Seeing Samuel a moment more was too much, but . . .
“I can try.” I could be nothing if not honest. I would give it my best shot. In the meantime, it allowed me time to find another job . . . exactly the position I didn’t want to be in.
“Good, now pull yourself together, there’s a board meeting we have to be on standby for. Several of the Astors will be present, and you can’t be coming in with your mascara smeared under your eyes.”
She walked off and it wasn’t until she was ten feet away from me that she looked over her shoulders at me.
“Aren’t you coming?” I hopped to my feet, dashing the wetness off my face. I dabbed underneath my eyes with my fingertips, trying to get the crud away.
She dug into her purse and pulled out a packet of make-up removers, handing them over to me. I smiled, grateful, and just rubbed it across my cheeks.
“Why do you carry make-up wipes? Come across plenty of opportunities to cry?”
She scoffed. “I brought them for you. When I first started working for Samuel Astor, he made me cry 3 times a day minimum. I don’t know what it is, but he has a way of looking down at you for your mistakes without raising his voice. It really used to bother me.” She peeked at me. “I brought them for you because I figured he’d scold you to tears.” Her eyebrow raised questioningly. “Instead, he seemed protective of you, which is an odd thing to witness after working for him for half a decade.”
“Oh,” I stuttered, trying to figure out what to say, but nothing came of it. He hadn’t seemed phased about sharing our relationship, but I was glad I had chosen not to, but had Judy guessed? I stopped trying to talk and I licked my lips.
“I think he has a sister around your age, you must remind him of her.”
I sped up to catch up with her long stride.
“Yeah, probably,” I mumbled, completely lying.
“Come on, let’s get the documents from my desk and prepare the boardroom.”
Well, that was decidedly not the reason he was kind to me. Her assumption made it all the more embarrassing. Our age difference wasn’t a surprise to me, but it wasn’t something I factored into our relationship. I liked him, for him. But him on the other hand? He held a position in the public eye, and eventually, something would have separated us, it had only been a matter of time.
I tappedmy pen on the black, padded folder. I should have reviewed the recommendation before I presented it to the rest of the board, but I’d already tried reading, and the words refused to make sense even though I’d been the one to approve the advertisement.
“Judy,” I barked. She leaned closer and I lowered my voice, “Where is Ms. Cervantes?” Her eyebrows only slightly twitched.
“She went to retrieve the water bottle case from storage, she should be returning soon.”
“A case? By herself?” I snapped. Her eyelid twitched.
Alastair cleared his throat from my left.
“What has your panties in a twist?” Oliver groused from his spot haphazardly sprawled on Caine’s other side. I narrowed my eyes at him, still irritated with him. I wish I’d gotten another punch after he commented about Nina.
“Take those glasses off, you look ridiculous,” Caine intoned. Low enough to blend with the chatter of the rest of the board members. Oliver just sat silently in his chair, his head tipped back and resting on the back of it. We were the only Astors here today, though Theo had originally been scheduled to attend the meeting as well. When the rest were absent, my brothers gave me power of attorney to vote as I wished. Collectively, we held sixty percent of shares divided among us. Usually, it was only Caine and me, but I forced Oliver here to discuss a few things with him after the meeting. We had to address his future. Theo hoped forcing Oliver into a marriage would reign him in. It was the last thing we had left to try. We couldn’t allow him to continue smearing the Astor name.
“I would take them off if not for him.” Even with sunglasses on, I felt Oliver’s stare bore into me. He’d have a matching black eye if the others hadn’t pulled me away. Before I said as much,shestrode in, carrying a cardboard case, balancing miniature Astor water bottles. A manila folder was tucked between her arm and side.
I was up and moving toward her before I could think, “Let me help you.” I reached out, but she easily swung it to the side.
“No thank you,” she said, tipping her nose up, but not meeting my gaze. Her knuckles turned white with the force she used to hold it up, there was no way her arms weren’t straining. I reached out again.
“I apologize, Mr. Astor, I should have had this done before the meeting.”
I frowned, not liking the flat tone. She wove around me and started placing the water bottles in front of all the members. That was when I found the conversations had dwindled and all heads were turned our direction. I cleared my throat, nodding my head at the closest member out of the twelve people present. I crossed back to my chair, forcing my gaze forward while I passed her, the hair on my arms lifting and I clenched my hands to fight the urge to touch her. Her very presence called to my body. My seat creaked and I met the gazes of the board members, all some faction of wealthy aristocratic families making up society.
“When you finish, Nina, come to the office, I have a package I need delivered,” Judy murmured to her before hurrying off. I didn’t want her making deliveries. I grabbed my phone to text Judy.
My bunny slammed the water bottle next to my desk and I frowned up at her, but she had fixed on a stiff smile that would have fooled anyone else, but I could tell it was off. Not the sweetness I was used to. Red rimmed her beautiful brown eyes . . . Like she’d been crying. My muscles seized at the thought of her in pain. Exhaling slowly, I bit back my urge to pull her into my arms. This meeting was important . . .
Oliver scanned his gaze over her and beamed a smile I had seen many women fall victim to.
“Hey, cutie.” His gaze raked down her body. “Have I seen you before?” The deep, husky tone left nothing to the imagination.
