A text.
From him.
A text from Calum.
I dropped my makeup bag onto the counter, not caring that it was still open, and everything in it flew out. The sounds of various cosmetics hitting the floor and sliding into the sink reached me, but all I heard was the pounding of my heart.
“Livana? What the hell is going on in there?”
“Having a klutz-attack, jackass. Give me a second!” I opened the text from Calum.
‘We need to talk.’ -C.
Those four words sent a million images racing through my thoughts. All of them about him. Every angle. Every expression I'd ever seen him make. It'd only been twelve hours since I saw him, but in my head, I never thought to see him again.
Seeing a text from him, telling me we needed to talk, hit me with a rush so intense that my head spun.
There were so many things I wanted to say to him—a jumbled mess. Too much to tell him via text. So, instead, I went with a simple: ‘Okay. You tell me when.’ -L.
That was my version of an olive branch. To most people, it wouldn't mean anything, but to me, who never did things anyone's way but my own, it was my way of telling him I wanted to work things out, was willing to make the time when he decided.
“Livana, honey, we're going to be late.”
Shit. The meeting. Of course I'd almost forgotten.
I ran to the door and pulled it open. A very confused, and slightly scared looking Mikael stood on the other side, my briefcase and his own in each hand.
“Don't just stand there! All my makeup fell. Help me pick it up so we can run out of here!”
Mikael blinked his big-browns at me, not moving.
I snapped my fingers in front of his face, “Come on!”, and ran back to snatch my eyeliner, eye shadow, and blush off the floor.
“It has to be dick. I know you aren't on your period ‘cause you just got it two weeks ago, so it has to be dick. Only the schlong has the power to drive a woman this crazy.”
“Hah, bitch!” I cried from my kneeling position on the floor. “You would know!”
All I got in response to that was, “Yup”, as he moved into the bathroom and finally started helping me.
6
Mikael and I sat in the back of my father's Lexus stretch limo. I didn't want to ride in this monstrosity, but the CEO of inDasign was a trust fund baby of the highest degree. The daughter of one of America's wealthiest energy tycoons. It’s how Lorraine, the founder, got the working capital to build such a large hype around her new clothing brand.
Therefore, when my dad insisted we needed to impress her, and he threw that argument in my face, I found myself giving in.
“Hm.”
I ignored the soft hum that came from beside me, eyes locked with my phone. Praying. Praying. Praying . . .
“Hmm.”
Why hadn’t Calum responded to my text yet? It’d been over twenty minutes since I’d text him back. I chewed on my nail, my leg bouncing with impatience as I fought the urge to reach out to him again.
“Hmmm.”
Maybe he didn’t have time. He was the CEO of a huge company.
It’d never stopped him from texting me before. He used to find the time. I’d become spoiled, I realized, gotten used to hearing back from him right away. I no longer had the right to expect special treatment from him after last night, but oh God. It killed me to wait!
“Ahhhh-hmmm.”
Would I look too pathetic if I text him first and asked him to meet me somewhere? I prayed to the heavens his explanation would make sense, that it wouldn’t be a lie.
And then, I wanted to apologize to him for being such an uber-bitch last night. I’d dealt with the situation entirely wrong. Not something easy to admit, but my feelings for him were stronger than my pride.
“Hmm, bitch, hmmmmmmm!”
I threw my hands in the air, my phone flying onto the three person seat across from us. “There is someone!” I cried out miserably.
“I knew it!” Mikael bounced on his seat, practically squealing with excitement.
Covering my face with my hands, I groaned, not believing I’d screamed that out. Then again, I’d made up my mind I would tell him, and I couldn’t hold it in any longer. I had to talk to someone about it.
“Who, bitch? Spill!”
I unclipped my seatbelt and leaned forward to grab my phone off the seat. Before Mikael could keep questioning me, I quickly pulled up a Google search of Calum and clicked on the images tab.
I handed the phone to Mikael, feeling like I was about to confess to the worse type of cardinal sin imaginable. “That’s him.”
Mikael stayed quiet, staring down at Calum’s picture, but he slowly sucked his cheeks in between his teeth. A little at first, so that his expression resembled that of a disapproving grandma. Then some more, until he ended up looking like a fish as he tried to desperately hold back his reaction.
Melodramatic fuck.
I sighed. “Okay. I’m ready. Let me have it.”
“You’re fucking dating Calum Alexander!”
Yup, no question mark there. Only enough volume to equal about eighteen exclamation marks.
Thank God the divider between us, and the driver, was raised.
Fuck that. The driver probably caught what he said anyway.
I cringed. “Eh . . . dating might be too strong a word.”
Mikael gasped loudly. “You made him your fuck buddy, didn’t you whore?”
Whore. Nice. I decided to ignore that last part, although I’d make him suffer for that later. “That was the plan, but the lines got blurred.”
He clutched my phone to his chest and stared toward the sky. “He fell in love with you!”
I felt like I’d been punched in the heart. “What?”
“I hate you and everything about you, you lucky bitch!”
“Will you calm the fuck down?” I cried, ripping my phone out of his grasp. “We aren't together as of right now.”
“I thought you weren't together to begin with. So which is it, Livana?”
“Blurred lines, remember?” I mumbled. The limo pulled to a stop. Looking out the window, I saw we'd arrived at inDasign's new headquarters. Lorraine recently leased two floors smack in the middle of the twenty-floor high-rise we'd parked in front of.
“No!” Mikael gasped. “Too soon. I need to have more details.”
“Calm down, you gossip-hungry fool. I'll tell you more later.” I reached for my suitcase.
“Evil. You told me right now on purpose, Cruella, so I'd be forced to get through this meeting without the juicy details. That man looks scrumptious. At least tell me if the cock matches the rest of the body!”
The driver opened the door right as that last part left Mikael's mouth.
This time, I was sure the whole city heard him outside.
I hit him on the chest with my suitcase. “Shut the hell up. And after this, get busy and get laid, you horny, starving, cock whore!” I hissed low enough for him to just hear and exited the limo.
My face heated as I stepped outside, something that I wasn't accustomed to. I rarely found a reason to be embarrassed. In the span of two nights, I’d accumulated enough reasons to equal years’ worth of humiliation.
Mikael exited the back of the limo in a huff, straightening his blue blazer and black tie. I rolled my eyes at him, he rolled his eyes back, and together, we headed inside the building.
Once in the elevators, Mikael sidled up to me and mumbled out of the corner of his mouth, “This isn't over.”
I rammed my elbow into his side, reminding him to shut up. “I told you, I’ll tell you everything later. Now, head in the game, fool. We need to ace this meeting.”
“When have I ever failed you?”
Never. That's why I put up with the fact that having him around usually led to us dissolving into two immature, teenaged dimwits.
The elevators opened on the tenth floor, and we stepped out into the reception area. It, like eve
rything else in sight, remained bare and in the early stages of construction.
We stopped before a sleek, dark wood reception desk, set up in front of the glass separating us and the rest of the floor. The inDasign logo had already been etched into said glass, and beyond it was pure mayhem. The floor remained unfinished and various groups of people walked around, some in construction gear, others in suits.
On the far side of the floor, about a hundred feet away from where we stood, a tall man with black hair stood amongst a group of other men who seemed to be discussing the construction around them.
I started to look away—
Wait.
Heart jumping into my throat, I snapped my head around to look again.
“You okay?” Mikael asked next to me.
I craned my neck this way and that, but I couldn't see the man whose back I'd seen.
“Livana! Mikael! I'm so sorry to keep you waiting. Please come in.”
Lorraine stood at the double glass doors leading inside, holding them open with a huge smile on her face. She wore a black business suit, with her bright blond hair held back in a ponytail, her green eyes sparkling.
Her smile was the brightest thing about her.
Her personality glowed just like her smile, open and super friendly. When she insisted we stick to first names during our first meeting, Mikael and I had been more than happy to oblige.
We followed her inside.
“I apologize for this mess. Construction was delayed due to issues with the architects we'd hired and I had to get a new team to replace them this morning.”
As she said this, my heartbeat sped up even more, and I couldn't stop my eyes from darting around, searching out the man I saw.
Get a fucking grip, Livana. Why would he be here? There are at least fifty possible architect firms in this part of the city alone. She could have hired anyone.
Christ. I'd grown so desperate that I was near hallucinating, imagining things that couldn't be.
“They kept arguing with me,” Lorraine told Mikael. With sheer force of will, I turned my head to pay attention to their conversation. “Trying to force their vision of the office design on me. Can you believe it?”
Mikael scoffed. “That’s ridiculous. I’m so sorry you went through that.”
We approached another glass wall that ran all along the left side of the floor. Behind it, I saw a conference room and huge office. Both were the most put together of any of the other rooms I’d seen so far.
Lorraine reached to open the glass door leading into the conference room. Mikael beat her to it, opening the door for us with a huge bow. “Ladies, first.”
Oh, the irony.
Lorraine smiled widely at Mikael. “Why thank you, sir.”
I raised an eyebrow at him as I followed her inside.
He gave me a smug smile in return.
Ladies loved him and he reveled in it. It didn’t matter that he was gay. He was still tall, muscular, stylish, and gorgeous as all hell. Most women didn’t care he liked men.
Actually, I’m pretty sure they all convinced themselves that they could turn him straight if they just sucked his dick well enough. Too many women vied for the honor of trying to change his sexual orientation.
And, apparently, Lorraine added herself on that list, if her smile counted as any indication.
We all took a seat on the conference table and in a matter of minutes; Mikael and I pulled out all the files and set them up for Lorraine to peruse. She’d barely gone through the first two mock-ups and she seemed absolutely delighted with what we showed her.
Her excitement was contagious, and for the first time since last night, I found myself getting caught up in a wave of happiness. She was almost like a child, her smile growing wider and wider with each mock-up she approved.
“You guys . . .” she breathed, biting down on her lip as she took in the last image. “You have outdone yourselves. You get my style. You get what I envision for this brand.”
At that point, my smile rivaled hers, and when I looked over at Mikael, he beamed with pride. “Really? You like it? Nothing you would change at all?” I had to ask. It was my job to give her the best marketing campaign possible.
Not just because it would be huge for my dad’s company. Lorraine seemed to be such a sweetheart, and although I shouldn’t mix personal opinion with business, I’d found myself genuinely liking her.
A light knock on the glass door interrupted us. We turned as one toward the sound. A young man in a light gray suit waited nervously on the other side.
Lorraine motioned him in.
“I’m so sorry to interrupt Ms. Morani. The new architect team wanted to discuss something with you and they said it’s urgent.”
Lorraine smiled kindly at the man. “Of course, Francis. It’s fine. Tell them I’ll be right there.” She turned to us with an apologetic grimace.
“Go,” I said, before she even had a chance to say anything. “We understand completely.”
She nodded gratefully then rushed to her feet and followed the man out. As soon as she left, Mikael leaned forward and nudged my arm.
“Stop!” I whisper-yelled at him, giggling when he wiggled his eyebrows.
“Told you she’d love me.”
I rolled my eyes at him. “You said she’d love us. Stop being such a conceited cunt.”
He slowly pulled one of the open folders on the table back in his direction.
Then he held up one end of it, enough to hide the fact that he’d given me the finger behind it.
“You are so immature,” I grumbled playfully, my eyes darting to look beyond the glass wall and make sure no one was on their way back into the conference ro—
Oh my fucking God.
“Only around you, baby. Only around you,” Mikael said in a serious tone.
But I paid him no mind.
I couldn’t.
The same hazel eyes I’d been obsessed with for months, the same ones that kept me up all night as I mourned the loss of them in my life, were looking at me.
No. It couldn’t be.
Jesus, was I so into him, so lost for him, that I imagined him everywhere?
I blinked. And I blinked again. On the third blink, those eyes were still there, their intensity still just as powerful.
And tears rushed to the surface of my eyes as every pounding emotion that built in me since last night pushed its way to the surface of my mind.
It really was him. Standing in a black suit, hands in his pockets, taller than almost all the other men surrounding him.
He was there.
Why was he?
“Livana.”
“Mikael,” I gasped weakly, reaching for his hand. I needed to grab onto something—needed someone to grab onto me and help me keep my ridiculous self together.
Overwhelmed didn’t begin to describe how I felt.
Lorraine’s comment about needing a new architect team, and what his presence meant there, rammed into me all at once.
Lorraine hired Calum’s team as her new architects.
He’d known I was working on the marketing of this account.
He’d accepted a contract with inDasign knowing I’d be working with them.
“Mikael, oh God, grab my hand fool. I need you now more than ever.” I squeezed his hand, relieved when he squeezed it back.
Calum’s eyes flashed to our joined hands.
Holy shit. I’ve never seen so much anger. So contained, but so powerful nonetheless.
He didn’t know Mikael. Didn’t know he was my best friend or that he was irreversibly gay.
“Girl, you look like you’re going to be sick. What’s wrong?” Mikael asked, reaching up to tug a strand of my hair behind my ear tenderly.
Calum turned to his group and said something to one of the men with him. A man that was as tall as he was and just as handsome. They almost resembled twins.
Lucas Alexander.
His younger brother.
Lucas nodded at him
, looking confused.
He made a swift turn and began walking.
Straight in our direction.
“Livana?” Mikael cupped my chin and tried to get me to turn to stare at him.
Calum started walking faster, his hands fisted at his side, his expression harder than rock.
“It’s him, Mikael. It’s him and I swear to God, it looks like he’s heading over here to kick your ass,” I said, my voice hoarse, my eyes eating up the large man heading in my direction.
He was there.
For me.
I knew it. He’d maneuvered it so he’d get this job, so he’d be near me.
Jealous. I saw it. Sensed it.
My heart skipped a beat. And then another. I wanted to jump to my feet, run right into his arms, and have him against me.
My body was too weak. My legs wouldn't hold me up if I tried.
Mikael inhaled sharply and let go of any part of me he’d been holding onto.
Calum stormed toward the glass door, like a storm barreling down on us. I swore the energy coming off him pounded around me, growing stronger with each step he took.
“Shit,” Mikael whispered, sounding impressed. “He’s jealous.”
I only managed a nod. Calum’s hazel eyes sucked the breath out of me.
“I’m so jealous!” Mikael cried suddenly, making me jump. “I hate you and all your ancestors!”
My head snapped around in his direction. “Will you stop?” I hissed.
He pouted at me. “No. Fuck your bloodline!”
“Miguel!”
“When are you going to stop calling me that?”
“Never!” I hissed, just to spite him.
The door in front of us opened. I saw it out of the corner of my eye, saw Calum standing there—felt him—but the fear didn’t allow me to look away from Mikael.
I wanted to cry from relief.
From fear.
We were not just in a public, visible place; nothing but a glass wall separated us from view of the outside.
“Seriously, I’m so jealous.” Mikael’s eyes slid up and down Calum’s form.
I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me right there. “Stop that!”
“But he’s so yummy. Look at him. How dare you have something like that between your legs while I’m single?”
Compulsive Fascinations Page 6
