The Secret Heiress (7 page)

Anna would need to take money out of her dwindling savings to cover their payroll for the month and forgo a paycheck for herself. Hopefully they would finalize the investment deal with Alistair so she wouldn’t need to go crawling back to Blackly Simonson.

What else would he require of her before he agreed to invest in Gala & More? She immersed herself in research for his wine launch, trying not to obsess about the future.

Anna had worked twenty-seven straight days. Reminding herself that she chose this new career, she packed an overnight bag for her trip to the Martin Wineries and headed to the office. Both Katie and Elyse were busy coordinating the last minute details of a fiftieth birthday celebration for a well-known CEO. Looking at her schedule, they didn’t have an event for Sunday and she looked forward to spending time with her nieces.

By the afternoon, she was watching the clock. Why had Alistair insisted that she accompany him to the vineyard? Being with him for three days straight was going to be challenging. He had an intensity that put her on guard and now she was at a disadvantage, waiting for him to decide whether or not to fund the company. She was in over her head. The frequent calls to Frances helped somewhat, but she had been thrown into a chaotic, disorganized mess.

Alistair texted her at precisely three o’clock letting her know he was outside. She wished Katie and Elyse luck with the next few days and gathered her laptop and overnight bag. Leaving the office, she noticed him a block and a half away leaning against his shiny Land Rover.

He watched the reserved Ms. Bolles balance her overnight case, laptop and handbag. He had not been a fan of her father, Oliver Bolles. He had met him on several occasions and wasn’t impressed with his lack of integrity and immature behavior. Supposedly Anna Bolles was his prodigy. She had inherited his mathematical mind and cool façade, and the English heredity was obvious in her bone structure and blond hair. But she was different. She was more independent and less into social standing than her peers.

Why was he even bothering with a possible investment? He should tell her no and be done with it. But something held him back. It couldn’t be the past; he didn’t harbor ill will towards a deceased, fallen-from-grace icon. Or did he? Oliver had been cruel to him on a few occasions and openly declared that he would fail in the wine business. Maybe his motives weren’t altogether altruistic?

He shook his head and banished the negative thoughts. Alistair had proven the old man wrong and was on hand when Fionn publically split from him. In the end, Oliver was a defeated man, even if he had pretended otherwise.

Anna stood in front of him and he could see the unmistakable challenge in her gaze.

“Ms. Bolles.” He smiled at her. “Are you ready?”

He opened the door for her, taking her suitcase and laptop bag to stow in the back. She climbed into the passenger seat, put on her sunglasses and was surprisingly quiet.

“How long will the drive take?” She untangled her hair from the seatbelt. Wearing the dark glasses, he couldn’t tell what she was thinking.

“It depends on traffic, love.”

“Thank you for picking me up.” Her politeness irritated him.

“We can use the drive to discuss your progress this week.” For some inexplicable reason, he wanted to test her willingness to share information and her ability to take direction.

Anna inwardly seethed. Why did Alistair Martin have to appoint himself their business advisor? It was tough enough trying to learn the business without someone looking over her shoulder and questioning every decision.

She needed to keep him at a safe distance. “We need to set some ground rules for the discussions.”

“I’m not interested in rules.” He looked at her and his stare lingered for a moment, causing her body to heat.

Why did every conversation have to be fraught with sexual undertones? “Well… You’ll find that I’m a rule follower.”

Alistair started the engine and maneuvered into traffic. “If you intend to lead a company, you may want to rethink your approach. Sometimes you need to think outside the box to solve challenges or push the company ahead.”

“Maybe. But a business also needs structure and sound processes. The issue I’ve had with Gala & More was that it seemed to be all out of the box thinking.”

“Be careful, love. I’m both your client and potential investor. Don’t give me a reason not to hire or invest in Gala & More.”

He was impossible. “Exactly, how can you be both an advisor and a potential client? There are inherent conflicts.”

“That falls to you to manage the expectations. You are in a tricky position. You need to both impress me and be willing to take guidance.” His voice was pure charm.

Anna looked out of the window. Why did he have to be so difficult? She didn’t want to spend three days sparring with him. She preferred to live a solitary existence without being challenged. It had to do with her father. He would pop into her life when it was convenient for him, bringing sunshine and magic, and then would arbitrarily leave. She needed an uncomplicated relationship with someone who was steady and predictable not someone like her father. Larger than life, embracing new ideas and ready for an adventure. Alistair Martin was not a safe choice for her.

She turned to him. “Why are you willing to give Gala & More your time? You must be extremely busy running Martin Wineries.”

He caught her gaze briefly before focusing on the traffic. “It’s not much of a time commitment and it’s a challenge. If Gala & More finds a logical or unwavering way to move forward, then it would add to my portfolio, possibly breathe new life into a product launch, and satisfy my entrepreneurial spirit.”

She thought about his reasons. Fionn had told her that he’d had no connection to the Martin family until he was a teenager. In many ways, he was a self-made man. But why did he push himself so hard? “Isn’t running your business empire enough? Fionn said you have expanded your holdings tenfold in the last decade.”

He kept his focus on the road. “It’s thriving and making tons of profit, but the challenge is gone. I’m looking for new ventures. That is what drew me to the investment network. I’ve invested in three start-ups in the last year.”

She glanced at his stark profile. “What if the businesses fail?”

He shrugged. “I never invest more than I can easily afford to lose. Not every business will succeed. But I seek out new opportunities that present a challenge but have potential.”

Alistair decided not to disclose too much. Truth be told, he had considered walking away from Gala & More. The principal owner was creatively brilliant, but her financials were a train wreck. If she hadn’t enticed Anna to join her, he wouldn’t have looked seriously at the company. He would have walked away or even sprinted. But he liked Anna’s willingness to fight and she had the financial ability to stabilize the company. She may be in over her head, but she was willing to roll up her sleeves and work harder.

He intended to test her resolve over the next couple of days. Would she be willing to throw herself into the work at the vineyard or would she sit back and wait for him to spoon-feed her the information?

“Do you have any family involved in the business?” Her tone was respectful, but her growing curiosity was beginning to get under his skin. He invited her to the vineyard to get a better read on her to decide whether to invest or not.

“No. I was an only child and so was my father. My grandparents are alive and well, but they are in their eighties.”

“Is it hard to work under your father’s shadow?”

Fionn must have shared the basics of his upbringing. His mother struggled in a service job while he ran wild on the streets of Dublin. His childhood was never far from his thoughts.

His chest tightened. “No. He wasn’t involved in the business. He refused any connection to me, but when he died, my grandfather came and pleaded with my mother to allow him to provide a private education for me. I was fifteen and out of control, but somehow he convinced my mom to relocate to the UK and put me in an elite boarding school.”

Anna touched her pendant, a mannerism he was beginning to recognize that meant she was deep in thought. “That must have been quite a culture shock.”

He thought about the early fights with his classmates and the kindness of his grandmother. She had insisted that he wasn’t so different and set out to polish his rough edges. But he was different. If his wealth disappeared overnight, he would survive. He was more comfortable in the poverty-stricken public housing than he would ever be in the mansions, exclusive vacation destinations, and other the advantages of wealth.

Anna Bolles was from the elite world of private school education, skiing in the Alps, and living with servants. Where would she be if she were dumped into the slums he grew up in?

He ran a hand through his hair. “My academic achievements saved me. I scored in the top few spots each semester so the teachers would take me under their wings.”

“Didn’t you miss your family while at boarding school?” He could feel her watching him, but he didn’t turn to look at her.

“My grandfather arranged for my mother to be offered a job and an apartment on campus, so I saw her most days, and on the weekends I stayed with her.”

Anna looked straight ahead. “My experience was quite different. I went to a large boarding school and was lucky to see my mother twice a year.”

He watched her rub her hands along her upper arms. Was she trying to protect herself from the memories? He didn’t want to feel empathy for her. He needed to decide on the investment and move on.

They lapsed into silence and Anna could feel herself drifting off to sleep. She had been working twenty-hour days and it was catching up with her. Alistair turned on a classic opera and sleep overtook her.

The vehicle maneuvered sharply to the right and Anna came out of a deep sleep. It took a moment to get her bearings. How could she have fallen asleep? Alistair made her feel so on edge.

“Are we at Martin Wineries?” She attempted to sound coherent.

“Yes, you’ve been dead to the world for the last hour.”

Stretching in her seat, she tried to push away a feeling of awkwardness. What if she mumbled something odd in her sleep? A habit her college roommates teased her about. She needed a bathroom and a drink of water.

Alistair pulled into a circular courtyard and parked in front of a large field stone mansion. Getting out, he walked around to the back of the vehicle and opened the boot to retrieve their luggage.

She opened the door and admired the beautiful landscaping. Her legs were not completely steady, but she stretched and walked towards Alistair.

“You are not fully awake yet.”

Pushing herself, she made herself take in a deep breath and stand up straight.

She took her laptop case from him. “I’m surprised I fell asleep. Too many late nights.”

Alistair led her up to the front door and opened it. Stepping inside, she enjoyed the rustic charm of the house.

“Do your grandparents live here?”

He turned to her. “They lived most of their married life here. But now they have a modern, smaller residence on the other side of the vineyard overlooking a lake. I turned this mansion into a guest house for the vineyard and we host several events a year here.”

A housekeeper greeted them and offered to help her with the bags. Alistair told her he would see her on the terrace in an hour for dinner.

The efficient housekeeper showed her to a guest suite on the second floor and explained how to find the terrace.

“Do you have any food allergies I should let the cook know about?”

She shook her head. “I’m fine with anything.”

The woman smiled and left the room. Anna looked out the old-fashioned windows and could see acres and acres of vines on the rolling hills. The sun cast a magnificent haze over the entire valley.

Finding her phone, she took several photographs and texted a few to Katie and Elyse. Katie asked how the drive went with Alistair. She responded that she had fallen asleep.

Her assistant’s obsession with Alistair’s hotness was beginning to bother her. It was even more annoying that he seemed to know that the opposite sex found him irresistible. She would need to be careful around him.

After reading on Facebook that her nieces had a cold, she sent a message to her sister.

She unpacked and hung up her clothing, then took a long, hot shower to relax. The bathroom was modern and sizeable, and she attempted to silence her worries.

Was she expected to dress for dinner? She had brought a sleeveless black sheath dress that followed to her curves. It fell just above her knee and she added silver, strappy sandals. Deciding to leave her hair loose, she put on a long pendant necklace and carefully applied eyeliner and mascara. She wondered who else might join them.

Her heels clicked on the stone floor when she stepped out onto the terrace. Alistair was on his phone but ended the call. He was dressed in worn jeans and a close fitting black T-shirt. His casual clothing adhered to his perfectly sculpted chest and arms.

He glanced at her dress. “I should have mentioned that we keep it somewhat casual for dinner.”