Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 94546 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 378(@250wpm)___ 315(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94546 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 378(@250wpm)___ 315(@300wpm)
I don’t want to be the cause of more torment for him.
That’s why I’ve steered clear of him today.
My heart beats faster when I spot him sitting behind his desk. He’s barking orders into his cell phone, but instead of his attention being rapt on the documents in front of him, his eyes are on me, his watch as hot and fiery as ever.
“Yep. I’m definitely going to need to check you for burns,” Jess mutters when the elevator doors snap shut a second before it commences its descent.
I plonk onto the bench seat outside the squash court Jess is still playing on before running a towel over my sweat-drenched head. I have no clue how Jess talked me into playing squash competitively, but I’m reasonably sure it went along the lines of, “It’s great for your glutes. Your flat butt will be a thing of the past in no time, and it only costs five dollars a game.”
Since it was cheaper than a gym membership, I signed up.
I won’t lie. I enjoy it. Sometimes Jess and I have to compete against each other, but most of the time, we play side by side. I went down in my game against Tristan, but Jess is currently in the lead in her set.
“You were fierce out on the court. You just need to keep your head in the game instead of on personal matters.” When I peer up, I spot the gentleman with burnt orange hair and an almost blond beard who works for Jack. “Fitz. It’s nice to officially meet you, Octavia.”
I shake the hand he’s holding out in offering before peering past his shoulder to Caleb, awkwardly hanging back. “How’s he doing?”
Fitz signals for Caleb to join us before replying, “Surprisingly well. Although I’m fairly sure Mr. Carson only placed him on your watch since he’s related to you.”
His reply soothes the knock my ego copped earlier, but I need a little more. “Does Jack have jealousy issues?”
Fitz’s lips twitch. “When it comes to you, yes?”
“And before me?”
It takes him longer to answer this time around. “I can’t exactly answer that.”
“Because of the NDA?”
I can tell he wants to arch his brow, but he keeps his expression impassive. “No. Because I don’t have any data to go off before you.” Before I can grill him on his reply, he shifts his focus to Caleb. “Please ensure Ms. Henslee and Ms. Arkwright are returned home safely, then I won’t need you again until the a.m. Understood?”
Caleb bobs his head. “Yes.” I struggle to hold in my giggles when the arched brow I was anticipating earlier pops onto Fitz’s face, forcing Caleb to add, “Sir. Yes, sir.”
“Very well.” Fitz’s eyes drop to me, their sternness lessening before he advises, “Mr. Carson asked me to give you this.” He hands me a folded-up piece of paper before turning on a dime and marching away. Yes, I said marching, as his walking style implies a long lineage of military assignments.
Caleb physically relaxes once Fitz is out of eyeshot.
“A bit of a stiff?” I ask, reading between the lines.
Caleb pulls on the collar of his fancy new dress shirt. “A bit? That guy couldn’t be more robotic if he tried.” He unknots his tie, unbuttons his suit jacket, then straddles the bench seat. “But he knows what he’s doing. You didn’t even know he was watching you the past two hours until he approached, did you?”
I whack him in the stomach and tell him to shut up before shifting my focus back to Jess. “She’s having one hell of a game.”
“Yeah… because her opponent is paying more attention to her ass than her swing.”
I take a second to relish the jealousy in his tone before muttering, “Can you blame him? He’s asked her out a handful of times this season, and all he’s ever gotten is a maybe.”
“A maybe? What the fuck?” Caleb looks prepped to storm onto the court and knock Linc out. “Maybe I should show him what happens when you can’t take a hint a girl isn’t interested.”
“Or maybe you should stop treating her as if she’s only a friend, and she’d give him a straight-up no.”
When Jess slams home a win, she spins to include me in her victory. When she spots Caleb standing at my side with his fists balled and the vein in his forehead almost bursting, instead of shaking Linc’s hand like she normally would, she swats his bottom with her racquet before instigating the hug he usually orchestrates after each match.
My heart beats in my ears as I wait for Caleb to decide how to respond. I’m hopeful he’ll finally stake a claim to Jess or at the very least tell Linc to get his hands off her ass, but I’m left disappointed when he mutters, “I’ll meet you out front in five,” before he storms for the exit.