Counting the Kisses (Counting the Billions, #3) Read online

  The trouble was that she was still so new to working for me. If she had been there for even a year, it would have been different. She would have known all the major players, and more importantly, they all would have known her. But as things stood, I wasn’t sure if reactions would be particularly favorable to her taking over the company right now, and I didn’t want her to get frustrated by stodgy old men refusing to do business with her like they would with me, all because they had misperceptions of her business acumen due to her gender.

  Not only that, but I knew she wasn’t keen on being right in the middle of a media maelstrom. There had already been so much press about our relationship in the short amount of time since we had gone public that I knew this trial would be tricky enough as it was. Put her in charge of the business while I was off at a trial facing assault charges over something Gerrard had said to her? That was a recipe for a media shitstorm the likes of which I wasn’t even sure that I could handle, and I had a lot more experience with taking crap from the media.

  The trouble was, no matter how I wracked my brain, I couldn’t think of any other way to do things. I didn’t want to bring in an outsider. And Abby was the only one I could trust to run the business the way I would.

  I couldn’t spring that on her, though, until I knew how she felt about this whole situation.

  So for now, I left the question open and told her I was thinking of taking a temporary leave of absence and putting someone in charge of the business. Abby, thankfully, didn’t question it. She was probably thinking along the same lines as me.

  I cleared my throat. “I’d understand if you want to cool things off until things settle down for me again,” I said, because I had to tell her that. It felt like things had just finally gotten good between us, and now this. It broke my heart to think of her walking out of my life over this, but at the same time, it was like she had said: I deserved to face the consequences of my actions. I might not like them, but at the end of the day, what kind of a man would I be if I ran away from them?

  Abby frowned at me, and I could tell that she was carefully considering her words. “I’m still not happy that you resorted to violence,” she said finally. “But I do understand that you were just trying to protect me. And I also know you better now. You’re not just a violent guy. You’re impulsive sometimes, but I guess I had to know that you were before we ever started this; it’s what makes you so good at business and fearless in your decisions.” She gave me a half smile.

  But I shook my head at her. “That’s not the only reason to cool things off,” I reminded her. “The media is going to have a field day. They’re going to want to know what you think about all of this. If you’re okay with what I did. There could be some terrible stories about me. Or about us. I just don’t even know where they’ll start on this one.”

  “They’re going to write those stories either way,” Abby pointed out. “We’ve already gone public about our relationship. I think it would only lead to more snide remarks if we appeared to break it off because of the trial.”

  I grimaced, unable to meet her eyes. “You’re probably right,” I admitted. “If there was any way for me to make it so that you weren’t involved, trust me, I would do it. Still, I don’t want you to feel like you have to be there for me through this. To support me.”

  “Are you trying to make me break up with you?” Abby asked, sounding confused. Before I could answer, she was standing up and coming around the table to me, taking both of my hands in hers. “Daniel, I can’t tell you that you didn’t do anything wrong. I also can’t tell you that I’m happy to be caught up in the middle of all of this. But we’re here now.” She paused. “Relationships are never going to be easy. There are always going to be difficult things to work through.”

  “I know that,” I said. She cut me off with a finger to my lips before I could continue.

  “Daniel, I’m here for you through this,” Abby said quietly, looking seriously into my eyes. “Whatever you need. I’m sticking by your side. The media can say what they want about it.”

  I exhaled a breath I hadn’t realized I had been holding. “I’m glad to hear that,” I told her. Then, even more slowly: “I have a proposition for you.”

  Chapter 2

  Abby

  I HAD TOLD DANIEL THE truth: I wasn’t exactly happy to be caught in the middle of all this drama. Life had been so much simpler before I first went to work for him, that was for sure.

  Maybe I should stop and think about all of this. Decide if there was a better way to handle things. But the only thing I could think of that would get me out of the picture would be for me really to get out of the picture. To quit working for him, break off our relationship, and start over somewhere new. Even then, there was bound to be some ugly media coverage, people saying things that they had no right to be saying about me.

  And really, what kind of example did that set for Zach and Layla? If I truly believed that Daniel deserved to face the consequences of his actions, then I had to realize that I deserved to face the consequences of my own actions as well. I might not have intended to end up in such a soap opera, but this was where my choices had led me.

  To be honest, what really sealed my position as being firmly on Daniel’s side was just how torn up he seemed telling me about this. I truly believed that if he could somehow change things, if he could protect me from the media scrutiny, then he would do it. In a heartbeat. You couldn’t fault a guy for that.

  No, Daniel was a good guy. All the time that I had spent with him had only further emphasized what a good guy he was. He wasn’t perfect, no. No one was, though. But he wasn’t nearly the jerk of a playboy that the media made him out to be. If my being there at his side helped his cause in any way, then I wanted to be there.

  Not least of which because I loved him and I didn’t want to lose him over this, whatever my feelings on all the drama really were.

  Now, though, I narrowed my eyes at him. “What kind of a proposition?” I asked warily. I wanted to support him through this, but in light of how carefully he had orchestrated our public announcement of our relationship, I was worried. Did he want the two of us to do an interview or something, letting the public know about the assault charges prior to the news leaking out in some other way?

  I wanted to support him, and I wanted to be there at his side, but I wasn’t sure I was comfortable sitting through an interview with him.

  Daniel grinned at me, though. “Remember when I asked you what your favorite position is?”

  I stared blankly at him for a moment. My favorite position? Was he planning on rewarding me for sticking with him by giving me mind-blowing sex? The very thought of that made me feel cheap, somehow. But I also couldn’t remember ever having a conversation like that with him. We were still new to exploring each other’s bodies and preferences, but we hadn’t really had to sit down and talk about them. We seemed to innately understand one another better than that, even from the first time.

  Daniel was still grinning at me, though. “You said CEO,” he said, and I realized he had been joking.

  I snorted out a laugh and shook my head. “You’re terrible,” I told him.

  “I know,” Daniel said, looking pleased at having lightened the conversation a little. But his eyes were still serious. “When I first interviewed you for the advisory job, you said that you wanted to be a CEO one day.”

  I nodded. I remembered. But for the life of me I couldn’t figure out where he was going with this.

  “Like I said before, I’m probably going to have to step away from work for a little bit, until all of this blows over. I just don’t have the time to devote to the business right now, and on top of that, I’ve worked hard to build up my business. I don’t want that strong foundation jeopardized now because clients don’t want to do business with someone who’s in court fighting assault charges.” He looked pained as he said that, and I wished there was something that I could say to reassure him that his business partners weren’t the ty
pe of guys to care about idle gossip.

  But this wasn’t just gossip. Daniel really had punched Gerrard, and the assault charges were legitimate.

  Daniel didn’t dwell on it, either way. Instead, he dropped a bombshell: “I’d like you to stand in for me as Interim CEO of McGregor Enterprises while I deal with Gerrard.”

  I gaped at him. “What?” I asked in shock. “You want me to run your company?” My mind was whirling as I thought of the possibility of it all. McGregor Enterprises was no small company. I knew a lot about its day-to-day operations already, and I had joined Daniel in a ton of meetings with various business associates. But that didn’t mean I was ready to run the company in his absence. Even if I was able to ask him questions as needed, the risk was too high. I could make a decision that would undo years of work he had put into things.

  Not only that, but I was just so new to the company. I was still trying to learn from Daniel. I was still trying to grasp some of the decisions he made. There had to be someone who was more qualified than me.

  “You’re the best choice,” Daniel told me.

  “That can’t be true,” I said, shaking my head. “Some of the other guys have been with the company since your father was running it. I’m sure they know ten times what I know about things.”

  “They know the business, sure,” Daniel said, nodding gravely. “But you’re the only one I trust to head the company in my stead. You do business like I do. And you see things the way that I do. The other employees will all be there to answer any questions that you have. Actually, I was talking with Erin this afternoon about putting together some files with all the information about our shareholders and such so that you have some solid reference material for any decisions you need to make.” He paused. “But you’re good at reading people, and you make smart business choices.”

  I was flattered by his words, I had to admit, but I still found myself shaking my head. “Daniel, you know the shareholders aren’t going to support something like that. Plus, the media would be all over it.”

  “I know.” Daniel sighed, looking away from me. I could see the unhappy pinch at the corners of his lips. “However, you’re the only person I can trust to run the company in my stead. But if you don’t want to do it, I understand. And please, don’t feel like there’s any pressure from me. I know this would affect your career just as much as my company. I just want you to think about it, that’s all. The trial starts in two days, on Thursday, so there’s not that much time to sort things out, but this isn’t your mess. I’m the one who has to deal with it.”

  I could see how worried he was, and I knew exactly who his worry was for. He wasn’t thinking about himself at that moment; he was thinking about the company. He was thinking about the employees that had been with him for years, and the employees that had been with the company even before he had taken it over upon his father’s death. I knew he cared about each and every one of them.

  I wished I could tell him that yes; I would take over the reins while he fought this legal battle with Gerrard. But I knew I needed to think things through first. If nothing else, a hasty decision like this wasn’t a good first move to make as interim CEO of the company. “I need to sleep on it at least,” I told Daniel, and he nodded his understanding.

  “Definitely take some time and think about it,” he agreed. “I totally understand that you need to do that.” He paused and then added, “But I wouldn’t ask if I wasn’t confident you could do it. Just let that be part of your thinking about it: there’s not a doubt in my mind that you could handle it.”

  I shook my head, but I couldn’t help the small smile that formed on my face. I sank down into his lap, wrapping my arms around him in a quick hug. “That makes one of us,” I told him. “I just wish I could be so certain.”

  “I didn’t say that it wouldn’t be difficult,” Daniel cautioned. “But hey, didn’t someone say that relationships were never without their difficulties? Life and business are kind of like that as well, isn’t it?”

  I laughed and shook my head. “All right, smart-ass,” I said, but I couldn’t keep the fondness out of my voice. I reached out and brushed my fingers through his hair. “You still want me to stay over tonight, or should I head home and let you get started on preparing your defense?”

  Daniel’s arms tightened around me. “Stay. Please,” he said. He made a face. “You’re right that the mature thing to do would probably be to get started on my case right away, but I’d rather not think about this anymore tonight. Things were going so well between us, and now, well.”

  I gave him a light, chaste kiss. “Things are still going well between us,” I promised him. It was another thing I wished I could be a hundred percent sure on. But I knew I didn’t want to break up with him over this. I wanted to try to work through things if we could. Maybe it would prove to be too much for this fledgling relationship of ours, but if he was willing to give it a shot, if he was willing to trust me even as far as letting me take over as CEO of his company temporarily, then I was willing to trust him and to take a shot as well.

  We’d get through this. I really wanted to believe that.

  Again, I thought about those three words, I love you. I wanted to say them now, to reassure him that I was going to be there for him no matter what, for as long as I could help it. But at the same time, I didn’t want to taint the first time I said those words with the specter of a court case looming over us. The timing now just wasn’t what I would have hoped for. So I continued to hold them in reserve. Another time; I would tell him some other time.

  Daniel, heedless of my inner turmoil, no doubt caught up in thoughts of his own, scooped me up into his arms and carried me up to his bedroom. We were both silent the entire way, and neither of us spoke as we stripped off our clothing and slipped into bed side by side.

  I couldn’t seem to even close my eyes, though. My mind was spinning, thoughts going a mile a minute. I really did want to be a CEO one day. But I had never even imagined that day might come so soon. Sure, it was just a temporary position until this whole thing with Gerrard was over and done with. But it was still a pretty big deal.

  I didn’t think I was ready for things to change so much. And what’s more, I didn’t want things to change so much, not so soon. Things were already so different now from how they’d been before I had gone to work for McGregor Enterprises. I wasn’t ready for more change already.

  Like Daniel had said, things had just really started to seem good between the two of us. Things had finally settled down, and we were finding our rhythm. And now it was all thrown off again. Could I keep doing this? Could I continue to let the drama change my life every time I turned around?

  But on the other hand, could I quit doing this? Leave Daniel and leave a position that I loved, all because I was too scared or inflexible to change? That seemed just as out of the question.

  I just didn’t know what to do, and unfortunately, I was no closer to thinking up any solutions by the time I finally drifted off to sleep.

  Chapter 3

  Daniel

  I SHUFFLED ANOTHER set of papers together and looked around, grimacing when I saw how much information was scattered around the office. I was trying to get everything ready to hand control of the company over to Abby, but I just didn’t know what she might need, and trying to anticipate all possible occurrences was proving challenging. It would be easier to come up with a better organizational system, I was sure, if Abby were there helping me. But she still hadn’t given me an answer as to whether or not she was willing to take over as temporary CEO, and I didn’t want her to feel any sort of pressure over it.

  That said, I didn’t have any time to waste. The trial started the next day, and although I really did want to get this over with sooner rather than later, at the same time, the pressure was on. If it wasn’t Abby taking over for me while I was gone, well. Someone was going to have to step up to the plate.

  Another thing that I hadn’t talked to Abby about: I had discussed th
ings with a few of the guys I did business with. I had a backup guy in mind, an old friend of mine who usually built startups and sold them off. He was in between projects right now, and he had the time to take over for me. I wasn’t sure that I really trusted him with my company because I knew he was a lot more cutthroat in business than I usually was.

  No, he wouldn’t be my first choice. But again, I was trying to prepare for all possibilities here.

  I was pretty sure it wouldn’t come to that, though. Abby hadn’t given me an answer yet, and I knew there was a lot for her to think over. But I was pretty confident that she would rise to the challenge. She was the kind of woman who liked a challenge in her life, though, and I knew she wanted to be a CEO eventually anyway. What better way to learn than to try her hand at this now? The learning curve might be a little steep, but I hadn’t lied when I told her that I was completely certain that she could do this.

  I glanced impatiently at my watch. Abby was at lunch with her best friend and sister-in-law, Leanne, now. I strongly suspected that she would come back with an answer one way or the other. As certain as I was that she was going to agree to take over for me, there was still the slight chance that she would decide not to. And by now, I just wanted to know one way or another. There was too much else that was up in the air about this trial, and I honestly just wanted one thing sorted out.

  Erin knocked on my door, poking her head into the office. “Hey, boss, how’s it going?” she asked. I could see the sympathy in her eyes; she’d been my assistant for long enough to know all the chaos that my job really entailed. She looked around at the piles of papers and shook her head, a grin on her lips. “Abby’s going to have her work cut out for her. The first thing to do will be sorting through all of this!”