reasons, but mainly because of two local competing firms. Hansen and Hansen—my biggest competitor, and McCaffey Consulting Co—a young and quiet achiever with some of the wealthiest clients on their books; some of whom used to be mine. I think I can have this market licked, provided this deal I’ve planned today goes smoothly.”
“What’s the deal?” Autumn asks, leaning forward across her desk.
“McCaffey are selling and I intend to buy them out. But, there is a hitch. Hansen and Hansen have also put in a bid, which is not a move I predicted they would make.”
“So with them in the running, the sale price goes up?”
He nods. “Exactly. The last thing I need is a bidding war. The company’s not worth as much as I suspect I will have to pay for it, to secure it. It’s a catch twenty-two situation though, because if I don’t secure it, Hansen and Hansen assume even more of the market and it will mean the closure of Stark Consulting Brisbane.”
Autumn flinches. “What’s your plan?”
“For starters, I always get what I want. Other than that, let’s play it by ear.”
“What do you need me to do?” she asks.
“Be your mesmerising self and stay away from the coffee, at least while we’re in company. I don’t want you making a mess of that blouse again.”
She can’t stop the curl of her lips into a smile.
“That’s exactly the mesmerising I’m talking about,” he says standing. “I’ll meet you in the foyer in ten minutes.”
Autumn clacks her heels across the foyer’s shiny tiles, her eyes searching for Jet. She spies him at the reception desk, deep in conversation with his assistant, Scott. As though feeling her presence, he turns to face her, overtly gliding his eyes over her legs, hips, breasts, lips, never looking away as she struts towards him. By the time Autumn is standing in front of him, she is flushed, feels self-conscious and strangely stirred—in a good way.
Not at all professional .
Jet smiles, drums his fingers once on the reception desk. “Let’s go then, shall we?” He reaches into his pants pocket for his keys and pulls them out with a tinkle, tosses them in the air to Scott, who catches them and grins.
“You’re driving,” says Jet.
Once in the basement, Autumn understands the pleasure she saw on Scott’s face when he was handed the keys. They are keys to an Aston Martin: a shiny, new, expensive Aston Martin. Jet opens the back door for Autumn and she sits as primly in the car as is possible for someone who has never even touched, let alone sat in, a car worth what she supposes this car is worth. Her mouth gapes with surprise when Jet joins her in the back seat through the opposite door.
“We have business to go over before we get there,” he says.
She nods, as though of course she knew that is what would be happening.
As Scott takes full advantage of the Aston’s power, pushing the car to its allowable limits through the Brisbane streets, Jet pulls pictures from his briefcase of the men she is to dine with and runs through their names until Autumn is able to recite perfectly, each name to each face. He fills in all the pertinent details of the current purchase contract he has in place, including the current offer for six million, eight-hundred and fifty thousand dollars, of which, thanks to Hansen and Hansen also bidding, may need to be raised.
“That’s already too high. It’s not worth anything over five-and-a-half to six mil, but the circumstances push the value up. Losing Stark Consulting would be much more costly.”
Autumn frowns, unable to hide her disappointment at hearing this news twice in one day. It makes her stomach clench with nerves, especially after finally landing a position in a firm she respects, for a man she—well she doesn’t really know how she feels about Jet, but she is sure it is, at least, respect.
Jet offers a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to let that happen. My advantage is that McCaffey not
“What’s the deal?” Autumn asks, leaning forward across her desk.
“McCaffey are selling and I intend to buy them out. But, there is a hitch. Hansen and Hansen have also put in a bid, which is not a move I predicted they would make.”
“So with them in the running, the sale price goes up?”
He nods. “Exactly. The last thing I need is a bidding war. The company’s not worth as much as I suspect I will have to pay for it, to secure it. It’s a catch twenty-two situation though, because if I don’t secure it, Hansen and Hansen assume even more of the market and it will mean the closure of Stark Consulting Brisbane.”
Autumn flinches. “What’s your plan?”
“For starters, I always get what I want. Other than that, let’s play it by ear.”
“What do you need me to do?” she asks.
“Be your mesmerising self and stay away from the coffee, at least while we’re in company. I don’t want you making a mess of that blouse again.”
She can’t stop the curl of her lips into a smile.
“That’s exactly the mesmerising I’m talking about,” he says standing. “I’ll meet you in the foyer in ten minutes.”
Autumn clacks her heels across the foyer’s shiny tiles, her eyes searching for Jet. She spies him at the reception desk, deep in conversation with his assistant, Scott. As though feeling her presence, he turns to face her, overtly gliding his eyes over her legs, hips, breasts, lips, never looking away as she struts towards him. By the time Autumn is standing in front of him, she is flushed, feels self-conscious and strangely stirred—in a good way.
Not at all professional .
Jet smiles, drums his fingers once on the reception desk. “Let’s go then, shall we?” He reaches into his pants pocket for his keys and pulls them out with a tinkle, tosses them in the air to Scott, who catches them and grins.
“You’re driving,” says Jet.
Once in the basement, Autumn understands the pleasure she saw on Scott’s face when he was handed the keys. They are keys to an Aston Martin: a shiny, new, expensive Aston Martin. Jet opens the back door for Autumn and she sits as primly in the car as is possible for someone who has never even touched, let alone sat in, a car worth what she supposes this car is worth. Her mouth gapes with surprise when Jet joins her in the back seat through the opposite door.
“We have business to go over before we get there,” he says.
She nods, as though of course she knew that is what would be happening.
As Scott takes full advantage of the Aston’s power, pushing the car to its allowable limits through the Brisbane streets, Jet pulls pictures from his briefcase of the men she is to dine with and runs through their names until Autumn is able to recite perfectly, each name to each face. He fills in all the pertinent details of the current purchase contract he has in place, including the current offer for six million, eight-hundred and fifty thousand dollars, of which, thanks to Hansen and Hansen also bidding, may need to be raised.
“That’s already too high. It’s not worth anything over five-and-a-half to six mil, but the circumstances push the value up. Losing Stark Consulting would be much more costly.”
Autumn frowns, unable to hide her disappointment at hearing this news twice in one day. It makes her stomach clench with nerves, especially after finally landing a position in a firm she respects, for a man she—well she doesn’t really know how she feels about Jet, but she is sure it is, at least, respect.
Jet offers a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to let that happen. My advantage is that McCaffey not
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