Reluctant Romance Read online

  Contents

  Reluctant Romance

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Epilogue

  A Note From The Author

  About The Author

  Reluctant Romance

  Leighann Dobbs

  _._

  This is a work of fiction.

  None of it is real. All names, places, and events are products of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to real names, places, or events are purely coincidental, and should not be construed as being real.

  Reluctant Romance

  Copyright © 2013

  Leighann Dobbs

  http://www.leighanndobbs.com

  All Rights Reserved.

  No part of this work may be used or reproduced in any manner, except as allowable under “fair use,” without the express written permission of the author.

  ###

  Other Works By Leighann Dobbs

  Contemporary

  Romance

  * * *

  Sweet Escapes

  -------

  Lexy Baker

  Cozy Mystery Series

  * * *

  Killer Cupcakes

  Dying For Danish

  Murder, Money and Marzipan

  -------

  Dobbs “Fancytales”

  Regency Romance Fairytales Series

  * * *

  Something In Red

  Chapter One

  Risa Kennedy felt a jolt of panic. Her office was too neat. Too organized. She glanced up at the clock. He’d be here in ten minutes.

  Pulling papers from her inbox file, she spread them around the normally bare desk surface. She opened a folder, fanned some of the papers out, then shuffled them into a messy pile.

  Much better.

  “What are you doing?” Risa’s assistant, Meredith, appeared in the doorway, her eyebrows mashed together.

  “Just a little rearranging…you know, for the visit.” Her voice took on an air of doom when she said the word visit.

  “Oh, that.” Meredith came into the room and plopped herself into the guest chair, ankles demurely crossed. She reached down to pet Bailey, Risa’s golden retriever mix, who napped contentedly under the desk. “Do you think they’ll restaff if the acquisition goes through?”

  Risa’s heart clenched. The proposed acquisition was the reason she had been messing up her office. The company, Healthy-Pet, had been founded by her father fifteen years ago. Risa had reluctantly taken over the helm after her mother’s death two years ago. Now her father wanted to sell out to a big conglomerate so he could spend his days traveling and golfing.

  “Merry, there might not even be an acquisition.” At least not if I can help it.

  “Well, that is why Connor Dunn is coming here, right? To evaluate the company for a buy-out?”

  Risa turned to face her assistant. “Yes, but that doesn’t mean it’s a done deal. I hear he is ruthless when it comes to business, so if he doesn’t like what he sees…” She shrugged, spreading her arms to indicate the messy desk.

  Meredith tapped the end of her pencil against her lips. “I also hear he is quite a looker…and available.” She wiggled her eyebrows.

  Images from Risa’s childhood flooded her memory. She had known Connor back then. The Dunn family had moved away when she was eleven. She still remembered the sweet, shy boy he had been. Now he was a greedy corporate executive and rumored to be a playboy with a different model on his arm every night. She had no intention of getting to know the grown-up Connor Dunn; in fact, the less time she spent with him, the better.

  “That may be, but my job is merely to show him the different facets of the company and pray I can somehow get him to change his father’s mind about buying it.”

  Meredith got up from her chair. “Well, I’d better get to my station so I can welcome the Dunn entourage when they arrive.” She walked over to the door, then turned to look back at Risa. “Good luck.”

  Risa nodded. Moving over to the bookshelf, she pulled a few of the books out of place so the rows weren’t quite so even.

  Under Risa’s desk, Bailey made snoring sounds. She bent down to pet the dog. Healthy-Pet was focused on pet wellness. Everyone in the company had pets and loved animals. One of the key benefits employees enjoyed was being able to bring their pets to work as long as they behaved. Risa felt another stab through her heart as she realized a big corporation would probably put a stop to that perk.

  “Now you be good when Mr. Dunn gets here,” she whispered to Bailey who opened one eye briefly before letting it slowly drift closed again. Bailey was a good judge of character. Normally a mellow dog, she seemed to be able to sense “bad” people and usually made her feelings known by barking or growling at them.

  Given what she knew about Connor Dunn, Risa hoped Bailey didn’t charge out from under the desk and bite him. She didn’t doubt he deserved it, but she didn’t want any trouble for Bailey.

  The ticking of the clock captured Risa’s attention. It was almost show time. She stood, pushing her unruly auburn hair back behind her ears. Smoothing her tailored black pinstriped skirt, she tucked her gray silk blouse into the waistband.

  No, that’s too neat.

  Remembering she didn’t want to project her usual meticulous appearance, she bunched her silk shirt up, pulling it out of the waistband a little.

  She looked down at her low-slung heels. Sensible and comfortable. She bent one leg. Looking back over her shoulder, she pinched the back of her stockings right at the heel. Pulling the stocking away from her leg, she rammed her thumb through the thin material generating the start of a run.

  The waste-basket beside her desk held the remnants of her lunch. A hamburger and fries. Plucking the stained wrapper from the trash, she put it on the desk. A blob of ketchup on the corner caught her eye. On a whim, she dipped her finger in the ketchup.

  Grimacing, she smudged it on the front of her new silk blouse. She felt sick at ruining the expensive shirt, but the ketchup stain did wonders to add to the unorganized and unprofessional look she was going for.

  Yep, her messy office, rumpled appearance, and stained shirt were sure to turn Connor Dunn right off. She hoped to make his first impression a bad one. Bad enough to turn him sour on the whole deal. And if that helped to stop the acquisition, then the cost of a silk shirt was a small price to pay.

  ###

  Risa stared at the man standing in her office door with a critical eye. So this was what the grownup Connor Dunn looked like in person.

  He still had the same blond, wavy hair she remembered from when they were kids. He even still had a boyish charm about him that Risa might have found appealing if she didn’t know that there was nothing boyish or charming about him. Connor Dunn was the enemy.

  “Ms. Kennedy, Mr. Dunn here to see you.” Meredith’s voice broke through her thoughts.

  Risa moved toward him extending her hand. “Nice to see you again, Connor.”

  Connor grasped her hand in his. She was surprised when she felt a tingle of electricity pass between them.

  “It’s my pleasure,” he said.

  Risa noticed he still had the slight dimple on his chin and those deep sapphire-blue eyes. She quickly withdrew her hand and looked out into the hallway.

  “You’re alone?” She had expected him to travel with a group of “yes”’ men.
r />   “Yep.” He gave a slight nod.

  Risa noticed his eyes stray down to her chest. She felt a burst of angry indignation until her gaze followed his and she realized he wasn’t staring at her ample breasts but at the ketchup stain she had strategically placed on her shirt.

  Bailey chose that moment to dart out from behind the desk. Risa felt a jolt of panic, but instead of growling at Connor, Bailey padded over, happily sniffing at his pants.

  Risa had to work to keep her mouth from falling open when Connor bent down to gently pet the dog. She wasn’t sure what surprised her more: the fact that Connor liked dogs or the fact that Bailey liked Connor.

  Was she overreacting to this whole acquisition? Surely anyone who liked dogs would want to keep the pet-friendly perks in place. Maybe her worries about losing the company culture she had fostered were all for nothing.

  “You allow pets in the office?” Connor looked up from petting Bailey, his forehead creased in a frown.

  Any thoughts she had about how things might work out after all were crushed when she heard his disapproving tone. She straightened her back. “Yes, it’s a benefit we feel helps to retain employees and keep them happy.”

  Connor raised one eyebrow and shook his head. Straightening back up, he brushed dog hair from his pants.

  “Well, shall we get on with the tour?” he asked.

  “Yes. I’ll show you around the offices and the clinic today. Later this week I’ve scheduled some time with Dana in the lab so she can go over our product testing and production process.”

  Risa looked down at Bailey who was shifting her eyes from Risa to Connor. “Bailey, stay.” She pointed to the desk, and the dog obediently trotted over, flopping down underneath it.

  Connor stepped aside. Putting his arm out, he motioned for Risa to go through the door first.

  She slid through the door into the hallway, taking care not to pass too close to Connor who looked amused at her obvious avoidance. She cleared the door then looked back over her shoulder at him.

  “This way.” She nodded her head toward the hallway. Connor fell in beside her.

  Risa brought him down the various hallways, pointing out the different departments that made up Healthy-Pet and introducing him to some of the people who happened to be in their offices. The company was very small with only thirty-seven employees so the tour didn’t take long.

  “It seems pretty informal around here,” Connor said.

  Risa figured he was referring to the casual dress and flexible schedules. “Yes, we find people work better when they are comfortable.” Another thing the big corporation will probably change.

  She felt her stomach getting heavier as they got closer to their final destination: the clinic. The clinic was her pride and joy-her passion. It was also the biggest reason why she opposed the acquisition.

  Risa stopped in front of the glass doors. “In here is the clinic.”

  She held the door open for Connor, and they both stepped into the small waiting room.

  The room was sparsely furnished. Plastic chairs lined one wall. Shelves with Healthy-Pet products lined another. A U-shaped receptionist desk stood in the middle. A woman with a German shepherd mix sat quietly in one of the chairs.

  “What exactly does the clinic do?” Connor asked.

  “We provide low-cost pet services to the community: vaccinations, exams even operations and medications. Some of these people wouldn’t be able to afford to care for their pets if it weren’t for us.” Risa felt a swell of pride as she thought about all the animals that had been given a second chance at life because of the clinic and her efforts.

  Connor stroked his chin. “Is it profitable?”

  Risa felt her stomach clench. She was afraid he was going to ask that. “Well, not directly. But our customers help spread brand loyalty and they do buy our pet foods and supplements.” She indicated the shelves.

  “But surely the cost of veterinary care, medicine, and operations must be a drain on the company financials.”

  Risa could almost see the wheels in Connor’s brain turning, trying to calculate how much the clinic cost them with no thought to the good it did.

  “Well, it’s not that expensive, we do have people who volunteer their time and we get a discount on the supplies,” she offered.

  “I guess we’ll let the accounting sheets tell us whether this is a drain on the company or not.” The cold, calculating tone of Connor’s voice turned Risa’s heart to stone.

  A draing on the company?

  Risa felt her cheeks burn with anger. She’d be damned if she’d stand idly by and watch all her hard work be ruined by corporate greed from a company that only cared about the bottom line.

  Connor glanced at his watch. “I have some personal matters to tend to this afternoon, but tomorrow I’d like to get my accounting expert in here to start looking at the financials. Let’s say we meet around ten o’clock?”

  Risa bit back the angry words she had been forming and nodded. Much better to play along.

  “OK, then.” Connor stuck out his hand. “It was nice to see you after all these years. My car is parked outside in the lot there so I’ll just be on my way.”

  Risa quickly shook his hand and muttered a good-bye. She bit her bottom lip as she watched him retreat to the parking lot. It was clear that Connor Dunn was a strict numbers man and the only way to get him to disapprove of the acquisition was to prove to him the company was a bad risk financially. Her messy office and straggly appearance wasn’t going to do the trick on its own.

  The problem was that the company was actually doing quite well financially. Risa felt her heart pound in her chest as she realized what she was going to have to do in order to make the finances appear unattractive.

  Luckily she had someone in accounting who owed her a big favor. She just hoped cashing in on that favor wouldn’t backfire and expose the little secret they’d been keeping.

  Chapter Two

  Connor looked out the windshield of his black SUV at the Healthy-Pet building. His mind wandered back to when he was thirteen years old. A smile flirted with his lips as he remembered the crush he’d had on Risa Kennedy.

  Back then he’d been too shy to do much more than stare at her in adolescent lust. His tongue never seemed to work right around her. He had never acted on his feelings and was certain Risa had no idea; in fact he was even surprised she remembered him at all.

  His heart clenched in dismay to find that she was even more beautiful now. But twenty years and a disastrous relationship later, he was no longer a naive boy and had no time, or desire, to get involved with anyone, much less the daughter of his father’s long-time friend and someone who might potentially be working for Dunn International should the acquisition go through as planned.

  He narrowed his eyes as his thoughts turned to the acquisition. It was looking like his first instinct might be right. Healthy-Pet might not be a wise investment for the company. The clinic certainly wasn’t adding to the bottom line. Plus he had a funny feeling about Risa Kennedy that had nothing to do with his boyhood crush.

  Her disorganized office and sloppy attire didn’t mesh with the research information he’d been given on her. From what his investigator, Jason Anders, had said, she was highly organized and professional, with a degree in veterinary medicine and an MBA.

  Somehow the ketchup-stained blouse and run in her stockings didn’t fit. Although he couldn’t forget how that stocking run creeping its way up the back of her well-toned calf had caused his pulse to quicken, the inconsistencies were more reason to disregard any romantic thoughts he had about her.

  Connor jammed the key into the ignition. Just what was Risa Kennedy up to?

  He made a mental note to have Anders dig a little deeper into her background. If she was doing some sort of cover-up to try to pawn a failing company off on his father then he needed to know in time to stop the acquisition.

  Pulling out of the parking lot, he headed for his one-bedroom suite at the pet-f
riendly Residence Inn. Picasso, his harlequin Great Dane, had been cooped up in the suite since morning. Taking the dog for a long walk would give him some exercise and also help Connor clear his head.

  His heart felt lighter just thinking about the 135-pound canine who had been his closest friend for the past several years since his relationship with Francesca had ended in disaster. He had hoped this trip would give him some much needed time with the dog. His schedule of late had required a lot of travel and he was feeling guilty about leaving Picasso so much.

  Once this silly acquisition was behind him, he planned to have less of a day-to-day role in the company and not have to travel quite so much. He even entertained the thought of putting down roots in a nice town…someplace like Gardner’s Grove, maybe.

  Connor looked out his side window as he drove by old-fashioned houses, neat lawns and tree-lined streets. He’d grown up here in Gardner’s Grove. It held a certain nostalgia for him. Maybe he’d even look up some of his boyhood friends while he was in town. The thought put a smile on his face.

  But first, he had to do a thorough evaluation of Healthy-Pet to make sure his father didn’t fall prey to a bad investment. Connor furrowed his brow, wondering why his father was so hell bent on this acquisition.

  There was no strategic reason for Dunn International to acquire a natural pet food company. Connor was afraid sentimental reasons had clouded his fathers better judgment. Tristan Dunn had become very close with Risa’s father, Dan, after both their wives had passed away within months of each other several years ago.

  Tristan had said Dan wanted to sell out so he would have plenty of money to enjoy traveling and golfing without the worry of managing a company. Connor hoped that was all it was, but his instincts told him there might be something else going on, and if there was, Connor was determined to expose it before his father made a big mistake.