Rose Blood Read online

  “Ro Porter from Polygon Investments. Pleased to meet you Mr DeVere. I am your new fund manager.”

  She didn’t know how she got the words out or how she kept the smile from her face as he stood and shook her hand across his desk and she took in the surprise clearly showing on his face. She also didn’t know how she hadn’t melted into a puddle on the floor either. Those celebrity photos didn’t do him justice at all. This was quite possibly the most handsome man she had ever laid eyes on.

  His tall dark haired form was informally dressed in a light grey shirt hanging loosely outside his dark trousers. He obviously had no need to impress anyone, certainly not his new fund manager by the looks of it…

  “Do take a seat Ms Porter. Now this is a surprise. I’d rather thought you would be male.”

  “Surely sex is not an issue, is it?” she blurted out without thinking. Why on earth had she put it that way? Gender would have been a far better word… oh damn…

  “It could be. I’m a very demanding client. You may not be up to it.” He didn’t deal with women very often. Not in the business sense. They were emotional and unpredictable creatures and just didn’t have the natural gut instinct for it in his opinion. Women were far better suited to entertainment, his entertainment in fact. This one certainly looked to be tougher than average, but even so… he didn’t like the idea of Ms Porter having control of his money at all.

  “Oh I’m sure I am Mr DeVere.” She began with a small confident laugh. “There is nothing you could throw my way that I can’t deal with I assure you. Now let us begin our discussion. Let me tell you about our company, my role and what I plan to do with your sizeable fund….” Rose was playing the game of her life. She was quite enjoying it in fact. She certainly enjoyed looking at him too…

  A minute or two after she launched into the details of Polygon Private Client portfolio management, she was aware of a shift in his demeanour. He leaned back in his chair and put his hands behind his head. His eyes were all over her. He was evaluating something. This was not a manly reaction to her manly look. He was obviously not listening to her much either. There was something else brewing inside him.

  “Miss or Mrs?” He asked her suddenly, breaking into her carefully thought out introduction.

  “Does it matter?”

  “I like to know precisely who I’m dealing with. So are you married, with someone or not?”

  “I’m single, unattached…. Now can I please continue?” She couldn’t say anything else, it was the truth anyway. She needed to keep her options open. Her job and financial future depended on it.

  “In a moment. What is Ro short for?”

  “It’s short for Rose.”

  “Rose… hmmm… pretty… Why shorten a lovely name like that? I am also wondering if you always wear that style of suit and tie as well?”

  “I like to maintain a professional look. I work with men, I need to fit in.” That was a small white lie of course, but whatever!

  “I see. You are in disguise in your world are you? You’ve developed a masculine look and name to go with it.”

  “I wouldn’t put it quite like that!”

  “Well I would. Take the jacket and tie off Rose and undo that painful looking hairstyle you have there and then we can continue. I like my guests to feel at home. To be comfortable with me and themselves. Fund managers included.”

  “Is all this really necessary Mr DeVere?”

  “Yes, it is very important to be ourselves and feel comfortable as we are. Do it now… and please call me Marcus from now on. I cannot stand formality. You are about to get your hands on my personal assets Rose… I think we can call each other by our first names, don’t you?”

  That subtle little piece of innuendo wasn’t lost on her. This was not quite going as she planned. How she thought she could fool a man like him for a second was in fact laughable, not that she had thought about it very much. He must know just about everything about women, the whole nine hundred yards! She rather thankfully unclipped her tight and very uncomfortable hairstyle and gave her head a little shake. Her waist length dark hair swung down in a glossy swoop. She stood up and removed her jacket and tie and undid the top two buttons on her shirt. She sat back down in the chair, crossing her arms and legs and gathering her now rather more womanly looking composure. She tried to appear completely unaffected by his request but her pulse was racing uncomfortably fast.

  He watched her intently.

  “That is far better Rose. I can see who you are now and I like what I see.”

  His mind was running riot. He breathed deeply and caught a wave of her scent, her light musky female scent and the other delicious one in the background. Her subtle perfume mingling with it all. This woman was on his hot list as from this very moment. He wasn’t sure which list it would be yet, but he would have her one way or another and soon.

  “So Mr De… I mean Marcus. Can we please continue? I have even let my hair down for you… are you prepared to listen to me now?” She smiled at him briefly despite her discomforting experience.

  She couldn’t quite believe it! She’d only been in his office for five minutes and she was already removing her clothes for him. Her face flushed a little as she looked at his much too handsome face. His dark brown eyes were very penetrating as they fixed onto hers, she was sure he could see right through her, deep inside her hot and sweating little brain. Her breathing sped up another notch. She felt that wasn’t going unnoticed either. She really needed to concentrate. Get her business head on. She had to establish her credentials… win his trust.

  Marcus was most impressed by his new fund manager, but not in the way she intended him to be. He certainly did not want to sit here talking business with Rose Porter, he had different things in mind. He would call Clara Moore and ask her to put some other capable non female person on his account later today. In the meantime he would let her say her piece. He’d give her an hour of his time perhaps, that was the absolute limit on listening to this business drivel, then he would turn the conversation to more personal things. It shouldn’t be difficult as she seemed to be rather interested in him already…

  Rose continued her introduction as planned. She felt she had made a good start, hair, suit and tie issues aside. He seemed to be listening to her now at least. After she had completed the company profile part and a little about her role and her history within the company, her eye caught sight of the time on his wall clock and she moved on to stage two. The lunch offer at the Savoy. She would explain about his personal fund plan when they got there. She had a great idea in mind. A little coup de grace to finish their meeting off. She smiled inside at the thought of it.

  “If you are not busy at lunchtime Marcus, I would very much like to take you to the Savoy Grill today. I have my car waiting not far away.” She gave him a wide bright white smile. She knew her smile was a real winner. It had won her lots of things in the past.

  “That is very thoughtful Rose. I would enjoy that.” He returned her generous smile. Well, things were looking up suddenly, he thought. That was slightly less than the hour and not so tortuous after all. She was actually quite engaging in her manner of speaking, obviously intelligent and quite captivating in fact.

  “Let me inform my chauffeur” she was laying it all on rather thickly now. Her chauffeur indeed! She made the call and he promised to be outside in five minutes. She had already booked a table for two hours at the Grill restaurant at the Savoy. It was all going quite nicely, she thought smugly.

  They waited downstairs for a moment until the Mercedes drew up. They sat in the car in silence for a few moments. He turned towards her giving her profile his full attention. She was quite beautiful. Not his usual type exactly, not even slightly dressed up to impress him, but quite stunning even in those unflattering clothes. Her very dark hair contrasted perfectly with her pale flawless skin, a touch of a natural flush sat high on her cheekbones. She wasn’t a classic English rose in the true sense, she had something else… her brown eyes
gave her a hint of the exotic, it was a lovely combination. Her scent was almost overwhelming in the small confines of the car, he needed to get out of here soon, he only had so much control and it was running out. His supply was due tonight and was a little late due to circumstances beyond his control… he didn’t usually go more than two days in between. Tonight was still a long time off… She had caught him off guard. He felt a deep hunger building up. His eyes started to glaze over with lust and his mouth watered heavily… It was gathering pace rapidly inside of him and he fought very hard to keep it under control.

  As they left Curzon street she was gazing out of the window at the passing London landmarks. She didn’t come up the West End very often, being based in Docklands and it was interesting to see all the grand buildings and hub-bub London had to offer once in a while. So many people everywhere. She was fully aware of his eyes on her in the close proximity of the car and chose to avoid his gaze. She kept up a running conversation, basically with herself, about their whereabouts as they headed towards their destination in the Strand. He didn’t seem to be very chatty at the moment, he’d hardly said a word the whole journey. She finally turned her head to look at him to find his dark eyes boring into hers with an intensity that she found quite shocking and worrying.

  “Are you feeling alright Marcus, you look a little strained? Are you ill or something?” She was quite sure she knew what that look was, although why it was so very intense she had no idea. She had to get on with her plan. The conversation couldn’t move anywhere else just yet, she must get this business deal done. “Oh look, we are here now. Perhaps a little fresh air will make you feel better?”

  “I am quite alright Rose. Perhaps a little hungry, that’s all.” But not for whatever the Savoy had on the menu, he thought to himself. His hunger was for something else. Another wave of heat rushed over him at the thought of it, the taste of her, on his tongue. His mouth watered some more and he swallowed heavily fighting off the thoughts in his head.

  They went inside the Grill restaurant at the Savoy and were seated at their reserved table. There were only a few people inside, as it was early, but those few heads turned in their direction immediately. He was very well known. It must be a strange life, she thought. Imagine having people recognise you everywhere you went? She liked her anonymity.

  After choosing and ordering their meals she suggested some champagne to mark the start of their hopefully long and mutually lucrative business relationship.

  The bottle arrived and they sat sipping slowly, an unspoken undercurrent heavier than wood smoke hung in the air between them. He relaxed a little, the champagne caused a buzz immediately easing his hunger…

  “Marcus, I have an interesting little proposition for you…”

  “Oh yes? I’m all ears Rose.” He had women proposition him all the time. Some quite shamelessly. He liked to chase women himself, not the other way round…. Having said that he would like to be able to accept hers… He had the vain hope it wasn’t a business one.

  Of course it was.

  “If I increase your fund by 3% in a week, can we call it a done deal…? Will you give Polygon your business for the next year, no one month trial?”

  “You think you can do that do you?” he laughed a little at the notion. His fund hadn’t increased by 2% in the whole of the last year! Interest rates were non existent, markets were dead. What planet was she living on? This slip of a girl couldn’t manage 0.5%, let alone 3%… in a week?

  “Yes, I think so”

  “You’re on Rose Porter!” He declared in amusement. This was going to be rather interesting after all. He could give her a week on his account… “But lets make it more fun shall we. I have my own counter proposition for you. If you don’t make the 3% I’ll still give Polygon my fund, but I get to have your personal company on demand for a year, and believe me when I say I am very demanding. What about that Rose? Are you up for the ultimate challenge or not? Somehow I feel I’ll be the winner here either way.” He gave her a little smirky smile on top of his hot counter proposition… Beautiful Rose was letting herself in for far more than she realised…

  Her mind took it all in with her usual trader precision. Quite the contrary, she thought to herself. The winner would most definitely be her. This was the plan. Well, the plan according to bastard boss Mike Harding. Getting him on board for a year, no matter what, keeping him happy now and then… This could be all in the bag in a week…

  There was more than a distinct possibility that she would have to sleep with him in the months ahead, but that wouldn’t be much of a trial, she was quite sure of that… there was a little bit of chemistry between them already…. she smiled to herself…. but from a professional viewpoint and as a matter of personal pride she would try and make that 3% if it was the last thing she did. She had a point to prove.

  She was a little concerned though. His ‘on demand’ proposition did sound a bit too much.

  She weighed it all up carefully, looking directly at him… she could get him to sign in a week… 3% or not… the pressure would be off, she would work her way around the rest…

  “Challenge accepted.” She said coolly. Let him see what she could do with his money.

  “Marcus, I must leave straight away, after our lunch is over. I have other clients to manage too. If you would transfer the portfolio rights and access to us as soon as you get back, I will begin this afternoon.”

  He was disappointed for a moment. He thought they might extend the afternoon some more, but still… she was keen to get on. He felt quite sure he would be having a whole year of ‘on demands’ with her anyway. It was a stirring thought. No need to rush things today.

  “Of course. Business first. I like passionate and dedicated people Rose. I sense we will get on very well in the future.”

  They concluded their business discussion at that point as their meal arrived.

  His bloody fillet steak made her feel quite sick. How could anyone eat almost raw meat like that and nothing else with it either… what was it with men and steaks?

  The blood in the steak eased his need temporarily. It would no doubt make him ill later on, food always did, but for now it was helpful…

  They made idle but amusing chat over their food about film premieres, television and west end shows and nothing much in particular and finally left the restaurant at 2pm. As the car took him back to the office and dropped him off Rose was quite pleased about the outcome of the day so far. He was more than handsome, quite pleasant to be with and seemed to like her a lot. But most of all she was positively burning to get her hands on his fund.

  Chapter 7

  Her arrival back at the office caused a few heads to raise in interest. Not only was Rose wearing a strange and unflattering outfit, she was back far too early…

  It seemed everyone knew about her hot mega account now judging by the number of unpleasant looks she was getting. They were such a nasty jealous lot… not a nice bone in their bodies, not all of them… but most.

  “Porter, got a minute?” Mike demanded.

  She went inside his office. She was still so completely pissed at him, but she could play a great part when she had to.

  “It’s okay Mike. Before you ask, everything went really well. I’ve got him eating out of my hand like you wouldn’t believe. He’s busy this afternoon so that’s why I’m back early. I’m just waiting for the fund transfer and I can start. Should be on it within the hour.”

  “Oh.. well… well done then! I won’t keep you. But Ro, the trouser suit and boots… it’s not a good look.”

  “I know Mike, but it’s all part of the great seduction plan. It’s coming on a treat!”

  He looked a little sceptically at her but thankfully didn’t probe any further for more details.

  She went back to her desk and smiled at Harry.

  “Update me then”

  “No, you update me first! I’m dying to know… What went on today?”

  “Nothing much to tell Harry. We sp
oke, we had lunch and I’m on the fund as of now. I have to do some initial work this afternoon. Still on for tonight?” There was no way she could discuss what really went on with Marcus… their little challenge, their instant attraction… she was burying all that deeply inside another compartment in her brain, to deal with as and when she needed to. It had nothing to do with how she felt about Harry.

  “Only if you take that dreadful jacket off! I won’t be seen with you wearing it.”

  “Only the jacket Harry? Don’t you want to take more off than that?” She was suddenly in a great fun filled mood. A powerful surge of energy shot through her as she considered what had happened today from a tactical point of view. She had manoeuvred the biggest playboy ever into a corner, playing her game, her way. What a game it was going to be!

  “Now you come to mention it, the trousers and shirt are awful too. Might have to take those off at some point. I don’t want you to ruin my street cred.” As he ran his eyes up and down her rather weird choice of clothing he wondered what she was playing at. She usually looked so beautifully dressed, really chic…

  “Harrison Taylor, you’re so full of compliments aren’t you! But I might just let you do that… now leave me alone for a few hours, I have a massively hot 1.5 to attend to.”

  He sat back in admiration as she worked away silently next to him. Rose could be passionate over her work at times… obsessed, brilliant, dedicated and professional just about summed her up. She was good at her job. The best. Better than him, if he was truly honest. She had an attention to detail that he couldn’t equal and an intuition that was out of this world. He enjoyed watching her work. In fact he just loved everything about her. If only she meant what she had said just now, he would give anything to undress her. He was sure she was just teasing him again. He wanted her so much it physically hurt at times. Three years was a long time to wait for a woman to love you back. He had almost lost hope.