“Jacinta, sir. We’ve actually met before.” I pause at her words. “I had a round belly then.” Her cheeks flush, and she looks away.
“You fucked my sister’s ex.” Her eyes find mine, her mouth falls open, and she draws her head back quickly but says nothing. “Yes, it was you.” I remember her now. “You also married my sister’s boyfriend.” I click my tongue. “You sure do get around.” I turn and walk to my office door. As I grasp the handle, her voice comes loudly from behind me.
“Not that someone like you would understand, but … I had my reasons.”
Glancing back to her, she is standing, so I look at her bare feet and let my eyes drag up her legs until I get to her face. She is curved in all the right places. Beautiful. Classically so. I like my ladies with a little more … spice.
“Someone like me?” I question.
“Yes, someone who has family, money…” She pauses. “Is there anything I can get you this morning?” she asks sweetly, her tone changing, clearly wanting this conversation to be over with.
That makes two of us.
Ignoring her, I head straight into my office and shut the door behind me.
Working all morning, I hear her answer calls from her desk, and when lunchtime rolls around, a small knock comes on the door.
“Yes.”
She steps in at my bark, a sandwich in hand, and places it on my desk before she turns to walk back out. Just as she reaches the door, she stops.
“What do you need?”
“Rylee said you’re trying to land the Jackpot account?”
“What do you know about that? And Rylee shouldn’t be sharing that kind of information with you. If she didn’t own half this company, I would fire her ass.”
She bites her lip before she continues, “I did some research. It seems the CEO goes out every Friday night to Hogs and Goose. Maybe if you offered him an invitation to meet you there, you could talk to him in person?”
My head tilts to the side as I study her. “Who told you to research them?”
“No one. I simply thought it may help.”
I glare at her, and she squirms under my gaze for a moment before she walks out the door.
The sandwich she brought me sits on the desk, but before I touch it, I email the Jackpot CEO asking him to meet me for dinner tonight. He replies within minutes and agrees.
Well, shit.
I’ve been trying for months to get him to respond, so I guess knowing the place he likes to frequent has helped get me the answer I have wanted to hear.
Standing, I grab my coat and car keys and stop at her desk on my out.
“Jacinta,” I say her name this time, and she startles before lifting her eyes to me. “The Jackpot CEO has asked me to bring a date. Be there at six. Don’t be late. I hate tardiness.” Without giving her a chance to respond, I walk straight to my sister’s office.
Shandy sits on the seat opposite her, her feet kicked up on the desk and a milkshake in one hand. I walk straight past her.
“Oh, no hello, lover boy?”
“Didn’t I fire you already?” Not looking her way, I continue, “Watch what you say to employees, especially since I don’t have the Jackpot account yet. You know I’ve been trying to land it.”
Rylee looks at me, confused.
“Jacinta?” she asks. “She asked what was occupying you so she could help. Did she help?” Rylee asks.
“Just be careful what you share. This company is half yours, remember that.”
“She’s trying to help you, not take you down,” Rylee bites back and turns to look at Shandy.
“Loverboy, who’s the latest squeeze? Did you get any photos like I asked you to?”
“No,” I snap at her.
“Sounds like you have a stick up your ass that needs to be either wiggled or pulled. Which one is it, lover boy?”
Shandy, despite her annoy qualities, isn’t all that bad. I thought about fucking her once, but it turns out she doesn’t like cock. Now she’s become intertwined in my life without my consent.
The door to the office swings open behind me, and I turn around to see Jacinta standing there. Her cheeks go red, and she rolls her lips between her teeth when she notices me.
“Hey, what’s up?” Rylee asks.
Jacinta’s eyes lock with mine before moving to Rylee, and it’s then I notice the color—hazel, with specs of brown throughout.
“It can wait,” Jacinta says, backing out as quickly as she can.
“No, it’s fine. What’s wrong?” Her eyes flick to me, then to Shandy before they go back to Rylee.
“I don’t want to ask, but …” She goes quiet and looks to the floor, then back to Rylee. “Would it be okay if Oliver stayed with you for a while after work?”
I feel Rylee’s eyes on me, but she answers as I knew she would, “Of course. Winter is dying for company. Bring him straight over.”