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Damien
I step out of the elevator and walk toward my penthouse office.
Through the windows lining one side of the hallway from floor to ceiling, the city lights are dazzling, but they don't compare to the stars I saw on the cruise. And they sure as hell don't compare to the sparkle in Zoe 's eyes.
I can't stop thinking about her hazel eyes, the cute parade of freckles across her nose, or her long, curly brown hair. The feel of her petite, curvy body against mine is burned into my memory, and I can only hope I’ll dream of her when I finally drift off to sleep.
She's like a breath of fresh air in my stale life, but now I have to snap back to reality. Because the cruise is over, and so is the brief interlude of happiness that I felt with Zoe. Whether or not she'll call or text me or not remains to be seen, but that doesn't matter so much as the fact that I'm back here at work.
Any warmth she elicited within me is gone. My mind is locked on my one and only goal: elevate my company at any cost. And right now, that cost is endless work and a cold mentality that allows me to do what needs to be done to get there.
I will stop at nothing to make Black Industries the best company in this city.
“It's so good to have you back.” Felicity seems to appear out of nowhere in front of a side door, and she falls into step beside me as we walk toward my office.
I don't so much as glance at the tall blonde. Her looks often come in handy when I'm navigating tricky deals and negotiations, but she’s not my type. I'm well aware that the tall bombshell of a blonde is almost literally everyone's type. But she just doesn't move anything within me.
“It's good to be back.” Some part of me tugs, as if I wish that I'm still on vacation, but it’s an insignificant part and I tamp those thoughts down.
I reach my office door and swipe my key card, well aware of what awaits me on the other side. Still, I take a moment to prepare myself for what’s coming.
The door slides open and I see Cameron behind my desk, swiveling in my office chair like a Machiavellian villain. Even his smile seems overexaggerated and doesn't quite meet his eyes.
“What's he doing here?” I can feel Felicity’s surprise, and she quickly bolts down the hallway, no doubt on her way to call for security. That's fine; it gives Cameron and I a moment alone.
With slow, sure steps, I make my way toward the desk as he stands. His gaze never leaves my face. “Welcome back, Damien,” he says, but his voice is anything but welcoming. I can hear his disappointment that I didn't fall overboard or simply never return. “How was your vacation? Did you have fun?”
I continue my slow walk, making my way around the desk, but flanking him from a distance in case he decides to lunge at me. I wouldn't put anything past Cameron; he's ruthless, cunning, dangerous, and positively, undeniably, certifiably dumb. But the problem with stupidity is that it's often unpredictable. I won't make the mistake of letting my guard down or underestimating what he's capable of.
He raises his eyebrows and ducks his head. “What? Nothing to say?” He says the words in an almost beseeching tone, as if he's hoping that I'll beg him to reveal his no doubt, poorly-constructed plan. The poor fool has no idea I've already thwarted his best efforts.
“I have work to do,” I say with a dismissive wave of my hand.
“You don't even want to know why I'm here?” The disappointment in his voice is almost enough to put a smile on my face, but I manage to hold back.
“Not really, no.” I continue to make my way to my chair, watching him edge his way around the desk like a gazelle trying to outsmart a stalking lion. By the time I reach my desk chair, he's closer to the door, staring at me with disbelief.
“One day, that cocky attitude is going to cost you everything.” I can hear the smugness in his voice, and it makes me all the happier to know that I've already ruined his plans.
“I won’t hold my breath.” I settle into my desk chair, ignoring him, and disable the mirror profile on my desktop so I can access the real computer without triggering his keylogger.
He's watching me type with an almost sick glee in a moment where I see him glance down at his phone. I see his expression drop as he realizes something's clearly gone wrong with this program because he's not tracking my keystrokes.
I continue working without so much as glancing at him.
“You may have won this round, but you won't win the war,” he says.
I continue to ignore him, pulling up my email and responding to the folder I’d set aside as non-urgent.
Cameron doesn't seem happy with my response and walks toward my deck, rapping on the metal with his knuckles. “You know, you should have stayed on that cruise.”
“Oh, you're still here,” I say without looking up at him.
“You should have stayed gone, because while you were on that ship I made some moves that will change everything. Moves that will make this company mine. And when I get it, I'll run it right. I'll run it in a way that you couldn't.”
“Um-hmm,” I say, still focused on the emails I need to send.
“You know, your luck is going to run out eventually. You'll see.” The door behind him opens and two security guards walk in with Felicity on their heels. “You'll see soon enough. Your days are numbered.”
