Page 28 of My Office Rival

“I’d like to start by discussing the number of diligence requests we made that have not yet been addressed by your team. First, we still haven’t received the audited financials. Those are critical to this process.” Her words were cool, but her face was tight.

“They’re not available yet.” They were available, but there was some shady shit in them, and I wasn’t turning them over to her until I had spoken to the auditors.

“I know they’re not ready yet for last year. For prior fiscal years, they should be available. We need them.”

“You’ll have them. When I’m finished reviewing.” I gave her a cool smile and saw her jaw clench.

“There should not be this much hold up for basic materials.” Her eyes shot fire, and I almost laughed.

“We’re doing our best.” We were not doing our best. In fact, we were being about close-lipped as it was possible to be and still keep the deal alive.

“The litigation disclosures are also suspiciously light. One lawsuit in the last two decades? That’s unheard of.” She was right. I’d been surprised too. Companies got sued all the time for dumb things. My clients had one lawsuit from their very first year of operation; a slip and fall that had been settled. It was suspicious as hell, but there was no way I was telling her that I agreed.

“Your team has everything I have available.” It was the truth.

“Stop. Stonewalling,” she hissed. “You are the most frustrating man on earth.”

I leaned in, watching her eyes widen as she took me in. “Ask the right questions and you’ll get the right answers.” I winked, and I knew she saw red.

We continued like that for an hour. She asked. I did my best not to answer. She was getting annoyed and trying not to show it.That’s right, sweetheart. You thought I was bad before? You haven’t seen anything yet.I needed this deal and this money, and I would go right through her to get it.

At the end of an hour, she had shucked her jacket, and I watched her pace the room in a tight white T-shirt and those sky-high heels. She never teetered, just kept driving her points home with relentless focus. Every time she turned away, I traced her curves with my eyes. Her ass in that skirt. The dip of her waist before it flared into those perfect hips. I wanted to sink my teeth into her. Fuck.The feel of her, those hips filling my hands as I dragged her over my cock. Maybe I was being a perv, but I didn’t care. If I could only have that one night, I wanted to revel in it.

She finally made her last notes and gathered her materials. “Well,Jason. I’d like to say this has been productive, but I think we both know it’s been a waste of time.” Her eyes flashed.

“I enjoyed it,” I replied with a small smile.

“I’m sure you did.” I heard her mutter “asshole” under her breath, and I almost laughed. If she kept making things fun, I was going to keep being difficult.

We ended up at the door at the same time. She went to pull it open, but I got there first, reaching around her to grab the handle. My arm brushed her waist, and she startled, turning. Her deep brown eyes were wide and her face flushed from our sparring. She looked sexy as hell. Undone, wrung out. I bit my lip, the pain keeping me from reaching for her. Her eyes shot to my mouth.

I swayed forward, just like she had that night in the elevator, inexorably drawn to her. I breathed her in, inhaling the clean scent of her hair andmy body wash? The thought of her slipping the lush product over her bare skin had my groin pulling tight with need.

“Did you use my body wash?” I ground out.

“Oh,” she said and reddened. “Someonemoved my shower products, so I was forced to make do.” She glared up at me and I smiled.

“Yeah, sorry. Couldn’t resist,” I said with a wink.

“This isn’t over,” she shot back.

“Bring it on.” I leaned in a little closer, watched her eyes fly wide, watched those plush lips part.

“Jason.” Her voice came out shaky. “See you at home.”

I dipped my head. This was bad. So very bad. Because, despite all my jokes and innuendo, nothing could happen between us. But that look…fuck. It said Cynthia really did want more than just one night, and now it was forbidden. If only that didn’t make me want it more.

16

JASON

Cynthia was avoiding me. Or at least that’s what I assumed. I hadn’t seen her since work, and somehow the good bottle of wine I had opened last night had disappeared. I was drinking a shitty beer with my delivery pizza, instead of a nice glass of cabernet, and responding to an email from one of my junior associates.

My phone dinged. A text from my new roommate.

Cynthia

Is that pizza I smell?

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