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“That’s putting it mildly. The woman not only bullies her she also bullies everyone on the board. And I think she’s boinking the old guy with—” Deacon lifted a brow, and she rephrased. “Yes, she’s a bully. So are you here to see Ms. Harrington? She usually doesn’t get here until around nine. Which doesn’t seem right, since I have to be here at eight.”
He stared at the door of the office where the contract was waiting. Don’t be stupid, Deacon. Sign the contract and get the hell out of here. But instead of doing that, he glanced at his watch. “I guess that gives me a good hour.”
Kelly seemed thrilled. “I’ll be happy to get you a cup of coffee while you wait—black, right?”
He smiled. “You read my mind.”
She started to turn when she noticed the opened door of Olivia’s office. Her head cocked. “That’s strange. I don’t remember unlocking it.” She pulled the door closed before heading down the hallway.
Once she was gone, Deacon’s mind ticked. If the office had been locked, it meant that Ms. Bradley had done some breaking and entering. He wasn’t that surprised. He had met his fair share of women, and men, who were willing to do whatever it took to get ahead in the business world. And it sounded to Deacon like Ms. Bradley wanted to get ahead…but not as much as the person she had been speaking to.
“So did you sign it, Mr. Beaumont?”
Deacon was pulled away from his thoughts by the same man who had shown up in Olivia’s office the day before. He was a disheveled-looking guy with messy hair, wrinkled pants, and a grease spot on his purple tie. But regardless of his appearance, he seemed to have some guts.
“Jason Melvin.” He held out his hand. “I’m the one who drew up the contract.”
Deacon shook his hand. “Deacon Beaumont.”
“I assumed as much by Ms. Harrington’s reaction yesterday.” He hesitated for only a second. “So did you sign it? Or would you like to do that now?”
Smart man. He had very politely placed Deacon in a corner. Which made Deacon wonder if he had been the one talking to Ms. Bradley on the phone. It didn’t seem likely. A lawyer wouldn’t have the power to appoint Ms. Bradley to the position of CEO.
“Call me Deacon,” he said. “And may I call you Jason?” Before he could agree, Deacon continued. “Actually, there were a few things in the contract I’d like to discuss. And since you drew it up, I figure you’ll be able to answer them better than Olivia can.”
“Of course. My office is just—” His face turned a bright red that clashed with his tie as Kelly walked up with the coffee.
“Be careful,” she said as she handed Deacon the cup. “It’s still a little hot.” She looked at Jason and sent him a knowing smile. “Would you like me to get you some coffee, Mr. Melvin, or are you interested in something else?”
Jason’s chin lifted. “No, thank you, Miss Wang. There’s nothing you can get me that I want.”
“Really?” Kelly’s smile was more like a baring of teeth, and Deacon wondered if he should step between them or pull out the boxing gloves. “Because it looked like you were…pointing me out the other day.”
“If I point you out, Miss Wang, you’ll know it.” His eyes flashed with anger before he turned to Deacon. “My office is this way.”
With a nod of thanks to Kelly, Deacon followed him down the hallway. “So I’m going to make a guess and say that you’re interested in Kelly.”
Jason glanced at him. “What? That overconfident nympho? Not hardly. She’s probably screwed half the guys in San Francisco.”
“Doubtful.”
Jason stopped and studied him. “What do you mean?”
“I mean that I’ve met very few women who are true nymphos and addicted to sex. But I’ve met plenty of women who act sexually aggressive as a way of hiding their insecurities.”
“And you think that brassy woman is insecure?”
Deacon shrugged. “It’s probable. Kelly is the new kid on the block in a business filled with beautiful lingerie models.”
Jason thought for a moment before he cleared his throat. “Well, it doesn’t matter. I’m not interested.” He turned and led Deacon into a small office that was messier than Grayson’s room. The desk was cluttered with stacks of papers and fast-food cups, the trash can filled with empty snack cake boxes, and the windowsill crammed with dying potted plants. The only thing remotely organized was the shelf behind the desk. Sports memorabilia filled each level. It was an impressive collection.
“It looks like you’re quite the sports enthusiast.” Deacon studied the signatures on a baseball. “Did you play?”
Jason took a seat behind the desk. “No, I just collect. To my father’s dismay, I pretty much suck at all sports. But I would imagine that you played and were no doubt the star high school quarterback.”
“Actually, I didn’t have time to play sports. I was too busy trying to make money.” He picked up the framed picture next to the ball. It was a picture of Jason and Olivia with a baseball field behind them. Both were smiling brightly—a little too brightly for Deacon’s taste. “Obviously I was wrong. Kelly isn’t the woman you’re interested in.”
“That was at the company charity game,” Jason said defensively. “Olivia took pictures with a lot of the employees. She’s that kind of a boss—the type that cares about the people who work for her.” He cupped his hands on the desk. “And now you don’t need to work for money, Mr. Beaumont. Now all you need to do is sign on the dotted line.”
