AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I can’t say I wish it had never happened. We needed that money. But I almost wish it hadn’t been Easton, even though he made it so wonderful. That was the problem. He’s the perfect man, and now he can never be mine. Just a memory that I hope won’t hurt so much someday. It’s impossible not to love him. Despite my best efforts, I can’t seem to suppress the surge of emotions every time I think of him. It might end up killing me, but I love him.
When I go down the elevator on my quest for a new place to live, my finger hovers over the button that would lead to his suite. Stupid wishful thinking, and it doesn’t help me get over the fantasies that plagued my dreams and had me waking up with a pain in my chest.
Easton could never love me. He was just infatuated with a very expensive new toy. He’s certainly not still waiting in that suite despite what he said.
Fortunately, after just two days, I have a new apartment lined up for us that will be ready to move into at the beginning of the month. Gran is thrilled because she’s already growing bored with room service and takeout and wants to get back to cooking our meals. She loves the new place as much as I do. It has two airy bedrooms, pleasant city views out the living room window, and a big tub in the bathroom. It’s a huge upgrade since our old place only had a tiny, leaky shower stall.
The new place is comfortable and miles better than what we had, but not extravagant by any means. I want my auction earnings to last a good long time, especially since I’ve had no luck on the job front.
Sighing, I leave from another interview I don’t feel that confident about, but keep up my forced cheer as I thank everyone in the office for their time. I have a feeling my misery might be leaking out and no one wants to work with a sad sack. If only my heart would snap back to normal, but it’s just as torn up and broken as when I turned my back on Easton and ran away. Why did I do that again? Oh yeah, my pride. Well, my pride isn’t doing anything but making me miserable.
Since I’m close to my favorite lunch spot, I decide to grab a couple of their specials to take back to Gran. It’s not because I’m hoping to see Easton outside his building, or even just sense his presence.
Or maybe it is, because as I pass by, I peer into the lobby, feeling foolish as I search for a glimpse of his tall frame in one of his tailored suits. He rarely leaves his office during the day, and gets his lunches brought up to him by his assistant. My heart is making me act like a damn fool, and I quit lurking and hurry to the diner.
As I round the corner, I see Kate sitting at a table out front with a cup of coffee in front of her. Anger grips me, but it soon drains away. As low down as she was in lying about Easton being at the auction, I’d be homeless right now if it wasn’t for her suggestion. I still don’t want to talk to her though and am about to do a quick about face when she looks up and sees me.
Great, too late. I try to pretend I don’t notice her but she waves and calls me over. Ignoring her is an option, but then she’ll know she got to me. I trudge over and say hello, forcing a smile that anyone who really knew me could tell was fake.
“Oh my God, Sloane, where have you been?”
Is she kidding? Then again, I never actually told her I was going through with the auction. I just assumed she’d put two and two together. Before I can answer, she pulls me down into the chair across from her.
“Can you believe Easton is missing?” she asks breathlessly.
I hate that she still calls him by his first name. Even knowing he’d never asked her to. Then her words register.
“What?” I ask. Her voice gets excited as she yammers on about him not showing up to work and no one being able to get in touch with him. Distress is probably evident in my features, but she continues.
Sure enough, no one has seen him since Saturday when he left the office. He’d missed several meetings and wasn’t answering his phone. My shredded heart jumps into my throat. Is something wrong?
Surely he couldn’t still be in the hotel suite?
I get up, ignoring Kate when she asks where I’m going. Forgetting all about lunch, I race back to the hotel. All I can think about is making sure Easton is all right.
Chapter 10
Easton
I don’t know how I even made it two days without her. I wanted her to realize her feelings the way I realized mine and come to me, but my patience is all used up. She’s mine, and it’s time to make her see it. I’ve been keeping tabs on her, ignoring everything else in my life so that I know where Sloane is at all times.
I am so proud that she was able to secure that apartment for her grandmother. She doesn’t need to know that I own the building, and pushed her to the top of the list. She did a fine job of wheeling and dealing with the real estate agent on her own. I love that she wants to be independent, and it just makes me admire her more. But I’m still done waiting.
She has a job interview today, so I follow her to the bank where she’s applying to be a teller. It’s a good job, but in my opinion, her talents will be wasted there. The look on her face when she leaves tells me she probably won’t get it, and all I want to do is gather her in my arms and console her.
I’m distracted for a moment by the way her slim pencil skirt hugs her hips, her rich auburn hair in much too tight of a bun at the back of her neck. That’s going to be the first thing I do when I bring her to her senses. Get all her silky hair free and flowing over her shoulders, which will soon be bare. My cock twitches and I shake myself out of my fantasy.
Sloane rounds the corner and I hurry to keep up, leaning out of sight by a newsstand as I bide my time for the perfect opportunity to show myself. She’s sitting with my other intern, Kate, and not looking happy about it. I was so consumed with Sloane that I forgot to have my assistant fire her, and I make a mental note to do it as soon as things between us are settled.
Suddenly, she jumps up from her chair so fast she nearly knocks it over. She looks like she just saw a ghost. I can’t slip out of sight, and she nearly barrels into me in her rush. Stunned into a moment of silence at her beauty, I can only stare as she gapes at me, wide-eyed. Has it only been two days? It feels like a year.
No, we really can’t be apart that long again.
I grip her arms to keep her from bouncing backward and tumbling over, and she bursts into tears.
Oh, shit.
“Sloane,” I say, full of concern that Kate might have said something that hurt her feelings. “Come with me.”
