Chasing Fate (Dark Love 5)

Karina, the young girl from finance walks into the room, immediately she spots the seat beside me. She walks over, si

ts down, which forces me to say hello.

“Hey, Karina.”

“Hey, Noah.” She grins, keeping her voice low. “It’s a shame you weren’t able to make it out to drinks. You missed Larry, the editor, doing a round of shots, then proceeding to do his rendition of Magic Mike.”

I contain my laughter, looking across the table at Larry, a scrawny geek with glasses who rivals Harry Potter. He knows he’s embarrassed himself, retreating behind his notebook, pretending none of us know about his stripping abilities.

The boardroom begins to fill when Presley enters, carrying a large folder.

Karina leans in and whispers, “This book is costing us a fortune. John, head of finance, said we need a lot of sales to profit, and if—”

She doesn’t finish her sentence as Presley calls for attention. I click on my screen, unlocking my program when I hear, “Miss Winters and Ms. Bentley will be attending this meeting.”

My eyes dart to Presley.

Morgan’s standing beside her.

Despite our late night, she looks gorgeous. Her shiny black hair is pulled into a sleek ponytail, accentuating her cheekbones. She’s wearing a suit, navy with a very low button-up blouse. I can’t peel my eyes away from her until the people in the room gasp when Scarlett walks in.

Scarlett introduces herself, leaving the entire room—aside from myself—star-struck. Like I said, she knows how to charm anyone. And between her dazzling smile and entertaining monologue, she’s left the room speechless.

She’s quick to notice me, grinning with her winning smile. I can’t for the life of me argue she’s not stunning. But I don’t know her. And my mind is preoccupied with the beautiful creature sitting alongside her.

“And so, let’s begin with any concerns,” Presley begins.

Morgan’s gaze lingers on mine, a mischievous grin closely following.

John fires questions about budget restrictions, all of which Morgan takes in stride, answering on Scarlett’s behalf. Haden, being a level-headed businessman, puts the kibosh on John’s tirade.

I never understand how finance people can get their pants in such a twist.

Karina raises her hand, just like in school. “Miss Winters?” she asks nervously.

“Please, call me Scarlett,” she corrects her gracefully.

“Scarlett,” she repeats. “Given the worldwide success of your latest movies, plus the fact that you have the largest fan base on social media, I personally follow you everywhere. How do you think your fans will react to this book?”

Scarlett coyly brushes her curls to the side, her diamond ring almost blinding us. “I think they’ll enjoy it. Understand that life isn’t always what you see splashed all over the tabloids. That, and the fact I’m really just another human being like them.”

Haden joins the conversation. “I have no doubt in my mind that it’ll be a number one bestseller. We expect pre-orders to go up in a month. The cover shoot is happening at the end of this week, and we have the printers ready to go the end of next month for the first print run.”

“That’s a fast plan of action, Mr. Cooper,” Presley questions, her eyes disagreeing with his projected timeline.

“Yes. I believe we discussed this last night,” he seethes, trying his best to remain calm.

“Excuse my husband, everyone. His version of discussion is him talking and me biting my tongue,” she says half-jokingly.

Everyone in the room laughs, and across the table, my eyes meet Morgan’s, playfully flirting until Karina’s hand touches my arm, and she leans in to whisper, “Do you think I can get Scarlett to follow me on social media?”

Jesus.

I whisper back in her ear, “If it’s important to you, just ask.”

My focus moves back to Morgan. Her smile has disappeared, and she’s no longer eye-fucking me. Instead, she’s looking at the opposite end of the table with a stern glare. With all the questions flying around the room, one is directed at me by Morgan herself. “The success of this project lies heavily with the marketing strategy. Since Mr. Mason is in charge of this project, perhaps we should direct any concerns to him.” Her tone is condescending, drawing everyone’s attention to me.

Did she seriously just do that?