Page 21 of The Butterfly Effect
“Richard, a pleasure, as always.” William’s voice and handshake were firm, and he pointed for the man to sit before doing so himself. How long had they known each other? I couldn’t help but be nervous about their relationship and the questions this man would ask.
While Richard asked questions and William answered them, I kept my attention directed at them and the notepad in front of me. Roger’s eyes were on me, but I couldn’t bring myself to look in his direction without showing my discomfort. I had gotten lucky in skirting around having to greet him, and it seemed like William and Richard were ready to hit the ground running. Like me, Roger was probably only along in case of questions regarding strategy. My mouth was dry, and I tried to swallow as William glanced at me from the side of his eye. I was nervous he was going to put the pieces together and get suspicious or jump to the conclusion that Roger and I were involved. The thought made me sick to my stomach, and I told myself I would have to act more normal.
I zoned out until William pressed his leg against mine, sending a shot of heat up my thigh and bringing my attention back to him. My center throbbed at the contact of his warm leg through his pants and the fabric of my dress. His leg twitched, and I became aware of every little spot on my leg that was brushing against his.
The smell of cinnamon was strong and comforting, and I wanted to bury my face in his neck to inhale his scent. A small blush tinted my cheeks, and once again I wasn’t listening to a word.
“Now Jules.” Richard saying my name yanked me back to reality. “From what I understand, you’ve put together quite a strategy for the brand’s rollout. Let me know if this guy gets unbearable to work for. I bet I can find a spot for someone like you on my staff pretty easily.” He winked at me, and William clenched his jaw beneath his beard.
One thing I’d learned since I started working with so many men was that a smile and a laugh go a long way. “Thank you. I’m not currently looking to change gears, but I appreciate the sentiment. I’d be happy to fill you in on our strategy if you have questions.” William was watching me, and the sound of my voice in my ears made me want to cringe. Katie called it my old-man-magnet voice. I’d learned professional men reacted better when you talked to them like your best friend’s grandma.
Richard’s grin proved the point once again, and I held the painted half smile on my face while everyone exited the room. A small, premature wave of relief passed through me knowing I was going to get away without having to interact with Roger, but when someone stepped up behind me, I locked my knees.
“You seem a little nervous today, Jules,” Roger purred.
Subconsciously, I tugged at my sleeves before turning around. “I’m fine, thanks. I should get going.” I moved, wanting to get away from him and the empty room as quickly as I could.
A satisfied look covered his face. “Good. See you in a few days. I’ll call you.”
I held my breath when he ran his eyes down my body and back up to my face. He winked, stepping past me and heading to the elevator where the rest of his team was gathered.
I shivered, thankful to be away from his gaze. For a moment, I thought I was going to pass out. The ringing in my ears was loud, and a fuzzy filter clouded my vision. I debated between running to the bathroom and closing myself in a stall or collapsing on the floor at my feet. When I turned around to go back to my desk, I turned slowly to prevent the room from spinning.
I lifted my head and took a measured step, and when I looked up, William was standing in the open doorway of his office. His arms were crossed, and his dark eyes were glued to me. With the curl of his pointer finger, he demanded I join him.
There was no way I was going to be able to avoid him for long, especially with the Great Lakes account being so close to closing, and given the heat that traveled through me when he’d pressed his leg against mine, I didn’t want to stay away from him, either. I nodded, swinging by my desk to drop off my things before continuing to his office. When I stepped inside, he closed the door behind me and exhaled heavily.
“You seemed a bit on edge in there.” He stood close to me, his body almost pressed against my back, and I couldn’t stop myself from wanting to lean back against his hard chest.
My mouth was dry, but I tried to swallow anyway. I cleared my throat, needing to get it together. Two days ago, I would have looked this man in the face and argued with him. I couldn’t let a few bruises take away all my confidence. “Did I?”
He walked around to my front, lifting my chin until I met his eyes. “Yes, Julianna, you did. You’re sure you weren’t nervous?” My heart raced at his suggestion. Could he feel my pulse betraying me against his fingers?
“Not at all. This doesn’t seem very professional, William.” I stepped back and removed my chin from his grasp.
Trying to keep my composure, I stepped past him and settled into the chair across from his desk. His smirk when I walked by him was enough to fill my stomach and throat with butterflies, and then he slowly walked over. He stepped between me and his desk, sitting on the edge of the pressed wood and crossing his arms. There wasn’t a lot of space between us; he was close enough to press his leg against mine.
“You’re so worried about being professional. Why is that?”
“Because Iama professional,” I said through gritted teeth, painfully aware of how close he sat to me and the smell of cinnamon in the air. His leg was now closer to me than it was when he’d sat down, and he nudged my foot slightly. I slid my foot to the side a bit and away from his. By doing so, I had spread my legs more than I wanted, but he stopped me when I tried to slide my foot back over. I pressed my thighs tightly together at my knees instead.
He smiled proudly, watching me fidget and clench and unclench my hands in my lap. His breath was on my neck when he leaned forward, causing my heart to race, but before he could speak, my phone rang in my pocket. I kicked myself for not putting it on silent, and I pulled it out of my pocket to ignore it, cringing at Roger’s name on the caller ID.
“Answer it.” William narrowed his dark eyes, and the warning glance he gave me was serious. His warm breath on my ears made me shiver as he placed his hands on the armrests next to me, trapping me in my seat.
My stomach sank, terrified Roger was calling to say something that would get me in trouble. I couldn’t imagine he was calling with a real business question. He’d only left ten minutes ago. “It’s okay. It can go to voicemail.” I hit the button on the side of my phone to turn the volume off. If I rejected it, Roger would only call back. The last thing I wanted was another angry encounter with him when I could just tell him I was in a meeting.
“I insist. Answer the phone, Julianna.” His voice was stern, giving me no choice.
I froze over the answer button while he moved his hands from the armrests to my thighs, sliding them up my skirt. Without thinking, I spread my legs slightly, and I pulled them back together when his smirk grew. I let my finger hover over the answer button for a second too long because William reached over and slid the green button for me, answering my phone.
“Please don’t… Shit,” I muttered under my breath, pulling my phone to my ear. “Hello?”
“Hey Jules,” Roger said, his voice raspy.
I tried to clear my throat to speak, choking when William pushed my legs farther apart. Glaring at him, I tried to press my thighs together, but he was stronger. “Roger,” I said, trying to sound firm and hide my nerves. “You just left. What can I do for you?”
“Besides go out with me?” I could hear the cheeky grin in his voice, and it stirred my stomach.
