5. Grayson

CHAPTER 5

GRAYSON

H ow can a woman look like an angel while being a demon?

Jade sits across from me, tapping her manicured nails on her desk, the buttons of her blouse straining slightly against her full breasts.

She glances up at me. "Sooner or later, you're going to have to talk to me so we can work on this."

I roll my eyes, still wondering how I got trapped into working with her.

Dad didn't know what he was talking about yesterday when he said that the two of us should work together.

She is the last person in the world I would be able to work with. She's stubborn and persistent, and she doesn't ever stop.

Her determination would almost be attractive if she didn't take friendly competitions to another level.

Then again, I was the one who messed with her life first.

However, I never ruined the biggest project of the semester for her, and that's the difference between the two of us. She saw to it that my entire future would shift, and all I did was make it harder for her to be at the top of the class.

And yet, no matter what way I try to justify it, the past is still childish.

I thought I had let my anger go a long time ago, but having to work in the same building as her is bringing it all rushing back.

Jade stands up, moving to the credenza and opening one of the cupboards to pull out a notebook. "While the newspaper works on forming that connection again via the advice column, we need to talk about what the website should look like."

"I don't think there's much to talk about," I say dryly. "White page, black text, some pictures. It's pretty easy to handle."

Jade stiffens before turning and dropping the notebook on the desk. She sits back down and flips it open, pulling a pen from the cup on the corner of her desk. Her slanting script is still the same as it was all those years ago.

"It's not as simple as just throwing together a plain-looking website." Jade taps the pen on the paper. "And a white site with black text and a logo slapped on it is the same thing that every other media company is doing. You need to stand out, especially if you want to get the attention of younger audiences."

I lean back in the chair, tilting until I'm looking at the white ceiling, bright lights stinging my eyes. "I thought you had a plan for all of this."

She's seconds away from throwing the pen at my head. I can see it in her eyes when I look back at her.

It's odd to think that there was a time when I knew her well, but now she's practically a stranger.

And as much as I hate to admit it, after digging into everything she's built for herself, she's the right person for the job.

Though, that's not something I ever plan on sharing with her.

It would be like admitting defeat.

As it is, I might think her plan could be a good one, but there's still only a slim chance that it's going to work. She's in over her head, and there's no sign of being able to rescue the sinking ship.

Jade sighs, scribbling a couple of notes onto the page. "You need to help me with this."

"Do you actually want my opinion?" I eye her, waiting for some flicker of emotion to cross her face, but she keeps it blank.

"Not really. I have plans for what I want to do. Just like the daddy's boy you are, you somehow got yourself involved with this."

"It's not like I asked to work with you."

She scoffs, dropping the pen and leaning forward, her arms folded on her desk. "You might not have asked to be put on this project, but you went around trying every angle you could to tear me down. Which clearly signals to your dad that this should be some sort of opportunity for you to prove yourself."

It may have been part of the game I was playing with my father, but she's got the result backward. Instead of Dad handing me the project, he's punishing me. Spending the next few months working closely with Jade will be the kind of torture that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy.

I was hoping that Dad would give me the project. Something to show that he has faith in my ability to run it when he finally hands it over to me.

If he hands it over to me.

Right now, I'm staring at the competition, and I have no doubt about that.

Dad changes his mind like the wind changes direction. He might seem like he's set with me taking over the CEO role right now, but that could all change.

I get up and pace over to the window, ignoring the frustrated sound Jade makes. "You know, I think you should let me handle the website design. I've been with the company my entire career. I know what we should capture on the screen."

Daggers stab their way into my back, the hair at the nape of my neck standing.

I'm sure she's glaring at me right now.

Jade exhales hard. "Fine. If you think you can make a better website mock-up, then be my guest."

Turning around, I wait for her to drop the other shoe. I know it's coming. Life with Jade is never this easy.

What the hell did I see in her in college?

Whatever it was, I don't see it now.

Liar, liar, pants on fire.

Jade stands up, appearing at my elbow, the scent of vanilla and lemons wrapping around me. "You do your mock-up, and I'll do one of my own. We'll have the office do a blind vote on which one they like the best."

"And let me guess, you already know that yours is going to win."

She shrugs, that annoying little smirk playing around the corner of her mauve-painted lips. "Grayson, you've never been very creative. If our time together in college taught me anything about you, it's that."

I spin around, towering over her. She's wearing flats today, making her eyes level with my chest.

When she tilts her head to look up at me, for just a moment I consider what it would be like to mold my body to hers, having sex to fix all the issues between us like we used to.

It used to be hard to keep my hands off her.

Even when we were at our worst while competing over the internship, I still couldn't wait until I got her alone at the end of the night and got to see the side of her that nobody else did.

It was only after she ruined my final project that I realized I never really knew her.

She pokes a finger into the center of my chest, pushing me back a step. "If you're trying to intimidate me with your size, you're going to have to try harder. Been there and done that already."

My cock twitches, pressing against the zipper of my slacks as a reminder. "You're going to regret starting this fight with me."

"You're the one who started fighting, Grayson," she says, her shoulders slumping and her tone soft as she steps away and sits back down at her desk. "You always are."

If I stand here and argue with her longer, I know I'm going to do something stupid.

Whether that's attempting to fire her or reminding her of what she did to me, I don't know.

I take a quick peek at her, those honey-brown waves cascading beside her face like a curtain she's pulled between us.

As I turn, I consider telling her to just go ahead and do the mock-up. I know whatever she comes up with is going to be better than anything I do.

The competitive streak in me won't allow it, so I head for the door, not sparing her another glance.

Leaving her in her office would've worked better if she didn't go to the glass wall that separates our office, knocking on it until I look up.

When I do, she's holding up a sign with a broad smile on her face.

Get ready, pretty boy. You're going down.