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The security guards walk over, and Cameron grabs the lapels of his jacket, yanking them taut as if that’ll spare him from the humiliation of being dragged out of my office.
“That sounds like a threat,” Maxwell, one of my security guards, says as he grabs Cameron’s arm.
They continue to focus on my computer as the security guards guide Cameron out of my office and Felicity’s stare stays locked on me.
Everyone but she and I are gone. She walks toward my desk, dragging the tip of her index and middle fingers along the edge of the metal before bending forward to speak with me in a low voice. “You didn't seem surprised that he was here.”
I don't so much as meet her stare. “Have you ever known me to be surprised, Felicity?” I ask in a bored tone as I continue working my way through emails.
“No, but I've also never known Cameron to just show up in your office.” She stands up and seats herself on the edge of the desk, her smart black pencil skirt seams straining with the motion. “If you know something I don’t, now would be the time to share with me.”
She seems to have forgotten that I don't answer to her or anyone else.
“I'd never tell, but I'd hate for someone on the board of directors to find out that potentially proprietary information was leaked from your office.” Her words warn me that she has some idea what Cameron is planning, even if she doesn't know the details for sure.
“I guess I'll face that bridge when - or if - I come to it.” Ever since my father's death at this very company, I haven't trusted anyone here with my secrets. I have no way of knowing who was on his side and even new hires since he’s been gone don’t feel safe. If I don't watch my back every second of every day, I might wind up the same way he did - six feet under after an accidental death that looked anything but.
It kills me that someone got away with murder, but it's worse knowing that the person who lost their life was my dad.
Maybe he wasn't the best person, but he certainly didn't deserve to die without justice.
And I don’t deserve to live without him because someone extinguished his life prematurely.
“Well, if you want to talk about it, I'm happy to be an ear.” Even though her statement seems final, I sense she's not done having this conversation. She stands up and I watch her smooth her hands down her skirt, which has ridden up her thighs. But she doesn't pull the material back down.
“I appreciate the offer.” Not that I'd ever actually take her up on it. The one person that I want to talk to, I have to wait on to call me. I close my eyes and see her hazel eyes, her pretty, hesitant smile, the way her face lights up when I show her the most basic human decency. Zoe.
I open my eyes and hit send on the final e-mail I need to reply to today. As I open a profit margin report, I’m very aware of Felicity's presence as she moves around my office. She stands near the window, arms crossed, watching the city move far below like tiny ants rushing to and from the colony.
“Have you ever wanted more from your life?” she asks, turning to face me as she leans against a metal support pillar. “More than just work, I mean.”
Up until very recently, I wanted nothing more than just this: sitting behind the desk, controlling my company, and making profits.
“You never told me how your vacation went.” She makes her way back over to my desk, her gaze roaming my office as if she’s never seen it before.
“It was a distraction.” I mean the words, and I have no desire to tell her anything personal about how things went or that I've met someone. I learned a long time ago that the less someone knows about you, the less they have to use against you. And I don’t trust her or anyone else at this company. Hell, I don’t trust anyone.
Except maybe Zoe.
She's the one person in my life that I can be fairly certain had no ulterior motive behind anything she did. Maybe she was attracted to me and that's the reason we started talking, but I sensed that she was completely willing to let me walk away. If I hadn't given her my number, she would have walked out of my life for good.
Hell, she might still be out of my life for good. The ball is in her court. If she doesn't call or text or look me up, then nothing between us will continue.
I'm not sure why that thought aches, but it does.
“I see you’re very talkative, as always. I hope you had a chance to decompress on your trip.” She lets out a husky laugh that would no doubt drive most men mad with desire.
“It seems like everything ran well in my absence,” I say, sitting back in my chair.
She shoots me a surprised glance. “Perhaps because you're excellent at micromanaging, even when you're not physically here?” Though the words sound like an insult, I sense they're not meant as such.
I steeple my fingers together, plant my elbows on my desk, and study my computer past my fingertips. “Perhaps.” The memory of seeing Cameron on the security cameras, so certain he’d thwarted me, brings a slight smile to my lips. He was so sure he'd won. The silly fool hasn't realized we've both lost.
“Now that your vacation of the decade is over, what do you plan to do next?” Felicity asks, her tone curious.
“Business as usual,” I say, lowering my hands and opening up a report.
But as I work, I can’t stop thinking about her.
