Chapter Twenty
“I think you need to be serious about this and consider handing over control to someone who actually knows what they are doing.”
A headache strong enough to slay an elephant weighed atop my head. No amount of pain relief was able to chase it away. Sitting in my office listening to Kerry Zhang, the company’s second largest shareholder and my father’s former right-hand, only worsened the unforgiving hangover.
Rule number one of being friends with Lola, never try to keep up with her when out drinking. The woman was pretty much sober during her months of training, yet it did nothing to affect her stamina.
Her bubbly text message the morning after confirmed that she, unlike me, was not suffering from trying to outdrink a camel.
However, it wasn’t just the alcohol that was giving me a headache.
The memory of Jaxon cornering me in the bar, his eyes on fire, his touch still a phantom on my burning skin, and the taste of his arousal-soaked fingers still lingered on my tongue.
Neither of us spoke about what happened the next morning when Jaxon announced he would be joining me at work. His silence made me doubt if it had even been real or just some drunk-infused sex dream. The dull ache in my core demanding for more, and the stiffness in my neck where red finger marks bloomed to life confirmed it was real.
Holy shit.
I came on his leg.
I wasn’t sure what scared me more: the fact it actually happened or the flutter of desire I felt every time I thought about him.
His possessiveness and poker-hot jealousy when I mentioned Laurence wasn’t anything I’d experienced before. Was it wrong that I liked it?
An hour with Jaxon was more passionate and toe-curling than four years with Laurence.
“Your father knows that I care for this company as much as he does,” Kerry said. “This place, this job, is my life. If anyone has his best interests at heart, it’s definitely me.”
Kerry was making it particularly known she did not agree with Dad’s decision to put me in charge for the next year. Nor did she wish for Flynn to take control when the time came.
Kerry thought, and was right, that she was the best person for the job.
“But he didn’t put you in charge.” I blinked back the throbbing pain. “He wants Flynn to be CEO, no one else. I am here to simply fill the void until my brother is ready.”
False red fingernails tapped my desk. “With all due respect, your brother is as able to run this company as you are. Neither of you have experience nor the dedication to growing this company.”
“I may not have the dedication that you have to the company.” I gritted my teeth. “But I have the utmost dedication and respect for my father. He built this place from nothing and grew it to be the legacy of his entire life.”
“Yes, however…”
“I wasn’t finished,” I cut her off. “People believe I’m not cut out for this, and hell, they might be right. But let me make one thing clear: I will do whatever to protect my father’s legacy.” I fucking sold my soul to the devil, and I’d do it again. “For the year I am here, you will do well to remember I will do whatever it takes.”
Her spine stiffened. “I am merely suggesting that you release yourself of the burden of trying to do something beyond your abilities.”
“I understand what you’re suggesting, Kerry, and I have heard your concerns. Now, if that is all you have to say, I’ll ask that you step out of my office and return to your work.”
“You’re a journalist, Evelyn. This world here isn’t for you.” Kerry stood, swiping the creases from her black pencil skirt. “You don’t realize how much damage your ignorance and obligation to Lexington will end up doing to this company.”
She was going to give me a full-blown migraine.
“And I don’t think you realize that while I am in charge, I do not need you coming into my office and undermining me.”
“You are out of your league right now. I know everything about this company. The true ins and outs. Your father trusted me with everything.”
There was no doubt about that. Everywhere Dad went involving the company, Kerry was right there by his side, with her tight-lipped smile and not a single hair on her head out of place. Flynn used to joke that she was in love with Dad, that she followed him around like a lost puppy, hoping that one day he’d wake up and realize she was the woman for him.
Watching her now, I knew it wasn’t love or lust that she pined for.
She wanted success.
She wanted power.
“You aren’t wanted here.” She inspected her nails. “We all believe you’ll sink the company by Christmas, and when you do, it will be entirely your fault. Your silly little pride will be our downfall.”
“I believe my wife told you to leave,” Jaxon’s lethal voice cut through the office.
Kerry snapped her head around to find Jaxon leaning on the frame of my office door. Dressed in a black and gray suit—god forbid he wore any other color—he surveyed the other woman with his arms crossed.
“If you’re about finished questioning Evelyn’s abilities and making a fool of yourself.” Jaxon stepped away from the door.
“How did you… I mean, I was only offering advice.” Kerry’s unflappable demeanor crumbled. “It’s only my wish to ensure that the company remains what it is. I’ve given everything I have to Lexington and this business.”
“Noted,” Jaxon said.
“Surely, you can see she is not fit for this,” Kerry flustered. “Even with you here at her side, I fear that if she scrapes through the next year, her drunkard of a brother will be the final nail in the company’s coffin.”
Jaxon’s jaw twitched twice. “You can leave now.”
Kerry didn’t say anymore, her face the color of beetroot as she stormed from the office and slammed the door shut on her way.
The tension rolling through the air was palpable. My core tightened as the scent of his aftershave filled the void, and the memory of his touch between my legs caused my thighs to clamp together under the table.
You taste like mine.
“You didn’t have to do that,” I said. “I could have handled it myself.”
“I could hear her all the way in my office next door,” he said. “It was starting to get annoying.”
“Then close your office door.”
“It is closed.” He pointed to the air vent on the wall connecting our offices. “People like her respect people with authority. You need to learn how to be more assertive. You’re a boss now. You need to start acting like one.”
And just like that, any lasting hints of desire faded away.
“There’s not a single thing I could do to make her respect me,” I snapped. “And I don’t need you sauntering in here telling me how to act. You’re here to navigate me through the business, not how I should behave.”
“It’s simply an observation.”
“You can take your observations and shove them right up your ass.”
“If you learn to talk to others how you speak to me, you’ll do just fine.” He smirked with a look at his watch. “Are you hungry? You ate nothing before we left.”
The change in conversation gave me whiplash.
It was like being married to Jekyll and Hyde.
“Come on. Let’s get lunch.”
My heart couldn’t help but swell the second Jaxon walked us to one of the cheapest and greasiest burger stands and ordered us a couple of oozing cheeseburgers.
He was so out of place in his expensive clothing, crisp gray shirt sleeves rolled up his inked arms, ordering from somewhere that may have been questionable on food hygiene.
It was hilarious, yet endearingly charming.
“The perfect hangover cure,” he said, handing me one. “Your stomach will thank me later.”
Honestly, I didn’t think it was possible to look good while eating a burger, but Jaxon sure as shit made it appealing.
My traitorous, filthy mind couldn’t help but want to be the burger in his hands, imagining every single way he could devour and feast on me while I dripped all over his fingers.
His strong hands all over my body, leaving more claiming marks as he explored my skin. His comments about punishments still replayed in my mind. I pictured his mouth between my legs, edging me close to the brink of an orgasm, only to stop before I could finish. His palm slapping my pussy, baiting me into coming without his permission. Daring me to disobey him again and again. Teasing my soaking neediness until I was nothing more than a whimpering husk completely at his mercy.
Clearly, I needed a night alone with my vibrator—or another night with Jaxon.
Would there ever be another night? Was it simply a moment of weakness on both our parts and nothing more?
We sat at a picnic table beside the food vendor where I devoured the cheeseburger in a couple bites. He was right, my stomach groaned with happiness.
“Feel better?” Jaxon asked with a smile.
Those damn dimples pierced his cheeks.
“Much. Thank you.” I returned the smile. “It’s weird. I didn’t peg you as the cheeseburger sort of guy. You struck me as the salad loving, my body is a temple, sort of person.”
He arched his brow. “Who wants to eat like a rabbit?”
I laughed. “I wholeheartedly agree. Not once in my life have I looked at a salad and thought that looks delicious. Not when things like pasta, bread, and cheese exist.”
“You’d love Monaco.” He chuckled between mouthfuls. “Where I grew up always smelled like baking bread. My maman used to spend her Sundays baking. Pain aux noix was her favorite. She used to spend hours getting the recipe just right. Drove me crazy just waiting.”
A fondness laced his words, the memory softening his features and bringing out a warmth in him. It was easy to get lost in it.
“But come supper time…” He smiled. “It was worth the wait.”
I watched something that resembled sorrow flash in his eyes. He talked about his mother in the past tense, and despite wanting to push and learn more, I held back.
Jaxon was like a stag caught in the highway. Sudden movements might spook him.
I pointed to the corner of his mouth. “You have a bit of mustard on the side of your lip.”
He cocked his eyebrow and attempted to use the tip of his tongue to swipe it away.
What I wouldn’t give to feel that tongue slipping between my—no, stop it.
“You missed a bit.”
He leaned across the table, my entire body stilling as he came closer. “Be a good wife and get it for me.”
The bastard smirked as my trembling thumb brushed the mustard from the corner of his mouth. Heat from his parted lips graced the tip of my finger as he captured my digit with his tongue and licked the mustard off before I could move away.
A shudder rolled down my spine.
“Merci.” He grinned, returning his attention back to his burger. “I’ve set up an online meeting with the COO and CFO tomorrow morning. They want to discuss financial projections and go over some strategy for the coming year.”
Straight back to business.
I swore I was going to need a neck brace by the end of our year together.
“Okay, I’ll be completely out of my depth with all that, but if you send me anything I need to know beforehand, I’ll read it today.”
“It’ll be fine. They will do most of the talking, and then we can meet after to discuss how to move forward before giving them any answers.”
“Just keep me right and try not to let me make a huge fool of myself.”
He popped the last bit into his mouth. “That’s what you married me for.”
I married him to help me survive the next year, not to have mind-bending orgasms with his fingers buried in my mouth in dark cloakrooms.
Make no mistake, you’re mine whether this is real or not.
But it wasn’t real, none of it was. We were two strangers using each other for nothing more than business gains.
A business contract with an expiry date.
One year and then he’d be gone.
Blurring those lines, making it complicated, wasn’t worth it. Though my body leaned toward him, my stupid heart fluttering at every little glimpse of the man beneath the hard exterior that broke through, my mind knew better. After all, when all was said and done, there would only be one heart truly broken at the end.
A heart that was barely mended.
“Evelyn?” Jaxon’s voice cut through my thoughts. “Where did you go, douceur?”
“Do you have plans for Thanksgiving?” I asked abruptly.
“Non.”
“The Junipers always have me for the holidays, and they’ve asked for you to come.” I ran my teeth along my bottom lip. “I understand it’s a family holiday, and you probably want to spend it with your own family and not with me and a bunch of strangers. But Lola’s mom was pretty adamant about you joining.”
“I’ll be there.”
My heart skipped a beat. “Perfect. I’ll let her know.”
So much for keeping it strictly business.
I never was very good at listening to my own advice, not when my heart thumped louder in his presence and demanded to be seen.