Page 4 of My Secret Santa Dallas

“Dallas,” Warrick stood, his face tense, wordlessly telling me to stay out of this fight.

The lady turned, and the front of her matched the back, only better: big blue-gray eyes and high, wide cheekbones; a face that producers in Hollywood would have sold their mamas to have starred in a movie.

She was beautiful. She seemed unearthly, even standing there in the strong light flowingin from Warrick’s window. It shocked me into stillness for a moment, doing nothing but appreciating her face.

Miss Corporate examined me from head to toe, and she took her time. Her eyes are the color of a shark's, and damn if I didn’t feel them all around me.

It didn’t matter; I had a backbone.

“And you are?” she asked.

“Doesn’t matter who I am,” I said. “The answer is not only no, it ishell no. Whoever your boss is, tell him to take a hike.”

Warrick looked like he was on the verge of a stroke.

“I am sorry, sir,” she said. “But you have no authority in this decision.”

“I know when someone is being taken for a ride,” I said, waving, “and this is you taking my brother for not only a ride, but stringing him up like a piñata and whacking him with the biggest bat you can get,” I said. “The answer, missy, isno.”

The sharks in her eyes narrowed, as if they had sensed blood and were homing in on it. “The name is Blair Rayne Cullen, junior COO to Mr. Hunter Portman, international mogul of Tender T’s steaks. And you are?”

“Dallas Bran Donovan,” I replied in kind. “BA and MA in business, economics, and accounting, and as far as I see it, I am going to be your worst nightmare if you try to push for this deal.”

Chapter Two

Blair

Who was this asshole?

By the expression in his eyes and the tone in his voice, I knew he was misdirecting years of rage over something in his life that wasn’t my fault.

If he thought he could get me to back down, he had another thing coming. I hadn’t gained my position by being a doormat, sitting on my ass, and letting everyone walk all over me.

“This deal has been run through analysts and strategists who have decided it is best for Mr. Portman’s portfolio,” I said.

“For him,” Donovan the Second spat, his jaw tensing, his eyes glinting, the dark making them gleam gray. “But not for the town. Again, take your deal and go to?—”

“Dallas,” Warrick stopped him. “Stop. I know it sounds lopsided?—”

“Because it is,” Dallas interjected.

“But it is the only way to get this plant offthe ground,” Warrick said. “The town does not have the funds to cover it, and the previous investor, Drayton Inc., has gone belly up.”

Dallas' eyes shifted. “Drayton Inc.? What? What happened there?”

Warrick sighed and rested his forearms on his scuffed table. “It’s a long story, but the Cliff Notes version is that one of the top men in the corporation was here and deeply involved in some fraudulent activities. We exposed them, which started the dominoes tipping, and now the whole crop is toppling.”

Dallas clamped his lips tightly, but his eyes darkened. The blue and gray of his eyes were smoky like the clouds before a storm, and I felt the fight approaching in the same way that a thunderstorm does. I could feel his energy skittering over my skin, raising goosebumps all the way.

In my private life, I love a decisive man, somewhat stubborn, always confident, assertive, and in control, someone who could go toe-to-toe with me in the boardroom and the bedroom. Tall, rugged, handsome as the devil himself, with sharp cheekbones and a hard jawline, with a pulsating energy that would send delicious shivers down my spine.

It sucked because Dallas checked off all those boxes, and besides the irritation brewing in my chest, a strong attraction was building in my belly. As a result, my morning became frustrating.

“Is there—” Mr. Donovan, the one I was working with, frowned at his brother. “Is there something going on?”

Donovan the Second flexed his jaw. “Yes, but not here. What is happening with this deal is not right.”

“Listen, Dallas,” Warrick said. “I know Mr. Portman, and he is not some corporate bigwig who takes everything for himself. When you think about it, this is a dangerous investment for him as well, and it only makes sense for himto earn back what he puts in. I’m sure we can get the deal to grow lighter as the quarters go by, but for a startup buy-in, he’s right on the money.”

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