His Secret Desire (9 page)

“He said ‘We’ll see for ourselves my son what this woman has to offer’,” Mr. Chen whispered into my ear.

I decided quickly that it was a good sign that they were willing to see how I would play out in this discussion.

“Alright, Miss Dubois, we accept his apology. Would you like anything to drink before we begin to talk business?” Delun asked.

“No, thank you,” I said politely. I did not want to give the slightest indication that I was weak.

Accepting water or tea, while such a small gesture, might be construed as such. I was here for one purpose and one purpose only. Negotiate the deal and get out.

I blinked. A flash of myself as younger woman in college. I remember being in the student meetings, terrified to speak. I remember the thoughts well. What if I sound stupid? What if no one listens to me? What if they agree with what I say and I have no idea what to do afterwards? That was ages ago.

A lifetime had passed since then. I was a new woman now. I would not fail. Yet I admitted to myself that I was terrified. I let the feelings temper me. I would not act too rash or capitulate easily. Being scared was a normal reaction, but I would not show it for a single instant.

“We are interested in an initial order of ten thousand units of the BR36 prototype,” I said.

“Yes, the BR36 prototype. Our rate per unit for the BR36 prototype is one hundred and fifty American dollars,” Delun said.

“One hundred and fifty dollars is an unacceptable price for such a high order, Mr. Sun,” I said. I paused and let the weight of my words fill the space in the air. The unnamed man’s face wrinkled slightly.

“Since we are going to be ordering an initial order of ten thousand units, we would of course need a discounted price for such a high order. I also should inform you the importance of the key aspect of what I have said, which is that it is an initial order.”

Delun Sun turned to his father Lei and gave him a look that I could not decipher. It was as though they were communicating telepathically. Both of their faces were perfect poker faces, giving away nothing. I searched for the slightest sign of acceptance or outrage, anything, and I could discern nothing.

“One twenty-five per unit,” Lei Sun said. His voice was flat, his face calm and placid.

“One hundred,” I said. I knew it was a low offer. I kept my face of stone, trying to judge their reactions. I tried to exude confidence from every pore. I wanted them to believe that I didn’t need their BR36 prototype. I wanted them to know that Strauss Engines could build an entire fucking company just to manufacture an identical prototype that would blow theirs out of the water. I wanted them to know this without having to say a single word to suggest it.

I could see myself standing at the orientation event in college, watching everything I had worked for come to fruition. I had realized then that it was a small feat, it was no international manufacturing deal, but it had still taken effort and creativity to make happen. I had known then that I had the ability to make things happen. It was the first little scrap of belief in myself. I could feel that same feeling now growing exponentially.

“One hundred is much too low, Miss Dubois. Insultingly low,” Delun said. His voice had taken on a gravelly edge when he said “insultingly low”. His eyebrows narrowed down at me. His sharp eyes had seemed a little blacker. The unnamed man remained a statue, but I could almost swear that I saw an evil smile spread across his lips.

They were trying to intimidate me. I felt a flash of anger and embarrassment. I would not be pushed around. My offer had not been insulting, it couldn’t have been. They were both shrewd businessmen, that much I could tell. They must have known I would try to get the lowest rate.

“My offer was by no means meant to be insulting,” I said, offering no further apology. “It’s meant to be a beginning.”

“A beginning? What do you mean, Miss Dubois?” Delun asked.

“I know that you have all seen the press announcement that Mr. Strauss made yesterday,” I said. They must have seen it. And since they had seen the press conference, that means that they had seen me. Alexander’s idea of bringing me up there had been brilliant. Now I was recognizable to these men. I had clout. “Strauss Engines is taking an entirely new direction for the future. Water filtration systems are going to their primary focus now. A billion dollar company moving forward with revolutionizing water filters for the world could prove a very powerful ally for your company.”

Their eyes finally gave me something I could work with. Both of the men gave looks of understanding. Their eyes softened, looking at me with something new. Wonderment.

“If you supply Strauss Engines with the BR36 prototype at a flat rate of one hundred and ten dollars per unit, a very fair price, for the first order of ten thousand units, you will have entered into a business venture with a company that has a significant interest in your product developments. The BR36 is still a prototype. When it becomes fully developed, Strauss Engines is going to need more units as they expand operations even outside of India,” I said. I paused to look over Delun and Lei. I looked over to Joyce and smiled. “Your company could be supplying parts for water filters used over the entire world. You could be responsible for clean water for billions of people.”

I turned to Joyce. “Actually, I will take that water,” I said. “Gentlemen, do you still feel insulted?”

We signed the deal five minutes later, a bottle of ice cold water in front of me. I drank it all at once as I walked out of the building. Mr. Chen was smiling from ear to ear, and when we boarded the elevator, he laughed out loud. The security guards made no sound.

“That was phenomenal!” He exclaimed. “You’re a hell of a negotiator.”

I had made the transformation in the minutes necessary. It was though when I realized Alexander’s purpose for putting me in front of the press conference it all became clear to me. An avenue opened up in my mind. It was all about small moves towards a greater future. Small, smart moves.

We drove back to the airport in the limousine and I drank a glass of champagne with Mr. Chen. We were the only two around to celebrate, but we kept it a muted celebration. When I left the limousine to board the jet, he bowed and waved me off. I smiled and boarded the private jet. The same flight attendant greeted me warmly and I smiled.

“A glass of wine, please,” I said. “Oh, and bring me the nicest dinner possible on this jet. Lobster, perhaps?”

Success had been mine.

Chapter Eight

The private jet landed without any problems. I took a quiet limousine ride back to Alexander’s condo. I had not talked to him since I had left to go to Beijing. That had been almost two days ago. I had been in Beijing all of four hours, but the plane ride alone had taken nearly twenty four hours. Despite all of my travel, I did not feel sleepy or tired. I had slept well on the plane and now I was excited to get back to Alexander to tell him about how well I had performed. And I was going to receive my something special.

We pulled into Alexander Strauss’s private garage. I took out the keycard that he had given me to use the elevator. Another huge sign of trust that I held in my hands. I had access to his apartment. Sort of. I still needed to get into the private garage, which only his limousine or one of his cars seemed capable of, but still it was an entrance key. I felt my chest swell with pride. I had been given a task that I had accomplished and I could return to Alexander with my head held high.

The elevator could not go fast enough. I wanted to run when the elevator doors opened and yell for Alexander so I could tell him everything. I kept my cool. I walked calmly into his apartment and looked around. Soothing classical music was on at low-volume. Something smelled like it was cooking in the kitchen, and god did it smell good. In the living room, I could see two wine glasses filled with red wine waiting on the table. My heart began to beat hard in my chest. I was beyond excited. I was beyond turned on.

“Welcome back,” Alexander said, coming up behind me. His hands rubbed over my shoulders and I wanted to melt in his arms.

“Thank you, Mr. Strauss,” I said playfully.

“How about Alex? Or Alexander, whichever you prefer.”

“Here are the Sun Industries contracts, signed and finalized,” I said. “Just like you wanted.”

Alex didn’t even look at the files before tossing them gently aside onto the table near the wine glasses. We sat down near each other and he looked at me, smiling.

“I had complete confidence in you that you’d negotiate the deal.”

“I talked the terms down to one hundred and ten per unit,” I gloated.

A look of genuine shock spread across Alex’s face. He picked the files back up and ruffled through them quickly and stopped. He began laughing and took a big drink of his wine. I could hear him moving through more papers and reading quickly.

“The terms I originally set for you to negotiate were already very aggressive Samantha. I was sure they’d agree, but not without a fight. These new terms you got them to agree to are incredible. I don’t even know if I would have been able to get them to go this low,” he said incredulously. “Just how did you get the Suns to agree to such a low figure?”

“I recognized something while talking to them. You purposefully had me up with you on stage for that press conference to give me a certain amount of presence before the camera. Therefore they recognized me, and I used that clout. I talked about the future with them. How it would be beneficial if their company made less profit now in order to foster a good business relationship with the future number one manufacturer of water filters for the world.”

Alex studied me while I spoke. I could see him trying to suppress a smile.

“You’ve already advanced faster than I thought possible. Excellent.” He raised a hand and pushed my hair behind my ear, looking into my eyes as he did. “Now, I told you that I had something special waiting for you.”

“Yes, you did.” I bit my lower lip and looked at him, ready for anything.

“Come with me,” he said. “To the bedroom for a reward.”

I followed him up the stairs, forgetting the wine. There were candles lit throughout the large bedroom. Alex took off his shirt and the light cast beautiful shadows against his well-contoured muscles. He unbuttoned my top slowly, his hands rubbing over my nipples. They grew hard and yearned to be played with. His touch was delicate, soft and careful. Every single move with his hands was precise and without aggression.

My clothes fell onto a pile on the floor. I stepped out of them and I stood before him, naked and wanting. I quivered as he touched my nipples with his fingers gently and then traced his hands down the front of my stomach, stopping right below my belly-button. I breathed in heavily and he caressed my cheek with his hands. I closed my eyes.

A blindfold made of satin slipped over my eyes. I felt no alarm. Excitement crawled over every inch of my skin and I could feel goose bumps rising up. Alex tied the blindfold tightly around my eyes, but not too tight as to be painful. His lips graced my lips but before I could steal a kiss they retracted. I was being lifted into the air and then the bed gently came up to support me. I was laying down, waiting for him to touch me. For him to take me. I groaned in anticipation.

My hands were being tied with more satin. They were pulled behind my head and they were tied to the bedpost. The smooth wood felt wonderful to the touch. I was being tied down and I could see nothing. I breathed rapidly, rubbing my legs together, trying to stimulate my pussy to satisfy the screaming urge growing more and more demanding down there.

Alex’s hands slipped down my chest, over my rock-hard nipples and down my stomach. They slid down on my thighs and onto my legs, pushing them gently open. I could feel his hot breath against my lips and my stomach moved up and down in anticipation. His tongue was moving against my upper leg. It moved higher and higher until it moved just around my labia. His fingers moved around my legs, greedily feeling my smooth skin. Then his tongue pushed in.

I moaned loudly. Alex made no move to stop me. I cried out with every move of his tongue in and out of my pussy. It was as though it were electric, vibrating inside of me and moving through my entire nervous system. His fingers slid in and out of me, pushing up against my g-spot. I writhed in the bed, fighting against my restraints to grab Alex and force him to penetrate me.

His tongue moved with fury against my tender skin. I cried out in ecstasy when his fingers clasped on my nipples and tugged on them, moving them back and forth. I was going to come. I cried out his name, loud enough so it was practically a scream and the orgasm broke through. I clasped my jaw down and cried out as the orgasm tore through my body with a fury that I had only experienced with Alex. I saw stars as every muscle in my body tensed up. Waves of pleasure filled me. I felt like I was leaving my body with every lick of his tongue.

“Fuck me!” I screamed.

I felt him push his cock into me, slowly. Every inch pushed deeper and deeper into me as I came. The orgasm went on for an eternity. His tongue worked around my nipples now and I cried out. If I could have thought, I might have wondered how it was possible that I could be coming for that long and that hard. Alex pushed in and out of me, his throbbing cock inside of me. Its warmth filled me and finally the orgasm began to subside.

“I want you to come inside me,” I told him.

He began to breathe loudly and fucked me harder, faster. His stomach pushed against my stomach and when he came, I could feel his hot load filling me. He let out a moan with every shot. I could feel his cock pulsate inside of me. He moved in and out of me until his dick grew soft and he slid out of me, and I cried out at the loss of it inside of me. I wanted him to never leave.

Alex furiously kissed my neck, his hands rubbing through my hair as he did so. His come dripped out of me and I relished in the feel of its warmth against my inner leg. The lace around my hands fell away as Alex untied it and I grabbed his head and pulled it to me, kissing him greedily. I wanted to taste every drop of his sweat and saliva. Our tongues worked against each other’s and he squeezed me in his arms. I was still blindfolded, but I didn’t need to see anything. I was feeling Alexander Strauss.