I feel a mix of anxiety and regret, but I push it aside when I take a deep breath.
“You’re going to do great, Ms. Walsh.”
I look up to where Lenore Halston is standing next to the closed door of the conference room. She’s been in and out of there all afternoon.
I smile in response.
“I promise that none of them bite,” she says softly. “Can I get you anything? There’s a coffee room down the hall. I’m about to head down there to grab myself a bottle of water.”
It was the one thing I forgot to slide into my purse before I left home.
I’d taken the time to fill up my travel water bottle and put it in the fridge last night so it would be chilled before I came here, but of course, it slipped my mind.
“You wouldn’t mind grabbing one for me too, would you?” I sigh, licking my lower lip. “I’m parched.”
“Consider it done,” she says, glancing over at the closed door of the conference room. “I’ll be back in a jiffy.”
I nod, even though I have no idea how long a jiffy is. All I hope for is that she rounds the waiting room corner with that water before I have to present my idea to the investors.
Too-tight shoes and a dry mouth are not going to help me land a deal.
I suck in a breath and stare down at my now-swollen feet. The straps of the sandals have been cutting into my flesh all afternoon.
I got up three times and walked down the corridor to the ladies’ room in the hope that the increased blood flow would help, but it did nothing.
I slide open the zipper of the suitcase I borrowed from Sophia and fish my hand in. I feel the heel of one of my red shoes. I give it a tug and pull it out.
Reaching down I carefully unbuckle the thick strap around my left ankle. I feel instant relief as I glide my foot out of the sandal.
I slip the red shoe on. It pinches but it’s not nearly as uncomfortable as the sandal.
Just as I’m moving to remove the right sandal, the door to the conference room flies open and the woman with the gift bag filled with fragrant smelling handmade soaps darts out.
She doesn’t look in my direction, even though we spent the better part of the afternoon talking. Technically, the majority of the time I was listening to her run through her presentation.
I watch in silence as she races through the waiting area before she disappears around the corner and out of sight.
I can’t tell if she took off in a rush from the excitement of landing a deal or the devastation of rejection.
I look toward the open conference room door as I tug on the strap around my right ankle.
Dammit. It’s so tight that the leather has absolutely no give to it.
“Lenore,” a man’s voice calls out. “Sweetheart, where are you?”
I’m not surprised by the softness in his tone. I overheard Lenore telling someone earlier that her husband is one of the investors.
I sit silently, tugging on the strap of my sandal.
I have to get it off. If I don’t, I’m going to walk into that conference room wearing two different shoes.
I might as well pack up my chances of getting a deal and take them home with me now.
“Lenore?” The man’s voice is louder now. I can tell that he’s about to walk through the conference room doorway.
He does.
He’s older, handsome, and dressed in an expensive three-piece black suit.
“Hi,” he offers when his gaze meets mine. “I see that we saved the best for last. You’re Mabel’s friend, aren’t you?”
I nod. “I’m Dexie Walsh.”
“You wouldn’t happen to know where Lenore is, would you?” He taps the face of the large silver watch on his wrist. “I told her we’d only be here until six. I hope my bride hasn’t flown the coop.”
I smile at the affection in his eyes when he talks about his wife. “She went to get some water.”
I glance down at my watch. It’s almost seven. I’ve been here even longer than I thought.
“I’ll go find her.” He sets off toward the corridor just as a woman walks out of the conference room.
I know, before she says a word, that she’s Mabel’s sister. The resemblance is striking.
“You must be Dexie.” She tosses me a wave as she follows after Lenore’s husband. “I’m Rhoda. Give us two minutes and we’ll get started.”
Two minutes? I hope to hell that’s enough time to rip this sandal off my foot.
I wait until Rhoda is out of view before I grip both hands around the strap of my sandal and pull.
“Dammit,” I whisper. “Get off of my foot.”
I give it another good, strong yank but it doesn’t budge.
I sigh in frustration. “I can’t believe this is happening to me.”
“I was about to say the same thing.” The deep seductive sound of a male voice startles me. “Hello, neighbor.”
Chapter 14
Dexie
I stare up at the man who just spoke to me.
It’s not just any man. It’s him.
My scorching hot neighbor is standing less than two feet away smiling down at me.
Wow. He’s even more gorgeous when two plates of glass aren’t separating us.
“Can I help?” He tilts his chin down.
The five-o-clock shadow covering his jaw catches my eye. How can he be just as sexy completely dressed in this waiting room as he is late at night when he has a towel wrapped around his waist?
“I can help with the shoe,” he says before I can form a coherent response to his question.
He’s on one knee in front of me in an instant.
“I...” my voice trails when his hand brushes against the strap that’s biting into my ankle.
“May I?” he asks, his ocean blue eyes locking with mine.
When I was a child, I’d wish for eyes the color of his, instead of the shade of brown that I was born with.
I nod.
Goose bumps pebble my skin the instant his fingertips brush against my ankle. There’s no way he doesn’t notice the shiver that races through me as he glides his hand over the back of my leg.
“This might pinch,” he says smoothly. “You’ll feel it tighten for a second before it releases.”
I’ve imagined his voice in my mind but never did it sound this raspy or this warm.
I watch as his long fingers slide the strap loose, the tightening of the leather finally giving way to relief as he slips the sandal from my foot.
“How’s that?” He looks back up at me, a smile ghosting his full lips.
“Better,” I mutter under my breath, my mouth still bone dry, my pulse racing.
I break his gaze. The intensity is too much. Being this close to him is making my head spin.
“Are you all right?” Concern blankets his tone. “You look flush.”
Because you’ve seen me practically naked.
I bite my tongue to hold those words in place. “I’m fine.”
“She needs water.” Lenore’s voice interrupts us. “She’s been sitting in that chair for hours.”
He reaches to grab a water bottle that Lenore is pushing at him. He opens it quickly, shoving it into my hand. “Drink. Take a nice long drink.”
I grab the plastic bottle. Our fingers touch, sending heat crawling up my skin.
Taking a swallow, I watch as he pushes to his feet. He glances over his shoulder at Lenore, her husband, and Rhoda.
“Let’s give her a minute.” He motions to the conference room door before he looks back at me. “When you’re ready, we’ll be waiting for you.”
“You’ll be waiting for me?” I ask, my voice shaking.
“I’m Rocco Jones.” He glances to his right briefly to watch the others enter the conference room. “I’m one of the investors you’ll be pitching to.”
His outrageously handsome face softens with a smile before he walks away.
What the hell have I gotten myself into?
***
>
This is going well. At least, I think it’s going well.
I look down at my red shoes waiting for another question. Silence fills the space.
Lenore clears her throat. “If there are no more questions for Dexie, we can move onto offers if there are any.”
Rhoda’s hand is in the air just as Glenn speaks. “Your company name is Dexie Walsh? Have you considered changing it?”
“It’s perfect.” Rocco’s declaration surprises me.
He hasn’t said a word since I walked into the conference room and dove into my pitch.
I ran through my sales numbers for the past three years, my marketing approach to date and my vision for my company’s future.
Rhoda and Glenn had a long list of questions, but Rocco sat silently studying the handbags I placed on the conference room table in front of them.
He touched two, glanced at my business plan for all of three seconds and then sat back in his chair to watch me while I spoke to Rhoda and Glenn.
The only time he broke a smile was when Lenore asked if I could make her an oversized shoulder bag in red with a gold buckle and trim.
“The name doesn’t define the product.” Glenn picks up an emerald green clutch to examine the stitching.
“It defines the brand,” Rocco counters. “Her name is as unique as she is.”
I catch his gaze and smile in gratitude.
I struggled endlessly with a name for my company before I set my business up, but there was nothing that I came up with that captured the essence of my designs as well as my name does.
“I’d like to get a word in,” Rhoda jokingly says with a laugh. “I’m ready to make you an offer.”
My heart stops for a beat as I absorb those words.
Once Rhoda introduced herself to me, I realized that I’d seen her before. Her picture graced the cover of a financial magazine less than a year ago. She’s worth tens of millions of dollars. She’s a philanthropist and has helped launch a handful of successful companies, including a shoe brand that is dominating the market today.
She’s a perfect fit for me.
She understands what women are looking for in fashion accessories.
“I’m going to need sixty perfect equity in your business, Dexie.” She leans both hands on the table in front of her. Her perfectly manicured red nails are striking against the light oak. “You’ve built a foundation, but it’s going to take a lot of money to grow this endeavor of yours to the level I believe it can be.”
“Never give up that much equity.” Glenn shakes his head.
“Are you making an offer?” Rhoda looks over at him.
Rocco sits stoically in the middle, his gaze trained on my face.
“No.” Glenn leans back in his chair. “Lenore will be investing enough of our money into this through all the bags I know she’ll be buying.”
I smile.
“What about you?” Rhoda reaches to touch Rocco’s forearm.
I watch as her fingers play over his skin.
He glances down at her hand. “I agree with Glenn. Sixty perfect equity is too much for Dexie to give up.”
I’ve never heard my name said that way before. His voice is rough, the tone raw.
“That’s not an offer, Rocco.” Rhoda slides her hand away.
“I’ll need time to look over the numbers, but I’m definitely interested,” he says, looking up at me.
“If you wait, I may have to rescind my offer.” Rhoda casts a gaze in my direction. “Consider that before you walk out of here.”
“It’s an idle threat.” Glenn laughs. “She’s horrible at playing hardball.”
Rhoda covers her mouth with her hand to hide a wide grin. “I’ll have a formal proposal drawn up and sent over to you. Do we have your address, Dexie?”
“I have it.” Rubbing his chin, Rocco gives me a devilish smile. “I’ll be in touch.”
“We will be in touch,” Rhoda corrects him with a lift of her brows. “I’m looking forward to working with you, Dexie.”
Rocco’s jaw flexes. “Don’t get ahead of yourself, Rhoda.”
“What can you offer her that I can’t?” she scoffs.
His gaze shifts from her to me. He tilts his head slightly, raking me from head-to-toe. “I’ll see you soon, Ms. Walsh.”
I nod.
No one else in the room knows the secret hidden in those seemingly innocent words but the man who spoke them and me.
Chapter 15
Rocco
My gaze follows Dexie as she leaves the room, her ass swaying beneath the demure black dress she’s wearing.
The woman is stunning. Petite with lush curves and big, beautiful brown eyes framed with long lashes.
Her pink lips are full; a natural pout graced them when she first looked up and saw me standing in front of her in the waiting room.
I was sure my eyes were playing tricks on me when I walked out of the conference room and spotted her sitting alone.
I didn’t need to see her face to know it was the woman who has been captivating me through my window at night.
My cock hardened when she finally turned to me.
I dropped to a knee to not only help her with her shoe but to hide my arousal.
“You’re not getting that last one, Rocco.” Rhoda taps her fingers on my shoulder. “We both know that I’m the best partner for her.”
I turn to face her, taking in the smile that’s playing on her red lips. “Bullshit.”
That draws a hearty laugh from her. “What do you know about handbags?”
To accentuate her point, she drops her purse on the table. The heavy thud turns Glenn around to look at us both.
“You’re not fighting over that last pitch, are you?” He reaches for Lenore’s hand. “I was going to suggest the four of us grab dinner, but I’m not going to listen to you two go at each other all night.”
“I can’t.” I pick up my phone and pocket it. “I have plans.”
“A hot date?” Rhoda’s voice ticks up a notch. “That’s one lucky lady.”
“I’ll be sure to tell my grandmother you said that.” I take Rhoda’s hand in mine and bring it to my lips to kiss it. “You three have fun.”
“We could go in on Dexie’s business together,” Rhoda proposes with a wink. “Think about how much fun that would be.”
I shake my head. “I prefer one-on-one.”
“In and out of the boardroom?” she asks with a sly grin.
“That’s our cue to leave.” Glenn starts toward the conference room door holding tight to his wife’s hand. “Everyone out so I can lock up.”
***
I raise my hand in a wave as a silver sedan slides into traffic. Glenn, Lenore and Rhoda slipped into it as soon as the driver parked next to the curb.
It’s another perk that Glenn has afforded himself.
He has a car and driver to whisk him around Manhattan at the drop of a hat or a push of a button on his phone.
I prefer the subway or an occasional taxi. More often than not, I walk to where I need to be since my office is located in mid-town just a few blocks from my apartment.
The office is an escape and a place to think. It’s also where my assistant, Jared, spends most of his time during the day, researching potential business deals for me, and returning calls from people seeking investments that I have zero interest in.
I slide my phone out of my pocket to thumb out a text to Jared. I need him in the office early tomorrow to do some legwork on a few potential partnerships.
He handles the vetting process and if something has promise, he lays out the details for me.
I have every intention of researching Dexie Walsh’s burgeoning company on my own.
I look down to pull up Jared’s contact info, but the scent of a now-familiar perfume pulls my gaze over my shoulder. It’s sweet like summer roses.
I smile when I see who is standing behind me on the sidewalk that stretches along Park Avenue.
Dexie’s dark e
yes widen when she catches my gaze.
I give her the full attention she deserves by turning around to face her. “Hello again.”
Her lips part slightly.
I don’t give her a chance to respond. Instead, I step closer. “Are you headed home?”
“I am.” Her gaze shifts to the steady stream of traffic behind me. “I’ve been trying to flag down a taxi, but no luck.”
I punch my fingers over the screen of my phone. “An Uber is on its way to pick us up.”
“Us?” She blinks at me.
I reach for the handle of her suitcase, brushing my fingers over hers. “We live on the same block, Ms. Walsh. It makes sense to share a ride, no?”
“Yes,” she whispers, glancing down at where our hands are still touching. “Please call me Dexie.”
Innocence flickers in her expression as her gaze meets mine again. Standing this close to her is different than staring at her across the bridge of distance that separates my apartment from hers.
I see vulnerability in her eyes that I hadn’t noticed before.
“Dexie it is,” I say as her hand drops from the handle of the suitcase when a dark SUV pulls up to the curb. “This is our ride.”
She nods in silence as she steps toward the car. I open the back passenger door for her before I load her suitcase in the back and take the spot in the front next to the driver.
She needs space. I can sense it.
I’ll give it to her now, but I have every intention of buying this woman dinner tonight so we can discuss not only our potential business deal but the intense attraction that has been luring us to our windows at night.
Chapter 16
Dexie
I try to exit the SUV with as much poise as I can muster, even though keeping the skirt of my dress below panty level shouldn’t matter at this point.
Rocco Jones has seen a lot of my body.
I watch as he retrieves Sophia’s heavy suitcase from the back of the vehicle.
We’re in front of my building. That should offer me some relief, but it doesn’t.
When I go up to my apartment and flick on the light switch, he’ll be able to see me through the three large arched windows.
It was a fun and flirtatious game just a few nights ago, but now that we’ve met, it’s different.
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