Chapter 6 ~ Carter ~
"C arter!" As soon as I entered the lobby of the Tiffany Hotel, Abigail's father approached me and shook my hand.
"Donovan," I replied, returning the handshake of the man who once thought he would become my father-in-law. Had I ever believed that myself?
No. Never. Not for a single moment. I had only pretended. But I certainly wouldn't tell Donovan Hayden Ellesmere that. At least not today.
"Come, let's find a table." I took charge. We walked slowly through the lobby and entered the hotel bar. With its subtle lighting, low tables, and elegant-looking accents made of fine woods, this was the ideal place to discuss a delicate matter in peace.
It would have been the ideal place if there hadn't been four women at the bar with brightly colored cocktails and equally vibrant dresses, laughing loudly. Abigail's father grimaced.
"The bartender told me earlier that there's a bachelorette party going on here. Apparently, it's back in fashion, and they host at least one such event per week here." Donovan sounded disdainful. He didn't have much use for fun and celebrations.
I didn't care much for bachelorette parties either, but for entirely different reasons than Donovan. Anyone celebrating such a party would soon be getting married, and I really couldn't relate to that at all. Otherwise, I didn't care about the matter. So I just shrugged. "It's a bit loud, but let them have their fun."
Donovan looked at me, irritated, but said nothing further. We took a seat at one of the low tables.
"What can I bring you?" An eager waiter rushed over immediately. The celebrating women might consume a lot, but businessmen were still served with priority. That should satisfy Abigail's father.
"A whiskey. Whatever you have," Donovan ordered.
Whatever you have. How could someone leave the selection of their drinks so much to chance?
"A Macallan." I ordered my preferred whiskey.
The waiter frowned. "I'm sorry, sir, we're out of Macallan."
Now it was my turn to frown. The Tiffany was by no means the best hotel in New York, but it had a good reputation. How could they be out of Macallan?
"What do you have then?" I asked reluctantly, now using almost the same words as Donovan. I grimaced in disgust.
"I could bring you a Yamazaki," the waiter suggested.
I shook my head in refusal. "The Japanese varieties aren't among my preferred whiskies. I prefer to stay in Scotland, the taste is simply fuller and smokier."
"You're absolutely right, sir," the waiter agreed. He probably would have agreed with me even if I had claimed the exact opposite. "Would a Glenfiddich be more to your liking?"
I nodded. By now, I didn't care what I drank. The main thing was that Donovan and I could finally get to the business part of our meeting. I truly had no intention of spending the night in this hotel. The girls at the bar had made me crave other pleasures. We'll see where I'd spend the rest of the evening. But first, business before pleasure.
I leaned across the table and looked into the cold, gray eyes of my counterpart. "Donovan, what's the deal with the order? Why is Cameron equipping the test vehicles? You know very well that our product is technically superior."
Donovan Hayden Ellesmere looked at me appraisingly. "You've developed a new product, Carter. You can never be sure how reliable it is."
"Nonsense," I brushed this objection aside. "We've conducted all necessary long-term tests. The new battery is just as reliable as all others currently used in electric cars. If the tests have shown anything, it's that our product lasts even longer."
"Still, there's been no testing over many years."
I snorted. "That's the case with every new product." Abigail's father surely didn't think he could fob me off with such standard excuses? "Especially in the automotive industry, it's necessary to keep pace with technological development. Isn't Elecar Corporation supposed to develop and sell the best electric vehicles?"
"Certainly," Donovan replied.
"Then you need the best batteries on the market. And those come from me. From Carco Batteries ." I leaned back in the low chair as best I could and looked at Abigail's father expectantly.
"That may well be," he now admitted.
That may well be? It was so! Nevertheless, I felt a slight sense of triumph at Donovan's statement. Would he be so easily convinced? I couldn't let up now. "It's not just that it may be, it is so."
Donovan also leaned back in his chair and looked at me scrutinizingly. "I gave your assistant a message for you."
Damn!
So that was it!
At that moment, the waiter appeared and placed two glasses on the table in front of us. I reached for my glass, toasted to Donovan, and took a big sip. The whiskey ran down my throat and immediately calmed me.
"I know. I got the message," I answered now.
"Abigail really isn't doing well, Carter."
"I'm sorry about that." In truth, I wasn't sorry at all. In my eyes, Abigail was a beast. She had tried to control me. That's why I had thrown her out. Now she was probably pulling her father's strings. She was using him and his company for her own purposes. And that purpose was: She wanted to win me back. I inwardly shook my head at such audacity.
"I'm her father."
I just nodded.
Donovan continued: "I want Abigail to be well."
"Don't we all?" Better to take his side on this matter. If I showed that I didn't care about Abigail's well-being, I definitely wouldn't get the contract.
"Since you broke up with her, she's been searching for the meaning of life."
Searching for the meaning of life? I didn't think much of such esoteric concepts. Or more precisely: nothing at all. The meaning of life was exactly that: to live.
"Then I hope she finds it soon." My response remained diplomatic.
"You are the meaning of life for her. She wants a man. A family. That's the meaning of life for every woman." Donovan looked at me expectantly.
I took another big sip of my whiskey. What was I supposed to say to that? As far as I was concerned, Abigail could marry whoever she wanted and have as many children as she wanted, as long as it had nothing to do with me.
At that moment, it got louder behind me. The girls were squealing and laughing with pure joy. The previously discreet music in the bar was replaced by "Let's Get Loud" by Jennifer Lopez. High time to end this conversation and leave the hotel.
Suddenly, my grandmother's voice echoed in my head.
Your birthday is in four months. At the latest on that day, you'll also be celebrating your engagement.
I grimaced. And at the thought that I had promised my grandmother to present a fiancée to her next week at Cameron's wedding, I grimaced even more.
Where was I supposed to find a fiancée in such a short time? I didn't know any woman who would be suitable. My recent acquaintances and affairs had lasted no longer than a night, and I had consistently deleted their phone numbers the next day. After all, I didn't want to get involved with anyone.
What if I brought Abigail to Cameron's wedding?
Could that work out?
No.
Absolutely not.
That wouldn't end well.
The thought of Abigail didn't arouse the slightest desire in me. I'd much rather think about the woman who had crashed into my car.
Isabella Abbott.
That's how she had introduced herself. At the memory of her eyes, her face, and her figure, my cock began to throb slightly.
Carter! Focus on what's happening here.
There was indeed music playing here, and it was getting louder, just like the girls. I briefly glanced diagonally behind me. There seemed to be more and more girls as well.
"I see you're thinking about it. That pleases me, Carter. You know, Minny and I would be delighted by nothing more than a happy reunion between you and Abigail." Minny was Abigail's mother and Donovan's wife. "It's very close to all our hearts. We want you to be happy," Donovan added.
You want shit. You want to get rid of Abigail. If I'm stuck with her again, you won't have to take care of her anymore.
I shook my head.
"You really want to make the future of your company dependent on me getting back together with your daughter...?" I didn't finish my sentence.
"Family comes first, Carter," Donovan said unctiously.
Abigail must be putting on quite a bit of pressure. Donovan had never been the type to care about his family. Minny always had his back in everything and otherwise let him do what he wanted. Actually, the ideal marriage.
Donovan looked at his watch. "I have to leave soon, Carter. I expect your answer by tomorrow."
I expect your answer by tomorrow.
The guy didn't seriously believe he could pressure me, did he?
No.
That was out of the question.
I had to find another way to get the contract. Donovan Hayden Ellesmere was on the board of directors of Elecar Corporation. But he wasn't the only one whose word mattered in the company. There were other important people, and I would find them and convince them of my product.
"If you're in such a hurry, I won't keep you any longer," I replied and stood up.
Donovan nodded to me. "Make the best decision for your company, Carter."
Now he even thought he could lecture me?
The vein at my temple swelled dangerously. My hands clenched into fists. If I didn't get out of here right now, I would give Donovan Hayden Ellesmere a piece of my mind. Who did he think he was?
Nobody just gave Carter Jenkins lectures and tried to show him how to live his life!
Nobody!
No matter what was at stake!
At that moment, someone put their hand on my arm from behind. A slender hand. A woman's hand. And this touch felt extremely pleasant. More than just pleasant.
"What are you doing here?" A joyfully surprised exclamation. A melodious voice that didn't sound familiar to me at all. Or did it?
I turned around and caught a glimpse of a pair of brown eyes. Dark hair. But before I could see more, I only registered one thing: A pair of lips pressing against mine. Soft. Promising. With a slight taste of orange. The scent that now surrounded me matched it. A light citrus note.
The woman, whose identity I still didn't know, was kissing me.
Her hand slid up to my shoulder, and as if on autopilot, my arms wrapped around her body, pressing it against me.
And what a body it was. Full breasts that made my cock throb.
One of my hands moved upward, resting on the back of the woman's head and applying gentle pressure. Our lips melded together.
If she was going to kiss me, might as well do it properly, right?
I gently brushed my tongue across the soft lips of the stranger, which were still pressed against mine, seeking entrance. The woman in my arms opened her mouth, answering my unspoken question. Our tongues met. The kiss became more passionate, and our bodies pressed even closer together. The woman's hips rubbed against mine. My cock hardened, but that didn't stop the stranger from continuing to kiss me. On the contrary. Our tongues began a wild, passionate dance.
God, this woman was turning me on.
But who was she?
I trailed my fingers down her neck and slowly pulled my lips away from her mouth. A pair of brown eyes looked at me. Warmth and passion lay within them. Finally, I saw the face they belonged to.
The face of Isabella Abbott.
Her.
In my arms was the woman who had rear-ended my car earlier.
She had just managed to give me a jolt for the second time.
A jolt?
I grinned inwardly.
More than that.
"I assume that was just a one-time slip-up!" Donovan Hayden Ellesmere's voice yanked me out of my pleasant thoughts and catapulted me back to the present.
I turned and looked into Donovan's cold gray eyes. He eyed me watchfully. It seemed he was still expecting me to tell him that I would choose Abigail and that the kiss was just a mistake. Inwardly, I shook my head for the umpteenth time that evening. I wasn't going to be pushed around and bossed about so easily.
Certainly not!
The cup was now finally full.
I would show Donovan.
Donovan's voice interrupted my thoughts again. "What is the meaning of this, Carter?"
"Oh, it means... quite a lot," I replied calmly. The breathtaking Isabella was still standing close to me. I put my arm around her hips and let it slide a little lower. A firm ass that felt just right in my hand. One I'd love to knead without all the layers of clothing between us.
"May I introduce you to my fiancée, Isabella Abbott?"
I felt the woman next to me stir. I gently squeezed her ass and tilted my head to her ear as if I was going to kiss her again.
"Just play along," I whispered. "I'll explain everything later." After these words, I gently bit her earlobe. Isabella made a sound that was somewhere between lust and pleasure, and so quiet that no one but the two of us could hear it.
Promising.
But first, I had to get rid of Donovan.
"Engaged?" Only because this question consisted of just one word did he manage not to stutter.
I shrugged. "Life goes on, Donovan. You know that as well as I do."
Donovan said nothing. He looked slightly shocked.
"If you'll excuse me now. As you so beautifully said earlier: Family comes first. " That hit home. Now I had beaten this guy with his own weapons. This was well-deserved revenge for his attempt to boss me around and dictate my life.
"You should know," Donovan replied coldly. "With that, the matter is settled. The contract goes to Cameron. And I'll make sure that Carco Batteries loses out more often in such tenders in the future. Family comes first. In some cases, you have to pay for it with your own professional success. Don't bother appealing to the other board members at Elecar Corporation . They're on my side." With these words, he turned and left.
I stared after him.
Shit.
The deal was gone.
Donovan's words left no doubt: I could do whatever I wanted, he would block everything. And not just at Elecar Corporation , but beyond that as well. As far as it was possible for him.
The beautiful Isabella Abbott had just given me the kiss of my life.
And with it, screwed up the deal of my life.
My dream of being featured on the front page of the New York Times , alongside the President, vanished into thin air. In my place stood... my brother Cameron.
It couldn't get any worse.
And the cause of all this was Isabella Abbott.
For that, she owed me something.
And quite a lot at that.
I slowly turned to face her.