Tempting Aquisitions by Addison Fox Read Free Book Online Page B

blue in a bold swath of fire that threatened to consume her.
    Her earlier words to her sisters came rushing back to her. He thinks he can have a fling with me and a go at the company. Like I’m somehow separate from McBride Media.
    She was separate, wasn’t she?
    As much as she loved her job, she was still a woman. And it was becoming increasingly evident the woman was in as much trouble as her business-focused alter ego.
    Simon folded his menu and turned toward her. “So, Keira. You mentioned on the phone you’ve got a new proposal. I’d like to hear it.”
    Reaching for the slim folder she’d packed before leaving her office, Keira debated briefly as she pulled out the two printed copies. Ignore Nathan and draw even more attention to their situation. Or give him her copy of the proposal and present from memory, showcasing how well she knew her material.
    Acting on impulse, she handed both men copies and dove in. Within moments, she knew the move had been the correct one. Rather than focusing on the pages, she walked Simon through her vision for a new application, one that expanded on the beauty app and was sure to give his company a competitive advantage within weeks.
    An hour later, she watched as Simon’s broad-shouldered form wove its way through the dining room, a signed letter of intent now sitting in her tote.
    “Well played, Ms. McBride.”
    The glow of a successful business lunch evaporated as if doused with a sudden rain shower. “Excuse me?”
    “You had him from the word go . I’m impressed. And the presentation from memory was inspired. You had him completely captivated and eating out of the palm of your hand. That’s no mean feat with Baldwin.”
    She wasn’t sure why the words chafed at her, but something in his tone did, as if her idea didn’t stand on its own merit but had to be sold by her looks. “I didn’t have him, Nathan. I presented him with a good business opportunity.”
    “One he enjoyed taking advantage of. You were magnificent.”
    The warm pleasure that had filled her stomach earlier twisted into something far more dark as she worked to decipher his meaning. “What are you implying, exactly?”
    “You just sold Simon Baldwin, a notoriously hard sell, a project in an hour. The man’s ridiculously careful in his decision-making and doesn’t jump on anything, which has been a successful strategy for him, but it doesn’t change the fact it’s his MO. Yet here you are, selling him a million-dollar deal in the amount of time it takes to eat a salad and a piece of salmon. So I’m telling you, well played.”
    It was silly of her to get upset. She was a saleswoman, first and foremost, in charge of a company full of salespeople. She looked for that special spark in her employees, someone who could passionately sell a proposal. No matter how good an idea, delivery made a big impression.
    So why couldn’t she shake the implied insult of his words? Or the sudden throat-tightening anger at being patted on the head?
    “Are you suggesting if I weren’t wearing makeup and showing off my legs, he wouldn’t have gone for the deal?”
    “No, I’m not.” Confusion at the turn in the conversation imprinted itself in a small line between his brows. “But you have to admit it didn’t hurt. You’re a beautiful woman, Keira. You’re also smart and incredibly savvy. He’d have been a fool not to notice.”
    Sly tendrils of pleasure unfurled within her at the compliment, and she ruthlessly stamped on it. She would not let him get the upper hand. “Yet again, Mr. Cooper, I can’t fathom why you seem to equate what I look like with my success.”
    “It’s Nathan.” Whatever light had been in his eyes was gone as he threw his napkin down and reached for the bill. “And I fail to understand why you can’t accept who you are is as much of a business advantage as your mind and your ideas and your family history. It’s all a package, Keira. Why the hell are you so insulted by