The New Boss (MXM)

Chapter 3

Jace couldn't believe what he read in the magazine. So, he Googled him: Giovanni Warner. It was the same person he saw in the magazine, the same person who gave him one of the best orgasms in his life and then tossed him away like trash.

Oh, God.

He knew he was behaving quite irrationally. His younger brother had gone to great lengths to get him this appointment, but he couldn't meet the man. He just wasn't ready to face him yet.

"Tell your boss he can cancel the meeting if he wants. I'm leaving," he told the receptionist.

"Sir, please wait. Mr. Warner will be available in a few moments," the receptionist said.

"That's what I've been hearing for the past two hours. Look, I've changed my mind. I don't want to meet him anymore."

The woman leaped to her feet with a look of fear. Her lower lip trembled as she spoke. "Please don't leave, sir. I already have you listed in today's appointment list. If you leave now without any valid justification, my boss might fire me. I'll personally call him right now and ensure that he meets you in the next fifteen minutes."

After exhaling, Jace sat back down in his chair. It was true that being a pleasant person has its downsides. He really didn't want to meet that bastard, but he also didn't want to be the reason someone lost their job.

"I'm calling him right now," she said and pointed towards the intercom. She dialed a number and took hold of the receiver. "Yes, Mr. Warner," she said timidly. "Sir, your scheduled appointment with Mister Garroway is still pending. He has been waiting for a long time, sir. Yes, it's as per what the marketing team reported. Yes, it was one of the conditions. Yes, I will find the data you need, sir. Thank you, sir."

Jace snorted while the receptionist hung up the call. He had not anticipated that, in the twenty-first century, individuals still addressed their superiors as "sir." It was so odd. Not to mention, Warner was quite young for his position, twenty-eight years old-if not, he couldn't have been older than thirty-two.

Next, she addressed him directly, "Mr. Warner is waiting for you in his office. I'm sorry again for all the inconvenience caused."

He could feel his heart hammering. Okay, pros and cons.

Pros: his brother had worked hard to arrange his appointment for him, he might find new information about the person who stole his IP, and he could pitch in some ideas about making the storyboard more user-friendly.

Cons: he was meeting the man who plowed his ass last night.

There was no time for indecisiveness; he had to face his fears and step out of his comfort zone. He had to confront the awful president, the one who got him arrested, the one who was responsible for his anger and pain for the past few moments.

He entered the man's office with force. All outside noise was silenced as the door slammed shut behind him. Jace exhaled loudly.

Giovanni Warner turned away from his computer and looked up.

He appeared relaxed as he sat back in his chair. He had taken off his coat and rolled up his sleeves to display powerful, well-muscled forearms. Thick and mighty, those forearms were wrapped all over him as he basked in the man's body heat last night. Jace cursed himself for losing focus.

The man, Warner, exuded strength and might in every way, from his broad shoulders to the bulging biceps protruding from his white shirt.

His stern expression and dark, glinting eyes only served to intensify the already unsettling scene. A flicker of recognition passed over his face, causing his calm mask to slip away for a second, but then his expressionless mask was back.