Moment of Weakness: One Moment, Book 1 by Toni J. Strawn Read Free Book Online Page B

resource.”
    “It’s not that easy.” Cole put in quickly. “Rob is trying to get additional people but the market there is so small…”
    “Then shift production here,” Marcus countered. “I can outsource to any number of platform providers here in the States and get it done twice as fast.”
    There was a pause at the other end of the line and Marcus rolled his eyes. He knew what his friend was thinking.
    “And what about Rob and his team?” Cole asked softly.
    “Harden up.” Marcus was blunt and to the point. There was no room for compassion in business. “I bought the company to deliver this deal to Nagasaki. If they can’t do that…” He left the statement hanging. Cole remained quiet and he sighed. “Business is business. You know that.”
    They’d both learned that lesson at school with the sons of Maryland’s privileged society the hard way. Marcus had been the scholarship student and Cole was the kid with the right name but none of the money or power to go with it. The battle of survival against the power-hungry, influential boys had taught Marcus if you wanted to win, you had to control the game. However you could.
    “I think you should at least meet with them,” Cole said. “Hear what Rob has to say.”
    Marcus rubbed at his brow and considered his options. One of which was not going to be tracking down the delectable Ms. Harkness tonight. “I’ll give Nagasaki a call,” he conceded finally. He heard Cole release a breath. His friend still had too much of a social conscience. “But I’m not going to New Zealand. I don’t have time to fly to the other side of the world.” Racing away to help a failing company wasn’t an efficient use of Marcus’s time. If the company couldn’t fulfill its contract, he’d have no choice but to get rid of it.
    Besides, there was his encounter with Abby to consider. Nobody just declared themselves the winner and expected the game to be over. That wasn’t how the game was played. She wanted to go up against him? Challenge accepted. Abby had just become Marcus’s next project. He wouldn’t rest until he’d found a way past the odds stacked against him. He would have her again.
    Oh, she’d be a tricky competitor. Marcus knew he’d need to play this one very carefully. He would never walk away, but he had a feeling Abby might. She’d been hurt, that much was clear from the shock she’d displayed when he’d outed Logan. He’d felt bad for Abby at the time. Now it excited him.
    Abby had a weakness which gave Marcus an edge. He smiled as he hung up the phone. The slimmest margin was all he needed.
    Abby had long since given up trying to sleep and was waiting at the airport six hours before her scheduled flight to Chicago.
    She wanted, no, needed to forget last night—which had been impossible in that damn hotel room. Tossing and turning in bed, it’d been too easy to remember the way her body had moved beneath Marcus’s hands as they’d traced each crease and hollow, the way his tongue had licked her skin, causing explosions of pleasure along every nerve. Each sleeping position became more uncomfortable than the last, while every movement caused her muscles to stretch and ache with satisfaction.
    Abby was completely and utterly satiated. A pity her brain hadn’t caught up with that fact yet. Scenes from last night kept rolling, faster than a flickering kaleidoscope, replaying each delicious event that had taken place after Marcus had closed the boardroom door. And make no mistake. They were events .
    Twice during the night Abby considered going back up to the top floor—and what?—sneak along the corridor until she sniffed Marcus out? Gah! It was when she’d gotten half-dressed with the intention of heading for the elevator that Abby decided the time had come to leave Baltimore.
    A lifetime later, and she was approaching Chicago. The city lay low in a thick bank of clouds, but as the plane dropped through the final layers, the familiar