Sweet Cheeks Bonus Scene One

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Flashback circa several months prior: The West Bay Account

Liv

It was nearly midnight, and the conference room was dimly lit, with only the glow of our laptops and the occasional flicker of the fluorescent lights above. We were both looking a little worse for wear, papers and empty coffee cups strewn across the table as we worked on the West Bay account. 

West Bay Industries home base was in Miami, FL but they were expanding and setting up a base here in San Diego. The owner was worth billions, which meant this account was extremely important to my bosses. 

I could feel Luca’s eyes on me, and I resisted the urge to look up, focusing instead on the report in front of me.

We’d been competing on this account for weeks, with Luca constantly making little digs at me, trying to get under my skin and throw me off my game. He was freaking ruthless at times and I knew it. Which I appreciated, because I knew I could be ruthless too when the situation warranted it. But then sometimes, a softer side peeked through and where his digs failed, the softness succeeded in getting to me. 

Needless to say, the tension between us tonight was palpable. We were both exhausted, the finish line was in sight, and neither of us were willing to back down on who would bring it home. Our usual snarky banter had been replaced with an uneasy silence, broken only by the sound of keys clicking and pages turning. 

Still, I was determined to shine on this project. Luca could damn well bring it. I was after a certain promotion that was coming down the pipeline, and I knew the West Bay account would be a huge point in my favor if I nailed it. 

Not that I didn’t deserve the damn promotion already. I’d been working here for almost three years now, all but killing myself to learn the ropes and excel. Ever since my dad died and I had to bow out of my senior year of college. 

It might not have been my first choice of careers, but I was kicking ass at this job and I damn well knew it. 

I gave the man across from me the side eye. He seemed determined to get in my way on nearly every account since he’d walked through the doors of Altman Advertising eight months ago and introduced himself. He’d shaken my hand with that cocky half-smile playing about his lips. The one that revealed the faintest of dimple and was both charming and infuriating, depending on the day.

What the hell, Liv. Why are you paying attention to the man’s dimples?

“You know,” Luca said, breaking the silence, “we could actually just work together on this. If we combined our ideas, we’d have a better chance of winning.”

I snorted, finally looking up to meet his gaze. “And give you the chance to take all the credit? You must be delusional, Turner.”

He leaned back in his chair, smirking. “Afraid I’ll outshine you, Lancaster?”

I rolled my eyes. “Please. You couldn’t outshine a candle on a windy day.”

Luca chuckled, his eyes never leaving mine. “You’re really fucking stubborn, you know that?”

“And you’re really freaking arrogant,” I shot back.

He held up his hands in mock surrender. “Relax, sweet cheeks. I never claimed otherwise. But you do have to admit, we make a pretty good team when we’re not trying to kill each other.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Oh, really? And when has that ever happened, exactly? And don’t call me sweet cheeks.” I scowled. 

Luca’s smirk grew wider. “Remember the Thompson pitch? If you recall, we worked together on that, and we fucking won.”

I couldn’t help the smile that tugged at the corners of my mouth. “That was different, Turner. We had no choice but to work together. Henderson would have fired us both if we’d screwed it up.”

“And yet, we still managed to create something amazing,” he said, his voice lower this time. Softer. 

Crap on a cracker, there’s that damn softer side again.

“I’ve always admired your determination, Liv. You don’t back down, ever. It’s one of the things I like about you.”

I froze, my pen hovering above the paper. “What did you just say?”

He shrugged, his eyes never leaving mine. “You heard me. I like your determination. And your ambition. And the way you never walk away from a challenge.”

A shiver ran down my spine as his gaze intensified, the air between us crackling with something unspoken. My heart thudded heavily in my chest, so hard I could feel my fingertips pulsing. I tried to maintain my composure, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of knowing he was getting to me.

“Well,” I said finally, breaking the silence, “I guess I can admit that you don’t suck at your job.”

Luca grinned, his eyes sparking with amusement. “Now I do believe that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me, Lancaster,” he drawled.

I rolled my eyes, but I couldn’t help the ghost of a smile crossed my face. “Don’t get too excited, Turner. This account is still a competition. It’s foolish to pretend it isn’t.”

He leaned forward, his eyes locked on mine. “Is it? Or are we just trying to convince ourselves that it is?”

My breath hitched in my throat, and I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks. I opened my mouth to respond, but no words came out. Instead, I quickly looked away, breaking the intense eye contact.

Luca chuckled, leaning back in his chair. “I thought so.”

I took a deep breath, trying to regain my focus. 

Quit the shenanigans, Liv. 

You can’t let him get inside your head like this. 

I needed to stay sharp and keep my guard up. But as we continued to work into the wee hours of the night, that tension between us only grew stronger, making it harder and harder to ignore. 

Still, I refused to admit anything other than fierce rivalry existed between us. Sliding another glance in his direction beneath my lashes, I contemplated his stupidly handsome face and glared down at my paperwork, scribbling harder. 

I was not attracted to Luca freaking Turner, dammit! 

I. Was. Not.