Lifting his chin and straightening his shoulders, Leo exited the elevator and headed straight for the reception desk in front of the largest office on the floor. Mr. Jerris’s office was surrounded by walls of glass so anyone could look inside and see the foreboding man who ran this empire.
And that was exactly where he was at ten in the morning.
Leo swallowed hard and strode forward. He didn’t pay the receptionist any heed when she called after him. In fact, he picked up his pace and strode right into the open glass doorway.
Mr. Jerris lifted his chin at the commotion of his secretary.
“I’m sorry, sir. He wouldn’t give me his name.”
Recognition flickered in Mr. Jerris’s eyes as he slowly stood. “It’s okay Ms. Tate. I’ll take care of this.”
Leo held his hands behind his back tightly in an attempt to hide just how nervous the man made him. “Sir, I’m here to speak to you about your daughter.”
A single manicured brow lifted. Then he gestured toward a chair directly in front of his desk. “Mr. Chambers, isn’t it?”
Clearing his throat, Leo nodded. “That’s right, sir.”
“I never forget a face.”
Leo smiled but it was strained.
“I suspect you have good reason for showing up without an appointment, running in here without paying any respect to my secretary, and demanding an audience. I’m a very busy man, Mr. Chambers.”
Leo nodded. “Yes sir. I’d say my reasons are very important.” He stumbled over his next words. “I l-love your daughter, s-sir.” Inwardly berating himself for not maintaining a steady voice, he counted to three before he continued. “And she loves me.”
“Is that so?” Mr. Jerris didn’t seem at all surprised. But then again, the man had an excellent poker face. He hadn’t taken a seat when Leo had, still standing, looming over him in the large room. Somehow his presence made the space smaller and Leo itched to jump to his feet just so he didn’t have to look up into the man’s hardened features. “And you’re here to, what? Ask for my blessing?” He let out a rueful chuckle. “I hate to break it to you, kid, but my daughter is not the type of woman who believes in that sort of thing. And if you thought she was, you don’t know her very well.”
Fingernails still digging into his palms, Leo fought the urge to snap back at the man. “I’m very aware that Kat wouldn’t care for such a request. So, no. I’m not here to ask for your blessing, but I will give you the courtesy of letting you know I will marry her one day.”
The man scoffed. “You’re mistaken if you think for one second that Kat would risk her chance at running my company over a fling.”
It’s not a fling, the voice in his head shouted. Still, Leo schooled his features. “You’re wrong.”
Fire burned in Mr. Jerris’s eyes, and he leaned over his desk to place two palms against its surface. “You’re wasting your breath, Mr. Chambers. There is no reason for you to be here?—”
“My reason has to do with a business venture.”
That had the man closing his mouth and curiosity warred with the fury in his steely expression.
“As I’m sure you’re all too aware, your daughter is smart—one of the smartest women I know. Over the past several weeks, I’ve gotten to know her more and more. You shouldn’t be surprised that she’s come up with some interesting possibilities for expansion when it comes to your company, and I’m here to tell you that you’d be a fool not to hear her out.”
“Hear her out about what?”
Leo could already tell that the man wasn’t about to let him leave without giving him an inkling of what Kat had come up with. Slowly, he rose from his chair and crossed his arms. “You have clients on the west coast. It would serve everyone better if youwere to open another location in Montana.” Leo had expected Mr. Jerris to be surprised or at least contemplative.
He did not, however, expect the man to laugh.
The hard chuckle that slipped past the man’s lips sounded more sinister than anything else. He shook his head and straightened. “You’re a bigger fool than I gave you credit for, Mr. Chambers. It would be wise if you were to return to the rock you crawled out from and go back to living your simple life.”
“But sir—” Leo stopped the second Mr. Jerris’s eyes darkened with venom.
“Goodbye, Mr. Chambers.”
Leo remained frozen for only a few moments longer before he lost what little he had left of his resolve. He turned on his heel and strode from the office. That had gone far worse than he could have ever expected. He’d foolishly hoped that the man would hear him out—let him discuss a few things before demanding that he leave. But no, that wasn’t who Mr. Jerris was.
The man in that office was ruthless, cunning, and protective. And there was no way he’d approve of anything developing between himself and Kat, let alone open a door for that possibility by expanding to Montana.
Leo groaned when he slumped into the oversized chair on the airplane. He prayed he hadn’t gone and made the biggest mistake of his life. Chances were slim that Kat wouldn’t hear about this little meeting. He could only hope that she’d hear him out before completely dismissing him.
