Beholden (The Beguiling Bachelors Book 2) Page 10

It had been almost three weeks since Randall had taken Sloane to the Cubs game. He couldn’t stop thinking about her. He had picked up the phone almost daily, only to put it down again. What could he say? When he had needed to ‘man-up’ he had walked away. When she had needed someone to stand with her against the world, he had sided with the world.

  He had racked his brain for a way to reconnect, but each idea seemed lamer than its predecessor. He wanted to apologize, promise he would be there for her the next time, but words were easy. He had a bad track record. Why would she ever believe him?

  He thought of sending a note. Lame. Setting up a business meeting. Lame. Sending a gift or flowers. It worked for Wyatt when he screwed up with Keeli, but Sloane was no Keeli. Perhaps if he sent her a yacht or two. Otherwise, lame.

  To make matters worse, in typical Sloane fashion, she had taken the bull by the horns and sent him an email. A cold, professional email with spreadsheets attached and a request that he help her with a severance package for her employees or a buy out. She notified him that she had decided that neither she nor her father would remain at HI, This should facilitate a liquidation or acquisition. She had ended her frosty note by suggesting “it might be preferable if you delegate further responsibility for these transactions to one of your many capable colleagues. I will look forward to hearing from whomever you select.”

  This woman knows how to twist a man in knots.

  Couldn’t she put herself in his shoes? PPHP was about as conservative as a company could be. Squeaky clean, they were the antithesis of the greedy Wall Street traders, except for one thing. They handled rich clients. Very rich, very private clients. These were people who became clients because they were affluent. Then PPHP made them even wealthier. And they did it all very discreetly.

  Huyler Industries, and Sloane Huyler personally, no longer fit the description of the ideal PPHP client. Not even close. In fact, HI was the kind of client that made more desirable clients run for the nearest exit. Randall had known his offer to assist Sloane would have to come from him personally, not from PPHP. PPHP might assist an investment banking firm complete a merger or acquisition; there was little risk in putting together a deal and there was potential for someone to earn substantial fees. However, financing a loan or finding investors from the PPHP clientele was not going to happen. The risk of default was just too high. Any idiot could tell you not to jump on board a sinking ship unless that big Coast Guard boat is approaching fast.

  So that night, when John Berensen had hinted that being with Sloane was bad for business, he was not far off the mark. He may have said it because he was a mean, spiteful bastard – which he most assuredly was – but he was still right. Randall’s father would not approve of him working with Sloane, let alone dating her.

  How ironic that only eighteen months ago she was the best catch in the city. Beautiful, well bred and well educated, Sloane had a knack for marketing and advertising that everyone believed was driving up the revenues of HI and their clients. No one suspected that her father was doing shady international deals back then. The Huyler name was golden, their reputation spotless. She was the belle of every ball, engaged to Wyatt, with an incredible future ahead of her.

  Randall suddenly realized that he was on that elite list too. He was also a catch. If he had gotten serious with Sloane, she would have pulled off the coup of the century, breaking off with one bachelor prize only to land another.

  Instead, Randall had botched his one date with the beauty and ended up in a cold shower. It was certainly not as satisfying as sinking into her willing body and waking up beside her. He could still recall the softness of her lips against his and the warm sweetness of her mouth. He could almost feel that skin, taut over muscle and bone, smooth as silk under his fingertips. She felt like she would break in his arms, so fragile. Until she responded to his advances.

  Wow, could she respond. Sloane was a friggin’ hellcat.

  Lithe and pliable, Sloane had wrapped herself around his body until they were molded together. She was so responsive, so sensual, and, when he thought it was impossible, she had turned him on even more. She was adventurous; he still wondered what might have happened there on the sidewalk. Her hand felt cool and delicate when it had fumbled with his zipper. Just thinking about finishing what they started that night brought back such vivid sensations that he would sit in the office needing to do multiplication tables to get his erection to subside.

  She was funny, sweet and good company too. They had enjoyed the ballgame together. She knew baseball, and how to snarf down stadium food. She was one of the boys while still being all woman. She was perfect for him if he just overlooked her reputation.

  Holy shit. She really is perfect for me. Why hadn’t I realized it sooner?

  This difficult, spoiled brat with a father in federal prison was everything he had been looking for. Oh, he did not even know he was looking, but he was. He had been waiting, jumping from woman to woman, never settling down, having fun and sowing his wild oats waiting for a woman to come along to tame him. Never in his wildest dreams would he have believed that Sloane was that woman.

  Or perhaps he had been biding his time, waiting for Sloane all along.

  There had been that moment when Sloane was in grad school and he was starting out as a mentor. He had been attracted by her beauty - who wasn’t – but he had seen a vulnerability and sweetness behind her tough exterior that touched him and made him take note of her, made him want to really know her, and made him desire her.

  His attendance was sporadic for a while early on and she remarked about it. When he explained, just briefly, about his mother being ill, Sloane had been so quick to offer her sympathy and her assistance. She researched hepatitis, sharing clipped articles, links to research studies, alternative medicines, and support groups. She had cared deeply and it had made him care about her in return.

  In that moment, Wyatt had swooped in to claim her. She had jumped at the opportunity to date his friend so, of course, Randall had stepped aside without a word. He had looked on from the sidelines, feeling his loss. He observed her as her family pointed out that she had snagged the richest prize in Chicago and Sloane replaced that softness with greed and haughty condescension and eventually cold blackmail. Randall had completely forgotten that she could be charitable, kind, even sweet.

  He remembered now.

  Sitting behind his staid desk, in his staid office in the staid financial district, Randall realized that this woman could be all business and still be all pleasure. Regan might have those qualities too, but she had never aroused in him anything but brotherly affection. Besides, Tyler would kill him in an instant if he looked twice at Regan.

  But Sloane was another story. She aroused anything but brotherly affection. She made his brain turn to mush with longing; he hungered for her until he ached. She could be carefree and fun in the right setting, like at the baseball game, or when she joined the team for a beer after they played hockey. She had a brilliant business mind. She got along with his friends - well, most of them - and the tension with Wyatt and Keeli could be patched up with a little help. Added bonus - she was sophisticated, elegant and poised, the perfect hostess or plus one at any event.

  That’s it! That’s it. Why didn’t I think of it sooner? All you have to do is fix her reputation, Dip Wad, you can make this happen and go home with the girl.

  Randall broke into a lazy smile and - his confidence restored - reached for the phone to set his foolproof plan in motion.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  “I was surprised to get a lunch invitation from you,” Regan admitted to Randall. She had not seen him in more almost two months, and even then, it happened because she had run into him on the street with Tyler. She was not conducting any business with him or his firm and they rarely socialized except as part of a group. They usually interacted when there was a large event.

  “But it would be delightful to get together. My assistant said you suggested next Tuesday, but I am not available.
How about Monday instead?”

  “Monday would be great, Regan. You should know that I am plotting something. I am inviting Tyler to join us and…”

  “What are you doing, Randall?” Regan interrupted defensively. “I need you to butt out of my business, thank you very much.”

  “It is not about you, Ree,” Randall jumped in quickly, before Regan got even more bristly. “I need you to invite Sloane. We had a small mishap.”

  Did I really just call that fiasco a small mishap?

  “I want to make a grand gesture to patch things up and you and Tyler are going to be part of the plan. Please, Ree I need your help to pull this off.”

  “Are you going to share the plan?” Regan sounded intrigued. “I am more than a little suspicious when you have a scheme, Randall. You have drawn me into too many scrapes ending in my being grounded too many times over the years. I know not to jump in blindly.”

  “Good news, then. You are too old to be grounded anymore. I promise to share before Monday, but let me get Tyler on board first, and you get Sloane to accept lunch. By the way, if she knows I will be there she will turn you down flat, so you need to make her think she is just meeting you. Okay?”

  “Okay,” Regan dragged out the word reluctantly. “But no promises on all this until I know more.”

  “That’s fair,” Randall conceded. “Talk to you soon.”

  One down. One to go.

  Randall tapped the intercom button on his phone, requesting that Amy get Tyler on the line. Looking out the window with a satisfied grin on his face, he sat back to wait. In only moments, the intercom buzzed.

  “Tyler, old buddy, old friend,” Randall began jovially.

  “What do you need now, Rand?”

  “Who says I need anything?”

  “Oh please, you can’t fool anyone with that tone of voice. Who is she and what kind of trouble are you in?”

  “That is not fair,” Randall fired back before hesitating a long moment. “But since you asked, I do need a favor with Sloane. But there is something in it for you too.”

  “Randall, Sloane is a bitch. Right now, she is persona non grata too. She is a bitch in a ditch. Hah, good one!”

  “Ty, seriously. I think she and I could have something, if I can tame her, I want to try. Problem is that right now she won’t speak to me. But I have a plan.”

  “It’s been almost a month since your last fiasco with her, Randall. If you haven’t been able to weasel back into her good graces by now, you are doomed. Either she never speaks to you again or she lets you back into her life but lords it over you - forever. You will be her lap dog, Rand. Do you want that?”

  “Let me worry about how controlling she is, Ty. You just help me get her back, please.”

  “If you are sure this is what you want, then count me in. What do you need?”

  “Lunch Monday with you and Regan. Regan will invite Sloane.”

  “Are you sure this is about Sloane? Are you matchmaking here?”

  “You and Regan will have to figure that one out on your own. I have enough problems without wading into your mess. But I figured you would invite her to the Children’s Hospital benefit, right?”

  “Randall, the benefit is less than two weeks away. Of course I already asked her.”

  “Right. And I am guessing that Sloane still can’t find a date.”

  “You are a genius, Rand. You ask her to the event and you become her white knight. It is a great plan, but why do you need me?”

  “I need you and Regan so I can get in front of her. Then I need you to discuss going to the benefit together so that I can bring it up with Sloane. I can’t just text her for a date.”

  “So lunch? I get it, she won’t accept your lunch invite, but she will accept Regan’s.”

  “Exactly.”

  “OK, Monday? I’m in. But I would think about this long and hard, buddy. You should be very careful what you wish for.”

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  “Lunch Monday? That sounds great, Regan. Is there an occasion?”

  “Nothing special. I have not seen you in while, so I thought we could catch up on how things are going. Tyler will join us if that is ok? I know you will need a lawyer at some point, and although he is not available, he might know someone. Anyway, how does noon sound?”

  “Sure, noon Monday is fine.”

  Like I have anywhere else to be. Work is so depressing now with nothing to do except review exit strategies and sulk. Lunch with Regan will be a very welcome break. Not to mention the fact that she is the only person still willing to be seen with me.

  “Where shall I meet you?”

  “I will be coming from the office; I imagine Tyler will be too. Can we meet in the loop? I could get us a table at the Union League Club, or we could just pick a quiet restaurant. How about Atwood Grill? I haven’t been there in ages, but the food is always good and the location is perfect for all of us. Will that work for you?”

  “Atwood at noon, Regan. Thank you for inviting me. I am looking forward to it.”

  What is she up to?

  Since they had last lunched, Sloane had been meeting with Ethan; initially looking at smaller spaces for HI, more recently he was aiding her in the selection of a single office for her alone. He introduced her to Andi Richland, a terrific real estate agent for the Chicago residential market, who was helping her find a new place for her mother. In turn, Andi put her in touch with Suzanne Graber, a lovely woman who was from the Glencoe area. She was working with Sloane and Marianne to prep and list the Glencoe house.

  Sloane couldn’t think of a single reason why the two women would be meeting socially and absolutely no reason why she would invite her to be the third wheel for a lunch with Tyler. None of her recent activities should have made it onto Regan’s radar. And, it was definitely not in Regan’s best interest to lunch with Sloane.

  On the other hand, Sloane would benefit from being seen with the CEO of Lyons Howe Real Estate, so she would happily meet Regan for lunch. Besides, she sincerely liked Regan and missed her company. Sloane was sure that from that respect, lunch would be lovely, however, her curiosity was peaked. Sloane hated not knowing what was going on and she just knew that Regan was plotting something. Too bad, she had absolutely no one she could call to ask. Speculating would get her nowhere. She was at a dead-end.

  Settling back to work, Sloane returned the earlier phone message she had received from an assistant she was unacquainted with at the investment banking firm Randall had recommended.

  “Good morning, Paula Kline speaking,” the woman answered, sounding crisp and efficient.

  “This is Sloane Huyler returning your call.”

  “Yes, Ms. Huyler, thank you for getting back to me. I am sorry to bother you but we need documents from you. Maria Canovalli wanted me to call and let you know to watch for an email list specifically what she may need for due diligence. It is a rather expansive list, so you will want to begin collecting these immediately, if possible.”

  “Great. Thank you for the heads up, Paula. I will take care of it.”

  “Thank you, Ms. Huyler. Please feel free to call our office if you have any questions.”

  When that call ended, Sloane immediately opened her email to find the request for documents already waiting. The list was extensive, but many of the documents would be easy to retrieve from their offices or her father’s lawyers. She would go to work on it this week.

  With the list carefully stored in her email, and a hardcopy printing, Sloane called her mother to ask about her father’s papers.

  “What is this about, Sloane? You don’t sound like yourself, dear. You know more about your father’s paperwork than I ever will.”

  “I am fine Mom, but I need to provide documents to the investment group. It’s an awful lot of records and I am not sure why they want them. This seems unnecessary and convoluted to me but bankers need a lot more information since the Wall Street meltdown.” Although she didn’t know why they wanted so much d
ata, the reasoning sounded plausible to Sloane.

  “Oh, of course, dear. However, all the documents are either with the lawyers or still in the office downtown, which you have full access to already. Oh, wait. There are a few things in the file cabinet in the corner of your father’s office here. Why don’t you come out on Saturday and take a look?”

  “That sounds great, Mom, I will plan to do just that. And I can take a carload of my things back to the city to help you clean out the house.”

  “Oh sweetheart, that would be really helpful. I would appreciate it so much. Of course, I am just happy to get to see you. How are you doing? Are you still planning to liquidate the business? I support whatever decision you make, Sloane. You understand that, right?”

  “Mom, we can talk about it more on Saturday, but PHPP set me up with a firm that is hoping to find someone to acquire us. We have some patents and copyrights that are interesting to one business, and another likes what is left of our client contracts. Of course, our employees are terrific so either prospect would want to scoop them up. I am hopeful. But I am running out of time.”

  “Well, Randall is excellent at this, even better than his father was. If he thinks he can find you a buyer, he can. Tell him I send my regards when you speak with him next. He’s such a lovely young man, Sloane. You should invite him out to the house one last time before we move.”

  “Mom, don’t push. I am not even working with Randall; I am working with the firm he recommended and a woman there named Maria. She is a smart, feisty woman. You would really like her. And she knows her stuff.”

  “What do you mean? Why aren’t you working directly with Randall? It is his business. He passed you off to an associate? I will call and have a word with him. I don’t care what has been happening in our family, we still deserve a named partner.”

  “Mom, relax. He didn’t hand me off. He annoyed me and I asked to work with someone else, but it turns out PHPP cannot do investment work and handle a possible acquisition too, so he introduced me to Maria. I am still getting the royal treatment, Mom, without having to deal with Randall.”