Page 38 of Robert

If Sonya had invited him in or if she had suggested that she would come over to his place, he would not have hesitated or even thought of leaving.

But her rejection had cut deep. He had poured himself – all of him into her over the last few days and to have her telling him basically that she needed space had been a big letdown. Hell, it had been more than that. It had broken his heart, broken him into tiny pieces.

Now he was here in his hotel room, wondering if he should call her. The flight had been uneventful and had given him time to contemplate and brood. The briefcase stacked with documents had not held his attention for very long.

Not to mention the fact that the flight attendant, kept hovering, a clear invitation in her light green eyes. He made a mental note to have her transferred elsewhere. He was and never had been one to dip into the company pool. That was cause for disaster and the beginning of complications, he would rather avoid.

Even if he was not helplessly and hopelessly in love with Sonya, he would not even be thinking about it.

But the woman serving him brandy at his request was the least of his problem. Also, the problems brewing at the soybean factory. That could easily be dealt with.

He was accustomed to rooting out problems and dealing with them accordingly. His reputation of being ruthless was well earned. He was a street fighter, had spent years clawing to the top to allow anything or anyone to take it away from him.

He was careful not to think too highly of himself. He had achieved greatness and he was grateful for what it afforded him. But he knew that fortunes could tumble. He had seen men go through millions in just weeks, companies destroyed by arrogance and carelessness.

Robert had learned from other people mistakes. He was very hands on. He had studied business and software in college and taught himself several languages. He dealt with a lot of foreign associates and did not trust anyone to interpret anything for him. A lot got lost in translation.

He knew the names of every manager he had on payroll and what they earned. He was very short on trust and was very cautious who he let into his inner circle. He had had a few slip through the cracks.

One Harvard genius had come to work for him with the intention of spying on the company. The man had been paid to do just that. It had taken several weeks, but the leak had been discovered and Robert had dealt with him personally.

He had enemies. One did not achieve so much without stepping on toes. He was forceful in business, but fair. He did not believe in stamping down anyone. He would swoop in to take over a company, but it had to be thoroughly investigated first. People were constantly surprised by his moves.

A small software company had come up for sale, because it was going bankrupt. But after careful investigation, it turned outthat one of the managers had been secretly stealing money and putting it into an offshore account.

The company was owned and operated by a family and had been in that family for generations. Robert had taken that into consideration and sorted it out.

He had loaned the money to the family and had his own team sort things out for them. He did not believe in adding to someone’s family. If it had been discovered that someone in the family had been the culprit, he would not have hesitated to buy them out.

Ignoring the dinner that had been brought to his suite, he stood at the window staring out at the bleak horizon. The hotel was one of his and had been remodeled over the past year to retain its elegance and ‘old world’ look. It constantly surprised him when he was shown deference.

People sprang to attention whenever he was around and the manager himself had bustled out to ask if there was anything he needed. The man had looked anxious, and Robert had seen the quick glance he took around the lobby to ensure that everything was up to the usual standard.

Sonya. He name settled in his subconscious and it took only that to have him yearning. What was she doing now? He wondered. Walking back to his desk, he opened the drawer and took out the folder he had on her. A smile touched his lips as he wondered what she would make of it.

He had her discreetly checked into, not because he suspected anything untoward, but because he wanted it for his own personal satisfaction. His security detail had taken several candid shots of her. The photos did not do her justice. Using a finger, he traced the delicate cure of her cheek.

It did not capture the sparkle of her dark brown eyes or properly pin down the smooth complexion. Neither did it capture the whiteness of her teeth or the lush shape of her lips. Or the taste of her, the sweet addictive taste of her lips. Ones he had become obsessed with. Ones he was crying out for now.

Closing the folder with a snap, he shoved from the chair and went to pour himself a large glass of scotch. He had an early meeting tomorrow, but he needed something to make him go to sleep. Something to take the edge off the desire raging through his body.

*****

“Darling, is everything all right? You seem a little distracted?”

Realizing belatedly that she had been toying with her pasta salad, Sonya forced a smile to her lips. She should not have agreed to the luncheon with her mother, but it had been necessary.

Deidre was the executive of several accounts and was also a top player on several of the charities that Sonya oversaw. Her mother had a powerful presence. She would prefer to have complete control but was forced to bide her time.

“I am a little tired.”

“You do look a little worse for wear.”

“Thanks, mother,” she said dryly.

“Well, it’s true. How long will your husband be away and why are you not with him?”

“He said a week or less and he knows I have work to do. I simply cannot drop everything and follow him around.” She was aware that she sounded defensive but could not help it. It has been two days since he left, and she had not heard a word from him.

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