Page 24 of The Thorne at My Side
Get it together, be professional.
As a man would say “calm down.”
I snort a laugh and cover it as a cough as Javé picks back up.
"And provide an example for those who follow." Javé finishes.
There's a pause while we all look around the room at each other.
"It's a start," Austin says, drawing my attention to him where he stands at the back of the room with his hands in his pockets. He shrugs and I watch the fabric of his perfectly tailored jacket fall back into place against his body. My hormone addled brain wants to rip that jacket off and get my hands on the muscles I saw on display last night in the fading light.
"Yeah," I finally agree. "Why don't we work on that a little bit more, it’s almost there.” I pause and find Austin’s pewter eyes fixed on me. I stumble into my next sentence. “I, umm, would like to have a few minutes of Austin's time to discuss the, umm, timeline."
"Can we do it in your office?" He asks and I choke on air before nodding and start to pick up my things. Sam mouths “be nice” to me as I stand. If only she knew.
Austin lets me lead the way out of the conference room. It’s a short walk to my office but my thoughts race like a bat outta hell.
Are we going to kiss again?
Does he want to?
Are we going to fight over that pitiful excuse for a press release?
Can I just stare at him for a minute?
What if I punch him in the throat andthenkiss him?
I let Austin step past me before I close the door behind us, careful not to look in his eyes as he walks by. In the last twenty minutes I’ve developed a serious weakness for the heat in his charcoal gaze and I don’t want to get burned.
As I turn to him I start, "What the hell was tha-"
I trail off as my eyes connect with Austin's for a split second. It’s not even enough time to measure before his gaze drops to my mouth and my body alights.
"I don't know," he gruffs before grabbing my face again andsearing me with his lips. I lose my balance and one of his strong arms loops down to my waist to support me.
I fist his dress shirt under his jacket and join him in the kiss. He tastes like strong coffee, and cowboys, and he smells a little bit like Christmas.
I inhale deeply through my nose and he grips my nape a little tighter. My head spins with the dreamy feeling of being kissed senseless. My body moves itself closer to him because it feels so good in his arms. I feel sturdy on my feet but also secure that he’d catch me if I fell.
One of his fingers loops into the waistband of my pants and it's enough to make my knees wobble. I break the kiss and come up for air but Austin's hold on me doesn't relent. I flatten my hands against his chest and can feel how quickly his heart is beating.
"Let's get to work," I say quietly as I step back.
He lets me go and takes a seat in a chair across from my desk. Maybe Austin can spend his days in endless makeout sessions but I have work to do.
"Senator Quinn will get a lot of shit for having AI Media write her speeches. I'm not sure I'm comfortable defending her statements if they've been computer generated. I also will not be a robot's editor. How is TMC going to handle the commentary?"
"I'm not worried about it," Austin says.
"How can you not be worried about it?" I ask.
"Because, Maggie, despite the little statement our teams are writing right now, there's no way anyone will be able to tell she's using AI. There's really no point in even announcing it." I see the mask he wears for work slide into place. It's a blank expression that almost makes him look plain. I wouldn't see the difference if I hadn't seen the fire in his eyes after our kiss.
I lean back in my chair and cross my arms. I might have been flustered and tongue tied at the podcast but I’ve had time to process this partnership and I’m fired up. ”Well, since Thorne Media Corp is motivated by money and a lack of regard for original thought, I can see how you'd think that. But I, and the senator for that matter, believe in the American people. We believe in respecting them and treating them like adults. Even with AI, the senator is driven by her moral compass.”
“Which is currently pointed at TMC's money and lack of regard for original thought." Austin states matter-of-factly.
"Unbelievable," I mumble.
