Read Online The Tycoon's Son by Cindy Kirk - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Cindy Kirk
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she harbored any hope of getting Theo to work for Liberty, she needed to think outside the box.
But being creative, she was discovering, wasn’t always easy. Not when you were a woman who’d operated a certain way all your life. She could present the pros and cons of a proposal in a professional, persuasive manner. She could negotiate a contract and have everyone leave the table feeling like a winner. But being thrust in the middle of a family feud demanded she step up her game and try something innovative.
The sound of a young girl’s laughter drew Trish’s attention. For the past half hour, children had been arriving for supervised activities in the pool.
Many of the children were close to Cassidy’s age and for a second, tears of longing had filled Trish’s eyes. She could hardly wait for tonight when she could call her daughter again and hear that sweet little voice.
She smoothed the last of the lotion on her neck and watched a man approach one of the teenage attendants. Trish gasped. Although the man had his back to her, he was built exactly like Theo Catomeristall and broad shouldered with lean hips and muscular legs. His dark curly hair brushed the top of his shirt.
But it couldn’t be himTheo had left the ship last night. Trish had asked around, knowing it would be easier to get him to change his mind if he was on board. One of the waiters had told her that Theo had left the ship shortly after the Captain announced all passengers must go ashore.
Though she wasn’t into being a voyeur, Trish couldn’t stop staring at him. She watched the man give the girl’s shoulder a squeeze and turn to leave. Trish widened her eyes. It was Theo and he was getting away.
Trish scrambled to her feet, knocking over the suntan lotion in her haste. She didn’t give the bottle a second glance or even take time to pull on the little skirt she wore as a cover-up over her bikini bottoms. Fearing her opportunity would be gone if she didn’t hustle, she grabbed her bag and scurried across the deck. She reached him just as he got to the automatic glass doors leading inside.
“Theo,” she called. Though she wasn’t at all winded, her breath came out in short puffs.
At the sound of his name he turned, startled, then stared appreciatively at her bikini-clad body.
Trish closed her eyes for a second. Talking to a former business associate wearing nothing but a few scraps of fabric was an unsettling experience, but Trish determinedly shoved aside her embarrassment.
“I saw you by the Mermaid Lagoonthe smaller pool.” She lifted her chin and flashed him a bright smile. “Thought I’d say hello.”
“Good afternoon.” Though Theo didn’t immediately say more, at least he didn’t walk away.
“What were you doing there anyway?” It really wasn’t Trish’s business, but she needed to keep him talking until she thought of a plan.
“Katherine’s daughter, Gemma, works with the ship’s children’s program,” he said in an offhand tone. “Katherine wanted me to meet her.”
Trish couldn’t hide her surprise. “You’ve never met her before?”
Theo’s eyes gave nothing away. “Never had the pleasure.”
How odd that he hadn’t met his teenage niece until now. Obviously the family wasn’t close. Trish filed away the information for future reference but knew better than to say more on the subject. His closed expression told her his family relationshipsor lack ofweren’t something he wanted to discuss.
“I thought you left the ship last night,” Trish said, deliberately steering the subject in a different direction.
“I did.” Theo glanced down at her chest briefly. “I came back.”
Adrenaline kicked Trish’s pulse into overdrive. She wasn’t sure what caused her intense reaction. Was it the waves of heat she felt rolling off him? Or was it because finding him on the ship gave new life to her plan to save her employees’ jobs? “Are you going to be around for the
But being creative, she was discovering, wasn’t always easy. Not when you were a woman who’d operated a certain way all your life. She could present the pros and cons of a proposal in a professional, persuasive manner. She could negotiate a contract and have everyone leave the table feeling like a winner. But being thrust in the middle of a family feud demanded she step up her game and try something innovative.
The sound of a young girl’s laughter drew Trish’s attention. For the past half hour, children had been arriving for supervised activities in the pool.
Many of the children were close to Cassidy’s age and for a second, tears of longing had filled Trish’s eyes. She could hardly wait for tonight when she could call her daughter again and hear that sweet little voice.
She smoothed the last of the lotion on her neck and watched a man approach one of the teenage attendants. Trish gasped. Although the man had his back to her, he was built exactly like Theo Catomeristall and broad shouldered with lean hips and muscular legs. His dark curly hair brushed the top of his shirt.
But it couldn’t be himTheo had left the ship last night. Trish had asked around, knowing it would be easier to get him to change his mind if he was on board. One of the waiters had told her that Theo had left the ship shortly after the Captain announced all passengers must go ashore.
Though she wasn’t into being a voyeur, Trish couldn’t stop staring at him. She watched the man give the girl’s shoulder a squeeze and turn to leave. Trish widened her eyes. It was Theo and he was getting away.
Trish scrambled to her feet, knocking over the suntan lotion in her haste. She didn’t give the bottle a second glance or even take time to pull on the little skirt she wore as a cover-up over her bikini bottoms. Fearing her opportunity would be gone if she didn’t hustle, she grabbed her bag and scurried across the deck. She reached him just as he got to the automatic glass doors leading inside.
“Theo,” she called. Though she wasn’t at all winded, her breath came out in short puffs.
At the sound of his name he turned, startled, then stared appreciatively at her bikini-clad body.
Trish closed her eyes for a second. Talking to a former business associate wearing nothing but a few scraps of fabric was an unsettling experience, but Trish determinedly shoved aside her embarrassment.
“I saw you by the Mermaid Lagoonthe smaller pool.” She lifted her chin and flashed him a bright smile. “Thought I’d say hello.”
“Good afternoon.” Though Theo didn’t immediately say more, at least he didn’t walk away.
“What were you doing there anyway?” It really wasn’t Trish’s business, but she needed to keep him talking until she thought of a plan.
“Katherine’s daughter, Gemma, works with the ship’s children’s program,” he said in an offhand tone. “Katherine wanted me to meet her.”
Trish couldn’t hide her surprise. “You’ve never met her before?”
Theo’s eyes gave nothing away. “Never had the pleasure.”
How odd that he hadn’t met his teenage niece until now. Obviously the family wasn’t close. Trish filed away the information for future reference but knew better than to say more on the subject. His closed expression told her his family relationshipsor lack ofweren’t something he wanted to discuss.
“I thought you left the ship last night,” Trish said, deliberately steering the subject in a different direction.
“I did.” Theo glanced down at her chest briefly. “I came back.”
Adrenaline kicked Trish’s pulse into overdrive. She wasn’t sure what caused her intense reaction. Was it the waves of heat she felt rolling off him? Or was it because finding him on the ship gave new life to her plan to save her employees’ jobs? “Are you going to be around for the
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