"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.
"Sorry, I'm ear—"
His kiss stole the words from her mouth. His hands dove into her hair and tilted her head, giving him more to devour. The electric shock he craved jolted through him, giving a different version of the oblivion he sought. Jack lost himself in her, taking, wanting, needing.
Soft and supple under his touch, Jack's hands dropped to her hips, pulling her closer to him. Little Jack appreciated the friction and demanded more. Solana's arms wrapped around his neck, and she arched into him, her tongue answering his demands with her own.
The sharp edges of concern from the morning melted away with the warmth of her body, like paper lit by a match. Yet it wasn't enough. He needed them gone, the pressure in his head to dissipate. Craving more, his hands sank to her bottom, spreading to encompass the flesh he adored, the fire in his belly roaring to life. She swallowed his moan, her leg grazing his, and the office diminished.
Desperate for air, he tore his lips from hers and gulped oxygen before diving back for more. But Solana planted her forehead against his chest, denying him. Impatience roared in his brain. He needed her. Now. Needed to bury himself in her and forget.
Her arms fell to his waist and clamped on his back. "We're in your office."
The reminder tried to pierce his veil of lust, but he focused on her curves, keeping the fire raging. She could drown out the doubts. Jack picked her up and set her on his desk. He found her knee and brought it to his hip, forcing her legs open. "I'm the CEO." Fingers pushed up the hem of her flimsy skirt and sought the warm wet he knew waited for him.
The pressure around his waist vanished, replaced by two pulsing points on his chest. Pushing him away.
"Hey." She tried to catch his eye. "What's wrong?"
"You're not naked." Jack's hand moved up her thigh and the thudding in his ears increased. Pain snapped him to attention as she slapped his forearm.
"No. Something is different." Her fingers bit into his chin. "Talk to me."
He jerked away from her, cold air blasting against the furnace on his skin. "You wouldn't understand."
"Try me." She popped off the desk and placed a hand on his bicep.
Electricity buzzed from her touch, travelled through him, stirring up memories of how they'd spend yesterday. Little Jack twitched, demanding to be satisfied, and he moved to pull her back into his arms. "Corporate business bullshit. You're not—"
"Not smart enough."
She stepped out of his reach, and he clenched thin air. "Don't be like that."
"Like what? Not willing to spread my legs the moment you see me?" The fire in Solana's eyes when she glared at him wasn't desire. "Is that all I am to you? Your sex toy to play with when your dick needs attention?"
Annoyance hit the back of his throat. She'd dangled in front of him like a glass of water to a man who'd walked the desert for three days and he wanted a drink. He stuffed his hands in his pocket. "Excuse me for being excited to see you."
She adjusted the strap that had fallen off her shoulder. "That was not excitement. That was..." her hands flew around "possession."
The word hit him like a slap to the face. That wasn't what he meant. He'd just needed her. Needed the solace of her. Old patterns scraped against the inside of his brain. This was what he did. This was what his ex-wife had meant when she said he'd forced her to be with him. Shame filtered over him, coating the room in gloom.
Solana locked his office door. "Don't want Wolfe walking in on us again." Her fingers clutched his tie, dragging him toward the couch.
"Sol... wait." He choked out the words through the strangling material.
"Oh no. If I'm only good for sex. Not to talk to." Jack winced at the hurt in her voice. "Then let's get to it." She pushed him onto the couch, climbing on to his lap, one leg on either side, her center flush against his torso. Lips sucked at his neck and hands pawed at the buckle of his belt.
"I didn't mean—" This time her lips cut him off. A fierce, savage kiss. She sucked on his mouth until she drew back, her teeth clenching his bottom lip. The onslaught scattered his brain, his body craving the attention. In the back of his brain, a thought tried to force its way forward. Stop this, this is wrong. His hands found her biceps in an attempt to restrain her ambush, but her fingers had sunk into his underwear and wrapped themselves around Little Jack, who rose to attention.
Caught between the desire to halt her actions, address her hurt and the physical ramification on his body, Jack struggled to regain control. But Solana's fingers worked a form of magic on Little Jack and rational thought flew out the window.
Hey folks. D.L. here. Well that peace didn't last long. Who's over reacting here?
Psst. If you are a fan of my books as Willa Drew, my brother's best friend, movie star romance Star Struck is free on Amazon this week. I'll put the link here ---->