Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 61851 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 309(@200wpm)___ 247(@250wpm)___ 206(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 61851 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 309(@200wpm)___ 247(@250wpm)___ 206(@300wpm)
Chapter Fourteen
Armed with a Caffé Americano and all the caffeine his body could handle, Derek headed into Blackout Media early on Monday morning before the receptionist, the other employees, or his partner arrived. After taking the weekend off from work to give Jessica his undivided attention—which she deserved after paying a jaw-dropping amount for him at the auction—he knew he needed to get a jump-start on the week ahead.
He and Ben had made the decision to move forward on the buyout of MegaReelz, and it was full speed ahead. Contracts were being drawn up, they had various meetings with their lawyers to attend, and one of their teams had already come up with a business plan to present to him and Ben that included a marketing strategy, competitor analysis, and financial projections.
It was the most exciting and exhausting part of acquiring a new company. Exciting because of the potential growth and profitability of taking a struggling streaming platform and elevating it to the next level, and exhausting because of all the time involved in making that success happen. There were a lot of moving parts until everything was fully integrated.
A knock on his door a while later made him glance up from his laptop screen to see Ben strolling into his office. He was wearing a navy-blue business suit for the meeting with their attorneys today, but it was clear by the bemused expression on his face that he wasn’t there to discuss their latest acquisition.
“I just wanted to see for myself that you survived the weekend with my sister,” Ben said, humor in his voice as he released the button on his jacket, then sat down in one of the chairs in front of Derek’s desk.
“I did,” he replied, thinking back to the rocky start they’d had and how it eventually ended, with him wanting to see where things could go between them beyond the weekend. “After you left on Friday, we came to an understanding, and yes, that meant me doing all the work around her house to make up for that summer she was grounded because of my big mouth.”
Ben chuckled. “Knowing Jessica, I bet she had a great time bossing you around.”
Remembering how she’d driven him crazy with that sassy attitude for most of Saturday afternoon, Derek grinned. “Oh, yeah, she did.”
“So, everything good between you two, then?” he asked. “Neither of you killed the other, so I’ll take that as a good sign.”
Even though the question was asked casually, humorously even, Derek felt like Ben was looking for reassurance that everything was okay, considering the last time he’d seen them together his sister had been pissed off at Derek for hiring contractors.
Ben’s phone rang and he looked at the screen. “Hold that thought,” he said to Derek and rose, stepping toward the side of the room to have a conversation with whoever was on the other line, giving Derek the opportunity to think through his reply.
It would be easy enough to tell Ben, Jessica and I are fine and let it go at that. But he had a lot of respect for his friend and partner, and Derek wasn’t about to hide the fact that he planned to date Jessica—even if Jessica herself seemed skeptical about his intentions.
He’d seen the doubt in her eyes yesterday when he’d asked her to accompany him to his father’s fundraiser event. And she’d questioned whether or not he wanted to openly date her—though he was pretty sure she just considered this an extension of their little hookup. Which was fine, for now. Until he had the chance to prove to her that their connection was about so much more than just sex.
And with Jessica’s past and latent insecurities, that would take time and patience, and he was willing to put in the work. She was used to her own mother belittling her, and men who made her feel as though she wasn’t good enough. Though she presented herself with confidence in most situations, he’d discovered there was still enough of that vulnerable girl inside of her to make her doubt her own worth.
The weekend with her had been an eye-opening experience. He’d spent the past few years keeping his attraction to her under wraps, but their forced proximity had revealed many intriguing facets to Jessica. He’d witnessed a joyful side to her personality, a sexy side, and a vulnerable one. She was smart and funny. Ambitious and creative. Not to mention, kind, caring, and honest—three attributes he’d learned to truly appreciate after everything he’d gone through with Claire.
If not for this weekend, he never would have known just how well they fit together. That this woman he’d practically grown up with because of his friendship with her brother was Derek’s ideal woman in so many ways. And now that he knew how much he wanted her in his life, he had to admit his intentions to Ben.