Page 29 of Mark & Don't Tell

“Relax, sweetheart. It was an accident.”

The doors to the elevator sweep open, and he swaggers inside, stepping in front of me. I glare at his back but get on because I’m not about to be late or walk up numerous flights of stairs because of him.

In the tight space, the overbearing patchouli of his scent nearly gags me. “Have you ever considered descenting lotion?”

He scoffs. “Have you?”

I scowl at him. “What’s your problem?”

“My problem is that Mandy is giving you the chances I deserve, and she knows it. I don’t know what kind of girl power get-togethers you all have on the weekends, but her favoritism isn’t going to help you win this client.”

“Are you serious? I’ve worked my ass off to get here.”

“Or maybe you’ve been on your ass. I heard Mandy swings all ways.”

My jaw drops open. This fucking guy. How has he made it this far in life without getting his shit kicked? “You’re a douchebag.”

As the elevator jolts to a stop, he shoves past me to get out first. “A douchebag who’s going to win.”

Huffing, I head to my desk, eyebrows drawn down as I think of all the fun ways I could stab him. A dull knife might be the best option, but maybe a fork would be better. Four puncture wounds instead of one.

Jane intercepts me before I step into my cubicle. “You look pissed.” Like me, she’s dressed to impress. One thing we all take seriously at Moon & Rock is client relations. Clients are the only reason we make money.

“Arnold,” I growl.

She nods. “Ah, yeah. Total dickhead. Should I put some laxative in his coffee?”

“Yes.”

“Consider it done.” The evil smile on her lips gives me pause.

I draw back and glance at her. “Are you serious?”

She shrugs. “Guess you’ll have to find out.” And with that, she slips away.

Maybe I shouldn’t have said yes, but then again, if Jane is really that unhinged, I can’t wait to see the look on Arnold’s face when he realizes he’s about to shit his pants.

Chuckling to myself, I put away my personal things and pull up my designs, checking to make sure everything is perfect.

“Ready to go?” Mandy asks.

I spin my chair around and grin at her. “Yup.”

True to her word, she never asked about what happened at After Dark. “Good. I’m going to have some of the others go first this time, just to make sure everyone gets that first opportunity to pitch, but I know you’ll blow them away.” She glances at my screen with a pleased smile.

“Thanks, Mandy.”

“The meeting starts at nine.” She taps the side of my cubicle and heads off.

I blow out a breath and dispel the negative energy Arnold hit me with. An asshole like him isn’t going to trip me up.

At five minutes to nine, I head to the conference room and find the farthest seat away from Arnold as physically possible, which puts me at the back of the room. Jane takes the spot beside me and nods at me before studying her tablet and ideas.

I don’t take it personally. Right now, everyone in this room is competing for one thing: the client’s approval.

Glancing out of the glass windows, I spot Mandy escorting two men toward the conference room, and I have to hold in a gasp. Both are tall and broad. Handsome in their own ways. The first has fair skin and is clean-shaven, with longer brown hair that’s pulled back in a man bun I’d usually laugh at, but along with his bulk, it’s so fitting. Even in the three-piece suit, he looks more fit for chopping wood than he does in the corporate world. And yet, there’s a keen intelligence in his gaze. He glances at the other man, and I look at him too.

He’s almost the complete opposite. A dark and rich umber complexion, a fade with waves I could swim, and a neatly manicured beard covering his strong jaw. He’s also in a three-piece suit, but his is a lighter shade of blue, and he looks like he belongs in a boardroom where he can make decisions and rule his corner of the world. He smiles at the other guy and, even from this far away, it’s breathtaking.

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