She pulled her hand away and managed to find the strength in her voice. "What do you want, Stephan?"

He was far too close to her, looking at her like he wanted to eat her alive. Blue eyes adjusted as he examined her face, his eyes zeroing in on her mouth. This man knew no boundaries. Clearly, he thought he still had the right to be so close to her. Pompous a.s.s. Just when she thought he'd crossed the line, he bent over her, caging her in with both hands on the arms of her executive chair. He breathed in deep, moaning as he did it. "I miss you."

"What about Sarah?" Ugh. Why did I say that? She hated herself even more for not only engaging him but showing him how much he'd hurt her. Looking at him, she wondered how she ever loved him.

Somehow he got closer, his warm breath covering her face. "She was never you. Could never be you."

A lumped formed at the base of her throat. She wanted to faint. She was hot with his body so close and suffocating from his presence. She wished he'd stayed away. Why would he come and stir up old emotions? What a cruel game he played. The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. h.e.l.l no. He wasn't allowed to waltz in and tell her such things after he'd broken her heart to pieces-pulverized her. "Get away from me." It was a strong whisper. She pushed him away.

He took a step back. Still not enough, though. Out of her office would be better. His forehead creased with the turn of events, which probably wasn't what he was expecting, knowing him. Not too sure of himself now it would seem. Finally, she'd had the upper hand for once.

"I know it's a lot to hear. After everything. After I-"

"Dumped me for another woman as I was planning our wedding." Her spine straightened.

"Please don't say that, love. It sounds so harsh." What a low blow to call her "love", the pet name he'd given her.

She stood on shaky legs, determined to exert her power. "You need to go."

"I know you're caught off guard. But had your a.s.sistant told you about my visit, you'd have time to prepare."

What! She would explode at any moment if he continued. "To prepare? Are kidding me, Stephan?" Fabian was going to hear about this. G.o.d, she wished she could fire his a.s.s for not telling her. "No." She shook her head, circ.u.mventing Stephan to the door. "I want you to leave now."

"Can't we talk?" he pleaded, which was odd to hear. And very satisfying. The tables had turned. In wide steps, he met her at the door, towering over her. "I want you to think about forgiving me. I want to try us again. Dumping you was the dumbest thing I've ever done."

Dumping you?

One. Two. Three. She needed to contain herself. Forgiving Stephan would never happen. Ever. This visit solidified her decision despite how emotionally drained she felt. "I will never forgive you."

The room was eerily silent. Only the faint buzz of her laptop sounded within the s.p.a.ce. Because he didn't know how to be rejected, he brought a finger to her cheek, disregarding what she had just said. "Let me take you to dinner. Let me make it up to you."

She pushed his finger away. "You can never make it up to me."

A grin parted his face. "I take that as a challenge."

"Go." She choked on the single word, hating herself for showing more emotion. He didn't deserve that from her.

When he was gone, she exhaled the largest breath on the planet. The anger inside her put motion to her feet. In rapid speed-the fastest she could travel in her four-inch-heeled pumps-she found herself at Fabian's office door. Not hesitating, she pounded on the door with a tight fist several times.

"Fabian!" When he didn't respond, she opened the door. No Fabian. She sighed with a surprising relief. Seeing her irrational was a terrible idea. He already thought she was emotional anyway by the way she'd reacted to his reading her proposal, she surmised. A cup of coffee with a sticky note on the handle grabbed her attention. Her name was spelled out in all cap letters. She walked over and lifted it.

I promise this is French roast. I thought you might need it.

-F

Chapter Seven.

On Friday morning while Fabian dressed for work, he couldn't erase what happened the day before out of his mind. Toni had an issue with compliments. Or it was just his compliments that were the issue? He honestly thought it was the former. He frowned at himself in the mirror. Didn't she believe she was smart? Fabian frowned harder, remembering her ex interrupting them just when Fabian thought he and Toni could actually have a normal conversation. The whole situation had left him reeling and dissecting his feeling all night and morning. Would he ever get a glimpse of soft Toni again?

At the office, Fabian noted that Toni's door was closed. Maybe she hadn't arrived, but it was already five past eight. He walked to the break room to see Davina standing at the coffee machine brewing a new carafe. He nodded, too distracted to notice her outfit. "Hey." He turned his gaze to the refrigerator, hoping there was organic milk in there.

"Going to try your hand at Toni's special coffee?" She laughed. Fabian didn't.

He strode to the refrigerator, pulling the handle. "I really hope there is organic milk in here."

"We're fresh out."

"s.h.i.t," he muttered. Two choices wrangled in his brain. Tell her the coffee was prepared with organic milk and hope she would believe him. Or, go buy organic milk, which would put her first sip in the eight-thirty timeframe. He sighed, closing the stainless steel door.

"I've snuck regular milk in her coffee before. She didn't know the difference."

Fabian stared at Davina, appalled at what she'd said. It didn't matter if it was about milk or not. Lying would be a complete breach of trust. He waited, hoping Davina would say she wasn't serious. Nope, she was serious. He shook his head. The silly milk dilemma suddenly seemed not so silly. "She'll know it's not organic."

Davina shrugged. "She shouldn't be so picky anyway."

Two days ago he would have agreed. That morning, he felt differently about her coffee and her. It was perplexing. "See ya," he said over his shoulder, catching a glimpse of Davina's frown as he departed.

The hall to Toni's office seemed longer than usual. With each stride, he grew increasingly nervous, glancing at his watch multiple times. Almost eight-fifteen. And just as he was about to turn the doork.n.o.b to her office, she yanked it open from the other side. He jumped back, his pulse racing. d.a.m.n, she was stunning in that black suit. Her hair was pulled up in a bun on top of her head. Somehow, he managed to speak. "There's no organic milk."

"Mr. Pallis, you're late. And of all the days I really need my coffee this morning." She clutched her manila folder against her chest. "The weekly execs meeting is in fifteen minutes." She sighed heavily and turned on her black heels back inside her office. He followed.

"I didn't know, Toni." He forgot himself for a moment while admiring her body in her tailored suit. "I mean, Miss Robuchon."

"Just forget it. I have to prepare." She sat in a slump. Had she come out of her office to find him? He liked that idea. Without looking up, she said, "You can leave now."

"Are you going to present your proposal for NeuRx?" He didn't want to leave yet.

Annoyed, she faced him. It was one of those days for her. The fact that she answered surprised him. "Yes, I am. I'm going to make a fool of myself again and hear again how I'm inexperienced and don't know anything about investing. Not that it's any of your business."

"They said that to you?" He felt warm, hot even, with the information.

She shrugged, looking down again at her folder. "They're right. I don't have work experience."

So that was defeatist Toni. He wasn't sure how to take it. Though he first felt angry at the executives. "The proposal is solid."

"Just get out, Fabian." She waved him away. "I don't need a pep talk. Not from you anyway. You don't have work experience either."

Cold Toni emerged. Inside he started to feel cold Toni was just a front. But he was getting tired of her being rude when he only wanted to help.

"I'm not trying to pep talk you. Why the h.e.l.l would I do that? I don't care if you present or not. It's on you if you think they're right. I will say I hope you have a more positive att.i.tude when you do present, though." He wanted to turn from her, walk out and not give a s.h.i.t about her organic milk.

"I really don't need this, Pallis." The way she said his last name excited him. They stared at each other, energy swirling around them. "It's enough that those execs and my own mother don't think I can do this job."

"So prove them wrong." A concept he was getting cozy with, especially in regards to his father.

She shook her head, a sigh escaping her. Turmoil darkened her eyes. He knew exactly what she was going through. "I just ... nothing. Forget it." She averted her gaze to her manila folder again.

The urge to save her from the executives drove him to form an idea that sent him walking until he pa.s.sed through the front door of Robuchon Investments.

Toni sat in the largest conference room staring at the CFO, COO, CIO and a handful of vice presidents that kept Robuchon Investments afloat. They were all men, except the vice president of investment a.n.a.lysis who might as well have been a man by her cutthroat att.i.tude. Because men were cutthroat. At least, that was Toni's belief since her father pa.s.sed away ten years ago. He was the last kind man she'd ever known.

She glanced at the clock ticking on the wall in the silence. "Is everyone ready to start the meeting?" All eyes were on her, and none of them looked impressed or interested. Bored was the best description. Maybe even loathing.

The COO, Mark Brand, rolled his eyes, as he usually did when Toni opened her mouth. "I have yet to hear from your mother. Can you update us on her personal leave?"

Translation-when are you leaving?

Toni glanced at the faces looking at her, waiting for her to speak. But the lump in her throat rendered her silent. Keeping her mother's condition a secret was way harder than she thought it would be. "My mother is still on leave."

"We got that. Do you know when she will return?" The COO's condescending tone p.r.i.c.kled Toni's skin. And the way he looked up at her from over his reading gla.s.ses. She wanted to hurl her coffee at him, if she had it. d.a.m.n Fabian.

"No, Mr. Brand. Not at this time." The executives sighed in unison.

"So you don't know anything? I find that hard to believe, since you are ... her daughter." The COO didn't let up, and the rest of them egged him on. When several seconds pa.s.sed and she didn't respond, he asked in his typical rude tone, "Antonia, did you hear what I asked?"

"Uh..." Speak or leave the room? Those were her choices. She wanted to leave the room. Her whole body contracted for a quick departure just when the door to the room swung open and Fabian entered, carrying two coffee holders stuffed with eight tall cups from Starbucks.

"Sorry for the interruption, but I wanted to bring coffees for the meeting. I apologize for being five minutes late." He set the holders down, taking one cup in his hand. The group seemed pleased and not annoyed as Toni was.

He walked over to her, handing over the cup. "French roast, organic milk, and three packets of cane sugar just for you, Miss Robuchon."

"I..." Toni didn't know what to say or do. She didn't even offer a smile for what he did. The cup was still hot, and when she dipped her face to sip, she felt his eyes on her. Finally, she said, "You didn't have to do this."

"Probably not." He beamed. How annoying. But, as much as she hated to admit it, it was a sweet gesture. His generosity gave her pause. Made her reconsider some of her preconceived notions of him. Not all, though. He was still a playboy. Nothing could possibly change her mind about that.

"This is my new executive a.s.sistant, Fabian Pallis. My mother hired him," Toni announced to the executives. They smiled at him with glee. Apparently, any mention of her mother was a good thing.

With Fabian still in the room, Mr. Brand addressed the group. "Do we have any investment potentials this week?"

Toni froze, her fingers wrapped around her folder. Her heart pounded so hard, she wasn't sure if caffeine was a good idea. The air grew hot all of a sudden and if she threw up that might be the best way out of the meeting. She sensed Fabian watching her. How could she look up at him after their conversation not even half an hour ago? Oh, G.o.d. She'd never been so nervous in her life.

"Sorry to interrupt again..."

Oh, G.o.d, no.

Fabian continued, "But Miss Robuchon has new information on the NeuRx technology that is riveting."

Riveting? Toni wanted to kill him.

Toni snapped her eyes to Fabian, hoping he saw the threat in her look. She also hoped that he knew he was done. Fired. No questions asked. He would be packing his bags, and she wouldn't care one bit if it would ruin his chances to work at his family firm.

Could she really do that? No...

The vice president of investment a.n.a.lysis spoke up. "We've rejected that proposal."

Toni cleared her throat, still boring her stare into Fabian, who looked like he knew he'd messed up royally. "I've consulted with a bioengineer on the technology, and I believe it has merit. If you can just take a look at the update-"

Mr. Brand shook his head. "No, we've all agreed. Your mother included. We won't revisit that proposal." He sipped his cup nonchalantly. A bit too smug. Toni knew he wanted to be CEO, at least that's what the rumors were. But RI had never employed a non-family CEO.

"Except, Mr. Brand, I don't feel the initial proposal described the technology and user needs effectively since no one on our team is a degreed bioengineer."

A few of the executives laughed.

Mr. Brand spoke for the team, his condescending tone raised a notch. "We understood it fine, Antonia. And we rejected it."

"If you can look at Miss Robuchon's notes-"

"That's all, Mr. Pallis, thank you," Toni snapped. Did he never shut up? The man was completely out of control. She was right to call him a loose cannon.

Fabian had the nerve to shrug before he left her to the wolves. Her anger reached an all-time high with him. Screw the coffee. He crossed the line and he certainly would hear about it.

After the unsuccessful meeting, Toni stomped down the hall to her office with her manila folder tight in her grip. Once she was in her office, she threw down the folder and punched the intercom b.u.t.ton on her phone. "Fabian, get in here. Now." She hung up without waiting for his response.

He came in, hair messy like he'd been rubbing it the last hour. But his nonchalance irked her to the core. His lips curled up. "Yes?"

Her face burned. "Really?"

His eyes narrowed. "You seem upset."

"h.e.l.l yes, I'm upset!" She needed to pause a second or else she might lunge at him, literally kill this man who looked at her like she did something wrong. "You embarra.s.sed me in front of the execs."

He frowned. "That one guy was a complete a.s.shole."

She lifted her hands in the air. "Yeah, he is. But what you did was unforgivable." She pointed her finger, waved it around as she continued her tirade. "You will never go into an executive meeting again. Do you hear me? Or else, I don't care what arrangement our parents have, I will fire you so fast."

He lifted his own hands. "Fine." She really hated how hot he looked when he was surrendering. "I was just trying to help. I thought you needed it."

"Well, I don't." A complete lie. But she walked over to her desk, pulled out the ridiculously large executive chair and sat, still shaking. She hated how conflicted she was about Fabian. He really did help her, sort of. At least she knew his intention was genuine. He'd also brought her coffee, just like she liked it. But she didn't want to like him d.a.m.n it. Toni managed to contain herself. "You can leave now."

"I'm not trying to make you look like an idiot, you know. I can tell this is hard for you, for whatever reason." She waved him away until he left her. The look in his eyes was too much. He didn't know anything about her. Not even a clue. Better to keep him at a distance.

Chapter Eight.

Fabian's cell phone beeped under the blankets. Camille. She'd called him multiple times throughout the afternoon. Some women were so d.a.m.n persistent.