Add the fact the office was abuzz with rumors of their fight and, according to Chloe, the words “sexual tension” had been mentioned once or twice, and yeah, she’d never been so desperate to see a weekend in her life. Only two more days to go. At least no one knew what had really happened behind that closed door. Pritchard would have her ass if he found out.
She shifted uncomfortably in her seat as the feeling of déjà vu overwhelmed her. Whatever Cole wanted, it didn’t sound good, but hiding in her office like a coward wasn’t going to make it any better.
Olivia trudged to Cole’s office, bypassing his admin entirely. It wasn’t like she needed to be announced. Cole had called for her and she could see him waiting behind his monstrous desk even before setting foot in the office. Fear blossomed in her stomach as she padded across the plush carpet. Halfway there, she realized he was on the phone.
“Have a seat,” he mouthed, motioning to the empty chairs before returning his attention the person on the other end of the line.
Typical. Had he called her in here just to remind her who was in charge? She cut her eyes at him, red-hot anger bubbling up from her belly. Taking a deep breath, she lowered herself into the seat across from him and crossed her arms. Getting angry with Cole usually ended with blistering hot kisses, and while she didn’t know what she was doing in his office, she did know those lips were off limits. For her, anyway.
“Anna, we’ve been through this,” he said, shaking his head, a wide grin on his face. “It’s not a big deal. The closing is next week.” He laughed. “You’re relentless, you know that, right?
Who the hell was Anna? Olivia had never seen Cole so relaxed. Whoever she was, they must be close. Not that she cared.
“Look, I’ve got to go. I have someone in my office. I’ll talk to you later, okay?”
He hung up the phone and turned that panty-melting smile on her, causing her blood pressure to creep up. Olivia wiped her sweaty palms on her thighs.
“Sorry about that. My sister,” he explained. “Anyway, I’m sure you’re wondering why I called you into my office.”
Olivia nodded, still processing the idea that Cole had a sister. One he was apparently pretty close to. Who’d have guessed? She didn’t have long to dwell on it.
“I have a special project for you.” He folded his hands on the desk, dragging the moment out endlessly. Masochist. “We just received word that Vixen Enterprises is in the market for a new agency.”
“They fired McKenzie?” She didn’t believe it. The two companies had been in bed together for, well, forever. If it was true, every agency in town would be vying for the Vixen account. It was a multi-million dollar contract. “Are you sure?”
“We have it on good authority that it will be a sudden death scenario. Each agency will get one shot, and one shot only, at the account. Winner takes all. We have three weeks to prepare.”
“Three weeks?” Olivia scoffed. Impossible. Three weeks wasn’t nearly enough time to come up with a worthy campaign. It couldn’t be done.
“Three weeks, for three years,” he confirmed. “I don’t care what it takes, we are going to land that account. We need our best on this pitch, which is why I want you to lead the team with me. We’ll be working together closely on this one.”
She was too stunned to reply. Leading a team with Cole? No way. The very idea was ridiculous. It had all the makings of a disaster. Hell, they’d probably kill each other.
On the other hand, it was an opportunity. A big one. One she couldn’t turn down. And he knew it.
“Reassign everything you can to the junior associates. I don’t care what else you’re working on. Dump it,” Cole ordered, pounding the desk to drive his point home. “It’s time some of these people started pulling their weight around here. You can’t do everything.”
“Consider it done. I’ll send out the new assignments today.” Rising to her feet, Olivia retreated to the door. She might be a control freak, but she wasn’t stupid. If they could secure the Vixen account, it would give her tremendous leverage with Pritchard and maybe another shot at a partnership. For that, she’d offload her other clients, but it didn’t mean she was going to be led around by the nose while Cole pressed his advantage. “I just hope your idea of working together closely doesn’t include fucking, because that’s still off the table as far as I’m concerned.”
She turned on her heel and left.
Chapter Ten
Cole followed Olivia back to her office. They didn’t speak, but he was okay with that. There was plenty to occupy his mind, and the view from behind wasn’t so bad. He didn’t think he’d ever get tired of looking at her backside. She hurried down the hall, her tight ass wiggling all the way as she typed on her phone. It was no surprise when she crashed into the mail cart turning the corner, sending letters skittering to the floor. She stumbled back and Cole caught her by the elbow, preventing any serious damage.