PRESLEY
Karma had a twisted way of getting back to you. Once the bitch had her hands around your throat, she wasn't afraid to twist, tug and pull. Something inside my gut had been warning me to double-check my fucking alarm since I'd finished my face routine that night.
I'd shrugged the idea from my mind, woken up this morning only to realize I'd never set an alarm, and now I was running thirty minutes late.
Running into the eye of the storm to Mr. Grant who I'd been nervous about facing and now I might as well had slapped on a 'Fire me" on my forehead.
Jesus Christ.
Everything about this morning was going terribly wrong, and I'd suspected it had something to do with how my weekend went.
I spent the weekend with Finley and Octavius, traveling in and out of shopping malls for the arrival of their baby and I was prepared to apologize—or say something for how I'd treated Silvio last time we met but then realized he was avoiding me entirety.
Cosimo had told me Silvio recently took over Octavius' job—whatever that fucking was—something about how it was a high-ranked position so it was supposed to be secretive.
Even so, normally I'd run into Silvio at least once whenever I hung around Finley but I never saw him. The closest thing I was gifted was the sound of his voice when Finley had called to check up on him.
He was definitely going to hell.
I shoved the topic of the man into the back of my head as I walked into the buildings of Grant Corp, the sound of my black stilettos click-clacking against the expensive, polished tiled floors. I'd thrown on a grey, low-cut, long-sleeved blazer on and dress pants, wrapped my knotless braids into a low ponytail and quickly glossed my lips before I left.
I didn't have time to breathe, rushing out of the elevator before I met a pair of dark eyes staring deeply into mine.
Mr. Fucking Desmond Grant.
"Ms. Carmichael." His sharp, dulcet voice called out as he stood proud and tall in front of his office. Looking like every woman's wet dress in a tailored black suit, dark brown curls and piercing dark eyes with a week-old stubble.
If I wasn't so pissed off at every singe thing he did or said, I would have found the man rather attractive. Otherwise he was just petty in my book.
Walking closer, I braced myself for the slight change in his voice and his infamous eyebrow raise whenever he got pissed. "You're late." He muttered under his breath, not hiding his pure irritation at my existence.
"Yes." I breathed deeply coming to stand in front of him. He looked down at me with that disapproving expression, and judgement in his eyes. "Traffic rush this morning was insane, I'm so—"
He held a palm in the air, stopping me midway into my apology. "Ms. Carmichael. What'd I say about apologizing to me?"
Right.
"There's no need for apology if I'll end up repeating my action." I read off the same words in an monotone voice he'd repeated to me from the first day I made a mistake and apologized profusely for it.
It was another thing I'd come to learn about Desmond Grant; He hated apologies as much as almond milk in his coffee order. They were bizarre to him.
A slight tip of his full lips, almost as if he was pleased with my response. "See, I knew there was a reason I kept you around." Thank you? "Don't be late again, Ms. Carmichael or else I'll have to start reducing your pay. Your last warning. Yes?"
My fingers itched wanting nothing more than to punch a damn hole in his annoyingly perfect handsome face but I could only swallow my sassy response under my frustration and direct a fake smile towards him. "Absolutely, sir."
"Good." He nodded firmly, glancing deeply into my eyes for a little longer than usual before he shifted his eyes straight ahead. "You can start with my regular order of coffee and then explain what the hell happened with the client you were given to interview."
Ah shit. Another fake smile as I gritted my teeth, imagining what would happen if I'd taken off my shoes and dug the heel of my stiletto into his eyes. "Of course, sir."
After I'd received an ear full from the devil himself and made it up by traveling thirty minutes to his favorite coffee shop for his regular order, he'd instructed me to summarize everything that had happened on Friday night. Starting with my arrival at the bar and the text messages I'd shared with the client. He wanted to know everything.
I didn't know much about the case Grant was working on but I knew it was related to the Crime families of New York and an exclusive article to reveal the hidden secrets of their dynamic.
Grant had revealed to me a while ago that his article alone could end the family and put him in danger and everyone working on it with me, and asked if I wanted to pursue this.
It was one of the reasons I'd admired working under him; He was passionate about everything he wanted to write about and made impossible a possibility.
Even if it meant working as a personal assistant rather than his intern for a while.
The day dreadfully dragged on until it was time for my lunch break, and usually I would have eaten lunch at my desk because Desmond always required my presence every single minute even if it was lunch time.
He didn't give a fuck and didn't have any fucks to give. The man was a menace.
Today was different; Alice, who was Desmond's secretary and Clara, his receptionist both begged for me to visit the new restaurant which opened a few days ago.
It was a couple minutes walk from the office which initially drew me into the idea. I'd checked Desmond's schedule earlier today and noticed he only had one meeting after lunch with a client he labeled as 'important!" and I made a promise to myself to be on time.
"So.." Clara began after we'd received our food. We'd been catching up for the last thirty minutes about our weekends with the latest pop hits playing overhead from the speakers. The all-knowing expression on her face made me squirm a bit in my seat.
I glanced over at Alice who was playing with the strands of her dark brown hair nervously like she'd done something wrong. "What do you think about Jax?"
Jax. My entire body froze at the name of the man who'd pursued me for the past three months ever since I'd started working at Grant Corp. So adamant and determined to acquire a date.
Jax was an attractive man; Silky brown skin, rugged jaw, full beard a woman could run her hands through and tug during sex and thick dark hair which he always kept cut and neat.
He was handsome but he presented himself with this air of a playboy. I'd been with guys like that through my life, and I made a promise to myself after Enzo I wouldn't pursue anything with a man who was a playboy.
I wasn't changing any man and I wasn't willing to.
"He's okay." I mumbled under my breath, sipping my strawberry lemonade drink. Usually I'd only get water but Desmond Grant had drained my fucking sugar levels with his consistent yelling. "Why?"
This time, Alice spoke out of nowhere. "Well, he's here."
"Here?" I raised an eyebrow at Alice, and she visibly shrunk in her seat. Alice was the quieter one out of all of us, she didn't speak much and was very a follower in activities. "And by here, do you mean oh he's behind you or he's on his way here?"
"Presley." Deep voice spoke from behind me taking me by shock. I didn't have to turn my head to know who the commander of the voice was. The smell of masculine cologne was enough to alert me, and before I could say something, I felt the seat fold in itself as the man took up the remainder of space beside me.
A frown automatically settled on my face as I turned to give my attention to Jax. Or at least what was left of it. "Baby girl." He flashed those perfect white teeth's at me before reaching for a French fry on my plate.
I reached over and smacked his hand. "Don't call me that and don't touch my food."
He raised a hand up almost like he was surrendering. "Of course." He turned his head, smiling that seductive smile women received from him whenever he was in a good mood, and that smile was trouble itself. "Hi, ladies."
"Hello." Alice responded with a shy smile, her olive skin turning instantly red while Clara just rolled her eyes, impenetrable to his charms.
"Jackson." She faked a smile. It made me wonder what kind of bribery Jax had used to get into the good graces of Clara. She hated him as much I did and here she was, conversing with him.
Jax worked at the company across from Grant Corp and was a rival journalist but we'd met in the coffee shop from my first day, and ever since, he'd been following me around like a lost puppy.
It was irritating and though I'd grown to enjoy his company at times, I realized he would never stop asking me out not unless I agreed.
And I desperately needed a night to not give a fuck about everything and perhaps Jax could offer that.
"Baby girl." Jax spoke lowly, his deep brown eyes glancing into mine. I never took him seriously because if I did, I would be like everyone else. Buried under him, and walking with my heart in my vagina after one night. "Tonight. You and me. The restaurant downtown. I'll make it worth your while."
I twisted my lips and placed a French fry into my mouth. My eyes glanced over at Alice who smiled encouragingly before I turned my attention back to Jax. His arms were stretched over my seat, long fingers slightly touching and playing with my ponytail.
"Maybe." My voice was soft, but inside I was a blushing mess. Was I really going to do this? "Hypothetically, what time would this be?"
His brown eyes lit with fire, and a wide smile took over his hardened features. "How does nine sound?"
Another French fry into my mouth before I nodded. "Sure."
"Sure?" He eyed me suspiciously.
I rolled my eyes at his overdramatic ass. "Yes, Jackson. Nine sounds perfect. Text me the location."
I swore I'd never seen a more wider, and brighter smile on his face than right now. He bit down on his bottom lip, talking in a low, sultry voice. "I'll see you tonight, baby girl." His eyes slid over the girls and he winked. "Later, ladies."
When Jax took his leave, Clara looked at me with a soft smile. "You finally said yes. About time. You can finally have a man and he can stop stalking me about where you'll be every minute."
I could only laugh, shaking my head at Jax's tactics and focused on finishing the rest of my lunch before it was time for a reality check with Desmond Grant. At exactly 1:15, I was right on time standing in front of Grant's office, my fist on the door as I was about to knock but he surprised me when the door opened out of nowhere.
Looking down at me, his lips tipped into a small smile. "Right on time."
"Yes, sir."
"Looks like someone's learning," He commented before fixing his crooked tie, and jerked his head in the direction of the elevator. "Are you going to move or not? We don't have all day, Mrs. Carmichael."
I nodded, turning around to the direction of the elevator, walked alongside him and pressed the floor for the conference room.
On the way there, I checked my phone for missed calls which included a couple of messages from Finley and calls from Lotus which I could only guess she wanted me to come home. And potentially visit my mother.
I missed my sister but if seeing her meant also running into mother than I'd rather choke on fucking olives.
Still replying to missed messages from Finley about which neutral color was best for the baby room, I didn't notice or recall where I was supposed to be walking to before coming to a sudden halt. Except it wasn't more of a halt but a running smack into a man I hadn't known was there.
I stumbled forward, pressed against a warm, tall body and directly into his hard chest. The air left my lungs just as all of my common sense I possessed before meeting this man.
Even despite though the layers of clothes separating us, I could feel every inch of his body; His stomach a firm slap of muscle against mine, biceps like stone beneath my fingertips.
My brows furrowed when my eyes glanced a pair of luxurious black oxfords draped by tailored black slacks. I inhaled a deep breath waiting for the man to release me and move out of my way but he didn't.
And so, I arched my head to allow myself a glimpse of this man. If it was possible for my body to jerk to a halt, that would have been my reaction.
My gaze riveted to the man who was even more handsome than I'd remembered the night he picked me up when it was raining. Still impressive as the aura he emitted.
Magnificent maleness and savagely gorgeous, standing there with his suit jacket open and one of his gloved hands causally in his pants pocket and another wrapped around me. Silver tie, his dress shirt and suit were both black but the vividness of his eyes sucked me in.
Bright green irises, assessing me with a tilt of his head and they bored into mine. He wasn't shy about looking at me or getting caught, he did it freely without reservations. Almost saying 'so fucking what'.
I wasn't aware of the hand holding my waist until it tightened slightly, sending a shock up my body that set fire to the dormant parts that hadn't been alive for years.
Being this close to him was alarming; He smelled so sinfully good and mouth-watering, like pure masculinity tainted with a hint of body wash like he'd just gotten out of the shower.
My pulse leaped when his hand squeezed my waist gently, pulling me up and steady on my own two legs. My nipples clenched in response when he sucked in a forceful breath.
We maintained eye contact for a second and his eyes narrowed firmly, a strand of his black hair drifting inches below his olive-green eyes.
"You all right?" His raspy, smooth voice spoke, his Adam's apple bobbed when I pressed my palm firmer against his chest. He was just so male.
"Yeah." I mumbled still in a bit of a haze, my gaze coasting over the the glimpse of the tattoos crawling at the end of his cuff. For some unknown reason, the sight of the small expanse of golden skin with pure black ink captivated me. "I'm fine. Please let go."
He glanced down at me, a frown marring the space between his perfectly shaped brows. "Are you sure?"
"Yes." I cleared my throat, painfully aware of Mr. Grant staring at me with confusion embedded in his face. If he was confused about what Silvio Rossi was doing here in broad daylight, then I was filled with hundreds of questions.
My brain finally stuttered back into gear when he released me, like his touch was affecting the coherent part of my brain which was able to piece information together.
"Hello." He murmured, the low vibration of his voice made me insides twist and turn. "Didn't know you'd be here as well. Would have avoided the company entirely since you don't like me."
I flushed with embarrassment and desire, unable to find the will to look away from those amazing green irises. "I'm not a morning person, you caught me off-guard."
"So, you didn't mean it is what I hear?" A ghost of a smile touched his lips just as quickly as the look of amusement crossed his eyes.
A vibrant green eye continued watching me. "Maybe I did." I bit down on my lip and shrugged.
"Hm. I see." His voice resonated, flowing over my body in a seductive rhythm. Why did he have to sound so fucking good and hot?
My belly fluttered with heat as I watched his gloved hand shove long strands of inky black hair behind his ear. My hands itched to touch it, run my fingers through it to see if it felt as good as I imagined. "Shall we start?" He was talking to Desmond but the intensity of his gaze was searing and his entire focus was on me.
"Yes, of course." Desmond said behind me, his voice shaky like he was also affected by powerful demand of Silvio's voice. At least I wasn't the only one. "Mrs. Carmichael?"
Finally I found the will to look away from him and to the other two people in the hallway which was Mr. Grant and a man I'd never seen before. I suspected he came with Silvio. Desmond jerked his head in the direction of the conference room and I nodded. "Yes, sorry."
Desmond reached out, steadied me with a hand behind my back and Silivo's gaze stayed focused on that hand until I began walking. Green eyes met mine. My breath caught as his gaze slid over me slowly in an assessing way before he started walking as well.
Lord help me.