Amy fixed her eyes on Adam. “I have nothing more to say. I was only here to ensure that you didn’t intend to change anything in our company, but now I know that’s not true. This whole thing has been a sham.”
Dylan leaned his elbows on the table, making him look insolent. “Ms Carter, you have our word that we won’t–”
“Mr Quinlan, a guarantee of six months is worth nothing to my colleagues.”
“Who said anything about six months?” Lucy asked.
“I think we can drop the pretence,” Amy said. “I know you intend to merely play along for six months, then cut the deadwood – ie, me and my back-office staff. And if Frank decides to sue you for breach of contract, well, I guess you’ll just pay him off. It’s the corrupt way you do things here, isn’t it.”
She shot Adam a glance. He gazed at her with a blank expression. Damn him, he never gave anything away behind those green eyes.
“I do hate corruption and lies, Mr Quinlan,” Amy said. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I believe that concludes our negotiations. I’ll be leaving America tonight and I’ll be happy to put this experience behind me. The only thing I won’t forget is my toothbrush.”
Boisterous laughter burst out of Adam, which surprised Amy. Surely he didn’t know what she meant by the toothbrush reference?
No one else laughed. In fact, they all seemed pretty shocked. Amy relished the powerful feeling that was surging through her.
Dylan frowned. “Ms Carter, you obviously think –”
“I try not to think too much, Mr Quinlan – which is how you like your business associates, isn’t it?” She glanced at Adam. “And your women. It’s my own fault really – I knew you planned to screw me and my company, and for some stupid reason I let you. I’ll see you when you come to London. Goodbye.”
Amy turned on her heel and strode out of the boardroom towards the elevator. Her knees were shaking in the aftershock of speaking so openly and assertively. Shit, had she really just said that cheesy line about him screwing her and her company? She halted at the elevator and pressed the call button with shaking hands, refusing to glance back to see whether anyone was following her. Of course, she was desperate to see Adam. But he’d need to come to her with an apology. There was no way she was going crawling back to him.
Amy heard a commotion coming from the boardroom – Dylan and Adam were shouting at each other like a couple of rutting stags. The shouting stopped, then Adam wheeled around the corner, striding forcefully towards her with a severe expression on his face. The elevator doors swished open. Shit! She braced herself, then stepped forward.
“Amy, wait!”
She halted and let him catch up. The doors closed leaving her feet rooted to the floor. “I really have nothing to discuss with you, Adam.”
“I assume you overheard what Dylan and I were saying about lay-offs last night? I’m so sorry I hurt you, I really am. But it’s nothing personal – it’s just business.”
“It’s no problem. We both know that what happened between us was merely two single people having some fun. No-strings. And that’s fine by me. But now that the contracts are about to be signed, I suggest we revert back to a strictly professional relationship.”
Amy pressed the elevator call button again, and the doors immediately opened. This time she stepped in.
Adam followed. Amy remembered the last time they’d been in an elevator together – going up to her room just before they’d fucked. Exactly the same amount of pounding tension existed between them now. But this time, rather than nervous, Amy felt empowered by anger and triumph.
Adam threw a hand to his hip, making him look like a gunslinger. “I’m not letting you leave like this.”
The doors swished shut and they began their descent to the lobby.
“Are you threatening me, Mr Quinlan?”
“What? No, of course not. Amy, I’m so sorry you found out about the lay-offs like that – but I only found out about them then, too.”
“You accepted it immediately, Adam, with no thought for how it’ll affect me. This is my job, my income… it’s like you don’t give a shit about me. And why would you? I’m nothing but a bit of fun for you.”
“That’s not true – you don’t know what I was thinking during that conversation. My mind was swimming with ways to protect you, babe – I swear.”
Amy refused to look at him. Could he be telling the truth?
“Listen,” he said. “While I am willing to go along with the
lay-offs – because it’s business – you need to know this: as long as you’re with me, as long as you’re mine, I will look after you. I need to protect you – not just physically, but I don’t ever want to see you upset. It’s true, business is business and there will be lay-offs, but you don’t need to worry about anything. Please believe me. I may be a joker at times, but one thing I am is true to my word. If anyone hurts you, I’d kill them. If I hurt you, that’s the worst crime I could commit.”
Amy dragged her eyes from the shiny elevator wall and glared at him. She wanted to slap him; not just because she was furious about last night. But because she could see he was sincere and she wanted to forgive him. She was touched by his words…
The elevator jolted and her anger swerved into passion. She caught sight of his strong, muscular form in the mirror, and she was suddenly struck with a crippling arousal; more than she’d ever felt in her life. She wanted to fuck him; to get back from him what he’d stolen from her – her heart, her mind, her goddamn job. She wanted to use him for sex, like he’d used her. Yes, he’d said ‘no strings’, but this was personal now…