Page 25 of Daddy Down Under

My throat went dry. The charcoal-gray fabric hugged his lean frame perfectly, accentuating broad shoulders I hadn’t fully appreciated before. The crisp white shirt beneath made his sun-kissed skin glow. “You look…” I swallowed hard, searching for words. “Like you’ve worn suits your whole life.”

Ocean’s face lit up with that megawatt smile. “Really? I feel like I’m playing dress-up.”

I chuckled, moving closer to adjust his tie. “Trust me, you’re pulling it off. You might give me a run for my money in the boardroom.”

As I fixed his collar, I caught a whiff of his cologne, which strangely smelled like him in a way I couldn’t explain. It made my head spin.

“You okay there, Cash?” Ocean’s voice was low, tinged with concern.

I stepped back, trying to regain my composure. “Fine. You clean up well.”

His eyes twinkled. “Don’t sound so surprised. I’ve got hidden depths, you know.”

“I’m beginning to see that.”

The drive to the Krause Group’s office was a blur of anticipation and stolen glances at Ocean. He gazed out the window, taking in the city with a soft smile.

As we pulled up to the sleek glass building that housed Krause’s headquarters, I felt a familiar surge of adrenaline. This was my element.

“Wow,” Ocean breathed, craning his neck to take in the full height of the structure. “It’s like a wave frozen in time.”

I smiled at his poetic description. “Ready to ride it?”

He grinned back. “Lead the way, boss.”

We strode through the revolving doors, our footsteps echoing on polished marble. The lobby was a testament to modern design, all clean lines and abstract art. The receptionist welcomed us, and we didn’t even have to wait a minute before an older man came to meet us. His handshake was firm. “Garrett Krause. It’s a pleasure to meet you in person, Mr. Sullivan.”

“Likewise. And please, call me Cash. This is Palmer, my assistant.”

I figured it was safer to use his legal first name, fearing his nickname would stand out too much. Ocean shook Garrett’s hand. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Krause.”

Ocean stayed a step behind us as Garrett led me through the hallways. “I have to admit, I was surprised when your personal assistant informed me you were traveling to Australia. That’s quite the effort you’re making.”

Crap. I hadn’t even considered Garrett would voice his surprise. What was Ocean thinking now? “If nothing else, it tells you how interested I am in buying your company.”

“Well, I appreciate it.” Garrett opened a door, ushering us into a conference room where another man was seated. He immediately rose to greet me. “James Dobler. I’m the CFO of the Krause Group.”

I shook his hand and introduced myself, then Ocean. We settled into the comfortable leather chairs and exchanged pleasantries while an assistant brought us fancy coffees and some type of cookies I’d never seen before.

“They’re Tim Tams,” Garrett said. “Classic Australian biscuits or, as you’d call them, cookies. We thought you might like to try them.”

They were good, and Ocean’s face lit up with enjoyment as well.

“We’d like to start with a presentation of our company and our numbers,” James said, and he fired up his laptop.

His slides were clear and informative, giving me exactly the financial information I was looking for. They had a healthy cash balance, no considerable debt, and for the most part, their brands made a healthy profit.

“Your luxury menswear line has shown impressive growth,” I observed, tapping my pen against the polished table. “What’s driving that success?”

Garrett nodded, clearly pleased by my interest. “We’ve focused on quality craftsmanship and exclusivity, as well as sustainability and pride in the fact that all our clothes are made in Australia. Our customers are willing to pay a premium for that.”

“And the profit margins?”

“Consistently above thirty percent,” James said.

As they delved deeper into the numbers, I felt a familiar thrill. This was my element—parsing through data, identifying opportunities. I glanced at Ocean, expecting to see boredom, but I found him listening intently, his eyes sharp and focused.

“What about your marketing strategy?” I probed. “How are you reaching new demographics?”

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