Kade turned around, wearing an easy smile, and shook Grant’s hand. “Of course. Your wines always do well in our locations, so I wanted to see what the new products were going to be.”
“And I see you’ve already met Charlotte,” Grant added.
Kade gave Charli a too-friendly look. “Yes, she was telling me her position with you is temporary, so I was letting her know that I’m in the market for a permanent…assistant if she was interested.”
The words and the unspoken meaning behind them were like a fist to the jaw. Grant’s fingers flexed, the urge to pull Charli to his side almost impossible to deny. But Vandergriff wasn’t saying anything that wasn’t true. Grant’s agreement with Charli was a short one. If she discovered she liked the submissive role, she could move on to whichever dom she wanted. And Kade was a great one. Hell, if Charli had been a normal trainee, he’d already be looking for which dom to match her with at the end of training. And Kade would’ve probably hit the list.
But dammit if Grant didn’t feel like punching out every one of Kade’s perfectly straight teeth at the thought. And that feeling was one of the most dangerous ones he’d had in a while. He couldn’t feel territorial about Charli. She was going to walk away in a little over a week. Even if he offered to extend their arrangement, she’d never settle for what he was willing to give. She’d naturally gravitate to doms like Kade who were in the market for a relationship, who wouldn’t flinch at the idea of a kiss or sleeping in the same bed, who’d be capable of truly loving her.
Something tightened in his chest. Fuck. What was going on with him? He wasn’t this guy. He was possessive with his subs, but he didn’t do jealousy. The feeling was so foreign he almost hadn’t recognized it.
Whatever attachment he was forming to Charli needed to be broken now. She wasn’t really his, and he needed to stop acting like she was going to be. This was training. And fucking. And fun. In a few days they were both going back to their own lives. He needed to get that through his thick skull.
He sucked in a deep breath, bracing himself for what he was about to do. “Charlotte, it is highly inappropriate to discuss employment with someone else while you’re still working with me.”
She looked down, the fake glasses sliding down her nose a bit. “Sorry, sir. I didn’t think it was a big deal.”
“This is going to require disciplinary action,” he said, his voice sharp but low enough so that no one else in the room would hear.
Her head snapped up. “What? But—”
He raised a finger, quieting her protest. “Don’t try to backpedal now. I need to discuss a few things with Kade, then you and I are going to have a chat.”
Grant clapped Kade on the back. “You got a few minutes, Vandergriff? I’d like to iron out the details about the tastings you wanted to set up at your locations.”
Kade’s surprise was evident, but he recovered quickly, smoothing his expression. “I could probably stay for a bit.”
“Great. Come with me.” Grant nailed Charli with a hard glare. “Ms. Beaumonde, get this room back in order. Then I expect you in my office. Dawdle and you’ll regret it. It’s the door at the end of the hall.”
Fear flared in her eyes, and he could see her pulse hopping against her throat, but she nodded. “Yes, sir.”
He turned around and headed out of the conference room with Kade at his side. Grant was going to fix his little jealousy problem and make this good for Charli, but boy, was it going to take every ounce of his willpower to allow it to happen.
TWENTY
Charli stood in front of Grant’s closed office door, trying to hold herself up on shaky resolve. Voices murmured on the other side. Kade was obviously still with Grant. And she had a feeling he may not be going anywhere anytime soon.r: Roni Loren
“Shit.”
All heads turned toward her. She cringed, her cheeks going hot. So much for blending into the background. Blondie jumped up from his seat to help her.
Grant pinned her with a hard look, like an arrow shooting across the room and fastening her to the wall. “Is there a problem, Charlotte?”
His words should have embarrassed her—he was admonishing her in front of all these people—but hell if she didn’t go wet from his authoritative tone. Her nipples went as hard as pebbles against the thin blouse. Fuck. “I’m sorry, sir. Just a little clumsy.”
He gave a put-upon sigh, letting her know she’d just earned a mark in the punishment column. “Kade, thank you for helping. Now back to what I was saying…”
Grant returned to his presentation, and Charli crouched down as best she could to help Kade. “Thank you, I’ve got it, really.”
“Clearly,” he said, his smile wry. He gathered the last of the brochures and handed them to her, then took her wrist to help her to her feet. His thumb brushed across the abrasion marks Grant’s rope had left. He shook his head, as if disappointed.
He bent close to her ear. “His?”
It was a simple word. A simple question. But the idea behind it had something strange welling up inside her. An ache that seemed to open up a fissure right down the center of her chest. She nodded even though it wasn’t true. She wasn’t Grant’s. Not really. Would never be.
“Lucky bastard,” Kade whispered before returning to his seat.
She stood there for too long. Kade’s interest was flattering. A week ago, a guy like him would’ve never given her a second glance. But for some reason, she wanted to cry. She stared at Grant, watching him captivate the room with his knowledge and his easy humor. He was so vibrant, so full of confidence. But she knew what lay beneath it, saw how lonely and lost he’d been last night.