Page 27 of Save Me
“And cash bonuses, don’t forget those,” she quips, sliding her glasses off to set them on the table beside her. It’s a rare sight when she doesn’t wear those.
Guilt tickles my conscience. I’m giving her a hard time, and there’s no good reason. With a sigh, I point at my tablet, abandoned on the table. “Do I have to memorize all those price lists and shit before tomorrow too?”
She laughs. “No. That’s nitty-gritty stuff. That’s for Eleanor and her team to iron out. We focus on impressing upon these people the benefits of hosting their events at Wolf Hotels. You are selling a partnership. A relationship.”
“And these meetings I have over the next few days are all with women because you expect me to dowhatas part of selling this relationship?”
“I know what you’re insinuating, and don’t be silly.That is definitely not part of your job description.” She rolls her eyes. “You’re meeting with Olivia McEowan from Black Titan.”
“Oil and gas.”
“Yes. She has been a white whale for Wolf Hotels. When her father was alive, the company’s corporate events were held at Wolf. Since she’s taken over, she’s axed the budgets by more than half. Wolf hasn’t hosted them at any of our locations in nine years. We used to make almost as much with them as we’ve secured with GrayStone.”
I whistle. “That must hurt.”
“It does. Convince her to choose us again.”
“How am I supposed to do that?”
“Be yourself. But with your pants on.”
I arch an eyebrow.
“Come on. If you can convince Jacob Farnsworth to suck Will Darling’s dick, you can do anything you set your mind to.”
The reference to that night in Alaska is so unexpected I burst out laughing. “Hey, I didn’t convince anyone to do anything. And that match-up was Connor’s idea.”
“Funny, I recall your little fuck club being a joint effort,” she counters smoothly.
I shrug. Everyone who stepped into the pitch-black cabin knew there was a chance they could be partnered with a member of the same team. No one forced them. Obviously, they had questions, and our twisted little game was a safe way to get their answers. “For what it’s worth, Farnsworth discovered something important abouthimself that night. Last I heard, he was living with a guy in New York.” Which is a far cry from his days growing up Mormon in Utah.
“I’m not surprised. He seemed to be enjoying himselfimmenselythat night, from the eyeful I caught.”
I chuckle. What a night for the security team and Belinda to bust up our after-hours entertainment.
“I have to say, this is a far better version of you than the one in the meeting.”
“Sorry,” I mumble. “I was being a dick.”
She studies her painted nails for a beat. “What were you and Henry arguing about yesterday morning?”
“Nothing.”
She cocks her head. “You expect me to believe that?”
“Why? What’d he tell you?”
“Absolutely nothing.”
“Like I said, then.” Belinda’s going to find out soon enough, and when she does, she’s going to want to skin me alive. Is that what all this building tension in my shoulders is about? Me knowing I’m likely about to fuck everything up in my life over a woman, and yet I’m diving headfirst into shallow waters? “Just under a lot of pressure these days to do the right thing.” In so many ways. Like, the right thing to do is warn Sloane about what’s coming, but I’m a coward. It’s not even the confidentiality agreement I signed that I care about. It’s Sloane punishing me for my association.
“Yes, I can sympathize. Hotel openings are always very stressful, even if you’re not new.” She pauses. “There are ways to help manage that stress, though.”
“Like what?”
She makes a point of slowly uncrossing and recrossing her legs, but not before giving me a clear view up her skirt and the lack of panties.
My chest rises with my deep inhale. Her meaning could not be clearer, and this is crossing into very dangerous territory. How the fuck do I get out of it? “This might be against the rules.” It’sdefinitelyagainst the rules, not that I’ve ever cared.
