Juliet met him in front of the elevators. "Did you want me to join you for the meeting, Mr. Boa?"
He nodded and watched Mariss click at something on her computer. Through the glass he heard her say, "Alright, ladies. Suit up." She slipped on a suit jacket and buttoned it, then kicked at something under her desk. Sebastian realized it was her shoes when she grew a good four inches.
Brit handed her a drink and some pills. Mariss popped them back quick,
then
joined him in the hall.
The elevators dinged behind him. Sebastian turned to see
who
was coming.
Merger
Six men in dark suits stepped off the elevator. Mariss stepped forward to shake their hands, a pleasant smile gently lifting her lips.
"Good morning, gentlemen," she greeted.
"If you'll come this way."
Sebastian watched her hips sway as she led them down the hall to the board room. He didn't think she was doing it on purpose. The natural switch in her step was
more sexy
than if she'd been putting on for him. Mariss entered the boardroom with a flourish and took the seat at the end. Sebastian took the other end and let the six men and Brit, Stacia, Janette, and Amanda take the places between on either side. Juliet sat quietly on his left.
"Well, I believe the gentlemen are at an advantage here," Mariss began, "seeing as the subject of this meeting was kept so close to the jacket. Why are we here?"
She speared Sebastian with a look that said she blamed him for whatever it was, so he took the initiative.
"I would like to buy into your company." Her non-dramatic eyebrow went up and Sebastian smiled, letting one corner of his mouth rise lazily. The other eyebrow went up. Oh, she was so responsive.
"Mr. Boa, I wasn't aware that I was for sale."
"You've done a fantastic job with your company, Mrs. Red." He poured himself a glass of water from the chilled pitcher in front of him. When he looked up, her eyes were locked on his and strangely clear of emotion. He hadn't been aware she could make her face so empty. "I'm not trying to take anything from you. I just want a part of it."
"How much?"
Mariss' tone was stern and a bit cold.
Sebastian shrugged.
"Half."
He watched her choke.
"As partner."
"Certainly there are more prestigious companies you can go with. Not an independent publishing company looking to branch out."
"None of them have you, and you need the funding."
"And you need the charity. Is that it?" Her icy tone sent chills over his skin.
Sebastian nodded and pursed his lips. "Oh yes, Mrs. Red. I'm trying to make myself look good." He sneered. "If that was the case I'd back some podunk charity from Arkansas claiming 'save the chipmunks'."
She looked at him amused, and slightly aroused. The way her lips parted and her cheeks flushed
was
fetching and he felt himself begin to get excited below the edge of the table.
"Then why?" she asked, though her eyes sparked with understanding.
"I'm looking to branch out," He mirrored her words.
She nodded slowly. "I see."
"I'm against it." Brit finally spoke up.
"Why?" Janette asked.
"The exposure, the face, the name.
It could be what we need to make the next big leap. Not to mention the funding."
"We need the funding," Stacia nodded. "I don't think it's a bad idea."
Sebastian ran his finger over the rim of his glass, watching her. She stared right back, her eyes following his finger as he languidly stroked. Her gaze came up to his and she shivered gently. Involuntarily, the corner of his mouth went up and his eyes turned down.
"What we're wondering," said one of the men to his right - Wilbur was his name - "is why you've decided to make this dramatic leap."
"How is it so dramatic?" Sebastian blinked. He set his hand on the table, forgetting the chilled water for the moment.
"You're a world renowned supermodel and entrepreneur, Mr. Boa."
"As I am well aware."
"Why would you align yourself with a bunch of women trying to change the world through literature and do-it-yourself talk?"
"Excuse me?"
Mariss' irate tone hit something deep within Sebastian and the chivalrous side of him, the one that didn't get out much, flared. He felt the heat from the death glares on the other side of the table, but he didn't bother to look.
"Mrs. Red and her people have made great strides in changing the publishing industry," Sebastian began, "just as I have in changing the modeling industry. They took an impossible task and made it a success through many trials along the way.
The Red Wife Media Group
is as powerful and established as I am. It only makes sense to align myself with such extraordinary women to take myself, and them, to the next level of this."
Sebastian pulled his hand back, cutting his finger on a piece of paper. He sucked in a sharp breath and bit his lip.
"Oh."
The soft exclamation made him look up as he stuck his stinging fingertip in his mouth. Mariss wide eyes looked at him from across the table. Her face flushed and her lips parted. She pulled her own lip between her teeth for just a moment and let it go. Sebastian flashed
her a
smile that was more smarmy than sexy, but he couldn't help it.
"Thank you, Mr. Boa, for that well said…oration."
She was so flustered she couldn't think straight. He loved that so much. The gentlemen to his right squirmed in their seats.
"Well, how are you supposed to say no after that?" Brit chimed in.
Sebastian glanced to the women's side of the table. They all looked like their ovaries had just exploded. He blinked. There had to be so much estrogen running through this office.
"I guess that's settled." Wilbur didn't sound too pleased.
"I guess it is. Twenty- five percent is all I'll give you." Mariss rested her arm on the table and leaned forward a little. The top of her blouse opened and Sebastian got a view of the swell of one round breast. The corner of her mouth twitched. "Mr. Boa, did you have a specific project in mind to collaborate on?"
"Well, for starters, I'd like to reschedule the 'Reading is Sexy' shoot." She blinked, her lashes falling slowly over her beautiful eyes then rising again.
So seductive.
He lifted an eyebrow, teasing.
She nodded. "Shall we schedule a meeting to begin discussions?"
"Yes, please."
"We have next weekend free," Brit said, reading from a calendar, "
unless
you'd like something sooner than that."
"That would be just fine," Sebastian agreed.
"Are you buying us out, Mr. Boa?"
He stared at Mariss. "Is that what you want?"
"No."
"Then, no.
I have no intention of buying you out."
"But you would if I wanted?"
"We would certainly discuss it."
Mariss frowned at him from across the table. He ached to rub the lines from between her brows once again.
Would that he was just a bit closer.
The meeting ended a few minutes later. The six men left like they couldn't get away fast enough. Once they were gone, the other women rushed in to find out what was going on.
"Mr. Boa will be buying a quarter of
Red Wife
," Mariss explained.
The women were quiet for a moment.
"Oh, my god!"
Eloisa finally exclaimed. "We might actually get to do the movie!"
"What movie?" Sebastian wondered out loud.
"We optioned a movie, but didn't have funding or backing. Remember what I said about being independent?"
Sebastian nodded and smiled at Eloisa. She was a very likable person. She turned to him and put her arms around his waist.
"Thank you, Mr. Boa.
My new hero."
He chuckled and hugged her back. She held on longer than was necessary.
"That's enough," Mariss said, pulling Eloisa back.
"He smells so good."
Mariss rolled her eyes.
"Eloisa, stop it. You're embarrassing me," Bennett complained.
The Latina twin laughed. "I'm sorry. I'll behave."
"When are we going for that tour of the office?" Sebastian asked. Mariss turned her brown eyes up to him.
"Yes. We'll do that. Ladies, back to work. We'll probably be a few minutes. Then we can start working on this new project.
In addition to all of our other projects.
Mr. Boa."
He motioned her ahead of him and she led the way, her hips switching from side to side.
"I like the way your hips move."
"These are the restrooms." Mariss showed him two doors on the opposite side of the hall from the board room.
Sebastian smiled at her evasion. "You have a men's restroom, but only women work in your office."
"Men work here too."
She led him to the end of the hall and to the right. A door opened into a room with a sound board and four other rooms. Through the glass window he saw a microphone hanging from the ceiling of a recording studio.
"These are the edit bays," Mariss pointed to the other three doors. "Where the magic happens, I guess you could say. Not much magic happening right now, but we do put the book trailers, podcasts, and web shows together here."
"Which show was optioned?"
"The first one," she said, a bit snidely.
"You don't need to be so formal, Red." Sebastian tried to give her a reassuring smile.
"This way."
Mariss ignored him once again and led him down the opposite hall. "You know what this is."
There was a white screen in the background and several cameras and lights set up.
"Ah, yes." They stared over the empty room for a moment before Mariss turned to leave.
Sebastian cut her off, pressing his back to the door. With his arms folded over his chest and his weight balanced on one foot, he smiled softly.
"Why are you acting this way?"
"What way?" She gave him innocent doe eyes.
"You watch my every move so intently," he said. "You nearly faint every time I bite my lip or do anything with my mouth, really. Yet you run from me like you're going to catch hellfire just for looking at me." He made an attempt to reign in his sex appeal, but by the way she was looking at him, he thought she really might burst into flames. He longed to quench her.
"I don't understand why you're pushing this, Mr. Boa. I am a happily married woman and I'm not interested in ruining that because you have some sick infatuation with whatever it is you think you want from me."
"Oh, I want a great deal from you, Mariss Red, but I'm not going to take anything you don't give me. I have a reputation, but never have I been accused of anything so scandalous. If you're so happily married, why were you at my club? You came specifically for a threesome, did you not?"
"My husband doesn't have two dicks," she snapped. Ashamed, she closed her eyes and covered her mouth. "Sorry."
"No need."
"We went to the club because I was curious about having sex with two men at once."
"And how was your experience?"
She frowned. "I enjoyed it," she said matter-of-factly. "I would have thought that obvious. Haven't I told you that already? But I didn't go to the club because it was yours and I certainly didn't go with the expectation of meeting and fucking you."
Sebastian chuckled, though he really wanted to shake her. "What have I done to make you so angry with me? In London, all I wanted was to make sure you had a proper meal. When you passed out, I wanted to make sure you were alright. I went to your hotel room to make sure you were well, but you'd already gone."
Mariss nodded. "I left early. I wanted to be with my husband. I told you it's been rough."
"Yes. I understand. It was hard for my mother when she miscarried, so I do understand." He watched sympathy creep into her eyes. "Today, when you saw me, you looked at me like you were irritated with me. What did I do?"
She shook her head. "You didn't do anything."
"I'm not trying to take your company from you, Red."
"Why do you keep calling me that?"
"That's your name isn't it?" She was a fireball ready to explode. Sebastian only hoped he'd be the one consumed in her passion when she did.
"Why are you really here, Mr. Boa? What is it that you truly wish to gain from this?"
"I want to be close to you."
"Oh, god."
Mariss rolled her eyes and threw her arms down at her sides. "What is it going to take for you to understand that I am married? I don't want you. What happened was…a fluke.
A freak accident.
Whatever you think it was
,
you're wrong."
"I don't believe you."
"What?" She was incredulous. It made him smile.
"You react to me too easily. You're attracted to me so strongly that you can't stand still. Not even now. What are you thinking about? Are you trying to figure out how to get away from me or if you can find a way to be with me? Can you still feel me pressed against you?
Inside you?
My voice in your ear?
My hands on your body?"
She panted through parted lips and refused to look at him. "Yes," Mariss whispered. Her eyes snapped up, flaming. "But do you know what puts me in a different category than all the others?" she spat.