Page 30 of Red King
I find that I don’t want to leave but I refuse to take back what I said. I won’t apologize, either.
The elevator dings quietly, and the door opens.
“After you.” My escort gestures to the hallway.
I walk out, waiting for him, and then follow him once more. The interior of the castle is just as impressive as the exterior. Ornate tapestries and oil paintings are in vivid colors. They line the walls. They’re of dragons in various forms of shift, as well as an ornate bloody battle scene. I follow the shifter through winding corridors until we reach a set of large oak doors with the words “Royal Offices” in gold lettering.
This is it.
There are guards posted outside. They, too, are wearing those strange masks. I note that they are all different. Each mask seems to have its own “face.” They’re hideous.
I go inside.
There is a mature woman sitting behind a desk. I instantly know she’s a shifter because of her height and lean build and because, despite being in her middle to late fifties, she’s beautiful. Her hair is a shimmering silver, cascading in waves down her back. She looks up at me with golden eyes and a warm smile that lights up her face. Even though there are lines around her eyes when she smiles, her skin is flawless.
“Ah, you must be Miss Reed,” she says in a melodic voice. “Arctic has been expecting you. He’s just wrapping up with another meeting.” She glances at his closed door. “You can take a seat so long. I’m Sally, King Arctic’s PA. Can I get you something to drink while you wait?”
“Good to meet you, Sally.” I shake my head. “I’m fine, thanks.” There is no way I could eat or drink a thing.
“Are you sure? I can get you a tea, coffee, soda, juice—”
“I’m really fine, thanks for offering.” I grab a magazine off the glass table. It’s one I know from the Mainland. I start flipping through it, not seeing much of anything. I want this over with already.
Thankfully, within five minutes, Arctic’s door opens, and Marcel and Cathy come out. They close the door behind them.
I jump up.
“You can go in, Paisley,” Sally tells me.
I start toward his office, smiling at my colleagues, but Cathy is glowering at me.
“Hi,” I say, sounding unsure. “Is everything okay?”
Cathy’s jaw is clenched. Her eyes are hard. She takes a deep breath and then smiles; it’s tight.
“All good.” She nods a couple of times, looking anything but fine. “We’ll talk later.” Her voice has an edge, like she’s mad at me. Why would she be? I haven’t done anything wrong. I don’t even really know her.
“You’d better get in there; he’s on the warpath,” Marcel says, widening his eyes.
“Oh! Okay, thanks for the heads-up.” I swallow thickly.Shit!I knew it. “See you later.”I hope,I think to myself. I’m probably going to be fired. In fact, I’m sure of it.
Crap!
I take a deep breath, knock, and then go inside his office.
Arctic is sitting behind a huge desk. It’s completely clean except for an Apple laptop, which is closed in front of him. He leans back in his plush leather chair, scrutinizing me.
I pretty much swallow my tongue. Arctic is in another one of his suits. This one is just shy of charcoal gray. It’s so tight, it could be his second skin. He has a black, collared shirt beneath the suit jacket. It, too, pulls tight around his chest. A tattoo peeks out at his neck where the top button is undone. Another is just visible from under a cuff on his left hand.
His platinum hair looks like it was cut just before I arrived. It’s styled to perfection. His blue stare is frozen on me. It seems to pin me in place because I can’t move.
“Paisley.” His voice is deep. It sends a rush of shivers up my spine, causing goosebumps to break out all over my body.
I hate it.
I don’t think I’ve ever been this attracted or aware of anyone before.
I realize that I am just standing there, staring at him. That my breathing is elevated.Shit!I need to pull myself together. I refuse to be a basket case of nerves and desire when he fires me. It’s such a weird combination. I’m not sure what to feel. All I know is that I don’t like feeling any of it.
