Free The Proposition by Lucia Jordan Page B

Megan chose something light. She was sure
she’d be too nervous to eat.
    “The
presentation, Mr. Mayer…”
    “Can
wait one more minute,” he said, sitting back as his fingers tapped the side of
his wine glass. She lifted wide eyes to his face, her breath catching at the
studious expression there. Why was he looking at her like he was undressing her
with his eyes? Was she imagining the sudden air of awareness swirling around
them and making it seem like all the oxygen was sucked out from the room?
    “You
intrigue me, Miss Kerry. How old are you, twenty two, twenty three?”
    “I’m
twenty five, actually, sir,” she said, taking a hasty gulp of her wine and
almost spilling it on herself, her hands far from steady.
    He
nodded thoughtfully. “I was looking through your file the other day, and I was
thinking how much progress you’ve made since you joined my firm. All the ideas
and structures you’ve spearheaded have in one way or another, placed the company one foot ahead. You remind me a lot about myself when I was
your age.”
    Megan
found herself chuckling softly at that. “You make yourself sound so ancient, Mr.
Mayer. You can’t be much older than me, surely.”
    “I’m
twenty nine. But I’m serious; it took me just a few years to make my mark in my
own field. And you, Miss Kerry, are making quite a mark of your own. And by the
way…I like the way you laugh. You should do it more often.”
    Megan
blinked, and then said, “Thank you sir,” even as her heart began to pound
alarmingly again. But the waiter appeared with their first course so she had a
few moments of respite to collect herself after his unexpected compliments
– all of them.
    As they
ate, she gave him an insight to her plans for the marketing growth of the
company. She could tell he liked what he heard, and her heart lifted when he
made some approving c(omment or the other on one or two of her points.
    “Once
again, you’ve impressed me, Miss Kerry,” he said lightly. They’d just had the
table cleared and he was drinking some more wine. Following suit, Megan took
several swallows from her glass and fought off the heady feeling overtaking
her. She was normally lightweight with alcohol and she knew she should be
taking it easy, but around Heath Mayer, she needed as much fortification as she
could get. Just sitting so close to him, having to endure his skin-tingling gaze
was bringing a twitching to her hidden places.
    “Thank
you, Mr. Mayer,” she croaked out. She tried to meet his eyes but daren’t. It
was hard to look straight at him and not wish herself in bed with him right there, right then. That somehow, with a
snap of her fingers, the restaurant would disappear and they’d be in some
exotic location, having steamy, filthy sex for hours.
    “What
if I told you I’m considering giving you a promotion – moving you up to
head office to head the team there?” he said calmly, and Megan’s eyes darted as
she let his words sink in.
    “I’d
say…wow, sir. That’s a big career leap,” she said with reined-in enthusiasm. It
wouldn’t do to jump on the table and do a jig, not just yet.
    “But
you’ve got the guts and the talent to hold your own, don’t you, Miss Kerry?
There’s much of a can-do element about you; I can tell these things.”
    “I
don’t know what to say, sir.”
    He
smiled at her faltering state. “You should say, “that’s a wonderful opportunity
sir, I’ll take it.””
    “That’s...a
wonderful opportunity sir, I’ll take it,” she echoed stupidly, her cheeks
reddening. But his smile deepened, his eyes grew warmer.
    “I like
you, Miss Kerry. You seem like type to obey orders well. And if it’s one thing
I find vital, it’s someone who’s good at not defying me.”
    “Funny,
I thought you’d like a bit of challenge once in a while,” she murmured, amazed
at her audacity.
    He
tilted his head slightly to the side. “Oh, I do. But in some things, a man like
me would require complete submission