by B M Griffin
“Out sick. It sounded pretty bad, so it’s just going to be me today.”
Shayla had to give it to Charlotte for trying not to show her concern or worry, but she’d still caught the brief widening of Charlotte’s eyes, before she could school her features. “Well, please tell her I hope she feels better soon if you hear from her again. Are you sure you don’t need any assistance in her absence? I know what a big deal today is for the two of you.”
“There just isn’t enough time to get anyone else up to speed on our proposal. There’s no way I’m canceling at the last minute on this one. If I ruin West End’s reputation, we could be setting the groundwork for more fallout.”
“This is a pretty big deal, isn’t it?” It wasn’t a question. Charlotte was just making a statement. Shayla was certain it was simply an attempt at making conversation, but her words felt like a ton of bricks weighing on Shayla’s shoulders.
Shayla nodded, “Yes. It is.”
Charlotte gave her a warm smile and patted her on the shoulder. “Don’t worry. You’re going to nail it.”
“Thanks.”
Shayla quickly set up her laptop, before heading out front to see if the representatives from Hall Global had arrived. When she opened the door leading to the front of the office, she ran right into a brick wall. What the hell? She took a step back and looked up. The man in front of her might not be an actual brick wall, but he was certainly built like one, and he never budged when her body slammed into his. He stood about a foot taller than her, at about six foot five, and he was a mass of solid muscle with dark grey eyes and coal black hair. He stared down at Shayla for what felt like an eternity, and she could have sworn she was growing smaller under his scrutiny by the second.
After a lifetime of staring down at her, the man reached his hand out toward Shayla. Her instincts screamed inside of her and she quickly recoiled from his touch. She didn’t like men touching her, especially not the ones who could snap her like a twig. Nope. Not going to happen buddy. Keep your hands to yourself. She folded her arms in front of herself like a shield, while trying to gather herself enough to speak. She knew she shouldn’t be afraid, but there was something in his eyes that said he always got what he wanted; something scary.
“Sorry about that,” Shayla said, once she finally found her voice. She was surprised her voice came out as strong as it did, but grateful, nonetheless. She did not want to look weak right now. Not in front of this man.
He smiled and she had to admit he was damn handsome. She could imagine girls swooning over him with a smile like that, but it wasn’t going to work on her.
“No apology necessary.” The man smiled and held out his hand again, this time in a motion she recognized as him wanting to shake her hand. Shayla stared at it, looked up at him, and slowly moved to return the gesture and give him the requested handshake. “I’m Kevin Hall. It’s nice to meet you.”
Shayla’s eyes went wide with dread and understanding. Shit! She’d just ran smack into the CEO of Hall Global. She hadn’t even begun the pitch yet, and already she had fucked up. Great. “Mr. Hall, it’s great to meet you. I’m Shayla Hart. I was actually coming down to escort everyone to our conference room.”
“Call me Kevin.” He turned back and motioned toward two people standing behind him. Shayla couldn’t be sure how long the man and woman had been standing there. Most likely, they’d witnessed her entire awkward interaction with Mr. Kevin Hall. She was so screwed. “This is Jim Edwards and Sharon Mitchell.”
“Nice to meet you both,” Shayla said. She shook each of their hands, her nerves settling a bit; they were both kind enough to offer her a small smile. Surprisingly, none of them were staring at her scar. They all made perfect eye contact with her. Briefly, Shayla allowed herself to believe running the pitch independently might just work, until what transpired earlier slammed into her mind. Either way, she had a job to do; better to get it over with than to continue idly standing by wasting everyone’s time. “The conference room is all set up if the three of you would follow me.”
Shayla led them to the conference room and the three of them took a seat, and Kevin automatically placed himself at the head of the table.
“Would anyone like coffee or a beverage before I begin?” she asked.
Jim opened his mouth to speak, Kevin cut him off before he could utter his request. “Jim can see to that," he stated forcefully. Jim jerked his head towards his boss in surprise, clearly not happy about being chosen to serve the refreshments. “Pour the four of us a coffee, Jim.” Shayla felt a chill run through her. Kevin’s tone was different, like it was laced with power or something. Nothing like the kind tone he’d been using with her since their meeting. She thought she saw Jim grimace for a second, before he got up and poured the coffee and delivering them to the table. “Great,” Kevin said. “Now, we can get started. What have you got for us Shayla?”
Shayla quickly pulled up the presentation on her laptop. It was hooked up to a projector, so that everything was on display for Kevin and his team to see. Her hands were sweating; her heart was replaced by a giant hummingbird with its wings flapping rapidly against the inside of her chest. She knew that the presentation itself was great. Her and Megan’s marketing strategy would ensure the success of Hall’s new venture into the wine industry
The presentation took thirty minutes, she made it through all the speaking parts without forgetting anything, despite her sweaty hands and hummingbird heart. It helped that none of them had been staring at her; her confidence would have wavered if they had locked onto her scar. This was the reason she didn’t do the speaking. Jim and Sharon appeared to have been taking notes, but Kevin had not taken his eyes off of her the whole time. She’d noticed the three of them nodding a few times and decided it was a good sign. Kevin was smiling at her intensely, and even though it made her uncomfortable, she took it to be a good thing as well.
“Very impressive, Shayla,” Kevin said.
“Thank you. Megan and I worked very hard on this for you. She really wanted to be here, but the flu had other plans.”
“It happens to the best of us. Now, I’d like to get this implemented immediately. My legal team has already reviewed the contract you sent over last week and after your presentation, I am ready to sign.”
Jim and Sharon’s heads both shot back to look at their boss. The shock on their faces was evident. They had probably expected some kind of discussion to take place before signing on the dotted line. Shayla thought so too, after all, why would Kevin bring them along if he had no intentions of consulting with them before making a decision?
She pulled the file with the contract from her briefcase and confidently walked it over to Kevin. He took it from her with a smile. “Thank you.”
She smiled back at him as he opened the folder and began making quick work of signing all the papers. Shayla glanced at Jim and Sharon, catching the two glaring at her. What the fuck was that about? She understood they felt overlooked since being left out of the decision-making process to hire West End to market their new wine line. Why was their anger directed toward her? It was her job to get them to sign on as clients. Of course, glaring at their CEO might not bode well for their careers. They were annoyed and she accepted being their focus of disdain.
“Shayla, I need a few moments alone with my employees.” Kevin startled her out of her own thoughts, drawing her attention back to him and away from his pissed off employees. Looking back at Kevin, it was clear that Jim and Sharon were not the only two aggravated. Shayla was a little concerned to leave them unsupervised with Kevin. There was something wild in his eyes; definitely anger. He clearly didn’t appreciate Jim and Sharon’s obvious disapproval of his decision to sign right away. It was apparent he did not appreciate his decisions be questioned by his subordinates.
“Of course,” she answered him. “I’ll just be outside when you’re ready for me.”
Kevin smirked and Shayla heard what she thought was Jim making a disapproving sound under h
is breath. “Don’t worry. It won’t be long,” Kevin said firmly.
Shayla nodded and stepped into the hallway, shutting the door behind her. She tried not to listen, but when she heard a growl emanate from Kevin she couldn’t resist the urge.
“His scent is all over her,” one of them whispered forcefully. She was pretty sure it was Jim; he was definitely not happy. What the hell was he talking about?
“Are you suggesting I did not pick up on that?” That was Kevin; no doubt there.
“Of course not,” Jim’s voice no longer sounded as vial and angry. His voice hitched and Shayla thought he almost sounded scared. “It’s just…what if she’s a spy or something?”
“Are you a fucking idiot? Did you see her reaction to me? She’s not a spy, Jim, but she could be an asset. She could be our way to successfully infiltrating that pack. Taking them out once and for all.”
“He’s right,” Shayla heard Sharon’s voice for the first time since leaving the room. “His scent wouldn’t be so strong on her, if they weren’t close. I think this could work.”
“But,” Jim started, but Kevin cut him off.
“We’re doing this,” Kevin said. “I don’t need your approval; you will do what you’re told. Both of you. Do you understand?”
It was silent for a moment, then Kevin repeated, “I said, do you understand?” Shayla felt the same chill she had earlier. That strange sensation of power she’d sensed in Kevin’s tone earlier was back, and the uneasy feeling washed over her just as it had when he’d addressed Jim earlier.
“Yes, sir,” Jim and Sharon spoke in unison.
“Good,” Kevin said. “I expect this to be the only time we have to have this discussion.”
Shayla heard a chair sliding out from under the table and footsteps moving toward the door. She backed away and stood with her back to the wall across from the conference room door. The door opened and Kevin stood there. Their eyes locked and he smiled. “Thanks for that, Shayla. We’re good to go now.”
He stepped to the side to allow her to reenter the room, but he didn’t move far. When Shayla walked through the doorway, Kevin shut the door. He moved up beside her and placed his hand on the small of her back, coaxing her to move in a certain direction. Shayla immediately stiffened. No man had touched her like that since Eric…well, Adam had, but he didn’t count. She felt the anxiety attempting to build up inside of her. She squeezed her eyes shut and counted backwards from ten. She would not let her irrational fears ruin this for her and Megan. If she was being honest with herself, there was something about Kevin that did scare her a bit. This was just business, and she could keep herself in check for business. She had to. She couldn’t let Eric have any more control of her life.
Shayla wasn’t sure if Kevin had noticed the way she went stiff at his touch, or if he was just being polite, but he dropped his hand and pulled out a chair motioning for her to sit. He slid into the seat next to her and passed her the contract. “I’ve signed where requested. I’ll assume Megan is going to be out for a while as she recovers, but I am sure she won’t mind If I take you out to celebrate.
Shayla hadn’t been expecting that. She had attended working dinners with clients and Megan before. She got the impression this wasn’t really about work. Still, Shayla wasn’t about to damage relations between West End and Hall Global by turning down Kevin’s offer, so she painted on what she hoped was her best smile. “Sure. Will it be just the four of us?” She looked to Jim and Sharon.
“Actually, I’ve got a few more members of my team I’d like you to meet if that’s alright with you.”
“Of course,” Shayla agreed. If she was being honest, having more people present sounded better. She didn’t know if she could keep up the front that long knowing the disapproval from those two. She still didn’t understand their conversation from earlier What were they talking about? Who said stuff like that?
“Great,” Kevin said. He stood from his chair and held out a hand to help her out of her chair. “Dinner will be at my home at seven.” He handed her a card. “My personal cell is on there; I wrote my address on the back. Don’t hesitate to call me if you need help with directions.”
Shayla stared down at the card in her hand. His house? He wanted her to come to dinner at his house. She hadn't expected that. Maybe he was just more comfortable at home not getting followed around by admirers and such. She was sure he wanted to ensure their dinner was uninterrupted, so they’d be able to talk business. Yeah. That was probably it she assured herself, pushing all other thoughts to the back of her mind.
“Thank you, Mr. Ha…” Kevin narrowed his eyes at her and she corrected herself, “Thank you, Kevin. I’ll see you tonight at seven.”
Shayla shook Kevin’s hand, followed by Jim and Sharon’s, and walked the three of them out. She glanced at her watch. Too early for lunch, she thought. She needed a break after that pitch. It had been the most intense day she could remember and it was only ten in the morning. She made the decision to leave early to get some rest. One of the great things about being good at her job, was the increased flexibility. As long as the work got done and they kept their client's happy, management didn’t care about a timecard. Shayla never really took advantage of that perk of her job, but today she decided she would. A little rest would help her wrap her mind around Kevin Hall, and everything she’d witnessed and heard throughout that morning.
She sent an email to the department head, Donna Thompson, letting her know they’d landed the contract with Hall Global. Shayla made sure to copy Megan on the email. Knowing Megan, her friend was probably forcing herself to stay awake until she found things went. Shayla put her laptop along with a few files in her work bag and headed home. Rest would be good.
CHAPTER THREE
Adam
“Hey, Shayla, I’m going to hop into the shower, but I thought we could go out for dinner tonight? What do you think?”
Adam looked around, but he didn’t see Shayla anywhere in the main part of the house. Her car was out front, so he knew she was home. “Shayla?” He headed down the hall and popped into her bedroom. Shayla laid curled up on her side, a pillow clutched to her chest, with her hair splayed out over her face. She was sleeping so soundly. She’d fallen asleep on top of her comforter, so Adam grabbed an extra blanket and spread it over her, careful not to wake her up. He decided he would take a shower and order in her favorite Chinese food. Shayla never took naps, if she was sleeping in the middle of the day, he knew she was exhausted.
Adam made quick work of showering, threw on a pair of shorts, and went to check on Shayla. She was still in the exact same position before he showered. Unable to resist the urge to touch her, Adam reached out and brushed the hair away from her cheek. When he did, Shayla smiled and a content sigh escaped her lips. God, he wanted to kiss those lips badly. Instead, he bent down and placed a soft kiss on the top of her head and when she didn’t stir, he whispered, “I love you.”
Adam stood up, watching Shayla for a few more seconds, before heading to his room to grab his phone. He ordered their dinner and flipped on the T.V. waiting for the food to be delivered.
The knock at the door must have woken Shayla because Adam heard a loud “Shit!” come from her bedroom when he got up to answer the door.
“It’s just dinner, babe,” he hollered toward the back of the house. He could hear her moving around and cursing under her breath, while he paid the delivery guy. He set the food down on the table and headed back to Shayla’s room. He found her rummaging through her closet, frantically yanking outfits down then throwing them on the floor. “Shayla?”
Shayla finally noticed him standing there. “Oh, Adam, hey. Sorry, I’m just running late. I didn’t mean to sleep for so long.”
Adam leaned against the door jam and folded his arms over his chest as he continued watching her rifle through her wardrobe. “Late for what? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this concerned with what you were going to wear.”
A terrible thought
raced through Adam’s mind nearly taking his breath away. He stiffened and walked closer to Shayla, who was discarding her clothing on the floor. As she reached for the next outfit hanging in her closet, Adam reached out gently grabbed her wrist, “Wait. Are you going on a date or something?”
Shayla rolled her eyes at him. “No, I’m not going on a date.” Adam’s heart regained its normal rhythm, and he released Shayla’s arm while he started to relax again. “We signed a new contract today and the CEO invited me to dinner to meet more people from his team.”
“Just you? What about Megan?”
Shayla decided on an outfit, walked out of her closet, and started pulling off the clothes she’d been sleeping in. Adam quickly looked away not wanting to risk the image of her in her bra and panties going straight to his… “Megan was sick today,” Shayla said, “so I had to present the material on my own.”
That got his attention, distracting his wondering hormones. “Wait. That’s great. I mean, not that Megan is sick, but this is a pretty big deal for you.”
“Yeah, I know. Only now, I have to go to this big fancy dinner at the CEO of Hall Global’s home. I’ll be the only one there who doesn’t know anybody.”
“Wait. What did you say?” Adam moved directly in front of Shayla. No way he had heard her right.
“Yeah. The dinner is at Kevin Hall’s house. He doesn’t want to wait for Megan to get things rolling. He wants me to meet the rest of the people I will be working with on this project. To be honest, the guy is a little strange. Handsome, but strange. Something about him seemed off, but I kind of feel that way about most men, so maybe I’m just making it all up in my head.” Shayla rattled off her thoughts, as if she was alone in her room.
“Making what up?” Adam grabbed Shayla’s hand and waited for her to look at him. “Why do you think he seemed strange?” His eyes searching her wildly.
Shayla shrugged. “It was mostly the way he spoke to his employees. Sometimes his tone was, I don’t really know how to explain it, but it gave me chills, and not the good kind. I'm pretty sure I heard them talking about me, but what I heard didn’t make any sense. I was out in the hall and they had the door shut, so it is possible what I heard isn’t actually what they said.”
