Mad In Love: A Billionaire Unexpected Baby Office Romance Read online

  “Sarah!” Miller exclaimed.

  I whipped my head up and drew in a silent breath.

  “You were dynamite during that makeup brand pitch. I just got the call. They solidified their account today,” he said.

  “Really? That’s—that’s great,” I said.

  “Your first twenty-million-dollar account. How does it feel?”

  “It feels great. Who’s going to be heading up the first formal meeting?”

  “Myself, of course. But you’ll be doing all the background stuff. Don’t worry. I wouldn’t pull you from your first major account,” he said.

  “Third, actually,” I said.

  “Well, those were measly compared to this one. This one is the one you celebrate,” he said, grinning.

  “Of course.”

  “I’ll be ordering lunch for the team as a thank-you, if you want to come upstairs and have lunch with us. I figured you would.”

  “Yes, and I wanted to ask you about that. Is my office up there ready yet?”

  “Soon. I’m actually calling the guy today,” he said.

  Calling the guy. He’d fed me that same excuse for weeks now. Months, even.

  “Well, let me know when you get in touch with him,” I said.

  “Of course. I can’t wait to have you on the same floor as all of us. We’re a dynamite team. Oh, and don’t forget to polish up that latest pitch today. We have to be ready to roll by three,” Miller said.

  “I’ll be ready,” I said.

  I held my smile until my boss left, and then I sighed. That office on the seventh floor wouldn’t be ready anytime soon. If ever. He had saddled me with all of the work to do for this pitch. Just like the last three major pitches we had done. I knew he was headed to his office to sit around and read the damn paper while we did all the work. And by “we,” I meant myself.

  I frowned as I looked at my purse.

  Miller always took the credit for the hard work of his team. My hard work, specifically. I knew he’d likely get a five-figure bonus from the successful speech I wrote him, and the only thing I’d see was a five-dollar sandwich as gratitude. I took the lead on that pitch. That one and the last two, in fact. I picked Maelstrom up some big clients, and my efforts should be recognized for that.

  I wouldn’t let my voice be buried in all that stuff.

  I locked my office and went straight up to Miller’s. I knocked on his door before letting myself in and found him scrambling his feet off his desk. He dropped the newspaper to the floor, like I wouldn’t see it. Then, he slowly stood from his chair and buttoned his suit closed.

  “Did you forget something earlier?” he asked.

  “I was wondering. When is a good time to start looking into possible promotions within the company? You know, as recognition for my work,” I said.

  “Well, if you keep up the good work and continue on with my mentoring, a promotion is only four or five years down the line,” he said.

  “Four or five years.”

  “Yes.”

  “And how long did it take for Riley down the way to get his first promotion?”

  I heard Riley crunching on his chips and smelled his feet from down the damn hallway.

  “You know we don’t talk about the salary and position of others in a formal setting. I taught you that on your first day,” Miller said.

  “I didn’t need to be taught that, and I do feel it’s something that should be talked about right now,” I said.

  “Well, if you want to schedule an appointment with my secretary and come up at a later date, I can talk with Riley and see what he’s comfortable discussing.”

  “Why do you have to talk to Riley about our conversation?”

  “It’s his timeline at the office and his career you’re asking about. I could at least get his permission to speak on it,” he said.

  I nodded curtly. “Yes. Of course. I’ll make an appointment.”

  “Wonderful. I look forward to talking with you.”

  I left my boss’s office more annoyed than ever. So annoyed, in fact, that I ran straight into Ellie as I turned into my office. I shooed her brown hair out of my face as the two of us tripped over each other, and then her sweet brown eyes connected with mine.

  “I take it you just talked with Miller?” she asked.

  “Am I always this riled up after the fact?” I asked.

  “Usually,” she said, giggling.

  “Well, yes. I did.”

  “What did you two argue about now?”

  “We didn’t argue. I just—why am I not getting any more credit for my work than I am?” I asked.

  “You know Miller is a pompous windbag. I heard him the other day bragging about how he’s an excellent manager who takes a hands-on role with his team.”

  “Let me guess, he attributed that nonexistent trait to our success.”

  “You know him well,” she said, grinning.

  I frowned. “See, I knew in my gut Miller was hogging all the credit, but that’s just proof. And maybe it’s time for a change.”

  “What do you mean?”

  I slipped my hand into my pocket and pulled out the card from that morning. I handed it to Ellie before I reached for my purse, then pulled out the wad of cash. Her jaw dropped open. Her eyes flickered between the card and the money.

  “I’ve been offered a job at Sharpe Ads for double my salary and a chance to lead my own team,” I said.

  “Then, there’s only one thing I have to ask,” Ellie said.

  “What’s that?”

  She gave me the card back and giggled.

  “Why the hell are you still standing in this office?”

  Chapter 3

  Ethan

  It took two weeks, but I’d finally heard back from her. And not a moment too soon. It was my new lead’s first day, and I made sure everything was ready for her. She was a shrewd negotiator, but in the end we came to a great deal of wonderful agreements. In exchange for an office that was only a floor below mine, she wanted double the paid vacation, along with all the other perks I had tossed out there in the coffee shop that day. Which was perfect, in my eyes. She’d have a view of Central Park, a beautiful glimpse of the fresh frosting of the early-winter snow that greeted me that same morning. Plus, I wouldn’t be distracted by that soft strawberry-blonde hair of hers.

  And those full, voluptuous lips.

  I took the opportunity to pull a team together I thought would complement her nicely. I made sure she understood she could nitpick and even fire at will, if that was necessary. But I’d gotten a pretty good read on her from studying her portfolio and reminiscing on our first encounter. Now, I stood in my office, waiting for her to arrive.

  I’d told my security team downstairs to escort her straight to my office when she showed up. And she did show up.

  Five minutes early.

  “Mr. Sharpe.”

  Her soft voice filled my office as I turned around to greet her.

  “Miss Sarah Matthews, come on in. Let me take your coat for you,” I said.

  I walked over to her and watched the outer layer fall off her shoulders. I bit down onto the inside of my cheek as I caught the coat, catching a glimpse of the wide-necked blouse she wore. Her shoulders sloped with that creamy skin. She had random freckles that dotted her skin. My eyes traced them as I lifted the coat, hanging it on the rack beside me.

  She was hot. Smoking hot. Sexier than I remembered from our encounter at the coffee shop. That wild strawberry-blonde hair coupled with the sloping curves I somehow hadn’t noticed that first time we met left my mouth dry.

  Holy fuck, this woman was dynamite.

  “I thought you told me I’d be able to piece my own team together,” Sarah said.

  Ah, so she had been filled in.

  I forced my eyes away from her ass and made myself focus on the task at hand.

  “I have already informed the team that these positions are probably temporary. You can release, promote, rearrange, and fire at yo
ur own will. I pieced together what I thought would be a good starting team to give you a platform to bounce from. To show you the type of talent already hired within the walls of Sharpe Ads. You have full control of your team, I assure you,” I said.

  “So, why am I not visiting with my team right now?” she asked.

  Beautiful and business-minded. A deadly combination that tugged at my crotch.

  “In a minute, Philip—my CFO—will come and escort you to your new office. It’s there you’ll be introduced to your team. But right now, I want to talk about our newest pitch. It’s a new lemonade company, and we’re interested, but the market is saturated already with companies like this. It’ll be hard to stand out while still matching the company’s values.”

  “Which are?” she asked.

  “Family, freshness, and sweetness,” I said.

  Sarah nodded, and I already saw the wheels turning behind her enchanting blue eyes. I knew then and there I’d made the right choice in doubling down on this woman. I got a great feeling from her, and not just what was stirring in my pants.

  “We’ll need another f word to replace ‘sweetness,’ but it’s out there. And no yellow. None whatsoever. There’s enough of that with the lemonade itself,” she said.

  “I take it pink’s out of the running, as well?” I asked, grinning.

  She shot me a “don’t patronize me” look, and I bit back another groan. Oh, she was a shark. A woman to be reckoned with. I was excited to see what she could do.

  “Who is our competition for the pitch? Or have they already chosen Sharpe Ads?” Sarah asked.

  “Do I really need to tell you?” I asked.

  “Consider it the building of trust between the two of us.”

  “Something you didn’t have there?”

  She stayed silent, and it told me everything I needed to know.

  “Our biggest competition is Maelstrom Inc. And this time I want to beat them. Part of that strategy is pitching to the company before they do so we can seal the deal. Maelstrom’s flashy productions catch the eye before they drain their clients of everything they have for a mediocre product delivery,” I said.

  “And you give your clients better products?” Sarah asked.

  “Always. I never jilt my clients. I always give them the best of this company, no matter how many times it takes us to get it right. If they’re going to pay a premium price, they need premium work done in return. It serves the reputation of my company no purpose to rake their money in and give to them something that is subpar.”

  I saw something flash behind Sarah’s eyes, but I was too caught up in those cute little freckles of hers to catch what it was.

  Concentrate, Ethan.

  “Pitching before them means we only have a week to pull together the perfect pitch,” I said.

  “That timeline isn’t realistic. I haven’t even met my team yet,” Sarah said, her eyes widening.

  “Which is why you’re meeting them in a few seconds. Philip?”

  The door opened, and I watched panic rise in Sarah’s face.

  “You’ve hired me for an impossible task, Mr. Sharpe,” she said.

  “Please, call me Ethan. And no, I haven’t. I’ve seen your portfolio. The work you’ve done. How well you did in school. I have faith in your talent, Sarah. So, it’s time for you to start earning your bonus,” I said.

  “Bonus?”

  I furrowed my brow. “Yes. You know, the regular bonus team members get when you seal the deal with a client.”

  Her split-second pause was enough to make me want to punch Miller Kells through his face. He wasn’t distributing bonuses the way he needed to be. That was why Sarah looked so shocked.

  What the hell did he do to those employees of his? Make them fucking starve?

  “You needed me?” Philip asked.

  His voice ripped me from my trance.

  “Yes. Philip, this is Sarah Matthews. See to it that she gets to her office safely, meets her team, and gets some breakfast,” I said.

  “Of course. I’ll make sure the cart makes the rounds,” he said.

  “And put it on the company’s tab. Whatever the team wants. Breakfast together will be a real bonding activity before they get to work.”

  My eyes fell onto Sarah, and I watched her shake her head like she was pulling herself from her own trance. Philip came beside her and escorted her to the door, where she grabbed her coat and slung it over her shoulders. She looked over her shoulder at me, offering me one last look with those dazzling blue eyes of hers. Then, she turned around and pulled her coat tightly around her as she left my office.

  I chastised myself as my eyes slipped to the sway in her hips.

  You’ve bitten off more than you can chew.

  “At least she’s not on this floor,” I murmured to myself.

  I sat down into my chair and spun around. I took in the view of Central Park, coated in the first inch of wintry snow. The white had always been soothing to me, like a clear slate for the end of a terrible year. The snow would usher us into the new year with its comforting white, clear and untouched, ready for the next twelve months as it pummeled us into the ground.

  “We’ll rise from your ashes this year, Manhattan,” I said.

  Then, I whipped back around to my desk and sunk myself into paperwork.

  Chapter 4

  Sarah

  I stood there, gazing out over the expansive view from my office. Central Park looked beautiful draped in a light snow. And as far as my eye could see, I took it all in. It felt like some kind of strange dream. I sat in my own leather chair, facing away from my own blond mahogany desk, taking in a million-dollar view. The contract I had signed with Sharpe Ads was just as magical, and just as hard to process. The six-figure salary was still hard to stomach, and the team I’d met yesterday was filled with some of the most hardworking individuals I’d ever encountered. Not only did they sing Ethan Sharpe’s praises, but they boasted of how well he treated his employees. They welcomed me as if I had come home, and not once did I feel as if any of them weren’t suited for their positions.

  It only showed me how talented Ethan Sharpe was himself.

  However, the more I listened to them rattle on about how great Ethan was, the more I wondered if I had joined a cult. No boss could be that nice. That great. That perfect. My eyes danced over the frosted trees, taking in the beauty of the death that sat outside my window. It was the perfect metaphor. There was beauty in letting things go. Beauty in turning over a new leaf. Beauty in fresh starts.

  I liked the metaphor of winter.

  “Why are you wasting time staring out windows? We’ve got an account to win.”

  I grinned as I turned around, and the blow of my boss’s presence hit me in my chest. There he stood, in my doorway, looking as handsome as ever. His body was cut in a powerful navy suit with a crisp white shirt underneath it all. He leaned against the doorway, his hand in his pocket and a smirk on his face.

  He was so damned good-looking, it hurt.

  “This how you greet all the people you promise to mentor?” I asked.

  “Well, we did outline it in your contract. I suppose I should be keeping a closer eye on you, though. Had I known a view like that would have distracted you, I would’ve set you up in the janitor’s closet.”

  His grin flipped my stomach over and tied it into knots.

  “Wouldn’t have been far from the accommodations at Maelstrom,” I said.

  “I think you’ll find yourself very comfortable here. I make it a point to take care of my own,” Ethan said.

  “So, I’ve heard from your team.”

  “Speaking of them, how are things going? Did the meet and greet yesterday go as you expected? Should I be asking who you’re firing?”

  I smiled and shook my head. That man knew damn good and well he’d assembled one of the best teams I’d ever been part of. I had no problem working with a team, either. In fact, I enjoyed it. Greatly. I liked being at the helm of something. A
t the helm of projects. I liked having management excited about what I did. But, as Ethan made his way into my office, I wondered if having him hover was going to be more maddening than “mentoring.”

  All day yesterday, he had thrown some ideas my way. Good ideas, in fact, for this lemonade-company account. He was already teaching me a lot. Helping me to look at things in a way I’d never viewed them before. But I had to stop myself from drooling sometimes.

  Like now.

  As he walked across my office, my eyes fell to his legs—long and languid, they made him seem as if he glided rather than walked. His thighs pulsed with every step he took, accenting the strength I knew bled up his torso. His arms were long. His hands boasted of veins I wanted to run my fingertips along, just to see them jump. And the jawline that held his dashing smile could have cut through the glass of my window.

  Simply put, Ethan Sharpe was hot as hell.

  “Well, don’t judge my tactics too quickly. Sometimes gazing out a window is nothing other than me brainstorming before a team meeting,” I said, smiling.

  “Oh, really? Care to enlighten me as to what a dreary winter day has to do with lemonade?” Ethan asked.

  He cocked his hip up onto my desk, and I had to force myself not to look, to not watch him move his body with perfection. He was so close I smelled his cologne. The wooden undertones of his scent accented with hints of allspice and oak. It was entrancing. It swirled around my head and forced a goofy smile upon my cheeks. His beautiful green eyes pierced my facade, peering down into my soul. Into my gut.

  I wondered if he saw how me made my insides melt.

  Keep yourself on task, Sarah. Focus.

  “I don’t throw ideas out there prematurely,” I said.

  “Good save. I’ll give it to you this time,” Ethan said, grinning.

  Stop it with the damn grin.

  “I’m anxious to get this pitch off the ground, though. I was hoping you’d have something for me this morning to settle my mind,” he said.

  “It’s been less than twenty-four hours, Ethan. Give it some time,” I said.