Fourteen
After the new CEO was announced on Monday morning, the offices at ThomKnox were buzzing with excitement—and gossip. Taylor had plenty to handle without the nervous phone calls, emails and sideline chats from the legion of managers she oversaw. The captain of the ship was retiring and with that guard change came a lot of nervousness and fear.
Will this change my retirement plans?
Are there other changes to management?
Will my department be restructured?
And so on and so on.
On Tuesday morning, when she’d dared poke her head out of her own office, she’d witnessed a heated conversation going on in Royce’s office. Brannon, Jack and Royce were all in there, and while she couldn’t hear their voices, the expressions on their faces through the window suggested they weren’t exactly simpatico.
The week that was long by Tuesday felt like it’d lasted a month by Friday’s tablet commercial premiere. The executive conference room was packed with upper-crust ThomKnox management, Jack included.
“This will be my last meeting,” he announced. “But I couldn’t miss sharing the commercial for our new tablet, the T13. This seven-minute commercial was directed and designed by Downey Design out of Chicago...”
While Jack spoke, Taylor took the temperature of the room. Gia tapped a rose gold pen on her planner, listening—or acting like she was listening. Cooper was leaned back in a chair, arms folded, also listening. Brannon was glaring at Royce and Royce glaring back at him.
So.
There were some unresolved issues.
“Let’s have a look, shall we?” Jack shut off the lights and played the commercial.
The video was dark, a ribbon of light sweeping along the edge of a streamlined tablet that looked more like a curvy sports car than a flat computer.
Royce leaned back in his chair and whatever pheromones had been dormant this week permeated the air around her. The room was dark, her senses heightened. She felt him shift infinitesimally closer, and when she heard his rough exhale she recalled the way his warm breath coasted along her neck the last time he kissed her. When he cleared his throat she heard his phantom commands. Come for me, Taylor. Now.
Fantasies had plagued her even though she’d been away from him for a week. She considered how right he was about suggesting they keep their distance during such a monumental power shift at work. This was a distraction none of them needed.
It’d been easy to avoid him during the hectic week, but now that they were in this dark room, side by side—
One of Royce’s fingers skimmed over her hand and then along her wrist. She sucked in a sharp breath. He tickled her wrist along the edge of her bracelet and she swallowed down a lump of lust. Innocuous, that touch. A mere brush of his skin on hers. And yet she shifted in her seat, distracted and turned on.
She checked to see if anyone noticed. Everyone watched the screen while the voice-over described the stunning new features of the T13. She should be watching, too, but she couldn’t concentrate on anything save Royce’s hand, now stroking her leg.
He brushed her knee, then higher. The rhythm he set—slow, firm, a whisper of a touch and then a gentle squeeze—was driving her wild. She leaned forward and pretended to write on the notebook in front of her.
The video reached its crescendo as his warm hand slipped beneath her skirt and he gripped her inner thigh firmly. She wouldn’t dare look at him. Wouldn’t show him the desire in her eyes, igniting her every limb.
Evidently he didn’t need the encouragement. He tickled her knee one last time before pulling his hand away. In the dim light, he raised his eyebrows as if to say Your turn.
He was challenging her?
Not wise, Knox.
After a furtive glance around the room, she slid her palm over his thigh and higher. He jerked in his seat, feigning a cough while he shifted in his chair. Her Cheshire smile would’ve been obvious if anyone was looking at her, but they weren’t. She palmed Royce’s crotch and met his dark gaze in the darker room. His intense expression was highlighted by the glow of the screen. They locked eyes for a beat, then two, before she swept her hand from his hardening cock.
She exhaled slowly, her heart racing, her body warm and ready. Where was a closet when you needed one? She wanted nothing more than to grab him by the ears and kiss him until both of them were gasping for breath or tearing at each other’s clothes. Whichever came first.
Applause jolted her out of her stupor, and the lights slowly rose. Royce looked equally shell-shocked, though a better word might be horny.
“Thoughts?” Jack asked the room before taking his chair next to Royce. “Let’s start with you, CEO.”
Royce, scrumptiously flustered, straightened his bow tie. “I’m intrigued. At first I thought it wasn’t for me. A version of this product has been around for years and I’ve never once been tempted. But this tease—” He gestured to the screen, but Taylor knew exactly what—who—he was talking about. “I’ve changed my mind. It’s too sexy to ignore. It’s unforgettable. I want more.” He slanted a heated look at her. “What about you, COO?”
She ignored the warmth of her cheeks and addressed him directly. “I’ve had my eye on this one for a while. I was waiting for the right moment to bring it into my life. It could be the game changer I didn’t know I was looking for.”