Page 22 of The Thorne at My Side
"I did not attack you," she shrieks and I can’t hold back the smile that breaks across my face after riling her up. She sees it and narrows her gaze at me. I want to keep sparring with her. "You'll be fine," she says after a deep breath. "Big strong man like you can handle a little kick to the side of the knee."
"You think I'm big and strong?"
"That's what your pretty little brain heard?"
"You think I'm pretty?"
"Fuck off Austin," she says but I can hear the laughter in her tone. She locks eyes with me for one last beat before turning, checking for traffic, and joggingoff.
???
The soft curve of Maggie Collins' hip is my first thought as I wake up. I've positioned a pillow next to me in my sleep and even though I can't remember my dream, I am guessing it featured a tight blonde who filled my world with feeling.
Pain in my knee, but energy everywhere else.
I wonder if she is thinking about me this morning. We're set to meet at nine to begin working on Senator Quinn’s private database. I'm bringing a few team members along since they understand the tech much better than I do. I’m more than a pretty face, but not when it comes to programming.
After my shower, I carefully dry my hair, shave closely, and moisturize. When I’m done, I like what I see. Maggie will too. I stand at my closet with my towel slung low on my hips and Brinkley struts in. His big cat on the prowl energy is contagious. I select a dark olive, almost gray, suit and a crisp white shirt, classic but the modern cut turns heads.
"Whoa, hot stuff!" Elle says as I head to the kitchen and pour myself a coffee. "You're all dressed up?"
"Am not, I wear a suit everyday."
"True, but you don't spend extra time primping in the mirror and working pomade through your hair."
She has a point but hell if I'm going to admit it's for a girl. One who I might put out of business and who, rightfully, hates me because of it.
This is the thought loop I'm caught up in on the drive to the Dirksen building. And no matter which way I look at it, I can't solve for the fact that I find Maggie Collins attractive. I want her in a way I can't describe. But she hates me because of who I am and the business I run. We’re destined to be enemies no matter how much I want her.
???
"Mr. Thorne, welcome, right this way." The receptionist at Senator Quinn's office leads me, Kevin, Javé, and Tyler, into a conference room. I had Elizabeth send over a breakfast spread so the table is covered with trays of pastries and cut fruit. There is a carafe of cold brew and a box of hot coffee on a little table along the wall. We don't wait long for Maggie and her team to walk in.
Maggie is back in her power suit and I miss the sliver of skin I could see under her cropped hoodie last night. Her hair is pulled up in one of those claw clips and there's a wayward line of ink on her jaw. I want to reach out and rub it off.
"Did anyone see you come in?" Maggie asks as she sets down a stack of three binders, two legal pads, and a notebook.
"Well we tried to lose the photographers on motorbikes but it was difficult," I respond and I catch Kevin’s smirk.
"Funny Austin, I'm serious. I'm still not convinced this partnership is a good idea and I'm not even close to admitting that the senator is using this technology on her campaign. I don't want this information getting out."
"Well TMC and AI Media want this partnership announced as soon as possible."
"Well Senator Quinn wants to win the presidency," she retorts and I see the eyebrows of everyone else in the room shoot up.
"Let's see what we can come up with," I say with a wide grin I know is grating on her nerves.
???
"Well if weconsider," Maggie sneers, "the fact that the presidential debate is next week I think we need to wait toannounce the partnership. I don't want the news cycle to be dominated by this story."
"It'll be dominated by this story no matter what. It's best to get it out now and let everyone ask their questions before the debate," I reason as I pull my glasses off and pinch the bridge of my nose. We've been going around in circles for 45 minutes. We haven't even begun to work on the content we need to. "Let's take a break," I say as I stand up from my chair and slide my glasses back on.
The rest of the room files out to the reception area leaving Maggie and me in the room together.
"Maggie," I interrupt her frantic scribbling on a legal pad. "Do you want to announce this partnership at all?"
"No! I don't!" She practically yells. "I cannot for the life of me understand why Melissa wants to do this and I cannot see how this could be anything but bad for her."
