Page 47 of As You Crave It

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CELIAARRIVEDAT the marina early on Saturday. All staff were required to attend the event and put on the impression that they were a close-knit happy family. She rolled her eyes. If she could call her workplace a family—she wouldn’t, though, because that was some manipulative shit that bosses claimed to take advantage of their employees—they would be a dysfunctional one. From what she had heard, morale had dropped since the retirement of Jared’s father. But today, it looked like everyone was glad to be out of the office, out in the sun, hanging out on luxury yachts, mingling with some of Miami’s elite.

Jared came up behind her. “Celia, hello,” he said, leaning in close. “I thought you were bringing this new boyfriend.”

“Unfortunately, he couldn’t make it.”

“Oh, well, that’s too bad. I was looking forward to meeting him. Maybe next time.” Jared must have known she was completely full of crap. They both knew she wasn’t seeing anyone. “But as long as this boyfriend isn’t here, why don’t we go somewhere a little more private?”

“What do you suggest we do there?” she asked, pivoting her body toward him. Then she could feel the recording wire nestled between her breasts. He looked down at her chest. She had to control the shudder that threatened to roll through her. “Shouldn’t you be schmoozing and hobnobbing with potential clients?”

“I’d much rather see what’s underneath that dress.”

He would see soon enough. Because that was a line she’d wanted to hear. She summoned her best acting abilities, and she looked shocked. “Mr. Foster,” she gasped, pouring it on a little thick, she thought. “You’re my boss.”

“I am your boss,” he agreed. “But that’s all the more reason for you to come with me. I’ll make it worth it to you.”

“What do you mean?” she asked, hoping he’d say more.

“You know what I mean.”

“Celia!” She heard a voice call across the crowd to her. She cursed, thinking that this was her one shot to take down her boss, and someone was interrupting it. She turned, and saw it was Quin.

Jared turned on a smile for his potential partner, and they shook hands.

Quin turned to her. “Sorry I’m late,” he told her before he kissed her—hard and with passion—in front of Jared, whose shocked face must have matched her own. “It looks like it’s going to be a great party. Hell, I might even find myself leaving with a yacht. It can be a business expense, right?” He laughed, and Jared did, too, but her boss’s eyes were mean, jealous, suspicious.

“Well, you got a good look at one of our best in St. Martin,” Jared told him.

Quin looked Celia up and down. “I certainly did. Want to look around, babe? See what we like?”

“Yeah, sure,” she said.

When they were out of Jared’s earshot, walking hand in hand, Celia turned to Quin. She was somewhat annoyed that he’d interrupted her incriminating conversation with Jared, but still she was relieved to be away from him. “I didn’t expect that,” she told him.

“I was coming, anyway, and I felt really badly about the way we left things the other day. I don’t want you to think that I only care about the money. Because I don’t. I would gladly rip up Jared’s contract if it was only up to me. But there’s now a lot more at play in this deal, and we want it. But I don’t want it to be at the expense of our friendship, or my conscience.”

“Neither do I.”

“I don’t know why you needed a boyfriend today, but given the fact that you work for Jared, I understand why you might. But either way, I’m here to help.”

“Thank you.”

He stopped walking and turned to face her. He took a deep breath. “But I think it’s best if we just work on being friends. There’s too much drama with what we’re doing.”

“I agree. Turning to sex needlessly complicates things.”

“Just friends?” he asked.

“Just friends,” she confirmed.

“It’s a shame, though—who’s going to teach me to how to romance a woman?”

“Hopefully not the same person who shows me how to be more assertive in bed.”

Quin laughed and looked around. “Uh-oh,” he said. “Jared is watching us.” He kissed her hand. “We’d better start being a lot more convincing.”

For most of the afternoon, Celia kept her eyes on Jared, and every time she looked in his direction, Jared looked back. Celia knew that Quin knew he was potentially jeopardizing the deal.

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