Read Online His to Keep (Beauty and the Brit) by Terri Austin - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Terri Austin
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a little difficult when my sole participant won’t participate.”
“Business is booming, what can I say?” He took a sip of wine. Dry and crisp. He usually didn’t indulge during the day either. Unless it was a working lunch, Iain ate a sandwich at his desk. But he’d wanted to be alone with Brynn, and if he could check on the restaurant at the same time…well, two birds and all that.
“Can you describe your process for problem solving?” she asked after polishing off the last bite of toasted corn bread.
“Oh God. Fine, I’ll answer your questions on one condition.”
“ I don’t feel that conditions are necessary. You called us, remember? You’re paying for this course, Iain, and I don’t feel you’re getting your money’s worth by talking on the phone all morning.”
“So let’s continue over dinner.”
“That sounds suspiciously date-like. And besides, I have plans.”
Iain’s jaw tightened. She had a date? The background report specifically stated she didn’t have a boyfriend. This bloke must be new. Iain had never been jealous in his life, but he felt it now, burning hot inside of him. Over his dead fucking body would she go out with another man. “What’s his name?”
“What’s your process for problem solving?” she countered.
“I see a problem and I fix it. What’s. His. Name?”
“Can you describe a recent situation that called for immediate action?”
Iain shoved the plate aside and leaned his forearms on the table. “You think you can avoid my question, love. You’re wrong.”
“ I— ” She stopped talking as his frown deepened. “I don’t think we should get into personal topics. They’ll only cloud the issue.”
“What issue is that?”
Brynn seemed to be choosing her words carefully.
“Just spit it out, pet. No need to spare my tender feelings. I don’t have any.”
“I’m here as your educator. I can’t do my job if you’re not willing to do yours. I need your attention and your cooperation. Will you give me your cooperation, Iain?”
“Gladly.” Iain kept his eyes on hers, but extended his hand and trailed his fingers over the thin, copper bracelets lining her wrist. He twisted a couple back and forth. “How’s this wanker you’re dating going to feel when you start shagging me? He’s going to feel like rubbish, yeah? You’d best break it off with him now.” Without looking, he turned her hand over and slid his finger across her palm. “A recent situation that called for immediate action? And we’re not including our snog in the lift, right?”
Brynn opened her mouth, but no sound came out. Her eyes grew wide as he slipped his finger over the heel of her hand and through two bracelets. Caressing her inner wrist, Iain felt Brynn’s pulse hammering against her skin. She liked it when he touched her. Her body’s response gave her away.
“Every situation calls for action,” he said. “It’s a matter of degrees, innit? I look at the big picture, decide what I want, and hire people to handle the details. If there are situations that require immediate attention, I tend to those first, and I use all the resources at my disposal to fix a problem.” Yeah, Iain could speak corporate bullshit when it suited him. However, blunt words were generally more effective.
She lifted one brow. “And you use threats to get the outcome you want, like that man with the busted water pipe? Are those the resources you’re talking about?”
“I never threaten. Second rule of business: words are meaningless unless you can back them up. You make an example of one bloke”—he continued to softly rub her smooth skin—“and everyone else will fall in line.”
“I don’t think that’s the best way to go about getting what you want. What if you could, um”—she glanced down, watched his fingers trace the lines along her palm—“get the most from your employees and have them, you know, feel invested in the process? Wouldn’t that be a more
“Business is booming, what can I say?” He took a sip of wine. Dry and crisp. He usually didn’t indulge during the day either. Unless it was a working lunch, Iain ate a sandwich at his desk. But he’d wanted to be alone with Brynn, and if he could check on the restaurant at the same time…well, two birds and all that.
“Can you describe your process for problem solving?” she asked after polishing off the last bite of toasted corn bread.
“Oh God. Fine, I’ll answer your questions on one condition.”
“ I don’t feel that conditions are necessary. You called us, remember? You’re paying for this course, Iain, and I don’t feel you’re getting your money’s worth by talking on the phone all morning.”
“So let’s continue over dinner.”
“That sounds suspiciously date-like. And besides, I have plans.”
Iain’s jaw tightened. She had a date? The background report specifically stated she didn’t have a boyfriend. This bloke must be new. Iain had never been jealous in his life, but he felt it now, burning hot inside of him. Over his dead fucking body would she go out with another man. “What’s his name?”
“What’s your process for problem solving?” she countered.
“I see a problem and I fix it. What’s. His. Name?”
“Can you describe a recent situation that called for immediate action?”
Iain shoved the plate aside and leaned his forearms on the table. “You think you can avoid my question, love. You’re wrong.”
“ I— ” She stopped talking as his frown deepened. “I don’t think we should get into personal topics. They’ll only cloud the issue.”
“What issue is that?”
Brynn seemed to be choosing her words carefully.
“Just spit it out, pet. No need to spare my tender feelings. I don’t have any.”
“I’m here as your educator. I can’t do my job if you’re not willing to do yours. I need your attention and your cooperation. Will you give me your cooperation, Iain?”
“Gladly.” Iain kept his eyes on hers, but extended his hand and trailed his fingers over the thin, copper bracelets lining her wrist. He twisted a couple back and forth. “How’s this wanker you’re dating going to feel when you start shagging me? He’s going to feel like rubbish, yeah? You’d best break it off with him now.” Without looking, he turned her hand over and slid his finger across her palm. “A recent situation that called for immediate action? And we’re not including our snog in the lift, right?”
Brynn opened her mouth, but no sound came out. Her eyes grew wide as he slipped his finger over the heel of her hand and through two bracelets. Caressing her inner wrist, Iain felt Brynn’s pulse hammering against her skin. She liked it when he touched her. Her body’s response gave her away.
“Every situation calls for action,” he said. “It’s a matter of degrees, innit? I look at the big picture, decide what I want, and hire people to handle the details. If there are situations that require immediate attention, I tend to those first, and I use all the resources at my disposal to fix a problem.” Yeah, Iain could speak corporate bullshit when it suited him. However, blunt words were generally more effective.
She lifted one brow. “And you use threats to get the outcome you want, like that man with the busted water pipe? Are those the resources you’re talking about?”
“I never threaten. Second rule of business: words are meaningless unless you can back them up. You make an example of one bloke”—he continued to softly rub her smooth skin—“and everyone else will fall in line.”
“I don’t think that’s the best way to go about getting what you want. What if you could, um”—she glanced down, watched his fingers trace the lines along her palm—“get the most from your employees and have them, you know, feel invested in the process? Wouldn’t that be a more
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