She blushed and handed him the documents, hoping her distress hadn’t shown.
“Thanks.” Jonas stood, his handsome face as enigmatic as ever. “I know I don’t need to remind you we have a budget meeting at eight tomorrow morning concerning Davis’ yields for Surell.”
Damn it all to hell. I’ll be here all night.
“You do know he’s been angling for your job since you took the position.” Jonas grinned. “Of course, that’s not all he’s been angling for. But you’ve shown yourself a woman of good taste, so enough said.”
Tessa rolled her eyes, a small chuckle escaping at Jonas’ familiar, if bad, sense of humour. Shaking her head, she gifted him with a grin and was surprised to see a flash of emotion light his eyes. Then he blinked, making her question what she thought she’d seen.
“Get cracking, Amazon,” he teased. “And I’ll make sure to keep Storm busy and out of your way.”
She stared at Jonas carefully and sighed. He was perfectly normal. No, I’m the one with issues, and an incredibly massive ego. Now everyone I see either has it in for me or has the hots for me.
“Thanks.” She put effort into appearing pleasant, driven—the ideal employee.
He left, shutting the door behind him, leaving Tessa alone with a mountain of work and relentless thoughts about Marcus Storm, the idiot she was falling head over heels for.
Scowling at the computer, and at rumours she’d heard this morning about Marcus in a meeting with Sheila Covington, the woman so infatuated with him she’d lied about sleeping with him, Tessa forced herself to focus on work. If she didn’t get started, she’d never leave.
Five hours later, after straightening her old accounts, she found the time to lightly peruse the two new ones. She had a feeling Ryders would turn a bigger profit than Portlin Papers, but under Marcus’ touch anything was possible.
The door suddenly opened without warning. “You done for the evening?” asked the man on her mind. He stared down at her with an upturned brow, the one that said bow before royalty. Recalling how she’d bowed before him three nights ago and made him beg for it, she stared back.
“By the Light,” he muttered and entered her office. He sat and casually crossed an ankle over his knee, his Armani suit as pressed as if he’d just taken if off the hanger. “It’s seven o’clock, and we’re expected at home.”
Judy stuck her head in the doorway. “Tessa—oh, Marcus, you’re still here,” she said on a breath, her stern expression easing into one of girlish pleasure.
Apparently, Judy heard the disgust in Tessa’s subtle huff for she frowned. “Is something wrong? You did send Marcus the staff he requested, didn’t you, Tessa?”
Tessa could only stare in astonishment as the once firm, professional advertising executive cooed and fluttered over Marcus like a mother hen. Where was the woman who’d agreed that business concerns mattered more than charm?
“No worries, Judy,” Marcus answered easily, amusement swimming in his eyes. “Tessa’s been helping as much as she’s able, but she doesn’t hold a candle to you.” He winked in her direction, and Tessa felt a slow burn begin to heat.
Judy all but melted. “Okay, well…” She cleared her throat. “Oh, and I talked to Mr. Conklin about raising your expense account. You’ll be seeing an increase tomorrow.”
Tessa stared at Judy in amazement. “Judy? Are you alright?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?” Her head titled at a stiff angle, her posture defensive even as she leant towards Marcus.
“It’s just that,” Tessa couldn’t finish. Just that you used to dislike Marcus as much as I did. Now you’re drooling over Cool Blue like he’s one tall drink of water.
Judy arched a brow in question.
“Nothing.” She found Marcus staring at her curiously. “It’s been a long day. I have more work ahead of me,” she said in apology. “I’ll have a copy of the Surell proposal on your desk later this evening.” She nodded at Judy and deliberately ignored Marcus, peeved at his ability to turn even the hard-nosed Judy into a simpering half-wit.
He frowned but stood. “Judy, I’ll walk you out.”
The woman positively beamed and Tessa wanted to throw them both from the room. The minute she thought it, Marcus stumbled over the threshold, Judy in tow.
“Sorry, Judy,” he said tightly, a glare thrown over his shoulder. “The doorway’s a tad uneven.”
“No problem, Marcus,” she murmured and stroked his arm affectionately.
The moment they stepped away, Tessa slammed her door shut with a thought, childishly pleased to see the last of Marcus for a while.
Watching Judy fawn over him made her think of all the others in Marcus’ sordid little past, a past that now included Tessa. Damn, how many women had he been with? At least half the single women in the company. And not one woman had come away dissatisfied, according to the rumours she tried like hell not to listen to.
A glass vase shattered across from her desk and she forcibly put a leash on her emotions. “Time to work, not to wonder.”
An hour later she had more or less wrapped things up when Jonas poked his head in to check on her. “You know, if you need help, all you have to do is ask.” His lips quirked. “Davis is still here.”
She studied him, aware something about him seemed off. Damn, first Judy, now Jonas?
Jonas’ smile faded, and he entered the office. “Tessa? I was only joking. Seriously. It’s late, and we have a lot to do tomorrow. What can I do to help you get out of here?”
He circled the room to stand behind her, surprising her at the large shadow he cast over her desk. She glanced over her shoulder and noted with some surprise how very large Jonas was. How had she never noticed that before?
“Tessa?” he asked, his voice husky.
“Ms. Sheridan?” Marcus said coolly from the doorway. “May I have moment of your time?” He stared pointedly at Jonas, who ignored him.
“I’ll be here another hour or so if you need me.” Jonas put a comforting hand on her shoulder that only aroused disquiet. He stared at Marcus almost challengingly before he squeezed her shoulder and moved away.
“Don’t overwork my best logistician,” Jonas warned lightly, a hard look in his normally good-tempered gaze.
“I never do,” Marcus said suggestively, but he waited until Jonas left his view before turning to her.
“What the hell was that about?” he growled and slammed the door shut behind him as he stalked to her desk. “He had his hands all over you.”
Tessa blinked, shocked at his fury. “He had a hand on my shoulder. He’s my boss, Marcus. What’s wrong with you? It’s just Jonas.” Yet his behaviour had unnerved Tessa as well. Between Judy’s turn-around and Jonas’ odd actions, she figured someone must have spiked the watercooler.
“Open the door, Marcus. You don’t want one of them to see us together.”
Still scowling, he began pacing. “Them? Oh, you mean the Djinn. Hell, Tessa, they already know about us both. And ‘Sin Garu’s visit to the house clearly destroyed any notion we aren’t better acquainted.” His eyes fairly glowed as he stopped and stared at her breasts knowingly.
Immediately her nipples hardened and he smiled, his eyes hard while his mouth curled into a sensual grin. “Nice to know Jonas doesn’t get to you like this.”
“Get a grip, Marcus,” she muttered, at a loss to explain how incredibly hot his jealousy was making her.
The lock sounded overly loud as it suddenly clicked.