She quickly tucked the card in her pocket, where it would be safe from curious eyes, including Chloe’s. No way could she admit who they were from. People were already talking about her and Cole as if they were practically headed to the altar. She wasn’t ready to open that can of worms just yet. Or ever.
“And they say size doesn’t matter!” Chloe scoffed, flicking one of the roses with her index finger.
“This isn’t funny!”
“Tell me about it,” Chloe said with a devilish grin. “I can’t remember the last time a guy sent me flowers!”
“It’s not like that,” Olivia argued, rubbing her temples. Whatever the flowers were, they meant something. Guys didn’t just send a woman flowers without wanting something in return. She had a pretty good idea what that something was when it came to Cole. Why couldn’t he get it into his head that she couldn’t just openly screw the boss?
“Riiiight,” Chloe drawled, rolling her eyes. “There are only two reasons a man sends flowers like these—he’s getting some action or he’s trying to get some.”
“Well, he can forget about it. My vagina is officially closed for business,” Olivia swore, crossing her arms emphatically. She was definitely not going to have sex with Cole again, no matter how big his arrangement was. Not even if he tried to lure her with those ridiculously gifted hands of his.
Or that mouth.
Nope. She was done with sex. At least for now. She just needed to set Cole straight.
Again.
She shooed Chloe out of her office and headed straight for Cole’s, letting herself in without knocking and shutting the door behind her.
“Olivia—”
“Have you lost your mind?” she hissed through clenched teeth. She stalked across the office and placed her palms on the desk, leaning into his personal space. “You can’t just send me roses at work!”
A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth and she knew he wanted to laugh. Jerk. Why did he have to be so sexy when he was being such an ass?
“Remind me again why I can’t send you flowers?”
“Because,” she sputtered, trying to remember why it was wrong. There seemed to be a sudden disconnect between her brain and her mouth. Probably had something to do with all the blood rushing to her center. “What will people think?”
“I sent you flowers; I didn’t propose to you,” he said, flashing her his trademark dimpled grin. “And you’re the one who pointed out that people already think we’re sleeping together. Why not run with it? You really need to loosen up.” His smile turned seductive, his eyes hooding with desire. “I could help you with that, you know.”
“And just what, exactly, did you hope to accomplish with this little stunt?” she demanded, doing her best to ignore the wicked glint in his gray eyes and the lock of dark hair that hung over his brow. Her fingertips burned with the need to push the stray hair back and explore the softer side of the hardened man who sat in front of her.
“No hidden agenda. We’re going to knock Vixen’s socks off. Consider them a pre-closing celebration gift.” He smirked at her and wiggled his eyebrows. “The post-closing could be even better.”
“Cut the crap, Cole.” She rolled her eyes, hoping he wouldn’t see her flush with excitement at the thought of them celebrating the deal together. Alone. Naked. “I can’t believe I have to reiterate this, but you can’t send me flowers. I thought I was clear on that when I agreed to our little bargain.” She straightened her back, placing a hand rebelliously on her hip. “Which, by the way, was clearly a total mistake. No gestures. No public anything. Just a little secret sex.” Why was that so hard for him to understand? And why did the words feel wrong when she said them?
“I told you the first time I met you—I get what I want.” He crossed his arms stubbornly. The soft cotton of his blue dress shirt emphasized the broad muscles of his chest and shoulders, sending her focus into a tailspin once again. It was impossible to concentrate when all she could think about was the mind-blowing orgasms the man had given her.
“You’re impossible!” she insisted, throwing her hands up in frustration. She turned her back on him, fully expecting to get the last word, but he wasn’t about to give up so easily.
“Olivia.”
She paused at the door, her hand on the metal knob.
“You need to break things off with Wall Street.”
She laughed and walked out, leaving the door open behind her. Go figure. They finally agreed on something.
…
Olivia checked her watch for what felt like the hundredth time. She could still make it if she hurried. She walked a little faster, practically sprinting down the narrow hall in her four inch heels. The morning had been crazy busy and she had a million and one things to do, but she’d never forgive herself if she missed Jack’s first solo pitch.
The poor kid was probably a nervous wreck about presenting the Mama’s Muffins campaign, especially after the big deal Cole had made of it, and she didn’t want to abandon him. The least she could do was show up for moral support.
Turning the corner to the conference room, Olivia slowed her pace and buttoned her jacket. She paused to catch her breath and slipped into the room as quietly as possible, not wanting to create an unnecessary distraction. Taking a seat in the back, she watched as Jack dove into the campaign.
With the Vixen pitch taking up every minute of her time, she had yet to review the final proposal for Mama’s. She was anxious to see what the team had come up with, although she was certain they’d deliver. Despite Cole’s initial reservations, she knew her team would pull it off. They always did.
As she watched Jack, she could hardly believe her eyes. Was it her imagination or was he standing just a little bit taller today? Even his hair didn’t look as unruly as usual. He was cool and confident, putting on a better show than she’d have ever thought possible. What had happened to the meek, awkward kid who cracked at the first sign of pressure?
It was like watching Invasion of the Body Snatchers as he delivered the edgy ‘Not Your Mama’s Muffins’ campaign. Not only had Jack’s confidence gotten a boost, so had the pitch. The new proposal highlighted the delectable flavors and fillings that set Mama’s apart from its franchised competitors and created a sexy, sinful eating experience.
Heck, by the time he was done, she wanted to take one of those muffins to bed. She would never admit it to Cole, but he’d been right about taking a sexier approach with Mama’s. And if she had to bet, the clients loved it too. Mama’s sons were all smiles as Jack unveiled their new campaign. Of course, what hot-blooded man wouldn’t love seeing a beautiful woman lick muffin crumbs off her fingertips?
Jack wrapped the pitch up with surprising ease, getting approval to move the concept forward without any rework. She couldn’t have been prouder of him. He’d come a long way in the last year. He still had a lot to learn, but he was becoming a more valuable part of the team with each campaign. It wouldn’t be long until Jack had a team of his own to coach.
She waited for the clients to leave before pulling him aside.
“You did a great job today,” she told him, placing a hand on his shoulder. “You should be very proud of yourself. It’s not often a client buys into the pitch on the first pass, let alone on the spot.”
Jack blushed at the praise, his face and neck turning beet red. “Thanks.”
“I also wanted to apologize for not being available to help more with this one,” she told him. “Not that you needed it, from what I saw today.”
“No worries. I know you’ve been under a lot of pressure lately. Besides, I can’t take all the credit,” he admitted. He shifted nervously, and just like that, the old Jack was back. “Mr. Bennett actually helped me out.”
“Cole? He helped you?” Olivia asked. She didn’t believe it. First of all, the man lived to torment Jack, so why would he offer to help him? Second, when could he have possibly found the time? They’d practically been attached at the hip lately and she hadn’t even
seen the final proposal.
“Yeah, I was a little surprised myself when he offered, but I’m not stupid.” Jack laughed and tugged at his orange bowtie. “I knew I could use some pointers and he really helped me tighten up the pitch. It got me thinking…”
“Got you thinking what?”
“I probably shouldn’t be saying this since he’s the boss, but it made me realize I had pegged him all wrong. Sure, he likes to push people, but he’s not so bad once you get to know him. He’s really passionate about the business and he’s got some original ideas. He could be really good for this place. You know, shake things up a bit.”
“Perhaps,” she agreed, “but don’t forget that it was you who closed that deal today, not Cole. Take the rest of the afternoon off and go celebrate. You’ve earned it.”
“Really?” Jack asked, perking up. “Thanks!”
He grabbed his laptop and made a quick exit, leaving Olivia alone with her racing thoughts. She paced the room, wrapping her arms around her waist, as she tried to process everything Jack had told her. As usual, she didn’t have much luck piecing together the incongruent pieces of the Cole Bennett puzzle.
Really, he had to be the most frustrating, confusing, impossible man on the face of the earth. Every time she thought she had him figured out, he surprised her. Never in a million years would she have believed he’d take time out of his busy schedule to help Jack. And yet he had.
While denial had become her new best friend, she had to admit that she’d misjudged Cole. He wasn’t just the arrogant asshat who strolled in, stole her partnership, and humiliated her team in front of her. He’d gone out of his way to help that team find success. He’d sent her roses before their big pitch to boost her confidence. And then there was that night he’d swept her into his BMW and taken her home because of her migraine, then bought her every breakfast food known to man the next morning to help her feel better. He had a sweet side she hadn’t been willing to acknowledge before, and he seemed to have boundless confidence in her. Was it possible Cole was a closet romantic?
It was too good to be true, wasn’t it? Men like Cole didn’t settle down. And they didn’t have hot one-night stands with strangers and then fall for them. Cole dated models and actresses, and nobody for very long. If he wanted to date her—and she wasn’t convinced that was the case, although she had to admit, it held a certain appeal—what did that say about her?
Chapter Eighteen
Cole studied Olivia as she tapped furiously on the keyboard, putting the final touches on the Vixen proposal. She was completely focused on the task at hand and oblivious to his presence, but he didn’t mind. He was just happy to be in her company. Tomorrow they’d make the pitch and their late night work sessions would come to a halt. It wasn’t exactly something he was looking forward to. He’d grown to enjoy her sassy wit over the last few weeks and he was going to miss their time together.
He was especially going to miss the opportunities to see the flush in her cheeks when he looked at her and that fierce defiance that made her baby blues sparkle. Angry or excited or confused, Olivia was always gorgeous. She was also smart as hell, and it was clear why Pritchard had been considering her for partner before he arrived.
Yeah. He needed to do something about that. It wasn’t fair for Olivia to be killing herself as an associate when she was smarter than anyone else in the agency. Maybe even including him. If the pitch at Vixen went as well as he expected it to, maybe he could turn that to their advantage. If he could find a way to get Pritchard to make Olivia a partner, that solved a lot of problems. She couldn’t very well keep denying their connection by saying she couldn’t sleep with her boss if they were at the same level. And he really didn’t want to think that he’d seen the last of those killer legs wrapped around him.
“Ahem.” Olivia was looking at him, gesturing toward the screen so he could see what she’d been working on. “You want to pay attention here for a second?”
“Yeah, sorry,” Cole said, running a hand through his hair.
“Thank you,” she said, a triumphant grin on her face, as she tucked a pen into her messy bun. “I think we’re as ready as we’re going to be. I’ll walk you through it one more time and then I am going home to crash.”
“Sounds like a plan,” he agreed, glancing at his watch. It was getting late and they both needed to get some sleep before tomorrow’s meeting. If ever they needed to be on their A game, tomorrow was the day. They couldn’t afford any mistakes.
Olivia quickly rolled through the slides, recapping the top level talking points for him. Not surprisingly, she had the whole damn presentation memorized. When she was finished, she looked at him expectantly. “What do you think?”
“You’ve nailed it,” he assured her, pleased with the latest changes and her ability to work so much of the market research into the deck. There would be no doubt they’d done their homework on the Vixen consumer and had created a campaign that would speak to her. The Vixen executives were going to love it. “Great work. You should be really proud of yourself.”
“We should proud of ourselves,” she corrected him, deflecting personal praise, as usual. “We did this as a team.”
“Don’t be so modest. In this city, modesty won’t get you far,” he advised. “Just say ‘thank you’ and take credit where it’s due. You’ve earned it.”
Olivia blushed, reminding him how uncomfortable she was being in the spotlight, despite all her efforts to shine.
“Who’d have thought an Apple Butter Princess had it in her?” Cole teased, hoping to lighten the mood. He knew she regretted telling him about her pageant days, but he had to give her a hard time about it every now and then. It was all in good fun. God knew he’d never have the courage to do something like that himself. Strutting around on stage for the sole purpose of being judged? Thanks, but no thanks. As far as he was concerned, that took guts. Still, if she ever found out about the hellacious garage band he started in high school, he’d never live it down.
“That’s Apple Blossom Princess,” she corrected him indignantly. The effect was ruined when she rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue in a playful, un-Olivia-like gesture. “And don’t you forget it!”
Before he could stop it, a deep belly laugh burst from him and soon she was laughing along with him, tears streaming down her face. Clearly they’d been working too hard and needed a good laugh. And yet, it felt so right. Just the two of them having fun, sharing a silly joke.
“I never should have told you about my pageant days,” she declared, clutching her sides as her laughter faded.
He wiggled his eyebrows. “Maybe if you’re nice, someday I’ll share the horrors of my own teenage days.”
“I’m pretty sure I can guess what you were up to at the age of sixteen, and I’m not sure my innocent Apple Blossom ears can handle the sordid details,” she retorted with a smirk, snapping her laptop shut and tucking it in her bag.
Cole’s chest tightened. He was really going to miss working so closely with Olivia. They’d see each other every day, but it wouldn’t be the same. There was an unspoken sense of finality in the air tonight, and he was surprised to discover that he didn’t like it one bit.
She pushed her chair away from the desk and rose to leave. He grabbed her arm. Electricity flowed through him as their eyes met, the earlier levity forgotten. “Hey,” he started, then hesitated. What was he trying to tell her?
Olivia turned her blue eyes on him, looking puzzled. She chewed on her bottom lip. “Yes?” she asked. It sounded like her voice trembled a bit, but Cole wasn’t sure. Maybe he was just hearing what he wanted to hear.
“I just wanted to apologize. I was a dick to you at the beginning and it wasn’t justified. I didn’t realize when I started at PBA that I was taking something away from you.” He paused. “You’re really good at your job, Olivia. And we make a good team.”
“We do.” She nodded, shifting her weight and fidgeting with a stray lock of honey-blond hair that had fallen l
oose from her bun. “Look, I owe you an apology, too. I was so angry when Jonathan brought in an outsider to do what I’d thought was my job that I lashed out at you before I even gave you a chance.” She paused and shifted her weight again. “Anyway, I didn’t get it then, but I understand why Jonathan brought you on. And I’m sorry we got off to such a rocky start.”
“Olivia Masterson, are you saying we might be…friends?” Cole hung on that last word as he smiled at her.
Olivia flushed as her gaze settled on his and he realized just how vulnerable she really was, both physically and emotionally. This was the real Olivia. The one she kept hidden from the world. His heart hammered in his chest, both excited and unnerved to hear her answer.
A shaky grin spread slowly across her face. “Friends,” she said at last.
He couldn’t resist. He brought his hand to her face and rubbed his thumb across her bottom lip, smudging her lipstick. He had her in his sights and there was no escaping this time. “Friends with benefits?”
She stroked his cheek with her fingertips, sending a heat wave through his body. She leaned in closer to him, so close he could smell the summery scent of her perfume. “Don’t push your luck,” she murmured, her warm breath caressing his skin.
He pulled her close, sweeping his arms along her back, the fire in his belly spreading as his fingers explored her body. “Never.”
He lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her fiercely, trying to drown out the nagging little voice at the back of his head.
You’ve got to be crazy. This isn’t going to work.
He kissed her harder.
…
Three weeks to the day after receiving the assignment, Olivia kicked off the Vixen pitch, speaking directly to Natalia Rodriguez, the president of Vixen Enterprises. Natalia was a formidable woman who surrounded herself with other strong women. Knowing that, Cole had suggested Olivia make the presentation. They would take every subconscious edge they could get and he would step in only if needed.
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