The Duke's Runaway Princess (Love By Accident) (6 page)

Zarah wasn’t sure how he knew so much about her work, but it was disconcerting. She preferred flying under the radar, not attracting attention. Especially the attention of powerful, dangerous men like The Duke of Waren. “I don’t think…”

“Can’t handle the pressure?” he challenged before she could hear him out, trying to subvert her objections before they could form in her mind.

Zarah wasn’t sure how to handle him at all. She wanted to run away and hide from him, but that knowing look in his eyes held her feet where she stood. This man was daring her to accept his challenge. “What sort of work are you talking about?” she asked suspiciously, a part of her urging her to run away as fast as possible. Unfortunately, there was another part of her that was too fascinated by him. There was something about him that pulled her closer, making her remember that embarrassing dream.

“Nothing illegal,” he laughed, amused by the suspicion on those chocolate eyes. Anyone who knew him understood that he would never be like his father. Everything he did, all that he accomplished, was by sheer grit and determination. His father had earned millions by ignoring the law. Derrick had been disgusted at his tactics and had succeeded exponentially beyond his father’s meager earnings and he’d done it all legally and ethically. He was sometimes brutal in his tactics, but that was business and he didn’t pass up an opportunity when he discovered someone else’s weakness.

She didn’t join in his amusement. “That still leaves a great deal of unscrupulous work.”

He knew he couldn’t simply tell her that he operated within the law and with a strict work ethic. He’d have to prove it, allay her suspicions by letting her see for herself how he worked. And he wouldn’t mind at all working closely with this lovely woman. Very closely. “Let me buy you lunch and we’ll talk about it.”

Zarah continued to watch him warily. “Why would I want to work for you?”

“Because you’re interested in the challenge I can give you,” he said, coming closer. “And because you want to prove to whoever was on the other end of that phone that you’re not some silly little female who needs protecting. You didn’t answer my question. Ex-husband? Boyfriend? Father?”

Zarah’s whole body stiffened. How could this man know so many things about her in such a short conversation? “I don’t think…” she started to say, but he interrupted her.

“Don’t you even want to know what the job is before you turn it down?” he asked, one eyebrow raised but the rest of his features were flat and expressionless. “Or was I wrong and you’re not strong enough to work for me? I only hire the best, most competent personnel for my organizations. Do you not fit into that category?” He almost laughed at the change in her expression after tossing out that challenge.

Zarah considered him for a long moment, narrowing her eyes as she watched him carefully. She might be afraid of him, but there was also something about him that was stimulating. There was something in the way he looked down at her that made her want to show him that she wasn’t afraid of him.

Or maybe she just wanted to prove to herself that she wasn’t afraid of him?

That possibility had her chin jutting out and she looked up at him with grim determination. “Okay. What’s the position? And just so you know,” she said before he started to give her any details, “I’m perfectly happy exactly where I am. Mary is a wonderful person to work for.”

He smiled slightly and shook his head, rejecting her claim. “No you’re not. You’re content. There’s a difference between happy and content.”

Her shoulders felt like they were going to snap from the tension this irritating man generated within her. “And you know me so well because…?” she prompted, raising one eyebrow inquiringly, hoping to put him in his place for being so contradictory.

His strong, sexy mouth curved upwards into a half smile. “Let’s just say I believe we might have similar priorities.”

She considered that for a moment, then nodded. She couldn’t deny that she was interested. She could at least hear him out. Listening didn’t imply any kind of acceptance or commitment.

“Okay. Let’s talk.” It was better now that he’d told her that he was of a like mind. What he could possibly think would be a challenge for her, she had no idea. Rumors about this man’s business acumen flew through the village like a constant sand storm, one amazing story topping the other and the residents loved to boast about his financial successes as if they were their own. So maybe he had something in mind that would push her business skills a bit beyond what she was currently doing for the shop owners.

She’d never acknowledge that she wasn’t happy though. He had no idea how happy she was to not be preparing for a wedding to a stranger.

“Lunch. I’m starving,” he said and took her arm. He turned her around, then put his hand at the small of her back, burning a hole in her cotton shirt and making her want to run several steps ahead of him so he would have to remove his hand. But she instinctively knew she couldn’t outrun this man; neither literally nor figuratively. She walked beside him, pretending that his touch didn’t bother her, that it wasn’t making her stomach do flips or her heart race as if she’d just run a marathon.

He led her to a small café that looked out over the pretty lake area with colorful umbrellas that provided shade from the bright sunshine. A waitress arrived immediately and took their drink orders and Zarah only blushed a little when she ordered lemonade instead of something stronger. He ordered an ale of some brand she didn’t recognize.

Trying to get back to business and keep him away from asking any more personal questions, she turned to face him as soon as the waitress had left to get their drinks. “So what’s this job you think I could do for you?” she prompted.

He sat back, his sunglasses now covering his eyes so any insight she might have had by that pathway was now gone, hidden behind the dark lenses.

He considered asking her about the phone call again, curious to find out everything he could about her. Instinctively, he knew that she would shut down if he asked her anything personal. She was too tense at the moment, too defensive. He’d have to get her to trust him before he could gain any additional insight into the Zarah he wanted to know intimately.

Sticking to business and his plan to keep her close to him, he outlined his idea. “Right now, you’re working for Mary in the dress shop but I also know that you’re helping with Gerald and Eloise and several others have approached you for advice as well.”

How did he know this? She had spoken with a few of the shop owners, thinking that they were private conversations. Obviously, the other shop owners were spreading the news about Mary’s successes. “So?”

He couldn’t stop his amusement at her belligerent tone. She really was a prickly little thing. “So….I want you to take over the whole village.”

Zarah stared at him, stunned by his comment. Furthermore, it really irritated her that he’d stumped her by that bizarre statement. Was he always this outrageous?

“Excuse me? I’m not sure I really understand.”

He almost laughed out loud as he watched her bristle with irritation and confusion. “I want you to do for the village the same thing you did for Mary, but on a larger scale. I want a village training seminar for inventory control, business efficiencies, organizational tricks. And in two months, I want everyone to participate in a festival that will bring in tourists from other areas, increase the sales and town recognition. Every shop owner should be encouraged to participate, offering some sort of selection from their inventories but you’ll need to arrange a marketing plan that will draw people into the village for the festival. The marketing has to be significant enough to lure people to the shops and markets, but not so big that the town can’t handle the crowds.” He carefully watched her face, trying to gauge if he was putting too much responsibility on her slim shoulders or if she was up for the challenge.

Zarah considered the idea in her mind, tossing and turning the possibilities. A festival was a fantastic idea. It would showcase the various shop owners, bring in tourists for the day and give the town some much needed advertising. She liked where he was going with this idea and wished she’d come up with the inspiration herself.

If she could pull it off, the interest would draw visitors into the village from the neighboring communities, increasing the business flow and raising the revenues for everyone involved. She quickly started coming up with marketing options, merchandising possibilities and investment ideas. “Who will pay for the event?” she asked cautiously, trying to hide her enthusiasm.

The waitress came back and placed their drinks on the table and Zarah was frustrated with her interruption. She ordered a salad quickly, hoping to get rid of her so she could ask more questions. She actually wiggled impatiently in her chair while Derrick asked the waitress about the various sandwiches available, then finally made a decision which sent the woman away again.

While he discussed the menu with the waitress, out of the corner of his eye Derrick watched Zarah’s excitement create a soft color that crept into her soft cheeks. She really was a beautiful woman, even more so when she was energized. He was amused that she was trying to hide her eagerness from him, but impressed that she hadn’t run screaming from their table.

He ordered a Rueben sandwich and smiled to the waitress before turning back to Zarah to answer her question. “I will pay for everything.” He leaned back and waited for her next question. He’d thought this through carefully but he still needed to lure her into the plan and make sure she was capable, and that she wasn’t taking on more than she should. As he watched her eyes light up though, he was reassured that she was both eager and competent. Especially with the questions she started asking.

Zarah was surprised at his generosity. He was going to pay for the entire event? Why? That was a shocking statement. She’d been expecting him to say that the village had a fund for such projects or that the shop owners should contribute a certain amount. But for this man to pay for the entire event, it was unheard of.

“Why would you do that? You’re talking about a large outlay of money for an event that you won’t have any benefit from. It doesn’t make sense.”

He waved that aside. “My reasons are my own but rest assured, I don’t do anything that doesn’t benefit me in some way. Are you in?”

She watched him, trying to figure out his motivation. It was so out of character with what she had experienced from other aristocrats and powerful people that she knew there had to be a hidden agenda. But as she watched his face, sunglasses hiding his eyes, she suspected that she wouldn’t ever really understand this man and why he was proposing something so outrageous. “Why me?” she finally asked, trying to determine why he’d approached her for this proposition instead of one of the more entrenched villagers, someone who knew more of the contacts and might do things in a different manner than a stranger who didn’t have many contacts outside of their small community.

“Because you’ve been here six months and already everyone has embraced you. You are capable and intelligent, and I believe you have the skills to accomplish the task with huge success.” He paused to let his words sink in.

His comments caused a warm glow to burst in her heart. It was a small validation that she was making a difference in someone’s life and that her choice to come here instead of heading back home to a stranger groom was a good one. “There are many people who are helping the villagers.”

He acknowledged her comment with a slight bow of his head. “Yes, but none that have the same level of skill and creativity married to a strong intellect like you have.”

Zarah blushed from the compliment and looked away. She wasn’t certain what she would be getting into, but the possibility was too enticing to turn down. “Okay. I’m in, but can we shift the date?”

A warm sense of satisfaction formed in his stomach. He’d done it, captured this beauty’s interest and created a way for her to stop avoiding him. He didn’t consider himself successful with her yet, but soon.

“No. It has to happen in two months’ time. Any earlier and the heat of the summer hasn’t abated. Any later and the kids will be starting back to school for the fall term and the shop keepers won’t have the time to dedicate to a festival of this size, nor will the outsiders have the time to visit. It should be three days long, starting on a Friday evening and running through Sunday, late afternoon. You’ll need to report to me on the progress each week and give me a status on any issues and progress the following week will bring. I want to know details on both the business classes as well as the festival. Give me total counts on how many of the shop keepers are attending the classes, talk to the ones that aren’t attending and let me know why they’re skipping them. Get feedback on the classes and make sure they’re up to speed with the villager’s skill level.”

Their meals arrived at that point and Zarah contemplated her salad while her head churned with questions. Could she really do this? And what about the weekly meetings with this man? She didn’t like him and, because she didn’t understand him, she didn’t trust him. Not one little bit, but she also knew how important a festival like this could be to both the villagers and the surrounding communities. The boost to the economy could be enormous. “I still don’t understand why you want me to do this,” she finally said, picking at her lettuce absently, not really hungry as issues and challenges popped into her mind.

Derrick looked across the table at the beautiful young woman. He could tell she was enticed by the option but that she was afraid of him as well as afraid of failure. In this case though, he wouldn’t allow her to fail. He’d been buying up businesses and either selling them off or fixing them ever since his father had passed away fifteen years ago. He knew just by looking at a financial statement when a company was doomed or if it could survive, as well as how to fix it. He had a gift for sizing up people and knowing what made them tick which is how he’d gotten so far in business. But this woman intrigued him on a different level.