Shit. Apparently news travelled fast at PBA. Stalling for time, he gave his partner a placating smile. “Jonathan—”
“Don’t you Jonathan me,” Pritchard returned. “I don’t know how they did things in England, but here we’re a team! You ever pull a stunt like that again, you’ll be out on your ass faster than you can say ‘null and void’. You may have brought an impressive client list, but I guarantee you my lawyers are better.”
Cole fought to keep his face blank, not wanting Pritchard to see how affected he was by the threat. Another failed business venture? Not an option. He’d busted his ass to get where he was, and he was going to make damn sure his time at PBA was a success. Still, there was no denying he’d fucked up with Olivia. “Understood. I pushed the team a little too hard today. I was trying to feel them out and it backfired. Lesson learned. You can rest assured it won’t happen again.”
Pritchard gave a curt nod, seemingly satisfied. “Good.”
Cole studied his partner, assessing his mood and determining the right approach. He’d need to tread lightly, using the power of suggestion to steer him in the desired direction. “Before you go, there is something else we need to discuss.”
“Oh?”
“I’ll get right to the point. McKenzie lost their bread and butter. Vixen Enterprises is going to be in the market for a new agency.”
“You’re sure?” Pritchard asked, his brows furrowed.
“They’ll be making a formal announcement tomorrow.”
Pritchard drummed his fingers on the desk. “Vixen is a cash cow. And securing that contract would bring a lot of other lucrative projects to the agency. We’ll need our best on this.”
“Agreed, which is why I want Olivia on this project. She’s sharp, driven, and let’s be honest, you and I don’t know shit about lingerie.” Plus, if they landed the Vixen account, Olivia’s career would skyrocket. Cole couldn’t give her back the partnership he’d taken, but this would be the next best thing, and maybe, just maybe, it would make up for everything that had happened between them.
“This is too big for an associate to pitch alone, even one as experienced as Olivia.” Pritchard tented his fingers, a sure sign he was thinking through the implications of the project. “I want you on this pitch with her, so you’d damn well better figure out how to get along without killing one another. I don’t want a repeat of today’s little show.”
Cole nodded but said nothing. Jonathan didn’t need more platitudes. He needed results. Results Cole and Olivia would deliver.
“Pull whatever resources you need. Vixen is now our top priority.”
Cole returned to his office, prepared to pull an all-nighter and unable to shake thoughts of Olivia. Working the Vixen pitch with her over the next couple of weeks was going to be a blessing and a curse, not to mention the ultimate test of his self-control. The long hours would afford him the opportunity to get closer to her, and, if he was lucky, circumvent some of those walls she’d built around herself. On the other hand, he had no doubt she’d be resistant and would fight their chemistry as long as they were working together. And since neither of them was going anywhere any time soon, maybe that was for the best.
He had too much invested in the partnership with Pritchard to let things go south. He was committed to New York. Hell, he’d even made an offer on an apartment with a view of Central Park. Common sense told him he needed to put his cock on probation when it came to Olivia, but he wasn’t ready to give up yet. They were consenting adults with off-the-charts chemistry and he was determined to find a way to mix business and pleasure, if only he could convince her to give him the chance.
…
A message blinked on Olivia’s screen, and for the second time that morning, she broke out in a cold sweat. Shit. Cole wanted to see her in his office. Now. She’d hoped to avoid him for the next couple of days, so she could…what? Wallow in private all weekend and face him again on Monday? Olivia silently cursed her pseudo self-control. She knew the hot/cold thing between her and Cole was getting old, and she felt doubly guilty for sending him mixed messages.
Still, the idea of facing him after the night before was excruciating. Despite her cold words, he’d have to be an idiot not to sense her desire. The tension between them was tangible and it didn’t look like it would be dissipating any time soon. If anything, their mutual frustration seemed to be fueling the fire. If they could just separate the sex from work it would be fine, she reasoned, but that wasn’t an option.