Page 7 of Hate On

He had amazing eyes. Like a gemstone of the palest blue, those eyes glowed against skin that was tanned a warm gold, either from time in a tanning bed or time under the sun.

She hoped it was the latter.

Somehow, she suspected it was. There was an arrogance about him and she suspected a sense of vanity, too. But she doubted that vanity ran so deep that he’d lounge under artificial lights just to maintain that warm golden glow.

His gaze left her father and moved to her, but this was no lingering glance.

He held her eyes boldly and she didn’t look away.

After a moment, a faint smile curled his lips and he looked back at his father.

“Julianna, have you read over the material?”

She glanced over at her father, frowning. “Of course, I have. It’s a gamble, you realize that. We don’t even know what this new technology is.”

The older Castle grinned at her. His eyes, dark as her own, gleamed with interest. “Now, we don’t. I’m hoping you’ll be able to help me with that.”

“Am I supposed to sneak out of here and break into Templeton’s inner sanctum to figure it out?” she asked lightly.

Her father laughed. “I doubt you’ll need to take that route, darling. Just be your normal charming self. Convince them we need more data than what they’ve supplied…read between the lines. It’s what you’re good at.”

* * *

Julianna was aboutready to get up and pour herself some more coffee when the door to the boardroom opened a third time. She’d arrived first, along with her father and their legal team. Not long after they’d taken their seats, the doors had opened to admit the group from Montrose Jewelers.

Now, as the team from Templeton entered, she ordered her body to relax in the seat. It was just as good she hadn’t gotten any more coffee. If she had, she might have ended up needing to use the facilities halfway through the meeting. Or at least, fighting the urge to use the facilities. Not that she’d ever give in to the need to pee in the middle of a business meeting. How gauche.

But it was a pain the ass to be listening to the pros and cons of a deal, trying to weigh those pros and cons, while she was clenching her thighs together and pondering the quickest way to get to the toilet.

“We’re sorry to keep you waiting,” Edgar Templeton said.

Head of the Templeton’s expansive jewelry operation, he was a robust man in his mid-fifties, although he could easily pass for early forties. He was a tall man, nearly half as broad across the shoulders as he was tall.

Julianna had heard rumors he liked to join his miners, just to see how a day’s operations were going.

His team was on the cutting edge as far as technology went in the gemstone and precious metals industry went.

“I’m not going to beat around the bush,” Edgar said, gesturing for the man at his right.

Without speaking, the black man with spectacles rose and began to distribute heavy folders of rich burgundy.

“My company has decided to move more in the direction of mining, particularly the mining of precious metals. We’ll be divesting ourselves of the gem mines we own so we can focus on the others.” He paused, clearly giving them a chance to take in the news he’d just delivered.

A pause was definitely welcome.

Templeton Legacy Jewels was just one of the offshoots of the overall Templeton Legacy Corporation, but while they weren’t the name that either of Montrose Jewelers or Castle Jewels were, they wereaname. And the gems and metals from their mines were first rate.

“We won’t be selling our stores,” Edgar continued. “That’s another part of the company and my daughters will continue with the stores. However, my sons and I are eager to embark on this new venture. But first we need to sell the gem mines.” His eyes gleamed as he added, “And to sweeten the deal, if you read the material I provided about the company, if you know anything about Templeton Legacy, then you know we’re on the cutting edge of technology. For the past several years, one of my sons has been working with our lab team and they’ve developed a prototype that…well, let’s say it revolutionizes the way gemstones are handled and cut.”

Julianna’s mind was whirling. Her father turned to her as Edgar lapsed into silence but before he could say anything, she held up a hand to silence him.

Cutting was everything in the gem industry. You could have a flawless stone and a bad cut would render it almost worthless. Some of the best developments in the industry in the last few decades had come from Templeton Legacy’s labs, so she wanted to know more about this.

Her father settled back in his seat, clearly content to let her lead, even though the legal team was already battering him with questions.

Julianna had questions herself.

One in particular. Catching Edgar’s eye, she smiled warmly and leaned forward. “This all sounds fascinating, Edgar. As I’m sure you are aware. But…” She laughed, keeping the sound amused and dry. “You have to know that dangling a carrot in front of us isn’t going to be enough to make us bite. We need to know more about this new prototype. Let us see it.”

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