AllFreeNovel
Share Us
PAIGE
If I said I wanted the Earth to open up and swallow me whole in that old building when Travis practically jumped off me like I was made of lava, it would be an understatement. I can’t even begin to express how relieved I was when I tried the door one more time and my prayers were answered and it swung open. I couldn’t get away fast enough. I have tried to think of a time when I was more embarrassed but I have failed.
I spent the entire night making suggestive comments to Travis. The whole time I was doing it I knew I shouldn’t have, but I couldn’t stop myself. He looked so delicious in his blue three-piece suit. Everything about that man calls to me and I just do not understand it.
He’s actively trying to undo all the work I’ve spent my professional life so far creating. He wants to turn my company into something that it isn’t. It might be dramatic to say he wants to destroy everything I have built, but that’s how I feel. Whether I was a part of the company until the day I died or not, I had hoped thatDeLislewould be one ofmy legacies. I don’t see how that will happen if Travis ends up doing what he says he wants to do.
I have tried to compromise, but my efforts have not gone over well with him. So I should hate him, but the funny thing is that I don’t.
Number one, he’s trying to destroy my company. Number two, he rejected me when I basically threw myself at him. Number three, he is my boss. Number four, he is literally my parent’s age. I shouldn’t want to have anything to do with him, but I can’t stop myself.
Every time he’s in the room, even if I can’t see him, I am acutely aware of his presence. Whenever he walks across the office floor I can’t keep my eyes off his long legs as they eat up the space. I can’t remember the last time I was this attracted to someone. Not even Jason, and I thought I was going to marry that idiot.
It’s not only that he is sexy, because… holy shit… but he’s also strong in a way that I have rarely seen. It irritates me how adamant he is about things, but I respect how steadfast he is. I think that’s what it is, that he challenges me. Very few people in my life ever have, and this is the first time I’m actually attracted to one such person.
However, I’m not stupid. I can take a hint. I won’t force myself on him. I do have my pride after all.
That is why I have been trying my hardest to keep my mind out of the gutter because Travis has been sitting cross-legged in that chair in my office all evening in our strategy meeting.
It’s late enough that we are the only two people left in the office, which doesn’t help. However, I have to say, Travis is doing his best to put me off.
“I think we should move production overseas,” he says.
I raise an eyebrow. “Overseas?Okay…where?”
“I don’t know.” He shrugs. “Perhaps somewhere in Asia?”
I shake my head. “We can’t do that.”
“Why not?”
“Because we cannot ensure the labor we will be getting. I keep production close so that I can be sure of our standards.”
“What standards are you talking about?” His brow furrows.
“I like to make sure that the people doing work for me are being paid a fair wage. That’s important to me. I also like to know that no child labor is being used to make any of our products. If we were to ship production overseas we will have to work through middlemen. Those middlemen can then turn around and do whatever they want in our name. I’m just not comfortable with that.”
“You are overthinking this. If we’re going to produce at the scale I have in mind we will still have to use middlemen even here in the United States. Those middlemen can also do what you described here at home.”
“Yes, but the difference is, I can’t hop on a plane and drop in unannounced twice a week if our production operation is mainly in Asia.”
Travis springs to his feet. “Oh my God, Paige!” He massages his temples. “Do you actually enjoy driving me crazy?”
I stand up straight from where I have been perched on my desk. “I could ask you the same thing. You keep rejecting my ideas.”
“No, I don’t. You keep rejecting mine.”
“What?! You are the one who keeps dismissing me. You asked me to compromise, and I did. I had my team come up with more accessible fashion, and you turned everything down.”
“It’s not my fault you can’t follow simple instructions.”
“I can’t follow instructions?” I slowly step up to him.
He pinches the bridge of his nose. “That’s not what I meant.”
“Then what did you mean?” I am now close enough to smell his woody cologne.
“You are so frustrating.” He is breathing fast.
