Page 53 of As You Crave It

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

THENEXTDAY, still reeling from the revelation of his feelings for Celia the night before, Quin sat in one of the ultramodern conference rooms at Seacoast Prestige. He wasn’t sure why he’d been called in by Jared Foster. The other man had wanted to talk to him. But as he waited in the empty conference room for Jared, he checked his watch. Quin had told the man they wouldn’t be doing work together. But he didn’t seem to get the point. The door opened, and when Quin looked up, instead of seeing Jared walk in, he saw a woman. She was wearing a short trench coat and high heels.

“Who are you?” he asked. “I’m supposed to be meeting with Jared Foster.”

“I’m here for that meeting instead,” she said, undoing the belt at her waist.

He shook his head. Jared had set him up. “Hun, what you have under that coat is most definitely spectacular, but I’m not interested. I’m here to meet Jared Foster.”

“Well, I was hired to meet you,” she told him. She dropped the coat, standing in front of him wearing only her stilettos.

Quin rubbed his hand along the lower half of his face. So, Jared had hired an escort for him. He’d been set up. Jared, assuming that most men were like him, probably thought Quin would have fallen for it. And hell, there was a time when Quin would have agreed in seconds. But not when he’d woken up with Celia and was still able to feel her on his skin. He stood, picked up the woman’s coat and handed it to her. “I’m sorry you came over here for nothing.”

Her pout was calculated. She drew her fingers down the buttons of his shirt. “You don’t want me?”

“Not today. I’m involved with someone.”

She took her coat back and put it on. “That’s too bad.” She looked him up and down. “We could have had a lot of fun.”

“That’s probably true.”

She reached into her pocket, pulled out her card and put it in his breast pocket. “You’re cute. If you ever change your mind, give me a call.”

Quin watched her walk away. She was a gorgeous woman, but he would never call her.

He pushed his fingers through his hair. He was done with Jared fucking with him. He strode down to Jared’s office and saw his assistant sitting at her desk.

“Where is he?” he demanded.

“You don’t have an appointment.”

“I actually did,” Quin corrected her. “Jared called me for a meeting. Now, where is he?”

“He’s not in yet.”

“What time does he come in?”

“Whenever he wants.”

He heard a noise behind the closed office door. Someone was in there. Quin walked past the assistant and into the office, where he found Jared with a woman. Both of them looked shocked, but only one of them looked relieved.

Jared pointed at the door, telling the woman to go. She scurried out of the office and when they were alone, Jared stood from his desk. “What can I do for you, Rexford?”

“I want you to stop fucking with me.”

“What are you talking about?” Jared feigned ignorance.

“Setting me up with a woman in your conference room? I don’t want anything to do with Seacoast Prestige, or you. So, leave us alone.”

“Us? Are you talking about Celia? One of my most valuable employees?”

“Get her name out of your mouth,” Quin threatened. But Jared laughed.

“Quin, I have to say, I’m glad you stormed in here. I’ve got something to show you.”

“What is it?”

Jared touched a couple of buttons on his desk, which activated a white projection screen. “I have to say, I was really disappointed when you told me you didn’t want your rum on my boats.”

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