The Unwilling Executive

by Miranda P. Charles

  Lucas held his breath, wondering what Jade was thinking.

  “Jade? Are you there?... Yes. Mr. Lucas Renner... Yes... Really? It’s right here on my calendar. It’s strange it’s not showing on yours... Thanks.”

  “She’ll be right with you in a second, Mr. Renner,” the receptionist said.

  “Thank you,” he said, glad his dad had managed to hide this appointment from Jade. He’d requested it so Jade couldn’t call in sick or something, just to avoid him.

  He felt her before he saw her. He turned to his left and saw Jade standing there. She looked as shocked as his mother had been earlier.

  “Hi,” he said, the word coming out like a sigh as his heart pounded hard.

  “Mr. Renner,” Jade said, clearly trying to sound unflustered. “I didn’t know Mr. Bilton was expecting you.”

  “He is. At eleven. But since he’s still on a phone call, I thought we could start discussing a few things,” he said, going for a professional tone even though all he wanted to do was take her in his arms and kiss her.

  “I see... Um...”

  “Meeting room one is free,” the helpful receptionist said. “I’ll inform Mr. Bilton— Oh wait. It looks like he’s off the phone. Shall I let him know—”

  “Yes, please, Ann,” Jade said hastily, to Lucas’ consternation.

  He stared at Jade while the receptionist spoke to his father. But Jade kept her gaze on Ann, refusing to look at him.

  God, he missed her.

  “Jade,” Ann said. “Mr. Bilton wants you to take Mr. Renner to his office. I’m to fix the refreshments so you can sit in on their meeting.”

  “Okay,” Jade said weakly. “Please follow me, Mr. Renner.”

  Lucas obeyed, hoping he didn’t just make her madder for springing this on her.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Jade walked as calmly as she could as she led Lucas to Thomas’ office. She had no idea what to expect, or what she’d do if Lucas started going off at Thomas. Surely he had no plans to do that?

  She glanced at him from the corner of her eye, only to avert her gaze quickly. He was looking right at her.

  “Jade,” he whispered.

  Her breathing almost stopped at the caressing tone of his voice.

  Ugh. Don’t be a fool, Jade Tully.

  She bet Mr. Fuck King didn’t even think about her while he was away. Well, she supposed she could thank him for breaking up with her first. At least he had the decency to do that.

  Thomas’ office door opened and she tried to swallow her nerves. She hoped this would be an amicable—

  “Lucas!” Thomas exclaimed in pleasure.

  “Hello, sir¸” Lucas said.

  To Jade’s utter shock the two men embraced.

  “When we get a few things sorted out, you can call me Dad in public,” Thomas said in a low but authoritative voice.

  “Ordering me around already, I see,” Lucas said dryly, humour lacing his tone.

  Thomas chuckled while Jade stood frozen.

  What the hell is going on?

  “Jade, sit in with us, please,” Thomas said warmly, gesturing for her to walk in first.

  “Do you mind if I have a minute alone with Jade before we start the meeting?” Lucas asked Thomas.

  “Oh, of course. How long do you need?”

  “I know you’re both busy so a couple of minutes would be fine, thank you.”

  “Well, I might go to the bathroom then,” Thomas said, walking away.

  “Jade...” Lucas said when Thomas had disappeared.

  “You’ve spoken with him,” she said softly, truly pleased at this surprising development.

  “Yes. And you were right. I believe him now, too.”

  She smiled. “I’m really glad, Lucas.”

  “Jade, this is not the time for the two of us to talk. But can I see you tonight, please? There’s so much I need to say to you.”

  “Sorry. I’m not free tonight.”

  Lucas took a deep breath. “Okay. Tomorrow?”

  She shook her head. For the last two weeks since Greg’s birthday, she’d been working on moving on from him. What she’d heard from his friends at the party, coupled with what he’d said when he’d unceremoniously dumped her, gave her a sense of closure. It didn’t make it any easier, nor did it lessen the pain, but it erased all perceptions of hope that she could have hung on to. It was evident that a future with him was highly unlikely.

  She was doing well despite her still-aching heart, so she wouldn’t do anything that might undo the fruits of her emotional hard work. She’d end up being too pathetic otherwise.

  “So when can we meet, Jade?” Lucas said.

  His beseeching tone made her look up into his eyes. There was plea in them and she felt herself start to melt—

  Don’t you fucking dare, Jade Tully!

  “Sorry, Lucas,” she said in a clear voice. “My calendar’s a bit full for social stuff.”

  “Jade, please. There’s a lot I need to explain.”

  “No need, Lucas,” she said with a wide smile. “And I’m so thrilled that you and Mr. Bilton have worked out your differences.”

  Lucas stared at her in consternation.

  “Does Ruby know?” she asked gently.

  “Yes. I told her this morning. I haven’t told her about your involvement yet, though. I thought we should do it together.”

  She nodded. That, she’d be happy to do.

  “So why do I need to sit in on this meeting?” she asked.

  “Dad’s very appreciative of your help. Since you didn’t know until a few minutes ago that the two of us have spoken, we thought you should join us. We’ll be discussing the man who’s been harassing Mum, and Dad planned to show me around here today. We’re not telling anyone yet that I’m his son, though. That won’t be until we finalise everything about this matter and catch the culprit.”

  “I hope you catch whoever’s responsible soon,” she said with feeling. “It’s reprehensible what they’ve done.”

  “Do you need more time?” Thomas interrupted, walking back into the room.

  “We’re fine, Mr. Bilton,” she answered, ignoring Lucas’ heavy sigh.

  *****

  Jade sat on the couch, staring at the phone in her hand.

  “Hey, that thing’s gonna melt if you don’t quit eyeballing it,” Lexie said.

  “Huh?” Jade asked, looking up at her friend.

  “Uh-oh,” Erin said, putting down her cup of ice cream. “Who texted you?”

  “It’s nothing,” Jade said with a little shake of the head.

  “It must be something then,” Cassie said knowingly. “Come on, share.”

  Jade sighed. “Lucas is back.”

  “And?” the three said in unison.

  She shrugged. “He wants to see me.”

  “Well, you know what to do,” Cassie said. “Text him back and tell him you’re busy.”

  “I’ve already told him that today.”

  “You’ve already spoken to him today?” Erin asked.

  Jade groaned silently. She really needed to talk to Lucas and Thomas about her NDA. Since things with father and son were starting to look promising, perhaps they wouldn’t mind if she told her friends?

  Not that she didn’t trust these three women to keep a secret. Apart from her family, there were no other people she trusted more. But it was out of respect for Lucas, Ruby and Thomas that she hadn’t breathed a word of their issues to anyone.

  So for now, she’d limited her stories around the fact that Lucas was Ruby’s son, and that they had a brief relationship which had ended because Lucas had said ‘they’d gone as far as they can’.

  She sniffed without meaning to. Damn it. That sentence still packed a punch.

  “What did you talk about today, Jade?” Lexie pressed softly.

  “He said there’s a lot he wants to explain.”

  “Like why he’s called Mr. Fuck King?” Cassie said sarcastically. “I still think he’s a cad f
or making you believe he’s so into you when all he was after was sex.”

  “And only telling you on the day he dumped you that he wasn’t looking for a relationship,” Erin reminded her. “To think that his mum sounds like a nice woman.”

  To Jade’s annoyance, her eyes watered.

  “Hey,” Erin said softly. “Remember you want us to keep telling you why it’s a bad idea to entertain thoughts of getting back together with him?”

  Jade nodded. Her friends meant well. “Don’t you think I should at least see why he’s being so persistent?” she couldn’t help asking. “What if he’s got something really important to say?”

  “Like what?”

  Like he missed her, like he was sorry, like...

  Ah, damn. She was in danger of regressing just from seeing him this morning.

  “You’re right,” she said with renewed determination. “He was very clear why he broke up with me. And those friends of his who call him Mr. Fuck King must know him much better than I do. If even they don’t believe that Lucas is the type to commit to one woman, what are the chances that I could make him? Minuscule—if that,” she said, answering her own question.

  “I think you should get straight back on the dating circuit,” Cassie said. “Don’t let this experience destroy the self-confidence you’ve just gained.”

  “You know what?” Erin said. “Not that I want you to relive painful memories, but I suppose you could at least thank Lucas for helping you break through your fear that you’re someone a man leaves after just one night. You were hardly home when you were seeing him.”

  Jade blushed, remembering their hot nights, often with multiple orgasms. Yes, she could thank Lucas for lifting her self-confidence in the sexual arena.

  But she’d honestly thought that the reason why sex with him was out of this world was because they also shared a strong emotional connection. Well, perhaps that had been the case with her. For his part, she guessed he was just great in bed—like many of his sexual partners could probably attest.

  “Why don’t you go out with Gordon?” Lexie asked. “He’s got the hots for you and doesn’t care who knows.”

  “Is this the new assistant manager in your marketing team?” Erin asked.

  “Yep. He’s really keen on Jade. He only just joined the company and he’s already clearly besotted with her.”

  Jade snorted. “I wouldn’t say asking me to go out for drinks is being clearly besotted.”

  “He wanders around your floor during working hours for no reason other than to see you,” Lexie said with a laugh. “He doesn’t even care what Mr. Bilton would think. For a man whose job isn’t secure yet, he sure has guts. I call that clearly besotted.”

  “How did you know he goes up to our floor?” Jade asked.

  “Because he told me. He knows I’m one of your best friends so he’s being extra friendly with me.”

  “Ooh, I say give the man a chance, Jade,” Erin said.

  “And give yourself a chance,” Cassie added. “Lucas was never the right man. Train your sights elsewhere.”

  “It’s too soon. I’m not ready. And I don’t want to be getting Gordon’s hopes up.”

  “Why don’t you start as friends?” Lexie said. “Make it clear to Gordon that you’re not ready for a relationship, but that you’re happy to enjoy lunches or coffees as friends. If you give yourself that opportunity, you just might find that he’s a decent guy and you wouldn’t mind dating him officially.”

  “Not to mention show Lucas you’re not sitting around moping because of him,” Cassie said. “His ego doesn’t deserve to be stroked like that.”

  “I guess you girls have a point,” Jade mused. She didn’t have anything to lose and much to gain.

  *****

  “Hi.”

  Jade’s heart raced before she even looked up. “Hi,” she said to Lucas. “Ann didn’t buzz to say that you’ve arrived.”

  “She said Mr. Bilton has instructed her to ask me to just walk in,” Lucas said.

  Her lips twitched. Ann was wandering about, and she knew Lucas was careful to call his father ‘Mr. Bilton’.

  It sounded strange now to hear him say that. The speed with which the relationship between the two had progressed was heartwarming.

  She picked up the phone to let Thomas know Lucas had arrived. But at that moment, the system signalled that Thomas got on the line.

  “It looks like he just called someone,” she said. “Do you mind waiting for a minute? He’s expecting you so I’m sure he won’t be long at all.”

  “Can I sit here, then?” Lucas asked, indicating to her visitor’s chair.

  “Of course,” she said. What else could she say?

  “Are you joining us for lunch?” Lucas asked.

  “No.”

  “Why not? Mr. Bilton invited you, right?”

  “He’s confirmed though that it’s not necessary for me to be there.”

  Lucas exhaled loudly. “Jade—”

  “I’d just rather get involved with business matters this time around, Lucas,” she said softly.

  There was that pleading look in his eyes again.

  Ugh. What did it mean?

  She looked down at her desk, pretending to fiddle with some papers. It was critical for her to get used to being around him without being affected. Thomas had confided that Lucas was seriously considering a role at Bilton Machineries, so it seemed she’d be seeing a lot of him at work from now on.

  “He’s off the phone now,” she said, seeing the indicator light next to her boss’s name disappear. “Just walk straight in.”

  “Why don’t you want to talk to me?” Lucas asked softly, his gaze troubled.

  “Because there’s no need, Lucas,” she said with a convincing smile.

  Lucas frowned, staring at her for a breathless moment. Then he got up and walked to his father’s office.

  Jade let out the breath she didn’t realise she was holding. Hopefully, Lucas would stop feeling guilty now. That was the only reason she could think of why he still persisted in wanting to see her. When he broke up with her, he obviously never anticipated that they’d bump into each other again, much less that he’d see her this frequently.

  It would probably give Lucas relief if she did agree to see him. Unfortunately, she still wasn’t strong enough to handle a personal conversation with him, especially when she was sure that all he wanted was to clear the air by explaining why he’d misled her. She didn’t want an apology or excuse. She just wanted him to keep his distance so she could heal.

  “Hey, Jade, are you ready for lunch?”

  She looked up and smiled at Gordon. He was right on time. “Yes,” she said, retrieving her purse from a drawer. When she stood up, Lucas and Thomas were walking out of Thomas’ office and looking at them curiously.

  “Hello, Mr. Bilton,” Gordon said.

  “Hello, Gordon,” Thomas replied. “I’ve noticed you come up here a few times. Is everything okay in your department?”

  “Yes, sir. I’m just up here to pick up Jade. I’m taking her to lunch.”

  “Oh. I see,” Thomas said. “Well, enjoy.”

  “Thank you, sir,” Jade and Gordon responded.

  “Who’s that with Mr. Bilton?” Gordon whispered when the two were out of earshot.

  “Lucas Renner. They’re working on some special project together.”

  “Oh, right. Are you ready to go?”

  “Yeah.”

  She pretended to tidy up her desk, taking as much time as she could, before walking to the lifts with Gordon. To her consternation, Lucas and Thomas were still waiting. There was no choice but to join them.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Lucas clenched and unclenched his fists repeatedly as he suffered the elevator ride to the ground floor in silence. He just got why Jade didn’t want to meet with him. She was going out with someone else.

  Okay. That was fine. No problem. No problem at all.

  Except that he wanted take this i
diot Gordon by the cuff and tell him to stay away from Jade.

  He took a long, deep, silent sigh. Were they sleeping together already?

  The thought made him want to punch something. Anything. Preferably the man who was exchanging a quiet conversation with the woman he couldn’t get out of his mind.

  The lift stopped and the doors started to open.

  “Enjoy your lunch, gentlemen,” Gordon said before putting his hand on the small of Jade’s back to escort her out.

  Thomas responded in kind, but all Lucas could do was glare at the couple walking ahead of them. Jade didn’t even look back.

  Thomas patted his shoulder. “I’m sorry.”

  He frowned at his father. “Did you know about them?”

  “No. This is the first time I’ve heard of it. Gordon’s the new assistant manager in marketing. I’ve noticed him come up to our floor a few times. I didn’t know it was because of Jade.”

  “Don’t you have a policy against shenanigans being carried out at work?” he asked, his tone demanding.

  “They were hardly shenanigans, Lucas,” Thomas said dryly. “And Jade’s work is not suffering. She’s doing a fantastic job.”

  “There should be something that stops employees consorting with each other,” he muttered. Oh, he knew he was being petulant. He just couldn’t help himself.

  Thomas chuckled. “If there were, you wouldn’t be able to keep chasing after Jade when you start working at the company.”

  Lucas blinked. Chase after Jade. Yes, that was exactly what he wanted to do.

  “What’s the most effective way of chasing after a woman?” he asked. He’d never had the inclination to do it before.

  “You’re asking the wrong person, son. The last woman I chased was my wife Diana. That was too long ago now. The only advice I can give you is persist.”

  Lucas nodded. He could do that. He’d wear Jade down until she agreed to see him again. He’d show her how special she was to him. How could he give up, when she was the only woman who’d managed to capture his heart?

  *****

  Lucas drummed his fingers on the counter, wondering what time Jade would turn up to get her flowers. Now would be the perfect time, since his mother was busy with a bridezilla, and he’d asked Fely—Ruby’s assistant—to go on an unscheduled lunch break.