Working It (21 page)

“I'd like you to reinstate Ms. Morrow, of course,”
he said, and Jade felt her heart stop. “It wasn't her idea…in fact, she vehemently protested getting involved with me because I was her client.”

“Obviously that didn't stop her,” Betsy added.

He turned his attention to Betsy. “It didn't stop either of us,” he said calmly. “Because I fell in love with her.”

Jade felt her heart start again with an explosion of speed.

He turned to her. “I'm sorry I wasn't here earlier,” he repeated, but she knew this had nothing to do with the map or his tardiness. “I want you to know you can count on me.”

“I do,” she said softly. “But I could've handled it on my own.”

“My point is, you don't have to. Not anymore.”

She felt her chest warm.

Dean cleared his throat again. The poor man sounded as though he had laryngitis. “Now, let me get this straight. You fell in love with one of our account executives…and you're willing to sign a contract if we keep her on? Am I getting that right?”

He looked at Betsy. “That's right. Although if you're so interested in ethical issues, I'd suggest you look into the ethics of getting someone's hotel bill. That's got my credit card information on it. Technically, there could be some other ethical and legal issues hovering around.”

Dean looked at Betsy, who immediately looked nauseous. “Oh, don't worry. We'll be going into that immediately after this meeting.”

Jade did a little internal dance at that announcement.

“Well. Then we don't get sued, Jade gets her job back, and that's all settled.” It sounded as though that
was what Dean had wanted all along. He brushed his hands together, as if washing his hands of the matter.

“Actually, there's just one more thing,” Jade said.

They all looked at her.

“I think that, having said all this, you won't need to sign anything, Drew,” she said, giving in to her instinct and taking his hand.

He smiled. “I won't?”

“Nope.” She smiled back. “I quit. I hear you've got an opening for a marketing person.”

He gave her a look of blank surprise… Then he grinned.

“Besides, I think I'd rather freelance, anyway.”

He leaned down, kissing her cheek. “Are you sure about this?” he whispered. “You went through the trouble of facing them…”

“Have you ever known me to walk away from a fight?”

He stood up straight, grinning. “In that case, I guess this meeting is over.”

 

L
ATER THAT NIGHT
they were in her apartment, in her bed, twined around each other. “I can't believe you came to help me,” she whispered against his chest.

“I can't believe you told them that you loved me, and that was your defense,” he said, pulling her on top of him and kissing her throat. “What happened to tough-as-nails Jade Morrow, the one who tells me I lead with my heart and my chin?”

“I guess you rubbed off on me,” she said, kissing him back. “I thought I had everything I wanted, going exactly the way I'd planned. Then I met you, and…well…”

“I know what you mean,” he said, nuzzling her. “I
thought I knew exactly what I wanted. I thought my whole life was Robson Steel. Until I got stuck with this incredibly sexy, incredibly
bossy
sales coach…”

“Bossy!” She wrapped her legs around him, grinning when he groaned. “I prefer the term ‘assertive.'”

“Assertive, then,” he said, lifting himself a little. She let out a soft gasp as he entered her, slowly, with maddening gentleness. “Anyway,” he continued, his voice a little tighter. “You turned my world upside down, Jade. You not only taught me how to save my plant—you taught me how to save myself. I never would have figured out what I was doing wrong until I burned out. Until I lost my plant and any chance at happiness in my life.”

She smiled down at him, even as her hips began to move in response to his gentle invasion. “I wasn't planning to do any of that,” she murmured, leaning down and kissing him, her lips brushing over his insistently. “I thought you were going to be just another job. I didn't think I'd fall in love with anyone. And I didn't think I'd fall for anybody who made me feel the way you do.”

He turned her over, flipping her gently to her back. “I don't expect you to stop working. That's part of what makes you what you are. But we're definitely going to put each other at the top of the priority list. Right?”

“Are you kidding?” She grinned at him, nipping at his shoulder. “Just
try
to ignore me and be a workaholic.”

He grinned back at her. “Same goes for you, lady. If you even try to work an eighty-hour week and leave me alone in bed…”

“No problem there,” she said as he wrapped his arms around her. “You're still my favorite client.”