Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 67973 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67973 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Those light-hearted, playful moments threaded through our days. She’d roll her eyes when I triple-checked meeting times. I’d tease her about her obsession with color-coded spreadsheets. She’d pretend not to be affected when I leaned over her shoulder to look at her computer screen so she could show me one of her graphs. One morning, she’d complimented me on my tie with a sexy gleam in her eyes, and I spent the rest of the day trying not to imagine her tugging on it.
The sexual tension was there, simmering just beneath the surface of every conversation, every shared laugh, every moment our eyes met across the office or the conference table. There was something about the way she’d show up at my office door in the morning with coffee, knowing exactly how I liked it. The way we’d debate marketing strategies and product features, and how she would call me out when my ideas were too over the top and unrealistic. The way she’d stay late at night at the office just because I was working, sharing a take-out meal with me, even though she could have gone home hours ago.
It felt like we were building something between us. Laying a foundation that could actually hold weight in the real world. And I wanted that. I wanted to take her out to a romantic dinner. Wanted to walk her home and kiss her goodnight at her door. I wanted to do this the right way—slow and intentional, proving that this wasn’t just about our physical attraction, as tempting as that was.
But there was no opportunity. Between everything moving at a swift pace at GalvaTech and Simon needing my time and advice on hammering out the final details of the Stark, Inc. investment—which required endless calls, negotiations over equity shares, and due diligence that ate into every spare minute—my days were stretched impossibly thin.
But things between myself and Morgan seemed solid and all that flirty banter, the shared looks and inside jokes, was creating this delicious sexual tension that made every interaction electric, like a slow burn promising so much more once we finally let it ignite.
It was only a matter of time before it did. Because somehow, I felt myself falling deeper into whatever this was becoming between us.
Thanksgiving slipped by in the midst of it all. I spent the day with my family, the usual chaos of a turkey dinner and football and playing with my nieces. Even then, my mind kept drifting back to Morgan, wondering how her holiday went and fighting the urge to text her something flirty that might blur our self-imposed lines.
We were back in the office after the long weekend, hitting the ground running refining prototypes, getting marketing strategies locked in, and signing off on vendor contracts. The pace was relentless, but necessary. CES was approaching, the launch calendar was tight, and every department was grinding hard to make sure nothing slipped through the cracks.
Mid-week, I called Parker and Samuel into a meeting to discuss a decision I’d made.
As we settled around the conference table, I couldn’t help noticing that Parker looked ragged. His expression was pale, and he seemed quieter and more withdrawn. I could only assume that his back pain was acting up again.
“I won’t keep you two long,” I said, glancing between the two men, and got right to business. “I want to increase the budget for marketing.”
To my surprise, Parker frowned, the crease between his brows sharp and immediate. “I don’t think we should make that a priority right now,” he muttered, his tone edged with irritation as he picked at his fingernails.
Samuel blinked at Parker, just as thrown as I was by Parker’s unexpected objection. “Why not, son?”
Parker hesitated before answering. “Because the manufacturing costs are already massive, and it’s not the right time to throw more money at marketing.”
“The money I’ve invested should be enough to cover the manufacturing and the increase in the marketing budget,” I pointed out, then went on to justify my reasons. “Industry research shows that competitors are pouring money into visibility. If GalvaTech doesn’t invest now, they risk becoming invisible in a sector where early brand recognition and consumer awareness is everything. I want GalvaTech positioned as a front-runner, not a quiet newcomer.”
“That makes sense,” Samuel said, supporting my idea.
Parker’s eyes shifted away from me, jaw flexing once before he clamped down on whatever else he wanted to say. Unease curled in my stomach, not enough to call him out, but enough to make me pay attention. I didn’t know him well enough to understand the sudden pushback, or the tension rolling off him in waves.
Still, he didn’t argue further, and right now, that was what mattered. We had a product to launch, and I needed him aligned and working with me, not against me, so we could make this launch a success.