Undeniable Box Set

Chapter 1

Chapter One

Lily fidgeted with her tablet cover from her first class seat, chewing the lipstick off her lips. She wasn’t afraid of flying, but feared this would be her last trip to Rome. Once the assignment was complete, she’d return to LA and a pink slip, and there wasn’t a damn thing she could do about it.

Her company, ALK, had recently been taken over by a larger company—a company known for bringing in their own people and eliminating duplication. Her sadness only grew because she loved her job. Really loved her job.

Dammit!

She’d need to remember what her best friend, Courtney, told her. There are no good ways to be fired, only better ways to accept it. You are smart and good at what you do. Handle it all with grace. You will rock your next job.

The plane pushed off from the gate, and Lily was secretly thankful that the seat next to her remained vacant.

She ate an egg white omelet and fruit with a cup of black coffee. When the flight attendant offered her a danish, she declined. Carbs were not her friend.

The plane had a scheduled stop in Dallas for those not going through to Rome, so Lily checked her email and waited for passengers to deplane and board.

A tall man dressed in a tailor-made dark suit and blue silk tie boarded. She couldn’t determine exactly how tall, but he had a few inches over Kirk, her ex. She crossed her fingers that he’d take the seat next to her. He was likely married, knowing her luck, but he’d be good eye candy for the long flight.

Her stomach tumbled over when he smiled and made his way through first class to her aisle.

“Hi.”

“Hi.”

He slipped off his suit jacket and hoisted his carry-on suitcase into the overhead compartment. Then, he shoved his leather laptop bag beneath the seat in front of him. His moves were sure and strong, and Lily became captivated watching him.

Although first class gave more space, when Lily inhaled, she was rewarded with a tantalizing musky, masculine scent. Simply divine. If she knew for certain it would go unnoticed, she’d lean in closer.

The man offered polite small talk, and seemed to be in work mode. That’s what she called it when her father came home from work, but still had things processing in his brain.

She watched his intense eyes and his sculptured lips when he asked if she had enough leg room. He had a rich, soothing voice she could listen to all day. Her heart beat faster than normal just being close to him.

When the tall, blonde flight attendant wearing a perfect smile came back to take drink orders, she asked him first. Lily was floored when the man next to her turned and said, “What would you like to drink?”

“Um, a glass of unsweetened tea.” The flight attendant blushed at her misstep, but smiled an apology, and then looked at him.

“Ice water with a slice of lime, please.”

The attendant returned shortly and set the drinks on the tray tables. The moment he had permission to use his laptop, he opened a rather impressive machine. He focused on his work, typing fast, with an occasional grunt or sigh.

Lily leaned forward to retrieve a book from her bag, and discreetly glanced at his left hand to see he wasn’t wearing a ring. Surely someone this handsome and intriguing is married, she thought. Probably engaged.

She sighed and opened her book. After reading for a while, Lily thought about what she needed to accomplish while in Rome, and stewed over her ex. Kirk had wooed her and she’d foolishly fallen for it. She knew his manipulating type, and should have been on guard. She mentally shook her head. Lessons learned.

Lily dozed off for about an hour of the twelve-hour flight, and when she awoke the man next to her was sleeping. He’d put his computer away and loosened his tie. She took in his striking features—chiseled jawline, his refined cheekbones, not to mention the tailored cut of his pants.

As if sensing her attention, he opened his eyes and found her looking at him. Her face heated with embarrassment when he grinned at her.

"Good evening,” he said, sounding as cultured and polished as he looked.

"Evening. Sorry about that." She turned to face front.

"It’s okay. I'm glad I wasn't drooling."

She couldn't hold back her smile.

The flight attendant came to their aisle this time asking them both, "Can I get you anything to eat or drink?"

Lily ordered a glass of white wine, and he asked for a light beer and some nuts. He faced her and introduced himself. "I'm Brandon Morgan."

She shook his hand, noticing how firm yet smooth it felt. "Lily Bennett."

Brandon watched Lily as he gave her his name but it didn't seem to mean anything to her. And for that, he was thankful. Sometimes it was nice to be known as the president and CEO of a Fortune 1000 company, and other times he appreciated the anonymity. Like his two sisters, Brandon had been an Executive Vice President for his father's company, Laurel Medical Incorporated. When his father had a heart attack and triple bypass surgery two years prior, they were forced to take over—earlier then he had expected.

Lily’s shoulder-length brunette hair moved slightly when she spoke, and her smile showed in her blue eyes. He instantly appreciated the glimpses of her figure hiding under her suit jacket.

“So, what brings you to Rome, business or pleasure?”

“Business. I’m a project manager for a skincare company based in LA, so this is strictly a business trip,” she said without much of a smile.

Didn’t she like her job?

“What brings you to Rome?” she parroted.

“Business as well. My company is thinking of buying another company based there.”

“Oh wow. So, you’re in mergers and acquisitions?”

“Yes, something like that.” And many other things.

“Exciting. What’s the name of the company—”

“This is not the same chardonnay I had earlier.” The raised voice from the man in front of them carried throughout the triple-seven’s first class.

The flight attendant’s eyes widened and she replied in calm tones, though Brandon couldn’t make out her words.

“Well, then let me see what else you have,” he demanded.

She nodded, giving him a sugary-sweet smile, and flipped her over-dyed hair as she returned to the front of the plane.

Brandon glanced at Lily who had an exaggerated look of surprise on her face.

She giggled softly, and he smiled back.

“Do you go to Rome often?” he asked.

She nodded. “Yes, about twice a year. We grow the ingredients for our skincare a few miles outside of the city.”

What is the cost for such a venture? “You can’t grow them in the US?”

“The owner has sensitive skin and insisted every product from day one be uber organic, you might say. From the seed to the shelf, every process is organic and uncontaminated, and European countries are better equipped to meet our strict requirements.”

Interesting. He nodded slowly, recalling she was a product manager, he asked, “And you check up on these farms?”

“Yes, plus I need to oversee the process for a new oil-control face lotion we are about to introduce.” She gestured with her hands.

Brandon was drawn to Lily’s enthusiasm. That kind of zest and intelligence wasn’t often present in employees who’d been doing a job for a long time. “Fascinating.”

“It is. It’s a great company, and I like my job a lot.” He noticed the slight furrow in her brow.

In an obvious subject change, she asked, “Can you talk about your big merger?”

He smiled at the tone in her voice, like she might be privy to a big secret. “Sure. We manufacture medical devices. And this is a friendly buyout. It’s a mid-size company that not only gives us instant entry into Europe, but they have a successful product we want to market as well.”

The flight attendant returned to take their dinner orders. The frequency of her visits, although he knew it was her protocol, was becoming annoying. He’d much rather talk with Lily than order fish or chicken.

Brandon couldn’t have asked for better company. He actually thought he’d use the time to get a chunk of work done.

Lily seemed quiet at times, yet animated and engaging at others. For the remainder of the flight, they talked about their families, Italy, other European countries, latest medical news, nutrition, just about anything and everything. He could laugh because it felt very much like a date.

When they arrived in Italy, he was slightly disappointed to say goodbye to Lily Bennett.

“Nice chatting with you, Brandon.” She held out her hand and smiled.

He squeezed her hand and returned the smile. “You too, Lily. Take care of yourself.” Then she navigated her rolling suitcase past baggage claim, and he watched her spellbinding curves walk out to a waiting taxi.