Page 31 of Hard Deal

“Busy day, huh?” he asked. “You still need to come by my office.”

“Yes, I’m busy. I’m not sure if I’ll have time.” She didn’t meet his eyes.

He scooted his chair closer until their knees touched under the table. Her hair was slicked back into one of those brain-tugging ponytails and tiny pearl studs dotted her ears. So prim.

“Make time,” he whispered. “Or do you want me to leave your soaking wet panties in your mail slot instead?”

Her head snapped up and she glared at him. “Stop it,” she mouthed.

“I can’t. I’ve been running it through my mind all weekend.” He pulled a Montblanc pen from the inside pocket of his suit jacket and pretended to make notes on her notepad.

I get hard thinking about it.

Between the small font and his naturally scratchy handwriting, no one would be able to see what he’d written. But she could. The muscles in her neck worked as she swallowed.

You need to hold up your end of the bargain, she wrote.

Friday night. Catching up with Dan and Jase. I’ll meet you after.

She smiled and nodded, her expression relieved.

Drinks at mine or yours?

She shook her head. No drinks. Just talking.

Fine. I’ll call you when I’m done. You can come over.

Something flickered in her eyes, an uncertainty, but then she nodded and dutifully scribbled over all their text, erasing the evidence.

His father started the meeting, droning on about their recent engagement scores and some challenges they were facing with staff retention. Caleb watched with a tightening in his jaw as his father unveiled the plans for the executive retreat, giving all credit to Jason. He brother stood cool and calm at the front of the room, but he avoided Caleb’s angry stare. No doubt Gerald was behind the surprise announcement, but his brother should’ve had the balls to say something. Give credit where credit was due.

The room nodded along while Gerald ran through the purpose of the event, and outlined all the benefits they were hoping to achieve. Caleb scratched his pen back and forth along the notepad in front of him, bearing down on the paper until the nib pushed through sheet after sheet. Fuck both of them for stealing his work and passing it off as their own. All the positive noises and comments from the management team were like a swarm of beetles over his skin.

He replaced the cap on his pen and tucked it into his jacket, about to shove back his chair and get the hell out of the room. But a hand stopped him. Imogen’s palm came to his thigh, a gentle command to sit still. The gesture was completely shielded by the large wooden table. They were sitting close, since the room was packed, so unless someone looked under the table, they wouldn’t notice a thing. Caleb looked over at her, and the sympathetic gaze socked him in the chest. She’d been in Gerald’s office that morning. She’d heard the argument and knew it was his work.

“Don’t go,” she mouthed.

Her palm burned through the wool of his suit pants—though he wasn’t sure whether it was because she cared enough to stop him storming out or simply because she was touching him. As Gerald droned on about how they were committed to increasing staff retention at all levels—giving no mention to his concern about pandering—Caleb grew increasingly frustrated.

Imogen’s fingers bit into his thigh when he moved, so he stayed. She wanted to distract him? Fine. He curled his hand over hers and pulled her palm farther up his leg. She didn’t resist. Her fingers burned a trail up the seam in his pants and his cock hardened in an instant.

Caleb let Imogen’s hand go, wanting to see what she would do. She swivelled in her chair, angling herself toward him as if wanting to discuss something.

She pushed her notepad toward his, moving her body closer and sliding her hand farther up his thigh. The tip of one of her fingers brushed the edge of his cock and he was filled with electric excitement. Was she really going to touch him like that in the middle of a management meeting?

“I think the retreat is a wonderful idea,” she said, her voice smooth and calm. The discussion going on in the room almost swallowed her softly spoken words and her fingers brushed over the aching head of his cock again, this time more boldly. “It’s so important to show people how much they’re appreciated.”

“You don’t think it sounds like a waste of money?” he asked.

She shot him a look. “Not at all. In fact, I think getting out of the office really helps people to connect.”

This time she squeezed him and he had to stifle a moan. What kind of awesome, kinky alternate universe had he landed in?

“That’s quite a stroke of genius,” he said, gritting his teeth.

“Sometimes you have to coax people out of their shells.” Her cheeks had flushed pink and she worked him up and down through his pants, the strokes short and subtle so it wouldn’t be obvious to anyone who looked in their direction. But her grip was firm and he was so hard he risked busting his fly.

“That only works if things are out in the open,” he said. “Easier to address the issue that way rather than trying to do things behind closed doors.”

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