Falling For You Page 15

  “How is this any different from wanting to be the best?” she asked in exasperation.

  “Because striving to be the best makes us the focus rather than the customer.”

  “How can the customer be the focus if we haven’t worked on ourselves?”

  “When you successfully connect with customers, it builds brand loyalty. The focus should be on treating our customers as we want to be treated.”

  Now it was Leiliana’s turn to stand. She pushed away from the table and began pacing. Then she stopped suddenly. “Listen, Gabriel, our vision should reflect what we ultimately want to achieve. We can’t develop a vision for a company if we can’t agree on what that is.”

  “I’m quite certain we can agree on what that is. You just need to be more open-minded.”

  “Is that code for just go along with your perspective.”

  Gabriel glanced at his watch. “This is ridiculous. We want to achieve the same thing. My advice simply is that we don’t need to speak about being the best. Everybody says they want to be the best this or best that. That is not innovative speech, its lazy speech. You don’t become a trailblazer by following people.”

  She came to stand directly in front of him, then leaned forward and stuck a finger in his face. “You’re spoiling for a fight, and I’m going to give you one.”

  He leaned back in his chair and gave her a long, steady look, and for a moment, she was distracted by the twinkle in his cool green eyes.

  “For such a well-bred lass, you’re awfully rude. I think you missed a good thrashing when you were a child.”

  “Why don’t you give one to me now,” she taunted.

  “Oh, I’m tempted,” he drawled. “You have no idea how tempted.” The way his pupils dilated suggested that she was treading on dangerous ground right now.

  She felt her face grow warm. How had Gabriel Walsh been able to turn her into this shrew? She was usually so calm and professional. She dropped her hand and straightened. “What I meant to say was—”

  When he stood abruptly, she was thrown off her point. He was so imposing with his broad shoulders and tall, well-built physique. And so utterly masculine. It felt as though the air had been sucked from her lungs.

  As she struggled to fix her thoughts together in her head again, he grabbed her shoulders and pulled her close until her face was mere inches from his. He took a good long look at her mouth and then said quietly. “Unfortunately, we’re going to have to continue this lively discussion later. I’ve got an appointment to get to.”

  “I…I…we’re…we need…to finish…this.” she said breathlessly, her eyes fastened to his gorgeous lips.

  “You’re magnificent when you’re mad,” he whispered huskily. “I mean really alluring, you could turn a man to putty.” His gaze drifting down to her lips again. He bit his bottom lip and seemed to debate with himself what to do.

  “I…I…” she couldn’t talk. She could barely think.

  “Let’s go out tonight. There’s a terrific little place in Dublin called Frank’s Place. We can have a bite to eat and chat some more about our vision.”

  She swallowed. Then nodded dumbly. “Okay.”

  “Grand.” Suddenly, he leaned down and popped a kiss on her cheek – dangerously close to her mouth.

  She caught her breath, and before she could even recover, he said, “That’s for wagging your finger in my face.” Then he winked at her and left.

  ~*~*~*~

  A fist came flying towards Gabriel. He ducked out of the way and, with a quick jab, caught his opponent on the chin. The man spiraled backward, and Gabriel came in for the kill. With his feet moving back and forth, he delivered a volley of blows to his opponent’s jaw.

  The man stumbled to the floor, seemingly down for the count. Then just as Gabriel began to ease back, the man suddenly ducked under his arm, swung around, and caught him at his side.

  Gabriel grunted as pain exploded in his rib.

  He put a hand up to deflect the blows and could only back away as the man, Sheffield, advanced.

  At the last minute, he ducked a blow and swung, landing a strike to Sheffield’s chest.

  For a few more punches, he seemed to have the upper hand, then Sheffield managed to get in a right hook that had him reeling.

  “You seemed mighty distracted, Walsh,” Sheffield commented when the fight was over.

  Gabriel just shrugged as he shook the man’s hand. “It happens.”

  “Not to you,” Sheffield said with a grin, displaying a row of gold teeth. “But I’m glad for it.”

  Fifteen minutes later, as he sat in the locker room holding an ice pack to his side, Gabriel reflected that it was true. He was usually on point. Quick on his feet with quicker reflexes. But today he had been off his game, and he knew why. He was distracted by thoughts of Leiliana.

  As he slowly dressed, he realized he was quickly developing more than just feelings of affection for the woman. It was serious, these feelings. Despite spending entire days with her, they weren’t enough. She still consumed his thoughts when he was away from her. Like what was happening now.

  Even though he had left because of his boxing match, he had also needed a break. Watching her, as she was, all worked up, chest heaving, eyes flashing, had tested him. He’d been tempted to put a passionate kiss on her the likes of which she’d never seen. But he’d resisted. He sensed that Leiliana was not quite ready. He had promised himself, he would not do anything to cause her to run away, claiming he’d breached the rules of engagement.

  That sparring in the ring just now had done him a world of good. It had helped him to channel all the suppressed energy and passion of the last few days into a productive avenue. Now he felt calm and in control. He was ready to deal with Leiliana again.

  Chapter 14

  “T o continue our conversation from earlier, I think we should incorporate where we want the world to be as a result of our services. What do you think?” Gabriel said, murmuring his thanks to the waitress as she refilled his water goblet.

  Leiliana ate in thoughtful silence for a while, then she said, “You mean, we should look at how we can impact our customers throughout the world.”

  He nodded. “Exactly. And your aspirations to be a great company fit into all of that. We can look at things from all angles and come up with a statement that encompasses everything.”

  “Yes. So we want our firm to capture all the great values…”

  “…in a way that is sustainable, that adds value to the planet instead of depleting it of resources, that gives value to the customer, and that leads the pack in innovation and techniques.”

  “I like it,” she said with a slow smile.

  He grinned. “I do too. We just have to make it more succinct, and we’ve got our vision.”

  “So, tell me, what mysterious appointment did you run off to today?” she asked.

  “Guess.”

  “How could I possibly guess?”

  “Guess.”

  “I need some help. It could be anything.”

  “It’s a physical activity.”

  She squinted at him. “Boxing?”

  “Correct. See, it wasn’t that hard.”

  “You really enjoy boxing, don’t you?” she said, remembering that red boxing bag in his home gym and his promise to teach her to box.

  “Yeah.”

  She scrutinized his face, tilting her head to the left and right.

  “What are you looking at?”

  “I’m trying to see if you have any bruises on your face.”

  “No. I do my best to protect the face. It’s the only one I’ve got.”

  She laughed. “So, you’re the type who dances like a butterfly and stings like a bee?”

  “Most of the time. Today I got caught in the rib.”

  “Ouch! Does it hurt?”

  “It’s a little sore, but I iced it after so It’ll be fine.”

  “Can I see it?”

  “I said it’s my rib. Do you wan
t me to expose myself in here? Okay, fine.” He began unbuttoning his shirt.

  “Stop! You nutter!” she laughed. “How did you get hit anyway?”

  “I was distracted, I think.” Smiling, he took a sip of his Pelligrino sparkling water.

  “What are you smirking about?”

  “I can’t get over how worked up you were today. Whenever I challenge you, that happens. You hate when people disagree with you, don’t ya?”

  She wriggled her nose at him. “Were you deliberately trying to yank my chain?”

  “You must admit it certainly livens things up. What fun would it be if we just sat there agreeing to everything each other said.” He made a face as though he had eaten a sloe.

  She laughed as she took the cherry from her cocktail and popped it into her mouth. “I always knew you were a rabble-rouser. That must be why you like boxing so much. I don’t get boxing, though. As a sport, I mean. What’s the appeal?”

  “It’s great physical exercise. Plus, it really gets the adrenaline pumping.”

  She watched him shrewdly. “So when’s the last time you got into a fight?”

  He held up his hands. “I plead the fifth.”

  She narrowed her eyes on him. “Suspicious.”

  He simply grinned.

  “How did you ever get into boxing anyway?” she asked.

  “My father recognized that I seemed to have an…uh…affinity for the sport. So he joined me up to a boxing club.”

  “How did he notice this affinity?”

  He tugged his ear. “Well, soon after I went to live with him, I was enrolled in this prestigious private boys’ school. I stuck out like a sore thumb. I was not from around those parts as my accent clearly testified, nor was I of the upper classes, as my manners demonstrated. Plus, it got around that I was Barry Walsh’s bastard. I ignored the taunts, the snide remarks, the laughter. I tried not to let it get to me. Then, one day someone tripped me in the cafeteria. I stumbled, ended up on all fours, my food went everywhere. It was a mess.”

  “Oh, Gabriel. I’m so sorry.”

  He held up a hand. “Don’t feel sorry for me, lassie. Feel sorry for the lad who did it. Needless to say, there were no more attacks after that episode. However, I was suspended for a week. I expected my dad to be enraged. After I explained to him what happened, though, he enrolled me in boxing. He told me that if I was going to fight, I had best learn to do it properly.”

  “What did your stepmother say?”

  “Funny you should ask. She was greatly opposed to my learning to box. I overheard her telling my father that I was an Irish whelp, and he was just encouraging my brutish ways.”

  She watched him and felt such overwhelming tenderness and affection for him. It almost stilled her heart. Every day with Gabriel, she felt closer to him.

  “What about you, Princess Leia? Have you ever lost your temper and beat someone up?”

  “Me? I would never…” Then she remembered. “Well, actually…there was this one time in ballet class when this ghastly girl, Sarah Reeds, her name was, she hid my shoes before class. When I found out what she had done…I grabbed her hair and socked her.”

  He laughed so hard they attracted a few looks. “You did not!” he said, holding his hand to his mouth and rocking back and forth.

  She nodded. “I did. I really did, and I enjoyed it too. We fought. I was punished, but I felt like it was worth it to teach her a lesson.”

  “Look at you! You’re one tough broad! It looks like you should be in the ring. I think I’m going to teach you to box as soon as we get a free moment. I really am.”

  ~*~*~*~

  “I have two proposals for you. JJ Inc. will keep its name, and the headquarters for the company will remain in New York,” Gabriel announced the next day as they began their meeting.

  “No to both those proposals,” Leiliana said without even looking up from her laptop.

  “I thought this was a negotiation.”

  She sighed and glanced across at him. “Why should JJ Inc. keep its name, and why should the headquarters remain in New York?”

  “Simple, really. Whether you want to admit it or not, JJ Inc. is the stronger brand. Which is why it even got on your radar in the first place. Am I right or wrong?”

  She shrugged. “While it is a very solid brand, I can’t sit here and say its stronger than Lamport Electronics.”

  “Don’t say it then. I’ll just get my team to pull together the market analytics and present you with the facts. Anything to help you come to your decision in an informed, impartial way.”

  “Lamport Holdings is worth more than Walsh Enterprises,” she blurted out.

  He nailed her with his gaze across the meeting table. He just stared at her without saying a word until she felt so uncomfortable she glanced away. What was the matter with him? She was just stating facts, not playing a game of one-upmanship.

  “Well, it’s true,” she mumbled.

  He continued to watch her in silence.

  “Why are you staring at me like a lunatic?” she asked finally in exasperation. “Have I offended you?”

  “I’m simply waiting for the punchline. I naturally assumed that remark was a precursor to something profound.”

  She sighed. “The point I was trying to make is that my company is stronger than yours. It has been around longer, and it has a more stellar…uh…reputation.” She gulped after she said this because a steel glint had appeared in his eyes at those words. “It makes sense, therefore, that JJ Inc., your subsidiary, should be subordinate to Lamport Electronics, my subsidiary.”

  He folded his arms across his broad chest and rocked back in his seat. “No.”

  “Why are you being like this?”

  “Because I simply don’t agree with you. I believe JJ Inc. should maintain its name and remain headquartered in New York after the merger. Nothing you’ve said at any point since I made that statement has changed my mind.”

  “That’s because you’re stubborn!” she exclaimed.

  He raised a brow. “And you’re not?”

  “I’ll need to discuss this with my father and get back to you,” she said briskly. She knew for a fact that this would not go down too well with William Lamport.

  ~*~*~*~

  “He’s proposing what?” Lord William Lamport asked.

  Leiliana shook her head as she gazed out of the window of her bedroom at the Marker Hotel Dublin, a five-star hotel on the Dublin Docklands. She had called her father soon after she returned to the hotel and conveyed to him Gabriel’s proposal.

  “I told him I would discuss it with you.”

  “What do you think?”

  She sighed. “Initially, I was dead set against it. I thought about it a bit since then, however, and I think that there may be room for a bit of compromise.”

  “In what way?”

  “Well, there is no disadvantage to us in allowing the headquarters to remain in New York. We have subsidiaries all over the world. Thanks to technology, we can effectively communicate with all our markets with no problems. So that’s an easy point we can give way on. In terms of the name, I agree that JJ Inc. is a well-known brand. But I also believe that Lamport Electronics is as well. I think we should seek to leverage both brands with a name merger that recognizes their contributions in the market and the increase in market share and clientele.”

  There was a pause as her father appeared to consider this information. “I agree with you on both counts. My proposal would be Lamport JJ Electronics. Put that to Mr. Walsh.”

  “I will.”

  “How are things progressing?”

  “Surprisingly well. I thought it would have been tougher, but he is quite a reasonable man. He reminds me of you.”

  There was a pause. “I see. Where are your meetings held? At the hotel?”

  “Actually, they are held at his house.”

  “Oh?”

  “Yes. He has a lovely home office. We meet there.”

  “I must say,
Leiliana, it is unusual to have negotiations on your opponents’ territory.”

  “Don’t worry, dad. I’m not being soft soaped in any way. Actually, his house is so beautiful it really has helped the process.”

  “Who else is there?”

  “It’s just us at this stage.”

  “Well, just be careful and keep your guard up, Leia.”

  “I will, dad. You don’t have to worry about it at all.”

  ~*~*~*~

  A day later, Leiliana returned to Gabriel’s proposal. “So, I discussed your proposal with my father, and we’re willing to allow the headquarters to remain in New York.”

  He nodded with satisfaction. “I knew you’d see it my way.”

  “However, we’re not willing to go with JJ Inc.”

  “Why not?”

  “The compromise we will offer is Lamport JJ Electronics.”

  “That sounds ridiculous,” he said with a derisive snort.

  “You only think that because it’s a new concept. I believe that combining both names will assist with the cultural integration of employees from both companies. Besides, even though JJ Inc. and Lamport Electronics produce essentially the same products, they cater to different markets. Since neither name will be sufficient to represent the offerings of both portfolios, it would be better if we use the joint name.”

  Gabriel opened his mouth to say he wasn’t convinced, but before he could utter a sound, Leiliana reached across the table and covered his hand with hers. “Gabriel, please let me finish. The fact is that we’ve got two powerful companies here, and to establish market dominance, we should not seek to minimize one or the other. Let us leverage both.”

  Her soft touch, combined with the look in her amber eyes, made him forget what he was going to say. She watched him with a small smile. Heavens! He couldn’t think straight.