At least one of us was happy. For now, that would have to do.
CHAPTER 24
CURTIS
Istared out my window while Faith cleaned up. I ran a hand through my hair, her scent lingering.
She’d captured my attention that day in the café, but so much was going on that I’d had to push it to the back of my mind. Then she’d lied and worked against me. But had she? Her confession about spying on me brought a tsunami of relief and something else, something I didn’t want to name that burned in my chest. No one other than my siblings and mother had my back the way Faith had today. When I thought back to most of my romantic relationships, someone was always using me for something. Faith’s honesty and ethics were unusual in this world—I’d felt a little less alone when she’d come clean. The way she explained it, that she wanted the truth, was her. And even when I thought I hated her, the attraction was undeniable. It had been a very long time since I’d felt the gut-punch of arousal I had with her, and I didn’t want to focus on what had happened last time.
Was I stupid? Had I left myself open to more rumors?
My father would say so. He was going to be livid if he found out I was…getting to knowFaith. I quickly checked in with myself to make sure I wasn’t doing this to spite him. Nope. As much as he’d make this about him, he had nothing to do with how I felt about Donut Girl. When everyone else was fucking me over—Victoria, my aunt, my father, the legal team—Faith was sacrificing so much by admitting to everything. She was the first person in this company during the whole losing-business debacle who had my back. She wasn’t asking anything in return. Which were a couple of reasons I was going to make her an offer I hoped she wouldn’t refuse.
The bathroom door opened, and she came out slowly, unsure. “I guess I’ll go pack up my desk. Then I’ll tell Stephanie what I discovered and that I told you everything, and hand in my resignation. Not that I probably need to hand one in, but whatever.” She flapped her hand adorably—it was just like her to make light of something that was going to have a profound effect on her.
“Don’t.”
She froze and stared at me. “What?”
“Hear me out for a minute.” I was about to do something that required absolute trust. It was a risk, but sometimes in life, the biggest risks led to the biggest rewards. I was neck-deep in shit anyway. This was the only answer. “I’m firing you from Knight Advertising, butIwant to hire you. Me, Curtis Knight. I have a project I need your help with, one that could save me from losing my job. But it’s top secret. We don’t have much time—just until Friday week—to finish a major campaign, just you and me. Do you think you’re up for it?” She stared, and her sweet mouth popped open into a smallO. “I’ll pay you whatever you’re getting now, and if we pull this off, you can have your marketing job back… if you want it.”
She frowned. It took everything in me not to reach out andgently smooth the worry from her forehead. My hands itched to touch her skin. Now I’d had a taste of her, there was no going back. But I might have to. My job was on the line. The reputation of Knight Advertising was on the line. I needed her help, and if I made the wrong move, this could all explode like a box of firecrackers at the mercy of a drunk pyromaniac.
Warily, she asked, “What’s the catch?” The irony wasn’t lost on me: She didn’t trust me, but she must’ve been through her own shit too. Maybe that’s why we understood each other.
“Nothing. We’ll draw up a contract. You’ll write it, to keep things clean. Just outlining what you’re doing for me, what you’re getting paid, that you’ll keep quiet about what we’re doing and what you found out about Victoria, and, finally, that I haven’t coerced you. As crazy as it sounds, I need your help. I can’t do this without you.” I ran a finger along the inside of my collar.
Please don’t say no.
Being vulnerable was new to me, as was asking for help. My father had trained his offspring to take on as much as we could and to rely on no one for the important things. Yes, being a CEO meant delegation, but he’d already blamed me for not having enough oversight where the lost accounts were concerned.
She hugged herself and stared at the ground for a moment. Maybe I should’ve ordered a box of donuts to help sway her. Finally, she looked up, her eyes clear, decisive. “Okay. I’ll help you. So, where’s the pen and paper?”
I grinned. Giving in to my impulse to hug her in celebration, I held out my arms and asked, “Do you mind?” She cocked her head to the side. “I’d like to seal the deal with a hug.”
“Mr. Knight, is that how you do business?” Her sassy tone and head cock let me know she wasn’t accusing me of being a sleaze.
“It is when it’s you.” Wow, I was really leaning into this getting-to-know-Faith thing.
She gave me a sassy smile and stepped into my embrace. “I’ll allow it.”
As she slid her arms around me, I rested my cheek against her head. The coconut-honey scent of whatever hair product she used was just as sweet as having her in my arms. I wasn’t quite sure what would come of this, but for the first time in ages, I had hope. And it had everything to do with the woman who came into my life in a smoosh of fried dough and sprinkles. If she could be brave in the face of adversity, so could I. There was no way I’d let her sacrifice her job in vain. She’d stepped up for me, and now I’d step up for both of us.
It was time for me to take back control of Knight Advertising and prove my father wrong. I deserved to be CEO, and Faith deserved to keep her job. And I was going to do everything to make that happen.
CHAPTER 25
FAITH
I’d requested a meeting with Stephanie so I could resign. I sat in front of her desk, my nerves pulled tighter than a strangulating Victorian corset. It was all I could do to stop my leg from bouncing. Curtis and I had discussed how to do this and give her as little information as was necessary. We didn’t want to tip anyone off as to what we did and didn’t know while we untangled the whole mess and discovered who, exactly, was targeting him. Yes, Victoria was suspect number one, but was anyone else working with her? And was her endgame to ruin Curtis or the company or both? And why?
Stephanie sat straight, her expression wary, as if she didn’t really want to know the answer to what she asked. “Have you got information for me?” Was it because she wanted her nephew to be cleared of all wrongdoing or the opposite? I didn’t think she wanted her nephew to fail—she didn’t give off that vibe. But herpart in all this amateur 007 stuff didn’t bode well. Why didn’t she trust Curtis?
Me resigning meant they might put someone else in to spy, but it didn’t matter anymore. Curtis and I were going to work from his penthouse from now until the end of next week. Whoever it was would never get a chance to do any damage. “I couldn’t find anything that pointed to Curtis being guilty of sloppy work or sabotage. There’s also no proof of him sexually harassing anyone. I’m not a professional, though, so take that as you will.”
The divots between her eyebrows smoothed. That was a good sign—she was relieved. “Are you sure?”
“As sure as I can be.” I crossed my fingers that Queen B would keep mum about me liking Curtis because it would undermine my “findings.” Curtis reasoned that his threat coupled with the fact that I was quitting would be enough to keep her mouth shut. She would think the problem of me had disappeared. Next Friday, Curtis was presenting our work to his mystery client—he would give me more information tonight… at his place. I ignored my vagina when she cheered at the news. The flutters in my stomach were for an entirely different reason. Less than two months ago, I’d been given the opportunity of a lifetime, and I was about to throw it away. Momster would be insufferable when she found out I’d lost yet another amazing job.
