Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 68177 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 341(@200wpm)___ 273(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68177 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 341(@200wpm)___ 273(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
“What floor?” he asks again as his strong, angled jaw tics.
“Forty-seven, please,” I say quietly like I’m afraid he will attack if I speak too loud, and he might. I remember what happened the last time we were in an elevator together.
Nodding, his eyes leave mine and he presses my number then waves his wrist over the screen. The number sixty flashes briefly before disappearing, making me wonder if that’s a floor in this building, because the numbers only go up to fifty on the panel. Crossing his arms over his chest, I take in his short, dark, almost-black hair and tan skin. He’s somehow become even better looking since the last time I saw him, and that should be impossible. Then again, he also shouldn’t be here.
“Dakota, you should know it’s rude to stare,” he states then inhales through his nose and his hands tighten into fists as his jaw grinds.
“What are you doing here, Braxton?” I know the answer without asking, and the anger that had dissipated with every text he’s sent me while he’s been away comes back full force.
“I think you know.”
“Yeah.” My throat gets tight with the urge to scream. “Why?” The question is barely audible. I don’t get it. I don’t understand why he hasn’t told me the truth even once since we’ve known each other.
“It’s complicated,” he mutters, sweeping his eyes over me from head to toe, bringing every cell in my body to life in that one look, before facing the door when it opens and people step on. I wrap my hands around the handle of my cart and squeeze, feeling his eyes on me, but I don’t turn to look at him. On the next floor, the few people who got on step off, leaving us alone again.
“You haven’t returned any of my messages.”
I haven’t. I’ve wanted to, but I haven’t. Now I’m glad I stayed strong. The one this morning telling me he just landed in Seattle was especially difficult to ignore.
“We’ll talk tonight and I’ll explain things to you.”
“We won’t, I don’t need you to explain anything,” I say as the elevator stops. I get off even though it’s not my floor and my legs shake as I push through the crowd waiting to get on. Once the doors close, I press the button and wait for the next one to come, hoping I don’t have to quit my job.
When I finally make it to the forty-seventh floor, I head for the conference room and find the door open. “Good, you’re here.” Kathy sighs dramatically, helping me drag the cart to the corner of the room. Since I started working with Kathy, I’ve noticed she’s more often than not dramatic in everything she does. “Mr. Adams wasn’t supposed to be back until next week, but he flew in this morning and wants us to hold the new merchandise meeting now,” she says, picking up a stack of papers and handing them to me, and I wonder how it’s possible she has no idea I’m currently having a heart attack.
I’m sure there are other men with the last name Adams. But it’s too much of a coincidence to think that the CEO and Braxton who have the same last name both flew in this morning. She bends over and unlocks the doors on the cart with a key tethered around her wrist and pulls out a dozen or more small boxes that are enclosed in a large plastic bag. “Each place gets a pamphlet and a box except that chair there.” She nods toward the head of the table, where a bottle of water is sitting unopened.
“Got it.” I take the boxes from her and set them on the table.
“Thank you for helping me with this, I’ll be back in ten minutes. I need coffee. Can you handle this until I get back?”
“Of course, go.” I shoo her away, needing a minute alone to wrap my head around things. I begin the mindless task of placing the pamphlets and boxes around the table and play out every scenario in my head. Most of them end with me quitting and living with Jamie again—something I don’t really want to do but will. When I hear the door open, I don’t even look up, assuming Kathy’s come back.
“Glad to see you made it here, since you got off on the wrong floor,” Braxton says, and I jump, turning to find him sitting at the head of the table and opening the bottle of water that was placed there.
“So, I’m guessing this is where you tell me this is your company?” I prompt as my stomach turns and my hands start to shake.
“I told you it was complicated.”
“For once, you didn’t lie,” I say sarcastically, wanting to toss the box in my hand at his stupid head.