Chapter 21
brOOKE
“I hate update meetings,” Sheila said, typing furiously on her keyboard.
“It won’t be so bad,” I told her.
In the days leading up to the quarterly update meeting, it occurred to me that I might have bitten off more than I could chew.
I’d renegotiated seven major contracts, intending to walk into that room and impress everyone…
but I was running the real risk that three of them might not be finalized in time, which would defeat the whole purpose.
Burning the midnight oil on this wasn’t helping.
The ball was in the other parties’ courts right now, which meant I spent half my time on the phone, nudging them.
The bright side of being busy every single minute was that I didn’t have that much time to miss Jace during the day.
The negative side was that as soon as I had a few spare minutes, or was in bed at night, it hit me in full force.
The first time I was going to see him was during the meeting.
Nothing was being discussed in detail, but every department presented their highlights, and then the captain went through the team’s statistics.
Graham insisted this was a way for management and players to remember they were all in this together, working toward the same goal.
I thought it was the perfect opportunity to cement my position here.
By the time Wednesday rolled around, I’d managed to get everyone to sign on that dotted line.
When the team stepped onto the management floor, I was certain anyone could look at me and tell how much I’d missed Jace. I gave him a small smile, even though his magnetic pull was almost too much to bear.
Jace was being careful too… right up until we walked side by side into the meeting room. He perused me shamelessly, as if he was already visualizing taking off every item of clothing. I was already on edge, and the way he looked at me felt so intimate that I was burning up on the inside.
He stopped in the doorway of the meeting room, saying, “Does anyone know where the legal pads are stored? I want to take some notes but don’t have one on me.”
“In the supply room,” I said.
“Where exactly? I can never find anything in the supply room. Or can you come with me real quick to show me?”
My heart thundered in my chest. Could anyone pick up on his true meaning? I was going to berate him for this. I could just tell him to go get it himself, but I was sure Jace would find another way to push the issue, and then it would really become awkward.
“Sure. Come with me.”
Jace walked behind me in the corridor, but even though he kept a respectable distance, I could swear I felt the heat of his body. I didn’t look at him as I entered the supplies room, which was as large as an office. I headed straight to the closet where we kept the legal pads.
I didn’t even glance his way when I heard him close the door, even though my entire body fired up in anticipation.
I was about to bend and open the drawer when I felt him at my back, his thighs pressing against my ass.
Then I felt his lips on the back of my neck.
My skin turned to goose bumps as I straightened up.
“We’re—”
“Shh, I know we’re not supposed to.” He brought both arms around me, resting his hands on my stomach.
“That’s an understatement.”
“Just wanted a few minutes alone with you.”
“You could’ve texted me to meet you somewhere.”
“Didn’t know how badly I needed you until I saw you.”
Some of my annoyance melted, but there was still enough left.
“You could’ve waited until after the meeting.”
“Not unless you wanted everyone to be able to tell just how much I’m dying to be alone with you.”
He lowered one hand from my stomach to my belly, pressing me against him.
Oh, God. Even through the jeans, I could feel that he was semihard.
I stood rooted to the spot, feeling my center pulse with need.
He turned me to face him, and I barely had time to register his expression before he brought his mouth to mine, kissing me feverishly.
I became more aroused with every stroke of his tongue and was barely keeping my hands in place on his shoulders.
If I gave them free rein, I wouldn’t be satisfied with just stroking him over his clothes. I’d need skin on skin contact.
“Brooke, fuck, baby,” Jace whispered. He brought his lips to my forehead, resting one hand on the small of my back. “You feel so good against me.”
“Jace—”
“Just let me hold you.”
I mellowed, enjoying the way his strong body felt against mine. A minute turned into two, and Jace moved his lips over my cheek down to the side of my neck, torturing me with small kisses.
“Go back out there before I forget where we are and just take you home. I can’t believe I have a game tonight. But I can’t wait to see you afterward.”
I smoothed my hair and clothes, reality closing in. We were at the office!
“Jace, you can’t do this at the office.” I crossed my arms over my chest, willing myself to calm down.
“I know. I just….”
“We don’t have time to talk now. I need to get back.”
“You’re mad.”
“You think?”
I left the supply room without another word, heading into the meeting room and taking a seat.
Jace arrived a few minutes later. Could anyone pick up on the sexual tension between us?
I breathed in and out a few times, telling myself I was overthinking this because the pull I felt toward Jace was so strong.
When it was my turn to present my highlights, I stepped in the center of the room and looked everyone in the eye as I enumerated the contracts I’d renegotiated. I explained my reasoning for opening them up in the first place, and the benefits I’d reaped for the Lords.
I looked at Graham and Tina last. I hadn’t told either of them about these last three contracts, just in case I wouldn’t be able to close the deals before this meeting.
They were both looking at me appreciatively, and I suddenly felt lighter, as if all this tension I’d been carrying around since I’d started here had lifted a little. I was part of the team now.
I also looked at Jace, and my heart swelled at the pride in his eyes.
“I have an announcement to make before we finish,” Graham said. “I will be taking parental leave for a year. I will come in for the quarterly meetings, but otherwise, I’m taking a huge step back. Tina will be taking over my responsibilities, sending me reports twice a month.”
Everyone at the table cheered, congratulating Graham. Tina was beaming as well. She would effectively become general manager in his absence.
When the meeting ended, everyone filtered out of the room quickly, except Jace, who remained seated, typing on his phone. I knew he was really waiting for the room to clear so he could be alone with me, so I stayed back too, wanting to clear the air.
After everyone left, he came up to my seat.
“You’re seriously mad at me?” he asked.
“Jace, someone could have put two and two together when we returned. Or walked by the storage room. That was just irresponsible.”
Even to my ears, my voice sounded unnecessarily harsh.
His gaze turned hard. Wait, he wasn’t even going to apologize?
If he was expecting me to be fawning all over him just because I missed him and he was Jace Connor, he was in for a surprise.
I didn’t say anything, merely levelled a glare back at him.
I’d missed him like crazy. Even now, all I wanted was to drag him out of the club and spend my day with him. But he’d also pissed me off.
We both looked at the door at the sound of footsteps approaching. Andrew was back.
“Oh, I didn’t realize you were still here, Jace. Everything okay?”
“Yeah. Just discussing some details.”
“When do you have a free moment, Brooke? I want to run something by you.”
“Jace and I have just finished up everything. We can talk right now.”
Andrew must have sensed Jace and I weren’t on the same page, because he told him, “If you still need time—”
“I don’t. We’re done here.”