“Yes, Mr. Canton,” his secretary answered.
“Do you still have the file for Kasey Wright?”
“Yes, of course,” she answered, the sound of papers frantically ruffling proved she was trying to locate the information.
“Great. Send Danny the address of her employer, and let me know when he’s ready to drive me over.”
“Yes, sir.”
Pacing his office, Jay wondered what he should say to Kasey, and if she would even give him any more of her time. The memory of her pink lips pursing together after informing him her time was money brought a smile to his face. He liked her sassiness, and looked forward to more banter with the woman he just couldn’t seem to figure out.
The thought of her lips did more than peak his professional interest, and he found himself adjusting his pants as he wondered how soft those lips were, and what her lip gloss tasted like.
“The car is downstairs, Mr. Canton,” the intercom sounded, snapping him from the explicit thoughts.
The ride over was longer than he’d expected, and for a second he thought Danny had the wrong address. The publishing house was even smaller than he imagined, located in a deserted strip mall. There wasn’t even a sign out front, and visitors would have to know what they were looking for to even find it.
Beneath the shock was a feeling of nostalgia, as Jay remembered his first commercial space for Passions Publishing. He and Mitchell had pooled their savings to get what they thought would make them an official company. It was barely larger than their two-bedroom apartment, and didn’t even have a bathroom. He shook his head remembering how they’d struck a deal with the manager of the adjacent Chinese restaurant so that they could use the restroom without ordering, something required of other patrons.
It was the poorest he’d ever been, but he had nothing but great memories from that time in his life. A time when he was trying to make it and become who he was today.
“Should I hang out here, or come back?” Danny asked, as he held the back door open.
“Just stay here. I shouldn’t be long,” he answered, hearing the strangeness of his unsure tone.
It was not common that he didn’t know what to expect, but walking into the rundown publishing house, he was anything but confident. Luckily, life had taught him how to hold his head high even when he didn’t know how things would go. Especially then.
Buttoning his suit jacket, he opened the front door to the publishing house, thinking to himself that it needed to be replaced years ago. A thin woman sat behind a gray desk, and from the look in her eyes, she would be happy to eat out of his hand.
Jay could tell when a woman was into him, impressed by the dressings that came along with success, and this woman was one of them.
“How are you today?” he asked, instantly bringing a rosy color to her cheeks as she fluttered with some papers.
“Hi,” she finally managed, brushing her frizzy red hair with timid fingers.
“I was looking for someone,” Jay began, when the office phone started ringing. Looking from the phone to Jay, the young girl seemed overwhelmed with two tasks. “Go ahead,” Jay encouraged her to answer the phone, clenching his teeth to hold in his laughter.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Jay glanced around the office, unimpressed by the upkeep. Even when he and Mitchell were first starting out, they made sure their office was presentable, regardless of how small it was. He couldn’t imagine how Kasey was closing deals in a place so uninviting.
Just then, a door opened behind Jay, prompting him to turn around, and there she was. Even more beautiful than he remembered, Kasey paused as she realized Jay was actually standing there in front of her.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, attempting to sound cold, though Jay detected the subtle excitement in her voice.
“I would like a few minutes of your time, but I came prepared,” he said, reaching into his suit jacket to retrieve five thousand dollars banded together crisply. “Your time being money and all.”
Looking to the receptionist, who appeared to be frozen in time, and then back to Jay in his tailored suit, Kasey reluctantly took the money from his hand before leading him into her meager office.
Following behind her, Jay finally let the grin spread across his face as he watched her hips sway with each step. She was wearing a form fitting navy dress, with beige stiletto heels. Her perfume was as alluring as the sway in her hips, and he inhaled her lavender and rose scent before readying himself for the inevitable ice wall she was sure to put between them.
He knew what he was walking into, and he’d come prepared for the challenge. Kasey Wright wanted to see that he was about more than money, and Jay Canton was prepared to do just that. Closing the door behind him, he followed Kasey to her bare wooden desk, where she sat the stack of money before crossing her legs and tilting her head, prompting him to begin.
It was show time.
Chapter 6
Kasey
Her office had never felt smaller than it did the minute Jay Canton stepped into the tiny space. A space Kasey had fought for after scoring her first New York Times Best Selling title. Careful not to alert him of her insecurity, Kasey took a deep breath before turning to face him, as she forced herself to display all the confidence her five foot four frame could project.
“Twenty minutes.” The words fell from her tongue, but Kasey was speaking with her eyes as she stared into his. He was projecting a casual demeanor, but she could sense he was a bit off kilter.
What had brought him to her office? She wondered as she watched him walk across the carpeted floor that desperately needed shampooing. He moved as if he owned the place, peeking through the dust covered vinyl blinds before turning his attention to her.
“I hadn’t heard from you since our meeting,” he began, but wanting to get back on the offensive, Kasey cut him off.
“I’m aware.”
“I wanted to see if you would be joining me at the Passions Publishing party. Well, the entire company will be there,” Jay said, quickly correcting himself when he heard what sounded like a date proposal leave his mouth.
“I’ve got a lot of work around the office,” Kasey lied, twirling her long hair around her index finger, as she always did when she was forced to tell less than the truth.
“It’s only a few hours. I just want you to see what the company is all about. It’s more than money and best seller lists, you know. We’re a family,” Jay moved around her desk, but with only two feet between them, Kasey could feel the magnetic pull. It was dangerous to think about how strongly she was drawn to this man offering her a lucrative position in his firm, a phenomenon she’d never experienced.
“Family, huh?” Kasey challenged.
She’d heard stories about Passion Publishing, and none of them would lead her to the word ‘family.’ Jay Canton was known to catapult writers into the stratosphere of fame without placing his name in in the spotlight, which was unexpected in the industry.
After their first meeting, Kasey had researched everything she could find on the mystery billionaire, and there was little to nothing about his personal life. Whoever ran his public relations team deserved a raise, because there were only a hand full of pictures, despite the numerous tabloid stories suggesting his association with models and A-list actresses.
“Come on, Kasey. It’s only a few hours. What’s the harm?” Jay asked bluntly, doubting her ability to turn him away.
“I’ll let you know, Mr. Canton,” Kasey crossed her arms, silently screaming her defiance.
Stepping back, Jay seemed to be reevaluating his approach before reaching into the interior pocket of his suit, revealing a white business card.
“Just think about it.” Laying the card on her desk, Jay looked into her big brown eyes with conviction.
“I will,” Kasey agreed.
“And just consider this, Kasey Wright,” Jay began, buttoning his suit jacket. “I came over here because I wasn’t willing to take no for a
n answer. I hope you don’t think this will fade. I won’t stop until you formally reject me. So, if that’s what you want to do, now is your time. Otherwise, you should get used to seeing me around.”
Kasey was dumbfounded by the audacity in the smirk that crept across his face. She knew he meant what he said, and would not be disappearing simply because she had yet to say yes. In her gut, she felt it best to formally turn him down. Her ego didn’t like the way he dared her to cancel the deal. She loved working for the small publishing house, but knew there were few options better than Passions Publishing for her career to go to the next level.
“I’ll think about it,” she reiterated, carefully collecting Jay’s business card from her laminate desk.
“It was nice to see you, Ms. Wright,” Jay nodded.
“Same to you, Mr. Canton. But wait,” she plucked a few hundred dollar bills from the stack of money he’d handed her, returning the banded bills. “I never overcharge,” she explained.
“I reject that, Ms. Wright. You’re worth every penny,” he nodded, before turning towards the door.
Kasey followed him out of the office, closing the door behind him before leaning against the frame for support.
Before she could think about it, she grabbed her bag, storming out of her office as she noted to Bianca, the red haired secretary who could never manage much at once, that she would be gone for the rest of the day.
It was a miracle she made it across town without rear ending anyone, because Kasey’s thoughts were in the clouds as she replayed every second she had shared with Jay on her way to the office where Nicole worked. Some things were best understood by girlfriends, and she had to get a second opinion on this man who was driving her crazy.
“What are you doing here? Is everything okay?” Nicole tried to hide her concern as she jumped up from her desk.
Kasey rarely showed up at her job unexpected, but this was an emergency as far as she was concerned. Without question, Nicole walked to the back office before returning to the reception area to let Kasey know she had an hour for a lunch break.
The two walked through the streets of downtown Saint Paul as Kasey revealed everything about Jay, starting from the random email she’d received from him the night they’d gone out for Mexican.
“And what do you think he wants from you?” Nicole asked, always the calm and collected of the two.
“I know he wants to make money together, and I don’t doubt that we can, but there’s something not right about him.”
“What do you mean? Does he make you uncomfortable?” Nicole asked with her perfectly arched eyebrows scrunching together.
“No, no. It’s not that, but the opposite. I do get intimidated by him, but more than anything, I feel I know him, like I could just tell him everything about my strategy and never worry about him using it against me.”
By the time they settled into an outdoor table at a bakery, Nicole was completely caught up. Sitting in a black iron chair, Kasey asked her best friend what she thought she should do.
“This seems like a great opportunity, Kase. You know it’s time for you to take another leap in your career. I’m sure you feel uncomfortable about it, but you’ve outgrown the firm. You’re too big of an agent to bring people to that shitty office.”
“I don’t bring clients to my office, Nicole.”
Nicole knew about her regular meetings at cafes and restaurants throughout the city. Her office was simply where she filed paperwork, but Kasey couldn’t see herself walking away from the company that had given her a shot when she had no proven success.
“You don’t owe them anything. You’ve been a great employee, and they’ve been rewarded handsomely. It’s time for you to spread your wings, and to do that you’re going to need more than a Facebook page.” Nicole appeared to have been sitting with these thoughts for a while, and Kasey needed to hear them.
“You’re not disloyal for seeing what else is out there, and all the man is asking is for you to see what his company has to offer. You don’t have to sign the contract that day, but maybe you’ll see how they do things at Passionate Publishing and want to make a change,” Nicole shrugged after her persuasive speech.
“It’s Passions Publishing,” Kasey giggled to herself before sipping her cappuccino.
Maybe Nicole was right. Jay was only trying to introduce her to how he did things, letting her in on the benefits his company could offer. But all she could think about was the way he looked at her— with hunger in his eyes and desire in his words.
Jay Canton made her feel like there was more between them, and it was a tension she found a bit unbearable. Kasey had never been a fan of delayed gratification, and instead, bit into her lollipops to discover what they were made of.
Jay was playing mysterious, and although she was intrigued, she couldn’t bring herself to confess that to her best friend. No, she would hold that card close to her chest until she was sure of what to do with it.
“Maybe you’re right. It is just a few hours,” Kasey finally relented, handing the cashier a few dollars to cover their bill before walking Nicole back to work.
“Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone.” It was the last thing Nicole said before entering her building, leaving Kasey with the remnants of her Burberry perfume.
It was time she faced the tension with Jay and found out what he really wanted from her. She just couldn’t decide if the company party was the right place to make it happen.
Chapter 7
Jay
It was a cool evening, and Passions Publishing had spared no expense, making its annual company celebration one to remember. Held on the first floor of the publishing house, there were round tables as far as the eye could see, each topped with white table cloths and full dinner settings. It was the cocktail hour that preceded the event, when Jay arrived to find Mitchell speaking sternly with one of the venders.
Glancing around, he felt proud of the turnout after weeks of planning by their event coordination team. Everything came to life just as they presented on storyboards when they first pitched the white theme. There were ice sculptures set up every few tables, and the white rose centerpieces were a nice touch, he thought.
Although he’d yet to hear from Kasey since bombarding her at her office, Jay was prepared in case she did show up, wearing his signature black Tom Ford suit tailored to fit his tall frame perfectly. As usual, his hair was slicked back, and a brilliant timepiece adorned his left wrist.
“Everything alright?” Jay asked Mitchell as the man he was speaking to walked away.
“Just technical issues—dimming the lights before your speech, that sort of thing,” he explained with a shrug of his shoulders.
Mitchell was never to be confused with the sexiness women associated with Jay, but he too was demanding second looks in his charcoal suit with matching tie. Everyone at Passions Publishing looked forward to the celebration event, where awards were given for the success achieved throughout the year. It was their prom, and the staff planned accordingly, looking their very best.
“I haven’t heard from Kasey since I went to her office,” Jay called out the elephant in the room, knowing his best friend must feel it was a misstep.
Mitchell had warned him that things with Kasey wouldn’t be easy, but he couldn’t resist trying things his way. What he’d planned to be a bold gesture she couldn’t refuse, had proven to be unsuccessful, since he’d not received so much as an email from her despite giving her full access to him, something he hardly ever did.
Jay was notoriously private, never giving out his personal contact information for business. He carried two business cards—one with the ways you could reach him through Passions Publishing, and the second with his personal cell and email. Kasey received the latter, a huge sign of openness from Jay, whether she knew it or not.
In the past day, he’d wondered if she still had his business card, right before he’d imagine her calling about the party. But she never called, so he figured
she’d thrown the card out, underestimating its value.
“You’re just going to have to use a different approach. She may not be a hard sale type of agent,” Mitchell assured, never for a moment doubting Jay’s ability to close a deal.
“Yeah. I told her I wouldn’t be giving up, so she should expect me back if she didn’t decline the offer,” Jay added with a smirk, remembering the look on her face. He couldn’t tell if she was intimidated by the fact that he’d showed up at her office unannounced, or thrilled. There was something electric between them, at least he felt so. Kasey, on the other hand, had done a great job at reserving her feelings. Jay prided himself on reading people, but searching her deep brown eyes had left him clueless.
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