Chapter 11

Jay

 

 

 

It would be dishonest to pretend that he hadn’t thought of this moment the entire weekend. Jay wasn’t used to wondering what someone else was thinking, especially a woman. What happened between him and Kasey was between them only, and as he left the Mercedes on the way to the office, he felt certain the spark between them would not interfere with their professional relationship.

 

It wasn’t until he locked eyes on the curves of her hips as she walked through the glass doors of Passions Publishing, that Jay’s desires came rushing back. Watching the smile on the door attendant’s face transform into lust sent him into a rush as he made his way to the doorway.

 

“Welcome to Passions Publishing,” Mitchell welcomed Kasey just as Jay entered the building.

 

“Thank you,” Kasey responded, stepping through the glass door in a tight fitting black shift dress. Her hair flowed over her shoulder when she looked back to Jay as he greeted her from behind.

 

“Good morning,” Jay spoke, watching her turn around in what seemed to be slow motion.

 

“Oh, good morning to you, too,” she blushed.

 

Jay smiled while walking to the elevator with both Kasey and Mitchell, reminding himself that she did not want a relationship. It was a weird revelation since he’d usually been the one warding off women, but the awkwardness buzzed so loudly, the elevator ride seemed unbearable.

 

“This is your floor,” Mitchell announced, as they reached the top level.

 

“Are you her tour guide?” Jay joked, looking over at Kasey. Despite his attempt at amusement, she kept her eyes trained on Mitchell while smiling with enthusiasm.

 

Could she be mad at him? The thought bugged him as he struggled to comprehend why she would ignore him without warning or explanation.

 

“Well, she didn’t know where to go. I’m just trying to help out,” Mitchell said, before greeting Brenda, the head of accounting, as she entered the elevator car as they exited.

 

“I can give you a tour.”

 

Jay’s words shocked him as he watched both Mitchell and Kasey turn to him in disbelief. Was it such an unfathomable idea that he would showcase the business he built from the ground up to the woman he had spent the last week convincing to join the team?

 

“Really?” Kasey asked. It was the first smile he’d seen on her face directed towards him, and in her business suit, it drew a reaction not appropriate for the setting.

 

Everything seemed to fit her perfectly, and Jay found it hard to accept how sexy she looked in business attire. Kasey was a professional powerhouse on her own, but he felt there could be so much more if she only listened to him, understanding and embracing his expertise in the business. She was just getting started on a career path he’d spent nearly two decades perfecting.

 

“Yeah, really?” Mitchell chimed in, his right eyebrow raised with suspicion.

 

“Come on,” Jay decided to ignore them both before walking to his office.

 

A smirk slid across his face when he heard her stilettos following behind him after a brief pause. Jay wondered if it would be inappropriate to start the tour of his company in his office. It was where he usually went first, and Kasey would need to know he was the boss—and what better way than to showcase the corner office with a spectacular view of the city?

 

“This is my office,” Jay turned to speak to Kasey, instantly catching the emotion that covered her face at his announcement. “I have to drop my briefcase off, then we can see the office,” he added quickly, hoping to put her at ease.

 

“This is very nice,” Kasey looked around the office, running her fingertips across the rich wood of his desk. She was impressed, even if she wouldn’t say it aloud, and he liked the feeling.

 

“Your office won’t be this nice just yet, but I guarantee it’s better than your closet at the old firm,” he teased, before leading her out of the office.

 

“Mr. Canton, I’m sorry I was away when you arrived, they needed a little assistance in the conference room,” Jay’s assistant greeted them.

 

“No problem. I’m giving Kasey a tour of the offices. Kasey, this is Jessica, she’s my assistant.”

 

The two women shook hands while exchanging genuine smiles before Jessica returned her attention to Jay.

 

“Would you like a coffee?” she asked.

 

“Yes, a cappuccino with an extra shot of espresso,” he answered, before looking over to Kasey and adding, “Do you want something?”

 

“Me? Oh, no,” she fumbled through the response, apparently caught off guard. Jay liked that feeling as well, and thought to himself how fun it would be to shock her with requests. She probably thought he would be a rigid boss with little to no communication with his employees, but she would soon learn otherwise.

 

“Are you sure? Jessica used to be a barista, she makes the best drinks,” he boasted of the secretary as she blushed beneath his quick and proud glance.

 

“Well, in that case, how about a macchiato?” Kasey reluctantly ordered.

 

“No problem.” Jessica seemed pleased she could do something for this woman receiving special treatment from her boss.

 

“Is the conference room ready?” Jay asked, before Jessica could rush to the breakroom to prepare their beverages.

 

“Yes, sir. Everything is prepared for the Monday meeting and the staff will all be waiting for you in fifteen minutes.” She spoke confidently. It was a weekly task, and after several years of working for him, Jessica was sure she could prepare a meeting in her sleep.

 

“Sounds good. I’ll see you then,” he nodded to dismiss her before turning to focus his attention on Kasey.

 

“She seems nice,” Kasey followed Jessica with her eyes, shifting her arms to adjust the weight of her shoulder bag.

 

“I can take that,” Jay offered, immediately fearing he was being inappropriate when she declined.

 

“Let’s go see your office,” he said, changed the subject before heading down a wide hallway lined with large windows.

 

Passions Publishing was about Minnesota as much as Jay, so when he’d helped design the building, he made sure to highlight the views from the city in every way possible. Seeing the city below kept him both grounded and motivated at the same time, usually pushing him to achieve goals and exceed benchmarks. Now, looking out the windows, he could only wonder if Kasey was remembering her first time viewing the city from Passions Publishing house.

 

Was she recalling the way he had held her tight against him while burying himself inside her?

 

They entered her office, which was much bigger than the one Jay busted into a few days ago. The gray carpet was accentuated by a simple pattern on the pale blue window treatments. As she looked from one corner to the next, Jay hoped she was happy with the office he’d personally arranged for her to have.

 

“You can ask Jessica if you need any help with decorating,” he finally said, after watching her in silence for a full minute.

 

“It’s perfect,” her voice was so low he wasn’t sure if he was meant to hear it.

 

“They’re ready for you, Mr. Canton, and here is your cappuccino.” Jessica smiled as she first gave Kasey her macchiato.

 

“I’ll see you in the meeting, Kasey.”

 

“Thank you for being so helpful.” She looked at him with sincerity streaked through her big brown eyes.

 

The employees shuffled into the conference room, chattering on about their weekends, packed schedules, and necessary planning. It was the time of the week when everyone made and confirmed plans for the week—speaking with colleagues from different departments they may not otherwise see.

 

“Before we begin, I’d like to introduce the newest addition to the Passions family. After reading the latest work from one of her clients, Mitchell and I both thought she had a lot to add to our team, and offered our new agent a home here with us. Please welcome Kasey Wright to the building, and please make her feel at home.”

 

The staff clapped for a short moment, with many waving or murmuring how they knew Kasey. She was happy to receive such a warm welcome, but Jay could sense she was a bit uncomfortable in the spotlight.

 

For the rest of the meeting, he barely looked at her, focusing instead on new authors who had caught his eye, and discussing suggestions for maximizing market share for different genres. The leaders gave feedback, expressed concerns of their employees, and outlined the new release dates they’d secured since the last meeting.

 

“This all sounds great. Let’s keep pushing in this same direction. You know the drill, guys. Reach out to Anne with any questions or concerns. Until next week,” Jay announced before clapping his hands together once, ending the meeting.

 

“Kasey, can you stay behind please? I need to speak with you about a writer,” Jay distractedly stopped Kasey from packing up as two guys attempted to pitch him an idea about a new division specializing in ghostwriting.

 

By the time the three men finished their conversation, the conference room was empty. Jay turned towards Kasey, seeing what looked to be impatience written on her face.

 

“Yes?” she asked, all but confirming his suspicion.

 

“Sorry about that delay, I just wanted to speak with you about an author I want you to vet,” Jay said, the words feeling weird against his tongue. Why was he apologizing for anything? She was his employee and he needed her time.

 

Her silence confused him, as she looked on, waiting for him to continue instead of jumping at the opportunity to assure him he had no reason to be sorry, as any reasonable employee would do.

 

“Her name is Justine Reynolds,” Jay could barely get her name out before Kasey waved her hand dismissively.

 

“Justine isn’t worth vetting. I’ve followed her career for five years, and never seen any potential for growth.”

 

Jay was completely baffled, struggling to maintain his composure. Who was she to tell him who was worth vetting, especially once he had recommended the writer? His lips curled upwards on one side, his frustration morphing into amusement.

 

“How about you set up a meeting with her and then we can discuss how worth vetting she is?” It wasn’t a question, and looking squarely into Kasey’s eyes, he was certain she could understand the order.

 

Jay sat back, wondering how he could have misread a situation so badly. Were his thoughts so clouded by his attraction to her that he had missed the indicators that she would be a difficult employee? All he’d requested was for her to do her job, and now they stood in a tense standoff, which he couldn’t understand.

 

“I have an author I’ve been working with, and she’ll actually be worth my time,” Kasey finally said, standing to gather the notebook in front of her.

 

“Is that so?” Jay remained seated, watching her performance.

 

“It is. And I’m sure Passions will push her into moving her contract over,” she said, before casually strolling out of the conference room.

 

With his eyebrows raised in disbelief, Jay watched her leave, wondering what her problem was. She couldn’t normally behave like this. Or could she?