Page 73 of My Grumpy Alpha

And that I’m so far gone that I want to strip in his office and just lay there and let him feast.

“Meat!” I shout.

Both men turn and look at me like I’ve lost my mind.

“Pardon?” Gabe asks.

“I mean, meat, we should get meat for lunch to fill up, good ol’…” Oh God, stop talking.

“Eli! Because it’s been a rough few days of… absolute solitude and that tends to make you hungry when you…meditate.” I cough.

Eli bites down on his lower lip and smirks at the same time while Gabe waves a hand in front of my face like I’m hallucinating or maybe had a stroke.

Gabe frowns.

“Do you need a sick day?”

"Nope. Totally. Normal.” I nod way too many times.

“I was just thinking about nutrition, and the company, and it came to mind.”

Eli squeezes his eyes shut, then turns away.

Gabe is still frowning.

“Okay, guess we’re ordering meat then, sounds, tasty. Thank you for your input? And Eli, I still need an answer on that last takeover, are you really sure you want to go against Xavier on this?”

My ears perk up. Xavier?

Eli sighs and rubs the back of his neck with one hand.

“I think that we can do more with the company than he can, but I won’t fight him on it, I’m kind of done fighting with him, he’ll do what he wants no matter what anyway—besides, I already won.” He turns and winks at me.

I nearly die on the spot and want to cancel my lunch date tomorrow. I reach for my phone when the elevator doors open.

"You coming?” Gabe asks.

“Sure, sorry, yes.” I follow them in and so starts the hellish day of acquisitions, meetings and finally… yes, meat.

I eat at my desk but not enough, I know Eli’s working like a dog and even Gabe seems stressed out so I don’t make a big deal over having a lunch break. If they’re working like that, then so am I.

I hear yelling from Eli’s office.

I know Jim from the board walked in, and now I’m seeing him run out like he’s about to shit his pants, followed by Bradly, another board member, both are pale.

Great, perfect timing to bring in Eli’s next schedule.

I don’t want to.

I’ll wait.

And then my phone rings.

I quickly answer it.

“Yes?”

"In here. Now.” Eli barks and hangs up.