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Time for Revenge

Chapter 1

Chauffeur Ryan Cross looked in his rear-view mirror at the haggard face of the 33-year-old in the back seat.

She'd just emerged from the high-powered divorce settlement scrap between the legal team representing her and the other representing Ryan's employer, her arrogant husband.

Juno Rich, looking shell-shocked and, as yet unannounced by the media, had been heavily enriched to the tune of almost $9 million. Rather than looking victorious, she looked defeated.

"Juno, I think..."

"Ryan, how dare you. I remain Mrs Rich to you. Be aware of your position otherwise you're fired."

The shaggy brown-haired driver was undeterred.

"Stupid you are not, Juno and therefore don't spurn the guy capable of leading you back to normality. You need a crutch and I'm your best chance."

"That is preposterous. I have my friends, many of them."

"Raymond's friends you mean. Do you expect them to be disloyal to him and support you at his expense?"

Juno's brief bout of aggression subsided and she stuffed a lace-fringed handkerchief across her lips, her shoulders slumping.

She looked pathetic.

Finally, she capitulated, "What do you suggest?"

"Place yourself in my hands for one week and follow my instructions unless you find them reprehensible."

"That's absurd."

"That's one way of looking at it," Ryan said grimly. "Get yourself a shrink. I'm driving you home and then that's it. I quit and will move out this afternoon."

That was greeted in silence.

Ryan looked in the mirror and saw the handkerchief was again stuffed across her lips. He sighed thinking some women appeared to consider it acceptable to wallow in despair.

The recently retired foreign mercenary was surprised his choice had back-fired: Raymond Rich had offered to keep him on and had said facetiously, "Or perhaps you prefer driving Juno? She'll come out of this cashed up sufficiently to continue the limo way of life; I've seen the way you look at her."

Ryan had said demurely, "Men, including chauffeurs, find glancing at beautiful women irresistible."

Raymond, a little over twenty years older than his wife, chuckled and said, "Then you stay on with her. She mightn't take you to her bed but at least I'll feel more comfortable with her being under your protection; she'll be without friends now. I'll take you back if it doesn't work out because chauffeurs who also are top-rated bodyguards are as scarce as hair on a gigolo's chest."

They laughed and the publisher smirked at acknowledgment of his humour.

When Raymond moved out and Ryan stayed, Juno didn't comment until she came through the kitchen that first evening without her husband and saw Ryan having his meal. Only when she called him to drive her somewhere did he enquire, "Am I now in your employ?"

"Yes."

"Okay, that suits me."

"Continue to call me Mrs Rich until the divorce comes through. I trust you will keep freeloaders and beggars out of my life?"

"As you wish."

She said sternly, "As you wish Mrs Rich."

"As you wish, I said. If that doesn't suit fire me."

"Keep your hat on Ryan," she said, obviously already out of her brief state of depression. "I was simply expressing a personal preference, that's all."

"Very well Mrs Rich."

He'd caught her grin in the rear mirror.

As the white limo swept up the wide driveway to the hilltop mansion overlooking Sydney Harbour, that day's negotiations between husband and wife had unexpectedly finalised with agreement on settlement on the split of declared marital assets.

Juno, breaking the lengthy silence, said, "All right,"

"All right what?"

"I'll do what you want as it's the only offer I have. Let's start our expanded association from 8:00 in the morning."

"It starts now. Pack one bag of beach resort clothing and bring your make-up box. That's all, we leave in fifteen minutes."

"I have tickets for the ballet tonight and..."

"Fifteen minutes and we're out of here."

"Very well. Where are we off to?"

"I don't know yet."

"Christ," she groaned.

As Juno disappeared into the house, Ryan made a call.

"Yes Ryan?" his Aunt Helen answered. "Be brief; I'm at a luncheon."

"May I have the beach house for the next five days?"

She said of course, adding he knew where they kept the key and she expected to find the place as tidy as she'd left it. Helen then cut the call.

Ryan went to the kitchen and briefed the cook/housekeeper and the gardener that he and Mrs Rich would be away for a week; they had his cell phone number and they were to keep the property secure.

"I don't take orders from you," Mrs Pope said, eyeing him firmly.

"Mrs Rich may or may not brief you. If she doesn't, you have your instructions," Ryan said moving out to his stand-alone accommodation to pack. He wished it would be a dirty week of boozing and lust but suspected it would be rather like dealing with a stroppy teenager showing signs of self-destruct.

He returned to the limo expecting to wait for half an hour or so but was surprised to see Juno's two bags behind the vehicle and she was already seated.

"Did you brief Mrs Pope?"

"Yes."

"Good boy. Where're we going?"

"To the river mouth, my aunt's beach house."

"Oh, I only brought good clothes with me, but that will do."

They drove up to the beach house and parked. The garage was not long enough for the limo.

Juno said, "Omigod, just look at this place. I'd imaged it would be more like a shack. Just who is your aunt?"

"Helen Cross."

"Omigod, you mean the famous surgeon?"

"Yeah, my mother's married sister."

"Then who is your father? Raymond interviewed you for this position, not me."

"I prefer not to identify him. He's big in business but never financially helped my mother to raise me and when she died suddenly, he never came hunting for me to take me under his care. I've not spoken to him since the day he abandoned mum and me eight months before her death."

"Omigod, what a soulless man.

"My father is an asshole; his good nature was destroyed by my mother's infidelity and so she was partly to blame for the split in our family. Aunt Helen became my legal guardian and I agreed to change my surname to Cross to avoid embarrassing questions at school why was my surname different to my adopted parents.

"Then after you graduated from college you entered the Army, was promoted into the Special Services Force and on leaving the army with rank of Lieutenant Colonel, according to what my husband told me, you became a military adviser for hire to any country recruiting experts for covert operations."

"Something like that; I'm sworn to secrecy."

"Ooh," Juno giggled. "I'll have to get you drunk for you to spill the beans."

"Oh yeah, and if that leaked back to certain people I'd mysteriously go missing."

"What do you mean?"

Juno saw Ryan's eyes.

"That's cannot be Ryan, this is the 21st Century."

"I'll show you to your suite."

They had a quick tour and Ryan led Juno into the master bedroom. It was almost up to the standard of her own bedroom.

"You have this, I'm only the chauffeur."

He walked away saying lunch in fifteen minutes.

A couple of hours after lunch, Juno arrived at the pool in a yellow bikini that looked good against her olive skin (her mother was Greek). She had a great body but it was Ryan's body that received all the attention when he rose to greet her. He was in beautiful condition, muscle and sinews showed neatly assembled rather than being overdone from too much time at the gym.

But what really caught Juno's eye was a single thick red scar over his left shoulder and another scar over his right rib cage.

"Those scars," she whispered.

He grinned and said work-related incidents.

"How."

"A piece of shrapnel tore over my shoulder and I took a bullet initially aimed at my heart to scrape my ribs because my thrown knife reached the throat of the guy with the handgun just as he fired."

Juno blanched and he led her to a deck chair saying she was in danger of falling out of her top.

"Would that be any interest to you?"

"Wine?" he asked. "A very dry white," leaving her in no doubt that was the only comment forthcoming.

Ryan was on his thirtieth length of the pool when Juno finished her second glass of wine and yawned.

It was dusk when she felt herself being shaken awake.

"The first stage of your therapy is complete," he smiled.

"Therapy?"

"Yes, taking you away to another environment to have you relax and stop thinking about 'it', is part of the plan."

"By 'it' you mean the divorce?"

"Exactly, but let's not mention that or him while we are here, okay?"

"Agreed, so what now: seduction?"

He remained straight-faced.

"The word I used was therapy. I just want you to wind down which might only take two or three days and then we'll discuss our possible future."

"Our future?"

"Yes, I'm thinking of putting you back into business. You were never meant to be a lady."

Juno giggled and said, "Thank you very much!"

"Relax and don't think about my comment of you going back into business until you feel ready for serious discussion. You'll know that time has come for that discussion when you really want me to call you Juno. Do nothing to hasten to that point; just allow it to envelop you."

"Yes master."

"Good and now just relax. Read in the library. I'll be in the gym for half an hour and then will make dinner. You are on meals tomorrow."

* * *

On the third day at the beach, they had crossed the sand bar at the river mouth in calm seas in the Cross' runabout.

Juno, who'd never previously been fishing, almost fell out of the small boat in excitement when she hooked a fish and her rod tip arched towards the water.

Ten minutes later, under Ryan's encouragement and guidance, they boated a black bream of about 3 kg. She was so excited until Ryan handed her a knife and told her to cut it across the bottom of the gills to bleed it into the fish box.

"No."

"Don't be a baby."

"All right, tell me what to do."

She made the cut, grimacing. Ryan had already clubbed the fish to death.

"Now gut it and pull out its entrails and let them fall into the sea."

"Ugh!"

"Go on, a fisher is responsible for his or her catch."

"You're a real swine, Ryan."

"I know," he grinned.

He finished by cutting off the head but making her toss it into the water. A large and darkish shape appeared from under the boat and came up and took the morsel that by then was at least 7 to 8 metres below the surface.

"Oh God, what's that?" Juno yelled, grabbing on to Ryan.

"It's just a big fish on clean-up duty," he laughed, pushing her away. "Come on, we'll go back in now. We have enough off your catch for several meals."

Juno washed herself and then said, "That was a shark, wasn't it?"

Ryan just grinned. She splashed water at him from the bucketful he'd hauled out of the sea for her to sluice the rear of the boat clean.

He grinned.

She smiled slyly, "Call me Juno from now on. Does that mean we have sex?"

"Let's consider that as a climax to our stay on Friday night. There is no need to rush into it."

"May I stand alongside you and hug you."

"I suppose so."

"God, you play hard to get," Juno said, snuggling into him at the wheel." I've become so lonely."

"I know. We are now in the transition period of you shaking off you past and that includes your social past. Got it?"

"Yes, but if I run across friends made in my time with Raymond, there's no need to shun them, is there?"

"Of course not, but I suggest you don't accept any invitations from them nor contact any of those people. In my opinion, you need to make a total cut and manage your new life with or without me. I intend sticking around until you're on a roll. We'll begin talking about that over sundowner drinks this evening."

"Right, then I'm going to reward you with a really big salary rise."

Ryan convinced Juno to shelve that consideration until they had completed the next phase of her rehabilitation of living life without her outgoing husband.

* * *

On mid-morning Saturday, Ryan drove Juno home.

She was sitting in the front of the limo with him and she now possessed a business plan that excited her beyond belief. During the night, Ryan entered her bedroom and they had sex that had left them both near-exhausted.

When she awoke at dawn, she'd found he'd left her bed and she groaned in disappointment.

Juno felt like yelling to him to return but decided against that; he was managing her very well. She no longer felt depressed and useless. The chains had been severed.

The car would be returned to the leasing company on Monday, the current lease term was almost up and so there should not be any penalty to pay. Ryan was authorized to negotiate a down-sized and less eye-catching vehicle on lease to Juno until her company was formed when the lease would be transferred to the company.

The mansion was already on the market for sale and Juno would receive half of the net proceeds and the other half would go to her husband. Thanks to Ryan, everything was falling into place and she was ready to soar but knowing it would take time to establish: they would be launching into publishing.

Approval to register her company as Juno Publications Limited was in the hands of her lawyer.

The proposed category would be 'Hot romances; nothing depraved'.

Although Ryan said their project would put them in competition with Raymond Rich Publications Limited, Juno saw his eyes narrow when he made that comment. She believed that after Raymond dumped her, Ryan considered her husband was a skunk.

Juno and Ryan had looked at several options of her starting up in business and after 15 intensive hours over two days, they found themselves virtually back at square one and agreed her best bet was to return to publishing.

She'd been senior editor of fiction for Raymond Rich Publications when Raymond divorced his second wife after having commenced an affair with Juno. Eventually they were married and she was appointed editor-in-chief of all divisions.

"It's logical that you enter book publishing," Ryan had yawned. "You have a MA in English literature, have had two novels published and eight years working up the ladder in the fiction department of a large publishing company."

"Your ex cannot construe this as an act of vengeance for him taking up with his current fiction senior editor, as clearly in comparative size, your start-up company would be like a herring aligning with a shark."

"Agreed," Juno sighed. "Who can argue against that logic? When are we to have sex again?"

Ryan yawned. "There's no hurry is there?"

"No," Juno shrugged, appearing to be lying.

"Then perhaps the next round could be when you receive notification that your company has been registered under the name you submitted for approval."

"I doubt that I can wait that long."

"Then go find someone else."

Juno called him 'a mean bastard' and turned silent for a while.

Finally, she said, "I'd like us to live together until my confidence and self-belief are back fully."

"Okay, then let's do that as soon as your mansion sells. I have a rather lovely apartment because I didn't come back from overseas service anywhere near penniless. You can have the guest room if you are still awaiting notification of company registration."

"Oh, fuck me," Juno wailed in despair. "I want sex with you every day."

"That possibly could happen, eventually," Ryan said dryly.

They both broke into laughter, knowing the ground rules were set.

* * *

Juno was fascinated by the emerging depth of character, knowledge and leadership skills of her chauffeur Ryan Rogan Cross, and clearly, he was her trusted confidant following the collapse of her marriage.

Eighteen months of being chauffeured by this man Ryan while her husband was at work, had driven Juno almost to distraction when gazing at his long fingers on the steering wheel and his neatly squared-off hair at the nape of his noticeably straight back. He was so secretive, so frugal in speech and so dissociated from her that at times that she'd become almost frustrated beyond belief. But thankfully they now acted like friends and at last had engaged in sex that had calmed her state of mind almost beyond belief.

She knew her husband had used a little-known recruitment firm to find this so-called 'especially equipped' chauffeur after Raymond was attacked and savagely beaten while about to enter his car in the so-called secured basement car lot under his office building.

Then on another evening when Raymond was driving her home after a celebrity dinner for best-selling authors, their car had been almost run off the road. The SUV that had pushed them almost into a street pole accelerated past them but then swung in front of their vehicle and stopped. Two men emerged from that aggressively-driven vehicle carrying baseball bats.

Juno recalled that terrible moment. She was screaming while Raymond was muttering oaths.

Just as the threatening men began separating, moving to each side of the car, Raymond rammed his foot down on the accelerator pedal and sent the two villains scramble sideways and they were bumped off the car without denting front panels. No report of the incident was reported in next morning's newspapers about the incident, suggesting that the two had not being seriously injured and had no wish to make themselves known to the police.

Two weeks later she was introduced to Ryan Cross and Raymond told her, "You can trust Ryan with your life."

Well, right now she was trusting Ryan with a sizeable chunk of her fortune, still being assembled, and had even allowed him to penetrate her body, just the once so far, but that was his choice, not hers.

His degree was in business management and it did not surprise her that his input into the concept of a business initiative suitable for her was superior to hers. Well, he'd had all that Army training and his undercover missions overseas to sharpen his mind. But he even was all over her when it came to writing a draft business plan but at least he had the grace to say he hadn't a clue about book publishing, and in fact said that several times, bless him.

What worried Juno was why had such a guy with obvious business talent not entered business management when retiring from his mercenary and probably illegal activities in countries overseas, instead choosing to be a muscle-man driver and minder for her husband, albeit as a rather fat salary.

Then, an even greater unanswered question: why had Ryan chosen to switch across to her rather than stay with 'the boss'? It made a nonsense of why he'd been hired by Raymond as a minder. Also, she was confusing about why had Ryan chosen not to pound her at will once he'd been taken aboard, so to speak? He certainly was a manly man and she could vouch for that. Oh yes!

Juno decided she needed Ryan right now. He undoubtedly was pulling her back from the brink, revving her up to seize life again for reasons best known to himself. She'd dump him as soon as she could: his possible sinister intrusion into her life unnerved her a little.

Three weeks later, a chance disclosure unravelled the mystery for her.

She and Ryan were having a drink during intermission at the opera when he mentioned his mother had worked as a publicist for the rebuilt Opera House from just prior to it's re-opening. On the way, out he showed her his mother's name on the plaque in the main foyer, listing the board of the company, architects, builders and senior executives of the opera company at the time of the opening and the board chairman was named as Adair Rich.

"Mum left us shortly after the opening of the Opera House," he'd said sadly. "I was fourteen and no longer emotionally in need of a mother, but it was tough on my two younger siblings. The shock, public humiliation and large gap left in my father's life hardened and soured him, permanently."
"Oh, my poor boy," Juno managed, clutching his arm to pull him close to her as they walked off to supper, her mind in a whirl.

* * *

Juno realized she must do some research for confirmation but everything had suddenly fallen into place because Raymond Rich's first wife was a publicist with the unusual name of Adair.

She managed to converse coherently with Ryan over supper while at the same time trying to think about filling in the missing pieces of this mystery.

Perhaps those attacks on Raymond had been contrived for some reason and someone had suggested he hire a highly-trained minder with a military background in commando operations and had given him the name of the agency.

After that first attack, she'd asked Raymond who'd suggested that he should hire Ryan, and he'd said, "One of our doormen who found me beaten almost unconscious in the basement at work."

Recalling that conversation, she now believed she'd added another missing link.

Christ, Ryan was using her and her money to bring Raymond, his father, down in the most innocuous way possible, by subversively blowing him out of business.

Juno turned dizzy at the thought.

She shook her head thinking how smart Ryan was not to disclose his true identity to his father who'd walked out on his family when Ryan was only fourteen and had not seen him since until Raymond unsuspectingly had hired him as an adult bodyguard.

It was likely that Ryan had arranged those attacks on Raymond to lead Raymond to believe he needed to hire a bodyguard and somehow Ryan had arranged it that he'd be one of the applicants for the chauffeur-minder job.

With the pieces falling into place, she was certain Ryan was unleashing a patient act of revenge that would leave him appearing innocent, if all went well. The guy was a genius!

There was no way she'd imprudently dump him now. She'd bind to him to ensure he achieved his goal, putting every dollar he possessed and could raise commercially at her disposal to join her in making her new enterprise a success. This is what that slime-ball Raymond deserved.

Juno believed her biggest difficulty would be to keep her mouth shut about his mission, to avoid Ryan becoming aware she was on to him. He'd work better in his subversive role if thinking he was working alone as a commercial business wrecker.

There was the possibility if Ryan's plan succeeded, she might end up being the dominant player in the local publishing market by striking pre-emptively to pick up the pieces of Raymond's company following its possible resultant slide towards demise unless she outbid all other offers to buy him out of his business to absorb it into the Juno Publications that hopefully would be experiencing increasing commercial growth and profitability. Then ultimately, she could sell her holdings and become unbelievably wealthy.

Christ, what illegal drug was she on to speed up her mind into such a cloak and dagger frenzy? she thought. But the simple face was she'd figured out at least some of the intriguing puzzle convincingly.

"Ryan, I've really eager to have the company up and running."

"Me too, I want you back on your feet."

What a devious manipulator, she smiled.

"I'm prepared to throw all the cash it takes to expedite this mission."

His eyes widened, "This mission?"

Oops, she had to recover instantly.

"Um this project, be it described as a company establishment and development project or commercial mission; they mean the same thing, don't they?"

"Well put that way, yes they do."

"I'm longing to have sex with you again sweetheart."

"Sweetheart?"

He looked shaken.

She tried to eye him cutely.

"Don't be alarmed; it's just used in the romantic sense. 'Madam Butterfly' always draws out the emotions in me and we are having such a lovely evening. Once the pressure of setting up the company eases, I shall probably start looking for a replacement husband."

"Ah, choose wisely and secure your future," he said kindly. "In the meantime, once you move in with me, we can be at it regularly, if that's what you want. I've been forcing myself to keep a step back from you as part of your adjustment to get over the shock of being on the road to divorce. Strategies don't work if one doesn't adhere to them."

"You know, this is not the first time that brute has done this to a woman," Juno said with satisfaction, catching the eye flicker, aware she would have missed it had she not being focused to spot it.

He'd behaved just as she'd anticipated, asking her if she wanted another cup of coffee.

"Only if I'm kissed first."

He looked startled and smiled. Juno's pulse soared as she thought that she was the origins of a wolfish smile around the edges of the smile on his face right now. It was the first evidence she'd seen that from him during their time together and including when he expressed his interest in screwing her.

Oh God, what a delight in days and nights to come, she sighed, as his lips met hers and lingered. There were people all around them but she'd noticed he hadn't bothered to look at them. It was a beautiful kiss, one she'd think about when lonely in bed in the next hour or so. For some reason, that cup of coffee appeared to be the best cup of coffee she'd ever put to her lips.

She marvelled at the thought that she was falling in love.

In bed that night, Juno attempted to ridicule the notion of a romantic attachment growing inside her but the notion withstood that attack. She tried the full-frontal assault, telling herself that she knew little about Ryan.

So? she sighed happily. Love really wasn't about knowledge.

Her inner voice whined: You're grasping for a replacement.

She handled that with ease. Anything entitled to be called love between her and Raymond had disintegrated several years ago, when realizing she'd married a hollow man whose brain was focused on his groin.

That first shock of finding out conclusively that her husband Raymond was seeing someone else came when she arrived home from a near-useless conference a day early and found them together in bed.

Raymond had explained that his embarrassed companion was an old girlfriend who just happened to be passing through. He grinned and assured his wife there was nothing in it. Oh yeah? Actually, she came to believe that because other women seemed to drift in and out of his social life like shadows.

A sudden drop in his demand on her for sex became as reliable as a barometer that he was again involvement with another woman. She never caught him at it again but occasionally received questions from women friends about the identity of the female who'd accompanied Raymond to a particular function.

She'd seen him on the streets or in restaurants exhibiting more than the expected attentiveness to a female and presumably business associate and then there was the photograph of him in a women's magazine at a function with his hand partly concealing his face from the camera and the hand of his hugely smiling female companion with her fingers of one hand obviously resting half inside the top of his pants above the zip.

The inner voice again: So far, the chauffeur had been exclusively hers for just over two weeks and yet he's only had sex with her twice. Was that a man deserving of her love, a charming woman who preferred frequent bouts involving multiple orgasms?

Juno sighed rather expressively over that one, feeling like she'd taken a rather hot spike close to the heart. He had explained his reasons; well more or less, she countered defensively.

The inner voice asked was she not confusing loneliness and desire when thinking love?

Juno swallowed, almost asleep, but had recorded the sound of near desperation in her inner voice. She was aware of feeling a sense of loss when Ryan was not within her sight and she'd become very aware that she liked looking at him, especially at his strong face and passionate eyes whereas he was most intent when glancing at her boobs, and she couldn't be critical of him for doing that.

She drifted into sleep.

Chapter 2

The man with the passionate eyes, although he probably wasn't aware that he possessed such a feature, returned from a cold shower. He'd needed that because his mind had been flagellating him for not screwing Juno night and day when that very desirable body was on offer.

Urging his mind to accept that the nights of turning and tossing in frustration were about to end, and Ryan confirmed to himself the reasoning behind his forced abstention: it was strategically important for Juno to wallow in self-pity and loneliness to hasten her preparedness to cast her past aside and journey down that new road he was laying out for her, with her taking up major involvement.

In thinking that, he pressed hard to keep his reasons for teaming up with Juno buried, at least for now. Failure in his mission was most likely if Juno discovered his reasons for befriending her.

At 5:30 next morning, glancing with admiration at what Juno was missing seeing as he worked his swim-suit over it, Ryan put on his towelling robe and took the elevator to the basement where he performed thirty minutes of reasonably light gym work and then went out and swam sixty lengths of the lap pool.

After showering and dressing in a light business suit with a cream shirt without adding a tie, he went out for breakfast feeling great, ticking over like a time bomb ready to explode into any woman who...

Ryan eased out of that reflection by looking up to the sky to assess the day's likely weather pattern which wasn't a waste of time compared with average citizens because people who engaged in covert ops had expertise in meteorology as one of their highly-honed qualifications.

At the restaurant, Ryan went straight to 'his' table, being a regular. The front section of the morning's newspaper was already on the table and four minutes later the attractive dark-hair Susan arrived with scrambled eggs, two hi-fibre pieces of toast lightly done and no spread but included a small dish of liquid honey.

"Hi darling," said the 36- year-old divorcee quietly, with great familiarity.

Susan was not a regular waitress; she owned the restaurant business. They'd been at college together and whenever Ryan had returned to the city on leave, he always gave Susan a call, even after she'd married, and they would arrange to meet for sex.

Well, they had been at it like rabbits at college and it suited Susan to have her superbly fit and manly man occasionally to offset some of the wimps in her life who had included her ex-husband. Her divorce several months before he suffered a fatal blood clot, followed his confession he'd fallen in love with a guy at his office.

It had been a great arrangement for Ryan, so convenient, and Susan always gave her best, never knowing if that encounter might be her last with Ryan. She'd rented an apartment four floors above the small restaurant and she'd confided to Ryan she'd purchased the apartment before she married to have it as a fixed asset in case the marriage turned to custard.

At that stage, she had sufficient funds and the promise of a loan from her parents. that left her $29,000 short. Ryan gave her a $30,000 interest-free loan, since repaid in full. The extra one thousand dollars was to pay a lawyer to produce a pre-nuptial agreement to protect her apartment asset for her exclusive benefit should her upcoming marriage ever become terminal.

Susan returned with a refill of coffee and raised an eyebrow.

Ryan nodded and a couple of minutes after she'd left the restaurant he followed, smiling at the woman at the checkout who was aware he was Susan's 'brother' and was not expected to pay.

Three hours later, Ryan was working alongside the proposed company's financial consultant. Tom Berger, who would become company accountant. They were refining the business plan by finishing off budgets.

Tom's PA entered the room with an opened letter and smiled beautifully at Ryan, but not for the reason he assumed. Diane was merely a compulsive tease. She left and Tom read the letter. He beamed: "You and Juno are on the way buddy; Juno's company has been registered which means everything is now in place."

They shook hands.

"This means you are the third director Tom, congratulations," Ryan said, "As I'm designate director of operations, I ask for a copy of that letter and I'll call Juno to meet me for late lunch and give her the news. She'd out with a commercial realty agent."

Diane was called in to copy the letter and both men looked at her hips as she walked to the door, she turned and smiled at her admirers.

Tom pulled out a file. "Here's a letter for you Ryan from the chairman.

Dearest Ryan

If you are reading this, it means that our company has been registered. Wonderful and well done. It also means an adjustment on stockholding in the company with me and you being allocated 45% of fully-paid up stock and Tom with a 4% holding, leaving me with 51%.

Kisses

Juno.


"Have you read this?" Ryan said, swallowing.

Tom grinned and said he'd produced the letter for Juno.

"Lucky boy Ryan, I have to buy my shares a par value of $100 a share. It's worthless stock at the moment but if you two achieve even 80% of your business plan. the value of stock will begin to climb in value. It will all hang on impressive management buddy; don't let me down. Why don't you and Juno come out to dinner on Saturday as guests of my wife Claire and me?"

"Thanks, we accept."

"Are you that confident of speaking for her?"

"Juno is not having a social moment at present as part of re-programming but that's about to change. It's possible she will be moving in with me tonight to begin a close relationship."

Tom looked surprised.

"What, you two haven't been at it? I'd thought..."

"Things are not always what they seem, Tom. Let me call Juno and then let's try to wrap up this fine-tuning after I return from lunch."

* * *

Juno, looking radiant and beautifully groomed, met the waiting Ryan outside the restaurant.

"Are we here to celebrate?" she asked after learning the company was now registered. "I would have thought we would go upmarket to mark that occasion."

Ryan kissed her and said things were not always what they seem. Inside he introduced Juno to Susan as 'one of his oldest friends'.

"From today Susan, Juno and I begin dating and we are entering business together, she being my boss."

"Things are not always what they seem, Susan," Juno smiled. "While I'm the figurehead, it is Ryan who will be driving everyone to achieve our goals. I am expecting a remarkable performance from him."

Susan managed to slip a wink at Ryan while Juno was smiling at him.

Susan said dryly, "I should image he's guy capable of delivering a remarkable performance; I expect to be kept informed by you two guys of the progress you are making."

Juno, now looking at Susan impassively, said they would do that as Ryan had only just informed her that he ate breakfast at Susan's restaurant most mornings whenever he was in the city.

"Yes, he's a treasured regular. Come through to the private room and enjoy what Ryan has ordered for you two."

The windowless room was small with a six-seat table.

Two places in the old tradition of silver service were placed opposite each other in the centre of the table under a stunning chandelier.

"This room is for special luncheons," Susan said. "It is surprising how many groups of up to six very influential people know of the existence of this room and use it frequently."

A waitress called Anna walked in with a sheath of flowers for Juno and then seating the couple, Susan left with Anna.

Anna returned with two Victorian champagne glasses and then re-entered again with a bottle of French champagne that she opened and poured. The celebration was under way.

Later when the couple were about to leave, Susan came in to farewell them.

"You did us proud Susan," Juno said, kissing the surprised restaurant owner.

"That magnificent lunch blew me away and I've been to some of the world's highly proclaimed eateries. I'm like to think we'll become good friends."

"I'd like that," Susan said. "I'd love you to come shopping with me; I need modernizing."

They laughed and Ryan looked rather pleased at this inter-action.

Outside on the sidewalk, Ryan invited Juno to inspect his apartment.

They'd only had the one bottle of champagne and no other alcohol and so her reaction wasn't over the top.

"Why, do you have raunchy etchings?"

"One," he grinned. "But if it meets your approval, you may move in any time from tomorrow."

"I haven't received a single offer on my investment mansion, made before my marriage to Raymond and never disclosed to him."

"Tell your agent to make a personal presentation to your husband but leave my name out of it."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"But why?"

"I suspect he may have some interest in owning the well-located property when informed that a previous owner was his late grandfather, Edwin Rich, and probably he was unaware that it was for sale, but don't ask me to explain."

"Very well, I shall call her tomorrow," Juno said, thinking his 'don't ask me to explain' was a sneaky evasion.

"Call her now as from today we do things on the run, aiming for quick, tidy results that bring us satisfaction; we regard any other outcome as an opportunity lost and probably a foul-up of our making."

"Yes sir," the chairman smiled at her subordinate, reaching for her phone.

Ryan smiled when he heard Juno snap at her real estate agent, "I don't care if it's your belief my out-going husband won't be interested. My instruction to you is this; I require you to made a full and enthusiastic presentation to Mr Rich and press for a result pretty damn quick. I'll text you details to use in your presentation shortly."

"Fine, that's better Jennifer; it's lovely having you on the same wavelength as I have no wish seeing you lose the commission to your opposition, Prestige Realty. I have reason to believe Raymond Rich will be more than interested to view the property. Get him over there Jennifer."

Juno slipped her phone into her handbag and flushed upon hearing Ryan say. "You really sounded like the boss talking to that lazy Jennifer. A good kick up the tush is a great way of motivating some people."

"You can be so funny," she giggled, taking his arm. "Is it far to walk to your apartment?"

"There it is, straight ahead of you."

Juno looked critically at the building. "It's very central and architecturally advanced for an apartment building. How old is it?"

"Three years, so all the deficiencies have been ironed out."

"Do we have a penthouse unit?"

"We certainly do," he said, stopping and kissing her.

"Ryan, for God's sake, we're on a principal mid-city thoroughfare."

"Oh, so we are; I'm glad we are not lost."

She giggled, accepting she was now being taken on a journey that, all going well, would establish her as one of the major independent book publishers in the country.

The apartment exceeded Juno's expectations.

"You have done very well for a male, or was there a previous tenant?"

"No, I took a 10-year lease on it off the plans when viewing it on the Internet in Paris before going off to retrieve a VIP in... oh, it doesn't matter where. I wanted a place I could call home and being on a drawn-out mission on US $1200.00 a day plus all expenses, I thought I should spend my accumulating wealth on property rather than on women."

"That would have been a great disappointment to some woman or perhaps a whole bunch of them."

Ryan grinned and said he really liked her; she could be so funny at times.

They spent the next three hours talking about what furniture Juno could bring from her home and where to place it. Her phone went. She saw the caller was her real estate agent and put the phone on speaker.
"Juno speaking."

"Juno, I have astonishing news. As soon as I identified the property to Mr Rich and stated that his grandfather once owned it, he asked me to be shown through the property at 8:00 tonight and asked could the so-far undisclosed seller be there to negotiate."

"Great work Jennifer but I won't be there. The instruction I gave at the time of listing the property for sale was there would be no negotiation. Either interested buyers agreed to the asking price of $11.3 million that is halfway between two appraisals by the two most reputable companies in the city in commercial building and business appraising, or they go and look at other properties. Just tell Mr Rich it's a forced sale because owner has increasing business commitments. Being a businessman, he'll understand why the seller is being bloody-minded."

"I'll follow instructions, Juno."

"Thanks Jennifer, with that great charm of yours I think it's unnecessary for me to wish you good luck. Call me back whether or not you have anything to report after his inspection."

As Juno stashed away her phone Ryan began unbuttoning her short skirt. "I have rather a good feeling that your house sale will trigger a great evening and so let's start with sex.

Juno trembled, her gaze giving him the look he wanted to see. He took his time undressing her, licking, kissing and stroking, working her into a high state of excitement.

When completed, he ripped his clothes off and carried her triumphantly to the shower and within five minutes they were on towels on the bathroom floor working to release almost a month of frustration and sexual tension.

As Ryan headed to the kitchen to fetch cool drinks, Juno's phone went.

"It's Jennifer with great news. May I come to wherever you are for you to counter-sign; it's a done deal."

"Congratulations, Jennifer. Well done. I'll drop into your office at 9:00 in the morning and then you'll need to collect Raymond Rich's signature. Oh, before he signs, disclose that I own the property and tell him the date when I purchased it from the monies I inherited from my parents' estates which was before he met me."

"I'd rather collect the signatures this evening."

"And be guilty of prolonging coitus interruptus?"

"Omigod Juno, I'm so sorry."

"No harm done, we're momentarily apart for a bathroom stop."

Jennifer launched into uncontrollable laughter as she ended the call. Juno blushed, scarcely believing she'd said those words to her real estate agent.

She gave Ryan the good news when he returned to bed with refreshments

After six hours' sleep, they were at it again as if there was no tomorrow.

Juno couldn't believe how gentle and communicative he was, except when launching into his releases.

He told her he was amazed by her physical flexibility and how compliant she was in allowing him complete freedom and meeting his every move in her complimentary role playing.

"God, you can fuck," he murmured crudely into her ear as they lay in near exhaustion.

The alarm went at 5:30 and he was off to the gym and to swim his sixty laps. He asked her to be ready to walk out to breakfast at 8:00.

After showering and returning to the bedroom to dress in the same clothes she'd worn the previous day, Juno noticed for the first time a framed photo of an attractive woman hanging just above his bedside dresser. She unhooked it and flipped it over. The notation in light pencil read, 'My mom, Adair Henny Tennant taken when I was 10. Regrettably she's now Mrs Raymond Rich.'

Tears came to Juno.

Little wonder he knew so accurately what she was going through in her marital breakdown. He'd had a similar experience aged only fourteen when his mother was divorced by his hard-hearted father.

She dried her eyes and placed the photo back on the wall, knowing also she had positively established the link between Ryan and his target he wished to knock out of business.

She had no idea when Ryan's bitterness over his mother being stolen from him had led to him conceiving this exceedingly elaborate and cunning plot but it had been a long wait for Ryan to come this far - twenty-six years, in fact. She was curious why he'd waited so long - why hadn't Ryan acted much sooner, say as an 18-year-old?

Perhaps she'd never know the answer.

Over breakfast he surprised her, saying he'd found the perfect location for the company HQ.

Recovering from the shock, Juno said if she agreed with his choice, it was amazing. She'd been working with two firms supposedly being top-dogs in commercial real estate and neither had yet managed to show her properties that really appealed.

Biting into toast, Ryan adopted a small boy look.

"I apologize for interfering because we'd agreed for you to scout for suitable premises. I had the thought that in seriously launching into publishing, we should not only take our closest rival on head-to-head but we ought to fix Raymond Rich Publications in our sights constantly. Well I think I've found the way to do that."

"How?"

"Eat your breakfast and I'll take you there. I've taken a week's option as I need you to have time to think about this while not feeling under pressure."

"Why is it I'm not mad at you?"

"Because at times I rather appeal to women," he said, looking even more boyish.

Juno felt her heart flutter and would be prepared to swear that her nipples were stiffening. But not only that, she knew the understandable sinister edge to this guy smiling at her would drag her into situations and confrontations of the likes she'd never experienced before.

He was not only pulling her out of the hole dug for her by her heartless husband, but he was also quietly engaging her into a joint power game that promised to topple Raymond.

She sighed, thankful that there had been another wife between the ultimately ejected Adair Tennant and herself as that meant she couldn't be held accountable for Raymond's heartless treatment of Ryan's mother Adair. She thought, what an all-round mix of deceit, plotting, wife dumping, intrigue, planned revenge and goodness knows what else.

They chatted to Susan, the restaurant owner, and then walked off.

"It's close enough to walk to work," Ryan said encouragingly.

She thought he was so smooth, like a master manipulator.

Juno's eyes were caught by gowns in a store window as they entered the building and so she wasn't really aware of where they were. They rode the odourless lift with its spotless carpet to the sixth floor and that earned approval from Juno and she said so.

Ryan scratched behind his ear and said strangely he'd noticed little about the interior. They entered the huge expanse.

"The occupants who've vacated to move to a new office building beside their plant operated 'open plan' but we can fit-out to our preference, at our expense of course. But we get the customary first month rent holiday to allow for any fitting-out and other customizing."

"But it's too big. God, at present there's only you and me on the company payroll, commencing on Monday next."

Ryan smiled as said he better begin recruiting people fast then; their start-up establishment was ten personnel including themselves.

"Let's bump that up to twenty."

"Why?" Juno asked.

"You're concerned about the space not being filled. I'll fit out large offices for you, me and the financial controller. All other offices will be smaller; I don't like open plan layout, women stop work too often to gossip."

Juno sniffed and said it was called inter-action and more often than not the conversations could be task-related.

"Oh yeah, right."

"Look, we suddenly seemed to be winding up to start at a gallop," Juno worried. "Isn't that a recipe for disaster?"

"Oh, come on woman of little faith, we have a strategic plan and a business plan."

"Strategic plan? I've not been involved in that."

"Ah, um. Well, nothing to worry about; it's in my head and the fundamentals are incorporated in our business plan as otherwise how could we have written performance guidelines and performance measuring steps without having targets? Those targets I laid out for us came from my mental strategic plan and Tom, our man with a professional finance and legal mind and fellow director, had no trouble comprehending my concepts and to my knowledge has not expressed misgivings to you."

"No, his only real comment was that in you I'd found a really switched on guy who led like a professional."

"Huh? Well, there you go, Juno. Oh, I've also taken an option on the floor below to house our marketing and distribution department. The present occupant is dithering about his rent renewal increase and his tenancy expires in three months. Building management advised me that possession is as good as ours because that tenant appears to be involved in flogging a failing business."

Juno frowned. "Which is where we shall be unless someone takes the reins."

Ryan hugged her, grabbing her as she attempted to elude him.

"It's okay baby, why loll around; there are advantages of hitting the throttle and bursting on to the scene in publishing because it signals aggression from an outfit in it for the long-haul."

As he released Juno she looked out the window and said, "Omigod."

"What?"

It all became sense to Juno: she was looking straight across the street to the headquarters of Raymond Rich Publications Limited. She could see the back of Raymond in his office: the conniving scumbag was easily in her sights.

"This location is perfect," she purred, now a woman on a joint mission. "I see Rich Publications right opposite us. If we progress as aggressively as you've promised me, I'll enjoy looking across and seeing the Rich empire shrinking and panicking faces looking in our direction."

"Please locate my office at the far end of this expanse; that will prevent me to look directly into the office of the man who has spurned me. You're a real darling Ryan."

She added cunningly, "If I didn't know better, I would have suspected this was strategically planned."

Ryan whipped around to look for panic flowing from Juno, but was met only by a relaxed and innocent smile.

"Juno, the plan is to grab market share and if that means snatching business from Rich Publications for the first book we publish, then so be it. Further, should we really go on attack we might topple that scumbag over there sooner than either of us believes possible, that is, if you approve and can stomach taking some risks."

"Oh Ryan, you have my permission to send a rocket under his chair providing you don't criminally harm him. Indeed, how may I help?"

"Let's go back to the apartment. I'll contact an appropriate recruitment agency with a long list of job-seekers on its books. I'd like you to contact key personnel who'd left Rich Publications during your time there who were dissatisfied with their bullying executive-chairman plus noting people still working there who you suspect may be interested in crossing the street. Be careful what you say; give them the impression you are setting up a small company to publish, um, travel and food books and invite interested individuals for a drink and chat with you, confidentiality guaranteed."

"That's a good idea, but what if your endeavours clash with any people I line up?"

"No problem, we are doing this to target the best candidate. Our activity is publishing, not to operate as a Dear Hearts Club."

"Yes, of course. I almost lost focus there. I must always pass on the ruthless decisions to you to handle."

"You've hit the nail, baby. Let's go."

* * *

Despite the cheerful walk back to the apartment with Ryan in a playful mood, Juno sat down to make some calls feeling a confusing mix of excitement and doom about the new venture. It was being launched with too little preparation, too fast and with too few persons involved in an advisory capacity. It seemed all wrong; at the same time Ryan seemed to have a ton of confidence and gave the distinct impression he was in go-forward mode.

Using her old publishing contact book, she called eight key personal from her past who'd left Rich Publishing in the latter years of her time there. To her astonishment four expressed interest, three expressed no interest and she found the eighth person was no longer in the country. She considered that an excellent result.

However, suspecting Ryan would challenge her and asked why hadn't she attempted to locate that person no longer in the country, Juno took the steps to track her down.

Kitty was in Hong Kong and sounded mournful.

"Juno, is it really you? Thank God for a friendly voice."

They conversed. Kitty had become pregnant but had a miscarriage in the eighth week. The guy had abandoned her and she was half-expecting a dismissal notice because the magazine she was working on as deputy-editor had just been sold to a rival chain.

They chatted until Juno calmly said: "Come home Kitty; I'm launching a publication company, initially to produce fiction novellas for the mass market. Resign and be here within seven days from now and you will take up the position of senior-editor on a five-year contract."

Ryan arrived back with a light lunch in containers. He told Juno they could eat it beside the building's rooftop pool because he'd like to swim with her.

To show his superiority, she thought.

Ryan did no such thing. In the pool, he pushed her a bit but not passing her and then rumbled her into a type of pool frivolity one might conceivably perform in front of one's parents but certainly not one's grandparents.

Drinking light alcohol wine, Juno reported on her attempt to chase down ex-Rich Publications personnel.

"Three wish to be interviewed and I tracked down one other in Hong Kong and appointed her as senior editor if she arrives her within seven days."

"Without my approval," Ryan said, studying his wine.

"Without your approval," she said, turning steely-eyed but the look was wasted because without looking at her he refilled her glass and said, "You must have had your reasons; well done. You best phone in and cancel that advertisement for a senior editor if you'll sure the Hong Kong babe is booking her seat home."

"Omigod, yes, excused me, the phone number is in our bedroom. "You'll be offered more than a smile from her if you call her babe, Kitty is fifty-five."

He laughed and Juno walked away grinning but in the lift the grin turned to 'grim' when she realized they had their company, a tiny board of three directors, one of whom was chairman/CEO and the other was director of operations, their premises and their senior editor but nothing to publish and no management-production-distribution-return of damaged/faulty product system in place, not to mention personnel for a small legal department and proof readers to name a few more,

She'd unwisely fallen under the persuasive influence of a guy who'd formed the framework of a cart but still not produced the cart and there was no horse. That was a very-old fashion way of describing it but as sure as hell, she knew what she was on about. Juno fumed and swore aloud in a most unladylike fashion. Fortunately, no one was in the lift with her.

Juno entered the apartment and found a note dropped on the floor.

Check your emails.

Now what game was he playing?

She'd not checked her emails for two days. Since the split with Raymond her email traffic had virtually evaporated.

"Hello, what's going on here?" she asked aloud, finding ninety-six emails were awaiting attention.

She opened the first one, still suspicious that Dickhead was being childish.

Dear Sir/Ma'am

Please accept five previously unpublished manuscripts that I believe fit your criteria. Thank you for this opportunity. Emily White, Cork, Ireland.


And the next one was similar.

Thank you for the invitation to submit. I hope at least one of these manuscripts of my work that has been rejected by other publishers will appeal to you. I have had thirty-three novels published but for reasons unknown to me, these three failed to appeal to commissioning editors. I write in English. Armelle Bonnet, Le Creusot, France.

Juno opened one of Armelle's attachments titled 'The Poppy-picking Innocent' and read the first chapter. She heard Ryan come in and stand behind her but leavewithout further disturbing her.

My God," Juno said aloud, closing the file. "It was rejected because it's only 38,000 words. Those stupid editors rejected it because it didn't fit their rigid formats. Thank you for coming to us, Armelle. We place quality over word-count every time."

Juno saw that Armelle had attached the call for submissions that Ryan obviously had engaged someone to place on websites servicing authors. The call for submissions read:

Juno's Blue Cover Fiction Books are about to burst on to the publishing world. We need submissions desperately in the romantic genre 30,000 to 55,000 words. Our primary requirement is modern sexy romances not necessarily with a wedding at the end providing passion is foremost. No cruelty or deviant sex. Constant happy relationships preferred but, of course, there has to be conflict, oodles of it. This is a hot opportunity for previously unpublished writers or published authors with a manuscript that has been inexplicably rejected, perhaps several times over. Payment for manuscripts we publish as 'Juno's Blue Cover Fiction Books' for the low-price market is US$0.04c a word.

Commissioning Editor

Juno's Blue Cover Fiction Books


The email address was provided.

Two more responses sampled were dismissed as 'amateur rubbish' by Juno who felt her enthusiasm ebbing. She couldn't believe Ryan had the foresight and initiative to have done this; there was a little Black Mark, however. He'd failed to consult her on such a major move, but he was forgiven although she would have to grabble about his audacity in tying her to a blue cover book concept without consultation.

She decided to sample just one more.

Hi, I'm Lisa Whitney-Ellis, Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan. My grandmother, who was born in Melbourne, Australia, has been ailing so I spent months talking to her about her life. Although I write poetry, I thought I should record her story. It comes out at almost 60,000 words but you are free to edit to length. Bless you for giving me this opportunity. I hope I receive a complimentary copy of 'A Grandmother's Love Story' to read it to her.

Juno's hands were shaking as she completed the first chapter. "Ryan!" she screamed, and printed out the chapter. He came running, thinking something was terribly wrong.

"You're a good boy doing this," she said, kissing him. "Sit down and read this."

Ryan read quietly as Juno made files to place the print-out submissions in various categories.

She then called four former editors from Rich Publications who'd retired in the time she'd worked for the company and three of them were excited to be asked to act as first stage approval editors. Juno's suggestion of an hourly pay rate was accepted and she said she would have the scripts printed-out and couriered to them. She'd visit each of them when they were finished and discuss their appraisals.

Ryan was waiting to talk to her.

He handed Juno the printed-out chapter.

"It's a bit girlie for me but it's great, isn't it? The writer has an excellent command of language and manages to flow the story beautifully. I can almost see the characters as I read their story. Sadly, it doesn't fit into our categories that we discussed tentatively."

"You sound suspiciously like a professional book critic," Juno laughed. "I was hoping you'd see what your dragnet has produced and I think there will be more. We must always operate open-minded editorial policies and avoid regimenting purchasing profiles designed for the convenience of editors."
"I'll place Lisa Whitney-Ellis's grandma's story into a special category and personally manage it. It will be our first publication in a non-fiction category yet to be named, if what I've sampled so far continues with similar excellence throughout. After talking to Lisa, perhaps I'll place the final edited manuscript in the hands of an agent to test the market for film rights; sentimental films are still not completely rejected. In my opinion this could be a runner like 'Golden Pond' was. We'll have to see."

Next day, Juno and Ryan began working ten to twelve-hour days but leaving weekends free as much as possible. Free weekends were part of their business plan to ensure they enjoyed time together during the start-up phrase that was expected to drag on for at least nine months. Sensibly, they'd agreed not to become strangers although living in the same apartment and working in the same publishing house that was being created.

Juno drifted into doing light gym work from 5:30 am with Ryan and then swimming with him, she limiting herself to fifteen lengths and thus freeing him to unleash his horse-power as he was focused on maintaining his hard-won level of fitness.

They went to breakfast together each morning and Susan now joined them as they had a great friendship going. Juno quickly formed the impression that Ryan and Susan were more than just friends and perhaps remained secret lovers.

She decided to try to not think any more about her suspicion. That shouldn't be too difficult providing she kept herself busy and of course was willing to believe that most long-time friends of the opposite sex periodically engaged in more than a cheek kiss.

CHAPTER 3

Two days short of sixteen weeks after notification of company registration, Juno and Ryan were handed proof copies of their first Juno's Potent Book Series title was 'Baron Debbouze's Adorable Wench' written by Frenchwoman Armelle Bonnet.

Five more titles for that series were in production with another five almost ready to be sent to the printer and the target of twelve titles for the initial launch was expected to be reached well in time for a managed national launch and hopefully foreign distributors would take up the 12-book package.

The theory was satisfied readers would be tempted to acquire all twelve titles to make a collector's set although they could be expected to guess more similar series would be released in due course.

Meanwhile, a department for general fiction (paperbacks only) and a department for children's books (hardcover only) had been established. Editorial now had thirty-five people on the payroll and the floor below had been renovated and was currently being fitted out for the marketing, distribution and returns departments.

Launch Day was one month away.

As to be expected, Juno and Ryan were happy although it only fainting revealed having to pierce the masks of near-exhaustion covering their faces; hitting the business road to launch at a gallop was taking its toll.

Their social life at home was a shadow of its former self and by now their principal activity in bed was sleeping. They interfaced more than ever before, at the office.

Juno decided to put a stop to this madness; she wanted to bring back the days where their preoccupation concentrated on being almost as one, showing a warmth and a closeness that seemed to make time almost become redundant to their lives. Their total focus at times needed to return to being upon each other, back to where it was at the peak of their relationship.

Juno was smart enough to accept that peaks could never last because that was their nature but by pulling in the reins, she and Ryan could reclaim some of their former social life and awareness of each other. Their intense whip-cracking times had to stop. But would Ryan accept this?

Ha! He'd be given no choice. She launched their personal management plan that Saturday morning at work. At work? Yes, that initial agreement not to work weekends had long gone. She knew Ryan would be receptive because he'd confessed at the recent board meeting that they'd become colossal spenders.

The company had a huge outflow of expenditure with the bottom line being uncontaminated red because income was non-existent. Although their business plan provided for that until they had product following out and being converted into sales, there was no alternative.

Even so, the mountain of unanswered debt and the rapidity of its growth unanswered by income was difficult to stomach now that spending was reaching its peak. Ryan would be aware much of that debt was personally funded by Juno, on a business basis of course but at the moment the risk of reclaiming her capital was probably as high as it ever would be. The rest of their financial expenditure came from bank loans.

Some recruitment agency staff also worked on Saturdays and Juno initiated an urgent search for a general manager, advising Evelyn Morris where the first place to look.

At the same time, she commissioned a search for a personal assistant for herself, again instructing Evelyn about a particular person to headhunt.

Both head-hunts met with brilliant success.

On Wednesday, she interviewed Nell Jones, assistant marketing manager at Rich Publications who accepted the offer to become the new company's general manager an hour after she'd arrived to be interviewed.

The next day, Rich Publication's office manager, Della Broadbanks, accepted the offer to become Juno's personal assistant along with the title of manager of strategic planning.

Juno had already secured Ryan's promise that he'd take her away on Friday night for a weekend at a spa resort to end her week triumphantly. The weekend away of course would be for her and Ryan to also dwell on personal time management and for him to be advised of the two senior appointments.

* * *

Juno and Ryan slept on the 3½ early evening flight to the Orange Mountain Spa Resort that had included a change to a small aircraft for the final twenty-minute leg. They dined, relaxed in a couple of the public pools after booking in for massages next morning and retired to their villa for a short and sweet coupling before sleeping nine hours when receiving their wake-up call.

"You look beautiful this morning darling," Ryan greeted her.

At that Juno had her best smile in weeks and stroked his unshaven cheek with butterfly softness. She decided to get them back on track after their joint massage with two days of debauchery interspersed with swimming, horse-riding, perhaps tramping plus attending the famous Saturday night party.

They flew out early Sunday afternoon tired and very happy, holding hands. Juno knew she was ready to claim Ryan in marriage as soon as her divorce came through.

* * *

On the return flight home, Ryan thought deeply about Juno and their relaxing time together. She'd been so soft and sweet to him during the weekend, more so than ever before. Their intimacy had been pitched at a higher level than previously and he assumed that was because they both become set on creating a more in-depth bonding.

Ryan felt pleased about that and concluded Juno was the best woman to have come into his life. He hoped they would marry and have children. She was a splendid performer for him, in every way.

The urge zoomed on to him to finger her while kissing her deeply, but checking he found her to be deeply asleep so settled down against her, smiling. It had been a great weekend. They had promised to keep weekends free as much as possible and no more senior appointments being made without prior consultation.

Both promises were worth keeping.

Not having ever loved a woman, Ryan wondered if what he was feeling for Juno was love, or at least the start of it. He'd always liked her, right from the outset when he'd organized an audacious plan to have her husband Raymond hire him as his bodyguard.

During the first time they'd met, Ryan thought he'd like to bed her, becoming aware she sometimes glanced at him with naked appraisals that no wife ought to make of another male. Of course, she'd not been aware he'd caught those glances, or had she?

Hmm, one night when she was legless, he'd interrogate her about that.

Chapter 4

The launching of Juno's Potent Fiction Series was at a cocktail party at a hotel and Juno played her role magnificently, Ryan keeping in the background.

She was dressed in a body-hugging red gown slit on both sides from not far below her hipbones, black stockings and red ribbons woven into her beehive hair style. Media representatives of both sexes were fascinated by her although that did not inhibit curly questions about her being the departing wife of publisher Raymond Rich.

"Oh him, he's history," she replied quietly. "I've learnt about publishing during my involvement with him and thought I'd try my hand at it. Do you like what you see?"

Every guest received a 12-pack of the special launch edition due to go on sale the next day throughout the country from kiosks, supermarkets and good bookshops.

Ryan's aunt, well-known city identity Helen Cross, declared the books launched and the champagne, wine beer and fruit juices flowed.

Both morning newspapers reported the function impressively, with their photographers/illustration editors appearing to have felt compelled to display to readers the quality of Juno's legs and to also include her attractive face. Large pictures were published.

Both newspapers ran a review of Book 1, 'Baron Debbouze's Adorable Wench', with the male reviewers reaching similar conclusions along the lines of 'Predictable female trash but surprisingly very well written.'

Juno and her editorial people were thrilled about that put-down of women and grudging admission about the quality of writing.

As Juno had assessed from the outset, the title alone had the potential to turn that particular book into a best-seller.

Juno left the cocktail party on Ryan's arm to be interviewed live at TV at 9:00 on the program with the strange title, 'Books with Box.'

They ate in the studio's café with interviewer Box (Brian) Gardiner who apologized to Juno that he proposed to questions her about her divorce and the cross-publishing link.

"That's fine Box, be hard and dirty. The public loves a bitch with a nice smile and the publicity will reward our company. Please savagely trash the Baron Debbouze title.

Box looked startled. "It's rather puerile but my wife said she adores it."

"Well, perhaps you should add that as an anecdote but who am I to suggest how you should run your interview?"

"You're an intelligent and conniving bitch, if you don't mind me saying so."

The three of them laughed and drank more wine.

"I know from our research that you are Juno's business partner Ryan but I just want Juno solo. Do you accept that?"

"Totally, the whole focus fairly rests on her."

"These operations you were involved in overseas Ryan, exactly what did you do?"

"Wasting time in the main, Box; you know how it is, negotiating unfamiliar territory, finding good bars and eyeing the women and watching foreign language movies that were largely incomprehensible," Ryan lied.

"Pal, it sounds as if you were working in television," Box cackled.

The short interview went well. Box praised Juno for making such a dynamic launch of her new-start company that had hit the ground running, releasing 12 books under the novel theme 'Juno's Potent Fiction Series'.

He criticized the title of one book, written in English by a French writer, 'Baron Debbouze's Adorable Wench' as patently absurd.

Juno unleashed.

"Box, if you believe like many males that sex-oriented females are all nasty sluts, you would be so misguided as to be laughable. Women adoring sex who are morally lose and generous with their skill to appease males in bed, are heroines. Their expertise gives males extra reason for living and putting practically a perpetual smile on their faces. Even straight-backbone females acknowledge that."

"Oh, I apologize immensely, Juno. You've exposed me literally with my pants down."

Box laughed and Juno giggled.

"It's okay Box. My guess is you were attempting to be controversial. Simply take that adorable wench story to bed and enter a new world of racing heart-beats, hysterical encounters and the amazing techniques of a sex-focused woman who skilfully avoids plunging into depravity. Here's the book, Box. You may adore it."

"Darn, times up with you, Juno. You and that author may be responsible for ultimately brushing cobwebs off some of my out-dated beliefs. Good night, you dynamic young publisher."

Leaving the interview area, Juno walked over to Ryan, who looked at her in awe.

"What did you think?" she asked nonchalantly.

"You are okay."

"Only okay?"

He swept her off her feet and kissed her and said, "You were sensationally amazing, promoting our company and its initial authors amazingly. You truly are an adorable wench."

She buried her face into his shoulder, laughing hysterically, releasing her tension.

* * *

Juno Publications Limited continued to expand and now had all of its planned departments operational. The manager of human resources and her assistant continued interviewing a small stream of job applicants to the company's occasional situations vacant advertisements now that the company was making an impact on the book market, with revenue flowing in at last and increasing steadily.

The HR manager arrived in Juno's office. Juno was appraising a thick manuscript.

"Listen for a minute with full attention. boss. This is important.

"Pour us coffee please, Gisela," Juno said, removing her reading glasses and stretching. God, I need another publishing editor. The tide continues to flow in. Well, what is it?"

"I've just interview Rich publications distribution manager and I happened to ask why was he applying for a position with a smaller company. He said although we were small, we were growing rapidly whereas his present employer was not unlike a sinking ship."

"I laughed and said that seemed unlikely, not Raymond Rich Publications. He said staff were beginning to panic."

"Then he said it was because we were now in direct competition with almost every category Rich Publications produced and doing a far superior job in producing quality reading and the marketing of our books is far superior to what Rich Publications manages to do."

"Christ."

"But you knew that, didn't you?"

"Yes Gisela, but this is confirmation of the impact we are making practically from the horse's mouth. You appreciated that by coming to me with the revelations."

"What should we do?"

Juno smiled and said, "Everything."

"First, talk to that manager again and arrange a meeting with the job interview panel, asking his for a couple of dates and times and then quickly advise that we want him and begin discussing salary and perks. He may be genuine or perhaps a spy, but that doesn't matter. We have nothing to hide and he'll find many of our employees are from other publishing firms."

"I'll instruct the panel to fit in with one of those days and dates"

"Thanks, Gisela. Then talk to the retiree who's acting distribution manager. I originally appointed him for three months but it's now five months and he appears to be settled in. Say we're contemplating extending his contract but his position could be downgraded as deputy manager on his present salary. Is that okay with you?"

"Yes, Juno and I'll make discreet enquiries about the competence and loyalty of this guy who wishes to jump ship."

* * *

The expansion of Juno Publications Limited continued unabated, as planned, with many publishers feeling the adverse effects but none more so than Raymond Rich Publications Ltd.

Eventually, Raymond Rich's in-house lawyer wrote to Juno requesting a meeting, saying that Mr Rich was interested in negotiating a partial merger between the two publishing companies.

Juno dictated a scathing reply to her PA, saying that she'd never sit at the same table as Raymond fucking Rich for whatever reason. But if he were serious about some kind of business arrangement between the companies, she'd authorise her substitute to sign any initial agreement reached on Juno's behalf.

"Um Juno, isn't that imprudent giving such unrestrained negotiation freedom to your substitute?"

"This is confidential, Jill, but I intend to send you, with your consent, to really rile that bastard as you used to work for him. He will, of course, refuse to deal with you when you say our board has to sign off any deal if the majority approve of it."

"Ah, good one, Juno. It will be my pleasure to rile him. During my time as his PA, he twice had a hand up my skirt before I slapped away his arm and yelled that he was a filthy pig. On both occasions, I received an apology and had my salary increased."

PA Stephanie Harris led Jill Mitchell in to Raymond Rich's office.

He glared at the visitor and said angrily, "Is this a joke, my former PA entering my office as my ex-wife's negotiator on a proposed partial business merger?"

"Good morning, Mr Rich. It's definitely not a joke. I have been given the title of chief negotiator for Juno Publications Limited for these talks."

"But you don't have the authority...?

"Oh yes I do, Mr Rich. Here's my appointment as chief negotiator with full powers to sign an initial negotiated agreement on a partial merger with this firm once we reach mutual agreement on the negotiated terms."

"You are misrepresenting the proposal of our letter asking for negotiation on the possible partial merger with our much larger company."

"No, that is incorrect. I'm here to negotiate fully on a partial merger but then to proceed any further, the final agreement must be consented to, modified or rejected by our board. That is usual procedure for multi-million deals between companies."

"First of all, please explain exactly what you mean by a partial merger?"

Raymond scowled and said, "No, first of all, you explain what you think it is."

"That is a childish refusal, contrary to the widely accepted principals of business negotiations."

Raymond flared, "This is unacceptable having a clerical upstart representing a much smaller company instructing me, a long-experienced publisher, on how to perform in a business negotiation. Not only that, I suspect that you lack the authority to sign even a heads of agreement that provides the guidelines of negotiations toward a formal agreement. Get out of this building now and tell your CEO to send me a fully empowered senior executive to commence serious negotiations or preferably come herself."

"Do that yourself by letter, your vacuous man," Jill said, practically steaming, and walked out.

When Jill had finished reporting her experience to Juno she sighed and said, "You did well under the circumstances. I had hoped that at least you'd be given details of what that pig means by a partial merger. I suspect he's after an agreement to market out publications on our behalf, stripping us of a big slice of our revenues while increasing out costs. Our failed attempt to gain more information before the next step in negotiations begin is not your fault. I under-estimated the cleverness of Raymond Devious Rich."

That afternoon, Juno received a hand-delivered letter from Raymond, requesting her to come to his office herself to commence negotiations or to send her most senior deputy with power to sign a heads of agreement on the proposed partial merger."

Her return letter asked for a time and date for such a meeting in a private meeting room at a hotel, paid for by his company that was seeking the proposed partial merger. Her principal partner in her company, Ryan Cross, would negotiate on behalf of their company.

After reading the letter, Raymond walked across the room to his liquor cabinet, grinning.
He thought he'd have a great time out-thinking and tactically out-manoeuvring Juno Publications' operations manager Ryan Cross, and embarrassing him greatly. They soon would be facing each other in preliminary talks about a proposed limited merger between Raymond Rich Publications and Juno Publications.

The revealed plan would be negotiating a joint book marketing operation to reduce marketing costs for both companies and with RR Publications performing all marketing activities and to invoice J Publications its share of the marketing costs based on monthly book sale revenues of each company proportionately.

Raymond saw this as the first step in his plan, known only to himself at this stage, of RR Publications, as the big fish, ultimately gobbling up J Publications, the minnow. He would have preferred jumping in at the start with a complete takeover offer to expand his company but unfortunately book sale revenues had plunged somewhat with Juno's company snatching a much larger slice of the market than anyone would have envisaged,

Pouring a whisky Raymond thought sourly Juno had a few lucky breaks. That just wasn't fair to long-established book publishers like himself. How the fuck had Juno got to that French author who wrote 'Baron Debbouze's Adorable Wench' was an example of their incredible good luck.

Raymond sighed, thinking after having his PA purchase him a copy, he's read it with interest. He'd been attracted to it by the book title and expecting to throw it away after reading two or three pages of trash, but he'd found himself thinking it was fucking brilliant and had read it to the end. He'd immediately ordered his publications commissioning department manager to contact that Frenchwoman and sign her up.

Carol found that Juno had already contracted the author who was now living in London, for an exclusive 4-book contract to last for the next 3½ years.

Enraged by that revelation, Raymond recalled letting off a string of expletives that had Carol looking white-faced and scared.

He sighed, unable to work out how his wife, a former book editor, and her business partners, a former soldier and then becoming his chauffeur, could have combined to plan and structure a new start-up company and risk launching it so early and then achieving such considerable impact. It was weird. They must have great business advisers and a fucking great support team around them.

* * *

Raymond's PA Stephanie Harris led in Ryan Cross, representing Juno Publications, into Raymond Rich's office to begin preliminary talks about a partial merger between the two privately-owned book publishing firms.

Anyone might think, what's significant about that?

Really?

In terms of book publishing revenues, Juno Publications was a minnow when compared with Raymond Rich Publications' revenues.

Further, Ryan was Raymond's former bodyguard/chauffeur and in these negotiations would represent himself and his business partner Juno Rich who Raymond was-s in the process of divorcing.

Adding to that mix, Juno and Ryan currently lived together, as business partners and lovers.

Raymond eyes narrowed as he watched Ryan walk into the office, the first time they'd been in close contact for the best part of a year. Only Raymond would know what he was thinking but perhaps a good guess would have been 'Look at him strutting in here and dressed in a snappy dark business attempting to look like a credible businessman. Ha!'

* * *

Ryan thought, 'And into the lion's den we go.'

"Good morning Raymond."

Raymond stood behind his desk, pointed to the far chair with a coffee table separating it from the other chair and began walking around his desk.

He frowned when the visiting negotiator took the closest chair, where Raymond usually sat with the advantage of the person in the other chair having to face strong daylight coming in through the big windows.

He returned to his desk and pushed a button on an electronic hand controller and light filtering curtains pulled across the three windows.

He smiled thinly.

Sitting down he said the obvious, "Let's begin."

Ryan smiled and said, "I'm entering these talks in good faith; are you?"

Gripping the arms of his lounge chair tightly, knuckles looking white, Raymond said yes.

His PA knocked and opened the door and entered two paces. She asked sweetly, "Coffee gentlemen?"

"It's not required," Raymond said brusquely.

"Thanks, Stephanie," Ryan said smoothly. "It's usual coffee time for me. No milk or sugar."

"Raymond, why have you initiated these talks and exactly what do you mean by a partial merger?"

Raymond's upper body straightened and his expression looked as if he'd accidentally swallowed a frog.

Sounding much like he was endeavouring to win back control of the direction these preliminary talks should be taking, he said, "This answer covers both questions you have asked. By combining forces, from post-printing through to distribution and marketing only, we should have the fire-power to force local firms keen to win contracts in our publishing needs for any book print-ready to quote keenly, especially when we advise them we are also seeking quotes from some very competitive and reliable foreign firms."

"I see," Ryan drawled. "And if in that process all of out post-editing requirements go to foreign companies, the lost of revenue for our local providers could sent some of them to the wall, or at least to make some staff redundant."

"Yes, by what drives business these days more than ever before is management looking at ways to control costs without sacrificing quality."

"That's agreed, Raymond. At the same time, we must keep the big picture in mind and not recklessly contribute adversely to the health of our industry."

"That's simple ideology but is understandable you are overly focused on that due to your inexperience in business."

"Oh Raymond, please don't provoke me by becoming personal otherwise I'll start by asking what are your formal qualifications applicable to you being the head of a book publishing company."

Raymond's face turned dark but any intended retort was interrupted by his PA entering with Ryan's coffee.

"I'll now have coffee Stephanie."

Ryan said gently, "I didn't catch the boss saying please, Stephanie. Did you?"

"I...I'm not sure," Stephanie said cleverly, tabling Ryan's coffee and hurriedly leaving the room.

"Raymond, my business partner Juno and I have discussed what your proposal might actually mean, and came to the conclusion that it must be a bold effort to combine in some ways to try to control and even reduce publishing costs. We decided to partake in preliminary talks and then consider where to go from there."

"That's the first sensible thing you've made since we sat down to talk."

"Whatever, Raymond, but at least I knew when I wanted coffee."

Ryan say Raymond bristle and smiled.

"Raymond, we have invested heavily to set up our company, in employing quality staff including 11 people who'd become dissatisfied with working for your company. It has come to our attention, via rumours, plus information from some people who should be in the know, that Raymond Rich Publications is under considerable financial pressure because of it's sliding percentage of book sales in this country."

Raymond scowled heavily.

"Therefore, before we can proceed further Raymond, we require you to open your books to us so that we can peruse evidence of your company's current financial position and confirm your company's share of the book market sales over the past 10 years. Although publicly-published statics provide data on good sales generally, we'd like to see your company's accurate recording of annual sales."

Raymond stood and said, "Get out of my office now."

"Okay, but give me a minute to finish my coffee."

Raymond went to his desk, called someone on his phone and shouted furiously, "Security, this is Raymond Rich. To my office, now!"

Ryan stood, finishing his coffee, and said, "Thanks for talking to me Raymond for possibly a nil result, I believe. I must go now to avoid the risk of facing a trumped-up charge of trespassing. Have a great day."

He walked away, Raymond shaking in fury and remaining silent.

Ryan waited for two tough-looking guys to rush from the lift before he entered for the descent to the ground floor.

He said to Juno after he arrived at the doorway of her office and she asked how to it go,

"Very much as we predicted and he reacted just like you said he would when I dropped the bomb. Two thick-set security guys rushed from the lift and headed in the direction of Raymond's office as I prepared to descent to the ground floor. I'll write you a full report for the record."

"Good work darling. Knowing him, I can confidently say he would have worked on inflating the bills for everything done in any joint venture covering production and marketing on our behalf. Charges would have included dreamed up things like need to employ extra staff and 'intellectual contributions' by Raymond Rich Publications to increase the efficiency of our combined work flow."

"Would that mean Raymond sitting in his chair and looking across to our offices and thinking, how can I bring those assholes and their company a total collapse?"

"Right on, my sweetheart," Juno said lovingly. 'It's moments like this that elevate our spirits above our daily grind in commissioning a start up company and working to make it grow in strength and profitability."

"Indeed, and I imagine that right now Raymond is masturbating and thinking almost in tears thinking of they great times he and you had in bed, especially in those early days of marriage."

Juno giggled, "Off you go and produced that business report, you disgusting man."

The End
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