She didn’t join in his amusement. “That still leaves a great deal of unscrupulous work.”
He knew he couldn’t simply tell her that he operated within the law and with a strict work ethic. He’d have to prove it, allay her suspicions by letting her see for herself how he worked. And he wouldn’t mind at all working closely with this lovely woman. Very closely. “Let me buy you lunch and we’ll talk about it.”
Zarah continued to watch him warily. “Why would I want to work for you?”
“Because you’re interested in the challenge I can give you,” he said, coming closer. “And because you want to prove to whoever was on the other end of that phone that you’re not some silly little female who needs protecting. You didn’t answer my question. Ex-husband? Boyfriend? Father?”
Zarah’s whole body stiffened. How could this man know so many things about her in such a short conversation? “I don’t think…” she started to say, but he interrupted her.
“Don’t you even want to know what the job is before you turn it down?” he asked, one eyebrow raised but the rest of his features were flat and expressionless. “Or was I wrong and you’re not strong enough to work for me? I only hire the best, most competent personnel for my organizations. Do you not fit into that category?” He almost laughed at the change in her expression after tossing out that challenge.
Zarah considered him for a long moment, narrowing her eyes as she watched him carefully. She might be afraid of him, but there was also something about him that was stimulating. There was something in the way he looked down at her that made her want to show him that she wasn’t afraid of him.
Or maybe she just wanted to prove to herself that she wasn’t afraid of him?
That possibility had her chin jutting out and she looked up at him with grim determination. “Okay. What’s the position? And just so you know,” she said before he started to give her any details, “I’m perfectly happy exactly where I am. Mary is a wonderful person to work for.”
He smiled slightly and shook his head, rejecting her claim. “No you’re not. You’re content. There’s a difference between happy and content.”
Her shoulders felt like they were going to snap from the tension this irritating man generated within her. “And you know me so well because…?” she prompted, raising one eyebrow inquiringly, hoping to put him in his place for being so contradictory.
His strong, sexy mouth curved upwards into a half smile. “Let’s just say I believe we might have similar priorities.”
She considered that for a moment, then nodded. She couldn’t deny that she was interested. She could at least hear him out. Listening didn’t imply any kind of acceptance or commitment.
“Okay. Let’s talk.” It was better now that he’d told her that he was of a like mind. What he could possibly think would be a challenge for her, she had no idea. Rumors about this man’s business acumen flew through the village like a constant sand storm, one amazing story topping the other and the residents loved to boast about his financial successes as if they were their own. So maybe he had something in mind that would push her business skills a bit beyond what she was currently doing for the shop owners.
She’d never acknowledge that she wasn’t happy though. He had no idea how happy she was to not be preparing for a wedding to a stranger.
“Lunch. I’m starving,” he said and took her arm. He turned her around, then put his hand at the small of her back, burning a hole in her cotton shirt and making her want to run several steps ahead of him so he would have to remove his hand. But she instinctively knew she couldn’t outrun this man; neither literally nor figuratively. She walked beside him, pretending that his touch didn’t bother her, that it wasn’t making her stomach do flips or her heart race as if she’d just run a marathon.
He led her to a small café that looked out over the pretty lake area with colorful umbrellas that provided shade from the bright sunshine. A waitress arrived immediately and took their drink orders and Zarah only blushed a little when she ordered lemonade instead of something stronger. He ordered an ale of some brand she didn’t recognize.
Trying to get back to business and keep him away from asking any more personal questions, she turned to face him as soon as the waitress had left to get their drinks. “So what’s this job you think I could do for you?” she prompted.
He sat back, his sunglasses now covering his eyes so any insight she might have had by that pathway was now gone, hidden behind the dark lenses.
He considered asking her about the phone call again, curious to find out everything he could about her. Instinctively, he knew that she would shut down if he asked her anything personal. She was too tense at the moment, too defensive. He’d have to get her to trust him before he could gain any additional insight into the Zarah he wanted to know intimately.
Sticking to business and his plan to keep her close to him, he outlined his idea. “Right now, you’re working for Mary in the dress shop but I also know that you’re helping with Gerald and Eloise and several others have approached you for advice as well.”
How did he know this? She had spoken with a few of the shop owners, thinking that they were private conversations. Obviously, the other shop owners were spreading the news about Mary’s successes. “So?”
He couldn’t stop his amusement at her belligerent tone. She really was a prickly little thing. “So….I want you to take over the whole village.”
Zarah stared at him, stunned by his comment. Furthermore, it really irritated her that he’d stumped her by that bizarre statement. Was he always this outrageous?
“Excuse me? I’m not sure I really understand.”
He almost laughed out loud as he watched her bristle with irritation and confusion. “I want you to do for the village the same thing you did for Mary, but on a larger scale. I want a village training seminar for inventory control, business efficiencies, organizational tricks. And in two months, I want everyone to participate in a festival that will bring in tourists from other areas, increase the sales and town recognition. Every shop owner should be encouraged to participate, offering some sort of selection from their inventories but you’ll need to arrange a marketing plan that will draw people into the village for the festival. The marketing has to be significant enough to lure people to the shops and markets, but not so big that the town can’t handle the crowds.” He carefully watched her face, trying to gauge if he was putting too much responsibility on her slim shoulders or if she was up for the challenge.