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HIS EYES WERE A PURE, almost crystalline green. When he’d been in Massachusetts, spending hours on the beach with me, his skin had deepened to that warm, golden glow and it had made his eyes practically gleam.
They still had that powerful impact now, but his gaze didn’t linger on me— not even for a second— and I sat there, curling my fingers into fists under the table as he spoke to each of us individually, then addressed the group as a whole.
Vaguely, through the buzzing in my ears, I heard his words, understood them.
A group interview, as I’d expected. Lovely.
The rest of my mind was elsewhere.
I nodded and smiled and made the appropriate noises as the interview started, but in reality, my mind spun in circles as I tried to figure out what to do, how to handle this.
He hadn’t recognized me. At all.
My belly was a sick, twisting little mess of despair and I thought about rising, walking away. Just walking away. I didn’t need to do this, didn’t need to be here. I could find another job, and even if it took a while, it wouldn’t matter.
But then his eyes came back to mine, and for a moment, just a moment, his gaze lingered. Memories— of the way it had felt to have those eyes burning into me, his weight pressing against me as our hearts raced— rose inside me.
He’d once made me feel like I was everything.
Then he cut me down to nothing.
Now, he looked at me like I was just...anybody. That look, lingering for just a second, was all I had to hold on to. Not much of a thing. Not much of a hope.
But that connection, faint as it was, while our gazes locked, made my heart race and my palms went damp.
Had I really come this far just to walk away because he didn’t know me?
Really?
Resolved, I straightened in the chair and forced my brain to focus.
––––––––
GROUP INTERVIEWS WERE all about competition, standing out from the crowd.
They also made the candidates nervous as hell.
It didn’t really help that I was already nervous, already on edge, my skin tight and prickly under the sleek cut of my gray suit. But I could handle the nerves, could handle the pressure just fine. Group interviews weren’t unknown to me and I knew why they did them. They saved time, let the employer find out who worked well under fire.
I couldn’t help but feel sorry for some of the women there. It was pretty obvious several of them hadn’t ever had to handle a situation like this; when they were asked, in front of the others, questions like, Why do you think we should hire you over any other candidate in this room...it was clear they didn’t know how to handle it.
My foot throbbed as the woman who’d smashed it stood up to introduce herself. Maybe I should thank her. The minor pain was something else to focus on as I forced my tense muscles to relax.
Her name was Anna Simone. Lovely. She did a bang-up job and managed to convey her skills well, and when she looked at Drake, her eyes warmed. She leaned forward as she spoke, explaining her skills, just why she should get this job...and she managed to convey, without really saying it, just how much she’d be willing to do. Her gaze never left his.
I saw the chill settle in his eyes, watched as a subtle shift took place on his current admin’s face. The admin’s name was Mai Nhu and her brow rose ever so slightly before she looked down at her iPad to make a note.
Oh, honey. You just lost your chance. Anna didn’t even seem to realize the atmosphere had just changed, though, and she continued on, listing her experience, her past jobs, before going on to explain why she was the best candidate for this job.
Anna paused briefly to give Drake or Mai a chance to ask questions and while he was silent, Mai gave her a polite smile. “Thank you, Ms. Simone.”
The interviews droned on. I had my chance near the end. I barely remembered how I did. I can remember looking Drake in the eyes. I can remember looking Mai in the eyes. And I can remember the feel of the wind on my face, the way tears had mingled with saltwater one day ten years ago. I looked into his eyes as I finished answering yet another spate of questions. You don’t remember me at all, do you?
There was nothing in his eyes.
Absolutely nothing.
––––––––
“WE WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK a bit longer with Ms. Crosby and Ms. Gibbens.”
The interview ended with that simple statement.
Beth and I looked at each other.
Everybody else looked at us.
Then they rose, filed to the door, save for Anna.
“Can I expect a return interview?”
She directed the question to Drake.
Mai responded with a polite, “It’s unlikely, Ms. Simone, but thank you for your time.”
“But—”
“Please make sure to turn in the visitor badge.” Mai’s voice was polite, but so very firm. I could like her. A lot.
A moment later, the doors shut again. Beth and I waited.
“Ms. Gibbens, your resume is impressive, but I don’t think this is the right job for you. However, I do have an opening that I think will suit you.” Drake flipped through the resume.
I studied him from under my lashes. It was odd, I thought, the head of the company handling this. I could see him hiring his own admin. He had to work with that person, day in and day out.
“Sir?”
He glanced up, smiled. “My local head of HR needs a new assistant. Her administrative assistant is retiring shortly. We didn’t get much notice and we don’t have much time to get somebody hired, either. Normally, we’d look within to promote, but...well, I have reasons to think you would do the job best. I prefer to have the best, especially within HR. You have extensive experience within that field.”
Beth nodded. “Yes, Mr. Gallagher.”
He nodded, glanced at Mai. “See if Hannah has any time to speak with Ms. Gibbens.” He looked back at Beth. “We’ll have to set up the interview, see how it goes. I’m sorry this didn’t work out but I believe in having people in the right position.”
“I completely understand.” She smiled.
If I wasn’t mistaken, she looked a little relieved.
I couldn’t blame her. Working with Drake would be a pain in the ass.
––––––––
A FEW MINUTES LATER, I realized that pain in the ass was about to be a pain in my ass. Unless I decided this was enough.
He sat across from me, the brilliant rays of sun coming in through the window behind him, gilding that beautiful hair of his, casting too much of his face into shadow, while he leaned back in his chair.
Mai had left, briefly.
I had no doubt the ever-efficient woman would be back.
But for now, I was alone. Step into my parlor...
“You’re from Massachusetts,” he said, his eyes resting on my face. My resume was in front of him, but he didn’t look at it.
I inclined my head.
“After you graduated, it doesn’t look like you went back there.”
“There was no need.” No reason. Everything that made it home was gone.
“Not even for a visit?”
Something in his voice...what was that? I tried to catch something of what he might be thinking, feeling, but with the sun at his back it was almost impossible to even see him, much less gauge what might be in his mind. I almost wanted to believe he remembered, but if he did, why was he going on like this? Crossing my legs, I smoothed down my skirt, a momentary ploy for time before I answered. “No, Mr. Gallagher.”
It was a small lie, but he didn’t need to know that. I did go back. Every year. For one day only.
He nodded and then leaned forward, studying my resume again before flicking me another look.
“This position is going to require long hours. If I’m here at seven, I expect you to be here as well.”
Arching a brow, I said, “That isn’t an issue.”
“Very often, I am here at seven, and I’ll work past eight. That’s five days a week. And it’s not unusual for me to be here for five or six hours on Saturday, either. If I’m working, you’re working.”
“Again, not an issue.” My heart slammed against my ribs. He was considering giving me the job. He hadn’t recognized me.
A memory swam up from the depths of my mind. Those cool green eyes, flicking my way, my mouth still buzzing from that last, burning kiss, my skin heated, my breasts throbbing. I don’t fuck naïve little virgins, Shan.
I’d gone by the nickname Shan for the longest time. I’d been named after my father and it was confusing, having two Shannons. Shan had suited me. Until my heart was shattered, until my world was ripped out from under me. Until the dreams on which I’d built my entire childish life dissolved in front of me, like cotton candy in the rain. Total destruction came later, but that...that had been the start of it.
Brushing the memory aside, I continued to watch him.
The door behind us opened and although I didn’t hear her, I knew Mai had returned. “I’m sorry for the delay, Mr. Gallagher.”
He didn’t even respond, just continued to watch me.
After a moment, he said bluntly, “I lost four assistants in the fourteen months before I finally found Mai. You will have no social life. I’m being honest here. I pay well for the sacrifice, but there is a sacrifice. My work is my life and there’s no getting around it. Since I need a full time admin, you’ll have about as little time for a life as I do. If that’s a problem, you should let me know now. It’s possible we’ll have another position for you in the company.”
“I applied for this one.” I glanced past him, my gaze lingering on Mai for a moment. She’d managed to find time to get married, even if he did work people into the ground. I thought about pointing that out, but didn’t bother.
He rose from behind the desk, came around to study me. “You won’t be disappointing a boyfriend, a husband?”
That wasn’t very subtle of him. Letting a faint smile curve my lips, I said, “Perhaps it would be a girlfriend I was disappointing.”
That caught him offguard.
Mai chuckled. “Well, regardless of your significant other, they won’t see a lot of you. You need to keep that in mind. The hours are the reason I won’t be returning after the baby is born. Consider this carefully, Ms. Crosby. He isn’t exaggerating about the hours.”
“No,” he said, recovering smoothly. “I never exaggerate.”
If I wasn’t mistaken, there was a gleam in his eyes, something curious
I wasn’t so sure I wanted him to be curious, at all. At least not until I had an answer. Did he remember me? Glancing away, I shrugged. “I was being facetious. There’s no significant other, male or female.” With a vague smile, I looked back at them. “I keep my life uncomplicated. It’s far simpler that way. Rest assured, Mr. Gallagher. There is nobody to disappoint.”
Especially not myself.
* * * * *
I HAD A WEEK TO MOVE. The apartment I had wasn’t close enough to Gallagher Enterprises, so I was given a temporary residence until something else became available. It’s true enough that I hadn’t particularly wanted to spend ninety minutes one-way commuting, but I also didn’t want to stay in some furnished apartment for an indeterminate amount of time, either.
I wasn’t attached to the little condo I had.
There was nothing in Philadelphia I was attached to, per se. I didn’t allow myself to get attached. Not to anything. If you weren’t attached to anything—or anyone—it couldn’t be taken away.
I had a few friends, but I didn’t need to live close to them in order to stay in contact. And those friends were few, indeed. I’d learned to live without attachments. It was no lie when I’d told them I kept my life uncomplicated. It was far simpler than way.
Far, far simpler.
However, as simple as I preferred my life, that residential styled hotel where they had me living for now was a bit more basic than even I liked. Gallagher Enterprises had offered me a larger, much more luxurious home, one they offered to visiting executives and I could have used it for a few weeks until I found something more suitable.
Something about living in a home that Drake would pay for rubbed me the wrong way—and he would pay for it—it didn’t matter if it was him, or his company, in the end, the dollar was his.
I’d convinced them that the hotel would suffice until I found a place of my own, but the four walls of that simple suite-styled hotel were driving me mad. Made me feel trapped, pushing me back to a time I tried hard not to remember.
Finding somewhere else to live was at the top of my list, but I still wouldn’t accept their offers of help. Seemed counterproductive when I was here for revenge.
Revenge. Closing my eyes, I pressed my head to the cool glass of the window and wondered. Was I looking for revenge?
Or just myself?
Just what did I hope to accomplish here?
I don’t fuck naïve little virgins.
Naïve.
Yes. That had been me.
The very first time I’d seen Drake, that summer on the beach, I’d had that whimsical feeling of love of first sight. Seven years older than me, but really, what was seven years, in the scheme of things?
If he’d ignored me, if he’d flirted with the women more his age, if he hadn’t been...kind...the word hurt, even now...if he hadn't been kind, though, it would have been easier to wipe that schoolgirl crush out of existence.
He still would have destroyed my life.
I still would have lost everything.
The events that unfolded over the coming months still would have happened. But would I have drawn into myself so completely? Been so angry?
Perhaps I wouldn’t have fancied myself in love with him, wouldn’t have spent the course of a summer talking to him, trying to befriend him. Maybe the pain wouldn’t have been so devastating, the sense of betrayal so deep.
What-ifs were a waste of time. I had befriended him and there was nothing to be done, nothing that would change what had been.
“Befriend him,” I muttered, my voice echoing in the silence of the suite. What a laugh. I’d thought he was lonely. So I chased after him, the way I tended to do. I talked him into silly, naïve little pursuits...fishing, crabbing, swimming. What I couldn’t understand was why he’d even bothered to spend any time with me at all.
He’d enjoyed it, I’d thought, at first. Who wouldn’t enjoy a lazy swim in the ocean? Or fishing. That was my thinking.
Crabbing...well, that was a past time that perhaps wouldn’t appeal to everybody, but he’d certainly seemed to enjoy, and he’d definitely had fun enjoying the fruits of our labor.
The afternoons of swimming, though, that had been the best. Followed by an evening just lazing on the beach, the few times he’d allowed himself.
I could still see the way he’d looked coming out of the water, trunks slung low on lean hips, the muscles in his belly rolling as he strode through the waves.
I’d looked at him and wanted.
I’d looked at him and needed.
I’d looked at him and loved. Or so I’d thought. I’d been a foolish girl of seventeen and when you’re seventeen, I guess something that turns your heart hot and bright would feel like love. One night, with a fire built on the beach, I’d tried to give myself to him.
Perhaps it was a kindness on his part that had spurred him to speak those cold words.
I don’t fuck naïve little virgins.
But kindness wasn’t what had pulled his body on top of mine. Kindness hadn’t driven him to kiss me, in ways I’d never been kissed before. Kindness wasn’t what had guided his hands to untie the bikini top or pull it away and kindness certainly hadn’t been the motivating factor when he rolled to his back and let me drag my hands down the hard, muscled wall of his chest.
I was a virgin, yes. Naïve. But so desperate to please.
It wasn’t until I’d slid my hand down, tried to touch him that he’d changed.
Naïve little virgins...
Humiliation had driven me away from the beach that night.
I hadn’t seen him for another three days.
And when I did see him, everything changed.
He looked at me then with pity in his eyes. Pity, while I sat in the office of the hotel and listened to what my parents had to say. Pity, as I surged up and took off running.
Everything I loved was going to be taken from me.
And he had the nerve to pity me, because he’d known all along.
And now he looked at me with no recognition.
There was something else, though. Behind that cool, careful mask, I’d seen it. A glint of hunger, in the depths of those beautiful green eyes.
He’d never act on it, I already knew that.
But it was enough that he wanted.
I wanted to believe that was enough.
Of course, here I was, my overheated face pressed to the cool glass, and I wanted, as well.
Even now, ten years later, I still wanted.
The phone rang, shattering the stillness of the room and I pushed back, turned my head to look at the Samsung HTC that Mai had given me before I’d left the office earlier.
Two days of all the foolishness that new employees had to do. Orientation, security, paperwork. It ate up sixteen hours of my life that I’d never get back.
Tomorrow, I started training with Mai.
And now Drake Gallagher was calling me.
“Hello.”
“We have a breakfast meeting at 7:30. Ready for the address?” He didn’t say hello.
“Yes.” I continued to stare out the window.
He recited the address. I recited it back, not bothering to write it down. My memory was often a curse, but it came in handy, too. “Don’t be late,” he said.
Then he hung up.
I programmed my alarm, set it 4:30 the following morning. I’d have to get my run in early. If I was going to be around him all day, I needed to get the frustration out sooner rather than later.
––––––––
I DREAMED OF THE BEACH.
And Drake.
I was seventeen again, and stupid.
The sand was smooth against my back and his hands were rough against my skin as he pulled the bikini top away, palmed one breast. His thumb circled my nipple and excitement, fear, tangled inside me.
His teeth nipped at my neck and I shivered, nervous and needy. As he arched his hips against me, I gasped. His mouth came back to mine. “This is fucking crazy,” he whispered, his tongue rasping over my lower lip. His finger and thumb pinched my nipple. “This is insane. I have to...”
I slid a hand down his chest. I knew what he wanted to say and I didn’t want him to say it. When I felt him through the thin material of his board shorts, I closed my hand around him, stroked. I knew enough to know that guys liked that. Now, he’d stop talking, right?
He rolled to his back, his arms clutching me to him, one hand tangling in my hair while his mouth all but savaged mine. His hips drove up against me and I gasped, felt him between my thighs. The material of his shorts, the denim cut-offs I’d dragged on, they might as well not even exist. Pleasure slammed into me and I cried out, twisting against him just to feel it once more. I could feel myself, slick and needy, the material of my bikini bottom slipping against my flesh as I moved.
“Shan...” he muttered.
It was that sound that woke me.
The sound of his voice.
Sucking in oxygen, trying to calm the need raging inside me, I closed my eyes and drove my head back against the pillow. Of course I’d wake up...in just that moment.
Of all the dreams I had, of all the nightmares that held me trapped, I had to wake up from that one. I’d been enjoying it.
“Why?” I muttered, flinging my forearm across my eyes and blowing out a breath while I lay there, my heart racing.
My breasts throbbed, tingled, pulsing in time with the need that all but wrenched through my cunt.
Groaning, I rolled onto my belly and shoved my face into the pillow.
If I thought it would do me any good, I would have slid my hand down, brought the climax that seemed to dance just out of reach.
It was a lie, though.
The first, and only, orgasm I’d had was that night on the beach, as Drake dragged me back and forth against his cock.
I’d tried to recreate it, capture that amazing moment. When it seemed like my skin had dissolved and my soul tried to escape, while his mouth ate at mine and his body was the only thing that kept me anchored to this world.
But it eluded me. The more frustrated I became, the harder it was to climax and the harder it was, the more frustrated I became.
The frustration had bled over onto every relationship, tainted the way I saw every man. It didn’t help that there were...shadows. Other things that bled into my life and kept me from letting myself connect the way I could have, the way I’d wanted to.
Even now, the shadows of my past with Drake were creeping up on me. Keeping me awake, burning. Yearning.
“You have to stop this,” I whispered. “You need to sleep.”
For nearly two years, I’d visited a therapist after my father’s murder. I couldn’t sleep and when I could, I’d been plagued by nightmares. There were tricks she’d taught me, ways to coax my mind into relaxing and if I ever I needed to do that, it was now.
I had to sleep, because if I wanted to be on my toes around him, I couldn’t afford to be tired.
Forcing him out of my mind, I thought back to the beach. Before him. The waves crashing against the sand, the sound of the water. I’d always loved the sound of the water...
Cool blue light surrounded me.
Blue light. Water.
Blue light...
The moments between wakefulness and dreams can be such fickle things.
One moment I was concentrating.
The next, I was in the dark and there was no blue light, no soothing crash of the waves on the ocean.
There was just fear.
Cruel hands.
A fist in my hair as I was dragged up.
“Get up.”
My father’s voice. “Please don’t. I’ll—”
The words were cut off as a fist slammed into his face. My mother’s scream.
The clock went off.
And I was no longer in the bed. At some point, during the nightmare that had come and gone in a blink, and yet lasted forever, I’d climbed out of bed and hidden myself in the corner. With my knees clutched to my chest and my hair damp and sweaty in my eyes, I sat there, shaking, half sick.
The alarm continued to echo through my room, Daughtry’s HOME. But I couldn’t work up the energy to get up and move.
Not yet.
Not yet.
––––––––
THE SUIT I CHOSE TO wear was another one in gray, this one a soft dove gray that almost matched my eyes. My muscles felt relaxed, loose from my standard, early morning run but the dregs of the nightmare still clung. The sound of the phone had me jumping and I almost spilled my coffee when I reached for it.
“Get a grip,” I said, straightening the cup as I checked the phone. It was just after six. Too early for ringing phones, unless it was a coffee fairy promising me that a latte with a double shot of espresso was just outside the door. I was on my third cup of coffee and the cobwebs were still muddling my thoughts.
“I’m sending a car around. Are you ready?”
I frowned. “I have the address. I can simply drive.”
“We have other business to attend to after. It’s simpler to have a car pick you up,” he said. “Are you ready?”
I looked down at my bare feet. “I will be in a few moments. When can I expect the car?”
“Five minutes.”
Five minutes, I mouthed, lowering the phone to stare at it for a moment. Was he trying to catch me off-guard? “I’ll be ready.”
Without another cup of coffee, perhaps, but I could be ready.
A pair of heels a shade darker than my suit waited by my bed. I stepped into them, checked my appearance.
Then I grabbed my purse, looked at my watch. Three minutes. If I hurried, I could maybe grab a cup of coffee on the way out the door.
The hallway was quiet, just a few sleepy-eyed travelers coming out of their rooms, rolling suitcases in tow, purses or briefcases in hand. A few carried suit bags. There were seven of us waiting at the elevator bank and I shot another sidelong look at my watch as the doors slid open. Two minutes. Normally, I wouldn’t be concerned about a minute here or there, but I had the oddest feeling I was being tested here. That, coupled with the night I had, left me feeling on edge.
I slid off the elevator with fifteen seconds remaining on my five-minute window. No time for coffee. I strode out the door with just a brief nod at the woman who stood behind the welcome desk, everything in me longing for more coffee. I needed that jolt like I needed air.
No time for breakfast, either. It didn’t matter that I’d been told this was a breakfast meeting. I was an assistant. If personal experience was anything to go by, then I might be lucky if I had a chance to grab a cup of coffee when the meeting was over. I could have done just fine without food, but I was about ready to hurt somebody over the fact that I hadn’t had a chance to have another cup of coffee.
The cool morning air closed around me and I breathed it in, let it soothe some of the ragged edges away as I turned my head, looking for the car—there.
It was that one. I didn’t even have to wait for it to roll to a stop a few inches away from the curb where I stood.
It was steel gray.
It seemed to be the color Gallagher preferred. I needed to update my wardrobe. Anything but gray.
The driver’s door swung open but before he could climb out, the door nearest me opened and I found myself looking in at the man himself. “It’s okay, Jake. We need to get moving.”
I eyed him narrowly, kept the smooth expression on my face as I slid into the car. I was glad I’d worn a skirt with a fuller cut. It made it easier to shift and situate without the potential for embarrassment. I fumbled a bit with my bag and the door, but managed to get the door to close behind me as I settled on the seat next to him. A familiar scent, rich and intoxicating, filled the air around me. Coffee. I might have let myself drool, if I dared. Had it been anybody but Gallagher, I would have.
“Right on time. You’re very efficient,” he said, his voice pensive.
“I’d think that would be a good quality in an assistant.” I held his gaze and that alone had the dregs of the nightmare falling away. Too bad I was left to shift uncomfortably with the memory of the other dream swimming to the front of my mind. Sitting there, I tried not to remember that dream, where his body hovered over mine, the sand warm against my back, those green eyes boring into mine. My belly went hot, my skin felt tight and my palms started to sweat. Those thoughts were the absolute last things I could hold in my mind when I was here with him.
“Of course,” he murmured. Then he looked away, dismissing me.
It took a moment to recall what we’d been discussing.
It took even longer to get my foolish body under control.
Needing something to think about besides the coffee he held in his hand, I composed my face into the professional mask that was going to be the only part of me I ever let him see. Looking around, I saw nobody else, save for the driver in the front seat. It was just the two of us.
“Are we picking Mai up as well?”
“Yes.” He continued to watch me, and a glint in those eyes bothered me. It bothered me a lot, but looking away was a sign of discomfort. Worse, a sign of nervousness and I wasn’t going to let him see that he made me nervous—I wouldn’t let myself be nervous.
Arrogant son of a bitch.
A moment later, that hard mouth softened as a smile appeared and he shook his head, like he was amused by some personal, private joke. What? Why are you laughing?
He looked away and I let myself do the same while thoughts spun dizzyingly through my mind. The past few days, I’d spent hours comparing myself to the girl I’d been, the silly child he’d known. The girl from which he’d taken everything.
Nothing of her remained.
She’d been soft and happy and foolish.
There was nothing soft about me; while I might have bits and pieces of my life that made me happy, I allowed it only in small doses. Happiness was something I didn’t trust.
It was a lie. An illusion and nothing I’d ever trust in again.
The drive passed in silence and I had to fight the urge to breathe out a sigh of relief as we pulled up in front of a pretty, old building. Ivy clung to the front, and even in the dim light of morning, I could see the vivid bursts of flowers in the window boxes. A little bit of color on a drab morning. Unaware that I was smiling, I leaned my head against the door, studying the building. It suited Mai. Old-world elegance and beauty.
“You’re smiling.”
I turned my head, stared at Gallagher who sat a little closer than I liked. I glanced at the coffee he held, a wistful bit of envy curling curl inside me. I wanted that damn coffee. “Was I?” I asked, focusing my attention away from him.
“Yes. Mai and her husband will be moving out of the city after the baby is born. They want a larger home. If you like the building, I can see if anybody has inquired about her unit.”
“No, thank you. It’s lovely, but it’s not my style.” I had to coax the disinterest into my voice. It was lovely. But I had no desire to accept any help from him. I had the job. I had a goal. The goal was still murky—I wanted...what, exactly?
“Not your style. Just what is your style, Shan...non?”
Was it me, or had he lingered on the way he drew out my name?
My breath caught and his gaze dropped, briefly, to linger on my mouth. Blood heated my neck, my cheeks and I was lucky that at that very moment, the driver slid out of the car. “There she is, sir. I’ll get her settled and we can get on the road. Traffic isn’t too terrible today.”
Saved, I thought, by the arrival of Mai. She glided toward us, elegant and beautiful in a simple black sheath, the hard mound of her belly not terribly obvious until she turned to shift into the car. A soft groan escaped her as she settled into the front seat, next to the driver. She glanced back at us. “I have to be up front,” she said, smiling, although she looked tired. “I’ve got this annoying habit of getting nauseated if I’m in the back. How are you doing, Shannon?”
“Well enough. Good morning, Mai,” I murmured. She had a clever hand with makeup, but she hadn’t slept well, either.
Gallagher was less polite. “You’re not sleeping well anymore.”
“It’s getting harder to sleep,” she said, an edge I hadn’t heard before creeping into her voice. “Any idea what it’s like to sleep when you have a foot driving into your kidney?”
He blinked. “No. I can’t say I’m familiar with that.”
She sighed, leaning her head back against the seat. “Trust me. It isn’t pleasant.”
“If you need to go home and rest...”
Mai shook her head. “No. And I want to make sure Shannon is comfortable with her position before I leave.” An amused grin lit her face as she glanced back at us. “After all, it’s not like I plan on coming back to help out.”
He looked as though he wanted to argue, but she just shook her head. “I’ll leave when I’m ready—or when the baby is. Until then, please let me do my job. I think I might actually miss it when I’m gone.”
* * * * *
THE MEETING WAS TO discuss a possible acquisition.
Gallagher Enterprises had started as a small architectural firm located in Buffalo, NY. That was thirty years ago. Now there were offices in Philadelphia, New York, Orlando and Los Angeles, each of them headed by one of the Gallagher sons. Drake’s father, Seamus Gallagher, had retired seven years ago and the company just continued to grow and grow. His boys knew what they were doing; I had to give them credit.
They were looking to acquire a foundering architectural firm in the Dallas area and the man currently blustering with Gallagher was out of his league. He also had roaming eyes, a loud, fake laugh and hands that squeezed just a bit too tight. He liked to invade personal space, too. Particularly mine.
He also liked to call me honey, although I’d introduced myself and corrected him twice.
I was torn between ignoring him and addressing the issue.
As I passed out notepads to everybody, he reached up, patted me on the back, just a little too low to be comfortable, but too high for me to claim he’d actually grabbed my ass. Quickly moving out of his reach, I inclined my head. “Is there anything you need, Mr. Paxton?”
“Honey, I need a refill on my coffee.” He winked at me. “You just keep this good and topped off and we’ll get along fine.”
“Shannon.” Gallagher gave me a narrow look and nodded at the seat next to him.
I inclined my head and made my way around the table. A huge breakfast buffet spread out behind us, servers at the ready. One was already moving toward Paxton with coffee. Asshole.
“Shannon is my admin, Ken.” Gallagher gave him a smile. It was polite, to the point of being too polite. “She’s not here to top off your coffee. She’s here to help facilitate the meeting and assist me. If you need coffee, just let one of the servers know. I’m sure they’d be happy to help.”
Paxton opened his mouth, his face going a slow, ugly red. Then he blinked, nodded. “Absolutely. My apologies, honey.”
I had to fight not to grit my teeth as I pulled out my tablet and pulled up the necessary files. Mai had already told me what information Gallagher might need, but she’d also let me know that most of the time I’d just need to make notes, observations. He researches everything and while he might use you and the team to gather the information, he’s involved in every project that interests him, from the ground up.
I didn’t take that to mean I wasn’t going to be needed.
However, if he actually wanted to work with somebody like Paxton, my opinion of him was going to drop and it was already not terribly high. Paxton was an ass, and he wouldn’t treat his employees well. Personally, I had issues with Gallagher. On a professional level, he seemed to make his people happy.
Paxton was his polar opposite.
That meeting dragged on for what seemed like hours.
In reality, it was only 117 minutes. I counted them, each and every one. It was excruciating, sitting there next to him, smelling the light, subtle cologne he used—or maybe it was just his soap, I couldn’t tell. Every so often, he’d shift in his seat, leaning on the arm until he was close enough that I could feel his body heat and I’d have to grit my teeth until I could subtly shift my position away from him.
A tension headache had settled at the base of my skull by the time it was over and once everybody rose, I was glad to have a chance to rise, stretch my muscles. Mai glanced at me. “Before we hit the road, I’m taking a quick break. Join me?”
Code speak for wanna hit the ladies room.
I nodded and gathered my things, tucked them into the soft, eggplant-colored bag I’d picked up a few days ago. Slinging the strap over my shoulder, I fell in beside her as we wove through the bodies. People were speaking in low tones, all except for Paxton. That big, booming voice carried across the room as he said, “Now, Drake, you let me know if there’s anything else we can help you with. I think we’d make a fine addition to the Gallagher family.”
I managed to keep my face straight as I ducked out of the room.
The cool peace of the ladies room closed around us and I let myself breathe a quiet sigh of relief.
Mai shot me a wide grin. “And here I was thinking that was my line.”
“Three cups of coffee,” I lied, making a beeline for the nearest stall.
She chuckled and went to do the same.
The sound of her heels stopped just before I reached the door and I paused, looked back at her.
She was staring down at the floor, a dismayed look on her face. “Oh. I think I just...how embarrassing.”
A funny feeling settled in the pit of my gut. It only spread as she reached up and settled a hand on her belly.
“Oh, no,” she whispered. “Shannon, I think I’ve got a bit of a problem. I think my water just broke.”
Her eyes were dazed, confused as she looked up at me. “I’ve still got a month. How can that happen?”
The demanding pang in my bladder subsided as I moved back to her side. “Well, like you said earlier. You’ll leave when the baby is ready. I think the baby just decided he was ready.”
“She.” She swallowed and went back to staring at the puddle on the floor. “The baby is a girl.”
I reached for my phone. “Come on. Let’s get to the door and we’ll call...”
“Drake. Call Drake. He’ll get me to the hospital and I can call my husband on the drive.”
“Drake, then.”
“I’m sorry, Shannon.” Her voice was thin and soft as she squeezed my hand. “I wanted to make sure you were okay before this happened.”
Gallagher’s voice came on the line. “We need to get going, Shannon.”
“We have an...issue,” I said. It wasn’t a problem, really. The baby had just moved up the timetable, right?