“Obviously. He had a heart attack and now he’s in the hospital recovering.”
Sam bristled at her sarcasm. He was used to women melting at his feet. Karen had just sexted him with pictures of herself in the boardroom in provocative poses, a plastic medical kit in her hand. How did he tame this wildcat? Did he turn up the charm? Soothe her with his deep voice? Dazzle her with his megawatt smile?
“I understand it’s a difficult time,” he murmured in the sympathetic tone he reserved for employees slated for redundancy who were not as accommodating as Tyler and felt the need to share with him the details of illnesses, accidents, mortgages, sick children, ailing parents, planned holidays, car payments, and rent obligations. Life was an expensive tragedy. But he had a job to do. Nothing ever swayed him, not even the women who offered their bodies for a chance to keep their jobs.
“Then you know why you’ll just have to take my word that my father intended to terminate the lease.”
“I’m afraid I can’t do that,” he said firmly. “I’ve already made moving arrangements. Signs and stationery are on their way, and I have a client coming to see me first thing in the morning. When your father recovers, I’m sure he can sort the matter out, but in the meantime, I have a business to run.”
She tipped her head to the side. “What kind of business?”
Cute and sexy. Too bad about her prickly personality.
“Corporate downsizing.” He crossed the room and pulled a stack of files from the box, thumping them down on the tragically modern Eagerson desk. “Companies call us in when they need to restructure or downsize, when they are in financial difficulty, or if there is a merger and acquisition that involves the reevaluation of staffing needs. We review their financial position, make recommendations for cuts and restructuring, and assist in the termination of unnecessary employees. My partner handles the international clients. I deal with domestic companies with a particular focus on health care. We also have a staff of six who work remotely.”
She gave a disdainful sniff. “How ironic. I’m setting up a recruitment consultancy. I find jobs for people and you take them away. Figures.”
“Companies can be more efficient when they get rid of the deadweight.” He removed the pencils from his box one by one, lining them up neatly on the right side of his desk. “That means faster production, and better products and services for customers. It’s a win-win for everyone.” He willed her to move from the desk so he could see if she had an ass to go with those curves. If he was going to waste time indulging himself in this pointless conversation, he might as well enjoy the view.
“Except for the people who lose their jobs.”
Ah, a bleeding heart. He should have guessed. “That’s why there are people like you. I cut them loose, and you turn them into someone else’s problem.”
She sucked in a sharp breath and glared. He’d definitely hit a nerve with that one.
“They aren’t a ‘problem.’ They are people who are out of work because cold, callous, corporate vultures like you only care about the bottom line.”
He flinched inwardly. Not because he was ashamed of his choice of career—he was proud of what he’d accomplished in the last two and a half years—but because she’d hit too close to the heart. He had never been able to shake the guilt of working with Ranjeet day after day and not seeing who he truly was. He had pandered to the man who had made his sister suffer instead of protecting her like a brother was supposed to do.
“That’s incredibly naive. No business can retain their staff indefinitely. Technology changes, jobs can be automated, and people lose the incentive to innovate or excel when their position is secure.”
Her hands found her very generous hips. If it was a ploy to draw attention to her soft, lush curves, it worked because he couldn’t tear his eyes away.
“My father has never fired an employee and they are just as hardworking and efficient as they were when he hired them.” She rounded the desk, and he suffered a moment of brain freeze. Damn, she was the whole package. Beautiful face. Sexy body. Long legs. And those boots . . .
“Don’t bother unpacking the rest,” she said, tearing the lease in half. “I’m kicking you out now.”
She was almost as strong willed and stubborn as he was. But he had much better taste in furniture.
He snorted a laugh. “I’d like to see you try.”
“I’m sure you would,” she snapped. “It’s probably the only way you can get a woman near you with that giant ego in the way.”
“I am hardly lacking for female companionship.”
Layla rolled her eyes in an overly dramatic fashion. “I’m not interested in hearing about your visits to the nail bar. I just want you gone.”
“It’s not going to happen, sweetheart. I have the document in digital form, and the law on my side.”
“Family trumps the law.” She folded her arms under her generous breasts. Sweat trickled down his back. Karen had nothing on this woman, even with her creative use of a toy blood pressure cuff.
“Not in the real world. My attorney works upstairs. If you need further proof, I can ask him to join us and confirm that the lease is valid.” Sam’s attorney and close friend, John Lee, had connected Sam with Nasir Patel when he found out Nasir was looking for a tenant.
Her gaze flicked to the partially open door, a smug expression spreading across her face when a woman walked in carrying a multicolored tote bag containing a fluffy white dog, its neck adorned with an enormous blue bow. Everything about the visitor screamed trouble, from her torn Slayer T-shirt to her deconstructed jean skirt, and from her strategically torn purple tights to the thick black shoes that looked like they had been nibbled by mice. Her shoulder-length dark hair had been dyed pink on the bottom, and she had a small silver ring in her nose.
“Daisy!” Layla rounded the desk to greet her guest. “And you brought Max! Let me give him a cuddle.”
Sam’s pulse kicked up a notch, and he readjusted his line of pencils, ensuring they were perfectly even.
“Hey, babe. How’s the new digs?” Daisy released the animal to Layla, who gave it a quick hug before putting it down to wander unfettered around Sam’s office.
“Unexpectedly occupied.” Layla gestured to Sam, and Daisy turned to face him as if noticing him for the first time.
In that moment, as her gaze roamed shamelessly up and down his body, Sam realized three things: first, they would never get along; second, his path to quiet possession of the office had just become exponentially more difficult; and third, neither his charm nor his good looks were going to soothe this savage beast.
“Who’s this?” Daisy narrowed her gaze as the dog sniffed his Italian leather shoes.