Page 11 of Clock Strikes Paradise (Island Escapes #4)
Chapter Nine
Elise
I chewed my lip as I surveyed my cottage, making sure it was spotless in the morning sun.
A recently delivered coffee service filled the room with a rich, enticing scent.
I smoothed my pencil skirt, preparing for the strategy meeting with Clay and Bart.
The change in venue from Clay’s larger cottage to mine was a last-minute change I hadn’t expected, but the mystery was solved when Bart walked in a few minutes later.
“I convinced Clay to have the meeting here,” Bart said, a smile playing on his lips. “I thought it would be nice to get him off his home turf, so you’d feel more at ease.”
“Uh... thank you,” I said, though I had no idea what he was talking about.
If anything, being around Clay lately did the exact opposite of putting me at ease.
And not because he intimidated me. Though I had to admit Bart had been more pleasant to be around after Clay’s reprimand.
He’d actually impressed me at the dinner last night.
And hopefully a room snafu wouldn’t cause any issues for our meeting. After showering, I’d discovered my bathroom sink faucet was faulty. The water was currently off as maintenance attempted to source the problem from afar.
Clay arrived shortly after, dressed casually in khakis and a button-down shirt that accentuated his athletic build.
The lock of hair flopping over his forehead gave him a charming look, and I had a sudden urge to sweep it back in place.
I poured us all coffees before we settled into our seats, with Clay across from me on a couch and the coffee table between us.
Bart sat next to me and stretched both arms over his head with a long sigh. “I slept like a log last night. Best sleep I’ve had in years!”
Clay nodded. “So did I. The bed was extremely comfortable.”
A vision of me in it with him popped into my head.
An image of sweat and passion, and me stroking that chiseled chest. I quickly took a sip of coffee to cover the heat racing across my face.
A quick glance at the open door of my bathroom provided me with a different subject to think about.
“Oh, speaking of the resort. The faucet burst in my bathroom this morning. Evan said they’d either fix it or find me another cottage. ”
Bart snorted. “I thought this was an upscale place.”
I shrugged at him. “When I called Evan about it, he was extremely apologetic, and maintenance issues must happen regularly in rooms being used all the time. I’m sure they’ll find me something.”
“No doubt they will,” Clay said absently as he jotted down a note. “Let’s get down to business.”
He and Bart discussed the two offers on the table, Laurent’s and Celeste’s, while I typed out notes.
While Laurent’s proposal was financially more advantageous, working with Celeste seemed like it would be a far more enjoyable experience.
Though I knew Clay well enough that he wouldn’t let emotions cloud his judgement.
“Ultimately, we won’t be working with either of them for long,” Clay mentioned, his expression serious.
Bart tapped his index fingers together, eyeing Clay. “True, which makes our decision all the more important. As CFO, my job is to watch the bottom line. And that makes Laurent’s offer the only one to consider.”
I disagreed but was hesitant to voice my opinion.
Yes, financials were important, but so were the employees working for Podium.
Clay had mentioned all would receive a generous bonus after the sale, so I remained silent.
After all, I was there to help Clay with tasks and logistics, not as a member of the decision team.
Clay was distant during the meeting, hardly noticing me.
But Bart made up for it. As the CFO handed out papers, his hand would graze mine.
When he poured a glass of water from the pitcher on the center of the table, our arms brushed.
His actions were much more subtle than on the boat yesterday, and I couldn’t be sure if his touch was intentional or accidental.
But it made me uncomfortable. Bart Mayhew was the last man I wanted touching me.
When I scooched away after the water incident, Clay stilled, his icy blue eyes darting between us, only to settle on Bart. Then Clay’s phone rang, distracting him.
“What? Now? I’m in a meeting.” He paused, listening, then checked his watch. “Fine. Give me five minutes, then have him call me.” He lifted his gaze to us as he pocketed his phone and stood. “It’s the Tokyo office, calling about GreenDrive. I need to take this.”
I frowned and glanced at my tablet. We already had a conference call scheduled later that afternoon with an executive from the electric vehicle tech company, Clay’s latest passion.
His empire extended to multiple industries—Podium was only a portion of it.
I loved both the idea of the acquisition and the thought of being at the vanguard of a field exploding in popularity and importance.
“One of the parties has an emergency and they need to move the call up,” Clay explained, sensing my confusion. “I’ll keep it as short as possible.” And with that, he left the cottage, leaving Bart and me alone. The room now felt emptier, as if some of the life had been sucked out of it.
I wasn’t sure if he was coming back or if the meeting was over. But I didn’t want to chitchat with Bart, who was swinging back ever closer to being a creep again during our session. I adjusted my glasses and noted the agenda on my laptop screen. “All right, let’s continue.”
“With what?” Bart asked, leaning back on the couch. “Clay would blow a gasket if we talked business without him.”
I drew my brows together. I’d worked as closely with Clay as Bart, and I’d never seen anything like him blowing a gasket. He was too icy, too controlled for that. At least in a business environment…
There I go again, thinking forbidden thoughts.
But the CFO was right. Clay was the one in charge, not either of us. And if the meeting was over, Bart had no reason to remain.
But before I could speak, he cocked his head. “I’m curious. What do you do for fun when you’re not working?”
My cheeks warmed up. Maybe a vague answer would send him on his way.
“Uh, just the usual. I’m a pretty private person, Bart.
” Then an idea occurred to me, and I attempted to put him on the spot by asking about his personal life.
“So how’s your divorce going?” I figured that would make him uncomfortable and put a damper on his curiosity.
To my surprise, his eyes lit up. “Oh, it’s going great! Almost finalized!” A smirk spread across his face and a glimmer entered his eye.
Oh, great. Did he think I asked the question to see if he was available?
I wanted to give myself a facepalm.
As if sensing that he had an advantage, Bart slid closer to me on the couch.
“In fact, I’m free as a bird now.” He leaned in slightly.
“Elise, you’re a beautiful woman, and you deserve to be treated with a whole lot more respect than our illustrious boss shows.
I’m not afraid to have fun once in a while.
Would you like a glass of champagne?” He pointed with his chin at the unopened bottle still in its ice bucket that had been waiting when I’d checked in.
“Hell no!” I practically shouted as I vaulted to my feet.
“We’re here on business, Bart, and you are way out of line.
” My voice was firm and unwavering as I faced him down.
I had been Clay’s assistant for three years, and I wasn’t about to let some self-absorbed man-child jeopardize my career or my dignity.
“Oh, come on,” Bart said, trying to cajole me as he rose to his feet. He glanced around the sunny cottage before settling his eyes on me again. “Loosen up a little. We’re in paradise. Might as well take advantage of it.” He reached out to touch my arm, but I quickly jerked away.
“Keep your hands off me,” I warned, my eyes narrowed.
My heart raced with a mixture of anger and fear.
Fear that I’d lose control of the situation, and anger at myself for not throwing Bart out the second Clay left.
Feeling cornered and increasingly nervous, I bolted out the front door and onto the covered deck.
Bart chased after me, grabbing both of my arms and spinning me around to face him.
“Listen, sweetheart,” he snarled quietly, his face inches from mine. “If you say anything to Clay about this, I’ll make sure you get fired. I can make life easy for you or very, very difficult. It’s your choice. Let’s just go back inside and forget all about this little misunderstanding.”
I jerked both arms out of his grasp and stared at him, my entire body trembling with rage. “Get. Your. Hands. Off. Me.” I spat each word out deliberately, my voice shaking with fury. “Don’t you dare touch me again. Do you really think I’m scared of you?” My voice rose with each word.
Bart, taken aback by my sudden outburst, took a step back. I could see the shock in his eyes as he realized I wouldn’t be an easy target.
Good, let the son of a bitch understand I’m not going to back down.
“Elise, come on?—”
“No! You didn’t just cross the line. You goddamn pole-vaulted over it.” My voice echoed through the open space of the beach. Heat spread over my face, but I didn’t care. I needed to stand up for myself.
“Look, I didn’t mean anything by it,” he stammered, now backpedaling.
My hands balled into fists at my sides, my nails digging into my palms. “Mean anything by it? You’ve been touching me all morning, making me feel uncomfortable. Hell, you always do that. And then you chase me out here, threatening my job? That’s not a misunderstanding, Bart. It’s harassment.”
“Fine, I’m sorry,” he said, spitting the words out. But his apology rang hollow, a half-hearted attempt to save face.
“No. Sorry doesn’t cut it.” I fixed him with a fierce gaze, refusing to let him off the hook. My voice rose, punctuating my words with finality. “You don’t treat people like this. You don’t make them feel threatened and vulnerable. You don’t use power as a weapon to manipulate them.”
“Elise—” he tried again, but I wasn’t having it.
“Enough!” I bellowed, my voice carrying through the resort like a storm. The last of my patience shattered, leaving me raw and exposed. “Goddammit, Bart, leave me alone!”