Page 28 of The Enemies With Benefits Deal

Leo glances between the designs on the slide, shaking his head as he takes his time looking at each one. “None of those are as good as the designs from Pelletier.”

“You’re right, they’re not.” I flip to more of Pelletier’s examples on my screen. “I’ve worked with this brand before. I would have to meet with them to show them everything we would like to integrate, as they only meet in person to talk about design.”

“Another expense.” Leo folds his hands together over his round stomach, leaning back and taking another look at the designs. “The company doesn’t have the kind of capital needed to get this moving right now.”

“No, it doesn’t.” I clasp my hands together to hide the tremble in them. “We would need the board of directors to make an investment into the company.”

“And this app,” Victoria says, nodding to the screen. “You really believe this is going to help make the company profitable again?”

“Yes.” I flip to the side with statistics from comparable news apps that have been downloaded within the last twelve months. “More and more people want to stay connected, but mobile sites are unreliable and often difficult to navigate. An app is more streamlined. People know exactly which icon to click to find the news they want.”

Leo combs his fingers through his beard before nodding. “I’ll fund this.”

Victoria hums, drumming her fingers on the booklet. “I’ll go in twenty percent.”

A couple of the other board members agree to match the twenty percent.

“Thank you.” I smile and stand by the door, shaking their hands as they leave.

Leo stops, the last to leave the meeting. “You’ve done good work here, but we’re taking a leap of faith on this project. I knew we needed to connect with younger audiences, and you seem to have a clear vision of how to do it. Keep up the good work.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“Save my company, Jade. That’s all I ask.”

When I get back to the office later that afternoon, Grayson is sitting behind his desk, glaring at the wall like something about it has personally offended him.

His eyes flicker to me as I pass, his entire body tensing. “Come in here for a moment, will you?”

Lara sighs. “I’m going to get a coffee from down the street, so I don’t have to hear the two of you yelling at each other again. Do you want something?”

“An iced white mocha latte, please.”

She nods and grabs her purse, taking off while I head into Grayson’s office.

He jerks his chin at the door. “Shut that behind you and draw the curtains.”

A warm tingling starts low in my stomach as I pull the curtains across. “What do you want?”

“Lara told me you were out at a meeting with the board of directors this morning.” His tone is even, but with the anger that shines in his eyes, I know that he’s anything but calm.

“Yes.” I round his desk and perch myself on the edge, propping one foot up on his seat between his legs. “Is there a problem here?”

“You went behind my back. We were supposed to present the app to them together.”

I brace my hands on the desk, leaning back. “I know, and I decided that was a bad idea because you have a history of trying to undermine me.”

Guilt flashes across his face, confirming what he was planning all along.

In some way or another, he was going to make sure the app didn’t get approval, and then I’m sure he was going to push the podcast forward.

His hand wraps around my ankle, thumb rubbing circles that send shivers racing through my body. “I wasn’t going to do anything.”

“I know you.” I bite back a moan as his hand starts climbing higher up my leg, massaging the sore muscles there from my run last night. “I know that at the end of the day, you’re going to do what benefits you the most, even if that isn’t what’s best for the company.”

“Spending close to six figures isn’t what’s best for the company.”

His hand brushes against my inner thigh, fingers skimming over my pussy and sending arousal flooding through my body.

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