The Deal (Trading Hearts #3) Read online

  He smiled. "Have you done any public speaking?"

  "Not as such, not beyond talking in seminar groups at college. The odd stand up question time at business conferences. Is it important?"

  "I think so. Some of our clients stipulate no personal publicity. In my opinion it helps to get out there with your designs, particularly in fashion." He focused on the samples while he chatted. "Think about the big design names you know, the designers are often treated like celebrities. It's all part of the package for retailers and buyers alike. How would you feel about being interviewed, for example? People like to hear about the person behind the designs."

  It was the same question Lucas had asked her two weeks before, except Mr. Melandros wasn’t asking it the way Lucas did. The thought made her smile.

  Her companion looked up from his ponderings. He smiled back at her.

  "I'm willing to try anything, especially if I could get guidance."

  "The willingness is all we need. We have image consultants who can help with public speaking and so on. You don't need any help with personal presentation though, darling," he added. "You look fabulous."

  Naomi blushed. She wasn't sure how to respond. Luckily he continued.

  "I'll be honest with you Naomi, I love your work, but my list only has an opening for one more client at the moment. I met with two other potentials this week. Three of you, all exceptionally talented, and I can only take one on. The company director is most insistent we stick to manageable numbers, so everyone gets all the attention they need."

  Despite the fact he was warning her she might fail to gain their representation, Naomi couldn’t help smiling. It was so Lucas, that emphasis on the client.

  Georgio gestured fluidly with his hands as he spoke. He seemed a little embarrassed he couldn’t give her an immediate answer, and that characterized him for her. He was a nice guy.

  "As soon as a new client has been launched," he continued, "and we move on to the next phase of representation, we can take a new client on board, but not before. I recently had a client move on to faze two of management, that’s why I've been able to meet with potentials these past few weeks. Alas, not all of you will get taken."

  It was hard for her to hear. Especially given she had an Eaglestone contract in her hand just two weeks before. "I didn’t expect to get an answer straight away."

  "It won't be long, I assure you. I'll have an answer for you by Monday." He returned to his side of the desk, opened his desk diary and picked up a fountain pen. "Let me make sure I have your contact details. I'll get in touch, either way. If we can't take you on, I'll make suggestions of other appropriate agents."

  Naomi gave her phone number and email address again and he nodded.

  "Will you still be in the city on Monday?"

  "I'll stay until I hear the verdict."

  "Great." Once again he made a note in his diary.

  Naomi was about to file her samples away, when the door sprung open and a little boy ran in, charging at Georgio. His son, Naomi assumed.

  "Georgio!" the boy declared, as he headed across the office.

  Georgio nodded Naomi's way. "Sorry about this."

  "Not a problem," she murmured, curious.

  Georgio stood up, catching the boy as he flung himself at Georgio. "Hey, Toby, what are you doing here?"

  Toby?

  "I came in with my Dad and he has a meeting now but Mum's not here to collect me yet."

  "So you came to visit Uncle Georgio while you wait?"

  Naomi's stared at the little lad, astonished. He was Lucas's son.

  Georgio set him on his feet. He ruffled the boy's hair. It was thick and dark like his dad's. He wore a smart grey school uniform and had a leather satchel slung over his shoulder. An intense yearning lodged in Naomi's chest, some uncanny splinter of love. A need too, a need for Lucas. What would it be like to have son like that, a child who looked like his dad, the man you loved? The question cropped up in her thoughts on seeing the boy, but it unlocked a sense of yearning in Naomi. It wasn't something she'd ever thought about before. She'd been focused on a career and stuff like having a family of her own was a long ways off.

  Now the idea had occurred to her, it stoked a hitherto unknown longing.

  "Shouldn't you be at school now?" Georgio asked whilst looking at his watch.

  "Yes, but Mum's late. Dad wanted to come to my science fair last night and then Mum said I could stay over with him."

  "How did the science fair go?"

  "Great. Dad liked the robot our team made."

  "Awesome. Well done."

  "Mum's supposed to be here already."

  Georgio had a disapproving look on his face. Naomi couldn't help being intrigued, because it's someone else, someone outside of Lucas was disapproving about his ex-wife's antics.

  "Hello."

  Naomi started when she realized the little boy was addressing her.

  "Hello, Toby," she replied and nodded at him. His eyes were dark. Not as bright as his father's but she sensed the same directness.

  "My mum's got hair like yours."

  Naomi didn’t need a reminder of that little fact, but she smiled at him.

  The receptionist entered the room, darted across to Toby, hand outreached. "Sorry, I was supposed to be watching him but he hared off. Come on, Toby, let's go get donuts. Your Mother will be here soon, I'm sure." She and Georgio exchanged glances.

  Naomi watched as Toby was led away, then stood up and began packing away her samples.

  "I'll be in touch soon, either way." Georgio put out his hand.

  Naomi shook his hand and nodded. "It's been wonderful meeting you, Georgio."

  Georgio grinned.

  She liked him, she decided. She could only hope her designs stood the test.

  As she took her leave, Toby's comment about his Dad echoed in her thoughts.

  Lucas was here, in a meeting. The very thought if it made her heart tick a little faster. She craned her neck as she walked down the corridor that led back to the reception area. Glass walls meant it was easy to spot who was in which meeting room without knocking on doors. Several meetings were in progress but she didn’t spy him.

  Ahead the corridor branched. To the left was her way out. She was about to head that way when she caught sight of him. A large room ahead was filled with personnel. Lucas stood by a projected spreadsheet, pointing out figures, leading the meeting.

  Naomi froze.

  He glanced at his audience. She caught sight of that familiar hewn face, so starkly handsome. Light-headed with the secret thrill of seeing him, she clutched her portfolio case tighter. He was talking animatedly but she couldn’t hear what was being said. It felt surreal, watching him.

  Am I really involved with that gorgeous man?

  Glued to the spot, she could only stare.

  Then he turned fully to his audience, and clocked her.

  Naomi turned on her heel, hurrying toward the reception, and beyond toward the elevator. It was a stolen glance, and yet it made her spirits soar.

  Inside the elevator, she turned away from the other occupants and smiled at herself in the mirrored walls. It felt naughty, having seen him that way. He'd obviously picked a meeting room out of the way, and still she'd managed to spy him for a moment.

  Her smile vanished when the elevator reached the ground floor and the doors opened. Amongst half a dozen people waiting to enter, was Clara, Lucas's ex.

  Of course, she was here for Toby. Naomi filed out with the other occupants, intending to pass Clara by without comment.

  "If it isn't my husband's tart."

  Naomi bristled. "Ah, the ex wife," she countered. "Fancy seeing you here."

  Clara flounced past her and into the elevator.

  Naomi tried not to let her joy at seeing Lucas be crushed by Clara. She waved her fingertips at Clara and smiled.

  Clara rammed her hand on the elevator control panel.

  The doors locked open. The other occupants in the lift look
ed at one another.

  "I'm here to collect my son," she announced.

  "He's a lovely boy," Naomi replied, unable to resist. "Takes after his Dad, obviously."

  Clara glared at her, annoyance pouring out of her eyes. "I'm Lucas's wife," she declared, again. "I'm the mother of his child. Just you remember that."

  Not only was she using her child as a pawn, she was hanging on to her marital status symbol for grim death. It grated on Naomi. And it had haunted her since they'd first encountered one another the week before, in Switzerland. Naomi had checked on the Internet though. Clara was his ex. Had she used her erstwhile status to scare off other women?

  Naomi forced a smile. "Congratulations on your divorce."

  She didn’t wait for Clara to shut the doors on her, quickly turning on her heel she walked away. She heard the doors close and felt relief.

  To think she thought she wasn't even going to see Lucas. She'd not only seen him, she'd seen his whole family.

  Then she felt a hand on her arm.

  It was Clara.

  Chapter Three

  Lucas looked away from his presentation in time to see Naomi staring at him through the glass wall of the board room. Longing filled her eyes, and it called to him. Mid-sentence he halted, because he couldn't drag his attention away from the sight of her.

  Her hair scrolled over one shoulder in a loose plait that ended on the curve of her breast. The fitted skirt and jacket she wore clung to her womanly outline. She was wide-eyed, her beautiful lips parted as if in surprise. Never had he seen her looking quite so ethereal. It mesmerized him. Lucas couldn't look away.

  It was Naomi who broke the contact.

  She disappeared quickly from his view.

  I have to go after her. They were due to meet that evening, but now he'd seen her he couldn’t wait to touch her. It'd been a week since they'd parted, and it seemed much, much longer. No Skype interaction would ever match up to holding her, tasting her – no matter how X-rated those Skype sessions had been – and they'd communicated that way every night.

  Lucas quickly apologized to the assembled group, a cost meeting for a client's advertising campaign. "Forgive me, there's something I need to deal with. I'm going to have to leave you to look over the figures without me."

  It wasn't his usual modus operandi, but circumstances demanded he act. He needed someone to step in and looked at the gathered personnel for a likely candidate. Jack Hudson looked sharp and focused, and Lucas trusted him to be able to cope with the unexpected request. He'd called on Jack before at short notice, and he'd delivered the goods fast and without question. "Jack, can you run through the various advertising budgets on the next screen and explain to our client what the options represent?"

  Jack was on his feet in a flash

  As Lucas left, he asked reception to call catering in early so they had refreshments while they worked through the financial aspects of the campaign. That would keep them busy for a while.

  There was no sign of Naomi anywhere in the Eaglestone suite.

  A quick glance at his watch informed him she'd completed her meeting with Georgio. Waiting impatiently for the elevator he considered how far she might have got, then the doors opened. Moments later he emerged on ground level reception and saw Naomi standing nearby, deep in conversation with Clara.

  Clara. Lucas frowned.

  Passers by were staring, not surprisingly. The two women were feet apart, facing off like cats with their backs up, voices raised.

  As he closed on them, he caught part of the conversation.

  "You don't know the first thing about me," Naomi said, "you're in no position to speculate."

  Naomi had her back to him, but his view of Clara was clear. She was livid. "I don’t need to speculate. You're clearly looking for a sugar daddy."

  Lucas's blood hit boiling point in a flash.

  "Don’t judge me on your standards, please. I'm here on business." Naomi gesticulated with her portfolio bag.

  Lucas stepped between them. "Clara, Toby's late for school."

  Clara glared at him, daggers in her eyes. She cursed loudly and headed back to the elevators.

  Lucas turned his attention to Naomi, only to discover she'd taken off.

  Her heels clacked against the marble floor as she darted across reception toward the exit, her portfolio bag clutched against her side.

  Astonished she was leaving, Lucas gave chase. As soon as he closed on her, he reached out and grasped her wrist, shackling her to him.

  Naomi half turned, jerking to a halt.

  Her flaming hair tossed, strands of it loosening from her plait. She looked back over her shoulder. Eyes rounded as if startled, the look she gave him was imploring. "Let me go, Lucas. I need to get out of here."

  I love her. I don’t want to see her leave. Subconsciously he'd known how deeply he cared for a while, but the thought of her walking away with hurt in her eyes turned him over inside. His grasp on her tightened.

  She shook her head. "Safeword," she whispered.

  Lucas froze, doubt clouding his mind. Safeword? The safeword they'd never established, because they hadn't needed it. Until now.

  Instantly, he freed her.

  She quickly turned away, but not before he saw the regret in her eyes. She walked away, determinedly, toward the exit.

  Railing, he lurched after her. "Naomi!" he shouted. "Please don't do this." He didn't care who heard, who saw. Willing her to stop, he watched.

  Her footsteps slowed. She didn't look back.

  "Naomi, please!"

  She drew to a halt.

  His heart thundered. Never before had anything been as important as this – as to how he handled this. But he was lost, lost in his need for her. And he couldn’t even begin to know how to act until he saw her eyes. Groveling wasn't in his nature, but he'd do it for her.

  When she turned around she was focused, stern almost.

  "I'm sorry you had to deal with that. Please, let me make it up to you." All week he'd craved her presence, her complexity, her pride, her lush feminine body under his. It was an addiction. Her submission was the deepest pleasure he'd ever known – she was the most precious thing he'd ever known. If he lost her now, he'd lose everything.

  "You were in a meeting. You don't have time to deal with this."

  "Is that why you were leaving? Because I have all the time in the world for you, meeting or no meeting." It was the truth. He used to be strict about devoting his attention to the main event, and work came first. Naomi was his main event now.

  She nodded her head then looked past him, toward the elevators. "You have unfinished business with that woman."

  He could feel her pulling away, and it tore him apart. "The only business I have with Clara is agreeing my time with Toby."

  Her beautiful mouth pursed. It made him want to kiss her.

  She shook her head, avoiding direct eye contact by looking beyond him towards the elevators. "Perhaps it's too soon for you to be involved with anyone else."

  How beautiful she looked with her chin lifted and defiance in her eyes. It made him want her all the more He hankered for her, a raw, primitive need rising in him. He was getting hard. He wanted to fuck her, right now, to show her how much he wanted her. It took a huge effort to remain rational, to handle this maturely. "Are you suggesting I'm on the rebound?" he asked. "Because that’s way off the mark, I assure you."

  Her gaze focused on his chest, then wandered over his torso. "It's more about drawing a line."

  Reciprocated desire was there in her eyes.

  "The line was drawn long ago. The only reason she's here today is to collect Toby. He spent the night with me so she could attend a function." He could see her relinquishing the fight. She wanted to fuck too. He took a risk and stepped closer.

  Her lips parted. "Lucas…"

  It was a warning, and a plea. Need shone in her eyes, but she was ready to bolt. He closed on her, his hands on her shoulders as he looked into her eyes.


  He leaned in and spoke beneath his breath. "I want to be alone with you, right now. I need to be inside you."

  Her pale skin flushed. She swallowed. "You said we'd meet tonight."

  "Circumstances have altered the plan." He stroked her upper arm through her jacket. "Last night you told me you couldn't wait for this moment, when I touched you and claimed you for myself."

  She wavered then whimpered, her eyelids fluttering down.

  "I need to hold you, Naomi. I've missed you so much."

  "I've missed you too, but…"

  He looked deep into her eyes, savoring the surprise he found there. She was confused and angry, but arousal also shone in her eyes. Her lovely mouth was slightly open, and he couldn't resist kissing her. To hell with the onlookers.

  She moaned softly, but then relinquished, reaching to clutch at his lapels as he invaded her mouth, seeking its damp warmth while craving to invade every part of her.

  "Oh, Lucas," she murmured as he drew back. "What are you doing to me?"

  Everything. "This way."

  He walked her toward the reception, one hand on her back reassuring her.

  The risk of bumping into Clara coming down with Toby challenged him. He nodded at the security guard on duty at the reception area. It was a man he knew well. "Craig, can I use your office for a few minutes?"

  "Of course." The security guard looked surprised, but stood and directed them to the doorway, lifting his hat to Naomi as she passed.

  He nodded at Craig. "I don’t want anyone to disturb us."

  Craig nodded. "Got it."

  "Five minutes."

  "As long as you need, Mr. Eaglestone."

  Lucas closed the door.

  The longing he saw in Naomi's expression unleashed him. Closing the space between them in a heartbeat, he pulled her into his arms.

  "Lucas!" It was a declaration, a warning, but her body told him other things. She wrapped her hands around the back of his head, her fingers meshing in his hair, her mouth opening even as he moved to kiss her. She arched against him, her body rocking against his.

  His blood rushed, his erection rock hard.

  While he kissed her, he undid the buttons of her shirt, revealing her cleavage, his fingers tugging at the lacy edge of her black bra. He ducked his head, cupped his hands around the curve of her bra cups and kissed the dip of her cleavage, inhaling the familiar mix of her favored scent and the smell of the skin.