CHAPTER FOURTEENI was still blue when I clocked out of work. It was the first time I actually got to use the JFI time clock to clock out, too. I should’ve been delighted about that alone. I was now a full-time employee at my father’s company. Woot-woot! It felt as if I’d already half reached my dreams. I could practically feel my father’s spirit grinning in pride. The sensation of that’s my girl seemed to shimmer through me as I left the office. I should’ve wanted to celebrate, rejoice.But my encounters with Ezra had left me more maudlin than festive. I couldn’t shake the feeling that I’d really hurt him. I knew talking to someone a total of maybe an hour and a half all together didn’t make us close or anything, but there’d been something between us, something that made me feel as if I’d always known him, as if my soul had seen his and said, oh, there you are.That was silly, I knew. But I still couldn’t shake the sense that I’d ruined ev
CHAPTER FIFTEEN“Brother?” I whirled toward Isobel, whispering, “No.” I even shook my head to deny it.But then I blinked rapidly as pieces began to come together. Ezra had said his sister was disfigured and still one of the most beautiful women he’d ever seen. That description fit Isobel perfectly. She was simply lovely, scars and all.“Oh my God,” I gasped, backing away from her and lifting my hands in apology, though I had no idea what I was apologizing for. “You are. You really are, aren’t you?”She shook her head, smiling out a confused frown. “How do you know Ezra?” Then her expression fell. “Oh, Lord. Please don’t tell me he’s been giving you unwanted attention.”“What? No!” I cried a bit too quickly before flushing. “I mean, it totally wouldn’t be unwanted, if he were… Which he’s not, because why… Why would he give little ol’ me any attention? I’m no one.”Gabby snorted. “I think the girl doth protest too much.”“Definitely,” Ca
CHAPTER SIXTEENI nodded. “Okay.”Talking sounded good.Figuring out the status of our relationship sounded even better.Squeezing Ezra’s hand, I looked up into his eyes. He nodded his approval, so I turned us down the sidewalk. Half a block later, I stopped and faced my building before drawing in a deep breath. “This is it.”He paused beside me, looking up at the crumbling brick walls and ancient cracked windows. Wincing at the big box window in the middle of the top floor that signaled my place, his expression morphed from dazed shock into horror. “You live here? This place looks like it should be condemned.”I rolled my eyes and hooked my arm through his. “Come on, it’s not that bad.” I encouraged him through the front door and grinned up at him, wiggling my eyebrows. “The elevator actually works now. Some mysterious, rich benefactor paid to get it fixed a couple months back. So, yay, we don’t have to walk four flights of stairs today
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