10. Jade

CHAPTER 10

JADE

F riday morning the sun is shining, fat white clouds are drifting across the sky as I stand outside the building where the newspaper is printed.

I thought calling a meeting with the board here would be a way to play with Leo's heartstrings.

He might be more willing to open his pockets to a potential app if he's staring at the building that houses his dream and not just an office space filled with workers.

Although, Grayson is going to be pissed when he finds out that there was a meeting without him.

I can't risk him undermining this more than he already has.

Right now, I'm running against a clock to get the rebrand done. I don't have time to try and make him see things my way, especially when he is so dead set on not seeing them that way.

This is the only way I can handle the situation.

I take a deep breath and head into the warehouse, the whirring of machines softening as I take the stairs that lead to the offices upstairs. I continue down the gray carpeted hall to the conference room, opening the door and looking at the fine layer of dust that sits on the chair rail that circles the room.

As I spread out the booklets I had prepared, the door opens and Victoria enters the room. She takes a seat at the head of the table — a tactic to annoy Leo — then smiles as she looks at the booklet in front of her. "Are these app people really this good?"

"Yes. Pelletier Design houses some of the top talents in the industry, and they're known for being able to turn out exemplary work quickly." I smile at the rest of the board members as they filter into the room, Leo trailing behind them all.

His gaze sweeps the room before he lands on me. "Grayson isn't here?"

"He had a meeting this morning with a couple of the people who were applying to write the advice columns. We thought that it would be better to divide and conquer."

It's not a complete lie, but it's not the truth either.

Grayson is spending his morning interviewing people and talking about the advice column, but he has no idea this meeting is happening.

I have to get it done and over with before he notices I'm gone. If I do, we shouldn't have a problem when I get back and tell him that the board approved the app.

If he didn't want me to go behind his back, he should have been more open to listening to a point of view other than his own.

Leo stares at me for what seems like an eternity. Sweat beads on the back of my neck, but I stand tall.

This is my meeting, and he's not going to intimidate me with stares.

Grayson got himself into this mess, and this time his daddy isn't going to be able to come along and save him.

I pull up the presentation I have that goes along with the booklets, projecting it on the wall. "These days, people are connected to their phones, but most mobile sites take forever to load. What I want to do is create an app. One that encompasses everything the newspaper is and will be, allowing our readers to connect with us as easily as possible."

Leo hums and flips through the book. "Won't an app take too much time to build?"

"Not if we use Pelletier Design. I have an insider connection that tells me they have an opening this month. I've had her send in the initial designs of the website and asked if they would be able to create an app within our timeline that matches the branding of the website."

Leo frowns slightly. "Sounds expensive."

One of the other board members turns to me. "What kind of price tag is going to be on this project if we decide to go ahead with it?"

"We're looking at the high end of five figures," I say. "However, they are offering a slight discount due to the work they've already done for my businesses. It would take fifteen percent off the total cost, which you'll see a breakdown of if you flip to page four."

They flip to the fourth page, eyes widening and nostrils flaring as they look at the numbers written there.

I know the board is already running the calculations in their head, wondering if this is going to be a good decision when the business is already descending into the red.

As I stride across the front of the room, I take my time making eye contact with all of them. "I know this seems like a lot of money. It is. I'm not going to sugarcoat it."

Victoria leans back in the chair, crossing her arms. The wrinkles around her eyes deepen, her bun looking more severe than it normally does. "Would we be able to find someone cheaper?"

"Yes." I flip to the next slide in my presentation, showing off the list of designers who could work for cheaper before showing another slide with those designers' work examples beside their pricing.

Leo glances between the designs on the slide, shaking his head as he takes his time looking at each one. "None of those are as good as the designs from Pelletier."

"You're right, they're not." I flip to more of Pelletier's examples on my screen. "I've worked with this brand before. I would have to meet with them to show them everything we would like to integrate, as they only meet in person to talk about design."

"Another expense." Leo folds his hands together over his round stomach, leaning back and taking another look at the designs. "The company doesn't have the kind of capital needed to get this moving right now."

"No, it doesn't." I clasp my hands together to hide the tremble in them. "We would need the board of directors to make an investment into the company."

"And this app," Victoria says, nodding to the screen. "You really believe this is going to help make the company profitable again?"

"Yes." I flip to the side with statistics from comparable news apps that have been downloaded within the last twelve months. "More and more people want to stay connected, but mobile sites are unreliable and often difficult to navigate. An app is more streamlined. People know exactly which icon to click to find the news they want."

Leo combs his fingers through his beard before nodding. "I'll fund this."

Victoria hums, drumming her fingers on the booklet. "I'll go in twenty percent."

A couple of the other board members agree to match the twenty percent.

"Thank you." I smile and stand by the door, shaking their hands as they leave.

Leo stops, the last to leave the meeting. "You've done good work here, but we're taking a leap of faith on this project. I knew we needed to connect with younger audiences, and you seem to have a clear vision of how to do it. Keep up the good work."

"Thank you, sir."

"Save my company, Jade. That's all I ask."

When I get back to the office later that afternoon, Grayson is sitting behind his desk, glaring at the wall like something about it has personally offended him.

His eyes flicker to me as I pass, his entire body tensing. "Come in here for a moment, will you?"

Lara sighs. "I'm going to get a coffee from down the street, so I don't have to hear the two of you yelling at each other again. Do you want something?"

"An iced white mocha latte, please."

She nods and grabs her purse, taking off while I head into Grayson's office.

He jerks his chin at the door. "Shut that behind you and draw the curtains."

A warm tingling starts low in my stomach as I pull the curtains across. "What do you want?"

"Lara told me you were out at a meeting with the board of directors this morning." His tone is even, but with the anger that shines in his eyes, I know that he's anything but calm.

"Yes." I round his desk and perch myself on the edge, propping one foot up on his seat between his legs. "Is there a problem here?"

"You went behind my back. We were supposed to present the app to them together."

I brace my hands on the desk, leaning back. "I know, and I decided that was a bad idea because you have a history of trying to undermine me."

Guilt flashes across his face, confirming what he was planning all along.

In some way or another, he was going to make sure the app didn't get approval, and then I'm sure he was going to push the podcast forward.

His hand wraps around my ankle, thumb rubbing circles that send shivers racing through my body. "I wasn't going to do anything."

"I know you." I bite back a moan as his hand starts climbing higher up my leg, massaging the sore muscles there from my run last night. "I know that at the end of the day, you're going to do what benefits you the most, even if that isn't what's best for the company."

"Spending close to six figures isn't what's best for the company."

His hand brushes against my inner thigh, fingers skimming over my pussy and sending arousal flooding through my body.

This is what makes sense between us.

Arguing about different viewpoints and the way we've screwed each other over.

We know how to do this better than we know how to do anything else.

I clear my throat, shifting as he pushes my skirt higher before sliding my thong down my legs. His fingers slide through my slick folds, tingles of electricity sparking everywhere he touches.

Grayson sighs. "You know, you really should stop trying to shove me out of this deal. Dad wants me in it. He's the one who decided that we should work together."

"If you want to work together, then maybe you should actually start working with me instead of turning down my ideas."

His thumb presses into my clit. "I don't turn down your ideas."

"You do. Honestly, I'm beginning to think it's your favorite activity."

He presses one finger into me, massaging my inner walls. "You would be wrong about what my favorite thing to do is, especially when you're soaking wet for me."

"Don't change the subject." My head tilts back as I moan, his finger thrusting deeper into me, his thumb butting against my clit with every thrust.

"I'm not. You thought that I was going to undermine you."

"Because that's what you do." I rock my hips as he adds a second finger, stretching me wider. "If you think your idea is better, you don't hear me out. You just sit there and try to think up ways you can twist the narrative in your favor."

Grayson blows a warm breath against my skin before his tongue slides over my clit.

He flicks his tongue in time with his thrusting fingers, driving deeper until my legs start to shake.

I bite back a moan. "You blame me for all your shortcomings, but have you ever thought about the fact that your jealousy is what prevents you from doing a good job?"

My thighs press tighter together as I come, arousal coating my inner thighs as his fingers move harder and faster, drawing out the orgasm until I can't feel my legs anymore.

Grayson pulls back, his face a blank mask. "Turn around and bend over."

I do as he says, needing to feel him stretching me.

Rough hands slide up my thighs, yanking my skirt up around my waist.

One of his hands sinks into my hair. The sound of a zipper sliding down fills the room before his cock slides against my slick folds, teasing me more with each pass.

I angle my hips, trying to take him when he starts to tease me again. "I need you. Please."

"Funny, you don't seem to think you need me at any other point in your life." He pulls my hair. Forcing me to arch back.

The edge of the desk bites into my hips as he inches into me. My soft moan fills the room as I try to push back.

He grabs my hip with his other hand, fingers pressing deep into my skin as he slams into me with a hard thrust.

My hands splay on the desk as he slams me into it over and over again.

His cock stretches me, pressing deeper.

When he pulls harder on my hair, I let out a small whimper, but more wetness pools between my legs.

This is the sex I've been missing for the last few years.

He lets go of my hair, his hand clamping around my mouth. His chest presses against my back as he leans over me. "If you keep making that much noise, someone is going to hear you."

I moan into his hand, rocking my hips back into his thrusts.

"Come for me," he says, his voice husky in my ear. "Show me how much you really do need me, Jade. We both know that nobody is ever going to make you feel the way I do."

He might be right about that.

My legs shake as I press back into him, my inner walls shuddering around his pulsing cock.

I come hard, moaning into his hand, back arching deep. His hips keep rocking against my ass, harder and faster, until his cock stiffens.

He strokes slowly as he comes.

I rock with him, pussy pulsing as the orgasm keeps crashing through my body.

When he pulls out, it feels like I'm not going to be able to walk for a week.

Grayson says nothing as he helps me stand before tucking himself back into his pants. He sits back down at his desk, not looking at me as he flips open the booklet I gave to everybody at the meeting.

I sigh and pull my thong on, then straighten my skirt before heading for the door.

As I reach for the handle, I turn back to look at Grayson. "You said you wanted to be CEO, so I suggest you get your head in the game before Leo decides that someone else deserves it more."

It's a low shot, but he finally looks at me, a challenge sparking in his eyes.

There's the Grayson I know.