Scent of a Woman by Joanne Rock Read Free Book Online Page B

falling backward into a conversation with a contact he needed to impress, but Danielle’s inevitable confusion and disillusionment pricked at his conscience.

    “I can’t speak to how women will like it,” Adam said honestly, “but I can tell you this much—the name was poorly chosen.”

    Ahmed frowned as he adjusted his glasses and read the name on the bottle again.

    “You do not like the name?”

    “Not sexy enough or sweet enough. It should be one or the other, as long as it projects an appealing amount of femininity.” As soon as the words left his mouth he experienced a moment of panic that the fragrance was a cologne for men and he’d just revealed the depth of his ignorance.

    But neither Ahmed nor Danielle contradicted him. Instead, Ahmed nodded slowly.

    “There is tremendous power in naming,” he acknowledged, looking at Adam with new respect. “I will hope for Zumer’s sake this is not their first misstep, but I will watch the fragrance’s performance with interest in light of our discussion. For now, I must leave the two of you to attend a workshop on new trends in pheromones.”

    He gave a short bow and departed, leaving Adam alone with Danielle at the bar. The afternoon crowd was thin, with most of the regular cruise ship passengers on shore in Corfu. Many of the attendees of the fragrance conference were still on board for a handful of afternoon workshops, which were starting shortly, so the bar was quiet except for a piano player in one corner of the room.

    “Thank you.” Adam knew he needed to apologize to Danielle for what had happened on the pier, but first, he would thank her for helping him out with Ahmed. “I’d never met Ramnathan in person and I was so focused on finding you, I didn’t make the connection when I first saw him.”

    Danielle held up one of the perfume containers to the light. She seemed to inspect the golden liquid before replacing the tiny decanter on the bar.

    “I believe it is best to play fair, even in business, although I know there are many who would not agree.” She was wearing a simple strapless dress and shrugged her bare shoulders. “When I secure a contract from International Markets, my conscience will only let me enjoy it if I have not purposely hindered the competition.”

    He wondered if she meant that as a warning to him. Did she think he would cheat in this race to win Ahmed’s business? No doubt what she’d seen earlier had swayed her opinion of him. A man who was dishonest in his personal life would have no qualms about slippery ethics in his professional life.

    “I respect that and promise to abide by the same principle.” He stared into her violet eyes and hoped his gaze communicated his sincerity as much as his words. “Danielle, I need to explain to you about what happened out on the pier.”

     

    “S O YOU’RE SAYING she flew all the way around the world to see you and she was so thrilled she suffocated you in an octopus hug, and yet the two of you have never dated?” Danielle didn’t bother to conceal her skepticism.

    After seeing Adam with the beautiful young woman, Danielle had ditched the disembarkation deck and headed for a lecture on classical antiquities in the library on the Bacchus deck at one o’clock. But she’d been restless and agitated despite the entertaining talk, remembering what she’d seen on the pier. Finding Ahmed at the bar nearby had been a stroke of good luck, giving her a chance to socialize with the rep for a few minutes before Adam arrived.

    And while Danielle had been tempted to excuse herself from the bar at the same time as Ahmed, she wasn’t a pouty child and knew she should give Adam a chance to explain.

    Now, sipping her ouzo in deference to their Greek port, she waited for Adam to respond to her question.

    “Haven’t you ever met people who would do anything for a little extra publicity?” He shrugged and shook his head. “Maybe it’s a cultural thing. In the States, everyone