Page 32 of Irresistible Temptation
Still, I had a feeling I wouldn’t be able to stay away. For now, I would have to keep Juliet at arm’s length. I would have to keep it professional because I was Chester damn Brandfield, and I had an empire to run. As I nodded to myself, I glanced across the hall and saw Juliet with her back toward me on her tiptoes, placing a small frame on the tall wooden bookshelf. Her dress was hiking up inch by inch, the further she stretched. My eyes stayed on the hemline, begging for a peek at that beautiful ass, the one I had sunk my teeth into last night.
Cool it.
I forced my eyes away from her creamy skin and to my computer to run over my digital calendar again. I had a phone meeting in less than fifteen minutes. Juliet’s first test was to give me my ten-minute heads up. I crossed my arms and waited, seeing ifshe really absorbed all of the tasks I had allotted to her. Let’s see if she could be more than a pretty little thing for me to look at.
Sure enough, at 8:50 a.m., my desk phone trilled, echoing through my office. Seeing the internal number calling, I picked it up.
“Yes?” I asked.
“You have a phone meeting withThe New York Timesin ten minutes.”
God. Even the way she said that was sexy.
“Thank you, Juliet.”
I heard the click of the phone on the other line. Through her open door, she got back to arranging her office across the hall. I tilted my head in amusement as she placed her hands on the desk and gave it a good shove, putting her body weight into it. She only moved it a couple of inches, but I could see it was now perfectly centered with the window behind her. Her long hair was escaping the bun she had twisted it into, as she assessed her work. Seemingly satisfied with the desk, she moved to the cream linen armchairs, adjusting them just so on the patterned rug on the floor. I should have offered to help, but she seemed determined and I wasn’t sure if being in such close proximity was a good idea yet.
After a few more minutes of watching her feng shui her office, my phone trilled again. I took a deep breath and plastered on agrin, even though the caller couldn’t see me. I had to be on my game for this interview.
“Chester Brandfield here,” I answered.
“Mr. Brandfield. It’s Nina fromTheNew York Times.”
“Hello, Nina. It’s a pleasure.”
“The pleasure is mine. Thank you for taking this interview today. I know it was last minute, but I really think this piece needs to be in this week’s issue with the merger and all.”
“Yes, of course.”
“Non-profits are not typically your forte at Brandfield Enterprises. Why now?” she asked, jumping right in.
“I’m always looking to shake things up. Try new things.”
“Charity work is nothing new.”
“I’m well aware of that,” I said, noting the small dig she was making. “But I wanted to do this right. I don’t just jump into business with anyone. These things must be calculated carefully. Researched. Done right. You’re a journalist, Nina. I assume you are aware of the non-profits that have committed fraud in this city.”
“Yes, Mr. Brandfield.”
“I had to be diligent in finding a non-profit whose mission was pure. That I could be proud to merge with. Proud to grow.”
“Understandable.”
The answer seemed to satisfy her. The truth was, I had never merged with a non-profit because they aren’t money makers, and I didn’t build a billion-dollar empire by feeding the poor or making sure kids had access to books. Still, reputation was a part of this game, and I knew that looking like I had a heart was good for business. Though, I would never tell Nina that.
“So, why the merger withthisnon-profit?” asked Nina.
“Aside from their pristine reputation, the work they do for the food banks in this city is admirable. It was a no-brainer.”
“So, it had nothing to do with the fact that they were going under and you saw an opportunity to take on a company for next to nothing?”
I reminded myself that these interviewers and their questions needed to be vetted because it would seem Nina fromThe New York Timeshad an agenda. It was a good thing I was well rehearsed and used to this. It came with being a CEO.
“I see nothing wrong with helping a company that was on the outs. If we let every do-gooder fail, then where would we be?”
“So, this was out of the kindness of your heart, Mr. Brandfield? Charity for charity?”
I chuckled. I didn’t want to push it with the sappiness. It wasn’t true to me. I wouldn’t be received as genuine.
