Page 48 of Dream Chaser

I couldn’t stand the pity in his eyes. Couldn’t blame him for feeling it, either.

Rain drummed on the window. Outside, the sky turned inky. It was too late to be sitting in my boss’s kitchen.

“I should go, Alejandro,” I whispered. “It’s almost eleven.”

“I’ll take you to Eleanor’s.” He grabbed a key fob from the island and glanced at me before shoving it in his sweats’ pocket. Casual clothes looked great on him too, although he exuded that assertive, masculine energy no matter what he wore.

I followed him out of the apartment. As we entered the elevator and the door closed, Alejandro leaned his head against the mirror, a ghost of a smile playing on his lips. “Imagine if the power went out now.”

“It wouldn’t be so bad,” I whispered. “I’ve been through worse.”

He sighed. “Sure have. By the way,” he said as we arrived at the underground parking garage, “something came up, and I can’t go to the lunch meeting with NitroFlow tomorrow. You’ll have to manage without me.”

Without him? I stepped out of the elevator after Alejandro, nerves humming under my skin. Me, alone with a huge potential client the agency needed to impress? Was he kidding?

“Are you sure?” I asked. “I mean, of course, I’ll go if you can’t. I just need you to tell me what to say.”

Alejandro aimed the fob at his black Lexus. “Your suggestions for the pitch deck were brilliant. You know what to do. You don’t need my instructions.”

I struggled to hide my smile as I slid into his car—a smile that bloomed despite the shitty day and my soon-to-be ex-husband’s disrespect.

Brilliant.

Alejandro had said it with conviction, like he believed it.

I’d make it my mission to believe in myself enough to get us that deal with NitroFlow and to finally put Preston in his place.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Alejandro

September

“Don’t you have a meeting with the NitroFlow guys today?” Asher asked, spearing a piece of avocado with his fork.

I took a sip of my sparkling water. “I sent Nova.”

“You sent Nova so you could have lunch with me and not them? I’m flattered.”

“Don’t be. I have more exciting shit to do, mi niño. I was just hungry, and you were available.”

Asher chuckled. “Working very hard for the friend of the year title, I see.”

I answered with a smile of my own. “It’s not like I have competition.”

Asher snorted. “Javier and Rys would disagree, but whatever helps you sleep at night.”

I’d slept like crap, tossing and turning until my brain finally shut off, tired of replaying my conversation with Nova and seeing her sobbing on the sidewalk.

I should’ve realized she had nowhere to stay. All the overtime she did, her lingering at the office through lunchtime made so much sense now.

“Did something happen?” Asher asked. “You’ve got that odd look on your face when something bothers you.”

“Guess you’ll be the one getting the friend of the year title for noticing,” I said. “Just worried about Nova.”

“Afraid she’ll screw up at the meeting? She seems to know what she’s doing.”

“Of course, she won’t screw up. She’s brilliant.”