Maddie Fortune's Perfect Man

Her mind raced as she smoothed her black pencil skirt before sitting down.

Maybe today isn’t the day. And that’s okay. It’s fine.

Actually, it wasn’t okay, but what other option did she have?

She’d talk to her dad after the meeting and assure him she knew it was hard to relinquish control. After all, if anyone knew that, she did. She’d inherited the tendency to micromanage from the man himself. He probably just needed a little reassurance that Fortunado Real Estate would be fine in her hands. It would be more than fine. It would thrive.

He just needed to bite the bullet and make the decision already.

She tamped down her disappointment by letting her gaze do a quick sweep of Zach in his dress khakis and white button-down, which was open at the collar. As always, he looked effortlessly professional. And gorgeous. Neither too casual nor overly preened. Leave it to him and his broad shoulders and perfect butt to make simple white and beige look like a work of art.

Yes, she’d noticed.

She studied the angle of his cheekbones, the slant of his aquiline nose, the waves of his blond hair and the gleam of his blue, blue bedroom eyes. It was hard not to notice Zach McCarter and all his masculine perfection.

In fact, just last night she’d indulged in a late-night fantasy about Zach’s masculine perfection—those perfect shoulders and butt. And those dimples. Oh, those dimples.

He was gorgeous. And she was human. And he was totally and completely off-limits, which made him the perfect secret crush. And, well, a guy like Zach never looked at a woman like Maddie, which was fine with her. In fact, it was just the way she liked it. If she was going to be his boss, he could never know about the thoughts that ran through her head.

It wasn’t as if he was a mind reader. So, she had nothing to worry about.

Except she was worrying about his presence at this meeting. What was he doing here?

Maddie thought her father would’ve talked to her separately.

A sinking feeling lodged itself in the pit of her stomach.

Last year, Zach had barely edged out Maddie as Fortunado’s top sales producer. This year they were running neck and neck. But it was only May and she fully intended to reclaim the throne. That victory would be the final jewel in the crown after she took over for her father. Of course, she’d been focusing on administrative tasks other than sales—mentoring Valene, learning the advertising and promo end of the business, researching client-building methods, and such. There were only so many hours in the day. She was doing all the extras and almost matching Zach as the top sales producer. It went without saying that if all she did was focus on sales, like Zach did, she’d be running circles around McCarter.

“Thank you for making time to meet with me this morning,” her father said, as if either of them would’ve opted out. “I’ve been eyeing retirement for a while now. It’s taken me a long time to wrap my head around the concept, but with a little help from Barbara, I’ve finally decided to take the plunge.”

He paused for what seemed an eternity and Maddie held perfectly still, resisting the urge to shift in her seat, redistributing her impatience.

Now that sinking feeling was gripping her stomach and attempting to turn it inside out.

“Congratulations, Kenneth,” Zach said. “I know it wasn’t an easy decision.”

“Thank you, Zach. It’s been one of the most difficult decisions of my life. This business represents the sum of my life’s work. I’ve invested a lot of sweat equity in this place, building it from the ground up. So, you can imagine that I want to leave the business in the best hands once I step back.”

Maddie sensed what was about to happen before her father spelled it out. She wanted to say something, but she didn’t want Zach McCarter to glimpse any weakness or uncertainty in her. This was her future. Her legacy. This wasn’t happening—

“I consider the two of you my right-hand people,” Kenneth continued as Maddie’s peripheral vision was overtaken by a white-tinged fog.

You can only have one right hand, Dad. Who is it? Him or me? It’s me, dammit. It’s me. Why are you doing this?

Her gaze could’ve singed a hole into her father as she tried in vain to telegraph her feelings to him. But he seemed clueless.

“That’s why I’ve narrowed the candidates for my replacement down to the two of you.”

He glanced first at Zach and then at Maddie.

“Maddie?” Kenneth’s smile fell. “Are you okay?”

Feeling two sets of eyes on her, Maddie forced her mouth into a smile. “I’m just surprised, Dad. This was the last thing I expected when you asked me to meet with you this morning.”

Her father gazed at her a few beats too long and she was sure he sensed her confusion. He was an intuitive man. He had to know that this was not just a surprise, but a personal affront, an insult.

“I thought you would’ve had some kind of idea,” her father said, “since we’ve discussed the possibility of you running Fortunado in the future.”

The possibility.

He’d led her to believe that it was more than just a possibility. No, he’d led her to believe that she would step into the position of president of Fortunado Real Estate upon his retirement. Now he couldn’t walk it back fast enough.

“I guess I thought you were offering more than a possibility,” she said.

She had dedicated every bit of her postgraduate self to Fortunado Real Estate. She’d sacrificed her personal life, her dating life, working eighteen-hour days and weekends, making herself available to clients twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. While her father may not have out-and-out promised her she would be his successor, he had implied it. Besides, Kenneth Fortunado was all about family. Why in the world would he consider turning over the family business to an outsider?

Her father either chose to ignore her remark or pretend as if he hadn’t heard it, because he was already moving on. It was a good thing he hadn’t pressed her because she wasn’t about to say anything more in front of Zach.

Her father leaned forward, his hands folded on his desk. “Barbara and I leave on our cruise on June 4. That means right after the wedding—in approximately two weeks—I will name my successor. If the two of you choose to accept the challenge, one of you will take my place as president of Fortunado Real Estate.”

Maddie glanced at Zach, fully expecting him to do the right thing and bow out. She wanted him to hold up his hands and say that it wasn’t appropriate, that it wasn’t his place to challenge Maddie for what was rightfully hers. Instead, he flashed that perfect smile with those dimples that opened doors and broke hearts. He looked Maddie square in the eyes and said, “I’m in.”

His smile was reminiscent of the one he’d given her last night when he’d challenged her to a friendly game of Ping-Pong. But this was a competition to determine her future—to decide who got control over her birthright.

But damned if her own traitorous heart didn’t twist at the sheer rakish beauty of him. That hurt almost as much as the thought of her uncertain future.

“Bring it on,” she said, instantly wishing she would’ve said something a little classier. But he didn’t seem to mind. His eyes glinted as if sparked by the competition. She forced her gaze away from the seductive pull of his.

Once upon a time Zach McCarter might have been her secret crush, but now he was the competition. As far as she was concerned, he was the enemy.

“Good,” said Kenneth, turning his gaze on Maddie. “Maddie, I’m proud of you for rising to the occasion. I must admit that I was worried about how you’d take it. But I have to hand it to you for wanting what’s best for the business.”

Maddie dug her nails into her palms as she kept the smile fixed on her face. So, he’d worried about how she’d take it, but he hadn’t given her the courtesy of a heads-up before this meeting? Oh, yeah, they’d talk about what was best for the family business later.

“The real estate business is brutal,” said Kenneth. “Whoever takes over Fortunado will likely face much tougher challenges in the years ahead. I want to make sure whoever I choose is up for the long haul.”

Ostensibly, he was speaking to both of them, but he was looking at Maddie.

And she’d believed it couldn’t possibly get worse.

Were they really going to do this now?

“I’m up for the challenge, Dad.” Her voice was clear and her words were crisp. “I didn’t realize our family business was up for grabs. You know, open to an outsider.”

She was well aware that her words had surpassed crisp and veered into clipped. Her father winced, but she didn’t know how Zach reacted because she didn't look at him. But she’d guess that he’d managed to keep a pleasantly stoic poker face. And if she knew what was good for her, she’d compose herself, too.

Her father cleared his throat. “The business is not up for grabs, as you put it. You might be the one I choose if you prove yourself the worthiest.”

Prove myself the worthiest? What the hell do you think I’ve been trying to do my entire adult life?

Her father’s words shook her to her very core. After all the hours she’d put in, all the sacrifices she’d made for the good of the company, he still wasn’t satisfied that she’d proven herself worthy?

If she didn’t know better, she might think that this had more to do with turning over the reins to one of his daughters. His sons weren’t interested. So, what did he do? He adopted one.

At least she had the good sense to not talk about this now. But they would talk. He had better believe they would talk.

Even in her fury, she had the presence of mind to know that her father wasn’t a chauvinist. He’d trained her himself and he’d led her to believe—

She shook away the thought. And she tried to ignore the little voice that taunted her, reminding her that Zach had outsold her last year.

Not by much, but he’d won.

He’d won and she’d lost.

Kenneth looked from Maddie to Zach and back to Maddie. “Your future is in your own hands,” Kenneth said. “You can win the position, but you have to earn it. I’m speaking to both of you.”

A sound like white noise buzzed in Maddie’s ears.

“I’m a self-made man,” Kenneth continued. “I never had anything handed to me. I built this business from the ground up and I want to make sure my successor not only fosters it, but takes it to places I never dreamed possible.”

He punctuated the statement with a shrug.

Self-made man? Never had anything handed to him?

Was he kidding?

It took every ounce of Maddie’s self-control to keep from reminding him that the Texas Lottery money he’d won hadn’t exactly come from hard work and determination. He’d beaten the odds and was lucky enough to choose the right numbers. But she also knew what his retort would be. That he’d invested that money. He hadn’t squandered it on all the trappings that a man who’d been raised by a single mother who could barely make ends meet might’ve been tempted to buy: the fancy house, the expensive cars. She’d heard him tell the story a million times. At face value, a cool million seemed like a lot of money, but it wasn’t. In fact, it was just enough to provide a false sense of wealth. After a person lived like a rich man for a few years, all he’d have left to show for it would be an empty bank account—and very often he’d be in worse financial shape than when he’d started.

It was a point of pride for Kenneth that he had been smart and invested his money. He’d worked hard to build Fortunado Real Estate into what it was today.

Yeah, Dad, what about how hard I’ve worked for you? What about how much of myself I’ve invested in you and Fortunado?

He glanced at his watch. “I need to leave in a few moments. I have a lunch appointment and I don’t want to be late. But do you have any questions I can answer before we adjourn?”

Yeah, Dad, I do. What the hell?

“What are you looking for?” Zach asked. “What’s the criteria?”

Maddie turned and looked at Zach for the first time since her dad had made the announcement.

Ah! Amateur question, McCarter.

She knew instantly what her father would say before he said it.

Kenneth shrugged. “Show me what you’ve got. That’s all I’m going to say. Well, that and may the best man—or woman—win.”

Her father held up a finger, his eyes flashing. “Wait. There is something. You know the Paisley? That new high-rise Dave Madison is building downtown? I want Fortunado to be the exclusive agents for that property. I want you two to work together to land that listing. The whole building. You need to work together to come up with a plan to seal the deal. That’s an important part of the challenge.”

“We’re on it.” Zach got to his feet, making all the right noises of agreement and understanding. As he shook Kenneth’s hand, Maddie stayed in her seat. Zach lingered on the threshold of her father’s office, obviously watching to see what she was going to say or do.

Maddie got a little bit of satisfaction from the look on his face when she said, “I need to talk to my father for a moment, Zach. Please excuse us.”

“No problem.” Zach gave a quick wave of his hand and closed Kenneth’s office door behind him.

“How could you do this to me?” She turned to her dad the second they were alone. “I’m your daughter.”

She couldn’t remember playing this card before. It had been a point of pride to never take advantage of the fact that she was the boss’s daughter. She knew she enjoyed a certain level of job security that those without the benefit of Fortunado blood didn’t have. But she’d never needed it. She’d worked damn hard to earn the presidency that her father had so unceremoniously announced was up for grabs.

If that’s the way he was going to be, then for a few moments she was going to play the family card. She was going to be the boss’s daughter because he owed her an explanation—if for nothing else, as to why he’d blindsided her.

She could tell by the look on his face that he could see the depth of her anger.

“I’m sorry, Maddie,” he said. “I can understand that this comes as a surprise, but I think you’ll appreciate the challenge and rise to the occasion once you have some time to think it through.”

She let his words reverberate in the air and took some satisfaction that at least he understood that she was upset.

“I love you,” he continued. “I love all my children, but I also don’t intend to let you or your siblings get complacent—especially when it comes to the business I’ve spent my life building. All promotions at Fortunado Real Estate must be earned. I have complete faith that you’ll earn yours.”

* * *

People might have argued that Zach McCarter was a lot of things. One thing they couldn’t call him was a quitter. Overly sentimental probably wouldn’t be on the list either.

So, why was it, he wondered, as he waited for Maddie at the Blue Moon Cafe, that he couldn’t stop thinking about the look on her face when Kenneth had presented the challenge?

This should’ve been a day to celebrate his shot at the opportunity of a lifetime. This was the payoff for his hard work. Instead, he felt vaguely unsettled thinking about that injured-doe look in Maddie’s blue eyes.

She’d probably kick him if she knew he was comparing her to an injured animal. She’d probably buck right up in his face.

But that’s what he’d seen and he couldn’t get her face out of his head.

This was business. Any other time—any other person—and Zach wouldn’t have given it a second thought. But he had a soft spot for Maddie.

Zach was probably more surprised than Maddie when Kenneth asked them to compete for the position. After all, everyone who worked for Fortunado Real Estate knew that Maddie coveted her father’s job. She was the heir apparent, and everyone thought it was a given that she would take over for Kenneth when he retired.

When Kenneth asked him to transfer from San Antonio to the Houston office, Zach knew change was in the air. At first, he thought it was a token gesture to pacify Zach’s restlessness. Kenneth seemed good at reading people. Even though Zach hadn’t said it, Kenneth had to know that after five years as a broker with Fortunado, it was time for a change, time to open his own real estate office. After all, he was making Fortunado a hell of a lot of money.

Zach had no ties to San Antonio, no family to consider, no reason to not pack up and move to Houston. The move was an opportunity to learn the Houston market, which would be a useful tool once he did strike out on his own. When Kenneth had asked him to come to Houston, he’d said he wanted his senior associates to focus on teamwork, that there was some new construction in the Houston area and he wanted to put together an “A-Team”—Kenneth’s words. He hadn’t said who else was on his A-Team, but he’d specifically spelled out that he wanted Zach’s help assuring that Fortunado would get exclusive listing contracts. Of course, Zach had been up for the challenge, but that teamwork bit threw him. Generally, he worked alone. He rarely partnered with other agents on listings. It wasn’t his MO. Of course, it would take teamwork to run a business like Fortunado.

But this—this chance to head Fortunado—it was an unexpected challenge and he liked it. It would take teamwork and maybe this was a good chance for him to prove to himself that he wanted to manage a team rather than flying solo.

It all made sense—the transfer, the invitation to the barbecue where Kenneth announced his intent to retire, and today’s meeting where he’d tapped the two of them as front-runners for his position.

The only thing getting in the way of intense satisfaction and immediate strategizing on how to annihilate the competition was that look on Maddie’s face.

That’s why he’d wanted the two of them to have lunch and sort this out. Kenneth had been smart when he’d tacked on the Paisley addendum. The last thing he needed was for his two top associates to be at war. Not only did they need to sit down and strategize about the Paisley, but they needed to make sure everything was good between them.

Easy for him to say since he was the interloper.

When Maddie walked into the restaurant, their gazes snared. She didn’t smile. Her face looked neutral. Again, she seemed to be daring him to look away first—to walk away from the opportunity first.

He stood and watched her walk toward him.

He had two choices: he could bow out or he could go for it. If he chose to go for it, there would be no option but to pull out all the stops, to step up his game. If he stepped up his game, he would win. He always won. It was a point of pride.

Even if this opportunity didn’t feel 100 percent right and it felt as if he was preparing to take something that didn’t belong to him, Zach McCarter had never been a quitter.

He needed to put his game face on now. That face didn’t have to be mean or savage. The mark of a good manager was to deal with conflict and produce as many win-wins as possible—especially in situations like this where there could only be one winner.

Him.

He would need Maddie on his team when that happened.

“Zach,” she said, as she reached the table.

“Maddie, thanks for agreeing to meet on such short notice.”

He reached for her chair, but she pulled it out herself. “Of course,” she said. “There’s a lot at stake here.”

He nodded.

“That’s why it’s even more important that we work together,” she said.

He wasn’t sure what he’d expected, but based on the way she’d received the news not even two hours earlier, her eagerness to work together came as a shock. The woman was full of surprises.

“I’m glad you feel that way,” he said. “We’re going to make a great team.”

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