Even though she couldn’t see, she could feel the tension swirl around her. Forcing herself out of her cowardice, she cracked open her lids and immediately wished she’d kept them closed. Sam couldn’t have seemed more shocked if she had punched him. “Sam?”
“Why?” he croaked out.
She rubbed at the back of her neck. “Why? Because you weren’t around. I needed a job and I wasn’t ready to come crawling back to someone who is still with the woman who wanted me gone.”
“No. Don’t you make it sound like this is my fault. You knew exactly how I feel about him, but you took the job anyway.”
“This isn’t a dig at you. This is business. He offered me a position that is more than just an assistant. It pays better and looks damn good on my resume. He wanted me to—”
“He wanted you so he could use you against me,” bit out Sam.
April took a step back. Even though she expected the accusation, the words still cut right through her. “Because this has nothing to do with my skills I’ve honed being your little lapdog for the past six years. I have handled some of the richest men in the world for you and gotten you reservations at places with tighter security than Fort Knox. I handled company secrets you wouldn’t trust with employees who made three times what I made! So please don’t feed me that bullshit about how he just wants me to get back at you.”
“This is getting back at me! You standing there and telling me that you’re working for him is gutting me in exactly the way he wants!”
“Gutting? The idea of me working for your father upsets you that much? Where the hell was all this passion over the last six years? All you had to do was snap your fingers and I would’ve done anything for you. The only reason you’re attracted to me now is because you can’t have me, and the spoiled rich boy in you hates that.”
His jaw clenched. “April—”
“What’s even worse? You came here tonight with such noble intentions. You imagined we could be together. I’d come back with you and everything would be perfect, but you’re still with her.”
“I haven’t touched her since the night you left.”
“You kept her as a backup,” she spat back.
Sam took another step away, his muscles tense and eyes filled with rage. “Have it your way. I hope you have a nice career with that man.” He started to turn, but twisted back around. “Oksana is helping the business. Having her on my arm gets me, and HuntCorp, in papers that wouldn’t have looked twice at me otherwise. The party I gave up to be here tonight would have been amazing exposure.”
“So we’re on the same page. It doesn’t matter what devil you’re working with as long as you get more power in the end.”
Sam’s chest heaved up and down as he glared at her. “I was wrong about you. I thought you were different. Better than all the other jaded zombies in the city, but you fit right in, don’t you?”
April tightened her lips, not wanting her hurt to show. “Maybe I am a zombie, but don’t act so high and mighty. I learned all my tricks from you.”
He nodded through his clenched jaw. “Yeah. Good luck keeping your soul over there, April. You let me know if you ever want to come back from the dark side.” With that, he stormed away and left her alone as the crowd trickled out of the ballroom, giving April one last glance. Oblivious of the emerging crowd, she backed up until the wall was there to support her weight.
Well, that went well.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Sam glared up at the shining copper skyscraper. A tourist next to him pulled out his cell phone, and the loud click of the camera made Sam’s scowl deepen. God, he hated this place.
Not wanting to stare at the towering symbol of his father’s success any longer, he moved past the gawkers and into the building. He strode right past the security desk, but a burly man stepped out from behind the marble counters before Sam got far.
“Can I help you sir?” asked the guard.
Sam frowned. He’d been to a lot of offices in the city and a good eighty percent of the time if he walked confidently enough, the guard would let him through, no questions asked. “I’m here to see Donald Hunt.” He knew full well what the response would be.
“Is he expecting you?” asked the guard, not showing even a hint of disbelief.
“No. I came here to tell him he’s an asshole and didn’t want to ruin the surprise.”
That at least got a grin out of the beefy guy. “As much as I’d love to watch that, I’m afraid you need an appointment to get in.”
Sam rubbed the back of his neck and tried to think of anyone he could call to let him in. Of course, the only person who came to mind was the entire reason he was there to begin with.
“Can you call April Morgan? She’ll vouch for me.”
The guard frowned down at Sam. “The sweet, new one?”
Sam groaned. “Yeah. The sweet one.”
“Hold on a minute.” The man moved back behind his counter and dialed some numbers into his phone. “April? Hey, it’s Bowie! Yeah, I’m doin’ great. How about you?”
Sam rolled his eyes. She really had everyone wrapped around her finger.
“The kids are loving this weather. We’re hoping to get out of the city this weekend,” said the guard.
Not having any desire to hear this guy’s life story, Sam not so subtly cleared his throat.
The guard didn’t seem too agitated. “April, there’s a guy down here who wants to talk to you.” He paused for a few seconds as though listening and then pulled away from the receiver. “What’s your name again?” he asked.
“Sam Hunt.”
The guard remained nonplussed. “He says he’s Sam Hunt. Is that not a good thing? Okay. See you in a few.” He hung up the phone.
“She didn’t vouch for me?”
“She knows you,” he said. “Just didn’t sound happy about it.”
“Sounds right,” mumbled Sam as he leaned against the counter and folded his arms over his chest. Maybe this was a bad idea. He wasn’t sure he was ready to face April again after their disastrous meeting at the Jude Foundation gala.
Well, this was her own fault. She had to have known that by going to work for his father she’d have to get in the middle of this shit. She’d really brought all this on herself.
The elevator chimed and a second later, the click-clack of heels signaled a woman’s arrival. Sam stood up straight, trying to prepare himself as best he could. Only to see a stranger walk past him and to the door.
“Sam, what on earth are you doing here?”
He turned and came face to face with April. Where the hell had she come from? “I’m here to talk to my father. Is that a problem?”
She looked him up and down. “You tell me. Are you going to make it a problem?”
God, she looked good. It was one of the rare days she wore pants, but they hugged the slight curve of her hips in exactly the right way. He pulled himself from that train of thought. “If I have my way, I hope to cause many problems. That’s kind of why I’m here.”
April set her hands on her hips. “Then you can’t come up.”
He straightened, made himself as tall as possible. “He’s my father. You can’t keep me from seeing him.”
“I can’t keep you from doing anything. Bowie over there would love to keep you from seeing your father.” She pointed to the large man behind her.
Sam eyed the guard warily. “All I’m going to do is talk to him in a possibly raised voice. Now take me up, April.”
Even with him trying his hardest to look daunting, April didn’t appear fazed. “No. I’m sick of doing whatever you tell me to. If you want to get up there, you’ll have to find another way. Now I have to get back to work, and I’m sure you’re busy as well.”
She started to leave, but Sam’s hand shot out and wrapped around her wrist.
“Hey,” warned Bowie as he stepped forward.
April waved him away. “It’s fine. Sam just doesn’t know how to handle life when it doesn’t go his
way.”
Sam started to roll his eyes, but stopped himself. He didn’t like it when things didn’t go his way, and he wasn’t about to apologize for it. He leaned closer, not wanting Bowie to overhear. “Do you really think I’ve been handed everything on a silver platter?”
“Of course not. I was right with you through the late nights, tough meetings, sales that fell through. I know you’re a hard worker. That being said, you’re a sore ass loser and it’s about time someone told you.”
He wanted to argue, but nothing came out. He was expecting the same angry April from the weekend. Not the level-headed woman who seemed to see right into his soul. “What happened to you being pissed at me?”
April frowned. “Why on earth would you think I’m not still pissed?”
His brows drew together. “But you just said…”
“That you’re good at your job? Of course you are. Your dedication is one of my favorite things about you. It’s your hard head and single-mindedness that drive me insane.”
Suddenly all his anger seemed to dissipate as he stared into her dark eyes. “Damn it, I came in here ready to raise hell. Now what?”
She twisted her wrist, and he released his grip. But instead of pulling away, she set her hand over his. “Call your father. Keep business at work and your personal life outside the office.”
He knew she wasn’t just talking about his father and him. Even if he wanted her back at work—his work—things had changed. He could never put April back into that platonic mental box he’d stored her in for the past six years. Something was between them that he’d never allowed himself to dwell on before…some spark that would ignite every time they were together. There was no going back to normal for them, and she obviously wasn’t open to seeing him in any romantic way. She’d made that clear at the fundraiser.
He let out a sigh. “Tell Donald I stopped by, and I expect a call.”
“I will. Take care, Sam.” She removed her hand from his.
He took a few seconds to soak in her concerned expression. He wasn’t a fan of pity, but it was much nicer than the image he’d had of their screaming match burned into his mind. At least with this memory, he could believe that one day, possibly, there was hope for them.
CHAPTER EIGHT
April glanced at the clock once more. Four twenty-five. She still had a few minutes before she was scheduled to meet Annabelle in front of the building for their class, and she hadn’t had a chance to give Donald his son’s message.
The problem with working for one of the most important men in the city was that they usually had packed schedules. Donald’s jacket and bag were still in his office the last time she’d checked, so she knew he planned to come back at some point. She just had no idea when.
He had until her computer powered down to get back, otherwise she’d have to leave him a note. Something as serious as a father/son blowout seemed as if it needed more than a piece of paper saying to call Sam, but she wanted to let Donald know as soon as possible.
Sam had appeared calmer by the time he left. Maybe the two could have a rational discussion and put the past behind them. Or maybe they’d hate each other forever. Either way, she told Sam she’d pass along his message.
April tucked her computer in her bag and made her way to the elevators. She’d been doing work with the accounting department after she started, so she was on a different floor than the famous CEO of Hunter Enterprises. After going up to the sixty-third story, it was a short walk to the biggest office in the building.
His assistant’s desk was empty and April breathed a sigh of relief. She didn’t want to involve anyone else in the family drama. She swiped a piece of paper and a pen from his assistant’s side table and made her way into Donald’s office. His door was open, so it wasn’t as if she was breaking in or anything. Worst-case scenario, she’d just tell the truth.
Donald Hunt was notoriously neat, so it was easy to find a clear spot on his desk to set her purse down and write her quick note.
Sam was here. I convinced him not to make a scene, but told him I’d tell you to call.
-April
She considered writing more, but decided against it. It was enough to get the message across and that’s all she needed to do. She set the paper right in the middle of the desk where Donald couldn’t miss it and reached for her purse. She must not have lifted it high enough, and the bottom of the large leather bag caught on a tidy stack of folders, sending them cascading to the floor.
Damn it! April dropped to her knees and scooped the papers back into the folders. Luckily they hadn’t scattered too far and most of the pages at least had a corner sticking out of their bindings. Once she had everything basically back to normal, a piece of white against the burgundy carpet caught her eye.
Her fingers brushed the thick paper. It was too thick and shiny to be from the office printers. She grasped it and leaned back. Great. Now she would have to figure out which folder it slid out of.
She flipped the paper over to examine it, and her jaw dropped. It was a photo, but not like any she’d seen before. The images were hazy, as though zoomed in one too many times, but the people in it were clear enough. It was Jackson Booth and Matthew Burkey in a passionate embrace, in what appeared to be a fancy hotel room.
Reflexively, her fingers went limp, and the picture fell back to the carpet. The image still stared right at her. April closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths. What would Donald be doing with that picture? As far as she knew, he had no business with either of the Bs.
But Sam was his business. And they were involved with Sam. And each other, apparently. The city was getting more modern, so the idea of them being together might not be as big a deal as it would’ve been a decade ago.
Except for the fact that they were both married.
April jerked the picture off the floor, pushed herself up and slammed it face down on the desk. She quickly flipped through the stack of folders until she found the one the Bs’ picture belonged to. It wasn’t hard to identify because it was the one filled with other pictures. Holding hands on a golf course. Kissing in a dark corner. More hotel room pics. She knew she should put the documents down and run out before anyone saw her, but she flipped through the pages anyway. The photos got more graphic and then there were additional documents. Bank records. College transcripts. News articles.
She finally reached the end of the thick stack. Carefully placing everything in the same order she’d found it in, she gingerly picked up her purse and made her way out of the office. She gave one last look to the stack of documents that sat so innocently on Donald’s desk before she walked out once and for all.
An employee she’d never met before waited by the elevators. April smiled at the middle-aged man who wore a well-pressed suit and stood a few feet away as they both waited. It was hard to look so calm when her mind raced.
What was Donald going to do with that information? Go to the press? The scandal would be all over the papers. No one really knew who the Bs were, which was half the attraction when Sam first approached them about investing in HuntCorp.
The elevator doors finally opened, and April and the other man filed in with the two men already going down.
The doors closed and April was faced with her reflection. She looked surprisingly normal. Her eyes didn’t have the panicked expression of a woman who’d found out her new boss might be plotting against her old one.
But there was no reason to be surprised. This was exactly what Sam told her Donald would do. Even so, it didn’t make sense. If Donald ruined the Bs, there was no way her working for him would change anything.
And if they were ruined and their socialite wives were able to rip up the prenups, it’s not as if they’d get any of HuntCorp.
The elevator stopped at the first floor, and April did everything she could to keep from running out the doors. Her eyes scanned the crowded street for the cabs stopped in front of the building. Once she saw Annabelle’s curly hair through one of the cab’
s windows, she allowed herself to jog. It wasn’t that unusual for people to be in a hurry in the city that never slept, so no one even looked twice at her mad dash.
Annabelle was on the passenger’s side of the backseat, so April set her book bag in the empty front seat before she moved around to the driver’s side to climb in next to Annabelle. Her chair would take up all the trunk space.
Annabelle’s charming smile didn’t have its normal calming effect on April’s frayed nerves. “How was work?” she asked as the cab driver aggressively took his place in the intense rush-hour traffic.
“Umm…interesting.” April had to watch her words. She didn’t want the cab driver to overhear too much. “My old boss showed up today.”
Annabelle’s eyes widened. “You’re kidding! What did he say? What did you say? Was it weird? Was it awesome? Tell me everything!”
April blinked at the rapid onslaught of questions. “It was…strange. He wasn’t there for me, though. He just wanted to yell at my new boss.”
“Was there a scene?”
“No. Luckily, security didn’t let him up and he had them call me. I don’t know what he was thinking. It’s not like I was going to escort him straight up to make a fool out of both of us.”
A knowing smile emerged on Annabelle’s face.
“What?” asked April.
“He wanted to see you.”
April snorted in disbelief. “He saw me three days ago. Just look how that went. I doubt he wanted to go through all that again.” As soon as April had gotten home, she’d immediately called Annabelle to rehash the night’s events.
And Annabelle had been giddy as a schoolgirl. For some reason, the spunky girl from the bad side of Brooklyn had always wanted Sam and April to take their relationship up a notch. Jessica, on the other hand, had been furious that Sam had kissed April. She’d been calling for a sexual harassment lawsuit when April admitted what happened the night she quit.
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