She Was Never Just the Billionaire’s Wife (Natasha and Chase) novel Chapter 13

Chapter 13 Emergency

(Natasha)

“I’m fine. What’s going on?” I ask in confusion.

“Mason called me. He says you’re trying to reach him. He doesn’t want to do anything that risks your bet with Chase, but he’s worried something may be wrong. He told me to get my ass over here in a hurry,” Gloria explains.

Oh, Mason.

He always puts my best interests first. I know it must have killed him not to answer my call, but he’s right. The risk is too big.

Gloria interrupts my thoughts by handing me a red folder.

“I’m glad you’re okay. I’ll let Mason know, he’s frantic. Since there’s no emergency, you may want to act on this”

Tracking Jeffrey Bauer down takes a lot of careful planning.

Gloria did her job perfectly. She found out he visits the same coffee shop every Tuesday morning.

Walking into the busy shop today, the smell of fresh pastries and strong coffee hits me immediately.

My mouth waters for a real espresso, but I ignore the craving.

Spotting Jeffrey is easy. He sits at his usual corner table near the front window, reading a newspaper.

As I walk to his table, my heart beats a little faster. This meeting is very important for my divorce.

Stopping next to his chair, I wait for him to look up.

He finally raises his head and smiles. There’s no surprise in his eyes.

He expected me to track him down.

“Natasha,” he says warmly. “Please, sit down. Join me for a bite to eat.”

Accepting his offer, I slide into the wooden chair across from him.

My swollen knee complains a little, but I hide the pain.

A waiter quickly approaches our table.

Jeffrey orders a decaf tea and a breakfast croissant for me without even asking what I want.

It is a bold move, but I let it pass.

Leaning forward, he rests his arms on the small table.

His eyes slowly drop down to my lips before meeting my gaze again.

The romantic interest in his look is very obvious. He makes no effort to hide it.

Knowing he finds me attractive is strange and unwelcome.

Hitting on a pregnant woman in the middle of a nasty, public divorce is far too forward.

My life is currently a mess. The last thing I need is a new man trying to charm me.

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Ignoring his flirtatious smile, I place my plain folder on the table.

Business must come before anything else.

I’m here to win a deal, not a date.

Before I can open the folder, Jeffrey holds up a hand to stop me.

He reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out his cell phone.

Smiling across the table, he dials a number and puts the phone on speaker.

Placing it on the table between us, the line rings twice.

Hearing Nathanial Morton’s voice through the small speaker is a huge shock.

“Bauer,” Nathanial answers in his usual brisk tone.

“Nathanial, you have to come to The Roasting Room right away. We have important matters to discuss.”

He mentions absolutely nothing about Chase.

My mind races to figure out what’s happening.

Elias Warren must have built a direct partnership with Nathanial.

They’re cutting Chase completely out of the deal, and Jeffrey clearly knows all about this new arrangement.

Nathanial arrives at the coffee shop just ten minutes later.

He wears a sharp charcoal grey suit and looks as serious as always.

Walking over to our table, his eyes immediately lock onto me.

Sitting down next to Jeffrey, Nathanial gives me a polite nod.

“I figure it’s best if you make your proposal in front of Nathanial,” Jeffrey explains.

“His offer is currently the main contender. It makes my life easier if the two of you can defend your proposals head to head.”

Taking a deep breath, I nod and open my folder.

Laying down my offer is simple. I skip all the heavy business language.

There’s no need for complicated charts or long reports.

I point out the exact numbers on the page.

I show him the clear path to higher profits.

There are no hidden fees in Mason’s offer.

Explaining exactly how Mason’s firm can offer Jeffrey more money and better control takes only five minutes.

It’s a clean, honest deal.

Jeffrey watches my face the entire time I speak. He looks highly entertained.

He doesn’t interrupt me once. Neither does Nathaniel.

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When I finish explaining the numbers, he leans back in his chair.

“Your mind is incredibly sexy, Natasha,” Jeffrey says with a grin.

Beside him, Nathanial frowns at the inappropriate comment while he looks closely at my paperwork.

I actually think he looks genuinely impressed by my business plan.

Winning his respect feels like a major victory. But I’m not stupid enough to believe he’s not about to try and poke holes in my numbers.

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