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“I do.” His gaze sharpens on me, his eyes dropping to my mouth. Heat pulses through me. Kiss me. Please, Jonah.
He stands and drains his water. He’s Jonah Crown, titan of industry again, and he wants me at a meeting.
* * *
On Wednesday, all signs of stress are gone from Jonah’s face. I’m overheated and nervous under my best sheath dress, but he’s cool, seemingly unaffected. He’s wearing a charcoal suit and a blue tie.
“Bespoke?” I ask, when he sees me admiring how it drapes over his shoulders.
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” He gives me a cool smile, and I roll my eyes. “Image is power, Thompson.” His gaze skates over my dress, lingers on my legs in the sheer tights I chose, dips all the way down to my black pumps. I tense for a comment about my outfit, but when his eyes meet mine, all I see is banked heat. For one heartbeat, it looks like he might push me up against the wall.
Please, my gaze says.
Not a chance in hell, his responds. His jaw tics and he goes back to his notes.
When we meet outside the conference room that afternoon, he holds the door open for me. Our investors are already here. His investors. I’m just a passenger, though if my sweaty palms are anything to go by, my body is far too invested in this.
Jonah introduces himself and sits at the head of the table. I’m all the way at the other end, on the side, so I can watch him work.
He is magnificent. I can admit it. I prepared the materials on the table in front of us. I’ve heard him go into the description of their business at least five times, but here? With a hundred million dollars on the line? I can’t take my eyes off him. His investors can’t either. He has an easy smile when things get tense, one I rarely see him deploy. He’s thoughtful when he needs to be, answering their questions without pretense or arrogance. They’re nodding along, as enthralled as I am. He paces the room as he goes through the slides he prepared, but his eye contact is steady, and he knows the material by heart.
Until we get to the environmental data. The man in the black suit, Greg, wants to know about the impact reports that were performed before Kings Lane bought the facility outside Los Angeles. Jonah freezes, his gaze darting immediately to me. I read those reports. Last night, or rather, this morning, at three a.m. They were in the materials prepared for the last meeting. Help. His gaze pleads. I lick my dry lips. I can’t butt in, as much as it looks like he might want me to. Remember, I will him with my eyes.
“My assistant, Ms. Thompson, has those materials,” he says slowly.
“The reports were completed two years before the facility construction began. No adverse findings were reported. Mr. Crown asked the owners to perform additional groundwater testing before he purchased the facility two years ago.” Somehow, miraculously, my voice remains calm.
Jonah’s shoulders lower as Greg nods and takes notes. I feel like I’m floating. The meeting finishes, and Jonah sees our investors out. His head is down when he walks back down the hall. His hands are shoved into his pockets. He looks disappointed. Shit. I’m quiet at my desk, my stomach knotting as he paces into his office.
“Thompson. In here.”
I twist my fingers around my gold necklace as I enter. He looks so pissed. Did I say something wrong?
And then his mouth broadens into a heart-stopping grin. “We did it. They’re going to invest.”
“Oh my god.” My hands fly to my mouth, and I take two steps forward before I can think better of it. I stop so fast, I nearly fall onto his desk. What were you planning to do? Kiss him?
He’s two steps closer too. I grin at him, and he smiles back, his eyes on my mouth. He runs a thumb over his bottom lip, absently, like he wishes my mouth were on his.
My head is pounding as I leave his office and sit back at my desk. The adrenaline from the meeting and then whatever that was with Jonah are making me feel hot and confused.
He doesn’t like you. But he’s looking at me like he does. Like he wishes we could go back to the gym and repeat the other day.
I need to do something to get rid of this excess energy. Maybe Adriana and Luz can distract me.
Callie
Girls’ night? I need to let loose.
Luz
Yes! I’m free tonight! I have four days off starting tomorrow.
Adriana
Karaoke?
I grin. I fucking love karaoke, and Adriana knows it.
