Page 10 of Until I Find You

“Ahem. So. Here’s what I have so far if you’ll join me.”

I listen as Jack walks me through his plan. Or lack thereof. It’s more of a sketch than anything. Buy a coffee plantation in Hawaii, find a warehouse to act as a roastery in Brooklyn, then find a storefront centrally located. Money is apparently no object. That’s the certainty I hear as he talks, the only thing he seems to know for sure.

I’ve been in enough meetings to see when things aren’t what they ought to be. And Jack’s plan is all muddled. A daydream. A collection of thoughts all puzzled together.

“Seth is in charge of personnel, thankfully. We’ll have a marketing team, an HR, finance director, and all the like by the end of the month.”

Though I’m concerned, my chest warms at the mention of that one little word,we. I agreed to be here. We’re in this together.

I’m just going to need to take on that “creative” role a lot faster than I anticipated.

Jack straights up. “So, the first step would be…getting a plantation, I suppose.”

I raise my eyebrows. “Is it okay if I give you some feedback?”

Jack sucks in his cheeks and stares at me. “I suppose.”

I place my hand onto a pile of documents. “This is a great…sketch. But we need to solidify things before we make any moves. We need at least a five-year plan and a mock budget and–”

Jack frowns. “I thought you were an assistant.”

I hold my body in place, though I’d like to take a step backward. My hands want to fly to my waist, but I hold them where they are. “Excuseme?”

“What I mean is…” Jack sighs. “Sorry, I’m not good at this.”

“At what? Talking to people?”

His forehead creases deeper.

I sigh. “Look, Seth told me you were looking for someone to come in with a firmer hand than anassistant. Obviously, it’s your company. You have the final say. But if you want this done right, I can help.”

Jack’s nostrils flare.

“Or I can shut up and say yes. Up to you.”

Jack glances down at the paper again. “Fine. Give me what you got.”

I can’t ignore the reluctance in his voice.

Let’s see how long I last under the helm of Jack Lyons.

3

JACK

I’m notan asshole by nature. However, I find myself at every turn being a complete jerk to Camilla Graff. I can’t help it. The second I saw her, I knew that letting her in even an inch would completely break me.

She’s stunning. And Seth didn’t promise me eye candy. He promised me an assistant. A good one.

And she is. She absolutely is. She’s been whipping me into shape whether I like it or not, filling in the various cracks in my plan or lack thereof.

But she’s also hard to look away from, which is why I try not look at her at all.

Luscious corkscrew curls framing her heart-shaped face, brilliant smile offered even when I don’t deserve it, full lips usually adorned with a dark shade of lipstick.

And don’t get me started on her body. If I haven’t crossed a line already by thinking about her, that’s going to do the trick.

Today, Camilla is putting the final touches on our five-year plan. She’s sitting at the island, typing furiously on her laptop on our shared document.

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