Still, I don’t let his words bother me, or at least pretend that they don’t, and spit, “Good for you.”
Grabbing my phone and heels, I spin and stride out of his penthouse. His heavy footsteps follow me out the door, not caring that he’s still practically running around naked, not that he has anything to hide.
“You’re welcome!” he yells behind me, and I reward him with a loud huff and a middle fingerwaving in the air.
The minute the elevator door slides shut, he slams his fist on the metal door with such force that I flinch. I shake my head at this whole absurd morning. Needing to go home, I grab my phone and book an Uber. The twenty-minute ride to my Victorian-style house feels like the longest walk of shame, even though nothing happened.
Conflicting feelings take root in my heart. There’s no denying that Ezra Moore is the hottest man I’ve ever seen and is insanely attractive. He also went out of his way to make sure I was safe, which I really appreciate, considering everything that’s happened with me.
But he’s also the world’s biggest jerk, and gets on my nerves with every word that comes out of his annoyingly kissable mouth. It’s like frustrating me is his life’s mission.
And he’s dead set on accomplishing it.
Seven
Kaeli
“Good morning, Kaeli,” Stacy greets me the moment I step into my place of work.
She looks at me like she always does, with a warm smile on her face, and yet, my first thought is that she knows about last weekend.
Not like there’s much to know, unfortunately.
My own mind stuns itself with the thought, and I don’t even attempt to examine where it came from. It’s too early for that sort of focus.
Taking a sip of my coffee, I greet her back as we both head to the corridor, “Good morning, boss.” She laughs at my teasing. It’s so easy withher. I’m glad to have a boss who is a friend and a mentor. It’s hard to find women who lift each other up these days.
“I have some ideas and content I’d like to run by you for Ezra, if that’s okay with you,” I say.
“Already?” She raises her eyebrows. “Okay, sure. Come by my office in fifteen.” I nod, and with that, she walks toward her office, leaving me to get to mine.
I’m really excited to show her everything I have in mind. I hope she likes it too. Her opinions matter to me not only because she’s my boss but also because I know she has far more experience than I do and would never steer me wrong.
Sipping on my coffee, I move ahead, and my eyes snag onto Ezra as he walks by with his teammates, chatting on their way to the gym, I assume. As if he can feel my stare burning him, his gaze looks up to meet mine. My instinct is to turn away and hide, but I don’t.
Our eyes lock for just a second, confessing secrets we hide from the world, from ourselves. His features set in his usual scowl. He’s the first one to look away when Oliver claps his shoulder, grabbing his attention. Ezra walks away with the rest of the guys without looking back at me once,like he didn’t see me here.
And God knows why it bothers me. His ignoring me feels like a pin pricking me and drawing my blood, slowly, drip by drip.
Shooting daggers at him for affecting me, I head into my office and get ready for the meeting with Stacy.
Screw him. He can brood all he wants. I don’t care.
* * *
I suck in a huge breath the moment I’m done presenting my idea to Stacy. Looking at her expectantly and more than a little nervous than I’d like to admit, I bite my lower lip.
It’s just the two of us in her office. The air conditioner blasts cool air, and yet I still sweat, awaiting her verdict. Stacy looks at me with not a hint of what she’s thinking. “You did all this in a weekend?” Her question scares me as I nod.
Then suddenly, a grin splits across her face, and she looks at me with something akin to pride. “I love it. It’s a brilliant idea and so unique. It’ll definitely make Ezra look the way we want people to see him. The audience will eat up thecontent.”
Her approval makes my tense shoulders relax. I lean back in the chair. “Thank you so much. I’m glad you like it.” She has no idea how on edge I was since the idea sparked in my mind.
Nothing like this has ever been done before. And I wasn’t sure if she’d be behind it. Though her response definitely makes my lonely weekend work marathon worth it.
Admittedly, I was a little distracted by not-so-innocent thoughts of Ezra and his huge body, the clothes hide. Heat creeps up my face when the vivid image of him, almost bare, barges through the door of my mind.
Stacy pulls my mind out of the gutter, and I pray to God that she doesn’t notice the flush on my cheeks.
