My ex-boyfriend, a man whose name I vowed would never cross my lips again, didn't flinch at my words. Why would he? I'd called him every name under the sun since he cheated on me with my college roommate.
"I'm here for business," he said.
I hated him, but he still looked like a young Andy García with dark eyes, a sharp jaw, and that stupid effortless charm wrappedin a perfect business suit. Even I could not lie to myself about that face.
Hundreds of companies rented space here. Pure coincidence, I told myself. While I didn't appreciate my luck at running into him, this unwelcome encounter would end soon. The elevator was nearly at my floor.
"You know what, forget I asked. It's not my concern," I snapped, then spun back around and stared at the door, eagerly awaiting my floor.
"Your blouse is inside out."
Slowly, I lowered my eyes to find my shirt was indeed on incorrectly. Fuck. He was the sort of ex you wanted to run into, if it had to happen, looking your best—not with your buttons or tag in the wrong place. Shrugging, I took a deep breath and turned. "Well, your zipper's down. I didn't bother pointing it out."
We looked at each other for a bit, and he said smugly, "No, it's not."
I didn't crack a smile. Instead, I looked from his face to his crotch, and as expected, he lowered his gaze to double-check.
"Don't worry about things that don't concern you."
A low amused chuckle bounced off the elevator walls. His laughter hit hard, and I tightened both fists at my sides. One more second of that smug sound was almost too much to bear. One year ago, he turned me into a joke, and now was enjoying another chuckle at my expense.
How damn long was this elevator going to take? The twenty-third floor never felt this far from the lobby before.
"Seems you had an enjoyable lunch."
Seconds ago, I'd silently made a vow to go back to pretending this cheating piece of shit didn't exist and never exchange another word with him. However, at that moment I couldn't resist delivering one last blow. Spinning back around, I lockedeyes with my ex, licked my lips slowly, then made a show of wiping the corners of my mouth.
"He was delicious."
Bruno's nose wrinkled, and his lip curled like he smelled something horrible.
I would have stayed there, mocking him with a smile he would never forget, if the elevator doors had not opened at my floor. I stepped out, my heels clicking as I enjoyed the satisfaction of getting the last word. Then I noticed something strange. The familiar scent trailed after me. Confused, I paused, turned, and found Bruno.
"What the hell is this? Why are you on my floor? Where are you going?"
"Amoré Nights."
THREE
I Wish I Never Met You
For a second I thought I'd misheard. Amoré Nights? My company? What the hell did he want with my company? As I stood there frozen, he walked around me casually, as if he didn't owe me a single explanation. I watched him move ahead, my jaw dropping as he opened the door with my company logo on it. Anger surged through me when the door shut in my face, leaving me on the outside looking in.
Regaining composure, I rushed inside just in time to hear an explanation.
"Hello. I'm the operations specialist sent by Greenslate. I'll be needing an office to oversee the launch of Amoré Nights."
Shit! That wasn't just a title, he would report to the people holding the purse strings.
There was a pit in my stomach. My receptionist leaned to her right to make eye contact with me. "Ms. Ortega?"
At a loss for words, I looked from her to him and back again. Greenslate gave me the largest amount of funding to start the business. Since only a foolish businesswoman would use her personal funds, I brought in investors. Now, they seemed towant to babysit me at my own company, and of all the damn employees, they sent that fucking man.
"Ms. Ortega?"
Remembering Tina was waiting, I gave a professional nod. "Please get the Greenslate employee settled."
"Yes, Miss," she said, then stood and extended a hand to my annoying ex. "What did you say your name was, sir?"
