“Beauty, talent, and intelligence,” Spencer mused. “What a lethal combination. How do you stand it, Mr. Harrison?”
Aidan beamed beside her. “She brings out the best in me, Mr. Dumas,” he answered sincerely. “Demands it of me repeatedly, in fact.” His lips quirked as she shot him an amused glance, as if they shared a private joke.
Spencer smiled knowingly at the inference, at the veiled warning. “Then you are a lucky man, indeed, Mr. Harrison.” His manner lost some of its flirtatiousness then, though it didn’t seem to detract from his perfectly manicured charm.
“To be quite honest, I would like to create a similar association between the Celtic Goddess and Dumas Industries.”
“Forgive me, but I do not understand. You do not own the land, Mr. Dumas – Spencer.”
“A temporary situation, I assure you. Let us just say that I am preparing the path for what will be.”
Lexi arched a perfect brow and looked questioningly at Aidan before turning her attention back to Dumas with a gentle smile. “I must admit, Spencer, you have piqued my interest. Can you tell us more?”
Spencer’s eyes sparkled, more than a little pleased with Lexi’s interest. “I’m sure you will understand that I cannot go into specifics just yet, Ms. Kattapoulos. Dumas Industries has not become the successful business it is by giving away all of its secrets prematurely.”
Lexi had the grace to blush a little. “Of course. I’m afraid I don’t have Aidan’s aptitude for business.” Lexi turned to Aidan, her face a mask of sultry innocence as she played her part well.
Spencer smiled at her indulgently. “For a comparable price, Dumas Industries could provide the same services without all of the start-up costs the Celtic Goddess would incur by dealing solely with Miss Flynn. Would I be correct in assuming that might appeal to you?”
“It sounds wonderful, but surely there must be more to it than that.”
Spencer’s indulgence turned to approval. “I wish all of my business associates were as straightforward as you, Ms. Kattapoulos. I assure you, Dumas Industries only requests a simple caveat. Just a slight delay in the paperwork to ensure that all of the underlying groundwork is laid appropriately. It will work to your advantage as well.”
Lexi appeared to mull this over, letting her brows furrow ever so slightly. “Aidan? What do you think?”
He seemed to give it serious thought as well. “I think a slight delay is a reasonable expectation,” he said slowly, “given the amount of research and analysis to be considered in our final decision. You know how difficult it can be to obtain the necessary information. I don’t believe all of the county records are even digital, yet, which means things have a tendency to be misplaced rather easily.”
Lexi nodded. “It looks like you have your answer, Spencer.”
With a satisfied smile, Spencer extended his hand to Aidan. “Excellent. We will be in contact.”
“I look forward to it.”
Spencer took Lexi’s hand as well. “It has been a great pleasure meeting you, Ms. Kattapoulos. I must say, I have a greater understanding of why Mr. Harrison keeps you shrouded in such mystery.”
“And why is that?”
Instead of answering, Spencer kissed her hand again. “Until next time.”
When he was gone, Lexi sunk down into the chair, absently wiping the back of her hand on her jeans to remove any trace of Spencer’s adieu.
Aidan chuckled. “What kind of bouquet would you like? That was one hell of a performance, Lex. You had Dumas ready to melt every time you spoke the man’s name.”
“I learned from the best,” she grinned, but then her smile faded. “I’m worried. What is he up to, Aidan?”
“I don’t know, Lex. Think Ian will work some of his magic and do some digging for us?”
“Absolutely. We’ve got to tell Maggie and Michael, too.”
“Agreed.”
*
Maggie sighed against the warmth of Michael’s solid chest, wondering how she had ever managed without him. Her body was sated, but her mind refused to relax. Ever since Lexi called and told her about Spencer’s visit, she couldn’t stop thinking about what Spencer might be up to.
“I must be slipping,” Michael said softly against the top of her head. “Usually I’d have you exhausted by now.”
Maggie smiled lovingly into his face as he rolled her over, positioning himself above her. She opened for him, cradling his hips as he lowered his head and kissed her.
“Don’t you ever get tired?” she asked, amusement lacing her voice. Michael had always been an attentive lover, but since she’d gotten the ink brand he’d been insatiable. While she wasn’t complaining, the pregnancy often forced her to take little cat naps in between.
“Of making love to you? Not in this lifetime.” He kissed along her jaw, his tongue swirling just beneath the bone. They hadn’t taken their vows officially yet, but she was his, in every sense of the word.