Flowers in Bloom

Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

“We’ll be landing in forty minutes, Mr Clayton,” the stewardess informed him. “Is there anything I can get for you? Coffee? Breakfast?”

“No. Thank you, Sheila. What are you gonna do with your time in London?” he enquired. Shelia had been looking after Wyatt on his private jet for more than five years along with her husband, Chip, who was the plane’s pilot.

“Windsor Castle this time, sir. We never quite seem to get out of town when we’re here,” she replied.

“That’s because we’re never here long enough,” he smiled. “I’m glad to be so accommodating this time.” Sheila smiled warmly and headed back towards the flight deck.

He leaned back in his leather seat and stared out of the window, watching the lush green fields and rolling countryside of England creep into view. Forty-two-year-old Wyatt Clayton was tall, lean and blonde, with a charming dimple right in the middle of his chin. His eyes were cobalt blue and his mouth was set in a permanent, almost mocking grin. He was the epitome of the all-American hero.

Born and raised in a Texan trailer park, he had fought tooth and nail to get away from his abusive father and make something of himself. Almost a quarter of a century later, he was founder and CEO of one of the largest property acquisition companies in the world – Athos.

He had never been married - although he had come close with his most recent ex-girlfriend, Ashley - and had no children. His focus had been on making a ton of money and a success of his life. He had a reputation as a playboy in America but he didn’t care. He liked female company and had a voracious appetite in the bedroom.

His money, looks and power made him one of America’s most eligible bachelors, but he had a ruthless, mean streak that made him dangerous to get tangled up with - in business or pleasure.

He glanced at his emails one more time, checking to see if his right-hand-man, Bobby Garnett, had sent through the contracts for a huge chunk of land in Montana he had recently purchased.

Bobby had not let him down. The contracts were in order, approved by his legal team, and ready for his signature.

Another email caught his eye. It was from Emily Delevigne at Caleris Global – a company he had recently hired for its expertise in commercial property acquisitions in the UK.

Mr Clayton,

I’m pleased to inform you that I have found several properties that meet with your requirements.

I have attached the particulars for your perusal, and look forward to discussing them with you on Thursday.

Kind regards,

Emily Delevigne

He didn’t need to look at them. There was only one property he was interested in and he had hand-picked Caleris, and in particular Emily Delevigne, because of it.

He had purposefully flown through the night to make the most of his time in England - his schedule was tightly packed. As well as his meetings with Caleris Global, he had a handful of investors to woo and a couple of dinners to attend. He had also somehow managed to squeeze in a visit to his tailor on Savile Row - a biannual necessity.

The jet touched down at Farnborough private airport precisely on schedule, and Wyatt’s driver was waiting to collect him at the VIP arrivals suite. An hour later, he was in his hotel in London standing under a steaming shower washing the flight off his weary body. He was in fantastic shape, still as fit as he had been in his twenties thanks to a strict regime of running and working out. His appetite for business was unending and he was still as hungry for success as he had been all those years ago. However, it seemed like every new project came with even bigger issues than the last, and it was a constant battle to cross the finish line.

“This is gonna be one hell of a fight,” he muttered.