Trust in Advertising (45 page)

Elizabeth began checking in with Lexi, often asking if she needed anything, while Vincent went into full teacher mode. He was perfectly professional, and his focus set the tone for the meetings. There was a purpose behind every detail he shared so he expected her to pay attention.

Often during these meetings with Vincent, Lexi would find herself getting lost in the melodic sound of his voice. It was impossible not to be mesmerized by him when he talked about the various projects. He always made sure Lexi understood the whys and hows of each scenario before moving on to something new. When he was done, she knew so much about them that she could explain the reasoning behind each color palette, even if it was only based on an obscure comment about the color blue always catching the client’s eye. A tiny piece of information like that, when used the right way, was another tool to ensure a successful campaign. Vincent could talk in-depth about these things, but when it came to his life and his feelings, Lexi had never met a more closed-off person.

Trust in Advertising

It was a very big deal.

His words raced through her head numerous times a day, distracting her from whatever she was working on as she again tried to decipher the meaning.

In perfect Vincent fashion, he never explained himself or even acknowledged he had sent the text. It was never discussed. For him, it was as if it never happened.

For Lexi, however, it was the subject of many of her dreams and the reason behind more than one sleepless night.

Lexi knew he was flawed, horribly so. She wasn’t a naive teenager anymore who thought he walked on water. She saw him for the man he was. Behind his severe, controlling, and arrogant behavior was a kind, loving man who pushed people away to keep them from hurting him. But he was intelligent, sweet, and funny once you broke through the façade he had created. She knew his softer side, and that, more than anything, was what she craved.

She also knew Jade was just waiting for the perfect opportunity to rip her to shreds. In the past, that might have made her shut down or run, but now Lexi wasn’t afraid, nor was she willing to give up the life she was finally making. Jade would just have to find a way to deal with the fact that she and Vincent worked together, and Vincent would have to figure out what he wanted, because she was growing tired of his mixed messages. She wasn’t going to sit around and wait for him any longer. If Vincent ever decided he wanted her, he would have to break up with Jade and open himself up to Lexi, not just the parts he was willing to share, all of him. Until he was ready to do that, Jade could have him.

That didn’t mean that every time he walked into a room her heart rate wouldn’t go up, or when he leaned over her shoulder and his chest pressed tightly against her back she wouldn’t have to fight the urge to turn her head to the side and trail kisses up his neck. She couldn’t stop the way her body reacted when he was near any more than she could change the electricity that arced between them until one of them got spooked by the intense feelings and left the room.

What she could change was the way she watched life go by and ignored other men and basically let herself be a romantic hermit.

Peter was a pleasant distraction. He made her feel beautiful and attractive.

She knew he wasn’t really her type; he was a little too wrapped up in himself.

But even knowing that, she had to admit that all the attention he gave her was very good for her ego. And the way Vincent’s jaw clenched whenever Peter’s 273

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name came up in conversation was an added bonus. Part of her hoped it was jealousy that put that scowl on his face, but with Vincent, she never really knew what was going on in his head.

Frustrated that she was once again dwelling on a man she might never understand, she slipped out her door, hoping the headlines of the morning newspaper would provide a much needed distraction. As she bent and scooped the bundle up from the floor, she heard Hope’s door click open, and when she saw who stepped out, the newspaper that had been in her hand fell to the ground with a loud thud.

“Later, Hope.” Sean turned around, and when he saw Lexi gaping at him in just her T-shirt and underwear, he gave her a sexy wink and strode down the hall with a definite spring in his step.

“Nice outfit, Lex. You really should wear that to work one day. I bet Vincent would love it.” His low chuckle disappeared as he stepped into the waiting elevator.

Wasting no time, Lexi sprang across the hall and opened Hope’s door. She heard the light clanking of dishes being loaded into the dishwasher. When the door shut behind Lexi, Hope’s voice purred from the other room.

“Did you forget something, baby?”

“Yeah, I forgot the conversation where you told me that you and Sean were having sleepovers.” Lexi leaned against the refrigerator and grinned as a cookie sheet slipped out of Hope’s hands and crashed onto the tile floor.

“Crap!” Hope scrambled and tucked it into the dishwasher before finally facing Lexi’s highly amused gaze. “Oh, damn it, I thought I could just do it once and get it out of my system and never have to tell you about it, but I’m hooked.” She fell into a chair at her tiny table and put her head down, embarrassed. “It’s an illness.”

“Big, bad Hope has fallen. I never thought I’d live to see the day.”

Hope grabbed a napkin off the table, balled it up and flung it at Lexi’s head.

“You’ve only known me for five months, you dork.”

“I’m just saying, I’ve never seen you lose your cool, especially over a guy,”

Lexi teased as she took a seat beside her friend.

“Honestly, I have no idea what happens to me when he’s around. I get all hot and want to strip off my clothes and rub myself against him.” She slapped her hand over her mouth, embarrassed that she had shared so much. “Anyway, he wanted to get a drink last night, and I said fine, no biggie. I brought Marco and Tony with me, figuring they’d scare the hell out of him, I’d laugh, and it’d 274

Trust in Advertising

all be good. And ya know what happened? The two turncoats liked him! He schmoozed them. They were carrying on, laughing, and left me alone with Sean after one beer. When has Marco only had one beer at a bar? He must’ve paid them off, all I can figure.” She gently banged her head on the table. “And then Sean did that husky thing with his voice, and he asked me to dance. I should have known better, but he’s just so big and strong and …
gah
!”

Lexi laughed as she watched Hope fan her face.

“Then with the lights and the music … the man basically made love to me right there on the dance floor. His hips were moving, and his hands were wandering, and I just melted into some girlie pile of goo.” She hung her head in shame. “I might‘ve giggled.”

Lexi covered her mouth and made a dramatic gasp at Hope’s confession.

“You giggled?”

“Bite me,” Hope snarled with a twinkle in her eye.

“I’m guessing Sean beat me to it,” Lexi said, pointing at a small red mark on the top of Hope’s breast that peeked out from the deep V in her camisole.

“Damn it!” Hope clutched the neckline in her hand. “I’ll kill him.”

“Hope Greyson, you’ve got it bad.” Lexi shook her head from side to side.

“So, how was it?” There was no keeping the curious grin off Lexi’s face no matter how hard she tried.

There was a moment of silence as Hope closed her eyes and smiled. “There are no words for how amazing it was. He was everywhere, wrapped around me like a second skin by the time we closed the apartment door. And the man is all muscle. For the first time, I liked feeling small beside a man. He took control, and it was so damn sexy.” She pulled her lower lip between her teeth as she thought back on the night’s events. “I have a feeling every other man on earth will pale in comparison.”

“Holy cow,” Lexi muttered, still shocked by how deeply Hope was affected by him.

Hope waved a hand in the air. “Enough about me. How was work the last few days? Sean told me about your promotion.”

“Was that before or after he gave you that love bite?”

“How’s Vincent? Kiss him again lately?” Hope asked pointedly, knowing it would shut Lexi up.

Ignoring her, Lexi answered her original question. “Work’s been fine. It’s amazing how much goes into the campaigns that you never see. Vincent’s a 275

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master of negotiations. The way he works with people to get what he wants is awe inspiring. And the ideas he comes up with are brilliant. Some are cutting edge, and yet he can also do more classic approaches. His mind is really amazing.”

“You are aware that you’re gushing, right?”

“He’s also the moron who is still dating Jade.”

“What’s the deal with the two of them? I mean, the guy kisses your face off one day, texts you that it was a big deal to him, whatever the hell that means, and then he stays with the vilest creature to walk the planet. What the hell is that about?”

Lexi held up her hands in surrender. “I have no clue. And it’s been weird ever since that day we had it out.”

“You mean the day you told her if she broke up with Vincent you were going after him? Sean loved that story, by the way.”

“You did
not
tell him I said that!”

“I sure did. I need to know someone in that place has your back when the shrew is around.”

Lexi rolled her eyes. “Well, thanks. But for whatever reason, I think Jade’s been handled. She really doesn’t even acknowledge that I’m alive anymore. She and Vincent got in a horrible fight that day. Now she doesn’t say a word to me.

Don’t get me wrong, if looks could kill, I’d be dead ten times over, but her mouth has stayed surprisingly shut lately.”

“Give her a few more days, and I’m sure she’ll show her true colors again.”

Hope stood up and refilled her coffee. “So, what are you doing today?”

“Not much. I think I might head into work for a few hours.”

Hope quirked an eyebrow at Lexi. “On a Saturday? Any chance Vincent is going to be there?”

Lexi shrugged her shoulders. “I hope not. There are a few things I want to go over without him staring over my shoulder.” As her chair scraped across the floor, Hope laughed.

“Oh, somehow I don’t think you mind that at all, especially if he’s wearing that cologne you love so much.”

With one hand on the door, Lexi turned around and glared. “I hate you.”

“I love you too. Have a good day.” Hope kissed her fingertips and blew a kiss in Lexi’s direction.

“Go put on a turtleneck, you hussy.” When the door shut, Lexi was still laughing.

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Trust in Advertising

Vincent sat at his desk, scouring through the Marradesi file again. The date of their initial meeting with Paolo was fast approaching, and Vincent wanted to make sure he knew every minute detail about the company.

As he flipped through the papers, he found a Post-it with a small notation in Lexi’s angular script, and an inadvertent smile spread across his face.

European or American?

That was all the tiny note said, but seeing it made Vincent’s chest swell with pride. Lexi was already thinking about things like presentation style, seeing the differences in the markets here and abroad. Her attention to detail was amazing. She was like a sponge, absorbing everything he shared with her.

They had spent countless hours over the last few days huddled around his desk going over demographic charts and budgeting projections or at a work station down in productions discussing color and presentation style.

His fingers grazed the edge of the yellow square wistfully. Lexi. His pulse quickened at just the thought of her. It was her grace and unassuming beauty that Vincent craved, and it was her gentle spirit that made him want to wrap his arms around her and never let go. He was beginning to realize how much he wanted her.

Even with the stress of knowing that someone in the company was betraying them, Vincent couldn’t help but look forward to his afternoon meetings with Lexi. He could get through the most painful of mornings if he knew for sure that after lunch she was going to peek her head through his doorway. Her long brown hair would fall over her shoulder as she walked inside, clutching her legal pad and pen in hand, like the eager student she was.

His cell phone vibrated on the desk. Jade. How four small letters could bring such a sour taste to his mouth was astonishing. He had cared about her at one time, but now all he could do was see the hateful things she said and did to the people he cared most about and compare her to Lexi and her selfless ways. There was no competition. Jade lost every time.

When they had met months ago, Vincent had found a woman who wanted him but didn’t need him refreshing. She was successful on her own and was highly focused on her career; therefore, she wasn’t dependent on him. Her job required her to travel extensively, so their relationship occurred in small doses.

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About the time she started getting on his nerves, she would jet off to some exotic location for a week. When she returned, everything went back to normal, not because he had forgiven her, but because he was absorbed in other things and had long forgotten the source of the argument.