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“Bad day?”
“You could say that.” She walked to the coffee table and collected the designs. Parker didn’t know about the men’s underwear idea, and after Deacon’s brutal comments, she didn’t want him to. Especially when it looked as if it was a complete failure. She took the designs to her desk and slipped them in the top drawer with the ones she’d been working on before Michael’s death. She had just worked on them for fun. She wasn’t a designer. She wasn’t even a good CEO.
“I tried calling you last night.” Parker moved to the desk.
With the Babette drama, she hadn’t had time to get a new phone—or go to the grocery store for much-needed coffee.
“Sorry. I’m getting a new phone today.” She noticed the wilting plant on the bookcase. Grabbing her empty coffee mug, she went into the en suite bathroom to get it some water. Parker was standing in the doorway when she turned around. For the first time, she noticed that his shirt was heavily starched—almost too heavily starched.
“Olivia. Would you look at me?”
She pulled her attention away from his shirt sleeves and up to his eyes. “I am looking at you.”
“No. No, you’re not. So what’s going on? Do you want to call it quits?”
It? The word seemed as vague as their relationship. And she wondered if it was time to call “it” quits.
But before she could answer, his hands encircled her waist and pulled her close. “I care about you, Olivia. And maybe you’re right. Maybe we do need to spend more time away from the office.” He dipped his head and kissed her neck. “More time doing a little stress relief.” His lips traveled up her neck to her ear, which he gave a very wet lick that caused a shiver to run down Olivia’s spine—and not in a good way.
She placed her hands on his shoulders. “Now’s not a good time, Parker.”
“I think now is a perfect time.” He kissed her.
With Deacon’s kiss still fresh in her mind, it was hard not to make some comparisons. None of which tipped in Parker’s favor. Deacon’s kiss was hot and demanding while Parker’s was more lukewarm and hesitant. Deacon used the gentle sweep of his tongue to entice. Parker used the quick thrust of his to…annoy. Like, really annoy.
She pulled away from Parker, only to discover the kissing champion standing in the doorway of the bathroom.
Or more like leaning.
Deacon rested his shoulder on the doorjamb, his arms crossed over the front of his soft-looking chambray shirt. Just the sight of him gave her a jolt of adrenaline that she quickly attributed to the pot of coffee she’d consumed.
“I guess kissing in your office is an everyday occurrence,” he said in that silky Southern voice. While Olivia’s face flamed, Parker looked between the two of them.
“Who is this, Olivia?”
Before she could reply, Deacon uncrossed his arms and held out a hand. “Deacon Beaumont.” He hesitated for only a second. “Your new boss.”
The word boss hung in the air like an anvil over Olivia’s head. She didn’t know who was more shocked—her or Parker. They both stared at Deacon while he smiled that annoying smile. Although his eyes didn’t look all that happy when they narrowed on Parker.
“And you are Olivia’s boyfriend, I take it,” he said. “Or just another office fling?”
Olivia had always been a non-aggressive person, but since Deacon had shown up in her life, her mind had been filled with very violent thoughts. Like right now, she wanted to wipe that smile off his face with the jab she’d learned in the one and only kickboxing class she’d taken. Instead she spoke through clenched teeth.
“Parker, could you give Mr. Beaumont and me a moment in private? There are a few things I’d like to clear up.”
Looking confused, Parker nodded and turned to leave. Except it was hard to leave when Deacon continued to block the doorway that led back into her office.
“Excuse me,” Parker said.
Deacon studied him from beneath his long, dark lashes as if he had no intention of excusing him. But then he pushed away from the doorjamb and stepped back. “Of course.”
Once Parker left, Olivia turned all her anger on Deacon. “I’m through playing your little games.” She jabbed a finger at him. “For every second that you wait to sign that contract, the amount I’m willing to pay you and your brothers goes down by one hundred thousand dollars. Do you understand?”
Deacon studied her. “So is he your boyfriend?”
“Forty million nine hundred thousand.”
“Because if he is, I think you can do better.”
