Romantic Acquisition (3 page)

Kate sighed as she logged into her e-mail.  She had over one hundred messages. 

“Excuse me,” Peter said, looking at Kate.  “Can you explain how this report takes in the data?”

Kate smiled and hopped up
without hesitation
, coming around the conference table to look at the report he was referencing. 
It only took her a moment to see the report and figure out what he was asking about.  This one wasn’t very intuitive and she’d complained about it previously to the head of the accounting department.  Unfortunately, that man liked the report and wouldn’t change the format. 
“This data comes from the accounting system,” she explained and went on into detail about how the invoices from the various vendors are processed, entered into the system and divided up by department.  Peter listened avidly and took notes on everything she said. 

Jeff had a question next and she went through several more explanations.  The morning flew by and the next thing she knew, she was being handed a sandwich by Carlo, who hadn’t asked her anything at all
during the morning work session
. 

Kate blushed as she took the offered sandwich.  The intensity of his gaze as he handed it to her made her feel as if he could look into her soul and know how hungry she was, not just for the food either.  She wanted to touch his face and see if he was made out of stone or actual human flesh.  Was he warm blooded? 
Did he ever smile or show any other emotion on his face? 
She didn’t think so although he was the most handsome stone statue she’d ever seen. 

By the afternoon, Kate came to the conclusion that Carlo
Attracelli
was not a statue.  Statues didn’t work this hard.  Carlo
was a work horse
and a slave driver
. He never asked for any information. He reviewed everything that Jeff and Peter handed to him, making notes in his computer.  He entered numbers into a mysterious spreadsheet and rarely stopped to take a break.  

And he almost never spoke. 

By
six o’clock
that evening, Kate was exhausted.  She was wearing four inch heels today with a pencil slim red skirt and a ruffled shirt that was much more office oriented than her outfit of the previous day.  Unfortunately, jumping up and getting the
information, or helping the others understand what and how things work, took a toll on her feet.

Jeff and Peter packed up and politely thanked her for her help during the day.  They left, leaving Kate to stare fixedly at her computer so she didn’t have to look at the intimidating man at the end of the conference room table she now was calling
Attila
. 

“What are your plans tonight?” Carlo asked.

Kate was so surprised by his question she actually jumped.  “Nothing,” she smiled, wishing she could admit that she wanted to toss her shoes into the garbage and soak in a hot tub.

“Can you answer some questions for me tonight if I buy you dinner?” he asked, leaning back in his chair and observing her.

Kate’s sore feet were instantly forgotten.  In fact, everything was forgotten
including the fact that she had decided she didn’t like him
.  “Dinner?”

Carlo smiled and his whole face
was
transformed.  He was handsome before, but his smile showed off white teeth and eased the seriousness from his expression.  His eyes crinkled at the corners and his shoulders seemed to relax slightly.  “Yes, dinner.  Do you eat?”

Kate was too fascinated by his smile.  She wanted to sigh with pleasure.  “Eat?” she asked, not sure what they were talking about.

Carlo chuckled.  “Come on, you must be famished.”

The man standing up and towering over her reminded her of how dangerous he was.  “No, really.  I don’t need anything.”

She stood up abruptly but because she hadn’t eaten anything since
eleven o’clock
that morning, and hadn’t had breakfast, she was a little lightheaded.  “Oh, my,” she said and almost fell backwards.  If it wasn’t for his quick feet and strong arms, Kate would have fallen down onto the floor.

He was holding her by her waist, waiting for her eyes to clear up.  She focused on his chin, too afraid to look higher.  “I’m okay, now,” she whispered
, intensely conscious of his hands burning holes in her clothing where he touched her waist.  Her body was on fire just from his simple touch
. 

“I know,” he said and reluctantly released her.  Putting a hand on the small of her back, he guided her out of the room.  “Come on, you need a break and something to eat,” he said, handing her the tiny purse
with a gold chain
she’d dropped in the chair earlier that morning.

Kate walked along side him, worried
about leaving the building with Carlo
.  She didn’t know what the rules were on dating the enemy but she didn’t want David Jamison to see them. 
She knew he
wouldn’t like it at all. 
Not that she and Carlo were going on a date, she told herself.  He was only taking her out on a business dinner to work longer. 

Kate didn’t think a simple business reason for socializing would matter to David. 
He discouraged everyone from even
being friendly
with other employees
outside the office
so
going out to dinner with
the lead of the due diligence team was probably forbidden.  But then Kate ignored the idea.  This wasn’t a date, she told herself
again
.  He wanted more information.  That was her whole purpose for being in the conference room so it was only more of the same.  She was sure David would approve
of working and eating at the same time
. 

They made it to the elevator and out to the parking lot without
anyone seeing them
.  “Mr. Attracelli, I really don’t…

“Carlo,” he interrupted.  “And you do really.”
He didn’t slow his pace but continued guiding her through the parking lot. 

“No, I can just make myself a sandwich at home.  There’s no need for you to take me out to dinner.”

Carlo just opened the door to
a beautiful
black
Porsche
, one eyebrow raised as he waited for her to get into the car.

“Really, there’s no need,” she said, glancing up at the windows to the building, hoping no one would see her getting into this man’s car.

“Get in and stop worrying about who is watching you,” he said challengingly.

Kate shook her head but gave in.  She could tell that he wouldn’t take no for an answer.  And if the truth were known, she wanted to go with him.  This was the first time she’d really talked to him and, unfortunately for her peace of mind, she was fascinated by him. 

He got in beside her and Kate could barely breathe.  His masculine scent surrounded her and his long leg was almost touching hers in the tiny, powerful car. 
She moved her hand so it was over her lap.  Otherwise, she’d be touching him in the small confines. 

Kate watched in fascination as his hand shifted gears.  She shook herself mentally as she realized that she even liked his hands.  They were strong looking, with long fingers and well manicured fingernails. 

Why in the world was she thinking about the man’s fingernails?  She was sure he thought she was a completely idiot.  She dressed like a Barbie doll and said the first thing that came to her mind.  What could an intellectual man with a serious attitude towards life like in a
flighty
woman like her?

“I don’t think you’re an idiot,” he said, his deep voice gravely in the quiet of the car.

“I’m sorry?”

He glanced at her quickly as he shifted down to turn a corner.  “You said I probably think of you as an idiot.  I don’t,” he explained.

Kate stared at him, furious with herself for actually voicing that comment out loud.  “Oh,” she said.  That was
the third time she’d done that
.  She had been able to pull the first idiotic statement off as a joke yesterday
and the second time she’d come up with the e-mail excuse
.  Was she losing her mind?

Of course she was.  She wanted to kiss the man.
  If that wasn’t insanity, she didn’t know what was.  He was dangerous both professionally and personally. 

Kate listened in the car for a moment, worried that she’d said that desire out loud as well. 

When he said nothing, she let her breath out slowly, thankful that she’d kept the thought in her mind only. 

“Why do you think I consider you in that light anyway?” he asked.

Kate shrugged and watched as he pulled up in front of a building that looked completely shut down for the night.  But a valet jumped out from the doorway and was immediately holding her door for her.  “It is what most people think when they first meet me,” she said as he came around to her side of the car.

“I’ll admit, you’re a little
different with your attire, but you know what you’re talking about when you’re explaining the information to Jeff and Peter.”

“Well, that’s just because I’ve worked in every department in Jamison’s.”

“I don’t think we’ve ever had a
liaison
as knowledgeable in so many aspects of the company,” he said as he held the door to the restaurant open for her.

Kate was
both
shocked and pleased by his compliment.  It gave her
a warm glow as he spoke to the m
aitre D
in perfect Italian
.  They were instantly led to a table despite the fact that they didn
’t
have any reservations.  It was one of the nicer tables too, looking out onto a courtyard filled with trees decorated with
little,
white lights. 

“I didn’t know there was a restaurant here,” she said, taking the offered menu and looking around with awe at the beautiful Italian décor.  The walls were done up to look like a rustic, Italian villa and the tables were covered in red and w
hite checkered table cloth
s.  The waiters were running around efficiently delivering food but were dressed in immaculate tuxedos.

“I don’t know how they stay so clean,” she said, laughing at herself.

“Who?” Carlo asked, his menu by his side as he watched her. 

“The waiters,” she said, nodding to one who was carrying a load of plates
high
over his head.  “I love to cook but when I do, the whole kitchen is covered in whatever I’m cooking.  It takes longer to clean up than it does to prepare and cook whatever I’ve decided to make,” she laughed.  “I bet you’re a perfectly clean cook, aren’t you?”

“What do you mean by ‘clean’?” he asked, a small smile on his face.  He could imagine this ball of energy throwing a meal together, her face covered in flour and every part of the kitchen doused as well. 

“I bet you wash every dish right after you cook and you never get anything where it isn’t supposed to go,” she said.  Glancing down at his perfectly tailored suit, she slanted him a look.  “
Actually, I’m guessing y
ou don’t cook at all, do you?”

Carlo smiled.  “No, not really.”

“Do you at least make your own coffee in the morning?”

He raised one eyebrow.  “Coffee?”

“You do that a lot, did you know that?”

“What?” he asked.

“Raise that eyebrow.  You’re back to thinking I’m an idiot.  But that’s okay.  I like cooking and I think it is fun.  I think everything in life should be fun,” she explained and shrugged her question away.
  Kate looked down at her menu and tried to ignore the man staring at her from across the table.  She bit her lip, wishing she could present a more sophisticated image to him.  He was probably used to dating very elegant society ladies who were worldly and full of
sophistication
.  She decided that Carlo needed someone who would make him laugh.  He was definitely too serious.