Chapter 26

26

Lena

"So you see, Kane Enterprises is the best place to represent your brand in the market. It's not an exaggeration when I say we have the best creative brains in the world working on your campaign. You will not regret choosing us as your agency."

I pause, then glance around the table. The one woman and three men who represent the client meet my gaze. Silence descends. Is that good? Is it bad? I glance toward JJ, who's been sitting in silence on one end of the table. He prowled in at exactly 9:01 a.m., shook hands with the most senior member of the team, then introduced me and handed the floor to me. I hesitated initially, then picked up speed as I found my flow. I walked the team through the presentation and answered all of their questions. I've done my best… I did a great job… I think?

I try to read JJ's expression, but he doesn't give anything away. I try to signal with my eyes that he needs to do something, to break the building tension in the room. But does he? Of course not.

The woman who leads the client's team taps her fingers on the table. "Lena, isn't it?"

I nod.

"You make an eloquent case for Kane Enterprises."

I tip my chin down. "Thank you."

"But I'd prefer to have a word with JJ about the possibility of using Kane Enterprises as our advertising agency."

"Oh, but—" I begin to protest, but she's already dismissed me.

She tosses her blow-dried, chin-length hair over her shoulder as she turns to JJ. "In private."

JJ seems taken aback, then nods.

"If everyone else doesn't mind stepping out," he murmurs.

The woman snaps her fingers, and the men who've accompanied her jump up to their feet and head for the door.

I grip my fingers together and look between them. The woman is in her early forties, dressed in a skirt that shows off her shapely legs and a blouse tucked in at her waist to show off her figure. Her blonde hair is cut in a blunt bob that swings around her shoulders. Her make-up is perfect. Perfect eyeliner. Perfect lipstick. Perfectly manicured nails. I fold my hands behind my back. I can't remember the last time I got a salon manicure, preferring to take care of my nails by myself. She's well put together, confident, glamorous, and closer in age to JJ than me. She eyes him with a hungry look. No doubt, as soon as I'm out of the room, she'll make a move on him. And he—? JJ leans back, a slow smile tugging at his lips. He all but preens under her attention. It's like the two of them have forgotten about me. I clear my throat.

The woman turns to me. "This is a private conversation," she reminds me.

"Oh, don't mind me. I'm just going to take notes."

She frowns. "This isn't that kind of a meeting."

"Oh, aren't you going to be talking about the campaign? In which case, I really do think I need to be here. I'm Mr. Kane's Executive Assistant and the Account Manager on this, after all."

"And we don't need you here for whatever is to be discussed. Go on, shoo." She snaps her fingers.

What the—? If she thinks I'm one of the emasculated men on her team who's going to snap to attention just because she says so, she's got another thing coming.

I draw myself up to my full height, "Shoo? Did you say shoo? I don't think?—"

"Lena." His deep baritone rumbles across the space. "You need to go."

"What?" I turn on JJ. "This is my account. I helped put this presentation together, and if I need to debrief the team later, I need to be in on all aspects of the meeting. You know that, JJ."

He hesitates.

The other woman's frown deepens. "I need to speak one-on-one with you, JJ." She straightens her spine. "Or do the client's wishes not count anymore?"

JJ tilts his head, then nods. "Out, Lena."

"But—"

"Now." He lowers his voice to a hush, and that dominance in his voice—oh, God… My nerve endings seem to fire all at once. My thighs clench, and I'm sure my panties are soaked. I could stand around all day listening to him scold me, and have spontaneous orgasms just from listening to him.

"Go." He jerks his chin toward the door.

I spin around and march toward the exit. Goddamn him and that bitch. I step outside the conference room, and to the side. Then, because I can't stop myself, I pull my phone from the pocket of my skirt and pretend to study it as I watch the two of them from the corner of my eye. The woman rises to her feet and walks over to stand next to JJ. She leans a hip against the conference table and speaks to him. JJ nods occasionally as she continues talking. Then she puts out a hand and touches his shoulder. I stiffen. Bloody hell, is that normal? Touching a business associate like that? And JJ doesn't pull away. He smirks up at her.

The woman laughs. Anger squeezes my chest. They definitely know each other outside of work.

"They make a good couple, don't they?" A man steps up to join me. He's one of her team. One of the men she dismissed earlier.

"Sylvie's always had a thing for JJ," he adds.

Like I care. Why is he telling me this anyway? When I don't reply he shuffles his feet. "It's one of the main reasons she prefers to attend the meetings with Kane Enterprises in person, you know? So she can meet with him. She also thinks she has a better chance at influencing him."

"Indeed."

Sylvie leans in closer. She runs her fingers down JJ's collar. Every muscle in my body tenses. Whoa, hold on. Why am I getting all twisted out of shape? It's JJ's business if he wants to sleep with his client. It shouldn't matter to me. Except I put in a lot of work on this deal. He may have completed the presentation last night, but I put in days' worth of effort behind it, as did the rest of my team. I owe it to them to step in and find out just what's going to happen next.

I put my phone away and straighten. The man next to me tenses. "You're not going in there, are you?"

"I don't see an alternative. This pitch is important to me and my team. I need to be able to add input to it."

I knock on the door to the conference room, then twist open the handle, and step in.

"—I'd love to grant the account to Kane Enterprises." Sylvie straightens JJ's tie. "It doesn't come down only to the ideas presented, which weren't bad, by the way, but?—"

"Not bad? Those were bloody good ideas," I exclaim.

Both of them turn to face me. JJ has an expression of boredom on his features. Sylvie looks pissed. Good. She still hasn't let go of JJ's tie. Bitch.

"And it wasn't just me working on it. It was the entire team. And JJ, too."

She turns to face him. "You worked on the presentation yourself?"

He arches an eyebrow.

"Really?" She blinks rapidly. "Since when does JJ Kane, head of the Kane Company, work on presentations hands-on?"

"Since now?" He brushes off her hand and rises to his feet. Finally —fuck ! "I understand why you'd want the personal touch, Sylvie, but we do also need to keep the team in the loop." He jerks his chin in my direction.

"But we haven't concluded our discussion," the woman whines. I don't know her well, but I'll bet she's a hard-ass career woman. And given how she treated her team, I'll bet she eats men's balls for breakfast. And she's actually pouting? Is this the effect JJ has on the female population? Do all of them forget every single feminist lesson they've learned and get their panties wet around him? Do all of them find him that attractive? Do all of them stare at him with greed in their eyes like they want to lick him up all over? Is that how I'm staring at him right now?

"I believe the presentation is complete and now you do need to make a decision... over" —he looks at his expensive-as-fuck watch— "considering it's already eleven a.m., an early lunch."

"Lunch?" she breathes.

"Lunch?" I yelp.

"Lunch." He smiles at her. Asshole gives her his trademark smirk, and her bosom wrapped in that tight shirt heaves.

"Lunch, right." I draw in a breath. "Let me grab my purse, and I'll be right back." Give me patience. Give me patience. Won't kill me to go to lunch with them. It's work, a job, the job that'll make me independent enough to get away from him and be able to rent my own place. And you'll miss him when you do that. Eh? Of course not! Why should I miss his alphaholish ways, his domineering tendencies, his larger-than-life persona, his gorgeous profile, his beautiful throat, his reassuring presence, his?—

"Oh, you're not coming to lunch with us," JJ states flatly.

I whip my head in his direction. "Excuse me? What did you say?"

"This lunch is for me and Sylvie to catch up and seal the deal. You know how it is."

"No, I don't know how it is." I pull myself up to my full height. "I worked on this account. You know how much effort I put in?—"

"And you did well."

"—I should be there for the final negotiations."

"These are delicate discussions, things that Sylvie and I need to discuss as the heads of our companies."

"Things that an employee such as yourself doesn't need to worry your pretty little head about." The woman sniffs. "Run along now, and make sure our cars and drivers are ready for us, will you?"

I curl my fingers into fists at my sides. "How dare you?" I narrow my gaze on JJ. "How dare you treat me like this, you son of a bitch?"

Sylvie gasps. JJ's features harden. Yeah, so maybe that was a little out of line. Big fucking deal. He deserved it, right? And I bet no one's every spoken to Mr. Stick-Up-His-Ass-Billionaire —who's giving me serious whiplash with how he's behaving—like this. One minute, he's helping me with the presentation, the next, he's acting like a douchebag of the first order. What the hell is wrong with him? What the hell is wrong with me that I'm still standing here when both of them insulted me in the worst possible way?

"I recommend you return to your office, Lena," JJ says, using that condescending voice I hate. The voice that makes me feel like I'm twelve. The Dad voice he likes to use to make a point about the age gap between us… When it suits him. Dick.

"I recommend the two of you call up your own chauffeurs. I'm no one's personal assistant."

I spin around and am about to leave when— "Oh, and Lena?" His voice rumbles behind me. "Use the time to get started on your next brief, will you?"