Chapter 4

Jax I stared at the board of directors in shock. The expressions of all their faces were stoic. I wanted to pretend that this was nothing but a really shitty joke. I shook my head.

“You can’t do this,” I said. My words were in no way an affirmation. Because I knew these men had the right to do almost whatever they wanted. No. It was a plea.

All of them, all seven of them sighed, in sync. Then Ben, the one who had been their spokesperson since this sham of a meeting had started, cleared his throat to speak. “Jax, there is no denying that you’re hard-working. We’ve seen firsthand the impact you’ve had with all the projects and investments that have been going on. The thing is—”

I didn’t let him finish. I already knew where exactly he was heading with the speech and I knew I was not going to have any other opportunity to talk for myself at all. “What, Ben? With all due respect, I don’t fucking get it. You’ve said I have had a lot of impact, so why are you trying to hang a noose over my neck?”

I was trying not to blow a fuse. I respected each and every one of the men present. And I didn’t want to do or say anything that would make them see me as nothing but a petulant kid. They had been with my dad since he had the idea to start this company and each of them had helped bring the company to where it was. We would be nothing without them and I knew that.

“Jax, the problem is, we need to know you’re stable. We need to know something will keep you here. And that you won’t do the same thing your dad did,” Ben responded. His tone was quiet.

I sighed. I knew that their fears were actually grounded. After all, my dad had resigned early last year and gone away. Apparently, he was tired and needed some sort of escape. I understood my dad. But I also hated the fact that he had run away from a lot of his responsibilities. According to the board of directors, they were scared that I would do the same thing he had done. So, they needed to know that I had something that would ground me. And their only solution was me getting married, or at least getting engaged.

“Nothing would have stopped dad from leaving, Ben. We both know that,” I said. My dad and I were very much alike, and I knew that was the reason they wanted this ‘extra security’. He had wanted to leave, he had felt stifled, and even if he had a newborn baby here, he would have left eventually. My dad could be very selfish sometimes.

“You never know son.”

I sighed, knowing the conversation was over. I felt like bashing something into the wall. Taking over the company after my dad had been my dream since I was just a kid. I had contributed so much, given so much. And now I was being presented an ultimatum.

“Are we done here gentlemen?” I asked. My question was clearly a rhetorical one because either way, I was leaving. But as soon as Landon nodded, I picked my shit up and walked out of the boardroom. I thought of going to lunch immediately, but I decided to see what was going on with all the recruitments that day.

“Mr. Coleman!” One of the employees said when she spotted me. If there was one thing I absolutely hated, it was people fawning over me. And with the meeting with the board of directors that had gone terribly awry, my mood was not the best.

“How many people to go?” I asked her shortly, not bothering to respond to her greeting.

“Just about five more, sir.”

I looked around then walked over to the elevator. I was too pissed to properly concentrate. So, staying there would be useless. I would probably end up making some employee burst into tears.

I got into the elevator and pushed the button, tapping my fingers and willing it to go faster than it was already. I pulled out my phone to pass the time, but the battery was dead. So, I angled myself towards the only other person in the elevator and decided to observe her.

Fuck, she was beautiful. And I wasn’t exaggerating shit. Her long braids, tied into a bun with two stray hanging in the front of her face, framed her face perfectly, and the movement of her lips was hypnotic. It took me some time to concentrate and start listening to whatever she was saying.

“I know I shouldn’t. But damn, I need the money so bad. The bank is on my neck and I don’t know what to do. I promised them regular deposits from next month and I don’t know where I’m going to conjure $20,000 to give these people.”

I stopped pretending like whatever was on my phone interested me and continued listening to her. She was clearly one of the people who had come to apply for a job and from the look of things, she had not gotten it. What if… No! I shook my head as if to get rid of the idea.

I knew I was being rude standing there, listening to her conversation, but I couldn’t stop myself. She and her story were weirdly fascinating. The thought I had tried to banish came into my mind again, unbidden.

I noticed she had stopped talking and was staring at me with a frightened look on her face. She was blushing. It was becoming I couldn’t lie, just as I couldn’t stop the indecent thoughts that coursed through my mind.

“We aren’t on the first floor yet?” she asked.

“Soon,” was all I said, knowing just how creepy I could come across as. I just wanted to know how she would react to that. She swallowed, and the movement of her delicate throat was some kind of strange fascination. I couldn’t explain it.

“I have a gun and I am not afraid to use it,” she said, and I fought the urge to laugh. Her intimidating expression didn’t scare me. It was more on the adorable side.

I settled for a chuckle that made her lift her brow.

“I’m serious. If you look at me the wrong way or even try to touch me, I’ll shoot. And I’ll plead self-defense in court.”

“From what I heard, it sounds like you wouldn’t have enough funds to get yourself a lawyer.”

I felt like an asshole for saying that, and even more of one when the expression on her face fell. But my mission wasn’t to push her away. The thought I had been trying to banish from my mind came back with a potency. So, I quickly threw my point across before she could slap me and before the elevator stopped and helped her escape me.

“But that is not what I want to discuss with you. I heard you say you need money, and I need a favor from you. So, I have a proposal that would satisfy the both of us. How about lunch on me?”

I could see by the look on her face that she was contemplating it. Whatever trouble she had gotten herself into that needed so much money to fix must really be serious. I thought the first thing she would do was throw my offer in my face and maybe throw in a slap for good measure, with how sassy she had reacted to me staring at her. But here she was, contemplating an offer that I couldn’t even get myself to think of.

“Are you going to stop staring at me if I accept? And are we finally going to get off?” she asked, biting her lip.

My face got serious. I was many things, but I wasn’t a predator. And I was in no habit of forcing people to do what they didn’t want. And that was exactly what I told her.

I watched as she bit her lip again. I had the urge to pull that bruised and bitten bottom lip out of her mouth and rub it gently with my fingers to soothe it.

“Before I agree to anything, I have terms,” she said boldly. But I knew from the quickening of her pulse that she felt anything but bold in that instant. And I didn’t want to frighten her any further.

“Of course. I’m listening.”

“One, you tell me your name. And two, if I feel uncomfortable at any moment during this ‘lunch’,” she started, placing finger quotes around the word lunch, “I leave. Do we have a deal?”

I sent my hand forward, letting my lips slide into a slow smirk. Those weren’t going to be hard to fulfill.

“We have a deal.”

She shook my hand with a shockingly strong grip. I tried not to let my surprise show on my face.

“Your name?” she prompted, raising a brow.

“Jax. Jax Coleman at your service, nice to meet you.”

I enjoyed the slack look that took over her whole face as I told her my name. Apart from fumbled apologies, and unnecessary flattery, this had to be the best reaction I had ever gotten from anyone upon telling them my name.

To be fair, she handled it amazingly. She didn’t spit out the legendary “oh my God, you’re the Jax Coleman?” Just shook my hand and pulled it back before the handshake became too long that it could be considered awkward.

“I don’t think it would be fair if I didn’t get your name, would it?” I prompted, raising a brow.

“Oh!” she exclaimed in the most adorable way possible. I frowned a little at my thoughts but continued to stare at her expectantly. “I’m Reine Graham. Nice to meet you.”

For the first time since I had gotten into the elevator, she looked straight at me, so our eyes met. It was almost like we were caught in a trance. I found myself strangely incapable of moving and it seemed like she couldn’t as well.

The elevator doors chose that moment to open, revealing a bunch of people who wanted to get on as well. The spell was broken, but I held on to Reine’s hand and led her out of the elevator. I was still paranoid that she was going to run as soon as my eyes left her, even though she had agreed to the lunch.

“Do you have a car?” I asked as we were walking outside.

“No,” she said, and my almost immediate reply was “Good.”

Reine looked up at me sharply, and I chuckled. “You can send a text to your friend telling them who you’re with and where exactly you’re going. I don’t mind. I have no interest in kidnapping you.”

Reine blushed and that was it. She didn’t say a word. I found it kind of strange that she didn’t speak up for herself, but I chalked it up to the fact that she was shy. I opened the car door for her and watched her get in appreciatively, then I went to the other side and got in as well.

“What job did you come to apply for?” I asked, my eyes on the road as I was driving.

She was too distracting; I wasn’t sure I would be able to concentrate on the road if I stared at her. So, I preferred to just avoid that option.

“Human Resource Manager,” she said quietly. I whistled lowly. Requirements were tight on that particular vacancy, I knew that. But I didn’t say a word. It was going to be insensitive.

“What did you want us to discuss?” Reine asked suddenly. I was surprised she could even talk without being prompted physically, emotionally, or verbally.

“We are not at lunch, are we?”

She sighed and I chuckled.

“It’ll save you gas money if you just tell me whatever you have on your mind.”

I chuckled again.

“I didn’t complain about gas money.”

She was quiet for the rest of the ride, which made me lose myself in my thoughts again. I wondered if all this was a good idea. If I was not just being very impulsive and this with a girl I didn’t even know.

I threw a glance at her and she was staring out of the window wistfully. I wanted to ask her what she was thinking about, but it wasn’t my place.

Then I wondered if she would throw her drink in my face when I told her what was on my mind.