“Did you mention the company name?”
“Of course I did. It would’ve sounded stupid if I omitted it. Plus, I didn’t know him from Avery.”
“Who’s Avery?”
“I don’t know, just a name-- Anyway, so he asked something about...uh...—oh, I know, he asked why I was there dateless. Here. So I said it was a gold star for doing well in a presentation—it was a white lie—and that my boss didn’t like these things. I think he agreed with that logic. But that was at the bar. Um…”
“I need more than that, Krista.”
“Um, let’s see. Oh, he asked about jewelry at one stage. I mean thank God I didn’t know who he was or that would have been tragic, right? I would have lied all over the place.”
“But you didn’t?”
“No. He made a comment that different colors are taboo—you know, gold and white gold worn at once. I informed him that that was his generation talking. And—“
“More detail,” Sean whispered, eyes roaming her face.
On lust hiatus, Krista let spill every word in her head. His presence, his passion for this event, for his job, was acting like truth serum. She couldn’t refuse. She told him the conversation, from beginning to end, leaving out nothing. Not even the swords. She told him what she said about him, and also what she said about John.
Sean listened to every word, leaning forward to catch every syllable. His knees pushed between her, spreading her thighs, lifting her dress. His fingertips tickled her inner thigh, dangling from his slackening arms.
They’d stopped talking without realizing the absence. He perched on the edge of his seat, his body trying to close the distance to hers. She yearned for the same thing, hands loosened, allowing his draw to pull her closer.
The lights twinkled around them, enchanting, reflecting in his deep eyes, burning with lust and something else, something close to anticipation.
Her lips parted, chest heaving, desperate for breath. Her legs parted, too; she was past thinking, past consequences.
Her hand reached for his knee as his made more contact with her bare leg. Her heart was beating wildly, her mouth dry, sopping wet between her thighs. Shamefully she opened her legs wider to him, permitting his hand to reach for her apex, almost there. Her hand slid up his knee, reaching for his body, needing to see how it felt, how he felt. Inside her. She needed some part of him inside of her.
“Sean?” Someone called in the distance, shattering their isolated bubble beneath the fairy lights.
This scene would look all kinds of wrong.
It was all kinds of wrong.
Chapter Twenty
Krista jerked back, closing her legs with a snap. Sean flinched, confusion marring his face, before he backed off and stood up, eager to put distance between them. Just like he had with Theresa.
Krista’s heart sank. His guilt reinforced her own. She knew better—most women knew better at her age. Guys like Sean were smoke and mirrors. The wonder was why she insisted on falling for the same old song and dance. She knew better, but she still let herself get sucked in. It was so stupid!
Plus, this was definitely her fault! She bit the guy for cripes sake! Obviously he would push his luck.
Still.
As he called to the voice, revealing where he was, she could see his body uncomfortably bent at the middle, his forehead slick with sweat.
At least I had some effect. Theresa didn’t have him uncomfortable like this.
It was a small consolation, but she’d take it.
John and Monica came in sight, took in the scene. John stalked over. Monica hesitated a second, eyes narrowed, before walking behind John as if he needed backup.
“What happened? Was it amenable?” John was saying as his eyes bored into Krista’s.
“I think it was the best thing that could have happened,” Sean said. All traces of heat from a second ago were completely gone; his voice was ice.
Everyone looked at him.
“Explain,” John snapped.
“I think it must have been obvious to Mr. Hartling that Krista didn’t know who he was. He asked questions that she answered honestly, but that also helped us out. She basically pitched him an idea already.”
“What?” John said too loudly.
“She didn’t know it, John,” Sean took a step closer to Krista with an edge to his voice. He sounded more in command than John. He was made for a huge office and a large bankroll. Why did he have to be so hot to boot? It wasn’t fair.
“Still doesn’t,” Sean was looking at her. “But it’s genius when you think about it.”
Sean was right about one thing—she had no idea what he was talking about. She didn’t pitch anything.
“He asked about her jewelry,” Sean continued. John faced him. “Then about her sapphire ring. One comment led to another, and she was telling him that they should be marketing to people her age because that age group is young and stupid with their money. Her friend bought a $1200 purse, why not a piece of jewelry? Her friend could afford neither, but would buy both. It makes sense. Her being a researcher and effective debater gave weight to her argument. Her not knowing who she was talking to gave her innocence; she sold it without knowing it. Without setting off his alarm bells.”
John was looking at Krista like she was a chessboard and he was Bobby Fischer.
Sean went on, “And he asked about us.”
John’s eyes snapped back to Sean. There was fear lurking behind his gaze. It made Krista wonder what John had done to get where he was. Who he had stepped on.
It was the first time Sean actually smiled since he’d accosted her. “She called me a womanizer and for you she noted Johnny Cash’s song ‘Boy Named Sue.’”
Krista’s mouth dropped open. It was one thing to admit all that to Sean—the guy had some sort of truth voodoo—but to tell the freaking Junior VP? That was low. That was sell-out material! If she wasn’t so scared she’d be sacked on the spot, she would’ve been livid!
“She also said the company and its upper management were loyal, and that I was trustworthy. Also that I challenged her. She didn’t know anything to say about you or Tom, and she wasn’t asked about anyone else,” Sean finished up.
John turned back to Krista. “And were you telling the truth? Would he believe you about Sean?”
“I was telling the truth,” Krista said sullenly. “Though the trust issue is strained now, and I was hoping that comment about ‘Sue’ wouldn’t get back to you.”
Thankfully, and the cherubs did sing, John cracked a smile. “I don’t mind about Sue, you rat. Though I’ll remember it, trust that.”
John sounded like he was in good humor, but he also called her a rat and basically said he held a grudge. Krista glared at Sean and crossed her arms.
John clapped his hands. “Good. Phew. We dodged a bullet there. I thought we were sunk when Tory changed seats. Sean, thank God I let you talk me into giving her a nice raise and a new office. Can you imagine if she had been disgruntled? Or anyone else from Research talking to him? I shudder to think.”
John walked around and shook his head. Then he stretched. “This is good.” He threw a couple boxing punches at the air. “They officially bought out and now they are asking questions about our sales team. We have our foot in the door. If we can keep momentum, we may land them after all.”
He swung around to look at Sean. “I want at least three proposals on my desk by Monday. I want them ready to go just in case.”
“They’re already done. We have about six ideas, four good to go now,” Sean answered coolly.
“I don’t just want ideas. I want support. Numbers. Pictures. All of it!” John fired back.
“Done. All of it, done. For all six ideas. Photo quality is HD. No old imagery. Graphics are in place, numbers are valid, organized, and have footnotes. We are ready to go at a moment’s notice.”
John looked at Sean as though seeing him for the first time, “Dare I ask about research on sapphires?”
“Also done, for jewelry in general and sapphires in particular. We have data on region, demographic, market, everything. You name it, it’s there. Also organized, categorized and equipped with footnotes. Graphs and other multimedia are presentation ready.”
John just blinked for a minute. Utterly still. Then: “You really do make my job easier.” He smiled and walked away.
~*~*~*~
“I do my best,” Sean said to the retreating figure before he looked back at Krista. Unlike the smoldering look he’d fallen into mere minutes ago, this time her eyes held retribution. Frankly, it scared him a little. He had a feeling that when she was pushed to it, she had a mean temper.
Regret welled up in his chest at what he was about to do. She wouldn’t understand the necessity of the act. To her, it would smack as betrayal. He hated how often Ray was right lately.
Sean took a step closer to Monica.
“Your party made it all possible. Excellent work,” he purred into her ear.
“Naturally,” she laughed, shooting Krista a look of triumph.
I’ll go to hell for this. Sean thought. In fact, if Monica kept taunting her, Krista might just put him there.
With a smug expression, Monica turned Sean by the elbow, leading him away from Krista, “You did excellently tonight.”
Sean ignored her. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Krista still facing them, a look of astonished defeat on her face. He’d just set himself way back. Possibly to a place he couldn’t come back from. But if he’d chosen Krista over Monica, Monica would’ve ruined the other girl. Krista would’ve become another Joanna, another side effect to the gossip he created within their company. That fate wasn’t fair to Krista. Better the sting now than the ache later.
He felt like he’d been punched in the gut.
Monica stopped him just outside the perimeter of the event, sheltered and secluded. Sean didn’t have to guess what came next.
“Why don’t we head to my place,” Monica said quietly, leaning against his body. Her hands slid up his chest.
Sean looked down on her. Uninterested. He didn’t bother to hide it, “Let’s get back to the limo. We need to head.”
Monica laughed silkily, her hands now at his belt line. They slid down to his hips. She ground herself against him. “Playing hard to get, huh? I’d suck your c**k right here if this wasn’t a work thing.”
Not in his current state, she wouldn’t. He felt so sick about what he did to Krista, his balls would probably curl up inside his body.
“Let’s go,” he said gruffly.
She laughed at him again.
“I’m so glad we got the only kid in Research!” Judy exclaimed drunkenly as Sean opened the door to the limo for Monica. To Krista she said, “Did you know that Tommy has a huge crush on you?”
Sean nearly turned and walked away. He did not want to hear this conversation, and he did not like the look on Krista’s face as he helped Monica in.
“He asked her out,” Marcus said, pouring a glass of wine for Ray, who had his hand out.
“Caught me by surprise,” Krista said as she relaxed. “Didn’t see it coming. I acted like a complete bitch about it.”
“I heard you stomped on the poor guy,” Judy responded.
“I didn’t mean to, though,” Krista whined with a hand over her eyes. “Seriously, you guys. He just blurted it out in front of a million people! I blinked and stared and looked like an ass, but really, I was taken aback.”
“You seem to be completely dense about that sort of thing,” Marcus stated. “But, good news, it has kept at least five others from asking you.”
“Are you serious?” Krista asked, aghast.
“Oh yeah. But Jacob wasn’t deterred,” Marcus went on with a smirk.
“Until he read my email.”
“Oh yeah, I heard about that!” Judy exclaimed delightedly. “That is disgusting. Sean, how is getting him fired going?”
Sean watched the dark shadows outside the car speed by, not bothering to bring his gaze back into the car as he said, “Top secret, I’m afraid.”
“Well, I hope you do. He spies on everyone.”
“I need proof, though,” Sean said seriously. “I have someone collecting data, so we’ll see what he comes up with.”
“Who’s collecting data?” Judy asked Marcus.
“Me, obviously. Do you think he would trust some reject with this kind of thing? You’d be shocked what I’m finding. Thank God I’m not a chick or he’s not g*y. I’m surprised he gets anything done!”
“Can we talk about something else?” Krista said uncomfortably.
Sean’s eyes swung to her, unable to help himself. Unable to read her face in the dark, he let his eyes rest for a second, but then darted away again.
“Like how you stole my limelight tonight?” Marcus asked with a mock pleasantness to his voice.
“Why, because I look better than you?”
“Fat chance, gorgeous.”
“Oh, then because I’m more fashionable?”
“Girl, you don’t even want to go there!”
“Is it because I am, dare I say, the ‘y’ word?”
“Oh no you did not try to throw age into this!” Marcus said, getting totally ghetto with it. Ray and Judy were cracking up.
“It’s because Marcus was supposed to get the guy,” Ray said. Then Ray put his glass forward for more wine.
“Is that from the event?” Monica asked, horrified.
Marcus rolled his eyes at Monica then answered, “Tory was supposed to sit next to me.”