Page 19 of Caged Heat

“Shut your mouth. Your tits are perfect. JP’s just hard to nail down. I heard from Karen in accounting that he has the biggest dick and knows how to use it. What I wouldn’t give for him to bend me over the conference room table.”

They sniggered together as I tried to stay still, not wanting them to know I was so close. The name sounded familiar, but I couldn’t remember his face after meeting so many people today. I was just glad he hadn’t given in to their overt schemes. It made me respect this mystery man, and now I even knew why Kathy didn’t like me. I’d taken the position she wanted; the one she’d tried to sleep her way into.

Holding my head high, I pushed my shoulders back, letting that knowledge fill me. I’d earned this on my own and would double down harder to show I could do it—that I was the right choice for the job.

When they seemed to have moved on, I quickly picked up my trash and hustled back into the building. I had five minutes to make it to the conference room for the meeting with the sales director. Tossing my purse back in my desk drawer, I threw my trash away and grabbed my notebook and a pen before hurrying down the hallway. I slipped into the conference room and took the last open seat at the table as everyone chatted. Opening my notebook, I uncapped my pen and glanced around the room at my new coworkers.

Some men and women gave me a nod of acknowledgment, while others blatantly ignored me. It didn’t matter. I soaked in being in a room of like-minded people at a company I was excited to learn more about.

The door opened, and Laurel, the Director of Marketing, walked in, her eyes lighting up when she spotted me. She’d been part of the reason I’d wanted to work at Calidity. She turned her head back to the person behind her, who was still obscured by the door.

“The new marketing rep I wanted to introduce you to is here.”

I sat up at that, smoothing my hair back as she walked further into the room, the person behind her stepping in behind her. Brown sugar eyes met mine, and the world disappeared as I stared at Jackson’s smiling face.

His eyes widened as they landed on mine, shock flashing in them for a second before glee and heat filled them. Meanwhile, I had the opposite reaction. Happiness had swirled in mine for a brief second before the realization of who he was and what it meant hit me, and pure panic filled me.

“JP, this is Eleanor Rigsby, our newest hire. Eleanor, this is the director of our sales team, Jackson Powers, but everyone calls him JP.”

Blinking, I stood on wooden legs and stretched out my hand, praying it wasn’t obvious how much it shook.

“Hello, sir.”

Jackson gave me a quizzical look before taking my hand and squeezing it. The same heat and electricity flared to life in me, and I had to bite the inside of my jaw to keep myself from swaying into him.

“Welcome aboard.”

“Alright, first up, we have…” Laurel started, but I couldn’t focus as I watched Jackson.

He took a seat up at the front with Laurel, but his eyes seared into me the entire time. I dropped mine into my notebook, pretending to take notes to avoid looking at him. What did I do? How did this happen?

Panic and anxiety overcame me; my heart beat fast as sweat broke out along my brow and the base of my neck. I couldn’t date him now. They would never take me seriously and assume I only got this job because of him. It didn’t matter that it wasn’t true. They already thought he was the key to hiring. The narrative was there, and if I gave one inkling to its validity, then everything I worked for to get here would be for naught.

“JP, I wonder if you wouldn’t mind Eleanor joining you on this new customer. I think her fresh perspective and insight will be useful,” Laurel said, shocking me out of my panic.

“I think that’s a great idea, Laurel.”

“What?” I asked, licking my lips, ignoring the way his sexy voice had jumpstarted my heart.

The mean girls tittered beside me, apparently liking my inability to form sentences in front of others.

“Closets. You’ll be on it with JP. Get together to schedule some time to brainstorm.” She glanced back down at her paper. “That’s everything for today. Sorry for keeping you all afternoon but you’re all dismissed.”

Blood pounded in my ears as I collected my belongings and walked out of the conference room; my feet carried me back to my cubicle on their own. I could feel him behind me, but I didn’t have it in me to confront him in front of everyone, so I quickly grabbed all my stuff. It was thirty minutes until I was meant to leave, so I hoped it was close enough. There was no way I could stay in this building with him a second longer.

Somehow, I made it to my car without him catching me. My phone buzzed in my purse, but I ignored it. I knew it was him, and I wasn’t ready to discuss this yet.

Pulling out of the parking lot, I drove as my brain filtered through a million what-ifs. Not surprisingly, I ended up at Bottle Grounds—my home away from home.

It seemed even when I no longer worked here, I couldn’t stay away.

Picking up my purse from the seat, I locked my car and headed into the bar, hoping the answer to all my problems was inside.

How had this day gone from one of the best to a complete shit show in a few short hours?

Welcome to the real world, Eleanor. You’re not wanted here. Quit trying to be something you’re not.

CHAPTER SEVEN

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