarter. Daily management we do over Skype and conference calls.”

  He contemplated this for a while, drumming his fingers on the table. “It could work. How much operational would you have to be at the other company? How would you be able to cope with both?”

  “It is something that I will deal with when I go back. I had a brief discussion with Uncle Jamie, and he seemed to agree that it was a possible solution. Nicolas will just have to understand.”

  “And if he doesn’t? He doesn’t seem to be the type of person that can be easily persuaded if he didn’t want to be.”

  “I am sure he would want to find a solution as much as I want to. He does not want to lose the company he has put all his effort into and it was he that was the key player to turn it into an International entity and growing success over the past ten years. That is the reason why Wieldman would give anything to get his hands on it.”

  Charles visibly relaxed and the longer they discussed the option, the more open and excited he became. It could open so many doors for them if they operated their partnership separately. He was sad he was losing her, but kept his emotions hidden.

  They were having dessert when Charles’s phone rang. He frowned, asked a few pertinent questions that made Samantha sat up and listen. One of their largest customers had a potential take-over threat and needed their immediate assistance to come up with a counter action to protect them against a hostile action. Charles paid the bill and they hastened to the office. They were about to pull an all-nighter!

  Nicolas was livid when he slammed into her office early the next morning, startling her awake from where she was taking a nap on her arms in front of her computer.

  For a moment she was disorientated and was still trying to rid her mind of the fogginess, when her chair was swung around, and then he was there. His hands gripped the arms of the chair and his face was so close his nose nearly touched hers. His eyes bore into hers, the anger in him clear to see in his tense muscles, his glaring gaze.

  “Where the hell have you been all night? And don’t lie to me, Samantha!”

  “Nicolas, what … for goodness sake … why do you always have to shout at me? It is too early in the morning for that! How about, morning Samantha, how are you Samantha!”

  His anger did not diminish, if anything it burned even higher. He snarled the words at her. “Answer me!” When she still just sat staring at him, amazed at his anger, he leaned even closer, his voice hoarse. “Did you spend the night with him?”

  She frowned. “With who?”

  He growled at her and clasped her chin in his hand, his voice deadly quiet. “Don’t Samantha. I am very close to losing it! Jones! Did you spend the night with him?”

  “No! He is my partner! We’ve never … how could you even think that?”

  “Then where were you? I went to your apartment and wai …”

  “My apartment? How did you know where I lived?” His frustration at her interrupting him and not giving him an answer was feeding his anger again and he lifted her chin higher, ignoring her wince when he gripped her chin tighter.

  “Now that I know what continent you disappeared to, it was easy enough to find out everything about you. Now stop avoiding my question!”

  She looked in his eyes and saw the anger flash in their depths. Why did it matter so much to him?

  “I was here. We had to work around the clock. A client of ours needed our help to get them out of a hostile take-over.” He visibly relaxed and let go of her chin.

  “You … you were jealous!”

  He let go of the chair and rose to look sardonically down at her. “Jealous? No, Samantha. What I am is possessive. I do not share what is mine!”

  Chapter Six

  Nicolas paced back and forth behind the chair where Samantha was sitting. James shook his head, watching the man pacing like a caged tiger, ready to pounce.

  He stopped pacing and glared at the back of Samantha’s head. Did she really think he would agree to this? His hands fisted in his pockets and he continued pacing.

  “Nicolas, please tell me what you are thinking.” Her voice was soft and pleading and he cursed softly. He went to stand beside James’ desk where he could face both of them.

  “No, I don’t think so.” Samantha hung her head in defeat, but only for a second, then her violet eyes melted into his.

  “Why not?”

  “Because you will not be able to cope with both. Being a Director of two growing and International groups is not going to be easy!”

  “How do you know? You have no idea what I am capable off! And you are the CEO of four different companies, albeit not operational in all. How can you do it and not me?”

  “No, I will not allow you to continue working with that man!” She gasped when he gritted the words out. Warmth settled low in her stomach at his possessiveness, but now was not the time.

  “Nicolas, you are being unreasonable. Charles will run the Northern hemisphere from New York, and I the Southern from here. I will hardly see him, and when I do need to go for meetings, you can … you can always go with. I will put a strong team in place here, so that I will not be needed on a daily basis.” His expression did not change, but he seemed to relax somewhat. Seeing a small sign of victory, she pressed on.

  “Please, at least think about it. You know how much this mean to me! Please, please don’t make me choose … I beg of you!”

  He cursed again when he looked into the violet pools, so full of passion. She looked at him pleadingly, and he knew he could deny her nothing.

  “Very well, I ag
ree to a trial period of six months. If it doesn’t work, or if anything goes wrong before then, it’s over!” She flew off the chair into his arms, locking her hands behind his neck and kissed him excitedly on his lips. Cognizant of James sitting watching her shenanigans smilingly, Nicolas only pressed her tightly against him, grumbling at the immediate reaction of his body to her soft heat pressed against him.

  “Thank you … kiss … thank you … kiss … thank you … kiss …” He was struggling more and more to contain himself and not crush her against him and kiss her properly.

  James felt sorry for Nicolas, and gently pulled Samantha from his arms. “That’ll be quite enough, dear girl. You are making the poor man blush.”

  Samantha laughed as her eyes met Nicolas’s, and sure enough there was a slight flush on his cheeks, but she had felt his hardening body against hers, and knew it was not her kisses that bothered him, rather than the fact they were not alone. She grinned seductively at him behind her uncle’s back as he turned to take his seat behind his desk again.

  “Minx!”

  Uncle Jamie cleared his throat to gain their attention. “Now that we have sorted the shares and working relationship out, there is still another condition in the will neither of you have mentioned. Or have you forgotten about it?”

  Samantha frowned, trying to recall what it was, but Nicolas’s traitorous body immediately tightened in anticipation.

  “I’m sorry, Uncle Jamie, it was quite an emotional day…”

  He sighed, expecting an explosion. Clearly she had not even heard it in between the other issues the day the testament was read. He cleared his throat again and glanced at Nicolas.

  “I can see that you remembered, so why have you not brought it up before now? It has been nearly a month since the testament was read.”

  “And Samantha only just returned from New York. Still don’t know what took so long to finalize everything.” He grumbled.

  “Very well, then I suppose I have to be the bad guy once again. The other issue, Sammy, is that you and Nicolas are now co-owners of the Country Stud Estate outside of Pretoria. The condition attached to that was that the two of you must live there together for at least one full year, before either one may sell their share or get married to an outside party.” And sure enough, she erupted.

  “No! No, no, no, no!” She jumped up from her chair, and this time she was the one pacing. She slammed her fists on either side of her waist and glared at Jamie.

  “No! This is totally ridiculous and unacceptable! He cannot rule my life from the grave! I will not, Uncle Jamie! And you!” She shot forward and nearly poked her pointed finger in Nicolas’s eye.

  “You can forget it too! It. Will. Not. Happen.”

  “Be reasonable, Samantha, darling. You have to live somewhere, and we both know you will not live with your mother and sister at the main estate.”

  “I am not your darling! And I suppose living with you is a better option! Forget it! It’s worse than … than … than Daniel in the Lions’ Den!”

  She grabbed her bag from behind the chair she had sat on, and stalked to the door, where she swung around to glare at the two of them again.

  “I cannot believe you allowed him to put such a condition in his testament, Uncle Jamie! What kind of a lawyer are you! And you … you can wipe that grin from you face! I am not sharing a house with you, not even one as big as the Country ranch!” She stomped through the door, still grumbling angrily.

  Nicolas could not wipe the grin from his face. He caught Jamie’s eye, his expression one of amazement and wonder. Nicolas burst out laughing.

  “I think the lady doth protest too much, hey Jamie?”

  Samantha deliberately stayed away from Global Consulting for another week. She ignored Nicolas’s constant phone calls, and even moved to a different hotel. She was sure he had a hand in this new ‘condition’ in the testament. She would not stay with him! Not until pigs could fly!

  She spent the week setting up the South Hemisphere offices at Crayon. Arranged for the new branding and finalized the job profiles for all the positions she needed to fill as her support to run the partnership from there. She conducted Executive, management and departmental meetings, even met with all the staff in an open meeting to set everyone’s mind at rest that nothing was about to change - except for the better.

  At the end of the week she was exhausted and fell into bed tired to the bone, but very happy. Happy, that she was well liked at Crayon, and that she had set the ball rolling, to an exciting and challenging future. Now, the next step Global Consulting … and Nicolas …

  Early Monday morning she walked into the lobby of Global Consulting with a spring in her step. She had caught up with some much needed sleep over the weekend and felt fresh and energetic this morning. She was unsure what welcome she was about to receive by the Executives, as she was still young, and some of them were relatively conservative and did not believe women belonged in the boardroom. She refused to allow that to damper her excitement. This was the second step in her new life, even if it was forced on her by her father … from his grave.

  She walked into the elevator, turned and saw Nicolas walking hurriedly towards her. “Hold the elevator!” She smiled as the doors slid close and waved at him with a cheeky grin when the doors closed before he could reach it. She laughed gaily in the empty elevator and quickly glanced at her reflection in the mirrors around her.

  She wore a professional dark charcoal pant suit with a soft, silky cream shirt that hugged her plump, but firm breasts, high heels and her hair pulled up and back in a loose knot at the back of her head. She looked sheik and the picture of a professional executive. She gave herself a thumbs up when the elevator came to a stop on her floor and she swiftly walked out, noticing that the second elevator was rapidly rising to this floor, with none other than Nicolas as its occupant of course!

  She smiled at the executive assistants already busy at work behind their desks and walked quickly with confident strides to the office in the corner, smiling broadly when she noticed Getrude behind her desk in the reception area in front of it. She looked up as she came closer, smiled professionally and enquired friendly. “Morning, how may I assist you?”

  “You can get up from behind that desk your old hoot, and come over here and greet me properly!”

  Gertrude’s mouth fell open hearing the ‘old hoot’ as only Samantha lovingly called her. Tears filled her eyes and she jumped up with a shriek.

  “Sam! Sammy! Is it really you?” She embraced her and hugged her fiercely against her. She pushed her away and shook her head, tears slowly running down her cheeks.

  “You have really grown up … and so beautiful at that! Oh, how I’ve missed you!” She pulled her close and hugged her again.

  She knew the moment Nicolas arrived behind her when his electric presence engulfed her entire body and responded immediately to his closeness and she had to take deep breaths to take control of her emotions. She just knew that he would not let her get away with her actions of the past week. He was not happy if he did not have the upper hand!

  “Morning, Nicolas. Did you have a nice weekend?” Gertrude asked Nicolas as soon as she noticed him.

  “Not particularly.” He growled, waiting for Samantha to face him. He deliberately did not elaborate and his eyes locked with hers when she eventually turned around. She smiled brightly at him.

  “Morning, Nicolas. It is a beautiful morning, isn’t it?” His expression did not change; his lips remained compressed in a tight line. She ignored him for a whole week, and now she dare stand there and pretend as if she was not aware of his constant phone calls!

  Gertrude looked from the one to the other with interest, aware of the undercurrents flowing between them.

  “You lost your cell phone, then Samantha?” She flushed and sighed. He was not even going to wait until they were alone before he started shouting at her.

  “No, why? Were you looking for me?” This, in a sweet, innocent tone, with a wid
e smile to add insult to the injury. He fumed, nearly crushed her with the anger in his eyes.

  “Ehm … can I bring you two some coffee?” Gertrude subtly tried to break the tension, throwing a warning glance in Samantha’s direction.

  “Yes, please Gertrude, in my office.” He reached out to grip Samantha’s elbow and steered her into the office. The moment the door closed behind him, he threw his laptop bag down, and pulled her around against him and closed his mouth over hers, all in one movement.

  He groaned as her soft body leaned into his, and he pulled her closer. His hands stroked down her back, over her rounded bottom, as if reminding him of her shape. His mouth was pure heat on hers, and when his tongue pried her mouth open, she allowed him in and the passion immediately flowed from the one into the other.

  Her hands were not idle either and she caressed his strong arms, his muscled chest and back, her nails dug into his back when he pulled her even harder against him, grinding his aroused shaft into her soft body. Suddenly he pushed her away from him and glared at her.

  “No! You will not get away with it so easily! Where have you been the whole week, and why did you ignore all my phone calls!”

  Her eyes were still hazed over with their just shared passion, but she looked at him with a wry smile on her lips. Slowly shaking her head, she bent to pick up her own laptop bag that fell out of her hand when he pulled her against him, then walked towards the couch.

  “Tsk, tsk, tsk … you are shouting again so early in the morning, Nicolas. How about, hi Samantha, how are you today, Samantha?”

  She dared a quick glance in his direction and realized that he really was still angry with her.

  “You really don’t want to antagonize me just know, Samantha.” He sighed and his eyes singed her from top to bottom and back up again. “Why is your hair up? I don’t like it. Take it down.”