Dex struts in.“Well, well, well,” he says, looking straight at me.
For fucks’ sake.What the hell is he doing here?A muscle in my jaw jumps.“What do you want?We’re about to have a meeting.”
“Ah.”His gaze slides to Maya and he whistles softly, then grins, ignoring me completely.“Maya.Fancy meeting you here, after all this time.”
“Do you mind,” I hiss.
Maya gapes at him, like she’s trying to reconcile the version of him from being a sullen teen, to this guy.
Dex doesn’t stop.“Zach told me he ran into you again and that you’re working for Stella.”
“Some of us have to work for a living, Dexter,” she replies, unfazed.
Dex chortles.“Damn straight.We all have to work.Me too.”He leans against the wall, hand on hip, casual and smooth.“You’ve changed.You’ve grown even more ravishing—”
“I can’t say you’ve changed much,” she retorts.“You’ve just grown older and more of yourself than you ever were.”
“Color me shocked,” Dex continues, a mischievous glint in his eye.“Sassy as ever.”He laughs.“I think you and Dani would get on really well.”
“Dani?”Maya frowns.
“You haven’t brought Maya up to speed?”Dex shoots me a surprised look.
“It’s not work related, and Maya doesn’t need to know.”I inhale a deep, steadying breath, while at the same time wondering what he’s doing here.“Do you mind?”Irritation flares in my gut.The audacity of this man.Walking into the Stella offices.Intomyoffice.Disregarding the fact that I’m in charge, that I’m working, that Maya and I are trying to have a meeting.
Dex’s grin widens.I swear, this man couldn’t annoy me more if he tried.He takes his sweet time, not caring that he’s pissing me off big time.He watches us both closely, clearly convinced of something and not at all surprised by what he thinks he’s seeing.
“Maya,” I say tightly, “would you excuse us?”
Dex waves his arm at her, motioning for her to stay.“No need to.She can stay.I’m not here for long.”
I glare at him.“Why are you here at all?”
“Been trying to get hold of you.I called you about ten times last night.Left voicemails.Haven’t seen you in days.”His gaze sweeps around my office, then outside.“I guess you’ll be spending all your time here for the foreseeable future.”
I clench my teeth, take a deep, deep, deep inhale and try to hold it together.
“Where were you, bro?”he asks.
“I was busy.”
“Busy doing what?”His gaze flits between me and Maya, like he’s already decided what we were up to.
“Jesus,” I hiss.“Will you give it a rest?”
“I asked a simple question!”
Maya lets out a gasp, like she can’t quite believe this pantomime playing out before her.I shoot her an apologetic look, then turn to Dex.“What do you want?”
He shrugs.“Just wanted to see how you were doing.”
I know better.He’s watching us.Scoping out the situation and filing it away.No doubt he’ll inform Jett of his findings.
“Maya, we can continue this later,” I say.
She looks between us, unsure.
Dex lets out a loud sigh.“I really don’t want to interrupt anything special here.”
