by Katie Ashley
“Whatever.”
Before I could get into the car, Ty grabbed my arm. “You know, Thorn, it’s okay to be anxious about today. You’ve had a mind-fuck with what’s happened in the last six weeks. Anyone would be a little shaken up.”
Now I was slightly regretting requesting Ty. While I respected his honesty, that was the last thing I wanted to hear. If he could see through me, that meant someone at work could do the same, and that idea unnerved me.
I glanced back at Ty. Any thoughts of biting his head off or making some smartass remark evaporated at the sight of his knowing yet empathetic expression. I remembered once again that he was a military man, and he got me. “Thank you,” I replied before I slipped into the car.
He nodded before closing my door. The two-minute drive was silent except for the voices in our heads, and by the time Ty opened the door for me, I had slid my mask firmly back on.
“Listen, when we get into the building, I don’t want you on my ass. I don’t intend to call any more attention to my presence than absolutely necessary.”
“I’ll maintain my usual respectful distance,” Ty responded diplomatically.
I grunted. “Yeah, we’ll see about that.”
“Ready?”
Once again wanting to stall, I shook my head. “I’m going to grab a coffee from one of the food trucks.”
“Okay.”
While Ty continued surmising any potential dangers, I did some surmising of my own. Tilting my head up, I eyed the massive skyscraper. While it shouldn’t have, it almost seemed bigger than it had when I was a kid and came to work with my dad.
It loomed above me—my unwanted destiny. To me, it was the enemy in range. I couldn’t help keeping my eye on the target even as I started toward the food truck.
That was a tactical error on my part because the next thing I knew, I was crashing into someone. At a feminine shriek of pain, I tore my gaze from the building. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry,” I apologized.
When she jerked her head up to glare at me, I felt a sharp kick to the groin. Holy shit was she beautiful—like, make-a-guy-like-me-speechless kind of beautiful. Although her crystal blue eyes were full of rage directed right at me, I could have spent hours staring into them. They reminded me of the water at Martha’s Vineyard. I wanted to kiss her perfect, pouty lips—which were currently pursed in anger—while running my fingers through her auburn hair. Oh yeah, she was also a redhead—in other words, my fantasy woman. From the seething fury she exhibited, I surmised she had the fiery personality to match her hair.
As we stared into each other’s eyes, her expression converted to one of disbelief, if not awe, but the moment was short-lived because she suddenly began sucking in harsh breaths like she was in pain.
“I didn’t even see you,” I lamented.
“While I might be slightly vertically challenged, how in the hell could you possibly miss me?”
She was a spitfire, and I experienced another kick in the pants at the thought of what she would be like in the bedroom. “My head was somewhere else,” I replied honestly.
“Like up your ass?”
I chuckled. I couldn’t remember the last time anyone had talked to me the way she was. I was used to most people being slightly intimidated by me. “Yeah, pretty much.”
She tore her eyes from mine to stare down at her shirt. Groaning, she said, “Shit, I’m a wreck.”
A wreck? You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. When I eyed the damage I’d singlehandedly inflicted on her blouse, I grimaced and reached for the crisp white handkerchief in my suit pocket. “Here, let me help.”
Desperately wanting to right my wrong, I began feverishly working at getting the stains off her shirt. It was only at her sharp intake of breath that I realized my second tactical error. Oh Jesus. I was full-on touching her tits. Okay, forget touching them—I was massaging them, caressing them.
Before I could jerk my hand away and apologize profusely for my oversight in judgment, the woman’s fist was connecting with my nose so hard I saw stars. Holy fucking hell.
At the sound of scuffling behind me, the woman screamed. Even with my eyes pinched shut, I knew what was happening. “Back off, Ty! I’m fine,” I muttered as I brought my hand up to cup my nose.
Blood poured into my palm, and for the moment, I could focus on nothing but the pain. For a tiny thing, she sure packed a hell of a wallop. She would have fit in well in my unit. As I fought to try to make out her blurry image, I heard her call me a pussy before she gathered up her things and scurried off.
When Ty started to go after her, I growled, “I said back the fuck off.”
“But she just punched you!”
“Because I was touching her tits.”
Ty’s mouth opened and closed a few times like he was a fish out of water. “When I said you should get laid, I didn’t mean for you to touch some random woman’s tits.”
I snorted at the absurdity of the situation, which only caused my nose to scream in agony. “FUCK!” I groaned. When the pain subsided slightly, I saw the woman’s retreating form pushing through the revolving doors of the building. That was an interesting development. The Callahan Corporation operated on five floors and there were many other financial companies housed on the others, but if she worked in the building, I could probably track her down somehow.
Sweeping his hands to his hips, Ty asked, “You wanna tell me what exactly happened? I mean, I saw you run into the woman, but then your back was to me.”
“For the record, I didn’t mean to touch her tits. I was trying to clean up her shirt after I caused her to spill her coffee.”
“What were you thinking?”
“She was worried about her shirt, so I was just trying to help.”
Ty chuckled. “Yeah, you helped yourself to some epic second base action.”
“What the fuck ever.” I moved the handkerchief away from my face to determine if I was still bleeding. Thankfully, it looked like it was slowing down.
After glancing around, Ty shook his head. “We need to get you inside. It’s not going to be long before someone recognizes you.”
At the sight of a woman raising her phone in my direction, I grunted, “Too late.”
“Let’s go.” Ty placed his right hand on my elbow and started leading me toward the building. With his free hand, he motioned onlookers away from us. When we got inside the lobby, I exhaled the breath I’d been holding. “Just one more thing,” he said.
“What?” I asked, glancing around to see if there were any more cameras trained on us.
Ty flashed me a wicked grin. “How did the tits feel?”
I laughed. “Fucking fantastic.”
Chapter Three: Isabel
Remember how I said I’d worked out every possible scenario of how this day could possibly go? Well, getting burned by my latte and punching a strange man for copping a feel was certainly not one of them. Not even in my worst nightmare could I have prepared for the shit-show I was currently experiencing.
“Fuck,” I muttered, shaking my hand out. Now my knuckles were screaming in almost as much agony as my burnt boob skin.
Before I could stop and survey the damage I’d done to the Armani god, another Armani-suited man rushed forward with a determined look etched across his handsome face. Oh shit. He wasn’t swooping in to help his friend—he was coming for me. When he started to launch himself at me, I screamed and ducked out of the way.
“Back off, Ty! I’m fine,” the guy muttered, his hand cupping his nose.
“What kind of pussy needs another dude to fight his battles?” I demanded as I scrambled to pick up my purse and laptop bag.
The Armani god ignored me and turned his attention to his friend. With the two of them were speaking heatedly, I scurried away, ignoring the stares of the onlookers around us. My erratic heartbeat thumped loudly in my ears as I made my way to the elevator on shaky legs. Although it was clearly packed full, I squeezed in between two people just before the d
oor closed. I didn’t want to run the risk of the rude stranger and his henchman following me.
As the elevator whooshed upward, I bit down on my lip, desperately fighting the tears that pooled in my eyes. No. Nope. No way. I was not going to cry over a little spilled latte or a handsy asshole. I was not going to let it ruin my perfect day. This was merely a minor detour. After a few small adjustments, I could be back on track.
The first adjustment would be a change of clothes, at least for my top half. I power walked through the maze of offices and when I arrived outside mine, I saw my secretary, Cheryl, wasn’t at her desk. Since the computer was on and her usual cup of coffee was beside the keyboard, I knew she must’ve just stepped away for a moment.
Once I got inside my office, I dropped my bags and went over to the closet. This was where that part about me being a perfectionist actually came in handy. I always left a suit and several blouses inside, along with a couple of changes of underwear. Over the years, I’d been known to pull a few overnighters after which I would shower and get ready there at the office.
Since I didn’t want anyone else seeing me in my wrecked state, I started undressing behind the open closet door. After jerking the hem of my shirt out of my skirt, I whipped it up over my head and tossed it onto the desk. My arms reached around my back to the clasp on my now soaked bra. Once I pulled the bra off, I used my old shirt to wipe the remaining coffee off my red, blotchy skin. I’d have to see if Cheryl had any aloe lying around, not to mention maybe popping some Advil.
Just as I was pulling out a new bra, a knock sounded. “Come on in, Cheryl.” Turning my back to the opening door, I said, “I’m glad you’re here. I was wondering if you had any aloe in your desk or if there’s any in the first aid kit. Some bastard with his head up his ass ran right into me, and my boobs are burned to a crisp.”
“Uh, it’s not Cheryl,” said a cautious male voice…a somewhat familiar male voice.
I whirled around to see the Armani Adonis and his henchman. Both of their eyes widened in shock at the sight of me. Then both of their gazes dropped to my bare breasts. With a squeal, I fumbled for my blouse in the closet. “What the hell are you doing here?” I demanded as I pivoted around, blocking their view of my boobs.
The Adonis cleared his throat. “I’m supposed to meet with an Isabel Flannery this morning. The secretary wasn’t outside, so I figured I’d knock.”
As I yanked the blouse down to try to cover my breasts, my earring caught on the fabric. When I tugged on the shirt, pain shot through my earlobe, causing me to shriek.
“Um, are you all right?”
I huffed out a frustrated breath. “No, I’m not. It appears my earring is caught in my blouse.”
“Can I help?”
Peering over my shoulder at him, I countered, “I seem to recall the last time you helped me, I got felt up.”
The henchman had the audacity to chuckle while the Adonis shot him a menacing look. He then turned his attention back to me. “If anyone should be skittish, it’s me. After all, I just got punched in the face.”
“What did you expect me to do?”
“Obviously, if I’d expected you to punch me, I would have been better prepared.”
I rolled my eyes. “Whatever. Just help me.”
He crossed the room toward me. With his gaze once again zeroing in on my chest, I crossed my arms over my boobs, which only made my C cups bulge up over my arms. At least my nipples were covered.
“Okay, I’m going to touch you now,” he warned.
“Thank you for the heads-up.”
At the feel of his fingers just below my ear, I shivered. I didn’t like my body reacting to him so viscerally, but it wasn’t just his slight touch on my skin that affected me. It was the musky male scent of his cologne. It was his body looming over me, the ripped muscles only slightly obscured beneath the fabric of his shirt and pants. Damn, he had tree-trunk-like thighs I imagined pillowing my ass on as I rode his cock.
Wait, what? Was I seriously having a fantasy about the jackass who had just felt me up and seen me topless? My first order of business after the promotion was official was to sign up for online dating and get laid. Then I wouldn’t be having fantasies about random men.
A string snapped, and then I was free. When I glanced up at him, I found he was staring intently at me. At least his gaze was head level and not trying to steal another peek at my boobs.
“Thank you,” I murmured.
He gave me a small smile. “You’re welcome.” We stood there for a moment just staring at each other. Then he cleared his throat. “I should let you get dressed.”
Oh, right. I was currently standing topless in front of two strange men. “If you will be so kind as to wait outside, I’ll be right with you.”
He nodded before turning back to his henchman. Once they closed the door behind them, I exhaled raggedly. If having my boobs burned by coffee and punching a guy were outside my perfectly planned scenarios, you could sure as hell believe having said guy see my breasts was completely and totally not part of the plan.
Even though I was shaking, I somehow got redressed in record speed. I lamented the fact that I didn’t have any alcohol in my desk. While it wasn’t even nine a.m., I could have used a shot of liquid courage after the shit-show of a morning I’d experienced.
After smoothing my hair down, I opened the door and motioned him inside. “I’m so sorry about that. What is it that you’re here to see me about?”
He offered me his hand, and I shook it. “I wanted to introduce myself. I’m the new vice president.”
When I jerked away from our handshake, the Adonis gave me a strange look. “I’m sorry—what did you just say?” I demanded.
“I’m the new vice president.”
“Yes, that’s what I thought you said. It’s just I hoped I had heard you wrong, because I can’t fathom that being true.” A manic laugh escaped my lips. No, no, NO! This couldn’t be happening. I couldn’t possibly not have gotten the promotion. There was no way I had come this close just to have some outside usurper take it from me.
No, it all had to be some terrible nightmare. That was the only logical explanation. Maybe if I pinched myself, I would wake up to find myself back in bed with Dani.
“I understand you’re supposed to show me the ropes.”
“Who told you that?”
“While that is confidential, I’m to report to Murray Moskowitz this morning.”
Red flooded my vision just like it had when he’d groped me with his handkerchief. Last time I’d checked, Murray was the man who was supposed to formally offer me the job, not stab me in the back. Until I heard it from his lips, I wasn’t going to believe it was true. It could all be some colossal joke Murray was playing on me—not that he was exactly known for his pranks, but stranger things had happened.
“You’re going to have to excuse me for a minute. I need to get something cleared up before we proceed.”
The supposed new vice president’s mouth dropped open in surprise as I blew past him and out of my office. Without looking back, I stalked down the hallway to the elevators. After I smacked the button, the doors opened, and I hopped on. As I rode one floor up, I tried to keep the fraying strands of my sanity intact. There was no part of this I could have prepared for.
After I got off the elevator, I headed down the hallway. Murray had the corner office to envy, and it boasted amazing views of the city. At first glance, he might have seemed like the epitome of an asshole boss with his gruff exterior of salt and pepper eyebrows and beard, but Murray really was a more of a giant teddy bear than he was a tyrant. He’d been my supervisor for the last three years, and I’d always felt fortunate that he’d taken me under his wing. While I’d been intimidated by him at first, our relationship had evolved into one more like father and daughter.
When she glanced up and saw me, his secretary, Bonnie, didn’t even bother buzzing Murray’s office. When I blew through the door, Murray didn’t look surprised
to see me. “Yes, please come right on in, Isabel. I’ve been expecting you.”
I sucked in an anguished breath. “If you were expecting me, then the strange man in my office is the new vice president.”
“Yes, he is,” Murray replied gravely.
“How is that even possible? You’ve all but handed me the keys to my new office.”
“I know, and I’m sorry. My hands were tied.”
“You are the head of the floor, are you not?”
“I received the order at the end of last week. Those at the top even withheld it from me until the very last moment.”
I furrowed my brows. “Like, the board?”
“Yes, the board.”
I flounced down into one of the plush chairs in front of Murray’s desk. “Whose son is he?”
My stomach churned at the somewhat stricken expression on Murray’s face. As if it wasn’t bad enough that some strange guy had seen my boobs, it was even worse because he was apparently one of the board members’ sons.
“He’s James Callahan’s son.”
Holy. Fucking. Shit. I bolted upright in my chair. “James Callahan as in the son of the starter of this company and the current president of the United States?” I choked out.
“That would be the one.”
“But if he’s the head honcho’s son, where’s he been all this time? James’s other son has been here for years.”
“Thorn followed in his father’s footsteps and pursued an active military career after he finished at Harvard. After completing officer training school, he served in Iraq and then lead two missions in Afghanistan.”
