He sighed before finally nodding. “You have a deal. The University job, double pay, and ten hours of volunteering.
She smiled. “Okay. I’ll let you know.”
She’d let him know? He needed to take back control of this conversation before she ran away with it.
The muscle in his jaw tensed as he spoke. “Twenty-four hours or the deal’s off.”
Vanessa gathered her purse and uncrossed her legs, the sight of which short-circuited his brain. She leaned next to him, and for a minute he wondered if she might touch him. But no, she was just grabbing the stupid Tupperware. “Thanks for the chat, Mr. Glass.”
Vanessa smiled sweetly before wiggling out of the car, and he watched her ass as she strode away. She had him by the balls, and she hadn’t even said yes. What the hell had he agreed to?
Chapter 13
“Of course you’re going to take the job.” Bea pursed her lips and added a dab of peach paint to the canvas in front of her.
“Do you mean the job at X Enterprises or the job at Mission Shelter?” Vanessa asked.
Bea shot her an exasperated look. “The one at X Enterprises, obviously. Now quit moving.”
“Sorry. It’s hard to sit still when I keep thinking about that conversation.” She fought a smile. “The look on Jeremy’s face when he realized I was going to leave without saying yes was priceless.”
Vanessa had never been so grateful for the way her dad had taken her to the used car dealer and made her haggle for her Camry. He’d taught her, by example, the first rule of negotiating: to win you had to be willing to walk away at any point. And she was more than ready to walk away from Jeremy Glass and his sharp suit. She knew his type—pretty face, bags of money, an over-inflated sense of his own importance.
Faces like his were dangerous because they usually got what they wanted. And getting what you wanted without having to work for it could make a person lazy. She had worked hard for everything in her life. She didn’t have patience for people who didn’t try.
“He probably had no clue who he was dealing with,” Bea agreed. “Everyone looks at you and thinks you’re so sweet, but you’re also tough as nails when you’re standing up for what you believe in.”
“Thanks, Bea.” She blew her friend an air kiss. “And you know what, I’m glad I threw in that bonus request about volunteering. Doing something kind for someone else will be a good chance of pace for the sex toy company CEO.”
Bea eyed her over the edge of the canvas. “I’m glad you’re going to take the job. Now quit smiling. You’re making my life more difficult.” She’d placed Vanessa near the window in their living room to capture the best lighting, and from her vantage point, Vanessa could make out the swirl of traffic on the street below. Despite the fact that the rent was almost more than they could afford, she was glad they’d stayed in their U District apartment after graduation. The tiny two-bedroom provided a calm transition into the real world, with all their favorite restaurants from college just down the street, and the Burke Gilman trail cutting through the city a few blocks away.
If Jeremy could actually get her the University job, her commute would be a breeze. Not to mention, a hell of a lot safer. Plus, she loved the campus, the way the cherry trees in the quad erupted in a flurry of pink petals each spring, the view of Mount Rainier from Red Square. Even though she’d originally intended to go East for college, she had no regrets about her time at U Dub. If she could land a job that helped keep the campus safe, all the better. Still, it felt like making a bargain with the devil.
“Bea, the dude just fired me. How can I go back there willingly?”
“Money is how. And keeping your eyes on the prize.”
“You sound like a bad fortune cookie.”
Bea sighed. “If you take the deal and Jeremy gets you the U Dub job, at the end of the day, you’d be actually helping people instead of just answering phones. And that’s what you want, right?”
She squirmed. “Yes. But I have principles.”
“Principles are great and all, if you can afford them. When you need the money, taking a cushy job for two months sounds a hell of a lot better. And if you really feel bad about taking Jeremy’s money, you can donate half of it to the Bea Walker Art Foundation.”
She smiled. “Is that so?”
“It’s tax deductible, even.”
She tried to remember what her face had been doing before the discussion started. Was she smiling then? Staring pensively into the gloom? She rearranged her features in a way she hoped wouldn’t make Bea complain. Still, she couldn’t keep from blurting out the thought that ate away at her. “You know, even if I do this, Jeremy admitted he’s attracted to me.”
That’s the part she didn’t know how to handle. On one hand, she felt better that her instincts the first time they’d met had been right. But on the other hand, it was even more infuriating that he’d pushed her away. Firing her was one hell of a fucked-up way to show he cared.
Bea finally understood. “And you want to sleep with him, too.”
Exactly. Vanessa blushed. “But I shouldn’t want that.” There was no doubt Jeremy had her hot and bothered, but she wasn’t sure if her prevailing attitude was lust or frustration. And if she considered the more dangerous possibility—that it was sexual frustration? Well, she wasn’t about to hand over her dignity and her chance at a steady paycheck just for the pleasure of sleeping with him.
Probably.
So where did that leave her?
“What’s the problem?” Bea swirled more paint onto the canvas. “You’re both hot and single. And clearly, this isn’t a professional arrangement.”
Vanessa shot Bea a look. “Do I even want to know what kind of internet snooping transpired for you to know his relationship status?”
“Probably not.” Her friend’s eyes gleamed. “Be unprofessional for once.”
She sighed. She hadn’t had a whole parade of lovers, but she’d had enough to know that they all had one thing in common. “If I were going to be unprofessional with Jeremy—and I’m not saying I’m going to—I do actually have standards,” she protested. “Everyone I’ve dated has been nice.”
Bea shuddered. “And you’ve left them all hanging a few dates in.”
“That’s not fair.” Vanessa frowned. “Sometimes guys break up with me.” Actually, she’d never let things get to that point. She was too careful of her prickly heart. Run first before they can hurt you. “Anyway, I just want to find the right person for me.”
“And it’s totally empowered for you to do that.” Bea stood and reached for her cleaning materials, apparently having given up on the painting for now. “But remember that nice is boring. Maybe it’s not what you need.”
Vanessa swung her legs around, hoping she was officially allowed to move. “Nice is safe.”
Bea began cleaning her brushes, and the sweet, piney scent of turpentine filled the air. “Well maybe he’s the Beast and you’re the beauty who can tame him.”
Oh please. First Cinderella, now this? She was going to have a Disney complex.
“It sounds like you’re trying to sell me on sleeping with my boss, not on taking the job.”
Bea laughed. “I told you at the beginning to take the job. I thought we’d already established that.” She looked up from her brushes, a streak of blue paint dashed across her cheek. “Just do yourself a favor and try to let people in. Not everyone is out to break your heart.” She cracked a wicked grin and waggled a brush in the air. “And even if this one is a bastard, there’s nothing preventing you from having some good, hot sex.”
Vanessa could imagine it—Jeremy’s tongue on her skin, her body arched high with pleasure. It would probably be mind-blowing sex—heart-stopping, even. Which is exactly why she would never find out.
Chapter 14
The numbers in front of Jeremy’s eyes blurred, and two graphs swam in front of his eyes. He blinked at the computer screen before the image resolved into one large spreadsheet. Yeah, i
t was definitely time to break for lunch.
As much as it was nice to be at the top and know how his business was going, reading the daily report from Alex was one of his least favorite things to do. Unfortunately, the more X Enterprises grew, the more he had to pay attention to the numbers Alex gave him. After all, if the numbers weren’t there Jeremy was going to have a hell of a time cutting paychecks.
Still, sometimes he missed the ease of being really, truly in the thick of things and operating based only on his intuition instead of considering the numbers. He missed the excitement that came when he stood at the start of a new project. Maybe he needed to delegate a few tasks and find extra time to focus on product development. The part of him that loved to control things hated delegating, but it was a necessary skill if he wanted to have time to work on the projects that mattered to him.
He looked up from his screen just as Vanessa appeared at his door. A wave of déjà vu swept over him as he breathed in the smell of her perfume. Sure she was wearing a different outfit and she was back in his employment, but she wore the same contentious expression as when she barged into his office the first time.
Jeremy raised an eyebrow and waved her in. “I see the Bleeding Heart made it in today.” He’d skipped the morning meeting to review the numbers, but Meredith had already informed him that Vanessa was back. He supposed with Ramon out on paternity leave he should have stepped in to run the morning show, but the thought of sitting in the same room with Vanessa and Meredith made his mouth twist. His HR Director had almost killed him for making her let Vanessa go in the first place. He’d had to explain away the firing as an oversight, but there was no hiding that Vanessa’s rehire was a deliberate manipulation. Not with the new salary he was paying her, at least. It was still uncomfortable to look Meredith in the eye.
“Don’t make me regret my decision,” Vanessa snapped.
“You know, for someone who claims to want to help people, you’re not being very nice.”
“I’m not trying to.”
Jeremy bit back a grin as she strode toward the desk, her hips moving suggestively under her skirt. He wanted to peel the fabric off of her, expose her warm, creamy skin. He wanted to taste her right there, on the edge of his desk. Something about Vanessa’s fiery attitude got to him. Unlike everyone else in his life, she didn’t seem to care that he owned this company, that he was flush with cash. When he poked, she just pushed right on back. It was a surprising turn-on.
He rolled his chair closer to the table to hide his hard-on. He was like a damned teenager around this woman, and he needed to get back some control.
Jeremy cleared his throat. “So, to what do I owe the pleasure of your company?” It was a pleasure, too. He’d won this round, and he felt a disproportionate sense of accomplishment at the fact that she’d turned up today. He might need to call in some favors for her, but he was well on his way to getting the offer from Yessir.
Vanessa tossed a stack of papers on his desk and gave him a saccharine smile. “Just wanted to bring over some information about our volunteer work tomorrow. Read up and bring your running clothes.”
Tomorrow? Shit. That happened fast.
“What’s this about running clothes?”
“I volunteer for Girls Run Our World,” she said. “Also known as GROW. Every Wednesday I wrangle about ten thirteen-year-old girls and teach them teamwork and confidence-building through running exercises.” She smiled. “And now you do, too.”
“I do, huh?” When Vanessa originally demanded that he volunteer, he assumed they’d be slinging sandwiches in a soup kitchen or something. Definitely not running with preteens. But the thought of Vanessa in Spandex was almost enough to overcome the potential torture of doing cardio.
Vanessa crossed her arms. “Worried that your muscles won’t hold up?” She flicked her eyes to his forearms, her mouth parting slightly. “I know they’re not as big as your ego, but I’m sure you’ll do just fine.”
Jesus Christ, she wasn’t even going to pretend to be professional, was she? He supposed it was fair. The boundaries here were already blurred. After all, he’d basically told her he wanted to fuck her. And she still came back.
At least Vanessa had noticed his body. Just like his brain, it was a tool. And just like his brain, he took care of it. He felt a sting of pride, but he needed to change this conversation before he actually did something about that blurred line and the promise of her soft skin.
“So how do you like the job so far?” he asked.
“I—what?” Vanessa’s face changed into a picture of confusion. Clearly, she hadn’t been expecting the question. “Let’s just say it’s not my dream job.” Her cheeks flushed a pretty pink.
He gave her a mock frown and lowered his voice. “Oh, but the perks make it the best one you’ll ever have.”
Her blush deepened, and he grinned. It was almost too easy to make her squirm.
It took Vanessa another minute to regain her composure. Finally, she turned on her heel and called over her shoulder, “Don’t forget to bring your running shoes.”
He wouldn’t dare.
Swedish First Hill was a short drive from the office, and navigating to Ramon and Maya’s room took all of five minutes, but Jeremy paused the moment he reached the sterile threshold of their hospital-room door. He clutched a tiny toy lion in his hands, the fur warm under his fingers, and took a deep breath.
Ramon had been Jeremy’s best friend since college, but he’d just gone and added another experience that Jeremy didn’t have. First his marriage, now his daughter. Things changed—Jeremy knew that—but he didn’t yet know how.
Before he could turn back, two beaming people swept out of the room. He had attended enough functions with them to recognize Maya’s mother and father as they passed him.
He nodded at them with a smile. “Congratulations.”
Maya’s dad clapped him on the shoulder. “Congratulations to you, too, padrino.”
Godfather.
The word made Jeremy pause. This whole time, Emilia had been more of an idea than a person. And when he heard her murmur from inside the room, everything seemed suddenly real.
“Was that Jeremy I heard?” Ramon called.
Jeremy stepped inside. “Present and accounted for.”
The tiny room was warm and full of a radiating joy. Maya sat in a large bed in the center of the room, rocking Emilia in her arms. Jeremy’s goddaughter was swaddled in pink and gray, and she was the tiniest, most terrifying person he had ever met.
“That’s her,” he said, master of the obvious. Emilia blinked up at him with dark, sleepy eyes.
Maya smiled. “Already punctual, just like her father.” Ramon grinned back at her, placing a kiss on the top of her head. Jeremy was glad he’d come, but being here also felt like eavesdropping on this intimate moment.
He tried to fill the space with words. “She’s beautiful.”
“Want to hold her?”
“I, uh…” Was that even allowed? Emilia was so darn tiny. Maya nodded at him in encouragement. “Yes,” he said. The correct answer was yes.
“Go wash your hands in the bathroom,” Ramon instructed, and when Jeremy returned with clean hands, Ramon transferred the baby to his arms.
Emilia’s soft weight settled into his arms, and she curled against him, mewling like a kitten. Something inside him loosened, and he couldn’t help but smile down at her. He may not have been around too many babies, but this one was perfect, for sure.
“Nice to meet you, Emilia.” Jeremy held her fragile body against his chest, keeping his elbows up and arms locked to make sure he didn’t drop her.
“You look nervous, Jer,” Ramon teased. “I’m not used to seeing you this way.”
“Don’t get used to it.” He looked down at his goddaughter. This was what life looked like outside of the office. This was what life looked like when you stepped away from the job and started living out in the real world.
Was this the kind of life he wante
d for himself? A family? He’d spent so much time in the past eight years building X Enterprises that he hadn’t really considered what he would want for himself when he left. He had gotten where he was by being focused, and now that someone lifted the blinders, he wasn’t sure what to look at first. What did he want to look at, at all?
Part of him knew he was wired for business, for building and growing and running things. He didn’t exactly have a great track record with functional families, but he also didn’t want to be fifty and have no one to come home to at night. He kept his eyes on the baby as if she could answer all his questions. Instead, she let out a fart against his arm that could put most grown men to shame.
Ramon laughed. “Nice going champ.”
Jeremy smiled despite the smell. “Apparently I have quite an effect on women.”
“You do have a reputation,” Ramon agreed. “I’m just not sure that’s the effect anyone’s thinking about.”
He colored. “You had to go there, didn’t you?” he said with mock sternness. He did have a reputation, it was true. Since Amy, he’d had enough “product testers” to satisfy him without being serious enough to cause distractions. He’d learned, after his messy breakup, that as convenient as a regular hookup was, he already had one full-time girlfriend. X Enterprises had made Jeremy her bitch, and his brain didn’t have room for girlfriends of the flesh and blood variety. “Don’t listen to your Daddy,” he told Emilia.
What stung, though, was that up until now Jeremy had never thought of his personal life as a liability. But if Yessir Unlimited was ever going to make him an offer to buy X Enterprises, they needed to see he had good judgment. Which meant he needed to put an end to the string of product testers. If Yessir was really serious, he wasn’t going to be able to fuck around in business or in bed. Even if he wanted to.
His Distraction Page 7