Page 8 of At Your Service
“It was no problem,” she lied. She was going to miss her train and the ticket was nonrefundable.
“Yes. Thank you very much for coming back. Now, let’s get down to business. We don’t have a lot of time before our first event.”
The woman who talked while entering the room hadn’t been in the meeting yesterday. She wasn’t as tall as Nina’s five-foot-eight height, but she was dressed just as sharply. Probably sharper since Nina was certain the woman’s skirt and jacket were RGF originals from their Make the Woman professional-wear line. The outfit was a bold royal blue and she wore a pale yellow blouse beneath the fitted jacket and patent leather slingback pumps. The blond-frosted tips of her black hair fell in big curls to her shoulders as she gave Nina a quick look and then closed the door behind her.
“This is Desta Henner, our marketing director,” Major said.
Nina looked from the focused woman to Major. He wore another black suit today—this one with a more casual jacket that zipped—and in place of a dress shirt and tie he was wearing a butter-colored pullover that molded against his muscled chest.
“Our legal department worked double-time to get these two contracts drawn up,” Desta announced. “Have a seat, please, and we’ll go over everything.”
Maurice had returned to his seat and this time Major was the one to stand, pulling out the chair next to him.
Nina took the seat, dropping her purse into the empty chair to the other side. “Yes,” she said in a voice she knew sounded as levelheaded and professional as Desta’s. “Let’s go over everything.”
She’d signed both contracts.
A part of Major hadn’t thought she would.
Nina Fuller was an entrepreneur. She’d graduated top of her class from the Harrisburg Area Community College in York, and had taken additional online classes to obtain her master’s in computer technology and engineering. She’d used those degrees to build a sophisticated app that could be groundbreaking in the fashion industry. That is, if it didn’t almost mimic some of Brand Integrated Technologies’ functions, a fact that could potentially become a conflict of interest between them. Initially, he’d felt the urge to be honest with her about the possible overlap of their companies, but then he considered that by the time this fake engagement and her trial period at RGF were over, they could go their separate ways and their companies could exist as a form of healthy competition. At least, that’s what he was telling himself.
Major had spent most of last night going through her app as a user, easily figuring out every step she’d taken from coding to debugging and creating the user interface. It was intricate, but Major had a master’s degree in computer technology and engineering, as well. A degree he’d also used to help keep RGF three steps ahead of their competitors where technology was concerned.
“Well, that’s done,” he said when they were the only two remaining in the conference room.
“Yes, it is.” She’d stored her copies of the contracts in her case and now stood a few feet away from him. “So, are we heading to the tech department to get started on the integration now?”
He couldn’t help but notice that the suit she wore fit her nicely. The pants flawlessly molded the natural curve of her hips, accentuating thighs that were thicker than the models he was used to seeing. The jacket was an acceptable fit, the wrap blouse beneath hugging her full breasts tightly. But it wasn’t an RGF ensemble.
“Ah, no, not just yet. My assistant, Landra, will be emailing you a copy of our itinerary for the upcoming weeks. There’s a cocktail party scheduled for tonight at the Midtown Loft & Terrace. I believe you’ll be assigned a stylist, but I’m not sure who that will be. Landra or possibly Desta will take care of that.”
She nodded slowly.
Her hair was pulled back from her face again, this time held at the nape of her neck with a black band so that she looked almost demure. A look that was perfect for this campaign but didn’t begin to touch the fiery passion he’d seen brimming in her eyes last night. Heat instantly began to stir through his veins as he thought about sitting on that couch with her in the hotel talking casually about how she’d felt him up only hours before. If he was half the Fashion House Playboy he was dubbed to be, there was no doubt Major would have spent the night in her bed, bringing them both the pleasure he knew they’d been thinking about.
“An itinerary. A stylist,” she said and exhaled slowly. “I guess that’s part of the agreement. Should I just wait here or return to my hotel? How do we play this?”
Major stepped closer to her.
“I think we start by getting this out of the way.”
His hands, which had itched to touch her all night and throughout this morning’s meeting, rested on the tops of her arms as he pulled her against him. The motion was quick and her hands came up to slap against his biceps as she tilted her chin to meet his gaze.
“You asked about kissing last night?” His voice sounded unfamiliarly gruff.
She blinked, long, natural lashes brushing her skin before he was afforded the sight of her gold-flecked eyes once more. “You said it wasn’t required.”
“Not required,” he whispered. “Desired. At least on my part. If you’re not interested, say so now.” Before he combusted from the desire that had boiled inside him all through the night.
“I’m interested.”
The words were barely out of her mouth before his lips crashed down over hers, heat soaring through their connection, a force unlike anything Major could have ever imagined taking over every part of his body.
CHAPTER FOUR
NEVERBEENKISSED.
The three words floated around in her mind as his tongue moved salaciously over hers.Not like this, anyway.
