“So sorry,” she apologized to the kid pushing the cart. Tucking her phone into the pocket of her blazer, she stooped to help pick up the mess. She shot Cole a dark look. Now it was his fault she couldn’t walk and type?
Standing, she deposited the mail on the cart. “Thanks,” she finally grumbled, stepping into her office and doing her best to dismiss him.
Yeah, that wasn’t happening. Not after that little gem she’d delivered on her way out the door.
“My pleasure.” He smiled and followed her into the tiny office, closing the door behind them. It was time to clear the air once and for all. The world was un—fucking-fair, a fact he knew as well as anyone, but if she couldn’t put her anger aside, they’d never be able to work together, let alone secure the Vixen account. They needed to be in sync moving forward, which meant less attitude and more collaboration. “Do you have a few minutes? There are some things I’d like to discuss with you.”
“What did you want to discuss?” she asked, straightening her back and smoothing her hair. With only inches separating them, it was impossible to ignore the intoxicating scent of her perfume, or the unspoken arousal that filled the space between them. “Was it your three-step plan to ruin my career? Is Pritchard going to fire me if we can’t play nice? Is that what’s next, Cole? No doubt you have something really special planned for the grand finale.”
“I think you’re being a bit dramatic, don’t you?” He tucked his hands in his pockets. Did she really think her job was on the line? Pritchard was a total softy under that crotchety exterior. No one was getting fired. Mama’s would end up with a better campaign than they expected and even if PBA didn’t land the Vixen account, they’d make a hell of a bid for it with him and Olivia leading the team.
“Dramatic? You haven’t seen dramatic yet.” She cocked her hip and raised her chin defiantly. “Look, I get it. You’ve got loads of money and this is all one big friggin’ laugh to you, but what we do here is important to me. I will not let one night of poor judgment ruin five years of hard work.”
He wasn’t sure what bugged him more, her assumption that he wasn’t serious about his business, or her determination to downplay their night together. “Like it or not, you’re stuck with me on this one. We need to find a way to work together. Preferably without killing one another.”
“You’re right,” she responded, through clenched teeth. “I don’t like it, but I’ll do my job without berating the people around me because I’m a team player. Think you can do the same?”
Cole fought to keep his face impassive. While her words stung, she wasn’t wrong. Hell, he deserved everything she threw at him and more. He rubbed the back of his neck. “This isn’t easy for me to say, but I fucked up with your team yesterday. I am sorry and it won’t happen again.”
Olivia pursed her lips. Of course she wasn’t going to let him off that easily.
“I asked Pritchard to put you on this bid because you’re the best we’ve got.” Her cheeks reddened at the compliment. He wasn’t sure if it was embarrassment or guilt, but whatever it was, it seemed to soften her mood. “I fully expect us to work on this campaign as equals.”
“Equals?” She studied his face as if seeing him for the first time. What did she see when she looked at him? He shoved the thought aside. It didn’t matter. He knew what he saw when he looked at her, and just then he saw a woman on the edge, ready to lose control. Only a blind man would have missed the way her bottom lip quivered, or the way she swallowed, as if fortifying her resolve.
Ignoring his better judgment, he leaned into her, stopping only when the peaks of her breasts brushed his chest. His balls tightened at the contact, anxious to finish what they’d started the day before. He brushed his fingers over her jawline, tipping her mouth to his. It had only been a day, but it felt like an eternity since he’d tasted those sweet lips.
And like an addict, he needed that fix. Craved it. Couldn’t think straight without it.
His eyes locked on Olivia, confirming her need matched his own. Her breath hitched, but for once she didn’t resist. He moved slowly, skimming his lips over the corners of her mouth, teasing her and savoring the scent of peppermint that clung to her breath.
The whimper that followed stroked more than his ego, bringing them closer, her body melting against him. When her mouth found his, it was a languid kiss, unhurried and unlike any they’d shared before. She sucked on his bottom lip, nearly driving him mad, before delving into his mouth and caressing his tongue with her own. When she finally pulled away, he was hard as a rock.
If her intention had been to leave him wanting more, she’d succeeded. He adjusted his cock, knowing full well his erection would be visible to anyone who dared look.
“So, equals?” she asked again, as if the hard-on-inducing kiss had been a figment of his imagination. How the hell she managed to do that, he’d never know.