Chapter 1
“Hey Silvia, I’m heading for the meeting. If the meeting goes long, I may just go directly back home. Please take care of yourself and have a great night!” Mickey said, walking out of her office as she hung her bag on her shoulder and began adjusting her dress.
Silvia was the secretary at Petals to the Metal,and Mickey felt she had a great connection with her since they’d been working together for such a long time. Every time Mickey had to go out of the office for any sort of meeting, Silvia handled everything in her absence with both care and finesse. Two things that made the woman worth her weight in gold, as far as Mickey was concerned.
Mickey strode out of the building and quickly jumped into her car. She threw it in reverse and began driving to the next meeting. It was about an hour’s drive from her office, and she knew it would take no time to get there, but still, Mickey’s professionalism demanded her punctuality. It wasjust who she was.
Ring. Ring. Ring!
Mickey glanced down at her phone as it rang and hit the talk button the moment her eyes flickered over the caller ID. It was Sarai, one person she just couldn’t ignore, her best freaking friend.
“Hey girl! What’s going on?”
“Oh, Jeez! I just had to give you a call to let you know that I major appreciate you, lady! I’m serious. I just don’t know what I’d do without you and bouncing these babies on my hips!”
“That’s what best friends are for, Sarai.”
“Yeah, but as the owner ofPetals to the Metals, I feel like I’ve kind of let my clients down with all this,” Sarai said.
Mickey scoffed with a light chuckle. “Honey, you’re my best friend, and to be frank, your company is doing fantastically. I mean, think about it. You’ve got a huge contract for decorating a giant celebrity wedding and your brand just keeps blowing up all the time!”
Sarai exhaled softly and giggled a bit. “Yeah, you’re right about that. But you’ve contributed to that just as much as I have. I just can’t believe how well things have gone. Are you almost to the office yet?”
“No, I’m en route, but I should be there soon. You know me, I’mneverlate.”
“Right, of course. Okay, well let me know how things go. I’m anxious and eager, as you know.”
“You got it, hun. Talk to you soon.” She quickly ended the call and pressed the stereo button on her steering wheel. The radio began blasting Alana Grace’sBlack Roses Red, one of Mickey’s favorite songs. She smiled as she began to sing it. Her thoughts shifted to how grateful she was to be working at the job she had. She thoroughly enjoyed it, and it was her passion, which made it a breeze to both doandenjoy!
Within the hour, she would be arriving at the meeting place, and she needed to be in that positive, happy space in order to deliver on a deal she knew both she and her best friend could handsomely profit from.
An hour later, Mickey pulled into the parking lot of the celebrity office space. She slammed her car door and skipped across the lot to enter the office in haste.
Oomph!
Stunned, Mickey blinked as her body ran smack into a tall and devilishly handsome man who was, sad to say, entirely focused on his phone.
Wow, self-absorbed much?Mickey thought, as her eyes met with his. She was at a loss for words, but from the expression on his gorgeous face, he seemed equally speechless, as he didn’t so much as even offer an apology. Feeling suddenly uncomfortable, Mickey glanced away as she stepped back.
“What?” she finally asked. The man continued to stare at her, and she felt his eyes boring into her as if he was trying to peer rightthroughher! She sighed and shook her head as she began striding toward the elevators. She didn’t have the time for gawking jerks, that was for sure. Besides, she knew that David, one of Sarai’s top managers and employees, was already waiting for her, and she hated leaving anyone hanging on a thread.
Mr. Tall-and-Sexy would just have to continue to watch her as she disappeared from his sight. Since she and David had met at Sarai and Alistair’s wedding, they had become very close friends, despite the fact that he was a cat shifter. Mickey had already accepted the shifters’ world since the day Alistair had shifted into a humongous dragon in front of Mickey and Sarai. And now her best friend Sarai, who was deeply and madly in love with Alistair was married to that gorgeous dragon shifter. Alistair was a great husband who loved Sarai so much and he had even fought with his own father for Sarai. Since that day, Mickey wished she could also get lucky enough to have a gorgeous dragon by her side.
Mickey pushed the elevator button and waited for the doors to open. She knew David well enough to expect this meeting to end rather promptly. After all, he had earned his position because of his cutting-edge eye for detail and precision. David had an incredible eye for décor, which was precisely why Mickey needed him to brief her over his designs as manager first. Mickey and Sarai had learned many of their tricks from the internet and the events the two had gone to, but David actually had an interior design degree, and he was a guru at certain things.
Finally, the elevator opened, and Mickey sauntered in, her eyes flashing back to the man she’d run into. The man who she observed had long and incredibly kinky curls as his taut and thick physique strode out the doors. There was something strangely magnetic about him, but Mickey glanced up as the elevator doors closed and shook it off. It wasn’t like she would ever see him again, anyway.
After the meeting, as Mickey and David headed out of the office, her thoughts shifted back to the long-haired man. Who was he and what had he been doing there? Did he work here? Her curiosity was highly piqued and for some reason, she felt a little disappointed that she didn’t see him again as David held the door open for her.
God, Mickey, what kind of an idiot are you?she thought.
What kind of stupid fool was she to be searching for someone she knew had already left? Furthermore, why the hell would he even stick around to talk to her after she’d regarded him so hastily and rudely?
???
Stephan was in Colorado to attend a meeting. It was the office of a big Hollywood celebrity, who was Stephan’s friend. He was seated on the third floor at his friend’s office.
As he talked to his friend about the details, a smell entered his nostrils.A shifter’s near. A cat,he sensed.
