Chapter 100 100
Mark leaned forward and set his elbows on his knees. “Look, Ms. Bennet...”
“Please. Call me Sherry.”
“Sherry. You have to understand that I run a company of two dozen employees. Our product has come to fruition so seamlessly because we’re a tight-knit group. Our company culture is immensely important. My worry is that a giant like BenTel will swallow us whole or dismantle us until there’s nothing left.”
“Let me assure you. We have no interest in dismantling your company. The dynamic of your team is crucial to your success. We will absolutely keep it intact.”
“How can you make promises like that? Isn’t your brother CEO? I’ve heard he can be ruthless.”
Justin shot her a sideways glance, as if to remind her that Adam’s reputation was of his own making, not Justin's, and he wasn’t wrong. Adam liked knowing that some people feared him.
“Actually, Adam’s business thinking is very much in-line with yours. He’s started two immensely successful and innovative companies from the ground up...” She stopped herself. One of those two ventures was the one Justin and Adam had started together, the very source of the rift that made everything such a mess. Her stomach sank. What must Justin think of what she’d just said? That she was hopelessly callous? She had to recover from her gaffe. “At the end of the day, whether your company is big or small, everyone wants to retain the dynamic that brought you success. Nobody wants to see someone else come in and dismantle what you’ve worked so hard for.”
Justin cleared his throat and Sherry felt horrible. Bringing up his history with Adam had been a mistake. She knew the last thing he wanted to talk about was the past.
__________
Justin and Sherry bid their goodbyes to Mark as he walked out to his car. The brisk air filtered into the foyer. With a quiet click, Justin closed the door. They were alone.
“Well? What did you think of Mark?” he asked, bending over to pick up a stray leaf that had been tracked into the house.
Sherry stifled a sigh of appreciation for his backside. The man knew how to work a pair of jeans. “I like him a lot. He seemed open to some of the things I suggested, so that’s good.” Considering where Sherry's mind had been that whole time, it was a wonder she’d been able to glean that much from the meeting.
“Good. Definitely good.” He nodded, holding the orange leaf by the stem as if he didn’t know what to do with it.
“Yep.”
The air was charged with anticipation. They both knew where this was going. But no one was doing anything about it. Should she throw herself at him? That was as close to formulating a plan as she could come.
“Pretty color.” She pointed to the foliar evidence of the weather, resorting to painful small talk.
Justin opened the door again and tossed the leaf outside. A new rush of cool air caused her to shudder. Perhaps it was nature’s way of punctuating the fact that this time, he didn’t merely close the door. He locked the deadbolt.
“Are you cold?” He dropped his chin, stepping closer, working his way into her psyche with an intense flash of his eyes. His hand gripped her elbow. Energy zipped along her spine.
Finally—touching. Nothing skin-to-skin yet, but at least someone had given in. Sherry was hyperaware of her breaths, her galloping heartbeat, the rotating sway of her body in his presence.
“I caught a chill. I’m okay.”
He smiled. “You’re so cute when you’re deflecting.”
“What do you mean?” Even perplexed, her heart flitted at the mention of cute.
“You’ll do anything you can to take any and all focus off of you.”
She twisted her lips, trying not to fixate on his—the swell, the color, the memory of the way it felt when they were on hers. Why wasn’t he kissing her again? Was he going to wait until she started things? Time was not on their side. They had to leave for Olkfield soon.
“If I do, I never noticed it. It must just be my personality.” She wished she could’ve come up with a sexy answer to the question, but there were too many urges to manage, like the one that told her she’d be a lot happier if he wasn’t wearing that sweater. Or those jeans.
“I just find it interesting sometimes. Your brother is the complete opposite.”
If Sherry knew anything, it was this—if he didn’t kiss her in the next two seconds, she would go off like a grenade with the pin pulled. “Let’s leave Adam out of this. In fact, let’s pretend he doesn’t even exist.”
“Are you flirting with me by describing my Utopia?”
His eyes toyed with her. He was reveling in every second of their game. Her mouth went dry. That kiss in the garage had left her wanting more. Wanting to end this weekend the right way.
“And what if I am?” She popped up on to her toes, gripping his shoulders to steady herself. “What if I did this?”
She closed her eyes and went for it—her lips met his, in a kiss that made it feel as if she was no longer standing. There was a millisecond of hesitation from him before his tongue sought hers. Every atom of her body celebrated in a chorus of delight and relief. She shifted her forearms up onto his shoulders, dug her fingers into the back of his thick hair. His lips— soft and warm and wet, became more eager, seeking her jaw and neck. His arms wound tightly around her, pulling her against him, nearly lifting her off her toes.
His hand snaked under the back of her sweater. His fingers fumbled with the bra clasp.
“Here. Let me,” she muttered. Now flat-footed, she lifted her sweater over her head then clutched it to her chest.
A flicker of appreciation crossed his face as he plucked the sweater from her hands and tossed it onto the foyer bench.
“God… Sherry,” he murmured. Leaning closer, he poked his finger under one of her black satin bra straps, popping it off her shoulder. “I don’t want to let you go.”
His words didn’t merely prompt a rapid wave of goose bumps—they were about to become a permanent feature of her complexion. She bit down on her lip. He had to let her go. She reached behind and unhooked her bra, but left it for him to take off.