Trust in Advertising (49 page)

Vincent watched Lexi out of the corner of his eye, and when she looked over at him, he winked. Even in the middle of all the intense negotiations, he wanted to make sure she was all right.

“
Quel ’uomo ha amore nei suoi occhi
,” Francesca muttered to no one in particular. Lexi’s head snapped to attention, her face flushing red.

“He has love in his eyes?” Lexi gasped. “No, no he doesn’t. We’re friends.”

Hearing Lexi’s words,
Vincent froze, now giving their conversation his complete attention.

Francesca eyed Lexi suspiciously. “
Capite l’italiano
?”

“
Si
,” Lexi whispered, cringing that her secret was out. Vincent hoped Francesca wouldn’t be upset when she realized Lexi had been privy to everything they’d said.

A wicked smile curled Francesca’s perfectly painted lips. “Clever girl. Oh, I like you even more now.” She glanced back at Vincent and smiled. “And I stand by what I said. That man has love in his eyes. You might not believe it, and he might not know it, but it’s true. I can see these things.”

Lexi looked quickly at Vincent to find him watching her again. Her face flooded with color when their eyes met. Vincent hoped his face didn’t look as shocked as he felt. Francesca’s observation echoed in his head.

He has love in his eyes.

Vincent was broken from his stupor when Francesca announced, “Dante, Paolo,
andiamo
. I have an appointment at the spa.”

Unconsciously, Vincent wrapped an arm around Lexi’s waist, his hand settling on her hip as they began to say their goodbyes. It wasn’t until he saw Francesca playfully elbow Lexi and nod her head at his hand that he realized what he had done.

“Alexandra, I look forward to talking with you soon. Please cal me if there is anything I can do or if you have any questions.” Paolo handed her a smal card with his personal phone number on it as wel as Francesca’s. “Vincent, great to see you.”

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Dante shook Vincent’s hand then took Lexi’s and kissed her knuckles. “Brava, Alexandra.”

“It was wonderful meeting all of you. We will definitely be in touch soon,”

Lexi offered in return.

On the way out of the restaurant, Vincent and Lexi stopped in the kitchen and thanked Angelo for the special lunch he had prepared. He thanked them for coming and told them any time they came to Bravo there would be a table for them. Lexi gave him a kiss on the cheek, which made him blush, and then Vincent led her outside.

She leaned against the rough, brick wal as they waited for her car to be pul ed around. Vincent stood in front of this amazing woman, his huge smile stil firmly in place. He was so impressed with the way she had handled herself. Neither of them had expected that question from Dante, and yet Lexi, who was completely new to the process, took it in stride and gave the perfect answer. She didn’t corner them into a design; she left it vague, but gave them a specific direction to work with, and one the client liked.

As she rested against the wall, her toes tapped from the adrenaline that was certainly coursing through her body. He could see the gears going in her head as she replayed the meeting, still unsure of herself.

Vincent was overcome with the need to wrap his arms around her and hold her. He wanted to cradle her soft body against his and whisper into her hair how proud he was of her and tel her what a great job she had done in there. He wanted a lot of things with Lexi, but most he couldn’t have at the moment. Not until he tied up a few loose ends.

“I think they kind of liked me,” she said hesitantly, as if not sure she believed it herself.

“Kind of liked you?” Vincent asked incredulously. “Lexi, they loved you. When I was talking to Paolo, all he did was ask questions about you.”

“Did they really love me, or are you just being nice?” Her eyes were hopeful like those of a child making a wish that might actually come true. It was her innocence, her good heart, and her untainted view of things that made her such a beacon for Vincent.

Vincent sighed. Tired of fighting his feelings, he took her hand and pulled her toward him, relishing the feel of her softness against him. He slipped his arms around her waist and pressed his forehead to hers. “Everyone loves you, Lexi.

You just don’t always see it.”

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∙ 24 ∙

Lexi and Vincent settled into a comfortable rhythm. She spent hours scouring files and taking notes on what information she needed from Vincent. As he passed by her desk, he snatched the sticky notes and brought her the items without her even having to ask. Working together was easy, predictable, and effortless.

Things made sense to Lexi for once in her life. She had a fantastic job and was doing things she had always dreamed of, all the while working with a gorgeous man who she was lucky enough to call a good friend. He laughed with her all the time and seemed to be genuinely happier when she was around. If he was in a rotten mood at work, everyone nominated Lexi to give him bad news because she was the only person he didn’t lash out at. The way he looked out for her in the office and helped her learn the ropes was way beyond what Elizabeth had outlined, but he never complained. If anything, he found more reasons for them to be together, staying late at the office or sharing late night phone calls that always ended in a discussion of what the other was watching on television.

Everything was great between them until Jade showed up. Whenever Lexi saw Jade wrapped around Vincent, a piece of her heart died. Lexi’s favorite days were those when Jade was safely out of town on a shoot or at the spa with her friends, because it meant peace and quiet, and truthfully, a happier Vincent.

When Jade walked in the office, his whole demeanor changed. His smile became forced, his posture tightened, and even the tone of his voice became cooler. Jade Trust in Advertising

couldn’t see the difference in him because this was the side of himself that he always presented to her, but Lexi knew the real Vincent Drake. The man who wiped her tears and teased her about her sweet tooth. Secretly, Lexi was thrilled he never let Jade see that side of him.

No matter how hard she tried, it was impossible to ignore the way he made her heart thunder every time he was near. There was no denying that the crush she had developed so many years ago was back full force and wasn’t going away.

And all the casual pats on her arm, his hand brushing innocently against hers, his devilish grin when he teased her, and the sparkle in his eye when he talked to her only made those feelings grow stronger.

Al of the attention from Vincent made her wonder if the feeling was mutual.

Did he actually feel anything for her, or was she just a welcome distraction from his failing relationship with Jade? Francesca Marradesi’s words flitted into her head.
That man has love in his eyes.
Lexi wondered what she saw between them.

She and Vincent were friends, and they enjoyed one another’s company, but Lexi couldn’t let herself believe Vincent might have feelings for her, not the same kind she had for him. That was only a dream.

At least things seemed to be moving along smoothly on the business end, but Lexi sensed that trouble was brewing. For two days, Vincent had slowly paraded employees into his office, and they all left with the same, hard, suspicious look on their faces. Nothing on his schedule explained the mysterious meetings.

Lexi finally broke down one morning and checked with Leigh, thinking she must have missed a memo or something, when she heard Tony was invited up.

Unfortunately, Leigh was just as clueless as Lexi, and all they could do was stare at each other wondering what Vincent was up to.

It was midmorning when Tony slithered down the hall. “Ah, if it isn’t Alexandra, the Girl Wonder. Walk on water lately?” He took a seat and leaned toward her desk, straining to get a glimpse at what she was working on. “What are you doing snooping through the Majestic file?” His lips twisted in distaste as he pompously sat back and waited for the answer.

Without blinking, Lexi closed the file and cocked an eyebrow at Tony. “What I do isn’t any of your business. Is Vincent even expecting you?” She knew darn well he was, but she wanted to make the arrogant pig squirm.

“Who are you? His guard dog? Somehow I’m not at all afraid. I’m guessing your bark is far worse than your bite. However, if you really want to bite me, that can be arranged.”

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Lexi tapped her pen on the desk, ignoring every disgusting word that fell from his mouth. “Is he expecting you?” Lexi enunciated each word with painstaking clarity, fighting the urge to reach across the desk and throttle him.

“People have been talking, you know,” Tony said with a sinister grin on his face, “about you and my dear cousin. Mainly about how close the two of you are. Late nights at the office, all those private lunches behind closed doors.” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively and waited for Lexi to react.

“Ignorant gossip doesn’t interest me, nor do the petty people who spread it.” Lexi glared back at Tony, her body language like that of a panther, coiled and ready to attack.

“You better watch yourself, little girl. It would be a shame if—” He was interrupted mid-threat when Vincent’s door opened.

“Tony, not another word. Get in here.” Vincent stepped out and ushered him inside. He closed the door without so much as a glance in Lexi’s direction.

Twenty minutes later, Tony left Vincent’s office, furious. Lexi gave Vincent his space, assuming he was probably in a similar frame of mind after the meeting with his worm of a cousin.

Over the course of the morning, three more staff members trickled into Vincent’s office for these unannounced meetings. Each left looking far less happy than when they went in, and none said a word as they passed Lexi’s desk.

Even Sean was summoned. “So, Lexi,” he said as he slid into a chair and pul ed it up close to her desk, “what’s going on with all the cloak and dagger bullshit?”

“I wish I knew. He’s had half the office traipsing through here today and his schedule is blank, so I’m as much in the dark as you.”

Sean’s brow furrowed. “That’s weird. He tells you everything.” Just then, Vincent appeared like an apparition in the distance and signaled for Sean to join him. “Later.”

Lexi waved and watched the two vanish behind the door.

Stupid hunk of wood. I bet if I took it off the hinges, he wouldn’t have a clue
how to put it back on,
she thought to herself, then returned to work.

A while later, the door opened with a loud crack and as Sean left, the jovial man she knew and loved was gone. Instead, a silent ball of fury walked past.

Lexi tried to get his attention and see if he was all right, but he didn’t even acknowledge her as he whipped his cell phone out of his pocket and continued down the hall.

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Something was going on at Hunter, something very bad. Lexi had no idea what it might be, but from Sean’s reaction, the reason for these meetings wasn’t good. Part of her was hurt that Vincent didn’t confide in her, but until he did, there was nothing she could do to help, so she went back to work.

Just after lunch, Lexi checked on Vincent, to see what he was working on.

Her gentle knock on the door momentarily broke his concentration.

“What do you need?” The surface of his desk was covered with papers, and he scribbled furiously onto a notepad as he glanced back and forth between the computer screen and his pile of papers.

“Nothing,” she said as she walked in and peeked over his shoulder.

“Marradesi account?”

He sighed and tossed his pen onto the desk. “Yeah, I’m trying to work on it, but every time I sit down and try to come up with the focus of the ad, everything sounds forced.”

Lexi quickly scanned down his list. She grabbed the pencil out of his hand and began working off his paper, making notes and crossing things off. Her hair hung over her shoulder, and Vincent felt her soft curves pressed against his back and side as she leaned over him. He tried not to stare at the rounded swell of her breasts that were only inches away, or the way her cleavage peeked out every time she turned to say something to him, but he was helpless. She was perfection, and she didn’t even know it.

Vincent forced himself to be a gentleman and keep his eyes on the paper, but he couldn’t stop the way his body reacted to her perfume, to the heat from her body, or the way he wanted to touch her. His fantasies had grown more vivid in the last few days, most involving Lexi draped over his desk. But nothing could come of it, not now anyway. The issue of the mole still hung over his head, and he had to do whatever he could to figure out who it was. That involved a number of things he despised doing, including keeping Jade around a while longer. He had already set some things in motion and still had a few loose ends to tie up, ones that he dreaded.

“Okay, right here? Women don’t want their makeup to be the reason they’re pretty. That implies we’re a bunch of ugly hags and the makeup will fix it.” Lexi 301