“It’s whatever you want, Nick. But don’t let Annie bully you into anything,” Dev said.
Nick’s brow furrowed, his hand stalling. “Annie’s not a bully. Ican make my own decisions. I’d like to see the contract, and get more information on how to fund scholarships.”
“Of course, I didn’t mean—” Dev sputtered.
I put up my hand to stop them arguing. “I’ll get you both, Nick.”
Nick hesitated, glancing between me and Dev. “Great.”
“That’s the last thing I had, unless either of you have something else,” I said.
We wrapped the meeting and shook hands, Dev and I taking our boxes.
“I’ll walk you out, Nick,” Dev said.
“Actually, Annie, do you have a minute?” Nick said.
“Sure, of course.”
“Let me get that box for you,” he said, taking it and gesturing down the hall. “Your office this way?”
“Yeah. Third door on the right. I’m just going to stop in the restroom if you don’t mind.”
“I’ll wait for you in there.”
I was in a daze in the bathroom, turned on by his hand on me during the meeting and trying not to panic about the Goran Skate deal. Who was I to get between Nick and the community that raised him? I’d have to hope something else would come up soon for one of my other clients. But he wasn’t likely to get something that big again soon.
I steeled myself while washing my hands, bringing the Markham smile back.
“You wanted to talk?” I said breezily as I came back into my office.
“Close the door.”
His tone made me want to start cussing him out. Since when did he think he was the boss of me? But I was at work, and people didn’t know just how involved we’d been in the past. I needed to be the peak of professionalism. “Oh, sure!”
I closed the door and he stood, stalking toward me.
“Nick,” I hissed as he got closer, into my personal bubble, then holding my waist and putting me against the wall behind the door.
“Tell me to stop,” he rumbled, low. “Tell me you don’t want me close and I’ll stop.”
His hand landed next to my head. “Well?”
My chest heaved an adrenaline-charged breath. “What did you need to see me about?”
“Did you think more about my offer?”
Another ragged inhale from me. This was both hot and confusing. “Y-yes.”
“And?”
I straightened, drawing myself to my full height. He didn’t back down, and I wasn’t going to either. “I thought about it, and I think not.”
“Then you can say goodbye to that Goran Skate deal and your commission,” he said.
The evil eye has never burned out of me so hard in my life. My voice came out as a low growl. “You listen here, Nick Oberbeck. If you think you’re going to come into my office and extort me for sex, you can get the fuck out of here and off my client list.”
His dominant veneer was broken in a second. He shrank back, running a hand through his hair. “Fuck. That is extortion, isn’t it?”
