‘No, that’s not what I’m saying,’ she said quickly, ignoring the faint sigh of relief that echoed round the table as she did so. She drew in a deep breath. ‘What you’re actually being is arrogant, and unreasonable.’
Somebody—she wasn’t sure who—gave a small whimper.
For a fraction of a second Ram thought he might have misheard her. Nobody called him arrogant or unreasonable. But, glancing across at Nola, he knew immediately that he’d heard her correctly.
Her cheeks were flushed, but she was eyeing him steadily, and he felt a flicker of anger and something like admiration. She was brave—he’d give her that. And determined. He knew his reputation, and it had been well and truly earned. His negotiating skills were legendary, and his single-minded ruthlessness had turned a loan from his grandfather into a global brand.
A pulse began to beat in his groin. Normally she would be emptying her desk by now. Only the humming in his blood seemed to block out all rational thought so that he felt dazed, disorientated by her accusation. But why? What was it about this woman that made it so difficult for him to stay focused?
He didn’t know. But whatever it was it had been instant and undeniable. When he’d walked into that coffee shop she had stood up, shaken his hand, and his body had reacted automatically—not just a spark but a fire starting in his blood and burning through his veins.
It had been devastating, unprecedented. At the time he’d assumed it was because she was so unlike any of the other women of his acquaintance. Women who would sacrifice anything and anyone to fit in, to make their lives smooth. Women who chose conformity and comfort over risk.
Nola took risks. That was obvious from the way she had dressed and behaved at her interview. He liked it that she broke the rules. Every single time he came into contact with her he liked it more—liked her more.
And she liked him too.
Only every single time she came into contact with him she gave him the brush-off. Or at least she tried too. But her eyes gave her away.
As though sensing his thoughts, Nola glanced up and looked away, her hand rising protectively to touch her throat. Instantly the pulse in his groin began to beat harder and faster.
He had never had to chase a woman before—let alone coax her into his bed. It was both maddening and unbelievably erotic.
At the thought of Nola in his bed, wearing nothing but that velvet choker, he felt a stab of sexual frustration so painful that he had to grip the arms of his chair to stop himself from groaning out loud.
‘That’s a pretty damning assessment, Ms Mason,’ he said softly. ‘Obviously if I thought you were being serious we’d be having a very different conversation. So I’m going to assume you’re trying to shock me into changing my mind.’
Nola took a breath. Her insides felt tight and a prickling heat was spreading up her spine. Could everyone else in the room feel the tension between her and Ram? Or was it all in her head?
Stupid question. She knew it was real—and not just real. It was dangerous. Whatever this thing was between them, it was clearly hazardous—not only to her reason but to her instinct for self-preservation. Why else was she picking a fight with the boss in public?
Abruptly he leaned forward, and as their eyes met she shivered. His gaze was so intent that suddenly it felt as though they were alone, facing each other like two Western gunslingers in a saloon bar.
‘Nice try! But I’m not that sensitive.’
Without warning the intensity faded from his handsome features and, glancing swiftly round the room, she knew her anger must look out of place—petulant, even. No doubt that had been his intention all along: to make her look emotional and unprofessional.
Gritting her teeth, she leaned back in her chair, trying to match his nonchalance.
Watching her fingers curl into a fist around her pen, Ram smiled slowly. ‘I don’t know whether to be disappointed or impressed by you, Ms Mason. It usually takes people a lot less than two months to realise I’m arrogant and unreasonable. However, they don’t tend to say it to my face. Either way, though, I’m not inclined to change my mind. Or permit you to change yours. You see, I only have one thousand four hundred and forty minutes in any day, and I don’t like to waste them on ill-thought-out negotiations like this one.’
Watching the flush of colour spread over her pale skin, he felt a stab of satisfaction. She had got under his skin; now he had not got under hers, And he was going to make sure it stung.
‘I gave you a budget—a very generous budget—and I see no reason to increase it on the basis of some whim.’
Nola glared at him. ‘This is not a whim, Mr Walker. It is a response to your email informing me that the software launch date has been brought forward by six weeks.’
Had he stuck to the original deadline, the new system would have been up and running for several months prior to the launch, giving her ample time to iron out any glitches. Now, though, the team she’d hired and trained for RWI would have to work longer hours to run all the necessary checks, and overtime meant more money.
Ram leaned forward. ‘I run a business—a very successful one—that is currently paying your salary, and part of that success comes from knowing my market inside out. And this software needs to be on sale as soon as possible. And by “as soon as possible” I mean now.’
She blinked trying to break the spell of his eyes on hers and the small taunting smile on his lips.
Taking a breath, she steadied herself. ‘I understand that. But now changes things. Now is expensive. But not nearly as expensive as it will be when your system gets hacked.’
‘That sounds awfully like a threat, Ms Mason.’
She took another quick breath, her hand lifting instinctively to her throat. Feeling the blood pulsing beneath her fingertips, she straightened her spine.
‘That’s because it is. But better that it comes from me than them. Hackers break the rules, which means I have to break the rules. The difference is that I’m not about to steal or destroy or publicise your data. Nor am I going to extort money from you.’
‘Not true.’ The corner of his mouth lifted, as though she had made a joke, but there was no laughter in his eyes. ‘Okay, you don’t sneak in through the back door. You just give me one of those butter-wouldn’t-melt-in-your-mouth smiles and put an invoice on my desk!’
‘I can protect your company, Mr Walker. But I can’t do that if my hands are tied behind my back.’
He tilted his head, his expression shifting, his dark gaze locking onto her face. ‘Of course not. But, personally, I never let anyone tie me up unless we’ve decided on a safe word beforehand. Maybe you should do the same.’
There was some nervous laughter around the table. But before she could respond, he twisted in his seat and gestured vaguely towards the door.
‘I need to have a private conversation with Ms Mason.’
Stomach churning, Nola watched as the men and women filed silently out of the room. Finally the door closed with a quiet click and she felt a ripple of apprehension slither over her skin as she waited for him to speak.
But he didn’t say anything. Instead he simply stared out of the window at the blue sky, his face calm and untroubled.
Her heartbeat accelerated. Damn him! She knew he was making her wait, proving his power. If only she could tell him where to put his job. But this contract was not only paying her and Anna’s wages, RWI was a global brand—a household name—and getting a good reference would propel their company, Cyber Angels, into the big time.
So, willing herself to stay cool-headed, she sat as the silence spread to