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He was silent then. She curled into his chest and tried to absorb his tension. But this part of Jared, this haunted part, was one only he could deliver himself from. Forgive himself for. She felt it rise up between them like a physical presence as the minutes wore on, creating a distance she couldn’t bridge.
She got the message. Dressed and went back into the cabin and asked Betty for a cup of tea. Then sat watching the night as it sped by. Did people ever truly slay their demons? Or was it just easier to accept them as a part of you? She had always done that, but Jared had convinced her to try harder. Now if he could only do that for himself.
CHAPTER TWELVE
THEY NEEDED GLAMMING UP.
Bailey came to that decisive conclusion about her slides for the executive committee meeting about the same time she remembered that the steaming Americano her colleague had brought her as reinforcement was sitting untouched on her desk. Tugging the top off the coffee, she brought the steaming brew to her lips. Maybe she needed some graphs. Clip art? Or maybe a joke…those meetings always needed livening up, didn’t they?
And where had her concentration gone? She’d been doing so well all morning, ignoring the fact that Jared returned from the Caribbean today. Ignoring the fact that she was dying to see him to the point she really had to wonder about herself. She wanted to know how things had gone with his father. She wanted to know if he’d heard from Alexander. And shouldn’t he be in by now?
A smile curved her lips. She hadn’t needed to convince herself things could be different since she’d returned from France a week ago. They were different. She was the CMO of this vibrant, innovative company, she had a gazillion ideas in her head she couldn’t wait to execute and yes, there was that little detail that she was in love with her boss.
A zing of anticipation ratcheted through her, sparking a warm glow in her cheeks. She’d spent two nights at Jared’s place before he’d left. Two perfect nights in his stunning Pacific Heights mansion cooking together, getting to know each other and finishing off whatever work they’d had. And yes, countless hours in Jared’s bed learning each other in different ways. It had been so good, so intimate, she’d laughingly threatened to bake the next time she’d come over. Except the next time hadn’t come until the night before Jared had left to visit his father, and he’d been so keyed up about it, it had been a certified disaster.
In the days leading up to the trip, she’d watched him grow increasingly agitated. About everything, she suspected: the board meeting, the deal, the trip. She’d offered to cook for him that night thinking maybe she could distract him. Tempt him with a passionate night in bed. But he hadn’t been there, not really. He’d toyed with his dinner, a distant look on his face, and cut the night short after they’d finished, pleading an early flight.
She’d tried not to remember his sarcastic line in Nice about kicking a woman out after they’d cooked for him, but that’s exactly what had happened. And she, who wasn’t at all sure what being in a relationship entailed, hadn’t really known how to analyze it.
Was he pulling back? Did she just need to give him space because of his father? Was she supposed to be unnerved he hadn’t returned any of her texts while he was away except to say that, yes, he’d landed fine?
Her heart thumped nervously in her chest. She supposed she was about to find out when he did come in. Which was a good thing because she needed to ground herself. Being with Jared had made it clear her job wasn’t enough anymore. That being with someone as she was with him was something she’d been missing her entire adulthood. She did want the house and the white picket fence, as long as he was in it. As long as they were equals. And although she knew she needed to take it step-by-step with him, although the idea terrified her as much as it did him, she wanted to know she could have it. That this was real.
The slides stared back at her—clearly lacking. She needed to have them done for Jared so he could review them before they presented at tomorrow’s board meeting. With a sigh, she put her coffee down and went searching for clip art.
Tate Davidson waltzed by her desk, leaving a trail of his sleazy cologne. “Big guy’s in fine form.”
Her gaze whipped to him. “Jared’s back?”
“Sure is.” He lifted a brow. “Surely he’s checked in with his CMO?”
She lowered her head and ignored the dig. Tate was insanely jealous she’d been promoted over his head. And more importantly, her brain whirred, Jared was back. How long had he been in? Why hadn’t he come to see her?
Her phone rang. She barked a greeting into it. It was Nancy from HR, wanting to schedule a meeting. “Sorry, what is this for?”
“Your sixty-day check-in.”
She frowned. “What sixty-day check-in?”
“The one that’s in your contract,” Nancy said patiently. “Jared wanted to review things at the sixty-day mark.”
He did? Wasn’t it usually ninety days? Having signed the contract and not read it thoroughly before they’d left for France, she wouldn’t know. She whipped it out of her drawer and scanned it. There it was on page eight in the fine detail. Employee Trial Period: Employee’s performance in the role to be reviewed at the sixty-day mark.
“Isn’t it usually ninety days?” she asked Nancy.
“Often, yes, but this is a high-profile role. Jared wanted to make sure he wasn’t making any mistakes.”
Mistakes? Her blood flashed hot in her veins as she kept reading, scanning through the legalese. This position can be terminated for any reason determined by the employer, not limited by underperformance.
“And this termination clause…can be terminated for any reason? Is this normal?”
There was a pause. “That’s a little more…stringent than usual. But again, a high-profile position.”
Bailey stared at the words. That clause said Jared could demote her for any reason after two months regardless of her performance on the job. Any clause she’d ever had in a contract had been based on performance.
She pulled in a breath. “You know what, Nancy? I’m going to schedule this check-in myself. Consider it done.”
“Yes, but Bailey we don’t do it that wa—”
Slam. She whacked the earpiece on the base. Shot to her feet. The hallways flashed by in a stream of silver as she made her way to the elevator and up to the executive floor. Mary, Jared’s PA, gave her a bemused look as she stormed past her, knocked once on his door and flung it open.
Jared was bent over a pile of papers, a frown on his face. He looked up in surprise, flicked his gaze over her and rose to close the door.
“What’s wrong?”
“First of all,” she bit out, “it’s nice that Tate Davidson knows you’re back. It would also have been nice to get an answer to one of my texts. I know you’re a very busy, important man but I would have enjoyed that courtesy.”
His face softened, and now she could see the lines of fatigue crisscrossing it. “I’m sorry. I was on my way down after lunch.”
“Two.” She waved the contract at him. “Did you instruct HR to put that clause in my contract? The one that allows you to demote me for any reason, regardless of my performance?”
His frown deepened. “Yes. But that was before I knew what you were capable of.”
She crinkled up her face. “You stood here and agreed to my terms. You asked me to come to France, to save your reputation and win that contract, when you weren’t intending on honoring our deal?”
He walked toward her, his hands raised as if she were a child who needed to be calmed. “You were an unknown quantity, Bailey. I could hardly make you CMO without an opt-out. Be reasonable.”
“An opt-out?” Her voice lifted a notch. “That clause is way beyond an opt-out. It’s an ironclad opportunity to get rid of me whenever you so choose. Even Nancy said it was unusually…what did she say? Oh, stringent, that was the word.”
“Bailey,” he said quietly, holding her gaze, “that clause has nothing to do with the here and now. You have proven yourself to me. The job is yours. If you like, I’ll have another contract drawn up.”
“What I’d like is to know that you believed in me from the beginning. That you are a man of your word and you were going to honor our agreement.”
He blanched. “Trust is earned.”
“And I gave it to you every step of the way.” She flung the words at him as she brought herself within inches of his tall, imposing figure. “I opened myself up completely to you, Jared. I let you break me down. And all I required in return was the honesty you promised me.”
He shook his head, eyes flashing. “Everything I said to you, promised you over the past couple of weeks, is true, Bailey. Do not let this, do not let your insecurities, ruin a good thing.”
“A good thing.” She barked the words out, hands on her hips. “How long should I expect this good thing to last, Jared? A couple months? Three? Four? You were already backing off the other night as per usual. Then you go completely incommunicado.”
He shook his head. “I’ve been up to my ears, stressed about my father…”
