by Claire Adams
"You think so?" she asked in a small voice. It startled me to hear Sloan sound so vulnerable, but then it occurred to me that I'd never actually seen her in a vulnerable position before. "You really think I'm going to come back from this? I mean, everyone is going to know that my own father fired me. How's that going to play in the big leagues?"
"So what if they know?" I said. "It'll just prove that your father is, in fact, the jerk they all think he is. And you'll prove that you're better than he is by the time you're done."
"But how, Jack?" she asked. "How on earth am I going to get someone to give me a chance to rebuild?"
I looked down at her lovely face, trying hard to ignore the fact that I'd had crushes on her since I was a teenager, and suddenly I had an idea.
"Sloan, what if you helped me turn a profit for Baby Steps?" I asked. "My miserable father left me the company and then took away access to my own money so that I'd be forced to run it. The will stipulates that I have to turn a profit before I turn it over to a new CEO, what if you help me do that and in the process, you rebuild your reputation independent of your father?"
"Are you serious, Jack?" she laughed. "Me? Running a baby company? What kind of drugs have you been taking? I'm an investment banker who works with large funds and international clients! I'm not some kind of soccer mom who spends her days figuring out how to match her child's diapers to its bottles!"
"You're so narrow-minded and self-centered," I said, grinning as I recounted all of the information that Leah had given me on my tour of the facility that morning. "Baby Steps is about a lot more than products. It's about ecological responsibility and efficient supply and demand. It's a global business just waiting to be pushed to the next level."
"Right," she snorted. "By someone like me? I have no children, and for that matter, neither do you!"
"It doesn't matter, Sloan!" I said a little too loudly, making her chuckle as she shushed me. "What matters is that we work together to complete this damn contract so that I can get my life back and you can regain your reputation!"
"Do you really think this could work?" she asked as she returned her hand to my thigh. "Could we work together?"
"Only if you stop putting your hands on me," I said giving her a warning look before I signaled the server to come take our orders.
Sloan backed off, but only a little, and I knew that she and I were going to be walking a fine line if we worked together. She would be pushing boundaries, and I would have to constantly reinforce them. It wouldn't be easy, but I knew that if I were going to get the hell away from Baby Steps and my family, I was going to have to man up and deal with the temptations that Sloan presented.
The irony was that here I was on a date with a gorgeous woman who obviously wanted to end up in my bed, and all I could think about was the way that Leah had felt in my arms.
I shook my head and muttered, "You're going soft, old fella" before ordering another drink and turning my attention back to the woman who was going to help me get my life back.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Leah
"Well good morning, darlin'," Norma drawled as I entered her domain and looked around. In the days after Bernard had died, Norma had draped the office in black bunting and mourned openly. It was disconcerting, but she explained that her Southern roots run deep and that a proper period of mourning was essential to completing the rituals surrounding someone's death. Having come from an Irish Catholic family, I understood the process of mourning all too well, but I still thought it was a little over the top.
"Good morning, Norma," I said as cheerfully as possible. "The office looks different. What did you do to it?"
"I pulled down all the decorations, sweetie," she smiled as she finished storing the last of the black bunting in a box that she covered and then ran a strip of packaging tape around before sliding it into the storage space in the corner. "It's time to stop crying and start looking forward again! We've got a lot of work to do, and very little time to do it, darlin'!"
"You're a piece of work, Norma," I said, shaking my head as I walked to the area where each of the mailboxes for the team leaders was kept. I checked mine and found that there was a brand new stack of orders in my box. "Where did these come from?"
"Where did what come from, sugar?" she asked as she worked on opening a tall stack of envelopes. She'd pick one up, slip the letter opener in one side and slice the envelope open before pulling out the contents and stapling the envelope to the innards. She worked quickly and efficiently, and in the few minutes that I was in her office, she must have sorted thirty pieces of mail.
"Where did this stack of orders come from?" I asked as I flipped through the papers. None of the names on the top of the sheets looked familiar, and I wondered if my mail hadn't gotten mixed up with someone else's.
"I don't know. I didn't put them there," Norma said as she looked over her shoulder toward Jack's office. "He did."
"This makes no sense," I said as I walked toward Jack's door, knocked lightly, and then before Norma could stop me, opened the door. "Jack, I … oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know you were busy."
"It's okay, Leah," Jack said as he looked up at me and then back at the icy blonde who was leaning over his shoulder looking at something on the computer screen. "This is Sloan Morgan. Sloan, this is Leah Walsh. She runs the warehouse operations with incredible efficiency, and she's also got a mean skull."
"I see," the woman said as she straightened up and walked toward me with her hand out. "It's nice to meet you, Leah."
"It's nice to meet you, too, Ms. Morgan," I said as I took her hand. She was wearing what looked like a designer dress that fit her perfectly, and I suddenly felt very out of place in my much more casual scoop neck t-shirt, cotton skirt with leggings, and work boots. I'd found that working in a skirt made the warehouse guys treat me more like their boss than their sister, but it wasn't conducive to all the bending and climbing, so I'd put together a mishmash of clothing that seemed to signal my supervisory status while still being practical.
"Please, call me Sloan," she said smiling. Her eyes were blue, like mine, but she had a layer of chilly reserve in them.
"All right, Sloan," I said hesitating a little before turning to the matter at hand. "I've got a whole batch of new customers I've never seen before. Do you know where these came from and how do you want me to deal with them?"
"Ah, yes," Jack said as he ran his hand through his already messy hair. He looked rugged and wild, and I had a hard time meeting his gaze as I listened to him discuss the way that business was going to change. "So, we're going to solicit more online business via omni-channel marketing. That way we'll be able to target the market most apt to use, and reuse, our services. What do you think, Leah?"
"Huh? Oh, right, that sounds like a good plan to me," I said. "But the problem is going to be that we don't have enough warehouse workers to meet the demand if it increases substantially."
"We're going to work on that next," Jack said as he looked at Sloan. "I should have a plan for you by next week. It might mean increasing hours or hiring temps to fill the gaps."
"Very well," I said as I turned to leave. I knew that whatever he was going to propose was probably going to go for efficiency rather than preservation of the company traditions or ethos. I also knew that temps in the warehouse would not be taken kindly to. However, I bit my tongue and decided to wait to hear what the final plan would be before I protested.
"It's nice to have met you, Leah," Sloan said. I nodded and waved without turning around.
"How'd it go, sugar?" Norma called as I rushed past her desk. "Stop and talk to me sometime, why don't ya?"
"Okay, it went okay," I said as I swiftly moved toward the door, avoiding all the questions that hung in the air between us. I didn't want to talk about our bet, not after having been blindsided by Jack and Sloan.
I marched back to the warehouse, feeling uneasy. I didn't like the fact that Jack unnerved me this much, but aside from quitting my job, which I
would not do, I couldn't see how I was going to be able to avoid dealing with him. So, once I was done scolding myself for being so weak-willed, I set my jaw, squared my shoulders, and told myself that there was no way on Earth that Jack Yates was going to throw me for a loop.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Jack
"She's cute," Sloan said after Leah had left my office. "Young, but really cute."
"She's a good warehouse manager," I shrugged. "Hadn't noticed much else. I'm trying to run a business, Sloan."
"Mmm-hmm," she said as she leaned down over the back of my chair and rested her hand on my shoulder, pointing out some notable figures on the screen in front of me.
"Sloan," I warned. "Knock it off."
"What?" she said as she leaned in close enough that I could feel her breath on my cheek. The sensation sent my body into overdrive.
"Back up," I growled as I shoved my chair back forcing her to step out of the way. I stood up and turned to look at her, noting that Leah had closed the door behind her. I moved toward it to open it thinking it would provide me with some security. As I did, I said, "You have to stop taunting me, Sloan."
"I'm not taunting you at all," she said, intercepting me and moving close enough to rest her palms on my chest. "We're both grownups, and I know you. I know what you want, and what you like. Why don't you let me give it to you?"
"Why are you doing this?" I asked as I took a step back. She followed. Her hands slipped lower to my waist as she spoke, "Jack, I know it's been a tough week. You're like a caged tiger. Let me help you work out some of the tension, hmm?"
"Sloan," I groaned as she unbuckled my belt and quickly unzipped my pants. "Stop. Please …"
"I don't think you really want me to," she whispered as she stretched up to bring her lips close enough to kiss me, but held back. Her hand was inside my pants, cupping me between my legs as I grew harder by the second. "Do you?"
"Oh God," I groaned as she slipped her hand inside my shorts and wrapped her fingers around my stiff shaft. She squeezed me tightly and then began slowly stroking the entire length. I knew there was no turning back. I couldn't stop because she wasn't going to.
She brushed her lips across mine, and in an instant, my defenses came tumbling down as I wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her to me, delivering a brutal kiss. If she was going to do this, then we were moving forward, no holds barred. I felt her smile as I gave in to my animal instincts, and it only took a few moments before we were clawing at each other like feral cats.
"You asked for it," I growled as I pulled back from a rough kiss and pushed her dress up around her waist.
"Mmm, I like it rough, you know that," she grinned as she yanked my pants down and licked her lips as she looked at what she'd unsheathed.
"Do you now?" I said as I pushed her up against the wall and held her hands over her head. I could see the hunger in her eyes as I ripped the small triangle of lace off of her hips and wedged a knee between her legs to force them open.
"Oh God, Jack, yes!" she moaned as I roughly shoved my hand between her legs and felt how wet she was already.
I slid my fingers through her wetness and felt her body respond to my touch. She'd let me go this far before, and I knew how much I liked it. She'd been the one who'd taken my virginity with her expert knowledge and taught me everything she knew about how to give a woman pleasure, but right now I wasn't thinking about that. Right now, I just had one thing on my mind.
"Jack, do it! I need it!" she moaned as she pushed her hips up to meet my fingers. I slid two inside her and felt her close around them. Warm and wet, I slid them back and forth as she continued moaning. I knew what she wanted, and despite the fact that it had been too long since I'd had any kind of release, I also knew that going down this road would lead to nothing good. "More, Jack! I need more!"
I pulled out and knit three fingers together before slipping them back into her pulsing warmth. I knew I'd hit the right spot when she closed her eyes and pushed her hips up to meet my thrusts. I kissed her hard as I brought her body to a shuddering climax, pinning her wrists tightly together as I watched her writhe and moan under my touch.
I was so hard I ached, but instead of relieving the need, I bit the inside of my cheek to remind myself to keep it under control. I still didn't trust Sloan, and I knew that if I gave in and satisfied my physical lust, it would be no time before she'd have me wrapped around her finger, ready to do her bidding until she got bored and moved on.
Once her breathing slowed to a normal rhythm, Sloan tipped her chin up and studied my face.
"What about you?" she asked with a playful grin. She pulled to free her wrists, but I kept them pinned to the wall as I ran a hand down her body.
"Sloan, I'm going to tell you this once, and once only," I said carefully forming my words. "If you want to get off, I'm happy to oblige, but anything beyond that, and I'm not playing the game."
"Why not? Afraid?" she taunted. "Are you afraid that you'll find something you can't live without out and screw up your plans to escape?"
"No, you've got it all wrong," I said as I let a smile slowly spread across my lips. "But then I'm pretty sure you already knew that."
"Listen, Jack," she said. "If we're going to make this work, then we need to fuel the rumor that we're a couple. It'll make us an unbeatable pair, and it'll keep the hounds at bay, if you know what I mean."
"I know exactly what you mean," I said pulling her dress down with one hand before I let go of her wrists. "It's just that I don't want to play that game, Sloan. I don't like where it leads."
"You mean you don't like me," she pouted as she smoothed her dress and watched me stuff my swollen shaft back into my pants and zip them up.
"I like you fine," I said, shaking my head. "I just don't want to go down a road that leads to me letting you in and then getting kicked to the curb."
"So, that's it," she grinned. "You're still mad because I broke your teenage heart!"
"I'm not mad, Sloan," I said looking away. I wasn't mad. I had been hurt, and I didn't want to repeat that experience knowing full well where it was likely to end up. "I just don't want to do this the way you want to. So, the deal is that I'll get you off any time you want, but you don't get to touch me. Got it?"
"How could a girl turn that deal down?" she laughed as she pulled a compact out of her purse and checked her hair before smearing on a fresh layer of lipstick. "I'm in!"
"Good, then we've got a deal," I said holding my hand out. Sloan took one look at it and clasped it tightly.
"For now," she smiled. "It'll do for now."
I shook my head and moved back to the computer, knowing that working with Sloan was going to be a constant challenge.
*
Once Sloan and I had hashed out our individual duties, she left to pursue some new leads. My job would be focused on marketing our services and drumming up new business via the online offerings. Sloan would do it the old-fashioned way, by visiting clients and forming personal relationships with them. I knew that if she walked into any office on the planet, there would be no way she would walk out without a modicum of business. It crossed my mind to ask her how she accomplished this, but then I quickly decided that I didn't really want to know.
Let the magic stay magic, I thought to myself.
I walked out to the outer office to speak with Norma, but she was nowhere to be found. Since the phones weren't ringing, I shrugged and headed down to the warehouse.
The Baby Steps warehouse was attached to the executive offices, and despite the fact that it had turned a profit every year for the past twenty years, my father had never once invested a dime in renovating the place.
The offices looked like a throwback to a 1970s television set with the popcorn ceilings and the metal desks covered in faux wood paneling. There was even avocado carpeting in some of the offices, though most of it had been pulled up and replaced with linoleum. I shook my head as I looked into office after office and found the same worn set up
in each of them.
"At least the computers are somewhat new," I muttered as I walked down a fluorescent-lit hallway, feeling vaguely like I was in some kind of low-budget horror flick. The lights buzzed and flickered until, at the end of the hall, one of them simply cut out and died. I swore under my breath, "We have got to fix this shit!"
"Jack?" Leah said as she stuck her head out of her office and gave me a quizzical look. "What are you doing down here?"
"I finished up with Sloan and I wanted to talk with you about some of the changes we're thinking about implementing," I said as I looked into her eyes. The differences between Leah and Sloan were as vast as they could be. If Sloan was a thoroughbred racehorse—tall, lean, well kept—then Leah was the wild pony. Leah wasn't fashionable or expensively groomed, but her wildness was alluring.
"I see," she said as she turned and headed back into her office. I smiled as I followed her. There was something about the way that she wasn't intimidated by me, or my position, that made her even more attractive. She sat down and motioned for me to take a seat in one of the cracked, vinyl-coated chairs at her desk. "So, what's the plan?"
"We want to renovate the warehouse so that we can offer a wider range of products," I began.
"Wait, what? We already offer customers over twenty thousand products!" Leah exclaimed. "How many more do you think we can offer?"
"One hundred thousand," I said plainly.
"You have got to be kidding me," she said as her eyes grew wide. I could see her trying to imagine how we would fit the additional eighty thousand products into the warehouse, and I knew that it was mind-boggling.
"We're going to overhaul the warehouse and create room for them," I said as I pulled a rough sketch I'd done for Sloan out of my suit pocket and smoothed it out on the desk. "We're going to expand upward and create a multi-tiered deck where we now have empty space. We'll create a system of lifts and stairs that allow workers to quickly access the products, and a conveyer system that will allow the packages to be carried to the packaging area once the workers have loaded the order into the appropriate box."