Chapter Nine
Liam
My first week at GalvaTech was busy, which was to be expected when starting with a new company.
As usual, I spent my first day setting up my office and introducing myself to everyone, buying lunch and giving the employees a chance to get to know me and establishing a comfortable working dynamic.
Now that I’d been here almost a week, I had a routine in place.
When I started the angel investment company with Simon after leaving Wall Street, I discovered early on that coming into an already established company was a delicate process.
Feathers were easily ruffled when a new guy showed up and started throwing his weight around.
It didn’t matter if my experience in business made my ideas valuable.
It didn’t even matter that I invested a significant amount of money into the business.
People were touchy about strangers bossing them around, so I learned that it was best to spend a few days observing how things ran and working closely with the CEO to make it clear that this was a collaborative effort and that I wasn’t just some rich asshole coming in to take over. This was a partnership, not a takeover.
Most everyone seemed more relaxed around me now.
While learning how things operated and were managed across the company, I was particularly impressed with how Samuel ran things at GalvaTech.
He was hands-on without being overbearing.
He checked in with each department regularly but also trusted his executives and managers to run things as needed.
He delegated responsibilities in a way that made people feel supported instead of micromanaged.
He was a down-to-earth guy that cared about his company in a way that only a man that built it from the ground up could. It was clear to me that the success of this company meant the world to him because it was his legacy, and that feeling was reflected among his children.
His stepson, Parker, was vital to the company. I quickly realized that he didn’t just design the new product. He oversaw the research and development department and managed technology infrastructure. By all accounts, the man was a computer genius.
Morgan was the marketing director for the company, and even just a cursory review of her department told me that she was damn good at her job.
She’d taken GalvaTech from a mid-level name to a recognizable brand in a few short years.
She had a passion for this work that was obvious without even having to talk to her.
Which was convenient, considering how she’d avoided me completely.
After our awkward conversation when I was setting up my new office, I knew that keeping things professional with her wasn’t going to be nearly as easy as she made it sound that morning.
She talked about our night together as if it didn’t matter, and I figured I had that coming for sneaking out, but I also knew it was best to put it behind us so that my investment and her family’s company could be our focus.
But telling myself that and actually doing it? Two very different things.
I couldn’t seem to stop thinking about the night we slept together, and it was all because of her. Morgan was too damn tempting in her pencil skirts and high heels that did amazing things for her ass.
Not that I was staring at it. Nope, not at all. Especially not when I was in a meeting with her father and she walked by the conference room. That would be incredibly unprofessional.
I also didn’t get turned on by the deep red lipstick she was wearing today or fantasize about that mouth wrapped around my dick.
My hands didn’t itch to be buried in her silky brown hair and I definitely didn’t long to spread her out on my desk and bury my face between her legs again just to hear her moan my name.
Because I was businessman, entirely focused on the job I was here to do.
“Liam, did you hear me?” Samuel asked.
I internally cringed as I realized all those dirty thoughts that I wasn’t having about Morgan had completely distracted me while I was supposed to be speaking with Samuel about the strategy going forward.
After almost a week of observing and getting to know everyone, it was time to develop and execute a plan to achieve goals related to the mobile EV charger.
At least, that was what I put in the memo when I arranged this meeting with Samuel.
So far, the conversation hadn’t gotten far because my eyes tracked Morgan’s stroll from her office to the elevator a moment ago.
Feeling guilty checking out the woman in front of her father—as much as I tried to convince myself that wasn’t what I was doing—I cleared my throat and refocused my attention on Samuel.
He looked at me with nothing but patience in his expression, and I figured he must not have realized exactly what had diverted my focus.
That was fortunate.
“I’m sorry,” I said, straightening the papers on the table in front of me just to give myself something to do with my hands. “My mind wandered for a moment. What did you say?”
“I was saying that I think the best way to move forward is to team you up with a member of my staff that will work directly with you to make sure the launch of the EV charger goes well. Someone that is familiar enough with all aspects of the business to be a liaison between you and the other employees.”
That made sense. “Who do you have in mind?”
Samuel smiled. “Morgan would be the best person for the job. I know you haven’t had a chance to interact with her much since you started at the office, but she doesn’t just hold her position as the marketing director because she’s my daughter.
She’s great at her job, and I know she’ll have plenty of innovative ideas to offer for launching the product. ”
“If you think that’s best,” I said, carefully keeping my expression blank.
Morgan is going to hate this.
And me? Well, working that closely with her every day was going to wreck my focus, because if there was one thing I realized over the past few days, it was that my attraction to Morgan hadn’t faded one damn bit.
Sharing space with her, breathing in her scent and noticing every small detail about her was going to blur lines I was already struggling to keep straight.
“Great,” Samuel said with a grin as he cuffed me on the shoulder. “I’ll let her know so that you can get started right away. Should I have her come to your office this afternoon?”
“Sure. We can meet after lunch.”
The rest of the morning passed quickly, and I spent most of my time reviewing market analysis reports about mobile EV chargers.
I left for an hour during lunch, meeting Simon at a cafe about halfway between our firm and GalvaTech, where we went over the details of the new company that he was looking into for us to potentially invest in.
My assistant had been helping him with that research for the past few days, but I knew by the texts I’d received from Clara that she was getting tired of his bossy attitude.
I gave Simon a week to hire his own assistant before I contacted a temp agency.
When I returned to the office, I’d barely settled into my chair when there was a brisk knock at the door.
“Come in,” I called out.
Morgan stepped inside and shut the door behind her. She didn’t bother hiding how unenthused she was about being assigned by her father to work directly with me. Still, she managed to look composed and professional, and I still felt that damn spark of awareness between us.
“Hello, Morgan,” I said, gesturing to one of the two chairs in front of my desk. I had a more comfortable sitting area in the corner of the room—a small black leather couch and matching armchair—but I figured it was better to keep things formal. “Thanks for joining me.”
“I’m not sure there was much of a choice,” she said, keeping her tone carefully neutral. “Dad said that he wants us to work together on this product launch.”
I tipped my head, not missing the flicker of resistance in her eyes. “And you have a problem with that?”
She sighed as she sank into the chair in front of me. “Of course not. Why would I?”
She was a terrible liar, and I actually liked that about her. The way her honesty slipped through the cracks even when she was trying to play it cool. “I guess we should get started then.”
Morgan had a tablet in her hand, and she turned her attention to the device. “Great. I have a lot of ideas, but I’m wondering about your timeline. When do you envision this product launch taking place?”
I paused, staring at her a moment as I took in the change she made when we shifted to business. Her agitation disappeared, and the crease in her forehead flattened out. Maybe we’d be able to work together without too much trouble after all.
“I was thinking six months,” I said.
“So, early May?” She swiped open a calendar on her tablet with quick, efficient movements.
“Let’s make it the first of May,” I suggested. “Start the month out right. That way, we should see the results in the second quarter’s financial reports.”
I watched her make a note of the launch date on her tablet. I stood up and walked around my desk. My office was large, and I’d pushed the desk to the wall for a reason. I liked to move around while I was thinking. The space between the desk and the entrance was perfect for pacing.
Morgan watched me curiously as I tracked the length of the office, tossing a red stress ball from one hand to the other while I spoke.
“Since the prototype’s already been tested and approved, we’re starting ahead of the curve on manufacturing. The funds we’re investing can go straight toward mass production.”
“Parker can take care of that,” Morgan said, turning her chair so she could face me as I walked back and forth. She crossed one leg over the other, and for a second I forgot my next thought entirely.
I glanced out the window at the city skyline, anchoring myself back to the conversation. “He told me the same thing. That’s convenient, and it frees us up to focus on the ultimate goal. Making sure this thing sells.”
I turned around to find Morgan smiling. “I’m way ahead of you there.” She swiped through her screen on her tablet, then stood up to show me a chart.
“I researched industry trends over the last couple of days, and I created this graph of how I expect the launch to go if we take advantage of three key points,” she said enthusiastically.
“First, the high demand for faster charging capabilities. Second, the projected growth of electric vehicle charging stations, which is expected to expand exponentially over the next five years. Finally, we need to take into account the competition between North America and Europe to get ahead in this industry. We might be leading the technology here, but there are a few companies that are working on similar products overseas.”
“Wow,” I said, blown away by her strategic thinking and in-depth grasp of the industry in general. I stopped pacing completely and she had my full attention. “I’m impressed.”
She narrowed her eyes at me, like she couldn’t decide if that was flattery or an insult. “You sound surprised.”
“Sorry.” This time, I couldn’t keep myself from grinning. “That was definitely meant as a compliment.”
“Part of my job is conducting market research to identify ideal customers and create strategies to reach them,” she said, her tone cool and pointed. “I didn’t get this job because of nepotism. I earned it.”
Her father had said as much to me this morning but hearing her defend herself so fiercely was surprisingly endearing.
There was pride in the set of her shoulders and the stubborn tilt of her chin, and I felt a startling rush of affection for her.
I nearly acted on it, my hand starting to reach out to cup her cheek before I caught myself and shoved my fingers through my hair the way I always did when I was frustrated.
Usually, that reaction was somehow related to work but this time, it was all tangled up with Morgan and the desire she stirred in me without even trying. I wasn’t used to that.
“Here,” she said, angling the tablet toward me. “Take a look at the report.”
I stepped in closer and looked at the chart she’d created. Even just a quick glance told me that she’d accurately applied the information she’d researched to create a reasonable expectation of profitability within the first three months of launching the EV charger.
I didn’t say anything for a moment, and she bit her bottom lip as she looked at me expectantly, watching my reaction to the chart.
The way she worried her bottom lip—soft, deliberate, unguarded—knocked the air out of my lungs.
And suddenly, I wasn’t thinking about market projections anymore.
I was thinking about her mouth. And kissing her.
Shit.
Her scent permeated my senses, wreaking havoc with my good intentions.
This was the part I hadn’t prepared for, the effect she had on me that only grew stronger the closer we stood.
I had convinced myself I could handle working beside her, but I’d clearly underestimated how damn tempting she would be.
The pull I felt toward her was barely controllable.
Or maybe it wasn’t controllable at all, because before I could think better of it, my hand lifted and I found myself tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, then running the pad of my thumb over her cheek.
Morgan froze, seemingly startled by my spontaneous touch.
Her eyes widened a fraction, her breath catching as her lashes fluttered.
Color crept into her cheeks and she swallowed hard, her gaze locked on mine.
She wasn’t leaning in, but she wasn’t backing away either, and that tiny bit of permission felt like a match dropped on gasoline.
The air thickened between us, charged enough to make my pulse thrum through my veins. My whole body tightened with the urge to close the last few inches and taste her again.
But I had something I needed to say first. Something that mattered more than impulse.
“I never doubted your intelligence or your work ethic,” I said in response to her comment about nepotism. “I already knew you earned your place here.”
Her features shifted in an instant, her eyes softening, and her lips parting, just slightly. Her open, unreserved expression hit me so hard it felt like the ground shifted beneath us. Shockingly, she tilted her face up to mine, the invitation subtle, but unmistakable.
An undeniable hunger for her took hold and I lowered my head, not a single rational thought left in my body. Her breath mingled with mine, our lips close enough that I could feel the whisper of her exhale.
Just before we kissed, there was a knock on the office door.