Black Hearted - An Enemies to Lovers Romance (Complete)

Black Hearted Chapter 45

"Anderson is wavering on the non-disparity clause." Jack winced at the anger crackling over the speakerphone in Wolfe's office. "I called you several times yesterday. He needed assurances. Where the hell were you?"

Wrapped in Solana's arms. Only when he went to order in dinner had Jack noticed his phone was on silent. Rows and rows of texts, a barrage of emails and a full voicemail box greeted him. And what had he done? He'd ignored them all until this morning. Shirked his responsibilities and the consequences bit back sharply.

Jack avoided the stony stare of disappointment in Wolfe's face and focused on the bodiless voice of his contact. "I'm not at your beck and call. Get him on the phone now and I'll give him the hand holding he needs."

"He's on a plane for the next six hours." The speaker phone crackled.

"Who's unavailable now? Call me when he lands or you can forget about your signing bonus." Jack hit end, and the room fell into silence.

Jack curled his fingers into a fist and counted. One... two... three—

"We should pull the deal." Wolfe's voice rumbled low and assertive. "Get out before this thing bleeds us dry."

Summoning strength he didn't feel, Jack stood and faced Wolfe. "No. I want this company. We'll up the offer. He won't refuse."

While others would interpret Wolfe's expression as passive, Jack knew still waters run deep, and the man was gearing up for an argument. A logical argument Jack had no sound reason to combat. This endeavour was a risk, beyond the calculated possibilities Blackhorne and Caldwell took to increase its bottom line. This deal would suck money like a vacuum does dirt.

Instead, Wolfe surprised him. "Let's regroup after lunch."

More guilt ate at his insides. Solana had promised to meet Jack for lunch. She could be in his office even now. The thought of her leaning against his desk like she had the night after the appreciation party pulled at the back of his mind. His fingers desperate for the tingle they received every time he touched the back of her hand, her cheek, her thigh.

The air in Wolfe's office felt stale. Jack nodded. "Good idea."

"How about Armando's?" Wolfe flipped the cover on his tablet and pushed back his chair. "I feel like a steak."

Of course, Wolfe expected Jack to eat with him. Except for his personal lunches with Ethan, Jack and Wolfe ate together almost every day. Jack considered putting Wolfe and Solana at the same table. Then dismissed the idea. Not yet. Besides, the paparazzi liked to hang out at the Michelin Star restaurant. He'd filled Wolfe in on the change of situation with Solana and his second in command had asked for time to come up with a security plan and a publicity angle.

"I'm eating in. Solana's bringing food." A bushy eyebrow raised as Wolfe paused, but he remained silent. The lack of comment was worse than the expected reprimand. Jack felt the need for consolation. "We'll do Armando's tomorrow."

Lips pressed into a straight line, Wolfe nodded. After a few more heartbeats of silence, Jack turned and left. Each step down the hallway, past the receptionist and toward his office, brought a different emotion. The pricks of disappointing Wolfe, the gut twists of worry over missing the calls yesterday, the stabs of doubt that this was the wrong move, the flares of anger at the deal shifting out of control. His control.

His assistant stood, mouth moving to say something as Jack brushed by. Without a word, he ignored the man, seeking the solitude of his office. He needed a moment. A minute to drive out the roil inside his head. Find some oblivion.

Except his office wasn't vacant. The sight that greeted him, Solana leaning on his desk, wearing a white cotton shift dress that highlighted her glowing skin, made him quicken his step.