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Closing the Deal
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Phaze
www.phaze.com
Copyright ©2007 by Missy Lyons
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NOTICE: This work is copyrighted. It is licensed only for use by the original purchaser. Making copies of this work or distributing it to any unauthorized person by any means, including without limit email, floppy disk, file transfer, paper print out, or any other method constitutes a violation of International copyright law and subjects the violator to severe fines or imprisonment.
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CLOSING THE DEAL
A Phaze Fury HeatSheet by
Missy Lyons
Phaze
6470A Glenway Avenue, #109
Cincinnati, OH 45211-5222
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
eBook ISBN 1-59426-526-7
Closing the Deal © 2006 by Missy Lyons
All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Cover art © 2006 by Kathryn Lively
Phaze is an imprint of Mundania Press, LLC.
www.Phaze.com
"How dare you ask me to do that? What you are suggesting I do is absolutely criminal, Mr. Withers.” Dian Wright let her manicured nails rhythmically fall onto the boardroom table. They made a rolling, tapping sound in the otherwise quiet room. She didn't try to hide her irritation with the man across from her. She never did have a good poker face and she wasn't about to try now.
He had that GQ look that always turned her on, but now that she had gotten to know the man, he was repulsive to her. It actually made her skin crawl to listen to his voice, and she dreaded these meetings like the plague. Evading his roving hands was becoming more and more difficult.
"I need that property, Dian. I expect you to do whatever you have to, in order to get it.” She didn't like the way he called her by her first name. That kind of assumed closeness annoyed her. She needed to put some space between him and her.
He had to be the rudest man she ever met.
"They have refused all the offers so far, Mr. Withers. There isn't much I can do about that,” she replied curtly.
"Please, call me Bruce."
He reached across the table, laying his hand on hers, and stopped the repetitive movement of her fingers. He smiled as he said, “There's no need to be nervous, Dian. I want us to be very close friends."
"Friends? I'd rather not. I mean...” She paused a moment to compose herself. “I'm not sure I am comfortable calling you by your first name, Mr. Withers. I think I should make it clear that I would like to keep this on a professional level.” She furrowed her eyebrows low over her eyes. She hoped he would catch her drift and remove his hand from hers.
He must have taken it as a challenge. He raised her hand to his lips, and gave the back of it a sloppy wet kiss. Dian snatched her hand back and wiped it in her lap, trying to keep the snarl from her lips.
"Mr. Withers, stop it!"
"What's the matter Dian?"
"You! Does your wife know you cheat on her?"
"We have an arrangement,” he said simply, as if having an affair was no big deal to him.
"Well, maybe you should try arranging some time to sleep with her. It would help control some of these sexual urges you have."
"I asked to work with you, because I thought we could have some fun, too. It thought I made that clear in the beginning."
"Then you should have asked me whether I was interested in you or not."
"It's not like you are seeing anyone else. I asked. You don't have a boyfriend. So what's wrong with me? Did you sleep your way to the top? So now you think you don't have to sleep with me?"
"You asshole! This meeting is over. Find yourself another lawyer,” Dian snarled. She gathered her briefcase and her Prada purse. She stood up quickly, pushing her chair away from the table. The miniskirt of her business suit was riding high, and she pulled the hem of her skirt lower to cover her legs. The man didn't need any more sexual encouragement.
"You walk out of here now and I'll make sure you never work in this town again."
"New York is a big city, Mr. Withers. Even you can't be that powerful. And I wouldn't be going around making promises you can't keep.” Dian turned around, smiling one last time.
"Do you want to try me?"
"You know I may not be rich or powerful, but I make one hell of an enemy. I won't take your threats sitting down, Mr. Withers."
She swept across the room to the exit. Her hand was on the knob when he spoke again. His voice was no less threatening than the last time he opened his mouth.
"If you leave, you can consider yourself fired, Dian."
"Only my boss can fire me. Good day, Mr. Withers.” Her voice was icy with her thinly veiled anger. In all her life she had never met someone so manipulative or as deceitful as him. And to be that good looking? It should be a crime. The man should look like a beast to help warn the ladies off.
It wasn't until she was in the elevator that she let herself think about what she was going to do. She had just made enemies of the most powerful men in New York City. A man like him could ruin her career.
She couldn't just throw away everything she fought so hard for just because of a man like that. No, a man like that deserved to be taught a lesson and she had an idea about how to do it.
She rummaged through her purse before finding her cell phone. Someday she would have to get a Bluetooth, one of those cordless ear phones. But she had not had time to break away from her hectic schedule to shopping. Of course, being newly fired would give her a lot of free time. She flipped open her phone and pressed the speed dial to her personal assistant to make arrangements for a direct flight to Nashville.
If this plan of hers didn't work she would be fired for losing the client. If it did work, it would buy her some bargaining room on keeping her job. And if that didn't get her job back, at least it would stop Mr. Withers from getting what he wanted. That was the one thing that mattered to her right now.
Somebody had to teach that man a lesson in manners.
* * * *
"Good old Nancy has never let me down yet.” Dian was pleased with Nancy's arrangements thus far. The plane trip was a direct flight. She was unloading her luggage before Mr. Withers had probably even had the chance to call Mr. Sampson. With Mr. Sampson's busy schedule, it would be difficult to get hold of him. And if her plan was to work, time was of the essence.
Dian had only brought one overnight bag, since she planned to end this trip quickly. It made things convenient. She had everything she needed in one little carryon. She was able to get to the rental car desk before the rest of the people on the plane were able to claim their luggage.
"I believe you have a reservation for me. My name is Dian Wright."
"Yes ma'am.” The man at the counter greeted her, and then typed something into his computer.
Dian's cell phone started ringing.
"Would you like to purchase our insurance?"
Dian looked at the cell phone to see who it was.
It was her boss. The other man she didn't want to talk to today.
"Shit.” The expletive escaped her lips before she could stop it.
"Do what?” The clerk answered.
"Yeah, yeah, just give me the insurance. If my luck holds I will need it. Just hurry up the paper
work, please. I have got to go."
She let the phone ring one more time. Well there was no use putting it off. If the shit was going to hit the fan, it might as well be now.
"Where the hell are you?"
"Well hello to you, too. I am in beautiful Nashville, Tennessee, enjoying the sunshine.” Boy, he must be pissed off not to even give her a greeting.
"Dian, this isn't a joke. What the hell do you think you are doing?"
"I'm taking a personal day.” Dian had to hold the phone away from her ear, since he was yelling so loudly.
"Just what did you do to Bruce Withers? He wants you skinned alive, Dian."
"Your star client gave me an offer I had to refuse. He expected me to sleep with him."
"Well, couldn't you have let him down a little more gently?"
"The man is impossible. You've got to believe I did everything I could. The man wouldn't take no for an answer."
"He asked me to fire you."
The phone went silent as Dian absorbed that last sentence. What Bruce Withers asked for, he got.
"So that's it? You're just going to fire me? Damn it, Joe, I don't deserve that."
"No, you don't, but he didn't tell me that you refused to sleep with him."
"Why would he?"
"Cut the attitude. Maybe he's right and I should fire you."
"Look, I can't tell you what I am doing. I am not sure this is going to work."
"Does this have anything to do with the Aldridge land deal?"
"Yes, but before you get all pissed off, I think this may be my best shot of fixing this. This deal is going to tank unless I can get them to accept an offer. My letters have all been returned to sender. The man is too much of a redneck to own a phone. What have I got to lose? I know Mr. Withers will make you fire me if I don't close this deal. I know he is the biggest client we have and I know he is after my ass. That is why I dropped everything to take care of this."
"You should have talked to me before jumping on a plane to Nashville, Dian. I don't appreciate being broadsided by this. Now it is too late to fix this."
"So what are you saying? Are you going to fire me anyways?"
"I am sorry Dian. Just go home."
"Is going home going to get me my job back? Go to hell, Sampson.” Dian clicked the talk button, ending the conversation. She turned the cell phone off for good measure and looked up to deal with the now staring clerk.
The keys and paperwork were in his outstretched hand. His guilty eyes looked down to avoid meeting hers and he was turning red.
"Don't worry about it.” Dian said, hoping he would forget the overheard conversation.
"Yes ma'am. Welcome to Nashville Mrs. Wright. We hope you enjoy your stay."
* * * *
Dian put miles between herself and the airport. She was feeling better already. Compared to the concrete jungle of New York, Nashville was a breath of fresh air.
The city was small and it was not long before she hit the city limits. The sights and sound of the city faded. Driving down the road was an experience. A forest lined the highway and trees towered over everything, hiding the houses. When she came to an open space it was either a pasture lined with cows or horses. Everything was so green it was astonishing. Dian had never been surrounded by such natural beauty.
Dian pulled over to the side of the road and pulled out her manila file on the Aldridge land deal. She had printed out the directions and an address in case she had to make a trip here. Only she thought the trip would not be under duress and made at her leisure.
Dian continued to follow her directions to end up on a country road where the houses spread out further and further. Finally a mailbox marked the address she was searching for. Dian looked up to see the most beautiful Southern plantation she had ever seen. Of course, that wasn't saying much. She had never been to the South, so she had never seen houses like these. For all she knew there could be a house like this on every other corner, but from here it looked like the man had some money to spend. The house was beautiful, white with huge columns and a porch that lined the outside. It was just like what she would expect to see from out of the movie Gone with the Wind.
Dian found herself on the doorstep, slightly nervous. These did not appear to be people in need of money. So what could she possibly offer them that they couldn't get from Bruce Withers? They had already refused his offers. What if this whole thing blew up in her face?
Good God, what had she done? She had made an enemy with a man as rich as Donald Trump and as powerful as a Kennedy.
Dian heard scuffling footsteps behind the door and she adjusted her skirt and blouse to fit her curves better. She tried to smooth out the moderately wrinkled blouse and pushed her platinum blonde hair back into place.
When the door opened, her heart was racing and her nerves were on edge. Dian bit her lip when one of the sexiest men she had ever seen stepped out to greet her. He wasn't even close to her usual type, but he was sexier than anyone she was used to meeting. He wore jeans that clung to every lean muscle of his body and a blue plaid work shirt that was rolled up at the sleeves. She could tell he was built. He had beautiful blonde hair and blue eyes with a touch of grey that looked like a storm brewing and two dimples when he smiled.
Dian could feel her body tingle with energy in response to his body. A pressure in her belly that moved down between her legs. She was probably already wet for him. She couldn't even remember the last time she was given a booty call. She needed to get laid.
They know how to grow them here in the South. Don't they?
"Hi. My name is Dian Wright. I am here to see Geoffrey Aldridge.” Dian pushed her hand out to shake the man's hand. A habit that had become instinct over her years as a lawyer. She liked the way his hand felt. It was a firm shake but not too powerful; his hand was warm and she liked the way it felt in hers.
"That was my uncle and he died two weeks ago."
Dian was startled enough to let his hand go.
Well that explained the unopened returned letters. Better change plans quickly.
"Oh, I am sorry to hear that. Is it possible to speak with his family? I came a long way and I really have some important business to discuss."
"Sure, come on in. Go ahead and have a seat in the living room. I'll get my brother. We just moved in to start getting his affairs in order."
"So you are both the heirs? Was there a will?"
"We haven't got that far yet. It's barely been a week since we buried the man."
"I am so sorry. But if there is anything I can do to help...” Dian meant it.
"No, that's okay. Just have a seat and I'll get my brother. Be right back."
Dian watched him turn around and saunter up the winding stairs. His jeans hugged each cheek nicely. She could see the faded outline of a wallet on his right pocket.
That man was definitely sexy. Downright edible, and if his brother was even half as cute...
She really shouldn't be thinking these things. Mixing pleasure with business made for bad business.
This was too important to fuck up. Dian pulled the manila folder and her makeup case out of her bag. She touched up the color on her lips and smacked them together, before inspecting them in the mirror. Her reflection showed the plane ride and car trip had not done too much damage. Her lips were pink and glossy, ready to be kissed, and her cheeks and eyes were nicely highlighted. She had just enough make-up on to give her a natural look.
"Mrs. Ummmh...."
"Wright. Dian Wright."
"Forgive me, Dian. I seemed to have forgotten my manners. My name is Jake and this is my brother Justin.” Dian stood up to thrust out her hand again, which his brother accepted. She gasped before doing a double take on Jake again. Justin looked so much like Jake that it was startling. Justin may have looked exactly like Jake, but he was dressed differently from his brother. He had a T-shirt on that said ‘Save a horse, ride a cowboy.’ He had on the same mind blowing jeans. He had the same gorgeous face and figure.
"There are two of you? How am I supposed to tell you apart?” She chuckled.
"Well, my momma said she could tell it easiest when we were naked. I have dimples and Jake doesn't."
Dian blushed. “Now how am I supposed to get you boys naked?"
"All you have to do is ask.” Jake smiled flirtatiously.
With the direction the conversation had headed, Dian was going to be blushing all night. It wasn't that she was an inexperienced virgin, but she felt a little hot around the collar at the idea of looking at either of two sexy men in all their naked glory. It was a sweet temptation to ask.
Just call me Scarlet O'Hara.
"As much as I would like to consider that offer, I really do have some important business to discuss with you. Before this afternoon I used to work for a firm that has been trying to reach Geoffrey Aldridge. They have been trying to buy the parcel of land from him for the last month. It's ranch land. It's located by the freeway. Do you boys know anything about it or who the owner will be now that your uncle has passed away?"
"He left it to us. But we haven't seen a lawyer about the will yet. You are the third person that has been interested in that land."
"You haven't signed anything yet, have you?"
"No. We don't plan on selling."
"Good. How about we discuss this over dinner? Now that I don't work for my company any more, I will be happy to tell you why everyone wants your land and I would very much love to represent you in any future negotiations. I can even help with processing the will. Is it handwritten or is witnessed?"
"I can't go tonight. I have to go to that vet appointment for Patches. Maybe you can fill me in, Jay,” Justin said, raking his fingers through his hair.
"Is that your dog?” she asked.
"No, it's my favorite jumping horse. Look, don't worry about me, you two go and have fun."
"Horse? Wow, I don't get around horses very often. I live in New York, where you don't see this much raw land anywhere. I think I would like to meet Patches before I leave."
Closing the Deal