He was fighting to prove himself to his uncle.
“Big day tomorrow,” she said, changing the subject to one she was sure he would welcome. No one enjoyed trash talk more than Reed Donovan.
A grin broke on his face. “Wanna declare defeat now? Save all the muss and fuss tomorrow?”
She leaned forward in her chair, giving him a bird’s eye view of her cleavage. “Nope. I’m going to relish every moment of watching you go down. Hmmm. Going down. I may need to work that into my victory lap.”
He reached toward his crotch. “I’ve got something here you can lap…with that tongue of yours.”
“Crude, Reed. Even for you.”
He stood with a chuckle. “Yeah, I think it was at that. Come on, Carlyle. I’ll take you to Carter’s bar and buy you a drink. The calm before the storm.”
She rose as well. “Ah. A drink would definitely hit the spot right about now.”
He took her hand and led her toward the door. The gesture was nothing more than friendly, and yet she couldn’t still the slight tremble in her stomach his touch provoked. She was starting to feel like a silly schoolgirl around him. She kicked the feeling out with a vengeance, releasing his hand to push the button on the elevator. Mentally, she tried to batten down her hatches, find a way to close her heart to the man before he managed to weaken every defense she possessed.
Frankie walked back the from the conference room, brimming with happiness. She’d won. Simply Lovely picked her ad campaign. She’d fought to restrain her victorious smile for nearly thirty minutes as the CEO of the company praised her ideas. Reed had put up a good front, but she could see in his eyes a wariness, a slight tinge of worry.
He was hers to play with and she had every intention of bending the man to her whims. He’d played her like a violin on his desk, pulling words and feelings from her that she still wasn’t able to think about. He’d thrown her world for a loop. Now, she was about to shake his rafters, watch his foundation crumble a bit.
They approached the door to their offices. She waited until his hand was just at the knob, let him believe he’d escaped for the moment.
“Oh, Reed,” she said, smirking when he paused and sighed heavily. “I’m going to need to see you in my office in ten minutes.”
He narrowed his eyes and she wondered if he’d refuse to honor the bet. Balk at it.
He nodded. “Fine.” His tone was nothing short of a bark and she couldn’t suppress the giggle that escaped. He studied her face for a moment. “You aren’t going to play nice, are you?”
A full-fledged smile covered her face as he repeated the words she’d said to him. “Oh, Reed. I’m going to play just as nicely as you did.”
She watched him swallow heavily. “I was afraid of that.”
He turned and walked into his office, closing the door with more force than necessary. If their secretary wondered about the odd conversation, she was professional enough to maintain a poker face. Frankie glanced at her watch. Eleven thirty.
“Jessica,” she said. “We just landed a big client this morning and I think we should all reap the rewards. Why don’t you head out to lunch now? Take a couple hours and enjoy yourself.”
Jessica’s eyes lit up. “Really?”
Frankie nodded. “The afternoon schedule is light. I’m going to take a long lunch myself.”
“Well, there is this new dress shop on the corner I’ve been dying to go to.”
Frankie smiled. The new shop was Simply Lovely. She’d gone there herself a few times over the past two weeks in order to prepare her campaign. “It’s a fantastic shop. I think you’ll love it. Enjoy yourself and like I said, don’t rush back.”
Jessica thanked her once more, grabbing her purse and leaving the office.
Two can play that game, she thought as she waved goodbye to the secretary as the elevator doors closed. Reed had sent their secretary away during their last interlude, but he’d let her believe the
“Big day tomorrow,” she said, changing the subject to one she was sure he would welcome. No one enjoyed trash talk more than Reed Donovan.
A grin broke on his face. “Wanna declare defeat now? Save all the muss and fuss tomorrow?”
She leaned forward in her chair, giving him a bird’s eye view of her cleavage. “Nope. I’m going to relish every moment of watching you go down. Hmmm. Going down. I may need to work that into my victory lap.”
He reached toward his crotch. “I’ve got something here you can lap…with that tongue of yours.”
“Crude, Reed. Even for you.”
He stood with a chuckle. “Yeah, I think it was at that. Come on, Carlyle. I’ll take you to Carter’s bar and buy you a drink. The calm before the storm.”
She rose as well. “Ah. A drink would definitely hit the spot right about now.”
He took her hand and led her toward the door. The gesture was nothing more than friendly, and yet she couldn’t still the slight tremble in her stomach his touch provoked. She was starting to feel like a silly schoolgirl around him. She kicked the feeling out with a vengeance, releasing his hand to push the button on the elevator. Mentally, she tried to batten down her hatches, find a way to close her heart to the man before he managed to weaken every defense she possessed.
Frankie walked back the from the conference room, brimming with happiness. She’d won. Simply Lovely picked her ad campaign. She’d fought to restrain her victorious smile for nearly thirty minutes as the CEO of the company praised her ideas. Reed had put up a good front, but she could see in his eyes a wariness, a slight tinge of worry.
He was hers to play with and she had every intention of bending the man to her whims. He’d played her like a violin on his desk, pulling words and feelings from her that she still wasn’t able to think about. He’d thrown her world for a loop. Now, she was about to shake his rafters, watch his foundation crumble a bit.
They approached the door to their offices. She waited until his hand was just at the knob, let him believe he’d escaped for the moment.
“Oh, Reed,” she said, smirking when he paused and sighed heavily. “I’m going to need to see you in my office in ten minutes.”
He narrowed his eyes and she wondered if he’d refuse to honor the bet. Balk at it.
He nodded. “Fine.” His tone was nothing short of a bark and she couldn’t suppress the giggle that escaped. He studied her face for a moment. “You aren’t going to play nice, are you?”
A full-fledged smile covered her face as he repeated the words she’d said to him. “Oh, Reed. I’m going to play just as nicely as you did.”
She watched him swallow heavily. “I was afraid of that.”
He turned and walked into his office, closing the door with more force than necessary. If their secretary wondered about the odd conversation, she was professional enough to maintain a poker face. Frankie glanced at her watch. Eleven thirty.
“Jessica,” she said. “We just landed a big client this morning and I think we should all reap the rewards. Why don’t you head out to lunch now? Take a couple hours and enjoy yourself.”
Jessica’s eyes lit up. “Really?”
Frankie nodded. “The afternoon schedule is light. I’m going to take a long lunch myself.”
“Well, there is this new dress shop on the corner I’ve been dying to go to.”
Frankie smiled. The new shop was Simply Lovely. She’d gone there herself a few times over the past two weeks in order to prepare her campaign. “It’s a fantastic shop. I think you’ll love it. Enjoy yourself and like I said, don’t rush back.”
Jessica thanked her once more, grabbing her purse and leaving the office.
Two can play that game, she thought as she waved goodbye to the secretary as the elevator doors closed. Reed had sent their secretary away during their last interlude, but he’d let her believe the
Similar Books
