I smirk. “You’re catching on fast.”
I call out to her as she stomps to the elevator. “Remember, six p.m., Violet. Bethany will call you to remind you.”
I glance at Bethany, and she nods, her bemused gaze following Violet. We may have to add one more person to the list of people in the know. Because I see in the shrewd glint in Bethany’s eyes, she’s cracked onto us. But I trust Bethany to a fault. She wouldn’t have worked for me for so long if I didn’t.
Now I have to work out how I’m going to get through the day without marching down to Violet’s office and taking her over her desk until Bethany brings me back down to earth with a thud.
“Your ten o’clock appointment is at reception. Can they send them up?”
“Yes,” I groan. “Send them up.”
It’s going to be a long fucking day.
Chapter nineteen
Violet
My desk phone rings at 6 p.m. precisely. Must be nice to have your underlings carry out all your dirty work. And something tells me what he has in mind will be filthy.
“Hey, Violet, it’s Bethany.”
“Hey,” I say, twiddling the phone cable around my finger, imagining it around a certain CEO’s neck. “Is this the meeting reminder?”
“Yep, afraid so.”
“What do you think will happen if I board a train for the Mexican border?”
She chuckles softly. “I don’t think he’ll see a pesky little border as an obstacle. I think you’ll have to dig deeper than that.”
“An underground base. Mmmm, it’s certainly doable.”
To my right Seb mouths, “Who the fuck are you talking to?” I shrug my shoulders, flashing him a grin.
“I’m on my way, Bethany.” I hang up.
“Have you got a secret life as a double agent I should know about?” Seb quips as I grab my belongings to leave.
“Yeah, something like that. I’ll see you tomorrow.” I blow him a kiss as I walk to the elevators.
Nervous energy coils in my stomach as the elevator ascends. I’ve spent the entire day battling the heat simmering beneath my skin—Chase’s filthy words still echoing in my ear. Every brush of fabric, every flicker of heat or cold, has set me on edge.
But the one thought that keeps looping, louder than all the rest, is:Holy shit, I’m really doing this.I’m done fighting it. I’m going to give whateverthisis a go.
Bethany looks up when I approach, a warm smile illuminating her face. She gathers up her handbag, throwing on her jacket, already halfway out the door.
“Hey, Violet. He’s on a call with the Senior Exec team, but he said to go straight through.”
“Thank you, Bethany.”
I knock softly, nudging the door open. His head lifts, jaw ticking, a dark smile curling at one corner of his mouth. There’s a predatory gleam in his eyes that tells me he’s been waiting.
My gaze drops to the top button of his shirt, undone, his loosened tie framing a glimpse of solid muscle beneath.
He doesn’t give me a second to breathe. He’s already moving, closing the distance in one swift, deliberate stride.
“Excuse me,” he says into his phone. “I just need to attend to something quickly, and I’ll be back.” Muting his phone, he stalks to the door and locks it.
I raise a brow. “Locking me in again?”
