She'd once been that woman. Of course, that was centuries ago, before the ugliness between them sprouted from dark corners and swallowed them up whole.
Didn't matter. She only dealt with Tristan for work now, though the past two years had been more difficult, as she was forced to spend so much time in his presence. Those five years after he'd moved to New York and been away from Harrington were hard, but she'd finally grown up. Become a mother and made her own niche in life, rather than waiting for him to dictate her wants and needs.
If only she weren't still attracted to the man.
Already the room surged with the innate connection between them. Some things never disappeared. They'd always had chemistry. Now it was just a matter of accepting it as fact and ignoring it.
Most of the time she managed.
"Let me settle in. We'll start in fifteen?" he asked.
"Yes, that's fine."
She turned away, discarding the napkin, and he left. She practically sagged in relief. Having him too close threw her off, and this morning she needed to be a poised, cool, confident professional.
Twenty minutes later, the team was assembled around the conference table. She tried to keep a smug smile from her face as they immediately attacked the tray of pastries, arguing good-naturedly over who got what and who saw which first. She'd decided on a sneak attack for her presentation. She knew these men well, and taking them by surprise would lower their defenses and allow them to really listen to her presentation without preliminary assumptions. The biggest problem with working for Pierce Brothers for the past decade was also her greatest asset.
She was like family. Unfortunately, this meant being treated like a little sister, which was also frustrating. She needed to convince them she was the best person for the job of CFO based on her business history. Not because of familial relations.
"Who called this meeting?" Cal asked between bites of his favorite cinnamon bun. "It wasn't on my schedule originally." As the oldest brother of the crew, he was the most no-nonsense, with a simple, rugged manner. He wore his usual uniform of old, ripped jeans, a white T-shirt, and work boots. His face was as rough as his appearance, from his hooked nose to his bushy brows and gunmetal-gray eyes, but he was always protective and held the wisest counsel she knew. He'd led the company along with his brothers when it was almost lost due to his father's will, but now they stood together, bonded once again by affection.
"Not me." Dalton had his legs stretched out and propped up on the opposite-facing leather chair. She held back a sigh at the lack of professionalism. "I have no issues to discuss." As the youngest, he'd always been the wildest, and his woodworking talent was legendary. Stinging-blue eyes, long blond surfer-type hair, and an easy charm made women fall happily in line to warm his bed. Of course, now he was settled and in love with Raven. He'd grown and matured over the past year, and she had never seen him so happy.
They both looked at Tristan, who shrugged. Elegantly, of course. "I was told my calendar was rearranged just for this meeting."
The final member in the crew, not related by blood, was Brady. He lifted his hands in the air. "Nope. Have no idea what this is about." As the architect and a longtime family friend, he'd carved his own niche for himself in the company. With his dark Latin looks and commanding manner, he'd been essential to their success and easily held his own.
Time to gain control of this meeting and do what she came for.
"I did."
All gazes turned and focused on her. She gave them a cool smile and flipped on her laptop so the first slide of her PowerPoint presentation flashed on the screen. After quickly distributing the stack of handouts, she stood at the head of the conference table. Already she took in Tristan's fierce frown as he began flipping through the pages of her proposal.
"What's this about, Syd?" Cal asked, finishing up his pastry.
"As you know, I've been working at Pierce Brothers a long time. I started as file clerk, worked my way up to secretary, then executive assistant. I've been in charge of accounting, marketing, and managing the office staff."
Cal cocked his head. "You want a raise. You don't need to hold a meeting for this. You deserve a pay bump."
"I don't want just a raise, Cal. I want to be promoted to CFO of Pierce Brothers. I want to be part of the board of directors."
Dalton whistled. A grin curved his lips. "Man, this is gonna be good," he drawled, taking a bite of a simple jelly doughnut.
Brady sat back in his seat, a thoughtful look on his face. Cal nodded, urging her to go on. She refused to glance over at Tristan. She didn't need any negative energy affecting her presentation.