On My Knees - J. Kenner Page 0,41
that I think I might just die if I can’t lay you out on the bed and have my way with you right now.”
“Oh.” A wonderfully sensual tremor rolls through me. “Well, in that case, who am I to stop a man with a plan?”
twelve
“I have to be honest, Damien. I’m not thrilled with any of them. But I’m definitely vetoing Glau.”
“Are you?” He lifts a single brow, obviously amused.
We’re in the sitting area of his office, with me on the small sofa and Damien in a chair across a low coffee table from me. I’ve put together files of every possible architect for the Cortez project, and I’m holding them in my lap, ready to run through each candidate’s pros and cons. Now I lean forward and put the stack on the table, then sit back and cross my legs, hoping I look more confident and in control than I feel.
“Yes, Mr. Stark,” I say firmly. “I am.”
“Mr. Stark,” he repeats. He stands up and moves to the bar across the room. “I was wondering how pissed off you were. I guess now I know.”
I don’t try to deny it. I routinely call him Mr. Stark when I’m working his desk or when we’re with other people. But I’ve gotten so close to Nikki that formality feels awkward when I’m not in the role of his assistant. So yes, the fact that I called him Mr. Stark just now is my passive-aggressive way of telling him that as far as I’m concerned he’s making a huge mistake by cutting Jackson from the project.
He pours himself a shot of scotch, neat. “Care for one?”
I glance at my watch. It’s a quarter to five, and I figure that’s good enough. “Hell, yes.”
He chuckles, then returns with a glass for each of us. “I take it we’re not drinking to Martin Glau?”
“I mean it, Damien. I’ve spent days staring at his concept sketches and they’re just not up to snuff. You vetoed my choice without asking for my input despite the fact that I’m the project manager—”
“I just thought what with me owning the company and all …”
“No,” I say, the words spilling out before I can censor myself. “That’s not what you were thinking and we both know it. Shit.” I lift the glass and take a long drink. “Sorry. Apparently I’m in the mood today to commit career suicide. All I’m saying is that you don’t want Jackson and I don’t want Glau. So there you go.”
I take another sip of the drink and try to look as calm and composed as possible despite the fact that inside my head I am running a steady stream of fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck.
For a moment, Damien says nothing, and I wonder who in town might be hiring and whether or not Aiden will write me a good letter of recommendation. Over the years I’ve learned to read Damien pretty well. Right now, I don’t have a clue what he’s thinking.
And that’s really not a good sign.
“Listen, I’m sorry. This whole thing is a sore spot and I know that, and I shouldn’t have said anything.” I stand and start to gather the files. “I’ll ask Rachel to squeeze me onto your calendar tomorrow. Or I can come by the house over the weekend. I just think that now’s not the right time and—”
“Sit.”
I hesitate, then comply. But I keep the files in my lap in case a quick escape is called for.
“So if Glau is out, who does that leave us with?”
I tilt my head a bit. “Really?”
“You say he’s not up to snuff, then I believe you. So who should we consider?”
I’m tempted to tell him that no one even comes close to Jackson, but I don’t want to upset this shaky detente. “Phillip Traynor’s work is quite interesting.” I open the top folder and pull out a photograph of a hotel in Prague that put Traynor on the map three years ago.
I’ve loved and studied architecture my whole life, and next to Jackson, I think Traynor is one of the most talented architects working today. Even so, as far as I’m concerned, he’s sloppy seconds.
Still, I’m in cooperation-mode, and so I pass the picture and the folder to Damien, who studies my notes as I continue speaking. “He’s done a number of hotels, so he understands the travel and entertainment aspects. But he’s never worked on an all-out resort, so I think the project would intrigue him.”
“Looks promising. What’s