Chapter Three

Isabella

“Can you believe the balls on that guy?” I rant, watching Christie shake her head in answer across the table at me while I shove a rushed bite into my mouth, making a face when I continue talking as I chew. “I mean, seriously!”

“Aww, you poor thing,” she offers, sticking her lip out before rolling her eyes. “You had to spend ten minutes alone with a successful, attractive man talking your way out of a date.”

“Okay, first of all, this is not a date. It’s harassment at best,” I argue, my eyes widening when she snorts. “Don’t laugh at me, Christie! I’m serious! I have half a mind to call the board on his ass.”

“And say what?” she laughs harder. “That your boss asked you to attend a work function?”

“No,” I narrow my eyes at her accusingly before waving her off. “Oh, nevermind. You don’t get it. You don’t have to deal with this shit at your job.”

“You’re right. I’m sorry,” she offers, this time more genuine. “Please finish telling me about your plight and despair from within the executive floor.”

She’s trying very hard to appear supportive, but it’s almost impossible to miss her amusement at my outrage.

“You’re lucky you ordered my lunch for me,” I tease, sipping from my iced tea. “Anyway, the whole thing is just unfreakingbelievable. I’m so mad I could just spit.”

“It’s a damn shame,” she sighs.

“I know!” I shout dramatically. I shake my head in annoyance at the thought before shoving another bite into my mouth. “And then when I told him what my job was, the bastard had the audacity to smirk at me! Smirked! Like it’s some kind of lame ass job!” I balk. “I’ll tell ya what’s lame. It’s lame that you have to blackmail your employees to get a freakin’ date. That’s lame!”

“But I thought you said it wasn’t a date?”

“It isn’t,” I admit, cutting my eyes again before I smirk. “That particular word just happened to fit better into my tantrum.”

“Well, regardless, you’re absolutely right,” she agrees, handing me a napkin as she tries her best to hide her smirk. “I just can’t help but wonder…”

“Thanks,” I take the napkin. “Wonder about what?”

“How many times have you thought about him naked since he bossed you around?”

My hand freezes mid-air, my cheeks heating for a moment before I narrow my eyes at her.

“Zero,” I say, but we both know I’m lying.

Even as he was ruining what was left of my Friday and apparently my evening, I couldn’t help but notice the way his obnoxiously expensive dress shirt hugged his chest, how he licked his lips before he spoke or how his voice went slightly husky when he said my name…

“You’re so full of crap!” she laughs, tossing a French fry at my face to pull me out of my trance. “You’re thinking about it right now!”

“Well, of course I am now!” I lean back against my chair. “I wasn’t until you brought it up.”

“Whatever. I don’t buy it,” she shrugs, waving me off. “I’ve only seen a few grainy tabloid pictures of Adam Avery and I’ve imagined him naked five times since you got here. There’s no way in hell you were locked in an office with that man for ten minutes and didn’t think about it before I brought it up.”

“I admit nothing,” I say, reaching for my bag and ignoring her laughter as I move to stand. “Except that you’re an evil little woman and p.s. how dare you?”

“Where are you going?” she laughs louder as I toss my part of the tip onto the table and replace my sunglasses.

“I have to get back. Otherwise…” I make a face, miming a slice across my throat. “Send Amy my best and tell her I’m sorry I missed her shower.”

At least I dodged one bullet today.

“Yeah, I’m sure you’re real broken up about it,” she smirks, making me laugh.

“Well, it’s nice to be nice,” I shrug.

“True,” she allows, holding her grin. “Alright, honey. Call me later.”

“I will,” I smile. “Thanks for lunch.”

I make my way back to the building, admittedly surprised when I find my chair being occupied by a large box and a delivery man standing nearby, waiting impatiently.

“Excuse me?” I start, setting my bag down on the edge of my desk as he turns to face me. “Can I do something for you?”

“Miss Baxter?” he asks, his expression remaining even.

“Yes?” I answer, unable to keep suspicion from my voice. “Who are you?”

“I need you to sign for this package, please,” he says, ignoring my question and instead thrusting forward his electronic pad and stylus.

“What is it?” I gesture toward the box on my desk, eyeing him curiously as my hand hovers over the screen.

“I don’t know, ma’am. I’m just the delivery guy. They give me an electronic box and a list of signatures I need for the day,” he sighs, surely exhausted from dealing with people like me asking the same stupid question all day. “I won’t get my x-ray vision training until I’ve been on the job a little while longer.”

I feel my eyes narrow at his dry comment, silently commending him for his quick wit as I glance down at his badge.

“Don’t get your man shorts in a bunch, Lewis,” I tap the hard plastic adorning his uniform. “It was just a question.”

“And what an excellent question it was,” he smirks, not bothering to hide the bite of sarcasm still playing on his lips. “Listen lady, are you gonna sign for me or what?”

“Excuse me?”

“I’m sorry. I just… I’m behind. I have a full route and this express order of yours kind of made me miss my lunch,” he admits, his annoyed expression shifting into one of apology as I hear the door behind me creak open. Adam Avery steps out to have a word with his makeshift assistant, his eyes falling on me almost immediately. He’s all business, but I can feel his eyes on me, something in the way his gaze stays locked on me making my cheeks heat. “It’s not your fault,” Lewis continues, pulling my attention back to his. “My boss is just on my ass today.”

“Well, you’re absolutely right. It’s not my fault, but lucky for you, I have recent experience in having my lunch breaks hijacked due to a pushy employer,” I offer, reaching into my bag for the cookies I’d gotten from the café. “Here you go and godspeed, Lewis,” I take one for myself and hand him the rest of the bag before I sign an expletive onto the device and I flash Adam a saccharin sweet smile. “Pain in the ass bosses are the worst.”

 

Adam

Once she’s finished with the little show that has done little more than frustrate me on every level imaginable, I’m heading back to my office when she moves toward the box I’d had delivered, piquing my curiosity. I intend to watch silently from my door, but as she reaches for a box cutter, I clear the distance between us.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” I warn quietly, pulling her eyes to mine. “The contents are extremely delicate.”

“I assumed it was something office related,” she admits, gesturing toward the box. “You sent this to me?”

“I did,” I nod. “You said you didn’t have anything appropriate and I’m not completely unreasonable,” I struggle to keep my voice even, something I can’t remember the last time I’d done. “Call it an olive branch of sorts.”

“Oh,” she says, her expression falling as she pushes it to the side and forgets it instantly.

“Excuse me, Mr. Avery,” we’re interrupted, another employee pulling my eyes away from her for a moment and handing me the paperwork we’d just been discussing.

“Thank you,” I offer, taking it from her and scanning its contents, flipping through the pages.

“Was there something else you needed from me?”

“Are you not curious?” I ask, my eyes still scouring the document. “For all you know, I’ve just sent you the ass end of a horse suit.”

“No, I’m not…” she whips her head around to face me. “Wait. Did you just make a joke?”

“Perhaps,” I smirk, signing the document I’m still studying in the appropriate places and giving a subtle shrug. “I guess you won’t know until you open the box.”

“Perhaps,” she quips, making me bite my tongue. “But it doesn’t look like it’s going anywhere. Besides, something tells me if there’s a horse’s ass at dinner tonight, it’s not going to be me.”

Her comment brings my eyes to hers, finding the false sweetness that has become her signature within the span of a few hours stretching over her lips.

“You’re growing quite bold, Miss Baxter,” I manage, the tick of my jaw impossible to ignore as I take a step toward the edge of her desk, wiping the amusement from her expression. I don’t miss the way her breathing begins to grow shallow as she peers up at me from beneath her thick, black eyelashes. “You’ll do well to remember who you’re speaking to. Understood?”

She says nothing, her nostrils flaring slightly in defiance, making my brow raise.

“I asked you a question and I don’t care for repeating myself,” I warn low, my own breath heavier as I see her chest begin to expand with her own gasp at my closeness. “Now, answer me. Am I understood?”

She releases a low breath, clearing her throat and squaring her shoulders as she keeps her furious gaze locked on mine.

“Yes,” she grounds out. “I understand just fine.”

“Perfect,” I say, offering a wide smile that only further infuriates her. “See you at seven.”