by Bella Court
Kristen walked out of Wilde Towers relatively unscathed the rest of the day. After carefully avoiding Connor's penetrating gray eyes and ignoring Reece's leers, she decided to call it a day.
Connor, on the other hand, still had a full day of work ahead of him, made no easier by the appearance of a certain dark haired beauty that had turned his life upside down. A quick knock on the door broke him out of his trance, and Reece opened the door a crack before fully stepping into the room uninvited.
"Aren't you glad that we decided to hire a decorator after all?" Reece asked eagerly, making himself comfortable in Connor's seats.
"Go ahead, tell me I'm the man, Connor. Who would have expected that the interior decorator would be so sexy?" Reece was still thinking of Kristen when Connor gave him a dark glare.
"You'd better leave her alone, Reece. She doesn't need your advances to distract her from her job." Connor told his young associate firmly. Whether it was out of jealousy or professionalism, he was going to be sure Reece steered clear of Kristen.
"Damn. You and Nell always ruin all my fun. Nell told me the exact same after Kristen left." Reece pouted, his immaturity coming through. A sudden snicker appeared on his lips. "So what did you want to talk to her alone for, eh? I see, you just want her for yourself, don't you?" Reece teased.
Bristling, Connor scoffed, "Yeah right. She's not my type."
"Sexy, smart, and powerful isn't your type? Hell, you're right. Who would want her?" Reece's sarcasm only heightened Connor's irritation. Hell, he was already perfectly aware that she was incredibly sexy and smart, but so what?
"She's going to be a distraction," Connor muttered darkly, and that was no lie. From the moment she had stepped into the office, she had the entire place falling at her feet. Reece was already planning out ways to seduce her in between breaks, and Connor couldn't stop thinking about how soft and vulnerable she was when she was in his arms. Fuck. If he wasn't thinking about how passionate she was in bed, then he was pitying her, or thinking about how vulnerable and in need of protection she was.
Then the whole issue with John…
That was another story in and of itself.
Chapter Four
Kristen was walking through the lobby of Wilde Finances; a pencil perched adorably behind her ear and into her lush raven dark hair. Another pencil was currently in her mouth, as her hands were full, at the moment, with blueprints of the building. The lobby had to change. Kristen had been unable to sleep the entire night before; she was so annoyed with how the lobby looked.
When she had arrived early that morning with a strong cup of brew in one hand, she had gone instantly up to the top floor to set up arrangements for the lobby. Connor and Reece were in some sort of meeting, and Nell and Lila had promptly assured Kristen that when they were out, they would tell Reece and Connor to come see her.
In the meantime, Kristen was sitting on a couch in the vast lobby that seemed to be made of…velour? Kristen grimaced. Taking out her sketching pad, she began to sketch the lobby, noting the open ceilings, and the gorgeous bay windows. She felt so relaxed. That's what she loved about her job; she wasn't under constant duress like other professions. Her creativity was allowed free reign.
Standing up to stretch a bit, she stepped closer to one of the black marble pillars that held up second floor. It was right by the glass elevators and the front desk. Gently, she touched her fingers to the cold marble, when she heard a voice that made her blood run cold.
"Jeff! Tell me I haven't missed the meeting!" Kristen recognized that light and lively tone anywhere.
"Mr. Wilde! You're back from your honeymoon. How was it?" The guy at the front desk asked excitedly.
"It was two weeks of heaven. I wish we could have stayed longer," John moaned. Kristen could already envision the bright smile that was always on his face, probably brighter and happier than usual.
"Mm-hmm. Bet you two had lots of fun, didn't ya?" The sexual undertone of his teasing was not lost on Kristen. She should leave. She needed to leave. But somehow, she could not make herself move from her hidden spot behind the pillar.
John's deep laughter rumbled through the air, and Kristen slowly closed her eyes as she listened to his reply.
"You know it."
She didn't even hear the rest of their conversation. She was too busy trying to ignore the blasting headache that was currently pounding in her temples. She wasn't going to cry, she was way past that stage. All that was left now was…hurt. Hurt from a betrayal that she realized with a sudden shock might never go away. Slowly, she turned around from facing the pillar, only to come face to face with a hard, broad chest.
Before she could even shriek, the mystery figure had grabbed her hand and pulled her into what seemed to be a janitor's closet near the stairwell.
She opened her mouth to shriek, but his heavy hand came over to cover her mouth, anticipating her cry. She glanced up frantically and silvery eyes leapt out at her. What was once pain and fright dissolved into anger. With a rough brush of her hands, she removed his hand from covering her mouth.
"What the fuck are you dragging me into closet for?" Kristen demanded angrily, taking out her frustration on Connor.
For the millionth time it seemed, Connor gave her a look that pretty much screamed, 'How dumb can you get?'
"What the fuck are you doing hiding behind pillars like that? John would have seen you the second he got into the elevators," Connor hissed, placing his hand that she had removed from her mouth against the wall next to her head.
Kristen glared at him, but unfortunately, their only source of light came from the slits beneath the door, and that was barely enough to make out his amazing eyes.
"Aren't you supposed to be in a meeting or something?" Kristen asked irritably, staring hard at his chest, avoiding his disarming gaze. She was staring so hard; she could have burned a hole in his chest. Slowly, she watched the steady way he breathed, and for the first time, she realized just how close they were. The janitor's closet was pretty cramped, and it didn't help that he had practically backed her into a wall.
"It just ended. I was going to go down to meet you when I saw you huddled behind the pillar hiding from John."
"Thanks for the heads up about him, by the way," Kristen told him coldly, glad that the dark hid how warm her face was feeling.
"I forgot, all right? You left as soon as you could yesterday, and then I was in that meeting this morning," Connor defended, annoyed that he had come down here to try and tell her about John, only to have her lash out at him.
Kristen closed her eyes, breathing heavily. "What are we going to do? I can't hide from him forever. And you can't exactly keep pulling me inside these closets. People might start getting the wrong idea," Kristen laughed softly, looking up at him coyly through her lashes.
Connor stared down at her. The light from underneath the door illuminated the closet enough so that he could see the darkness of her lashes against her pale skin. They were like smudges of dirt against her fair skin. God, she probably didn't even realize that she was being enchantingly flirtatious when she looked up at him like that.
"What would be so bad about that? It wouldn't be the first time I was caught in a closet with a woman," Connor smirked. He stepped closer to her, closing the gap between them.
Kristen sucked in a breath. They were only centimeters apart, but she could feel the overwhelming heat from his body emanate to hers. Like a long drawn out torture, Kristen could feel his heat but not his body presence. It was almost worse than if he was actually pressing his body against hers.
She had no doubt that he had probably seduced women in all sorts of places, but she was certain he was too professional to do it in the workplace. It would take a lot more than this to unnerve her. Lifting her chin up, she gently raked her fingernails down the front of his black shirt, enjoying the way he seemed to be holding his breath.
"I don't believe you, and even if it were true, it's the first time you're in a closet with this woman
,” she stated boldly, keeping her voice low and raspy, and Connor inwardly shuddered at the sound of her voice. Her voice was amazing.
Connor smiled at that. She was right. He had never and never would get into a relationship that had anything to do with his business. She hadn't fallen for his lie. Despite himself, he was impressed that she could read him almost as well as he read her. Connor leaned his head in towards hers, and he smirked at her sharp intake of breath that she unsuccessfully tried to hide.
Her hand burned him where it was still settled gently against his chest, and she stared up at him nervously. Shifting ever so slightly, she moved towards the door, when his other hand blocked her way by putting it on the other side of her head.
He leaned closer, but stopped only centimeters from her lips. He was so close, that she wanted to just grab him and pull him to her. Why was he bothering coming so close to her but not touching her?
"You're right. I don't ever take women into closets, and I don't ever have relations with any of my associates."
"Huh." Kristen made a show of looking around the closet interestedly, "Would you look at that? We're in a closet, and I'm pretty sure I'm a woman. And, who would have guessed it? We've had, as you've put it, 'relations'."
She felt the soft puff of air as he chuckled quietly.
"You're always the exception."
At that, she tilted her head up curiously to look up at him. He almost made it sound like a compliment. Lightly she gave him a shove, but he didn't even budge.
"You know, there is such a thing called personal space. And you're kind of in mine."
"What, am I making the invincible Ms. Satou uncomfortable?"
Kristen scoffed; glad that he couldn't hear her racing heartbeat. "Not even close."
Pushing off from the walls, Connor took several steadying steps away from her. She wasn't perturbed, and if she was, she didn't let it show. He hadn't meant to come so close to her like that, but that challenging look of hers, and her unconscious flirting had driven him to respond in his own way.
"Come on. Let's reintroduce you to John." He made a move towards the closet door when Kristen's hand snaked out to grab him.
"Now?"
"Why not? You said it yourself yesterday, the past has nothing to do with your profession. Or were you just full of it when you said that?"
She didn't bother dignifying that with a response. Instead, she straightened her back, smoothing out the wrinkles in her black blazer. She gently touched the messy bun she had swept her hair into that morning, making sure that it was still in place. "I'm ready to meet him."
Without waiting for his response, Kristen stepped out of the closet, not looking back to see whether or not he would immediately follow her. To her immense relief, John had already left the lobby, and no one seemed to be paying any attention to her.
Tentatively, she turned around, but Connor was nowhere in sight. With a roll of her eyes, she took a seat on one of the velour couches again, waiting for her employer to come out. Exactly five minutes later, Connor had discreetly stepped out of the closet, as if he had meant to be in there along.
"Ashamed to be seen with me?" Kristen asked out of the corner of her mouth, following him to the elevators.
"Who wouldn't be?" Connor replied acidly, pushing the appropriate button.
Placing a finger against her cheek thoughtfully, she replied, "Reece seems pretty fond of me, I don't think he'd be ashamed to be seen with me."
"Reece isn't ashamed to be seen with anyone. In fact, maybe you should be worried about being seen with him. Don't get into a relationship with him, Kristen. We don't need this situation getting any more complicated," Connor warned.
Kristen didn't bother replying. Right now, she was too busy trying to ease her nerves.
John.
They hadn't talked in a year. When she was with Connor, he wasn't even in her mind, but now, it seemed like it was all she could think about.
Kristen jumped, startled from the stopping of the elevator at the top floor. Connor watched her with hooded eyes. Gently, he reached over and gave her arm a squeeze.
"It's going to be fine," he assured her, but honestly, he wasn't too sure. How would John handle this?
She didn't move as the elevator doors opened, and placing his arms around her shoulders, he gently steered her towards Nell and Lila.
"Is John in?"
Nell gave an excited bob of her head. "Yes sir. He looks fantastic, too! Jamaica agreed with him. Are you going to introduce him to our lovely new decorator?" Nell's enthusiasm was usually contagious, but right now, all Kristen could think about was running to the bathroom and retching.
"Are you all right, dear? You look a little pale," Lila noted with a concerned look.
She would not go in there looking a mess. Kristen firmly told herself. She would show him that she no longer cared for him, and that he had no effect on her whatsoever. Out of all the people in the world, John would be the last person to ever see her weak. Taking a deep breath, she gently squeezed her cheeks to bring forth a pretty pink glow.
"I'm fine. Do I look better now?"
"Perfect!" Nell and Lila chimed together.
With a weak grin, Kristen stepped forward into the office on the right, the only office she had yet to enter.
"Aren't you going to introduce us, Mr. C.E.O?" Kristen gave him an intoxicatingly innocent smile; different from the smirks and flirtatious smiles she usually sent his way. This one bespoke of confidence and strength, and Connor couldn't help but admire her for the way she effortlessly put on that façade.
Walking beside her, he gently rapped his knuckles against his brother's door.
"John? It's me, Connor. The interior decorator is here, and I want you to meet her."
"Connor?" A voice inside echoed.
Kristen steeled herself, preparing to see John's familiar gray eyes. There seemed to be a scramble at the door, and when it flew open, Kristen was instead confronted with horribly familiar bright blue eyes and beautiful honey blonde colored tresses instead.
"Connor!" Melissa Wilde leaped into Connor's arms, and Connor's eyes widened.
She hadn't seen Kristen yet. Kristen began to back away, and she was sure that if she hadn't been so desperate to get away, her legs would have collapsed on her out of sheer panic.
"Hey, Connor! We're about to go out to lunch, want to come with? And what about an interior…" As if it couldn't get any worse, John had come out as well, and after detaching his wife from Connor, he had noticed the dark haired beauty, which he had once known so well.
"Kristen?"
For some reason that Kristen and her friends could never understand, the more she was upset, the easier it was for her to act like she wasn't. The momentary pain and shock that flickered through her eyes was immediately wiped clean. Her heart was beating painfully fast, she could feel her legs wanting to shake, and she had to continually gulp and swallow to keep any possible tears from coming to the surface. None of her turmoil showed on the outside.
Her eyes were strangely blank, but she forced her mouth into a small smile. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"
Her voice was oddly small, but it showed no sign of wavering. Quickly, Connor spoke up, "She's the new interior decorator. People have been telling us for ages that the building needed to be remodeled, and Reece hired her company to do it. I hear she's the best interior decorator in the city."
"She is," Melissa agreed. Unlike her former best friend, Melissa wasn't so adept at hiding her emotions. She looked visibly shaken, but like Kristen, she had a weak smile on her face.
"How have you been?" Melissa asked softly, her eyes lowered. Kristen watched her former best friend closely for any signs of fakeness but could find none. That was what was great about Melissa. She was too busy living her life to the fullest to be fake.
"Great. I'm going to be made partner at Mimosa after I finish remodeling the Wilde building. It's going to be a lot of work, but it will be worth it." Kristen gave an easy lau
gh, instantly placing the defensive couple at ease. Sometimes, Kristen surprised herself with how good of an actress she was. Connor, himself, couldn't believe how calm she was acting. If it were him, he would have torn John and Melissa in half and brought them to tears.
"That's good to hear, it's what you always wanted," John spoke up sincerely.
Once again, Kristen mustered up another weak smile. After all that had happened, she should hate them. They made it so goddamned hard to hate them sometimes. She wanted to hate them and make their lives miserable. But how could she when they were looking at her like they expected her to tear them to bits at any second?
An awkward silence ensued, and this time, Kristen did nothing to break the awkward tension. If she opened her mouth, she was sure that she would let loose the curses and insults that were dying to be let out. If that happened, it would only be Kristen who would be crying and hysterical in the end, anyway.
"Maybe we should reschedule lunch for another time,” Melissa said softly, looking up at John. The look of love that was so evident in their eyes made Kristen want to scream.
John gave a quick nod of his head. He leaned his head in slightly as if to give her a kiss, but pulled back abruptly at the last minute. He gave an uneasy glance at Kristen, and instead gave Melissa's hand a gentle squeeze.
John is so stupidly dense, sometimes, Connor thought angrily, noting the uncomfortable glance his brother gave Kristen. They were behaving like they expected Kristen to take out a shotgun and gun them down at any moment. Jumpy and shaky.
Melissa walked by, her white ruffle skirt billowing about her knees, when she stopped by Kristen. Melissa's eyes softened, and she considered giving her best friend a hug but knew better than that. Instead, she gave Kristen's arm a soft squeeze, and said sincerely, "I'm glad you're doing so well."
Kristen clamped down hard on the anger she felt as Melissa left. Her arm burned where Melissa had touched her. She felt a tingly kind of numbness go through her body, and she wanted nothing more than to just slap John and Melissa across their faces for betraying her.
