Tess #2
“Just five others. They won’t see anyone until they’ve been vetted, which is what we’re supposedly doing now.
Just a formality, really. And a chance for me to tell you what to expect during the process.
This portfolio you’ve put together is right in line with what they’ll need to see.
If you have a slide presentation, I’d recommend that as well. ”
“Okay.” I’d been thrown, but that didn’t mean I still didn’t have a handle on this.
I forced myself to take a breath and pivot.
I’d already been prepared for the possibility of meeting with a group to begin with.
This was no big deal. “I do have a presentation. PowerPoint. Should I set that up now?” There was a TV screen on the wall, but I had a hard time imagining five other people around that small table with us.
Maybe we’d move to a bigger conference room.
He returned his attention to the booklet.
“No. I don’t need to see it. Based on this, I’m sure it’s fine.
” He glanced up at me and must have realized the misunderstanding from my expression.
“Oh, you mean set up for the team. They won’t be joining us today.
We’ll have to schedule something for that. ”
My mouth went dry. I’d had to push to get this meeting as quickly as I did. “How soon could we make that happen?”
“I think we can squeeze you in early next week. Julie mentioned that you thought this was time sensitive. I’m guessing that has to do with that charity you’re pushing most?”
“Yeah. Um.” Pull yourself together. “They’re actively seeking a sponsor. I’d hate for you to miss the chance to work with them when I know they’d be a perfect fit.”
He closed the booklet and clasped his hands together in front of him.
“If it were up to just me, Tess, I’d say sign us up right now.
I know we’ve just met, but I have a gut instinct for these things.
Just flipping through your material, I can tell you know what you’re selling.
It’s already much more organized than some of the other pitches I’ve heard recently. ”
I swallowed, trying to clear the ball in the back of my throat. “Thank you. I appreciate that.”
“I mean it, too. I’m sorry I don’t have any authority to make that happen.”
His candidness gave me courage to return it. “Really? That just…that surprises me, I guess.”
He looked at me strangely. “Oh, because of the name? Yeah, I get that a lot.”
Wait. What?
“I’m one of the lesser Sebastians,” he said in explanation. “Not a descendent of Irving. Ida, his sister, was my grandmother. I’m just a cousin. Much less powerful, much less formidable.”
“Oh.” Then, when I’d fully digested what he’d said, “Ohhhh.” God, I was an idiot.
I’d heard his last name and just assumed.
I was even more stupid for not spending any time learning about the Sebastian family tree.
This past week in preparation, I’d been so focused on researching the business itself, looking for the best ways to move into the future with the DRF, that I’d completely missed investigating its past.
I vowed to myself to do that before the next meeting.
And what was that last thing he’d said? “Formidable?”
He waved a dismissive hand. “I shouldn’t have said that. I don’t want you to worry needlessly about your presentation. You’ll only have one of the greater Sebastians in the room, and he’s not one of the ones who bites.” He reconsidered. “At least, he doesn’t bite too hard.”
I was not soothed. I wasn’t a fan of powerful men who bit at all.
Brett’s gaze moved suddenly to something behind me. “Ah, here he is now, in fact.” He stood up and addressed the person behind me. “Great timing. We were just talking about you.”
The dread from before returned in a flood. I knew before I stood up, before I turned around. I could feel it on my skin, the way it felt charged, like a current running through my veins. I knew in my bones that it was him.
Somehow I made it to my feet. Somehow my knees didn’t give out as I turned to him. Somehow I managed not to fall apart when my gaze met his ocean blues. They were even more devastating than I’d remembered.
He smiled, a smile so smooth it was hard to believe he even recognized me. Except he did recognize me. His mouth might have been able to keep the fact hidden, but his eyes fell on my face with heated familiarity. His eyes sparked with triumph.
And Brett was completely unaware. “Scott, this is Tess Turani. She’s with the charity liaison organization.”
I let Blue Eyes—Scott—take my hand in his. His grip was the same as Brett’s, maybe a little firmer, but the effect he had on my body was entirely different. It was like being plugged in. Like one hundred and ten volts were running through our touch.
“Yes,” he said, a faint grit in his tone. “When I heard you were meeting with Conscience Connect today, I decided I had to stop by and see who your contact was since I knew there was no way Kendra would reach out herself. Nice to officially meet you, Tess...Turani, was it?”
“Uh-huh.” It was the only sound I was capable of producing. I’d slept with him. And now I was going to have to work with him. And he was a Sebastian.
“There are several of them around here,” he’d said when I brought up the name at the party.
I wanted to hit myself.
And he knew Kendra! The mystery man who’d given me the best sex in my life was here and he was a Sebastian and he was the man in charge, and he fucking knew Kendra.
“Thank you, Brett,” he said, his hand still clutching mine. “I can take this from here. Could you shut the door on the way out?”
“Oh. Sure. No problem.” Brett seemed surprised at being dismissed.
But he was a lesser Sebastian, as he’d said, and there was no way he was going to refute it.
Halfway out the room, he did turn back. “Tess, I’ll have Julie call the number on file to set up that meeting for next week, if that works? ”
With my eyes still locked on Scott, I cleared my throat. “Yes. Please. Thank you, Brett.”
Then the door was shut, and it was just me and Scott.
“Looks like I found you,” he said with a wicked smirk.
Yep. I was totally doomed.