Page 12 of Bound Hearts

And now I discovered that he is sinfully sexy as he stands with his back to me overlooking the city at night, lights twinkling from the tall buildings. His blazer is off, but his vest remains as he rolls up a sleeve, revealing his forearm. Foster’s a man at the end of a day that he probably conquered. But he also gives the impression, whether intentional or not, that he’s preparing himself for a battle. One that might involve me and my resolve.

“Sutton.” He hasn’t even turned to see that it’s me.

“I’m impressed you guessed that right,” I say, entering his office.

He chuckles, and it’s almost devilish. “Easy to do. You are apparently my sixth sense.” When he turns, our eyes instantly catch.

“Should I feel lucky about that?”

“You should. I can also highlight that I’m aware we have a scheduled meeting now, which also helps.”

I crack a slow, easy smile. “Clever.”

He outstretches his arm, gesturing for us to sit in his meeting area. I take the corner of the sofa, while he sits in the armchair. Our legs could easily touch; his presence feels too close, and the air is heavy.

He sits, crossing a leg over his knee. “I’m on board with your suggested clauses. Not sure why Adam didn’t figure that out before he became ill. Why agree to their six-month payment timeline?”

Work. Straight to it. That's fair—it is the priority.

“Because we’ve added a midway transfer payment. A third at the start of the transfer, a third when the product is halfway to its destination, and then the final payment when everything is complete.”

Foster rubs his chin, thinking. "Makes sense. I need something more tight-knit. I’m not a fan of the payment schedule."

“You need to give a little more rope, Foster,” I counter.

He doesn’t volley back, and instead, for the next ten minutes, we discuss the further issues at hand.

“I can reach out to Klink’s lawyer to push to get this signed and dusted before the end of the year,” I say.

He waves me off. “It’s okay. I don’t want to rush this. In truth, I would much rather have this done in the new year. It’s easier to close this year’s numbers and start Q1 of the new year strong, which is promising for the budget and shareholders' confidence. Besides, I doubt much of the office is in between now and New Year’s.”

“Fair point,” I agree. Our project conversation seems to be winding down.

“Do you have any plans?” he asks, and that’s the sign that I’m right.

I shake my head. "Not really. My parents are busy setting up their lives in Florida. Retirement phase and all. They just got back from Iceland and visiting the Norwegian fjords for a few weeks."

“Believe it or not, even with all my travels, I have yet to visit Iceland or the fjords of Norway to see the northern lights. It’s somewhere on my bucket list, too, I guess.”

“Must be a theme because our lists are looking alike. Do you have plans for the holidays?”

Foster scratches the back of his neck, and his face sours. “Unfortunately.”

I chuff a laugh. “What does that mean?”

“I mean, I’ll have breakfast with my dad, and my brother will probably show up. Having them together in the same room isn’t exactly a day at the spa. Conversation can get a little… tense.”

“Ah. I see. Yeah, I wouldn’t be thrilled to deal with unwanted conversations either. New Year’s?”

“Haven’t decided. A few buddies invited me to a few events. Not sure I’m in the mood. End-of-year finance this year has been exhausting beyond the norm.”

I plant my hands on my crossed knees. "Trust me, a day on the sofa is my New Year’s calling. I’ll try anything once, and this is a plan I’ll happily attempt. Moving back to Illinois and starting here has overloaded my brain a bit. Plus, I’m not stepping into a room surrounded by lovey-dovey couples from our friend group."

He grins. “I second that.”

I spot something on his desk, unsure why I missed it before. I stand and ponder, his eyes on me. My fingers feather the turquoise marbles of the Newton’s Cradle.

“I haven’t seen one of these in ages.” I lift the last marble, releasing it to start the movement. Hearing him leave his spot and stride over heightens my senses. It’s impossible to be near him without reacting.