Page 32 of Hate to Crave You
Roman
“The bid is being courieredto Templeton as we speak,” Michael Montrose said.
Roman stood in the second-floor office as he talked to his father. The office overlooked the sales floor of the elegant flagship store of his family’s chain of jewelry stores. It was a beautiful store, sparkling jewels tucked behind sparkling glass, set against a backdrop of ivory. He’d practically grown up in this place. Well, when he hadn’t been in school.
He’d known more than most about carats and cut and clarity by the time he was in his teens, more than most men would care to know when they forked out the customary two months’ salary to buy the engagement ring of a lifetime for the loves of their lives.
“Are you certain it won’t raise red flags, making a bid before we have a chance to really start our time with the prototype?” he asked. He doubted Templeton would be surprised that the Montrose family was willing to go to any lengths to secure a prize bid, but he also knew Edgar was somewhat old-fashioned. He might be reticent to award the bid if he suspected anything out of the ordinary.
“I called Edgar ahead of time, talked for a bit. Tried to wheedle the mines in a separate deal, then capitulated, told him we’d be making our bid today—I merely told him that we were serious about wanting those mines, the prototype was just a bonus.” Michael chuckled, but there was nothing warm or inviting about the sound. “He, of course, bought the whole thing.”
“Very well.” Checking the time, he said, “I should go. She’ll be here soon to make the trade-off.”
“Don’t invest too much more time with it. We already know what it’s worth. Maybe the tech team can improve on it, but what we really want are the mines,” Michael said before ending the call.
Roman put the phone back in the cradle on the desk and resumed his study of the sales floor.
He wouldn’t admit to himself that he was looking for Julianna.
But every so often, his eyes strayed to the door.
He was on the verge of one of the biggest deals his family would ever make. Even though the prototype hadn’t been everything it had been hyped up to be, the mines themselves were beyond valuable and would increase the worth of the Montrose company exponentially.
And was he thinking about the deal?
No. He was wondering how Julianna’s day had gone.
Had they been as disappointed as he had been about the prototype or had they gone into it with a more reserved outlook? If he was honest, the Castles had more invested in science than the Montrose family did. Maybe they were more aware of what was happening in the tech areas of the gem industry. Hell, there was littlemaybe. He had no doubt Julianna and her facile brain leaped at any new insight.
It wasn’t that the Montrose family didn’t have their tech arm. They certainly did and it was more adequate. But there wasadequate…and there was stellar. Templeton’s tech was stellar and the Castles chased after them with determination, anxious to draw even.
Maybe they already had an idea what the prototype would have been capable of and the results had been of little surprise to them.
The door opened and he glanced toward it, mostly out of habit than with the expectation of seeing her, but a rush of heated surprise and warmth rolled through him as Julianna came striding inside.
She was early.
* * *
He caughtup with her as she was studying an assortment of pendants his family’s designers had put out for Valentine’s Day.
A faint smile curled her lips and he wondered which one had caught her eye.
“Like what you see?” he asked, coming to a stop at her shoulder.
She glanced over at him. “They’re all quite lovely. Your design team is quite talented.”
“We think so.”
She bent over the case, a low hum of appreciation escaping her throat. “If only my father wouldn’t have a fit at the idea of buying from the competition, I’d suggest he buy this piece for my mother for Valentine’s Day. It’s gorgeous.”
She straightened and met his eyes levelly, a faint smile on her lips.
“I’m sure your father has plenty of pieces to choose from at Castle,” he replied.
“Yes.” She sighed and rolled her eyes. “He’s always giving her jewelry. But you know, unless Mom has a function to attend, she rarely wears any of it. She has this one piece she got from him early in their relationship and it’s her favorite piece—she’d wear that and her wedding ring to everything if Dad didn’t nag her.”
It was odd to hear her talk about her parents, he mused. Odder still that he didn’t mind listening. To think of the Castles as people rather than just the competition.
