Meanwhile, I’m unable to react, frozen with disbelief. Seriously, I’m fucking floored and feel absolutely sick to my stomach. I mean, what is Logan thinking? After the night we shared, this has to be a huge fucking conflict of interest.
And it’s the reason why he did it, I say to myself, noticing the way Logan is getting a kick out of this. He did this on purpose. I wonder how long he’ll play up this charade. I’ve never had a position like this before. Head of Sales. I don’t know if I can handle it.
Maybe that’s why he assigned it to me. I don’t know what to think. I don’t know how I should feel either. I don’t know if I should be angry, but I damn sure am shocked.
Looking like he’s firm and confident in his decision, Logan outlines my role and duties in great detail. I’m to be in charge of twelve new clients, all of whom are from his company and have no marketing strategy, and we launch in four weeks.
“You can create your own team,” Logan says when he’s finished outlining what I need to do, “but you will be solely responsible for each of the launches.”
I sit there, simmering with disbelief and worry. Being new, I have practically no resources at my disposal to make things happen so quickly.
“Mr. Parker,” Hastings politely interrupts. He’s sitting near the head of the table, next to Logan’s seat. “I think you’re asking a bit much of Charlotte. She’s new here.” Nausea threatens to humiliate me. Even my boss who had all the praise in the world for me doesn’t think I can handle it.
Logan turns to survey Hastings with a grim expression. “There’s a reason Armcorp hired her and then made her the keynote speaker. I was there for the presentation. And I plan to take full advantage of Miss Harrison.”
Chapter 14
Logan
“Miss Harrison?” I raise my voice so Rose can hear me as everyone starts filing out of the room. She was the first to stand when the meeting was concluded, and it’s obvious she’s making a run for it. She wants to get away from me, but I’m not done with her yet.
She turns slowly to face me, pulling at the sleeve of her blouse as she says, “Yes, Mr. Parker?” Hearing her soft, sweet voice makes me want her even more. It was difficult enough to restrain myself throughout the hour-long meeting. Now that it’s over, I’m ready to face my Rose. I’m anxious to see her reaction. She’s obviously affected, but the lack of an outward reaction has me on edge.
“Stay for a moment, please. I’d like to have a word.”
Trent speaks in a low voice as he stands to leave, “Let’s meet at three to go over these last two files.”
I nod although I’m not quite paying attention. It can wait.
A woman next to Charlotte, obviously a friend, asks quietly if she wants her to stay behind. I narrow my eyes and wait for her to respond. I can barely hear her over the sounds of everyone else leaving and quietly talking to one another. I don’t hear what Charlotte says, but I see her shake her head no. It soothes the beast inside of me pacing with the need to be alone with Rose. Good girl. She may have conflicting feelings, but she’s playing along for now.
I can feel Hastings looking back at me as he exits, waiting to catch my eye, but I ignore him and gesture to the chair in front of me while making eye contact with Rose instead. I wait a moment, watching her hesitantly stand at her chair while the rest of the company files out around her.
“I’d like to talk to you afterward, Charlotte,” Hastings says to her loud enough for me to hear. I resist the urge to smirk at him. He can feel however he wants about her being head of sales. They picked her to do that presentation for a reason. She’s damn good at what she does. We need to impress clients, and she knows how to do that. I don’t give a fuck if it’s a lot of pressure on her, she’ll learn to adjust.
It’s a new department, and I can appoint whoever the hell I want to that position. And I’m choosing her. Whether he likes it or not.
Charlotte makes her way over to me and takes a seat, putting her hands in her lap and looking everywhere but at me. She’s nervous. I fucking love it. I love that I’m getting to her.
Everyone files out and as Trent exits, I call out to him, “Please close the door behind you, Trent.” He's the last one to leave.
His eyes dart from me to Charlotte with a slight unspoken question, but he doesn’t object.
The door closes with a loud click, leaving us alone.
I’m sure the only thing on her mind is our night together and the way she left me.
I imagine she’s rethinking that decision to sneak out and leave me with only a sticky note. If she thought she could get away that easily, she knows better now.
I shift forward in my seat so I can take off my suit jacket and ask her, “I need to know when you’ll have a sales pitch ready.”
She blinks a few times with her lips parted in shock.