Chapter 3

The 20-floor building of steel, glass and concrete loomed ahead surrounded by equally large office complexes. In front of the building, written in cut-out 3d glass prints were the name: Greer Global Enterprise. He owned the biggest steel company in the city possibly the entire state.

The Interior was every bit as imposing as the outside. The word in the street was Greer expected total commitment, hard work and loyalty from his employees and judging by the serious faces of workers behind glass cubicles and hardwood desks, that much was true.

Rumors were that Noel spent his days and nights behind the closed doors of his office plotting the downfall of many rivals. And when he wasn’t doing that he was charming women, finding new wives, divorcing them and dating models.

 That much I can believe, Penny thought to herself.

The elevator stopped at the 10th floor. A blonde lady in a pantsuit and white silk blouse stepped out from behind the desk in the waiting room in front of Noel’s office.

“Good morning, Miss Quinn. My name is Rachel, Mr. Greer will see you now.”

But she didn’t follow them to the double frosted doors. Penny led the way with Nolan and Chantelle following behind her, marveling at the enormous wealth evident in the designs of the building. She only knew what she read about Noel now but being in this space knowing he was just a door away was a different thing. Her hands shook no matter how much she tried to keep them still.

 What is it about this man that makes me so nervous Oh, that’s right. He’s rich and a stupid part of me is still in love with him.

“Are you okay?” Chantelle asked out of the blue, peeking to see why she was stalling.

Gripping the brass knobs, Penny turned to her with a smile. “I’m fine. Unpleasant memories but nothing a bottle of wine can’t cure later.” That last part she said under her breath.

Pushing the door open and a rush of air-conditioned air assailed them. The walls were a lovely shade of Navajo white. Mahogany shelves added a masculine look to the soft color.

 Opposite the door at the far end of the room, backing the huge glass windows was a mahogany desk and behind it with his head bent over a huge leather-bound ledger was the man responsible for Penny’s shaky hands.

He looked up. And in her mind everything happened slowly. Raven black hair fell over his perfect face, and the stark white of his shirt heightened his olive complexion and the hawkish dark eyes. His face was stoic as he glanced from her to Nolan and Chantelle walking in before zeroing in on her again, eyes tinged with amusement. It felt like the world faded away and only she could see the slight upturn of his lips.

Taking another deep breath for composure she stepped in.

 “Here they are,” she spoke a formal tone, glad that her voice was firm. “Just like you asked.”

He grinned and said nothing.

She wasn’t sure what to have expected but his smile didn’t quite disperse her wariness.

The last time they had been in close proximity with each other, he had accused her with such hatred in his eyes that it was a surprise she wasn’t scorched by it.

Not wanting to dwell too much on the past, she turned away.

“I will leave now.”

“No, you won’t.” It was a simple, firmly spoken order.

When she turned back to counter him he pushed his chair back and rose from the desk. All 6’3 inches of him slid from behind the desk and began stalking toward her like a tiger eager to pounce on its prey. Penny wasn’t a short woman by standard, few men made her tilt her head to look them in the eye and Noel Greer was one of them.

Tall figure, broad shoulders that filled out his white shirt, and a lean waist tapered to muscular thighs, flexed as he moved still reminding her of that panther. But this time the panther was stalking towards her. Its prey.

He held his hand out and she took it.

 Did he hold her hand a second longer or was that her imagination?

She didn’t have time to dwell on that thought. Soon he was talking to Nolan and Chantelle, leading them to a set of leather couches, playing the part of the amiable host. Chantelle, and even Nolan was in awe of the man.

 Penny took the lone armchair far away from him but it didn’t help that he sat opposite her.

 No matter how hard she tried to look away she couldn’t help looking back at him. The man who ruined me and rejected me. The urge to wrap her fingers around that broad, beautiful neck and squeeze was growing stronger.

A corner of his mouth lifted but he didn’t look her way as he listened to Nolan speak.

The bastard. He knew she was staring.

They talked about Nolan’s building project and a way out of Douglas’s trickery. To her surprise Noel readily offered to help him. He had workers at his disposal that could easily be disbursed to continue the construction.

Nolan and Chantelle were surprised as well at his willingness to help.

“Really?” Nolan asked.

Noel responded by tilting his head to the side. “Don’t make me think twice about it, Nolan Pierce.”

“Don’t you want something in return?” Nolan asked leaning forward with his eyes narrowed.

At this, Noel glanced at her for the first time. Alarm bells rang louder.

“I have my payment in full,” he said simply. If Nolan and Chantelle noticed anything they didn’t show it. Clouded by their excitement, they smiled gratefully at her.

She couldn’t smile back.

Noel pushed himself to his feet indicating the end of their meeting.

 He shook hands with Nolan then with Chantelle while Penny stood to the side wondering just what sort of payment he wanted.

 As Noel walked Nolan and Chantelle to the door with her behind them, his hand suddenly came to rest on the small of her back. She stiffened and glanced over her shoulder, he was looking straight ahead still talking warmly to Nolan and charming Chantelle with his smile. But the hand on her back was anything but warm.

Thankfully Nolan and Chantelle were too absorbed in the celebration of their success to notice.

“We have unfinished business.”

She swallowed hard. He was so close she could smell the spiciness of his cologne.

I have had many lovers after him, she reminded herself. I shouldn’t be feeling this way after all these years.

“I think you made that clear back there,” she struggled to say.

He looked at her then, gray eyes narrowing on her face before drifting to her parted lips.

He’s going to kiss me.

“I-I need to go…Nolan and Chantelle…”

“See them off and come back.”

“I have a job, Noel.”

“And we have a deal. Return as soon as they leave. I’ll find you if you don’t.”

Before she could protest he took a step back, his hand subtlety caressing her skin through her cloth as it dropped from her waist. His eyes never left hers as he took further steps into the office leaving her there at the threshold still feeling the heat of his touch.

Penny stood there rooted to the ground until the sound of heels on linoleum jeered her back to life. Rachel, the secretary from earlier smiled at her before pushing the door open.

“Mr. Greer,” she drawled in a voice that made Penelope sick.

Nolan and Chantelle were quick to leave, eager to defeat Douglas’s schemes. She could easily run away with them but like a fly to a trap she retraced her steps back to Noel’s office. Rachel was the still in there when she walked in. The other woman was leaning over his shoulder pointing at something in an open file in front of him. 2 pairs of eyes glanced up when Penny walked in.

Noel’s lips twitched. Rachel frowned.

“Anything else, Rachel?”

The blonde took her time straightening to her full height. As she took the folder off the table her arm brushed Noel’s shoulder. “No sir.”

“That will be all. I’ll send for you when I need you.”

Her heels were like knives on the tiled floor.

“Miss Quinn,” she nodded with false politeness, a far cry from the friendly person who had greeted them earlier.

As soon as the door closed Noel was out of his seat. He leaned one hip against the desk.

“Sit.”

She ignored the order. “I made it clear I have a job. What do you want? .”

Grey eyes darkened but he didn’t move an inch. “If you want to pay your price in full then you will have to do anything I say. Now sit.”

Taking a deep breath for calm she walked forward and plopped herself down on one of the seats in front of his desk. He watched her with satisfaction.

“Good girl,” he said a moment before he plucked a document from the side of his desk. He glanced at it with a secretive smile before turning those eyes to hers. “How long has it been, Penny?”

“Small talk, Noel? You don’t strike as a man lacking willing company.” she replied hating the envy in her tone.

He laughed. “You don’t have to sharpen your claws. Rachel is harmless.” He leaned down and peered into her eyes, his magnetic gaze held her transfixed.

“I don’t care.”

 There was something in his eyes as he uttered his next words. “You were never good at lying. You said you loved me. Do you think it’s possible to forget someone you love so soon?”

She scoffed in his face even though her heart was beating a million miles per hour. “And you believed the words of a thief?” she asked raising her brows at him with a mocking smile on her lips while she threw back his words to his face.

He didn’t find it amusing, the smile at the edge of his lips disappeared.

He threw the document in front of her.

She looked away from him and skim through it…and froze.

Picking the document that contained 4 sheets of paper stapled together she sat back in her chair to carefully read through it in the hope that her eyes were playing tricks on her. But she knew she hadn’t misread. It was plain in black and white.

 When her eyes returned to Noel’s face he looked smug having successfully shut her up.

“Marriage?!” I cried.

“We are getting married again.”

She swallowed past the lump in her throat. “That’s the payment you want for your help? And why should I agree to that?”

He shrugged and straightened to his full height. “Because I asked. You’ve secured my help and I want payment.”

Suddenly furious she stood up and threw the documents on the table. “I don’t have time for this, Mr. Greer. You want me to be at your beck and call, you want me to serve you and be at your mercy but I will not. I have too much pride for that. You will have to force me to sign that otherwise over my dead body.”

“It makes no difference whether or not you sign those papers, but I will advise you do. We were married once…”

“On paper which you tore in two that day leaving me to…you know what? I’m leaving!"

She was fuming with rage and the urge to cry when she pushed the chair back to leave the office when his voice stopped her in her tracks.

Cool and smooth and deceitfully seductive.

 “Do your friends know you are the daughter of a thief?”