Chapter 8 Donovan
Donovan
I’ve barely slept. It doesn’t matter if we’re talking about stocks, reviewing staffing allocations with HR, or having a conference call with our global teams. All I can think about is Jessica.
Specifically, her falling asleep on me in my car.
It’s been a while since something so genuine and intimate has happened to me.
Having her warm small body tucked into mine felt better than I expected.
So I left her there, listening to the small snores that escaped on every second breath she took.
It took all my will power not to pick her up and carry her inside her apartment just so she could keep sleeping.
It’s now been over a week since then, and the two of us have been working side by side most days, yet I haven’t unpacked the fact that her body felt too good against mine.
I’m not usually one for cuddling; I rarely display soft touches of affection.
It certainly wasn’t something I saw between my parents growing up and isn’t something I partake in now.
Maybe because I haven’t found the right woman.
But Jessica isn’t like the usual women I meet.
In a good way. So when Gordon took a corner too tightly, and her sleepy body slid right across my leather seats into my side, I kept her close, continuing with my work call, all while admiring her little snores on my chest.
Unprofessional? Absolutely. But my willpower can only do so much. And apart from providing a cushion for her head, I didn’t cross a line. A line that’s starting to become very thin in my eyes.
Working with her all day without touching her is becoming increasingly difficult. Yet necessary. Because she is my employee, one of the best I’ve had, and therefore, she’s off-limits.
“I need you to join me for dinner tonight.” I grab a handful of coffee beans, the addiction to them one I developed over the years as I sink back in my office chair, watching for her reaction.
Taking her with me to business events is a requirement.
One that ensures she meets all the right people and gets a better understanding of the industry.
So I try not to wait on tenterhooks for her answer.
“Dinner?” We’re sitting in my office, the two of us reviewing some paperwork out of Asia, trying to work out what our next step should be.
“Yes. It’s a networking event. It will give you a chance to meet some of the heavy hitters personally. I want you with me to review the crowd, engage, and discuss the markets. The team from Jasper will be there. I want you to see what you can find out about them.”
She blanches before she takes a deep breath.
I didn’t want to spring this on her; I thought about taking one of my guys from logistics or one of the board members, but I want Jessica to start meeting people, knowing that she’ll glean much more from the event than anyone else.
I also want her on my arm. I want to spend time with her. More than we already are.
“Oh, but I…” She looks down at herself, doubting her attire.
“You look fine. It’s Prada. You’ll look better than most of the other people there, I assure you.”
She blinks up at me like she has no idea what I’m talking about. But seeing her work wardrobe every day has become one of my favorite things. Yesterday, it was Gucci, and the day before, it was Chanel. She wears each piece effortlessly. All vintage, all understated. Pure class.
“If you’re sure?” She frowns as do I. Can’t she see that she’s perfect?
“Gordon will meet us downstairs at six.”
With a nod, she looks back at her screen, and I force myself to do the same. My shoulders lower, knowing that bringing her along tonight is a great move for the business.
But the man in me likes it even more.
We pull up to the curb and Gordon jumps out.
I spot some photographers nearby, always at the ready.
It’s like they know my schedule because they always seem to be wherever I’m going.
It isn’t something I’ve noticed too much, but today it seems particularly intense for a normal business networking event.
“Careful when you walk in, the entrance is marble and can be slippery.” I look over to Jessica and pause as I watch her with lipstick in hand as she paints her lips bright red.
I don’t mean to stare, but I’m mesmerized.
She looks like an Old Hollywood style icon in her black designer attire, her natural glossy hair, and now her bright-red lips.
I feel parched as she rubs her lips together to set the color, imagining what it would look like on my…
“Is this okay?” she asks, that sweet voice of hers sending tingles through my body.
I almost jump from my seat as she turns to me, catching me staring.
“You look… beautiful…” I swallow roughly, my throat dry.
“Thank you.” She gives me a small smile, one that radiates a genuine warmth. One that makes me bite back my own. I clear my throat, getting my head back in the game. It’s business, York. It’s business. Placing her lipstick back in her purse, she zips it closed. “Alright. I’m ready.”
I knock on the door for Gordon to open it.
Stepping out of the car, the flashes are unpredictable.
There aren't too many, but enough to almost blind me. I usually stride straight inside, leaving whoever I’m with to trail behind.
Not because I’m an asshole, but because that’s the quickest way to get everyone inside unscathed.
But tonight, it’s different. I wait by the car door for Jessica to step out and reach for her hand when she does.
It’s instinctual, and as I feel her hand in mine, the flashes come thick and fast.
“Oh…” The media takes her by surprise, causing her to wobble, and I internally curse myself for not forewarning her.
She grips on to my hand, and I pull her to me.
My head down and keeping her close, I walk us inside, the door closing on the chaos.
Her soft palm soothes my own, and she doesn’t let go, so neither do I.
“Wow. That was intense.”
My eyes roam over her, ensuring she’s in one piece. Again, something I’ve never worried about before.
I run my hand through my hair, taking a breath. “Sorry, I should’ve warned you.”
“It’s fine. Just a little unexpected. I should've known the media follow you everywhere.” My thumb moves naturally to comfort her as I brush it over her hand, caressing her skin.
“Something I’ve become accustomed to. We might be front-page news tomorrow.
” I say it tongue in cheek, but I’m interested in her response.
My life is splashed in the pages of newspapers and online regularly, and while most women I spend time with love the attention, often posing for the cameras and giving them a wide smile, I have a feeling Jessica won’t, especially because, like me, she just ducked her head and walked inside, showing no interest in them at all.
“Something I need to get used to if we’re together.” She shrugs her shoulders like it isn’t a bother before she freezes. “I mean working together… not together together…”
I can’t help the grin that pulls at my lips as her blush heightens across her cheeks.
I don’t correct her. I don’t clarify. Instead, my fingers tighten around hers, just enough for her to notice, yet not enough for either of us to admit what it means.
The silence stretches, not uncomfortable, but weighted.
Like the air itself knows we’re toeing a line we shouldn’t cross.
Then she finally looks up and our eyes lock.
And for one breathless second, it’s all there. The want, the restraint, the risk.
“Donovan. I see you made it.”
Our hands drop from each other like we’ve been burned, and I turn to see Marcus Jasper, CEO of Jasper Enterprises and my arch nemesis.
“Marcus.” I’m cordial as I offer him my hand, not because I want to be, but because it’s business. I never burn bridges, and there’s a room full of people I notice now watching, although all their eyes settle on someone behind me.
“Who have you brought along with you tonight? It isn’t like you to bring one of your dates to a business function.”
I grit my teeth. “Marcus Jasper, this is my business advisor, Jessica Johnson.” I step to the side a little, allowing Jessica to meet him and try not to push him away when he steps closer to her.
“Pleasure to meet you.” Jessica is nothing if not professional.
“Oh, the pleasure is all mine,” Marcus coos as he takes her hand and looks her up and down slowly. As his eyes roam over her, I want to rip them from his head. I clear my throat, and he chuckles before dropping her hand and stepping back.
“Well, it seems like this evening just got a whole lot more interesting.” He slaps my upper arm like we’re buddies, and I fist my hand to resist the urge to hit him back as he walks away.
“He seems a little arrogant,” Jessica whispers, and I look down at her. She’s standing close to my side, keeping our conversation private.
“Just a little.”
She grins, and I can’t help the small smile that I have in response, the immediate stress I held in my shoulders moments ago now dissipating.
“Let’s go meet some people.” I guide her into the room, my hand at the small of her back, and soon we’re both swept up in greetings, handshakes, and conversations.
As the night progresses, Jessica meets most of the key players and some of our main competitors.
I watch her work the room as I chat with old friends and new contacts, my eyes never leaving her for long.
I don’t need to watch her. Just like everything else she does, she’s professional, can hold her own, and is personable.
I wonder briefly if there’s actually anything wrong with her at all.
Keeping my eyes on her, I feel tense each time I see yet another man get close.
It’s been happening all night. Like a magnet, they’ve been swarming her since we arrived, and I hate it, realizing I want her just for me.
“You haven’t stopped looking at her all night.” Bentley, one of my father’s old friends, steps up to my side. He’s near retirement age and has been in the game longer than most. We get along well. He was always kind to me as a kid, and I saw him regularly growing up.
“I want to ensure she’s looked after.” It’s a lie and he knows it, if the glint in his eye is anything to go by.
“I spoke with her earlier. She’s a smart woman. Where did you find her?”
“She’s worked with me for a while.” I don’t divulge too many details.
“First woman you’ve brought to an event like this. That kind of move will have people talking.”
I roll my eyes. “I bring my best employees to these things, you know that.”
“I do, but I also know that the women who come to these things are usually wives or girlfriends.”
I scoff. “She’s my staff member. That’s all.” I take a sip of the whiskey in my hand, immediately recognizing it as my favorite from a distillery in a small town called Whispers. It’s a place I should visit at some point; I’ve heard it’s where the money is now settling.
“She seems a little more than that?” Bentley eyes me suspiciously.
“She’s amazing at her job. You know I’ve wanted to grow York Enterprises. I have a feeling she’s my secret weapon,” I tell him honestly.
“Hmmm, well, I guess if she’s just a mere employee hired to grow your company, then you won’t care that Marcus Jasper is currently the man at her side?”
My head immediately swivels to where I last saw her, and sure enough, Marcus is at her side, standing too close, staring her down, and I get a feeling in my gut that I’ve rarely felt before.
Jealousy.