by Zante, Lily
“Drinks, absolutely. Come along, the more the merrier, and that goes for alcohol as well as people. We’re going to one of the finest watering holes this side of Manhattan. Come by my office in twenty minutes and you can leave with me. I’m four doors down from Tobias, on the right-hand side, hidden away around the corner in that god awful corridor.”
The idea seemed tempting enough. She hadn’t been out anywhere and perhaps this evening she could. One drink. It was New Year’s Eve after all and it wasn’t as if she had to rush back to relieve Rosalee. She could pick Jacob up at any time. Sensing that her response would tick Tobias off, for reasons she didn’t understand, she agreed to it. “Thanks for the offer. I might just do that.”
“I look forward to it,” said Matthias, looking genuinely pleased. “And what about you?” He asked Tobias.
“I have things to do,” said Tobias testily.
“Of course you do.” Matthias gave her a mischievous roll of his eyes. “Twenty minutes,” he said, and then left the room.
She had walked over to grab her coat, but this sudden invite from Matthias now left her at a loose end. She had twenty minutes to kill, and with the just the two of them in the room once more, Savannah felt edgy. Tobias glared at her and she wished she hadn’t agreed to wait around for Matthias.
“I need you to fix another Word document for me.”
“You need me to do what?” She asked. Memories of yesterday made her blood simmer.
“Please.” His voice had lost it harsh edge. “Would you take a look at my document?”
“Another one?” Her voice was weary, as if she was sick of hearing the same old request from him every time. “I thought I’d fixed all your documents.”
“It’s a new one I created earlier.”
She frowned. “I’d fixed it so that your new documents would use that template.” She didn’t understand what he’d done; or how he’d managed to mess that up. How could this man run a billion dollar business and have no idea of how to format a template? It made her wonder how much he relied on Candace.
“It won’t take long,” he said, as though he sensed her hesitation. “You can still run along to your date with Matthias.”
She was surprised by his choice of words but decided against giving him a fitting reply. She didn’t want to engage with him in conversation that would give him cause to be angry at her and since she was going to be here for another month at least, it made sense not to get on his bad side.
But she was secretly pleased that the idea of her going out with Matthias seemed to displease him. It was easy enough to tell. He was always so moody and miserable, and she was fast beginning to notice his moods; a skill she’d acquired and honed during her time with Colt. Back then it had been a survival skill because she’d needed to know what mood he was in when he came home. She had to be prepared for whatever he threw at her so that she could better protect herself and Jacob.
“Do you have time or not?” Tobias asked her.
“I can take a look,” she replied, putting on her coat and grabbing her handbag. She followed him in silence back to his office. She noted that this time, instead of taking long, fast strides, he had slowed down, as if he wanted to say something to her.
Even if that were the case, she didn’t want to hear it and she purposely slowed down even more.
She didn’t want to talk to Tobias much less help him out.
Chapter 13
Matthias Rust. The man could be a real asshole. Asking a temp out for a drink; how desperate could he be? Tobias felt the veins throbbing along his neck as he walked in silence along the corridor while Savannah Page trailed quietly behind him.
How easily she had agreed. The thought had pissed him off even more.
Tobias tried to walk alongside her, hoping to start a conversation—something that was alien to him—but all he wanted was to say his piece and be done with it. Yet the way she now stared at the floor, the way she so blatantly avoided eye contact with him, in such sharp contrast to the way she had joked and spoken to Matthias, made him even madder.
He strode into his office and held the door open for her. She walked in and moved over to his side of the desk and stood staring at his computer, as though she was in a rush. “Where’s the document?”
“I have to bring it up. Can you wait?” he asked, walking over to her. She stepped back, giving him easy access to his computer.
“Would you mind taking a seat?” He took control of the mouse. Word documents were the last thing he had on his mind. He had a document, something he’d been working on all morning, but this wasn’t the real reason he’d asked her here. Their exchange yesterday had weighed on his mind and he knew he’d hurt her, not just her wrist and the way he’d grabbed it, but her feelings too. And it bothered him. He needed to explain and to apologize.
She moved past him and fluttered around the other side of the desk. “Sit,” he said, and then it occurred to him that giving her an order wasn’t the best way forward. “Please, if you don’t mind,” he added.
“I’m fine standing.”
She was still annoyed with him, he could tell, and he didn’t blame her one bit. “Is this going to take long?”
She seemed especially keen to meet Matthias. “I forgot,” he sneered, “you’re in a hurry.” He stopped looking for the document. “I didn’t know that you and Matthias knew one another.”
“We don’t, or rather we didn’t. I only met him today.”
“It didn’t seem like it, the way the two of you were laughing.”
“Some people are easier to get on with than others.”
He tightened his jaw, studying her face and staring at the way her tousled hair fell around her shoulders. Thick, and wild, and unruly. He imagined her lying in his bed covered only in his white sheets, with those hazel eyes staring up him. He shook his head from side-to-side in an attempt to shake away the vision that had suddenly stolen up on him.
“You’re shaking your head; you don’t agree?”
He agreed alright and he knew exactly what she was referring to. Ordinarily he wouldn’t care what other people thought of him but this woman was making him question his actions and his words. It was something he wasn’t used to. But he didn’t want to think about that yet. For now, he had to find a way of apologizing for yesterday without making a big drama of it.
The situation was awkward enough.
He drew in a breath. “About yesterday…” He began, biting his teeth together. She folded her arms and stared back at him expectantly but a knock at the door soon interrupted the moment. He chose to ignore it. “About yesterday, what I said, when you asked about my wife—”
The door flung wide open.
“Bro!” Xavier, his lazy ass brother breezed in. Tobias glared at him. More interruption. At this rate he’d never get to say what he needed.
“Whoa,” Xavier stopped when he’d taken two strides into the room. “I didn’t know you were busy.”
“That’s why I ignored the knock.” Tobias replied tightly.
“Sorry. Am I interrupting something?” The expression on Xavier’s face seemed to imply things of a seedier nature.
“Why don’t you wait outside?” Tobias suggested.
“Hello there, I don’t believe we’ve met.” His brother stared at Savannah as if he was going to eat her up and extended his hand towards her. Tobias saw the look of apprehension on Savannah’s face as she shook hands.
“No Naomi, then?” Xavier asked him.
“Shut the fuck up.” Tobias scowled at his brother. “How much have you had to drink?”
“Not enough, that’s for sure. It’s after four and it’s New Year’s Eve,” protested Xavier.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Tobias raised his voice.
“Ease up,” his brother held out his hand in a calming motion. “I came to get you. We’re hitting a champagne bar first, some new rooftop club has just opened and then there’s a private party at The Vault. It’s members
only…and we all know what that means.” Xavier grinned as he walked over to his side then punched him lightly on his shoulder.
“Wait outside.” Tobias ordered, flexing his fingers. If he’d been here alone he would have thrown his brother out. As it was, Ms. Page already had a bad enough impression of him, and he wasn’t going to embellish it further.
“I need to go. Matthias is waiting.” Savannah’s words pissed him off even more.
“You’re not coming with us?” Xavier looked genuinely disappointed.
“She has a better offer.” Tobias’s fury built up.
“Can you show me the document?” She asked.
“It can wait,” Tobias replied. This wasn’t how he had imagined their exchange to go.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes,” he replied, his mouth twisting.
“I’m back next week. I can fix it then or you can get Candace to look at it.”
“You’ll have to fix it,” he said firmly. Whatever happened, he would have his moment, next week. He would wait until then. “You can go,” he said.
“Thanks. Have a great evening.” She called out to them both, deliberately avoiding eye contact with him. He noticed it, just as he saw the way his brother turned to admire her.
“Have a good New Year’s…” Xavier started to say, but she had already disappeared. “Nice piece of ass,” he commented, giving an approving nod.
“Cut it out, you idiot,” Tobias snarled.
“How long have you been screwing her?”
“Watch your mouth.”
“You mean you’re not?”
“She’s a temp.”
“As if that matters.”
“I don’t mix work with other pursuits.”
“You don’t have other pursuits. And that on-off girlfriend of yours…” Xavier still believed that Naomi was his girlfriend and that was the way Tobias liked it.
“But, seriously, Bro. You’re not screwing her? What’s her name?”
“Savannah.”
“Savannah? Sounds like a piece of paradise. Did you not see the T & A on her?”
Tobias closed his eyes wanting to shut out Xavier’s verbal vomit. “I think you’ve had too much to drink and maybe you should go home. You need to watch your mouth when you come here.”
Xavier scratched his hair. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have mentioned Naomi. It’s just that she had her coat on and everything, I thought she was your new date or something.”
“She’s a temp who works here and she was going to look at a document for me.”
“Whatever,” said Xavier, rubbing his face. “I haven’t had enough to drink and tonight we’re going to par-tay! Hurry the hell up, will you?”
But Tobias was in no mood to go out, despite what he’d already told his brother yesterday, and especially now with things still weighing on him heavily and unresolved with Savannah. Why did it bother him so much? Was it because he was a hero in Jacob’s eyes? Or because he kept doing the wrong thing when it came to the boy’s mother? And even if that were the case, why did that matter at all? He’d never even noticed other temps before.
“Tell me you didn’t drive here,” he said sharply, turning his attention to his annoying brother.
“I didn’t. I’m not stupid, Bro. I want to get trashed tonight. Come on, hurry it up, will you. There’s plenty of pussy where we’re going.”
Tobias put his hands up as if to ward off any further discussion. “If that’s all it is, I want out.”
“Relax,” said Xavier. “You’re looking stressed out again.”
“I’m warning you.”
“It’s nothing but a few drinks, I promise. There are plenty of women, but it’s not that kind of party.”
Tobias still wasn’t convinced.
“Have a few drinks then you can go home and screw Naomi’s brains out all night long, you horny bastard.”
“Go to hell,” said Tobias, already hating the idea of what tonight would bring.
Chapter 14
Savannah left the office clutching to the only piece of good news she’d had all day. This wasn’t her last day and she would be back in the New Year.
The future looked promising and she could even be in a position to rent a small apartment for her and Jacob by the time summer came around and Kay returned. By then she might even be in a position to look elsewhere for a permanent job, if the opportunity never came up at Stone Enterprises.
She wondered what it was that Tobias had wanted to say to her. Whatever it was, he’d looked angry when his brother had turned up. It had been the second time she’d been saved, first by Matthias and then by Xavier.
Being around him was like taking a roller-coaster ride in the dark and most of her interactions with the man often left her feeling drained. Yet as unpredictable as Tobias Stone was, she also felt for the man. Finding out about his past had opened her eyes and given her an insight into his hard personality. He’d suffered a devastating blow and she was secretly fascinated by his love for his wife, and to know that he still suffered for her loss.
He wasn’t even her direct boss but in these few days with just the two of them in the office, mostly, he had managed to get into her head for all the wrong reasons. It was like being with Colt all over again except for the physical abuse.
But you aren’t with Tobias Stone, she reminded herself. Naomi was. Men like Tobias and women like Naomi were perfect for one another. Savannah knew she would never feel comfortable being with someone that wealthy.
As if that would ever happen. Why was she even thinking such crazy thoughts?
Knowing he wasn’t married changed nothing. Because as much as it piqued her curiosity and set her pulse racing, this thing between them was more hate-hate than a slow-burning interest in the man.
“Savannah!” She was about to push through the revolving doors when someone called out her name. She turned around.
“Didn’t you hear me? I was right behind you.” Matthias asked, his eyes glittering.
“Sorry. I was miles away.”
“Tobias said you’d already left.” He pushed her towards the revolving doors and they circled through to outside. She stepped back and faced him. “I’m going to pass on the drinks. Thanks for the invite but I think I should head home.”
“Are you sure?” he asked her. “It’s New Year’s Eve, Savannah. Have one drink at least, or has Tobias worked you so hard that you need to go home? I know he can be a tyrant sometimes.”
“I haven’t been working for him,” she explained. The wind blew her hair over her face and she brushed it away with her fingers. The noisy roar of cars speeding by made her raise her voice. “I can’t. I have to pick up my son.”
“You have a son?”
She nodded, smiling at the thought of Jacob and knew instantly that she wanted to go home and spend the evening with him.
“Surely your son won’t mind you having a few drinks? It’s not just me, in case you felt awkward, there are others coming along; those of us who have no inclination to rush home.”
“Sorry, Matthias. I have an inclination to rush home. Another time perhaps.”
“I’ll hold you to that.”
She laughed. “Have a great evening.”
“Have a happy new year.” He moved in to kiss her on both cheeks, an act she found slightly forward given that she hardly knew him. “Thanks. You too,” she replied, smiling, then walked away.
~~
“Isn’t that your temp?” Xavier asked as they came out of the elevator. Directly ahead of him Tobias saw Savannah walking through the revolving doors with Matthias.
“She’s not my temp,” Tobias snarled, keeping his gaze fixed on them as they stopped and talked outside. They seemed to be getting on very well.
As if he cared.
He didn’t give a shit.
But in the next moment he saw Matthias kiss her on both cheeks and his jaw tightened.
“It looks to me like Matthias has an interest in her, wouldn’t
you say?” Xavier asked.
“Who cares,” growled Tobias, clenching his fists. “Where’s the party?”
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Booklist
Other books by Lily Zante: http://www.lilyzante.com/books
Standalone books:
Love, Inc
An Unexpected Gift
Unexpected Love (Bundle: An Unexpected Gift & Love, Inc)
Honeymoon Series:
Honeymoon For One
Honeymoon For Three
Honeymoon Blues
Honeymoon Bliss
Honeymoon Series Boxed Set (Books 2, 3 & 4)
Honeymoon Series Book 5 due Jan/Feb 2016
Perfect Match Series:
The Proposal
Lost In Solo
Heart Sync
Perfect Match Boxed Set (Books 1, 2 & 3)
A Leap of Faith
Tainted Love Series: (A spin-off from the Perfect Match Series)
Misplaced Love
Reclaiming Love
Embracing Love
Tainted Love Boxed Set (Books 1, 2 & 3)
Italian Summer Series: (A spin-off from the Honeymoon Series)
It Takes Two
All That Glitters
All That Glitters Sequel due Feb/Mar 2016