Page 27 of The CEO Enemy

I let myself in, finding him standing at a small bar next to the balcony doors. He’s making himself a coffee and begins to speak without even bothering to look at me.

“You expect me to believe it was a coincidence?” he asks. “That you really didn’t know who I was?”

“How the hell would I have known?” I demand. “You and I never exchanged names, and Norman dropped a fait accompli on me after my two-week trip.”

He snorts in disbelief and makes a gesture to offer me a drink, but I shake my head. Picking up his steaming cup, he turns to look me in the eye, his expression dark and serious. “Very convincing. He didn’t give you the name of the company who bought his shares?”

“He sure did. Point is, I didn’t know your name.” Or that you were the CEO of Blackwood, but I don’t say it. Everyone in the hotel business knows Blackwood Hotels & Resorts. Is my life falling apart just because I didn’t make Forbes Magazine my bedtime reading? Undoubtedly, high and mighty Sean Blackwood’s photograph graces their cover like a frequent flyer.

“I’m almost considering believing you,” he growls. “I’m curious, what exactly was your plan? Seduce the new boss and use it as leverage?”

“I’m not that kind of person, and I’d appreciate you not to think of me as such,” I say. “But if you’re really fixated on that made-up scenario, then tell me how I tried to use last night to my advantage.”

He’s silent, stirring his coffee rather than answering my question. It’s clear from his reticence that he doesn’t have an answer, and it makes me smirk in triumph.

“Exactly,” I exclaim. “You can’t because I definitely didn’t.”

He puts the spoon down. “You could have been trying to gather insider information or just gain a psychological upper hand.”

I can’t help but laugh, genuinely amused. “Oh, come on now, Mr. CEO. You’re giving me way too much credit,” I say. “I had no idea who you were at the time, and trust me, if I were really out to gain an advantage, I would have used far more sophisticated methods than a tipsy ‘chance encounter’ in Swayze’s bathroom.”

There’s an awkward pause where we both just look at each other.

He really has beautiful eyes, a rich, dark forest green, deep, and captivating.

Long, striking lashes.

Well-defined, masculine brows.

“What’s done is done,” he breaks the silence, “but I’m sure it goes without saying that it’s not going to happen again.”

“Well, there’s something we can finally both agree on.”

“Good.”

“Yeah, good.” I nod, slightly irritated. “And just so you know. First, I’m not interested in a repeat performance with someone after they gave me a ‘hit and run.’ Our encounter was rather…brief. Second, even if I were interested in a snack rather than a meal, your attitude today successfully killed any attraction I may have had.”

“Same,” he says.

Annoyance bolts through me. “What the hell did I do? You were the one acting like a jerk and trying to steal my business out from under me.”

“I’m not trying to steal it. I’m trying to buy it. I was and still am willing to negotiate the payout, but you’re being too stubborn to even listen to what I’m offering.”

“Oh, I heard you, loud and clear. Yet you don’t seem to hear me when I say I’m not interested in money.”

“Blackwood has acquired nearly fifteen hotels in the last six months alone. I’ve worked with clients who were just as stubborn as you, in some cases even more. And let me tell you this: every single one of them ended up taking the deal in the end. Every. Single. One. So you can lie to yourself all you want, but everyone has a price.”

The absolute nerve of this guy.

Keep cool. Be warm. Charm your way to victory.

It’s something my mom instilled in me from an early age.

I inhale a deep breath to retain my composure and stop myself from stomping away like I did earlier. “Here’s something to consider, Sean,” I say with a (diplomatic) smile, and the use of his first name catches even me by surprise, though I keep my voice charmingly steady to conceal just how worked up I truly am. “I’ll bet you a million dollars they ended up taking the payout because they didn’t want to deal with you anymore, Mr. ‘I Work Alone.’ I’m not going to speak for them, and I don’t doubt some of them have dollar signs in their eyes. However, I’m sure that a few of them felt forced out, felt like their life’s work was being pulled away from them, and they took the money because they suspected that you weren’t willing to play nice.”

Okay, so all that wasn’t polite or diplomatic, but the truth never hurt anyone.

“And that’s why Norman sold his shares?”

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