One Night for Love by Maggie Marr Page A

hear Prim’s. How did her mind work? How, over the last year, had she sussed out her prey? Flushed Roger from whatever little quirks he maintained? How had she circumnavigated Roger’s futile attempt to camouflage his sad little vulnerabilities?
    “Let’s see,” Prim said. “He’s never built a company. He’s hardly had to work. He’s been handed everything. His father retired eighteen months ago and the deal with Metro is the first substantial deal he’s done since his father’s retirement.”
    Tristan nodded. “And I think we have a winner.”
    “I try.” A smile split Prim’s face. “Now we go to Roger and we coddle him. We make him feel secure and comfortable.”
    Tristan tilted his head. “I think there is more to it than just business.”
    The idea that there was something she’d missed appeared to be utterly foreign to her. “You know I’ve been working on this deal with Roger for nearly nine months. I’ve profiled and read and figured out what not only makes him tick but also his family.”
    “Right,” Tristan said. “Maybe you missed something.”
    “Missed something?” Prim’s eyes narrowed.
    She had been the de facto leader of Metro since Ryan’s loss of Paloma. The entire staff looked to Prim for guidance. No one had questioned her ability or her reasoning for going on a year. And while Tristan found her amazingly attractive and remarkably bright, he didn’t find her infallible.
    “He has feelings for you.”
    Pink raced up her neck and bloomed on her cheeks.
    “Me?” She pointed her finger toward herself and traced the sliver of skin that led to her décolletage.
    Tristan cleared his throat and glanced at his drink. Her effect on him was staggering, so yes, he could understand why Roger needed to see Prim again. Why Roger might feel surprised and shocked that his overtures had not been received in the way in which he intended. It wasn’t often that a man with Roger’s money was rebuffed.
    “You.” Tristan raised his whiskey to his lips. He looked over the rim of the crystal glass as Prim’s eyes widened with his suggestion. “Were you completely unaware that you’re the crown jewel that Macon intended to collect in his deal with Metro Media?”
    “What are you implying? Are you saying that I put myself out there as a possible win if he made the deal?”
    Tristan held up his hand. “Pull back, princess. No, that’s absolutely not what I’m saying. You courted Roger; this went on for nine months. He did not begin the process thinking that you would be part of the deal. I don’t think if he were to admit to his feelings that he ever thought you were part of the deal, but what I do believe happened is that he fell for you and he’s quite shocked the feelings aren’t mutual. I’ve done a bit of research—women don’t usually tell Roger Macon no.”
     “I have no intention of telling him yes.”
    “I understand. The part of me who is fixated on you, infatuated with your skin, your hair, and your touch would like nothing more than to disembowel Roger for even entertaining such thoughts about you. But the businessman in me, the one who spent millions of dollars for Metro Media, a huge part of that value based on the closure of this deal, wants this deal locked down no matter what we have to do.”
    “So you’re telling me to sleep with him?”
    “Absolutely fucking not.” Tristan’s voice grew rough and heat rushed to his face. Tension gripped his jaw and neck. He pulled at his tie and looked away from her. The idea of her with another man? He took another pull of his whiskey, cleared his throat, and turned back toward Prim. “No,” he continued. “I thought I was clear about that when I mentioned disemboweling Roger.”
    “You were. Sorry.”
    “Even though I would prefer to punch him in the nose, what we have to do is give him a way to save face. We want him to walk away from his feelings for you without feeling shunned. Flixster’s agreement with Metro is