to make sure all employment applicants sign confidentiality agreements. The last thing we want is to hire someone whose goal is to steal the formula for Gleeve-Ware right out from under our noses.”
Vanessa nodded. “Is there anything else you want me to do from a PR standpoint?”
“No, but don’t be surprised if we suddenly start getting painted with a negative brush,” Chance responded to say. “If the culprits can’t get the information they want, they might resort to smear ads or negative accusations.”
“Like they did a couple years ago when they put out the rumor we were outsourcing,” Bas added, reminding everyone.
The meeting lasted for another half hour when other business matters were discussed. Right before Chance closed the meeting, Donovan spoke up. “Just an FYI. I will be working from home on Fridays for the next few weeks.”
Bas raised a brow. “Is there a reason why?”
Donovan smiled at everyone who was looking at him. “No reason.”
But he knew his brothers knew him well enough to know such a move probably involved a woman.
And they were right.
But they had no idea that he was meticulously planning the intimate seduction of one Natalie Ford.
Chapter 4
“I f you need to reach me, Donovan, just give me a call on my cell phone,” Kylie Steele threw over her shoulder as she quickly headed for the door. “You probably won’t get many customers, and most of them will be phone orders instead of walk-ins. See you later.” And then she was gone.
He chuckled as he took the stool behind the counter and watched his sister-in-law pull out of the parking lot. He’d covered for her before and knew what to do. He had an hour or so to kill until she returned so he might as well make the best of it, and with the flat-screen TV on the wall directly behind him, at least he wouldn’t get bored.
To kill some time, he took his BlackBerry out of his pocket and scrolled through his text messages. Mostof them were from Joanne Summerville, the woman he’d met at the races this past weekend. He hoped she wouldn’t start making a nuisance of herself. He could definitely do without that type of woman.
A half hour later he had put his BlackBerry away and his attention was concentrated on the television, namely CNN, thinking it was a damn shame Soledad O’Brien was a married woman. He was about to scoot the stool closer to the television for a closer view of her when the jingle of the bell above the door alerted him that he had a customer. He glanced up and saw an elderly woman with a cane stop in her tracks when she saw him.
“Where’s Kylie?” she asked him accusingly.
He lifted a brow. The way the woman had asked implied she thought he had done away with his sister-in-law. “She had to step out,” he decided to answer to assure her misplaced fears. “May I help you?”
She frowned at him. “And who are you?”
The woman sure asked a lot of questions. He wondered how long it would take for her to place an order and leave. She was presently standing in the way of him and Soledad. “I’m her brother-in-law,” he said, hoping that would allay whatever problems she had with him.
He watched, surprised, as a slow smile replaced her frown. “Oh, you’re one of those Steele boys.”
He chuckled. He hadn’t heard him and his brothers described just that way in a long time. Of the four of them, most people knew Bas mainly because while growing up he’d had a reputation around town for getting in all kinds of trouble. “Yes, ma’am, I’m one of those Steele boys.”
“And which one are you?”
“The youngest.”
She nodded. “Oh, you’re the one who likes the girls.”
That was him, all right . He lifted a brow, wondering just who this woman was. One thing was for certain; she had just made a pivotal point about him and he had no problem admitting it. “Yes, ma’am, I’m the one who likes the girls.”
“Just like Drew did in his day.”
Donovan couldn’t help but laugh.
Vanessa nodded. “Is there anything else you want me to do from a PR standpoint?”
“No, but don’t be surprised if we suddenly start getting painted with a negative brush,” Chance responded to say. “If the culprits can’t get the information they want, they might resort to smear ads or negative accusations.”
“Like they did a couple years ago when they put out the rumor we were outsourcing,” Bas added, reminding everyone.
The meeting lasted for another half hour when other business matters were discussed. Right before Chance closed the meeting, Donovan spoke up. “Just an FYI. I will be working from home on Fridays for the next few weeks.”
Bas raised a brow. “Is there a reason why?”
Donovan smiled at everyone who was looking at him. “No reason.”
But he knew his brothers knew him well enough to know such a move probably involved a woman.
And they were right.
But they had no idea that he was meticulously planning the intimate seduction of one Natalie Ford.
Chapter 4
“I f you need to reach me, Donovan, just give me a call on my cell phone,” Kylie Steele threw over her shoulder as she quickly headed for the door. “You probably won’t get many customers, and most of them will be phone orders instead of walk-ins. See you later.” And then she was gone.
He chuckled as he took the stool behind the counter and watched his sister-in-law pull out of the parking lot. He’d covered for her before and knew what to do. He had an hour or so to kill until she returned so he might as well make the best of it, and with the flat-screen TV on the wall directly behind him, at least he wouldn’t get bored.
To kill some time, he took his BlackBerry out of his pocket and scrolled through his text messages. Mostof them were from Joanne Summerville, the woman he’d met at the races this past weekend. He hoped she wouldn’t start making a nuisance of herself. He could definitely do without that type of woman.
A half hour later he had put his BlackBerry away and his attention was concentrated on the television, namely CNN, thinking it was a damn shame Soledad O’Brien was a married woman. He was about to scoot the stool closer to the television for a closer view of her when the jingle of the bell above the door alerted him that he had a customer. He glanced up and saw an elderly woman with a cane stop in her tracks when she saw him.
“Where’s Kylie?” she asked him accusingly.
He lifted a brow. The way the woman had asked implied she thought he had done away with his sister-in-law. “She had to step out,” he decided to answer to assure her misplaced fears. “May I help you?”
She frowned at him. “And who are you?”
The woman sure asked a lot of questions. He wondered how long it would take for her to place an order and leave. She was presently standing in the way of him and Soledad. “I’m her brother-in-law,” he said, hoping that would allay whatever problems she had with him.
He watched, surprised, as a slow smile replaced her frown. “Oh, you’re one of those Steele boys.”
He chuckled. He hadn’t heard him and his brothers described just that way in a long time. Of the four of them, most people knew Bas mainly because while growing up he’d had a reputation around town for getting in all kinds of trouble. “Yes, ma’am, I’m one of those Steele boys.”
“And which one are you?”
“The youngest.”
She nodded. “Oh, you’re the one who likes the girls.”
That was him, all right . He lifted a brow, wondering just who this woman was. One thing was for certain; she had just made a pivotal point about him and he had no problem admitting it. “Yes, ma’am, I’m the one who likes the girls.”
“Just like Drew did in his day.”
Donovan couldn’t help but laugh.
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