The Exiled Jeweler: a contemporary romance novel (The Rosa Legacy Book 2) (9 page)

Alex had steadily rebuilt the family’s wealth and expanded the holdings far beyond the Armati Auction House, but it bothered him. Why had his grandfather borrowed such a large sum of money from the Berceto family? Had it been to cover up his gambling debts? If he had borrowed it, why hadn’t he repaid the amount?

Alex had made inroads with the Berceto family, but Leo himself wasn’t willing to talk about it. He was fairly certain the sons knew nothing about the circumstances surrounding the debt.

His grandfather had made many mistakes with money. Running the Auction House without any real capital had tarnished the Armati name. Even now there was the occasional whisper about the integrity of the Armati name and the Auction House. It was a mystery that surprised and irritated him.

He heard a light knock on his office door and his assistant escorted Emilia into his office. She looked captivating. The dyed red hair was gone. Her hair was back to a natural dark brown, flowing around her body as she walked into the office. Her narrow skirt and sleeveless blouse highlighted the feminine curves of her flawless body. He tried unsuccessfully to block his physical response to her.

Carrying a steel transport jewelry case, she moved forward and placed it on the conference table.

As his assistant left and closed the door to his office, he noticed the security guards sitting in the reception area. Whatever she brought to show him, it must be worth a small fortune.

“Would you care for coffee,
cara
?”

“No, thank you.”

“You look amazing.” Her natural hair color suited her.

Her body stiffened slightly.

He watched her slender hands work the fasteners on the case and had to bring his thoughts back from imagining her hands on his body.

“You came bearing gifts?”

She tucked a strand of  hair behind her ear and met his gaze. Neither one of them spoke as he contemplated what she was thinking. Did she feel this crazy tension that existed between them? His body was highly attuned to each movement she made.

They’d started something that was left unfinished. There was something about the way she looked at him; there was vulnerability in her eyes that transported him back to that night.

He wanted her. He wanted to consume her and hear her moan in delight.

Emilia removed the heirloom pieces from the transport box and moved the box to the floor. She smoothed out a piece of black velvet and arranged four necklaces.

“I brought a few heirloom pieces that I want you to auction for Berceto.”

“I can’t imagine Berceto wants to sell such important pieces. As a future shareholder, I don’t think the assets should be sold at a bargain rate.” Alex hesitated for a brief second. “But I can call an appraiser in if you would like to confirm the value.”

He watched her become flustered. She turned to him and said, “Berceto needs cash to make payroll.”

He stepped away from her and returned to his desk. “Berceto needs my investment. With it, you will have enough capital to keep things functioning while a restructuring of the business takes place.”

“I’m not interested in giving up control of Berceto.”

Alex kept her waiting while he checked his phone.

“What does your uncle or father say about selling such important pieces?”

She shrugged her shoulders. “They have signed over their shares so it doesn’t matter what they think.”

Alex pushed the intercom button, asking his assistant to call his appraiser.

“I won’t have a problem selling the jewelry within a few months.” He waited a moment before saying, “But I can’t imagine that will help you with payroll this week.”

“I was hoping you could advance me a percentage of the value.”

The ties between Berceto and Armati went back a long way. With his Auction House in a strong cash position, He could easily advance the full value of the pieces. But it didn’t benefit him to offer her cash without getting her to agree to sell fifty percent of Berceto.

He looked at her and toughened his resolve. “We both know that my investment into Berceto is inevitable. But I have an offer you a temporary bailout on one condition.”

He wanted to put the business transaction behind him so he could concentrate on seducing her. She waited for him to elaborate.

“If you agree to model one of the necklaces at a benefit gala coming up in a few days, I’ll give you the funds to make payroll this week.”

She smoothed her skirt. “I’m not for rent.”

He ran a hand through his hair. “I didn’t say you were,
cara
. I want you to wear one of the necklaces to bring attention to the Berceto brand and the Auction House. It’s a win for both of us.”

Emilia looked at the necklaces. “Maybe you should hire a model. Someone who is good at showcasing jewelry.”

“That won’t help you make payroll.” Alex went over and poured himself a glass of water.

She stood up straighter and turned to face him. “Fine. I’ll attend with my grandfather and wear whatever necklace you choose.”

“I’d expect nothing less.”

He picked up the phone and dialed his account office, instructing them to cut a check for Berceto.

Emilia touched the marble orb she wore around her neck. “Aren’t you going to wait for your expert?”

“He is on his way, but I’m not expecting that you would bring a fake into my auction house.”

She nodded. Selling the pieces would allow her to breathe new life into Berceto, but it wouldn’t solve her immediate cash flow issues beyond one more payroll. She needed to figure out how to use the media to spotlight Berceto designs if she hoped to turn the company around.

She was surprised that he didn’t make her plead or bargain with him, and that his only stipulation was she attend a gala wearing one of the necklaces. Growing up sheltered from any spotlight or media attention, it was going to be difficult to learn to embrace it and feel safe. Images of her nude photographs began to surface in her mind, but she purposely banished them.

He examined each necklace closely but glanced up at her briefly. “Do you want to place any restrictions on the sale?”

Pacing the room, she rubbed her bare arms. “No. By letting go of this inventory, I’m giving up any further involvement.”

He continued to examine the necklaces. “I’ll have my legal team draw up the sale contract for you to sign. Your security team can stay throughout the process until the sale is complete. I’ll send a messenger with the necessary documents to you.”

“Thank you.” She was having difficulty concentrating on his words.

Being alone with him made her think about their kiss the other night. She had replayed the moment dozens of times in her head. She could almost feel his mouth on hers.

He caught her gaze. “I’m testing out a new yacht tomorrow. I would like for you to come with me.”

Her mind tried to make sense of his offer. Why would he ask her? Was he interested in a relationship? He was way out of her league and she would do well to stay away from him. She could feel a tension or pull between them, but it would be a disaster for her to contemplate getting involved with him. If the media was to be believed, he was a player and not interested in a long-term relationship.

Shaking her head, she said, “I should work this weekend. There is so much to do.”

He stepped closer to her and every thought vanished from her mind. “It’ll be a few hours in the late afternoon. You can work in the morning.”

Alex Armati at his most charming was hard to resist. His intensity and openness drew her to him, but she knew to be careful. She had no intention of making the same mistake again.

Gathering her bag, she said over her shoulder, “Can I text you in the morning?”

He stayed completely still, watching her. “Sure. Do you have my number?”

Emilia shook her head slowly. He took a business card from his pocket and scribbled down his cell number before handing the card to her.

There was a brief knock at the door and Alex called for the person to come in, as he held her gaze.

After a few pleasantries, Emilia spoke with the security team and then made a swift exit.

Driving back to Berceto, she thought about wearing one of the heirloom necklaces to a gala and the possibility of an excursion on his yacht. The situation between them was becoming more complex each day. Her family was hoping that she would accept his investment into Berceto. He was an astute and powerful businessman, turning everything he touched to profit. So why was she so reluctant to allow him to become involved with Berceto? Was she resentful about the compromising photographs? It seemed unfair to continue holding a grudge. But he was insisting that she tell her family the truth. Why was it so important to him?

She gave up trying to analyze the situation. Getting involved with Alex would only complicate matters with Berceto. How could she possibly start a relationship with him and also invite him into Berceto? It would be much better if she chose one path and didn’t allow the other element to complicate the situation. If she had to choose, would she opt for a romantic involvement or saving the company? She realized it would depend if she was thinking only about herself or the larger challenge of saving the company.

Chapter 6

The next day, Emilia dragged her father and Liv to look at a new  facility for Berceto. The somewhat dated commercial space was considerably smaller and less expensive than the large, leased building that Berceto currently occupied. The building was located in her old neighborhood in Los Angeles and a short walk to the ocean. Security would need to be considered, but the charming old building was well built and had enough space.

Her cell phone buzzed while she was listening to the real estate agent talk about possible renovations. Glancing down at the screen, her heart sped up. Alex was confirming plans to meet at a marina in a few hours.

Liv asked the agent if she could take a few photographs and Emilia stepped away to answer the text.

“Anything wrong, Lia?” her father asked her.

She shook her head. “Alex Armati had asked me to go boating, but I’m going to decline.”

“Why not go? It’s a beautiful day and Alex will hopefully be a future partner. A social outing may work better than a business meeting to get to know him.”

Why did Alex have her father’s blessing? It made it more difficult to dismiss his involvement with Berceto. Maybe she should tell her father about Alex?

“The media follows him everywhere. I won’t want to be photographed with him.”

Her father said, “You made the case today that we all need to become more comfortable with the media if Berceto is going to gain recognition. I think your mother and I have stayed too far in the background. Maybe we should have been more willing to expose ourselves.”

Liv and the real estate agent had walked ahead of them.

“Possibly.” She thought about the media. It was complicated. She was drawn to Alex but held on to some resentment about the scandal. She remembered looking at the photographs with him. The original images weren’t nearly as provocative as the edited versions. Maybe she should have insisted on staying in Los Angeles instead of allowing herself to be shipped off to an obscure location.

Emilia walked forward the length of the warehouse, keeping pace with her father. “Alex Armati draws a huge following. Maybe I should start smaller in terms of publicity.”

“You need him on your side.”

Taking the phone from her handbag, she texted back that she would meet him at the marina.

Her father said, “I don’t know if this building is right for Berceto. Instead of leasing, we would need to purchase the building and then the costs of renovations could be higher than we expect.”

“Berceto needs a less expensive building.”

“An investment into the company would allow us to stay in our current building.”

She thought about Alex’s reputation as a business owner. “If Alex owned fifty percent of Berceto, he would insist of cutting expenses. He would be focused on the bottom line.”

Her father nodded his agreement. They caught up with the real estate agent and Liv. The four of them spoke in the shipping area for a few minutes before leaving the warehouse. Emilia hadn’t committed to moving Berceto, but she acknowledged to herself that the vacant warehouse felt right. It was in a good location, the right size and construction, and Berceto would own the building. But she needed to find enough money to purchase the building without having to accept Alex’s investment.

Emilia dropped Liv off at the hotel and headed back to the guesthouse to change.

She stopped in and said hello to her grandfather before getting ready to go to the marina.

“What did you think of the commercial space?”

“It seemed right for Berceto. We could go back to owning a building and then would have the freedom to change the space to suit our needs.”

“Do you plan to show the space to Alex?”

“I guess that would depend if he was going to come in as a partner.”

They spoke for a few more minutes then she said, “I’m actually meeting Alex at the marina so I need to go.”

“Enjoy.”

Walking away, she thought about her family and Alex. They were convinced that he was the right person to invest into Berceto. She wasn’t sure. But she wasn’t willing to give up fifty percent.

Looking through the sparse items in the closet, she realized she would need to go shopping. Choosing a black bikini, a pair of khaki shorts, and a white button-down shirt, she got dressed and put her hair up. She tossed sunscreen in her bag and put on sunglasses.

Waving to Cecilia on her way out, she hoped she wasn’t making a mistake. She could see herself falling for him, and he would simply move on when he became bored with her. She needed to find someone who had depth, who wanted to be in a committed relationship and not just play the field.

Arriving at the marina a few minutes early, she walked down to the pier and enjoyed watching the activity on the water. Florida had beautiful beaches, but the vibe was different in California. California was more diverse and complex and the residents were more likely to take risks and share their opinions.