Taming the French Tycoon

This man wanted a full apology.

“I didn’t honestly believe you were a predator, but your assumptions, especially the one that I gave no thought to the family that loved me, provoked me to say things that shocked even me.” Which was the truth.

His black eyes studied her as if he were trying to weigh her sincerity. “I concede that in my concern for your safety, I was a little harsh in my assessment.”

A little?

When he extended his hand, she had no choice but to shake it. Of course she was thankful for this overture on his part. You need him on your side, Jasmine. But the second she felt skin against skin, warm waves of sensation traveled through her body, throwing her emotions off balance.

“Please, Mademoiselle Martin, come in and be seated.”

“Thank you, but before I do, I have a favor to ask.”

“I’ll leave the door open,” he murmured dryly.

She fought another retort. “I thought you accepted my apology.”

A faint smile hovered around his lips, without the ice this time. “So I did. What’s the favor?”

“I don’t want anyone at Ferriers to know I’m here. Could you tell your assistant and the security guard at the main entrance to keep absolutely quiet about this visit?”

After a moment of reflection he nodded. “Bien s?r. I’ll take care of it now.”

While he was gone, she walked across the oriental rug and sat down on one of two blue striped silk love seats facing each other around a coffee table. The couch was upholstered in a blue and white toile she found part of the charm of the elegant room.

Jasmine heard the doors close behind her, sealing them inside.

He rejoined her, cocking his dark head. “Now you don’t have to worry. Would you care for tea or coffee? Perhaps a soft drink?”

“Nothing, thank you.”

They were circling each other, metaphorically speaking, trying to size each other up. He took a hand out of his pocket and sat in the chair opposite her. Both hands were ringless.

“Congratulations on your new position as head of the Ferrier Corporation. I dare say you’re the most famous CEO in modern French history at the moment.” The wryness of his tone wasn’t lost on her.

One thing she already knew about him. He was a man who spoke his mind. She didn’t know if that boded well or not for the shock he was about to receive.

“Thank you, except that I won’t be the head for much longer.”

“I can’t say I’m surprised,” he came back with urbane sophistication. “Please don’t misunderstand me, but after the introduction on television about your lack of experience and work record, I gather the board is having difficulty following your grandfather’s wishes, no matter that you were his personal choice of successor.”

Jasmine hadn’t seen that assessment coming so fast. It was her jaw that went slack, not his. But she couldn’t take offense. He was discussing hard business facts and understood how things worked at the top. A shudder went through her to realize he wasn’t the president of the bank for nothing. Her uphill battle had already begun.

“Yes,” she admitted. “Giles LeClos has called another board meeting in two weeks for a vote. It doesn’t leave me much time to accomplish what has to be done. That’s why it was urgent that I see you today if I could. I appreciate your being willing to meet with me without any advance notice.”

Her words brought his well-honed body forward. “Surely you must realize that your company’s association with our bank over the years means you have instant access, if necessary. I’m glad you came in this morning. This afternoon I’ll be out of the city on business, so it’s providential that I was still available for this emergency meeting.”

“That’s what it is, and I’m very grateful.” She bit her lip. “First of all, this has to be between the two of us and no one else. I realize you’ve been meeting with Giles LeClos, who’s been in charge since Papa’s death. But he mustn’t know I’ve been here or he’ll misunderstand and believe I’ve gone behind his back. In time, he’ll be told, but not yet. Will you give me your promise on that?”

He sat back, examining her face with an intensity that made her feel he could see inside her soul. “Go on.”

She had to take that as a yes. “Look—there’s no point beating around the bush. My grandfather’s company has been mismanaged since his death and now it’s in huge trouble. No one is more aware of it than you. I intend to save it, but I’m going to need your help.”

“You mean in two weeks you plan to pull it out of the red?” Granted his tone was incredulous, not mocking. “Isn’t that a little ambitious, even if you have Maxim Ferrier’s nose?” She winced. “I realize that sounds cruel, but you’ve never run a corporation and the bank has continued to extend your loan until it’s at the limit.”

“I’m very aware of that.”

“Then you have to know there’s nothing more we can do for you.” He shook his head. “Perhaps another bank might be willing to underwrite a second loan for you, but it wouldn’t be a wise business decision. Aside from the fact that your revenues are diminishing with little hope of recouping, there’s no one at the head who instills enough confidence for the banking board to take a financial risk. Please don’t take that as a personal attack against you.”

“I won’t. I didn’t! If I were sitting on the board, I’d have little faith in me too. An empty-headed cliff-jumper who doesn’t have a clue about business and is so spoiled by millions of dollars she wouldn’t recognize a paycheck if she saw one doesn’t exactly fill the bill. Right?”

“Again, those are your words, not mine.”

Nothing appeared to faze him. “I believe you. But before you show me the door, I was hoping for the sake of the partnership that has lasted ninety years between your bank and Ferriers, you could find some time to let me make a proposition to you.”

His eyes did flare at that remark, letting her know she actually had surprised him.

“Not the kind you’re thinking, if you were thinking it,” she added. “There’s a matter of great urgency I need to discuss with you, but it will take some time. We can’t do it now when you’re already pressed to leave your office on other business. Could you possibly come tomorrow or Friday to my grandfather’s laboratory in Grasse? This is vital, or I wouldn’t ask.”

Jasmine held her breath and prayed while she waited for his answer. She could hear his mind working.

“It would have to be late Friday afternoon. Four-thirty, maybe five. I could give you a half hour, then I have other plans.”

Relief flooded her system. “Thank you for being willing to meet me halfway. It’s more than I deserve.” Jasmine got to her feet. “The lab is the little building on the south side of the perfumery. Just ring me when you’re there and I’ll let you in.” She handed him a piece of paper with her phone number on it. “? bient?t.”

* * *

At four on Friday, Luc left his office and headed for Grasse in his car. Half a dozen times in the last two days he’d reached for his phone to call her and cancel. Each time, he’d get so close, but then he couldn’t follow through. The telltale throb in her voice when she’d said it was a matter of great urgency kept nagging at him until he couldn’t sleep.

He was a fool to meet with her. It gave her hope when there wasn’t any. But as she’d said, for the sake of the business both companies had done together over the years, he’d be churlish not to accommodate this one request. His grandfather had revered Maxim Ferrier and would probably have gone the extra mile before he had to turn his granddaughter down. Luc could at least do the same.

Keep on believing that lie, Charriere. You know damn well why you’re breaking the speed limit to get there.

In a few minutes, he took the turnoff for the perfumery and wound around to the south side, where he saw the lab and a red Audi parked in front of it. He’d programmed her number into his phone so he wouldn’t lose it. When he called her, she answered on the third ring.

“Bon apr?s-midi, monsieur. I can’t tell you what you coming here means to me.” Her comment sounded heartfelt. He honestly didn’t know what to make of her. “Every time my phone has rung, I’ve been afraid it was you calling to cancel because you’d thought the better of it.” If only she knew. He got out of the car and walked over to the entrance. “I’m opening the door now.”

He heard the sound of the electronic lock and there she was clad in a long-sleeved white lab coat that couldn’t camouflage her gorgeous figure. The stains on it looked fresh. “Come in.”

There were a few windows open at the very top of the room, but it was semi-dark. This was Maxim Ferrier’s inner sanctum. It smelled and felt like Luc had just stepped into an old-school chemistry lab with all its paraphernalia from the nineteen-fifties. There was a worktable in the center of the room. Three walls of stacked shelves with fascinating bottles surrounded them, just as they’d appeared on TV.

She indicated an upholstered swivel chair, the only concession to modern-day dеcor. It was placed in front of an old oak desk pushed against the wall, piled high with notebooks.

Above it were two framed diplomas, both issued from the Department of Chemistry at the Sorbonne in Paris. The older, yellowing one had the name Maxim Tricornot Valmy Ferrier printed on it. The more recent white diploma displayed the name Jasmine Ferrier Martin. There was a ribbon attached beneath the glass that read, With honors.

He swallowed hard when he realized what it meant. No one with an empty head received credentials like that.

“I had two reasons for bringing you here. First, I wanted you to see where I work while I disabuse you of a few false notions about me. I have been working for years, but always alongside my papa behind the scenes when I wasn’t at university. He paid my salary by putting money into a fund on a regular basis so I could draw from it. Please—sit down, Monsieur Charriere.”