Julian's Pursuit Read Online Free PDF Page B

became contentious.
    I listened, quietly amazed as she took the clients on a journey, making them aware that there was a gap in their knowledge and then filling in that gap with answers to the puzzle. She even took my team’s stream of interconnected ideas and crafted a story that was both effective and memorable.
    And somehow, she even managed to make “reluctant” concessions so the Jensen execs felt like we were all in agreement.
    I was so fucking turned on. By her confidence, her presence, her brilliance, her poise.
    By the end of the meeting, I had to shift in my seat and adjust myself under the table.
    She was making me so goddamn hard my cock was going to have a permanent imprint from my zipper.
    Face alive with passion, keen intelligence shining in her eyes, and fire burning in her cheeks, she made the most of her time in the spotlight—and then some.
    This is Sadie’s world , I thought. And the rest of us here are just paying rent .
    This was a person who could hold a campaign together as a one-woman operation.
    This was a person who could some day become an advertising powerhouse, perhaps the next global vice president of marketing for this agency.
    Or any agency for that matter. I didn’t doubt that for a second.
    All in all, the meeting was a success on all counts. In the end, Jensen felt like they had been listened to, and my team and I felt that we had been heard.
    All thanks in large part to Sadie Frost.
    After the meeting, I hung back while Sadie tidied up her files.
    Swallowing with a dry throat, I said, “Sadie?”
    “Mmm?” she murmured without looking up.
    “Nice job.”
    “Thanks,” she said brusquely.
    “So,” I said. “Do you carry those stories inside you all the time? Or do they just hatch out whenever they’re needed?”
    A ghost of a smile crossed her face, coming and going so quickly I wasn’t sure I’d really seen it.
    In the ensuing silence, I watched her for a moment. She looked even more gorgeous today in a crisp white blouse paired with a leather pencil skirt. I loved the dichotomy of her angelic top against the black leather of her skirt. It was refined, yet it lent her a sleek, femme fatale flair. Fierce vixen meets superhero sexy. And she saved the day.
    “What if Jensen had said no to our storyboard?” I asked suddenly.
    “I’ve learned that with my clients, every no is temporary. No doesn’t mean no. It just means no for now. So whenever they feel a need to say no, I let them,” she said simply. “Besides, a few well-placed no’s can create the right environment for a yes . ”
    “I see.” After a lengthy pause, I said, “So, Sadie…”
    “Yes?” She looked up from her files.
    I attempted a smolder. “Will you go out on a date with me?”
    “No.” Her refusal was automatic.
    “Lunch tomorrow?”
    “No.”
    “Coffee instead?”
    “No.”
    “Frozen yogurt?”
    She looked pained. “Julian?” she said at last.
    “Yeah?”
    “I see what you’re trying to do.” Her eyes narrowed in thought. “You’re trying to create a right environment for a yes, but it’s not happening.”
    “Ah.” I waved her words aside. “But there’s always a chance you might say yes.”
    “All right.” A beguiling smile slowly eased up one corner of her mouth. “You want to know what the chances are that I might say yes?”
    I found myself nodding in response.
    “Look out the window,” she said demurely and like a fool, I did. “Now look up at the sky and count the stars. That’s how much of a chance you have.”
    “But it’s noon.” I frowned. “I can’t see a single star.”
    “Exactly,” she said without expression. “And thank you for pointing that out, Captain Obvious.”
    I was three times a fool. “You’re welcome, Sergeant Sarcasm.”
    As Sadie turned to leave, I said, “Hang on a sec.” Not to be outdone, I squinted in the pallid glare of the afternoon sun. “With a telescope or a powerful pair of binoculars, I’m pretty sure I could see a