Of course it was sarcasm. But his eyes lingered on the woman.
Sinclair elbowed him in the ribs.
What?
I can tell what youre thinking.
No, you cant.
Yes, I can.
What am I thinking?
That her breasts are large, her skirt is short, and her legs go all the way to the ground.
Hunter coughed out a laugh.
See? blurted Sinclair in triumph.
Youre out of your mind.
The doors are closing, murmured Sinclair, more to herself than to Hunter, as she noticed the security guards stop incoming customers and open the doors for those who were exiting.
You got a few minutes to talk? he asked.
Sure. Hunter was the CEO. She was ready to talk business at his convenience.
She nodded to two empty chairs across the room.
They moved to the quiet corner of the department, and Sinclair climbed into one of the high leather swivel chairs. She parked her clipboard on the glass counter.
Hunter eased up beside her. So whats the plan now?
She glanced around the big room. The cleaning staff will be here at six. Amber will make sure the leftover samples are returned to the warehouse. And Ill write a report in the morning. Later tonight, she was going to start painting her new apartment, but she didnt think Hunter needed that kind of information.
His gray eyes sparkled with merriment. I meant your plan about the spa.
Oh, that. She waved a hand. Its dead. We couldnt make a deal with the Millennium.
Her gaze unexpectedly caught Chantal. The woman was eyeing them up from across the room, tossing her glittering mane over one shoulder and licking her red lips.
Under the guise of more easily conversing, Sinclair scooted a little closer to Hunter. Let miss Barbie-doll chew on that.
Hunter slanted a look toward Chantal, then shot Sinclair a knowing grin.
Shut up, she warned in an undertone.
I never said a word.
You were thinking it.
Yeah. And I was right, too.
Yeah, he was. Its something Pavlovian, she offered.
His grin widened.
I didnt want her to think Luscious Lavender mousse trumps brains, thats all.
It doesnt.
I dont even use mousse. Its nothing against Luscious Lavender. Its a personal choice.
Okay, said Hunter.
Kristy has always been the glitter and glam twin. Im-
Dont you dare say plain Jane.
I was going to say professional Jane.
He snorted. You dont need a label. And you shouldnt use Kristy as a frame of reference.
What? You dont compare yourself to Jack?
I dont. But his expression revealed a sense of discomfort.
What? she prompted.
Gramps does.
Sinclair could well imagine. And who comes out on top?
Hunter raised an eyebrow. Who do you think?
I dont know, she replied honestly. Jack seemed like a great guy. But then so did Hunter. They were both smart, handsome, capable and hard-working.
Jacks dependable, said Hunter. Hes patient and methodical. He doesnt make mistakes.
Sinclair found herself leaning even closer, the noise of the store dimming around them as the last of the customers made their way out the door. And you are?
Reckless and impulsive.
Why do I hear Clevelands voice when you say that?
Hunter chuckled. Its usually accompanied by a cuff upside the head.
In the silence that followed, Sinclair resisted an urge to take his hand. Thats sad, she told him.
Thats Gramps. Hes a hard-ass from way back. Then Hunter did a double take of her staring. Dont look at me like that.
She swallowed. Im sorry.
It makes me want to kiss you, he muttered.
Dont you-
Im not going to kiss you. He glanced back to Chantal. That would definitely make the company newsletter. He focused on Sinclair again. But you cant stop me from wanting to.
And she couldnt stop herself from wanting to kiss him back. And it didnt seem to matter what she did to try and get rid of the urge, it just grew worse.
What can we do about this? She was honestly looking for help. If the feelings didnt disappear, they were going to trip up sooner or later.
Hunter rose to his feet.
For now, Im walking out the door. Chantal is already wondering what were talking about.
Sinclair shook herself and rose with him. Check. If they werent together, they couldnt give in to anything.
But later, I need to talk to you.
She opened her mouth to protest. Later didnt sound like a smart move to her at all.
About the spa, he clarified. Business. I promise. What are you doing tonight?
Painting my apartment.
Really? He drew back. Thats what you do on Saturday night?
Painting my apartment.
Really? He drew back. Thats what you do on Saturday night?
Yeah, that was what she did on Saturday night. She rattled on, trying not to seem pathetic. I just bought the place. A great little loft in Soho. But the colors are dark and the floor needs stripping, and the mortgage is so high I cant afford to pay someone to do it for me.
You want a raise?
I want a guy with sandpaper and a paint roller.
You got it.
Hunter-
Give me your address. We can talk while we paint.
Her and Hunter alone in her apartment? I dont think-
Ill be wearing a smock and a paper cap. Trust me, youll be able to keep your hands off.
Nothing wrong with your ego.
He grunted. I know you cant resist me under normal circumstances.
Ha! The gauntlet thrown down, shed resist him or die trying.
Now that she thought about it, maybe painting together wasnt such a bad idea. Hunters family had bought the company. He was a permanent part of Lush Beauty Products, and the sooner they got over this inconvenient hump, the better. In fact, it was probably easier if they smoothed out the rough spots away from Chantals and other peoples prying eyes.
Seventy-seven Mercy Street, she told him with a nod. Suite 702.
Ill be there.
On his way to Sinclairs house, Hunter stopped in at the office. He was pretty sure Ethan Sloan would still be around. By all accounts, Ethan was a workaholic and a genius. Hed been with Lush Beauty Products for fifteen years, practically since the doors opened with a staff of twenty and a single store.
He had developed perfumes, hair products, skin products and makeup. The man had a knack for anticipating trends, moving from floral to fruit to organic. In his late thirties now, hed wisely set his sights on fine quality, recognizing a growing segment of the population with a high disposable income and a penchant for self-indulgence.
Hunter was also willing to bet Ethan had a knack for management and the underlying politics of the company. And Hunter had some questions about that.
He found Ethan in his office, on the phone, but the man quickly motioned to Hunter to sit down.
By Thursday? Ethan was saying as Hunter took a seat and slipped open the button on his suit jacket.
Ethan was neatly trimmed. Hunter had noticed that he generally wore his shirtsleeves rolled up, although hed wear a jacket on the executive floor. Smart man.
Great, said Ethan, nodding. Sign em up. Talk to you then.
He hung up the phone. New supplier for lavender, he explained to Hunter. Out of British Columbia.
Were running short?
Critically. And its our key ingredient. He rubbed his hands together. But its solved now. What can I do for you?
Hunter settled back in his chair. Not to put you on the spot. And way off the record.
Ethan smiled. He brought his palms down on the desktop, standing to walk around its end and close the office door. Gotta say. He returned, taking the second guest chair instead of sitting behind his desk. I love conversations that start out like this.
Hunter smiled in return. Tell me if Im out of line.
Were off the record, said Ethan. You can get out of line.
What do you think of Chantal Charbonnet?
Ethan sat back. Sly, but not brilliant. Gorgeous, of course. Roger seems to have noticed her.
She was at the Bergdorfs promotion this afternoon.
Yeah? asked Ethan. Thats a stretch for her job description.
It got me wondering, confided Hunter. Why was she there?
Eye candy?
Women were the target demographic. Hunter had been thinking about this all the way over.
Maybe she asked Roger really, really nicely?
Hunter had considered that, too. But he didnt have evidence to support favoritism. He was coming at this from another angle. Could she have been a role model for the consumers?
Ethan considered the idea. Theres no denying she knows how to wear our products.
Lays it on a bit thick, wouldnt you say?
Ethan grinned. My kind of consumer. We want them all to apply it like Chantal.
Ethans words validated the worry that was niggling at Hunters brain. Chantal was dead center on the new target demographic. Hunter was worried that Roger had seen that in her, and it wasnt something hed seen in Sinclair. Sinclair was a lot of things-a lot of very fabulous, fun, exciting things-but she wasnt a poster child for Lush Beauty Products.
He filed away the information and switched gears. Did Sinclair mention her spa plan to you?
Ethan nodded. Had lots of potential. But I hear it went south with Millennium.
Im going to try to revive it.
I hope you can. If you secure the outlet, we can provide the product.
Including lavender.
Got it covered.
Do you have any thoughts on a spa release overall?
Ethan stretched out his legs, obviously speculating how frank he could be with Hunter.
Hunter waited. He wanted frank, but there was no way to insist on it.
If it was me, said Ethan. I wouldnt target a single spa, Id go for the whole chain. And Id try for the Crystal. The Millennium is nice, but the Crystal has the best overseas locations.
Hunter didnt disagree with Ethans assessment. The Crystal Spa chain was as top of the line as they came.
You get into Rome and Paris, said Ethan. At that level. Youll really have some momentum.
Tall order.
Ethan brought his hands down on his thighs. Osland International usually shy away from a challenge?
Nope, said Hunter. When he was involved, Osland International always stepped up to the plate.
He could already feel his competitive instincts kick in. Although hed come into the job reluctantly, making Lush Beauty a runaway success had inched its way to the top of his priority list.
He also knew he wanted Sinclair as a partner in this. He liked the way she thought. He liked her energy and her outside-the-box thinking. And, well, okay, and he just plain liked her. But there was nothing wrong with that. Liking your business associates was important.