Chapter Seven

 

Wednesday morning, on a whim, Konrad decided to take Scottie on a field trip to see the EaDo property. He’d completely ignored the fact that he’d never taken Marisol to see it or any other property since he’d set up his headquarters in Houston earlier in the year. He hoped everyone else would ignore that fact too.

Unlike his typical office attire, he dressed casually in worn jeans, a white button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled to his elbows, and casual Prada shoes. Employees would raise their brows because he’d always worn a suit to work. It was his armor.

“Dress for the level of success you want,” his father always said to him. Konrad had not been a stranger to three-piece suits in boarding school and beyond. Perfectly tailored. Perfectly put together. His father insisted on it. Image was always important to him. Konrad too.

Susan wasn’t at her desk when he walked through the lobby before eight in the morning. Scottie, on the other hand, sat at her desk drinking coffee from his favorite Harvard coffee mug. It had gone missing the day before. When he saw her perfect lips latch onto the rim, though, all he could think about was how those lips would look on him. If he didn’t have such great self-control, he would have been hard with the thought.

For fuck’s sake.

He cleared his throat. “Good morning, Scottie.”

Startled, her eyes jerked up to his from her sitting position. She dropped the cup from her lips and sat it on the desk, then swallowed, making Konrad really have to get control of himself, and said, “Good morning, Konrad.”

His gaze fell to her simple black flats as she sat crossed-legged, her toes pointed to him. She’d worn a pair of cropped trousers and a striped shirt. Very French. Finally, an outfit he liked, not including the black skirt he hadn’t been able to stop musing about. Legs like hers should be shown often. Daily. Nightly… My God.

“I’m glad you’re wearing flat shoes today.” His eyes lingered over her ankles too long. Scottie surely noticed. “I’m taking you on a road trip. Can you be ready in fifteen minutes?”

Her cheeks flushed. “Where are we going?”

“To visit the infamous EaDo property.”

She hesitated. “Who else is going?”

A slow smile pulled his lips. “Just us.”

Gulping hard, she asked, “Just us?”

“You’re not scared, are you?” He should not have asked that. A-Plus Temporaries would cancel their contract if they knew how unprofessional he’d been with her since she’d stepped foot in his office. She liked it though. Had to. If not, she’d be gone on her own accord.

Scottie frowned with indignation. “No.”

“Excellent.” He spun on his heels toward his office, gratified to see her still watching him in the reflection of his glass door. Over his shoulder, he said, “Be ready in fifteen, yeah?”

Not waiting for a response, he entered his office and let the lock catch before he exhaled. He sat at his desk, musing about how damned lucky his Harvard mug was.

The feeling didn’t last long enough. The ring of his cell phone quelled the lightness he felt about taking Scottie out of the office alone. Tamsin’s face flashed on the screen. Didn’t the blow-off flowers say it all? Then again, he needed to remember who he was dealing with, although he just wanted to forget. Impossible, though. She wasn’t going to let it go, and he needed to face her. And his actions.

He groaned, letting it ring three times before he answered. “Tamsin.” He stood and walked to the picturesque window. Staring out, he waited for her hard breathing to turn into words.

“I don’t appreciate the kiss-off, Konrad.” She was irate and ready for a fight. Another one.

He drew in a long sigh. “You’re right. It was a kiss-off.”

Pausing for a moment, he could hear her surprise. “So you admit it then?”

God, she was such a lawyer. When had he not been on trial with her? “Guilty.”

Another few beats passed. “I’m willing to overlook this and figure out an arrangement we both agree on.”

He groaned inside. Everything was up for interpretation to her. But the truth was, she simply didn’t take rejection well. Unfortunately, that wasn’t open to interpretation. Their ending was inevitable. It baffled Konrad that she didn’t see it coming. Nonetheless, he had to be delicate. He had to make her see she didn’t really want him. She wanted the power to be the ender, not the endee. That was her game.

“I see other women, Tamsin. I date women regularly. I said this to you when we first got together.”

“You mean when we first fucked at your mate’s hotel?” she said, practically choking on her question.

“Let’s not make this obscene, Tammy.” He raked a hand through his hair, remembering that night he met her at the Mariposa bar at Halman Hotel. “I want to be honest with you.”

Her voice softened. “I want that, too.”

“Please don’t take this personally. I think you’re smashing. Truly. I’ve had amazing fun with you, but we don’t want the same thing anymore. You clearly want a commitment, and I think you should have your heart’s desires.”

“And I can’t be your desire?” Tamsin’s urgency made his stomach flip.

Damn. This was hard. “Not the way you want.”

Konrad had never heard himself speak so openly before. He’d never had a breakup talk like that. The discomfort was unavoidable, but something deeper within felt satisfied. “Look, I know you think you want me, but you don’t. There are plenty of blokes who would love to have a go with you. I just don’t want a go with anyone. I need to be free.”

The words seemed right, but the feeling wasn’t anymore. He wanted a go with someone. He wanted to feel what it was like to connect on a deeper level, to feel out of control for someone. Like what Fabian had with Antonia.

Tamsin was rendered speechless, which was a first.

“Tamsin, love,” he said, his voice steady. “I really think you’ll thank me later.”

She didn’t respond. The only response was the silent line. She’d hung up. She didn’t even say goodbye, but Konrad knew it was goodbye.

He took five extra minutes staring out into the Houston sky after his conversation. He’d felt empty inside. No way could he deny he wasn’t affected. In the past, he’d dumped women and had felt exhilarated, ready to meet another. Because there was always another. Women were everywhere, ready to fall into his bed. But he didn’t feel exhilarated and ready to meet another. Quite the opposite. Instead, he wondered what he would do with Anisette and Pilar.

Twenty minutes later, he tapped on Scottie’s cube wall.

“You’re late,” she said, her mouth curled in a smirk.

“I can be late. I’m the boss.” He winked.

She shook her head in disapproval. “Do as I say, not as I do, huh?”

Bold. His excitement bubbled up inside. She moved him more than he ever could have expected. “And when did I say that, Miss Roberts?”

She pursed her lips together, repressing a smile. “Fine. You didn’t say that.”

Blood coursed through his veins at lightning speed. Without fail, his attraction to her grew every second. “Now that we’ve settled that, come on.” He turned from her cube, his eyelids closing for a second.

Konrad honestly didn’t know if she followed him until he’d reached the lobby and stopped at Susan’s desk. Then he realized Scottie was so close behind him he could feel her heat, smell her sweet perfume.

“We’re going out for a bit.”

Susan’s gaze slid from Konrad’s to Scottie’s and then back to Konrad. “Oh?”

“I’m taking Scottie to the EaDo property this morning. We’ll be back after lunch.” A minor detail he didn’t mention to Scottie.

Susan narrowed her eyes but quickly became distracted by an incoming call. He waved to her and turned to Scottie.

“Off we go.”

Ten minutes later, he held open the passenger side door of his coupe for her. Scottie slipped in.

“This is your car?” She looked like she’d sucked on a lemon.

He chuckled. “Do you not like it?”

She glanced inside, her gaze moving over all his upgraded features and custom finishes. She snorted low. “What’s not to like?”

He closed the door to the car but wanted to throw open the door to her life. Who was she? Where was she from? Why had she reacted to him the way she had?

Once he’d settled into the driver’s seat where he belonged, he turned on the engine, reveling in the sound. The beauty of the machine woke up for him as he commanded. His cars were his unabated love. Escaping in them, down the road to anywhere, was a regular joy. Konrad had a total of four cars, but Scottie didn’t need to know that. Yet.

Scottie crossed her arms as well as her legs. Gazing out the passenger window, she didn’t give him a single clue as to what was on her mind. At times, she’d been too hard to read, even when they were face-to-face. He needed to know, did she like him? Did she trust him, even if just a little? They’d met only days ago, but their close proximity made him feel they’d been acquainted longer.

Konrad put the car in “reverse,” glancing at her before he set his eyes on the navigation screen. “Don’t worry. I’m a fantastic driver.” From his periphery, he saw her glance at him. At that, he smiled, though small. Something was between them. He was acutely aware of how their energies played. In the small space, it was impossible not to feel it.

Once on the road for a few miles, just as they were leaving downtown proper, she uncrossed her arms, her hands falling on her lap. He wanted to press his hand against her thigh, get her attention. Attention had come to him without fail from anyone he wanted it from, yet she left him wanting hers. The need was disturbing to him, making him feel a desperation he didn’t know how to reconcile.

“You’re quiet, Scottine.”

“Scottie,” she corrected.

“Sorry. Scottie.” He chuckled to himself. “I don’t know why you don’t like Scottine. It’s a gorgeous name.” Gorgeous. He seemed to struggle to pick his words carefully when he spoke to her casually. But her name was gorgeous. Just like her. He turned his gaze to her thigh again, wishing she’d worn the black skirt.

She caught his stare, and quickly he turned back to the road. She stumbled over her words. “Who said I didn’t like Scottine?”

“I just assumed.”

“Well, you know what happens when you assume.” Humor laced her voice, and he liked how it sounded on her lips.

“Indeed, I do.” They came to a stop sign. With his eyes still on the red circular light overhead, he asked, “Is Scottine a family name?”

“It’s my father’s name. Well, his name is William Scott Roberts.” Her voice lowered, as though she were talking to herself. “God only knows why my mom wanted to name me after him.”

Frozen, without a response, he waited for her, but she didn’t continue. A tug in his heart made him feel for her. It was the most profound information she’d offered, and it was so private and intimate. He knew he didn’t deserve it, although he was honored to hear it. In that sharing moment, of her opening her door a little, he worried he’d mess it up. For that he let the light turn green and stepped on the gas again. Not another word for minutes.

“Tell me more about yourself.” He took the initiative, hoping it wasn’t too soon.

She hesitated. “Well … I went to the University of Houston. Studied Business Administration—”

“Tell me something I can’t find on your résumé.” He laughed, trying to lighten the mood.

She stalled. “Uhh… I think your accent is strange.”

With a chortle, he said, “Thank you. I think.”

She laughed, a lovely sound. “Why is it so strange? Where are you really from? Mars?”

He chuckled, though she didn’t. “I suppose because I lived in more than one place. And I have been everywhere.”

“That’s vague.”

His laugh has louder, from his belly. He loved their banter. “I’m German born but was educated in the UK and in France for a little while.”

“You speak French?” She seemed impressed, finally. And he wanted her to always sound that way around him.

“Oui, mademoiselle.”

A sigh fell from her lips, loud enough for him to hear, and it sent chills down his spine.

“And you speak German, too?”

“That’s my mother tongue, Schatzi.” He should not have said tongue to her. “And I speak other languages, too.”

“What’s Schatzi mean?”

He stalled, not wanting to explain. Schatzi meant sweetie in German. That was inappropriate. But, hell, he couldn’t help himself. “It’s a German term of endearment…”

She turned to face him, and from his periphery, he saw she’d lifted her eyebrows. “Oh.” She turned again, and he was glad she’d seemed to let it go. “Do you speak Spanish?”

“A little. Do you?”

She scoffed. “Yes.”

They were silent for a while, the moving cars and city noises muffled by the windows. But she broke that silence just when he thought she was done talking.

“No wonder you have to send flowers to all those women.”

The meaning sobered him. To Scottie, he was a rich player who had his way with women and threw them away. She’d never as much said the words, but he knew that was what she thought about him. And he hated it enough to feel the anger at the unfairness of her words. He wanted her to see the real man behind her first impressions.

“How do you mean?” he asked in response to her comment, his jaw clenched.

“Women like accents. And guys who speak multiple languages.”

His heart thumped so hard, he felt his chest against the seat belt. “So I’ve heard.” Do you like that too?

Scottie crossed her arms again and didn’t say another word until they reached the EaDo property. And though he desperately wanted to continue the conversation, he didn’t. He’d have to remember he was her boss, and this conversation probably shouldn’t go any further, despite what he wanted.