Everything You Need: Everything For You Trilogy Book 1 (9 page)

I can tell he’s working hard not to laugh. “I have an extremely good eye for women’s figures.”

“I’ll bet you have. And for reading labels when you examine the contents of their wardrobes.” I hear the quiet laughter as I turn the key and slip through the door.

Never mind the pretence. I’m angry. Affected. I contemplate slamming his stupid door behind me but squash the desire. It’s a poor triumph but a dignified exit, in total contrast to my entrance. What the hell just happened in there? I went to kick his butt and ended up agreeing to spend the night with him.

I stomp past a not-so-stunned PA mumbling words of apology. I hope the woman won’t get into trouble for letting me through. She doesn’t appear to be that bothered by all the drama but then again, perhaps she’s accustomed to irate women barging past on their way to Jack Keogh. Frankly it wouldn’t surprise me if he had a whole pack of them lining up to get at him.

He’s that maddening. And irritating. And gorgeous. Arrgh.

I’m annoyed at myself for overreacting. If anyone would know to think first, act later, around that man, it should be me.

Out in the parking lot, I sit in my car but can’t stop trembling. Part of it is pure rage at the crazy situation I’ve got myself into. But I’m well aware of other feelings churning round inside me. They’re the ones I most despise myself for.

After all this time, I can’t help responding to him. The twist of tension in my nerves; the quick blood coursing through my veins making my fingertips itch to fondle and touch; my swollen breasts with their taut nipples chafing against my damp blouse. God, did he notice that before I left?

I observe my face in the rear view mirror. Flushed, of course. Pupils dilated. Dark. I couldn’t be more obviously gagging for it if I tried. No wonder he was so amused.

My brain wants me to disappear in a wisp of smoke but my body wants to run back in, shove his PA aside, lock the pair of us up with that little tease of a brass key and rip his expensive clothes off, push him down on top of his huge boardroom table and rub myself up and down his naked flesh like I’m an unfed cat and he’s the guy with a hot chicken.

I groan in self-loathing.

I’m no nymphomaniac but if half an hour alone in an office with Jack can reduce me to that, how the hell am I going to manage a whole night without humiliating myself badly? I’m convinced he knows it. Every look, every smile says he’s reading my body language like a Kama Sutra first edition.

I try a series of cleansing breaths to empty my mind of thought like I learnt in yoga class but give up when it tumbles with thoughts of tantric sex with Jack instead. I think about dinner. And breakfast. And everything that could possibly happen in between. With no way of masking my own throbbing engine, I start the car and head back to my office. I feel ashamed now I tried to skip off home early.

When I arrive I find the parking space assigned for the CEO’s exclusive use, occupied. The dark grey Range Rover is only too familiar. It casts its gas-guzzling shadow over my little eco-car like its owner, Brent Tapper, does over my non-starting career as head of CaidCo. My heart sinks.

I pull into visitor parking. I have enough to worry about retaining this contract with Zee-Com and with what I’m being asked to do to keep it. My encounter with Jack has me shaken. The last thing I need is a pissing contest with my senior manager. And, as Brent would no doubt delight in pointing out to anyone who cares to listen, I don’t have the equipment for it.

My friendly email reminding Brent it used to be Harry’s parking space, and what was his is now mine, doesn’t seem to be working. Frankly he doesn’t give a toss. I have no idea what I’m going to do about it except keep on getting in to work earlier than everyone else and refuse to budge. It’s no way to head a business. I walk inside with a heavy heart.

“Tabitha, you’re back. I’m just getting a hot drink for everyone. Want one?”

I warm to the sight of Libby. “Are they still asking you to make their coffee?” She’s my assistant and isn’t being paid to wait hand and foot on those lazy creatures in management.

“I don’t mind, really.” She gives me an awkward grin.

“It’s not fair,” I point out. “They should get their own damn coffee.” It isn’t fair to drag Libby into my management inadequacies either. She’s trying to be diplomatic, to keep the peace, for my sake as well as her own. “No-one ever asked Harry’s PA to get coffee for them but it seems now I’ve taken over, we’re both fair game.” Taken over? That’s a laugh.

“Brent will create problems just about any way he can.” Libby shakes her head.

“He’ll never accept answering to me.” I just assumed Brent would mentor me as I took over. No deal. He’s going to make this as difficult for me as he can. And if CaidCo goes down the tubes in the meantime? I honestly don’t think he cares anymore. “At first I thought his bizarre behaviour was because he missed Harry. Now I’m not so sure.”

“You’ll sort it.” Libby’s constant faith is touching yet makes me feel guilty about my lack of progress with Brent.

“Brent’s mission – and he’s chosen to accept it – is to destroy me.”

I join Libby in the kitchen and help her fix the drinks. I try to set an example to the other managers and do what I can for team building.

“That’s okay,” she says, taking the jar from my hands. “I’ve got it covered. You really don’t need to worry about me. You look like you’ve got more than coffee on your mind.”

“I might just have a chance to turn things around.”

“That’s brilliant.” Libby’s optimistic outlook isn’t in her job description either, bless her. “What happened, Tabs? Did Mr Keogh listen to you or is he really set on taking his business elsewhere?”

Ensuring we have no
eaves-droppers
, I close the door and tell her what happened.

“None of this dinner thing is about business,” I tell her, leaving out a lot of the more private moments.

“Oh my God. He expects to have sex with you?” Getting straight to the heart of the matter, Libby’s jaw drops open and hangs there.

“Well he can expect. I’m just using this as an excuse to keep the lines of communication open. Besides, someone like him must have women all over the place. It’s not about sex. It’s about power. Putting me in my place. He’s another Brent Tapper. Only more dangerous.”

“Do you still find him attractive?” There’s no fooling Libby.

I huff with impatience. Years ago I’d done everything I could think of to get Jack’s attention. She’d seen me make a fool of myself over Jack on more than one occasion. There’s no point lying. “A bit.” Okay, so I’m stretching the truth a bit too.

She sees right through me. “Oh my God, Tabitha. Does he still find you attractive?”

We look at each other.

Jack had some interest in me. Even as a teenager, who knew nothing about men, I’d known that. He always made time to hang out whenever he came to my uncle’s office. We shared lunches, talked about stuff and exchanged small gifts. But I thought he reserved that look of his just for me, the one that sent hot flares racing up my spine. I’d had the same feeling in his boardroom, not an hour ago.

I was kidding myself on both occasions. “If he found me so attractive, he never did anything about it.”

“Like ask you out?” Libby got it.

Why hadn’t Jack done anything about it back then? I can only believe I frightened him off by being too open. What on earth had possessed me to be so earnestly frank about my feelings? So much for a woman’s mystery, her allure. In my naïve innocence I threw myself at him.

I groan. No wonder he started avoiding me. He barely spoke to me after that. Stopped looking, if I was honest. Although I avoided him too by then. When I came home from university for the holidays I made sure I was out of the office whenever he came in. How could I face him? My skin crawls with embarrassment even recalling the awkwardness.

“Perhaps he wants to make up for lost time. Oh my God.”

“Will you stop saying that, Libby? You’re making me nervous.”

I open a bottle of Bailey’s Irish Cream meant for visiting clients and toss a good slug into both our coffees.

Stuff my promise not to drink too much. That only applies to being alone in my apartment. “If I’m going through with tonight, I’m going to need as much help as I can get. Oh Libby, what on earth am I doing?”

She rubs my shoulder. “Whatever you have to, honey.”

I nod. I’m not a gullible child anymore and this is for the survival of CaidCo. “It’s just the shock of seeing him after all this time that’s unsettled me.”

“Bound to. He’s pretty hot.”

I put her straight. “He was about to screw the company over. It’s as simple as that.”

Libby, bless her doesn’t resort to innuendo. “If it wasn’t for that anonymous text sent to my phone this afternoon we’d be none the wiser.”

“Probably someone who cared about Harry.” The last-minute timing hadn’t given me even a moment to consider the consequences or I’d probably never have got up the nerve to confront Jack at all. I was just going to have to endure the next twenty-four hours.

“You’ll get through it. Don’t be a push-over.”

“Sending me a dress, indeed.” He must think I’m still the same silly young girl I was before. “He’s an arrogant jerk.”

“It might be a nice dress,” Libby suggests. “And you can always sell it on eBay afterwards.”

“One careless owner. Ever so slightly soiled.” I think hysteria is already setting in. “Tell me something to make this better.”

“You’re young. You’ll get over it. He must be all of thirty-two, if he’s a day.”

I eye her. We’re both twenty-two. “Not helping.” I’ve always been particularly attracted to the fact he’s older and more experienced than me.

Libby tries again. “Free dinner, bed and breakfast?”

“I know it’s against employment law to hit a member of staff but I swear to God, Libby, I’m going to beat you to death in a minute.”

She laughs and it makes me feel brighter somehow. We finish the coffees and I leave her to distribute them whilst I get back to work.

“When you’re done here, could you call the senior team to a brief meeting in my office? After coffee,” I add, waggling my doubtful eyebrows up and down. “Better not spoil their caffeine hit. Say half an hour. I’ll outline events then.”

“Sure thing, Tabitha. Try not to worry. Everything will work out.”

I know she’s worried too. Why wouldn’t she be? If CaidCo folds, guys like Brent with their fat pension plans will be alright. It’s the younger staff like Libby that will really struggle. I have to do this for all of them. I throw her a quick reassuring smile. I have half an hour to work out exactly what I’m going to tell them.

At least it takes my mind off Jack Keogh for a bit. God, it’s hard working around some guys. You can never just get on with the job. You have to constantly negotiate your way past all the competitiveness, ego and downright macho bull-shit. Or is that only my experience?

Harry’s guys liked me well enough when I was intern. As far as they’re concerned, that’s my rightful place. But as their twenty-two year old CEO? It’s a giant leap too far for some of them, although I suspect if Brent wasn’t leading the wolf-pack, the rest might be easier to get on board. He has clout and as far as he’s concerned, I and I alone have lost them Zee-Com, now the word about the cancelled contract is out.

Half an hour passes as I sift through paperwork and finally open emails. There’s one from Jack. My hand trembles ridiculously as I open it but I know I have to see what he wants before I brief the team, in case he’s changed his terms or his mind.

Confirming arrangements. Special delivery 5pm. Car, 7.30. Seeing you today was quite an uplifting experience. J

Cryptic enough if it should fall into enemy hands. Except for the last bit. My cheeks are burning. Uplifting? What does he mean by that? Is he deliberately trying to embarrass me? More macho bull-shit.

If I abandon work early to be there for the five o’clock delivery, it’ll give Brent yet another shortcoming to throw at me. I can’t even tell him I’m doing this for everyone.

After forty-five minutes passes with no sign of movement, I put my head through the door and speak to Libby. “They know about the meeting, right?” Of course, they know. Libby’s nothing if not efficient. They’ve chosen to ignore me deliberately.

“Sorry, Tabitha.” She pulls a pained expression.

“Not your fault.” Now what? I clearly can’t let this go. Why must they put me in this position?

I turn into the corridor and wonder whose office I should tackle first. The ring-leader would be the hardest battle. The easier ones to pick off would be the coward’s way out. Right now I really only have enough energy for the coward’s way but I’ll lose more face.

I storm across to Brent’s office and fling open his door before I change my mind or my anxiety does it for me.

He’s lounging back in his chair with his feet on the desk and a phone in his hand. Another two managers are relaxing on the other side. He appears to be having his own little meeting. Brent gives me a patronising smile and waves to indicate I should wait as he’s on the phone.

I crackle with nervous energy. My heart pounds, I shallow breathe and am in danger of going into a full-blow hyper. If I wait until he ends his call, I play right into his hands. If I don’t I could be interfering with a client phone call.