Page 38 of Under the Mistletoe
Carrington almost chokes at Jessica’s comment, and I hold back a chuckle.
The bells start ringing, indicating the conference is about to begin.
“We should all move inside.” I run my hand across Jessica’s back, curving it slightly around her waist. I see Carrington eye the movement before she looks right at me with nothing but disbelief written all over her face. Jessica may have stamped her claim on me, but I’m stamping mine on her too.
“Of course. I think I’m right in the second row,” Carrington says proudly, almost like she’s still posturing.
“Jessica, you’re front row. Right in the center.”
She smiles. “Perfect.”
We lock eyes and the conference center could be a burning inferno and we wouldn’t know it. The professional boundaries continue to thin. I feel it with every passing day.
“I look forward to hearing your keynote, Donovan. Nice to meet you, Jessica.” Carrington makes a quick getaway as the rest of the guests all start to shuffle into the room.
“Well… she was interesting…” Jessica murmurs.
“She isn’t anyone to be jealous about,” I tell her quickly. I’m many things, but I’ve never cheated, never dated more than one woman at a time, and don’t have a philandering bone in my body. And I want Jessica to know that Carrington isn’t anyone to me.
“I’m not jealous.” She huffs a fake laugh, but we both know the truth. Her cheeks tint as she pushes her glasses back on her nose, the cute movement now one of my favorite things about her.
“No? You sure came up quick. Thought you might be playing the role of bodyguard for a moment there? Maybe stamping your territory?” I’m teasing, and she knows it.
“Stop it!” She nudges me, and my grin widens. Too wide for the audience that filters around us. They don’t need to see my weakness, which she’s starting to become.
“I’m not complaining… I like you coming to my rescue.”
She looks back at me, surprised, and I squeeze my hand around her waist a little—as subtly as I can in a room full of businesspeople who are probably all watching us with interest. I wouldn’t know, since my eyes can’t leave Jessica for a second. Another bell rings and staff start to cajole people into the room.
“Mr. York, we’re ready for you now.” A young man comes up to us, and I nod, knowing I need to go out back and get ready.
“There’s reserved seating. I’ll meet you after,” I tell Jessica as I turn, button my suit jacket, and walk out the back with the team, ready to do this keynote and get the fuck out of here. I don’t want to miss another second of being around her, hearing her laugh, having her attention on me, feeling her body.
I’m officially going straight to hell.
My keynote lasted for an hour, and I fielded another hour of questions afterward. It was one of my best presentations. Probably because I had Jessica's complete attention, and it had me raptured. I spotted her immediately, sitting in the front row. Her eyes didn’t leave me as I delivered my predictions for the season ahead. Those around her furiously took notes, yet she watched me for the entire duration, never once looking away. That kind of attention affects a man. Makes me feel seen. Noticed. Important. Not by the crowd. But by her.
“That was amazing.” She grins from ear to ear as I step off the stage, and I can’t help my lips quirking upward.
“Sound quality okay?”
“Perfect.”
I bask in her approval.
“Okay, we should get out of here. We’ve already been here much longer than I anticipated.” I again place my hand on the small of her back and start to walk her out. This was meant to be a quick trip in and out of Lake Placid, but it takes us an entire hour to get out of the crowd, many people wanting to ask more questions of me, shaking my hand. Jessica also networks whenever I’m stopped, meeting more people, getting a gauge for the industry. It’s exhausting and frustrating when all I want to do is be with her, yet it’s part of the job and position I hold in the industry.
“So, no Jasper?” she says as we finally make our way down the quiet corridor toward the foyer, away from the scores of people.
“No.” I frown as I think. “The team from Jasper are always at these things. The fact that they aren’t here is somewhat unsettling.”
As we walk briskly to meet our driver and pilot at the front of the convention center, I glance out the large windows and stall. Fuck. It’s snowing heavily, and it looks like it has been for a while. Not completely unusual for November, yet the weather lately has been odd. This thick blanket of snow on the ground, with snow still falling quickly, while unusual, I’m learning to always expect the unexpected and with a pilot who’s overly cautious at the best of times, I know it isn’t looking good for us to depart in the jet today.
“Sir.”
I look to my left, seeing my pilot and driver both standing there, and I already know what they’re going to tell me. “We can’t get out?” I guess, and my pilot shakes his head.
“No. It's coming down too thick and too fast. Even if we could get off the ground, visibility isn’t great. The weather is too unpredictable at the moment.”
