Mick relaxed againstthe wall of the booth as he watched Nicole eat her salad. He’d already filled himself eating a roast beef sandwich and French fries, and drinking most of his Coke. His focus had been on the adorable woman sitting across from him. Most women he dated picked at their food like a bird on a diet, but not Nicole. She wasn’t afraid to show him how hungry she was, and she devoured her apple pecan salad. He was grateful she didn’t make a spectacle of herself, but even if she had, he would have joined in the fun.
After her last bite, she took a sip of her iced tea and rested against the booth wall just as he’d done. Satisfaction sparkled in her eyes. It was nice to see a woman enjoying her meal for once.
“Thanks for lunch,” she said.
“Thanks for agreeing to come with me.”
She nodded. “I think we need to finish our conversation.”
“So do I.” He sipped his Coke.
Nicole sighed. “Have you thought up any crazy ideas yet about how to stop your father?”
“Here’s the thing.” He sat up in the seat and leaned forward. “The easy way to do this is for me to buy Adkins Dev-Tech from you because then we’re assured that my father won’t take it away.” Her face hardened, so he quickly continued, “However, I don’t want to take the company out of your grandfather’s name. This is your inheritance, and I want you to get it.”
Her expression softened. “Thank you.”
“I’ve thought about some ideas that might work, but I don’t think you’ll go along with them. I’ve gotten to know you a little, and Nicole, as much as I like you, I must be honest. You’re a stubborn woman.”
It only took a moment for her eyes to widen and a laugh to bubble up from her throat. “Really? You’ve learned that about me already?”
“Yes. But I’m just as stubborn, so... I suppose we’ll butt heads like two bulls in the same pen.”
“Tell me about your ideas.”
He shrugged and drank out of his cup again. “My first thought was that I could just give you the money and you could pay the mortgages on the company. That way, you’d have everything free and clear so that nobody can take over the company.” A frown slowly crept across her face, so he continued quickly. “But I knew you wouldn’t accept charity if we did it that way.”
She sat up. Her back was stiff once again. She fisted her hands on the table. “Not in the amount of half a million dollars.”
“Exactly. So, then that brought me to my next idea.” He reached over and grasped one of her hands, holding it in his as he stroked her knuckles. “If you’d like, I could still give you the money, and I’ll let you pay me back.”
Her bare shoulders shook as she laughed silently. “Mick, I’d never be able to pay you off, and I hate owing people money, especially when it’sthat much.”
“I thought you’d say that. So now... I’m out of ideas. It’s your turn.”
She stared at him for a few silent minutes before a grin broke out across her face and her eyes sparkled. “I could stumble into his lap and give him a sleeping pill. Then I could have him take me up to his room and take incriminating pictures of him.”
Mick threw back his head and laughed. What made it so funny was that he could picture her doing that very thing. His dad wouldn’t know what hit him.
“Oh, sweetheart.” He lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed her knuckles. “I wouldn’t suggest that kind of blackmail.”
“Why not?”
“Because,” his voice lowered, “then I’ll think that I wasn’t special enough for you. Or... by chance, is this how you blackmail most guys?”
“No, Mick. You were my first. In fact, I didn’t even want to do it.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’m not what most guys would consider a sexy woman.”
He choked on his quick intake of air. “Are you kidding me? You’re one very sexy woman, and you were definitely sexy that night we met.”
Her face bloomed red. “You’re just saying that to make me feel better.”
“Yeah, I’m saying that because you mademefeel better.”
She chuckled. “About what?”
