Mr. CEO(6)

He’s sitting in the back of the room, watching me with an intense gaze that makes me feel like I’m sitting in a 120 degree sauna.

Jesus. Focus, Charlie!

I clear my throat and open my mouth to continue. But nothing comes out. My mind’s blank. I stand there for several moments, my heart pounding. I need to get myself together. The corner of Mr. CEO’s lips rise in an asymmetric grin as he stares at me. He’s affecting me, and he knows it. Suddenly, I’m pissed. My nerves shift and anger replaces them. Nothing’s going to stop me from acing this and proving to everyone that I’m damn good at what I do and that I’m worth it.

I tear my eyes away from him, trying to unscramble my thoughts. A few attendees shift in their seats. They’re probably thinking I’ve suddenly gone brain-dead.

I turn my back on the room and face the drawing board, pointing with the tiny light in the clicker at the projection screen. Even with my body breaking out into a cold sweat, I push forward, quickly thinking on my toes until I’m able to remember my presentation. “And so what we have here…” As I point my wand at the graph, my hands start to tremble.

“Is room for exponential growth,” I continue on smoothly with my presentation as if nothing happened, even though it feels like my heart is climbing up my throat. I get through the next few minutes, presenting data clearly and easily. By the time I’m done, I’m covered with a sheen of sweat. But I’m sure I’ve done a competent job.

“And we will grow our profit margin by nearly ninety percent,” I say, turning to face the room in conclusion. I smile brightly and signal to the announcer that I’m done. Looking at the large clock on the far back wall, I see I’ve hit the fifteen minute mark right on the dot. Perfect. “Thank you for having me.” The room bursts into a scattering of light applause. I beam with relief although I’m still hot as hell with anxiety. Both from the presentation and from him.

My nerves are still high, but I feel a slight sense of relief. I did it. It’s over, and other than that hiccup it went just as I planned. No thanks to Mr. CEO. I start to look his way but then stop. I’m not going to give him the satisfaction. He almost ruined my presentation.

I make my way back to my seat as the announcer walks up to introduce the next speaker, being careful again not to trip in my heels. That would be embarrassing as f*ck.

I wiggle my way through the row and back to my seat next to Eva. She’s looking at me with admiration as I sit down.

“See, what did I tell you?” she squeals in a hushed voice, pulling me into a soft embrace. “You did fantastic!”

“Thank you,” I whisper back. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”

Eva waves her hand as she releases me from our hug. “Nonsense. You had that in the bag before you even stepped foot on the stage. Hell, I wish I could speak like that in front of a large crowd. You’re a natural.”

“Job well done, Charlotte,” my new boss, Charles Hastings, chips in from behind me. I turn to face him with a grateful smile as he places a hand on my shoulder. Charles’s an older man in his forties with dark hair, greying at the temples, and a chiseled jawline that is beginning to lose its strength. He’s the type of man I’d be attracted to if I were into older guys. Or if I was about five years older, he definitely could get it. Except he doesn’t hold a candle to...

I try to push Mr. CEO out of my thoughts, but it doesn’t work. All I can see is his handsome face in my mind’s eye, his piercing gaze, his crisp suit and his full lips. All I can think about is how much I want to kiss them. Good God.

“Thank you, sir,” I say, trying to shake the man from my mind.

“No, thank you, Charlotte,” Charles tells me, patting me on the shoulder. “That was a wonderful presentation. You made our company look good.”

Seeing as how I was about to pass out from anxiety before taking the stage, I should be overjoyed that I’m getting such praise from my boss. But I can’t fight the urge to look over for the stranger.

My heart does a little jolt. His seat is empty. He’s gone.

I settle back in my seat feeling a pang of disappointment.

I try to focus on the next speaker as the slides change on the screen in front of us. But I can’t concentrate. I can’t shake the hold he has over me. And why? Why does he have such a strong effect on me?

I can’t tame the urge to look back over my shoulder. He’s not there. I swallow thickly and try to ignore all thoughts of him. I don’t even know his name.

But I want to. I’m woman enough to admit that I’m at least curious.





Chapter 5





Logan





“Why this one?” Trent asks me again. He’s been eyeing me since we sat down in the meeting room.

I settle back in the seat although it’s extremely uncomfortable and try to relax. I can’t wait to get out of here and take this damn jacket off. I feel restless now that I’ve made my decision. I have to wait and that’s something I’m not fond of. Patience has never been my strong suit. And I need this deal. I never need anything, but right now I do. Armcorp had better take my offer.

“It’s the best choice,” I answer simply, not giving anything away. He gives me a look laced with suspicion but closes his mouth and looks back down at the papers in front of him.