Chapter 24

April 7th

Okay, here's the thing. I think Noah and Leah will knock the launch out of the park. I just don't know if Jack knows that. But I know they will crush it. So here I go, standing up to my grumpy billionaire boss one more time.

Paige sent a request to Amanda to meet with Jack as soon as his schedule allowed it. Dressed in her sexiest panties and bra set to give herself a boost of confidence, Paige waited. And waited. And waited. However, as she waited, she did get work done. She had several authors lined up that she wanted to talk to Jack about signing. Some were the romance imprint's most popular authors, but others were new to Griffin Publishing. Some had been top selling romance authors from the indie world who had gotten wind of what was happening at Griffin and wanted to submit. Others were authors from other publishing houses who heard about the new direction and were tired of being shunted off to a subsidiary imprint or hidden behind and propping up the best-selling male mystery or sci-fi authors who got all the attention and ad money.

Finally at three in the afternoon Amanda stopped in front of Paige's desk and whispered, "He'll see you now, and he's in a mood."

Oh great. As soon as Paige knocked on his door and the sharp reply came from inside, she knew it was going to be a tough sell. She looked back at Amanda who cringed even as she tried to be supportive and gave Paige a thumbs up. No running. She was a smart businesswoman who deserved to be respected in the workplace. Paige squared her shoulders and opened the door.

"Close the door," Jack snapped. Jack shoved some papers across the desk toward her the second she closed the door. "We're fucked and not in the fun way. In the someone's getting fired way."

Paige told herself to stay strong. He wasn't talking about her... right? "How so?"

"Look at this pile of shit the ad team put together for the launch of Griffin Romance."

Paige breathed in deeply. She was definitely not getting fired. She was going to save the day. Paige sat and looked at the layouts. They were shit and someone should get fired. They were completely stereotypical and demeaning to both romance authors and readers.

"What do you have to say?" Jack demanded.

"That the ad agency you used needs to be fired."

"I announced that I was holding a press conference in one week and I have no press," he practically growled.

"Then you should have called me into your office sooner, because I know what to do."

Jack's eyes snapped up to hers. "Willing to put your ass on the line for it?"

"Literally or figuratively?" Paige asked, enjoying that they'd moved back into their playful banter.

Jack sat back in his chair and steepled his fingers. "You fail and I have your ass for one night. So, Miss Turner, how sure are you that you know what to do?"

Well, it would be one way to lose her virginity—on a bet. Paige held out her hand. Jack looked momentarily surprised before leaning forward to shake it.

"You have a deal, Mr. Griffin. Now, let me tell you about our new ad team."

Paige sat next to Leah and Noah as Jack Griffin launched Griffin Romance a week later. Leah and Noah had worked all night to bring in several pitches for Jack the next morning. Every one of them had been spot on the money. So much so, that Jack hired them to run all the advertising for Griffin Romance, not just the rollout.

Jack stepped to the side of the stage to let the first media ad run on a giant screen behind him as reporters took notes.

"Damn," Leah whispered to Paige. "That man wants you. Look at how he's watching you."

"It's because I saved the line launch." Paige didn't tell her about the bet. She was afraid if she had, Leah would have tanked the pitch on purpose just so Paige could get laid.

And that was the thing. Paige knew she could get laid. Leah was right. The way he was looking at her told her everything she wanted to know. However, in the books, someone always found out who was boinking the boss and it would be Paige who was fired or hung out to dry or called a slut. It wouldn't be Jack, the one who was pushing for sex. While it led to a happily ever after between the woman and her grumpy billionaire boss in books, Paige wasn't looking for that. She was looking for being happily sexually satisfied right now. Besides, there was nothing about Jack that screamed love and marriage. Everything about Jack screamed sexual pleasure and never calling you again. The trouble was, Paige worked for him and she liked working for him. She needed to call him. She needed to speak to him. She needed him to be able to handle that. And nothing about Jack said he could handle that.

The audience cheered as the ad that would be running on every cable and streaming service finished. Jack took the stage again and finished his speech before taking some questions.

"Your job is about to become very busy," Jack said to her the moment they met after the press conference concluded.

The way Amanda was frantically answering phones as they made their way to the office told her he was right. Jack sighed but he was smiling. "I guess you'll need your own personal assistant and junior editor."

"That's the sexiest thing you've ever said to me, Mr. Griffin."

Jack laughed, causing Amanda to almost jump from her chair.

"If I had known it was that easy to turn you on, I would have given you an assistant months ago. It might make up for the fact I lost our bet."

Paige sighed with a happy smile on her face as he closed his office door behind her. "A strapping sexy male assistant sounds like just the thing to satisfy me," Jack growled. And yes, it was even hotter than when they did it in books. "I have it on good authority HR allows office romances."

"Don't push me, Miss Turner."

Paige reached across the table and pushed Jack in the shoulder with her finger. "Push."

What was she doing? She had just poked the very horny bear after deciding she wasn't going to go there.

Jack had her by the shoulders and was pulling her across his desk before Paige could blink. Papers and a laptop were scattered. His lips came down on hers and Paige inhaled sharply from not only the shock of being pulled across a desk, but from the kiss itself. This wasn't the barely-there brush of lips from the gala. This was hot and demanding.

Her head spun and all she could do was hang on. Damn, but Jack could kiss. That was for sure. The knock on the door had them springing apart.

"Mr. Griffin," Amanda's nervous voice said from the other side of the locked door. "Your mother's here."

"Mother?" Paige mouthed as she slid from the desk. She picked up papers as Jack casually straightened his suit jacket and put his laptop back in place.

He walked over to the door and opened it with a bored look on his face as if he hadn't just dragged Paige across the desk and kissed her brains out.

"Hello, Mother," he said very primly as the older elegant woman offered up both cheeks to be kissed.

Her attention went straight to Paige. In that moment, Paige saw everything she feared. Mrs. Griffin had labeled her a hussy who was after her son to either become his wife or sleep her way to the top of the job. Either way, ice cold water had been splashed and left Paige chilled to the bone.

"Mother, this is my senior editor of Griffin Romance, Paige Turner."

His mother sniffed the air as if Paige actually stunk. She felt her cheeks go red as she turned to look at Jack for help. She found no help there. Jack was completely unreadable and said as little as possible.

"It's lovely to meet you, Mrs. Griffin."

Jack moved back to his chair behind his desk as his mother came to sit next to where Paige was still standing. "You're the harlot who almost ended the Bolten line. Patrick's mother, my sister, told me all about how you led him on and then maimed him."

That got Jack's attention. It also snapped Paige back into the present. She wasn't a teenager getting caught making out. She was a grown woman, and if she wanted to have sex on this desk right here and now she could. If she wanted to make out with all of New York, not that she would, she could. That was the point. And what she could also do was not let some cold, snobby old woman talk down to her.

Paige straightened her skirt and looked down at Jack's mother. "There was no leading on by anyone. He kissed me. Then we both kissed as young men and women tend to do. We were making out and his driver slammed on the brakes. Tell your sister she's lucky I didn't sue for my head injury. And if he's so whiney about a tiny cut on his balls, the line will most certainly end with him. Especially considering his poor excuse for manners by dumping me, injured and bleeding from a head wound, on the side of the street. Now, if you'll excuse me, I realize that I'm wearing the ball cutter heels and I'd hate to emasculate your son on what's been a great day for us. So, for your safety and his, I'll head back to my office."

Paige strode from the room fueled with anger and righteous indignation the likes of which she'd never felt before. That, right there, was why she could never be with Jack Griffin. It wasn't until she was behind her desk that she realized what she'd just said to her boss's mother and prayed it wouldn't lead to her being fired.

"Miss Turner."

Paige looked up from her computer to find Jack standing in front of her with a frown on his face. "Are you here to apologize for your mother's behavior or to fire me?"

Jack frowned. He was clearly in a mood. "You were very disrespectful to my mother."

"Um, she was very disrespectful to me."

Jack looked rigidly at her. "You need to go apologize."

"Like hell. Look Jack, I'm not a child, and she's not my mother. She was rude. I was rude in return. It's New York. She should be used to it." Paige didn't feel like putting up with this nonsense any further. "Look, I'm busy. I'm sorry, but your mother will just have to deal with it. So, unless you're firing me, let me get back to work."

Paige looked him in the eyes and saw conflict warring there. "She'll want me to fire you, Paige."

"Tell her no." Paige thought for a moment and frowned. "Or can't you do that? Does she actually own the company?"

Jack took a deep breath. "You owe me and I intend to collect." Then he spun around and left her staring after him. There was a puzzle piece she was missing, but by the way her phone was ringing and her email was constantly flashing with each new notification, she didn't have time to figure it out.