Only One Touch (Only One #4) - Natasha Madison Page 0,8
what you are saying,” Becca says, setting down her champagne glass, “is that my stocks in my company are going to go up if you take me as your agent?” I stop in my tracks and watch as the rookie smirks at her.
“Yes,” he says. “I’m up and coming, and if everything goes according to plan, I’ll be in demand.” I hold my breath.
“Let me just fill you in on something,” she says, turning so she can see him face-to-face. “My stock is already skyrocketing, and it has nothing to do with you or whatever you think you bring to the table. Which, as of right now, are only empty promises,” she tells him.
He opens his mouth to speak when she puts up her hand. “Furthermore, I’m going to let you in on a little secret. Deflate that ego of yours just a bit more because, in one shift, you can be yesterday’s news. With that said, I think I’m going to pass on the offer to be your agent.” She turns around, leaving David with his mouth hanging open as she picks up her glass of champagne and drains it.
“Well, then,” he says, getting up, “good talking to you.”
She smiles at him, and I step up before she chews him up and spits him back out. “Hey,” I say, walking up. Becca looks up at me, and I have to say I don’t think I’ve ever noticed how beautiful she is. Her green eyes are almost the color of an emerald. “Becca,” I say, sitting in the chair in front of her. “David,” I say, and he nods at me before walking away. “That was …” I say, shaking my head. “I think he’s going to cry.”
She rolls her eyes. “You would not believe the shit he said,” she says and smiles at the waiter who replaces her empty glass with a full one. “Thank you.” I see that her eyes lighten up just a touch when she smiles. “You think I was too hard on him?”
I’ve known Becca ever since I became the owner and showed up at her first meeting with us. We’ve gone toe-to-toe before, and we can both be cutthroat for the people we believe in. Usually, we are on the same page, and even though we’ve disagreed, we’ve always stayed professional. “He needed that,” I say of David. “His numbers lead him to believe he’s invincible on the ice, and that can be dangerous.”
“Well, you know what they say. The higher up you are, the harder you fall,” she says. “Sorry.” Shaking her head, she leans forward, and I see lace under her jacket. And for the first time in I don’t know how long, I find I’m interested in seeing what else is under her jacket. “It’s been a day.”
“Don’t I know it,” I say and put my hand up for the waiter. When he comes over, I order a beer.
“Whoa,” she says, and I look at her.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you drink at an event,” she says, and I lean back in my chair. “Usually, it’s a bottle of water.”
“I’ve spent a whole week going over my budget,” I say. She leans forward, and I smell citrus.
“You don’t need a beer,” she says. “You need a bottle of scotch.”
I laugh, knowing she’s right. “I’ve never heard you laugh.”
“That’s because every time I sit down with you, I feel you squeeze …” I’m about to say my balls, but something stops me. “My neck.”
Her laughter sends shivers up my arms. “Oh, come on. It’s not that bad.” She drinks more of her champagne, and I wonder if her lips taste sweet. It’s only when I have that thought do I stop staring at her. Where the fuck is all this coming from? I’m afraid to say anything with the direction of my thoughts. “I let you win sometimes.” She hides her smile with her champagne glass.
“Sometimes.” I shake my head, hoping to clear out the idea of her naked in front of me. “And then sometimes …”
“And sometimes it feels like I’m kicking you in the ass.” She tilts her head slightly to the side, smiles, and then shrugs. “It might be why I’m good at my job.”
“Without a doubt,” I say. “I’ve sat with many agents.” I grab the beer bottle and bring it to my lips, taking a pull before I choose my next words. The coldness of the beer hits my tongue.