by Croix, J. H.
“No. Actually, it’s not. I’m firing this law firm,” I announced. I might’ve been flustered, but I could stay focused when I was angry.
When I looked back at the uptight receptionist, it was obvious she recognized Ryan. “Mr. Blake, there’s simply been a misunderstanding. I’m trying to reach Mr. Huntington right now as we speak. Oh, look, there he is,” she said brightly.
“Cute,” I replied. “I’m sure you’d like me to keep this scene private. I’m not interested. You’re fired,” I said as I spun to look at the attorney.
Suddenly, everyone who couldn’t be bothered with me and had been trying to push me around for the last few meetings I’d had here became obsequious.
“Now, Ms. Castille. Clearly, we misunderstood your needs. Let’s discuss this privately,” Mr. Huntington said. He wore a suit, just like Ryan. However, he didn’t wear it nearly as well. Mr. Huntington looked in Ryan’s direction. “Mr. Blake. Good to see you. We’ve had a minor misunderstanding with—”
Ryan cut him off abruptly. “Doesn’t sound like it’s a misunderstanding to me. It sounds like she’s firing you.”
“Thank you!” I exclaimed. “At least someone understands me around here.”
Ryan glanced from Mr. Huntington to the receptionist. “If any paperwork needs to be filled out to formally sever Ms. Castille’s legal representation, please call my office within the next fifteen minutes. I’ll have someone take care of the paperwork immediately.”
At that, Ryan moved with me as I turned and stalked out of the office. When the glass door closed automatically after we stepped out, I glanced up at Ryan. “I can’t even slam the door! So unsatisfying,” I huffed.
He flashed me a roguish grin. “Oh yes. I can see how that would make it all better.”
“They’re assholes.”
“So it seems. Come up to my office with me. I’ll have my assistant take care of any paperwork for you and then let’s go have dinner.”
I glanced at my watch, pushing the sleeve of my down coat out of the way. “It’s only five o’clock. Isn’t that early for dinner?”
“I don’t think so. If you want to quibble over time, you can sit with me for happy hour and dinner,” he replied swiftly.
I found it difficult to say “no” with Ryan’s blue eyes on mine, and his hand a heated brand at the base of my spine.
I didn’t realize I was nodding affirmatively until a slow smile curled the corners of his mouth and sent my pulse into overdrive. Sweet Jesus. Ryan’s smiles were delectable and dangerous at once. I managed a shallow breath. With my body already revving from my confrontation with the attorney, my pulse lunged.
“Come upstairs with me,” he said, exerting a gentle, coaxing pressure on my back as he turned and guided us toward the bank of elevators. He held a cup of coffee in his free hand.
I meant to tell him he didn’t need to help me with this. Not that I had any clue who I would call about it, but surely I could find an attorney. However, once we stepped into the elevator, we were joined by another cluster of people, which eliminated any privacy. This was a massive high-rise building, and I imagined there were plenty of offices on every floor.
I felt some curious glances cast in our direction and guessed Ryan was recognizable to a few people. He stayed quiet, exuding a do-not-disturb air. The elevator zoomed skyward. By the time we made the last stop, there were still several people left with us, and I realized Ryan’s offices were on the uppermost floor in the building. When we stepped out of the elevator, the others scattered in different directions, while I simply followed where Ryan guided me. As unsettled as I was by his presence, somehow his touch was an anchor in my internal tumult. He was steady and calm. I needed that.
Talton Tech Industries was emblazoned across the door in steel gray lettering. I started to reach for the door handle, but Ryan’s voice stopped me.
“How’s your hand?”
Glancing to him, I lifted it. “It’s fine. Hardly sore at all.” I angled it to the side as my sleeve slid up.
He leaned over to inspect the stitches. Most of the redness had faded, and the stitches were already absorbing into my skin. Lifting his eyes to mine, he nodded. “Good.” Without another word, he opened the door.
Ryan’s hand dropped away from me as he gestured me through. I instantly missed his touch. He nodded toward the receptionist.
“Hello, Mr. Blake,” she offered with a smile.
“Hello,” was his only reply.
Ryan’s warm hand landed on my back again, and I bit back a sigh. It shouldn’t feel this good to have his subtle touch on me, but it was decadent, and I savored it.
His office was all cool grays and blues with a slightly warm touch from watercolor paintings on the walls. Our footsteps were muted as he led me through the reception area and down a hallway. We stepped through a doorway where there was another receptionist.
This woman looked up, her sharp gaze bouncing from Ryan to me. “I didn’t know you had a meeting, Ryan,” she said with a curious smile.
“That’s because I didn’t have a meeting. Hazel, this is Addie Castille,” he said with a nod between us. “Addie, this is Hazel. She’s my assistant, and she basically runs my life.”
“Nice to meet you,” I said with a smile.
Hazel cocked her head to the side as she stood and rounded her desk. “ It’s a pleasure to meet you. Is your name an abbreviation?” she asked as she held her hand out.
Reaching out to shake her hand, I felt as if she was assessing me from head to toe. In fact, Hazel didn’t even bother to hide it with her eyes sweeping over my hair, down to my cowboy boots and back up. I sensed she was absorbing every single detail about me.
As she dropped my hand when her eyes met mine again, I replied, “Addie is short for Adelaide.”
“Oh, what a lovely name.”
“Thank you. It’s French.”
“I would have guessed that. What brings you here?”
“Well…”
Ryan interjected, “Actually, I brought Addie up here. I was hoping you could give us a little assistance.”
“Since my title is your executive assistant, obviously, I am here to assist you however you need,” Hazel replied cheekily.
I guessed Hazel knew Ryan quite well, considering that he was entirely unruffled by the hint of sarcasm in her tone. He chuckled, cementing my thinking. “You are, in fact, my assistant. Addie just fired the attorney for her great aunt’s estate. They’re in the office on the main floor. They might try to make things difficult. I was hoping you could call out to the attorney we have on retainer to help with matters like this and make sure whatever needs to be handled gets handled.”
Hazel gave me a curious glance as she nodded. “I’m happy to help. Can you give me a little background, so I know what to explain to the attorney?” she asked, directing her question to me.
“Oh yes. I hope you don’t think I expected Ryan to help me. He kind of insisted.” I cast him a glance.
“I’m well aware Ryan can be pushy. I hope this is what you want.” Hazel swung her eyes over to Ryan. “You didn’t fire her attorney, did you?”
Ryan rolled his eyes and looked to the ceiling. “I’m not that pushy.”
“I fired the attorney. I promise. Ryan came in while I was storming out of the offices downstairs on the first floor,” I hastily explained.
Ryan commented from my side. “I’m going to finish up a few things in my office. If you’ll bring Addie in once you’re done, that would be great.”
Hazel looked at him and nodded. “Of course.”
Ryan’s cell phone chimed, and he slipped it out of his pocket. With a quick nod in my direction, he turned and crossed the room to step through a doorway. My eyes tracked him, lingering on the easy swing of his shoulders and the way his suit fit him so deliciously well.
I’d promised myself I was never going to let myself fall for a man so far out of my league. Ryan was practically on another planet as leagues went. Yet
, I was about to go out to dinner with him. On the list of not-very-smart choices, that was high.
When I looked back toward Hazel, I caught her watching me watching Ryan. I felt the flush heat my cheeks and silently swore.
I rushed into explaining. “I know Ryan asked you to help me, but if it’s too much trouble, you don’t need to do anything. I have no problem letting Ryan know he doesn’t need to swoop in and take care of everything for me.”
“Addie, I’m happy to help. Just give me a quick sketch of the situation. Then, when I call our attorney, I can adequately explain what’s going on. Please have a seat.” Hazel gestured to one of the chairs directly across from her desk.
I sat down and took a deep breath to steady myself. Between losing my temper with the attorney and this encounter with Ryan, I needed a few minutes to regain my composure.
Hazel tapped on her keyboard and glanced over. “Okay, what shall I tell the attorney?”
“To make a very long story short, I inherited my great aunt’s brownstone in the Upper West Side. Apparently, it’s quite valuable. I wouldn’t know because I grew up in New Orleans. I also inherited her entire estate. That’s all well and good. While I’m sad Aunt Eleanor passed away, she lived a good life. She was almost eighty-five years old.”
“I’m sorry for your loss, dear. If I understand from what little Ryan had to offer, the attorney you just fired was the one responsible for your aunt’s estate, correct?”
I nodded. “Yes. It’s all tidied up, but they keep trying to get me to sell the house, and I don’t want to sell. Honestly, I feel like they’re trying to take advantage of the situation, but I’m not quite sure how. It doesn’t matter what I say, they keep dragging things out and trying to make me sell. I would like someone to look over everything so I can make sure that nothing is amiss, and I don’t want them handling the estate anymore.”
Hazel cast me a quick smile. “I do like you. I like that you had no trouble standing up to them. I can’t say I know much about that firm. I’ll call over to the attorney Ryan uses to handle his estate business and see what they have to say. I assume if you want representation, you’ll need to sign some paperwork. Do you want me to help take care of that?”
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but just because they listen to Ryan doesn’t mean they’ll listen to me.” I wasn’t sure what was best right now, so I figured honesty was my only option.
“I definitely understand your point. How about we start with you signing something that’ll just give them the authority to look everything over? They can handle the transfer from the other firm, and you can go from there?”
“Sounds good.”
In short order, Hazel spoke with the attorney and had me sign something. By the time we were done, I already had a meeting arranged with the new attorney for later this week.
Hazel was returning to her desk after filing something when she paused at the side and rested her hand on the glossy wood surface. “I may be too forward, but I’d like to share something with you.”
Considering I was clueless about what she was talking about, I simply nodded.
“There’s much more to Ryan than meets the eye. He can come across as—” She paused, drumming her fingertips on the table.
“Uptight?” I helpfully interjected.
Hazel laughed softly and nodded. “Yes. That would be one word I might use. Given his success and position in society, he’s accustomed to people wanting things from him. He’s quite private and can come across as cold and uninterested. He’s not, though.”
Uncertain how to take what Hazel had chosen to share with me, I took a moment and then decided to just be myself. “If you’re worried I want something from Ryan, you needn’t worry. As you can see from just a glance—” Pausing, I swept a hand up and down in front of me. “I’m not exactly running in the same circles as he is. Or so I would imagine.”
“Oh dear. If you think I was warning you away from him, you’re quite mistaken. I was trying to convey that I hoped you wouldn’t jump to conclusions about him. I like you, and I think Ryan likes you. He could use someone such as yourself in his world. Very few people have the nerve to talk back to him.”
“You do,” I offered.
Hazel’s return grin was sly. “That I do. I’ve known Ryan since he was a boy, and I know what his family life was like. He’s lost a lot. He’s certainly not the heartless asshole he sometimes tries to convey to the world. Give him a chance. Now, follow me.” She turned quickly, giving me no further opportunity to comment.
I followed her down a short hallway. Stopping in front of what I presumed was Ryan’s office door, she nodded quickly before opening it.
“Addie is all set,” she called.
When Hazel gestured me through the door, I stepped into his office. Ryan was on the phone, but he glanced up and lifted a finger to indicate he might be on the phone for a moment.
“Go ahead and have a seat,” Hazel said softly before pointing toward a set of chairs situated in front of floor to ceiling windows that looked out over Manhattan.
Without another word, the door closed with a whisper behind me, and my heart started drumming inside my chest.
Chapter Nine
Addie
Ryan’s eyes tracked me as I walked across his office. Stopping beside the windows, I heard him saying, “Jack, I’ll need to get back to you on this. I have a meeting.”
I presumed Jack on the other end of the line was saying something as Ryan fell quiet. Tuning him out, I scanned the view beyond the windows. It was kind of remarkable to me how different New York City felt from New Orleans. While New Orleans was filled with energy and the mingled cultures of the South, French, Creole, the jazz world, and more, New York City exuded the vitality of business, motion, sharp voices, and a combination of cultures that was almost overwhelming.
Looking out over the skyline, it all seemed rather stark with skyscrapers of steel towering over concrete with the Atlantic Ocean stretching out in the distance. Slowly turning, I let my eyes scan his office. Muted blues and grays continued from the outer office. There were no personal touches in here, not a single photograph of a human being anywhere. There was a watercolor mounted on the wall, which was soothing with its lavender flowers blurring into a blue sky.
Ryan and his suits were such a contrast to me. My eyes landed on the toes of my cowboy boots and then a few of Barnable’s hairs on my knee from when he rubbed against my calf this morning. Without thinking, I brushed the fur off my jeans before realizing I’d just brushed it onto Ryan’s pristine gray carpeting.
Glancing up when Ryan hung up the phone, I blurted out, “Shit! I just got dog fur on your carpet. I’m sorry.”
My words seemed to take Ryan off guard. He stared at me for a beat as he stood from his desk and crossed the room to stop in front of me. “No need to worry. It’s doubtful anyone will notice. If it makes you feel better, we have cleaning staff come through here every night. I’m sure they’ll vacuum up Barnable’s fur,” he said, a slow grin that did crazy things to my belly unfurling.
I decided right then and there that Ryan shouldn’t be allowed to grin, not without a warning first. I’d never had a man affect me the way he did, and I certainly didn’t know what to do about it. There was a well-planted kernel of doubt in my heart and in my mind. I’d spent my childhood witnessing my mother long for a man who didn’t quite fit in her world. That man was my father, and he never looked back after he left her pregnant. Oh, he paid his bills, but that was it. I’d promised myself I’d never be that foolish.
Ryan certainly wasn’t my type. Or better yet, I knew I wasn’t his type. I had resisted the urge to look him up online since my first foray. Still, I hadn’t forgotten the glamorous and classically beautiful women at his side from those photos at high society functions.
Because I was me, and I never shied away from saying what I thought even when I was nervous, I jumped right onto that thought like it was a train that would zoom me out of here. �
�Look, I appreciate your help with the attorney situation, but we shouldn’t go to dinner.”
Ryan’s gaze swept over me, his blue eyes holding mine. Restless and feeling as if he were trying to see right into me, I shifted on my feet and broke away to look out the window. “You have a lovely view,” I added rather inanely.
I felt Ryan step to my side. Unable to stop it, my eyes slid sideways, taking in the chiseled lines of his face. He had a bold profile with a strong square jaw, almost harsh cheekbones, and a straight blade of a nose. His full sensual lips served to soften the edges. Suffice it to say, nature had been kind to Ryan Blake.
He turned, catching me studying him. I didn’t care about that so much. I presumed he was accustomed to it.
“Now, why would you say we shouldn’t go to dinner?” he asked as he faced me fully.
I gestured to him. “Ryan, you wear suits. Very well, I might add. I tend to wear boots and jeans and sometimes skirts and leggings. I just don’t think we fit together.”
A dark brow slashed upward as Ryan regarded me. “I wear suits for business. It’s not a style choice. Even if it was, is there some kind of thing where all men who wear suits can only date certain types of women? Don’t even try to argue the point that our kiss the other night wasn’t hot for you.”
Perfect. Exactly what I needed to strengthen my attitude. Resting a hand on my hip, I tilted my head to the side and arched a brow, mimicking him slightly. “Cocky much?”
“That’s not me being cocky,” he said flatly. “That kiss nearly set me on fire, and you don’t strike me as the type of woman to fake any kind of response. If you were, go ahead and tell me now. I know chemistry when I feel it.”
My cheeks got hot. I wasn’t going to argue about that kiss. My God. I must’ve replayed that kiss a few hundred times already. Crossing my arms, as if I could somehow contain the wild beating of my heart, I let out a sigh. “Fine. So it was a great kiss. Since when did desire lead to good decisions?”
