Chapter 5
She woke up groggily and out of sorts to see him sitting on the small sofa she had in her bedroom, his eyes intent on his phone. He heard her stirring and looked up. “Hey,” he said softly with a smile. felt her heart do a somersault as she gazed at him. His dark brown hair was tousled and his face looked softened from sleep. He had taken off his sweater and was in a simple white t-shirt that stretched across his chest.
“What time is it?” she asked him huskily, determined to ignore the stirrings inside her.
“A little past ten.”
“No!” Her eyes flew to the bedside clock. “I have an interview.”
“They called and I told them you won’t be taking up the position,” he told her smoothly as he put away his phone and got to his feet.
“What?” She stared at him dumbfounded.
He sat on the edge of the bed and reached over to push back her hair from her forehead. “You are not going anywhere. Communications Link needs you and so do I.”
“You have no right-”
“I ran away from what I was feeling before, , and I won’t be doing that again. I could not stop thinking about you since I left and I was a fool to have left. I spent two weeks sick out of my mind and all I could think about was that you were not with me. I am not going to let that happen again.”
“Jason, what exactly are you saying?” she asked him shakily. Her body was still weak and her head swam as she tried to take in what he was saying to her.
“I am saying that I want us to be together and I want you back at the company running it.”
She stared at him in shock. “You don’t know what you are saying,” she whispered.
“I know exactly what I am saying. It had been obvious to me from the start. You are excellent at what you do. You have visions that will get the company very far. I was not thinking and because of that I have set the company back somewhat. You are the best I have ever seen, , and I want us to work together.”
“You want me to run the company?” she asked him foolishly.
“Yes.” He smiled at her tenderly, his fingers drifting down to lift her chin up. “I also want us to be together.”
“In what way?”
“Marriage eventually.” He shook his head as if he could not believe he was saying it. “We are going to get to know each other first, but I want to be with you.”
“Jason, are you sure?”
“Positive,” he said firmly as he bent his head to kiss her lightly on the lips. “Now I am going to order something for us to eat and I am going to spend the day trying to get you better.”
*****
“I know I messed up pretty badly, Jace, but I am asking for another shot at this,” Bart pleaded as he looked at the younger man. “Whatever I have to do I will if it means I get to stay.”
“You are going to have to apologize to ,” Jason said grimly. He had left her sleeping off the medication she had taken and had come to the office to let Bart know what the position was. The man was a very good employee in spite of his bad habit of getting involved with female employees and Jason did not want the fact that he had approached the woman he had feelings for to color his judgment.
“Anything,” Bart said desperately. “We have always worked good together, man, and I am available at the drop of a hat to go anywhere you want me. That has to count for something.”
“That’s the only reason I am not reading you your walking papers,” Jason told him grimly as he eyed the man. “As soon as she is well enough she will be taking over the running of the company. She is going to become Mrs. Jason Cooper soon enough so it would suit you to be on her good side.”
“I will apologize to her in person.” Bart swore. “So I guess I will be leaving?”
“The company in the UK will be ready in a couple of days and I want you to go there. Bart, I want you to change the way you do things. Go in and do your job professionally and stop messing around with the females. This is your last chance.”
“I will be on my best behavior from now on,” he vowed, grateful that he still had his job.
Jason nodded. “Finish here for the next two days and then will come in on Monday. I will make the announcement to the rest of the staff.”
*****
“Bart McGowan called me with a very long apology. Did you have anything to do with that?” asked him as soon as he stepped inside. She had slept for three hours straight and had woken up feeling as if she could conquer the world. She had also eaten the leftover meal of delicious chicken soup and freshly baked bread and had taken a shower and washed her hair. She wondered if she had dreamed what he had told her or if he had come to his senses and had decided against the whole thing. He had gone home to change and was wearing a thick red sweater and denims.