Chapter 32
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
The level of my contentment could easily be measured by the number of vacant stares Konni caught on my face while we got ready for work.
All the teasing had paid off with the most intense sex I’d ever experienced. Between rounds, he grudgingly let me leave the bedroom so I could work on the Southside proposal I wanted to pitch this morning.
It had taken hours and four orgasms to finish.
And he hadn’t peeked.
I didn’t think anything could top a night of amazing sex, an attentive man, and a completed proposal until I saw a certain designer shopping bag waiting on my desk.
With a squeal, I hurried over and pulled out the pond-compensation purse.
Bomir and Marius grinned as they watched me hug and pet my new acquisition.
“You have no idea how hard it was to walk out of there with only one of those,” Bomir said.
“Not hard at all,” Marius said with an eye roll. “It was the bag or our honeymoon.”
Bomir sighed wistfully. “A bag on my shoulder or you on a beach beside me. You’re right. It was an easy choice.”
I turned away from their loving glances to give my own man his share.
“This makes up for swallowing pond water. Thank you.”
Konni’s amused look bordered on hungry again, so I pointed to his office.
“I’ll see you at ten.”
With one last promising look, he left.
“There’s more good news for you,” Marius said. “Check the group email.”
Pennly had responded to yesterday’s email. Rather than canceling his build contract with Steele, an option I’d given, he said he was open to considering another investor who didn’t have conditions regarding working with Steele.
Although he was trying to play it cool, I knew he was more than interested when he attached a copy of the investor agreement and listed his availability to meet with the investor tonight at Nexus to discuss the project.
I sent the agreement to Konni so he could coordinate with Felix, then prepped for the marketing meeting.
Konni insisted on following me, claiming I was in charge and he was just an observer. But I knew better. The only thing he was thinking about observing on the way to the meeting room was my ass. If he wasn’t careful, someone would see what he was doing, and he’d get a visit from Gail in HR.
As I’d guessed, the designs they had didn’t compare to the one I’d pitched three weeks ago. If they had something better, they would have initiated the meeting. When I showed my updated proposal, three people tried everything to find problems with the changes.
Was I going over budget?
What market research did I do?
How did the additional elements align with the client’s “Old Town” request and the defined scope of work?
The last question left so much room for interpretation and debate that, after fifteen minutes, I’d had enough trying to reason with them.
“Rather than waste more time debating something none of us can answer with certainty, let’s pull in the people who can make a final decision.” I turned to Konni. “You’re familiar with the client. Would they be amiable—”
“Of course, he’s going to side with you,” a manager said.
“—to a pitch session for correcting the problems Ms. Stonestock identified in the original plan she approved?”
The silence was heavy for a beat.
“I believe the client would be willing to sit through a pitch session. I assume you have no issue with the client deciding for themselves, do you?” Konni asked the man dryly.
The man flushed. “No.”
“Good. The marketing team can send three people—the designer of the best proposal, their lead, and one additional person familiar with the design.” He stood and buttoned his suit jacket as his gaze swept over everyone.
“And to be clear, this isn't marketing against Ms. Elmantas. The original design fell short of our standard of excellence. When something falls short, we fix it. Send your list of attendees to my secretariat by noon.”
They waited until we walked out to quietly debate which plan to use.
By lunch, I had the meeting scheduled for Friday.
With the two biggest projects on Konni’s priority list at a temporary standstill, I spent the remainder of the day reviewing the other lists. As Konni had said, most of them reflected what he’d already sent me. A few also included outlier projects.
One list was so obviously fake, I was insulted on Konni’s behalf and vented to him on the way home. He listened without interrupting until I reached the end of my tirade, then asked if I would mind if he stopped for ice cream.
“Drokonnen Luka Steele, if that’s your attempt to annoy me today, you chose wrong. I will rock your world for some rocky road right now.”
Thankfully, he graciously postponed the world-rocking until after family dinner, since we’d skipped it the day before.
“Is there any chance I can have Sophia for two extra hours tomorrow?” Kaya asked Konni.
“You want five hours with her? Why?”
Mom used her napkin to cover her laughter. I used my wine glass.
“Three are going toward paving the way for her to come out as your mate. Two more will ensure she’s in a really good mood to do the paving. Don’t you want your mate to be happy, Konni?”
I was confused for a second until I remembered her promise to take me to Zellon for a custom piece before the fashion show.
Turning to Konni with a sad pout, I said, “Zellon with your mom before a big fashion show is very future daughter-in-law territory. Don't you want me anymore?”
He swore softly under his breath and looked at his mom. “You can pick her up from the office at two.”
My chair screeched across the floor, and I was in his arms, listening to the fading sounds of our moms’ combined laughter as he strode away with me.
The next day at lunch, I watched Miranda put on sunglasses the moment I sat down at the table.
“Is she hungover?” I asked Wrenly.
“No. I’m being blinded by all the glowing you two are doing. When am I going to get laid so thoroughly that I trail off in the middle of a thought?”
“It’s baby brain,” Wrenly said defensively.
“Pfft. You went into his office completely normal and came out an hour later reeking of sex and unable to articulate. Don’t blame that innocent child you’re growing.”
“I’m so glad we get to do this every week,” I said, amused. “What’s new other than Wrenly’s willingness for office sex in a building full of people with noses like yours?”
Wrenly shot me a haughty look. “It’s perfectly acceptable and expected to need extra attention from your mate when pregnant.”
Miranda sighed. “I might never get to take these glasses off.”
“I’ll tell Bennett I’m swearing off office sex because you keep picking on me.”
The glasses came off. “You wouldn’t.”
Wrenly grinned.
“Well-played,” Miranda said, putting them away. “Nothing new or exciting for either of us, outside of Wrenly's increased libido. What about you?”
I gave them the highlights of what happened since our lunch last week. They applauded my achievements at work, laughed over my pond retelling, and drooled over my new purse. Well, Miranda did. Wrenly was a lost cause when it came to igniting any fashion love.
“And I’m leaving at two to go shopping at Zellon with Konni’s mom,” I finished.
“Bestie, do you need me to come with you to help you carry your bags?”
“Not happening,” Wrenly said. “You already promised Mom you’d help with the meeting today.”
Miranda gave me a pleading look.
“I promise to send pictures and consult with you before making any purchases or design requests.”
“Design requests?” Miranda repeated with a pout. “You’re getting a custom piece?”
I shrugged. “She didn’t say what this visit was for but previously mentioned getting me something for my welcome party.”
“I’ve been watching for an invite,” Wrenly said. “Good thing you told me the date already so I can block it off. It seems like everyone wants to invite us to something lately.”
“Hopefully, all the other people are booked by the time the invites are sent. Which might not be until after the reservation at the rate we’re going.”
“You have a solid plan,” Miranda said. “Trust the process and Steele’s influence. He’s not going to be content staying in the shadows for too much longer.”
She wasn’t wrong.
When I returned to the office, Edi didn’t even let me put my purse down before he was pointing toward Konni’s office.
The second I crossed the threshold, I found myself pinned against the closed door.
Konni’s lips skimmed my neck, trailing gentle kisses.
“I missed you,” he breathed.
“My poor needy dragon,” I said, threading my fingers through his hair and tilting my neck so he could do what he wanted.
He groaned at the invitation and kissed my lips hungrily instead.
“We should tell my mom you’re sick and need to stay home,” he said, setting his forehead against mine.
“Or you call Bennett and see if he’s willing to meet you for some drinks so I can check having sex with an inebriated dragon off my checklist later tonight.”
Konni huffed out a breath and hugged me.
“Any news from Pennly?” I asked.
“He’s sending a signed copy of the revised investor agreement to Felix. Felix will stop by the estate tonight so your mom can sign. The confidentiality agreement will keep Pennly quiet about who the investor is.”
“Thank you for agreeing to that.” It’d been a topic we’d touched on during one of our many breaks on Monday evening.
I’d been worried that baiting Lianna and whoever was behind Mom’s targeting at the same time would be too much at once.
And Lianna would definitely be baited once she realized the roadblock she’d planted to pressure Konni was gone.
“Anything. Always,” he said, kissing my forehead. “Any chance you’ll work in here until you have to leave?”
“Let me grab my tablet.”
What remained of the hour went toward teasing Konni and reviewing the remaining projects on the escalation list.
Kaya’s timely arrival to whisk me off to start an evening of fashion adoration was just the rest I needed.