CHAPTER SEVENTEENI was still glowing when I sailed into JFI the next morning. After starting the coffee maker, I sat down at my desk to get a little email correspondence done. Then I researched different kinds of leather. By the time I heard Brick’s voice in the hallway, only an hour and a half had passed, yet I’d gotten an entire day’s worth of work in already.Which was probably a good thing. Brick was as chatty in the office as he was everywhere else. It slowed my workflow considerably when he was around, so it was just as well that I got as much completed before he arrived.He laughed, talking to some other man, as he entered the room, only to slow to a stop and inhale deeply. “Damn, you even brew the best-smelling coffee, kid.”I grinned, soaking in the compliment like a flower greedily inhaling sunlight, even as I wanted to deflect and say the coffee beans had done all the work aromatizing the air, not me.Popping to my feet, I bro
CHAPTER EIGHTEENI yelped my surprise, while across the room, Brick stood up from his chair, growling, “What the hell, man?”Another second passed, and then Ezra let go of my hair only to grasp my arm and help me back to my feet. “Sorry, sorry,” he gushed, his eyes full of contrite apology. “I just saw Elton walk by. I’m not sure what he was doing on the third floor. Are you okay? I can’t believe I just pushed you down without any warning. I’m such an ass.”Brick nudged him aside so he could get a look at me and check me over.I was fine. Totally fine, just surprised. To settle my nerves, I brushed at my knees and said to Ezra, “You think he was looking for me?”He didn’t have a chance to answer because Brick was too busy butting in. “Wait. We’re hiding from Elton now? Christopher Elton? Why?”I let out a sigh. Both men were a good head taller than me, and with them crowded so close, looking concerned, I felt a little overwhelmed. I took
CHAPTER NINETEENThat evening, Ezra was waiting for me at my apartment door when I made it home from work.I slowed to a stop when I saw him leaning against the wall. He lifted his face only to push to a stand when he saw me.“Hey,” he said softly, shoving his hands into his pockets. A look of regret crossed his features.Fearing the worse, I said, “Hey,” back in the same quiet, wary tone. All the while, my stomach dipped into my knees with dread. Why did he look so sorry?“You worked late,” he noted, his gaze drifting over me as if taking note of every inch.Still feeling as if something was off, I lifted my hand to touch his torso, just inside his open jacket. “I wanted to finalize the deal with the leather company, and then I helped Brick work on the portfolio he’s supposed to turn in to you on Friday. I swear, he doesn’t get around to working until early afternoon every day, and then he has to stay late to get anything finished. Why
CHAPTER TWENTYI almost expected Ezra to be waiting on me in my office when I arrived on Wednesday morning; I was that sure he’d choose us together than us apart. But I wasn’t disappointed—at least not too disappointed—when he was nowhere to be seen when I walked in. I still had faith he’d come through.Humming to myself, I booted up my computer, started the coffee, and then checked emails. I glanced over the portfolio we’d been working on yesterday, and scribbled down a few notes and ideas for revision before a yawning, grumbling Brick stumbled into the room.“Coffee,” he croaked.I hurried a mug to him, then stepped back so I could shake my head and whistle. “Wow, you look hungover.”“Not hungover,” he mumbled before sipping. After that first swallow, he sighed and closed his eyes as if relieved. “At least not hungover from alcohol.”“What else is there to be hungover from?” I asked, squinting, and suddenly feeling too naïve for my own
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONENo more women stormed Brick’s office for the rest of the day. From his behavior, a person never would’ve guessed he’d been slapped, threatened, and broken up with, all within five minutes. I had to wonder if somewhere inside him, it truly bugged him.Outwardly, he nodded, grinning as he took a step back from the work table in his office to inspect our finished portfolio in all its glory. A dozen posters were spread across the tabletop and ready to be displayed.“Holy shit,” he murmured in awe, scanning his gaze across our hard work. “I think we’re done. I think we’re really done.”“And just in time, too,” I said, standing beside him, my hands against my heart as I breathed out a relieved and proud breath that it was finally finished.But my stepbrother rounded on me with an incredulous blink. “Are you kidding me? I’m usually up until midnight the night before the presentation, scrambling to get it together. I’ve never b
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO“I’m starving.”Still in the midst of post-coital recovery, I blinked up at a ceiling fan before finding the gumption to turn my head to the side and take in Ezra’s expression.His entire body rolled my way until he was facing me and lay on his side where he tucked his hand under his cheek and grinned with so much animation he practically glowed. “Aren’t you hungry?”“Uh…” At the moment, I couldn’t rightly answer. I felt so limp and sapped of all energy after what we’d just done, my brain was still trying to process what hungry and starving even meant.Ezra, on the other hand, seemed energized and ready to tackle the world. Laughing, he popped up into a sitting position with way too much enthusiasm, asking, “When was the last time you ate?”“Umm…” Too boneless and sated to think properly, I frowned. “I don’t know. Noon?”Noon was a word, right?“Then you could definitely eat too.”I could? Okay. Whatever he thought
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREEHave you ever had one of those mornings where you woke up and everything just felt right? The best amount of cushion possible was molded around you, the perfect covers on top, pillow fitted just so under your head, the temperature of the room excellent, and you’d slept a good, solid deep sleep? Then your alarm ruins it all, and you groan because you want to keep lying there, just like that, without moving a muscle, for the rest of eternity?Yeah, it was one of those mornings, for sure.My eyes flickered open. I stared at the wall of my room for a moment, feeling rested and relaxed. A slow smile started and then, boom, the alarm shrieked out this totally unnecessary and increasingly annoying racket, making something grumble in complaint right into my ear before a warm weight draped across my stomach shifted.I squeaked. Totally didn’t scream, because I’m not a screamer, but there was a definite noise of alarm that escap
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOURWhen I showed up at work, the prints for our department’s portfolio were no longer spread out and displayed on the worktable in Brick’s office.I frowned as I entered, wondering if he’d moved them somewhere for safekeeping so they wouldn’t accidentally get damaged before the presentation, but when I looked around after storing my purse and coat, I couldn’t find them anywhere. I texted Brick, asking if he knew where they were, but he didn’t answer, so I continued with my day until he could make it in and I sat at my desk to check emails.All the while, I chewed nervously on my thumbnail, casting worried glances toward the doorway every few seconds and wishing Brick would show up already, because I was beginning to dread someone had maybe stolen our freaking portfolio.During one such peek toward the doorway, I froze solid when I made eye contact with none other than Christopher Elton, who was passing by in the hall and p