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“My intern!” She gasps, and adds quickly, “But she’s new and has no experience. It would be a car crash.”
“Are you questioning my choices, Evangeline?”
She backs down under my ferocious gaze and shakes her head. “Of course not. I only want to provide you with the best service there is and no offense, but Miss Powell has a lot to learn.”
“I’ll be the judge of that. Bring her to me and I’ll discuss the campaign with her, and she will report back to you.”
For a moment, I think she’s going to argue with me because her eyes narrow and her mouth disappears into a thin line.
I know she’s pissed. I’ve disregarded her authority in her own business, and she will look foolish with her staff when she offers an extremely lucrative assignment to an intern on her first day that would ordinarily take years of proving themselves to attain.
In asking for Allegra, I have alienated her from her new workmates and incurred the wrath of her boss, who will want her to fail to prove a point.
I watch her changing emotions with interest as they play out across her face before she sighs heavily and nods.
“If you insist, but don’t blame me if your campaign fails. There will be no refunds, just to make that clear. We also insist on fifty percent up front.”
“Insist, Evangeline?”
I raise my eyes and she has the sense to blush and lick her lips nervously.
However, she holds her ground and says defiantly, “Come on, Shade, you know how it works. It’s obvious Miss. Powell is of interest to you in another way. I’m not a fool and you are using my company to make some kind of point. It’s fine. Go ahead with my blessing, but you must give me something back. It’s only fair.”
I shake my head. “I’m not a fair man, Evangeline. Surely you already know that.”
“I know exactly the kind of man you are, Shade, which is why we are even having this conversation. As I said, I’ll agree to your demands, but you must meet me half way.”
I nod. “Fine. I will pay the entire fee upfront on one condition.”
I lean forward and say darkly, “That Allegra Powell works solely on my campaign. She reports to me every fucking morning and again when she finishes at night. She will get her own office to work in private with all your resources at her disposal, and she is given six days to complete it.”
Evangeline shakes her head and sighs. “I have given up trying to figure you out, Shade, but you obviously have your reasons, so yes, I’ll agree to your demands and will have the contract drawn up.”
“No need.” I nod to Kyle, who removes a file from his briefcase and as I slide it across the desk, I say with a wicked grin, “Contracts are my speciality, Evangeline, all you have to do is sign on the dotted line.”
“But...” She attempts to disagree, and I harden my voice and growl, “Now and then send in Miss Powell.”
With a deep sigh, she grasps her pen and signs her name with a flourish and stands.
“If you wait here, I’ll send her in.”
As we watch her leave, Kyle laughs softly. “Well played, Shade. She had no choice.”
“They never do.” I grin and switch my mind to another woman who has no choice where I’m concerned, and I can’t wait to see the expression on her face when she realizes just what she has signed up for.
CHAPTER22
ALLEGRA
Ihate being an intern already. I’ve only been here for two hours and all I’ve done is make coffee for people who don’t even say thank you. I may as well be invisible. I know I must start at the bottom, but this is seriously scraping the bottom of the barrel.
My neck is itching, courtesy of the scarf I wound around it to disguise the freaking bite marks, and I had to wear my hair long to hide the ones higher up. It’s baking hot in here and I am shrouded like an Egyptian Mummy, all because of one man and his sick games.
I reported for duty and instead of the induction I expected, I was issued a pass and told to report to a woman called Simone Wilder, who I already hate with a passion.
She shook her head when she saw me standing there and sighed. “Darling, you really should dress to impress on your first day. You are seriously mixing colors there.”
I said, “I’m sorry, I…” and she didn’t even let me finish and just pointed to the door and told me to fetch her a coffee and then ask everyone in the entire building if they wanted one too.
