Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 58615 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 293(@200wpm)___ 234(@250wpm)___ 195(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 58615 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 293(@200wpm)___ 234(@250wpm)___ 195(@300wpm)
I rap my knuckle on William’s door and then push the handle to go inside. He looks up as I enter the room. There’s a man sitting opposite him, who follows William’s gaze to me. I drop my eyes to study him and swallow when his dark orbs narrow on me.
“Clove, you’re early.” William stands and runs his hand down his tie.
“Sorry, I’m actually five minutes late. I can come back another time if you’re busy,” I offer. But really, I won’t make another appointment to see him. I’ll just end things on the phone when he can slip a call in.
He’s shaking his head vehemently and moving from foot to foot like he’s anxious.
“Are you going to introduce us?” the other man says, rising to his feet, and comes toward me. The clothes he’s wearing are unusual for this environment, which leads me to believe he’s not here on business. Leather in the form of a jacket sits snug over his wide shoulders. A T-shirt pulls tight against his abdomen with a logo of a rock band emblazoned on the fabric. Jeans sitting low on his narrow hips travel down his legs and disappear into heavy black boots that stop just as the tip of his boot reaches the end of my stiletto.
The urge to move back is suffocating, but I refuse to be intimidated, and that’s the vibes coming off this man. His eyes are narrowed and a sneer lifts his lip as he states, “You’ve been moving up in the world. She’s an improvement from the last one.”
Just as my mouth opens to tell him to back away, a large hand reaches around my waist and tugs me backward against a hard chest. Sebastian’s scent surrounds me as his other powerful hand reaches forward and pushes against this man’s chest.
“You’re too close,” Sebastian growls in warning.
I feel the heat and grip of his hold in more places than my waist and I fight the urge to inhale him and sink back into his powerful body.
“It’s okay,” William intervenes, pulling me from my fuzzy thoughts, finally coming around his desk and grabbing the man’s arm to step around him. He’s not looking at me but at the giant behind me, who’s protecting me. “She’s fine,” he tells Sebastian without asking me if I’m indeed fine. In his hold, I feel more than fine.
“This is a school friend of mine from a long time ago. He’s just visiting and now leaving.” William glances over his shoulder and the guy smirks with a shoulder shrug.
“No offense intended.” He holds up his hands in surrender.
“You can release her now,” William urges, but Sebastian doesn’t release me, merely relaxes his hold slightly, which I’m grateful for because my knees have weakened.
“Actually, this was just a quick visit to let you know in person that this”—I gesture between him and me—“isn’t working. I have another engagement to get to so…” I know I sound discombobulated, but I can’t think straight through the Sebastian haze.
Pull yourself together, I scorn internally.
William’s jaw is slack and his pale blue eyes widen in shock. He should be enough, he should be better at the things I need, but he’s just not.
“You’re joking?” He chortles, running his fingers through his blond hair. But the laughter fades when he realizes I’m not smiling. It’s not a joke.
“Clove? You can’t end us. We’re perfect together. Our careers—”
I hold a hand up to stop him. He means his career. I do charity work. I’m not trying to climb rungs of a ladder like William. His ego gives me the ammo I need to clear the haze of sexual chemistry I seem to be consumed with today.
“Your career. Being with you does nothing to further my own agenda, just yours,” I bite out.
“I love you,” he tries.
His friend from school, who’s still standing behind him, barks out a laugh, gaining all our attention. With hands going up in surrender, he says, “Sorry, carry on.”
What a rude sonofabitch. I should have waited for him to leave. Picked another time to do this, but if I wait, it’s just prolonging the inevitable.
“You love the idea of me,” I mutter. “There’s a difference.”
William’s jaw locks and the muscles tick there. He places his hands on his hips as he paces the floor. Sebastian’s hold has loosened, but he hasn’t fully let me go.
“Can we talk about this at a more appropriate time? It’s hardly the place, Clove.”
“Will I just book another time slot to see you then?” I bite out.
“I don’t give you enough time. I can do better,” William says with a resigned sigh.
“Do better with the next woman who comes into your life.” I reach out for him and squeeze his arm, before turning on my heel and coming face-to-face with Sebastian’s chest. He stands in my way for a beat too long before stepping aside and letting me pass.