LITMIR.BIZ

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was just that she’d never considered he would lay such a condition on him selling his 95 percent. It was all she could do to hold back her gasp of disbelief.

      Sebastian looked at Kayla, his dark gaze probing and speculative. “Some of my top employees in certain subsidiaries enjoy company stock as part of their bonus package. Nothing that would allow them anything like a five-percent stake in even a subsidiary, but I am not without understanding in how to best motivate performance.”

      “I am aware.” Andreas met Sebastian’s gaze squarely. “You want Kayla’s brains, she keeps her stake in the company.”

      That was more like the argument she had intended to make.

      “You are aware I am building up my conglomerate to have worthy companies, not simply a name to give to my children.”

      Sebastian gave a short nod. “You’re building a damn dynasty. I am aware.”

      Sebastian’s smile was wry. “Lina chose an American businessman over royalty. Our children will have a legacy worthy of such a mother.”

      Kayla shook her head. Andreas wasn’t the only business tycoon with something to prove.

      “So, we have a deal?” She pressed her hands tightly together under the table, still unable to believe after all her angst Andreas had come down so strongly on her side during this negotiation.

      Sebastian looked at her and then back at Andreas. “I have a counteroffer.”

      “What is it?” Kayla asked, unwilling to allow Andreas to continue running the meeting, no matter how successful his words might have been.

      “You sell half your five percent to Andreas.”

      “Why?” Andreas demanded.

      Kayla frowned in thought. Was 2.5 percent enough to maintain her sense of security? The money would certainly come in handy for the shelter.

      “You can consider it one of your first investments for your new venture capital company,” Sebastian said. “So long as you own skin in the game, the new CEO will have access to your brains and industry contacts. One day, you’ll be there to help mentor my children.”

      No matter how much Kayla might like the idea, Andreas would never go for that. It wasn’t part of his grand plan and he never gave up a plan once he made it.

      “Why would you need me, now or later?” Andreas asked. “Your CEO would come to you for advice, surely, and you’ll mentor your own children.”

      “I can give my children no greater gift than to assure they have access to good mentors in their lives.”

      Kayla didn’t know about Andreas, but she was touched on his behalf.

      He actually looked kind of gobsmacked. “That is quite an honor, but you know I planned to move on completely from KJ Software.”

      Kayla’s heart sank at his confirmation of what she already knew.

      “Yes, but would it really be such a burden to maintain nominal ownership in the company?”

      And Kayla suddenly realized something. Sebastian Hawk really wanted this, had probably wanted it from the beginning of his negotiations with Andreas.

      She looked at both men, realizing their arguments sounded almost rehearsed. Or rehashed. “You asked Andreas to stay on as nominal partner to begin with, but he refused.”

      “Despite his possessive attitude toward his business, he did.” Andreas sounded disgruntled. “I let him know it was not an option.”

      “Things have changed, haven’t they?” Sebastian prompted.

      “Because I’m asking for something you don’t want to give.” Kayla didn’t try to stifle her sigh of disappointment. Sebastian Hawk would rather have her as an employee than a business partner.

      Kayla wasn’t offended. She knew her strengths and they happened in the computer lab, not the conference room. That was undeniably Andreas’s forte.

      “Oh, I’m positive that under his cool demeaner, Hawk is thrilled you want to keep your ownership, pethi mou. He couldn’t be sure you wouldn’t be headhunted otherwise.”

      Kayla looked between the men. Sebastian Hawk’s expression gave nothing away. Andreas looked about as movable as a rock.

      Things were not looking good for her.

      “I can tell you that Andreas has not changed his mind about pulling out of KJ Software completely.” Kayla’s hope for a positive outcome to this meeting dwindled by the second. “I can also tell you that if you try to push me out of ownership of my company, I will walk away from it and I won’t be signing any non-compete contracts either.”

      It wasn’t a threat exactly. She knew she couldn’t hope to compete with a company the size of Hawk Enterprises, but if he wasn’t lying about truly valuing her expertise and creative programming ideas, he wanted to keep her on at KJ Software.

      “You’ve trained her well, Andreas.” Sebastian didn’t sound annoyed. He did look just slightly amused.

      Kayla could have cheerfully kicked his shin under the table. This was her life they were talking about.

      Andreas must have read something on her face because he reached out and pulled her right hand out of its clasp with her left to hold it. “Stay calm, pethi mou. Hawk is a reasonable man.”

      “I have not refused and you are quite right, Kayla, your value to the company is such that I have no desire to see you move on. However, both of you must realize that KJ Software itself will do better with both Andreas and my expertise at its CEO’s disposal. It’s still a fairly new company and even folded into the structure of Hawk Enterprises, there are growing pains ahead.”

      Kayla agreed. Of course she did. If she had her way, Andreas wouldn’t be selling the company at all, but that wasn’t what he wanted. He wanted to take his money and business skills and bring success to other ventures.

      Andreas frowned. “Those growing pains will happen because it’s a strong company that will add significantly to Hawk Enterprises.”

      “Agreed.” Hawk didn’t add anything else.

      No compromise there. From either man.

      “I came to New York to settle my future, not scuttle Andreas’s plans.” Kayla stood up. “I won’t allow you to make my keeping my five percent a condition of the deal, Andreas. This is too important to you.”

      “And it is not important to you?” He stood too, his hand still holding hers. “Come, sit back down, this is part of business. I know not a part you enjoy, but that is why you needed me here.”

      She’d needed him there because he knew that Sebastian Hawk wanted something Kayla could never have promised on Andreas’s behalf. Nor would she want to. She ignored his claim when she answered, “I think we’ve all said what needed saying.”

      She pulled her hand from his and turned to offer it to Sebastian. “Thank you for meeting with me. Let me know if you decide my terms are acceptable.”

      Sebastian had stood when Andreas did. He took her hand and shook it with all evidence of friendliness and good will. “Kayla, you are a brilliant programmer. Do not underestimate how much I want you to stay on at KJ Software.”

      Just not enough to make the deal without the added incentive of Andreas maintaining a connection to the company. She got the silent message.

      Unable to force words past her suddenly constricted throat, she simply nodded.

      Andreas cursed in Greek. It was something he did when he was really frustrated, a habit he’d developed young, he’d told her once. He’d learned the words from friends of his mother’s, other transplanted Greeks she made sure he was exposed to during his childhood, wanting him to maintain a heritage from her homeland.

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