“Yeah,” I say.“Light’s been on for hours.I don’t think she has any plans of going home tonight.”I see the way my brother looks towards the lit office, and I frown.“You know she has a boyfriend, right?”
“I do.”His eyes harden.“He still being a pain in the ass?”
I shake my head.“Not lately.If he was, we’d have heard about it.”
“Hmm.”
He doesn’t add much, and I push.“What are you up to, Jake?”
“Nothing,” he says innocently.
“Who’s that for?”I ask, gesturing towards the to-go cup.
He glances at the cup like he forgot he was holding it.“This?Oh.Natalie asked me to check up on Iris.Make sure she’s not overdoing it.”
I’m not buying his little innocence act.“Really?Natalie told you to come to the office at midnight to check up on Iris?”
Jake’s grin spreads slow and smug.“Of course.”
“You’re a liar.”
Jake shrugs.“And you’re paranoid.Get some sleep, Caleb.You’re starting to sound like Dad.”
“Yeah, thanks for the nightmare,” I mutter after him.
He doesn’t look back, just lifts the cup in a lazy salute and disappears into Iris’s office.I stay in the hall a moment longer, shaking my head.Typical Jake—always smiling, always hiding more than he says.And if he’s sniffing around Iris… that’s another mess waiting to happen.
I head back into the breakroom, pick up my coffee, and glance at Eve again.She’s curled on her side now, her hair fanned across the pillow.Stubborn woman fought me tooth and nail to stay at her desk, then passed out the second her body gave her no choice.She looks tired even in her sleep.
I approach her, pushing some hair off her cheek, and she stirs, nuzzling into my hand.I feel a pang of emotion that I try to ignore.Eve is the last woman I would ever want to get entangled with.I like women who are delicate and sweet.Eve is anything but that.She’s got a streak of violence, a thorny exterior, and she will argue with me at every turn.So why do I keep going back to her?Why do I keep seeking her out and engaging with her?
The phone on my desk rings, distracting me from my thoughts, and I drain my coffee before going over and answering it.
“Mr.Wilder, this is Miss Hans, Mr.Rogan’s assistant.He’s willing to meet you tomorrow to discuss collaboration.He’s traveling at the moment, but he'll be back in the city around eight in the evening tomorrow.Will you be available then?”
A smile spreads across my face.“I’ll take him out to dinner.The Vivan Hotel, say about nine?”
“Excellent.He’ll see you there.”
Setting down the receiver, I sigh, rubbing my hands over my face.Got him.
I consider waking Eve up to share the news, but she looks exhausted.I head over to Iris’s office instead.I don’t bother knocking, and I walk into a peculiar scene.My brother is leaning against her desk, bending towards her, and her face is flushed.Clearing my throat, I look away awkwardly.“Didn’t mean to interrupt.”
I look back just in time to see Iris jump to her feet nearly spilling over the coffee cup on her desk.“Shit!”
I leap into action, but Jake is faster, snatching her laptop and setting it aside.Grabbing a few napkins, he cleans up the mess, but not before he forces Iris away from the scalding liquid now covering her desk.
“Sorry,” she says, flustered.“I was just—What did you want, Caleb?”
I lean against the doorframe, watching Iris jump around, trying to clean up the spilled coffee.“Rogan is in,” I announce.“Zeeshan Rogan, master shipwright from Connecticut.He’s willing to meet tomorrow night at the Vivan Hotel.”
Iris freezes mid-cleanup, a handful of soggy napkins in her hands.“Zeeshan Rogan?The Zeeshan Rogan who restored the presidential yacht?”
“The very one.”I can’t help the grin spreading across my face.“And here’s the best part: he’s got connections.If we secure him, we get access to his entire network.He can hook us up with the metalsmith and leather specialist we need.We’ll be back on track for the Serastra launch.”
“Oh god.”Iris drops the napkins, her face lighting up.“Caleb, this is huge.This could actually save the campaign.”
Jake straightens from where he’s been helping clean up, shooting me an impressed look.“Nice work.”
