The Billionaire's Gentle Rescue (The Sisterhood) (6 page)

“Both.”

“As for you changing the subject,” he said, admiring her honesty and ease of conversing even though he could tell she was both embarrassed by her predicament and scared of what he made her feel. “You can’t avoid the subject, so why not get through it so we can focus on enjoying the rest of the evening?”

What she didn’t know was that he knew much more about her predicament than she probably knew, and that he was going to make her feel so much more. She’d probably be uncomfortable with both, but he’d ease her into the second, and slam her into the first. One couldn’t happen without the other, he knew.

“Facing the challenges head on, that’s your plan of action?”

“Do you have a better way?”

“I like to explore the problem and figure out the best way to attack it.”

“And what are your other options?”

She sat there silently, wishing some genius idea would occur to her. Unfortunately, nothing came to her and she slouched, defeated.

Marco didn’t like seeing this vital woman with so much to offer feeling trapped and defeated. He preferred the dynamic woman who attacked life, the woman who created designs that celebrated life and exploded around a woman’s body, making her feel alive and vibrant.

“Are you willing to trust me?” he asked gently.

She didn’t even hesitate in her response. “No.”

He threw back his head and laughed. When it came to business, people simply followed his lead, accepting that anything he said would make them wealthy. But this tiny woman sitting across from him looking like any man’s dream woman, was unabashedly fighting him. And he liked it. It was refreshing.

“Okay, so you’re skeptical and I need to prove myself to you.”

She didn’t like the sound of that. It seemed much to intimate for her peace of mind. “No, you don’t need to prove anything to me. I just need to get myself out of this situation and go on about my business…why are you shaking your head like that. Stop it. Things were fine before and as soon as I can figure this out, they’ll be fine once again.”

“You’re financial situation was never fine. You’re not capitalizing on your name, your branding is almost non-existent, your designs are fantastic but your marketing is pitiful. And we aren’t even getting into the financial side of things. You need an accounting firm to work your money and you can’t ignore things like you’ve done in the past. Twice a year, you will audit the accounting firm and ensure that you understand everything that’s going on with your money. You will have weekly financial meetings with your accounting staff, and there will be multiple accountants working with you to ensure duplication.”

“That sounds expensive,” she replied, completely intimidated by everything he was laying out.

“It’s much less expensive than bankruptcy, which is what you’re facing if you don’t move quickly. Even one default on your payroll and you’re employees lose faith in their work. Right now you have a loyal and experienced staff which has helped you reach this level of success despite yourself. Don’t lose them by being timid.”

Zoe wanted to toss her napkin at his face and walk away. The only thing keeping her here in her chair was the fact that she didn’t know of another way out. “And you know this because…?”

“Because I’m the one who is usually stealing companies like yours. I know what makes you vulnerable and how to gain control when someone is weak. Listen to me and I’ll ensure that you’re never in this situation again. By the way, this five to ten percent annual growth is pitiful. With our new business model, you should be ranging more in the twenty to twenty five percent growth rate.”

That last part threw her off. “No one grows like that, not in this industry.”

“And the economy has been pretty tough lately, but despite that, you have a niche market that could expand into a fad if you grow it correctly. And if you brand yourself right, that fad could take off into a classic style.”

“I didn’t know you were so adept at manipulating the fashion industry.”

“I’m not. I’m adept at manipulating markets to go the way I want them to. Fashion isn’t as different as anything else, it’s just a price point.”

“And fickle tastes in clothes.”

“That can be applied to anything. Don’t use it as an excuse. Use it as a wedge to get what you want. If you want perception to follow your designs, make sure it happens by branding yourself properly and marketing the next line aggressively.”

Zoe’s head was spinning with everything he was telling her. “I don’t think it’s possible.”

“Not only is it possible, but you’re going to do it with my help.”

Their food arrived at that point and Zoe took the time to push her food around on her plate. She actually had no idea what was in front of her. Except for Marco who was trying to push her in areas where she was unfamiliar.

“What do you get out of this deal?”

Marco watched her carefully, gauging her response. She hadn’t run out of the restaurant screaming, so she’d made it farther than he’d thought she would. “I get fifty-one percent of your business, with revenues and controlling power for the next six months.”

She looked at him like he’d just grown a second head. “Absolutely not.”

“It has to be like this. Otherwise, you’ll fight me every step of the way and nothing would get accomplished. But after six months, I’ll grant you the option of buying back controlling interest. And by that point, you’ll have the money to accomplish it. ”

“No.”

Marco took a bite of his own risotto and considered how to change her mind. “You’re also going to open up your own stores. Very high end, and the trickle down impact on a lower priced line will increase in value as people demand your label.”

Zoe looked up, a completely different expression on her stunned face. “My own stores?”

“Both within the United States and internationally. Not Europe yet, let them wait. The Caribbean would be a better jumping off point where the international tourists see your brand, giving you a wider range of territory to continue expanding your line and image.”

“My own stores?”

Having an exclusive store was her dream but she’d never imagined having that possibility in real life. It was such a fantasy, but the expense had always been prohibitive so she’d never thought of something that wonderful in real life.

Throughout the rest of the meal, she tried to focus, but her whole mind was considering the dream of owning her own shop, filled with only her designs.

By the time the panna cotta arrived, she had no idea what she’d eaten or what was discussed. As she looked up, she saw the amused expression on Marco’s face, but wasn’t sure what he’d said, or she’d said, to put it there.

“I think we’re done,” he said, chuckling softly to himself. He quickly paid the restaurant bill, then stood up, putting a hand to the small of her back as he led her through the tables of the restaurant, stopping occasionally to speak with someone, greet another, simply nodding acknowledgement to others.

Zoe’s mind was slipping back and forth from the dream of owning her own shop, to watching Marco joke with acquaintances, introduce her and move about. It was something of a shock when she felt her black coat slide up her arms, and even more of a surprise when Marco’s hands lingered on her arms, sending shivers of awareness throughout her entire system. Glancing up in surprise, she saw that Marco was watching her carefully and although she tried to hide her reaction to his touch, he saw it, touched her again and she couldn’t hide it the second time.

Stepping back, she looked down and took a deep breath, but his scent, that spicy, masculine deliciously “Marco” scent invaded her mind.

“Let’s go,” he said and led her out to the darkness.

“I’ll catch a cab,” she said, trying to pull away but he stopped her, bringing her closer instead.

“I’ll drive you home,” he countered and a sleek, black Maserati pulled up, the valet jumping out and running around to the sidewalk and adeptly slipping Marco’s tip into his pocket, then vanishing.

“Really, it’s okay. I can get home on my own.” She really didn’t want to ride in a car that small with Marco right next to her. And she didn’t want him to walk her to her door.

“Come along,” he said and since several others were walking up the sidewalk looking at them curiously, Zoe gave in and allowed him to help her into the passenger seat of the low slung vehicle.

Unfortunately, when he slipped in next to her, it was just as bad as she’d anticipated. He was such a large man that his shoulders took up most of the available space. She tried to lean towards the passenger side window but it didn’t really help a whole lot. She inhaled sharply when his knuckles rubbed slightly against her outer thigh as he shifted gears. He looked at her curiously, but she forced a smile, trying to pretend as if nothing was wrong.

“Nice car,” she said when they’d pulled away. She was desperate to break the silence in the car.

“So now you want to talk?” he asked, a chuckle coming from deep in his chest.

“What do you mean?”

He easily maneuvered around the heavy traffic, his hands confident on the wheel. “I mean, you didn’t hear a thing I said during the whole meal and now you want to discuss my car.”

“I heard you,” she defended, although she knew she was lying.

“You heard nothing after I mentioned the expansion of your line with your own store. Admit it, I got you with that idea.”

Zoe flushed and looked out the window. “I’ll admit that it’s every designer’s dream to have a store exclusive to her own work. But it’s improbable.”

“Why is that?”

“Because shops with that kind of inventory have more than one designer. They have an entire team that develops accessories, shoes, purses. All those things which I’m not interested in doing.”

“Which is why you hire someone else to do that part for you, under your own brand.”

“I do my own designs.”

He smiled at her stubbornness, but didn’t argue. “We’ll talk about that in the future. Right now, you aren’t set up for something like that.”

That stung, despite the fact that she’d been arguing against it for the past few moments. “I could do it right now if I wanted to.”

“No you couldn’t. Which is what I was discussing in the restaurant. And we’re back to my point about not hearing anything, which you just proved my statement,” he said and turned to wink at her.

She sat in the soft leather seat and fumed because she’d just been caught! Damn the man for being so perceptive! Had he been like this ten years ago? She didn’t think so, but maybe he had been and she’d just been blinded by how much she…nope! She couldn’t go there. She hadn’t loved him back then. She’d barely even known him. They’d shared exactly one kiss before he moved on to the next woman and then he’d disappeared, leaving her hurt and confused. She now understood why he’d left so abruptly, but at the time, she’d been badly bruised. And the intensity of that kiss had never been replicated with any other man. Hence, the reason she needed to keep the man at arm’s length if she ever wanted to have a solid relationship with another man.

“My loft is up on the left,” she said softly.

“I know. I was there this morning, remember?”

She sighed and nodded. Yes, she remembered. And she might need to move because of it. Maybe she could just redecorate everything so that, once he was out of her life once again, nothing would remind her of his presence.

As soon as he parked the car, Zoe unbuckled her seat belt and jumped out of the vehicle. Bending down over the open door, she said, “Don’t bother seeing me up stairs. I’m perfectly fine and the door is right there.”

“Meet me at my office once you’ve met with George at the bank and we’ll go through the strategy once again. This time, you’ll hear me, right?”

“Sure,” she said, blushing once again and grateful for the darkness which hid that from his all-knowing gaze. “Tomorrow, then.” She slammed the door closed and walked quickly towards her building, her key already prepared for the lock, desperate to be where he couldn’t see her any longer. She was painfully aware of him watching her and she kept her shoulders straight, trying to be as unenticing as possible.

Marco watched with a mixture of amusement and desire as she walked into the building, locking it behind her. He loved the way she walked, but tonight she’d been much more stiff than usual. Normally, she had a swaying gait that showed how much she loved to dress, how she liked the way the fabric felt against her body. Her walk showed the world that she was all woman and loved it. Tonight, there had still been the telling sway, she couldn’t completely shut that off since it was so innate to her personality. But he could also perceive that she was trying hard not to show him anything.

Too bad, he thought as he reversed out of the parking space. He’d seen enough women to know what was underneath those clothes. Plus, he had a very vivid imagination. And he wasn’t just imagining her walking into a building, he knew as he drove to his own penthouse apartment in a different part of the city. No, he was thinking of her in all sorts of positions, all of which included her love of fashion and his love of naked and almost naked women. Her nakedness in particular.