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“You’re such a beautiful contradiction,” I whispered.
“What?” He rested a hand on my arm, urging me around.
“Nothing,” I said, breathing deeply, preparing to meet my doom. He wore his hair straight, parted down the center and swept behind his ears. Although he looked delectable in a suit, I preferred him in sweats or threadbare jeans. “You look handsome.” I couldn’t help myself. I never could when it came to him.
“Thanks.” His eyes roved me from head to toe, the hairs along my body standing at attention. “So do you.” Jasper loved me in black.
“Why haven’t I heard from you? I get you were on vacation, but I saw Daniel in the office today. I figured I would’ve heard something from you. A text saying you’d gotten back okay. Anything.” I sounded needy, but if the shoe fit…
“We actually didn’t end up going anywhere,” he said. I’d noticed his lack of tan also, but Jasper tended to redden under the sun, and did everything in his power to avoid the effects from it. I’d hoped he’d sat under the biggest umbrella, sporting the largest sun hat, slathering on copious amounts of SPF. I’d hoped it wasn’t because they’d spent the whole weekend locked in their suite like Leland had suggested. “Our flights were canceled. A tropical storm hit the island. We decided to make it a staycation.”
I swallowed audibly, because a staycation was equally as bad as the nightmare Leland had implanted in my head.
“Daniel ended up working through most of it,” he whispered, as if sensing my distress. “To be fair, we both did.”
“Good,” I said, my filter malfunctioning. It still didn’t explain why I hadn’t heard from him. We were too far from each other, even though his breath fanned my lips, even though I could count the three nearly translucent freckles on his perfect nose.
“Well, there you two are!” Daniel’s grating, pompous voice knifed its way through our sphere.
“Daniel,” I said flatly, wanting to reach out and hold Jasper in place when he backed away from me. “I didn’t get to properly thank you. Thanks to your hard work, Nexcom Global is now the proud majority owner of Medtech International. We now have access to the best scientists, and one of the largest laboratories on the continent. Congratulations on making partner. I hear it’s been a long-time dream of yours.”
“It has been,” he said with unmasked resentment in his tone before perking up again. “But thank you. And I look forward to our continued working relationship.”
“I’ll leave you two to talk business,” Jasper said, heading to rejoin the party. My gaze followed his retreat—beyond my control, and I turned back to find Daniel watching me inquisitively. I offered him a stiff smile.
“We’ve amassed a list of our finest attorneys for Nexcom, but I’ll take the lead, if that’s alright with you. And I’d prefer my base be here,” he said with all the confidence of a man who felt we were now equals. But he still needed me. Men like him always would, because Daniel was only as good as the company he kept. He didn’t stand out on his own, no matter how hard he tried.
I moved in close, and never had I been more grateful for my breadth and height as I did when it forced him to crane his neck to meet my eyes. “Deliver the portfolios of your top twenty to my assistant by morning. I’ll review and make my own selections. And I’d prefer you relocate to my headquarters. At least part time. I’d like to keep you close,” I said, letting him know who held the real power.
“Sure, Cole,” he said, amicably enough, even if it was said through clenched teeth. “I’ll have my assistant put together—”
“I need your keen eye on this, Daniel. I need your best. I need more than a couple clicks on the keyboard and a printout. I need men and women who possess something that can’t be drilled down to a wins and loses column.”
“I’ll…have a list to you by morning.”
“Excellent.” That should keep him busy tonight. “One other thing. I know the lines between us can easily become blurred with me being your firm’s most valuable client, and also being family. I’d prefer it if you addressed me as Mr. Kincaid when in a work setting,” I said before strolling off.
I spent the rest of the evening pretending I didn’t notice the way Jasper’s gaze stalked me. Pretending I didn’t know it was because of his irrational jealousy when it came to Leland. The latter who ensured he leaned into my ear to whisper nonsensical things whenever Jasper pivoted our way, or steered me in the opposite direction with a hand to the small of my back whenever he spotted Jasper advancing on me. Leland laid it on extra thick when from the corner of my mouth I ordered him to stop it, and he laughed dark and seductively as if I’d said something highly inappropriate to him. That snagged everyone’s attention, including a red-faced Jasper.
“I don’t need anyone thinking I’m fucking my assistant, Leland,” I said as we went in search of the men’s room.
“No one’s paying us any attention. Well, one someone is, but that’s the point.”
“I didn’t ask you to torment him. Knock it off,” I said as we entered the single-occupant restroom.
“Oh dear,” he said, taking in our lack of privacy, and completely ignoring my order.
“Wait outside,” I said, but he just brushed me off and faced the door.
A few minutes later we stepped out together and came face-to-face with Jasper, who looked anything but pleased. “I didn’t realize there was only one stall,” I said.
“But he did,” Jasper said through tight lips, “because I saw him go in there less than a half an hour ago.”
“Oops,” Leland said innocently.
The sound of metal clinking against glass drew our heads around, distracting me from pummeling Leland. Robert Mitchell stood atop a makeshift podium, drink in hand, calling the room to order. It was time for the toast, and Jasper rushed off to be by his husband’s side.
“You’ll have dust for teeth if you keep grinding away like that,” Leland said, covering his grin with the fresh glass of bubbly he’d just been handed. I declined the server’s offer for another drink and stretched my jaw, teeth aching. “And you think you can handle an affair?”
