Page 12 of Secret Santa

“You look good today, sweetheart,” Jon said, unaware and uncaring of my dizzy spell. I shifted my eyes to him.

“Thank you.” I smiled tightly as I moved toward the door, ready to get this meeting over and done with. We were in the home stretch, Aiden said. He was hoping this would be the last meeting.

As I reached for the doorknob, Jon’s hand landed too low on my back, and I stiffened. I glanced at him, finding his eyes zeroed in on my ass.

“I like this outfit,” he said, leaning toward me. “Shows off your curves better than the last one.” I swallowed down bile as I twisted the doorknob. “Did you wear it for me?” His hand dropped lower, and I shoved the door open. I rushed into the office before he could touch me again.

“Mr. Lewis is here,” I said through clenched teeth. Aiden’s head shot up, and when our eyes met, his brows lowered. He looked at Jon, his jaw tensing before looking back at me. Did he know how much of a perv Jon was? Jon chuckled as he passed me, giving me a wink that made me grimace, nausea rising in my throat.

“Thanks, Danica,” Aiden said, his eyes still trained on me. “Is everything okay?”

“Fine,” I answered tightly as I shuffled toward the door. “Is there anything else you need from me?” His brows lifted and he glanced at Jon, still staring at me with a predatory look.

“Do you have what you need to take notes?” Aiden scanned me and when he found me empty-handed, his frown deepened. “Are you sure—”

“Right. My notebook.” I rushed from the room and tried to breathe through my growing panic.

What happened with Jon hadn’t been the first time a man had touched me when I didn’t want him to. I worked as a server for years. I dealt with my fair share of wandering hands and lingering stares, but I never thought it would happen so blatantly in a corporate setting.

After a few deep breaths, I gathered myself and my things and made my way back into the office. Jon sat across from Aiden, his legs spread wide as he lounged back in the chair. I searched the room for anywhere else to sit that wasn’t beside him, but there wasn’t another chair.

I contemplated standing against the wall, but I decided against it. I needed to get my shit together before Aiden fired me for ruining his business dealings.

Hesitating, I gave both men a quick smile as I sat. Aiden looked concerned but didn’t push the matter, and I knew better than to make a scene. If this deal went through, Aiden was about to make a lot of money. I wouldn’t fuck it up by tattling on a handsy old man.

“I told her how nice she looks today,” Jon said, and I snapped my head to him. “Don’t you agree?” Aiden cleared his throat, his eyes briefly meeting mine.

“We’re not here to discuss how Danica looks.” His words were firm, but his gaze met mine and lingered. I felt what he didn’t say down to my fucking core.

Jon laughed again. “Always business with you. No pleasure?” My face heated, but I forced myself not to fidget as Aiden easily ignored his comments.

“Everything we discussed last week,” he said, not taking the bait. I gripped my pen tighter, hoping it would help me stop shaking. “Are we still in agreement? Nothing has changed?” Jon shifted in his chair, a Cheshire grin spreading across his mouth.

“You know, I spoke to your father a few days ago.” His voice was smug, his face filled with pleasure at Aiden’s reaction. Aiden’s hands balled into tight fists on the desk, and I saw a muscle in his jaw tick painfully. “He said he’d be happy to invest. All you have to do is ask.”

“I wasn’t aware you knew my father.” He spat the word out, which told me enough about how he felt about his dad.

“We go way back.” Jon leaned further back in his chair, his grin never falling. The room grew tense, Aiden’s anger palpable.

“Again,” he ground out, “I wasn’t aware.”

“He offered to make a much larger investment,” Jon added. Aiden’s hands shook as he lowered them beneath the desk.

“Your investment is enough.”

“He asked me to relay a message,” Jon continued, ignoring Aiden’s clearly angry mood. “About your trust fund.” Aiden’s eyes snapped to mine, and I quickly averted them.

“Danica, can you please wait outside until we’re done?” He tried to keep his voice gentle, but it shook with his anger. I stood, ignoring the head rush, and quickly made my way across the room, not wanting to spend longer than necessary around them. Well, around him—Jon.

I shut the door on my way out and moved down the aisle of cubicles toward the kitchen. As I passed David, he shot from his seat and fell into step beside me.

“That was quick.” I glanced up at him. I wasn’t sure how much I could say about these meetings, so I kept my mouth shut.

“They’re still discussing.” We entered the empty kitchen, and I immediately moved to the coffeemaker. “That guy is a creep.”

“Who? Lewis?” David leaned against the counter beside me and slid his hands in his pockets. “Yeah, I’ve heard he’s had to pay off more than a few women so they won’t sue him for sexual harassment.” I shivered in disgust at the thought.

“I’d never take his money,” I mumbled as I poured coffee into my mug.

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