“You know he’s a playboy, Talia.”
“For one night with that, I can forget he’s done it a trillion times before.”
I roll my eyes and laugh. Most of the women in this place would give anything for a night with either of the Baxter brothers, but not me. I’m not saying they’re not worth the pedestal that everyone’s placed them on, because I’d have to be blind not to see the hotness that these men ooze, but I know behind this huge corporation lies scandal and illegal activity. That’s one of the reasons Warren’s office manager tied me into the contract. They don’t want me leaving and telling people what goes on here. I had to sign a lifetime NDA. She also said it takesWarren at least a year to warm to anyone. I’m only two months in, and I know he hates me; it’ll take a fire in hell to thaw his ass out.
I nudge the office door with my foot, waiting for his usual gruff“Come in.”When it comes, I hook my elbow around the handle and push. The door gives way faster than I expect, swinging open hard. I stumble, the bag slipping from my hand just as the coffee tips.
Time slows.
The cups hit the carpet, lids popping off like gunfire. Hot, dark liquid splashes across the black pile, pooling in little brown bubbles before soaking in—slow, deliberate, unforgiving.
When I finally lift my gaze, three pairs of eyes are on me. Warren. His brother, Erik. And his father, Nico.Fuck.
My face burns a deep shade of red. “Oh god, I amsosorry,” I splutter, rushing for the desk and grabbing the nearest box of tissues.
“Is she really going to use tissues that cost a hundred pounds a box?” Erik asks, amusement dripping from his voice.
I glance at the box, my eyes fixing on the gold Hamley’s logo.Of course.I press my lips together.Who the fuck buys luxury tissues just to blow their nose?
“Leoni, stop!” Warren’s bark slices through the air. I freeze, staring at the wet patch spreading across the carpet. I focus on one spot, blinking rapidly because if I cry now, I’ll never forgive myself.
“Just get out,” he growls. “You fucking useless pain in the ass.”
I bite the inside of my cheek so hard I taste blood.Don’t cry. Don’t cry. Don’t cry.
“I don’t know why Synthia hired you,” he mutters, shaking his head. “But I’ll be having strong words with her. You can’t even keep coffee in a fucking cup.”
I inhale sharply and lift my chin, pretending I’m calm, even though my face is on fire and my hands are trembling.“Stick your fucking job up your miserable arse,” I snap, my voice wobbling halfway through. His father arches a brow and his brother sniggers.
For extra emphasis, I stomp on the bag of sandwiches. It squelches and mayonnaise squirts out.Great.I spin on my heel, storming from the office like a woman in a bad soap opera with my coat half on, and my bag slipping off my shoulder.
By the time I reach the elevator, my hands are shaking so much I almost drop my keys. I jab the call button. Once. Twice.“Come on,” I hiss, hitting it again and again. “Now would be a great time to open, you shiny metal bastard!”
“Stop.”
I freeze at the sound of Warren’s voice. “You signed a contract. You can’t just leave.”
My hand trembles slightly as I reach into my bag and pull out the keys to Betty. I give them one last squeeze before setting them down on the small table by the elevator, the one with the stupid plant I’ve always hated. Who even puts a fernthere?
“That’s for my car,” I say quietly. “I signed your stupid NDA. I’ll leave quietly.”
“You don’t understand.” His tone shifts, impatient, but laced with something heavier. “You signed a contract, and my father will come after you if you walk. He’s as much as told me so just now.”
I glance back over my shoulder. Warren’s face is tight, his expression grim. He looks just as trapped by this as I feel.
“He’s a man of his word,” he adds. “You can be sure he’ll come for you.”
“I don’t have anything to give,” I whisper.
“He isn’t the kind of man who wants your money.”
Our eyes lock, a silent warning hanging between us. The lift dings open, breaking the moment.
Warren exhales. “Go home. Take the rest of the day. I’ll see you in the morning.” Then he turns and disappears into his office.
I stare at the keys. It would be easy to grab them, to come back tomorrow and pretend today never happened. But my mother didn’t raise me that way.
So, I step into the lift, shoulders squared and brace myself for a twenty-minute walk through the pouring rain in ridiculous heels, my pride the only thing keeping me upright.
