“I’m not going anywhere. This is my home.”
He grunted derisively. “Your mother was my father’s housekeeper. You came here as an employee. This was never going to your home.”
“My mother and your father loved each other deeply.”
“Yeah, right. Whatever.” He was tired of all this touchy-feely stuff. It was about time someone laid it out clearly to her. “But the facts are that you are not related to our family and shouldn’t have any claims on the estate.”
She raised an arched eyebrow. “The facts, Sebastian, are that Idohave a claim on the estate. And there’s nothing you can do about it. So I suggest you quit trying to bully everyone around you and leave the business to us—to me and my team.”
He shook his head in disbelief. “What does it take to get through to you? It’smybusiness now. And it very much looks to me as if it’s failing. “
“And I repeat. It’sourbusiness—me and my team.”
“They are subordinates. They will do whatever I tell them to do.”
She huffed out an unamused laugh. “Your father described you so accurately.”
His eyes narrowed. “Don’t you dare bring my father into this.”
“It’s hard not to. He’s the cause of all of this. The reason why we are here. My step-father, your father, cannot be ignored.”
“And his demise is the reason we’re losing business. And the reason we need to take action.”
“No! There must be another way.”
“I’ve looked at the accounts, Indra. Without these big names, we’ll be running at a loss.”
“Don’t you think I know that?”
“I’m not sure what you know if you’d purposely reject such a lucrative idea.”
“I don’t do public events.”
“Why not?”
They stared at each other. This close, the tension was palpable. But it wasn’t only tension he could sense, it was something much more. Something to do with her dark brown eyes. Melting, inviting, heated. He suddenly had a vision of them closer, much closer to his face, of him watching those eyes as he caressed that body he’d seen so clearly the previous day. And for a moment he could see that she, too, had the same idea. Because the words fled from her head and, instead, she licked her lips and lowered her eyes to his lips. He knew the signs. He’d seen them a thousand times before and usually acted on them. But here, now, he made a mistake. He didn’t act.
In that instant, she tore herself away, marched across to the doors and opened them wide onto the paddock where the horses were being put through their paces.
“What are you afraid of?” he asked, surprised to hear his voice gravely, revealing the surge of lust which had come out of nowhere.
She paused, and in that moment, he knew the correct answer.
“I’m not afraid of anything.” She turned to him. “Any more questions?”
“Yes. Why are you lying?”
The expression in her eyes was complex, containing a beguiling sadness as well as strength, and he knew he had to figure her out. Not simply because he needed to if he were to ever gain total control over the estate, but because he wanted to—on a personal level which he couldn’t ignore.
“Fine,” she said at last. “Have it your way. Organize a public event. You’re right, of course. It will mean the difference between holding onto our existing clients, bringing in new ones, and running an unprofitable operation.” She chewed her lip, and he saw uncertainty in her eyes. “With your name, you will be able to host it and be the face of it to the public.”
She was having one last attempt at hiding away. “Do I look like I’m good at shmoozing? No,youcan do that. I’ve seen you with the team. You have a natural ability to get on with people. Excluding myself, of course.”
“But—”
“But nothing. Bring the team back in and we’ll organize it. And whatever size of event you’re thinking of, double it. I’ll call in my European and Middle Eastern contacts. They’ll come.”
The anger morphed into fear in one split second—he could see it in her face— and again he wondered what on earth was going on.