Attraction (Love & War, Part I) by Katrina Liss Read Free Book Online

read it
quickly, translating from French to English. It related to minimum
and maximum completions. It was a very crudely written question,
with French grammatical errors. As if someone had typed it into
Google translate.
    “ Minimum time limitation is zero days. Maximum is usually
twelve months although a clause can be written in the contract to
supersede that.” She wondered if he knew what the answer to this
was himself, or if he was evaluating her response in some
way.
    “ And six, the answer if you please.”
    “ The original source of French Law?” she said out loud, a
touch amused at being tested, as if she were a schoolgirl.
“Napoleonic code, although most has been rewritten. There's not
much of it left any more. These are very simple basic law
questions, Mr Gates, what is the point of this?”
    “ Basics are so often forgotten or ignored, and I like to keep
things as simple and basic as possible.”
    “ Perhaps I can ask you something?”
    “ Go ahead.”
    “ Why France?”
    “ Why not?” He sat back, regarding her thoughtfully.
    “ That's not an answer, that's another question.” She smiled
wryly.
    “ There's no specific interest in France. I had alerts set up
for buying opportunities in all the main European countries. This
one happened to appear first.”
    “ What is your precise interest in Fabliss?”
    “ It has a large portfolio of development land in inner
Paris.”
    “ Have you established the building rights of the land?
Limitations and types of buildings which may be developed? Or are
you simply thinking of keeping the land as an investment per
se?”
    “ Nothing is ascertained yet. Any planning restrictions can be
established tomorrow on our fact finding mission, perhaps you can
assist with that?”
    “ I'm not a property guru. I deal in company contractual law.
But I'll help in any way I can, of course.”
    “ My real estate expert has limited knowledge of French land
laws. The two of you can discuss this between you.”
    “ I'm willing to discuss anything, and advise you, if I have
knowledge of it and it's in the scope of my remit.”
    His eyes left
her face for a moment as he looked down at his open file. He
flicked through a few pages, removing one and pushing it towards
her.
    “ There's something for you to be getting on with later. It's a
brief summary of the whole Fabliss group hierarchy. The present
owner, Robert Charron, has several other companies you many wish to
examine at your leisure, purely for background, and the names are
listed for you.”
    She scanned
the sheet quickly, absorbing the names.
    “ This is most useful, thank you.” She'd already done some leg
work on Robert Charron but every little helped.
    They resumed
their staring game once more.
    “ Are you busy this evening?” he suddenly asked.
    She wasn't
expecting a question of this nature, and it threw her for a
loop.
    “ Pardon me?” she asked, unsure if she'd actually heard that
correctly. It sounded like he was asking her on a date.
    “ Do you have an engagement this evening?” he
repeated.
    “ Yes I do, actually,” she managed to reply, rather
overwhelmed. She didn't want to mention who it was with. She
suddenly felt very awkward.
    “ What time is it?”
    “ Eight.”
    “ And where d'you live?”
    “ Docklands,” she revealed, stunned by his personal cross
examination.
    “ That should allow us ample time. I'll collect you at 5.30
from your office and have you home by 7.30.”
    I don't think
I can actually believe I've been asked out twice on the same day.
And by Ashton Gates and his aide.
    “ Can I refuse your kind offer?” she asked,
tentatively.
    “ Why would you?” He frowned slightly.
    “ I have a few things to do if I'm going to Paris tomorrow. I
don't want to rush around. I like to be organised.”
    “ You can prepare in the morning, before I collect
you.”
    “ I'm supposed to be in the office tomorrow morning, working.
I've a managerial meeting between nine and ten.”
    “