Page 48 of The Enemies With Benefits Deal

“Sure you don’t.” Lara rolls her eyes, shaking her head. “Jade cares about you, and I can see that you care about her, so you should probably just admit that the two of you are going to end up together and have little babies who wear suits all day.”

Snorting, I shake my head. “Now you’re living in a fantasy land. We might be enjoying each other’s company, but little babies in suits aren’t on the agenda.”

Lara’s amused smirk has me thinking that maybe they should at least be a thought. Sometime.

What would a life with Jade even look like, though? It’s hard to see it through the doubts in the back of my mind.

Lara turns back to her work. “You should really think about what a future looks like outside of this place, boss. You have tunnel vision.”

I raise the coffee cup to her in a silent salute before walking into my office.

She might be right about the tunnel vision, but with everything I’ve ever wanted just within my reach, I’m not going to allow anything to ruin it for me.

And there’s still the little worry in the very back corner of my mind that thinks history with Jade is just going to repeat itself.

Our arrangement has worked until now, but that’s because it has an end date.

Unless she does screw me over and become the new CEO. Which could be why she’s gotten close to me, throwing me off my game, sending me spiraling when we’re so close to the end.

It would be just like her.

But is it like the Jade I’ve been seeing over the past few weeks?

I don’t think it is, but I can’t be sure. Not when I know that she can be ice cold and calculating when she feels like it.

Sighing, I down a large gulp of coffee before heading down to the lunchroom. My stomach growls as I walk through the halls and down the flight of stairs.

Some people look at me as I pass before turning to whisper to each other. I glance over my shoulder at a pair of the layout designers before sighing.

I don’t know what the drama is around the building today, but based on the way people are acting, it has something to do with me.

The rumble of voices comes from within the lunchroom, and for a moment, I consider not going in. If the drama does have to do with something I did, I don’t want to have to be a spectacle while I’m eating.

I could listen to what they’re saying about me.

It’s juvenile, and I know that, but I can’t help myself.

“Did you hear that Leo is going to name Jade the new CEO?” The editor-in-chief’s voice rings out of the lunchroom as I stop just outside, confusion flowing through me.

Jade told me that she didn’t want anything to do with becoming the CEO. She’s held to that since she started here.

But what if she was only saying that to put me off my game?

It wouldn’t be the first time she’s played with my mind and my emotions to get what she wanted.

Years have passed since then. Jade isn’t the same woman, and I’m not the same man.

But she’s still the kind of woman who is willing to do what it takes to get where she wants to be.

I peek into the room, watching Daryl and Logan for a few seconds before stepping around the corner again.

“Leo is never going to pass over Grayson. You know he’s been grooming him for the CEO position for years.” Resentment drips from Daryl’s voice. “If Leo paid any attention to how I’ve been running the damn paper over the last few years, he would put me in the CEO position over the two of them.”

Logan snorts. “He’s never going to do that. Personally, I think he’s going to be putting Jade in the position. Look at how well she’s bringing the company around. It looks like we’re not all going to lose our jobs.”

I scowl, leaning my shoulder against the wall and looking down at the ground when someone passes me and heads into the room.

They seem to forget that I’ve been working along with Jade to bring the company around. I’ve been working countless hours with her to put together this rebrand, yet she’s the one who gets the credit.

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