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“Not a problem at all,” Shane replied, recovering from his initial shock. He cleared his throat and turned his attention to Oliver. “If everyone is present that should be, we can begin the meeting.”
Oliver nodded and shut the door before taking his seat again. The attendants saw to Ms. Ingram and her assistant, giving Shane a few more minutes to gather his thoughts. His brother caught his eye and winked.
He’d seen Shane’s reaction.
His little brother didn’t miss a damn thing.
“I’m sure you are a busy woman, so we’ll go ahead and get introductions out of the way. I’m Shane King, C.E.O of King Steele Industries.”
He nodded for Trevor to go next who immediately introduced himself and stated his title. Everyone around the table took turns introducing themselves.
He grabbed his tablet off the table and accessed his email. He pulled up her CV that had been emailed to him. He quickly scanned it and was satisfied with what he read. Of course Fin’s daughter would be the perfect replacement. Her experience was quite impressive. He sat the tablet down as it became her turn. He leaned back in his chair, resting his fingertips on each other in a steeple. He was captivated by her eyes. From his position he was too far away to see what color they were.
He’d remedy that. They would be getting closer soon.
“Thank you for inviting me. Well, as I’m sure some of you know, I am Avarie Ingram. I will be King Steele Industries’ new staff counselor. My father has decided to semi-retire and handed over this account to me.” She paused and made direct eye contact with the men in the room.
Shane was impressed by the way she handled herself. She was asserting her position. She had the room’s full attention, including his.
“And now that introductions are out the way, let’s get down to business. Mr. King, I’ve read through the contracts that were prepared for your upcoming meetings with your new vendors and I have to say, I’m not pleased at all.”
He raised his eyebrow at her.
She wasn’t pleased?
He was pleased with the way Mr. King rolled off her tongue. He’d like it even better if she gasped it, or better yet, screamed it.
If she wasn’t pleased, then he’d have to remedy that, too.
“Well, Ms. Ingram. What would you suggest?”
“You totally kicked ass and took names,” Jasmine whispered, sitting next to Avarie. Her eyes were wide behind her frames that she pushed up on her nose for the millionth time.
Avarie smiled at her assistant as they waited for her personal meeting with the C.E.O.
“Why don’t you go ahead and call it a day,” Avarie suggested. She wouldn’t need her assistant for a one-on-one. This meeting would be geared towards developing a working relationship between them.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure. It’s Friday, go out and have fun.” She gently nudged Jasmine with her elbow.
Jasmine’s lips spread as she bounced up from her chair. “Thank you. There’s a new movie at the community theater that I’ve been dying to get to. I could make the early showing if I leave now.”
Avarie laughed at her secretary’s bubbly reaction as she gathered her items and threw them into her messenger bag.
“Have fun. Take the company car back to the office,” she said.
“Thanks, Avarie. You’re the best,” Jasmine threw over her shoulder and rushed out the waiting area, leaving Avarie alone.
She stood from her chair and walked over to the wall of windows that showcased Downtown Cleveland. The city street below was busy with the tiny-looking cars and people scurrying about. The view of the city disappeared, memories of her first sight of Shane King crowding her mind.
He wasn’t anything like she thought he’d be. No, when she’d walked into that boardroom, she’d been blown away. She should have prepared herself better. He and his brother were the total opposite of the spoiled rich kids she’d grown up with. Yes, they were both wealthy beyond anyone’s imagination, but they both were very involved in the meeting, which proved they were very hands-on in their company. They weren’t just two rich guys whose father had handed over the reins.
No, she could tell just by the one meeting that they both lived, breathed, and ate King Steele Industries.
Shane’s intense stare had made knots appear in her stomach. He was one gorgeous specimen of a man. By the glint in his eyes, she could tell he knew he was God’s gift to women. The strong chin, dark eyes, and black hair that was properly groomed away from his face… Her fingers were dying to comb through his perfect hair and mess it up. She bit her lip with the thought of his hands.
She had a thing for men with large ones.
