Page 48 of The Workaholic Down the Hall

“Now. I'm in the lobby of your building.”

Someday, I wasn't going to need anything from Alex Owings and I'd be free to punch him in the nose. “I'm not at work, yet. I just woke up.”

Alex chuckled. “No wonder your company is struggling, dude. Early bird gets the worm and all that.”

Nah, punching was too good for him, I was going to stretch him on the rack or spill coffee on his fancy bespoke suit. “Look, I can meet you halfway. There's a great coffee shop—”

“Just meet me at your office, man. I've got about an hour to kill. I can wait.”

“I'll see you—” But he'd already hung up, the douche nozzle.

I wished I didn't need Alex Owings, wished I wasn't in this position, but I had no choice. There wasn't time to shower, so I changed, put on deodorant and drank about a gallon of coffee as I drove to the office.

Alex was already in my office, of course, since my assistant seemed to have been charmed by his good looks and flirting. Which meant I had no time to get myself situated at my desk.

He stood when I walked in and reached for my hand. “Hey, man,” he said. “Glad you could make it.”

I shook his hand, somehow managing not to tell him to get the fuck out of my office, and took a seat at my desk. “Good morning, Owings. I see you charmed my assistant.”

“Charmed your last one, too,” he said, a wry smirk twisting his face. “Thought I might charm myself all the way into her pants, but she was knocked up and I am not ready to be anybody's daddy.”

I clenched my teeth and blew out a breath. The only reason I wasn't angrier was because I knew there was no way on earth Aubrey would have given that asswipe a second look. “Let's focus on the property, Owings.”

He grinned and leaned forward, like a shark scenting blood in the water. “Did I hit a nerve, Reynolds? You know, I wondered if you might be the one who knocked her up.” He shook his head. “Didn't think you had it in you to knock a chick up and then kick her to curb like that.”

I clenched my hands into tight fists. “The Brantley property, Owings. Jill said you want us to drop the price another thirty percent but that's not even a realistic offer. I'd hoped if we met face to face—”

His grin widened. “How was she in bed? I bet she was a real wildcat. She was always so serious and strait-laced, so put together, she had to be a full-on porn star in the sack.”

I was across the desk, his neck in my hand and my fist raised to punch him before I'd realized what I was going to do. He laughed, fucking laughed in my face. “You don't want to hurt me, man. I will sue you so hard you'll lose everything.” He paused, raising his eyes to the ceiling. “Although, that could work out really fucking well for me. Go ahead, punch me.”

I wanted to. God, did I want to punch him, to beat the living shit out of him for daring to talk about Aubrey that way, for daring to think about Aubrey that way. I loosened my grip on his neck, but I didn't immediately lower my fist.

“He's not worth it,” Jill said. Her heels clicked on the floor as she walked over to stand next to my desk. “Let him go.”

I released Alex and sat. “Is this all a joke to you?” I asked. “Are you actually interested in the Brantley properties? Or did you just come here to talk shit and waste my time?”

Alex smoothed his shirt, looking completely unfazed by me almost killing him. “Of course, I want the Brantley properties, Reynolds. Everyone wants the Brantley properties. And we all know you must be desperate as hell if you're willing to sell them. I'm here to find out just how desperate you are.”

“I told you on the phone we won't drop the price thirty percent,” Jill said. “You didn't need to come here.”

Alex shrugged. “Your brother asked me to.”

Jill glared at him. “And I've never known you to do anything just because it's what someone else wants. In fact, you usually do the opposite.”

Alex's smile was cold. “I wanted more information. Your brother's going to be a daddy soon and the company is failing. Selling the Brantley properties is just putting off the inevitable.”

I leaned back and let Jill take over the conversation with Alex, because it was taking everything I had not to leap back over the desk and finish what I'd started.

“What's the solution?” Jill asked. “Selling the whole company to you?”

Alex's gaze narrowed and his good-ol' boy act vanished. “That's exactly the solution. Your abilities are wasted here, Jill. You should be at the helm of a solvent, successful corporation. Sell to me, your brother can go play daddy full-time, and you can live your dreams, actually do something besides trying to make money from nothing.”

“You have got to be—” Jill started.

Alex stood and placed a hand on her shoulder. She froze, her glare intensifying. “Just think about it,” Alex said. He walked out of my office like he already owned the place.

Jill slumped into the seat he'd vacated.

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