Page 24 of Thiago
She tapped two tablets of painkillers in her palm and swallowed them down with a few sips of Fiji water. Then she called Beth Ann and asked her to print the data along with colored graphs and a short summary for her review. When she finished the conversation, she made a video call to her counterpart in Asia, and they spent an hour bouncing ideas off each other. The commercials they were showing weren’t resonating in Japan, so they discussed alternatives and sketched out ideas for future marketing promotions.
By the time she finished the conversation, it was almost time to meet with Thiago. She pushed away from her desk and stepped into the hall, almost bumping into Beth Ann as she did so.
“You have those figures?” India extended her hand.
“I do.” Beth Ann handed them over. “They look great.”
India bent her head over the documents and retreated into her office.
“Is there anything else I can do to help?” Beth Ann asked.
India lifted her head. “No, this is all I need. You’re right, the ROI is impressive. The cost-per-click price is low, and the conversion rate is higher than expected. Thank you.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Sitting on the edge of her desk, she flipped through the material, familiarizing herself with the figures before she wentinto Thiago’s office. She knew he’d start drilling her with questions and expect an answer.
When she felt prepared, she checked the time.
“Shoot,” she muttered. The last ten minutes flew by. She was running late.
She rushed from her office to the other end of the building where he was located. In the center of the floor were support staff in cubicles. Some nodded and smiled as she passed by, and she returned the greeting, though she didn’t have time to stop and socialize.
She breezed past his assistant, Amir, who barely acknowledged her as she went by. At the door, she knocked and then pushed her way in.
Thiago was standing at the window, staring out at the view. He turned around when she entered, and she walked across to him, very aware of his commanding presence. Despite her annoyance at him, she couldn’t help but notice how amazing he looked today in a charcoal three-piece suit.
She especially liked him in three-piece suits. Something about the fit turned her on. His tie was perfectly knotted, and the cut was razor-sharp, tailored to his broad shoulders and muscular frame with almost unfair precision. The vest hugged his torso like it had been stitched onto him, emphasizing the flatness of his stomach, while the jacket added timeless elegance.
India’s throat went dry. He always radiated power, but in this suit—basically lethal corporate armor—he exuded authority. She wanted to stay annoyed at him but hadn’t had her usual Friday night fix, so her body was already betraying her, her nipples tightening at the sight of his sensual lips and big hands.
She physically ached, with a hunger that couldn’t be satisfied until the next Friday night they met up. Dammit, but she’d already committed to seeing Simon.
“I have the numbers from the CPC campaign,” she said, keeping her voice cool though her body was heating up.
“Thank you.” Thiago took the blue folder and then sat behind his desk.
India awaited his response. He didn’t have any guest chairs, so she stood quietly in front of his desk while he flipped through the pages.
After a few minutes, he asked, “This is everything?”
“Yes.”
He continued flipping through the sheets, a fine line creasing his brow. “How was your weekend?”
The question took her by surprise. She had expected him to ask about the campaign, so she didn’t respond, which prompted him to lift his gaze and look at her in a questioning way.
“Oh, um, I had a good weekend. Thank you. How was yours?”
“Fine.” He returned his attention to the pages.
“Monica’s engagement party went well?”
“Yes. A lot of people were there, of course—friends and family. Plenty of food, and my father made a very nice toast for her and her fiancé.”
She hadn’t seen Mr. Santana much since Thiago took over. He had taken on a consulting role with the company, so he rarely came to the office. She missed his presence.
“Afterward, the party continued at the club Andre, my future brother-in-law, owns.”
