Chosen for Power (Women of Power, #1) (20 page)

“It’s not what you’ve done, but what you’re going to do.”

“I’m not going dress shopping and I won’t be your man of honor.” Elle gave her brother a look and Reid just laughed it off.

“Drake, you’ve been talking about wanting to expand DCE away from smartphones. Have you ever thought of integrated-touch screen systems for hotels?”

“I’ve had some ideas but don’t have a test subject. Now that we’re done with our huge project for the government, I can look into it. Why?”

“Yeah, why?” Reid asked.

“You said you wouldn’t mind coming home, right?” Elle saw him nod hesitantly before continuing. “Well, as a nice bonus to my acquisition of Titan Industries on Monday, Simpson Global will become the proud owner of 250 acres of property right outside of Atlanta. Sitting on it is an almost complete luxury resort, pool area, convention center, stables, shooting range, lake, and spa.” Elle sat back, crossed her arms, and grinned as she watched the men soak it in.

“How much is ‘almost complete’?” Reid asked.

“Pool area, stables, spa, and convention center are complete with the exception of furniture, paint, and other last-minute things. Structure for the hotel is complete. Electrical wiring and plumbing are complete as well. Interior design needs work, including electronics like televisions and, optimally, a fully integrated system from DCE. Drake, if you’re interested, I want you to go wild. Everything designed around the comfort of the guests. In-room touch screens to set temperature, order room service, select television stations, make reservations at local restaurants or clubs—anything they need just a simple touch away.”

“Wild, huh? I’m in. My lab is going to be so excited. This is a lot more fun than government contracts.”

Reid pinched his lips together in thought. “Do we have the funds to complete it?”

“We will when we sell off some of Titan’s less prominent holdings. I think we can free up a good amount of capital. Plus there’s a couple other international investors who are covering twenty-five percent of the total cost.”

“I’ll supply the technology in exchange for one percent ownership in the hotel,” Drake put in. “I’ve been wanting to expand my holdings. Of course, I’ll retain the patents, though.”

“Sounds good to me,” Reid said, nodding. “And you’re wanting me to take over completion to get the resort up and running?”

“That and one more thing. We have the space; I think we should build an arena on the far side of the property. We can even put in a private airstrip if we want. We could hold concerts, sporting events, and conventions. I want you to research that and see if we could get some contracts for appearances if we build it. See what can make it different from everywhere else.”

“I can do that. I need a month or so to finish up in Europe, but then I can get to work on it full time. That’s a real nice added bonus. And you say Titan has no idea this takeover is coming?”

“None. I bought all the shares officially on Friday at four in the afternoon. The reports were filed, but they won’t go out until next week. I’m going in on Monday to let them know.”

“Can I come with you? I’d like to get all the plans immediately.”

“Wait, my brother at a business meeting? Not just a business meeting, but a serious and probably tense board meeting? Oh, do you feel that?” Elle asked sarcastically as she rubbed her arms.

“Feel what?” Reid asked hesitantly as Drake watched the siblings with amusement.

“That cold air from hell freezing over.”

Reid shook his head and Elle giggled. He stood up and held out his hand to Drake. “I’m looking forward to working with you on this.”

Drake shook his hand. After Reid went inside, he motioned for Elle to come sit on his lap. “Thanks for including me on this. We’ve been looking for something fun to sink our teeth into. It’ll also give me more of a reason to come to your office.”

He felt her breasts pressing against his chest as she leaned forward, wrapping her arms around his neck. “I can think of plenty of reasons for you to come to my office,” she whispered into his ear.

Drake grinned and slipped his hand under her skirt. “I don’t think I’ll have any trouble with that. Let’s get home. I’m ready to celebrate again.”

*     *     *

Elle screamed out Drake’s name as he pushed her over the edge. Her body tightened around him as waves of pleasure pulsed through her body. His eyes never left hers as he thrust into her over and over. He moved harder and faster as he braced his arms at her sides, drawing out her cries. She grabbed his arms, flexed with tension, and held on as he lost himself in her.

His pace faltered as he grew near his finish. Gone was the elegance of lovemaking. All that was left were their moans filling the room as they battled each other for pleasure. Elle bit her lip as the tension began to build again and raced toward it as she met him thrust for thrust. She dug her nails into his shoulder as he flexed into her. When Drake bent his head and pulled her nipple into his mouth, she felt the tension break over her and this time brought him with her.

Drake collapsed onto her before rolling off to the side and tucking her against his chest. She ran her fingers across his chest as they lay quietly, trying to catch their breath.

Elle snuggled closer to him. “I love you, Drake.”

“I love you too, sweetheart. I have a request, though?”

“What is it?”

“Can we celebrate our engagement like this every night for the rest of our lives?”

Elle laughed and smacked his arm. “Every night, huh?”

Drake pulled her on top of him with a devilish smile. “Let me convince you why it’s a good idea.”

And he did.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

“You can’t go in there, miss! Sir, please, you can’t go in there,” the Titan Industries secretary called as she chased Elle and Reid down the hall.

Elle smiled at the young woman and flashed a copy of the documentation showing her ownership of fifty-one percent of the company. “Yes I can. I now own the majority of Titan Industries. I’m Elle Simpson and it’s nice to meet you. Now, please excuse me while I break the news to your boss. Unless you want to do that?”

The woman stepped back and shook her head. “Mr. Eldrich is not going to like this.”

“Probably not.” Reid flashed her a killer smile and held out his hand. “Hi, I’m Reid Simpson, and you are…?”

Elle elbowed her brother. “For crying out loud, Reid. We’re here to take over the company, not to flirt. Thank goodness you’re going back to Europe tonight. Now, please excuse us.”

“I’m sorry, but am I about to lose my job?”

Elle turned to face the woman who was around Allegra’s age. She had a small diamond ring on her finger and the beginning of a baby bump. Elle could see why she'd be so worried. “What’s your name?”

“Emily Foxworth.”

“Emily, what do you do here? I mean, really. Not the job you were hired for, but the job you actually do.”

“I’m Mr. Eldrich’s personal assistant.” She paused and looked up at the ceiling before looking into Elle’s eyes. “Honestly?”

“Honestly.”

“I do everything. He’s always with his cronies golfing or drinking at the club. He tosses grand ideas at me and considers that running the company as I’m left to figure out what he meant and how to get it done. I pick up his dry cleaning, gifts for his friends and family, plan the company’s and his family’s Christmas party, get him coffee, write all his speeches, answer all his correspondence, give him a summary of what I said to whom at the end of the week, and handle his personal finances so he doesn’t blow through his fortune.”

Elle nodded her head. Not all CEOs were like this. She had worked with some great ones, but anyone who would hire Chord couldn’t be one of the good guys. “When things start moving here, I want you to call to schedule a conference with me so that you can fill me in on all the details of the company. The who’s who and the what’s what. If what you say checks out, then no, you won't be fired. Instead, you’ll likely be promoted. However, you need to take risks and speak up if you want to move up the corporate ladder.”

“I bet you also have the details on the resort Titan is building outside of town, don’t you?” Reid asked with an easy smile.

“Thank you for the advice, Miss Simpson. I guess no one is going to move the glass ceiling for us. We simply have to bust through it. And, yes, Mr. Simpson, I have all of that information. Do you need it?”

“I would love to have the original of everything you have, if you don’t mind. You can keep a copy here in the office. Thank you, Emily.” Reid gave her a wink and Elle gave Emily her card.

“Now, I take it the meeting is this way?” Elle pointed to the large decorative wood door at the end of the hall.

“Yes. Good luck, Miss Simpson.” Elle smiled and strode down the hall as she heard Emily whisper, “You’ll need it.”

The smell of cigar smoke reached her first. Loud guffaws came next. As Elle approached the door, she heard the roomful of men. Reid put his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels.

“Sounds like my kind of party.”

“Why did I bring you?” Elle shook her head and took a deep breath. It was time to follow the advice she’d just given Emily.

She may have been handed her company, but that didn’t mean glass ceilings weren't in her way. At first, she’d been timid and quiet. She expected the other executives to see the hard work she was doing and appreciate it. But the business world doesn’t work like that. So she straightened her back and demanded respect by playing the game better than the men did. As Elle stared at the door, she felt secure that she was playing the game and winning. Not only that, she was changing the rules.

“I wonder where Chord is? The meeting started ten minutes ago.”

“Only one thing to make a man late.”

Elle listened to the peals of laughter as they talked and could picture them winking at each other.

“It doesn’t matter. That little lady is way out of her league. I’m surprised Simpson Global hasn’t been taken over before. It sure is a sweet piece of ass—the company and its CEO.”

Elle felt Reid stiffen behind her. “I’m going to punch . . .”

“Don’t worry about it. It happens all the time.”

“It does?” Reid cursed under his breath and put his hand on her shoulder. Suddenly she felt as if they were back in the principal’s office trying to gain entry to Windsor Academy. She spoke up then and she was going to do it now.

Elle tossed a grin over her shoulder to Reid. “This is going to be fun.”

She pushed open the door and strode into the room as if she owned it. And for all intents and purposes, she did. “Thank you, gentlemen. I think my ass is pretty nice, too.” Elle gave them a look of pity as she shrugged her shoulders. “Unfortunately, you’ll never get to see under mine or my company’s skirt to find out. But good try.”

A man in his mid-sixties with a ruddy face whom she recognized as Mr. Eldrich took a long drag on his cigar and blew the smoke into her face. “I’m sorry to disagree with you, Miss Simpson. But after today, I can do whatever I want to that pretty ass of yours. See, I’ve been buying up shares of Simpson Global and have called an emergency shareholder meeting this afternoon. You’ll be voted out and I’ll be voted in.”

Reid stepped forward, but Elle gently touched the sleeve of his suit to let him know she could handle it. “I’m sorry but that meeting no longer exists as of last night.”

Mr. Eldrich’s face darkened a deeper shade of red. It was obvious he wasn’t used to anyone challenging him. “When Chord McAlister gets here, he’ll show you the paperwork that Titan Industries owns over twenty-five percent of Simpson Global. It’ll be easy to get the rest of the shareholders to vote you out. There are only two other major shareholders, and I’m sure I can convince the rest of those small, insignificant trusts and know-nothing day traders to side with me.”

“I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Chord won’t be making it today. He’s unavailable for the next,” she turned and looked at Reid, “twenty years?”

“I’d say thirty or forty, but what’s a decade or two?” Reid laughed to the un-amused faces around the large table.

“What are you talking about?” Mr. Eldrich demanded.

“Only that he’s in the custody of the government for identity theft, bank fraud, threats made against the President of the United States, assault, battery, and, oh yeah, attempted murder. Now, I have some papers to show you gentlemen.”

Elle slowly walked around the table handing out copies of her filings with the SEC. “These are my proof of ownership of fifty-one percent of the company—
your
company. Furthermore, I have assurances from another ten percent of shareholders that they will vote with me in favor of merging Titan Industries into Simpson Global.”

“But . . .”

“I thought we already discussed there are no buts for you—pun fully intended. See, Mr. Eldrich, this sweet piece of ass knows a thing or two about business.” The knock on the door stopped Elle as Emily pushed open the door and handed a full box of material to Reid. “Thank you, Emily.”

“What do you think you’re doing, girl?” Mr. Eldrich bellowed.

Emily squared her shoulders and faced him. “I’m giving all the resort documentation to my new boss. Good-bye, Mr. Eldrich. I’ll start packing your office for you.”

Emily walked out the door and Elle couldn’t help but smile as Eldrich and the rest of the men around the table sputtered with indignation. “As I was saying, I know a bit about business. First, I treat my employees very well. Second, I made sure the family owned a clear majority of all the stock. You were never going to take over my company, even if every other shareholder voted in your favor.”

“But Chord . . .”

“Chord’s a pompous ass who doesn’t do his homework. If he did, then he would have discovered the family owns all those little trusts you thought so little of. Now, Mr. Eldrich, I’m sorry, but I will be relieving you as CEO at the shareholders’ meeting next month. Or you can just save yourself the embarrassment and resign. The rest of you are free to hand in your resignations as well, or you’re more than welcome to participate in my vetting process. Your choice.” Elle let out a happy breath and beamed at the group. “I’ll just let that soak in. Good day, gentlemen.”

Elle turned on her heel and walked out with Reid following. The room was completely silent as she started down the hall. “I give it three, two, one . . .” Voices erupted and she was pretty sure Mr. Eldrich had just thrown his glass and shattered it against the door.

“Wow, sis. I had no idea you had to deal with this every day. That made me think about the way I treat the women in my employ. I hope I’m not a jerk like that. How do you put up with it?” Reid asked as he pressed the Down button on the elevator.

The doors opened and Elle walked in. “You have to have tough skin. Sometimes you can change their opinions of women executives and sometimes you can’t. But if you hold strong, take some risks, and are willing to push for what you believe in, then you’ll succeed. You can’t just wait for things to be handed to you. You have to make the leap and fight for what you want.”

“Dad would be proud of you.” Reid shifted the box under one arm and squeezed her shoulder. “I’m very proud of you, too.”

“Thanks, Reid. It’s good to have you home again.”

“It’s good to be home. And now that I know you’re such a badass, we’re going to have a lot of fun.”

“Yes, we are.”

The elevator opened and Elle felt a deep sense of joy fill her. She’d fought off another takeover. After Mary released her statement, the whole business world would know she was in it for the long run. Plus she had a fiancé who loved and supported her, waiting to hear how it went. Yes, the future was definitely going to be fun.