The Real Deal Read Free Page A

attached to her headset. As she listened to what was being said, her gaze flitted to Amanda and then back to her computer screen. “All right. I’ll tell her.”
    She hung up the phone. “Mr. Brant’s earlier meeting has run over. If you would like to take a seat, his executive assistant will come for you when he’s finished.”
    Amanda acquiesced with carefully concealed impatience, seating herself in an armchair on the wall opposite the elevator. She ignored the magazines laid out in an attractively arranged pile, in order to spend her time waiting in thought.
    What was going on?
    It could be that a meeting had legitimately gone overtime. The man was president of a major company after all. He could also be exercising psychological strategy in making her wait. But to what purpose? Her previous meetings with Eric had led her to believe he was as excited about the possible merger as she was.
    Several minutes passed before an older woman in a dove-gray suit cut in classic lines approached Amanda. “Ms. Zachary?”
    Amanda stood. “You must be Fran.” She had spoken to the executive assistant several times on the phone, but this was their first opportunity to meet.
    The older woman’s mouth tilted slightly in what might be considered a smile. “Yes, won’t you come this way?”
    Amanda got up and followed the other woman. They stopped in front of double doors, one of which was cracked open a few inches.
    â€œWhat the hell is the matter with you, Eric?” The deeply masculine voice came out in even tones, but was laced with unmistakable anger. “This is a family held company. Merging with Extant would destroy everything our grandfather and fathers built here.”
    â€œNonsense.” Eric’s voice sounded conciliatory, but louder than the other man’s. “Look, Simon, you promised to give her a fair hearing and I’m holding you to your word.”
    â€œI would have promised anything to get Elaine to turn off the waterworks, including listening to some snake-oil salesman’s pitch.”
    â€œOur arguing upset my wife, and Amanda Zachary is no snake-oil salesman.”
    Before the other man could respond, the executive assistant had knocked on the already opened door.
    The voices ceased abruptly.
    Fran pushed the door open. “Eric, Ms. Zachary is here.”
    There were two men in the room. One stood in front of the windows so his face and expression were cast in shadow, but she could tell he was big, easily six-foot-two.
    The other man wasn’t quite so massive. His sandy brown hair and engaging smile gave him a look of boyish charm, but his blue eyes glinted with unmistakable intelligence. “Thank you, Fran. We’ll take it from here.”
    The other woman turned and left. For one completely insane moment, Amanda wanted to call her back. The brooding presence of the man by the window unnerved her.
    Then Eric caught her attention by coming forward to take her hand. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Amanda.”
    She shook his hand, being sure to grasp it firmly. “The pleasure is mine. I’m looking forward to our discussion.”
    Or rather, she had been before this other man had entered the equation.
    Eric released her hand and turned slightly. “Amanda, this is my cousin, Simon Brant. He’s in charge of research and development for Brant Computers. Simon, this is Amanda Zachary, the representative from Extant Corporation.”
    Simon stepped away from the window and she got her first clear view of the man. She knew her negotiator’s smile had slipped a little, but she couldn’t help it. Simon Brant was a force of nature. Dark exotic looks mixed with a smoldering presence in a Molotov cocktail that set something on fire inside her, something she had been absolutely sure no longer even existed.
    Desire. Hot. Molten. Unstoppable. And it washed through her body as if her receptors had