Boost by Vi Summers

 

Chapter 24

-Greer-

 

 

“Hey, are you finishing up anytime soon?”

I looked up to see Christian casually leaning a shoulder against the doorway of my office, wearing a pleasant smile.

“Hopefully.” I flicked my eyes to the time on my laptop. “Shit, I didn’t realize it was so late!”

Tian pushed off and cleared the eight paces to my desk with confidence, and perched his ass on the corner.

“Have you eaten yet?”

I scoffed. “Since when do I ever eat early on a weeknight?”

“Hey.” The soft tone of his voice pulled my attention back to his handsome face. “Let’s go out. My treat.”

I studied his hazel eyes, trying to gauge his hidden intent.

He poked a finger into my forearm. “Oh, c’mon, Gree, we haven’t eaten out together in forever.”

“Tian, I’m seriously swamped. This stuff for Colton-”

“Can wait until the morning,” he cut in.

My eyes narrowed. “It’s not like you to insist I leave the office by a certain time. What’s going on?”

Indignation washed through his expression. “Can’t a partner take his partner out for food at the end of a long day?”

“No, he can’t. Not when he wants something he isn’t telling me about.” I returned my attention to the long list of shit I had to get done within the next two days.

A heavy sigh came from Tian. “Look, Gree, I’m wanting to check in with you.”

That got my attention. “About what?”

His jaw ticked a little as his eyes worked back and forth between mine. “I think I should take over the Donavan account.”

My spine snapped ramrod-straight and I pushed to my feet. “No fucking way. This is my account.”

Christian had never tried to override me or redirect an account his way before, and it had me shocked and panting in disbelief. “Why are you undermining me?”

He at least had the sense to look offended. “Babe, I’m not suggesting this to undermine you, I’m suggesting it because, while Colton is an honest man, I’m questioning the integrity of Ortiz.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” I exclaimed so fiercely Tian recoiled slightly. To say I was pissed, was an understatement. “You’re questioning his integrity, yet, you obviously weren’t concerned enough at the gala to stop me from leaving with him!”

Well over a week had passed, and Tian leaving it so long before approaching me with his ‘concerns’ was preposterous.

Despite the anger and frustration, my mind detoured to the memory of Rafael touching me in his car. An involuntary shudder rocked through me, then heat hit my cheeks as Tian’s eyes narrowed.

“I thought you were ducking out for a conversation, but neither of you returned. And what was that?”

“What?” I snapped.

“The shake. You used to do that after-”

“Don’t finish that sentence, Tian, so help me God.” I couldn’t deal with the reminder of what we used to be rolling right off the back of thinking about Rafael.

Christian huffed and smoothed a hand across his clean-shaven jaw.

I saw the memories in his eyes. Of him and I; the free-spirited, young adults that used each other as friends-with-benefits during college. We mutually came out of our casual relationship with our friendship intact, and built Landon-Michaels PR after seven years of working our asses off but getting nowhere in other firms.

Now, both in our early thirties, our firm's success was thanks to years of commitment and honesty with each other. We meshed well, understood how the other worked, and trusted each other wholeheartedly. That was how we’d survived in this corporate world.

Tian’s little stunt of suggesting we redirect the Boost Foundation account his way was a complete slap to the face. He knew he’d over-stepped—the bashful expression told me so—yet the required apology didn’t come. Instead, he held my glare and didn’t so much as blink when I glared back harder.

“So, what were you thinking about?”

I tucked my chin back. “What? When?”

“When you shook just before.” He chuckled when my body temperature increased and coaxed a glow to my cheeks.

Pursing my lips hard, I ignored him in favor of my laptop screen. “Go away, Tian.”

“So, the foundation?” he pressed.

“No!” Over my dead body! “Why do you want this so bad?”

Was it the attention the high-profile account would bring? Tian had always been an attention-whore, but not to the extent where he’d hit me up for accounts I had personally signed.

He ran a swift tongue over his lower lip and sniffed. “I think you’re getting too close to Ortiz to retain a professional distance.”

My jaw dropped and I balked. I couldn’t fucking deny that I’d broken the client-representative boundaries; having two of Rafael’s fingers inside me defined crossing that contractual line, but the hell I would add fuel to Christian’s fire.

“I’m not too close,” I lied.

“I beg to differ, Gree. I saw the way you looked at each other—all sex-eyes and fluttering lashes.”

“Sex-eyes!” I cried. “Tian, you need your prescription checked.”

“I’m just trying to protect you,” he reasoned and braced a palm on my desktop to lean into my space. “I saw what men like him do to a woman like you. I fucking put you back together, babe, and I can’t stand by and watch you get torn down all over again.”

The force I pushed back from my desk sent my office chair rolling into the low bookcase behind me.

“Men like him! I know enough about Rafael to know he isn’t like Bryce. Not at all. You’re just jealous,” I accused, with a stab of my finger.

Tian rose to his feet and rounded the desk. His anger was thick enough to taste, and it rolled off him as we faced off.

“Jealous? Of him?”

“No, of me!”

He snorted. “Babe.”

The egotistical retort cut deep despite me knowing that attitude and Tian went hand-in-hand.

“Yes, because Colton Donavan is on my client list.”

A wave of scarlet rose up Tian’s neck, and I steadied myself for the volcano to erupt.

“Your list? We’re fucking partners, Greer. Landon-Michaels. Not ‘Landon and her fucking pool boy’! Un-bel-iev-able!”

Rage literally shook me. “Then stop treating me like I’m inferior to you!”

This was the first all-out screaming match Tian and I had ever had, and while it was long overdue, the explosiveness of our argument took my breath away. 

His eyebrows hit his perfectly styled hairline. “Inferior? Jesus, Greer, you’re the only one I wanted to partner with because I knew I wouldn’t need to leave a trail of breadcrumbs behind me every step of the way. You fucking lead, not follow, and that’s just one of the many attributes I respect about you. Never, ever, have I viewed you as inferior!” he boomed, defensively.

Tears stung the back of my nose as I fought to keep them at bay. “Then why are you so adamant to take it from me?”

The coiled lines on his face eased and softened as affection shone through. “Not take, Gree. Swap. For the Yeldon account. It’s equally high-profile. I’m just trying to protect you.” ‘From Ortiz’ he left unsaid.

“But you’re not giving me a choice.”

“There’s always a choice, babe. I’d never force your hand—we’ve known each other for long enough for you to know I wouldn’t. The decision is yours, and the offer stands for as long as we have both accounts.”

I turned and looked out of the window so I didn’t have to meet his penetrating gaze. Despite my resistance to let the account go, I knew he had a valid point. One I had to seriously consider.

“I’ll think about it,” I murmured.

“That’s all I ask. Now, bring it in.”

Turning, I found Christian with his arms thrown wide and inching forward.

I folded my arms over my chest. “No, I’m still angry at you.”

His grin made my own smile tug. And of course, I locked it down immediately.

“Baaaabe.”

“No.”

He hummed in question as his arms rose, encircling my body, but not yet touching.

“Now?”

I snorted, and grumbled begrudgingly, “Fine, get it over with.” 

Arms that had always been my safe place wrapped around me and took me back to the times when we shared more intimate moments than not. Tension washed from my joints as he rocked me back and forth a couple of times before pulling away, conscious of not lingering too long.

I set my hands on my hips and expelled a heavy sigh. “You need to work on your tact and not be such an ass.”

He snorted. “I’m well aware of that, but normally it’s not aimed at the people I love.”

He snapped up his arms when I arched a brow.

“Not in a non-sexual way, of course.”

I lifted my eyebrows higher and reveled in watching him flounder. “Well, there is a factor of sexually since we used to-”

“Tian! Get. Out!” I yelled, through my reluctant laughter.

The playful grimace and him backing sheepishly away added to his charm. It seldom came through in recent years thanks to the pressures of running the firm, but when it did, it was a pop of color in our otherwise sleek, neutral world.

Resettling behind my desk, I realized then that I really was hungry. Tian’s offer of dinner became increasingly tempting. After five more minutes of trying to concentrate but achieving absolutely nothing, I packed away my laptop and slung my purse over my shoulder. I arrived at Tian’s office door less than a minute later, wholeheartedly grateful that Roxiee had gone home an hour ago and bore witness to our argument.

“Still hungry?” I asked.

His eyes cut up and a smile immediately formed across his handsome face.

“I knew you’d come ‘round.” He picked up his keys with a flourish. “I’ve already made a booking.”