Page 75 of Power
I couldn’t help but wonder,If I had met Scarlett before this man had violated her trust, might she have been more open to me? Might she have felt less intimidated, less threatened by my power, and thus more willing to surrender to the idea of us?
It was a selfish thought. Yet one that fueled my wildfire of rage.
I watched her face as she took in the scene, noting the exactmoment realization dawned in those expressive eyes of hers. While I’d carefully rounded out the occupants to include various executives, both old and new in an effort to make it a little less obvious what I was actually doing here, she clearly knew this wasn’t just a presentation. I could see it in the way her professional mask slipped, just for one glorious moment. A heartbeat of time, when I could see the anger behind her eyes. No one else would be the wiser because she was exceptional at concealing that anger behind a mask of professionalism.
But I knew her better than anyone in this room.
All I needed was a flinch. A slight grimace. The tiniest tell when she got close to the right man. Then I’d take the bastard down so hard, he’d never work anywhere again.
I kept my eyes fixed on her, tracking every micro expression, every subtle shift in her posture. I wasn’t just looking at her. I was reading her.
“Ms. West,” I started, leaning slightly forward in my chair. “Thank you for taking the time to meet with us today.”
Folding her hands on the table, she plastered on a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Of course, Mr. Lockwood. I was rather excited when I was told I’d have an opportunity to present to the board.” Her attention flicked around the table, a calculated scan. “Will they be joining us shortly?”
“I’m afraid there was a misunderstanding.” I held her gaze, letting the words hang.
“Oh?” One perfectly shaped eyebrow arched. Translation:What game are you playing?
“The board won’t be joining us today.” I kept my voice even, professional.
“I see.” She tapped her index finger twice against the table. “Well, it was my intention to educate the board on my roles and responsibilities. Most of the people in this room are already quite familiar with my … work.”
The slight pause before “work” was imperceptible to anyone who hadn’t heard her voice break during intimacy.
“I’d like you to present all the same.”Trust me, I tried to convey with my eyes.
Anger flashed across her features in a micro expression only someone who’d studied every inch of her face would catch.
“Of course,” she managed, smoothing her skirt with a deliberate motion that reminded me of when I’d pulled another off of her. “I emailed the slides to Jessica, per the email I received.”But this isn’t what I agreed to, her eyes said.
A flicker of guilt flashed through me for using my power like this against her.
“Your copies, Mr. Lockwood.” My assistant entered the room, placing a stack of stapled copies of the presentation in front of Scarlett. Just as I had ordered her to do. “Will that be all?”
“Yes. Thank you.”
I waited until my assistant left the room.
“Ms. West, would you be so kind as to hand out those copies?”
Make no mistake. This wasn’t a sexist thing. This wasn’t because she was the only female in the room and tasks like that belonged to the female population; I wasn’t a chauvinistic douche. This was a test. A deliberate move in our silent chess match, requiring her to get close to each and every man in this room. There was no way she’d be able to do that without some kind of tell.
I know exactly what you’re doing, her gaze seemed to say.
I arched an eyebrow with a silent,Did you honestly think I’d let this go?My fingers adjusted the blue tie at my throat—a calculated reminder of our intimacy.
Her subtle frown deepened for just a split second, followed by a sharp, precise movement as she rose from her chair. Her posture communicated clearly:You want to play games? Fine. But you’re not getting anything out of me.
I cocked my head slightly, maintaining eye contact a beat too long.We’ll see about that.
Whether she realized her cheeks were flushing slightly, Iwasn’t sure. But that little tell confirmed it: she was nervous, not just angry. And that meant the suspect was, in fact, in this room. I’d wondered if perhaps I had gotten the roster right. It looked like we had all the players. Fifteen people sat in this room. Thirteen, aside from me and Scarlett. Seven of her bosses, four executives I’d confirmed she interacted with regularly, two new executives from my team, including Marcus, to throw her off the scent (evidently, it didn’t work).
And one of them was the asshole.
I watched her swallow as she picked up the stack of papers and made her way slowly around the table, carefully placing one in front of each man. Her movements were deliberate. Professional yet guarded. A tiny bit rough when she set my copy in front of me. Each time she leaned forward, I tracked the space she maintained, the angle of her body, the tension in her shoulders. And while I watched her face, her mannerisms, and the small betrayals of her true feelings, I also watchedthemreact to her. Some followed her movement with their eyes. Others barely acknowledged her presence. I didn’t need much. Just a flinch, a hesitation, anything.
When she made it all the way around the table, passing out the copies without one hint of who the guy was, I clenched my fist.
