Page 24 of Jack Frost, CEO

“You lovebirds okay?” Alexandra winks, and I grin back.

“Just fine. Are we ready for dessert?” I move the dinner along.

We finish our meal, down our cups of coffee, and then Alexandra is dragging me behind her while I glare daggers at Jack, who’s still seated at the table.

He winks at me and shrugs. I vow he will pay for this. I feel eyes on me again and glance around the dining room before the feeling disappears.

By the end of the movie, I’m champing at the bit to hear how the meeting went. Alexandra mentioned this was the movie she and her mum used to watch when she was little, which is why it had such sentimental value. I understand attaching sentiment to things. I do the same thing with vegemite, proper tea, and biscuits.

Marcus and Jack are waiting for us in the lobby when we leave the built-in theater.

“Ah! There they are!” Jack walks up, holds me close to his chest, and kisses me.

I allow myself to get lost in his kiss, which is ridiculous, since we’re only putting on a show. A small part of me wonders what it would be like to be fully loved by someone like Jack Foster.

“Did you ladies have fun?” he asks, and I nod before stretching out my back.

My dress and tights are comfortable, but I’m not used to spending over three hours in a plush chair and want to move around to restore my circulation.

“Why don’t you two lovebirds head back to your cabin? We can all meet up again tomorrow for breakfast, some spa packages for the ladies, and the sauna for us gents. Then we can discuss the ROI and profit-sharing percentages at greater lengths.” Marcus lifts an eyebrow at Jack, who nods in return.

“Sounds like a great idea to me. We’ll head out and let you get on with your teen-free evening.” Jack grins before taking my hand and heading to the valet stand.

I can sense Marcus and Alexandra watching us, so I lean into Jack, pull his face down, and slide my lips over his. I kiss him slowly, savoring the warmth of his mouth against mine. His hand tightens around my palm, and I feel his heartbeat quicken, matching the fluttering excitement in my chest.

When we break apart, I notice that his eyes are dark and intense while a mischievous smile plays on his lips. “Trying to make them jealous?” he whispers, his breath hot against my ear.

“Maybe,” I murmur back, my fingers tracing a path down his chest. “Or maybe I just wanted to kiss you.”

He chuckles a low, throaty sound that shivers my spine. “Well, don’t stop on my account.”

I laugh and pull him closer for another more urgent and profound kiss. The world around us seems to fade away, leaving just the two of us in our little bubble of heat and desire. The valet stand seems a million miles away as we lose ourselves in each other.

A discreet cough breaks the spell, and we reluctantly pull apart, turning to see the valet holding out the keys to the car. Jack takes them with a nod, and we share a secret smile as we walk to the waiting vehicle, our fingers intertwined. Jack starts the engine, and we drive away. I glance back to see Marcus and Alexandra still watching us, their expressions a mix of envy and amusement.

Chapter 18

Jack

Iwalk into the cabin and take off my suit jacket. Maisie shuts and locks the door before sauntering over to me, sliding her hands up my chest to play with my tie.

“How was the movie?”

She shrugs her shoulders. “Oh, it was just wonderful, Jack. Three hours of epic romance while you were making business deals without me.” Her tone drips with sarcasm, her fingers tightening around my tie before she yanks the Windsor knot straight up to my Adam’s apple.

“Maisie, come on. It wasn’t like that,” I choke out, desperately trying to wedge a finger between my neck and the tie.

Despite having to stand on her tiptoes, Maisie doesn’t seem bothered by our height difference. “Wasn’t it? You left me with Alexandra to watch Gone with the Wind while you went off and closed a deal we were supposed to handle together.”

I can tell this has gone beyond teasing when her accent bleeds through. She’s genuinely upset.

“I thought you enjoyed your time with Alexandra. I didn’t think it would bother you this much. Besides, the deal isn’t anywhere near closed, and you know it.” I finally manage to loosen the tie, and Maisie steps back.

Her glare makes me flinch. “Enjoy? Jack, I was bored out of my mind. And more importantly, I was left out of something crucial. We agreed to work as a team. You can’t just push me aside like that. I’m the entire reason we’re here. If I hadn’t found out that Marcus was going to be vacationing in Aspen, the deal would have been dead where it stood, and you know it! That’s the really upsetting part! You drag me to this frozen wasteland, claiming that you can’t close the deal without me, and then you leave me out of the discussions while I’m forced to watch a movie with his wife!” Maisie shouts.

“I didn’t mean to push you aside.” I actually feel bad. When Marcus and I made the plans, we thought the women would be bored and would prefer spending time with each other, not talking shop. I didn’t realize it would upset Maisie like it has.

“We’ve been preparing for weeks. I could have contributed, Jack. But instead, I was sidelined.” Maisie’s voice drops to a whisper, and I see the tears swimming in her eyes.

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