11. Jack

CHAPTER 11

JACK

A knock on the door makes me jerk at my desk. Quickly, I close out the tab on the computer and clear my throat.

"Come in."

The door to my office opens, and Owen pokes his head in. "How's it going, man?"

"Er… good." I rack my brain. What's he doing here?

My CFO gives me a funny look. "We have a meeting," he says like he can read my mind. "Remember?"

"Right. Of course."

Nope. I don't remember at all.

Which is extremely concerning; normally I know my schedule like the back of my hand, and I never forget where I need to be and when I need to be there.

Owen goes to my espresso machine against the wall. "Do you have any of that Ethiopian single origin left?"

"Maybe." Movement through my glass door catches my eye. It's Leah, striding down the hall, her hips sashaying. Her hair is pulled back by a blue ribbon, and her top is so low cut it borders on inappropriate.

My dick twitches at the sight of her. I should look away, but I can't.

And it's not like I want to. After all, I was looking at her social media profile when Owen knocked on the door.

I'd been trying all morning not to go there, and finally I just gave in and scratched the itch, figuring that once I looked, I would be sated.

Turns out, that's not the case. The pictures she posted over the weekend of her hiking made me even more curious.

Who took those photos? Was it a man?

Is she dating anyone?

"…The third quarter isn't where we need it to be," Owen is saying.

"Huh?" I turn to him, surprised to find him sitting across from me.

"WoofWizard." He cocks his head. "Its sales aren't—"

"Oh. Right, right." I smooth my tie. That's right. He told me he'd stop by this morning to talk about our dog care app.

"Jack." He puts his latte on the desk. "You good, man?"

I stare at his mug until he puts it on a coaster. "I'm fine," I say.

"You seem distracted lately. Is it GourmetGlobal?"

"Why would it be GourmetGlobal?" My chest tightens. I don't know why, but the idea of anyone finding out just how much I've been thinking about Leah is terrifying.

"After we acquired it, it seems your stress levels went up. Am I wrong?"

"It could be that." I open my email and find the files on WoofWizard that Owen sent me early this morning. "The transition time is always a hard one."

"Let me know if—"

There's another knock on the door, but this time I don't get a chance to respond. The door opens, and Leah comes barging into my office.

"I'd like to have a look at the different design templates that are being considered." She stops halfway to my desk, hand on her hip.

I lean back in my chair. "Good morning to you, too."

Outside, I'm cool as a cucumber. Inside, I'm a bubbling pot of irritation and desire that might boil over at any moment.

Leah ignores my greeting. "Can I see them or not?"

"I'm in a meeting." I blink at her. "Can you not see that?"

"I don't mind at all." Owen waves his hand. "This sounds important."

Leah sits down in the chair next to Owen and crosses her legs, giving me a clear view of her cleavage.

I force myself to look away. This is not the time or place to be thinking about her body.

And she knows it. The fucking temptress. She's only dressing this way because she's trying to drive me wild.

And, fuck her, it's working.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your meeting," Leah says, not sounding sorry at all. "But I need to see the designs as soon as possible."

Sighing, I pick up a pen and click its end. I'm desperate to put my energy somewhere, and since ripping her clothes off and taking her on this desk isn't an option, I have to figure something else out.

"Mike said you didn't okay me looking at the designs." She raises her eyebrows. "Why is that?"

"Because I was waiting to see them," I say, trying not to grind my teeth. It's hard to concentrate when she's got on a tight top and short skirt. "I have a schedule for this project, and everyone needs to be on the same page."

She folds her arms, which only amplifies her cleavage. "So you were going to okay them before I even got to look at them. I don't get a say?"

"You get a say…" I slowly say, "after I do. I'll send you my picks, and then you can decide what you like. Of course, the final choice does rest with me."

She throws her hands up. "So then why are you planning on having me look at them at all, if you're just going to do what you want?"

I chuckle. This is driving her crazy, and I don't feel bad about it at all, considering she's been doing whatever she can to stir up trouble around here.

Leah's face turns red, and I can tell that the longer I wait to answer, the more it's driving her crazy.

So I wait a little longer, just for the fun of it.

"Isn't that what you want?" I ask, teasing her. "You don't want me to give you what you want?"

The double entendre couldn't be missed if she tried. Somehow, her face turns even redder. It spreads down her neck to her chest…

I quickly snap my gaze back up to her face. I'd rather die than have her know just how much power she has over me.

Leah narrows her eyes at me, and I swear I can feel her anger radiating off of her. A slow moment passes, and I consider what to do.

I could tell her off for coming in here, interrupting my meeting. I could tell her that she doesn't have the right to tell me how to do my job. I could also remind her that she's low man on the totem pole and that she doesn't get to tell me what to do.

But I don't need to get into a pissing contest with her. Not now, not ever.

Leah huffs out a breath and stands, her skirt riding up slightly as she does so. "Fine," she says, her voice tight. "I'll wait for your picks. But I better not be kept waiting for long." She gives me a final glare before stalking out of the room, her heels clicking against the floor.

"Have a great day, then," I call as the door closes behind her.

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. This whole situation is getting out of hand, and the last thing I need is to be distracted by Leah's body or fiery attitude.

"That was interesting." Owen takes a sip of his coffee.

I turn to look at him, having completely forgotten he was here.

"Yeah, she's always a bit of a handful," I say, trying to play it off.

Owen smirks. "I could tell. Although I have to admit, I wouldn't mind being on the receiving end of that anger."

My irritation is instantaneous — and nearly impossible to hide. "Dating coworkers is frowned upon."

"Come on." He chuckles. "Tell me, honestly, that you've never done that? You haven't gone out with even one person at this company?"

I hesitate. Telling him about my night with Leah would be admitting a great weakness. Though I trust Owen, there would be no point in telling him about what I did.

"Let's just focus on the project, okay?" I say instead. "We have a lot to get done today."

Owen laughs, nearly spewing coffee all over my desk. "No problem, boss, though I'm pretty sure you forgot we were even going to meet this morning."

He's got me there, but it's yet another fumble I won't be disclosing. I didn't get to where I am in life by sharing my feelings and stories.

I open the spreadsheet Owen sent me. "Okay, let's get through this. I have a marketing meeting in forty-five minutes."

Owen grins. "Will Leah be there?"

"Very funny."

No. Leah won't be there, and it's probably best that she isn't. The woman, while talented and smart, is proving to be quite a handful.

But that unwanted part of me wishes she were there. Wishes she were in my bed. In my life.

I shake my head, trying to dislodge all thoughts of Leah. There's no point in daydreaming about her.

We had a thing once, but it can never, ever happen again. No matter how badly I might want it.