9. Jack

CHAPTER 9

JACK

FOUR WEEKS LATER

P arking my car in the company deck, I pause as a familiar figure passes by in my rearview mirror.

Leah.

She looks amazing today in a two-piece outfit with a tight skirt and towering heels. As I watch, she stops at a car and smooths her hair in its reflection. I get a perfect view of her round ass, and my cock twitches.

Fuck. This was not how I intended on starting today, the first official day that GourmetGlobal is in the same building as Leadsom Inc.

But that's probably what she wants, isn't it? She decided to walk into this building with fuck-me heels and a tight outfit that will make me squirm.

I smirk. Fine. Two can play that game.

Getting out of the car, I catch up with her. "Leah. Good morning."

She turns to face me, her eyes widening slightly in surprise.

Good. She should be affected.

"Morning." Her voice has a breathless quality to it that makes me feel like I could conquer the world.

"Welcome to your first day at Leadsom Tower."

Her lips purse, but even though I expect another outburst, all she does is nod. "I'm happy to be here."

Happy to be here? That's not the Leah I left in her tiny, rented office. I let her stay there until we negotiated out of the lease. That Leah acted like she wanted nothing more than to kill me.

"Glad to see you've come to your senses." I press the button to call the elevator and enjoy the moment that she stiffens.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

I smirk. "We both know that I proposed a mutually beneficial relationship. And you ran off like a child who didn't get their way. And now here you are, showing up to work on your first day at Leadsom."

Her eyes narrow. "Only because I have no other choice."

"You're wrong, Leah. The door is right there. You can still leave anytime you want."

I hope she doesn't, though. She's invaluable, and I need her on this team. I just can't have her knowing that.

"That won't be happening." She looks away.

The elevator arrives, and I gesture for her to get on. She has no choice but to obey, and once we're both inside, we're forced to stand closer than before.

She smells like honey and vanilla, and I have half a mind to throw her over my shoulder and find a quiet place where I can undress her.

But that won't be happening. This is uncharted territory for me, but I've always preferred to keep my relationship with my staff strictly professional. As much as I would love another go with Leah, it won't be happening.

The elevator doors open, and we enter the main floor of Leadsom Inc. Leah's eyes widen, and I can't help but smile with pride. The lobby alone is something to behold, with real marble floors and imported Italian sculptures.

"It's magnificent, isn't it?" I say, and she nods, not taking her eyes off the place.

"Most definitely."

"I would show you around, but we both have a meeting to get to." I check my watch and stride across the floor.

I don't check to see that she's following. I already know she is.

And it's quite satisfying, having her trail after me. I could get used to it.

At the boardroom, the newly assembled team for GourmetGlobal is already seated. Everyone stops talking at the sight of me and Leah and I slip into the room.

I would prefer it if she sat next to me, but since those seats are taken, she goes to the opposite end of the room.

Standing at the head of the table, I study the team.

Confident, experienced men and women who are at the top of their game. I've never felt out of place, though, because I know no one here has as much passion as I do.

I look down at my notes. "Good morning, everyone. Welcome to the GourmetGlobal team."

A few people grunt, but otherwise they're all silent. I take it as my cue to begin.

"We have the highest of expectations for this product." I place my hands on the table and lean forward. "First things first, we'll be working on a relaunch. New look. New, easier-to-navigate interface. Tags that connect the users to social media so they can see what's happening at their favorite spots. We already have some ideas in from our design team and—"

Someone clears their throat.

My gaze cuts across the room. It's Leah.

But of course it is.

"A relaunch?" Her brow furrows.

"Yes." I nod. "Right now, GourmetGlobal isn't as big as we would like it to be. We're going to want a new look, a new name, some new features."

"A new name?" Obviously, she doesn't like this one bit.

"Yes." I cock an eyebrow. "Now—"

"I just think that the name is perfect the way it is. It's catchy. Simple. Easy to remember."

I sigh. Good God.

"You don't know that."

"I do know that," Leah says, a defensive edge in her voice.

I lean forward. "Do you, though? The beauty of the internet is that something can be proven or disproven within minutes. And so far, GourmetGlobal hasn't been proving to do very well. It's in the middle of the pack. We want it to be number one. We want it to be as big as any of the other behemoths—"

"I'll admit," she interrupts, "that GourmetGlobal hasn't yet reached its full potential. But if we do a relaunch, we lose all the personality that drew people to it in the first place."

She crosses her arms over her chest. It makes her breasts swell and I can't help but stare at them.

When I realize that I'm staring, I jerk my gaze back up to her face, only to find her still looking at me.

Really looking at me. With determination written all over her face.

"This is the new direction," I say. "And I think I know what I'm doing."

There are a few chuckles around the table. This team, just like everyone else in the whole world, knows what I'm capable of. They don't question me.

Unlike Leah.

"And what if I don't like the new direction?" she asks.

I shrug. "Then we'll just have to part ways, won't we?"

Her chest rises with anger. I can tell that she wants to say more, but she bites her tongue.

"Good." I smile. "Now, let's get back to what I was saying."

I finish the presentation, and everyone takes off to their desks, ready to grind away to meet our two-month deadline. Everyone except Leah.

She lingers at the doorway, watching me.

"What?" I ask.

She cocks her head to the side. "Why do you have to be such an asshole?"

I don't know what she expects me to say. "I'm not an asshole. I'm a leader."

She shakes her head. "That's not what everyone says. The media. People who know you personally. Employees."

Obviously, she's been doing some heavy research — probably hoping to uncover something incriminating.

"And what do they say?" I ask.

"They say that you're a tyrant. That you fire anyone who disagrees with you. That you're…"

"That I'm what?"

She's silent, her pupils dilating fast and her cheeks pink.

I let a moment pass. She's clearly uncomfortable, and I take a weird, sadistic pleasure in it.

"I'm what?" I prompt.

"A bit of a dick."

I laugh. "Sure. If it makes people feel better to call me that."

"You are. And I don't want to have anything to do with it. In fact, I don't want to have anything to do with the new GourmetGlobal. It doesn't even have a name."

"It does now," I say. "It's called GreatFood. Thus, the relaunch."

Her eyes widen. "You don't have authority to change the name without the permission of the shareholders."

I fold my arms, enjoying this immensely. "Who says I didn't already get their permission?"

Leah's jaw drops.

Good. I like it when she's speechless.

This woman is fiery and fun, but she's causing me a lot of trouble. Unfortunately, I can't fire her without the shareholders' permission, and they've made it clear they won't allow that.

Not that I've thought about firing her. Because that would mean I'd never see her again. She's been on my mind nonstop since I met her, and I can't stop thinking about how much I hate the idea of her leaving the company.

Because that's what she's going to do. And it's her choice. She isn't my prisoner. I can't make her stay.

I take a few slow steps toward her until we're less than an arm's length away. "Is this too much for you already?"

Her lips pull tight. "I would like to be included in discussions like those. I should have a heads-up when you're thinking of doing something big like changing the name."

I consider it. I could tell her no. I'm in my full right to do exactly that.

Or I could humor her.

But there are consequences to that. I need to stand firm in all my decisions. I can't afford to look weak in front of my employees.

I lean in closer, feeling her breath on my face. "I'll take that into consideration. But just remember, Leah, I didn't become a successful CEO by being a pushover."

She narrows her eyes at me, but there's something in them that tells me she likes the challenge.

"I don't doubt that for a second," she says, her voice low and husky. "But maybe there's a different way to lead. A way that doesn't involve being an asshole all the time."

I smirk. "And what way is that?"

She steps back, breaking the electric tension between us. "Maybe a way where you listen to other people's ideas. You know, actually value their opinions. And treat them like human beings instead of expendable pawns on your chessboard."

I arch a brow. Challenge accepted.

"You want me to listen to you?"

"Yes. I do."

I lean closer until I'm inches from her face. "You want me to treat you like a human being?"

She opens and closes her mouth, her eyes flicking down to my lips. Every cell in my body wants nothing more than to press against her, to seize her lips, to bend her over the boardroom table and fuck her senseless…

So I step back. "Sure thing. I'll see what I can do about that."

Her lips twist at my sarcasm, and a moment later she's out the door.

Sighing, I watch through the glass door as her delicious ass retreats down the hallway. I knew having her work here would come with its difficulties, but I didn't expect to feel like a dog constantly in heat.

I need to watch myself around her. One wrong move and I could fuck everything up. I've gotten to where I am by being focused and being able to avoid distractions, and Leah, unfortunately, is the biggest distraction I've ever come across.