My eyes grew to about twice their size, I was sure, as I turned to glare at him. “Are you kidding me?” I whisper-yelled.
He winked and leaned in to whisper back, “I never kid, Ms. Blakely.”
I wanted to say more, but Steven turned to eye us curiously as he made his way into the conference room.
Jett’s hand never dropped from my back, even when Steven glanced at us. He kept it there down that long hallway, sending sparks through my body as though he had every right. I almost shoved it off as we entered the conference room but he dropped it to close the door behind him.
I sat in one of the last available chairs which happened to be next to the one at the head of the long table.
Of course, Jett filled that seat. He folded his hands on the table and an expensive watch peeked out from his cuff. Rolex, for sure. “I appreciate you all coming here to further discuss how we can help one another in the future.”
Everyone either nodded or murmured agreement.
“I’m sure those of you who have met me know I don’t like to waste time. So, we’ve drafted a new contract,” he started.
Steven shook his head, and I was proud of him, sitting there opposite Jett, ready to go head-to-head with one of the most lucrative businessmen in the world. “We don’t want to waste anyone’s time either. We’ve already been over everything, and we appreciate the offer. I really like to keep control of things though. My employees mean a lot to me. And I just can’t see giving up control of their positions like you ask. I realize that’s what you do with most contracts. I can’t ask you to change that. So, like I said, we appreciate it but today this meeting won’t be about acquisition. It will be about maintaining a cordial business relationship.”
Jett’s nostrils flared at Steven’s last words. He glanced my way, and I shrugged before looking down. I couldn’t have known Steven would use my exact words here, but I was proud that he’d taken the moment to stand his ground, to show everyone he could go toe-to-toe with Jett Stonewood and not back down.
He was the light to Jett’s dark. He had a blond halo over his head while Jett’s inky hair curled up like devil’s horns. He smiled sweetly and Jett’s smile spread like Lucifer had found his next victim.
Jett cleared his throat. “A cordial business relationship?” His hand went to my thigh under the table. The shock of it shot between my legs as he squeezed and glared at me. “I swear I’ve heard that phrase before.”
I bit my tongue, wanting to kill him, wanting this meeting to be over, wanting to gouge a hole right through the Italian leather of his outrageously extravagant Cucinelli with the heel of my stiletto. Instead, I dug my nails into my hands as I fisted them in my lap, holding my reaction in.
“Either way,” Jett looked over his shoulder, and I followed his line of sight to Gloria, the severe-looking assistant. “I think we should consider more than that. Gloria, would you hand out the new contract?”
She stood from her little corner desk, and every man in the room shifted slightly. The woman looked like an hourglass, curvy in all the right places. When she walked, she strutted, and when she passed out folders, she leaned in. I saw the way she’d handled her position at the desk up front. I knew she was handling this in just the right way too. Each move she made was calculated.
Maybe she thought she needed to woo them for Stonewood Enterprises’ sake, or maybe she just wanted a date later that day. I couldn’t be sure.
Until I saw the way Jett tracked each of her movements, the way she looked back at him and parted her lips when she saw him staring at them.
He had been—or still was—sleeping with that woman.
They didn’t do a good job of hiding it either. As I looked around the room, the men’s smirks at Gloria and Jett’s display showed how camaraderie could so easily be built.
I wanted to roll my eyes. When Gloria dropped my file in front of me instead of placing it in my hand, I glared at Jett and shoved his hand off my leg.
He winked. If I didn’t pride myself on being a professional, I would have kicked him in the shin.
Steven’s voice drew my attention away from my immature thoughts. “Mr. Stonewood—”
“Jett. We’re on a first name basis at this point, I would think.”
Steven cleared his throat and then a small laugh bubbled out of him, high and awkward. “We just might be with the number you’re offering.”
“Good. The rest of the contract stays the same.”
Steven nodded fast and blurted, “Sure. Sure.”
My eyes bulged, my stomach dropped, the oxygenwhooshedout of my lungs and didn’t seem to come back in. But no one was paying attention to me.
Mark slapped Steven on the back and laughed.
John was mumbling how he couldn’t believe it. Everyone talked excitedly. One of Stonewood Enterprises’ guys began talking tactics with one of our guys.
I scrambled for the file and skimmed the pages looking for the godforsaken number. When I saw it, I gasped.