Chapter Two

Two Years Earlier...

I took a deep breath, smoothed the front of my skirt, and stepped into the office of Travel, Inc.'s Chief Operation Officer. If this worked, I would have the funding and connections to make my dreams a reality. I was going to do the job I wanted, instead of the job I hated. If this meeting went well, Travel, Inc. would add Dream Vacations' services to their already massive empire. I would have all the resources of the biggest travel website to make my concierge travel planning the best it could possibly be.

The last two months of my life I had dedicated to getting my business up and running. The computer program that was the heart of Dream Vacations had been a pet project of mine over the past year and a half, and now I was finally ready to use it. I had waltzed out of my terrible computer programming job the minute I had finished it with a smile on my face.

I now had the website, the business plan, and the connections, but I needed more funding. Advertisements were expensive, and concierge travel planning wasn't something that the average person considered within their budget. I wanted to change that mindset, but I needed advertisements to do so. Word of mouth was helping, but I needed access to a bigger market. I had used up all my savings and was in limbo for a business loan. With their resources, Travel, Inc. could change everything. If they decided to purchase either my program or my entire business, I would be a winner.

The corner office was large and ornate. It was bigger and nicer than my apartment. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the city with a large desk in the center that probably cost more than my car. A handsome man reclined in the plush leather chair behind the shiny desk. I did a double take as I came in. I had seen Logan Hayes in pictures, but he was even cuter in person. He ran a hand through his messy, honey-colored hair and smiled. I had the sudden wish to tangle my fingers in those short, loose curls.

“It's a pleasure to meet you, Olivia,” he greeted me, rising to shake my hand. A tingle went up my arm as his hand squeezed mine. He gestured to one of the two chairs opposite his desk. “Please, have a seat.”

“It's very nice to meet you as well, Mr. Hayes,” I replied. My voice only shook at the first word, but I hoped he hadn't noticed. I sat nervously, smoothing my non-wrinkled skirt again before setting a copy of my proposal on the desk. Despite my best intentions, I had already crinkled the edges with my nervous grip.

“Call me Logan, please. I've been over your proposal, and I love the concept. There's a couple of things that would need to be changed, but overall, I really think the concept is amazing.” He leaned back in his chair and watched my reaction. His eyes were warm, chocolate-caramel pools that seemed to absorb me. Being the sole object of his attention was distracting enough to make me forget how to breathe. I wondered if all his clients felt this way in his presence.

“Thank you, sir,” I finally sputtered. “I've worked really hard on it. Having the resources of Travel, Inc. would make it exponentially easier, and far more viable.”

His lips perked up in a small smile at my nervousness. I hoped he found it endearing, because I was having a hard time concentrating with his eyes on me. It didn't help that he was exactly my type.

“I agree,” he said, leaning forward and putting his elbows on the desk. “What are you hoping to get out of this meeting?”

My lips suddenly felt very dry and I had to fight the urge to lick them. “Honestly? I would love it if you decided to purchase my company and let me run it under Travel, Inc.'s banner. A big sticking point for me here is that I get to continue to work with this. I have put my heart and soul into this program and the business. I won't sell it just to walk away.”

“It's your baby. I can understand that,” he said, sitting back in his chair again. He looked thoughtful for a moment as a small smile crept onto his face. He was wearing an unbuttoned, light gray suit jacket. It accented the width of his shoulders and the lean build of muscle underneath the fabric. He belonged in a magazine. “I have a couple of questions about your business before I bring the proposal to my father,” he said, never taking those delicious brown eyes off me.

“Your father?” I frowned slightly. I was under the impression he was in charge.

He pointed to the name plate on the edge of his desk. Logan Hayes, Senior COO.

“I'm just the COO. My father is the official CEO of the company. A transaction like this will require his approval, so I want to make sure I present it accurately,” he explained. “I really think that your company will be a major asset, and I want to present it as such.”

I nodded, wiping my sweaty hands on my skirt. “Okay. Do you think he'll like it?”

Logan grinned. “I wouldn't bring it to him if I didn't.”

His smile made my insides heat. He had to be the company's secret weapon for negotiations. When he looked at me, I felt like I was the center of his world. I was the only thing that mattered with those dark brown eyes absorbing me. I could stay in those eyes forever, basking in his attention.

I could already feel myself falling head-over-heels for him, which was ridiculous. He wouldn't be interested in me. This was a business tactic to warm me up to his negotiations. I merely represented a small company asking to become part of Travel, Inc.'s empire. I could only imagine the level of charm he probably bestowed upon bigger-name clients.

“I do have to ask something, though,” he said. “Do you have any other investors who will complicate a transition to Travel, Inc.?”

I shook my head. “Not currently. There are a couple of other companies that I have met with, much like this one, but no forms have been signed yet.” I didn't tell him just how interested a couple of them really had been. I had two other companies completely ready to combine my business with theirs, but Travel, Inc.'s budget blew all of them out of the water. The business prospects of joining with the biggest travel company in the world were the best I could hope for at this point. Logan and Travel, Inc. were the ones I wanted.

“That's good to hear.” His smiled widened, and my heartbeat sped up. I couldn't imagine a sexier smile than the one lighting up his face. He played with a pen on his desk, his eyes never leaving mine. “If you want to continue to be a part of this project, I have some ideas for improvement, if you have the time.”

“That would be wonderful,” I gushed. “I'd love to hear your thoughts, and I have some plans that I think Travel, Inc. would really benefit from.” I'd have rescheduled a date with Brad Pitt for this opportunity. One of the most successful men in business, specifically my field, was offering to go over ideas for improvement. Not to mention the effect he was having on my pulse. I wouldn't have missed this for the world.

He chuckled softly and pressed a key on the phone resting on his desk. “Virginia, hold my calls.”

“Yes, sir,” a voice replied through the intercom.

Logan stood and straightened his jacket as he came around the desk. He sat in the chair next to me, and my heart rate shot up again. By the end of this meeting, I would have had my cardio for the day

“It's easier to talk to you over here. The desk just gets in the way,” he explained nonchalantly. I nodded nervously. Our knees were almost touching here. My mind was imagining all the wonderful things I wanted to do with him. Tangling my fingers in those honey curls. The way those broad shoulders would look without clothes on. The touch of his skin against mine.

“Right,” I stuttered.

Focus, I told myself. He's a billionaire. He could have anyone. He's had supermodels. He's not interested in you. This is just a business tactic.

Flirting and charm were as deadly of weapons in the business world as swords and arrows.

He smiled again, and those brown eyes threatened to swallow me whole. “So, how do you plan on keeping work hours down? Personalizing someone's travel is difficult and time-consuming.”

“I have a form for prospective clients to fill out. I then run it through a computer program that I created specifically with travel customization in mind. The program is actually the basis for my company. Using the customer entries, user ratings, pricing, and some other variables, I created the program to come up with a number of basic vacation plans,” I explained. I tried not to blush when he nodded encouragingly. “Then, with that base, it's easy to customize the trip as needed. Most people actually want very similar vacations, so it's not as much of a time sink as you might think.”

“I see,” he said, nodding once more. A curl fell across his forehead. “Is the program’s vacation planning offered for free initially? Or is there a cost involved?”

“Right now, I'm offering it for free just to gain word of mouth. I'm working on a modified version that will allow very basic trip-planning services for free, with the option of upgrading to the better packages,” I told him. I loved talking about my company. I’d taken such a leap of faith to quit my day job and take this risk, but I was happier than I had been in months. I knew success was within my grasp.

“Interesting,” he said. His knee bumped mine, and I felt an electric rush into my lower belly. I wanted to brush that curl off his forehead so badly my fingers ached. “What else do you have in the works?”

I grinned and proceeded to explain my plans for the future. Logan listened attentively and asked questions that made me stop and think. He was incredibly astute, and his business reputation was undeniably well deserved. In the course of an hour, he had found several small flaws and offered solutions to problems I hadn't foreseen in addition to ones I was struggling with.

“That is the perfect solution,” I said for the umpteenth time. He saw the holes in my fledgling business with an eagle eye, pointing them out and helping me think of the solution. I was in awe and completely crushing on him. Not only was he good-looking, smart, and rich--he was sweet too. I never once felt he was picking on me; rather, I felt he was going out of his way to help me.

The intercom buzzed, diverting his attention away from me. He smiled apologetically and pressed the button.

“I'm very sorry, sir, but Aiden Hayes is here,” the woman on the on the other end stated. Logan looked disappointed.

“Of course he is,” he replied. He let go of the button and sighed. “Well, Olivia, it was a pleasure meeting with you.”

“Likewise,” I said, rising from my seat. My legs felt heavy. I wondered just how long we had been sitting there.

The door to his office opened, and a slicker version of Logan walked in. He was just as tall with a similar build, but with a slightly leaner frame. His hair was the same warm honey-gold color, but instead of Logan's wild curls, he had smoothed his back. He looked richer, if that were possible.

“Logan, you missed the meeting,” he said, giving me the once-over. I smiled nervously, but his face stayed blank. He turned to Logan and gave him a look that I couldn't read.

“I'm aware.” Logan put his hand on my shoulder and walked me to the door of his office. It was a sweet gesture, but his touch made my body sing with want. I was dying for him to touch me all over. He paused with his hand on the door. “Perhaps we can get drinks later? I'd love to continue our discussion.”

I grinned, feeling a blush settle in my cheeks. I felt like the captain of the football team had just asked me to homecoming. “That would be great. You have my number on the proposal.”

He beamed, letting go of my shoulder to shake my hand. We both held it a second longer than was necessary. I giggled as I realize neither of us had let go, then ducked out the door before I could embarrass myself further. He couldn't possibly be interested in me. He just liked my business idea and was a natural flirt.

“Drinks, Logan?” I heard his brother through the door. “You never take clients out for drinks.”

“Not now, Aiden,” came Logan's reply. The secretary guarding his office was giving me the evil eye, so I stepped away from the door before I could hear more. I couldn't stop the grin from spreading across my face as I walked back to the elevator to get to the lobby. I was going to have drinks with Logan Hayes tonight. Things were going better than I could have possibly hoped.