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"I'll take cream, no sugar," I tell her since they're both looking at me expectantly.
"Of course!" she chirps easily.
I watch her vanish into the kitchen before following Jerome into the conference room. I feel like I'm holding my breath waiting to see if Tess comes back. It's going to be a real pain in the ass if I have to track her down. Especially after seeing how fast she moves. She could cover a lot of ground before this meeting is over.
Still, I force my attention to Jerome. I didn't drive out here for nothing; I want this project. There's nothing my guys would like more than to head South for a while to work. And the new resort sits on peaceful territory belonging to a collective of packs that Jerome's pack runs with. All of them are peace packs, which means they're neutral during fighting and always considered a safe haven.
If I'm sending my men off familiar grounds, sending them somewhere I know they don't have to be watching over their shoulders seems like a good option.
And you can send Luca to oversee the whole thing, my wolf suggests.The team will be gone for a couple months at least.
We don't make decisions out of jealousy. We make decisions for the good of the pack.I have to keep my wolf's jealousy in check, otherwise I'm not sure how I’ll preserve my relationship with Luca, and the man is a damn good beta. I can't imagine trusting anyone else the way I trust him.
"It's interesting seeing Tess Jarreau with you," Jerome muses, interrupting my internal dialogue with my wolf. "The Alpha of the East Terrace Green Pack just contacted me yesterday wanting to know if I'd seen her or heard anything."
He takes the seat at the head of the table and makes himself comfortable, leaning back with his hands clasped across his stomach. He's trying to look important, but I think he looks like an idiot.
"Cross and I spoke this morning."And I put him in his fucking place.My wolf preens.
"I'll admit, I thought if she ever thawed for anyone, it would be Cross. The two were always together from what I saw. No wonder he was so desperate looking for her. Though, I also can't help but notice she wasn't marked."
Of course Jerome would notice that.
I should have made her change before coming—not that I'd have known who to ask for more appropriate clothes. The women in my pack aren't built as petite as Tess. Still, having something more than my shirt hanging off her shoulder might have been a good choice.
Too late now.
"We're in no rush," I say, offering no more explanation than that. It's none of his business that she's unmarked. My words were clear.
"I get it." He nods. "I actually found my own mate just this year, and we've been taking it slow too. It takes time to get comfortable, doesn't it?"
"Uh-huh." I hate the guy even more knowing he's found his own mate but is still checking out mine.
Tess takes me by surprise, sweeping in and setting cups of coffee in front of Jerome and then me. She surprises me even more by taking the seat next to me, putting me between her and Jerome. The surprise clearly lulls me into a false sense of security.
I reach for the mug, taking a big gulp, and then struggle not to gag. I clear my throat as politely as possible considering the mouthful of fucking salt I just swallowed.
I can hear Tess blow out a soft laugh next to me. It's fucking childish, putting salt in my coffee, but I'm half tempted to laugh alongside her. Hell, better a dumb prank than having her run. I think it bodes well for us that the first real shot she got at running, she made the decision to stay.
"Is it okay?" Tess asks innocently, baiting me.
"Perfect," I lie.
She shifts in her seat, getting comfortable. She's all too pleased with herself, I know, but I need to focus on work. I nudge the coffee a little further away from me so I don't pick it up again out of habit.
"So, the resort…" I launch into a detailed description of all the plans and optics my team has already worked on based on the existing specs of the property. It's a pretty major remodel, but with the amount of work the property needs right now, I know Jerome has to be expecting how much work will be involved.
"I understand everything you've done so far. It's impressive." Jerome eventually interrupts. "I know you want the job, and I also know your company would do an incredible job. I only have one concern I don't think has been addressed in any of your proposals."
"What's that?" My proposals are always incredibly thorough.
Jerome rolls out the plans I sent a couple weeks ago. "The getaway you're proposing here would be spectacular, no doubt, but I'm worried you don't have a clear sense of who the client is. There are too many single bed suites, and the only housing for large groups would be cabanas on the higher price end."
"Yes, most of the high-end resorts are going to that set-up." I don't understand the problem.
Tess leans forward in her chair next to me. I glance over to find her studying the resort plans. Her interest surprises me, but I start to put some clues together. Her spending a lot of time with Cross. The way she studies the plans with the eye of someone who knows what they're looking at.
"Did you work for Cross?" I blurt out, forgetting where the hell I am for a minute.
