Page 66 of Savage Suit
While Noah opened the folder and Reid turned his attention to me, I tried to imagine him as
D’artagnon?
I swear…oh fuck.Drop it, girl. Quinn swore to me nothing happened.
“Everything’s in order,” Noah concluded, closing the folder and returning it to Reid.
“If you’ll sign by the ‘x’s, Ms. Hagen, I’ll be out of your hair.”
“I’m not signing anything until I read the contract.”
“You insult me, Ryan,” Noah said. “You’re implying I intend to put you at a disadvantage. We don’t have time for you to read the document, so please sign it and we can continue.”
“No. Rule number one of dumb motherfuckers isnotreading legal documents.”
Reid choked out a laugh, but Noah glowered at me.
“You aren’t dumb, but you’re very mistrustful.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Have you given me a reason to trust you, Noah?”
“I have other appointments, Ryan,” he replied. “Sign the fucking contract. Otherwise, you won’t be able to represent the company at the press conference. I won’t continue the tour because you still aren’t my employee.” He paused, waited, visibly gnashing his teeth together when I refused to relent. “I’ll also be forced to take the fucking key back because this won’t be your office.”
He was the most savage asshole I’d ever met. Maybe I was insane. I walked away from a thousand dollars but couldn’t bear to lose this small office. For whatever reason, tears rushed to my eyes when Reid smiled and offered me a pen and the folder.
I snatched both from him. “I want five days to read over this contract and then tear it up if I don’t like the terms,” I said thickly.
“Three,” Noah countered, a strange look on his face. “Unless you have the reading skills of a four-year-old, it shouldn’t take you any longer than a day, so consider yourself a beneficiary of my generosity.”
Glowering at him, I laid the folder on the desk and opened it, signing wherever the post-it arrows guided me. Once I finished, I returned folder and pen to Reid Keegan.
“Thank you, Ryan,” Reid said politely. “Megan will bring you to my office prior to the press conference.”
“That’s right. Somehow, a negligent, reckless ass like you has an office at the law firm and another one in my company,” Noah jeered.
His ears turning pink, Reid scowled, but didn’t address Noah. He continued to talk to me. “We’ll give you a quick course on what we expect you to say, and what is forbidden. I’ll also have a list of the invited reporters, all slanted in Keegan Enterprises’ favor. This is a big deal, so I don’t doubt reporters engaged in a war with the company will try to sneak in.”
“You’re not inviting Ingrid Warrington?”
The prospect of not inviting the reporter and addressing her in person shocked me.
“Don’t utter that woman’s name in my presence,” Noah spat.
Offering him a severe look, I drew myself up, angry and emotional. Did I have to ask why I was upset enough to cry? My friendship with Ian was damaged, and my new work environment was unpleasant. Noah wasNoahand overwhelmed me. Reid Keegan reminded me ofthatnight when I thought I’d put it to rest.
Besides the incredible sex, the connection lived in my memory. It was something I’d never felt before. The thought startled me, revealing the truthfulness of my sister’s avowal. Of course, only a dream explained the perfection I remembered.
Lust and some Freaky Friday type shit justified my response to Noah. The woman invading me couldn’t stop thinking about her guy, uh,aguy. My jealousy and desire for his approval fit neatly into his views about women. And my near tears catapulted my independent woman, bad bitch mentality back to the ‘60s. The 1860s or the 1960s, I wasn’t sure.
“I’ve had enough of your bullshit, Ms. Hagen.” Noah’s furious voice seeped into my brain.
The shock on Reid’s face mirrored my own. Taken aback by Noah’s anger, I stared stupidly.
“You’re standing there in a snit and pouting because you have yet to understand your place.”
Wincing, Reid closed the door. “Noah—”
“Stay the fuck out of this, Reid,” Noah ordered. Anger darkened his eyes. “I’ve been talking to you, and you’ve been ignoring me.”
